Phil Hassey’s 2008 iOS release of Galcon ($1.99) was a perfect fit for the touchscreen platform and was one of the first true multiplayer experiences in the early days of iPhone gaming. Inspired by the 1987 game Galactic Conquest, Galcon has you directing an army of spaceships to various planets in an effort to thwart your enemy’s presence and claim all planets as your own. It’s a galactic tug-of-war, and is both simple to play but surprisingly deep in terms of strategy. It was a hit on iOS, and spawned off several different versions across various platforms, including two additional iOS releases in the forms of Galcon Labs ($2.99) and Galcon Fusion ($2.99).
The latest version of the game, Galcon Legends, launched on PC earlier this month and is now revealed to be hitting iOS next week, on February 6th. It forgoes the multiplayer portion of the Galcon formula for a strictly single-player campaign that aims to teach the ins and outs of the game and its strategies. This campaign even comes with a story about a bill collector named Buck, who you can see in the following trailer.
Galcon and its various spinoffs are all absolute classics, and since they’ve been around on iOS for so long it’s very possible some newer iOS gamers haven’t experienced them. If that includes you, Galcon Legends should be a great place to start with its focus on single-player and teaching the foundations of the gameplay. While multiplayer is one of the best features of Galcon, it will be a huge focus in the true sequel, Galcon 2, which is still currently in the works, so I can live without it in Galcon Legends as I wait in anticipation for that to arrive. Look for Galcon Legends to hit the App Store next week.
