Galaga (1981)

A left-right movement range and one fire button still produce a lovely little contest of nerve and positioning. Letting an enemy capture your ship creates the chance to rescue it and fight with a double fighter, trading safety for firepower. Choose the arcade original through Arcade Archives rather than assuming every console conversion is identical. It is a score chase built for repeated attempts, with a limited stock of lives, rather than a campaign you are expected to finish.