Yep, age difference
I was 13 when Galaxian was released. Like you I found the screaming attack sounds very impressive. in fact, that was the big difference with the usual SI games we were used to ....the attacking aliens ! When I "mastered" the game enough to get to the end of some levels and I saw the very first time that an alien decided to go around and attack me again I was so much nailed to the ground that it hit me right away.....I was BAFFLED and thought the machine was bewitched !
remember this was just after a time where we had only (mostly timed) BW games with pretty straightforward/monotone game play and computers were still something almost no-one has access too.....I could just not imagine in my mind how the creators of the game managed to get that damn alien so smart to so this, and also on a randomly basis.....as if it was angered that it had missed you and desperately wanted to try again.....
I guess that is what burnt Galaxian in my mind and memory
I really hardly played Galaga BITD. I really did not like the drunken way the aliens move down, and especially the sounds....I don't know I just hate them, I thought they were Pac Man like sounds, which fit Pac Man (like) games but not a bold shooter.....
Anyway, I think I told this one or two times before here and don't want to derail the thread
