Namco Museum

Namco Museum doesn’t bring any new technological feats into the picture, but it does bring a ton of gameplay fun, in a compact size. Try fitting the full size arcades in your house, you’ll see what I mean! Namco Museum is Highly Recommended to all fans of the original, retro titles. Newcomers, or should I say ‘Younger Adults‘ who are not familiar with the games, should take a look at the title and see if it offers them the same level of satisfaction that it has offered to millions of others in the past.

I was ready to lay into this game for being more of the same. Then I played the excellent arrangements of Dig Dug, Galaga, and Pac-Man, which maintain the integrity (and brilliance) of the originals. Then I noticed it was only $30. Then I said to myself that things aren't so bad. Galaxian and the Pole Positions are dead weight in my opinion, but everything else on here is the cream of the classic crop.

While not as challenging or addictive, I will commend these games for staying true to the spirit of the originals. Otherwise the compilation feels pretty light, especially compared to the Namco Museum collection for the Playstation One which contained 29 games and a ton of historical material (spread over five volumes). Apparently Namco forgot the museum! There aren't many options to play around with, and no auto-save for high scores. Namco didn't exactly go all-out with this compilation, but it certainly contains some heavy hitters that every gamer should own.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this game to those of us who remember what it meant to catch “Pac Man fever”, those of us who remember what a technological breakthrough it was when they added a bow to Ms. Pac Man’s hair (she’s in it too), or those of us who remember what kind of hero you were to the other fifth graders in your class when you could brag about hitting the 20th stage of Galaga. Kids may get some enjoyment out of it as well, but not as much as us classic gamers would appreciate. So sit back, throw on a “Best of the 80’s” CD, and re – live the good old days when games were games and we Original Gamers were all broke.

So, since I have talked a bit too long about these ancient games I will sum up right now. These games translate perfectly but the menu is boring, there aren't enough games ad Pole Position is totally unnecessary. Really, you will have to make the call on this one. If you have never played these games, pick it up on the cheap just to see what the fuss is about. Or download some maim ROMs for free. Your choice.

The compilation on the whole is a great buy at $29.99, even if you already own the Namco Museum series for the PlayStation. The arranged mode and Pac Attack, none of which previously appeared in Namco Museum compilations, are worth the price of admission alone.

There is something about human nature that makes us seek out things from our past. Perhaps it gives us a sense of the passage of time, where we were, where we are, and where we are going. It amazes me that something as simple as a video game can stir up memories of my high school and early college days. Namco Museum brings all of those memories into your living room for the budget price of $29 – that’s about 1/100th of what most of us spent in quarters playing the originals.

In the end, if you don't own any of these games or other versions of the Namco Museum series, or if you're a fan of the arranged games that make their home debut in this package, then this game will satiate your appetite for classic gaming. You could make the argument that several other classic Namco games should have been included, given the small size of the old Namco games and the fact that lots of them ran on nearly identical arcade hardware, but this package contains the major hits that most fans are after.

In the end, if you don't own any of these games or other versions of the Namco Museum series, or if you're a fan of the arranged games that make their home debut in this package, then this game will satiate your appetite for classic gaming. You could make the argument that several other classic Namco games should have been included, given the small size of the old Namco games and the fact that lots of them ran on nearly identical arcade hardware, but this package contains the major hits that most fans are after.

If you are the type of gamer who sighs nostalgic anytime someone mentions Pac-Man or Galaga, then this is definitely the game for you. If, however, you only have a passing-interest in these classic titles, a rental will be more than adequate. The arrangement spin-offs of Galaga, Pac-Man, and Dig-Dug are appreciated additions though, mainly because this marks their debut on a non-arcade platform, though the novelty of these remakes are fleeting. With an MSRP of $30, Namco Museum won’t break your piggy-bank, but considering that Namco has been releasing this game, or something like it, for nearly every popular console over the last six years, including the GBA, PS2, Xbox, and Dreamcast, this title just doesn’t bring enough new elements to the table to warrant a purchase.

I love these classic Namco games and I've had a copy of the Namco Museum for another system for quite some time. And to see that after all this time there's nothing new to offer? It's just a cash cow for Namco and you can get these games on your PC and probably have a more enjoyable experience. Ms. Pac-Man is one of my favorite games, as is Dig Dug, but a compilation this old and overused should have more than just some quickly ported games and a handful of awful filler titles. If you really gotta have these and you must have them on your GameCube (as opposed to your PC or for just a few bucks, your Dreamcast), then it may be worth your $30. But as much as you think you will play endless amounts of Dig Dug, likely you won't spend more than a couple of hours getting reacquainted with some old friends.