Namco Museum: Please play with the exhibits.
Pros:
perfect ports of the classics. Still just as addictive to play. Doesn't eat quarters.
Cons:
Galaxian still stinks. Pole Position didn't age very well.
The Bottom Line:
I would have preferred more titles, or maybe a couple of different titles ( lose Galaxian ). Otherwise, it's your own little pocket arcade.
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
This isnt going to follow my standard video game review formula. Namcos Museum just wouldnt hold up under the pressure of rating it against today's standards. The graphics are colorful but simple, the music is a bit on the tinny side and the game play is repetitive and straight forward. In other words, its perfect in every detail!
Namco is responsible for some of the best quarter munching machines that ever came out of the 80s. Ms. Pac-Man, Galaga, Pole Position, Dig Dug. All classics. All addictive as sin, and all perfectly recreated in almost pixel for pixel, beep for beep glory. Maybe thats not entirely true. I think the music might have gotten a little smoothing over. It doesnt sound quite as harsh and computerized as the arcade versions did.
While the Museum series might have been a little wanting on the original Playstation . The GBA is the perfect home for these titles. Great, addictive games that you can pick-up, play for a few minutes or so, and then switch off until you have another ten minutes to kill. Its like having an arcade in your pocket.
This package would be worth the price if it only included Dig Dug, Ms. Pac-Man, and Galaga. Heck, It might even be worth it just for Ms. Pac-man if youre a die hard fan. Its the best port of the group. Dig Dug being a close second.
Of course, every trip down memory lane also has some down sides and this is no different. Pole Position is really staring to show its age. Were we really all addicted to this game? Was pecking order at the arcade really defined by how well you did on this thing? Even the worst of the top scrolling driving games for the Gameboy and the Gameboy color are better than the original Pole Position. While its 100% true to its arcade roots, the game just hasnt aged well.
Namco also felt the need to include the red-headed step child of the eighties, Galaxian. Even back in the day, this game was looked at as a weak rip-off of Space Invaders. With 20 years of aging behind its, its turned into vinegar instead of becoming more refined. Really it doesnt make sense for it to have been included here since the package already has the superior Galaga. I guess its like your little brother when you were small. If you wanted to go to the arcade, mom made you take him along.
Overall, if you were an arcade rat in the 80s, youll want to pick this title up. Namco could have chosen a couple of better games to replace Pole Position and Galaxian. Im also willing to bet they could have squeezed a couple more titles onto the cart for a total of maybe 8-10 instead of the 5 they gave us. Still, I suppose one can hope that there are more museums on the way. I love the idea of carrying around a pocket full of my favorite games. It beats carrying around a pocket full of quarters you knew youd never see again.
