Namco Museum

"Hey, it looks like they finally got the translation right! For once I- Wait a second! You botched it again?! OK, it's not perfect, but it's good!"

Namco's putting their museum series on to just about every system they can. PlayStation, Dreamcast, Nintendo 64, Game Boy Advance, and now the PlayStation 2! You'd think with the processing power, it could handle a port like this with ease! Well, that's what I thought too. When I booted it up, I was very impressed! The graphics, the sounds, it was arcade perfect! I had to play! But when I started playing, I noticed a few bits were still missing! Oh me, oh my, how could they not learn their lesson after all this time?! Still, it's a pretty good port for PS2 owners, that is, as long as you're not a purist (I'm a partial purist, but that's a different story!)

Graphics: 10/10
All the original graphic glory that you remember from the days where gameplay was everything instead of having these things that are drawn just so they can appear to be real! The simplicity of Pac-Man, the exquisite design of the billboards in Pole Position, and those insect-like aliens in Galaga are all anyone needs for a trip down memory lane!
(And a darn good looking one at that!)

Sounds: 8/10
OK, so Pole Position's got the 'Prepare to Qualify' line again! The sounds aren't half that bad! The flag girl even says 'Good driving, you've qualified to race!' (I always wondered what she was saying!) OK, now I've finished and- HEY! What gives? The high score theme is exactly like it was on PS One only it sounds like they modified the sounds a little. The pipe organ theme for top scorer is still intact, but this?! Other bits like Ms. Pac-Man's trademark theme are slightly out of tune but for the most part, they still sound pretty good.

Controls: 10/10
Imagine having full analog control in Namco's classic museum series! (sorry, it's New Year's Eve and I'm really high from too much caffeine!) Finally, control how fast or slow you accelerate in Pole Position, or how fast your Pac-Man runs (OK, so that part isn't true, but still) Still, having the analog sticks allows you to emulate that classic arcade feel. If you don't have the Dual Shock 2, then you can use a PS One controller, meaning you'll lose the analog sensitivity (and possible joysticks if you use a standard pad) but it'll still do the trick!

So what games are on there? Is it just a port of the Dreamcast/Nintendo 64 version?

Well, in a way it is a port of that version with six of Namco's most memorable games (Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Galaga, Galaxian, Dig-Dug, and Pole Position) but also adds Pole Position II to the mix. In addition, though, we have enhanced remakes of Pac-Man, Dig-Dug, and Galaga (the latter of which may have never made it to U.S. shores, while the former two appeared briefly in an arcade cabinet here and there.) The new remakes feature new features such as two player simultaneous gameplay, extra power-ups, and better graphics and remixed sounds.

Pac-Man: You guide a little yellow round guy around a maze eating dots and dodging ghosts. Simple enough, right?

Ms. Pac-Man: He needs a girlfriend doesn't he (Pac-Man, that is!) so here's Ms. Pac-Man!

Dig-Dug: A little guy in a spacesuit goes underground blasting pesky monsters who get in his way!

Galaxian: Your star cruiser flies along shooting evil insect-like aliens while dodging the retaliatory shots. Almost like Space Invaders with a starry background!

Galaga: Built off of Galaxian, Galaga involves you fighting those aliens except this time you get the ability to use dual firepower!

Pole Position: The first true 3-D racing game (and the best selling game of 1983!) No wonder Namco makes great racing games!

Pole Position II: The best can only get better, can it not? Well, with three new tracks, more realistic handling, and the ability to turbo charge your car, what more do you need?

The arrange games are basically like their former selves, with enhanced graphics, new gameplay mechanics, and two player simultaneous gameplay! I'd put them in, but I'm running out of room!

Replay: 10/10
OK, it's amazing how much I can babble on and on! If you enjoy classic games, you won't get enough of these games! You can even unlock a couple of hidden games by doing well enough on certain games! Who could ask for more?

Overall: 8/10
Had they learned how to fix the sounds for good, I would have given a better score. As it is, it still ain't arcade perfect. Still, for the price they're asking, you can't go wrong. This is one museum you can't go wrong with touring!

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 01/02/02, Updated 01/02/02