Namco Museum Vol. 4

"An offering of obscurities."

The Namco Museum series on the Playstation was mainly focused on its many hits from Japan, so for each installment Americans would be scratching their heads over some of the games. In this installment they will be doing even more so, as most of these titles never made it to American arcades.

This installment includes five games: Pac-Land, Assault, Ordyne, The Return of Ishtar, and The Genji and the Heike Clans. Sure, it has less than the previous three, but seeing as most of these are from later years they may take up more space on the disk with their comparably-improved graphics and sound.

In terms of the "museum," not too much has changed. It shares a similar layout to the museum in Volume 3. A few rooms have changed: The lobby where the record book, theater, and library are located has changed greatly, becoming elevators for the latter two. The theater has a band performing in the bottom floor this time too, ready to play two different songs. The theater has the songs playable, in both their instrumental forms and with Japanese lyrics (likely what the Japanese version had playing as default).

One new feature involves games that make use of the original dual-analog controller. It's unfortunate that the newer Dual-Shock controllers don't work with this title, because a few of the games benefit from that method of control (Assault, especially). Also, a nice convenient feature is the ability to change the arcade you play after you exit it; a small menu pops up asking what game you want to play, or to return to the museum.

As for games, it's once again a mixed bag, though as mentioned before a number of these games you may not have heard of:

Pac-Land: Yet another entry relating to the Pac-Man franchise, but a huge departure from the original gameplay. This odd platformer has you playing Pac-Man, on an adventure to bring a fairy back to the Fairy World while avoiding the antics of the five ghosts. The game controls a little oddly, where you run faster if you rapidly tap the direction you want to go. The American arcade game had Pac-Man slightly redesigned after his Hanna-Barbara cartoon; this game has the original Pac-Man design from Namco...with a shorter nose. It's not the best game out there, but it's still pretty fun.

Assault: This tank shooter has you fighting through stages to destroy giant gun turrets and tanks to save your homeworld. Your tank can strafe and shoot grenades, and there are some launch pads that send your tank soaring into the sky, letting you launch grenades at faraway enemies. It's a very enjoyable game.

Ordyne: This Japanese-only shooter makes its debut in America. Your girlfriend has been kidnapped, and you must fight the enemies to rescue her. You can add some temporary upgrades to your ship's fire-power, which at most times are very cartoony. The game has plenty of colorful graphics and fun music to it, and it's the first horizontal-scrolling shooter to be featured in a Namco Museum. A fun game.

The Return of Ishtar: The sequel to Tower of Druaga, which appeared in the previous volume. You play as both Princess Ki and Prince Gil, and you have to make your way out of the giant tower in this complex action RPG. Ki has a list of magic spells for use (with limited but unseen MP for them), while Gil can use his sword. This game is more complicated than the first game, and those who couldn't handle the first certainly won't be able to handle this version...

The Genji and the Heike Clans: Known in Japan as "Genpei Toumaden." This action game is themed after the Japanese Genpei War, which is the likely reason why it was never released in the United States. You play the fallen samurai Kagekiyo, who is given another chance to defeat his enemies by rising from hell and returning to the battlefield. The game has different types of play between each stage, so there's much variety. It's not a personal favorite, but a lot of people are sure to enjoy this game.

I suppose one of the things I found interesting about this installment of the museum are that it has a lot of secrets. From the "The Genji and the Heike Clans" movie to the mysterious "X-Room" secret, there's plenty to look for in this museum.

Overall, it's another pretty solid collection of classic games. There may not be as much, but there's still plenty of gameplay to go around.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 06/27/06