Namco Museum

"A review for emulator fans. Is NM for GBA accurate?"

I saw a $20 price tag and couldn't help it. And besides, I've been playing these games for almost 20 years. So naturally I jumped at the latest collection for my new GBA.

After playing these reprogrammed games for a while I feel qualified to give a detailed review. This review assumes that you already know about the 5 games included in the collection, and are just wondering how THESE particular versions are. After reading this, hopefully you can decide whether NM is worth *your* bucks.

1. Ms. Pac-Man

One of Namco's biggest babies wasn't always Namco's baby at all. It was developed in the US because a sequel was needed right then, right there. Despite this, Ms. Pac-Man has received quite good treatment in the Namcomuseum collections, taking the spotlight on quite a few platforms.
Which leads me to wonder why this version is so botched.
You get two choices: to play in a squished full-screen mode that allows you to see the entire maze at once, and the opportunity to play in a ''scroll'' mode which does what it sounds like. In the full-screen mode, the graphics are so smushed that the feel of the game is practically lost, although the gameplay seems to be correct. The scroll mode feels accurate but leads me to wonder; with the GBA's wide screen, why couldn't a rotated mode have been included? It may have been possible to preserve the original graphics with minimal or no scrolling. The scrolling screen mode is alright but an inconvenience.
The sound effects are literally ALL wrong. From the opening music (horribly wrong pitch) to the background noise and ghost retreating sounds (they repeat at the wrong rate), you'll notice problems. In fact, NONE of the sound effects are 100% true to the originals. This is NOT a limitation of the Game Boy Advance. The same developer was responsible for the Dreamcast version of Namcomuseum, in which the sounds were ALSO all wrong. Some people just don't learn, I suppose.
The game is still Ms. Pac-Man, don't get me wrong. But this conversion is sloppy, sloppy, sloppy. With a rotated video mode and accurate sound effects, it could have been so much more.

My score:
(note: ALL of these scores are based on closeness to the original games.)
Graphics (25%): 6
Sound (25%): 4
Gameplay (50%): 8
Overall: 6.5

2. Pole Position

Pole Position was always one of my favorite old-school racing games. The great news is that this translation came out quite good.
One obvious difference comes from the GBA's lack of analog control. The digital scheme used, however, seems to work quite well, turning exactly as much as you need to (unless, of course, you mess up).
The graphics are very accurate; the sprite scaling seems realistic and intact, although there's a bit of understandable slowdown when the screen gets crowded. Some of the signposts are different, however. I assume this was partially because of the lack of memory, but at least one of the signboard designs was not in the original game, seemingly added by the developer as a joke (''Hey, Clyde!''). I don't find it funny, and it hurts the overall experience.
The sound effects are pretty accurate too. The music when I earned the Pole Position was missing, but all of the other music and sound effects were in there... even the speech ''Prepare to qualify'' (the only speech intact) was intact.
The gameplay seems to be about the same, although I noticed that a lap was worth slightly less than 10,000 points as it originally was. The difficulty of the game, however, seems unchanged.
No, it's not perfect, but it's about as good a version of Pole Position as you're going to get on a GBA.

My score:
Graphics: 8
Sound: 8
Gameplay: 9
Overall: 8.5

3. Dig Dug

I was never the biggest fan of Dig Dug, although I'm finally starting to get a bit better at it.
The game uses a scrolling screen; there is a fairly small portion of the playfield that you'll need to scroll to see. It's not as big a problem as it is in Ms. Pac-Man, but I still wonder why a rotated mode could not have been implemented. The graphics are otherwise as perfectly true to the original as they could get.
The sound is authentic too. You'll recognize all the music and sound effects. The sounds are all close to perfect, and the music is *mostly* accurate.
The gameplay survived the trip to the GBA unharmed, and is a carbon copy of the original. Come to think of it, Dig Dug is possibly the best translation on the cartridge. It feels more like an emulation than a reprogramming, unlike most of the other games in the package.

My score:
Graphics: 9
Sound: 9
Gameplay: 9
Overall: 9

4. Galaga

Namco's classic update to its classic shoot-em-up. Galaga is a masterpiece and to be able to enjoy it on GBA is a blessing.
Unfortunately, we'll have to enjoy it squished. The vertically-oriented screen of the original game was compressed into the left 2/3 or so of the GBA screen, leaving the other 1/3 for score, lives, etc. Can you say ''rotated mode?'' What gives? Were the developers on a tight one-month schedule? Did they have no time to think about these things?
Fortunately, the graphics are actually decent despite being squished. They are not true to the original but you'll have no problem telling what they are. Bullets are harder to track than you'd think, but a careful eye will see them coming.
The sound effects and music are almost perfect. The pitch is wrong on some of them, but it's pretty close.
The gameplay is Galaga, just as you'd expect. After a few rounds you'll find yourself forgetting about the squished graphics. It's that good, and it's wonderful that the compressed graphics don't ruin the game. If you were a fan of Galaga, you'll be a fan of this version too.

My score:
Graphics: 7
Sound: 8
Gameplay: 9
Overall: 8.25

5. Galaxian

Namco's original classic shoot-em-up and the predecessor of Galaga is also a member of this collection. It's a simple game, and one that should have come over without a hitch.
The biggest hitch is the same one Galaga has: compressed graphics. Where's the rotated mode when you need it? Fortunately, the graphics don't inhibit the gameplay on this game either, although you'll need to watch closely for the bullets. The enemies are all recognizable and easy to tell from one another.
The sound effects are a mixed bag. Many seem to be on the wrong pitch, and the background noise made by the aliens repeats too often, a problem also found in the Dreamcast version. Other effects sound just fine. Overall, it sounds decent, but the problem with the background noise is a bit distracting.
Galaxian's simple gameplay is not hampered by any of these problems. If you liked the game, or enjoy its simplicity, you'll spend at least a couple of good hours with it. I know I have.

My score:
Graphics: 7
Sound: 7
Gameplay: 9
Overall: 8

Other collection notes:

Two-player modes have been removed entirely, as well as any references to inserting coins. Also removed are high score tables and initial entry. At first, these missing features shocked me. But keep in mind that most GBA owners play their games by themselves and not only don't mind the missing two-player feature, but also know that they alone will set the high score records. So these aren't horrible losses.
However, I am disappointed at the lack of high score saving. It would have been nice if the game could at least have kept track of my best records, which disappear each time the power is turned off. Oh well.
All of the dip switch options are available, as well as some tips for each game. The interface is well done. There are no extra or hidden features, but I didn't expect them from a GBA version.
Overall, Namcomuseum for GBA is a nice collection. If you're a fan of at least 2-3 of these games, you'll probably be interested. If you're looking for 100% accurate reproductions, though, you'll be disappointed. These re-done versions are not the same, true, but for the most part, they're acceptably close. If close is good enough for you, by all means go for it.

Ms. Pac-Man: 6.5
Pole Position: 8.5
Dig Dug: 9
Galaga: 8.25
Galaxian: 8
Average: 8
-1 point for missing features: 7

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 07/23/02, Updated 07/23/02