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A great collection of classic Namco games

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 22 / 23
Date: September 08, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This collection is pretty much identical to the Namco arcade collection that I've seen in several video arcades, except that it replaces Rally-X (a real dog) with Pole Position I/II. Frankly, for the price they're selling it for these days, you can't go wrong.

You get:

Pac-Man
Ms. Pac-Man
Pac-Man Arrangement (a modern version with more ghosts, more mazes, and new items)

Galaga
Galaxian
Galaga Arrangement (again, a modern version with better graphics and more powerups)

Pole Position
Pole Position II

Dig-Dug
Dig-Dug Arrangement (better graphics, more enemies, a few new features)

And there are two hidden games you can unlock by getting decent scores in Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man:

Pac-Attack (Pac-man tetris? Weird...)
Pac-World (a 3-D pacman where you can jump -- kinda strange, but seen it in arcades before)

That's 12 games for $20. Do the math.

The only thing I wish is that they provided you with more information on the games' history (it is called Namco *Museum*, after all); however, the emulation is perfect, and they even included the original arcade cabinet artwork around the game screens. I can't complain. I grew up playing games like these on the Atari and in the arcades (my father actually owned a Dig-Dug upright cabinet), and this is a great compilation. Heartily recommended for any video game collector or fan.

12 games or just 5?

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 10 / 12
Date: September 29, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Let's see what we have here.
5 original titles:
~ Pac Man
~ Dig Dug
~ Pole Position
~ Galaga
~ Pac Attack (an original in this case because the gameplay does not resemble any other NAMCO game)
4 sister titles:
~ Ms. Pac Man
~ Galaxian
~ Pole Position 2
~ Pac Mania
and 3 enhancments:
~ Dig Dug Arranged
~ Pac Man Arranged
~ Galaga Arranged
and you can only play Pac Attack and Pac Mania once you have unlocked them -- 20,000 points in Pac Man for Pac Mania; 10,000 points in Ms. Pac Man for Pac Attack, or is it the other way around?
Anyway, that's what you get, all of them in arcade-perfect condition. Since I love Ms. Pac so much, I would have taken Pac Man out and put a completely different game in, assuming 12 was my maximum.
Fans of NAMCO Museum Volume 3 will may be dissapointed that there is no virtual museum to walk around and look at stuff. Sorry.
I'll still recommend this package to any classic NAMCO fan simply because it's a part of history that should never be forgotten, and it's available on all three of the latest video game consoles as of September 29th, 2003.

80's has it all, but I'm 9 years old.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: December 09, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I wasn't alive in the 80's, so I still get to play Pac-Man! My mom is a Pac-Man expert, and I love Pac-Man, and I bet that you have already guessed that this game has Pac-Man!(I like Ms.Pac-Man better if you ask me and so does my mom)My mom's wrist on the joystick is faster than....well....something REALY fast!!
This game also has Pole Position,(which my dad is good at) Dig Dug,(which I don't know anything about exept that you are supposed to dig) and Galaga.(which is a space game that I like)

and much,much more!(that I forgot about)And the good thing is, I have a GameCube! I've only rented this, but I want it for Christmas. My mom always complained about having to be lucky to find a Pac-Man or Ms.Pac-Man machine. Not anymore!

classics revisited but missing something

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: January 04, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I recieved this item for Christmas and was satisified with it. Games like Pacman and Pole Position bring back fond memories of my childhood. The games included are: Pacman, Ms. Pacman, Pole Position, Pole Position 2, Galaga, Galaxiga- as well as revamped versions of Dig Dug and Galaga. You can also unlock several games. The downside to this compilation is 1. the number of games- all in all theres really only 4-5 games to choose from. 2. the revamped version of Dig Dug is poor. Not that its poor in quality but the screen size is TINY and graphics are difficult to see. 3. All the game screens again are TINY, Pole Position and Pole Position 2 are exceptions- since they are full screen. All the other games have huge borders- I wish they were all full screen. Other than that its a decent compilation, but it left me wanting more (more games and full screen views). I recommend this if you are a big 80s game fan, only because if you've never played Pacman or Galaga you might be let down. Also the controls are difficult. For instance using the gamecube controller in pacman is just.. hard. You want to go straight but instead take a left= they're just very sensitive.

Excellent. I highly recommend!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: January 09, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I remember when Galaga came out in the arcades. There were lines of people waiting to play it including me. This Namco collection is arcade perfect. I also LOVE the revamped versions of Pacman and Galaga. They are incredibly good in my opinion and highly addictive. This was the best $20 for the Cube that I have spent. Some people complain that the screen is small, but hey! The original Galaga was on a small horizontal screen as well, and the 25" monitors of today were unheard of. To me it just makes the game that much more perfect. I had a 10 yr old recommend this game to me! I couldn't believe it, he was not even alive when it originally came out and he said next to Smash Bro's, this was his second favorite game. 20 yrs and still kicking. GO AND BYE IT. Can't beat it for $20.

Perfect for 4 yr olds who want to play big bros game cube

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: November 14, 2003
Author: Amazon User

We have an 8 year old boy who we originally purchased the Game Cube for last year but we also have a 3 and 4 year old boys who wanted in on the action. This is the first Game Cube game that my 3 and 4 year old can actually play all by themselves with NO HELP or COACHING from mom or dad. They are capable of playing every game offered on the Namco Museum disc and they don't get frustrated easily as they do with Mickey's Magical Mirror, Scooby-Doo or Sponge Bob and the Flying Dutchman. The Namco Musuem disc is so basic that my 3 and 4 year old understand the concept....munch as many dots, shoot as many space ships, etc. Unlike other games, you don't have to problem solve, it is all based on your skill with the wavebird. My 8 year old really enjoys the Namco disc as well. Granted the spectacular graphics of the games mentioned vs. Namco Museum don't compare, but having a young child enjoy a game without getting frustrated for a solid 1/2 hour is priceless. Parents who have been there will understand what I mean. It is a great classic disc to have for the little ones to play what big brother is playing and feel they are doing it well.

Great games but very few

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: December 24, 2003
Author: Amazon User

All in all this disc offers everything an 80's aficionado would want. As a kid who grew up in the 80's i tend to lean towards arcade games that come from my generation. Its often hard to find a Galaga in good working order at the arcade so this purchase was a no brainer for me. However, there are some drawbacks. First of all there are too few games on here and the difference between each game is so minimal in some cases that its almost a crime (ie. Galaga and Galaxian). As a Galaga fan i was also disappointed by the timing on the laser fire. Its very slow and reminiscient of an early version of the game before the firing became more rapid. But in the end these gripes are rather shallow since for 20 dollars i was at least ensured a game console with a laser button that wouldnt get stuck in the fire position.

Memories, Memories...

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: November 27, 2005
Author: Amazon User

*Memories? What memories? I'm a kid! ^_^*

Yes, my friends, at last Namco releases a compilation that's worth it...maybe. It depends on how you look at it-does it seem fair for Namco to re-release only 12 games? Ones that have already been in other compilations? For younger players, yes. For people who have played other Namco Museums....not so much.

Anyway, this collection features Namco's greatest hits, including the original Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Galaga, Galaxian, Dig Dug, and Pole Position. Also included are revamped versions of Pac-Man, Galaga, Dig Dug, and Pole Position, including MUCH better graphics, more power-ups, and more variety. And, there are 2 unlockable games, the unfamiliar Pac-Attack and Pac-Mania...you need 20,000 points from Ms. Pac-Man to unlock Pac-Mania, while 40,000 points in Pac-Man unlocks Pac-Attack. What? You haven't heard of half these games? I'll explain each game now.

Pac-Man 8/10
All right, there is a small maze-like place that you can see. There are dots (called Pac-dots) scattered around the maze. There is a yellow ball that starts out near the middle called Pac-Man. You need to move him around, and have him collide with the dots to eat them. Eat all the dots to advance to the next round. Easy, right? No, because there are ghosts to stop Pac-Man! In the middle is a box where 4 ghosts are, and they come out in the beginning and chase Pac-Man around. If you touch a ghost, you lose a life. There are power pellets in each of the four corners of the maze, though. If you eat one, the ghosts turn blue and run away. You can eat them, and the more you eat with one pellet the more points you will get. The ghosts go back to the box to be regenerated. Eventually the power pellet will fade, and the ghosts will be chasing you again. Each round is the exact same maze. Hey, it's the 80's right?

Pac-Man Arrangement 9/10
This game has much better graphics. It's pretty much 3-D sprites, what you'd expect from a GBA. There are some differences, however. This game is really fast, so you'll end up bumping into lots of walls, and even ghosts. There are 22 action packed variety levels, with a mischievous boss at the end! Sometimes where Pac-Man starts out, power-ups await him. They can do lots, such as make Pac-Man faster (yeesh!), give an extra power pellet, and even have him split in two for easier dot collecting. But he's not the only one-ghosts can fuse together with a fifth one! They will have abnormal powers, such as ramming into you, being able to hop across the maze, and even being able to make huge pellets to slow down Pac-Man.

Galaga 8/10
This is just a basic shooter. Enemies are at the top of the screen. You are at the bottom, and with your ship, you can blast enemies. Every second an enemy or two will come down, shooting bullets at you. It will disappear at the bottom of the screen and reappear at the top. Kill all the enemies in the formation to advance to the next level. At the very top of each formation there are formation leaders. They can suck up your ship as a new enemy, so you might want to avoid this. You can actually get a double space fighter like this, but I'm not going to tell you how. Every 3 levels, you will come to a bonus round, where you can kill enemies for loads of points. Each one equals 100 points in it.

Galaga Arrangement 9/10
As always, this revamped thing has plenty better graphics, as well as a 3-D ship that really looks like it's moving, since it tilts side to side. The backrounds are colorful, and are really fit for the spacy atmosphere. There are different formation leaders now, so you can make cool combos with the ship instead of a space fighter! The bonus stages are much harder, since the screen tilts around a lot, making it hard to shoot enemies. But the most dramatic change is that in each level way before the formation starts, the enemies will be in a weird shape, and they'll start dancing around really fast, making a real cool affect. They could go outward in a circle then inward with agility, like an illusion. You might see 4 wavy lines of enemies, and two will be on one side of a dot it's attached to, and 2 will be on the other. As if a spider it will move the "leg enemies" up and down, having them cross their paths. You could even have both for a rad sight, and about 100 more patterns! One other notable difference: try to hit as many enemies as possible, because after the long dance, most will go into formation, but some will escape! To help, in some groupings of the dance they will have bombs. Shoot it a few times, and watch the enemies in that group blast away!

Galaxian 7.5/10
This is your bare bones shooter. Like Galaga, there are enemies at the top. They will come down and shoot projectiles at you, then disappear at the bottom of the screen, reappearing at the top. You can shoot them to kill them. The ones at the top area are worth the most points. If you hit the enemies while they're attacking, they're worth more than when they are in formation. Boss enemies sit at the top. They will occasionally come down, with two minions guarding them. If you kill both guard enemies and the boss while they're attacking, you'll get a jumble of points. And of course, kill them all to advance to the next level.

Dig Dug 8/10
You are Dig Dug, who looks like a Smurf, and you are the middle of dirt. Don't worry, you can see the whole arena. He has a shovel, where he can easily dig through the dirt. Guide him through the dirt area. There are enemies with their own small space in a random place in the dirt. The two enemies are Pooka, the red one, and Fygar, the green one. Fygar can breath fire, so watch out! If you wait too long, the enemies will use their special powers-they can go through the dirt, all the way to where dug up land is, so they can basically transport. But for then they just walk around in their cramped space, going back and forth. You have to go over to them, undigging all dirt in your way, to get to their space. Keep in mind that when you get to their space, the enemies are free to roam around all the dug area that you did. To kill the enemies, you need to latch on to them with your claw thing and *gasp* pump them up three times to pop them! Gruesome, huh? If the event happens that the enemy chases you, dig under a rock, and watch the rock smash the enemy. Drop two rocks to get a vegetable, which gives you bonus. :-)

Dig Dug Arrangement 9/10
The only difference is that you're on an overworld map with at least 100 levels, and the enemies get much harder since there is more variety. Also, there will be bosses occasionally, which are huge versions of Pooka and Fygar. They are fairly easy. Last, there will be massive rocks, and if you dig under them, they will crash all the way to the bottom, hitting enemies in its path.

Pole Position 3/10
Excuse me if I offend, but this is the worst game in the collection for the simple fact that it has no motive to it. A racing game, it's only traditional you start in a racecar. Ever notice how racecar is spelled the same backward...what? Oh yeah, back to this game. You need to qualify for the main race, by completing one lap around a tedious track with no good features. It's just a round track. To qualify, you need to finish the lap in the given time. The time it takes you will determine which place you get it the main race, the Grand Prix. So after qualifying you start out with all the other cars. When the light turns green, go. You are given a little amount of time to complete 3 laps. The track is just the same tedious track, except with one or two puddles to slow you down. Even worse, the turning is awkward, and so all the cars are cluttered together, and you will often crash into a car, or a sign, which takes 5 seconds away. When you finally finish one lap, you'll get 30 second of extended play, which isn't enough. I can't finish even two laps, it's that hard.

Pole Position II 2/10
Who thought they could get away with this? This is exactly the same as the regular, except with a roller coaster in the backround. And when you're set to low gear, as soon as you start out in low gear you'll hear this screech for a few seconds, and I've almost gone deaf, it's that screechy. One more difference is that you can pick your track out of four, which doesn't help much since the tracks still don't have enough variety. It might be my CD, but I'm experiencing a bug where I can't even qualify for the main race on some tracks even if I beat the time. The same glitch happens to me in the first one.

Pac-Mania-Locked 9/10
This is Pac-Man, except he's in full 3-D! When you move around, you'll only see like 1/5 of the maze at a time. But that's fine, as long as Pac-Man can JUMP! Yes, he can jump over ghosts. But don't take too long, or the jumping power will begin to fade. Explore 12 unique levels, which start to get longer and harder. Want an example? In some levels a green ghost will appear. Yup, there are more than 4 ghosts now. Anyway when you jump, the green ghost jumps, regardless of where you and he are, so jumping over him will take lots of skill.

Pac-Attack-Locked 9/10
You play this like Tetris. Just make lines. Some red ghosts will appear in some blocks, and if you set them somewhere in a gap, you can't make a line with them. To help, stack some ghost up while trying to make some line with regular blocks. Pac-Man will come down every few turns, and eat all of them that he can reach, and then he'll fade away. If some are trapped in blocks, you'll have to make a line above it to get to that ghost. Pac-Man might face the way you don't want, so just put a block in front of the path you don't want him to take, then he'll go the opposite direction. Each ghost he eats builds into a meter. Fill that meter, and a fairy will come to the rescue. She will clear almost every line and ghost along until it's down to 1 or 2 stacks.

WOW COOL EXTRAS 10/10
And as if this wasn't enough, you also get to tinker around with the settings. If you go to the settings option in each game, you can make the game easier or harder than it was in the arcades. You can make more/less lives, infinite continues, etc for people who are up for a challenge, or for people who need to adpat more to the game before playing it retro style..

Closing
In closing I strongly suggest you buy this game, either to relive the memories or just to experience it all over again...on the other hand, you could wait until Namco will make an ultimate collection...though it's doubtful. But save your money on this, since this is one of Namco's greatest museums. True, it doesn't have a virtual arcade, but the awesome pick in games makes up for it.

The video games we used to play as kids....

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 5 / 10
Date: March 30, 2004
Author: Amazon User

My 9 year old son received a GameCube for Christmas and the 2 games he received were WaveRunner and Luigi's Mansion. Both of those games he liked, however I have motion sickness bad and cannot play alot of the games they have out now because of all the movement. I specifically bought this Namco Museum for me and guess what everybody loves it! It is great to be able to show my son some of the older games we used to play as kids. I just wish it had Centipede on it..That would be great. Enjoy all you Pacman and Galaga fans....

WOW!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 4
Date: July 29, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Maybe the best $20 i've spent in my life. I love retro arcade games, and game i found sitting in the kohl's department store and i immediatley bought it. The graphics are low (duh) but it is still great. There are so many good games; my favorite is Galaga Arrangement, a new version of Galaga with better graphics and more power-ups. BUY IT!!!

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