Remember the fun?
There are fourteen classic arcade games as well as two unlockable titles. The fourteen games that are initially selectable include Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Galaga, Galaxian, Dig Dug, Rally-X, Pole Position, Pole Position II, Xevious, Dragon Spirit, Bosconian, Rolling Thunder, Mappy, and Sky Kid. The two bonus titles are unlockable by setting specific high scores and they include Pac-Mania and Galaga 88. Whilst sixteen games may seem like a lot of titles this couldn’t be further from the truth. A lot of these games have appeared in some way or another in other Namco compilations which definitely lessens the appeal of the games.
Namco has developed some incredible games in its long history and it’s a real shame that some recent titles weren’t included as well. We’re sure there were probably emulation reasons why titles like the original Ridge Racer didn’t make it onto the game but it’s still a disappointment and whilst these titles may have helped Namco to begin a career in the industry these aren’t the titles that are keeping the company going.
All of the games are emulated well although Pole Position is mainly designed to be controlled with a wheel so it isn’t as easy to control with an analogue stick. The games have had to be letterboxed so that they look faithful and there is just a dull black border surrounding the games. It’s also hard when you’re revisiting games since you played them a long time ago because some of them just don’t stand the test of time. Pac-man is still highly enjoyable but some of the games aren’t quite as memorable as you’d think. The other problem is that the games that actually stand up well like Dig Dug and Xevious have appeared on other Namco collections so you may have played them to death already.
Pac-Man is still the highlight of this package.
Namco really appears to have taken the quick route out with regards to presentation as well. Compilations from other companies have included background information about the company, a look at the future, instruction book scans and even advertisements for the games. Unfortunately none of this is in Namco Museum 50th Anniversary and this is a severe disappointment. This is even more disappointing because this game is supposed to be a celebration of the rich heritage the company has and Namco has a very interesting history and yet none of it is highlighted in this package.
Visually the games look okay but if you’re expecting really high quality graphics then this isn’t the kind of game to be playing, although the games are visually faithful to the original artwork. The game also boasts a soundtrack of music from the 80’s. Now, soundtracks in video games are all the rage lately and the 80’s are the perfect decade to take music from. However, you’ll only ever hear the licensed music during the menu screen which makes the soundtrack pretty pointless. We will admit that the soundtrack is good but there is really no point in licensing all the music for use in the game if it is only going to feature during the menu screen. The sound in the game is spot on though although we’ve been hearing these same tunes now for the last twenty years.
How long you’ll actually spend with these titles is all going to come down to personal preference. The games are simple pick up and play titles that aren’t designed to keep you playing for long so unless you’re the type of person who strives to continue beating your own top score you may not want to return to the game. At the very least some online compatibility would have been appreciated so that some of the top high scores could be downloaded.
Haven't seen this before, oh wait, yes we have.
Namco Museum 50th Anniversary can be described as nothing more than a cheap cash-in. The sixteen included games are nothing especially new and Namco isn’t even really doing a good job of celebrating the 50 year anniversary because the title is so average. There are plenty of things that Namco could have done to make this the ultimate Namco compilation such as looking at the company’s history, but given the short cuts that were taken with developing this title it is actually one of the worse compilation titles released in the last few years. You have got to seriously be into these games to want to play them again for about the fifteenth time.
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