Customer Reviews

Namco Museum Battle Collection

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Retro games are good, but when they are done right, they can be great. This is easily the greatest arcade compilation I've ever played. Not only can you play these classic arcade games in the palm of your hand, but you can enjoy the best collection of them all in one. 20 games, including "redone" games of Pac-Man, Dig Dug, Galaga and RallyX.

The quality of each classic is amazing and they play nearly exactly to the old arcade cabinets from the retro 80's, graphics, music, sound FX and all. The bestest of the best is clearly Galaga, Ms. Pac-Man, Pac-Man, RallyX and DigDug. But it doesn't stop there. There are 4 new Arrangement games of those 4 classics, I like to view them as remixes. They are are redone, upheavels in levels, gameplay, sound and graphics. The arranged Galaga is very addicting and you'll be hooked instantly. Dig Dug remade is basically the same game with better graphics and new enemies. RallyX, which was a decent game in the 80's, is redone and very fun to boot. These "arranged" games could have been sold seperately and probably most would have been pleased with them.

The originals are as fun as you remember them and just as challenging. Getting to that "key" in Pac-Man is still no easy task. But for novice gamers, never threat, you can continue from where you left off on many of the old games. Some of the other titles included like Grobada, Motos, Bosconian, DragonBuster and Galaxian are very obscure, but amazingly, they still do offer some fun factor. The rest you may not spent much time with in the past and most you might not play much, but you'll be happy with it overall.

Some might be a bit "squinty" eyed playing some of the old games like Pac-Man, the ratio of the originals were made for horizontal screens, so it's very small on the widescreen PSP, but thankfully they offered a "stretch" option for most of the titles. It looks a bit weird all stretched out, but it's better than playing on the little playing field.

Overall, this is clearly the best PSP game to buy, especially if you like classic arcade gaming, this is how it all began, no quarters needed...

The Namco Museum Battle Collection is living proof that the past will always catch up with today's advances, adding fuel to the argument that it's all in the gameplay. Namco Museum showcases the founding concepts of most modern gaming, but, in essence, the sum of these games is all about the numbers. That, however, doesn't change the fact that all of today's games can trace their DNA to any one of these titles.

And gameplay is what you get with this collection. The PSP has been virtually retrofitted to give you a healthy dose of all your favorites from the early days of gaming, beginning of course with the immortal Pac-Man, the always imitated Galaga/Galaxian, and right on through to some little known but nonetheless engaging titles such as Rolling Thunder, Bosconian, and Xevious.

The four "arranged" versions (Pac-Man, Rally-X, Dig Dug, and Galaga) are sure to please a great many gamers with overhauled versions of their respective originals, but with a maximum six attainable levels in each of these games, sometimes the experience just seems a little short. The original versions, on the other hand, sometimes offer more challenge than their descendants, being impeded only by the fact that the only way to get the most of the PSP's screen is to stretch the gameplay screen to fit and thus distort the original screen ratio.

If you're the type of gamer who's into the PSP mainly for its portability, Namco Museum could give you many hours of quick, satisfying casual gaming. Just pop it in and rack up those high scores.

However, if you have a PSP because you believe in its capability to equal its older brother and are on the lookout for seriously immersive, big-scale gaming, Namco Museum could do in a pinch, but it won't rock your mind the way GTA:LCS, SOCOM, or any other hardware-maxing title is currently out there.

Namco Museum is seriously fun and worth a look. It may, on the whole, be old, but don't dis this granddaddy just yet. There's gold in them thar games.

Namco could have packaged a few old school games together and been done with it, but they chose to take some care with the arrangements and make some fun games even better. I got the feeling they had a real respect for the old classics and it is a job very well done.

I used to be a big fan of Dig Dug and Galaga, and they are here very true to the originals. The arrangements are just as much fun, keeping the form but adding some nice updated graphics. This is a great game to take with you traveling, or times when you want to fit a quick game in and can't get too involved for a long period of time.

I recommend it highly. Sure it's nostalgia, when games were more simplistic but still a lot of fun. Good replay value and should be included in anyone's library of games for a change of pace from the more intense games.

This has become one of my favorite games to play. I love these old school titles, and this series is packed with great ones.

This version of Namco classics is a must buy for PSP owners. Even if you have the 50th Anniversary version for the PS2. For one thing you get the more games and you get to have all those great games on the go. Once you get it the game, play Galaga Arrangement and put it on the easy level so you can play through the whole game. If you're a pro at Galaga, you should be able to finish the game on your first try. The whole point of this is to check out the graphic power of the PSP. The background graphics in this game are awesome and show you what a powerful device the PSP actually is. To bad Namco didn't put this game on the 50th Anniversary version for PS2 but hey they did it to make money. This Galaga Arrangement is actually different from the one on the Museum collection. The Galaga Arrangement on the PSP is more fun then the Museum version on the PS2. This game is must buy for all those Galaga fans owning a PSP. You'll definitly enjoy it.

This collection really brings you back. This UMD is great fun!! However, it gets tiring fast. How many times can one play PacMan anyway?

I like being able to rotate the display to play the PSP vertically; nice touch!

Haven't had a chance to check out the multiplayer functionality yet, but I'm sure it will be a blast.

I actually prefer the suped up versions of the games to the originals, but playing them again is great!

If you're a nostalgia buff, this game is for you!!

Namco is the king of the unsatisfying anthology. On the original Playstation, Namco released six volumes of Namco Museum (five in the US), each with a small number of games -- although the interface and extras were fantastic, and without par. They released 16bit and N64 versions without the interfaces. They released two Game Boy Advance installments: one with the essentials (Ms. Pac Man, Dig Dug, Galaga, Galaxian, and a really crappy racing game) and one all Pac Man. They released a terribly stingy package (with just the same old games again) across the current generation of consoles.

Then this game came out in Japan. It contained arrangements of the same old games (though thankfully Rally X returned to favor), but was still stingy at only seven originals and four arrangements, especially considering how many times some of us have bought these games!

However, the American version adds ten new obscure (Motos, Grobda, the excellent Dig Dug II) and not so obscure (Rolling Thunder!) games to the mix, substantially increasing the value. While some of these titles are just this side of awful (Druaga and Dragon Buster, I'm looking at you) most of the added titles are quite enjoyable if a bit slight. Rolling Thunder, a very substantial game that had never been included on a US compilation until this one, is a killer addition. (For what it's worth, Namco released the bonus US content as Namco Museum Vol. 2 in Japan. Some things never change.)

The arranged versions are a mixed bag. Though I love the original Galaga, I find the arrangement pretty intolerable. The art style is garish and ugly and the gameplay is less focused than the original. I can't comment on Pac Man. The arranged Dig Dug is a very interesting remake, plenty worth playing and the best on this compilation. The Rally X arrangement just adds a few powerups and spruced-up graphics.

Now that this has hit a new budget price point, it's truly an essential part of the PSP library. Even if you don't like Pac Man (and I don't), you'll have at least a sawbuck's worth of fun with the games here.

Ok, so i was at my local Supermarket to get a new PSP game. I was sure i was getting Death Jr. but they didn't have it. The choices were Hotshots Golf, MLB, and Namco Battle Museum. Obviously, I chose Namco Battle Museum.

All I can say is.. wow. There are 20 fun games that I really enjoy out of 21. I'd say that's awesome. The Replay value of all the games are extremely high. (Especially Galaga Arrangement, my favorite) The 17 Classic games play almost exactly like the arcade versions, and last time I checked, they are the full arcade versions. The New "Arrangement" games (Galaga A, Pacman A, DigDug A, and New RallyX A) have great graphics and put an awesome twist into already awesome games. I HIGHLY recommend this to EVERYONE. There's no way you won't be able to find a game you like out of the TWENTY ONE choices.

PLUS, It's only about 2 bucks per game and THAT makes it KICK ASS!

Namco has come up with yet another 'museum' collection which I believe to be the best of all the bunch. The graphics are spectacular and with over 21 gmaes, and at only forty dollars, its a steal. The colors are vibrant and the game play is good, especially with the D pad AND analog stick. Highly recommended.

This product has its pros and cons like any game. Although the pros seemed to outway the cons.
however do not unless you are not a namco fan.
do not unless you are not a namco fan.


Pros:
entertaining
fast paced
Lasting quality (since there is no campaign it lasts as long as you want it to)
large selection of traditional arcade games

Cons:
the assortments are quickly finished
some of the games become repetitive quickly
cost

This product may have its pros and cons like any game.
Overall this a great product and one I highly recommend