From: Namco Average Rating: Binding: Video Game ESRB Age Rating: Everyone Label: Namco Model: 722674021128 Platform: Game Boy Advance Release Date: June 15, 2006
Product Description: Transport back in time and remember the Golden Age of Video games. Enjoy these memorable classics: Ms. Pac-Man, Galaga, Galaxian, Dig-Dug, and Pole Position. This time around, the fun becomes portable.
Amazon.com Review: Nothing lends itself better to portable gaming than the arcade classics. They're addictive, replayable, and fun--plus it's nice not to have to pump endless streams of quarters into them. That's what makes Namco Museum such a must-have title for the Game Boy Advance system. People too young, or too impatient, to enjoy a good coin-op had better stop reading now.
Like the PlayStation and N64 versions, Namco has packed a few of its best games onto the cartridge. For the GBA we get only five titles (four are listed on the front of the box, but Galaxian is also included). We have two versions of Ms. Pac-Man (one that shows the whole maze but is dreadfully small, and another that scrolls), Galaga, Pole Position, and Dig Dug. They are lovingly ported, complete with all the music and sound effects intact. What we don't get is the amusing Museum portion and trivia found on other versions.
Ms. Pac-Man and Galaga are the real winners here. Both are perfect renditions complete with all the extras (music, colors, sound effects, and bonus stages/cartoons). The controls on these two are also perfect. Pole Position is amusing, but features twitchy controls and pales in comparison to other GBA racing games. Galaxian, on the surface, seems the same as its sequel, Galaga, but it isn't. The fire rate is much slower, so the pace of the game is different. Galaga is certainly better, but Galaxian is a nice addition regardless. Dig Dug is a classic, pure and simple, and it still plays well. It rounds out the collection nicely.
Arcade fans, especially those who used to line up (or line their quarters on the machine) to play these games, will be very pleased with Namco Museum. Those unimpressed with retro gaming probably won't be converted. However, here's hoping we see more arcade classics in the future, because I can't think of a better platform for these than the Game Boy Advance. --Andrew S. Bub
Pros:
Perfect recreations of arcade classics
A nice, diverse slate of games
Nice of them to include two versions of Ms. Pac-Man
Cons:
Pole Position isn't so hot anymore
No Museum features, such as trivia questions
Amazon.com Product Description: With Namco Museum you can play arcade favorites on the new Game Boy Advance. Four Namco greats are included in this cartridge: classic maze game Ms. Pac-Man, dig-your-own-maze title Dig Dug, old-school racer Pole Position, and quintessential arcade shooter Galaga. Gamers old enough to remember when each of these titles used to require a full-size arcade cabinet will delight in the easy portability, instant access, and classic gameplay.
Remember when... I'm almost 30 years old and bought this game for my son and I enjoy playing it myself because it's got the classic games that I played when I was a kid. It arrived very quickly in the mail too.
Some very fun nostalgia Namco Museum ports five classic games over to the Gameboy Advance: Ms. Pac-Man, Dig Dug, Pole Position, Galaga, and Galaxian. If you grew up playing these games, they're timeless classics. Younger audiences probably are expecting more out of a game than the limited technology of the 1980s allowed.
These games are recreated very well, with only a couple of minor issues (largely due to the adjustment made going from an arcade-size screen to the tiny GBA). The sounds are crisp and faithful reproductions of the bleeps and blips from our childhood. The graphics aren't jazzed up in any way, instead celebrating the 8-bit glory that was the golden age of the arcade. The biggest port issue comes with Ms. Pac-Man, where you have the option of playing on a shifting screen -- the GBA screen doesn't compress each maze very well.
The biggest drawback to this game is the inexplicable lack of a battery backup for high scores. The game records high scores as per normal, but those scores are immediately reset when the power goes off. Points did matter with these games, and it's nice to see how high a score you can record. Unfortunately, Namco decided to skimp on this feature. That decision is disappointing, but the games themselves are still worth playing to those who grew up playing on their Ataris. After all, there's nothing wrong with nostalgia.
GREAT JOB THIS WAS MY FIRST TIME ORDERING FROM AMAZON AND I REALLY ENJOYED THE EXPERIENCE. I GOT MY PACKAGE ON TIME AND EVERYTHING WAS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION AND WORKED PROPERLY. THANK YOU.
Where's my quarters? In a word, AWESOME!! I have this for GameCube, and couldn't help but pick this up for GBA. I now have a portable version of some of my favorite old-school games. They are still fun today, some 2 decades later. Take a ride down nostalgia lane with this game and enjoy.
Classics! I'm always late to the gaming community - I just now asked for and received a Nintendo Micro for Christmas. I had a hankering to get my hands on the classics, but I bought this game specifically for Dig Dug.
What can I say? They're just like I remember playing. Pole Position is all but impossible to manage using the d-pad to control direction, so I don't see myself getting much use out of that game, but the others are a ton of fun. I haven't played any of these games in years, but they're turning out to be quite addictive.
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Trevor
