Will Namco ever realize that a museum usually changes it's exhibits?

User Rating: 5.2 | Namco Museum PS2
In the early 1980's, Namco was responsible for some of the most influential arcade games ever created. Compiling their most cherished games from this period (Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Galaga and Dig Dug) would be reason enough for any old school gamer to rush out and grab a copy - had this been the first time. However over the past ten years Namco has felt the need to re-release these games over and over ad naseum, changing very little in the process.

In addition to the aforementioned games, this compilation includes Galaxian, Pole Position, and "arrangements" of the various titles. The arrangements are just poor reimainings that don't vary much from their originals. These too have been part of nearly every compilation Namco has presented in the past ten years, and as such add little value to the overall package.

However, this title does offer two often overlooked titles in the Pac-Man legacy as unlockable bonuses. Pac-Mania and Pac-Attack, both released well after their early-80's contemporaries on this disc, offer a nice addition to this otherwise stale release. If anything, it serves as a reminder of what this disc should have been. Namco has released so many great games since these early classics that a proper compilation begs to be made. The forthcoming "50th Anniversary Collection" is starting to add more titles to the lineup by including classics like Mappy - but it's just not enough.

Not only should earlier lesser known Namco gems like Boxy Boy and Pac & Pal be included, but many of Namco's later classics like Tekken and Ridge Racer are getting old enough that inclusion on a compilation like this would be perfectly appropriate. Even more recent titles like Mr. Driller would make a welcome addition to the family.

If you don't own an earlier version of NamcoMuseum, it's worth having in your collection. You'd be surprised at how quickly marathon sessions of Ms. Pac-Man will replace marathon session of Halo 2 in your life. These are classics that stand the test of time - but with the exception of Pac-Mania and Pac-Attack - we've seen it all before.