It's a great collectors package, full of arcade classics, but after you've played each a few times, it gets boring......
The Bad - Nothing else to do beyond playing the games, games don't take up the whole screen, no background info on any of the games, "Retro-Cool" interface is a simple rotating menu...
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Lets face it, Namco Museum 50th Anniversary (call it NM50 for short) isn't one good game, but 16, very basic arcade classics. For almost every game system ever made, numerous collections like this one are made. In fact, if you enjoyed any one of these 16 games back in the day, and you would like to relive those glory moments at the pub, the bowling alley, or basically anywhere that had these games, NM50 is the right game for you. However, if you are a young person looking to see what video games were like 30 years ago, it's not that great of an experience...
Loading up NM50 will put you at a simple menu screen with a bunch of arcade machines in a circle pattern. Upon scrolling through, 14 of the 16 games are playable right from the start. Pac-Mania and Galaga '88 need to be unlocked with a few average high scores in the other Pac-Man and Galaga games. Games like Pac-Man, Mrs. Pac-Man, both Pole Positions, Galaxian, Galaga, and other Namco classics made the list of 16 here...
All of the 16 games play absolutely great. After selecting a game, you are prompted with a bunch of options on how you want to play the game. Everything from how easy the game is to when you are awarded extra lives can be set, which is a nice touch for some people who found the original games to be too hard. You can also choose to play one or two players for almost all of the games, which ups the replay value of the game. The games themselves play great. The controls are very responsive, and it's a blast to play these games. The Gamecube controller also fits each game very well. The "A" button is usually used for the firing of weapons, and the control stick is generally used to move your character, spaceship, or car, and the shoulder buttons are used for the gas and brake in both Pole Position games. The controls are easy enough to learn, and they add to the experience of playing these games. It's a lot easier to hold the controls in your hands rather than leaning across an arcade system...
After you've finished playing each game a few times, you'll grow somewhat bored of playing the games non-stop. However, there isn't much to do beyond play the games. No background info is included at all, which is kind of weird, with this being the 50th anniversary of Namco. The menu also includes a few different songs from the 1980's, but because you spend such little time in the menu, you won't even notice them. There also isn't a feature where you can listen to the music while playing the games, which is kind of strange...
For the most part, NM50 is quite a good game. It's a great bundle of games for an awesome price, and each game will hold your attention for quite a while. It's a shame that the game didn't include some sort of biography of Namco, or a little tidbit on each game. However, it's not about the history, it's about the games, and on that front, NM50 delivers...
- - - Score Summary - - -
Gameplay - 7 - All of the 16 games featured here play flawless. They nailed the control setup, and the ability to "tweak" the game to your standards is a nice touch. However, it's a shame there isn't more variety. Get used to playing a lot of Pac-Man and Galaga-type games...
Graphics - 6 - Very crisp and clean, yet the menu is a bit blurry. There is almost no change in framerate at all, and that is good, since the FPS rate is a constant 60 throughout all 16 games...
Sound - 6 - All of the games sound like they should. The classics have all the music that was in the original arcade games, and it sounds awesome on the TV screen. One weird thing is that there is no option to have the 80's music play during gameplay. Why did Namco even bother to license that music if we can only here the first five seconds of "She Drives Me Crazy"???
Value - 7 - $20.00 for sixteen classics such as Dig-Dug, Galaga, numerous versions of Pac-Man, Pole Position I and II, Rolling Thunder, Galaxian, Sky Kid, and a few others is an awesome price! $20.00 is probably how much you paid to play a hour or so of ONE of these games at your local arcade 30 years ago...
Reviewers Tilt - 6 - The tilt here is somewhat low, because I didn't grow up with these games as a kid. I still had a blast setting new high-scores and running hotlaps in Pole Position, so this rating is about average...
Final - 6.5/10.0 - NM50 is quite a good bundle of games for a great price. The games play just like they did way back when, but fit the GameCube controller very well, and the two-player function is great. If you enjoyed these games before, you will now. If there was something in the game that allowed you to see the history of Namco, or a few other features added in to prolong the life of the game, it would be an even better buy. Like I said though, it's all about the games, and on that note, Namco Museum 50th Anniversary Delivers...