Classic compilations like Namco Museum: Virtual Arcade are usually strictly for those with a bit of nostalgia or those who are big fans of a particular company. This Virtual Arcade release just might have something for the rest as well. The title features over 30 games on one disc, but the kicker is that it isn't only old ports. In addition to a couple dozen classic titles, the game offers Namco's Xbox Live Arcade releases. That means achievements and a way to play the stellar Pac-Man: Championship Edition and Galaga: Legions even if you don't have an internet connection.
Pac-Man is a fun game, yet that is just the beginning of why it is so fondly remembered by many, even 30 years later.
I love Pac man because I actually experienced the pac man craze as a kid. TV shows, cereal, T-shirts, all before Mario. it was the first mainstream merchandised game I think, and for that alone, Pac-man will always have a solid place in gaming history.
Happy 30th Pac-Man!
nice article btw.
Thanks for the compliment! I also grew up with Pac-Man back in the day and remember watching the cartoon and seeing all the merchandise, it was pretty crazy back then.
For a company like Namco, which has the morals of any alley cat, this compilation offers surprisingly good value. Unfortunately, that's the only surprise on offer as what we have here is what must be Namco's fifteenth anthology piece. Yep, stock up on ProPlus and energy drinks and get ready to play Pole Position yet again.
Be prepared for a shock in Namco Museum, though. The load times between the main menu and your chosen game is usually about 30 seconds long. The classics on display here, as well as the Xbox Live Arcade treasures, are generally of a high standard – it's great that non-Live gamers can play the awesome Pac-Man: Championship Edition – but a wait of that length will spoil the emulation. Any thieves that dabble in PC emulators will know any game they want from the past 20 years is just a click away and, especially for paying customers, waiting that long for a game of the dire Pac & Pal seems unjust.
