Namco Museum DS

Namco Bandai's latest arcade collection contains stellar arcade hits allong with some sentimental favorites: "Pac-Man", "Galaga", "Galaxian", "Xevious", "Mappy", "The Tower of Druaga", and "Dig Dug"--all simple to learn and play and virtually impossible to master. [Nov 2007, p.105]

Buy it for Pac-Man Vs. and/or if you don’t yet have a handheld version of the other games.

Love the hardcore customization options. Not so hot on the small list of games in the collection.

The collection itself is great, but the way it's been fleshed out is really impressive. The full-fledged treatment of each game makes this edition of Namco Museum really feel like a museum.

As a classics collection (a Namco Museum, if you will), it fails pretty hard. It's lacking some much-needed games, and its meager selection of seven classic titles pales to the 21 in the PSP Museum. Pac-Man Vs., however, is excellent.

This collection has a few dull spots, particularly with some lame gameplay options that make it more boring than expected. It's nice having classic games on the DS, but this is not the best Namco Museum out there.

What clearly makes this package stand out is the presentation: easily negotiable menus via touch-screen, a multitude of options to tinker with, perfectly emulated conversions of Namco’s retro classics, support for DS Download and Play, and everything moving along at lightning speed with nary a hint of loading time.

The one saving grace is the presence of Pac-Man Vs., a sincerely cool multiplayer take on the legendary maze-chase game that got a bit of a bum rap when Nintendo tried to transform it into the cornerstone of the company's business model.

There are some real gems to be had here - just not enough.

The game is rightfully priced at a cheaper $20 price point, with Pac-Man Vs being the obvious highlight of this compilation. If you need a classic gaming fix from time to time, then this game can satisfy that craving.

If you really need to play these games for the umpteenth time, then for 20 bones you can't really beat this deal. I just wish more games were on it in order to say it is a must buy for all, not just nostalgia buffs.

Namco Museum DS is a decent collection of arcade classics, but you'll have to turn your DS on its side to see them properly.

Subjecting your kids — or even yourself — to a bit of gaming history might just provide the incentive needed to appreciate how far video games have come. Add in some very real replayability and the ability to play Pac-Man Vs. with a friend, and the control issues and inclusion of a couple of questionable games becomes much more forgivable.

Don’t waste your money. Save it for the new games coming out and experience Namco’s classic games as they should be played; on an arcade cabinet.

The gems might not shine as brightly as you remember, but Namco Museum DS is a reasonable collection of bygone classics.

A fun retro reminder but nothing here has much sustained longevity. [May 2008, p.85]

You absolutely must play "Pac-Man Vs" before you die. [Dec 2007, p.52]