Games

Best of 2008 | 07 | 06 | 05
Advanced Search

Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games.

Namco Museum DS

EMAIL PRINTds

6.2 User Score:

Mixed or average reviews

Based on 19 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 5 votes
Read user comments
Rate this game >

Game Info

Publisher: Namco Bandai Games

Developer: Namco Bandai Games

Genre(s): Action, Compilation

Players: 4

ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)

Release Date: September 18, 2007

Summary

Namco Museum DS allows gamers to experience a virtual arcade portal where they can choose from up to eight games: "Pac-Man," "Pac-Man VS," "Galaga," "Xevious," "Dig Dug II," "Galaxian," "Mappy," and "The Tower of Druaga." Features that are unique to Namco Museum DS include a screen mode selection that allows the use of different screen combinations on the Nintendo DS. This allows players the chance to fit their classic games specifically to the Nintendo DS or in the "stand-up" arcade style. Players can also enjoy wireless battles in Pac-Man VS, an addictive take on Pac-Man which was previously only available exclusively with the purchase or pre-order of previous games. This version of the game features downloadable play where up to four players can battle using only one Game Card. [Namco Bandai Games]

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

Game Chronicles

Younger kids will likely be turned off by the simplistic game designs and even simpler graphics and sound, then again, there is nothing like a good father-son rivalry and dad might just have a chance with one of the eight games waiting inside this classic collection.

Read Full Review >

Nintendo Power

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]

GameZone

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

Read Full Review >

IGN

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

Read Full Review >

Thunderbolt

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.

Read Full Review >

GamePro

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.

Read Full Review >

GameSpy

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.

Read Full Review >

GameDaily

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.

Read Full Review >

1UP

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.

Read Full Review >

Eurogamer

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

Read Full Review >

My Gamer

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.

Read Full Review >

Gaming Age

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.

Read Full Review >

Worth Playing

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.

Read Full Review >

GameSpot

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.

Read Full Review >

GamerNode

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.

Read Full Review >

Pocket Gamer UK

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

Read Full Review >

Games Master UK

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

NGamer UK

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

Games Radar (in-house)

Why didn't they just reprogram the classics to fit the DS properly? Because that would have required effort. This is not about innovation; this is about porting code that's lying around and reselling it for the zillionth time.

Read Full Review >

What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 6.2 (out of 10) based on 5 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Ironmaus gave it a10:
I honestly don't care about any of the classics included on this cart. Finally owning a copy of Pac-Man VS that can be played without tethering a GBA to a Gamecube is brilliant. I repeat, buy this game for Pac-Man VS which is, hands down, one of the top ten multiplayer experiences of all time.

Forget_your_life gave it an8:
HURRAH!! Mappy at last and Xevious..lots of options for screen orintation. To bad they couldnt have made use of both screens for nice long vertical game play...this game saves high scores. BONUS!! so many of the other "museum" arcade packs fail to save high scores after the game is turned off, no worries here though. Yes, there sould be more games on the cart but for 20 bucks ,I'm just glad Mappy made it on the list.. Dig Dug 2 is a miss, why is it here and not the original? still worth my money...Play Mappy everyone, it is a total classic..... WHERE IS ROOT BEER TAPPER!? still gets an 8 from me...sound is good too...nothing drives a room more crazy than Galaxian on full blast!

Don K. gave it a2:
This collection is unbelievably skimpy, and for crying out loud, where is the original version of Dig Dug?

Dustin P. gave it a3:
How -- tell me, how? -- can you make a museum of Namco titles and not include Ms. Pac-Man!?! To date, there has not been a console-perfect translation of this classic game, and that's a downright travesty! I'm holding out hope that there will be a Vol. 2 of this series that rectifies this mistake.

Games

Sony

Microsoft

Nintendo

Other Platforms

Upcoming &Recent Releases

Namco Museum DS

Game Info

Summary

What The Critics Said

What Our Users Said

Upcoming &
Recent Releases