Product Description

MANUFACTURER WARRANTY: 90 DAYS

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2672 in Video Games
• Brand: Namco
• Model: 722674021128
• Released on: 2006-06-15
• ESRB Rating: Everyone
• Platform: Game Boy Advance
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: .25" h x 4.75" w x 5.25" l, .50 pounds

Features

• Ms. Pac-Man.
• Dig Dug
• Galaga
• Pole Position

Amazon.com Review
Nothing lends itself better to portable gaming than the arcade classics. They're addictive, replayable, and fun--plus it's nice not to have to pump endless streams of quarters into them. That's what makes Namco Museum such a must-have title for the Game Boy Advance system. People too young, or too impatient, to enjoy a good coin-op had better stop reading now.

Like the PlayStation and N64 versions, Namco has packed a few of its best games onto the cartridge. For the GBA we get only five titles (four are listed on the front of the box, but Galaxian is also included). We have two versions of Ms. Pac-Man (one that shows the whole maze but is dreadfully small, and another that scrolls), Galaga, Pole Position, and Dig Dug. They are lovingly ported, complete with all the music and sound effects intact. What we don't get is the amusing Museum portion and trivia found on other versions.

Ms. Pac-Man and Galaga are the real winners here. Both are perfect renditions complete with all the extras (music, colors, sound effects, and bonus stages/cartoons). The controls on these two are also perfect. Pole Position is amusing, but features twitchy controls and pales in comparison to other GBA racing games. Galaxian, on the surface, seems the same as its sequel, Galaga, but it isn't. The fire rate is much slower, so the pace of the game is different. Galaga is certainly better, but Galaxian is a nice addition regardless. Dig Dug is a classic, pure and simple, and it still plays well. It rounds out the collection nicely.

Arcade fans, especially those who used to line up (or line their quarters on the machine) to play these games, will be very pleased with Namco Museum. Those unimpressed with retro gaming probably won't be converted. However, here's hoping we see more arcade classics in the future, because I can't think of a better platform for these than the Game Boy Advance. --Andrew S. Bub

Pros:

• Perfect recreations of arcade classics
• A nice, diverse slate of games
• Nice of them to include two versions of Ms. Pac-Man

• Pole Position isn't so hot anymore
• No Museum features, such as trivia questions

Amazon.com Product Description
With Namco Museum you can play arcade favorites on the new Game Boy Advance. Four Namco greats are included in this cartridge: classic maze game Ms. Pac-Man, dig-your-own-maze title Dig Dug, old-school racer Pole Position, and quintessential arcade shooter Galaga. Gamers old enough to remember when each of these titles used to require a full-size arcade cabinet will delight in the easy portability, instant access, and classic gameplay.

Customer Reviews

Is That Galaga in Your Pocket...?
It's like having my own portable Aladdin's Castle! If you don't know what that is you're too young to truly enjoy this collection. This is a great game(s)! Ms. Pac-man, Dig-Dug, and most importantly GALAGA! If you used to shovel quarters into these games as a kid, you won't be disappointed with this cart. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that there really should have been more games on the cart. C'mon, you expect me to believe that the simple pixels that make up these games take up all that memory? I suspect this will not be the only "Museum" cart that Namco puts out...but I'll probably buy those as well. I was also surprised at how addictive these games still are. My wife tapped me on the shoulder last night and said, "Do you realize that you've been playing 'Galaga' for 2 hours straight?". Can't get enough of the classics!

Almost but not quite
Its fun to be able to play favorite classics and its even better when you can take it with you. Never mind that Namco could have easily placed more games on to one cartridge or even selected a different set of games to bring to the Game Boy Advance. For the most part, the game screens are too small to appreciate. Galaga is almost too dark even under good light. Dig Dug is entertaining but again the screen is just too small to get the most out of it. Ms. Pacman is the only game on the cartridge that allows for the choice of screen formats - fit to screen or scrolling. I highly recommend selecting scrolling since that makes it easier on the eye's and the added challenge of not knowing exactly where "Blinky" is going to pop up. Don't get me wrong, being able to carry around arcade classics in your back pocket is great, however, due to the small game screens and often too dark display, I found it more frustrating and neck breaking than I can appreciate.

A nifty collection of classics for GBA
I'm a 33 year-old arcade fanatic and happily recall my days in the arcades, even if I didn't play for long or play all the games. The classics never go out of style (hence the term "Classics") and Namco Museum is no exception. Sound is crisp and clear, with near authentic sound effects and gameplay just like the arcade versions. I'm a nitpicker though, so here are (just a few) gripes: In Pole Position, the "qualify" voice message is different and a few of the signs are not the same as the original. Galaxian and Galaga are finally together; I finally get to see the difference between the two! The only gripe with this is you need to play in sunlight or a light adapter, or you can't tell the diff between passing stars and a missile. These are just minor gripes and I'm sure Pole Position's changes are just customized alterations to get used to. So, whether you're home or on the go, play GBA Namco Museum, housing nicely restored classics on that surprisingly small cartridge!