Namco Museum DS

Pac-Man. Galaga. Galaxian. Xevious. These are the names that helped build the house of Tekken, Soul Calibur, Ace Combat, and other modern-day hits. Aligned with Bandai, Namco now has access to dozens of killer anime properties.

Despite the urge to push forward, the studio hasn’t forgotten where it came from. Each year Pac-Man is ported to another platform either solo or in a new game collection. Namco Museum DS brings the yellow dot eater to Nintendo’s handheld with six other hits – Galaga, Galaxian, Xevious, Dig Dug II, Mappy, and Tower of Druaga – and a multiplayer version of Pac-Man.

New screen settings allow you to play the game on either the top or bottom screen at full view (stretched), aspect ratio (black bars on the sides), and one of four vertical settings. The aspect ratio option gives you the same ratio that matches the arcade cabinet Pac-Man originally came with – it used a screen that was long vertically, sort of the opposite of the widescreen TVs we have today. The vertical settings fill out the screen more evenly, but you’ll have to turn your DS sideways to play. That’s not much of an issue if you’re used to games like Planet Puzzle League. But it might seem weird if this is your first time.

The gameplay is exactly what you’d expect – Pac-Man is Pac-Man. It’s awesome and addictive and a classic. But it’s not any different from the previous iterations. While some Namco Museum titles offer upgraded or remixed versions of the games, aside from Pac-Man Vs., this package is strictly a port. Depending on how many times you’ve played these games before, and the number of platforms you’ve played them on, this may or may not seem like a great collection.

Pac-Man Vs.

Some of you might remember the Game Boy Advance to GameCube connectivity feature. It was designed to turn your GBA into a GameCube controller, giving players a personal screen to look at while competing in a multiplayer game. The idea was cool but like the Visual Memory Units (VMU) brought to Dreamcast, the thrill of looking at a tiny, outdated screen couldn’t compare to the TV sitting in front of us. Few developers were eager to create games that utilized this feature; only a handful of gamers were interested in using it to play.

One of the games lost in the process was Pac-Man Vs., a four-player version of the arcade hit. The player controlling Pac-Man sees the game as normal – the others have an entirely different view. They’re in control of ghosts, the multi-colored beings trying to devour the ‘Man. Control of Pac-Man switches off each turn, giving everyone a chance to be the pizza-inspired hero.

Five stages are available for multiplayer action: Original, Blocks (a slightly altered version of the original), Outer Space (a longer version of the original), Volcano (more straight lines), and Lib Rab Woods (an octagon-shaped stage).

The rules are simple: while controlling Pac-Man, play as normal. Score as many points as possible before making contact with a ghost (unless you’ve eaten a big dot, in which case the ghosts turn blue and can be eaten). Mmm, tasty! Once a ghost makes contact, control of Pac-Man switches to someone else. Your points will be calculated – a portion will be dispersed to other players. I have not figured out a way to alter this, the game seems to do this on its own. But it does give your friends a fighting chance when they’re losing and vice versa.

While controlling Pac-Man, the entire stage is displayed on the bottom screen. A closer, three-dimensional view is displayed on the top screen. That view doesn’t seem too helpful when you’re the hero. But when you’re a ghost, that’s all you get! The bottom screen is blackened out – only the ghost images remain, making it hard to navigate. You’ll need to use the top, narrow image to hunt Pac-Man before he eats a big dot – and run from him when he does.

I’ve been a fan of Pac-Man for about 20 years now, but was still surprised by the entertainment value provided by this multiplayer mode. Playing the standard game on the DS hasn’t been as exciting as I had expected, most likely due to how recently I played the arcade version. (Malls and movie theaters still carry old Namco games.) Pac-Man Vs., however, breathes new life into the experience.

If you haven’t played these games before, or if you have but don’t currently own them for a handheld platform, then this collection belongs in your collection. Pac-Man isn’t the only game that’s arcade-accurate – they all are, and four of them are timeless classics. However, those who already have a Namco Museum title on Game Boy Advance or PSP may want to pass. Pac-Man Vs. is worth the price of admission, especially since you only need one game card to enjoy the multiplayer functionality. But unless you’re a die-hard fan like myself, its thrill won’t last.

Gameplay: 7.0
A solid collection of great games that have already appeared on most other platforms. If you don’t have them on a handheld, this game will be your new addiction. But if you’ve already played ‘em to death on PSP, GBA, or some other platform, the only thrilling element is Pac-Man Vs. Also, where is the much-desired touch-screen gameplay? Will it ever be added to Namco Museum?

Graphics: 5.0
Namco’s classics look good on the DS. But with Pac-Man Vs. being the only game that uses polygons, you won’t be overly impressed.

Sound: 5.0
Same as any other handheld iteration of Pac-Man and Co. Don’t get me wrong – Pac-Man’s sounds are classic. But they haven’t been upgraded in 20 years.

Difficulty: Easy/Medium
These games are by no means easy … But they’re not really difficult either. Anyone can play them – only a few will become a master.

Concept: 5.0
No upgrades, no new gameplay content, no control improvements. It’s a straight port.

Multiplayer: 8.0
The best part of the collection. Pac-Man Vs. is one of the most fun, anyone-can-play-it, single-card multiplayer games available for the DS. If you love Pac-Man, you – and any nearby gamers with a DS – will have a blast.

Overall: 7.5
Buy it for Pac-Man Vs. and/or if you don’t yet have a handheld version of the other games.