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Namco Museum: Battle Collection Review
Written by Robert Falcon on Wednesday, September 14, 2005
Lots of quality arcade goodness.
Some of those games aren't so hot.
Classic compilations are a fantastic way for fans to sample a bit of history. The latest example of this retro packaging comes in the form of Namco Museum Battle Collection for the PSP, which is quite simply the best Namco Museum game that the company's ever released.
Battle Collection contains twenty different arcade classics as well as four contemporary "arrangements" of some favorite games, and these "arrangements" aren't actually gimmicks. Instead, they contain depth all their own that makes them truly fun to play. The addition of nifty game sharing and Wi-Fi support makes it that much easier to get into.
There are a few favorites here as well as some titles that leave me head-scratching as to why they were included. But hey, we still get to boast because the Japanese version of Namco Museum only has 10 games on it, so we're basically getting 10 extra arcade classics free of charge. Some of my personal favorites include Rolling Thunder (despite its heavy "ghosting" problems), Bosconian, and Xevious, all of which have their moments of greatness. Then you run into stuff like King and Balloon and Tower of Druaga, which I probably will never touch, even on the longest of trips to my grandmother's house. And don't even get me started on Dragon Buster's horrendous soundtrack.
But there is variety, and for that I am grateful. Namco included a ton of classics as well as a few fantastic viewing/playing options to enhance your experience. On some games, you can actually turn the screen vertically, which makes you hold your PSP all weird but still provides a gameplay style similar to that of the original arcade screen. Then there's the ability to "blow up" the game so it covers the entire screen, although some of them look a bit ugly this way. Namco's also included a ton of default gameplay switches, so you can add lives and change high scoring tactics to your pleasure.
Along with the classic games there's also four "arrangements" which are basically new versions of the classics. Pac-Man Arrangement is similar to the Namco Museum version we saw a couple of years ago, although there is a fantastic series of boss stages where you take on a gigantic ghost who breaks up into smaller ghosts that you can munch on to eliminate him. Rally-X Arrangement is a fresh take on the "collect the flags and avoid the cars" theme, complete with all new scrolling effects on some buildings and some great level designs. Galaga Arrangement is Galaga redefined, with boss enemies and new power-ups. Finally, Dig Dug Arrangement packs a punch with more digging underground and all new enemies and power-ups to deal with. All four of these are worthy remakes and deserve to be in every Namco Museum collection from hereon in.
The best feature about Namco Museum Battle Collection is the Wi-Fi capability. You can actually "game share" with a friend, showing them a little taste of one of your classics. Or you can find a buddy who has a copy and challenge them to Wi-Fi play on the arrangements. I thought Namco did real well in this field and they're to be applauded. Of course, that would require me to put down the system, which I won't.
I admit, Namco Museum Battle Collection would've been a really defining experience had the company skipped some junky games and instead given us long lost favorites like Assault and Ordyne. But in this day and age, it's rare to see a classic collection with unbelievable quality, so I'll take what I can get. Battle Collection is a must-purchase for its wide variety and great features, and every PSP owner on the planet should purchase it.
posted September 14, 2005