Namco Museum: 50th Anniversary Arcade Collection - E
Common Sense Note
Parents should know that this repackaging of classic arcade games offers little to object over. The limited violence is cartoon-y: Dig-Dug pumps air into his enemies, causing them to explode, for example, and Galage is a button-mashing shooter. None of this is as realistic as today's games.
Families that decide to play this game should talk about what constitutes a classic. Can a video game be judged like an old movie -- an excellent, fun experience wrapped in an obviously dated package? Or do games become obsolete like other technology, leaving only a once-noteworthy artifact on culture's scrapheap? Is there an innocent appeal to these games or do they prevent parents from understanding the depth (and complexity) of today's gaming content?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Aaron Lazenby
NAMCO MUSEUM: 50TH ANNIVERSARY ARCADE COLLECTION is sort of a confusing title, since the game only spans about a decade of the company's classic video game titles. It repackages 16 arcade classics from the 70s and 80s, targeting gamers who grew up in that era with mediocre results.
Gamers of all ages will recognize the most popular games in the collection: Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Pole Position, Galaga, and Dig-Dug. But as memorable and influential as these primitive titles are, they are technology products that age and become obsolete -- more beta and 8-track tape than Hitchcock and Shakespeare. As a result, they compare unfavorably to the impressive graphics, complex storytelling, and responsive control of contemporary games.
That's not to say there aren't simple pleasures here. Ms. Pac-Man still impresses with her speedy trips through brightly colored labyrinths. Galaga virtually invented the concept of button mashing and scratches an itch for a straight-forward arcade shooter. And watching fire-breathing dragons explode after Dig-Dug pumps them full of air is a singular treat. The best of these games all benefit from a whimsy and innocence missing from most games on the market today.
But kids -- who can play more advanced games on their cell phones -- may be unimpressed by the archaic graphics and simple, repetitive gameplay. Second-tier games like Rolling Thunder, Sky Kid and Rally-X do nothing to inspire awe for the past. Namco did nothing to convince a new generation of gamers that these faithfully reproduced games are still relevant. There is no history revealed here, nor any extras, like mini-movies created just for this game. The only addition is music from 80s one-hit wonders The Romantics, Fine Young Cannibals and Dexy's Midnight Runners, which young players probably won't connect with either.
This game does create an opportunity for parents who grew up in this era of early video games to connect with their kids over a night of gaming, regaling them with stories of high scores past. But this nostalgia trip is bound to be a pretty short one, as their isn't enough to hold either kids or parents attention for very long.
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ViolenceDig Dug's exploding enemies is as graphic as the cartoon violence gets. |
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CommercialismThe game is a celebration of the video game company's accomplishments. And really, this collection offers nothing new -- it's just a repackaging. |
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