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is a series of
video game compilations In marketing, product bundling is offering several products or services for sale as one combined product or service package. It is a common feature in many imperfectly competitive product and service markets. Industries engaged in the practice ...
developed and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment for home video game consoles. The first title in the series, '' Namco Museum Vol. 1'', was released for the PlayStation in 1995. Entries in the series have been released for multiple platforms, including the
Game Boy Advance The (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console developed, manufactured and marketed by Nintendo as the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, in North America on June 11, 2001, in the PAL region on June 22, ...
, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS and
Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox series. It competed with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generati ...
. the latest being '' Namco Museum Archives Vol. 2'', released in 2020. The ''Namco Museum'' name was originally used for a chain of retail stores in the 1980s, which sold merchandise based on Namco video games and characters. The compilations include video games developed by
Namco was a Japanese multinational video game and entertainment company, headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo. It held several international branches, including Namco America in Santa Clara, California, Namco Europe in London, Namco Taiwan in Kaohsiung, ...
for both arcade hardware and home game systems, including the
Family Computer The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit Third generation of video game consoles, third-generation home video game console produced by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan in 1983 as the commonly known as the The NES, a redes ...
and Sega Genesis. Some iterations use
software emulation In computing, an emulator is Computer hardware, hardware or software that enables one computer system (called the ''host'') to behave like another computer system (called the ''guest''). An emulator typically enables the host system to run so ...
for the games, while others instead reprogram them from scratch. The collections typically include interchangeable game settings, online leaderboards or unlockable extras, such as games or promotional material. The original PlayStation series, with the exception of ''Namco Museum Encore'', instead placed the player in a virtual museum that housed the individual games. The ''Namco Museum'' series has been met with a mixed to positive critical response, some praising the emulation quality and unlockable extras while others criticizing the overall presentation and lack of updated features to the included titles. The franchise has sold a total of more than copies worldwide.


Games


''Namco Museum Vol. 1''—''Encore'' (1995–1998)

Six ''Namco Museum'' volumes were released for the PlayStation from 1995 to 1998, including one (''Namco Museum Encore'') that was released only in Japan. When Namco unveiled Volume 5 at the November 1996 PlayStation Expo, it was announced that it would be the final volume in the series, hence the sixth volume's title, "Encore". The first five volumes pose a 3D
virtual museum A virtual museum is a digital entity that draws on the characteristics of a museum, in order to complement, enhance, or augment the museum experience through personalization, interactivity, and richness of content. Virtual museums can perform as t ...
that players are able to walk around in, with each game being stored in an "exhibit" room. In these museums, players can view conceptual artwork, marketing material, arcade system boards, and other material relating to the included games. ''Encore'' replaces the museum with a standard menu system. The means by which Namco recreated the games for the PlayStation hardware is unclear; the arcade game conversions contain pieces of the original game data but none of the original
source code In computing, source code, or simply code, is any collection of code, with or without comments, written using a human-readable programming language, usually as plain text. The source code of a program is specially designed to facilitate the w ...
, suggesting they are object-level recreations. The control systems of each of the games were well-preserved. However, since the PlayStation's analog controller was not available at the time, analog control for ''Pole Position'' and ''Pole Position II'' is only supported in these compilations by Namco's
neGcon The , stylized as neGcon, is a motion-based video game controller manufactured in 1995 by Namco for the PlayStation. One of the first third-party peripherals for the system, the controller is connected by a swivel joint, allowing the player to twi ...
joypad. In Japan, ''Vol. 2'' had a special edition box set that included replica promotional cards and the Namco Volume Controller. A limited edition of ''Namco Museum Encore'' was bundled with a case designed to hold the six volumes in the series plus a memory card. All six volumes were added to the Japanese
PlayStation Store The PlayStation Store (PS Store) is a digital media store available to users of Sony's PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 game consoles via the PlayStation Network. The store offers a range of downloadable conten ...
as
PSOne Classics These are articles listing games previously released for the original PlayStation that were later made available for download from the PlayStation Store for play on the PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation TV, PlayS ...
. Volumes ''1'' to ''4'' were released on December 11, 2013 while ''Vol. 5'' and ''Encore'' were released on December 18, 2013. The five numbered installments were added to the North American PlayStation Store on September 30, 2014.


''Namco Museum 64'' and ''Namco Museum'' (1999-2002)

''Namco Museum 64'' for
Nintendo 64 The (N64) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo. The successor to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, it was released on June 23, 1996, in Japan, on September 29, 1996, in North America, and on March 1, 1997, in Europe and ...
and ''Namco Museum'' for
Dreamcast The is a home video game console released by Sega on November 27, 1998, in Japan; September 9, 1999, in North America; and October 14, 1999, in Europe. It was the first sixth-generation video game console, preceding Sony's PlayStation 2, Nint ...
and
Game Boy Advance The (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console developed, manufactured and marketed by Nintendo as the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, in North America on June 11, 2001, in the PAL region on June 22, ...
are the first compilations in the series to omit a virtual museum. The GBA version was released worldwide, while other versions were exclusive to North America, and was a launch title for the system in North America. The following games, originally featured in ''Namco Museum Vol. 1'' and ''Namco Museum Vol. 3'' for the PlayStation, are included: * '' Pac-Man'' (1980, not in the GBA version) * ''
Ms. Pac-Man is a 1982 maze arcade game developed by General Computer Corporation and published by Midway. It is the first sequel to '' Pac-Man'' (1980) and the first entry in the series to not be made by Namco. Controlling the title character, Pac-Man's ...
'' (1982) * ''
Galaga is a 1981 fixed shooter arcade video game developed and published by Namco. In North America, it was released by Midway Manufacturing. It is the sequel to '' Galaxian'' (1979), Namco's first major video game hit in arcades. Controlling a star ...
'' (1981) * ''
Galaxian is a 1979 fixed shooter arcade video game developed and published by Namco. The player assumes control of the Galaxip starfighter in its mission to protect Earth from waves of aliens. Gameplay involves destroying each formation of aliens, wh ...
'' (1979) * '' Pole Position'' (1982) * ''
Dig Dug is a maze arcade game developed by Namco in 1981 and released in 1982, distributed in North America by Atari, Inc. The player controls Dig Dug to defeat all enemies per stage, by either inflating them to bursting or crushing them underneath rock ...
'' (1982) The GBA version does not retain
high score In games, score refers to an abstract quantity associated with a player or team. Score is usually measured in the abstract unit of points (except in game shows, where scores often are instead measured in units of currency), and events in th ...
s when powered off, which is also the case with ''
Pac-Man Collection is a 2001 video game compilation published by Namco for the Game Boy Advance. It includes four titles in the '' Pac-Man'' series — the original '' Pac-Man'' (1980), ''Pac-Mania'' (1987), '' Pac-Attack'' (1993), and '' Pac-Man Arrangement'' (19 ...
''. On the
Wii U The Wii U ( ) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo as the successor to the Wii. Released in late 2012, it is the first eighth-generation video game console and competed with Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4. Th ...
Virtual Console A virtual console (VC) – also known as a virtual terminal (VT) – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some Unix-like operating systems such as Linux, BSD, illumos, Uni ...
, however, the Restore Point feature saves scores for both games. The N64 version requires a
Controller Pak Nintendo 64 accessories are first-party Nintendo hardwareand third-party hardware, licensed and unlicensed. Nintendo's first-party accessories are mainly transformative system expansions: the 64DD Internet multimedia platform, with a floppy dri ...
with eight free pages and one free slot to save high scores and settings. The Dreamcast version requires a VMU with eight free blocks for saving progress, while also offering a mini-game that's exclusive to the VMU titled ''Pac-It'', with gameplay similar to '' Kaboom!''. In the United States, ''Namco Museum'' for the Game Boy Advance sold 2.4 million copies and earned $37 million by August 2006. During the period between January 2000 and August 2006, it was the third-highest-selling game for
handheld game console A handheld game console, or simply handheld console, is a small, portable self-contained video game console with a built-in screen, game controls and speakers. Handheld game consoles are smaller than home video game consoles and contain the cons ...
s in that country. It was also the first time an entry had been released on PlayStation 2,
Xbox Xbox is a video gaming brand created and owned by Microsoft. The brand consists of five video game consoles, as well as applications (games), streaming services, an online service by the name of Xbox network, and the development arm by the ...
, and GameCube. It was first released in 2001 on PlayStation 2, followed by GameCube and Xbox in 2002. The collection on these consoles includes all the games from ''Namco Museum 64'' and ''Namco Museum'' for Dreamcast plus: * ''
Pac-Man Arrangement is a Japanese video game franchise developed, published and owned by Bandai Namco Entertainment, a video game publisher that was previously known as Namco. Entries have been developed by a wide array of other video game companies, including Mi ...
'' (1996) * '' Galaga Arrangement'' (1995) * '' Dig Dug Arrangement'' (1996) * ''
Pac-Attack , also known as is a 1993 falling-tile puzzle video game developed and published by Namco for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Sega Genesis. Versions for the Game Boy, Game Gear and Philips CD-i were also released. The player is ta ...
'' (1993) – hidden game * ''
Pac-Mania is a cavalier perspective maze game that was developed and released by Namco for arcades in 1987. In the game, the player controls Pac-Man as he must eat all of the dots while avoiding the colored ghosts that chase him in the maze. Eating l ...
'' (1987) – hidden game * '' Pole Position II'' (1983) This edition of ''Namco Museum'' is the first collection in the series to include a game that originated on home consoles (''Pac-Attack'', originally released on the
Genesis Genesis may refer to: Bible * Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of mankind * Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Book of ...
and the
Super NES The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), commonly shortened to Super NES or Super Nintendo, is a 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South Korea, 1991 in North America, 1992 in ...
and also previously included in the Japanese-only '' Namco Anthology Vol. 2'', and ''
Pac-Man Collection is a 2001 video game compilation published by Namco for the Game Boy Advance. It includes four titles in the '' Pac-Man'' series — the original '' Pac-Man'' (1980), ''Pac-Mania'' (1987), '' Pac-Attack'' (1993), and '' Pac-Man Arrangement'' (19 ...
''). The version of Pac-Attack seen here also resembles the ''Genesis'' version, as opposed to the ''SNES'' version. This is distinguished by the music, which sounds like the ''Genesis'' version of the game. The "Arrangement" games in the collection were originally on the arcade's '' Namco Classic Collection Vol. 1'' and '' Vol. 2''. The pitch of the music in ''Pac-Man Arrangement'' and ''Dig Dug Arrangement'' has been changed slightly from the original: it is higher-pitched than in the arcade versions. This compilation was released only in North America on all three of the consoles on which it was released.


''Namco Museum Battle Collection''

This title was released on the PlayStation Portable in 2005. It contains over twenty of Namco's games such as '' Pac-Man'' (1980) and ''
Galaga is a 1981 fixed shooter arcade video game developed and published by Namco. In North America, it was released by Midway Manufacturing. It is the sequel to '' Galaxian'' (1979), Namco's first major video game hit in arcades. Controlling a star ...
'' (1981). In addition, new "Arrangement" variants are available for ''Pac-Man'', ''Galaga'', ''
New Rally-X is a maze chase arcade video game released by Namco in 1981. It is a lightly tweaked version of 1980's ''Rally-X'', with slightly enhanced graphics, easier gameplay, a new soundtrack, and a "Lucky Flag" that gives the player extra points for r ...
'' (1981) and ''
Dig Dug is a maze arcade game developed by Namco in 1981 and released in 1982, distributed in North America by Atari, Inc. The player controls Dig Dug to defeat all enemies per stage, by either inflating them to bursting or crushing them underneath rock ...
'' (1982), which have updated gameplay, graphics and can be played in a versus or co-operative mode using the PSP's
ad hoc Ad hoc is a Latin phrase meaning literally 'to this'. In English, it typically signifies a solution for a specific purpose, problem, or task rather than a generalized solution adaptable to collateral instances. (Compare with '' a priori''.) C ...
feature. Game Sharing, a feature that had not yet been used on the PSP, was introduced in this game. This allowed others PSPs in the area to download the first few levels of some of the games. The "Arrangement" games in this compilation are not the same as they were on the arcade's '' Namco Classic Collection Vol. 1'' and '' Vol. 2''. They are entirely new games that were designed to take advantage of the PSP's hardware and features. The Japanese version is divided into two volumes, with the second containing three additional games: ''
Dragon Spirit is a 1987 vertical-scrolling shooter arcade game developed and published by Namco. In North America, it was distributed by Atari Games. Controlling the dragon Amul, the player must complete each of the game's nine areas to rescue the princess Al ...
'', ''Motos Arrangement'' and ''Pac-Man Arrangement Plus''.


''Namco Museum 50th Anniversary''

A special edition that marks Namco's founding as a toy manufacturing company in 1955. It was the second ''Namco Museum'' compilation to be released on the PlayStation 2,
Xbox Xbox is a video gaming brand created and owned by Microsoft. The brand consists of five video game consoles, as well as applications (games), streaming services, an online service by the name of Xbox network, and the development arm by the ...
and the GameCube. The
Game Boy Advance The (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console developed, manufactured and marketed by Nintendo as the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, in North America on June 11, 2001, in the PAL region on June 22, ...
version was also the second ''Namco Museum'' compilation for the GBA. It was also released on Microsoft Windows. In Japan, this was released under the title ''Namco Museum Arcade Hits!'' for PlayStation 2 only, with ''Pac-Mania'' and ''Galaga '88'' unlocked right from the start and different menu music. This compilation includes 16 games, except for the Game Boy Advance, which only includes five games: * '' Pac-Man'' (1980) * ''
Ms. Pac-Man is a 1982 maze arcade game developed by General Computer Corporation and published by Midway. It is the first sequel to '' Pac-Man'' (1980) and the first entry in the series to not be made by Namco. Controlling the title character, Pac-Man's ...
'' (1981) * ''
Galaga is a 1981 fixed shooter arcade video game developed and published by Namco. In North America, it was released by Midway Manufacturing. It is the sequel to '' Galaxian'' (1979), Namco's first major video game hit in arcades. Controlling a star ...
'' (1981) * ''
Galaxian is a 1979 fixed shooter arcade video game developed and published by Namco. The player assumes control of the Galaxip starfighter in its mission to protect Earth from waves of aliens. Gameplay involves destroying each formation of aliens, wh ...
'' (1979) * ''
Dig Dug is a maze arcade game developed by Namco in 1981 and released in 1982, distributed in North America by Atari, Inc. The player controls Dig Dug to defeat all enemies per stage, by either inflating them to bursting or crushing them underneath rock ...
'' (1982) * '' Pole Position'' (1982) * '' Pole Position II'' (1983) * '' Rolling Thunder'' (1986) * ''
Rally-X is a maze chase arcade video game developed Namco and released in 1980. Players drive a blue Formula One race car through a multidirectional scrolling maze to collect yellow flags. Boulders block some paths and must be avoided. Red enemy cars ...
'' (1980) * ''
Bosconian is a multidirectional scrolling shooter arcade game which was developed and released by Namco in Japan in 1981. In North America, it was manufactured and distributed by Midway Games. The goal of the game is to earn as many points as possible ...
'' (1981) * ''
Dragon Spirit is a 1987 vertical-scrolling shooter arcade game developed and published by Namco. In North America, it was distributed by Atari Games. Controlling the dragon Amul, the player must complete each of the game's nine areas to rescue the princess Al ...
'' (1987) * ''
Sky Kid is a horizontally scrolling shooter arcade video game released by Namco in 1985. It runs on Namco Pac-Land hardware but with a video system like that used in ''Dragon Buster''. It is also the first game from Namco to allow two players to play si ...
'' (1985) * ''
Xevious is a vertically scrolling shooter video game developed and published by Namco for arcades in 1982. It was released in Japan and Europe by Namco and in North America by Atari, Inc. Controlling the Solvalou starship, the player attacks Xevious f ...
'' (1982) * ''
Mappy is an arcade game by Namco, introduced in 1983 in video gaming, 1983 and distributed in the United States by Bally Midway. A side-scrolling platform game featuring a mouse protagonist and cat antagonists, it runs on Super Pac-Man, Namco Super ...
'' (1983) * ''
Pac-Mania is a cavalier perspective maze game that was developed and released by Namco for arcades in 1987. In the game, the player controls Pac-Man as he must eat all of the dots while avoiding the colored ghosts that chase him in the maze. Eating l ...
'' (1987) – unlockable, requires scores of 15,000 in ''Pac-Man'' and 20,000 in ''Ms. Pac-Man'' to unlock. * ''
Galaga '88 is a 1987 fixed shooter arcade video game by Namco. It is the third sequel for ''Galaxian'' (following ''Galaga'', and ''Gaplus''). It features significantly improved graphics over the previous games in the series, including detailed backgrounds, ...
'' (1987) – unlockable, requires a score of 40,000 in ''Galaga'' to unlock. indicates the five games included in the Game Boy Advance version. This version is similar to the original ''Namco Museum'' for that console, which also includes five games and no score-saving capability. ''50th Anniversary'' replaces ''Galaxian'' and ''Pole Position'' with ''Pac-Man'' and ''Rally-X''. This is the first edition of Namco Museum with actual arcade game
emulation Emulation may refer to: *Emulation (computing), imitation of behavior of a computer or other electronic system with the help of another type of system :*Video game console emulator, software which emulates video game consoles *Gaussian process em ...
using the original game
ROM image A ROM image, or ROM file, is a computer file which contains a copy of the data from a read-only memory chip, often from a video game cartridge, or used to contain a computer's firmware, or from an arcade game's main board. The term is frequen ...
s (although voice sounds in "Rolling Thunder", sounds for both "Pole Position" games and "Xevious" are stored in .wav files). Also, the GameCube version allows the player to insert a limited number of credits, about five or six, by repeatedly pressing the Z button when the game first starts, but then players can only exit to the main menu during gameplay. The PS2, Xbox, and PC versions allow the player to exit a game at any time, but skip being able to add credits. For ''Dragon Spirit'', ''Pac-Mania'' and ''Galaga '88'', the continue features from the original arcade versions have only been retained in the Windows PC version of the collection. It is also the last edition of Namco Museum to be released by Namco as an independent company, before merging with
Bandai is a Japanese multinational toy manufacturer and distributor headquartered in Taitō, Tokyo. Its international branches, Bandai Namco Toys & Collectables America and Bandai UK, are respectively headquartered in Irvine, California and Richmond ...
later in 2005.


''Namco Museum DS''

''Namco Museum DS'' was released on September 18, 2007. The collection includes ten games: * '' Pac-Man'' (1980) * ''
Galaga is a 1981 fixed shooter arcade video game developed and published by Namco. In North America, it was released by Midway Manufacturing. It is the sequel to '' Galaxian'' (1979), Namco's first major video game hit in arcades. Controlling a star ...
'' (1981) * ''
Xevious is a vertically scrolling shooter video game developed and published by Namco for arcades in 1982. It was released in Japan and Europe by Namco and in North America by Atari, Inc. Controlling the Solvalou starship, the player attacks Xevious f ...
'' (1982) * ''
Galaxian is a 1979 fixed shooter arcade video game developed and published by Namco. The player assumes control of the Galaxip starfighter in its mission to protect Earth from waves of aliens. Gameplay involves destroying each formation of aliens, wh ...
'' (1979) * ''
Mappy is an arcade game by Namco, introduced in 1983 in video gaming, 1983 and distributed in the United States by Bally Midway. A side-scrolling platform game featuring a mouse protagonist and cat antagonists, it runs on Super Pac-Man, Namco Super ...
'' (1983) * ''
The Tower of Druaga is a 1984 arcade action role-playing maze game developed and published in Japan by Namco. Controlling the golden-armored knight Gilgamesh, the player is tasked with scaling 60 floors of the titular tower in an effort to rescue the maiden Ki f ...
'' (1984) * ''
Dig Dug II is an action arcade video game developed and published in Japan by Namco in 1985. It is a sequel to 1982's ''Dig Dug''. Pookas and fire-breathing Fygars return as the enemies, but the side view tunneling of the original is replaced with an overhe ...
'' (1985) * '' Pac-Man Vs.'' (2003) ''
Super Xevious is a vertically scrolling shooter released as an arcade video game in Japan in 1984. It was developed and published by Namco as an updated version of ''Xevious'' (1982) created as a response to the overwhelming success of the original in Japan. ...
'' and the old version of ''Dig Dug II'' are hidden games that must be found by browsing the menus for ''Xevious'' and ''Dig Dug II'', respectively. This game also allows access to each game's
DIP switch A DIP switch is a manual electric switch that is packaged with others in a group in a standard dual in-line package (DIP). The term may refer to each individual switch, or to the unit as a whole. This type of switch is designed to be used on a ...
es, but some arcade-exclusive options are left out such as the "Rack-Test" on ''Pac-Man''. It was re-released as part of a "Dual Pack" bundle with the DS version of ''
Pac-Man World 3 ''Pac-Man World 3'' is a platform video game developed by Namco, Namco Hometek and Blitz Games and published by Namco for the PlayStation 2, the GameCube, the Xbox (console), Xbox, the PlayStation Portable, the Nintendo DS, and Microsoft Windows. T ...
'' in North America on October 30, 2012.


''Namco Museum Remix''

''Namco Museum Remix'' was released on October 23, 2007 for Wii. This compilation has the original arcade versions of: * ''
Cutie Q is a 1979 block breaker/video pinball hybrid arcade game developed and published by Namco in Japan. The player controls a set of paddles with a rotary knob, the objective being to score as many points possible by deflecting a ball against bloc ...
'' (1979) * ''
Dig Dug is a maze arcade game developed by Namco in 1981 and released in 1982, distributed in North America by Atari, Inc. The player controls Dig Dug to defeat all enemies per stage, by either inflating them to bursting or crushing them underneath rock ...
'' (1982) * ''
Galaxian is a 1979 fixed shooter arcade video game developed and published by Namco. The player assumes control of the Galaxip starfighter in its mission to protect Earth from waves of aliens. Gameplay involves destroying each formation of aliens, wh ...
'' (1979) * ''
Gaplus is a 1984 fixed shooter arcade game developed and released by Namco. It is the third game in the ''Galaxian'' series, serving as a direct sequel to ''Galaga'' (1981). In North America, a modification kit was later released to change the name to ' ...
'' (1984) * ''
Mappy is an arcade game by Namco, introduced in 1983 in video gaming, 1983 and distributed in the United States by Bally Midway. A side-scrolling platform game featuring a mouse protagonist and cat antagonists, it runs on Super Pac-Man, Namco Super ...
'' (1983) * ''
Pac & Pal is a 1983 maze chase arcade game developed and published by Namco. It is part of the company's ''Pac-Man'' series, is the third to have been produced in-house. Players control Pac-Man as he must eat the items in an enclosed maze while avoiding f ...
'' (1983) * ''
Pac-Mania is a cavalier perspective maze game that was developed and released by Namco for arcades in 1987. In the game, the player controls Pac-Man as he must eat all of the dots while avoiding the colored ghosts that chase him in the maze. Eating l ...
'' (1987) * ''
Super Pac-Man is a 1982 maze chase arcade game developed and published by Namco. It was distributed in North America by Midway Games. ''Super Pac-Man'' is Namco's take on a sequel to the original ''Pac-Man''; Midway had previously released ''Ms. Pac-Man'', w ...
'' (1982) * ''
Xevious is a vertically scrolling shooter video game developed and published by Namco for arcades in 1982. It was released in Japan and Europe by Namco and in North America by Atari, Inc. Controlling the Solvalou starship, the player attacks Xevious f ...
'' (1983) It also had "Remix" versions of certain games: * '' Pac 'n Roll Remix'' * ''
Galaga is a 1981 fixed shooter arcade video game developed and published by Namco. In North America, it was released by Midway Manufacturing. It is the sequel to '' Galaxian'' (1979), Namco's first major video game hit in arcades. Controlling a star ...
Remix'' * ''Pac- Motos'' * ''
Rally-X is a maze chase arcade video game developed Namco and released in 1980. Players drive a blue Formula One race car through a multidirectional scrolling maze to collect yellow flags. Boulders block some paths and must be avoided. Red enemy cars ...
Remix'' * ''
Gator Panic ''Gator Panic'' is a redemption arcade game released in 1988 by Namco. The game plays very much like Whac-A-Mole, but features alligators coming out of the cabinet horizontally instead of moles coming out vertically. Legacy A digital remake was ...
Remix'' When played on multiplayer, the
Mii A Mii ( ) is a customizable avatar used on several Nintendo video game consoles and mobile apps. Miis were first introduced on the Wii console in 2006 and later appeared on the 3DS, Wii U, the Switch, and various apps for smart devices. Miis c ...
s are used. ''Galaga Remix'' on this compilation is not the same as the ''
Galaga Remix ''Galaga Remix'' is an iOS game based on ''Galaga'' released in 2009 by Namco Bandai games. It is a compilation title featuring the 1981 arcade shooter Galaga and the ''Namco Museum Battle Collection'' version of ''Galaga Arrangement'', though t ...
''
iOS iOS (formerly iPhone OS) is a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple Inc. exclusively for its hardware. It is the operating system that powers many of the company's mobile devices, including the iPhone; the term also include ...
application.


''Namco Museum Virtual Arcade''

This collection was released for the
Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox series. It competed with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generati ...
on November 4, 2008, in North America, May 15, 2009, in Europe, June 3, 2009, in Australia and November 5, 2009, in Japan. ''Namco Museum Virtual Arcade'' is made up of two sets of games. The first is
Xbox Live Arcade Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA) is a digital video game download service available through the Xbox Games Store, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360. It focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent ...
, which includes nine Xbox Live Arcade games. These are identical to the digital
Xbox Live Arcade Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA) is a digital video game download service available through the Xbox Games Store, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360. It focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent ...
versions but are present on the game-disc. These games can be selected from the compilation's menu or, only while the game disc is in the console, accessed directly from the
Xbox Live Arcade Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA) is a digital video game download service available through the Xbox Games Store, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360. It focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent ...
menu. The next set is Museum, which also includes Museum games, although these are the ones accessible directly from the disc. However, they do not come with achievements or online play. ''Namco Museum Virtual Arcade'' is the first ''Namco Museum'' game to include ''
Sky Kid Deluxe is a horizontally scrolling shooter released in arcades by Namco in 1986. It is the sequel to ''Sky Kid'', which was released in the previous year. It was the first game to run on the company's System 86 hardware. It was also the first game from ...
'' (1986), while all of the rest were already or previously available on consoles. In common with other disc releases that include full
Xbox Live Arcade Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA) is a digital video game download service available through the Xbox Games Store, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360. It focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent ...
games on-disc (like ''
Xbox Live Arcade Unplugged ''Xbox Live Arcade Unplugged'' is a series of Xbox 360 games released which allows the play of Xbox Live Arcade games without requiring a purchase via Xbox Live. Xbox Live Arcade Unplugged Vol. 1 ''Xbox Live Arcade Unplugged Vol. 1'' is a retai ...
'' for example), installation of the game disc to the Xbox 360 HDD is disallowed. Xbox Live Arcade Games *''
Dig Dug is a maze arcade game developed by Namco in 1981 and released in 1982, distributed in North America by Atari, Inc. The player controls Dig Dug to defeat all enemies per stage, by either inflating them to bursting or crushing them underneath rock ...
'' (1982) *''
Galaga is a 1981 fixed shooter arcade video game developed and published by Namco. In North America, it was released by Midway Manufacturing. It is the sequel to '' Galaxian'' (1979), Namco's first major video game hit in arcades. Controlling a star ...
'' (1981) *''
Galaga Legions is a 2008 Shoot'em up, twin-stick shooter video game developed and released by Namco Bandai Games for the Xbox 360. It is the twelfth game in the ''Galaxian'' series, and the third developed for home platforms. The player controls a starship, the ...
'' (2008) *'' Mr. Driller Online'' (2008) *''
Ms. Pac-Man is a 1982 maze arcade game developed by General Computer Corporation and published by Midway. It is the first sequel to '' Pac-Man'' (1980) and the first entry in the series to not be made by Namco. Controlling the title character, Pac-Man's ...
'' (1982) *''
New Rally-X is a maze chase arcade video game released by Namco in 1981. It is a lightly tweaked version of 1980's ''Rally-X'', with slightly enhanced graphics, easier gameplay, a new soundtrack, and a "Lucky Flag" that gives the player extra points for r ...
'' (1981) *'' Pac-Man'' (1980) *''
Pac-Man Championship Edition is a 2007 maze video game developed and published by Namco Bandai Games for the Xbox 360. It has since appeared on several other platforms, including iOS, Android, and the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable as a PSP mini title available on ...
'' (2007) *''
Xevious is a vertically scrolling shooter video game developed and published by Namco for arcades in 1982. It was released in Japan and Europe by Namco and in North America by Atari, Inc. Controlling the Solvalou starship, the player attacks Xevious f ...
'' (1983) Museum Games *'' Baraduke'' (1985) *''
Bosconian is a multidirectional scrolling shooter arcade game which was developed and released by Namco in Japan in 1981. In North America, it was manufactured and distributed by Midway Games. The goal of the game is to earn as many points as possible ...
'' (1981) *''Dig Dug Arrangement'' (2005) *''
Dig Dug II is an action arcade video game developed and published in Japan by Namco in 1985. It is a sequel to 1982's ''Dig Dug''. Pookas and fire-breathing Fygars return as the enemies, but the side view tunneling of the original is replaced with an overhe ...
'' (1985) *''
Dragon Buster is a platform, action role-playing dungeon crawl game developed by Namco and released in 1984. It runs on Namco Pac-Land hardware, modified to support vertical scrolling. In Japan, the game was ported to the Family Computer (Famicom), ...
'' (1985) *''
Dragon Spirit is a 1987 vertical-scrolling shooter arcade game developed and published by Namco. In North America, it was distributed by Atari Games. Controlling the dragon Amul, the player must complete each of the game's nine areas to rescue the princess Al ...
'' (1987) *''
Galaga '88 is a 1987 fixed shooter arcade video game by Namco. It is the third sequel for ''Galaxian'' (following ''Galaga'', and ''Gaplus''). It features significantly improved graphics over the previous games in the series, including detailed backgrounds, ...
'' (1987) *''Galaga Arrangement'' (2005) *''
Galaxian is a 1979 fixed shooter arcade video game developed and published by Namco. The player assumes control of the Galaxip starfighter in its mission to protect Earth from waves of aliens. Gameplay involves destroying each formation of aliens, wh ...
'' (1979) *''
Grobda is a 1984 multidirectional shooter arcade video game developed and published by Namco. It is a spin-off from ''Xevious'', as the player's tank first appeared in that game as an enemy. It runs on Namco Super Pac-Man hardware but with a video syste ...
'' (1984) *'' King & Balloon'' (1980) *''
Mappy is an arcade game by Namco, introduced in 1983 in video gaming, 1983 and distributed in the United States by Bally Midway. A side-scrolling platform game featuring a mouse protagonist and cat antagonists, it runs on Super Pac-Man, Namco Super ...
'' (1983) *''
Metro-Cross is a platform game released in arcades by Namco in 1985. It was ported to the Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, Family Computer, and ZX Spectrum. ''Metro-Cross'' runs on Namco Pac-Land hardware, but with a video system modified to support ...
'' (1985) *'' Motos'' (1985) *''
Pac & Pal is a 1983 maze chase arcade game developed and published by Namco. It is part of the company's ''Pac-Man'' series, is the third to have been produced in-house. Players control Pac-Man as he must eat the items in an enclosed maze while avoiding f ...
'' (1983) *''Pac-Man Arrangement'' (2005) *''
Pac-Mania is a cavalier perspective maze game that was developed and released by Namco for arcades in 1987. In the game, the player controls Pac-Man as he must eat all of the dots while avoiding the colored ghosts that chase him in the maze. Eating l ...
'' (1987) *'' Pole Position'' (1982) *'' Pole Position II'' (1983) *''
Rally-X is a maze chase arcade video game developed Namco and released in 1980. Players drive a blue Formula One race car through a multidirectional scrolling maze to collect yellow flags. Boulders block some paths and must be avoided. Red enemy cars ...
'' (1980) *'' Rolling Thunder'' (1986) *''
Sky Kid is a horizontally scrolling shooter arcade video game released by Namco in 1985. It runs on Namco Pac-Land hardware but with a video system like that used in ''Dragon Buster''. It is also the first game from Namco to allow two players to play si ...
'' (1985) *''
Sky Kid Deluxe is a horizontally scrolling shooter released in arcades by Namco in 1986. It is the sequel to ''Sky Kid'', which was released in the previous year. It was the first game to run on the company's System 86 hardware. It was also the first game from ...
'' (1986) *''
Super Pac-Man is a 1982 maze chase arcade game developed and published by Namco. It was distributed in North America by Midway Games. ''Super Pac-Man'' is Namco's take on a sequel to the original ''Pac-Man''; Midway had previously released ''Ms. Pac-Man'', w ...
'' (1982) *''
The Tower of Druaga is a 1984 arcade action role-playing maze game developed and published in Japan by Namco. Controlling the golden-armored knight Gilgamesh, the player is tasked with scaling 60 floors of the titular tower in an effort to rescue the maiden Ki f ...
'' (1984) The Arrangement games are the same as they were on ''
Namco Museum Battle Collection ''Namco Museum Battle Collection'' is a 2005 video game compilation developed by Tose and published by Namco for the PlayStation Portable. It includes 21 games - four of these are brand-new "arrangement" remakes of older Namco games, while the re ...
'' for PSP, although ''New Rally-X Arrangement'' is not included in this compilation. Additionally, on all games, the original 2-player modes from the original arcade versions (where applicable) do not appear here; all games are one-player only. The Xbox Live Arcade games do not have multiplayer either with the exception of ''Mr. Driller Onlines online mode. The Xbox Live Arcade games can only be played when the disc is inside the system. The games must be downloaded from Xbox Live Marketplace for their regular prices in order for the games to be retained in the system's game library.


''Namco Museum Essentials''

''Namco Museum Essentials'' was released on January 29, 2009. It includes: * '' Pac-Man'' (1980) * ''
Galaga is a 1981 fixed shooter arcade video game developed and published by Namco. In North America, it was released by Midway Manufacturing. It is the sequel to '' Galaxian'' (1979), Namco's first major video game hit in arcades. Controlling a star ...
'' (1981) * ''
Dig Dug is a maze arcade game developed by Namco in 1981 and released in 1982, distributed in North America by Atari, Inc. The player controls Dig Dug to defeat all enemies per stage, by either inflating them to bursting or crushing them underneath rock ...
'' (1982) * ''
Xevious is a vertically scrolling shooter video game developed and published by Namco for arcades in 1982. It was released in Japan and Europe by Namco and in North America by Atari, Inc. Controlling the Solvalou starship, the player attacks Xevious f ...
'' (1983) * ''
Dragon Spirit is a 1987 vertical-scrolling shooter arcade game developed and published by Namco. In North America, it was distributed by Atari Games. Controlling the dragon Amul, the player must complete each of the game's nine areas to rescue the princess Al ...
'' (1987) * ''
Xevious Resurrection ''Namco Museum Essentials'' is a 2009 video game compilation developed by Cattle Call and published by Namco Bandai Games for the PlayStation 3. The collection includes five Namco arcade games from the 1980s: '' Pac-Man'' (1980), ''Galaga'' (1981) ...
'' (2009)
PlayStation Home PlayStation Home was a virtual 3D social gaming platform developed by Sony Computer Entertainment's London Studio for the PlayStation 3 (PS3) on the PlayStation Network (PSN). It was accessible from the PS3's XrossMediaBar (XMB). Membership was ...
included a virtual arcade space with sample versions of the games.
The
PlayStation Store The PlayStation Store (PS Store) is a digital media store available to users of Sony's PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 game consoles via the PlayStation Network. The store offers a range of downloadable conten ...
also had a free trial version that only includes the first at the few levels of: * '' Pac-Man'' * ''
Galaga is a 1981 fixed shooter arcade video game developed and published by Namco. In North America, it was released by Midway Manufacturing. It is the sequel to '' Galaxian'' (1979), Namco's first major video game hit in arcades. Controlling a star ...
'' * ''
Dig Dug is a maze arcade game developed by Namco in 1981 and released in 1982, distributed in North America by Atari, Inc. The player controls Dig Dug to defeat all enemies per stage, by either inflating them to bursting or crushing them underneath rock ...
'' * ''
Xevious is a vertically scrolling shooter video game developed and published by Namco for arcades in 1982. It was released in Japan and Europe by Namco and in North America by Atari, Inc. Controlling the Solvalou starship, the player attacks Xevious f ...
'' Both the demo and the full version were delisted from the PlayStation Store on March 15, 2018.


''Namco Museum Megamix''

An updated version of ''
Namco Museum Remix ''Namco Museum Remix'' is a 2007 Product bundling, video game compilation developed and published for the Wii by Namco Bandai Games. The compilation includes nine Namco arcade games and five "remix" games made specifically for this compilation. A r ...
'' for the Wii, which was released on November 16, 2010 in North America only. It adds additional arcade games and an additional "Remix" game. It adds a level select feature to all of the arcade games except ''
Cutie Q is a 1979 block breaker/video pinball hybrid arcade game developed and published by Namco in Japan. The player controls a set of paddles with a rotary knob, the objective being to score as many points possible by deflecting a ball against bloc ...
''. Arcade Games *''
Bosconian is a multidirectional scrolling shooter arcade game which was developed and released by Namco in Japan in 1981. In North America, it was manufactured and distributed by Midway Games. The goal of the game is to earn as many points as possible ...
'' (1981) *''
Cutie Q is a 1979 block breaker/video pinball hybrid arcade game developed and published by Namco in Japan. The player controls a set of paddles with a rotary knob, the objective being to score as many points possible by deflecting a ball against bloc ...
'' (1979) *''
Dig Dug is a maze arcade game developed by Namco in 1981 and released in 1982, distributed in North America by Atari, Inc. The player controls Dig Dug to defeat all enemies per stage, by either inflating them to bursting or crushing them underneath rock ...
'' (1982) *''
Dig Dug II is an action arcade video game developed and published in Japan by Namco in 1985. It is a sequel to 1982's ''Dig Dug''. Pookas and fire-breathing Fygars return as the enemies, but the side view tunneling of the original is replaced with an overhe ...
'' (1985) *''
Galaga is a 1981 fixed shooter arcade video game developed and published by Namco. In North America, it was released by Midway Manufacturing. It is the sequel to '' Galaxian'' (1979), Namco's first major video game hit in arcades. Controlling a star ...
'' (1981) *''
Galaxian is a 1979 fixed shooter arcade video game developed and published by Namco. The player assumes control of the Galaxip starfighter in its mission to protect Earth from waves of aliens. Gameplay involves destroying each formation of aliens, wh ...
'' (1979) *''
Gaplus is a 1984 fixed shooter arcade game developed and released by Namco. It is the third game in the ''Galaxian'' series, serving as a direct sequel to ''Galaga'' (1981). In North America, a modification kit was later released to change the name to ' ...
'' (1984) *''
Grobda is a 1984 multidirectional shooter arcade video game developed and published by Namco. It is a spin-off from ''Xevious'', as the player's tank first appeared in that game as an enemy. It runs on Namco Super Pac-Man hardware but with a video syste ...
'' (1984) *'' King & Balloon'' (1980) *''
Mappy is an arcade game by Namco, introduced in 1983 in video gaming, 1983 and distributed in the United States by Bally Midway. A side-scrolling platform game featuring a mouse protagonist and cat antagonists, it runs on Super Pac-Man, Namco Super ...
'' (1983) *'' Motos'' (1985) *''
New Rally-X is a maze chase arcade video game released by Namco in 1981. It is a lightly tweaked version of 1980's ''Rally-X'', with slightly enhanced graphics, easier gameplay, a new soundtrack, and a "Lucky Flag" that gives the player extra points for r ...
'' (1981) *''
Pac & Pal is a 1983 maze chase arcade game developed and published by Namco. It is part of the company's ''Pac-Man'' series, is the third to have been produced in-house. Players control Pac-Man as he must eat the items in an enclosed maze while avoiding f ...
'' (1983) *'' Pac-Man'' (1980) *''
Pac-Mania is a cavalier perspective maze game that was developed and released by Namco for arcades in 1987. In the game, the player controls Pac-Man as he must eat all of the dots while avoiding the colored ghosts that chase him in the maze. Eating l ...
'' (1987) *''
Rally-X is a maze chase arcade video game developed Namco and released in 1980. Players drive a blue Formula One race car through a multidirectional scrolling maze to collect yellow flags. Boulders block some paths and must be avoided. Red enemy cars ...
'' (1980) *''
Super Pac-Man is a 1982 maze chase arcade game developed and published by Namco. It was distributed in North America by Midway Games. ''Super Pac-Man'' is Namco's take on a sequel to the original ''Pac-Man''; Midway had previously released ''Ms. Pac-Man'', w ...
'' (1982) *''
Xevious is a vertically scrolling shooter video game developed and published by Namco for arcades in 1982. It was released in Japan and Europe by Namco and in North America by Atari, Inc. Controlling the Solvalou starship, the player attacks Xevious f ...
'' (1982) Remix Games *''Grobda Remix'' (2010) *''Pac-Motos'' (2007) *'' Pac 'n Roll Remix'' (2007) *''Galaga Remix'' (2007) (completely different from the ''
Galaga Remix ''Galaga Remix'' is an iOS game based on ''Galaga'' released in 2009 by Namco Bandai games. It is a compilation title featuring the 1981 arcade shooter Galaga and the ''Namco Museum Battle Collection'' version of ''Galaga Arrangement'', though t ...
''
iOS iOS (formerly iPhone OS) is a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple Inc. exclusively for its hardware. It is the operating system that powers many of the company's mobile devices, including the iPhone; the term also include ...
application) *''Rally-X Remix'' (2007) *''
Gator Panic ''Gator Panic'' is a redemption arcade game released in 1988 by Namco. The game plays very much like Whac-A-Mole, but features alligators coming out of the cabinet horizontally instead of moles coming out vertically. Legacy A digital remake was ...
Remix'' (2007)


''Namco Museum'' (Nintendo Switch)

Simply titled ''Namco Museum'', it was developed for the Nintendo Switch and released on July 28, 2017 on the Nintendo eShop. Much like ''
Namco Museum DS is a classic arcade game compilation published by Namco Bandai Games. It was originally released for the Nintendo DS on September 18, 2007. Overview ''Namco Museum DS'' features 8 (10 if both ''Super Xevious'' and the old version of ''Dig Dug ...
'', the game includes a remake of '' Pac-Man Vs.''. It contains the following games: * '' Pac-Man'' (1980) * ''
Galaga is a 1981 fixed shooter arcade video game developed and published by Namco. In North America, it was released by Midway Manufacturing. It is the sequel to '' Galaxian'' (1979), Namco's first major video game hit in arcades. Controlling a star ...
'' (1981) * ''
Dig Dug is a maze arcade game developed by Namco in 1981 and released in 1982, distributed in North America by Atari, Inc. The player controls Dig Dug to defeat all enemies per stage, by either inflating them to bursting or crushing them underneath rock ...
'' (1982) * ''
The Tower of Druaga is a 1984 arcade action role-playing maze game developed and published in Japan by Namco. Controlling the golden-armored knight Gilgamesh, the player is tasked with scaling 60 floors of the titular tower in an effort to rescue the maiden Ki f ...
'' (1984) * ''
Sky Kid is a horizontally scrolling shooter arcade video game released by Namco in 1985. It runs on Namco Pac-Land hardware but with a video system like that used in ''Dragon Buster''. It is also the first game from Namco to allow two players to play si ...
'' (1985) * '' Rolling Thunder'' (1986) * ''
Galaga '88 is a 1987 fixed shooter arcade video game by Namco. It is the third sequel for ''Galaxian'' (following ''Galaga'', and ''Gaplus''). It features significantly improved graphics over the previous games in the series, including detailed backgrounds, ...
'' (1987) * ''
Splatterhouse is a beat 'em up arcade game developed and published by Namco. It was the first in a series of games released in home console and personal computer formats. This cult classic would later spawn the parody '' Splatterhouse: Wanpaku Graffiti'', the ...
'' (1988) * '' Rolling Thunder 2'' (1990) * ''
Tank Force is a 1991 multi-directional shooter arcade game developed and published in Japan by Namco. It was designed by Yutaka Kounoe, whose works include ''Dig Dug'', '' Lucky & Wild'', and ''Point Blank''. The game is the third installment in Namco's ' ...
'' (1991) * '' Pac-Man Vs.'' (2003) Due to the violent nature of ''
Splatterhouse is a beat 'em up arcade game developed and published by Namco. It was the first in a series of games released in home console and personal computer formats. This cult classic would later spawn the parody '' Splatterhouse: Wanpaku Graffiti'', the ...
'', this is the first ''Namco Museum'' game to be rated T for Teen by the Entertainment Software Rating Board. A retail release bundled with '' Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 Plus'', titled ''Namco Museum Arcade Pac'', was released on September 28, 2018.


''Namco Museum Mini Player''

''Namco Museum Mini Player'' is a dedicated
handheld A mobile device (or handheld computer) is a computer small enough to hold and operate in the hand. Mobile devices typically have a flat LCD or OLED screen, a touchscreen interface, and digital or physical buttons. They may also have a physical ...
console shaped like a miniature arcade cabinet developed by My Arcade that includes 20 Namco games and was released by Bandai Namco Entertainment on June 24, 2019. While it includes some games that originated on home consoles, the games included that did originate in arcades are based on their original arcade versions. The games included are: * ''
Battle City is a multi-directional shooter video game for the Family Computer produced and published in 1985 by Namco. It is a successor to Namco's 1980 '' Tank Battalion'', and would be succeeded itself by the 1991 ''Tank Force''. An arcade version for the ...
'' (1985) * ''
Dig Dug is a maze arcade game developed by Namco in 1981 and released in 1982, distributed in North America by Atari, Inc. The player controls Dig Dug to defeat all enemies per stage, by either inflating them to bursting or crushing them underneath rock ...
'' (1982) * ''
Dig Dug II is an action arcade video game developed and published in Japan by Namco in 1985. It is a sequel to 1982's ''Dig Dug''. Pookas and fire-breathing Fygars return as the enemies, but the side view tunneling of the original is replaced with an overhe ...
'' (1985) * ''
Dragon Spirit is a 1987 vertical-scrolling shooter arcade game developed and published by Namco. In North America, it was distributed by Atari Games. Controlling the dragon Amul, the player must complete each of the game's nine areas to rescue the princess Al ...
'' (1987) * ''
Galaga is a 1981 fixed shooter arcade video game developed and published by Namco. In North America, it was released by Midway Manufacturing. It is the sequel to '' Galaxian'' (1979), Namco's first major video game hit in arcades. Controlling a star ...
'' (1981) * ''
Galaxian is a 1979 fixed shooter arcade video game developed and published by Namco. The player assumes control of the Galaxip starfighter in its mission to protect Earth from waves of aliens. Gameplay involves destroying each formation of aliens, wh ...
'' (1979) * ''
Mappy is an arcade game by Namco, introduced in 1983 in video gaming, 1983 and distributed in the United States by Bally Midway. A side-scrolling platform game featuring a mouse protagonist and cat antagonists, it runs on Super Pac-Man, Namco Super ...
'' (1983) * ''
Pac-Attack , also known as is a 1993 falling-tile puzzle video game developed and published by Namco for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Sega Genesis. Versions for the Game Boy, Game Gear and Philips CD-i were also released. The player is ta ...
'' (Sega Genesis version) (1993) * '' Pac-Man'' (1980) * ''
Pac-Mania is a cavalier perspective maze game that was developed and released by Namco for arcades in 1987. In the game, the player controls Pac-Man as he must eat all of the dots while avoiding the colored ghosts that chase him in the maze. Eating l ...
'' (1987) * '' Pac-Man 2: The New Adventures'' (Sega Genesis version) (1994) * ''
Phelios is a 1989 vertical scrolling shooter video game released for the Namco System 2 arcade platform in Japan by Namco. A Sega Mega Drive port was released in 1990. The game features a plot loosely based on Greek mythology. Gameplay The player takes ...
'' (1988) * '' Rolling Thunder'' (1986) * '' Rolling Thunder 2'' (1990) * '' Rolling Thunder 3'' (1993) * ''
Sky Kid is a horizontally scrolling shooter arcade video game released by Namco in 1985. It runs on Namco Pac-Land hardware but with a video system like that used in ''Dragon Buster''. It is also the first game from Namco to allow two players to play si ...
'' (1985) * ''
Splatterhouse is a beat 'em up arcade game developed and published by Namco. It was the first in a series of games released in home console and personal computer formats. This cult classic would later spawn the parody '' Splatterhouse: Wanpaku Graffiti'', the ...
'' (1988) * ''
Splatterhouse 2 ''Splatterhouse 2'', known in Japan as , is a beat 'em up video game developed by Now Production and published by Namco for the Sega Genesis in 1992. It is the sequel to ''Splatterhouse,'' as well as the third installment of the ''Splatterhouse'' ...
'' (1992) * ''
The Tower of Druaga is a 1984 arcade action role-playing maze game developed and published in Japan by Namco. Controlling the golden-armored knight Gilgamesh, the player is tasked with scaling 60 floors of the titular tower in an effort to rescue the maiden Ki f ...
'' (1984) * ''
Xevious is a vertically scrolling shooter video game developed and published by Namco for arcades in 1982. It was released in Japan and Europe by Namco and in North America by Atari, Inc. Controlling the Solvalou starship, the player attacks Xevious f ...
'' (1983)


''Namco Museum Collection''

''Namco Museum Collection'' is a series of video game compilations for the
Evercade The Evercade is a handheld game console developed and manufactured by UK company Blaze Entertainment. It focuses on retrogaming with ROM cartridges that each contain a number of emulated games. Development began in 2018, and the console was rel ...
handheld console which was released on May 22, 2020. Unlike other compilations, the games in these compilations are based on their home console versions ( NES/Famicom, SNES/Super Famicom, and
SEGA Genesis/Mega Drive The Sega Genesis, known as the outside North America, is a 16-bit fourth generation home video game console developed and sold by Sega. It was Sega's third console and the successor to the Master System. Sega released it in 1988 in Japan a ...
) rather than arcade versions.


Collection 1

* '' Battle Cars'' (1993) * ''
Dig Dug is a maze arcade game developed by Namco in 1981 and released in 1982, distributed in North America by Atari, Inc. The player controls Dig Dug to defeat all enemies per stage, by either inflating them to bursting or crushing them underneath rock ...
'' (1985) * ''
Galaxian is a 1979 fixed shooter arcade video game developed and published by Namco. The player assumes control of the Galaxip starfighter in its mission to protect Earth from waves of aliens. Gameplay involves destroying each formation of aliens, wh ...
'' (1984) * '' Libble Rabble'' (1994) * ''
Mappy is an arcade game by Namco, introduced in 1983 in video gaming, 1983 and distributed in the United States by Bally Midway. A side-scrolling platform game featuring a mouse protagonist and cat antagonists, it runs on Super Pac-Man, Namco Super ...
'' (1984) * ''
Mappy Kids is a platform game sequel to the 1983 Namco/ Midway arcade game ''Mappy''. It was released for the Family Computer in Japan only in 1989. Plot The player controls the son of Mappy who wants a wife but she will not marry him until Mappy can bec ...
'' (1989) * '' Metal Marines'' (1994) * '' Pac-Man'' (1984) * '' Quad Challenge'' (1991) * '' Star Luster'' (1985) * ''
Xevious is a vertically scrolling shooter video game developed and published by Namco for arcades in 1982. It was released in Japan and Europe by Namco and in North America by Atari, Inc. Controlling the Solvalou starship, the player attacks Xevious f ...
'' (1984)


Collection 2

* ''
Burning Force is a 1989 third-person shooter arcade game developed and published by Namco in Japan. A home conversion for the Sega Genesis was released worldwide a year later. The player assumes control of the 21-year-old space cadet Hiromi Tengenji, a pilot ...
'' (1990) * ''
Dig Dug II is an action arcade video game developed and published in Japan by Namco in 1985. It is a sequel to 1982's ''Dig Dug''. Pookas and fire-breathing Fygars return as the enemies, but the side view tunneling of the original is replaced with an overhe ...
'' (1986) * '' Dragon Spirit: The New Legend'' (1989) * ''
Galaga is a 1981 fixed shooter arcade video game developed and published by Namco. In North America, it was released by Midway Manufacturing. It is the sequel to '' Galaxian'' (1979), Namco's first major video game hit in arcades. Controlling a star ...
'' (1985) * ''
Pac-Attack , also known as is a 1993 falling-tile puzzle video game developed and published by Namco for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Sega Genesis. Versions for the Game Boy, Game Gear and Philips CD-i were also released. The player is ta ...
'' (1993) * ''
Phelios is a 1989 vertical scrolling shooter video game released for the Namco System 2 arcade platform in Japan by Namco. A Sega Mega Drive port was released in 1990. The game features a plot loosely based on Greek mythology. Gameplay The player takes ...
'' (1990) * ''
Splatterhouse 2 ''Splatterhouse 2'', known in Japan as , is a beat 'em up video game developed by Now Production and published by Namco for the Sega Genesis in 1992. It is the sequel to ''Splatterhouse,'' as well as the third installment of the ''Splatterhouse'' ...
'' (1992) * ''
Splatterhouse 3 ''Splatterhouse 3'' (stylized as ''SPLATTERHOUSE • 3''), known in Japan as , is a horror themed beat'em up video game released by Namco for the Mega Drive/Genesis in 1993. It is the sequel to '' Splatterhouse 2'' and was one of the first games t ...
'' (1993) * ''
The Tower of Druaga is a 1984 arcade action role-playing maze game developed and published in Japan by Namco. Controlling the golden-armored knight Gilgamesh, the player is tasked with scaling 60 floors of the titular tower in an effort to rescue the maiden Ki f ...
'' (1985) * ''Warpman'' (1985) * ''
Weaponlord ''Weaponlord'' is a fighting game developed by Visual Concepts and published by Namco for the Super NES and Genesis in October 1995. ''Weaponlord'' has players select a character and defeat a series of opponents. The game is a weapons-based fight ...
'' (1995)


''Namco Museum Archives''

''Namco Museum Archives Vol. 1'' and ''Namco Museum Archives Vol. 2'' were both released on June 18, 2020 for the
Xbox One The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third base console in the Xbox series of video game consoles. It was first released in North America, parts of ...
, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Steam outside of Japan. Developed by M2 and
B.B. Studio is a Japanese video game development company. The company is a result of a merger between BEC and Banpresoft by their parent company, Bandai Namco Entertainment. History , short for Bandai Entertainment Company, was a joint venture by Bandai ...
. The two volumes are localized versions of the Japanese compilation ''
Namcot Collection , also known as ''Namco Museum Archives'', is a 2020 product bundling, video game compilation published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. Originally released in Japan for the Nintendo Switch, it was later localized for international territories as t ...
'', featuring Namco-published games for the Nintendo Entertainment System and
Family Computer The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit Third generation of video game consoles, third-generation home video game console produced by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan in 1983 as the commonly known as the The NES, a redes ...
. ''Vol. 1'' contains an 8-bit
demake A video game remake is a video game closely adapted from an earlier title, usually for the purpose of modernizing a game with updated graphics for newer hardware and gameplay for contemporary audiences. Typically, a remake of such game software s ...
of ''
Pac-Man Championship Edition is a 2007 maze video game developed and published by Namco Bandai Games for the Xbox 360. It has since appeared on several other platforms, including iOS, Android, and the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable as a PSP mini title available on ...
'', and ''Vol. 2'' contains a homebrew conversion of ''
Gaplus is a 1984 fixed shooter arcade game developed and released by Namco. It is the third game in the ''Galaxian'' series, serving as a direct sequel to ''Galaga'' (1981). In North America, a modification kit was later released to change the name to ' ...
''.


Vol. 1

*''
Dig Dug is a maze arcade game developed by Namco in 1981 and released in 1982, distributed in North America by Atari, Inc. The player controls Dig Dug to defeat all enemies per stage, by either inflating them to bursting or crushing them underneath rock ...
'' (1985) *''
Dragon Buster is a platform, action role-playing dungeon crawl game developed by Namco and released in 1984. It runs on Namco Pac-Land hardware, modified to support vertical scrolling. In Japan, the game was ported to the Family Computer (Famicom), ...
'' (1987) *'' Dragon Spirit: The New Legend'' (1989) *''
Galaxian is a 1979 fixed shooter arcade video game developed and published by Namco. The player assumes control of the Galaxip starfighter in its mission to protect Earth from waves of aliens. Gameplay involves destroying each formation of aliens, wh ...
'' (1984) *''
Mappy is an arcade game by Namco, introduced in 1983 in video gaming, 1983 and distributed in the United States by Bally Midway. A side-scrolling platform game featuring a mouse protagonist and cat antagonists, it runs on Super Pac-Man, Namco Super ...
'' (1984) *'' Pac-Man'' (1984) *''
Pac-Man Championship Edition is a 2007 maze video game developed and published by Namco Bandai Games for the Xbox 360. It has since appeared on several other platforms, including iOS, Android, and the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable as a PSP mini title available on ...
'' (2020) *''
Sky Kid is a horizontally scrolling shooter arcade video game released by Namco in 1985. It runs on Namco Pac-Land hardware but with a video system like that used in ''Dragon Buster''. It is also the first game from Namco to allow two players to play si ...
'' (1986) *'' Splatterhouse: Wanpaku Graffiti'' (1989) *''
The Tower of Druaga is a 1984 arcade action role-playing maze game developed and published in Japan by Namco. Controlling the golden-armored knight Gilgamesh, the player is tasked with scaling 60 floors of the titular tower in an effort to rescue the maiden Ki f ...
'' (1985) *''
Xevious is a vertically scrolling shooter video game developed and published by Namco for arcades in 1982. It was released in Japan and Europe by Namco and in North America by Atari, Inc. Controlling the Solvalou starship, the player attacks Xevious f ...
'' (1984)


Vol. 2

*''
Battle City is a multi-directional shooter video game for the Family Computer produced and published in 1985 by Namco. It is a successor to Namco's 1980 '' Tank Battalion'', and would be succeeded itself by the 1991 ''Tank Force''. An arcade version for the ...
'' (1985) *''
Dig Dug II is an action arcade video game developed and published in Japan by Namco in 1985. It is a sequel to 1982's ''Dig Dug''. Pookas and fire-breathing Fygars return as the enemies, but the side view tunneling of the original is replaced with an overhe ...
'' (1986) *''Dragon Buster II: Yami no Fūin'' (1989) *''
Galaga is a 1981 fixed shooter arcade video game developed and published by Namco. In North America, it was released by Midway Manufacturing. It is the sequel to '' Galaxian'' (1979), Namco's first major video game hit in arcades. Controlling a star ...
'' (1985) *''
Gaplus is a 1984 fixed shooter arcade game developed and released by Namco. It is the third game in the ''Galaxian'' series, serving as a direct sequel to ''Galaga'' (1981). In North America, a modification kit was later released to change the name to ' ...
'' (2020) *''
Legacy of the Wizard ''Legacy of the Wizard'', originally released in Japan as is a fantasy-themed action role-playing platform game released for the MSX, MSX2 and Famicom in Japan and for the Nintendo Entertainment System in the United States. ''Legacy of the Wizard ...
'' (1987) *''
Mappy-Land is a video game console-only sequel to the 1983 Namco/ Midway arcade game ''Mappy''. The game was developed by TOSE and published by Namco in Japan and Taxan in North America for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It was later released by Bandai ...
'' (1986) *''
Mendel Palace ''Mendel Palace'' is a 1989 puzzle video game developed by Game Freak. It was published in Japan by Namco and in North America by Hudson Soft. ''Mendel Palace'' is the debut game of Satoshi Tajiri and his company Game Freak. This success inspired ...
'' (1989) *''
Pac-Land is a 1984 side-scrolling arcade platform game developed and released by Namco. It was distributed in North America by Bally Midway, and in Europe by Atari Games. Controlling Pac-Man (character), Pac-Man, the player must make it to the end of eac ...
'' (1985) *'' Rolling Thunder'' (1989) *'' Super Xevious: GAMP no Nazo'' (1986)


Reception

In August 1996, Namco claimed accumulated sales of 600,000 units for the ''Namco Museum'' series in Japan alone. In the United States,
The NPD Group The NPD Group, Inc. (NPD; formerly National Purchase Diary Panel Inc. and NPD Research Inc.) is an American market research company founded on September 28, 1966, and based in Port Washington, New York. In 2017, NPD ranked as the 8th largest mar ...
in 2010 listed ''Namco Museum'' among the all-time top ten best-selling
video games in the United States Video gaming in the United States is one of the fastest-growing entertainment industries in the country. According to a 2020 study released by the Entertainment Software Association, The yearly economic output of the American video game industry ...
. The franchise has sold a total of at least copies worldwide. The four reviewers of ''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' gave Volume 1 an 8.125 out of 10, citing the excellent quality of the emulation and the interesting virtual museum content. Mark Lefebvre summarized that "Namco has given gamers what they've always been asking for: old titles." '' Next Generation'' likewise complimented the emulation quality and the virtual museum, and concluded that for those interested in retro compilations, "this is as good as this sort of thing gets." They scored it four out of five stars. ''Maximum'' gave it three out of five stars, reasoning that "On the one hand, this is a collection of six indisputably classic games, three of which rank among the most influential titles in the history of videogames. On the other hand, all the games on the disk are over ten years old, and influential or not, they're definitely well past their sell by date. ''Pole Position'' may have revolutionised the racing genre in 1982, but would you really choose to play it over ''
Ridge Racer Revolution ''Ridge Racer Revolution'' is an arcade racing game developed and published by Namco for the PlayStation in 1995. It is the PlayStation sequel of ''Ridge Racer'' (the arcade sequel is '' Ridge Racer 2''). Like the original ''Ridge Racer'', th ...
'' in 1996?" While '' GamePro'' found that all of the games save ''ToyPop'' remained great fun, the reviewer criticized the absence of the voice samples from ''Pole Position'' and compared the 3D museum unfavorably to the bonus content in ''
Williams Arcade's Greatest Hits ''Williams Arcade's Greatest Hits'' is a video game anthology for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, PlayStation, Sega Genesis, Saturn, Game.com, Dreamcast, MS-DOS, and Microsoft Windows. The IBM PC compatible and game.com versions are ...
''. He concluded the compilation to be worth renting at the least, and a must-have for retro gaming fans. Reviews for Volume 2 were also mixed to positive, though most critics found the selection of games weaker than that of Volume 1. The four reviewers of ''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' gave Volume 2 a 7.125 out of 10, with all four remarking that the compilation had two or three genuine classics, with the remaining three or four games being mediocre and overly obscure. However, they disagreed on which games fell into which group; for example, Dan Hsu said that "''Super Pac-Man'' stinks", while Crispin Boyer called it "the best reason to buy NM2" and "the height of the yellow pellet-eater's evolution."
Jeff Gerstmann Jeff Gerstmann (born August 1, 1975) is an American video game journalist. Former editorial director of the gaming website ''GameSpot'' and the co-founder/editor of the gaming website ''Giant Bomb'', Gerstmann began working at ''GameSpot'' in t ...
of ''
GameSpot ''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. In addition ...
'' similarly commented, "While ''Mappy'', ''Xevious'', ''Gaplus'', and ''Super Pac-Man'' are infinitely playable, the lesser-known ''Grobda'' and ''Dragon Buster'' are mediocre at best." He gave the compilation a 7.1 out of 10, praising the charm of the antiquated graphics and sound effects and the still potent gameplay. ''Next Generation'' picked ''Grobda'', ''Dragon Buster'', and ''Mappy'' as the mediocre games in the compilation, reasoning that "all are examples of game genres that have evolved way beyond these originals, and with good reason." They scored it two out of five stars. In direct contradiction to ''GameSpot'' and ''Next Generation'', ''GamePro'' said that of the six games, "''Super Pac-Man''s weak control makes it the biggest disappointment, while ''Dragon Buster''s action/adventure swordplay and ''Grobda''s rapid-fire tank shooting hold up the best." They recommended the compilation for "those who enjoy simple, classic gameplay". Volume 3 continued the trend of increasingly mixed reviews for the series. Jeff Gerstmann and ''Next Generation'' both commented that ''Dig Dug'', ''Ms. Pac-Man'', and ''Galaxian'' are genuine classics, ''Pole Position II'' is good but suffers from the absence of the voice clips from the arcade version, ''The Tower of Druaga'' has aged poorly, and ''Phozon'' was a terrible game to begin with. However, while Gerstmann concluded the collection to be "a real letdown" after the first two volumes and advised gamers to skip it, giving it a 5.6 out of 10, ''Next Generation'' concluded that "the number of true classics on ''Volume 3'' outweigh the ones that never should have been unearthed", and gave it three out of five stars. ''GamePro'' approved of both the entire set of games and the quality of the emulation, and deemed Volume 3 "must-have arcade fun". Though ''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' never reviewed Volume 3, they named it a runner-up for "Best Compilation" (behind '' Street Fighter Collection'') at their 1997 Editors' Choice Awards. Volume 4 saw a particularly steep decline in the series' critical standing, with most critics agreeing that of the five games included, only ''Ordyne'' and ''Assault'' were at all worthwhile. Gerstmann gave it a 4.5 out of 10, and said the collection "is just plain depressing. It contains five games, and most of them are little known games that were little known for a reason." ''Electronic Gaming Monthly''s review team gave it a 5.75 out of 10. The team was evenly split: Shawn Smith and Crispin Boyer, each voting a 6.5 out of 10, found the interesting museum content and the two or three enjoyable games make the collection worthwhile, while Dan Hsu and Sushi-X both gave it a 5.0 and said it was a disappointment compared to the earlier volumes. Both Gerstmann and ''GamePro'' commented that the first three volumes of ''Namco Museum'' had exhausted the series concept and Namco's backlog of genuine classics, and that Namco should have let the series end with volume 3.


See also

*
List of Bandai Namco video game compilations Bandai Namco Holdings is a Japanese holdings company that specializes in video games, toys, arcades, anime and amusement parks, and is headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo. They were formed after the merge of Namco and Bandai on 29 September 2005, ...


Notes


References

{{Pac-Man Nintendo 64 games Dreamcast games Game Boy Advance games GameCube games Namco games Bandai Namco Entertainment franchises PlayStation (console) games PlayStation 2 games PlayStation 3 games PlayStation 4 games PlayStation Network games PlayStation Portable games Bandai Namco video game compilations Video game franchises introduced in 1995 Video games developed in Japan Video games developed in the United States Virtual Console games Virtual Console games for Wii U Xbox games Xbox 360 games Xbox One games Nintendo Switch games Evercade games