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 Namco
Museum Remix (Wii)
Namco's compilations usually offer a
rock-solid selection of classic titles and the Wii edition of its Museum
series is no exception. Namco Museum Remix includes 9 classic titles
including Dig Dug, Galaxian and Pac Mania, there's plenty of variety in
these emulated classics. However, the center of Museum Remix are several
newly developed 3D versions of Rally-X, Galaga, Pac N Roll, Motos, and
Gator Panic. Reconfigured to take full advantage of the wii-mote's special
abilities, the game's take the classic mechanics and put them in new
contexts, making for accessible fun that should appeal to retro gamers and
new casual players alike making this an excellent value for the money. |
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is the kind of game that probably gets overlooked a lot in the flood of
mini-game titles coming out for the Wii, but those who do are missing out
on a solid classic gaming compilation that takes good advantage of the
innovative Wiimote and nunchuck while offering some cool surprises. As
usual, the core of the package remains emulated versions of classic games,
and this one includes 9 titles. These include Dig Dug, Galaxian, Mappy,
Pac N Pal, Cutie-Q, Super Pac Man, Gaplus, Xevious and Pac Mania. Each of
these classic titles is presented in nearly flawless emulated form and can
be played at their original aspect ratio thanks to letterboxing. Players
can change the size of the emulation window and play the games using
either the wii-mote, held sideways, with the nunchuck for analog control
or use the Wii classic controller for a more authentic experience.
Whichever way you decide to play, the games have stood up to the test of
time, though their many repeat appearances on other Namco discs over the
years makes them feel familiar for most players. The presentation and
menus are fairly easy to use and navigate, as players roll pac man to the
various sections in an open world style approach that's easy to understand
and makes playing quite simple.
As they roll through the museum with Pac
Man, most players will probably gravitate towards the new versions of the
classics first, and a quick look at these shows that Namco has put some
thought into these revivals. Visually, they're simple in approach and
style, which is a good approach on the Wii. Pac-man has been cast in the
lead of all these games which gives them a cuteness factor that the
originals never had. Galaga Remix is probably the most interesting and
challenging of these new games, and takes players on a roller-coaster ride
through the universe. As in the original Galaga, players have to shoot
formations of aliens as they attack, but the twist here is that the
Wiimote is used to target the enemies as an onscreen pointer, instead of a
narrow band at the bottom of the screen. The object is to destroy them
while Pac himself rides over rails. The game also adds some power-ups and
more types of enemies, which makes it feel quite unique. It's very
different from the original game, but is loads of fun as well, making it
worth a try. The initial levels are a bit simple, but things become more
challenging later on, where swarms attack relentlessly. It's not terribly
difficult, but the new Galaga hybrid shows how to update classic play
mechanics to incorporate the unique abilities of the wiimote without
losing the essential fun of the original game. The next remake included is
a newly updated version of Rally-X which takes a similar approach with pac
man taking the wheel. As in the original game, players race through a maze
and try to collect flags while avoiding the enemy drivers. The driver can
flout their progress my releasing smokescreens. The first few levels play
very closely to the original but a few twists occur during the later
stages such as sequential flag captures, additional enemies and more
complicated mazes. Rally-X's 3D approach makes the game more immersive,
but the retro effects such as the pixellated yellow flags and classic
sound effects offer a good mix of old and new, which makes the game
pleasing to the eye and its easy to understand gameplay mechanics and
accessible controls make this updated version of Rally-X perfectly suited
to the Wii.
 One
of the more enjoyable and challenging surprises on this pack is Pac N Roll
remix, a remake of the DS game that allows you to roll through levels,
collecting dots along the way while navigating a series of obstacles and
puzzles. It resembles a mix of Marble Madness with classic characters and
dot chasing. Some of the levels seem simple early on, but these act as
training to help you get the hang of the basics while preparing you for
the more complex stages. You'll need to go through ramps, perform jumps
and unlock secret areas in order to collect enough dots to move through
the various checkpoints. In addition, you have to be careful and avoid
contact with the ghosts you'll encounter. There are also prizes and
power-pellets which adds to the classic feel. The controls here are a bit
touchy, but once you get the hang of it, Pac N Roll remix has a very good
flow and fun feel that offers a surprising amount of depth, making it one
of the best titles on the compilation. In a similar vein comes Pac Motos,
an interesting variation on a somewhat obscure classic where you have to
knock off a series of balls from a small level while avoiding getting
bumped off the board by them. Like many of the games on the compliation,
it starts off slowly but gradually becomes more complex and challenging as
you reach later levels. The controls are very easy to understand and quite
responsive, which makes for an easy and fun game that should appeal to all
ages. It remains simple, but its accessibility makes it a good fit with
the Wii audience making for an excellent pick up and play title. The only
real dud here is Gator Panic Remix, a simplistic game where you have to
hit alligators before they bite your main character, which is a bit too
simple and repetitive for long-term play, giving it limited replay value.
Still, this means 4 of the 5 remixed versions are solidly entertaining,
which isn't a bad average if you think about it.
Overall, the new remixed versions of
these classic games deliver what you'd expect from Namco, and the approach
taken effectively takes advantage of the Wiimote's abilities. The use of
pointing in Galaga is particularly good and shows some though has gone
into the package. Namco deserves credit for not simply slapping together a
collection of mindless ports and instead adding a few original and
innovative ideas to the release. There's a decent selection of games in
the classic arcade as well, though maybe too many Pac Man titles overall,
though with the Wii's younger demo's, it's probably an understandable
choice. Still, we would've liked to see an updated version of Pole
Position or one of the more interesting Namco titles like Legend of Druaga.
Namco Museum Remix is a good choice for Wii owners looking for life beyond
the virtual console releases, making it a decent package for its low
retail price and should offer plenty of fun for classic and casual gamers
alike.
- Michael Palisano |
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