Pac-Man brings us back to the museum, and manages to mix things up for a fun experience.
Namco Museum Megamix (Wii)
[starreview]
Developer: Bandai Namco
Release Date: November 16th, 2010
ESRB: E
Ah, the old fashioned arcade. Quarters, quarters, and more quarters rushing out of your wallet to be spent on multiple high-score runs on Pac Man or Street Fighter; nothing quite like it. Ever since home consoles have come into the videogaming family, developers have tried to transfer the same atmosphere of the arcade to a disc, and have had a tendency to succeed.
However, now it’s not just about porting the fun; it’s about reimagining it. With this said, Namco has decided to cash in on the opportunity with Namco Museum Remixed, a collection of 24 games with 6 remixes of classic arcade ports. In the nature of the Namco Museum franchise, there are plenty of original arcade ports to satisfy the gamer, but it’s all about the remixes; after all, these are the reason you’re buying the updated version of the game, right?
As for the story, do you really want a story? I wish there was one, but that would just take away from the experience. However, there are some awkward moments in the remixed versions such as “why is Galaga Remixed centered around Pac-Man?”. In fact, all of the remixes have Pac-Man in them one way or another, whether it’s controlling Pac-Man in Galaga, or ghost-shaped Lillie flowers in Gator Panic.
The game play has to be judged on how frequently you are planning to come back to them; it takes plenty of time to complete all the missions and world throughout each remixed versions, and after that you still have the Namco Arcade to tackle and set some high scores. Some of the remixed games can be fun (i.e. Galaga), but then there are others that just seem awkward (Pac n’ Roll and Rally X). In particular, Pac n’ Roll’s controls are either too sensitive or not sensitive enough; it all seems to be random as to how the game is feeling. Picture it as playing with a bipolar friend; the game can be either extremely frustrating, or extremely fun. As for Rally X, I couldn’t get other people to play for that long without getting boring, because the premise seems to be flawed from the start. Besides the Pac n’ Roll controls being sensitive, the rest of the remixes hold their own ground, with simple controls requiring players to either shoot their way through levels, or use the nunchuck/wiimote to maneuver.
To navigate, players are placed in a hub, where they can then use the nunchuck’s joystick to literally “roll” around to other games and the arcade. Friendly, and simple controls help the game move along without confusing the player completely, which allows casual players and gaming fanatics not feel so lost in translation. The arcade games are as simple as they can be, having players turn the remote sideways to use it NES-style, which only seems right and natural to honor the simple arcade controls. Overall, not all the remixes are fun, and I can’t see myself going back to most of the games, but they’re still there and gives me incentive to leave the game on after I get my fix of the exciting games.
The multiplayer doesn’t fall that far from the tree, having players do almost the same exact modes and requirements present in the singleplayer mode, but this time with multiple persons to switch off/verse against. Does it work well in parties? I’ve played with two other people, and they both enjoyed it, but some of the games can just slow down the party (Rally X, some of the arcade games). However, load this up on your console, get a few other people to play with you, and consider it a day (or, in my case, a Thanksgiving) well spent.
There is only one way to charm a crowd after feeding them classic 8-bit visuals: reimagine the visuals, and do it in a plausible fashion. In the case of Remix, this is just what the doctor ordered, and the visuals are stunning, especially for a Wii game. I can’t get over how fantastic the Galaga insects look as 3D objects, and Pac-Man manages to look a hell of a lot better in 3D; but then again, all of the creations do.
The music is equally charming, playing more modernized versions of the 8-bit songs that made up memories of the arcade games. As for the voiceovers/sounds you hear, they are entertaining, but the gator’s voice in Gator Panic still manages to annoy me.
Remix manages to offer players another view at the classic Namco games, and is a really great trip through nostalgia. Not only is it accessible for newcomers, it entertains the older audience as well, and makes it a more family-oriented game than you would expect. It even has a small asking price for it’s value of $19.99 (although I was sent a review copy), which is always a nice incentive to get in on the action.
Namco knows how to honor their classic franchises, and does it great in the game, even if some control flaws hold them back. The game centers around their mascot (Pac-Man), which does seem to make you forget which game you are indeed playing. However, it makes for a very fun time, and should be played if you remotely like the arcade experience. You also have to take into account that this isn’t even an original game; in theory, it’s a re-release of a re-release (Namco Museum Remixed)…but if you don’t own that and miss the arcade, then get your hands on this.
