PS2 GAME RECOMMENDATIONS |

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Games are recommended on a four-point scale like those "strongly agree/disagree" questions you get on surveys. This scale goes "Strongly", "If you like this kinda game", "Watch it online", and "Avoid at all costs" from best to worst. It's one part how likely I am to replay the game and one part how likely I am to recommend it to fans of that game's genre. I'm not in the business of objectivity, just what's fun to me. No reason to play a game if you're not having fun, yeah?

[#] Namcomuseum (Namco, 2001)

Namco had a brilliant run on the PS1, not only building some of its best-known titles, but helping usher in the age of the arcade compilation in their Namcomuseum five-volume set. Featuring a clearinghouse of both their best titles and deeper cuts on each volume, the compilations lived up to their name with a full 3D museum players could wander around in, peeking at promotional material and taking in the architecture along the way. When it came time for graphics to get a major boost with the next generation, Namco decided to...cut out the museum portion entirely. Great.

Yeah, it's unfortunate! There is no museum to this Namcomuseum, only a set of 12 games that mostly consist entirely of Namco's biggest titles. Of course, this does mean you're getting your favorites: there's both Pac- and Ms. involved, Galaga and Galaxian, both Pole Position titles, and two unlockable Pac-Man titles in Pac-Attack (Columns with ghosts and Pacs) and Pac-Mania (Pac-Man, but it's in 3D and you can jump). More tellingly is that the games here are still not emulations, but the exact same recreations found on the PS1 Namcomuseum games! Not like the PS2 couldn't emulate these games!

There are three "Arrangement" titles in the mix the PS1 games don't have, for Pac-Man, Galaga, and Dig Dug. These up the graphics, add soundtracks, twist the gameplay of each subtly, and give more of a sense of progression with levels, worlds, and endings, and I'm pretty fond of these. Overall though, given it takes up a mere 80MB of its nice, blue-bottomed CD, Namco clearly didn't put too much effort in here. What you get is all well and good, but after playing the PS1 titles, I'm just not sure this really does the concept justice.

Reviewed	My favorite part	Recommended?
June 7, 2021	That banger menu music	If you like this kinda game

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