• Publisher: Namco
  • Release Date: Aug 30, 2005
  • Also On: PC

Mixed or average reviews - based on 23 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 23
  2. Negative: 2 out of 23
  1. 74
    The fact that many of these titles are indeed classics may be a convincing enough reason to pay for this collection, but most gamers would be better off spending their money on one of those newfangled 3D games.
  2. 50
    Where's the Namco background? Developer interviews? Designer retrospectives? It's a missed opportunity, and a massive disappointment.
  3. All of these games are fun to spend some time with, to a lesser or greater degree, but none of them will keep you entertained for very long, making this a nice filler for an hour between the other games you're currently playing.
  4. For an anniversary edition, Namco's latest compilation just rehashes some of the classics, and doesn't bother with anything else.
  5. Although using the analog stick or d-pad doesn't compare to the arcade joysticks of old, I appreciate being able to tweak the number of lives you get for each game. [Oct 2005, p.128]
  6. Although clearly not targeted towards the hardcore gamer, this is a great way to revisit some old favorites.
  7. Unlike Midway's Arcade Treasures series there's nothing in the way of background, historical or inside information on the titles.
  8. Even though game is lacking on extra stuff, Namco Museum 50th Anniversary is still Namco's best compilation package ever.
  9. It might not have a shiny package, but it's everything we loved about the arcade.
  10. In the end this game delivers what you would expect, a collection of classic titles from the days of yore. For the decent price of the title it's not a bad little collection.
  11. A great compilation of (mostly) classic games, but you have to wonder how many times they can package the same game.
  12. Reasonably meaty. [Nov 2005, p.112]
  13. The large selection of titles is a great value for $19.99 and they are all still plenty of fun to play, however the lack of any sort of bonus material is inexcusable, and when you consider that the majority of these games have been released in compilations from Namco before, the game's content simply doesn't live up to its celebratory billing.
  14. Despite the lackluster presentation, the games hold their own.Shooting for Galaga '88 High Scores is still as fun today as it was back in 1987.
  15. Namco's back catalog deserves better than this slapped-together cash-in.
  16. 55
  17. These games should be kept out of the hands of youth so as not to show them how ignorant we were when we were young.
  18. Like one of those crappy parties you go to where there's a stale cake and some withered balloons on the table. No one did any work and no one really cared.
  19. Great games (well, some), cynically recycled. Unless you can find 50th Anniversary for a couple of quid or less, this is the worst value on GameCube. [Aug 2006, p.63]
  20. 70
    While the game should have included at least a little bit of museum-quality extras, at $20 it's still a hard deal to pass up.
  21. It's far from a disappointing cavalcade of games, as they'll keep you busy for hours, but it almost feels like a speedy effort through development, without actually delving into Namco's history. It's like walking into an arcade for five minutes instead of staying a couple of hours.
  22. But this compilation serves up all their gaming hits and, apart from proving just how far, thankfully, gaming has come in the last 25 years, it also manages to deliver nostalgia by the bucketload.
  23. If you were hoping to get some historical insight into a company that has been around 50 years and in the latter half of its existence adapted very successfully to the new video game medium, forget it.
User Score

No user score yet- Awaiting 3 more ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 1
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 1
  3. Negative: 0 out of 1
  1. DParker
    Oct 7, 2006
    It's a mixed bag but definately better than the first collection. Out of this lot, only Mappy and Sky Kid come off as throwaways. The graphics are not crips and are a bit blurry but I doubt if that could be helped and it's not that big a deal. The presentation is very minimal and the videos are horrible, they could use subtitles to make out what is being said. Worth it for Ms Pac-Man, Rolling Thunder, Dig Dug and Galaxain alone. Full Review »