Namco Museum Archives Vol. 2

Genre: Compilation / Arcade

Players: 1-2 Alternating (Local)

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Review:

(Note: Versions of multiple games in this Compilation are available elsewhere on Nintendo Switch. Arcade versions of Galaga and Rolling Thunder are also in Namco Museum, which is in turn included in Namco Museum Arcade Pac. Arcade versions of Galaga, Gaplus, Pac-Land, and Rolling Thunder and are also all released separately in the Arcade Archives series. The Arcade version of Pac-Land is also in Pac-Man Museum+. And the Nintendo Entertainment System version of Dig Dug II is included in the Nintendo Switch Online Nintendo Entertainment System App. Check out this page for a breakdown of which games can be found in multiple releases on Nintendo Switch.)

Namco Museum Archives Vol. 2, released in 2020 on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, is a Compilation containing ten Nintendo Entertainment System/Famicom versions of classic Namco games, plus one “demake”, for a total of eleven games.

Here is what I thought of all of the games in this collection:

Game	Genre	# of Players	Score
Battle City	Top-Down Arcade	1-2 Co-Op (Local)	C+
tl;dr The sequel to Tank Battalion. This is a decent but repetitive tank game.
Dig Dug II	Arcade	1-2 Alternating (Local)	B
tl;dr Dig Dug II is an inspired re-imagining of its predecessor as a Top-Down game that plays similarly, but has players digging out islands to create barriers and collapse enemies into the sea. It may not have the classic appeal of the original, but it still holds up exceptionally well.
Dragon Buster II	Top-Down Action-RPG	1	D
tl;dr Tedious wandering and simple monotonous archery combat are made even worse by levels that hide terrain and enemies until you walk into them, sometimes finding yourself taking unavoidable damage in the process. Absolutely not worth playing.
Galaga	Shmup	1	C
tl;dr Galaga is a classic shmup, although by today’s standards it is frustratingly slow and limited.
Gaplus (8-Bit)	Shmup	1	C+
tl;dr This “Demake” of the sequel to Galaga initially feels like more of the same, but differences gradually reveal themselves as you play – you can move freely now, there’s a new “Queen Capture” power-up mechanic that’s truly delightful, and greater variety in stage types. It all adds up to a refreshing take on a classic… but this demake actually takes away some of that luster. If you can, play the original instead.
Legacy of the Wizard	Action-Platformer / Action-RPG	1	C-
tl;dr This game was way ahead of its time, with a clever mechanic that had players using multiple characters with different abilities to explore the same dungeon. Unfortunately, the game does a poor job of explaining who should go where, what items do, or… anything, really. Unless you want to play this with a game guide open at all times, don’t bother.
Mappy-Land	Arcade / Platformer	1	C
tl;dr This sequel to Mappy uses similar gameplay, and is more ambitious in a number of ways, but also far less polished. I tend to think the original was better.
Mendel Palace	Top-Down Arcade	1-2 Co-Op	C-
tl;dr This game (developed by Pokemon creator Game Freak) has players fighting enemies by flipping the tiles they’re standing on, trying to send them into walls. This game is cute and original, but the hit detection is absolutely terrible, bringing down what would have been an otherwise fun game.
Pac-Land	Platformer	1	F
tl;dr Pac-Land is an absolutely abysmal Platformer whose most lasting legacy is being the basis for one of the worst stages in the Super Smash Bros. series. The Nintendo Entertainment System version is somehow even worse, looking far uglier and still retaining the terrible controls of the Arcade version.
Rolling Thunder	Action-Platformer	1	C
tl;dr Rolling Thunder is an unforgiving Action-Platformer that has you jumping between multiple levels and fighting off hordes of masked enemies. It’s a bit frustrating and monotonous by today’s standards, unfortunately.
Super Xevious	Arcade	1	D-
tl;dr This follow-up to Xevious features much of the same gameplay, and doesn’t seem to add much other than ear-piercingly bad music. Avoid this one.

In short, this is a pretty terrible group of games, and the only one game here that I think it actually great is also freely available on the Nintendo Entertainment System app if you subscribe to Nintendo Switch Online. Is this group of games worth the $20 price tag? No, absolutely not.

At the very least, this package does provide a few extras for players, in the form of display options, save states, and a rewind feature that’s… oddly limited, actually, only allowing you to jump back at set intervals without showing you how far back before you do so. I suppose it’s better than nothing, but it’s odd and frustrating all the same.

At least in the first Namco Museum Archives there were a few gems among all the garbage, but here it’s almost nothing but garbage. Yes, Dig Dug II is good, if you really want to own it instead of accessing it via Nintendo Switch Online subscription. Battle City is decent if simple and repetitive. And Gaplus is solid… but a step down from the arcade version. Everything else is mediocre at best. As such, even if you liked Namco Museum Archives Vol. 1, I strongly recommend that you skip Namco Museum Archives Vol. 2.

tl;dr – Namco Museum Archives Vol. 2 is a Compilation of 11 Namco games, mostly classic Nintendo Entertainment System games. Unlike the first Namco Museum Archives, there’s almost nothing here worth playing. Dig Dug II is good, but also available on the Nintendo Switch Online NES app. Beyond that, nothing else here really warrants a look, and certainly nothing here warrants a purchase.

Grade: C

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