There’s an old pizza place in Pasadena that has, in a charming and somewhat comical way, somehow stopped time altogether and remains as it was in the early eighties. The owner, Big Sal, still wears a Windbreaker jacket and the place still has the same arcade games like Ms. Pac-Man, Galaga, Pole Position and Dig Dug. Having been born when the Pac-Man craze had died down and was replaced by gaming heroes like the Super Mario Bros., this old pizza place was my only connection to the golden age of gaming. That is, of course, until Namco released these classics to all the major consoles. Now it’s the Sony PSP that’s getting the Namco love with Namco Museum Battle Collection so break out that Windbreaker jacket and pop in that Flock of Seagulls CD because it’s time to go back to the golden years of gaming.

Whether you’ve experienced these games back in the day or were introduced to them through Namco’s other collection; it’s hard not to recognize Namco’s contribution to video gaming history. Popping in the UMV you’ll see, in its 50-year anniversary, Namco’s compilation of titles that are instantly recognizable. There’s Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, the original Dig Dug and Dig Dug 2 and Galaga. There’s Galaxian, Xevious, Rally-X and New Rally-X. Oh my, what’s this? There’s Bosconian, King and Balloon, Mappy, Motos, Grobda, Rolling Thunder, Dragon Buster and The Tower of Druaga. If that wasn’t enough there are new versions (called Arrangement versions) of the four classics Dig Dug, Galaga, Pac-Man and Rally-X. With the exception of Pole Position, a game included in the past Namco Museum Collection release, you’re bound to find an old (or new) favorite among the lineup.

Here’s some good news: the games do hold up well on the PSP. Whether you‘re into retro games or are looking for a quick gaming fix that won‘t take up most of your time, the classics and Arrangement mode games feel good using the analog stick or the D-Pad. The other good news is that you can configure each game’s screen ratio or rotate the screen so it fills out the entire PSP screen. Personally the default setting is the best but its great to have the option available. The PSP also sees wireless multiplayer (we’ll get into that in a moment) as well as game sharing, which means you can send a demo of the first level of each game to a friend. You can even add extra lives through the Options menu.

Now on to the games that make up the collection: first off no Namco collection could ever be complete without the classic Pac-Man and the somewhat more challenging Ms. Pac-Man but the inclusion of Motos (a game where you try to bump off the edge of the playfield before they do the same to you) and Mappy (a game where you play a police mouse attempting to recover stolen goods) are surprising treats. Then there’s the addition of The Tower of Druaga and Dragon Buster, two early hack and slash games that, while Ok, aren’t the best substitutes for the racing goodness that is Pole Position. Then there are the shooters like Galaga; the similar Galaxian, Bosconian, Xevious and the spy shoot ’em up Rolling Thunder.

While it’s great to sink your teeth into the four main classics that are Pac-Man, Galaga, Dig Dug and Rally-X, it’s the Arrangement versions that you’ll be returning to again and again. Not only do they sport some better visuals and sounds, but they also add more challenges as well as interesting new twists. Pac-Man Arrangement, for instance, includes a 3D map complete with elevators, boost or teleportation pads. It also introduces boss battles that can also be found in the new Dig Dug and Galaga. Aside from the gameplay changes, the Arrangement games add so extras like Co-op Mode and Vs. Mode through the wireless Wi-Fi connection. It’s great stuff, all right.

Not the most visually stunning games, these classics are faithfully restored to their original 8-bit glory and some, like Rally-X will seem like an eyesore to those gamers who are accustomed to today’s graphical standards. Still it goes to show you that graphics weren’t everything as long as the games are fun. There are some good-looking games, though, and it comes in the form of the Arrangement version of each of the classics. With colorful level designs and crisper characters, games like Pac-Man and Dig Dug look good. As for the sound effects and music, it’s pure 80s blips and tinny music that is actually pretty charming and hardly ever gets on your nerves. The Arrangement games have their own variations of the original tunes and the sound effects are slightly better.

Namco has certainly come a long way since the early arcade games of yesteryear and the Namco Museum Battle Collection for the PSP is a testament of their brilliant titles that gave so many gamers countless hours of joy. While past Namco Museum Collections have been released through all the major consoles, I’ve always felt they always made a much better impression as a handheld package. With an impressive lineup of games that include newly reworked versions of familiar favorites, PSP gamers should seriously consider having this one among your growing library. 

Gameplay: 8.5
Control-wise the PSP makes each game feel at home but then again these 2D games aren’t complex to figure out. Still you can use the analog stick or D-Pad and you can stray from the default view to fit your style of playing. The new versions add more bang for your buck and they’re good old-fashioned fun. My biggest gripe is that the collection left out Pole Position.

Graphics: 7.5
Ok, so the classics didn’t possess graphics that are good enough to melt your eyeballs but it’s good to see them faithfully restored for the PSP. The Arrangement versions are crisper and more colorful, though, and games like Dig Dug couldn’t possibly look any better.

Sound: 7.0
The classic versions all have the same tinny tunes that will be familiar to those gamers who played these games in the arcades. The newly revamped versions have some better soundtracks and sound effects but it's nothing that won’t stand out as memorable as the opening Pac-Man tune.

Difficulty: Medium/Hard
The difficulty level predictably increases with each level you clear in the great majority of the games and then the speed increases. The Arrangement version of Galaga throws boss battles at you and they’re nicely challenging enough.

Concept: 7.5
We’ve seen these classics packaged like this before many times to the point that each console now has at least one Namco Museum collection package. Still, it’s great to have these games in a portable gaming machine so you can carry around these classic games that somehow still hold up rather well. You can switch the game around to fit the screen and there’s multiplayer as well so what’s not to love?

Multiplayer: 7.5
In classic old-school gaming style there’s multiplayer of the wait-your-turn variety but it still works well enough here. Then there’s the Arrangement mode games that add Co-op and Vs. Mode games that are pretty darn good. A friend can copy a demo version via the wireless Wi-Fi connection as well so you can share the gaming goodness.

Overall: 7.8
Gamers new and old school, Namco Museum Battle Collection is the closest you’ll get to finding a time machine and going back to the days when games were simple but still downright addictive. Namco’s collection is a solid one so you’re bound to find at least one classic you’ll play over and over again. Overall, this is a collection worthy of your PSP.