So here we have another installment of the famed Namco Museum series.  There are some good titles and some weak ones.

The most impressive turn-on is the game intro/music, where Pac-Man interacts with a bunch of other characters such as Mappy and Dig Dug.  You wouldn't be that humored on previous Namco Museum installments.  Now on to the games themselves.

Pac-Man -- 5 stars - playing the original Pac-Man on ANY platform, even the DS, is always a grand ol' time.  The graphics and sound effects are exactly as the arcade version, so who could ever get sick of this game?!

Galaxian -- 3 stars -- graphics and sound effects are stellar, but the fun wears off rather quickly.  You only have a few lives to blast all the ships Space Invaders-style.  The controls are actually as good as the Gamecube version.  It's also a looping game, so it doesn't really end.

Galaga -- 4 stars -- the sequel to Galaxian, the action is MUCH more fast paced.  When you allow your ship to get captured by the green crab-shaped enemy, you can have a dual-fighting ship to help you advance into further stages.  After about 30 levels, the game will loop again.  However, it's one of the better Namco titles so you really won't mind.

Xevious -- 2 stars -- graphics and sound effects aren't half bad, but again the fun doesn't have a very lasting effect.  Your ship fires at ground and airborne targets (you have to bomb and fire on each of the targets, respectively).  If you lose all of your ships, the game is over.  However, you will eventually unlock the sequel, Super Xevious.  Unfortunately, it is EXACTLY the same game so it's really a bad waste, and you don't really get anything more out of it.

Mappy -- 3 stars -- this was one of the old arcade games that I played when the coin-ops were first out.  You are the Micro Police, and you have to collect items on each level, all the while avoiding enemies and cats!  You can use doors or bells to stun the enemies, but you don't really have control as to which direction the doors open, leaving you vulnerable to getting hit and losing a life.  As you progress through each level, the enemies are much faster so you don't have much time to think.  After 15 levels, the game eventually loops back to Level 1 (although the game will actually state Level 16).

Dig Dug II -- 4 stars -- this title is NOT the same as the original Dig Dug!  However, it is still as fun to play.  You still have to inflate/blow up your enemies, but you have the wacky addition of drilling.  Being on an island (instead of underground, no less), you can section off certain chunks of the big island to make your enemies fall into their watery doom HA HA!!  You have the advantage of a "dip switch" option to use a level select if you have a hard time beating the game.  The only severe liability is the unlockable ORIGINAL version of Dig Dug II -- again, like Super Xevious, it is EXACTLY the same game.

The Tower of Druaga -- 4 stars -- this is one of the more rare Namco titles.  The music is to die for.  You are responsible for finding keys and progressing to the next level, all the while avoiding/slashing enemies.  Hit detection is very poor, and you also have to watch out carefully for the wizards (your shield will protect you from their magic spells).  However, the plus side is the treasure chests -- you can use the upgrades to walk faster and attack better.  Hopefully, unlike the other titles, there is actually a PROPER ending to this game.  You can also do a level select if you lose all of your lives (hold A and press Start to go to the desired level).

So, all in all, the selection COULD have been a bit more, especially for a DS game.  The designers should have taken out Super Xevious/Original Dig Dug II and replaced it with either Pac-Man/Galaga/Dig Dug Arrangement OR Super Pac-Man.  For shame, people!!  But the good part is, you can find ALL of the above titles on OTHER Namco Museum installments, such as the Playstation Portable or the Wii.  So with that being said, save your money against Namco Museum DS and, instead, purchase Namco Museum Remix/Megamix for the Wii.
So here we have another installment of the famed Namco Museum series. There are some good titles and some weak ones. The most impressive turn-on is the game intro/music, where Pac-Man interacts with a bunch of other characters such as Mappy and Dig Dug. You wouldn't be that humored on previous Namco Museum installments. Now on to the games themselves. Pac-Man -- 5 stars - playing the original Pac-Man on ANY platform, even the DS, is always a grand ol' time. The graphics and sound effects are exactly as the arcade version, so who could ever get sick of this game?! Galaxian -- 3 stars -- graphics and sound effects are stellar, but the fun wears off rather quickly. You only have a few lives to blast all the ships Space Invaders-style. The controls are actually as good as the Gamecube version. It's also a looping game, so it doesn't really end. Galaga -- 4 stars -- the sequel to Galaxian, the action is MUCH more fast paced. When you allow your ship to get captured by the green crab-shaped enemy, you can have a dual-fighting ship to help you advance into further stages. After about 30 levels, the game will loop again. However, it's one of the better Namco titles so you really won't mind. Xevious -- 2 stars -- graphics and sound effects aren't half bad, but again the fun doesn't have a very lasting effect. Your ship fires at ground and airborne targets (you have to bomb and fire on each of the targets, respectively). If you lose all of your ships, the game is over. However, you will eventually unlock the sequel, Super Xevious. Unfortunately, it is EXACTLY the same game so it's really a bad waste, and you don't really get anything more out of it. Mappy -- 3 stars -- this was one of the old arcade games that I played when the coin-ops were first out. You are the Micro Police, and you have to collect items on each level, all the while avoiding enemies and cats! You can use doors or bells to stun the enemies, but you don't really have control as to which direction the doors open, leaving you vulnerable to getting hit and losing a life. As you progress through each level, the enemies are much faster so you don't have much time to think. After 15 levels, the game eventually loops back to Level 1 (although the game will actually state Level 16). Dig Dug II -- 4 stars -- this title is NOT the same as the original Dig Dug! However, it is still as fun to play. You still have to inflate/blow up your enemies, but you have the wacky addition of drilling. Being on an island (instead of underground, no less), you can section off certain chunks of the big island to make your enemies fall into their watery doom HA HA!! You have the advantage of a "dip switch" option to use a level select if you have a hard time beating the game. The only severe liability is the unlockable ORIGINAL version of Dig Dug II -- again, like Super Xevious, it is EXACTLY the same game. The Tower of Druaga -- 4 stars -- this is one of the more rare Namco titles. The music is to die for. You are responsible for finding keys and progressing to the next level, all the while avoiding/slashing enemies. Hit detection is very poor, and you also have to watch out carefully for the wizards (your shield will protect you from their magic spells). However, the plus side is the treasure chests -- you can use the upgrades to walk faster and attack better. Hopefully, unlike the other titles, there is actually a PROPER ending to this game. You can also do a level select if you lose all of your lives (hold A and press Start to go to the desired level). So, all in all, the selection COULD have been a bit more, especially for a DS game. The designers should have taken out Super Xevious/Original Dig Dug II and replaced it with either Pac-Man/Galaga/Dig Dug Arrangement OR Super Pac-Man. For shame, people!! But the good part is, you can find ALL of the above titles on OTHER Namco Museum installments, such as the Playstation Portable or the Wii. So with that being said, save your money against Namco Museum DS and, instead, purchase Namco Museum Remix/Megamix for the Wii.