Category Archives: Namco

Pac-Land, Atari Lynx

Pac-Land on the Atari Lynx is a rather excellent conversion of Namco‘s classic 1984 arcade game of the same name. It features pretty much all the good things about the influential coin-op, including the cute, colourful graphics, smooth scrolling, and challenging gameplay.

Continue reading Pac-Land, Atari Lynx

Pac-Mania, Arcade

Pac-Mania is the 1987 sequel to the classic Pac-Man, and it is generally very highly-rated by those who’ve played it.

Pac-Man creator Toru Iwatani was involved in Pac-Mania‘s development for Namco, so the game is properly canon, totally authentic, and deviously subtle.

Continue reading Pac-Mania, Arcade

Tekken: Dark Resurrection, PSP

The portable version of Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection was published for the PSP in 2006. It’s a conversion of the 2005 arcade game from Namco, converted by Japanese studio Eighting.

Continue reading Tekken: Dark Resurrection, PSP

Xevious: Fardraut Saga, PC Engine

A conversion of an MSX2 remake of the classic arcade game, Xevious, published on the PC Engine by Namcot in 1990. And – like a lot of PC Engine shooters – it is a good experience.

Continue reading Xevious: Fardraut Saga, PC Engine

Xevious: Fardraut Saga, MSX

Xevious: Fardraut Saga is an enhanced remake of the arcade classic Xevious, developed by Compile and initially published for the MSX2 by Namcot in 1988.

Continue reading Xevious: Fardraut Saga, MSX

Pac-Land, Arcade

Developed by Namco and released into arcades in 1984, Pac-Land is a departure for the Pac-Man series because this time it’s a platform game. And a pretty good one at that.

Continue reading Pac-Land, Arcade

Super Pac-Man, Arcade

Unlike Ms. Pac-Man and Jr. Pac-Man, Super Pac-Man was developed by Namco themselves in 1982, so could be considered the first ‘official’ sequel to Pac-Man.

The fact is: it is arguably inferior to both the aforementioned Midway Pac-Man games, which is a little embarrassing. That said: it is still a decent game in its own right; maybe not quite as ‘pure’ or ‘hardcore’ as Ms. Pac-Man and Jr. Pac-Man, but good nonetheless.

Continue reading Super Pac-Man, Arcade

Pac-Man, Arcade

Known as “Puck Man” in its native Japan, and renamed as “Pac-Man” in the West*, this 1980 video game is one of the most iconic brands ever created in the history of the human race. And I’m not being funny here – Pac-Man is actually seen by historians as exactly that: instantly recognisable to most people and indelibly fixed in our consciousness.

Continue reading Pac-Man, Arcade

Rolling Thunder 3, Megadrive/Genesis

Rolling Thunder 3 is a Sega Megadrive/Genesis exclusive. It was developed by Now Production and published by Namco in 1993. It did not appear in arcades, like its predecessors did.

Continue reading Rolling Thunder 3, Megadrive/Genesis