That said, Pac-Man Vs. does not exactly fit in with the extreme retro crowd packed into Namco Museum. The game was originally developed by Nintendo and published by Namco on the GameCube console in 2003. It required the Game Boy Advance and its related link cable accessory to play, as one player used the handheld to steer Pac-Man on the handheld’s screen while up to three other players controlled the ghosts via GameCube controllers and a single TV.
For the Switch version, Pac-Man Vs. multiplayer gameplay relies on the same multi-unit requirement although in this case, players will need two Switch units instead of a handheld tethered to a console. Thus, one player guides Pac-Man through the maze using a screen and a single Joy-Con while the second Joy-Con and another complete Switch console is used by up to three players to control the ghosts. Otherwise, a single Switch console can be used for up to three players controlling ghosts while they chase an AI-controlled Pac-Man.
As for the other games shoved into Namco Museum, the greatest hits list includes Galaga ’88, Rolling Thunder 2, Splatterhouse, Sky Kid, and Tank Force (nope, no Ms. Pac-Man here, sorry). Unlike the versions released in the 1980s, players will have the ability to stop and resume these games at any time. Even more, the games will be outfitted with an online ranking system so you can compare your scores with other fans across the globe. A new challenge mode paints new gameplay onto these classics too.
“If you are nostalgic for the classic coin-op era, transform the Nintendo Switch into a miniature cabinet by turning the handheld console vertically for a taller, slimmer screen that replicates the original arcade experience,” the company says.
Namco Museum isn’t exactly new to the console arena. The first volume landed on the original Sony PlayStation console in 1995 packing six classic games including Pac-Man, Galaga, Pole Position, and more. Namco continued to saturate the PlayStation with additional volumes and eventually branched out to other consoles like the Sega Dreamcast, Game Boy Advance, the Nintendo 64, and so on over the years.
The most recent Namco Museum compilation appears to be the Megamix edition launched on the Nintendo Wii at the end of 2010. It includes 24 games and the ability to select any level in any game save for 1979’s Cutie Q, which blends the gameplay of Breakout with pinball. Megamix was an update to 2007’s Namco Museum Remix released on the same console, adding several more titles to the classic library.
