Namco Museum Volume 3

Arcade vets, rejoice! Namco Museum Volume 3 for the PlayStation continues the retro trend with classic coincrunchers like Pole Position II, Dig Dug, Galaxian, Ms. Pac-Man, Phozon, and The Tower of Druaga. This lineup presents an excellent mix of arcade fun that will satisfy itchy trigger fingers of all ages and skill levels.

As in previous volumes, Namco faithfully reproduces every sprite and pixel of these arcade hits--from the startup test pattern to the sound of credits plunk ing in the machine. Although simple by today's standards, this compilation scores high in graphics and sound because of its authenticity. Cameplay is also true to form, and now you can also access game options like extra lives and button configurations. The PlayStation controller, however, doesn't perfectly replicate the gaming experience of Ms. Pac-Man or Pole Position II, where a joystick and steering wheel would be better. It doesn't drastically deter from overall game enjoyment, though.

Namco Museum Valume 3 is must-have arcade fun that will provide hours of classic gaming until Namco preps Volume 4. Thanks for the memories, Namco!

ProTips:

• In Ms. Pac-Man, to lose the pursuing ghosts, skip out a side exit and reappear elsewhere.
• In Pole Postion II, forget the brakes. Just use the High and Low gears to slow down around comers.
• Always aim for the close targets in Galaxlan since you can only shoot one bullet onscreen at a time.
• In Dig Dug, burrow continually up into a boulder as you wait for enemies to close in on you. Then move aside to let the boulder crush them all.