Namco Classics Hit TV Game Form

Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing to the new Namco Classics 5-In-1 TV Game, which has just shipped to U.S. stores, and is the latest in a line of officially licensed joysticks with built-in games from Jakks that include the Atari 10-In-1 and the Activision 10-In-1, with a separately-manufactured Intellivision 10/25-In-1 also available. The built-in games for Namco's "blast from the past" are Pac-Man, Dig Dug, Galaxian, Rally-X, and Bosconian. No word yet on whether games have been altered in conversion, as purists have claimed for the Atari TV Game, but casual gamers should still dig it.

Perhaps this shows....

[Creepy Crawler]

That emulation of old consoles' games isnt as "harmless" as we all would like.

And yes, I emulate too, and know personally somebody who built a "Donkey Kong mame box of 5000 roms, and wiring in F5 to the change slot (MAME's enter change key).

And a beef with the devices: They look like that wont be able to stand a lick of abuse. The old atari stuff would take a world of pain before giving out. Now you must buy the whole thing again for a new stick.

Re:Perhaps this shows....

[Jason1729]

Now you must buy the whole thing again for a new stick.

The whole thing costs a fraction of what a new stick for the atari cost, and that doesn't even take into account 20 years of inflation.

These games are great for the $10-$20 they cost. If they were built like the old atari stuff, they'd cost $50 like the old atari joysticks and then very few people would buy them.

Jason
ProfQuotes [profquotes.com]

Seriously...

[happypizzaguy]

This would be pretty cool, if only they hadn't already released these same five or so games on every system imaginable. [ign.com]

Re:Seriously...

[Creepy Crawler]

What'd be cool is if they offered a legit way of buying all the roms they have control of. For a few thousand games (and perhaps source?) I'd throw in 100$.

Re:Seriously...

[happypizzaguy]

Wait... did you just ask for a Namco Museum to come out for PC? Namco executives are ecstatic over this new way to squeeze money out of 20+ year old games. Expect it in stores next week (minus source code and 995 games).

Something My Dad Could Play

[chadlnx]

At first I was not sure, but I am now a big fan of these TV games. I witnessed my father playing video games for the first time since he owned an Atari back in the early 80's during the last holiday season.

I'm, no doubt, going to pick this up for him and I'm sure he'll love it. It's amazing to see that most individuals pick up games fairly quickly, no matter what demographic. I think the true "bottleneck" in games usability is due to the "hook up" and up front hardware cost commitment involved.

Of course the hardcores are going to get upset when they see something like this. I would be pretty upset myself if I spent much of my time and money tracking down rare and used games just in time to find a solution which simply plugs into your TV for 19.95.

The last time I looked...

[Jouni]

...casual gamers were buying The Matrix because they liked the movie (and never read the game reviews) or anything else they feel like when at the store.

How do you develop a feel for wanting to play those geeky, blocky, 80's games? By having played them in the first place. You're not going to know Dig Dug or Bosconian if you weren't a pretty hardcore gamer some time along the way.

Now, don't get me wrong - this is cool, in a very geeky kind of way. It just sounds like it would best sell to the core gamer

uh

[u-238]

i saw a review for thoes joysticks on techtv

you plug in a few cords to the back of the tv and use AA BATTERIES AS POWER SOURCE.

sorry but im not gona fork out the cash for thoes queer little sticks and a constant flow of batteries when i can download it from my computer for free

Re:uh

[great throwdini]

"[I'm] not gon[n]a fork out the cash for ... a constant flow of batteries when i can download it from my computer for free.

I have to ask what's the trouble in using rechargeables, then?

And it's only "free" to download on your computer if you're willing to suspend disbelief and pretend you own the original arcade machines from which the ROMs were copied.

These could have been really cool...

[ivan256]

...if only they had shaped them like the original controllers for the respective systems. Part of the challenge was the crappy controller design on the Intellivision, and you can't beat the 2600 joysticks for 2600 games.

Re:These could have been really cool...

[DLWormwood]

you can't beat the 2600 joysticks for 2600 games

Uhhh... The Atari 10-in-1 is shaped like the original stick [jakkstvgames.com]...

As for the Intellivision controllers, they were way too thin. There would have been no way hold the electronics needed for a complete system in such a form factor.

no one's answered the big question

[hiroshi912681]

are they emulated/simulated/ports/running off original hardware? I'm still waiting for a purist's rundown of the machine. I mean, can you just wire one of these up to an arcade cabinet and throw it in an arcade? c'mon, someone give us the technical aspects of it!

/me is the one one that cares =(

Now if only...

[i8urtaco]

I had a time machine to show this to everyone back in 1985. "He plays 'Dig Dug' with only the controller! Surely he must be some sort of God!"

I got one at gamestop, here's my mini-review

[Allison Geode]

here's my mini-review: it has only 5 games on it: pacman, galaxian, Rally X, Dig Dug, and Bosconian. I've only ever played the original versions of first four, but I can honestly say that they are pretty well done ports of the original arcade source material. while the atari stick was slightly buggy, this version is MUCH more stable (haven't yet encountered any glitches as bad as some of the atari's). one thing: sound is a tiny bit tinny, and the colors of the pacman ghosts don't seem quite as vibrant a