Namco Museum on Switch simulates coin-op arcade gaming

Bandai Namco today announced that its Namco Museum collection on the Nintendo Switch is coming to the West in late July.

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The Namco Museum collection really does exemplify the Nintendo Switch's unique transforming form factor, and shows how old-school classics should use the system. SEGA and Capcom could learn a thing or two from this--so could Nintendo themselves--but in lieu of traditional Virtual Console support, Switch owners have been limited in old-school gaming fare. Now their diets are about to be enriched with a nice helping of arcade games.

The retro collection features 11 classic coin-op arcade games that any 80's kid will recognize, and even sports one of the hardest Turbo Grafix 16 games ever made: Splatterhouse. What's so impressive about Namco Museum collection is that gamers can flip their Switch consoles vertically to simulate a coin-op arcade, adding a splash of authenticity to their experience. This is something that I've wanted to see for a while, and I'm glad Bandai Namco has had the foresight to include something like this--Tabletop Mode's "arcade mode" euphemism really sticks here as gamers are literally turning their Switch consoles into miniature arcade machines.

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The publisher also announced that PAC-MAN VS. will be included in the collection, adding a nice bit of value to the proposition with 4-player fun.

Namco Museum goes on sale on July 28, 2017 on the Nintendo Switch for $29.99, and includes the following games:

• PAC-MAN
• PAC-MAN VS.
• DigDug
• Galaga
• Galaga '88
• The Tower of Druaga
• Sky Kid
• Splatterhouse
• Rolling Thunder
• Rolling Thunder 2
• Tank Force

Pac-Man Vs.

Pac-Man Vs. is a four-player game based on the Pac-Man series, originally created by Toru Iwatani. It was developed by Nintendo in 2003 under supervision by legendary game designer, Shigeru Miyamoto. In Pac-Man Vs., three players work together as the iconic ghosts and hunt down the fourth player, who has taken on the role of Pac-Man, as they evade the ghosts and clear the maze of Pac Dots. Two Switch units are required to play as up to three ghosts play on one console and the Pac-Man character plays on the other.

Namco Museum

With Namco Museum, players will be transported back to the days when coin-operated arcades reigned supreme for a truly nostalgic experience. Through the Nintendo Switch, retro arcade classics can be played anytime, anywhere, and against anyone through the game's online ranking system (Pac-Man Vs. will not be supporting online ranking system). Players nostalgic for the classic coin-op era can transform their Nintendo Switch into a miniature arcade cabinet by turning the handheld console vertically for a taller, slimmer screen that replicates the original arcade experience. The Namco Museum classic catalog includes favorites from Namco's classic arcade collection, including Pac-Man Vs., Pac-Man, Dig Dug, Galaga, Galaga '88, The Tower of Druaga, Rolling Thunder, Rolling Thunder 2, Sky Kid, Splatterhouse, and Tank Force.