Namco 5 in 1 Stick (Plug n Play TV Games)

Pacman - A classic!
Galaxian - A damn hard classic!
Rally X - Fast and fun.
Bosconian - Fun easy, despite no diagonal movement.
Dig Dug - Disappointing.

Yes, you can get the real original versions running on your PC via MAME, but it's a lot of hassle to get them running, and who wants to sit in front of their PC to play this kind of game?

The main niggles are:

1. None of the games have the two player 'take it in turns' mode from the orginal arcade machines.
2. Highscores are not stored when you change games or swich off.
3. The reset button is located in a stupid place - I've hit it by accident several times during frantic action in Bosconian.

Although these are all fairly minor concerns, it's a shame because with a little more thought this package could have been 100% perfect. In particular, the first two points are crucial in giving you a reason to keep playing - to beat the other player, or your own high score.


a good buy   March 28, 2004
6 out of 7 found this review helpful

ive always been into arcade games and this is what i have been waiting for! 4 of the games are brilliant (pac-man, bosconian, rally x and galaxian) while dig dug just isnt as entertaining. overall its gd fun and challenging! the only thing to take into consideration is that it does require 4 AA batteries that are NOT INCLUEDED!!


Awesome!   February 24, 2004
15 out of 15 found this review helpful

Finally, my search for the Arcade version of Pac-man has borne fruit. Bought it as a Valentine's gift for my hubby who's a great fan of Pac-Man. There are also four other games some of which we played when we were kids. Initially thought the price was a bit much for just Pac-Man, but we've both found that the other games are great fun too. It brings us both back to the days when we were kids. The music and the images are the most similar to the orginal arcade version compared to the PC software versions I've downloaded. In fact, the sounds makes me feel like I'm playing in an arcade. Best of all, it's small and light enough to bring it anywhere to play.
I had to use a SCART to AV convertor on my old TV but it works fine. The cable is quite long and allows you to play it at a distance away from the TV. However, I was a bit disappointed that rechargeable batteries are not recommended and therefore had to go out and purchase 4 alkaline batteries. Other than that, I find the speed a bit slow on Pac-Man but it could have been because I was trying to escape the ghosts ! All in all, a must for Pac-Man fans.


Awesome Retro   February 21, 2004
S Warren (Ipswich, Suffolk United Kingdom)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

Now here's a blast from the past.Five classic namco games all in one handy controller.These may not be arcade perfect , but my God they are so good.Pac-Man is worth the asking price alone ! Buy one of these right now and see how video games started all those years ago.