Namco Museum Vol 2

Did you hang around in arcades when you were a teenager? If so, then you can relive your lost youth with this collection of six arcade hits from the company that has an arcade history as long as, er, something quite long. If you didn't, then you can waste your second childhood in the comfort of your own home while your relationship breaks down irretrievably.

Super Pac-Man. Remember how good you were at Pacman when you were 15? Collect the keys to open the doors, eat the fruit, avoid the ghosts and proceed to the next level. What could be simpler? Now try it 12 years on and see how well you do.

Xevious. Fly over enemy territory, drop bombs on their Sol Towers, avoid their missiles and notch up a highscore.

Mappy, one of the original platformers, the genre that Sonic the Hedgehog and Mario made famous. You run, you jump, you collect stuff, you avoid your enemies, you jump on their heads (or in this case you blast the enemy cats with microwaves). In a nutshell, that's platformers, after that the scenery gets better.

Gaplus, third in the legendary Glaxian series. Why does the word legendary get used whenever anything is set in space? George Lucas has got a lot to answer for. Actually the 'legend' in question here is Space Invaders with a few knobs on.

Grobda. It looks like tank. Because it is.

Dragon Buster. Perhaps not the mother of the action RPG, but maybe an auntie of the genre. With an RPG these days you get video cut-scenes that prevent you from getting on with the game and a pre-amble the size of a small novel about how Grod the Varg and his horde of Glarbles has invaded the peaceful land of Yod and driven the Yoddies into the mountains, but one ancient Yoddie knows the legend of the Darkstonker, an avenger who will come with his Glarble-slayer sword in the Yoddies' hour of need etc, etc. Dragon Buster just asks you to kill the dragon and rescue princess Celia. Celia: what a name for a princess. It probably sounded so magical when this game was first written. Celia may have looked like the willowy girl in upper 6th when you first played this game, but be warned, she grew up to be a dinner lady with 40in hips.

Nostalgia's great. Hey, does anybody remember Boot Hill?

Check out Sony for more info on Sony Playstation Games.

Reviewed by Andrew Charlesworth