Namco's always been appreciative of their classic roots. Hey, who wouldn't be if you had such memorable games as Pac-Man and Galaga in your library? Over the years, they've had tons of retro releases, from the Namco Museum games on PlayStation to the 20th anniversary arcade cabinet that houses both Galaga and Ms. Pac-Man, quickly becoming a collector's item. A few years back, Namco dipped into the current generation with the release of Namco Museum, which featured many classics and new "arrangements" of games that added a fresh spin. Last month, they struck again with the Battle Collection for the PSP, giving us even more "arrangements" and a wider array of strange but likable titles. Now here comes the 50th Anniversary release, and the retro train keeps on a-rollin', as this collection boasts 14 games to choose from. But among the elite, it is not.

Yes, Namco's been around for 50 years, even though they've only really dabbled in the video game medium for 25. But it's the thought of general entertainment that counts, right? The fact they've lasted so long is a feat. So, then, you have to wonder why the Namco Museum 50th Anniversary celebration seems to be so limited. It's basically a selection of the 14 games on a menu system that lets you roam around a virtual arcade while listening (briefly) to such 80's tunes as Loverboy's "Working For the Weekend" or Fine Young Cannibals' "She Drives Me Crazy". That's about it. No developer interviews, no "how Pac-Man was created" retrospect, no hidden goodies aside from a couple of unlockable games. It feels like you have access to a party but all the good stuff is happening in a VIP area you can't gain entry to.

That's not to say the disc isn't any fun, because it really is. The Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man games are present for dot munchers; Galaxian and Galaga make respectable appearances and let people blast aliens for hours; Dig-Dug is still Dig-Dug, happy, silly digging fun; Pole Position and Pole Position II allows for some fast and furious racing action, complete with the infamous "Prepare to qualify" recording; Rally-X is a grand test of skills that lets you outrace rogue cars and even use smoke screens; Xevious packs some fun shooting and bombing action; Bosconian has some great touches even if it seems simplistic in its shooting nature; Mappy is a quirky game where you control a mouse picking up items and outrunning cats; Sky Kid lets you shoot down planes and tanks while bombing targets; and then there's my two personal favorites...

The first is Rolling Thunder, a game I got hooked on back in the old days when the game was actually released as an Atari cabinet. This fast-paced shooting game puts you in control of a lone man taking on an army of hoods, each with their own tactics of trying to bring you down. This game is exciting and thoroughly crafted, and I'm glad to see it given justice in a home collection, instead of rotting as an import release in the Namco Museum Encore disc for the PlayStation. The other is Dragon Spirit, a blazing shooter where you control a dragon that shoots enemies above and below and earns some wicked power-ups. This was one of the first real stylish shooters to hit the market, and it remains a bonafide classic. On top of all these games, the enjoyable Galaga '88 and Pac-Mania are also thrown in, but have to be unlocked by obtaining some high scores. No biggie.

At $20, this collection's not half bad. But considering this is a 50th Anniversary release, I would've expected Namco and Digital Eclipse to dig a little deeper and explain the company's roots just a bit further. Not to mention, they could've easily included some more classics with the space given, like Assault (a favorite from Namco Museum Vol. 4 and Ordyne. It just feels limited, like Digital Eclipse was handed a duty list and they completed it without too much research as to what else would make the collection absolutely click.

I do like some parts of the interface, but, again, I feel it took some missteps. The real-time arcade menu system looks alright, but loading from a game back to it takes some time. Furthermore, there's 80's songs included, but Digital Eclipse failed to take the cue of letting you actually play the songs during a game, like Activision did with their Activision Anthology years ago. It wasn't like it was too much to ask. After all, what's wrong with eating dots while listening to the Romantics' "Talking In Your Sleep"? Nothing, because I did it back in the days of my youth.

Namco Museum 50th Anniversary isn't a failure, but it's not really a success either. That leaves it in a category where it's hard to recommend, yet hard to turn down. I guess if you're an arcade fan (like myself), then it's an essential addition to your library, if only to return to the glory days of Rolling Thunder, Galaga '88, and Dragon Spirit. For everyone else, rent with caution. This may look like a grand arrival, but once you get inside, you'll see that they didn't quite deliver all the goods they wanted to. It's like a caterer coming to a fancy party and bringing corn dogs.