Namco Museum DS [$19.99]

Do you miss the classics? Let me guess, you don’t have the time or the energy to drive 45 minutes to the local hole-in-the-wall arcade just so you can play a game of Pac-Man. Namco feels your pain. Namco knows that it’s been so long since you managed to pass enough levels to get the big shield in Galaga that — shock, horror — you’ve forgotten what it looks like. That’s why they’ve provided us with Namco Museum DS, a slick little package that gives you the classics and little else. Given the limited resolution of the DS, it was nice of Namco to include as many display options as it does. You can play the classics while holding the DS the classic way, you can play on its side, you can crunch the aspect ratio to make it fit, or you can play in the full arcade resolution, which produces a panning effect as you move from side to side. Interestingly, the panning even adds a new element of challenge to the games herein. There are some fantastic long-lost inclusions here like the forgotten Mappy, and if you have a buddy with a DS, you can partake in some fantastic Pac-Man Vs. action. If you’re anything like me, though, Namco Museum DS will turn the DS into your Galaga machine, and there’s not a single thing wrong with that. [Amazon]