Namco Museum Archives Vol. 2 is a compilation featuring eleven "Namcot" Family Computer games. It was developed by M2 and B.B. Studio, and was published by Bandai Namco Entertainment in 2020 for multiple platforms. The collection was released alongside Namco Museum Archives Vol. 1.
The Namco Museum Archives volumes were released concurrently with Namcot Collection; a Nintendo Switch-exclusive release that was predominantly designed for the Japanese market. While all three titles are similar conceptually, Namcot Collection focuses on paid DLC packs for accessing most of its games, whereas the Namco Museum Archives titles are more straightforward compilations.
Overview[]
Namco Museum Archives Vol. 2 features a selection of emulated versions of Family Computer (Famicom) and Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) titles that were originally released under the "Namcot" brand label in Japan. Additionally, the compilation features a newly-released Famicom/NES port of Gaplus, which was seemingly developed by M2. Each game features save/load states, as well as the ability to "rewind" games backwards (in roughly second-long intervals).
The compilation's menu is simplified compared to Namcot Collection; its main selection menu is repurposed from its DLC download catalogues, with the shelf display removed. Most instances of cartridge models and artwork are also removed in the Namco Museum Archives releases, though the proper art assets are still shown in promotional material.
Games[]
Namco Museum Archives Vol. 2 features eleven games, including:
- Pac-Land (1984/85)
- Galaga (1981/85)
- Battle City (1985)
- Dig Dug II (1982/86)
- Super Xevious (1982/86)
- Mappy-Land (1986)
- Legacy of the Wizard (1987) - released in Japan as Dragon Slayer IV: Drasle Family
- Dragon Buster II (1984/89)
- Rolling Thunder (1986/89)
- Mendel Palace (1989) - released in Japan as Quinty
- Gaplus (1984, 2020) - newly-created homebrew port
Mendel Palace and Legacy of the Wizard use the U.S. NES versions of the games; all other titles are the Japanese Famicom versions.
Trivia[]
- Despite Namcot Collection being designed for the Japanese market, both Namco Museum Archives volumes were released in Japan; albeit not released on the Nintendo Switch, and left untranslated from English.
- Every game's copyright information is altered to only feature one year listed, and is credited to "BNEI" (Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc.); though Namcot logos are retained. Two exceptions to this are Mendel Palace and Legacy of the Wizard; which credit their original developers, Game Freak and Falcom, without crediting Bandai Namco at all.
- Volumes 1 and 2 use the same background music in the menus, but are played with different instrumentation from each other. This may be in reference to the swapped duty cycles commonly seen in Famiclone systems.
- Multiple games present in Namco Museum Archives Vol. 2 were not released as DLC for Namcot Collection: including Dig Dug II, Super Xevious, Mappy-Land, Legacy of the Wizard, and Dragon Buster II.
- A physical Nintendo Switch version of the game was released in Europe; however, it is only a download code for the digital version (while being sold in a Switch cartridge case).