Namco Museum Vol. 5 (1997)

Namco Museum V.5 is really quite solid. Three games I quite enjoy (Legend of Valkyrie, Baraduke, Pac-Mania), one I thought was okay, but not for me (Dragon Spirit), and one that I don't think has aged well (Metro Cross)...not bad for a PS1 disc. Valkyrie is excellent, with only some slight cheap enemy placement and bullet sponging in the last two stages bringing it down. Baraduke has a great atmosphere and some smooth controls combining for an intriguing shooting challenge. Pac-Mania spins the Pac Man formula into something different enough to be worthwhile (the jump mechanic, mainly), and the isometric perspective isn't as nerve wracking as it could have been. So yeah, those three are really good! Metro Cross looks pretty good for its age, but its dopey looking avatar isn't really relatable for me, and the gameplay is absolutely arcade oriented, with a racing mechanic I'm never been a huge fan of. Dragon Spirit seems competent as a shooter, but I'm not huge on the genre, so it didn't do enough to make me overcome my disinterest. Worth the $6 on PSN, for sure.