The latest addition to the Atari 50th collection includes some of the biggest games of the era
I never knew the origin of Namco. I knew of Pac-man, or what I thought I knew about his origin, but the company that spawned him? Nope. The Namco Legendary Pack, the latest DLC for the Atari 50th Anniversary Collection, dives into the creation of the company and how it and Atari were so important for each other’s survival. And it throws in some important and fascinating games for good measure.
Started by Masaya Nakamura in Tokyo as Nakamura Manufacturing Company, it’s great to see the initial developments that led to Namco’s growth, from its beginnings as a coin-op horse repair outfit to a happenstance of Atari failing miserably to infiltrate Japan. Not even modern Bandai Namco has done this level of detail to celebrate its history.
Namco started making its own games in 1978 with Galaxian, one of my personal faves from that era. I grew up playing that game in Detroit’s international airport terminal while we waited for family to arrive. I would look forward to and count down the days when we had to send off or recieve an uncle or cousin or grandparent strictly so that I could drop quarters into the machine. Galaxian is here in this collection alongside Namco’s most famous and infamous.
While this DLC only ever covers the Namco games that appeared on Atari platforms through to the 80s, it focuses on only a few and their many iterations. Pac-Man, Galaxian, Galaga, Dig Dug and Xevious are some of the most memorable arcade games of all time, and following their iteraions from the Atari 8-bit computer through the VC and even into 5200 territory is fascinating. While we have recollections of these games, it’s kind of profound to realize that the ones we knew weren’t the best of the era but rather a weird port. Dig Dug VCS, I’m looking at you.
The games are only part of it. As is the Digital Eclipse thing, the collection also includes posters and advertisements, artwork and extensive interviews. I especially enjoyed hearing about how the develoeprs brought Pac-Man to the VCS, using the platforms limitations and misgivings like screen flicker flicker to make the ghosts function. Also, check out the Pac-Man VCS concept art — it’s bonkers.
The Criterion Collection of the work that Digital Eclipse does continues well with this DLC. Perhaps more than any additions to the Atari 50th this is a must own for anyone interested in that era of gaming.
This review is based on a Nintendo Switch code sent to SideQuesting by the publisher. The video originally appeared on The SideQuest LIVE on November 13th, 2025.
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