Namco

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Namco Ltd. (株式会社ナムコ Kabushiki Kaisha Namuko?) is a Japanese corporation best known as a former video game developer and publisher. Following a merger with Bandai in September 2005, the two companies' game production assets were spun off into Namco Bandai Games on March 31, 2006. Namco Ltd. was re-established to continue domestic operation of video arcades and amusement parks. Its headquarters are located in Ōta, Tokyo.

Namco was a front-runner during the Golden age of video arcade games. Pac-Man, its most famous title, went on to become the best-selling arcade game in history and an international popular culture icon.


History

Masaya Nakamura founded the company as Nakamura Manufacturing in 1955. Based in Tokyo, the company started out by running children's rides on the roof of a department store in Yokohama. The business eventually expanded throughout the Tokyo area. Nakamura Manufacturing was reorganized in 1958 and underwent a slight name change to Nakamura Manufacturing Co., which would later be used to form the acronym Namco. In 1970 the company produced a coin-operated mechanical driving simulator called "Racer".

By 1989, games for the Nintendo Entertainment System accounted for forty percent of Namco's sales. As Nintendo's first licensee, Namco had previously been given privileged terms, such as the right to manufacture their own cartridges. However, upon renewal of the license, these special terms were revoked, prompting Nakamura to publicly criticize Nintendo for monopolistic behavior. In addition, Nakamura announced that Namco would support Sega's Mega Drive/Genesis console.

Later expanding into the amusement park business, Sennichimae Plabo was opened in Osaka, featuring a new concept of large-scale arcade amusement, and Namco Wonder Eggs, a theme park, was opened in Tokyo. Additional amusement parks were opened, including Namco Wonder Park Sagamihara and Namco Wonder City.

In September 2005, Namco merged with Bandai to become "Namco Bandai Holdings", the 3rd largest video game entity in Japan. On March 31, 2006, Namco's game development operations absorbed that of Bandai's. From then on, the part of the company that was most closely associated with the Namco label would become Namco Bandai Games. The Namco Ltd. name was retained by its Japanese arcade management division, and now operates as part of Namco Bandai's Amusement Facility SBU.

PCSX2 Compatibility

<PCSX2 compatibility seems to be sporadic with Namco games (for example, the game Katamari Damacy (and its sequel) seem to work, while Time Crisis will apparently not boot (as of r4600)). If anyone has any experience with any Namco games, please leave your experience here and delete this note.>

List of Namco PSX/PS2 Games

Arcade-based games

Title Console Release date
Cyber Sled PlayStation January 27, 1995
Ridge Racer PlayStation December 3, 1994
Point Blank PlayStation August 7, 1997
Time Crisis PlayStation June 27, 1997
Time Crisis II PlayStation 2 October 1, 2001
Crisis Zone PlayStation 2 September 17, 2004
Tekken PlayStation March 31, 1995
Tekken 2 PlayStation March 29, 1996
Soul Edge PlayStation December 20, 1996
Xevious 3D/G PlayStation March 28, 1997
Tekken 3 PlayStation March 26, 1998
LiberoGrande PlayStation March 26, 1998
Tekken Tag Tournament PlayStation 2 March 30, 2000
Mr. Driller PlayStation May 10, 2000
Ghoul Panic PlayStation April 20, 2000
Vampire Night PlayStation 2 November 14, 2001
Point Blank 3 PlayStation December 21, 2000
Wangan Midnight PlayStation 2 March 21, 2002
Tekken 4 PlayStation 2 March 28, 2002
Kotoba no Puzzle: Mojipittan PlayStation 2 January 9, 2003
Mr. Driller G PlayStation November 22, 2001
SoulCalibur II PlayStation 2 March 27, 2003
Time Crisis 3 PlayStation 2 October 21, 2003
Tekken 5 PlayStation 2 December 9, 2004
Ninja Assault PlayStation 2 September 9, 2002

Console-based games

Title Console Release date
Ace Combat PlayStation June 30, 1995
Ridge Racer Revolution PlayStation December 3, 1995
Namco Mahjong: Sparrow Garden PlayStation January 1, 1996
Rage Racer PlayStation December 3, 1996
Ace Combat 2 PlayStation May 30, 1997
Klonoa: Door to Phantomile PlayStation December 11, 1997
Anna Kournikova's Smash Court Tennis PlayStation November 12, 1998
R4: Ridge Racer Type 4 PlayStation December 3, 1998
Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere PlayStation May 27, 1999
Star Ixiom PlayStation September 9, 1999
Pac-Man World PlayStation October 12, 1999
Dragon Valor PlayStation December 2, 1999
Ridge Racer V PlayStation 2 March 4, 2000
LiberoGrande 2 PlayStation September 7, 2000
Ms. Pac-Man Maze Madness PlayStation September 8, 2000
Najavu no Daiboken: My Favorite Namja Town PlayStation October 13, 2000
Volfoss PlayStation February 22, 2001
Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil PlayStation 2 March 22, 2001
Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies PlayStation 2 September 13, 2001
Pac-Man World 2 PlayStation 2 February 24, 2002
Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht PlayStation 2 February 28, 2002
Klonoa Beach Volleyball PlayStation April 25, 2002
Dead to Rights PlayStation 2 November 18, 2002
Venus & Braves PlayStation 2 February 13, 2003
Tales of Symphonia PlayStation 2 September 22, 2004
Kill.switch PlayStation 2 October 28, 2003
R: Racing Evolution PlayStation 2 November 27, 2003
Katamari Damacy PlayStation 2 March 18, 2004
Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Bose PlayStation 2 June 24, 2004
Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War PlayStation 2 October 21, 2004
Tales of Rebirth PlayStation 2 December 16, 2004
Death by Degrees PlayStation 2 January 27, 2005
Namco X Capcom PlayStation 2 May 26, 2005
We Love Katamari PlayStation 2 July 6, 2005
Tales of Legendia PlayStation 2 August 25, 2005
Urban Reign PlayStation 2 September 13, 2005
SoulCalibur III PlayStation 2 October 25, 2005
Tales of the Abyss PlayStation 2 December 15, 2005
Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War PlayStation 2 March 23, 2006
Starblade Alpha PlayStation March 31, 1995
Tales of Phantasia PlayStation December 23, 1998
Tales of Destiny PlayStation December 23, 1997
Point Blank 2 PlayStation August 6, 1998
Rescue Shot PlayStation January 20, 2000
Time Crisis: Project Titan PlayStation April 6, 2001
Pac-Man Fever PlayStation 2 September 3, 2002
I-Ninja PlayStation 2 November 18, 2003
Street Racing Syndicate PlayStation 2 August 31, 2004
Dead to Rights II PlayStation 2 April 12, 2005
Namco Museum Vol. 1 PlayStation November 22, 1995
Namco Museum Vol. 2 PlayStation February 9, 1996
Namco Museum Vol. 3 PlayStation June 21, 1996
Namco Museum Vol. 4 PlayStation November 8, 1996
Namco Museum Vol. 5 PlayStation February 28, 1997
Namco Museum Encore PlayStation October 30, 1997
Namco Anthology 1 PlayStation June 4, 1998
Namco Anthology 2 PlayStation September 23, 1998
Namco Museum PlayStation 2 December 4, 2001
Namco Museum 50th Anniversary PlayStation 2 August 30, 2005
Pac-Man World 3 PlayStation 2 November 15, 2005
Curious George PlayStation 2 February 1, 2006