If you've ever dreamed of making out with one of the villainous cats from Mappy or getting into a love triangle with the spaceship from Galaga and a talking Taiko drum, enrolment at Namco High is now open.
Namco High, a dating sim featuring a variety of classic Namco arcade and console characters, is a weird romantic trip through over thirty years of videogame history, mixing retro arcade stars with re-imagined versions of some obscure characters from Namco's Shiftylook site, where a number of webcomic artists and writers have been publishing comics and cartoons starring figures from the company's back catalogue since 2012.
The game is intended to be as inclusive as possible, and neither presumes a specific gender (or any at all) on the part of the player character, nor limits dating options based on other characters' sexualities, since understandably everyone finds tiny sweater-wearing space royalty equally enchanting. There's actually a recent Tumblr post by the Editor-in-Chief at Shiftylook and Producer on the game talking a little about this, in the context of the game being stuck with a unified Namco ID system that requires users to choose male or female.
The creative team includes a whole bunch of wonderful writers and artists - the best known is probably Noelle Stevenson, of cute supervillainous webcomic Nimona, but that page on the official site is well worth following some links from, as there are lots of fantastic comics and art from all of the Namco High team.
Creative Director for the whole Namco High project is Andrew Hussie, best known for wildly popular webcomic/animation/mixed-media monstrosity Homestuck as well as earlier reader-participation series Problem Sleuth, Bard Quest and Jailbreak. Three Homestuck characters appear in Namco High as fellow students who can be interacted with and/or dated alongside the fifteen Namco characters.
The game is free-to-play and can be played all the way through without spending any money: although only six Namco characters (the Galaga ship, Lolo, Valkyrie, Anti-Bravoman, Meowkie and Albatross) are available to actually date for free, the entire cast is present for conversations and story without being bought. If you happen to have an understandable hankering for forbidden Mr Driller love, the store can be found here. (It's worth noting the Homestuck characters currently can't be unlocked for dating separately, unlike everyone else: they come only as a bonus if you buy the $15 'Deluxe Pak' which unlocks absolutely everybody)
Finally, while on the subject, Homestuck is currently on a break from regular updates but still being actively worked on, and when the mega-update comes, it will be the last Homestuck update ever and will include everything up to and including the ending and will very likely break the Internet. So now's a good time to catch up! Also the links under the Homestuck characters below are aimed at people who haven't read it and want silly representative samples of the Namco High characters, so SPOILERS, MAYBE. But probably not big ones.
The students:
Cousin (player character)
Katamari Damacy series (2004, PS2)
This specific Cousin doesn't actually appear in the Katamari series, as such: they are a non-gendered, rename-able original addition to the 58 collectable, playable Cousins in the games. Namco High opens with the Cousin being sent to detention, where they first meet the rest of the cast, for rolling up a significant portion of the school and student body into a Katamari in an attempt to emulate the Prince.
Gameplay video of the iconic final level in the original Katamari Damacy
Most of the Cousins in one big image
Cousin dance!
Some photos of a Cousins cosplay gathering at Christchurch Armageddon expo 2011
Inspired by that cosplay link? Here's a guide on how to make Katamari character heads and become your true Cousin self
First page of the Shiftylook Katamari comic
Galaga
Galaga (1981, arcade)
Surprisingly not the (inanimate) ship from the Shiftylook Galaga comic. Possibly the actual ship from the games was a discrete conscious entity and extremely popular in school.
Play Galaga (Flash)
Comes recommended by SHIELD agents, too
Arcade-History entry for the Galaga series
Comparison video of lots and lots of Galaga ports and sequels
The Shiftylook Galaga comic
Lolo
Klonoa 2 (2001, PS2)
A non-playable character introduced in platformer Klonoa 2, she appeared in playable form in a few spin-offs and side games as well as the Shiftylook Klonoa comic.
Cutscene introducing Lolo in Klonoa 2
Some Klonoa 2 gameplay from later in the same video
Lolo on the Klonoa Wiki
Lolo in Klonoa Beach Volleyball
Hardcore Gaming 101 on the history of the Klonoa series (Page 2)
Page one of the Shiftylook Klonoa comic
Valkyrie
Valkyrie no Bōken: Toki no Kagi Densetsu (1986, Famicom)
The title character of a series that's almost unheard of in the West, Valkyrie started out as a Famicom RPG, followed up by a slightly better known arcade/PC Engine action-shooter sequel.
Original Famicom gameplay
Gameplay video of the arcade sequel, Valkyrie no Densetsu
Valkyrie has made a few cameos in the Tales series over the years
Hardcore Gaming 101 on the Valkyrie series
Arcade-History entry for Valkyrie no Densetsu
The first page of the Shiftylook Valkyrie comic...
...and the first page to use the art style Valkyrie is drawn in for Namco High
Anti-Bravoman
Bravoman (1988, arcade)
The character called Anti-Bravoman here originally appeared as Black Bravoman, a recurring boss in the original arcade/PC Engine stretchy-limbed parody-em-up and a palette-swapped version of the hero. He had a different appearance again in Namco x Capcom, but the version attending Namco High is the bumbling villain/anti-hero from the Shiftylook Bravoman comic and web series.
Play Bravoman (Flash) (PC Engine port)
Trailer for Bravoman Binja Bash, a recent iOS/Android game based on the Shiftylook series
The Shiftylook Bravoman comic...
...and the web cartoon series
Meowkie
Mappy (1983 arcade)
All of the pink cat burglars trying to catch mouse cop Mappy in the arcade game are collectively called Meowkies (or Mewkies), with the only named cat being the boss, Nyamco. The Meowkie in Namco High is a kid-slash-ex-gang-member of the thieving Meowkies from the game.
Play Mappy (Flash) (Famicom port)
Comparison video of the various Mappy ports and versions
Arcade-History entry for Mappy
The Shiftylook Mappy cartoon series
Terezi Pyrope
Homestuck (2009)
Trapezi T3R3Z1 Terezi is one of the most popular characters in Homestuck, an alien, and a troll in every sense of the word. Blinded as part of a lengthy feud, she 'sees' by smelling and tasting stuff. Hence her tendency to lick people. She's a lawyer-in-training (sort of) and obsessed with JUST1C3. 4ND T4LK1NG 1N C4PS. Also eating chalk.
Terezi's introduction page
Terezi's entry on the wiki
OK TH1S M1GHT B3 H4RD FOR 4N 34RTH B4BOON TO UND3RST4ND...
A short comic by the (in-universe) creator of Sweet Bro and Hella Jeff, about Terezi
More recently, Terezi in repose
How Terezi was blinded (Flash, sound, will make little sense to the uninitiated but look, colours)
Flashback to Terezi's adult ancestor and role model (Flash, sound, same disclaimer applies)
Also you can buy the plush dragons Terezi likes to sentence and execute
Donko
Taiko no Tatsujin (2001, arcade)
Donko is an animate drum who dances around during songs in some editions, alongside living-Taiko-drum-dog-thing mascots Don and Katsu and a surprisingly huge supporting cast.
Arcade Taiko footage: a very talented guy playing two-player mode solo
This isn't the first game to feature Donko and romance... (minigame from Taiko no Tatsujin: Wai Wai Happy! Rokudaime, PS2)
Actual Taiko drumming...
...and more real Taiko drumming
Episode 1 of the claymation Taiko no Tatsujin show, featuring Don and Katsu being given life
Incredibly in-depth English-language fan blog for the Taiko series
Detailed info on every arcade version and cabinet
The Osu! free rhythm game/engine, while it started life as a way to play DS rhythm classic Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan on PC with custom songs and beatmaps, has a fully-featured Taiko no Tatsujin mode that's by far the best way to try out Taiko. It even supports the original Tatacon drum controller if you happen to own one
Here's the list of beatmaps/songs for Taiko mode
Albatross
Rolling Thunder (1986, arcade)
The protagonist of the Rolling Thunder games, and an agent of the World Crime Police Organization.
Play Rolling Thunder (Java) (NES port)
Video of a complete playthrough of the arcade version (Part 2)
Hardcore Gaming 101 history of the Rolling Thunder series
Arcade-History entry for Rolling Thunder
How long will Albatross live? (from this odd little series on game characters' life expectancies)
Nidia
Dragon Spirit (1987 arcade)
As far as I can tell Nidia is an original character from the Shiftylook comic - the original game's (pretty minimal) storyline has a soldier named Amul transform into a dragon to rescue Princess Alicia from the evil Zawell, and the comic has a female hero named Nidia alongside Amul on the same quest.
Play Dragon Spirit (Flash) (PC Engine/Turbografx 16 port)
Play Dragon Spirit (Flash) (NES port, some extra content)
Arcade version gameplay video
Video of a no-hit run through the PC Engine version (Part 2, 3, 4)
Arcade-History entry for Dragon Spirit
Shiftylook comic
Mr Driller
Mr Driller (1999, arcade)
The son of Dig Dug! Mr Driller has been ported to basically every platform in existence, so it shouldn't be hard to find a copy.
Play Mr Driller (Flash) (Gameboy Color port)
Arcade version gameplay
Arcade-History entry for Mr Driller
Blue Max
Sky Kid (1985, arcade)
Blue Max is the Player 2 character from Sky Kid, a blue bird in a biplane to Player 1's Red Baron. Max's name is a reference to the Pour le Mérite, which the real Red Baron received. There's basically zero story in the game, so the Namco High Blue Max is either or both the game and comic versions.
Play Sky Kid (Java) (NES port)
Arcade version gameplay video
Arcade-History entry for Sky Kid
First page of the Shiftylook comic (complete)
Hiromi Tengenji
Burning Force (1989, arcade)
Piloting a transforming hoverbike/fighter jet thing, Hiromi is literally a space cadet undergoing a six-day test (where each day is a level in the game) to become a Space Fighter.
Play Burning Force (Flash) (Megadrive/Genesis port)
Arcade version gameplay video
Hardcore Gaming 101 on Burning Force
Arcade-History entry for the arcade version
Ahiko Matsuo/Amazona
Wonder Momo (1987 arcade)
This is another Shiftylook original character: the original Wonder Momo game is a beat-em-up where a transforming heroine goes up against aliens, monsters and robots, but the entire thing is presented as a live-action show with an audience (and some creepy fanservicey jump-kick animations, and guys with cameras in the audience who the player has to be careful not to do certain revealing moves in front of). The comic stars the daughter of the original Wonder Momo, and her rival-slash-friend Ahiko, or Amazona when she's in costume.
Play Wonder Momo (Flash) (PC Engine port)
Arcade version gameplay video
Wonder Momo/Bravoman team-up in Namco x Capcom
Arcade-History entry for Wonder Momo
First page of the Shiftylook comic
Taira no Kagekiyo
Genpei Tōma Den (1986 arcade)
Taira no Kagekiyo is (hopefully) unique amongst the Namco High student body as an actual, real historical figure, a samurai who took part in the Genpei War. The arcade game, which posits a resurrected Taira no Kagekiyo fighting demons in a Yamato-e painting world, isn't the first fictionalised version of him: he appears in Chapter 11 of Heike Monogatari. And now a dating sim where he can make out with the Prince of Space's cousin. He's also another character whose Namco High appearance is closer to his original arcade game form than his Shiftylook comic.
Play Genpei Toumaden (Flash) (PC Engine port)
Arcade version playthrough video (Part 2, 3)
Arcade-History entry for Genpei Toumaden
Genpei Toumaden was also released as a 'computer boardgame' for the Famicom, with a cartridge meant to be played alongside the board - details are a bit scarce, but here are photos of the box contents, an account (in Japanese) of trying to play the thing, and video of the Famicom part.
Shiftylook comic (titled 'Scar', only loosely based on the game)
Jane Crocker
Homestuck (2009)
Jane has a decent claim to being the co-protagonist of Homestuck, although she's only introduced a fair way in. She's heiress to the (evil) Betty Crocker baking empire, fancies herself a detective-slash-comedian, has an inexplicable attraction to funny and/or blue men and has a fake moustache that acts as a phone.
Jane's introduction page, a mirror of the first ever page of Homestuck with her in place of John after the timeline was reset
Jane on the wiki
Jane is cool and collected in matters of the heart
Also she has that moustache communicator (Flash, sound, animated sequence summarising months of adventures with great music)
Another thing about Jane is she seems to transform into other versions of herself a lot
It's not always so disturbing, although maybe it is
She really has only had about five minutes outside of one mind-controlled state or another in the past year
Yuichiro Tomari
Ordyne (1988, arcade)
Tomari is the little dude piloting the Player 1 aircraft in his game.
Play Ordyne (Flash) (PC Engine port)
Gameplay video of the arcade version
Hardcore Gaming 101 on Ordyne
Arcade-History entry on the arcade game
Richard Miller
Time Crisis (1995, arcade)
As well as being the extremely 90s-action-guy protagonist of the original Time Crisis, Miller shows up as a boss in the bonus Crisis Mission mode of PS2 Time Crisis 2, and in Time Crisis 4 on the PS3.
Arcade version gameplay video
Arcade-History entry for Time Crisis
Davesprite
Homestuck (2009)
If I say Davesprite is a version of absurd ironic-not-ironic cool kid Dave Strider from a splintered, doomed timeline, where he saw his best friends die and lived with that for months before travelling back to the point the timeline fractured and merging himself with a ghostly guide in order to prevent those events from ever happening, then I realise I'm confirming everything you ever suspected about Homestuck. But that's what he is. He's also kind of part bird, and still injured and missing a wing from a really bad fight, and prone to introspection over not being the 'real' Dave.
Davesprite (or Alternate Future Dave) on the wiki
He's also an alternate version of the author of/the author of Sweet Bro And Hella Jeff
Davesprite gets along surprisingly well with non-bird Dave
How Davesprite lost that wing (Flash, sound, kind of long)
Davesprite has an epiphany
John calls him 'Dave Sprite' like it's a first name and surname
He also has the power to vaguely watermark the sky with his smug orange face
He may or may not have a ghost butt