ZIFF- DAVIS company Nintendo 64» PlayStation е Dreamcast е 16-Bit е Handhelds е Arcade EUECTRON rc САЛИ = uf you liked the first T level of shadows... you'll love Rogue squadram 50) Раде Гай Previews OVE Final Fantasy VIII е Хепореаг51е|МҒІЗВІ (1.99 Metal Gear Solid • Crash 3: WARPED * F-Zero)X Spyro the Dragon е Rival Schools Daytona? WCW/NWO Revenge е Cool Boarders 3 'e'Ehrgeiz КСА 0 696 VN Ls ing Force and Eidos interactive are trademarks of Core and Eidos, Ріс. respectively. © 1898 Eidos. PlayStation and the PlayStation logos are trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. 7 Cunning and wise, yet reputedly merciless. [ts the ninja way. Forget code of honor. A vast arsenal of lethal weapons, deadly magic and stealth moves help Jou do whatever it takes to win. Including raining 2 destruction upon every demon and warlord across ancient Japan. Your quest is assassination. Your obstacles — 10 levels of untamed wilderness and brutal pitfalls — each waiting to find your Achilles heel. + Уей p vertebrae. Send chil dows their freshly exposed ят Cunning and wise, yet reputedly merciless. Its the ninja way. Forget code of honor. A vast arsenal of lethal weapons, deadly magic and stealth moves help you do whatever it takes to win. Including raining „destruction upon every demon and warlord across ancient Japan. Your quest is assassination. Your obstacles — 10 levels of untamed wilderness and brutal, pitfalls — each waiting to find. your Achilles heel. Send chi down theiv vertebrae. freshly exposed e ) а are trademarks of Core and Eidos, Plc. respectively. © 1998 Eidos. PlayStation and the PlayStation logos are trademarks of Sony Compu me From Ше creators of. Jomb Raider and Fighting Force. €» bos B www.eidosinteractive.com ў 1 3 ELECTRONIC ARTS" www.futurecop.com In глаа НО. LH has gone іп пей. Thankfully. hell is within your jurisdiction. Lawless gangs parckin: thermu-nukes. bio-agents and other bad mojo are laying seige іп the City of Angels. Keep the peace with this piece. Your standard ssue hovercraft. walker. and all-purpose stice dispenser. It's like playing “good opvbad сорс. Only without the good сор. SERVE. PROTECT. SURVIVE. ELBETROMNIE” Number 11.10 cu Md c; — October 1998 = ШОЛПЫ wwwvideogames.com The Loony Season Has Started By John Davison * john_davison@zd.com Jonathan Lane J. E. Funk * joe funk&zd.com John Davison • john davison&zd.com Dean Hager • dean hager&zd.com Crispin Boyer е crispin boyer&zd.com John Ricciardi • john ricciardi&zd.com Dan Hsu е dan hsu&zd.com Shawn Smith e shawn_smith@zd.com Sushi-X * sushi_x@zd.com Joe Fielder е joe&videogames.com Moira Muldoon е moira@videogames.com Chris Johnston * chris johnston@zd.com Terry Minnich е tricks&zd.com Mark Hain е mark hainGzd.com Wataru Maruyama ® wat_maruyama@zd.com John Stockhausen * john_stockhausen@zd.com Michael Stassus • mstassus@zd.com Cyril Wochok * cyril wochok@zd.com Andrew Burwell, Jim Cordano, Scott Parus elcome to the point in the year where everything goes completely and utterly bonkers. For the past few months everything has been ticking along nicely, and all of a sudden the gaming market wakes up...and POW! there are squillions of titles on the brink of release. As you can probably tell by the somewhat weighty nature of EGM this month, we have a lot to tell you about all of a sudden. It seems the run-up to the holidays has begun, and it’s only going to get more and more interesting over the next few months. Like the movie industry, the gaming scene has its seasons and, ironically, just as the pre-Christmas movie drought starts, the torrential downpour of games begins. Our “Coming Soon” list has nearly 200 games on it this issue...and that’s just looking at products over the next three months. Sure, there are some real stinkers in there, but we have some fantastic stuff to look forward to: Metal Gear Solid, Tomb Raider 3, Zelda and then this month’s cover star Star Wars: Rogue Squadron. But this year’s real trouser-soiling excitement factor doesn’t end with what are ay certainly the best games on the current systems. Sega has already begun its prelaunch spooge-athon for the Dreamcast in Japan, and by the time you read this, the first details of Sonic Adventures will have hit www.videogames.com. Stuart Levy, CEO & Bureau Chief Matthew Galgani, Producer Kiyomi Fukuyama, Editorial Manager Yutaka Ohbuchi, Japanese Correspondent Jennifer Whitesides Јо-ЕГМ. Damen, Mark Eleveld Marc Camron Dave McCracken Paul Ojeda Chris Melody Pamela Schneider Mark LeFebvre * mark lefebvre&zd.com Cathy Bendoff Robert Kabat Joan McInerney Shirley Viel Don Galen. The new machines are very definitely on the way....Dreamcast is building some Атиле модни serious momentum in the development community, and И would seem that the ever-reluctant-to comment Sony is also about to start shouting from the rooftops. Back at E3, SCEA representatives were adamant that nothing would be discussed concerning a replacement for the PlayStation until a year prior to the machine's launch. Well...things have started happening—and I'd be prepared to bet large wedges of hard cash that when Dreamcast hits in Japan come November, Sony will be there saying, “Мей if you think that's impressive...wait until you get a load of this," and then flop down something with some utterly loony specifications. Obviously, getting a specific comment out of Sony right NOW is pretty tough going; most of our recent tries have met with the response, “Hello, thank you for calling Sony Computer Entertainment of America, we're not here right now...please leave a message after the beep.” Well...something like that anyway. Rest assured though, before this Christmas we'll know something about the new PlayStation. So...expect some big changes again soon. The hardware will change, the games will change, maybe even the way that we play will change – and we'll make sure that EGM is providing you with all of the information you're going to need along the way. Ziff-Davis Video Game Group. 135 Main St., 14th Floor, San Francisco, СА 94105 Telephone: 415-357-5200, Fax: 415-357-5288 Jennie Parker Tel: 415-357-5200 e-mail: jennie parker&zd.com Suzanne Farrell ў Tel: 4]5-357-5220 e-mail: suzanne farrel|@zd.com Jon Yoffie P Я Tel: 415-357-5320 e-mail: jon_yoffie@zd,com Karen Landon Е Tel: 415-357-5460 e-mail: karen landon&zd,com. Anthon: George + Tel: 630-916-7222, ext. 242 e-mail: anthony george&zd.com Lynn ELE] қ 2 Tel: 415-357-5443, e-mail; lynn_smiley@zd.com Mike Darling Steve Harris роловез зїцби пу "ощ "шәшиерәциа шероу 8661 ©) PUL @ Wa ‘ou чигшшецариз шеру Jo зиешеред Әле зиешоред IOO пу ш02:511005Ш ощ пившшецаша 1einduio9 (uos jo зиешаред әле obo| uoneiseid оц pue иоделбдеа ‘эм ‘uewureueyu3 илером jo жешәред рәләибәз е si 86, 55021941 voneisÁeld Co T22V иошшецо 55012070 YN вши-/ уедой/„ашпмоцв, Ашәәр HIUVH99IN лизазг "Виприец 2519319 10) 1әодио боргшу Auog e ш бла duy e yay ШІ) 1590 1по/ jo подепш лари 35046 e 1surefe ajaduioy „дари 15049, e ззшебу азе paads pue бицриец 12849 за pue ‘{алелб чауем ‘pnw ‘pueg бшзен шелләу-|ү 510111: syno-adim бшувпио-аиод pue ‘sun шалец ‘sunys 'sduin ѕәлоју Bur/jag-ujeag зоура жел YIM ред мошад абшв е uo soe шщ$пә 06 31013 pue 312917) 10103 X321] ешоцтолан следал pue зарелбап Ang o} убпор ay asn pue syang бід UM sapi diysuoidweyy 10} ajaduioy TM, ® and the “№ logo are trademarks of Nintendo of America Inc. © 1998 Nintendo of America Inc. www.nintendo.com Cruis'n World: O 1994 Nintendo. O 1996, 1998 Midway/Nintendo Inc. All rights reserved. Used under license. Midway is a trademark of Midway Games Inc. Introducing Cruis'n World? on Nintendo? 64. 16 exotic cars, 15 foreign countries to race them through and enough tricks to turn anybody into a hot dog. <> PlayStation ағап (PHS ipm uem \ SURPRISINGLY FAST SPEEDBOAT RACING GAME. www.playstation.com ТАИ Ce TERRI ө} АЗ Ге А ШМ. Contents Electronic Gaming Monthly, October 1998, Issue 111 214 - Rogue Squadron Our 14-page blowout shows everything you'd ever want to know about the last console Star Wars game LucasArts will release before the prequel films. 234 - How To Build The Ultimate Gaming Rig This first installment in our new how-to series helps you supercharge your game system with TV and stereo stuff at a variety of price ranges. 248 - Jeff Gordon We slowed Jeff Gordon to subsonic speeds just long enough to chat with our Kraig Kujawa about video games, NASCAR and what it's like to go real fast. 252 - Peripheral Round-Up Curious about what peripherals are out or on the way, and if they're worth the price? Then look no further than our new Power Tools section. 6 - Editorial A look at how the gaming industry is as seasonal as movies. 18 - Letters Good old Sushi-X gets his own page in Letters this month. 32 - News The father of the PlayStation talks about the PlayStation 2. 44 - Gaming Gossip Q-Mann digs up more good stuff on the PS2 and Dreamcast. 256 - Review Crew This month's a football frenzy with Madden NFL 99 for the PlayStation and N64, as well as NFL GameDay 99 for the PS. PREVIEWS 60 - Nintendo 64 Previews Check out our huge F-Zero X preview, as well as NHL 99, Buck Bumble and a load 4” of pictures from Castlevania 64. 100 - PlayStation Previews c» Besides covering the FFVIII demo, we Ха have Rival Schools, Spyro the Dragon 2 апа Crash 3: WARPED, among others. 194 - Saturn Previews Move on to our Saturn section for coverage of Deep Fear, Radiant Silvergun and a few others. 200 - Arcade Previews More on Sega's Daytona 2, new info on Blitz '99 and a look at SNK's latest fighter, King of Fighters '98. 270 - Jump Start Become a legend with our Mega Man Legends Jump Start. 272 - Tricks of the Trade Mission: Impossible for N64: weapons and different modes. 282 - Get Some! Star Wars Christmas ornaments and really intelligent primates. 284 - The Final Word The evolution of games from 2D to 3D: Our News editor explores the subject and looks at what has gone wrong. Game Directory 159 Activision Classics 162 Apocalypse 163 Armored Core: PP 161 Backstreet Billiards 259 Batman & Robin 188 Beavis & Butt-head 207 Bloody Roar 2 V4 blue. 70 Buck Bumble 154 Brave Fencer Musashi 190 Carmageddon 2 88-89 Castlevania 64 96 Charlie's Blast 174 Clock Tower It 186 Cool Boarders 3 140,142 Crash 3: WARPED 257 Deadly Arts 195 Deep Fear 262 Devil Dice 183 Dragon Quest МИ 172 Dragon Seeds 96 Duke Nukem’ Zero Hour 144 Ehrgeiz 166 МВА Tonight 166 National Hockey Night 78 Fighting Force 64 100-106 Final Fantasy УШ 188 Formula One '98 26) Future Cop: L.A.P.D. 257 Fl World Grand Prix 60-64 F-Zero X 262 GDarius 257 Gex 64: Enter the Gecko 158 Global Domination 158 6164 Championship Edit. 90 GT World Tour 160 GunBarl 263 Heart of Darkness 152 Kagero: Deception 2 96 Knife Edge 263 Kula World 196 Lunar 2: Eternal Blue 263, 258 Madden NFL 99 264 Master of Monsters 264 Mega Man Legends 1/8182 Metal Gear Solid 258 NASCAR 99 259. 264 NFL Blitz 265 NFL GameDay 99 NHL 99 86 Ogre Battle 3 265 Parasite Eve 84 Penny Racers 168 Pool Hustlers 184 Pro Sports Car Racing 190 Pro 18 World Tour Golf 207 Racing Jam Chapter Il 194 Radiant Silvergun 107 Raiden Fighters Jet 190 Rat Attacl 265 Resident Evil 2: Dual Shock 126,128 Rival Schools 166 Rosco McQueen 72 SCARS. 196 Shining Force ИЕ Scenario 2 80 Space Station Silicon Valley 266 Spice World 7 Spikeout—Digital Battle Onlir Spyro the Drago 172 StarCon 168 Streak 207 Street Fighter Alpha 3 184 Suikoden 2 96 Survivor Day One 167 TaiFu 146 Tales of Destiny 266 Team Losi RC Racer 150 Tenchu 267 Thunder Force V 169 Tiny Tank 267 ТОСА Touring Саг Championship 184 Tomb Raider 3 94 Tonic Trouble 267 Trap Gunner 259 Waialae Country Club: True Golf Classics. 76 WCW/NWO Revenge 183134 Xenogears 173 X-Games Pro Boarder We blow out the entire Final Fantasy VIII demo. Check pg. 100 for info on new characters, spells and other cool-ass stuff. iul | 0) || | Cut your console free from that crappy TV. Hook it to our hi-fi gear instead and crank it to 11. Our 10-page guide to building the ultimate gaming system begins on page 234. [THE STEALTH NINJA RIKIMARU, AS SEEN BY THE VOCAL COR DS OF A PALACE GUARD. ] ACTIVISION. Move without sound. Merge with air. Strike with precision and stealth. You are a ninja in sixteenth century Japan and your first mission is to assassinate the evil merchant Echigo-ya In each of the ten missions assigned, your opponent has numbers, but you have something he doesn't skill, cunning and a closet-full of over twenty different fatal weapons and spelis So, if you're good, the first time anyone will be the last. And your enemy will learn that silence isn't actually golden, but rather, blood red TENCHU <. STEALTH ASSASSINS LIVE BY HONOR, KILL BY STEALTH. EE CAPS. "Tiny Tank's effects are some of the most impressive seen on a PlayStation... қ the game itself is a technical wonder’ Y я => -Next Generation -— = www.tinytankcom www.mgminte г.с, = = TINY TANK: UP YOUR ARSENAL “© 1998, MGM Іпѓегаб с. All Rights Reserved. Created by AndNow LLC. Software Background Technology 1997-98 Appaloosa Interactive, Inc. Distributed by MGM Home Еп вещ) t, T = фа 2500 Broadway, Santa Monica, CA 90404. PlayStation aR PlayStation logos are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Interactive Digital Softwar = Bye Bye I'd like to wish Kelly Rickards the best of luck with what’s going on in his personal life. Keep strong and come back to the Review Crew soon. Havoc1114@aol.com A Dangerous Trick In your response to a letter sent in by Howard Kwak, you said the only way to play Saturn import games that require the 4 MB RAM cart is to get your Saturn modded. This is clearly not the case since I play my friend's Stick ‘Em Up, Vader! In reference to video game violence being detrimental to the minds of young people, | have to say this: Mr. Politician, censorship is a form of Nazism (Hitler had his cronies going around confiscating and destroying material that he and the governing body found offensive to them). Blaming video games for real-world violence is an easy out Mr. Politician. You know it. | know it. Most acts of violence can be traced back to psychological and physical abuse from something in a person's past, not from a cartridge or a CD. I've been playing video games for almost 20 years now. In those 20 years, | haven't killed a single person so I could stick a quarter in his or her mouth or hit the Reset button to try again. Mr. Politician, the things that need taking care of are the drug dealers, pimps, child molesters, rapists, murderers, thieves and our revolving door of justice, not reputable companies like Nintendo, Sony, Capcom, Konami, Midway and the countless other game developers. Mr. Politician before you spend all this money and all this time on the video game referendum, spend it where it truly needs to be spent: educating our children, bettering our schools, cleaning up our streets and helping those who have been physically and mentally abused. Save the children who are being abused and those who are starving to death on our streets before tackling an issue that has no impact whatsoever to the child who lies in a gutter, sleeping in a box, eating out of the trash behind Joe's Diner. Video games allow us to become the receiver who catches the winning touchdown pass for the Super Bowl, to become the batter who hits the grand slam that wins the World Series, to become the hero who saves his or her world from destruction. They allow us to snowboard down a mountain without running into a real tree at 90 miles an hour, drive a race car, fly a fighter jet, travel to exotic locales and alien worlds. Mr. Politician, when you were once a child, did you not go out with your cowboy vest and six shooters and pretend to shoot up a trio of desperados, or in my case Darth Vader and his army of Stormtroopers? Video games are no different from doing exactly that, except that you don't get any exercise or fresh air or sunshine (uh-oh, looks like | just gave Mr. Politician something new to bark about. | can see the next anti-video game issue now, “VIDEO GAMES MAKE KIDS FAT AND LAZY."). The horror. Oh, the horror. Jay Ruddy Irwinton, GA letters Compiled by Shoe You can write EGM at: EGM Letters 1920 Highland Ave., #222 Lombard, IL 60148 e-mail: EGM MailGzd.com For subscription problems, please call (303) 665-8930, or check out www.zdnet.com/zdsubs /egm/service/ Please note: We reserve the right to edit any correspondence for space purposes. If you don't want your name, city/state or e-mail address printed, tell us so (but please include your phone number and mailing address for Letter of the Month consideration). copy of X-Men vs. Street Fighter on my Saturn with no internal modifications. All you need is the game, the 4 MB RAM cart and a Saturn import converter cartridge. 1) Pop in your X-Men vs. Street Fighter CD and your Saturn converter cartridge. 2) When you turn the power on, it should go to the CD Control Screen. From there, select "Start Application." 3) You will get the little rings spinning around this button. As soon as they stop spinning, QUICKLY remove the import converter cartridge and insert the 4 MB RAM cart. You must do this very quickly. It may take a few tries, but it's worth it fora game such as X-Men vs. Street Fighter. Enjoy! Aaron Gomez usagi@teleport.com Cool, thanks for the trick! Just let us know if you fry your Saturn, import converter or RAM cart from yanking cartridges in and out of a live machine. For a safer method, read the next letter. А Safe Trick OK, | own a U.S. Saturn, and | have X-Men vs. Street Fighter. It’s great—arcade perfect. Now, how can | do this? Well, | have a nifty cart called the Action Replay Plus. It is four things in one. It is a converter (to play foreign games), a 4-Meg RAM cart, a memory cart and a cheat cart. It lets you play all your favorite Japanese games, including the great Capcom fighting games. Nick Spolec VtSnake@aol.com D’oh. We failed to mention these wonderful devices that will let you play 4-Meg RAM cart games on your U.S. Saturn (01998 Levi Strauss & Co. All rights reserved. without a GameShark. That's a big boo- boo...sorry. You can find the Action Replay Plus or Ultra Madness Turbo Key (a similar product) at video game import shops. Or check out www.tronixweb.com or the Tommo ads found in the back of EGM for more information. Just be warned—these things are not perfect. You need to find recent versions of these products (the older ones may not work with Vampire Savior) and you may experience troubles with certain 1-Meg cart games, like Samurai Shodown 4. What's The Point? What is with the ad for Panzer Dragoon Saga on the back of the September issue of EGM? It is a cut-out mask for use by those unlucky souls (myself one of them) who were unable to get their hands on a copy ofthe game. This ad can't be designed to sell Panzer Dragoon Saga, because it came out a while ago and is already sold out everywhere. So why was this ad made and put in such a prominent position: the back cover of the magazine? Is this part of an ad campaign for a rerelease of the game in larger quantities? Oris Sega playing with our minds by telling us that our imaginations and a crappy mask can make up for the lack of owning an awesome game? Since my imagination has been used so little in the past few years (video games leaving less and less to the imagination and all), | hope this is not their view, and that the former hypothesis will prove correct. jdnonc@aol.com The ad serves two purposes: 1.) It’s keeping the Sega name brand alive until Dreamcast comes out,-and 2.) It’s promoting the next shipment of Panzer Dragoon Sagas. At the time of this writing, Sega is preparing to ship out the fourth run of this hot RPG. Better grab it if you can. What was your favorite When | pulled off my first 31-hit combo in Killer Instinct Gold. KLOUDD@webtv.net How Do They Do That? I've read in your magazine how problems with RAM are preventing games like X-Men vs. Street Fighter from coming to the PlayStation in complete form. Yet at the same time, | read about Tekken 3 being ported over to the PlayStation in near- perfect arcade style, with extras like Force Mode. My question is, if 2D fighters are so "simple," why are they being brought home in such poor shape? If the PlayStation doesn't have enough RAM to have tag teaming in X-Men vs. SF, how can Tekken 3 be so large and stay so close to perfect? Jason Shepherd shepfam@siu.edu Think of 2D fighting game characters as little cartoons, with many cells of animation. Each frame of animation in a sprite (a flat, movable 2D object such as the fighters in X-Men vs. SF) has to be stored in a system's graphics RAM (Random Access Memory—temporary memory that can be accessed instantly, as opposed to ROM or Read Only Memory — permanent memory that reads off of various storage formats like CDs or cartridges). So when a 2D Ryu is on the screen, the system has already loaded off the CD and into RAM all of his animation "cells," from walking, crouching and jumping to throwing fireballs and launching dragon punches; every possible pose and step Ryu can take on is in RAM, ready to display in an instant. For most 2D fighting games, the system has to have animation ready in RAM for two fighters at a time. No problem there. The problem with X-Men vs. Street Fighter is, a CD-based console has to have enough RAM to store four characters' sets of animation, unless you want to wait for long load times each and every time you swap characters (either that or it has to be a cartridge-based console, so the machine can quickly access Question of the Moment =z Finding out there's a whole second adventure in The Legend of Zelda. EvanAggie@aol.com In Resident Evil 2, when the licker jumped through the mirror in the inter- rogation room. Scared the letters the ROM for the extra characters’ animations). Since those swapping load times would completely ruin the game, Capcom opted instead to take out tag- teaming altogether (in their opinion, the lesser of two evils), thus saving what little RAM the PlayStation has for the two main characters and brief appearances by their teammates. Even that sacrifice isn't enough though —that's why you'll see slowdown and choppy animation. Why is the Japanese Saturn X-Men vs. Street Fighter so perfect? Because it has the help of extra memory, courtesy the 4-Meg RAM cart. And yes, theoretically N64 cartridges could support a complete, tag-teamin' X-Men vs. SF. In a 3D fighter like Tekken 3, however, the polygons are calculated in real time by the PlayStation's powerful 3D processors. The PS isn't storing every possible frame of animation Eddy Gordo has, it's drawing what he should look like on the fly with geometry routines (something the PS is very good at), so RAM isn't as much a limiting factor here. You can do this with polygons, but you can't do this with sprites because each sprite is a solid 2D drawing (you can't “calculate” a 2D Ken punching; you have to have drawn out ahead of time each step of a large, In Tomb Raider II, when | locked that stupid old butler in the freezer so he couldn't follow me around Remember that NES game hell out of me. the house. moment (a.k.a. Golgo 13? | thought it was cool when he got laid at the hotel. Beating Lunar 2, getting pissed at the ending, finding the “coolest Cha-ching! moment”) in a video game? whole castle. golf-a-holic@juno.com Getting clipped by the space shuttle in Pilotwings 64. BKellyg5o5@aol.com address withheld epilogue, seeing the real ending. Happy! =) dbaker@inwave.com Freeing Richter in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night then finding out that there’s another The opera scene in Final Fantasy III. NJDevsFan@aol.com | think you guys will agree with me on this—the first time you saw Street Fighter II. wrecker316@juno.com When the Metroid saved you from the Mother Brain in Super Metroid. Master Chop Chop’s rap. The first time you play [PaRappa], you don't know what to expect. All of a sudden, an onion starts bustin' a rhyme. Whitingdjs@aol.com boywonder14@hotmail.com When Aeris was killed by Sephiroth, and Cloud put her body into the water in FFVII. Definitely the coolest and most moving moment in gaming history. duran_a73@hotmail.com Dux33@aol.com The first time | turned off War Gods on my friend’s Nintendo 64. cookie@golden.net j3adler@juno.com Next Month’s Question of the Moment: What is the oldest video game you are still playing today? Send your short, but sweet, responses to: EGM_Mail@zd.com with the subject heading: OLD ачмов NOUORONd 405532034 ХИН IIMA TVNOLLYN 86618 XMVH ANOL зэв NATIONAL FLUID MILK PROCESSOR PROMOTION BOARD hecause of the challenging gameplay. Others cry for their enslaved brothers. But cry hecause electrodes are attached to their tear glands, stimulating the ingredients Brew, the best-selling nauseating elixir from SoulStorm Brewery. classic Oddworld tradition, Abe's Exoddus delivers more intuitive communication and ial evil than ever before. Richer language. Lusher environments. Tougher challenges. AN ALL-NEW EPIC FROM THE CREATORS OF ODDWORLD: ABE'S ODDYSEE J Мир “шщ odd fo the S www.oddworld.com by Oddworld. Published and Distributed by GT Interactive Software ‘are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment inc. Oddworld Inhabitar nee punch animation and have enough memory to store all the "cells" for display). Other little things are involved (like the PlayStation's lack of a dedicated 2D. processor), but RAM is what's primarily holding back a good X-Men vs. SF. Gutsy Talk | have a statement about the new movie, Saving Private Ryan. | am 19, and I’ve been playing video games for more than half my life. Nothing in those 10 years has even come close to preparing me for what | saw on the silver screen. That says a lot — Mortal Kombat, Doom, Quake...whatever. None of them come even close. | had a hard time staying in my seat | was so disturbed. And those politicians say that video games desensitize us? Now looking back, video games are really tame, and they should stay that way. | wouldn’t want to be in a first-person shooter where guys | know are being torn to shreds by gunfire all around me, and the ones still alive are crying for mommy and begging us to help them. That’s disturbing. That’s the stuff that warps kids, even grown-up folks. So maybe the folks in Washington should ease up a little. Address withheld True, but for some reason, certain lawmakers feel a computer-drawn pixelated Kung Lao fatality is more shocking to society’s conscience than the infamous ultra-violent, ultra-realistic Omaha Beach scene in Saving Private Ryan. But to be fair, the film is rated R, meaning theoretically, few children are supposed to see it. A Site To Behold | am a member of the group against GAEGM. I have been ever since I read their whiny letters. Anyhoo, | have just finished the official Gamers Against Gamers Against Electronic Gaming Monthly Web site. | have posted all the letters so far from GAEGM. The site also has its own chat room. You can see the site at http://members.tripod.com/GAGAEGM /index.html (the GAGAEGM must be capitalized). Thanks for the inspiration. Scott Krone nagganootch@earthlink.net Oops Part One | didn’t want to pass on the opportunity to thank you for awarding Capcom the Best Tournament at E3. | think we put on a pretty good show. Glad to hear you thought so too. | wanted to clarify the other mention of Capcom in your “Final Word” [August issue, EGM #109]. Capcom is not going to be the publisher of GameTek’s Robotech product. The announcement we made public at E3 stated Capcom had reached an 24 agreement in principle with GameTek to distribute Robotech. Although many consumers may not know the difference between a publishing or distribution deal, | wanted to clarify the facts with you. Thanks again for coming to our tournament and for the compliment. Melinda Mongelluzzo Director Public Relations Capcom Entertainment, Inc. Oops. Sorry about the error. Just so everyone else is clear on this matter: A publisher is in charge of advertising, marketing and promoting a product (i.e., bringing it to the consumers' attention) while a distributor is responsible for getting the product to the store shelves. In most cases, the publisher also acts as the distributor. But once in a while, a smaller publisher (like GameTek in this example) will seek out a company with greater resources (here, Capcom) for help in getting wider distribution for their product. This may all be moot anyway. GameTek just recently went Chapter 11. Right now, the Letter Art Joseph Morrison Bloomingdale, GA Congratulations, your prize is on the way—an ASCII Specialized Control Pad for the PlayStation. It features rapid-fire controls for all buttons and slow motion for those intense moments. David Wong — Moose Jaw, Sask., Canada letters future of Robotech: Crystal Dreams is up in the air. We'll let you know if someone picks up the unfinished project or not. Oops Part Two Hi...just received the new September issue and | noticed a Saturn Logo next to a PlayStation game, Gran Turismo. I’m not a fan of the game, but I’m pretty sure it’s a PlayStation game, heck even published by SCEA. Well, it’s probably just a small printing error. You guys are still the greatest. hqg@juno.com Hey, check out page 36 in issue #110. I’m glad to see Sony has put its rivalry with Sega in the past and is helping out by giving Sega one of its best games. smrfozo1Qacun.com OK, OK! We get the idea! We goofed—in our Top 20 list last month, we had a brain fart and accidentally listed SCEA's Gran Turismo as a Saturn game. We promise never to not make another mistake again. Where creativity, your favorite video game and a stamp can make you immortal!* Close, but no controller Shane Fernald Baltimore, MD The ASCII Control P Put your creative skills to the lest by decking out a #10 envelope [the long business type) with your own unique touch, Send your letter art to: ЕСМ Letter Art 1920 Highland Ave, Suite 777 Lombard, IL 60148 (All entries become the property of ZD Inc. and will not be returned!) Marcus Dillard Hollywood, FL IT'S WHY YOU STARTED PLAYING RPG'S IN THE FIRST PLACE. f time you met your destiny. Tales о) Destiny delivers everything the true aficionado op the RPG genre could want and more. Journey the high seas in search of the lost secrets ор the ancient Aetherians. Wield weapons во powerpul they develop their own intelligence and will. Cast more than 100 amazing spells in real PlayStation time, making enemies and monsters fear your wrath. Soar through the skies on a fantastic dragon ship, searching for your next adventure. Tales of Destiny. A true RPG crapted with the RPG connoisseur in mind. ‘namco’) TALES OF DESTINY" 6 © 1997 Namco Ltd. All Rights Reserved. © Mutsumi Inomata. PlayStation and the PlayStation logos are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. 1 just got the latest EGM and read the article on Metal Gear Solid. Right at the end, | saw that it is supposed to be released on Sept. 3. | then looked at your release dates section in your mag and it says October. | went to EB's site to check, and it said Oct. 20. I’m just wondering if Sept. 3 is the release date or if it is a typo. Wil Becker rfellowsGerols.com Sept. 3 is the Japanese release date. MGS is due out in America on Oct. 22. As always, release dates are subject to change. | have heard rumors that there is a lava world in Banjo-Kazooie. In the game, Gobi the camel says he is leaving for the lava world (he told me this when | spoke to him in the level, Click Clock Wood). | have beaten the game and gotten every single puzzle piece, music note and honeycomb. Yet I still cannot find the entrance to the lava world. I have looked high and low and even had my friends look with me. Maybe you can be of some assistance. Please help. Corey Barnard Banjo2t@aol.com RIGHT, THAT’S IT! PM OFF TO THE LAVA WORLD Banjo-Kazooie doesn’t have a hidden lava level (in fact, the game doesn’t have any hidden worlds). Our sources tell us Gobi might be referring to something in Banjo- Tooie, the sequel. Poy Poy is one of the greatest games of last year (how could you possibly leave it off the top-10 multiplayer games of all time list?). Гуе patiently awaited the sequel, scheduled to be released in September, according to your Coming Soon list. Last month, Poy Poy 2 was pulled from your Coming Soon list. What happened to this faithful servant of the multiplayer genre? scottw@bham.mindspring.com Poy Poy 2 has been pushed back until December. | was wondering if you could comment on the rumor that Square Soft will be making a Secret of Mana sequel for the N64? Hexum311G@aol.com It’s just that: a rumor. Square Electronic Arts is a Nintendo 64 publisher (they are publishing Maxis’ Sim Copter 64 over in Japan), but Square Soft has no plans to develop anything for the system at this point in time. | guess Square’s development dreams are too big to fit on a cartridge. Plus, it doesn't help that the Nintendo 64 is doing so poorly in Japan (the market Square is really concerned about). Do you think Marvel vs. Capcom will come out for the PlayStation? | keep spending millions of quarters in the arcade. Га rather just buy the game and save a lot of money! LHOANGARL@aol.com Capcom will definitely bring out Marvel vs. Capcom for the PlayStation. The system’s selling too well for them not to! But one thing’s for sure: The game’s gonna look and play like turd. You saw how bad X-Men vs. SF turned out on the PS. You can bet Marvel vs. Capcom will be hacked up much worse (because M vs. C is the most sprite-intensive of the versus games). Don’t hold your breath for a great arcade translation...at least not on the PlayStation. How come in GoldenEye 007, you can get certain weapons with the “All Guns” cheat like the shotgun and taser, and not in the regular mode? Are they hidden deep within a certain level? PHX311@aol.com Nope, they’re simply bonus weapons that are only available in the Cheat Mode. By the way, what's up with all these AOL e-mails? How are you people getting through to send these messages? | have four questions for Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. 1. How do you get to the second castle? 2. How do you play as Richter? 3. What is the Gold Ring (the one where it says "wear...clock") for? 4. At the big clock where you first meet си ест letters Who's the most hardcore gamer of them all? Why it's our very own Sushi-X, Electronic Gaming Monthly's top video game expert. If you have a specific game-related question for our mysterious ninja freak, er, friend, write him! He'll pick out a few and answer them as only he knows how. Send your questions to: Ask Sushi-X 1920 Highland Ave. #222 Lombard, 11. 60148 e-mail: sushi. xGzd.com Maria, how do you get the statue on the right to move? It only moved once for me. Please help, I'm really stuck! Battle815@aol.com Ah...this brings back some fond memories... 1. Make sure you equip the Holy Glasses (found underneath the clock, see #3) in the “final” fight with Richter. You’ll notice something a little unusual. You can probably figure it out from there. 2. Get at least 170 percent in the game, then start a new game with the name “RICHTER.” 3. Equip the Silver and Gold ring at the same time in the room with the big clock (in the Marble Gallery). 4. The right statue moves during certain time intervals (every minute or so). Also, try using the Stopwatch in this room. A lot of stuff can happen in this room... Since you are the Street Fighter fundamentalist, | was wondering who is your favorite SF character and why? Also, what do you think are the worst fighting games of all time? Finally, what did you think of Karate Champ? Just curious. Ron Aquino rgma@concentric.net | can play any Street Fighter character Capcom throws at me, but 1 have a certain affinity toward Ryu and Blanka. That's why I'm so excited about EX 2 and Alpha 3—the return of Blanka!!! The worst fighting games? Battle’ Monsters, Shaq Fu, Bloodstorm, Time Killers, Lobo, Way of the Warrior, Flying Dragon, Rise 2...man, | can go on forever. Karate Champ was damn cool, but it’s no Street Fighter II! Sushi-X Files... Send comments to the following address: The Sushi-X Files 1920 Highland Ave. Ste. 222 Lombard, IL 60148 Something Special For Loyal Subscribers Only! GB Camera Clip Art We know as well as you the clip art included with the Game Boy camera is pretty lame. That's why we're giving you a gallery of clip art EGM style. Use your imagi tion and we promise the shots will work somewhere. Sure, it's not quite like clip art since you have to store them in standard picture slots, but you'll have these when- ever you need them. Enjoy and expect more Game Boy Camera stuff in the future. ON THE OTHER SIDE* =" ТНЕ МАЅК © ЕСМ Everybody put your controllers іп the air, and wave them like you just don't care. Cuz if you play lots of games and read this here list let me hear you say aw yeah... * Laetitia Casta on the cover of Rolling Stone this month... WOW! * Shawn for beating Shoe in a heated arm-wrestling bout for honor * Vegetarianism * Meatism * Colonialism * Free-roaming Crash 3: WARPED levels e Quake П being four-player on both N64 and PlayStation * Slurpee machines * Cameron Diaz in There's Something About Mary * The OPM October demo disc with playable MGS and Soul Reaver * We can't do covers like Rolling Stone * Storing dead animals in your guts * Rush (the band) * Rush Limburger (the man) * Mancow * Being bitten on the nipple by a mosquito * What Cameron Diaz uses for hair gel in There's Something About Mary е E-Coli * Franks over beans * Having to listen to the new Beastie Boys album 7 squillon times if you're not a fan (who isn't?) * Senseless decapitations In the spirit of Sega's newest ad for Panzer Saga and Halloween, webring you.some mask-making fun! On the other side of the Sushi-X Files is a.big old head that's pretty much freaky. You might know the face as Andy Baran, lead strategist for Expert Gamer. Sure, all of us here on staff know he's a good guy but your friends don't know that. With that said, simply cut the mask out along the dotted line, make two small wholes on each side of the mask and attach a string. If people ask who you are, just tell them you're a psycho who likes to collect knives, axes and the occasional human head. You get the idea. OT & NOT * see opposite side for mask Alternative Costumes Maybe the idea of going out and trick or treating when you're in your 20s is a little strange, but hey what the hell. If you're younger and still go trick or treat- ing, well...be thankful and disregard this. Anyway, here's some ideas: The obvious one is going as Sushi-X. It's simple and cost-efficient. Get a black hood, some black clothes, а toy katana and you're in business. Another costume idea is going as Crispin Boyer. You'll need a pillow, a broken Tekken 2 disc and some red hair. To go as John Davison simply dress in knickers and buy some tea. To go as Shawn, grow a goatee and feel funky. e-mail: shawn_smith@zd.com SITES WE THINK KICK SOME: ASS Our list of weird, pointless and/or normal Web sites is growing and growing thanks to all of you. Keep the sites coming and maybe they will be up to your standards of weirdness in upcoming issues of EGM. If you’re interested in an HTML version of previous lists, check out the following URL: members.tripod.com/ - HatPerson/weirdweb.html A very special thanks go out to KIDVID237@aol.com for compiling the list and continually updating it. * www.gardening.com * www.cagle.com * www.dystopiacartoons.com е Www.csoon.com е www.robyn.on.net/elvis/ * www.aint-it-cool-news.com * www.themakingof.com * www.gamejobs.com * www.gsnet.org/squirrel.htm е www.preadtorpee.com е www.ualberta.ca/~msykes/thome.html е www.well.com/user/cynsa/newbutt.html * www.diablo.com е public.srce.hr/ - dbiscev * www.fart.com е wcad.ml.org/wc3d/ * www.garboloy.com * WWW.ace-1.com е www.octane.com/Parodyville/ * www.jps.net/tbaughman/preview/ * www.faqs.org/faqs/music/ iron-maiden-faq/ е www.csi.uottawa.ca/~u997103/ duhstuff.html * www.adscape.com/badfads/ * We cannot be held responsible for the material presented on these sites. Parents may want to double check the sites before junior ven- tures onto them. At presstime, all of the sites listed were accessible. Sushi-X Files HALLOWEEN FUN!!! Andy Baran says: 66 9 Hmm...that’s e e I y NOTE: For safety reasons, don’t ve interesti ng. forget to ci a hole in the mask H ээ for your eyes, and also one in the A picture of me... mouth so you can breath. If you want to save the stuff on the other side, it might be a good idea to make a copy of this on some heavy-duty paper. Over 70 wrestlers, including 50 WCW and NWO superstars at Real WCW theme music И ө Smoother animations, better graphics, \ faster speed, and smarter AI , Over 300 unique wrestling moves l ча ed by enemies, you Обг artillery gauge. Ой re screwed. SOL. Дей reality when you hit itch. Enter GameShark. enhancer delivering mmunition, keys, cash ing. It's a trick and ‚ Whether fighting an Pig Cops or raiding nb, opt for continual fire An emply gun will only hot. zu playstation. nintendo.64 windows 95/98 game boy.pocket /game boy. sega saturn” Obtain the latest codes from: www.gameshark.com « 1.900.773.SHARK (Call costs $1.29/minute. You must be 18 years of age or have parent's permission.) Dangerous Waters Newsletter (For info call 410.785.5661) « Gaming Mags + (91998 InterAct Accessories, Inc. А RECOTON COMPANY. АП rights reserved. Fighting Fore c се are trademarks of Core a: spectively. ©1998 Eidos Plc. Nintendo, Nintendo 64 and the 3-D “М” logo are trademarks of Nintendo of America Inc. ©1998 Nintendo of America NINTENDO % Ву [ T WHY NOT MAKE THEM SUFFER FIRST? TRY A STEEL GIRDER ТО THE RIBS. IN FACT, Ой THESE INNER-CITY STREETS ALMOST ANYTHING CAN BECOME A TORTUOUS CAN OF WHOOP-ASS. AND ONCE YOU OPEN IT, THERE'S NO STOPPING THE KILLER 3-D ACTION OR BONE-CRUSHING MOVES. IDOS ' “г... CREE e www.fightingforce.com By Chris Johnston chris johnstonQzd.com The hottest gaming news on the planet System Shock Sony begins developing the successor to its number-one product of all time Format War Storage, price and flexibility are key when it comes to choosing a format for the PlayStation Next. Historically, video game systems have used cartridges, compact discs or cards to transfer data. For PlayStation Next, Sony is rumored to be looking into using Minidisc for re-writeabil- ity (for track editors in racing games, level updates, roster updates for sports games). Another rumor is that Sony will use DVD (Digital Video/ Versatile Disc) as the system's main delivery format. Price will probably be the deciding factor. Minidisc is definitely an option, but DVD is still a tad pricey. If you have a hit game, it’s “When's the sequel coming out?" When you have a hit movie, the question is, "Are there plans for a sequel?" When Sony scored a hit with the PlayStation after its launch on Sept. 9, 1995, it wasn't long before the question was asked, “So...when’s PlayStation 2 coming out?" That answer may soon be at hand. It's no secret that video game companies, be it Nintendo, Sega or Sony, are always working on the next best thing, the next technology to build into the next- generation system. That's how technology works. While console systems aren't obsolete the sec- ond you walk out of a store with one, it has become increasingly harder for manufacturers to get a significant jump on the power of personal computers. It can be done, as Dreamcast is proving as newer and better screenshots are released of its games. A recent CNN report stated that we could see PlayStation 2 within the next 18 months. SCEA officials are remaining silent on the topic of the PlayStation's successor, reason being that the PlayStation itself has not yet reached its peak. However silent SCEA is, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. vice president and co-COO Кеп Ken Kutaragi (above) designed the original PlayStation, which in three years has become the most successful product in Sony's histo- ry. The question is, can Sony repeat its success a second time? Kutaragi, the designer of the origi- nal PlayStation, recently revealed a few details about the PlayStation Next—the first official line we've heard about the system. Kutaragi told EE Times that a team of engi- neers is currently working on developing new graphics technolo- gies for use with the company's next console. Unlike Sega and Nintendo (who have worked with NEC/VideoLogic and Silicon Graphics), Kutaragi says that Sony is using homebrew computer graphics technologies, which will be a part of PlayStation Next. "Today's video game computer graphics look like computer graph- ics,” he told EE Times. “Our goal is a film-like graphics quality that won't make viewers conscious of or annoyed that they are indeed looking at computer graphics." Stay tuned to videogames.com and EGM for details on PlayStation Next when we hear them. What do you ask first about a new system? Who is developing for it? 27% How powerful is it? (32-, 64-bit, etc.) 34% What do the games look like? 3926 When a new system is announced, there are plenty of questions that need to be asked. We asked videogames.com read- ers what their first question is when they hear about a new sys- tem. (Source: videogames.com poll, Wed, Aug. 5, 1998) The days of Super Nintendo and Genesis have long passed in the United States. Kirby 3 was the last new Super Nintendo game to be released. As we're already saying goodbye to some of the machines once called the next wave — Magic Knight Rayearth will be the very last release on the Saturn—it’s amazing that in Japan, this old 16-Bit machine is still The days of 16-Bit are not over. Games like Wrecking Crew '98 (top), Kirby's Super Star Stacker (middle) and Rockman & Forte (bottom) are breathing new life into the Super Famicom in Japan. pumping out new games. One of the reasons is the Nintendo Power (no relation to the magazine) game delivery sys- tem located in Lawson's conve- nience stores in Japan. Basically a video game vending machine, it gives you a way to purchase and download games from a list of selections onto a special flash ROM cartridge for play at home. New games from Nintendo like Wrecking Crew '98, Kirby's Super Star Stacker, Super Punch-Out!!, Dr. Mario, Derby Stallion '98 and others come to the Nintendo Power system before hitting Japanese shelves separately. Wrecking Crew '98, released on the first of the year 1998, is actually more puzzle game that updates to the NES classic. But if you're a retro fan, it includes the original too. Kirby's Super Star Stacker is the 16-Bit counterpart to the Game Boy title, and fea- tures a Story Mode as well as keeping track of players' names. One release that Mega Man fans will want to know about is Rockman & Forte (Mega Man is known as Rockman there, Forte is Bass). Mixing enemies and Bosses from the older games as well as new ones, some would say it's the most difficult Mega Man game ever. Rockman & Forte was released separately, not as a Nintendo Power cartridge. How can you get them? Since few game importers carry Super Famicom releases, you have to go to Japan to get them. www.nintendo.co.jp Check out the latest gaming news at www.videogames.com Developer Profile Bizarre Creations Location: Liverpool, England Web Address: www.bizarrecreations.com Gameography: 1988 - Combat Crazy (Commodore 64) 1990 - The Killing Game Show (Amiga, Atari ST) 1991 - Fatal Rewind (Genesis) 1993 - Wiz n' Liz (Genesis, Amiga) 1996 - Formula 1 (PlayStation/PC CD-ROM) 1997 - Formula 1 '97/Championship Edition (PS/PC CD-ROM) Current Projects: Metropolis - City-based Racer - (Dreamcast Euro launch title), Drive-By - Action Shooter - (PC CD-ROM...for now) # of Employees: 22 Bizarre Creations" previous works include Wiz n' Liz on the Genesis (left) and the PlayStation racer Formula 1. 2-0001Ч00 43 During breaks from late-night programming sessions we: a) Play Quake b) Cycle our bikes around the inside of the office c) Watch the bunnies outside d) Watch the cats chasing the bunnies e) Run around with replica guns firing BB pellets f) Go to the local bowling alley and drink half pints of shandy g) Play more Quake h) What breaks? Favorite programmer snack food: Current ratings on the Pot Noodle "favorite" stakes: Chicken and Sweetcorn - 2:1 Beef and Tomato - 3:1 Curry (noodles and rice) - 5:2 favorite Spicy Tomato - 7:1 Sausage and Tomato - 10:1 Last Christmas' turkey and stuffing - 100:1 rank outsider Music that inspires us: Depends on which desk you're near! There's a wide range of tastes, from heavy metal, through dance music to Manic Street Preachers (ugh). However it's currently definitely NOT the theme music from Jurassic Park... Story Behind Our Mascot (Pumpkin head): Martyn (the MD) had always wanted to have a pumpkin character in one of his games. This eventually happened in Wiz ‘п’ Liz—where the first incarna- tion of the logo can just about be seen 1cm by 1cm on the U.K. box! Then after a couple more versions, during F1 we had the for- tune to meet up with the fantasy artist, Rodney Matthews, who agreed to do the logo for us. And with his help, the Pumpkin Man was born, and is currently being modeled and animated for the Metropolis intro screen. He hasn't got a name yet—any ideas? Company Motto: Be Bizarre? Check out the latest gaming news at www.videogames.com Developer News In the past month, plenty of new devel- opers have formally announced intentions to develop for Dreamcast. Although many big names have yet to announce formal plans to develop for the system, there are going to be more announcements between now and the Tokyo Game Show in October. It's been a while since Sonic the Hedgehog starred in a headline game for Sega. Sonic R, Sonic Blast—those were good enough, but they seemed to miss that element that made Sonic, well, Sonic. Dreamcast owners will be in for a treat, as Sonic Team and the series cre- ator, Yuji Naka, are once again bringing Sonic to the screen in the form of Sonic Adventure. Sonic Adventure will be available at the Dreamcast's launch in Japan and the United States. Hudson, A teaser poster promoting an event on Aug. 22 at the Tokyo Kokusai Forum (the same purveyor of place Warp's D2 premiere took place) to unveil the game is the only piece of Sonic all things Adventure-related artwork released by Sega. In an interesting turn, you'll notice that Bomberman announced its first game for the system. It's called Kitahe (translated as "Heading North"), a travel sim where you follow a young boy through well-known Hokkaido landmarks where you attempt to meet girls (eight in all). To promote Hokkaido, Hudson's planning an event to lure tourists there in conjunction with the game, but there's no word if tourists will be able to attempt to pick up girls. European trade magazine CTW reports that Core, Gremlin, Infogrames and Rage have all jumped aboard Sega's Dreamcast vessel and are already preparing titles for the machine. Don't get your hopes up to see Lara Croft on it though, as Sony secured exclusivity for Lara up until the year 2000. They are supposedly working on four Dreamcast projects, including one Dreamcast exclusive. Gremlin is planning new versions of Actua Soccer and Golf, and Rage's PowerVR game Incoming will be ported to the Dreamcast. Infogrames has Outcast, Alone in the Dark 4, a racing title and an unnamed game reportedly to be ready for the system's Euro launch. Rounding out the Euro-developer list is Team 17, who reportedly has at least three Dreamcast projects. Most of Europe's devel- opers are signed on...so, where are the U.S. developers? Sonic has green eyes on the poster and a big grin. Naka says that Sonic's design will change a bit in this game. TV commercials advertising the event have been running in Japan as well, but feature no graphics from the game (darn). Sonic Adventure was originally a Saturn title, according to Naka, when the team began planning it after Burning Rangers was completed. In an interview with Sega Saturn Magazine, Naka said that it was initially called Sonic RPG. Even though the game's main focus is action, there will obvi- ously be more to it than just that. Check out Videogames.com for full coverage of the Aug. 22 unveiling and other Dreamcast developments. WWW.Sega.com Sonic's new grinning mug is a little different from his old 16-Bit look. Could this usher in a new era of the blue dude with the 'tude? The Business of Dreamcast At the Windows World Expo Tokyo '98, Microsoft Argonaut Casts Off displayed a Dreamcast console. Basically it was the same model we've seen so far, but with one slight difference. This time it carried the *Powered by Windows CE" logo. Microsoft confirmed that at its release, the DC will sport a gray version of this logo on the front of the machine. The lawsuit filed against Sega, NEC and VideoLogic by 3Dfx claiming that Sega broke its contract with the company over the development of Sega's next-generation hardware was recently settled. The terms were not disclosed. Sega has begun running ads, promoting the company name starring one of its executives in various strange situations. Called *Good Luck Executive Yukawa," the ads include him getting beaten up and being laughed at by kids. Ouch. 150 Number of Dreamcast Internet domain names Sega registered in one day. We recently had a chance to speak with Nick Clarke, the producer of Buck Bumble, to see what the company's Dreamcast plans are. Although he didn't go into specifics, he did make some interesting со ments about its performance. He confirmed that the compa- ny is “well into” development on a Dreamcast title, and that Sega Europe would publish the game, rumored to be a 3D shooter. “It’s a fine piece of kit," Clarke told us, *hands- down more powerful than Model 3." Ubi Soft, Buck Bumble's publisher, told us that it has not announced whether it will publish Dreamcast games. www.argonaut.com “It ошпоез Tomb Raider” M оп 50 many levels, it's scary." NEED A HINT? (£^) 1-900-CALL-26T Gamefan Online ее қ Travel through time in an all-new third-person Nukem Pa M frag-fest! Duke annihilates ancient Rome, conquers the Dark Ages, = tames the Wild West, and knocks ‘em dead in L.A.! — X TIME TO КІШ” gives you more of what you crave. More colossal hi-tech weapons! More attitude! More hard-core action! 20 ways to Annihilate Alien Trash... More exploration! More of the King of Carnage"! Play Duke in full-on third person A Motherload of all-new Weapons! M 4 а " glory for the first time ever! ake ‘em History"! Available in September at your local retailer. Order direct at store.gtinteractive.com or call 1-800-610-GTIS developed by е -d zm | GT Interactive s Pea Software = m | coxttr RATED Bv | PlayStation В очла T ESRB ® www.3drealms.com кел. www.gtinteractive.com Duke Nukem” Time To Kill" ©1996, 1997, 1998 30 Realms Entertainment. All rights reserved. Developed by n-Space, Inc. under sublicense p “i Blast the past in the Wild West, у Доп GT Interactive Software Car nde icense from 30 Reals Entertainment Published and distributed by G Interactive Software Make "ет History” in - GT is a trademark and the GT logo is a registered trademark of GT Interactive Software Corp. PlayStation and the PlayStation logos The Dark Ages, and Imperial Rome! are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. АП other trademarks are the property of their respective companies. 2-player mode! Which of the following Dreamcast games are you most interested in? Godzilla Generations 2296 Sonic Adventure 53% Sengoku Turb 5% Реп-Реп Tri-Icelon 426 Dreamcast. venth Cross 426 The first crop of Dreamcast games we've seen out of Japan have not been showcase titles. Certainly, a majority of the titles already announced for Japan will never see the light of day in the United States, and for good reason. Front-runners Sonic Adventure, Godzilla Generations and D2 have a substantial lead against third-party titles, and as more companies announce games, that gap is expect- ed to widen. (Source: videogames.com poll, Thurs, Aug. 6, 1998) Counter-Terrorism. Covert Operations. Extreme Prejudice. Lc — a ыы fast, free online gaming оп > VV W W. h eat.net the enemy is real FREE DEMO АТ www.vigilance.com Beware of Penguins on the Racetrack Pen-Pen Tri-Icelon by Japanese developer General Entertainment is one of the strangest games announced yet for the Dreamcast (except maybe those really weird NEC titles). In it, you choose from seven “Реп-Репз,” penguin-like crea- tures. The story behind the characters is that they live on an |се Planet, and aren't the brightest of animals. Each has strengths and weaknesses, like speed, stamina, etc. Characters include Jaw (the violent one), Sparky (big-eyed penguin), Back (sealion), Sneak (an Octopus), Tina (snobby), Ballery (cute pink hippo) and Mr. Bow (dog-like Pen). Your goal is to run, slide and swim your way through various courses to the finish before any of your opponents. Each course consists of areas where all three skills are needed. Animation is said to be very cartoony—for example, when you slam against a wall head-on, you turn into a flat pancake. Don’t let its looks fool you. The Pen-Pen team is made up of programmers and designers who have worked on some big Saturn hits. Respectively, members of the team have worked on such games as the Panzer Dragoon series, course design for Sega Rally and Daytona USA, Rayearth, Sonic 1 & 2 (Genesis), and NiGHTS. Pen-Pen Tri-Icelon will be released on Nov. 20, the same day the Dreamcast launches in Japan. The first official Dreamcast game announced by Sega was Godzilla Generations, starring everyone's favorite king of the monsters. In this game Godzilla regains his old form once again— not the Dean Devlin/Roland Emmerich Hollywood adaptation from earlier this year. The object is to become Godzilla (or another of the series' characters, like Mecha Godzilla, as shown on this page) and smash your way through real Japanese cities —Osaka is featured in the pic- tures here. The designers of the game are attempt- ing to make each city as real as possible, including landmarks like banks and billboards. While you go medieval on the towns, smashing Check out the latest gaming news at www.videogames.com Godzilla Generations He's mean, green, texture-mapped and he'll eat Osaka your way, the military breaks out its defenses and tries to stop the carnage using as much ammunition as humanly possible. Godzilla Generations also uses Atsumete Godzilla, the Visual Memory System game that Sega released in Japan in July. Monsters you collect with the VMS can be used in the game. Exactly how this will be done isn't quite clear yet. The game's graph- ics take full advantage of the Dreamcast's texture mapping, transparency effects and real-time movie capabilities as you can see in these screens. Godzilla Generations is being developed by General Entertainment and Sega, and will be released late this year in Japan. buildings and cars and anything else that gets in Godzilla Generations is a Rampage- style 3D destruction derby, where the goal is to destroy and pillage entire cities. Cool. Q: If I buy a Japanese Dreamcast, will 1 be able to play U.S. games? A: Each territory (United States, Japan and Europe) will only be able to play the games made for sale in that territory. There probably will be a way around that, but if you buy a Japanese system, you're taking a chance that you won't be able to play U.S. games later on. Q: Is the Dreamcast a 64-Bit or 128-Bit system? A: The Hitachi SH-4 at its heart is a 64-Bit processor. Sega's saying that the machine has 128-Bit graphics performance when you look at the components that support the central SH-4. Q: Are there more than four buttons on the controller? A: Yes, there are two shoulder buttons on the back of the controller for a total of six buttons on the standard Dreamcast controller. Q: Will the controller have force feedback like Sony's Dual Shock controller? A: No. The standard Dreamcast pad does not have a rumble feature or force feedback. However, the second controller cartridge slot of the standard DC controller could be used for one in the future. Sega hasn't said if such a device is planned. Frequently Asked Dreamcast Questions www.sega.co.jp Q: Will the Dreamcast be backwardly compatible? Will it be able to play Saturn games? A: It is very unlikely that Dreamcast will be able to play Saturn games. Dreamcast does not have a cartridge slot for Saturn memory cards or for game saves to be transferred. Q: Will the Dreamcast have 2D games also, like Street Fighter 111 and Castlevania? A: While the Dreamcast is a great 3D machine, Sega says it’s capable of handling 2D games as well. None have been announced yet. 9: Will ! be able to play Dreamcast games against opponents in Japan or the United Kingdom from the United States? A: No. The latency factor (for transatlantic or transpacific play to be enjoyable) would simply be too great for the kinds of fast-paced games Sega plans to have on the system. Q: Is the LCD screen built in to the controller? A: No. The slot on the back of the controller is for the Visual Memory System (VMS). You put the VMS into the back of the controller and that becomes the controller's display. The VMS is sold separately. рари Qaa vasa i31d102 MAN LOH S.G00MAT10H-140H2 учит ами 04445 ui02:uonejsÁejd*MMM = жою uM ү лу5налмп INC NI "ү 4900 бшриб ES се uaes 1298940 ajdind paynuepiuf Tos ve Фу чар ج "IY UO m paujea4q o1Ads $Ш1Р|2) ‘sabewep syaas daays pajjunsbsig "19019 3H1 ОМПОЧУ dfi 9NI9NIUudS 5111) озизн.- мозуаа зпаапа Check out the latest gaming news at www.videogames.com D2 Update More on Warp's Dreamcast sequel to D Mercurius Pretty D2 was the first Dreamcast game shown advantage, even though D2 took center when the system was unveiled back in stage at the Dreamcast's unveiling. Мау- еп only 15-20 percent complete. "Soon, other titles will come and people Kenji Eno, Warp's president, told Sega will then pay more attention to those. " 4.2 Saturn Magazine that he doesn't think the So that will be our two- or three-month Virtual Fairies Й game Pipe reflects the true power incubation period to finish development Life sims are one genre, along with of the Dreamcast's hardware, and that without being noticed." horse racing, shogi and countless other Soon we'll be seeing titles that take full www.warp-jp.com genres, that have not made their way to the United States. Good or bad, the first Here are additional scenes from the opening of these "fringe" genres is making its way minutes of D2. Below is a game screen between to Dreamcast in the form of NEC you and insect invaders. At the right is a scene Interchannel's Mercurius Pretty. Mercurius Pretty is a fairy-breeding simulation based on the world of Alchemy. The basic setting involves you getting a seed of life from your master alchemist and then breeding the seed in an incuba- tor. The result is, of course, an ultra-cute or ultra-scary fairy that you get to watch grow from test tube to teen-ager. Riveting gameplay, surely. Mercurius Pretty is a port of a PC game that was released about five years ago, but with better graphics. Mercurius Pretty is the first game announced to use the Dreamcast's 2D graphics abilities. According to the developer, it will run in 640x480 resolution with 16 million colors. from the opening cinema (top) and Laura moving around the game's environment (bottom). NEC Interchannel unleashes monsters from another world NEC Interchannel's second announced Dreamcast title is Monster (VMS). You'll be able to trade monsters with your friends or train your Breed. Like it sounds, Monster Breed is a monster raising, breeding, monster while you're on the go. So far the VMS seems to be shaping caring, battling game. As your monster grows, you send it to battle up as the perfect virtual pet machine. with other creatures, working your way up through the ranks until NEC Interchannel says that, when finished, there will be more than you become a master breeder. You can also explore a Rogue-like 180 different monsters in the game, and according to the game's dungeon, featuring randomly generated levels, finding treasures director, each monster uses 5,000 polygons. The graphics certainly and items along the way. do look among the cleanest we've seen on the Dreamcast yet. The game will also be compatible with the Visual Memory System A release date has not been determined. At the Movies Demi Gets Crofty Who is Lara Croft? The rumor going around now is that G./. Jane star Demi Moore, whose name has the same number of syllables as Core's buxom video game babe (coinci- e dence?), has won the role to play her in the film adaptation. When contacted, a spokesperson for Eidos Interactive claimed to have heard nothing that would indi- cate Moore had been chosen. "They're still doing the script, and until the script is done, there won't be any hiring." If Raul Julia can make a believable M. Bison (in Street Fighter The Movie), then perhaps Demi playing Lara Croft isn't completely out of the question. It's still only a rumor, so don't get excit- ed yet. As soon as we know who will play Lara in the movie, we'll pass it along to you. Assuming it remains on schedule, the big-budget adaptation of Tomb Raider will hit theaters in the summer of 1999 from Paramount. www.core-design.com Arcades: On Test Atari: Site 4 (Area 51 sequel) - California 10th Degree - California Capcom: Street Fighter EX 2 - California, North Chicago Suburbs Street Fighter Alpha 3 - California Konami: Fisherman's Bait - Downtown Chicago & Suburbs Hip Hop Mania - West Chicago Suburbs Racing Jam Chapter 2 - Downtown Chicago Hell Night - Chicago Namco: Soul Calibur - California Sega: Daytona 2: Battle on the Edge - California Tests take place in select arcades only. California tests are likely to be in the Bay Area only. Well-known test sites in the United States are Golfland in Sunnyvale, Calif., and Diversions in downtown Chicago. Games on test are subject to being pulled at any time. We cannot guarantee that these games will still be on test after press time. Arika Goes It Alone Arika will now officially develop and produce its own arcade games. While not officially “owned” by Capcom, Arika was well known for Street Fighter EX and its sequel. The reason is Arika wants to produce its own games. There is an "EX clone" on the way after the release of EX2 and the newly announced Tetris: The Grand Master— rumored to be their last Capcom game. Tetris: TGM is an updated version of the old Alexey Pajhitnov puzzler, with new blocks and power-ups to keep the game fresh. Disney Gets Tetrisized Capcom themselves plan to release Magical Tetris Challenge, a Tetris game starring Disney's loveable characters. This title is also scheduled to hit the N64 in Japan on a 128-Meg cartridge later this year. This will be the very first N64 game developed by Capcom. AMOA Turns 50 AMOA is 50! The association whose name is also that of the biggest arcade show in North America will celebrate its 5oth birthday at the host facility of the Opryland Hotel. The Expo will be held Sept. 17-19 in Nashville, Tenn., and as always will feature the newest games from Capcom, Namco, Sega and more. A fea- ture of the show brought back from last year will be "Developer's Row" where PC coin-op products can be seen (and will eventually appear in arcades everywhere). Expected games at this year's AMOA are Street Fighter Alpha 3 and EX2, Namco's Soul Calibur, Sega's new Spikeout fighting game, Midway's Blitz '99 and Carnevil (sorry no MKs yet), and a flood of titles from Konami. PC Hits Go Coin-Op Lazer-Tron has announced a manufacturing and distribution agreement with Opus Entertainment and LBE Systems in North America for arcade PC games. New arcade games scheduled to come out in the next Six months include: WipeOut, Formula 1, Forsaken, Death Rally Extreme and Jazz Jackrabbit 2. The МК5 Rumor Mill A rumor surfaced recently on the Net that Mortal Kombat 5 was in development and that MK co-creator John Tobias was not going to be part of the team. Both of these are false. According to Ed Boon, the MK development team has just increased its numbers and are prepping to work on two games at once. They are currently developing something “unlike any other genre in arcades today." Work on МК5 will begin after that. Tobias, currently working on an MK Mythologies-style home game called "Special Forces," will still be part of the devel- opment team for any future MK titles. Cruis'n the Universe In a related story, the newest Cruis'n game is rumored to be under development, called Cruis'n Universe (working title). Eugene Jarvis will once again head the development team. Arika takes Tetris to the next level with its enhanced Tetris: The Grand Master. Capcom's first N64 title, Magical Tetris Challenge, will show up in arcades first before coming home. ACTIVISION. there's ne such thing as а friendly game. hustling is the spice ef life Shoot in 6 shady pool halls with unique tables, cue sticks and local pros, Select from single and two-player modes, plus, 8-Ва11, 9-Ва11, 14-1, and Rotation rules, --- — T = swim with the sharks Wager, win, and move on to tougher opponents in your quest to hustle all 12 underground champs- each with unique skills, playing abilities, taunts, and betting strategies, yeu can almest smell the beer Master authentic pool techniques like English, draw and jumping. Align your shot with the realistic top-down camera. Then, view the 3-D engines slow-motion instant replays, 200, spy H PlayStation! + Entertainment America for use with the PlayStation game console. PlayStation and the PlayStation logos are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. ask Theratings iconis a trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. All rights T reserved. All other trademarks and trade names are properties oftheir respective owners. Activision is a registered trademark and Pool Hustler is a trademark of Activision, Inc 9 OASK 1998. Published and distributed by Activision, Inc. Licensed by Sony Computer L PlayStation | Check out the latest gaming news at www.videogames.com Soon and — books. Pocket Books, in September. Resident Evil: Caliban Cove. The two games. including the novelization of RE2 Curves Ahead They're busty, beautiful and have a first name of Danger. It's the stars of Danger Girl, a comic book created by J. Scott Campbell and Andy Hartnell and published by Wildstorm/Cliffhanger Comics. n-Space, the Florida-based developer responsible for Duke Nukem: A Time to Kill (for GT Interactive) and Rugrats (for THQ) among others, has acquired the exclusive interactive rights to bring the women of Danger Girl to the small screen on any platform. Danger Girl the comic book follows the exploits of an elite Spy agency whose ranks include multiple female characters, bat- tlin' the likes of terrorists and other menacing villains. Danger Girl the game is expect- ed to be out for Christmas 1999. n-Space is in a unique position, owning the rights to Danger Girl and being only a developer. A publisher for the title has not yet been decided on. New Line Cinema has optioned the rights to a film version of the comic. www.wildstorm.com If Zombies Could Type DONNE ga QN The Resident Evil series has become n U Г 1 1 one of Capcom's biggest hits since | | | | Street Fighter. So it's no wonder that ج‎ U TR ۴ № || now there are action figures, a movie, reportedly an animated series coming TH | ( M p R | | [А CONSPIRACY j division of Simon and Schuster, is ^ 1 Three N64 titles have become part of the bringing the survival horror action of Resident Evil to the pages of several mass-market novels that go on sale The series begins with Resident Evil: The Umbrella Conspiracy, a noveliza- tion of the first game that expands upon the story and characters we've all grown to know. That title will be followed by an all-original RE novel, titles will be released simultaneously and bridge events between the first In March 1999, two more books based on the series will be released, (called City of the Dead) and a second original work titled Underworld. These titles are penned by author S.D. Perry, author of Virus, Aliens: Labyrinth and co-author of Aliens vs. Predator: Prey. over 1,400 question game will Hasbro Interactive is looking a company's lower-priced Players Choice Series. GoldenEye oo7, Diddy Kong Racing and NBA Courtside will take their places next to such games as Mario 64 and Turok as bona-fide hits. These games will be available as Players Choice titles beginning August 24, for a new suggested retail price of U.S. $39.95. Nintendo plans to back the inclusion of these titles with a $4 million marketing campaign promoting the series. Gex, Kain Jump Into Action Crystal Dynamics has signed an agree- ment with Creative Licensing Corporation to license and promote characters from its games Gex: Enter the Gecko and Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. Characters include Gex, Raziel and Kain. 989 Studios will publish Blue Shift’s PlayStation racing-on-foot title Running Wild. Berkeley Systems is making a PlayStation version of its hit PC game show, You Don't Know Jack. The WWW.capcom.com into creating a new Frogger title for an undisclosed platform. Guess which one...Eidos Interactive will publish Crystal Dynamics' action/strategy game, The Unholy War. It's expected for the PlayStation this fall. Lunar Special Pack Working Designs has a long history of making little "extras" for its games. This time the company is planning something extra special for the release of Game Arts' classic RPG Lunar: The Silver Star Story on the PlayStation this fall. When the game is released, it will come in a special "shell" box featur- ing art from the game. Inside is the two-disc game, a soundtrack CD with arranged tunes, a *making-of" CD, a cloth map and a hardbound art book/manual. This is the regular version of Lunar that will be offered, so it's not a special “premium” box. The price will be $69.99 (MSRP), but for what you get, it's definitely worth it. www.workingdesigns.com “Homicidal Vacations Since 2001” uz OS US =: EM «рса оо 220,2), Tips for Snagging Tourists-- And How Special FREE Issue for Automercenaries Avoid Premature Ejectulation Once "You ve Got 'Em : | | | 3 | Аз BABE or THe MONTH İNSIDE | | | 274171 Advertisement р Dick Biggs, Editor When Was the Last Time a Tourist Hit Your Window at 92 mph? ; 2 You're gunning it down Main Street. Shrapnel glancing off your windshield. Geiger-counter going off the scale. And a snap-happy Japanese couple in the back of the cab. The question is what should you be driving for maximum survivability and tourist) satisfaction? Sit back, we did the work for you when we road-tested 14 state-of-the-art tricked- out deathmobiles one glowing summer afternoon among the napalm trees of Nuke Town. For raw hearse-power, nothing beats the Sidewinder) Five | tons of tank with more firepower than the Third World War. Too big ? Well, try on the Bitch-In Wheels and put the muscle back where it belongs - behind the muzzle of a machine gun For pure Auto-mercenary $ex appeal, there's only one choice - the; Meat Wagon.) This fuel-injected weeniemobile says more about you than a pair of socks stuffed down your trousers ever can. For those of you who like a little mercy with your massacre, nothing can touch (Ozone, а well-armed ambulance that hurts while it heals. You want high-octane performance? Car Combat Ultra? Look no further than the pulse-pounding ( Pyro ——-a-flame-spewing--semi filled with fuel. You never run out of gas and if you do во down, you can take everyone with you continued on page 72 Sister Mary Lascivious “Thought for the Day -Thou Shalt Drive Like A teous Mad Bastard. So Sayeth the Lord. ад way and bang Hey, it happens. You have a bad day. Someone sends a missile your Premature Ejectulation — out flies your tourist and before you know it everyone's got little bits of Hawaian shirt and entrails all over the windshield. No problem. Whip out a 40 ounce bottle of ever-loving Windshield Cleaner and, hey presto...the future's so bright you gotta wear shades. e OS ИЕ mg 62-222 2272-48 Every self-respecting Automercenary knows there аге few things in life more enjoyable than vaporizing, burning, bombing and totalling stuff. Here's our hot picks for the tastiest targets the post-apocalyptic world has to offer.: White House? — White Trash! KILL THE CADDY!!! дедо БИ LT FENDER SLENDER ме M: = e They bounce. They burn "Nuff said. $800 each Clamp one or back while t someone elsi ТСТ Check out Li'l Gator Bait. Some of you automercenaries probably seen her tooling around in her propeller-driven swamp-hopper. " D Well, looky here - the жаа» “жр. Аз Babe of the Month shows | ^ - you all her dangerous curves on page 96. Lube up and drive on! же KS = И +. Фә Сш BDZ: я PENR From the million selling developer of car combat “What's more important- те name ог the game?” A DIFFERENT KIND OF CAR. A DIFFERENT KIND OF DRIVER. AVAILABLE AT YOUR LOCAL RETAIL NE. 0 TTINTERACTIVE.COM 01 GT Interactive Software www.singletrac.com www.gtgames.com www.gtinteractive.com е PlayStation 2 announcement • G-Police 2 coming soon * DVD and MD drives? * Vis signs on for Dreamcast * Final Fantasy on Dreamcast * Play GB games on PlayStation culation Video Game Gossip 6 h...a whole page again. After the drought of informa- tion over the past few months it's good to see that the whole games industry is waking up-again and is buzzing with gossip about all kinds of new projects. The Q and his gang of spies have been able to dig up all sorts of juicy-stuff this month. PLAYSTATION NEXT The biggest rumors around at the moment concern Sony’s new machine. At E3 SCEA stated that they would not comment on a new machine until 12 months before it was due to hit... well—they've started commenting; That's a start. They're not commenting much in an official capacity, but there are all manner of rumors concerning the specs. The current favorite doing the rounds ties in/lots of aspects of Sony as a groupánd most notably that it has a vested interest in establishing both DVD and MiniDisc as industry standard media. The PlayStation is” Sony's most successful product ever, so integrating ир-апа- _ coming technology into a new system would certainly help-things along. 50;..сап you guess what's coming? How about asystem that uses a DVD drive as its primary/medium (and to retain CD compatibility —the new machine is reported to be backwardly compatible, so it needs one) and then a MiniDisc drive to replace memory cards? This way Sony сап have the best/of/all worlds, outdo the ill-fated 6400 in опе fell swoop and ensure that MiniDiscs are accepted as a new storage medium. Crafty, eh? Hell...why not throw in one of every Sony product in there while they're at it? SVHS tapes, a flat plasma-screen TV, a digital video camera and a mobile phone would be pretty useful. Does Sony make espresso machines? They could build the whole thing into a pair of wireless headphones. If this rumor is true (the DVD/MD thing...silly), we сап expect | some PC style products with plenty of added features, editors | and other fun stuff right from the word go. Expect to see Sony making an awful lot of noise about the new machine at the end of November...just in time to try to. spoil Sega's Dreamcast launch efforts. Apparently there may even-be details announced at TGS in Tokyo in October. SQUARE'S LITTLE SECRET? With Final Fantasy VIIl-coming along very nicely, thank you and ready to ship in Japan before.the end of the year, we-inevitably have to look to number IX, reputedly in development alongside VIII — Back to the Future style. However, despite Square's asser- tions that it has "no plans" to develop for any system other than PlayStation at the moment, it has come to ourattention that а Dreamcast version of FFIX is a serious possibility. Also, there's apparently a pretty good chance FFVIII may even hit DC thanks to the easy portability of code between the PC (VIII is in the works for PC as we speak) and Sega's box. @ naucuty NAUGHTY BLASTO RETURNS? The Blasto team, as reported in a previous Q-Mann, has been scooped up-and sent off to Japan (presumably to learn how to put a game together properly) to produce a sequel. Unfortunately, due to the untimely death-of Phil Hartman the new game will now have to take a different route and steer away from being a straight sequel. Quite how they’ll'do this—we һауе no idea. The Blasto universe.wasn't exactly the most rich and varied ever to grace a piece of entertainment. PSYGNOSIS SEQUEL After last year’s debacle with both G-Police and Colony Wars being released at the same time.:.and seriously cutting into each other's sales;Psygnosis would appear to have learned from past mistakes and Кері quiet about a G-Police sequel. Until now. The Q's spies in the U.K. have informed us that G-Police 2 is well under-way and is reputedly considerably more advanced than its -predecessor. Expect a PlayStation-exhausting graphics engine and some coól new gameplay features. Q-MANN KNOWS HIS RIDGE RACER STUFF — It would seem that a number of the Q-Mann's rivals are avid readers of this column each month as both an online news ser- vice and another magazine decided to print news of Namco's new Ridge Racer sequel in the past month. Despite taking credit for the news themselves, it seems to have escaped these rivals that the Q blew the lid off that particular story way back in issue 107...four months ago. Further investigation leads the Q's Japanese spy network to believe that the game will be formally unveiled at TGS‘in October, ready for a Christmas launch. Watch-for a U:S. release before the summer. OTHER TIDBITS Sony is reportedly ready to translate the SCEI RPG Legend of the Legaia and bring it to the United States in "99, Crystal Dynamics recently droppéd some huge hints about forthcoming projects. It would seem that both Legacy of Kain з and Gex 4 are already in the very early stages of development. More teams have signed on to do Dreamcast development, _ including Scottish team Vis Interactive (currently producing Earthworm Jim 30 апа Hedz on PC and consoles) and many other of the Scottish Alliance teams. Watch for a tsunami of announcements early next year. Indications at the moment seem to be that there are а lot of PC ports on the way, despite Sega boss Bernie Stolar’s recent assertions to the contrary in an EGM interview. Hopefully the ports will justify themselves by having DC-specific levels and features. Watch for Incoming, SiN, Daikatana, (or maybe the sequel) and a number of Unreal engine-powered-titles — maybe even Duke Nukem Forever and Unreal itself. Elsewhere іп the Dreamcast camp, rumors persist that the U.S. release will see a 56k modem as standard and possible Naughty Dog has recently hinted that its next project ISN'Ta ^ cable modem support. Crash Bandicoot game (thank God) and will almost certainly not be for PlayStation. There are also some strong indications that it won't be for any system that is available now. It's already known the team has been expressing an interest in Dreamcast develop- ment — but don't be surprised if it turns out to be a pioneer developer for the new PlayStation. | Isn't it exciting when new machines are due to launch? STOP PRESS Just as EGM goes to press we learned that Rocket Game Products, creators of the N64 Game Booster (which lets you play Game Boy games on your N64), is making a Game Booster for the — PlayStation.-Now-you-can play GB games on your PS. Cool huh? Not strictly gossip, but we had to tell you! Neo*Geo Pocket Pals 64DD changes from game delivery to enhancement Here's a first look at SNK's new portable System, the Меоебео Pocket. In this picture the system is gray, but according to SNK, several different colors will be available. It uses two AAA batteries that will last through 20 hours of consecutive play. At this point, SNK has not revealed the specifics with regard to the Dreamcast connection previously announced. The console will launch in late October, carrying a 6,800 yen (about $47 at current exchange rates) price {ав — much cheaper than the $500-600 Меоебео home system, eh? Currently eight games are known to be under development for it. Pocket Fighting Series: King of Fighters R-1, Melon-chan no Seichou Nikki, NeoeGeo Cup '98 (soccer), Baseball Stars, Tennis (tentative title), Tsunagete Pon (a puzzle game), Shogi no Tatsujin (tabletop Shogi game), Dokodemo Mahjang (tabletop game). These games are expected to be launch titles. No word yet on how much games will cost. Other titles will Check out the latest international gaming news at www.videogames.com International Bits At the Tokyo Character Show, Namco showed off Tekken drinks and other items for the true fan to consume. Full Speed Ahead for N64 Capcom's Yoshiki Okamoto has revealed that Capcom is currently devel- oping several new N64 titles. One fea- tures a major dose of zombies (could be either BioHazard or a new Ghouls 'N Ghosts game); another is a fighting game, and a number of sequel titles. One Goes to Japan ASC Games signed an agreement with Capcom under which Capcom would distribute One, ASC's PlayStation shoot-’em-up, in Japan. . ; Disney Classics Return On Oct. 15, Sega will release a one- disc Disney pack which includes Mickey Mouse: Castle of Illusion and Donald Duck: Quack Shot. The game will carry a 4,800 yen price tag (about $33 at current rates) in Japan. Nintendo TGS No-Show Previous rumors about Nintendo ditch- ing Space World to exhibit at the Tokyo Game Show appear to be false. As of press time, Nintendo had not appeared on the exhibitor's list, and floor plans have been finalized. The Autumn Tokyo Game Show '98 takes place Oct. 9-11 at Makuhari Messe, Chiba, Japan. be available by year's end. www.neogeo.co.jp CPU: 16-Bit LCD: 160 x 152 dots 8 grade monochrome Internal RAM: 16k byte (memory backup feature provided by lithium battery) Size: 7.4 X 12.2 X 2.4 cm Weight: 130 g Built-in features: Calendar, Astrology, World Clock, Alarm Others: AC adapter pack-in, Stereo head phone connector, link connection feature Square is currently at work on four games starring those ever-present Chocobos. At least two we know of— Chocobo Racing and Chocobo's : Я " Mysterious Dungeon 2 (being devel- Bustin' Beats Til Dawn oped at the Honolulu studio). | | If you thought PaRappa the Rapper and Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon 2 will - | Bust A Move (Bust A Groove in the United be released in late December, while Я | States) were addictive, then you'll have to Chocobo Racing will be out next spring. : check out Konami’s Beatmania. - According to Square's Hironobu In it, you have to be the DJ mixing Sakaguchi, Square wants to develop | tunes. You have five keys, which are Chocobo into a corporate mascot and Та! gpn 1 used like a piano. You hit them as bars establish Chocobo games as a Square à на | come down to the bottom of the screen, brand that will have broad appeal. becoming the music you have to make to www.square.co.jp progress through the game. If you miss и the keys, your groove level plummets. You also have to scratch the turntable when a scratch bar falls. Konami announced a PlayStation ver- sion, coming to Japan in early October. It's based on Beatmania 2nd Mix, which is a revision of the original arcade title. ASCII is releasing a special controller for the game that features the arcade key layout. The game is also Dual Shock com- patible, but to get the feel, you need i www.konami.co.jp THE BEST BOWLING GAME EVER е - | СОТЕН АЧУУМА ... WITH MORE CRAZY ANTICS AND ACTION, PLUS THE $AME BREAKTHROUGH PIN PHYSICS. YAKKO, WAKKO, DOT AND THE REST OF THE ANIMANIACS GANG TAKE TO THE LANES IN ANIMANIACS ALLEY, к OPEN PLAY OR !N THE WORLD DOMINATION TOURNAMENT. FROM THE BRAIN'S EVIL PLAN. € | "| WILL DOMINATE THE WORLD." PlayStation - Lax 2 Last Month 7 Last Month NEW Last Month Gran Turismo Sony Computer Entertainment MLB Featuring Ken Griffey Jr. 2 Nintendo 3 Banjo-Kazooie Nintendo 4 All-Star Baseball 99 Acclaim $23 Tekken 3 Namco 6 GoldenEye 007 Nintendo Last Month 6 Last Month NEW Last Month NEW Last Month 3 Last Month LAE |} 7 Quest 64 THO Road Rash 3D Electronic Arts 9 1080° Snowboarding Nintendo & |} 1 Mortal Kombat 4 Midway «> Mortal Kombat 4 1 Midway у 1 Vigilante 8 Й Activision 1 13 Jeremy McGrath Supercross 98 Acclaim z Last Month NEW Last Month NEW Last Month NEW Last Month 14 Mes i ==> Sony Computer Entertainment 9 15 «б мо 1 1 6 Need for Speed Ill: Hot Pursuit Э) Electronic Arts = UE a @ 13 | Triple Play 99 las Month Electronic Arts ==> 8 Шы” Wt 15 Kohe Bryant in МВА Courtside aW 4 Nintendo Source: NPD TRSTS Video Games, May, 1998. Call them at (516) 625-2345 for questions regarding this list. Top 5 game descriptions written by the ЕСМ staff. Yes, we know that it's a PlayStation game. Those of you that spotted our little faux pas last month are no doubt giggling like school girls. Anyway...SCEA's incredible racing game made a deserved jump to the top spot. If you don't have it...buy it. Gran Turismo 9.0 = Kraig 9.0 Dean MLB Featuring Ken Griffey Jr. Not the best baseball game around for the N64, but not bad by any means. Apparently Nintendo's extensive marketing of this one has paid off. Again. Banjo-Kazooie Expect this one to stick around near the top spot for months. One of the best N64 games to date, with simply gorgeous graphics and H-U-G-E levels. All-Star Baseball 99 Certainly our favorite of the three N64 baseball games, but oddly you don't seem to be paying attention to our reviews. A great game with incredible graphics. Tekken 3 It’s been around a while now, but Namco's virtually perfect game is hanging in there. There isn't a better fighter on the horizon, so expect this one to stick around. Besides Zelda and Perfect Dark, what othe N64 games are you looking forward to? NFL Blitz Harvest WCW/NWO Mission Impossible Source: Videogames.com Poll August 6, 1998 DUE SOON. “АМ. ES UJ - HS CNSN AC ONI SN THE GAME ©1998 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Top 10 Editors? Picks LESS LL. 2 Banjo-Kazooie ale Nintendo Madden NFL 99 Electronic Arts Japan Konami Square Konami 6 NFL GameDay 99 989 Studios Tecmo XI [sai] Tekken 3 Namco e p Parasite Eve 9 Shining Force Il Sega Human 9 ÜverBlood 2 Riverhill Soft 1 ran Turismo Sony Computer Entertainment Gainax Say What? “It’s absolutely for people over 18. We have no Joe Camel here, and we're not doing any Gummi Bear pack-ins.” -Harvard Bonin, producer for Virgin's ultra-violent fighter Thrill Kill, explaining that his game's not exactly for the kindergarten crowd. “I don't see how Michael Myers (the knife-wielding villain in Halloween) can be seen encouraging kids to shoot other kids. These people (in school crimes) are raised around guns. The video games that they play have dehumanized and desensitized them to what real bloodshed 15.” -Jaime Lee Curtis, star of Halloween: H20, skillfully removing blame for teen violence from horror movies and placing it on video games. “Andy Gavin and I have spent more time on the Crash projects than we spent getting college degrees.” -Jason Rubin, main-man of Naughty Dog, on higher education. “As long as Lara doesn’t get drunk and smash up her car, which can happen with cyber characters, they’ve got a really valuable franchise. You know—she’s not going to pull a Spice Girl and quit the group.” -Sean McGowan, analyst, on CNN’s Newsstand Fortune, separating video games from reality. “In Biggs’ case, a little Dick goes a long way indeed.” -Sandi Beckstead of SingleTrac on its new game, Rogue Trip. Source: videogames.com developer diaries Top 10 Courtesy of Famitsu Magazine as of July 27, 1998 1 Powerful Pro Baseball 08 2 Brave Fencer Musashiden 3 Kisetu Wo Dakishimete Sony Computer Entertainment 4 Yuugiou: Monster Cup Breed 6 Battle p 5 Lunar 2: Eternal Blue ESP/Game Arts/Kadokawa Shoten 6 Kagero: Kokumeikan Shinshou Sony Computer Entertainment Bakusou! Deco Tra Densetsu 10 Evangelion: Eva To Yukai Na Nakama Tachi p Top 10 Courtesy of RePlay Magazine Arcade — сз of August 1998 1 Tekken 3 Namco 2. 2 Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes Capcom 3 Golden Tee ‘97 Incredible Technologies 4 Strikers 1945 II Worldwide Video «> a 2. 5 Metal Slug 2 SNK 6 Super Puzzle Fighter || Turbo Capcom Police Trainer P&P Marketing./ICE 8 Golden Tee 30 Golf Incredible Technologies L 9 Bust-A-Move Again Taito 1 19XX Capcom “Тһе other day, | tried to shred my cereal with claws оп my hand, and | don't even remember if it was a dream." -Seth Gerson from Activision telling us what it's like to be Wolverine for a day. Twenty years ago, Michael Myers wreaked havoc on the small screen in Halloween for the Atari 2600. Classic '80s Action. FREEWAY LASER BLAST Го TENNIS t the super low sticker price of about a buck a game, this baby’s fully loaded with 30 of your all-time video game favorites! In the first and largest arcade collection ever, Activision Classics gives you all the gameplay mileage of the original Atari 2600 games, newly "engineered" for your PlayStation" game console. With timeless classics like Pitfall!, River Raid and Kaboom!, you'll be reliving the good old days for hours on end. Handy carrying case, standard. www.activision.com Activision is а trademark of Activision, Inc. © 1995-1998 Activision. Inc. Atari 2600 is а trademark of Atari Interactive, Inc. a Hasbro company, Licensed by Sony Computer Entertainment America for use with the PlayStation game console. PlayStation and the PlayStation logos are trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. The ratings icon is а trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association All rights reserved, All other Trademarks ond trade nomes ore properties of their respective owners. PlayStation | ғ CD-ROM [2:24 - „376 = 5 ҥ єз Extramo-0™ 2 & ©1996 Acclaim Entertalamyont, Inc. АЙ Rights Reserved. Developed by Prube Entertainment Ltd., an Acclaim Studio. Nintendo 64 and the 3-0 “М” logo are trademarks of Nintendo of America tnc. ©1998 Nintendo of America Inc. P lan nee “sae is na false. turn and you're toast. $ «s че — a=» „= A«laim 24 player бащи terated velocity. Опе — quee "J 4 ES Е : Hex Р adl e Ма... www.acclaim.net = - # ” тый Wu сатта P^ SS = | + са” ж“ UNE Powerun: 8 ES = AD = T 8 >‏ چ Acctaim is а division and registered trademark of Acclaim Entertainment, Inc. © & © 1998 Acclaim Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Screon shots were taken from the Nintendo 64 version of the videogame. F-Zero X The Fastest Racing Game Ever? The X Cup If you’ve got what it takes to beat the Jack, Queen, King and Joker Cups on the Expert difficulty, you'll open up the insanely tough Master difficulty and the hidden X Cup. The X Cup features completely random tracks, for a new experience every time! 21. 7 280951 ААА) шт eleased back іп 1991 when the | Super NES was first launched, F- Zero has gone | on to become one of the most well-respected console racing games of all time. Sadly, aside from two 16-Bit Satellaview-only "updates" in Japan, a sequel was never released... until now. Finally, F-Zero X for the N64 is finished, and we've spent just about every waking hour of the last two weeks playing through the Japanese version in order to uncover all the secrets the game has to offer. Needless to say, this isn't another Yoshi's Story; oh no—this is one sequel № that's quite worthy of carrying its predecessor's name. STANDARD Before we get into detail AP a PE about the game’s structure and play mechanics, let us make one thing very clear—this game is FAST. We're talking 60 frames-per-second, 3o machines on screen at once, ZERO slowdown fast. Get it? The game moves so quickly and smoothly you'll have a hard time ever looking at Extreme-G or Aero Gauge in the same light again. Even the Four-player Mode screams by without a hitch. If you remember, the first F-Zero featured four different “Machines” to choose from. (Machines are what the hovercrafts are called...if you’re lazy you can just call "ет cars. We won't think any less of you.) Well, there are 30 different Machines you can choose from in F-Zero X. At the beginning, you can only choose from the first six (four of which are the ones from the original F-Zero), but as you win Cups at the various difficulty levels, you'll open up more E X. X 1800 Release Publisher/Developer Players/Genre % Done Nintendo of America T4 75 October Nintendo Co., Ltd. Racing 1998 Web Address: www.nintendo.com | MACHINE SELECT - >,” Although you'll only start with the first six, eventually you'll have 30 different Machines to choose from. Machines. Each Machine is rated from A (best) to E (worst) in three categories (Body, Boost and Grip), and they each have varying weights which affect their overall performance. In the main mode of play (GP Race Mode), your challenge is to win each of the game's four Cups (Jack, Queen, King and Joker). Each Cup contains six courses. In the beginning, only the first three Cups are available—to open Joker, you need to win Jack, Queen and King on at least the Standard difficulty level. Once you do that, the goal 15 to win all four Cups on Expert difficulty — МОТ an easy task. In fact, this is one of the reasons F-Zero X is so appealing: it's challenging. Let's face it, Nintendo-made games aren't known for being pet 25) TOE (9^ 17% 6217) ББ б, If you find yourself falling behind іп the standings, а great way to pull yourself back іп is to chase down and destroy your Rival (by attacking with either the Side or Spin Attack maneuvers). Doing so will usually put you back in contention. 1 37 Joris) incredibly difficult, so the challenge involved in F-Zero X makes for a very pleasant experience (especially if you're old-school and think most of today's games are just too damn easy). Anyway, if you do beat all the Cups on Expert difficulty, you'll open up the Master difficulty (which is nearly impossible—only the best of the best will be able to beat it) and the mysterious X Cup. The X Cup rules—each time you play it, the experience will be different. Why? Because the tracks are randomly generated. That's not a typo—the game randomly generates the tracks every time you play. - Ht О ПМЕ” 00' 10"23| Death Race F-Zero X's Death Race Mode lets you aggressive types go all out in an effort to destroy all 29 competing Machines over one relatively small track. The game will keep track of your best time in this extremely addictive (and fun) mode. This not only makes for incredible replay value, but it makes for great multiplayer matches, since no one player will ever have the advantage of knowing a track better than any of his opponents. Even though it's highly unlikely that the 64DD will ever be released in the U.S., gamers in Japan will be able to purchase an Expansion Disk for F-Zero X (for the DD) that will allow them to save these randomly generated tracks to a disk and then edit them. Cool! The tracks themselves are brilliant —there are twists and turns all over the place, corkscrews, ramps, tubes (some that you go inside of, and some that you go outside of), patches of dirt and ice that can hinder your progress, traps and more. There are no tracks with wind or magnetic strips (like the original F-Zero), but there're more than enough new obstacles and interesting track layouts to keep you busy. There are four different camera angles that you can use, though to be honest, we found the default camera to be the most useful. One of the best new features in F-Zero X is your ability to attack opponents. Here's how it works: When racing, the Z and R buttons act much like the L and В ones did in the original game—holding either one while turning will result in a sharp turn in either direction (and to add to this, if you hold the analog stick in the opposite direction of the way you After every race in the GP Mode, you're awarded points. To win a Cup, you need to place first overall. [m ахай LATIO 730 mme 00 +00203 t turn, you'll drift rather than slide, giving you even more control over your turns). If you double- Dash Plates send you tap Z or R, you can initiate a sweeping side-attack zooming ahead at insane that can take out an enemy racer in one shot if speeds. After one lap, executed properly. Even better, if you hold Z and you can Boost as often as double-tap В (or hold В and double-tap 2), you'll you like (at the expense perform a special spin attack maneuver that can really of your energy bar). lay on the damage if it connects with an opponent. Since your overall placing in any Cup depends on how many points you've accumulated over the six courses (First Place will net you 100 points, gradually scaling down to 15 points for finishing 3oth), you may find yourself chasing down specific racers who are ahead of you in the standings (clearly labeled as *RIVAL" on the screen) in hopes of blasting them into oblivion with these attacks so you can bypass them in the rankings. Nobody said winning would be easy...but it sure is fun! When you first turn on F-Zero X, you're given the option of playing any of five different gameplay Modes: GP Race, Time Attack, Death Race, Vs. Battle F-Zero X-Pansion Right here are the first two screens released of the upcoming Track Editor in the 64DD expansion disk for F-Zero X. Unfortunately it'll probably never see the light of day in the U.S. since the DD is all but dead here, but we can always hope, can't we? ЕЕ and Practice. There's also an Options Screen that lets you toggle a few settings on and off (CPU racers in multiplayer, Slots in multiplayer and a Handicap setting). We've already explained the GP Race Mode, 50 let's run through the others. First up, Time Attack. The Time Attack Mode lets you challenge any course you've opened up so far to compete for the best times. There are no other racers on the track, but you can save your performance as a 2 Aiit -— ДЖ ШШШ зыш j Like in the original F-Zero, the character designs are drawn іп a U.S.-cartoon style, with such hokey names as Captain Falcon, Roger Buster and Beastman, among others. The original four racers are back, along with 26 new ones. Ei: Soft ENTERTAINMENT NINTENDO ^ rat 1 PlayStation | === Ubi Soft ©1998 Vivid Image. Graphics and sound effects Ubi Soft Entertainment / Vivid Image. Ubi Soft € & ® 1998 Ubi Soft Entertainment, Inc. All rights reserved. All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders. PlayStation and the PlayStation logos re registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Multa required for 3 or players on the PlayStation Game Console. Nintendo, Nintendo 64 and the 3-D "N" logo are trademarks of Nintendo of America Inc- ©1998 Nintendo of America Inc. Licensed by Nintendo. NINTENDO 64 Bet you forgot about this one, eh? That's right-Nintendo was actually planning on releasing an F-Zero- inspired flight racing game for the Virtual Boy called G-Zero before the system met with its untimely demise. Too bad it never made it out-it might've been one of the few VB games actually worth checking out. 00" 91779... cai [UD LUE 09" 0170... cai LAP, LU p Ж” Multiplayer play in F-Zero X is surprisingly smooth, even with the four-player split screen. Once you open ир the X Cup, things get real exciting, as the random tracks make each race an entirely new experience for each player involved. Ghost and than race against it on the second run- through. This is very cool; unfortunately, you can only save one Ghost at a time, so if you want to save а new one, you'll have to overwrite your old one. Then there's the ultra-cool Death Race Mode. This mode pits you against the other 29 racers on a relatively small track. The object is simple: Destroy all of your opponents as fast as you can. You get as much time as you need to get the job done, and the game will save your best time so you can compete against your friends. This Mode is very cool, but it's got two downsides: 1) Your opponents aren't very aggressive at all, so you don't have to worry about yourself dying unless you fly off the track, and 2) You can only play this mode with one player. D'oh! This would've made for a great variation on regular Multiplayer play. Next up is Vs. Battle. If you've got friends to race with, this mode rocks. You can race with two, three or four players on any of the tracks you've opened up so far, and the game will keep track of who's got the most wins via a point system (first place gets five points, second gets three, etc.). To add to the excitement, you can switch on the Slot option in the Options Screen. This'll let players who've lost (either by exploding or falling off the track) play a special slot machine that can cause lots of trouble for the racers Still on the track. It's a great way to exact revenge on an unsuspecting opponent. Finally, there's the Practice Mode. This is pretty simple—you just pick a difficulty level and a track from any of the Cups you've opened up so far and go. You'll still have 29 other racers to race against, it just won't count in the end. There's no lap limit here, so you can just race over and over until you've perfected the track. So there you have it. Nintendo's been up and down in recent months, but F-Zero X is definitely a major up. It’s one of the best N64 games to date, with great gameplay, slick visuals and immense replayability. Add to that the major challenge (especially on the Expert and Master difficulties), and a rockin' soundtrack (easily the best we've heard from Nintendo on the N64 so far), and you've got another must-own Miyamoto title. Just be prepared to wait a bit—the U.S. version isn't scheduled for release until late October. @ That's right, it is BS. BS Satellaview, that is- Nintendo's Super Famicom satellite add-on that was only released in Japan. Over there, gamers were treated to two special updates of the original F-Zero that were available for play on the special satellite service. The first one, BS F-Zero Grand Prix, featured the original F-Zero's 15 tracks, plus an all-new track to race on. There were four new Machines to race as too-Blue Thunder, Luna Bomber, Green Amazone and Fire Scorpion. In BS F-Zero Grand Prix 2, there were five all-new tracks to race on, and the same batch of new racers as the first BS F-Zero. Both games featured Practice Modes that let you practice the tracks either alone, with a CPU racer, or an exceptional Ghost racer. These games featured the same graphics and music as the original F-Zero, but some of the new tracks were very cool (and challenging), and the vehicles looked slightly different (they were all rendered, like the characters in Mario RPG or DKC). 5 ighter. 4 it a des of play — in the same cart! ^ ра rmed" character mode, and chase — ^" 1 s while pulverizing your opponents. А г maximum effect. Save this data in your Rumble Pak' compatible Super deformed mode. Collect Virtual mode. Choose between all 200 items to build the most classic 2D fighting or brawl іп а powerful fighting machine ever! fully 3D environment. — (©1998 NATSUME, Inc. ©1998 CULTURE BRAIN. Nintendo, the Official Seal, the 3D “N” logo and N64 are trademarks of Nintendo of America Inc. ЦЕ Ss FR ES| * s The meek may inherit the earth, . Р * BLITZ ©1998 Midway Games Inc. All rights reserved. BLITZ and MIDWAY are trademarks of. idWay е: Я and logos are trademarks of the teams indicated. The NFL shield, Super Bowl and Pro Bowl are trademarks of the Officially Licensed Product of the National Football League. Officially Licensed Product of Players Inc. Distribut аду Entertainment Inc. Players Inc Logo is a registered trademark of the NFL Players. PlayStation and the PlayStati 'egiste trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Nintendo, Nintendo 64 and the 3-D “М” logo are trademarks of Nintendo of America fr ©1998 Nintendo of America Inc. Licensed by Nintendo. All other trademarks Wi names are properties of their e + ive owners. ж PlayStation |. ре d / їйї M Е “МЫНЕ SNINIENDU 04 The Best Hockey бате In Town My 2 Cents With the preview version of NHL 99 we received, EA supplied us with a little Q&A with the game's producer, Ken Sayler. When asked about his favorite feature in NHL 99, Sayler responded "my favorite feature is the intensity of gameplay. The best sports fan is someone who plays the sport recreationally. Having played ice hockey, | have an interest in communicating just how fast, intense and physically demanding the NHL looks to me." This, to me, is the essence of why the NHL series is so damn good. No other hockey game properly re-creates the excite- ment and intensity that comes with the sport, and | applaud EA and Зау!ег for realizing this and doing something about it. -John Ricciardi NHL 99 he N64 has certainly had its fair share of hockey games so far, with last year’s Breakaway '98 and Midway’s trio of suspiciously similar titles (the Gretzky twins and Olympic Hockey), but to date none of them have been up to par, gameplay- wise, with EA’s renowned NHL series. This year it’s only going to get tougher for everyone else, as EA is currently putting the finishing touches on their first N64 NHL game, NHL 99. As you may know, EA’s NHL 98 for the PlayStation last year was one of EGM's favorite hockey titles of all time. NHL 99 for the №64 uses an updated version of that very same gameplay engine, and aside from some obvious differences (no FMV, no two-man play-by-play, etc.), it looks like it may be just as good, if not better than last year’s marvel. (We'd expect this from a PlayStation sequel, but for a first outing on the Nintendo 64, this is actually very impressive.) NHL 99’s most impressive aspects lie in the game’s realism. The graphics and animation are just fantastic, and the sensation of speed (which is very, very important in hockey—other developers should take note of this) is brilliant. The in-game Al is excellent (and all-around improved over last year’s NHL games for the PS and PC), though in this preview version (which seems to be pretty far along), the goalie Al still needs a lot of work. Aside from that however, the Al is definitely where it needs to be. There’s obviously plenty to keep the hard-core hockey fans satisfied (don’t forget about the on-the-fly offensive and defensive strategy changing, player creation and line editing features), but EA’s also looking out for newbies as well. If you’re more concerned about just getting on the ice and playing, you can opt for a Quickstart game which’ll throw you right into the action. Overall, NHL 99 is definitely looking sweet right now, but EA definitely needs to address the goalie Al problems and maybe consider getting some new італ K á PALEY Ed г > New for 99 is a small shot power meter (above) that you can use to determine the power of your shots. Publisher/Developer Players/Genre % Done Release | Electronic Arts 1-4 80 October EA Sports Sports 1998 Web Address: www.easports.com The 3D graphics in NHL 99 are even more breathtaking than last year’s gorgeous NHL 98 for the PS. voice samples for the (very limited) play-by-play, because the stuff in there now is pretty hideous. If all goes well, NHL 99 (which allows for four-player play and supports the Rumble Pak, by the way) will be the N64 hockey game to own when it hits store shelves this October. @ The NHL series has always been known for great gameplay, and so far, NHL 99 is living up to that standard quite nicely. ВАРТ “Killer looks, intricate levels, a wry sense of humor... There's a new platform king on the PlayStation" — GamePro | PlayStation "The best 3-D mascot/ platform game on the PlayStation” — EGM 50 45 50 — GamePro CRYSTAL “99% Platinum [ Award... More р personality than www.crystald.com any video game character." cj D MIDWAY — PSExtreme iz www.midway.com ININTENDU 04 Beware The Bee With The Big Gun Behind the Screens “We wanted to do something like Buck when we first started looking at the N64,” Nick Clarke, producer of Buck Bumble told us. “Something that wasn't a flight sim, but a shooter, and the bee thing came up.” So the 1 1/4" insect hero, Buck, was born. According to Clarke, the game was crafted using Miyamoto's "fair play” philosophy in mind. "It gives the player a fair chance, even if it's slim. We want the player cursing at the enemies, not at the дате,"Пе told us. tart with Star Fox, add in some Duke Nukem, elements of Mario 64, throw in an all-insect cast, shake it up and out comes Buck Bumble, Ubi Soft's latest N64 offering. As cyborg bee Buck Bumble, your mission is to take out a horde of mutant insects bent on world domination. You control Buck through 20 free-flying mission-based levels— destroying enemies who get smarter and arm themselves with better weapons as you go along. Picture a free-roaming Star Fox, and you're halfway there. At its core, Buck Bumble plays like a classic-style shooter, but + borrows elements that work well in 3D platform games, creating a mix of shooting action and mission-based objectives. Levels include a Forest, Wasteland, Hive, Sewer, House and Graveyard, each becoming more and more unfamiliar to Buck with its own graphic style. Each level is sectioned into specific areas, making it easy to Seek, destroy and explore an area completely before moving on to the next. Five Bosses await, with the biggest at the end—the mutated Queen. Additionally, there's a two player Battle Mode with five arenas and a pseudo Soccer-style game called Buzz Ball. Buck Bumble's graphics are a blend of surreal, yet realistic characters and environments. The camera moves nicely, so that the action is always in view. There are two camera angles to choose from during play—a third-person and piggyback view. Buck has the ability to use almost a dozen weapons, including guns like a Plasma Pistol, Stinger, Frag Cannon, Cluster Bombs, the HGS 2000 and the all-powerful Fusion Cannon. You'll find certain enemies have weaknesses to particular weapons. —————— —À 1 Publisher/Developer Players/Genre % Done Release Ubi Soft 1 60 October Argonaut Action 1998 Web Address: www.ubisoft.com 00005522 In one mission, you've got to save Buck's home base from being destroyed by the advancing mutant insect horde. There are plenty of enemies on this stage, all focused on attacking you and your friends. Immediately you'll notice the main Buck Bumble theme, sung by MC Cisco. It's very...strange at first. The music throughout the game is composed of various instrumental techno-ish music/beats and synthesized sounds, with ambient buzzing/nature sounds in the background. Look for Buck to buzz into your favorite store this fall. In Buzz Ball, the object is to knock the ball into your opponent' goal by bumping, nuking or shooting it in. тм "Devil Dice is a puzzle game that eclipses even Tetris." GameFan " STAGE аға Жа. Э». T © BRGY ons PlayStation Cars Shaped Like Animals? Go Figure My 2 Cents 1 can't help thinking that they're scraping the barrel somewhat for justification for the cars' attributes-but who cares if the end result is good? Although still a couple of months off from being finished, S.C.A.R.S. is already looking impressive. It certainly attracted attention in the ЕСМ office, and that's always a good sign. —-John Davison NINTENDO 64 S.C.A.R.S. Г Soft 1-4 60 October Vivid Image Racing 1998 Web Address: www.ubisoft.com К, OK, РЦ answer the obvious question first. What does S.C.A.R.S. stand for? Get this...Super Computer Animal Racing Simulation. Don’t look at me like that, | didn’t make it up— that’s what it’s called, OK? Underneath the ludicrous back story this looks like it’s going to be an above-average attempt at a racing game on the N64, it’s just a shame that it has to have this stupid idea tacked on. The press stuff we received with the product talks of “the year being 3000 AD” (yeah...we wondered when that would start happening) and that “supercomputers have designed nine hyper-charged vehicles all based around some of nature’s most ruthless killers.” As you can probably imagine you must take charge of these animal-inspired racers (which are just odd-shaped cars if we’re honest) and, well, win races. Once the novelty of driving around ina shark/lion/rhino (!?!)-shaped car has worn off (approximately seven seconds after you noticed that was why the cars look so bizarre), you can sit back and appreciate that this is a pretty snazzy hybrid of the less crappy-looking off-road racing games out there, with a bit of WipeOut and AutoDuel thrown in for good measure. By staging the whole affair “in” a supercomputer, the team at Vivid Image has managed to come up with a pretty believable way of excusing any pop-up in the graphics. The game renders up the track as a grid before laying across the beautiful textures, so if the N64 ever has any trouble rendering stuff, it can revert back to the grid. Not that this is ever an issue though. The graphics throughout are slick, fast and beautifully rendered. Effective use of lighting and fancy- schmancy effects have been used throughout with different times of day simulated very effectively along with some seriously good- looking weapons effects. There are nine tracks in Sliding around corners gives a good example of how nicely S.C.A.R.S. controls. Graphics are nice too, eh? all, each with different bells and whistles associated with them and these vary from snow, to light-sourced (red) lava and apparently later on there’s even an underwater stage. Not quite sure how the predatory nature of the rhino (I didn’t think it was a predator?!?!) will cope underwater—but when | see a final version of the game | promise I'll let you all know. The single-player game, even in the early stage that we've seen so far, looks like it’s going to be quite addictive. Racing to the finish line is obviously the most important aspect of the gameplay, but to help ensure that no one gets in your way the game employs a WipeOut/Mario Kart-esque weapons system. Picking up one of the numerous icons dotted around the track equips you with missiles, shields, weird magnet thingies that slow people down and turbo boosters, to name but a few. You can carry two different weapons at a time—but only use them in the order you picked them up. Once you've got the hang of the controls the game develops that same satisfying feeling you got with Mario Kart when you could take someone out from miles away with a deftly lobbed shell. As if the one-player game wasn't enough, S.C.A.R.S. also offers a Multiplayer Deathmatch Mode which is Still being worked on and refined as we go to press. @ f AA E 1898, GBPC, a subsidiary of Golden Books Family Entertainment. All rights reserved. All other characters herein and the distinct lik traders of clas conie Inc A rights reserved. Nintendo 64 and the 3-0 “№ logo are trademarks of Nintendo of America Inc, © 1! и: America Inc. Acclaim is a division and registered trademark of Acclaim Entertainment, Inc. ® & © 1998 Acclaim Entertainment, Inc. All rights reser. TUROK 2: SEEDS OF EVILO 1998 Acclaim Entertainment, Inc. АП rights о „ттге d «could. do kj M NE $ қ а ау "X. justice; “же www.turok:com | Publisher/Developer Players/Genre % Done “Release — October NINTENDO 64 THQ 1-4 Asmik Action 60 1998 Web Address: www.thg.com It All | k hile some 5 d B may argue about the authenticity of the sport of wrestling, there Right? - that it’s immensely popular these days. In fact, professional wrestling draws some of the highest ratings on cable TV. It should come as no surprise, then, that wrestling games are incredibly popular as well. THQ certainly knows this with their successful line of WCW games for the Nintendo 64 and the PlayStation. Now, they are preparing to unleash the sequel to their N64 game WCW vs. NWO: World Tour, entitled WCW/NWO Revenge. Fans of last year's version should feel right at home here. The gameplay is quite similar to before, but with enough tweaks and additions to make it feel that much better. For starters, there are a bunch of little features that serve to improve the game. You can now fight The number of wrestlers you can have in the game's Battle Royale Mode. 80 The number of wrestlers you can choose from т WCW/NWO Revenge, 50 of There's no doubt about it, this new edition is a heck of a lot nicer looking than last year's World Tour. You're going to need all those wrestlers, too. One of _ Which are actual in actual WCW Pay-Per-View events such as Bash at the Beach and the ever-spooky Halloween Havoc. The wrestlers saunter into the ring while their theme music plays, just like TV. Even the crowd looks nicer, with crazed fans holding up homemade signs and sporting face paint. Graphically, the game looks nicer than it ever has before. The wrestlers now look much smoother and animate more fluidly, and you'll be able to identify the pros just by looking at their faces or even their tattoos. Even though they sport more detail, the total number of wrestlers has been practically doubled from last year. There are now more than 80 wrestlers you can choose from. Out of those, 50 of them are your favorite (or most despised) WCW and NWO stars. With that many characters to choose from, it should be a long time before you master everyone. the new features is a 40 (count 'em)-man Battle Royale Mode. Four wrestlers compete in the ring at once, just like in the last game. The only difference is that whenever someone gets defeated, he gets thrown out and a new combatant runs in. This cycle continues until all 4o people have gone. The man left standing in the ring is the winner. In addition to the Battle Royale Mode, you can also play the Championship Mode which gives you the chance to try to win the different WCW belts. The game will keep track as to your win/loss record and what belts you have won. While you're competing to earn the belts, you can edit your wrestler and change their allegiance from WCW to NWO at will, allowing you to mimic what is currently happening in the real sport. It's a pretty safe bet that if you enjoyed World Tour, you'll love Revenge. There's plenty of new features that should give this game some very long-term playability. @ JYST PLANINI FUN} МЕТ 1 т T^ gg" na MA. А2 АЛ № Tho i КІ Intense shooting action In-game cinema sequences Gigantic animated bosses Blast off for revolutionary game play action with КЕМСО® Knife Edge: Nose Gunner™ for Nintendo 64! Knife Edge combines the fast-paced action of a sci-fi shoot-em-up with the thrilling joyride of an arcade-style flight game. Beautiful 30 polygon-constructed extraterrestrial environments fill the screen. The pioneer colonies on Mars are invaded and you have to shoot your way through enemy craft and ground defense placements. KEMCO’s innovative game pass generation system computes the player's choice of assault craft, navigator character, difficulty level, and enemy kill ratio to open up new branches and routes through the hostile environments and introduce new enemy attack configurations. Knife Edge offers a new game play experience КО Coming Soon On N64: 2 )Microware Distributing, Inc. Old-School Brawlin On The №4 Which Dr. wins? Dr. Evil: Publisher/Developer Players/Genre — 96 Done Release Eidos 1-2 50 October Core Design Action 1998 Web Address: www.eidosinterac ivecom | fyou were (or still are) a fan of Streets of Rage or Final Fight from the olden days of gaming, then Fighting Force 64 from Core and Eidos is right up your butt-kicking alley. Some of you might remember a PlayStation version which came out not too long ago. Well, the N64 is pretty much a twin except on cart instead of CD. The main difference between this N64 version and its PlayStation cousin are graphics. Using the N64's built-in effects, the Fighting Force team is giving soft edges to nearly everything in the game. Also, explosions and other such effects will be anti-aliased. On top of the " graphics, the Dr zong: gameplay is being tweaked. Fighting One sinister eyebrow Two sinister eyebrows ^ Force 64 uses the Al from the Advantage: Dr. Zeng Japanese PlayStation release due to its later release. Since the Fighting Pointy bald еш Advantage: Tad dud Force team had more time to work on the gameplay in the Japanese Mod 6o5 style of dress Retro "Bos rockstar gear version, they are basically happier Advantage: Dr. Evil with it. There are less savepoints Fleshy Polygonal іп the №64 version as well. What all Advantage: Dr. Zeng of this contributes to is a far more = 5 я Я challenging game. The PlayStation Detingut QU. e peered Brune Hcet version suffered from being far with a long scar beard and beady eyes ^ too easy. underneath For those of you not familiar with Advantage: Dr. Evil Fighting Force, the game is basically Dysfunctional insane а Опе- or two-player beat-'em-up r 5 Advantage: Dr. Zeng like Final Fight except in 3D. Marc Does that pinky thi а Silvestri of Top Cow Productions ое that ріп ing аке his fist an (co-producer of the comics The after saying somethin: sends his goons after к especially 550 Е you (until prn tevel) Darkness and Witchblade, among Advantage: Dr. Evil others) was approached to design we the game's characters and give them Results: Draw personalities. With his years in the = comic book industry, working for Marvel comics, starting Image SMA SHER НА 2, 1 TM After kicking the snot out of these fools, go on over to the cola machine for a refreshing can of soda. Fighting Force 64 Guys with no shirts, bikers and scantily clad heroines are what await you in Fighting Force 64. Hmmm... comics and now working with Top Cow, Silvestri has the experience to design some kick-ass characters. Fighting Force 64's story line sounds a lot like a comic book: A madman with a lot of money and power by the name of Dr. Zeng predicts the end of the world, while his followers wait for his prediction to come true. It doesn't, so Dr. Z decides to make it happen himself with a little help from some bio- chemicals. A couple of for-hire do-gooders hear about it, employ two of their friends and the world-saving adventure starts. Each of the game's four main characters (two bulky males and two voluptuous females) has his/her own unique punches, kicks, slides and rolls along with special moves. You can also pick up objects and weapons to use against Dr. Z's goons. Enemies are standard stock but are generally pretty smart, often blocking and moving out of the way when you attack. The game's 22 levels take you to city streets, subways, up into buildings, onto aircraft and eventually to Dr. Z's secret hideout where the final confrontation takes place. @ ite Кие Hide at Your асап зага зау tis |5 quing to be a big mits ЧИҮШЕШ = Playstation Magazine “ЕЕ Lbs Шү терен, Ме Чери ие po o7 Hart ЇШЇП i E Supports Бо DUAL SHOCK” CONTROLLER! E H Strap yourself in for the fastest, most stomach-churning racing game ever! CIRCUIT BREAKERS: is like no other racing game an earth! Up to four players can battle head-to-head on over АЙЕ? coaster race tracks іп any of 8 spectacular 30 worlds. Ко патоу pamby ‘corridor’ racinge@aeh track features hair-raising banked corners, heart-in-the- mouth, jaw-dropping dips and drops - all in spectacular 3D. Each track has its own array of lethal power-ups — so if you cant overtake em, blast ‘em off the track. Plus, for a real drive by the | seat of your pants experience, an ingenious dynamic camera zooms in and nut of the action, keeping all jostling competitors in full view. Best of all, | ме, CIRCUIT BREAKERS is astonishingly easy to play — select your options by literally driving straight through ‘em in a unique 3D arena! c Oy 5 й 9 E ue >” НС е www.mindscapegames.com ©1998 Mindscape, Inc. AI rights reserved. Mindscape is a registered trademark and Circuit Breakers and the Mindscape logo are trademarks of Mindscape, Inc. The Supersonic logo is a trademark of Supersonic Software, Lid. Developed by Supersonic Software, Ltd. Licensed by Sony Entertainment America for use with the PlayStation game console. PlayStation and the PlayStation logos are registered Developed by trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All other trademarks and А registered trademarks are the property of their respective holders. V; Su personic ANINTENDO 64 This [5 № Mario Clone Over 60 How many different animal variations you'll get to play in Space Station Silicon Valley. Some are simply more dangerous versions of another, like dogs with rocket launchers. The heavy hippo comes in handy when you need to walk around on the floors of bodies of water. % Done Release October 90 1998 Take 2 DMA Design Guess what game this Walrace 64 ust when 3D mascot-based games are starting to really look and play alike, along comes Space Station Silicon Valley, a new and innovative 3D action game. Sure you run around and collect icons. Sure you play as a cute and cuddly animal (well, actually several cute and cuddly animals). But the gameplay is totally fresh and original. You are Evo, an intelligent robot who is sent to investigate the mysterious reappearance of a long- lost space station. The Silicon Valley project started more than 1,000 years ago. It was mankind's first attempt to produce intelligent, self-sufficient machines. A few minutes after the space station launched, however, it disappeared. Now it's back with robotic life-forms that have evolved beyond control. This lighthearted game starts out with a humorous intro that has you crashing into the space station. Evo's body is destroyed, but his mobile and intelligent "black box chip" survives. This chip lets you control any of the robot animals you encounter, provided they are deactivated (i.e., dead). Each of the 30 primary levels is inhabited with a variety of wildlife. The animals can range from mice to gorillas to piranha to penguins. Every animal has very unique characteristics; some can jump, some can fly, some can bite, some can float, some can swim, some can carpet bomb, etc. To get through each of the stages, you have to figure out what animal you want to control and when. See a hole too small for your lion to crawl through? Find and take over the body of a mouse instead. Got some heavy boulders in your way? Find a strong elephant so you can move them. Every animal has unique skills that will help you get through the levels. On the stage “Have а Nice Day!" for instance, your objective is to collect all the bonus icons and to round up four sheep into a pen. Since sheep are afraid of dogs, you can usea dog to scare them to go where you want. A couple of the bonus items are on islands where the dog can't swim to, however, so you'll have to bite one of the sheep to death so you can take over its body to float to those islands. As you can tell, Space Station Silicon Valley offers some pretty innovative ideas. It's definitely a change of pace from the traditional 3D platform-action games we're used to seeing on the Nintendo 64. Don't pass up the chance to level is modeled after? Space Station Silicon Valley check out this low-profile game that may end up being the sleeper hit of the year. @ hind the Screen Playing it safe A game that has you killing lots of cute animals is bound to draw some controversy. In attempts to draw away potential problems, DMA Design is putting in constant reminders that these animals are actually robots living in a space station, not real animals living in the wilderness. That's why you'll notice a fot of metal in the stages' environments; some levels even have windows that let you see out into space. And when you КИ! an animal, you'll see sparks, not blood. Don't worry. We're sure some parent somewhere will still raise a stink. • Compatible With All Nintendo 64 Games * Ergonomic Design For Superior Comfort • Never Needs То Be Recalibrated e Compatible With Controller Рак“ And Rumble Рак“ NOW AVAILABLE FOR N64 WHEREVER VIDEO GAMES ARE SOLD! ALSO AVAILABLE NEW FOR FOR PLAYSTATION® NINTENDO? 64 а GAME CONSOLE REALITY QUEST” www.theglove.com MERS.™ BY GAMERS. FOR СА: www .interplay.com JIM USED TO BE SHALLOW, NOW HE'S GOT DEPTH. After getting konked on the noggin, Jim back flips, pig-boards, and helicopter heads his way through six neurotically insane levels of his own unconscious brain. Better yet, he gets to romp around freely in lush 3D environments. But do you want to tell our studly hero that it's "all in his mind” or should we? СА АА ЕС [24:22] "Watch Out oF The E Dised Zombies - е. 2 y Fs ing Your Way Winter *98 Game develóped by and Software Engine Ріс. All Rights Reserved. Eat » NINTENDO 64 Mario Kart- Style Racing Gets Even Cuter My 2 Cents I'm not a big fan of Mario-like racers but 1 must admit | like the racing gameplay in Penny Racers. The drift-style cornering may not be realistic but it sure is fun to do. Although the game appears to be a simplistic racing experience, the real fun doesn't begin until you reach the higher levels. Faster cars, better weapons and more intense competition await you. The only problem may be whether you'll have the patience to wade through the earlier stages to get to the good stuff. -Dean Hager No cute racer is complete without an ice track. Ist Qtr. 1999 Web Address: www.thq.com ake environments that appear remarkably similar to those in Mario Kart, throw in а bunch of cute puffy vehicles and voila, you have Penny Racers. OK, Cliff Notes summary aside, Penny Racers has a surprising amount of depth hidden within its simplistic facade. And while It’s true the Mario-esque backgrounds are in stark contrast to the flat, cartoonish appearance of the cars, looks can be deceiving. Called Choro Q in Japan, Penny Racers offers drift-style combat racing with a ton of car modification options (over a hundred) to keep the racing competitive. The higher you place, the more add-ons you can buy or steal from your opponents’ cars. Upgrades allow you to build using basic additions of power, acceleration, tires, etc., but also offer body style, armor, decoration and weapons as well. Of the 13 cars most resemble actual street cars such as the VW Bug, Acura NSX and Porsche 911, to name a few. Of course the caricatured appearance makes them look more like small pillows than high performance cars but it’s all a part of their charm. Although there are only nine courses available, a simplistic track editor increases that number exponentially. Courses can be built in about a minute, if need be, with the option to save the good ones. Combat portions of the game include spike and bomb dropping. Run over one, do a couple flips and you're off again. Vehicles replenish their supply by picking up power-ups or loading up before the race. In general, racing cartoon cars drift-style through Mario-Kart inspired environments is entertaining in and of itself. Throw in the multitude of car mods, combat and track editor options and you have an interesting game overall. It does seem like it'll be better suited for your little brother though. Even with all the options it still oozes cutesy cartoon goodness. But then again, cartoon racers do pretty well on the N64 so who am | to judge. Mario Kart fans as well as four-player fanatics should be on full alert for this interesting new racing title. ф 20405395 за The Volkswagen Beetle isn't known for its racing prowess, but it sure looks cute on the road. Surprisingly, these little cars pack a lot of physics including sway, roll-overs and spinouts. Overall resemblance to Mario Kart is pretty obvious—except the cars of course. "T E Ae ш e^ tor SURVIVAL. р ( unfontunately, 4,4. ТНЕУ ВЕ. DEPENDING ON YOU ) 2 25, НЕЕ: | YOU. $ | Фа "^. 4 -a i i "^. NINTENDO 64 The Classic Strategy/RPG Returns BRBAMZAGS NSD»! а Ясь, 393291! чап ква Зит224 по: 158/150 Warning: This is a preview of a Japanese Ше that may or may not be released in the U.S. It is designed to run on a Japanese system. Import at your own risk. riginally thought to be a 64DD game, Quest has recently unveiled the first screens and info on the latest chapter in the Ogre Battle saga, the now cart- based Ogre Battle 3 (tentative title). Set between the original Ogre Battle (Episode V) and its sequel Tactics Ogre (Episode VII), Ogre Battle 3 (Episode VI—duh!) takes some of the best aspects of both previous games (which were decidedly different from each other, gameplay-wise) and adds a bunch of new features that are sure to delight fans of the series. As you know, battle is the main aspect of the Ogre series, and Ogre 3 is no different. This time there are no hex grids or squares on the battlefield (which is now completely polygonal) as there were in Tactics Ogre. There are no “Turns” or “Phases” anymore, either. Instead, the player assigns his armies in groups in real time on the map. Where Tactics Ogre featured one-on-one tactical combat (much like Final Fantasy Tactics), Ogre 3 is much more like the first Ogre Battle, with huge army vs. army battles that require less specific micro-managing of individual units. When a unit faces an enemy, the battle will automatically begin. Since you play the role of the commanding officer, the battles will play out on their own, though there are various factors that can determine their outcomes. You'll be able to intervene during battles to alter commands or perhaps rethink your strategies with the new "Intervene Counter" gauge. This will allow you to choose between several different Counter Commands when full. You can also choose to have your units act aggressively or non-aggressively, depending on the situation and the current conditions in battle. When preparing for battle, each unit is placed on a 3x3 grid called the Positioning Square. Your units will act and react differently depending on where you place them in the grid. How many times they can attack, how and when they attack (indirect, direct, etc.) all depends on their positioning in the grid. There are many different character classes in the game (over 20 have been revealed so far, including Fighters, Wizards, Dragon Tamers, Hawkmen and more), and you'll be able to evolve and change classes during the course of your journey as you build up experience. калдай = Re l DM TS UBS. [Ss | ABMS THEMES As you can see, the graphical style is very reminiscent of past Ogre games (Ogre Battle and Tactics Ogre). Quest n 1 4th Qtr. 1998 (Japan) , ь Д ITA Quest, Strategy/RPG 5: wWw.quest-kk.com The field map scenes are composed of 2D sprite characters on huge 3D polygonal landscapes. Like its predecessors, Ogre 3 is expected to have several user-friendly features. Already confirmed is an Information Room that allows you to view events that have already occurred, see profiles of all of the characters you’ve met and get hints during play, as well as a Tutorial Mode that'll explain all of the nuances of the game’s complex gameplay systems. Ogre Battle 3 is slated for release this fall in Japan, with a U.S. release expected in '99. Rumors have been circulating that Nintendo will publish the game in the U.S., but nothing has been confirmed yet. @ Ogre Inspiration "Ogre men are coming home The great big fight is over Bugle blow let trumpet cry Ogre battle lives forever more You can come along You can come along Come to ogre battle" Sound familiar? Well, if you're a fan of the popular "705 and "805 rock group Queen, and you thought that the name "Ogre Battle" sounded familiar, that's because you've probably heard Freddy Mercury singin' about it. Queen's second album, Queen II (released in 1974), has a song called “Ogre Battle," which was the inspiration for the now-immensely popular Strategy/RPG series from Quest. The creator of the Ogre Battle series (who has since left Quest) is apparently a big fan of Queen, as the original game's subtitle ("The March of the Black Queen") was another track on that same album. One of the rendered backgrounds from Ogre Battle 3. In the game, they won't look as hi-res, of course. ПОЛИОН?” Please Print Clearly. Address: City: State: Systems Owned: N64 — Saturn — РӘХ. "PO —— Age: email: + Legal Stuff Terms and Conditions: PO. Box ithout street addresses will not qualify as mailing addresses. Original cash register receipt along with original UPC symbol must be used; duplication or copy is not acceptable. per Rebates must be postmarked by 12/31/98. Offer valid only in the USA, void if all requirements are not recieved, or if certificate % ч Й " a is not completely filled out. Allow 8 weeks for refund delivery. To receive this special rebate offer cut out and mail in: Not responsible for lost or misdirected тай, A) "UPC" symbol from Ocean's GT64 Championship Edition along with the coupon to the right. B) The original store identified cash register receipt with Fill out our certificate and send to: the puchase price and date circled. БОК : en 77 С) One "UPC" symbol from any М64 driving game 9. НОК other than СТ64, OR manual cover, OR the bottom Stacy, MN 55078-6164 of the box (Automobili Lamborghini”, Cruisin' USA, Diddy Kong Racing”, F1 Pole Position 64”, К Mario Kart 64", Multi-Racing Championship”, (ls. San Francisco Rush”, or Top Gear Rally” qualify.) INFORMES All Rights Reserved. © 1996 Nintendo of America Inc. narks are the property of their respective holders. “2 ST ATUS GOOD Castlevania 64 GOLD 6535 We recently got our hands on the latest playable version of Konami's upcoming Castlevania 64, due for release late this year. While the game looks promising (just check out these gorgeous screens), it's definitely far from being complete, so don't be surprised if it gets delayed until sometime in '99. Don't mind the colored lines on each picture; it's just a debug code and won't be in the final game. №әјјед МӘ1Л914 TVs GOOD LD 65535 TATUS GOOD $ ҮН $ е [t дин йип — | РР чар P: NINTENDO 64 GT World Tour 4 жет $4 Finally a solid N64 racer? From Boss Game Studios and Midway, GT World Tour features at least 10 tracks, 15 cars and a new gameplay engine that is in no way related to Top Gear Rally (the N64 update from Boss, Midway and Kemco of the Super NES classic). With a speedy frame rate, specular highlighting on the cars, a load of special effects and a good number of cars on the screen at once, GT World Tour could very well be the N64’s answer to PlayStation's Gran Turismo. Look for it later this year. “m Күн) n m - E Е E т > 2 я www.westwood.com | ` Who you callin’ = а pussy? cL PlayStation Activision is a registered trademark of Activision, Inc. Ta Fu and distributed by Activision under license, PlayStation and the PlaySts DreamWorks interactive L.L.C. DreamWorks Interactive is a trademark of DreamWorks L.L.C. Published Entertainment Inc. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. Strut your bad self through 20 intense levels of sweeping rivers and dense bamboo forests on your quest to defeat the Dragon Master. @ Take on lethal animal enemies inspired by Chinese legend, including muscle-bound snakes and ferocious wild boar. © Send them flyin' with over 100 character moves and authentic Kung Fu attacks like the Leopard Pounce and the Monkey Roll. © Then, unleash your tiger attacks, and finish ‘ет off with thrashing claws and razor-sharp teeth. Tai-Fu-putting the “ЕЦ” in Kung-Fu. Wrath of the Прес That's Chinese For Kick Ass. www.activision.com ™ de dei i BEAUTIFULLY ANIMATED ADVENTURE NINTENDO 64 Tonic Trouble Ed the Space Shaker (whatever that means) really screws things up for Earth when he spills a can of mysterious tonic (aha...a key to the title) from his spaceship, causing terrible mutations to occur. As he rushes to undo the problem, he encounters hot flying toast, mutant fruit and a village of CD-worshipping weirdos. To say that it’s a bit “odd” would be an understatement...but it is French after all. Set for release by Ubi Soft before the end of the year, this enormous 3D adventure (which shares graphics technology with Rayman 2) is shaping up very nicely indeed. : www.playstation.com PlayStation x + Im HE GAVE HIS LIFE FOR HIS KINGDOM. NOW HE'S GIVING HIS DEATH. MEDIEVIL. COMING HALLOWEEN MediEvil is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. ©1998 Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. PlayStation and esas the PlayStation logos are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. m- -— єр =. <> = с е e -— < NINTENDO 64 Survivor Day One Konami recently stopped by with a few things including a playable version of Survivor. Although the game’s quite early, it gave us a general idea of where it’s heading gameplay-wise. The Fade to Black feel is definitely there, along with some sweet-looking graphics. Basically the story puts you on a Noah's Ark type of ship, where you represent the male half of the human species. The object is to find the female and...well, we think you get the idea. Hopefully she'll like you. Charlie's Blast Duke Nukem: Zero Hour Not due for release until the first quarter of next year through GT Interactive, Eurocom's Duke title for the N64 is somewhat similar to the PlayStation game Duke Nukem: Time to Kill. This is a very different game though, with a completely different story (although there are rumors of some time travel in there) and a brand-new 3D engine that boasts some seriously cool effects. Knife Edge Knife Edge from Kemco is a first-person shooter Join Charlie as he stops an evil corporation from damming all of the rivers in a coming to us sometime in the fourth quarter. To local valley. Like Bomberman, this do-gooder uses bombs to get his positive clarify, the game isn't a first-person shooter like message across. With hi-res graphics, some 50+ levels and multiplayer Quake— rather, it's like а light gun game where you. support, Charlie's Blast should be a welcome addition to the N64 puzzle use the analog controller to move around a crosshair. game library. Look for it from Realtime Associates and Kemco later this year. The game is on a track of sorts, but you will have limited movement similar to the action pedal in Time Crisis. The game will also have branching paths. Bomberman vs. the Dark Force Bombers Апу5 GAMES EVERYONE | ` | ік | m PlayStation; в aui ü вый 7 PlayStation (е P: —' A E e Ê 1088 ates. Bomberman and Bomberman Werk are trademarks и Hutson Soft ATMs тей Licensed 4 The ratings icon ts a trademark of the interactive Digita! Software ssociation. Maoutactart еы үг CASI IS, the worst foe A concert goes horribly wrong when the Mysteriously, the evening's sole survivor is Now she must hunt the killer down - audience suddenly bursts into flame. Lieutenant Aya Brea, N.Y.P.D. or become them. و т е EY lies within THE CINEMATIC RPG A chilling new adventure that could only SQUARESOFT come from the creators of Final Fantasy® МИ. www.squaresoft.com Published by Square Electronic Arts LLC. PlayStation | Xenogears” (playable) Bushido Blade’ 2 Brave Fencer Musashi FINAL FANTASY Ши It's only been about 18 months since FFVII hit Japan, and already the ЕЕУШ demo is upon us. This very well may be the biggest PS game of '99. |9727- | ВЕ БВУ ORE E R3 2 Intro FMV The дето intro features Squall and his fleet heading toward Dollet with a group of slick-looking (and well- armed) water-based crafts. Game Directory Warning: This is a preview of a Japanese title that may ог may not be released in the U.S. It is designed to run on a Japanese system. Import at your own risk. Final Fantasy VIII n July 16, Square released Brave Fencer Musashiden in Japan, which was bundled with the highly anticipated playable demo of Final Fantasy VIII. Of course, we were right there to snag one of the first copies of the demo, and now we're back with an updated preview of Square's incredible new RPG sequel. First, some background on the story. Not much has been revealed yet, but here's what we do know. There's a strangely shaped building in the game that serves as a school for soldiers (sort of like West Point—see issue #109, page 72). The school is called Garden. Squall Leonhart, one of the game’s main characters (and main character in the demo version) is one of the trainees of the school. It’s a private school for students between six and 19 years of age. If a student doesn’t pass the graduation exam at some point between the ages of 15 and 19, he or she will be expelled from Garden. Garden graduates are exceptional people, and possess the ability to use magic. Interestingly enough, normal people cannot use magic, and there are no magic shops at all in Final Fantasy VIII. An even harder goal than merely passing the graduation exam, however, is to become a member of SeeD, a special force that’s known around the world of FFVIII. Highly capable trainees have a chance to try out for SeeD, and that’s exactly what Squall is hoping for. The demo itself (titled “Escape from Dollet”) contains only a very small portion of Final Fantasy VIII's gameplay—no more than an hour or so at most. The demo involves Squall and two new characters, Zell Dincht and Rinoa Heartilly—all SeeD candidates—taking part in a mission from Garden with their squad leader, the mysterious Seifer Almasy. Toward the end of the demo, they receive orders to withdraw from their mission and meet at the coast, which is when the timer kicks in (just like 4th Qtr. Square Electronic Arts 1 | 40 1999 (U.S.) Square Co., Ltd. RPG www.squaresoft.com С [Zell Dincht — WO» Character Information Name: Zell Dincht Age: 17 Height: 5'6" Weapon: Glove Zell joined Garden when he was 13 in order to train himself to be a great soldier like his grandfather, who he admires very much. He's an honest fighter, and he's very straightforward; he fits into the military stereotype perfectly. He often loses his temper, but that doesn't seem to concern him very much. An all-around honest man, Zell grew up in a wealthy family. Because of this, he lacks seriousness (this is all according to official Square materials). He's a quick and lethal fighter, and a martial arts master. in the FFVII demo), and they're given 15 minutes to get the hell outta Dollet. Even though it's rather short, the demo makes for a great teaser. The world graphics are beautiful, the animation is even better than it was in FFVII, and the game's integration with FMV is remarkable— it's nearly flawless. There are three FMV scenes on the demo (the opening, a mid-FMV and a closing movie), all of which are of typical Square quality. The ending in particular is awesome. The in-game characters look much more realistic this time, though the texture mapping makes for some pixelization when viewed up close. As we said in our last preview, you now see all party members at all times during the game (instead of them just coming out during event scenes, as was the case in all previous FF games). Since the game supports Sony's Dual Shock analog controller, you can adjust your characters' walking speeds from a subtle tip-toe to a full-on dash, depending on how hard you press the analog stick. Vibration is sup- ported too, both in and out of battle scenes (you ен PEIN ы tw can turn it off if you wish, of course). Even the music is excellent, though there's not too much of it in the demo. Gameplay-wise, there are two new battle com- mands that have been revealed in the demo. One is the Draw/Stock magic command, and the other is the Guardian Force (С.Е.) command. So far it seems as if Magic Points have been eliminated entirely and replaced by Draw/Stock. Here's how it works: In the demo, you have three party members the entire time who go into battle: Squall, Zell and Rinoa. Squall and Zell both have a *Draw" command in their Command Menu. This allows them to *Draw" magic from their enemies and either "Use" it immediately, or "Stock" it for later use. In the demo, you can Draw as often as you wish, and there doesn't seem to be any limit to how much magic you can carry (or steal). This isn't exactly a good thing, as you could just run around getting into random encounters to massively build up your stock of magic spells; but then again, this is only a demo. We're sure the final game will have some sort of limit to how this works to keep the gameplay balanced. Unlike previous FF games, now you can see your entire party on the field at all times. This is, of course, to make the game seem more realistic during play. Rinoa, on the other hand, has a command called *G.F.," which is short for Guardian Force. This seems to be the replacement for Summoning Magic, which has always been a staple of the ЕЕ series. Guardian Force acts much like a Summon spell did in FFVII— you select the command, choose a monster (the demo version lets you choose Leviathan), and the monster comes and wreaks havoc on your opposition in an intense animation filled with blinding flashes of light and all sorts of incredible special effects. You'll be able to evolve your Guardian Force monsters as they gain experience, so they can grow and become more powerful throughout play. While Final Fantasy games generally don't carry over unique gameplay systems from previous games in the series (like Materia, for example), there IS a Limit meter in FFVIII. So far though, it doesn't seem to be quite the same as it was in FFVII. In the demo, Squall and Zell both get special attacks that become available after they take a certain amount of damage. Zell's is called Meteo Bullet, and it's a pretty cool attack that does a huge amount of damage. Squall's is called Renzokuken (Sequential Sword Attack), and there are three different forms of it—each has its own special Limit Meter. On the meter are little triangles; as the meter fills up during the attack, you can increase the damage done by pressing R1 every time the bar crosses over one of the triangles. This is similar to Squall's normal attacks, which can be strengthened by pressing R1 just as his Gunblade cuts through an enemy. Unfortunately, that's all we know. No official word on whether or not anyone else will have a Limit Meter has been released so far. But of course, we'll keep you updated. That's all for new infor- mation this month. Be sure to keep checking back, because as new info is released, you'll find it right here. In the meantime, enjoy the latest barrage of screenshots we've prepared for you. @) Seifer (in the white) hardly seems as villainous as say, Sephiroth, but he's certainly got an odd way about him that leads you to believe he may not be trustworthy. There's loads of pauses throughout play for plot development and in-game cinematics. The one mid-demo FMV scene shows Biggs and Wedge This tower-like structure with the huge antenna at the top is obviously a (yes, the duo from FFVI and FFVII are back again, in key element to the story, or at least the area around the demo anyway. апек form) activating the huge satellite antea About midway through the demo, a cut scene occurs where the antenna What it's attacking or signalling isn't made clear, but is activated—what could it be for? Hmm... the video is still a marvel to look at (aren't they all?). After defeating (well, actually avoiding) the demo's end Boss, Х-АТМ092 (the Black Widow mechanical spider), Squall and friends take off toward the ship C that's waiting for them. A fantastic sequence shows S [- i fe Y А] ma sy 95 the spider pursuing them, only to get gunned down Lop. at the last minute. A grand finale, indeed. Character Information Name: Seifer Almasy Age: 18 Height: 6'2" Weapon: Gunblade (?) Seifer is the mysterious man who is apparently the leader of Squad B (the SeeD candidate squad in which Squall belongs). Though he's tafented, he's regarded as problematic because of his short-tempered attitude and inability to properly follow orders. Still, there's something dignified in his bearing that nobody else has. Because he realizes Squall is gifted, he considers him to be Ж), 155 = А 169 his rival, but could the two Бе linked in more ways than we've 9/7 285 seen so far? If you'll notice, he has a scar оп his face that's remarkably similar to Squall's, and his weapon looks just like Here we see Biggs and Wedge getting Squall's Gunblade. Unfortunately he is not a playable character in blown away by an unseen demon Boss the demo, so we'll just have to wait and see what becomes of him. (Biggs: Wh, what the!?). The final battle of the demo pits Squall and co. against a huge mechanical spider. After unleashing a certain amount of damage, you can run away; the object is to keep running until you can get back to your ship and get the heck outta town. The chase scenes near the end are exciting, to say the least. To the right we see art А Y 9 x of the newly redesigned Chocobo, complete 1 ~ with smaller, glassier / UD SN eyes and a more \ "realistic" look. / % , As always, enemy characters have some powerful special { 1 attacks of their own. Some of the effects are just beautiful. \ As you can see here, all of the characters are now texture- mapped, which definitely makes for more realism. The downside is that when viewed up close, things can get a little bit on the pixelly side. Squall has three different special attacks in the demo, each of which are shown here on the right. If RI is pressed at just the right moments during the filling of his Limit Meter, his special finishing move (Faded Circle, fourth sequence from the top) is sometimes performed. Limit Meters MIT 1 If you press the RI button just as the bar on the Limit Meter crosses over a triangle, the damage done will increase significantly. Zell’s Special Attack is called the Meteo Bullet. He launches into the sky and then crashes down onto his enemy (below). The top picture at the right shows Squall doing his normal attack. The bottom shows the increased damage from pressing RI at just the right time. EB [E COMING SOON — E 54 Global Domination, Psygnosis, and the Psygnosis logo are 14 ог ® and (1990-8 Psygnosis Ltd, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Published in the USA by Psygnosis under license from Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. . PlayStation and the PlayStation logos are registered trademarks of Sony Entertainment Inc. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. Draw/Stock By choosing the "Draw" command and then deciding to "Stock," the player can steal a spell (sometimes more than one at a time) from an enemy and put it away for later use. On the other hand, if you choose to "Draw" a spell and then "Use" it on the spot, you can take an enemy’s spell and use it against him, sometimes causing great damage. The biggest difference between FFVII and FFVIII's magic systems are the inclusion of the new Draw/Stock system, and the disappearance of Magic Points (MP). Shown here are just a sampling of FFVIII's magic effects. Shown to the left here is the awesome Guardian Force spell, Leviathan. Show it to your friends and expect lots of little “thump” sounds as jaws hit the floor. To the right are the attack magic spells that are in the demo. % Rinoa Heartilly “@ А Character Information Name: Rinoa Heartilly Age: 17 Height: 5'4" Weapon: Blaster Edge Rinoa is a cheerful girl with an overwhelming amount of tenderness and an unyielding spirit. She too is very honest and has no problems speaking her mind and being very straightforward with others. On the other hand though, she's a bit shy, so sometimes she has mixed or confused feelings. Her weapon is a cool boomerang- like projectile called the Blaster Edge. We won't be sure until the remaining characters are unveiled, but so far it looks like she's the girl in the background of the game's logo (the guy is most likely Squall, unless someone else comes along with the same coat he has). Welcome to 1999. The year of the Cyber Athlete" The year they come to life. Walk out of the confines of video games. And take over the real sportsworld. For good. And you better look out. Cuz they ve got combustible personalities. Skull-thumpin’ attitude. And moves that'll shock Mr. Highlight Reel. Its 1999. The year of wake-up-and-smell-the-competition. T LINEBACKERS ARE © LIKE FREIGHT TRAINS. = SOMETIMES THEY GET DERAILED. i АНА INR Eo ipli cid ааны ы ОЗОНЕ —PP- nd CYBER ATHLETE d SANDERS 105 TDs, 0 BALLS SPIKED STATS Pro Bow! & Turkey Legs 9 GIVE HIM AN INCH, BOOM! НЕ TAKES 80 YARDS. “ІЗІНІҢ 3Y9-IS0d 11 904 INILNOY NINOdS-140S ШШЕ JAYS 3NIOLNV H38AO ano 3|qnop зоаз злиизаиоо € сә са = == со == сә са c гта шә = == = = г = г ШЕ — c шә сә = c ео 5 TW :NOLLISOd ШЕШІ 3131H1V H38AO o QoS РР ЖА "1/31 30 1001 “NOU! 30 ТИМ 713115 40 S3AU3N элуа 43949 3903 3Al1l13d4WOO иошецу YY SYN (109 бшрщош) = = — => = | = = c — со = = = сә = = == rm с? E- 3 = re шш => = mus | ад. со съ = „ЗОО JHL, ТОНУННЧИЗ 3131H1V H38AO AN 14 e, CYBER ATHLETE CHARLES WOODSON DB, WR, KR ди | 19713 / defensive player t PUTS SCHOOL PRIDE ABOVE PERSONAL SAFETY. COMPETITIVE EDGE т“. ‹ T z| YOU ONLY WEAR THE 98 UNIFORM FOR) YEARS. Ж: BUT YOU CAN WEAR - ° THE RING FOREVER. / _ - | THERE ARE ONLY 2 ` : CLASSES OF FIGHTER : GREAT A : р ~ UNCONSCIOUS. ж срещни? "GOLDEN BOY 51” 135 Ibs and counting TREATS OPPONENTS HEADS LIKE PINATAS. COMPETITIVE EDGE xS Ez دہ‎ =з ! AN3N0ddO UNDA s — USA TIY МТ “ 4311V $УЧУНЗЯ14$ ІУ 381319 БЕРДИ ЕЕ Ye] о о = kl m E = < m m е о т It's football a la Madden. With bigger big men. Super hi-res poly graphics to feel every smash- mouth tackle, jaw-dropping juke and fingertip grab. Weather so nasty you can see the breath when you knock it out of someone. Plus a turf- burning One-Button Моде” MI served up with a heapin helpin of Coach Madden's football genius. Beware of sweet moves, insane hops and game-7 attitude. This year Lives goin off on a screaming, Toof-raising, you can't stop me” slam-fest. Facial animations show ballers scream, call plays, even moan to the refs. So get your game ready for showtime. Cuz the camera's flyin’ all over the floor to grab every highlight reel-worthy moment. Шс. The only NASCAR licensed PSK and N64 game has 35-plus NASCAR teams & drivers musclin their way around 17 real-life racetracks. Cars show every sponsor sticker and sheet of twisted metal. There's night racing. Cool pit-stops. Crew chief and spotter audio. Play by play with Bob Jenkins & Benny Parsons. Plus a crankin rock soundtrack. COMPETITION JUST GOT LIFTED INTO THE UPPER The only game that lets #1 play #2 for the undisputed title at the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. Eye- popping poly graphics capture every uniform, stadium, wrap tackle and swim move. And as for tradition, you can almost smell the ivy. There's recruiting. Fight songs. Dynasty Mode. You con even run the coach out of town if you lose. DECK. STEP UP OR STEP OFF. PlayStation NHLPA It's playoff-strength hockey from day 1. With havoc-wreaking enforcers patrolling the slots, crashing the boards and throwing monster checks all over the ice. Everythings harder. The hits. The shots. Even avoiding a fight. 115 60 minutes of ice-cold intimidation. Better keep your head up and your blades sharp. Do you have what it takes to be the All-Time, Every-Weight Champion of the World? Prove it against 38 legends including Oscar, Ali, Sugar Ray and Holyfield. With recognizable faces and signa- ture pummeling styles. Plus first person POV. Create and manage your own fighter. And a no- holds-borred Slugfest Mode. Let's get it on. This is Tiger's game. Big, bold and full of fist- pumping attitude. Say goodbye to slideshow golf. Qut here, the camera moves with you to capture. every 350 yard drive, 3-wood chip-in and rough- taming, one-handed release. Grab the lead and get a gallery. Blow it and head for the practice tee or get some quick tips from Da Man himself. SOME TITLES ARE NOT AVAILABLE ON EVERY PLATFORM (©1998 Electronic Arts. Electronic Arts, EA SPORTS, the EA SPORTS logo, “I it's in the game, it's in the game.” John Madden Football, Knockout Kings and Cyber Athlete are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts іп the U.S. and/or other countries. All rights reserved. PlayStation and the PlayStation logos are regis- tered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Nintendo, Nintendo 64 and the "N" logo are trademarks of Nintendo of America Inc. ©1996 Nintendo of America Inc. Officially Licensed Product of the National Football League Players. ©1996 Players Inc. The PLAYERS INC logo is a registered trademark of the NFL Players. NFL Materials ©1998 NFLP. Team names and logos are trademarks of the teams indicated. All other (NFL-related marks) are trademarks of the National Football League. NASCAR is a reg- istered trademark of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing. The NASCAR logo is a trademark of NASCAR and is used under license by Electronic Arts. “Dale Earnhardt” name and like- ness, and likeness of the #3 Richard Childress Racing car used under license from Dale Earnhardt, Inc. ©1998 license for driver, helmet, car and uniform granted by Dale Earnhardt, Inc. License granted by Kellogg Company and Hendrick Motorsports", ©1998 Kellogg Company. HOT WHEELS is a trademark owned by and used under license (with permission) from Mattel, Inc. ©1998 Mattel, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The NBA and individual NBA Team identi- fications used on or in this product are trademarks, copyrighted designs and other forms of intellectual property of NBA Properties, Inc. and the respective member teams and may not be used, in whole or in рап, without the prior writen consent of NBA Properties, Inc. ©1998 NBA Properties, Inc. All rights reserved. The name, like- ness and other attributes of Tiger Woods, the “Tiger Woods" logo, ‘and the name, logos, and other indicia of NIKE, Inc. reproduced оп ‘his product are the trademarks and copyrighted designs, and/or other forms of intellectual property, that are the exclusive property of Tiger Woods, ETW Corp., and/or NIKE, Inc. and may not be used, in whole or in part, without their respective written consents. PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR and Swinging Golfer design are trademarks ‘owned by PGA TOUR, INC. and used by permission. Muhammed Ali provided courtesy of G.0.A.T. Inc. and Sports Placement Services, Inc. Malibu, CA. National Hockey League, NHL, the NHL Shield and. Stanley Cup name and logo are registered trademarks of the National Hockey League and are used under license by Electronic. Arts. Officially Licensed Product of the National Hockey League. All NHL logos and marks and team logos and marks depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, LP. ©1998 NHL. NHLPA, National Hockey League Players’ Association and the logo of the NHLPA are trademarks of the NHLPA ‘and are used under license by Electronic Arts. CNHLPA. Officially Licensed Product of the National Hockey League Players’ Association. The "Officially Licensed Collegiate Products” label is the exclusive property of The Collegiate Licensing Company. The “Collegiate Licensed Product” label is the property of the Independent Labeling Group. All names, logos, team icons, and mascots associated with the NCAA, universities, bowls, and conferences are the exclusive property ot their respective owners. The NCAA Football logo is a reg- istered trademark ofthe NCAA. Heisman is a service mark owned by the Downtown Athletic Club of New York Cil, Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners. UMMARYATEE-O RE | Todays Game Tournament Sampras «98 My 2 Cents Spyro has generated plenty of positive buzz since E3-and deservedly so. Yes, the game looks great, with ultra-smooth graphics and lush levels, But what screenshots don't show is just how well Spyro handles with the Dual Shock controller. Like Gex and Banjo-Kazooie, this'll be one of those games |!!! obsess over come review time. | can't wait to track down every collectible and perfect each level. -Crispin Boyer Fleet-footed Spyro must bolt after and barbecue the baddies who flee with puzzle- specific items. Spyro the Dragon rom crocs to geckos to bandicoots, the Play- Station's library is populated with more goofball characters than poor PaRappa has fleas. Still, we at EGM—the professional vid-game journalists that we are—triple-ought dare you to find a cuter, more immediately likable character than Spyro the Dragon. We don't know if it's his kitten-like animation or the kid-at-summer-camp exuberance of his perso- nality, but this purple little char-broiling mascot- in-waiting's got charisma coming out his ass. Oh, and his game's pretty cool, too. Spyro the Dragon is another 3D platformer that, like Gex: Enter the Gecko and Banjo-Kazooie, emphasizes exploration and requires you to collect stuff. Lots of stuff. In fact, the 30-plus levels pack thousands of gem-shaped treasure pieces that you'll ultimately have to track down and nab if you plan on perfecting the game. Then there are the 80 dragon statues Scattered across the stages. As the game's story goes, the diabolical Gnasty Gnorc cast a spell on Spyro's realm, turning all its dragon inhabitants into instant sculptures. Young Spyro, playing in a cave at the time, dodged the spell's effects, and now he must find and reanimate his elder reptilian brethren. Besides those goals, Spyro will also collect dragon eggs, keys and other items to access new areas and bonus levels, Such as special obstacle- course flying stages. In a layout that's seemingly become the norm for these types of games, Spyro is divided into several massive overworlds —six of them—which in turn lead to the individual stages. Included in this mix are Sony Computer Ent. 1 80 September Naughty Dog Adventure 1998 www.playstation.com Bonus flying levels have Spyro soaring through timed obstacle courses. The lower he flies, the faster he'll go, and you can refly 'em for better times later. the Boss stages for each world, as well as the bonus levels. Spyro's flight abilities are dependent on the current stage (in some he can glide indefinitely, in others his little wings'll only take him so far). But in every level Spyro can breathe fire, headbutt baddies and roll sideways to dodge attacks. Overworlds? Hidden levels? Collectibles? Sounds like standard 3D adventure-game stuff, right? Well, what Spyro lacks in originality, it more than makes up for in presentation and production values. Spyro may only be the second PlayStation game from developer Insomniac (the same bunch that created the acclaimed first-person shooter Disruptor), but it packs all the perks of a third-generation, state- of-the-art PlayStation title. The lush environments don't suffer from seams, pop-up or other common- place PlayStation glitches. And there's not a bitmap to be found anywhere in the game (even the skies are completely polygonal). But crisp visuals ain't the only thing separating Spyro from the me-too 3D crowd. Insomniac has taken special care to imbue the game with persona- lity, making the enemies more than just trouble- making window dressing. "There's usually a lot more going on than just the actions you see occurring around Spyro," said Ted Price, Insomniac's president. Behind the Screens So That's What a Kid Dragon Sounds Like... If you read our last Spyro preview, you know that veteran voice actor and stand- up comic Carlos Alazraqui-the voice behind the infamous Taco Bell Chihuahua- is providing Spyro's enthusiastic quips. But what does the little purple guy sound like? Well, don't expect any south-of-the- border accents. “1 just imagined he's like a kid at camp that everybody likes," Alazraqui explained when we asked for the inspiration behind Spyro's kiddy, eager- sounding attitude. "At first | made him a little snotty, and then kind of pulled back on that. | envisioned a little kid that's good at kickball or something like that." And if the excellent voicework isn't enough to convince you of Spyro's sky- high production values, get this: Steward Copeland, former drummer of The Police, is composing the game's soundtrack. Trust us-this game sounds as good as it looks. 2 Alazraqui, in action for a Spyro recording session, is seemingly a human cartoon. Photo by Michael Tweed Photography Different enemies demand different tactics. A few small baddies wear flame- proof armor, while bigger critters easily withstand Spyro's head-butts. You'll need to mix up attacks. “In the Magic Crafters world, for instance, there's actually a little battle going on between wizards and druids there. If you go to several of the levels, in the distance you can see wizards and druids knocking each other down and kicking each other. It really adds more to the immersiveness of the game and creates a world that is much more complete than you might see in other games." The camera was also the target of much tinkering. Insomniac purposely kept the environments uncluttered. As a result, the camera encounters fewer structures and objects on which it might get snagged. Players can also switch between two camera modes —опе passive and one that automatically points in the direction Spyro's facing. “Ме spent a lot of time refining the code involved with the camera and a lot of time getting feedback from the focus groups put on by Sony,” Price said, “and we came back with something that | think works really well." You can experience Spyro's ultra- smooth gameplay firsthand; the disc included with the September issue of the Official PlayStation Magazine packs a playable demo of the game. @ The frame-rate in Spyro stays steady at 30 frames per second, and the environments are among the most impressive we've seen on the system. ше ul 41 ЛОТ р ПЕШ Е шииты the melal oetectot PHU DO an adventure in itself Blaze India and hammer into London, Antarctica, Area 51 or the South Pacific. Enjoy international diplomatic immunity with a set of 9mm's as your passport. October Capcom RAS d 12 Capcom Fighting 60 1998 www.capcom.com E Rival Schools Mak ng the Grade e first previewed Capcom's newest 3D fighter, Rival Schools, back in issue #107. Now that the game is more complete, we thought we'd give you an update on this awesome game that's part Street Fighter EX, part X-Men vs. Street Fighter. Unfortunately, our newest beta still has Japanese text, but you can still get a good idea of what the game's about from our screenshots. In Japan, students and teachers from five rival high schools must "investigate" some mysterious idnappings. In order to do so, they must fight other students and eachers until they can figure out what happened (great game, lame premise). You pick two of the 24 characters (16 regular, four secret rom the arcade version and four new hidden fighters), one of whom is your main fighter and the other one your partner (see sidebar). The fighters' moves are all Street Fighter in nature (i.e., if you can do a fireball and a Dragon Punch, you can play Rival Schools), except the game only uses our main attack buttons: two punches and two kicks. You can throw, counter, juggle, side-step and build up a super meter to do team combos (done by hitting corresponding punch and kick buttons together) or super combos (generally done with a double fireball or Dragon Punch motion). So what's new? Well, it looks like Capcom has learned a lesson from the way Namco does business. With Rival Schools, instead of getting a straight arcade to home port, we're going to be treated to something extra, a whole disc of extras to be exact (Namco is renowned for putting bonus features in their arcade ports—see Point Blank or Tekken 3). This second disk, called the Evolution Disk, is packed with new goodies. It has a Cooperation Mode, a two-player tag-team game where your partner controls the “Team Up Technique" and takes over if you swap characters in between rounds. It also has a School Life Mode, an adventure game where you can create your own student. The Evolution Disk is also loaded with little fun items like minigames and Tournament Modes. This underrated fighter didn't Rival Schools plays a bit faster than Street Fighter EX Plus 0. The moves and combos are quicker and jumping is less floaty. make it big in the arcades due to low distribution and low sales, so these extras may prove vital in getting gamers to take a look at Rival Schools. So if you're looking for a Capcom 3D fighter to tie you over until Street Fighter EX 2, give Rival Schools a shot. The 24 characters and new modes should keep you busy for quite a while. @ “Oh Shoe... ТИ СК» you are so devastatingly handsome!” | think that's what the Japanese text says in this Story Mode. All the Bosses (like Raizo here in the pink) and secret characters (like Sakura, unmasked Akira, Daigo, Hayato and more) will be playable. D 905 are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Ent РА? under license by Technosoft Co., Ltd. "Work Address: http://www. (ngdesigns.com For a dealer neat you, сай (530) 243-3417. Gamers n Hinata Batsu Kyosuke In Rival Schools, you can bring in your teammate for a tag- team combo (similar to Capcom's Vs. games, but you can only swap players in between rounds). The combo performed is dependent on the partner, not the main fighter, and always takes up two full super meters. Most of the attacks are offensive in nature, but a few will heal or build up your super meter. One gang- up (Hyo's) even damages your main character! Of course the opponent takes much more damage... Here are screen shots of the various tag-team techniques. Remember, the character whose team combo we're showing is the sidelined partner, not necessarily the primary fighter. `` Roberto ; VT peu) ^ Tiffany rid Enslaved By Ghosts Of The Pasi] `- gos Bend То The Whims Of Insanity, } Unleashing MINT haris Forbidden. И o-sporisors: SS Li ІС ARBOLT. Ва. В па Апошйапоп : / 2i Raritan be obtained at our. web site at http://www.workingdesigns.com, or by sending a SASE to Elemental Gearbolt Contest ак gares 90 to 7 „> کے‎ chi ^ Designs, 18135 Clear Creek Road, Redding, CA 96001. Complete details are also available inside every game package. PlayStation and the PlayStation logos are registet fademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. "ELEMENTAL GEARBOLT is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainme Original Game Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. 1997. This game is published by Working Designs under license from Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. English Translation © Working Designs 1998. "Working Designs’ is ‘tered trademark of Working Designs. Inc. All rights reserved. Shooters make better lovers! Web Address: http:/www.workingdesigns.com For a dealer near you, call (530) 243-3417. “Electronic Gaming Monthly’ is a trademark of Zifi-Davis Inc. = PlayStation i e Officially liconsad product ol the NFL Players and NFL Properties. The NFL shield design is a registered trademark of the National Football League. Team names, nicknames, logos and other indicia are trademarks of the teams indicated. TM/@1998 МАР: Players Ine 2 fo logo is a registered trademark of the МА. Players. ©1998 Players Inc. PlayStation game developed by 989 Sports and Red Zone ) ©) за Interactive, lnc. PC game developed by 989 Sports, Authentic Football Intelligence, 989 Sports and 989 Sports logo are trademarks ot Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. The Зріх interactive logo isa. trademark of 3Dfx Interactive, Inc. ©1998 Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc, Sony Computer Entertainment logo is à trademark of Sony Corporation. PlayStation and the PlayStation logos are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. E WENT 92 YARDS, BROKE TWO TACKLES, JUKED ONE CORNER AND BLEW THE NUMBERS OFF THE FREE SAFETY. C'MON, LET THE GUY DANCE. p - Football doesn't get any more real than NFL GameDay '99. This year, we've given NFL GameDay '99 a stadium full of new features, like all-new graphics and gameplay, brilliant sportscasting by Dick Enberg and Phil Simms, and Authentic Football Intelligence; a new innovation which has players thinking and reacting just like they do in the pros. NFL GameDay '99 by 989 Sports. Take a few snaps and you'll see why it's the best-selling football game around. ОО for c. расте 10 d x Certifies Price, со саев ог Vali SEARS | nll ТІП iy PlayStation and the PlayStation logos are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. NFL is a registered trademark of the National Football League. Officially licensed product of the NFL Players and NFL Properties. The NFL ed design is a registered trademark of the National Football League. Team names, nicknames, logos and other indicia are trademarks of the teams i dicated. TMO ` Players. © 1998 Players Inc. Developed by 989 Studios Square EA LLC 1 90 October Square Soft RPG 1998 www.squaresoft.com Xenogears y 2 Cents This is a game that many of us have been looking forward to... myself and Ricciardi especially. Now that an English version has been shown to us, we're even more excited about the finished game. The story line looks incredible, while the quality of the presenta- tion is quite stunning. My only worry is that this incredible game is being released at a time when many other commercial "hits" are expected (MGS, Crash 3, Tomb Raider ІІІ, etc.) and it would be such а shame if Xenogears was overlooked in the Christmas rush. Believe us...this deserves to be as big as its Final Fantasy brethren. -John Davison enogears was released in г. 1 Japan quite a by £ PS few months ago and has already proved itself to be a popular game, selling around a million units. Proof yet again that Square Soft has the golden touch in this particular genre. For a while though, it looked like we might not see this game on U.S. shores. Rumor and speculation suggested that due to some ofthe religious content of the game, it wouldn't be released here. The game opens with some religious lines, and there are references through- out that allude very subtly to the Bible. Mentions of “the son of man" notwithstanding, from what we've seen so far it would appear that the game is raising questions concerning the roots of religion rather than actually tackling religion directly. Admirable stuff nevertheless. Some of the more contentious stuff is actually pretty powerful— and that's not an adjective | use very often when describing a video game. One scene in particular stays fixed in my mind: The central character stands looking into a vast cathedral with the wind blowing through his hair. Thankfully, Square has seen fit to face up to potential problems and just release the thing (after all, Final Fantasy VII had its share of dubious content — cross-dressing, a liberal scattering of swearing, etc). So, by October you could be playing something that genuinely challenges issues that are often ignored in video games. While the back story is apparently more than up to Square's usual calibre, it's worth going into the way the thing plays here rather than spoiling the fun for you. We've been lucky enough to play the first few hours of the game (and you can see a playable demo Show Us Your Gear Gear combat works in the same way as standard fights only you assign a target with the crosshair... generally over in a flash. «once the fight begins, the scene cuts to a polygon-generated battle that is As ever, Square provides us with a combat system packed to the rafters with over-the-top special effects—especially during combat. Xenogears continued... of this too if you buy Parasite Eve...there's a fantastic demo CD in the box) and can report that it has the typical Square "feel" to it. The action centers on one particular character (a sprite this time, not polygons...the environments are all fully rotating polys though) and as with Final Fantasy VII you can build up a party to wander the lands with. Set in what appears to be the past, the game mixes some old-school "cows and chickens" RPG imagery with futuristic robots and technology. This is most apparent in the combat. Early punch- ups have you dancing about swatting nasty animals while later on you'll be going nose to nose with the big robot "Gears." The system itself is very different divert energy to weapons systems. It's all spectacu- larly cool and the resource management element adds in that it’s about as c "real time" without a button on the joypad lose as you can get to ctually being so. Each begins a certain combination attack, and depending on how you start you can build up set moves by performing different Attacks range from К planets colliding or s i weapon where you h X the "Big Bang”...| kid 3 Fighting in the gea № different moves, but sources such as fuel The cell animation throughout is of a very high calibre. typically silly Square- with lightning bolts and, oh | dunno, button patterns. icks and punches to esque special moves omething. There is a arness the power of you not. rs gets even more exciting, as you still have to manage the you also have re- to manage as you a dynamic that hasn't been present in other similar Square titles. Without wishing to spoil anything, we've thrown in a few screenshots of the Gear combat. e The backgrounds are fully polygonal while the characters are all sprites. Stupidly Big Weapons That'll be a really big dinosaur then. Like all of Square's recent RPGs, Xenogears is full of spectacular special weapons... ..but using the “Big Bang" does strike us as somewhat excessive, wouldn't you agree? ІШІ SVREMG TH. ІШІ SPEED. ІШІ WISDOM. Pere 2 m дее? Y ркдсензЕЕО5 B R € є D B € H 5 т > F 0 H B Hh 11 L ғ USING MEMORY CARD DATA FROM АНУ PLAYSTATIONG GAME Ltd. савага ip the Jaleco logo are registered trademarks of Jaleco Ltd. та ізіегей trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Er PlayStati rk of ine ineractive Digital Software Иван ча uan. PLAYSTATION More Cool Boardin Action СТЕН 60 Idol Minds, LLC Sports 1998 Web Address: www.playstation.com Cool Boarders З _ ool Boarders was the first PlayStation snowboarding game to do well, and was one of the first in a long string of snow- boarding games spanning all of the 32- and 64-Bit systems (what’s the deal with all of these snowboarding games anyway?). Now part three is on its way with a good number of new features. The graphics are noticeably improved—both sharper and more colorful than previous games in the Cool Boarders series. In addition to the graphic improvements, CB3 has a load of polygonal players, courses, licensed boards and types of events to choose from. Each of the 20 boarders and 23 authentic snowboards has its own set of attributes, showing both strengths and weaknesses. The game also has a load of tricks you can do, again all of which are true-to-life snowboarding moves. Among these new moves are punches. Yes, now you can punch your opponent (similar to Road Rash) to secure your place in front. We’re not sure how this feature will do with avid snowboarding fans, since punching has never really fit into the sport. Once you choose your player and board, it’s time to choose from one of five mountain courses. Each mountain has its own look and difficulty, and features various snowboarding events like downhill, slalom, half pipe and big air, among many others. In all, you can choose from more than 30 different slopes. There will also be two hidden courses in the final product. One other cool feature is how three computer opponents can race along with you down a number of the game’s courses. The opponents will apparently act as targets for punching, while adding some difficulty to the game (if you bump into them). @ The trick system is quite easy to get the hang of, which translates into more fun. TRICK S Cool Boarders 3 has all kinds of obstacles to jump over like crates, cars, pipes, trees, moguls and many others. The game's frame-rate seems unaffected in the Split- screen Mode, which is sure to please fans of multiplayer action. Freestyle courses give you dozens of opportunities to try your luck at some tricks. The Most Dynamic Game Controller To Hit The Market In The Last 20 Years. For PlayStation®, N64? & PCs м. 7 U.S, Patent Pending go vertical, veer right, jump hyperspace, all in mid-air with any action game Available At Fine Retailers Nationwide: Тоуз“Яя”05 Егу 5 Electronics Babbage“s Media Play Software Etc. Montgomery Wards . CompUSA rhe good guys | РС Game: 01998 Codemasters Limited and The Codemasters Software Company Limited. АП rights ге: and developed by Codemasters and exclusively published in North America by The 300 Company. Codemasters and the Офе trademark of The Codemasters Software Company Limited. TOCA is a trademark of TOCA Limited. The 300 Company is using е 300 Company in the Uugiiiamdjor other countries. PlayStation and the PlayStati re registered ti TO MAXIMIZE YOUR RACING PLEASURE, INSTRUCTOR WALTER S. SMITH RECOMMENDS FOLLOWING THESE SIMPLE RULES: RULE *1 TAKE ADVANTAGE ОЕ BLIND SPOTS. This will greatly increase the likelihood of a serious accident. RULE *2 INSIST ON THE RIGHT-OF-WAY. Ё If someone doesn't yield the right-of-way, use force. RULE *3 NEVER BE COURTEOUS TO OTHERS. | Remember, it’s the nice guys who always finish last. 24 CHAMPIONSHIP " Codemasters (f, 30 PlayStation е | sem | www.tocaracing.com САП RACING PLAYSTATION 140 Моге Marsupial Mayhem Publisher/Developer Players/Genre % Done Release SCEA 1 50 November Naughty Dog Action 1998 Web Address: www.playstation.com Crash 3: WARPED GM recently took a trip out to the offices of Naughty Dog in Santa Monica, Calif., to check out the most recent version === of Crash з: WARPED and have more in-depth playing time. Specifically, we saw the new free-roaming levels and other regular levels that weren’t shown at E3. We won't go into the history of the last two Crash games because chances are you've played them. After all, the original Crash Bandicoot is the biggest-selling PlayStation game of all time according to Jason Rubin, president of Naughty Dog, and Crash 2 sold exceptionally well to boot. Will Crash 3 do as well as its predecessors? "With Crash 3, we have finally created the game that we set out to create four and a half years ago," Rubin said. "This is the ultimate Crash Bandicoot product." The first thing we noticed were the graphics. Crash 3 has some really nice-looking visuals, especially compared to other games on the PlayStation with a cartoon look. What's more, the frame-rate never once slowed while playing— even in areas with a large number of enemies. Naughty Dog is doing things graphically (like reflections, z-buffering, etc.) that's technically not supposed to happen on the PlayStation, at least from a hardware standpoint. The special effects in the game are almost always done with the engine Naughty Dog built and their programming techniques. Outside of special effects, Crash 3 has another addition: free- roaming levels. In the rev we saw there were only a few level types that were actually free-roaming. Still, we should make something clear. These levels are free-roaming to Getting To Bonus Levels In Style Another difference in Crash 3 are the bonus areas within each level. Crash no longer stands on a bonus area pad and is simply whisked away. Instead, the pad transports him to an area within the level itself, away from the action, while the camera follows. You get a good view of almost all of the level during the nice-looking trip. (Contd. on pg. 142) Of course, you'll be able to ride a variety of animals in Crash 3 as both Crash or Coco. One of the “free-roaming” levels is in a World War I type of theme, with Crash's sis at the controls of an old plane. a certain extent, but aren't quite like, say, Spyro or Gex: Enter the Gecko. The levels — including several where you fly a plane, control a Jet-Ski and tool around on a Harley—are still a lot of fun truly free- roaming or not. The object in these levels is usually simple, like taking down some Cortex blimps, racing against lab assistants or just making it through a bad guy-infested ocean passage. The levels get tough when you throw bombs, ramps, enemy bi-planes and The number of unique facial expressions Crash has in Crash 3: WARPED. other such obstacles into the mix. Are there other levels in the game that we haven't been shown yet? Levels that truly put Crash in a 3D world like Spyro? At this time, it's not known. Whatever the case is, these free-roaming levels, as Another "free-roaming" level is in the form of a Jet-Ski, similar in style to Wave Race 64. > ACCELERATED ADRENALIN RUSH RACING > ENERGY SPHERE 0.00144 + 040.501 : O8800.4 : 0055341: 091069 : 0529.69 : 11.0494 : > “ ШОБЧ : SGFAFP С) your dog (^) your sibling rivalry (4) Your best Friend © veu well as all of the levels in the game, still have boxes and gems in them, and are also timed. On top of gathering the standard items, you have to watch the clock and finish levels with speedy times. Sure, you can finish the game without fast times, but you won't REALLY finish the game. Depending on the times you receive on a certain level, Crash is awarded either a silver, gold or platinum relic (Similar to the bonuses you get in GoldenEye for beating levels with quick times). After getting all 28 of these relics, special secrets and other such extras are unlocked. Of course, you still need to get all of the gems and boxes as well to really beat the game. The warp system is similar to Crash 2, except now there's one, large central hub from where you enter levels and Boss stages. The levels in Crash 3 are like those in Crash 2 as far as design goes, except most of them seem much larger now One other and are filled with more effects, enemies and 1 ct new style perspective changes. In addition, the bonus of play is levels (as seen in the sequence) are within the the race, levels themselves. For more info on Crash 3 check with Crash out the preview in EGM #108 or do a search on at the our Web site, www.videogames.com. e controls of a Harley. My 2 Cents Being a fan of the first two Crash games, I'm very excited about Crash 3. And now that Гуе had real playing time, I'm even more excited! There's some stuff in Crash 3 I just haven't seen anywhere else. Crash 3 has great graphics and effects, excellent gameplay and a ton of stuff to do after you beat the game (kind of like GoldenEye to a certain extent). So far, it seems like this Crash is everything the other two were and a whole lot more. -Shawn Smith Good ol’ Tiny is up to his old tricks as he tries desperately to skewer you. QIREX : PHANTOM CLASS : SOKANA SPECIALIST : &. 225378 : 56.9.6178.24 : 00.5ъ400%.1 : a а А ел : SGFAFP mini gun energy sphere shield drain stealth Power snare and more Like in Bushido Blade, fighting can take place on separate levels in Ehrgeiz. 144 Warning: This is a preview of a Japanese title that may or may not be released in the U.S. It is designed to run опа Japanese system. Import at your own risk. Square Soft T2 Dream Factory Fighting N/A N/A www.drf.co.jp Ehrgeiz quare's Ehrgeiz didn't hit widespread mainstream success in the arcades, but it still drew lots of attention due to its fantastic graphics and Final Fantasy character appearances (like Tifa and Cloud). Now, gamers are getting their first taste of the home version, courtesy of a three-character demo that's bundled in with the Japanese copy of Brave Fencer Musashiden (the same demo disc that has a playable Final Fantasy VIII as well). Ehrgeiz is from Dream Factory, the creators of the Tobal games. It's a fully 3D polygonal fighter with open freedom of movement (like in Bushido Blade, you aren't limited to a 2D plane of action). The stages in general are pretty small, but you can fight on different heights (again, like in Bushido Blade). Each character has dozens of moves and combos at his or her disposal that are performed with different combi- nations of the four buttons: high attack, low attack, guard and special. Most moves are very simple in execution, and the combos are even simpler (most involving straightforward tap-tapping). The fighters also have special attacks that can be done with the Special button. Cloud for example, will pull out his sword if you hit the circle button. If you then hold circle down for three seconds, you can cast offensive magic at your enemy. Don't think, however, you can do this over and over. Each character has a second power meter that drains as you use special powers. Once that meter is gone, you'll have to go back to conventional attacks. Like we said, this demo only has three playable characters, Godhand, YOYO Yoko and the ladies' man, Mr. Strife. The controls work perfectly, the animation is quick and smooth, and the graphics are superb, right down to the animated crowds in the background. At this pace, the game looks like it'll be as perfect a translation as can be expected. Look for a future preview in ЕСМ when work starts on the U.S. version of Ehrgeiz. ф КОЕ, Gamer’s Edge The Extras So Far... So far, we know Ehrgeiz will include two extra modes: Infinity Battle (pictured left) and Battle Runner (below). Infinity Battle is a survival mode. When you win battles, you gain extra health for the next round. If you earn more health than you have room on your health meter, you'll fill in a heart icon (which symbolizes an entire extra bar of health) and start on a new bar. You get two empty hearts to start with, and you can get more by fighting perfect rounds. In essence, you can store up several meters' worth of health if you fight really well. Battle Runner is a short race of anywhere from five to 15 laps. You can attack your opponent to slow him or her down, pick up icons that reverse the direction the race is going, pick up health-ups and even find power-ups that Switch the health meters of the two players. AURICOM RESEARCH : RAPIER CLASS : MACHAON DON ACCELERATED ADRENALIN RUSH RACING = : О.55ъ.00 + O62.6.93 : 904.000 : 07.07.98 : 091.069 : 0529.69 : 1.0494 : възр пее ШОБЧ : SGFAFP Propeller heads Fluke спа other loud bonds Namco 1 September Namco RPG 100 1998 www.namco.com Tales of Destiny My 2 Cents I played a bit of the import ToD last December and | knew Namco was on to something good; | didn't check it out at E? however, so | really had no idea of the translation quality until now. While this version is only 15 percent complete, the text is really well-done! Lots of good character development early on, and very distinguished personalities are making this one RPG | really can't wait to get my hands on. The story is really соо! (so far) and the gameplay is certainly far above- average. | think the hardcore RPG fans in particular are really gonna enjoy this one. -John Ricciardi ome of you may remember a late- blooming Super Famicom RPG by Namco called Tales of Phantasia that came out in Japan toward the end of the 16-В days. Unfortunately, the 48-Meg monster never made it to the United States, but thanks to Namco, its PlayStation sequel (Tales of Destiny) is on the way. At first glance, Tales of Destiny might seem a little outdated. The 2D graphics have a bit of a Super NES look and feel to them, and the “30” overworld looks only slightly better than the Mode 7 overworld from the first Tales game. If you can get past that however (don't worry, it won't be too difficult), you'll find a very solid, very polished RPG that's got much in the way of gameplay and a well-written, interesting story. Tales of Destiny stars a boy named Stan who, while stowing away on a flying dragon ship, stumbles upon a sentient sword (it thinks and speaks for itself) named Dymlos. The game revolves around Dymlos and five other mystical swords just like it, which are known as "Swordians." These Swordians obviously hold the key to saving the land from the impending doom that's about to rummage its way onto the scene and...ahh, you know the deal —we'll leave the full story for the instruction manual. Anyway, ToD stands out for a lot of reasons, but the main one is the game's unique battle system. Instead of your typical menu-driven RPG battles, ToD incorporates a side-scrolling user-controlled system that gives you full control over your party members" every actions. You can do several different kinds of attacks by performing Street Fighter-style movements on the D-pad, in addition to the special "skills" that you'll learn as you build experience. Swordian holders can cast magic spells, and when you find special “Discs,” you can equip them to your Swordian to add new spells to your arsenal and/or abilities to The overworld is pretty hideous- looking, but in the grand scheme of things, it's not that big of a deal. makes them quite fun. There are plenty of special Skill attacks and spells, and even the normal "Street Fighter-style" moves are plentiful. ToD's battles are decidedly different from most RPGs, but the interactive element Throughout the game you'll gather Lens, a special product that can be traded in for Gald (money) at special shops scattered about ToD's world. your character (kind of like Final Fantasy VII's Materia system). Later in the game you'll be able to summon monsters, too. There's a lot more to ToD than just the battle system, but unfortunately we weren't able to try out everything since the version we played was only 15 percent translated (about five hours' worth). We do know there are plenty of minigames, subquests (including a 50-level Tower of Druaga bonus dungeon) and other cool little diversions to check out (wait'll you learn how to cook...), so it's safe to say this one's gonna be worth checking out. Look for it this September, and check back for a review of the final version soon. „сом www.wipeout.psygnosis NINTENDO PSYGNOSIS ? антовжасна % EWIL NI LI HOVEY NOA NVI шісісесі eoninj зе. soj ев зе пе > %, pumping electronica soundtrack 6 huge new race circuits with jaw-dropping зсепегу! wider tracks and all new pit Stops women. m 4-player simultaneous play and multi-player tournament поде 12 weapon systems including rear view attack mode challenging 15-craft competition heats ЦЕХ Br) THE GAME THE OTHERS CHASE, BUT CAN'T CATCH DEW OF ti о & PASS THE AMMUNITION, ^. ACTIVISION. E] THE END OF THE WORLD IS NEARY You RE Bruce WILLIS, STARRING AS Trey KINCAID, NANO- PHYSICIST AND 8@ DEFENDER OF THE WORLD. It’s UP TO YOG TO DEFEAT THE Four HORSEMEN BEFORE IT'S HAPPY. TRAILS TO US ALL... BRING IT ON. \FOCLAL AN ORIGINAL PLAYSTATION” GAME STARRING Bruce WILLIs. Tue Exp Brcius Tors NOVEM BER. PO N LEASE ЕР WWW.ACTIVISION.COM My 2 Cents After seeing the Japanese import version a few months ago, it's good to see that Activision has made some noticeable changes to the gameplay. Most apparent is the enemy AI when it comes to your ninja making a sound. Anything you can imagine will alert the bad guys-from a dog barking at you to the death-throw gurglings of one of your victims. —-John Davison e Activision 1 80 October Acquire Action/Adv. 1998 www.activision.com Tenchu: Stealth Assassins Like Metal Gear Solid, stealthy movement is more important than violence and action. hroat-slitting, decapitation, small, sharp pieces of metal thrown into people's faces, smoke bombs, blood, goo, magic, heroism, grappling hooks, cherry blossom, small dogs...just some of things that you'll come across within a few minutes of playing Tenchu. So what kind of a game is it? If you don't have any idea what to expect think of a kind of Tomb Raider-ish engine with a bit of Bushido Blade thrown in, and then throw in an awful lot of sneaking around and hiding. The basic premise here is this; you are a ninja (one of two characters— big, mean-looking chap called Rikimaru—big sword, big flappy trousers, or a petite cheeky-looking girl called Ayame—two small swords, penchant for slitting throats) who has to pop into various feudal situations and complete certain missions. More often than not these involve bumping off some kind of bad guy as quietly as possible. As the adventure unfolds you will have to make use of more and more advanced ninja techniques. The key here is stealth. And lots of it. The game is full of helpful ninja-ly advice like “never let your enemy see your face" and from spending some time with a near complete version it would appear to reward you for keeping quiet. Movement around the levels is best made up on the rooftops where no one can see you. Getting there is easy—as you always have a seriously groovy grappling hook at your All of the levels are dark and gloomy but have a lot of detail in the textures. Nice lighting too. Two swords are better than one for hacking someone up into a big pile of bloody goo. 21: disposal which you simply aim and fire to get airborne. Once you find a target to kill, drop to the floor, sneak up behind him and let rip. If he doesn't see you, more often than not he goes down—if they spot you though, the action turns into a hack-and- slash fest with lots of blood. Already a fairly significant success in Japan, this “Ninja Metal Gear” is almost ready for release in the United States thanks to the capable efforts of Activision. Unlike many Japanese ports, this is actually something of an enhancement to the original game. When released this fall it will take the original action/adventure game with all of its murderous, stealthy, seriously tooled-up features and add two complete new missions (making the U.S. game 20 percent larger than the Japanese), more blood and gore, seriously enhanced enemy Al with bad guys that respond to sound, new magic items, an enhanced camera engine and new controls. e PlayStation RATING PENDING The Sequel to Tecmo’s Award-Winning 3D Trap-Battle Game Kogero Deception 27 ©1998 Тесто Inc. ТЕСМО- is a registered trademark of Tecmo, Inc. Licensed by Sony Computer Entertainment America for use with the PlayStation game console. PlayStation and the PlayStation logos are trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc, The ratings icon is a trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. For additional rating information call 1-800-771-3772. TECMO 19240 S. Van Ness Ave., Torrance, CA 90501 Phone (310) 787-2900 Fax (310) 787-3131 visit Tecmo ct www.tecmo.co.ip September Tecmo 1 Tecmo Adventure 85 1998 www.tecmoinc.com Kagero: Deception 2 The toki-bito are disguised like clowns to kidnap the unweary. Remember kids, don't trust clowns. The humans have no problems in dispatching you so you better not show any mercy. Escape into other rooms to buy some time to set and charge up new traps. he story goes something like this: A race of blue-skinned people called the toki-bito are brainwashing humans into killing each other. Your character, Millenia is one such human who must do the dirty work of the smurfs, oops... meant the toki-bito. The cinema at the beginning of the game shows Millenia as a child who is taken to a traveling carnival by her parents. The toki-bito take the form of a clown and mesmerize poor Millenia into the life of an assassin. The lesson here is clear: Stay far, far away from traveling carnivals and clowns. Especially clowns. As the title explains, this is the sequel to the cult favorite Tecmo's Deception which invented a sub- genre called trap-battle. The premise of the original title was simple in that you basically set up traps and lured your victims into them. The layouts became more complex, but the basics remained the same. In Deception 2, you now have the ability to recruit your enemies and turn them into assassins as well as using multiple traps in a combo-like fashion. The combos are an awesome upgrade and can be used to deadly perfection. For example, it's now possible to string traps that will activate repeatedly until the enemy is dis- patched. Each trap is assigned a specific button and is cleverly laid out. The Triangle button controls the ceiling traps, the square button controls the wall trap and the X button controls the Floor trap. The graphics have received a tremendous boost. The environments and the characters themselves both look far better than in the original. The traps have a more satisfying graphical punch with fancy lighting effects and way-cool textures. The sound has also been improved. The sound effects made by the, traps are a world apart from the cheesy noises that graced the first title. When an iron ball falls from the ceiling and lands on a hapless victim, you feel it. Actually, you literally feel it since Deception 2 supports the vibration mode on the Dual Shock controller. The background music is appropriately gothic with an orchestral sound which really adds to the atmosphere of the game. Kagero: Deception 2 will definitely be one of the more original experiences out there this fall. @ Death Combos It is now possible to combo traps in Deception 2. This sets up endless possibilities as you discover and buy new traps. m X button (floor ХЕ trap)-Trigger а spring floor which will throw the victim into... Triangle button (ceiling trap)-a spot where you can drop a spike ball. After the ball disappears... Square button (wall trap)- Activate the spike wall which will cause more damage to the victim and knock him back to the spring floor trap. Repeat until dead. / AeA ІЗІ Оса! 2. the Dragon™ for the PlayStation® 1610 ОН | SEARS 7/50 >l | FUNTRONES ПІЛШІШІГІШІ |" EM I INTERACTIVE STUDIOS в i Good for $10 off Sears Funtronics Dept. regular purchase price. Valid 09/01/98 - 1/31/99 only. Offer not good on layaway balances, gift certificates or credit card payments. Not redeemable for cash. Not valid with any other coupons or offers. Limit one coupon per transaction, one per customer. Void where prohibited by law. Cash value 1/20c. € 1998 Sears, Roebuck and Co. Satisfaction guaranteed or your money back. Sony Computer Entertainment logo is a registered trademark of Sony Corporation.PlayStation and the PlayStation logos are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Spyro the Dragon TM & © 1998 Universal Interactive Studios, Inc. All rights reserved. Find us at www.universalstudios.com. Developed by Insomniac Games, Inc. All rights reserved. My 2 Cents As a weird hybrid of action/platform game and RPG, this is a refreshing change from many games in the genre. In places it's just like Crash or Pandemonium, while elsewhere you'd swear it was having a go at taking on Zelda. As ever with Square's stuff, the scripting is excellent and some of the "set-pieces" are superb. -John Davison The action often switches to a traditional top-down RPG...with fully 3D polygon environments. The Bosses are all pretty spectacular... fight this one, pick him up, throw him through a wall and then keep chasing after him. Brave Fencer Musashi Square EA LLC 1 80 November Square Soft RPG 1998 www.squaresoft.com tarting off a bit like a really, really linear platform game complete with logs to jump over and bad guys to bash, this soon evolves into something far more complex. Although it has hit points and all the usual RPG associated stuff, for the first five minutes or 50, it has more in common with Pandemonium! than it does with Final Fantasy VII. Later on, things pan out into a Crash Bandicoot-style action sequence—a real-time Boss fight where you pick up the bad guy and hurl him through buildings. Then you quickly move into a simple puzzle sequence before settling to a Zelda-esque top- down, explorathon. From here on, the gameplay continues to hop about all over the place. Once you've played for a while though, you learn that the eclectic nature of the gameplay is BF's most important feature. Like all Square games it has a charming and forgivable linearity that is born out by a suitably well-crafted story line (and unlike all previous efforts the story is presented using speech throughout as opposed to text boxes.) This aside, the story itself takes something of a back seat to the relentless action. Nothing is turn-based here— this is a proper, real-time action game with swords, magical spells and bad guys running around desperate to rip your guts out. Musashi (the hero) is armed to the teeth with a number of abilities. He has a pair of swords, a katana and a dirty great big broad- sword, both of which can effectively dispatch all but the most irksome of foes, but the really clever bit is his magical ability. We've all played games where you can steal objects and stuff from the bad guys, but BF takes things further by allowing you to steal specific abilities. For example, in the very first section of the game Hair care products are clearly not a major concern for young Musashi. Find a way of dropping the bell on the flames to open up a door at the top of the level. Easy. Musashi needs to cross a river; there's the makings of a bridge on the other side in the shape of some trees, but he needs to knock them down somehow. Nearby is a bad guy with a machine gun. By activating the magic system and building up a spell Musashi can draw the machine gun from the bad guy and use it to mow down the trees. Many of the puzzles throughout require this kind of action and you'll soon find yourself stealing clubs that knock guards out (without killing them), spells that shrink people to a couple of inches high and even ultra-destructive laser bolts. With character design by Tetsuya Nomura (Parasite Eve) and lead by Executive Producer Hironobu Sakagachi (FFVII) Brave Fencer Musashi is shaping up to be extremely impressive. Coming in September PlayStation www.thq.com THQ www. brunswickbowling.com ! WINDOWS اس‎ 8 Димкәй. J L 95 PlayStation i S al are trademarks of Delphine Software International. Electronic Arts and the Electronic Arts logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts in the U.S, and/or other countries. All rights reserved. PlayStation and the PlayStation logos are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc GOOD NEWS: you designed the perfect racetrack En, BAD NEWS: its down there SAHARA ДЕКОРЕГЕ FREE FLIGHT. Psygnosis 1 15 November Psygnosis Strategy 1998 Global Domination WWW.psygnosis.com wise man once said, “Everybody wants to rule the world." Or was that a pop star? Regardless, who wouldn't want to rule the world? Psygnosis must have been thinking just that when they began developing Global Domination, their new strategy game that gives you the chance to take over the world (insert evil laughter here). Global Domination is by no means your standard strategy game. In fact, it is a real-time game with a fairly strong emphasis on action. It has been described as *Risk meets Missile Command," and the definition seems quite fitting. You play as a new recruit working for ULTRA, an organization that resolves conflicts around the Attempting to be part strategy, part war game and world. As the game progresses, you | arcade combat, Global Domination has covered all will take control of a country. At that point, the destruction bases. the world can be yours for the taking. The weapons at your disposal range from old WWII devices to fighting implements of the future. There are also defensive weapons that can take out enemy missiles or turn their own weapons against them. So what can you do with all these toys? Well, the most obvious thing to do is start pounding your major opposition with them until they're toast. If you're feeling a tad more strategic, however, you can pick off weaker countries to expand your territory. You can even defend other countries to gain their allegiance in future encounters. After you've beaten all of the normal missions, you can use the game's mission editor to create your own battle scenarios. This feature, along with the strategic and exciting gameplay, should make Global Domination a blast. Artificial Stuff Al is apparently second to none Although Global Domination appears to be a very accessible and simple blend of action and strategy, it shouldn't be underestimated in just how clever it is. There are multiple scenarios on offer to the player and many paths that can be taken through the missions. In order to keep up with all of the action, the development team at Psygnosis' Leeds studio in the U.K. has several programmers working on nothing but АІ. The arcade leanings of the gameplay mean that the system has to work considerably faster than usual real-time strategy games. Here we have the Earth being peeled A number of grids and maps are used to back like a nice fresh grapefruit. pinpoint your next target. 'tainment America for 158 with the PlayStation game console. PlayStation and thePiayStétion ITE ед! 518799 trademiarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. inted in the U.S.A. THIS SOFTWARE IS COMPATIBLE WITH PLAYSTATION GAME CONSOLES WITH THE NTSC ШС DESIGNATION. U.S. AND FOREIGN PATENTS PENDING. Activision 12 60 Activision Compilation 1998 www.activision.com po Е ES wd Get ready for the biggest compilation of classics yet. Activision is preparing to release a set of зо Atari 2600 games on one PlayStation disc. With a suggested retail price Тпе Games of $29.95, you really can’t beat it. Many of us have fond memories of playing these games Atlantis Kapers from our youth, although Activision CEO Robert Kotick seems Barnstorming Laser Blast to think PlayStation owners are too young to remember Boxing Megamania them. "For the first time, PlayStation gamers will be able Chopper Pitfall to experience the magic and fun of these original classic Command Plaque Attack arcade games," Kotick was quoted as saying (yes, we know 5 ЕТ " Crackpots River Raid what he really meant, but we couldn't help making fun of 4 Pi fom Dolphin River Raid 2 the quote). If you actually are too young to remember these ЕСТЕ Dragster Sea Quest games, you might want to check out this compilation just гетите I mem Enduro Skiing so you can see what us old-timers used to play in the days | SIAWERDE Fishing Derby Sky Jinx when high scores meant everything. s зиянат | Freeway Spider Fighter This compilation is a bit of a mixed blessing. On one hand, X тєн | Frost Bite Stampede the games are preserved in their original format (except we SYN Grand Prix Star Master don't have to deal with that crappy 2600 controller). On the ІІІ А other hand, seeing а graphically updated River Raid or Hero Tennis Barnstorming would be cool (think Mario All-Stars 4 чинн” А [Eoi Ice Hockey Title Match treatment). In any case, Activision Classics is a must play. Tutor XT Kaboom! Pro Wrestling Keystone It'll give retro gamers something to "ooh" and “ааһ” over, and it'll give younger gamers an opportunity to say, “You old farts are ‘oohing’ and “аа ле" over this crap? Give me my Final Fantasy VII any day!" (ЕсМ\ 159 Namco 12 100 Now Namco light Gun Japan www.namco.co.jp Warning: This is a preview of a Japanese title that may or may not be released in the U.S. It is designed to run on a Japanese system. Import at your own risk. f you're one of the smart gamers who picked up Point Blank a few months ago, you'll be glad to know that Namco has released a follow-up in Japan. GunBarl (which is a Japanese shortened word for the original title Gunbullet) takes all the wacky shooting action of the first game and adds a host of new modes and outrageous shooting situations. The biggest addition to the mix is the Theme Park Mode which replaces the My 2 Cents Story Mode found in Point Blank. The King's daughter is | was a big fan of missing and you must search all Е ВЕСУ зоо T Point Blank and was around the park to rescue her. " DM T MEME, Chri НСО СЗ. атсо would brin 1 Ул out а sequel. The 1 house and a winding train ride |. а a в E tt A o most interesting among other things before fact is that this you'll discover what you're was developed 100 Б É. zanor eds must be cleared in order for you б i Playstation andis (охотнее search The mice ИЩ ТТТ asthi the not an arcade port can go about the four main areas in any order you y P gny 8. like the game that choose. If you're stuck on a particularly tough stage, preceded it. This you can always come back to it later after trying out another stage. Each of these stages gives you the allows Gunbarl to be option to choose a path which can vary from game to game. Down each of these paths are different shooting scenarios which can also be a bit random in their appearance. Expert marksmen will also be overjoyed to know that the difficulty has been ramped up in the "Hard" Mode. The original featured some grueling tests of aim and endurance, but Gunbarl pushes you well beyond that. It's not known for sure if Namco will bring this sequel to the States, but the chances are looking good. @ a deeper and more worthwhile experience for the home user. The game always excelled in Two-player Mode so it's nice to see that it can now be just as entertaining when going it alone. Not that one such as myself would ever be alone, but it's a nice addition anyway. -Sushi-X Many of the shooting situations will be variations on earlier scenarios, but that doesn't mean there's a shortage of tough, new challenges like the roller coaster. | | c | PlayStation | e © 1998 Atlus. Trap Gunner is a trademark of Atlus. АП rights reserved. Licensed by Sony Computer Entertainment America for 158 with the PlayStation game 2008010. PlayStation and tho,PiayStitien 12068 ЇЇ геі РР trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. Manufactured and printed in the U.S.A. THIS SOFTWARE IS COMPATIBLE WITH PLAYSTATION GAME CONSOLES WITH THE NTSC ЦС DESIGNATION. U.S. AND FOREIGN PATENTS PENDING. RI 240 An November Argent Simulation 40 1998 www.asciient.com Alright, it's only pool but don't turn your noses up games including Eight Ball, just yet. After all, look at what Ten Pin Alley did for Rotation, Basic, One Pocket and bowling or Hot Shots for Golf. It's only a matter of Cut Throat are included. Trick time before every sport out there has an Shot, Speed, Practice and entertaining sim to flatter it —why not billiards? Technical options provide the What's special about Backstreet Billiards? For training ground for future one, it has a Story Mode in which you challenge competition as well. hustlers in a myriad of contests and games. All things considered, the Winning gets you money, skill and better basic gameplay engine seems equipment, not to mention respect. Build yourself pretty solid in this early version. into the newest pimp, er, pool shark on the block. Obviously physics are everything For those who wish to jump right in, a ton of in pool and a flawed engine 1 could spell disaster for this game. The standard power meter is used For the record, it seems accurate when making shots. player 1 325] 15р basic а 2 at this point. Another good sign for Backstreet Billiards is its user-friendly interface. A power meter similar to those used in golf games powers your shot while aiming the cue can be done easily by several angles. Another plus, you can listen to your own music CDs in the machine while you play. We'll keep an eye on Back Street Billiards along with other soon-to-be-released pool games by Psygnosis and Activision. Quick Sequence Bruce Willis says: “Hey, you want some?” Activision 1 60 November NeverSoft Action 1998 www.activision.com 800 The number of different smart-ass quips Bruce Willis has in Apocalypse. That's alotta talkin'. Apocalypse eah, the game has been on its way for a long time and yeah it has changed drastically since we ran coverage on it eons ago, but sometimes things like this happen. What matters is Apocalypse is really on its way, it looks great and it plays like a 32-Bit version of Smash TV. Plus it has some graphical and gameplay elements similar to One. In short, Apocalypse is all about nonstop action. The story places you as Trey Kincade (Bruce Willis). You must destroy the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and the evil Reverend to save all of humanity. Sounds like a movie, doesn't it? Well, there are some cinematic sequences — around 10 minutes of them—that mesh right into the game and star both Willis and rock-star Poe. There are eight huge levels and four Bosses, one of which is Poe (she transforms into one of the Four Horsemen...er, in this case she's a Horsewoman). The rooftop level is a good example of one of the large levels in the game—it should take around a half-hour to make your way through it. That's from point A to point B. For an action game, this is pretty impressive. Think of a 30-minute long Contra level...wow. Enemies are scattered all over the various levels. Some shoot, some simply tun after you and others are in vehicles attacking from above. Luckily you have a lot of weapons to use. Most are standard action game stock, like flamethrowers, rocket launchers and such, but they all look really cool with nice effects. [2] Fighting Death is not an easy task. | mean, it's Death for crying out loud. Can you even kill Death? Does Death kill itself? Strange. I’m confused now. Apocalypse is filled with some brilliant effects that have devastating results. The camera is pretty smart in Apocalypse, Some areas look a lot like levels in One. often panning out in tight spots. The control is where the two games differ greatly. October ASCII Entertainment T2 60 1998 From Software Action www.asciient.com Armored Core: Project Phantasma The original Armored Core (published by SCEA) took the successful Virtual On mech combat formula to new levels with mission- based stages and completely customizable mechs. ASCII has since picked up the rights to the sequel, Armored Core: Project Phantasma. Don't get too excited though. Project Phantasma isn't offering a whole lot new. AC: PP uses the exact same engine, so it doesn't really look or play differently from the original. But what it does offer are new missions, a new ladder-style one-on-one deathmatch mode (vs. the computer), and new weapons and items. Everything else stays the same: The game involves playing through a series of progressively harder missions (17 in all), earning cash along the way. With this cash, you can repair your mech or attach more powerful weapons and special items (like bigger engines or radar jammers). AC: PP will also keep the Two-player Split-screen Deathmatch Mode. AC: PP will let you load up your mech from the first Armored Core, which should make this very challenging game a bit easier. @ | nane 15-2001 With your earnings, you can outfit your mech with new weapons and parts. Just watch the weight. ЖЖЖЖ Ж HIGHLY ENTERTAINING” 2 STARRING MARTIAL ARTS MASTER FFREY FALCON! “THRILLINGLY SURREAL AND GORGEOUSLY EXECUTED” - PETER HENNE, FILM JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL - CHRIS GORE, FILM THREAT КВ à — 4 | new king, “WILDLY ORIGINAL AND - LEN KLADY, VARIETY * CHA-QUAN онн STYLE ТАГ CHI CHUA • NORTHERN SHAOLIN BOXINGe LONG FIST HINE PALM PICTURES rasons u HSX FILMS текти a LANCE MUNGIA FILM JEFFREY FALCON “SIX-STRING SAMURAI” JUSTIN MCGUIRE suse свести BRIAN TYLER sms rorem и THE RED ELVISES та JAMES FRISA застане мапкич KRISTIAN BERNIER ваяк пт LEANNA CREEL MICHAEL BURNS worry JEFFREY FALCON ма LANCE MUNGIA иктат LANCE MUNGIA sounprancx дїї: он PALM PICTURES “ www.sixstringsamurai.com ШТ © ЖҮ nor taking from others, you are accepting your OWN limitations, BY not 31 ving to others, you shall be lonely at the top. Ey creating new places TO roam, enue 4 and sharing them with those near and far, you promote appreciation | for a higher i level. теплее Coming soon www.interact-acc.com ©1998 InterAct Accessories, Inc. A RECOTON COMPANY. All Rights Reserved. Ф fum іп the Realm of gaming, choose Fro cive it ts believed that no о gı € то your how you play now, friends, REIN - will affect your gaming later. you may have to itis now possible to achieve | ive up your ears 2 ius UE mn divine video game status, friends, ond be worshiped as а der among players everywhere, © if you with the peubrive. The ultimate memory card, choose nor ro \ give to your friends, going beyond mere game saves. rr allows you то upload saves » ou will , ӘЗ 1 ) to your рс so orhers can download ғ“. remain the ў amateur little and begin where you lefr off. novice un and they сап reciprocate. your friends always said fake levels, characters, or team rosters you were. off the web and take your gaming 3 even higher. А ff ploy. save. trode, Greed is 9066. вит so 15 сепесозту. Because in this life, and the next, what goes around, comes around. if you choose ЛҮ пот то accept the characters that others have created, (ou will learn nothing, remain stagnant, DexDrive and die an early, painful N death. Radical Entertainment 18 75 Radical Entertainment Sports www.radicalgames.com NBA Tonight ith all the competition among basketball video games, you'd really need an original slant to survive, right? One of Radical Entertainment's NBA Tonight's approaches is to leverage their ESPN license as much as possible, bringing the look and feel of the cable sports channel With setup screens, stats overlays and even camera angles that all reflect ESPN, supported by color commentary (read: humor and facts) from SportsCenter anchor Stuart Scott and Hall-of-Fame NBA Coach Dr. Jack Ramsay. That's the audio-visual hook at least, but Radical says the gameplay's their real focus, with a new Artificial Intelligence system - p Fast-breaks are going to be one of the more interesting portions of NBA Tonight. they're calling “Read and React Al.” The game’s producer, Aron Drayer, explains that instead of having set plays that no one ever learns to run, their Al will read situations and react with the correct moves. “The result is a more fun five-on-five hoops simulation that basketball fans can really identify with,” Drayer claims. “Players cut for open spots, set Radical Entertainment 1-8 50 Radical Entertainment Sports screens for one another, and help out on defense. For example, on the Seattle Sonics, Hersey Hawkins will camp out near the three-point line to get a good look at the basket, while Gary Paton and Vin Baker will run the pick and roll.” Of course, Al is something that has to be played to be believed (and the impressive-sounding animations, character models and arenas seen in action). We will be checking out just how effective it is when we review the game in time for its October release. ф November 1998 Radical Entertainment, the creators of the NHL PowerPlay series, are back, but this time with an ESPN license and more for their latest hockey game, National Hockey Night. Among a number of features the creators hope will differentiate the title from the rest of the pack are White Hot Rivalries and Playoff Performers. The first gives a pre-match explanation as to why some NHL teams don't care for each other Web A www.radicalgames.com very much, and illustrates itself during the gameplay through an elevated intensity among the players, crowd noise and overall gameplay. Meanwhile, Playoff Performers reflects how certain players who've drifted along through the normal season get hardcore during the playoffs, changing their player ratings once the post-season starts up. Those who care a lot about the eye-candy side will be glad to hear that the developers have remodeled art and animations since PowerPlay, and of course, just like in NBA Tonight, the plan is for the title to feel like a video game version of watching ESPN. Its producer, Joe Nickolls, reports that "every single screen, every single feature is derived from an ESPN broadca ith Gary Thorne and Steve Levy's commentary at its foundation. Sounds like a fair enough recipe for a hockey game. It's one that fans will be able to test for themselves this November. Activision 1 60 4th Qtr. DreamWorks Int. Action 1998 www.activision.com T'ai Fu hink of Disney and the cast of stylized animal characters and worlds its artists create—say, the ones from Lion King. Now combine those images with the combat system from Fighting Force or Nightmare Creatures, complete with blood splatters and killer moves. What you get is T’ai Fu from DreamWorks Interactive—a beat-’em-up action title with a mystical Chinese animal cast, in a bright and colorful 3D world. In the 20 levels of T’ai Fu, you control T’ai, a kung-fi fighting tiger as he tries to defeat the evil Dragon Master, and once again unite the now- separated animal clans. As you make your way through the game, each set of levels has an animal theme of sorts. For example, a city of bridges set in water features the Crane characters. The jungle level features your fellow (well, not so fellow) cat friends, and so on and so forth. The snake characters, which the Dragon Master has employed, are found in every level. As you meet up with a species and eventually defeat their level, you gain their particular fighting method. Like the real life kung-fu styles they represent, players can gain abilities from the Crane, Monkey and Tiger techniques, among others. In fact, there are around 100 moves players can learn throughout the game, including Chi magic moves which are obtained by picking up various power-ups. @ Tai Fu gives you a good number of nice environmental objects to interact with. The nicely represented Chinese theme is evident from the get-go, and is carried throughout the game. The jungle level will put you up against leopards and cheetahs as well as snakes. 168 Streak nyone familiar with Jet Moto will instantly feel a strong sense of deja vu when playing Streak. The hip music, the comic book-style character designs and even the physics of the gameplay are very much in line with what Jet Moto was all about. The main differences between the two games (there has to be some) are that the characters in Streak ride hoverboards called GEMBlades while the ones in Jet Moto ride hover bikes and that there is now a detailed story behind all the action. The technology behind the streak boards is as mysterious as the reasons for the tournaments. There seems to be something sinister behind the scenes and only the top streakers ever get to find out. To help you through the game, you have a choice from 10 different characters who each has his/her own motivations for winning the tournament. They also keep their own separate journals where you can gain additional insight into their stories as well as their thoughts on the "big picture." The extra story elements are nice, but are entirely optional for those just interested in the race. There are 12 separate areas for you to explore including carnivals, sewers and graveyards. The GT Interactive 14 10 November SingleTrac Racing 1998 www.gtgames.com The trails left by the boards are called streaks and to "streak" is the equivalent to the term "shred" for snowboarding. | know, pretty clever eh? coolest part of it all is the ability to play four players simultaneously which is always a nice bonus. Fans of Jet Moto take note. @ Performing stunts in Streak, which isn't easy, will yield bonus points. An integral part of the pool experience То bea true hustler, you'll need the that has always been short-changed in down between the two players. The verbal exchanges, the psyche-out tactics and the ever-present wagering. Pool Hustler is set to rectify these missing elements by featuring a cast of 12 characters you'll encounter during the course of your hustling. Choose from six different play modes and five different game rules. Among those multiple modes, you have a choice of Story, Two- player, Trick shot, Lesson, Bowliards and Practice which is perhaps the most valuable option and one that is often overlooked in pool titles. Practice Mode to sharpen your skills video game adaptations is the show- that pay the bills. For obvious reasons, physics play a crucial role in pool games and PH promises to have incredibly realistic movements and reactions. Fancy techniques like putting English, backspin, Masse and jumping on a ball are all set to be executed in a realistic fashion. You can view the action from different camera angles and have manual control over them if you want. Pool Hustler will be in direct competition from another game, Backstreet Billiards from Ascii. May the best hustler win. MGM Interactive 12 60 4th Qtr. AndNow Action 1998 www.mgminteractive.com Tiny Tank: up Your ust when you thought all of the games with smack-talking mascots were gone, Tiny Tank: Up Your Arsenal comes along and kicks you right where it hurts most—in your funny bone. Masterminded by AndNow’s Ed Annunziata (best known for Ecco the Dolphin), Tiny Tank is best described as a 3D action shooter where you control a witty and powerful tank. On top of all of the action in the 12 levels of play, Tiny will have to use his brains more than once to reach the end of the game. In one situation a vain stealth tank has to be showered with compliments to coax him out of his stealth mode so you can fight him. Other levels have similar puzzle elements such as choosing the right path to follow in order to reach a given area, etc. The one-player is only part of the fun in Tiny Tank though. The game features a Two-player Head-to-head Mode. In the mode, players are placed ona battlefield where they do whatever it takes to kill each other. Whether or not Some levels take you to snowy wonder- | other multiplayer modes will be lands while others are hot-as-lava. implemented is not yet known. @ Certain levels are set on a roller coaster track of sorts, with jumps and loops. Even with its seemingly cartoon theme, Tiny Tank sports some nice- looking visuals. necropotent porportions and your " IN PIECES weak pale Flesh will ROT -Dr.Graves “Look here Son, | WILL oan ancor and verbe кейын as а seat cushion” "Officer J.B.Nightstick “We're like totally prepared to like race and win on like all umm... 9 courses , ya know ? so like totally get outta our way & Kandi Y / 4 С е й Dead іп the Water™ is a trademark of American Softworks Corporation. ОРЕС 96 Limited Partnership. ASC Games™ is a trademark of American Softworks Corporation O 1998. Dead in the Water™ is developed by Player 1. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. PlayStation and the PlayStation logos are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All rights reserved. 913 ОН the Hook’ characters to'choose from! ) a 9 Blazin’ aquatic tracks to tear up. 3D rendered waves like you've never seen before. | | E 2 “Ап arsenal of high powered, high tech / m .. customizable weapons and boats- all Fully upgradeable. eTwo player split screen or ЕЗ combat cable link. ED >” i www.deadinthewater.com d $МӘІЛӘЈ onster Rancher fans have а new evolution-simulation game to look forward to. Dragon Seeds is Jaleco's offering to this fledgling genre. The game has you cloning and raising dragons for battle, much like Tecmo's unique title. You can raise a dragon from infancy by assigning it a key word called a “Soul of Words." The dragon's characteristics and abilities will all depend on the Specific word you choose. You can also find dragons by using memory card files from any game. Like Monster Rancher with CDs, Dragon Seeds will read the information and form a unique being from the data it receives. Eventually, gamers around the world will figure out which key words or memory card files can produce the most powerful creatures from trial and error. After your pet is born, you can send it into battle. You can fight through several classes of tournaments against the computer, or you can fight against a friend's creation. Either way, winning will bring you more power, more special items and perhaps even a new dragon. Battles aren't terribly exciting. Basically, you get to input two moves (block, attack, move, special, etc.) each mom Accolade Publisher/Developer Players/Genre % Done | Release Jaleco 1-2 85 October Jaleco Simulation 1998 Web Address: www.jaleco.com turn. To be successful, you have to correctly guess which moves your opponent will pull out. For example, if you decide to “reflect” when your enemy shoots a “special attack,” then when the dragons act out the actions (they take place at the same time, after everyone inputs their moves for that turn), you'll see that the special attack will be reflected back upon the unsuspecting attacker. Guess correctly more often than incorrectly, and victory is yours. Our American beta still has the Japanese text in it, but you can still get a good idea what the game is like from these screenshots. @ pom February Action 30 www.accolade.com may give it an edge over its competitors. StarCon will come with 24 missions. These missions can be replayed over at — кн 18 апу point (so when you earn more plain, Carrier has fled 1 powerful weapons in the later stages, lar you can go back to the easy levels to clean house and look for secrets). The objectives we've seen so far are what «| you’d expect from a space combat game: destroy this mother ship, prevent so-and- so from escaping, etc. But the difference is two-player play. If you have a powerful Carrier-class ship for example, you can launch attack fighter crafts which can be controlled by a second player (or you can just control it yourself in a single-player game). This adds a great element to the genre: It's awesome watching your partner fly around as he backs you up StarCon is the fourth game in the popular Star Control series, but it deviates from the adventure and with extra firepower. strategy-oriented themes of the previous three The game is still in its early games. StarCon is strictly a space combat-action development stages, so it's too early to game, with mission-based objectives (think Colony judge it. But with two-player co-op play, Wars or Darklight Conflict). Graphically, it has what it — StarCon may have what it takes to steal takes to keep up with those two games. But a little thunder from the upcoming, Gy gameplay-wise, StarCon's multiplayer aspect higher-profile Colony Wars 2. Radical Entertainment 12 80 October Radical Entertainment | Sports 1998 www.radicalgames.com X Games Pro Boarder 31 Жж, T В Е Ey with c ВЕ Ж г : ` ^ ы T4 (Жо СЫР X Games hopes to be the first snowboarding game to capture the true essence of snowboarding—freestyle. Most snowboarding titles out there come at the sport as if it were just another frame for a racing game, and do little to try to simulate the actual feel of being up on a mountain. That's the angle of the ESPN-licensed X Games Pro Boarder from Radical Entertainment. They're attempting to make Pro Boarder the most realistic snowboarding game yet, foremost by leaving that racing element right out. Instead of only having a single track down a mountain, players will be able to choose from a series of branching paths on their way down. Of course, they'll need to collect special icons placed throughout the courses to have enough time to explore their environment and pull off the tricks which they're ultimately scored on. The game also boasts an intuitive physics model, which will reportedly allow casual players to easily pull off a great number of basic tricks, and at the advanced stage, literally thousands. Want some more numbers? It's set to have nine levels (two of them halfpipe), four X Games events, Two- player Split-screen Mode, and one slopestyle terrain park. And don't forget that ESPN license, which will lend the appearance, moves and tricks of some of the world's best pro boarders and music tracks from such bands as Rancid and The Foo Fighters. Expect it around the first snowfall this October, and keep an eye on our online site videogames.com for more info and shots p" # until then. 354 MORGAN LRFORTE 322 PLRYERI 292 DANIEL FRANCK Night pipin’ is definitely ШЕШЕ tion in X G Ў > % an option іп X Games. (ASNAN: 104 DANIEL FRANCK 100 TINA BASICH 9I PLAYERI Massive air will be a major component of the game. 552 BRUCE DICKINSON thing їм crimson -- =r ЧЫ. і n Шы «түс! we dis Bruce Diexinson ш.бпе Cower ъЖ ме Пост v book of the vi. gates oj urge vil. кА мато fs 4 (те o Й Я Гар а түм | i рома. x£he alchemist сөс еб» AVAILABLE SEPT. 15"! Over 2 Hours OF ALL THEIR Мета. Ни! LIVE! 2 CD / 2 CS Ser! AVAILABLE Sept. 297! JUDAS PRIEST “98 LIVE MELTDOWN Z7 YOU'VE SEEN HIM KICK, Мом HEAR HIM ROCK! "GINGER nunes Available At All Record Stores or To Order Direct By Phone Call 1.888.617.7800 24 Hours A Day / 7 Days A Week! (All Major Credit Cards Accepted) BMG DISTRIBUTION www.cmeinternational.com Clock Tower ІІ: The Struggle Within Азсй Entertainment 1 Human Entertainment Adventure Ath Qtr. 1998 50 www.asciient.com he original Clock Tower was pretty creepy. That Scissorman guy would come along with his shears clanging and his hunched-over bounce and scare the crap out of you. Now part two is on its way, and delivers all of the creepiness of the first and a little more. The first thing we noticed about Clock Tower II is the graphic upgrade. Everything is in high-res, which also brings out some vibrant colors for a game that's pretty dark. Another twist is the story line. You control a character with a split personality. In various situations in the game, say at a very stressful moment, your character will switch to his/her alternate personality. This allows you to enter different areas and perform various actions when "in" a particular state. The female personality is a bit more timid but is able to access certain doors the male personality can't. The male personality isn't afraid to kick down an enemy or use a gun, or enter rooms the female personality will not. Whatever the game may offer, the object is to unravel the mystery presented and avoid being killed (in particular, by a white-faced, knife-wielding little doll-girl...weird). The game controls much like the first and features the same point-and-click and inventory system. Arranged in chapters like the first, it also features 13 different endings depending on how you complete the game. Clock Tower ІІ also supports Sony's Dual Evil abounds in Clock Tower Il. This time around it's quite demonic. There's nothing scarier than a leg sticking out of the toilet. Is that yellow blood? Shock controller. @ While this interesting game is already out in Japan, American audiences will have to wait awhile to get their hands on it. There's been plenty of games starring women and even a few games starring dolphins (remember Sega's Ecco and Activision's Atari 2600 game Dolphin?). Well, now, Hudson (you know...the Bomberman people) is bringing us b.l.u.e: Legend of Water, a game where you get a woman and a dolphin all in one convenient package. In the game, you control a young woman named Maia who has the ability to 174 communicate with dolphins. There are two different modes to the game: land and underwater exploration. The land-lubbing sections of the game- play have a Resident Evil-ish viewpoint, but with the limited movement of games like Myst or D. As you move around your multileveled headquarters, you will meet some of the people who you are working with. Talking to them will give you clues as to what you have to do next. There are also items you can find and computers you can access to assist you. While this may sound like typical adventure gaming fare, the real fun begins when you hop into the water. At this point, the game switches to a perspective much like the underwater portions of Tomb Raider. In addition to your newfound ability to move about freely, you'll notice there's a dolphin following you. This is Ruka: He'll accompany you during your undersea travels. As you swim around, you can give different commands to Ruka so that he can lend you a helping fin. For instance, your first challenge is to get Ruka to help you push a giant boulder off of a trapped diver. If you can properly communicate with your dolphin buddy, this should be no problem. РЦ bet Lara Croft wishes she could talk to a dolphin like that. 05 > Choose Your Path - 5 Different Endings ч. А | 3 «a Spectacular | shooter. -OPM й саби КЊ а 3 Battle 28 Huge Bosses Dark e of blood ех е, jv Ж | of dae раб ва > e. j Р “И &'grim world where your razor sharp claws Slaughter the Serie IN ча % + $ ^ Аш W/here your voodoo spells incinerate your, enemies? V I м ж қ ка. TW R Where your mind masters devious puzzles. be се AW иў, и 4 ВТ Qus м 22 Ef Е Welcome to Akuji the Мех tessa l i > i 1 , +. | # Li s alita! у кыы МПТ ЛА ) ii ТЕНГЕ ІСТІ ілі SA - Са! 1.800.771.3772 for Game Rating Information зада D = Фа. é CRYSTAL \ DYNAMICS / “аф? la www.crystald © дан г Фи % ga” "7 A таб сы иа полкы ай Sony (кенің а Ты ioc. а atv Bl rre Rh ВТ! ат Мәе) MIAA Metal Gear Solid After last month's huge feature, it only seems fitting that we continue to keep the information rolling on Hideo Kojima's epic game. ЕСМ recently got some more hands-on time with MGS and can bring you these screen shots. Konami is still reluctant to divulge many details about some of the "set pieces" in the game, but over the next few pages you'll see the Ninja, the Hind and ег...а naked man. Release date now set at Oct. 22. ті FEN J) ави ни а п а ша 14714 18/18 еч) STUM.G $ 18718 CHRFF.G euet РЕСІ NIKITA | 4 28/28 GRENADE Ay 201/301 \ ға-наз pp 195/145 Е зосом | à NO ITEM Элу iN я p Me ; y + » Ё p як An < A 2, 75% · ЗА-ТПҮЅТЕБКіОУ5 POWER”). тц. me % er Unleash the power of Fire Blast and 50 Choose your allies well. Gain experience Release the dragons inside...transform into other spectacular magic spells. and master the skills needed to survive in many different forms, each with unique this epic 3-D world. special abilities. №7 : UR. d m < DP v. s sedi aui ae .The lone. survivor оғ а legendary терін clan, a rebellious youth ^ embarks on a great journey. One of discovery...and danger. T An inner power of uncertain origin forces Ryu to become a _warrior. Unwillingly driven by this power, the young hero is led down | is a path to discover his history. What lies there is shrouded i in mystery РА: UU Mie а Се T yet strangely familiar. _ ж Ом -- 5 Se " же Моуу you possess the power to control his destiny...and yours.” PlayStation © CAPCOM СО, LTD. 1998 © CAPCOM USA., INC. 1998 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. BREATH OF FIRE is a trademark of CAPCOM СО. LTD. CAPCOM о regere надетай of CAPCOM CO, LID Pon and е PlayStation logos ore demora of Sony Computer Ertericinment һе www.capcom.com а. -— сә E сә = с = е = = Dragon Quest VII After nearly three years of waiting, Enix has finally unveiled the first pictures of their upcoming RPG blockbuster, Dragon Quest VII. As promised, the game engine is completely polygonal, but the characters (once again designed by famous manga artist Akira Toriyama) are all sprite-based. The game is slated for a 1999 release in Japan. Tomb Raider 3 It's been a few months since we last took a look at Eidos' Tomb Raider 3, but the latest screens we've received show some of the new features very effectively. As we reported in our cover feature two months ago, the game is now running in a much higher resolution than previous titles, and Core Design is very proud of the new effects. Particle effects for fire and water, coupled with colored lighting and transparent textures make for a far more realistic-looking game. Pro Sports Car Racing А Developed by Point of View for Virgin Interactive, Suikoden 2 Pro Sports Car Racing is yet another GT racing simulation. This time we have a product that takes advantage of the International Motor Sports Association license, and with this comes GT1, GT2 and GT3 class racing. Cars featured include the Saleen Mustang, BMW M3, Porsche 911, Acura NSX and then there's the GT1 exotics such as the Panoz, Porsche GT1 and the Mercedes CLK СТ1. These are the first pictures of Konami's follow-up to the extremely successful and popular Suikoden. The original boasted more than 100 characters and vast environments...so it would be safe to expect more of the same. We should have a more in-depth preview for you next month, but in the meantime enjoy the screens. WEITE 00:20. 541 ETT ” Ed 01: 55.01, КАР A IMPRISONED ІМ DHRHNEBS Я CENTURY REL... defeated them years ago. ы PlayStation Colony Wars: Vengsan "THIS GAME IS GOING ЖЕЗ ЕГЕТЕ «а SPECTACULAR SAME Wt UE ATI PLAYSTATION Beavis & Butt-head Do Hollywood GT Interactive's forthcoming Beavis & Butt-head title is something of an odd choice...especially seeing as the characters are now technically *dead." A very early version of this was shown at E3 in May, and very little has been released since. We do know that the game is a scrolling action game filled with the obligatory *hu-hu-huh" samples, features *proper" 3D models of the stars and is set in Hollywood. BEAYiS BUTT-HEAD Formula One '98 New development team (Visual Sciences), new look, new features. Psygnosis is going for a different style this year but the features are still ad crammed in there. The full '98 F1 season will be + included with all of the information you could | | possibly need. Watch for up to four-player action е (with two linked PlayStations), а much faster 2 frame-rate but unfortunately slightly lower- resolution graphics. Set for release before the end of the year, watch for a preview soon. believe in technology B. Gamespot TV weekends, 9:30AM EST If you've got the-moves but you just can't seem to get any action, we've got the show for you. It's called "Gamespot TV," one of many programs you'll find on ZDTV,™ the 24-hour television network dedicated to computing and the Internet. Here you'll find new-product reviews and previews, plus tips, news and insights into the world of console and PC gaming. On our accompanying Web site you'll also find an archive of cheat codes and downloads - everything you need to get the most out of your computer. Who knows, it may turn out to be the best date you'll have all year. To request ZDTV, call your cable or satellite company or go to www.zdtv.com/getzdtv. TV Television about computing" ZDTV is now available on DIRECTV channel 273. © ZDTV ЦС 1998. ZDTV is a trademark of Ziff-Davis Inc. Gamespot TV is a trademark of ZDTV. DIRECTV is a registered trademark of DIRECTV, Inc., a unit of Hughes Electronics Согр.2 Television about computing is a registered trademark of ZDTV. PLAYSTATION Carmageddon 2 Sales Curve Interactive and its development team Stainless Software made a big noise on the PC in Europe when they released Carmageddon a year ago. Now, they're working on a sequel and have also signed up with Interplay to bring a unique game to the PlayStation. Drive as fast as you can...run over pedestrians, cows, little old ladies— you name it. Very gory, very fun. Morally vacant. m — ер =. <> = => == D < Rat Attack Set for release from Mindscape before the end of the year, Rat Attack is a superficially simple arcade action title that actually requires a certain amount of strategy. Your job is to stop the infestation of mutant rats from taking over the world by catching them and zapping them in any way you see fit. All of the locations are set around urban locations, both indoors and out and many of the levels have you utilizing household appliances to dispose of the nuisance. Something a bit different for you. Pro 18 World Tour Golf Developed by Intelligent Games for Psygnosis, Pro 18 World Tour Golf offers three major courses: The Royal County Down (Northern Ireland), Gary Player Lost City (Sun City South Africa) and Couer D'Alene (Idaho). It also offers real pro golfers including Colin Montgomerie, lan Woosnam, Tom Lehman and Mark O'Meara. 190 VIDEO GAMES: PLAYSTATION Tme Release Price | Тт Rust Price Те RELEASE Price Tm RELEASE PRICE ASCII A/V Selector 08/98 $44.99 Cool Boarders 3 10/98 $4299 Knockout Kings 10/98 $42.99 Pocket Fighter 07/08 536.99 ASCII Aftershock Wheel 10/98 $49.99 Crash Bandicoot Warped 11/98 $42.99 LAPD 2100 09/98 $39.99 Point Blank 05/98 $50.99 Аки the Heartless 09/98 $44.99 Стос2 12/98 $44.99 Legacy Kain Soul Reavr 10/98 $46.99 ВС Stunt Copter 11/98 $43.99 Alien Resurrection 08/98 $44.99 Death Trap Dungeon 04/98 $34.99 Lunar Silver Star Story 09/98 $43.99 Resident Evil 3 12/98 $51.99 Apocalypse 11/98 $44.99 Destreger 12/98 $46.99 МІВРА Bottom 9th 99 08/98 $32.99 Road Rash 3D 06/98 $42.99 Armored Core Proj Phan 10/98 $42.99 Diablo 03/98 $43,99 Madden Football 99 09/98 $42.99 Rush 2:Extreme Racing 11/98 $59.99 Asteroids 11/98 $44.99 Dragon Warrior 12/98 $46.99 — Master of Monsters 09/98 $42.99 Shao Lin 11/98 $44.99 Athanor 10/98 $46.99 Duke Nukem Time Kill 09/98 $41.99 — Mega Man Nova 09/98 $39.99 Silent Hill 01/99 544,99 Battleship 08/98 $41.99 ESPN Natl Hockey Nite 09/98 $44.99 al Gear Solid 10/98 $44.99 — Silhoutte Mirage 08/98 $43.99 1 ‘LEGEND OF ZELDA' Link is back to explore new worlds & rescue | Princess Zelda from the evil clutches of Gannondorf. Explore massive, mystical 3D worlds, gleaning information from natives & battling boss- | es. Make use of maps that are specific to each level & use the 3D atten- | tion button to circle your enemies or objects of interest. | Battlestations 03/97 $31.99 ESPNXGamesProBrdr 10/98 $46.99 Monster Rancher? 0998 $4599 Sony PSX 7000 06/98 $159.99 Nintendo {Foleplaying) | Beavis/Butthead Holy 11/98 $44.99 Earthworm Jim 3 11/98 $4299 Мона! Kombat 4 0698 54499 Soulbringer 01/99 55299 Release: 11/9 Big Air 11/08 $4299 — Einhander 0598 $4099 — Moto Racer GP 2 09/98 53999 South Park 1198 $44.99 ЕС = . N64 Blaze & Blade 1098 54699 Elemental Gearbolt 0798 $43.99 N20 Nitrous Oxide 08/98 54549 Spyro the Dragon 10/98 $4299 не Body Harvest 11/98 $46.99 НІА Soccer 99 11/98 $3999 — NASCAR 99 09/98 $42.99 Suikoden 2 1298 54559 | _ M. Е SAM ОВАА Bomberman World 09/98 $4499 — FOX Sports Gol 06/98 $42.99 МВА Fastbreak 99 11/98 $499 Таи 11/08 $46.99 Ee EE O Brave Fencer Musashiden 11/98 $46.99 Fifth Element 09/98 54409 МВА Live 99 1098 $42.99 Tales of Destiny СЕТИ с К, Ша m пие Breath of Fire 3 05/98 $41.99 Final Fantasy 8 08/99 $54.99 МВА Shootout 99 12/08 $4499 — Tekken 3 0496 $499 | © тваспегривдрапрведрвел ито Brigandine 11/98 54499 Final Fantasy Tactics 01/98 $40.99 МСАА Football 99 08/98 $42.99 Test Drive 5 0908 $4390 # 3 Stop action. Real-time 3D environ- Bushido Blade 2 11/98 $42.99 Final Fantasy VII 09/97 $51.99 NFL Game Day 99 09/98 $42.99 Thrilkil 1298 $4699 1-4 ments) create а dark world to C&C Red Alert Retal 08/98 $4699 6 Darius 09/98 $36.99 МР. Xtreme 07/98 $42.99 Thunder Force 5 07/08 536.99 wd explore & conquer. 12 levels in 4 C.Contra Adventure 08/98 $44.99 — Gran Turismo 05/98 $41.99 МН. Hockey 99 09/98 $4299 Tomb Raider 3 11/98 548599 | А worlds enable you to use all your Capcom беп Ghoul/Ghost 10/98 $32.99 Grand Theft Ашо D.C. 11/98 $44.99 NinjShadow Darkness 09/98 $44.99 Tomba! олов s4299 | >- spells & fighting skills against Cardinal Syn 08/98 $42.99 — Granstream Saga 07/98 $44.99 OddWorld Abe's Exodus 11/98 $4499 Turbo Prop Facing 07/08 54259 | Есі dangerous enemies. Find 8 col- Castle of Deception 0998 $4399 Hardball 99 08/98 $4399 Omikron 1098 $4499 Turok Dinosaur Hunter 2 10/98 54899 ай о Castlevania Sympony Nite 10/97 $47.99 — Heart of Darkness 08/98 54499 Other Life Azure Dreams 07/98 $46.99 ed Metal 3 1298 $4299 Т use against your opponents! Centipede 11/08 $39.99 Int! Super Soccer 98 07/98 $4499 PSX Dual Analog Contr 05/08 $29.99 WWF Warzone TEM | Eidos (Adventure) Clock Tower 2 09/98 $4299 Кама 07/98 54499 PSX Mega Memory Card 05/96 $3399 — WarGames Defcon 1 $45.99 Release:9/98 Colony Wars 2 Vengeance 11/98 $4299 Kensei Sacred Fist 10/98 54409 Parasite Eve 09/98 $49.99 Xenogears $46.99 RSX) VIDEO GAMES: SATURN VIDEO GAMES: NINTENDO 64 | x: in Albert Odyssey 07/97 $33.99 Mortal Kombat Trilogy 08/97 $39.99 AirBoardin' USA 10/98 Legend Mystical Ninja 64 06/98 $59.99 Area 51 11/96 $49.99 МВА Action 98 11/97 $43.99 Ascii Pad 64 12/98 Legend River King 11/98 $54.99 шл т Astal 08/95 $19.99 МВА Jam Extreme 1296 $29.93 Banjo-Kazooie 07/98 Mad Catz Dual Arcade Joy 08/98 $29.99 ШШ opens eva Ч Battlestations 05/97 $39.99 NBA Live 98 12/97 $43.99 Bomberman Hero 08/98 Football 99 0998 $62.99 coronis cw ду имиш Blazing Heroes 1096 $2999 NHL AII Star Hockey 98 1097 $29.99 Buck Bumble 08/08 Impossible 08/98 $72.99 Бйр, Верона серен Breakpoint Tennis 03/97 $3499 NHL Hockey 98 01/98 54199 Castlevania 64 11/98 $5699 Mortal Kombat 4 06/08 $52.99 i 6 7 $3 Е k с 3 < advanced real-time lighting 6 Burning Rangers 06/08 $45.99 Nascar 98 11/97 $36.99 Chopper Attack N64 Controller Blue 1096 $2699 ое Bust-A-Move 2 1296 $3599 — Nights 08/96 $34.99 Conker's Quest N64 Memory Card Plus 01/97 $26.99 | Contra:Legacy of War 05/97 $19.99 Panzer Dragon Saga 05/98 $45.99 Creator N64 System 09/96 5149.99 Kar batis eachother kone es Courier Crisis 01/98 $32.99 Quake 11/97 $3999 Cruis'n the World NASCAR 99 11/08 $6499 s Croc 11/97 $4699 Rampage World Tour — 12/97 $45.99 Dark Rift NBA Courtside 05/98 $52.99 , Acclaim (Shooter) Crypt Killer 04/97 $1999 Resident Evil 1097 $39.99 Deadly Arts NBA Live 99 11/98 $64.99 Release 10/98 Dark Legend 11/95 $19.99 Saturn 30 Control Pad 08/96 $29.99 Diddy Kong Racing 12/97 $5299 NFL QB Club 99 08/08 $66.99 N64 Dark Savior 12/96 $26.99 Saturn Core System 12059129409 — Dual Heroes 09/98 $69.99 NHL Breakaway 99 11/98 $66.99 Пи aaron FIFA Soccer 98 12/97 $44.99 Saturn Mem Card Plus 04/96 $39.99 ке Nukem 3D $4999 Рейес Dark 02/99 $62.99 ='STAR | WARS: ROGUE Fighters Megamix 05/97 $39.99 Shining Force 3 07/98 $49.99 Earthworm 12/98 $6299 Quest 64 06/98 $69.99 SQUADRON' Defend the Rebel Game Shark 03/96 $42.99 Shining Holy Ark 07/07 $46.99 Extreme G 2 1098 $66.99 — Rally Racing 11/98 56299 Alliance piloting X-Wings, Y- Guardian Heroes 04/96 $26.99 Shining Wisdom 06/96 $40.99 ЕТ World Grand Prix 07/98 562.99 Rayan 2 11/98 5660 ҮЛЕ. AcWings d PROPER UR Hexen 04/97 $19.99 Sky Target 09/97 545.99 FIFA Soccer 98 12/97 564.99 Rev Limit 09/98 9 т + 7 House of the Dead 05/98 $44.99 Sonic Jam 09/97 54499 FOX Sprt Coll. Hoops 99 11/98 $68.99 Road Rash 64 10/98 $66.99 Р ПЕ ki AN puo tronman/XO 1096 $2939 Sonic R 11/97 $42.99 Fighting Force 64 11/98 $66.99 Roadsters 08 11/08 $66.99 Art epe eur Last Bronx 10/97 $39.99 Ten Pin Alle 11/97 $36.99 Flying Dragon 08/98 $54.99 Survivor Day One 11/98 $56.99 reconnaissance, dogfights to Legend of Oasis 08/96 $4599 Tetris Plus 1096 $42.99 Forsaken 05/98 $65.99 Tomorrow Never Dies 12/98 $66.99 earth destroy, Explore 3D Star Madden ЕВ 98 11/97 $4399 Tomb Raiders 11/96 $3999 GEX2 08/98 $58.99 Тор Gear Overdrive 12/98 $6699 ТАБ? worlds сл табе Ва Magic Knight Rayearth 08/98 $52.99 Touring Car Championship12/97 $39.99 GT Racing 08/98 $55.99 Turok Dinosaur Hunter 2 10/08 $64.99 Missions èl precise’ contralitnaka Manx TI. 08/97 54399 Virtual On 11/06 $36.99 Harrier 2000 02/99 $66.99 Twisted Edge Snowbrd 11/98 $59.99 this game stand out | Marvel Super Heroes 1097 $42.99 е5 BBall 98 07/97 $32.99 Intl Super Soccer 98 09/98 $5699 WWF Warzone 08/98 $66.99 Lucas Arts (Simulation) Maximum Force 1197 $44.99 wide Soccer'98 11/97 $43.99 Knife Edge 09/98 $63.99 Waialae Country Club 07/98 $53.99 Release: 9/98 COMPUTER GAMES HINT BOOKS ast ud Alpha Centauri 12/08 54749 MechCommander 07/98 $3999 Апел Odyssey 0997 5799 Lunar: Silver Star Stor Comp08/98511.09 TFT) ‘DECEPTION 2: KAGERO' Set sin- | Axis & Allies 09/98 $39.99 MechWarrior 3 12/98 $5299 — Alundra 02/98 $1299 Metal Gear Solid 1098 $1099 ister traps and capture human Baja 1000 Racing 12/08 $4599 Might 8 Magic 6 498 $3999 Banjo-Kazooie 0798 5999 Mission Impossible 07/98 51699 prey. 3 different castles & 32 lev- Baldur's Gate 0998 $4699 Mortal Kombat 4 07/98 $3990 Batman & Robin 08/98 $10.99 Mortal Kombat 4 06/08 $11.99 els of devious traps and pre-set Baseball Mogul 99 0898 $28.99 Moto Racer GP 2 09/98 $4499 Bomberman 64 01/98 $9.99 Nightmare Creatures 01/98 $10.99 hazards. Set up combos to wipe Beavis & Butthead 1198 $2599 Myth 2 11/98 $43.99 Breath of Fire 3 06/98 $1399 Ninja 08/98 51099 out multiple enemies and reuse C&C2:TiberianSun 1008 54890 Need for Speed 3 09/98 $4499 CastievanizSynph Nt 1097 $1099 OddWorld Abes Oddysey 10/97 51099 the deadliest traps later. Turn your Civilization Test Tme 12/98 $48.99 Of Light & Darkness 04/98 $4499 — Colony Wars 03/98 5999 Ogre Battle 08/97 $11.99 captives into zombies and were- Daikatana 11/98 $3999 Quake 2 12/97 $3999 Conker's Quest 12 Tales 01/99 $10.99 Pitfall 3D 05/98 51099 wolves that do your bidding. | Deer Hunter 02/98 $18.99 Rogue Squadron 11/98 $46.99 Crash Bandicoot2 12/97 $10.99 Quake 64 05/98 $10.99 | Descent 3 18/98 54898 Scrmn Demons Europe 11/98 54799 Dead or Alive 05/98 51099 Quest 64 06/98 $10.99 | Diablo 2 03/99 $4899 SimCity 3000 09/98 $5499 Diablo 03/98 $1299 Resident Evil 2 0298 $11.99 Duel: Mage Wars 10/98 $39.99 Sin 08/98 $48.99 Fifth Element 09/98 $16.99 StarFox64SurvGd 11/97 $11.99 Tecmo кешек Duke Nukem Forever 12/98 $4899 South Park 04/99 $43.99 Final Fantasy Tactics. 01/98 $11.99 Starwars Shad of Empire 12/96 51099 Release:9/98 | Dune 2000 09/98 $39.99 str Trk Sert Vien Fry 0898 $48.99 Final Fantasy VII 11/97 $14.99 Suikoden 0698 $12.99 PSX | Falcon 4.0 10/98 55499 Тем Drive Off Rd2 11/08 $44.99 Goldeneye Unauth 1097 $1099 Super Mario 06/96 5899 TEE ЕС Fallout 2 11/98 $4899 Tomb Raider 3 11/08 $3999 — GranStream Saga 0698 $1299 Tactics Ogre 0398 $1299 WF | МЕТА. GEAR SOLID’ redefines Final Fantasy VII 06/08 $39.99 Total Annihilation 2 12/98 $4899 Hexen 64 08/97 $1099 Tekken 3 osos $11.99 | Ей ihe action/adventure genre on Grim Fandango 0998 $39.99 Trespassr Jrssic Park 0998 $4899 Қапа 1298 $1299 Tomb Raider 2 1127 5109 | Б ИЕ / Playstation, Its a spy action Heart of Darkness 0798 54299 TurokDinosrHuntr2 02/99 54699 Kings Field 2 Unotfcl_ 12% $1199 Tomb Raider 3 11/98 $16.99 | Дем КА thriller that involves covert activi- Indy Jones Infrnl Mchne 02/09 $48.99 Ultima 9 Ascension 12/98 $52.99 Legacy of Kain 12/96 51299 Turok 2 1098 зоо | ОС ties, and tons of weapons & com- KQ8:Mask of Eternity 12/98 $48.99 Wizardry 8 11/98 $49.99 Legend of Zelda 64 11/98 $12.99 Vandal Hearts Unauth 06/97 $11.99 рен munications gear. The movie-like Knockout Kings 09/98 $44.99 X-Files Adventure Game 06/98 $46.99 Lgnd Zelda 64 Sur Gd 11/98 $13.99 Warcraft 2: Drk Saga 06/97 $9.99 plot puts you right in the middle of Lands of Lore 3 11/98 $44.99 X-Wing Collector's Srs 06/98 $29.99 Lunar 2 Off Play Gd 01/96 $14.99 Yoshi's Story 64 04/98 5999 friendship, betrayal, & even Visa, MC & Discover accepted. Checks held 4 weeks. Money Orders under $200 same as cash. COD $8. Price, release, availability, shipping times 8 offer not guaranteed & are subject to change at any time. Hardware may require added S&H. Within 10 days defectives repaired or replaced at| our discretion. After 10 days the manufacturer's warrantee applies. All sales final. S&H calculated on a per order, per shipment, and per item basis. The "per order’ charge is charged once per order placed, the "рег item’ charge is charged once for each item ordered and the ‘рег shipment’ charge is Prior Express Express Mail To Mal To і PlayStat charged once for each shipment we make to you. For each US order $10.00 ids 35 e? will be allocated to a 12 issue subscription to Computer Games Strategy Plus. |Б shipment $33.00 , Call for details. | Per item $2.00 P 1998 CHIPS & BITS, INC. готапсе, as you attempt to accomplish your military mission. Konami e Release 10/98 | PSX im PlayStation > NFL XTREME." А HIGH-SCORING, 5-ON-5, IN-YOUR-FACE, GRIDIRON WAR. THERE'S NO RULES, NO PENALTIES AND NO BOUNDARIES. IT’S A HELMET-POPPING, TRASH-TALKING, LATE-HITTING FREE-FOR-ALL. ENJOY. EVERYONE aXe PlayStation AFTER THE COIN TOSS, ANYTHING GOES* PLAYERS PlayStation and the PlayStation logos are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. NFL is a registered trademark of the National Football League. Officially licensed product of the NFL Players and NFL Properties. The NFL shield design is a trademark of the National Football League. Team names, nicknames, logos and other indicia are trademarks of the team indicated. TM/© 1998 NFLP. Players Inc Logo is an official trade- mark of the NFL Players. ©1998 Players Inc. Developed by 989 Studios. “After the coin toss, anything goes” isa trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. ©1998 Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. e Lunar. ernal Blue со Shining Force III: Scenario 2 or may not be released in the U.S. It is designed to run оп a Japanese system. Import at your own risk. Treasure 12 Treasure Shooter www.butaman.ne.jp/USERS/~treasure A Shooter ll he good news: Great 2D shooters live on. 1002525421120 е The bad news: The E. Ax OF That Gives latest great 2D EU E ا‎ shooter is only р win ud. It All available in Japan. 5 Radiant Silvergun is Treasure's (Gunstar Heroes, Guardian Heroes) latest work of art. Not only does it sport some fantastic graphics and controls, but it has some fresh ideas that should please fans of the genre. This one- or two-player simultaneous game offers you seven different weapons (see sidebar). But instead of picking up power-ups or icons to get these weapons as in most other shooters, you get them all right off the bat. While this may seem like a bit of a spoiler, it lends to some pretty interesting techniques. Since each weapon is very different from the 1 next, you have to be constantly : l—— í—— — " m making decisions as to which Radiant Silvergun has so many Bosses, you'd swear there weapon will work the best in the are more of them than there are pawn ships. Black Wide Homi Shot current situation. And since this is a fast-paced If you get a chance, you No shooter is complete Ва sug t ^. shooter, you have to make those decisions quickly. should import this gem. Since without a Two-player Radiant Silvergun doesn't offer power-ups to it doesn't require a RAM cart, Simultaneous Mode. strengthen these weapons. Instead, you'll have to you can easily play it on your earn more powerful weapons by being efficient in U.S. Saturn (with the help of a GameShark, or combat. When you hit a series of enemies in a row, alternatively, you can use the 4-in-1 carts mentioned you'll be awarded with chain combos. The more in this month's Letters section). There is also a very chains you get, the more powerful your weapons will strong possibility that Radiant Silvergun will be become— you'll get more shots, more power and coming to the United States for the PlayStation more area of effect (i.e., wider shots). sometime in the future. We'll keep you posted. e The Hyper Sword ` F Я SATURN My Two Cents | have to talk about the dialogue again. Did | mention it's horrible? | mean, we're talking worse than the original Resident Evil here. No offense to the voice actors who portrayed these characters...well, now wait a second...actually the actor's performances were, in fact, offensive to us so they should take offense to what I’m saying. The voice-over work is horrid in this game. For this reason alone, | wonder if it's worth buying as an import. —Shawn Smith Warning: This is a preview of a Japanese title that may ог may not be released in the U.S. It is designed to run on a Japanese system. Import at your own risk. Publisher/Developer Players/Genre % Done | Release Sega Enterprises, Ltd. 1 100 Now Sega Enterprises, Ltd, Adventure Japan Web Address www.sega,co.jp | Deep Fear or you Saturn gamers out there Еі! who want more ! Resident Evil-style пи action—and don't Е mind getting it from Japan— consider Deep Fear. Be aware: Although the game has English dialogue (really, REALLY terrible dialogue), there are a lot of instances where you have to make decisions based on on-screen Japanese text. But with walk-throughs and what-not that will undoubtedly pop up on the Internet, this shouldn't be much of a problem. So here's the basic story line: There's a U.S. Naval supply base for a submarine called Big Table deep in an ocean trench. While refueling a nuclear submarine called the Sea Fox, the sub suddenly goes out of control and crashes into a top-secret area of the base. Big Table's commander Some CG cutscenes give way to in-game fights similar to Resident Evil. in chief, Colonel Cransy, orders a private This particular monster is really freaky and really slow. rescue team called ESR to rescue a scientist by the name of Dr. Wiseberg who's trapped somewhere on the defunct sub. When John Mayor (ESR member and the guy you control) reaches the scene of the accident, he sees a heavily damaged facility and numerous casualties. During his investigation, one of the dying survivors says, "Kill me, please" and then turns into a hideous monster (like something out of Resident Evil or Parasite Eve) and attacks Mayor. Now the base is filled with freakish monsters and you're trapped inside. The sea water floods into the base, and the air supply is limited. Can you survive the situation? From here your adventures starts. You'll have to find people, manage your air supply, kill monsters, solve mysteries and have the crap scared out of you more than once. In most Besides slaying monsters, you'll unravel the mystery behind the sub's crash. instances, before something important happens it's in the form of either a CG or in-game cutscene, like RE2. The graphics are in the style of RE, except Deep Fear takes place on an underwater base. There are weapon upgrades, health kits and other such items which make the game Seem even more like RE. The controls and inventory System work just like Resident Evil too. In this sense, if you import Deep Fear there will be no problem getting the hang of how the game operates. @ DILL KEOMATEES Your air supply is displayed in the top right corner. Keep an eye on it. This is what happens to EGM staffers during a typical deadline. SATURN Publisher/Developer Players/Genre % Done Release Warning: This is a preview of a Japanese Ше that may or may not be released in the U.S. It is designed to run on a Japanese system. Import at your own risk. ESP 1 Now Game Arts/Vanguard RPG 100 Japan hile we're still waiting for the U.S. release of Lunar: Silver Star Story for the PlayStation (ahem), gamers in Japan are already tearing through the sequel, Lunar 2: Eternal Blue, which was бр uel recently released for the Saturn in Japan. While the Saturn version certainly won't make it to the United States, don't be Remade surprised if a PlayStation version surfaces in Japan in the coming months, with a U.S. version to follow soon after. If you've played the Sega CD version, then you already know that Lunar 2 is a great game. The Saturn version offers a host of improvements. All of the game's animation has been redone, and there's a LOT more of it, too. Best of all, a lot of it has CG mixed in with the anime, and the result is spectacular. The game is actually two CDs now because of all the animation (about an hour's worth in total). Also, like Silver Star Story, enemies are now visible in the dungeons, so you can try to avoid battles if you wish. On the downside, some sub-quests were taken out (again, just like Silver Star Story), and some of the larger dungeons have been cut down a bit (don't ask us...). The music is enhanced, but the Soundtrack itself is the same as the original (this is a good thing—some of the music in Lunar 1 was completely changed, mostly for the worse). Lunar 2 is a worthwhile import for fans of the original, but like we said earlier—we're betting on the announcement of a PlayStation version —————— aes - — in Japan soon. If so, don't be surprised to hear Publisher/Developer · Players/Genre % Done Release* something from the Working Designs camp зен here in the United States soon after. e Sega Enterprises, Ltd. 1 1 0 0 Now Sonic/Camelot Strategy/RPG Japan Web Address: www.sega.co.jp Scenario 2 Now that Shining Force ІІІ Scenario 1 is finally available in happen in the second one. stores, we thought we'd offer some insight into what Scenario 2 For example, if you rescue is all about. Garosh early on in Scenario 1, Scenario 2, which was released in Japan earlier this year, he'll appear in Scenario 2. If features the same basic story as Scenario 1 (and also Scenario 3, уои don't, his brother and his due in Japan in September). The catch is, In Scenario 2 you play lover will instead. Or later on Prince Medion (who you run into several times in Scenario 1), in Scenario 1 when you fight and play through the game from his perspective. Not only is this Spiriel, you can opt not to kil incredibly cool (many her (she's under a questions you may have had in part one will undoubtedly become clear here), but it's only the beginning; once you finish Scenario 2, you'll do it all again through the eyes of Julian in Scenario 3. If you played through Scenario 1, you can transfer your save data to Scenario 2. Decisions you made in the first disc will affect things that control spell); if you let her live, she'll be back in Scenario 2. As was the case with Scenario 1, There are severa there are 30 battles to take part in. situations like this Of course, these are all-new ones... that come up which really add to the game. Don't hesitate to send letters to Sega of America asking them to translate the remainder of the trilogy—it'll surely be worth it. If you need even more info to whet your appetite, consider this: In Scenario 3, a couple of evildoers from Shining the Holy Ark will make a return appearance — and maybe have a lot more to do with the overall plot of Shining Force III than you'd have ever known if you only played through the first Scenario... Warning: This is a preview of a Japanese tit or may not be released in the U.S. It is desi on a Japanese system. Import at your owi Scenario 2 stars Prince Medion, the son of Emperor Domaric (who was kidnapped early in Scenario 1). | WARNING ! THRILL KILL™ CONTAINS EXTREMELY GRAPHIC AND VIOLENT SCENES AND SUBJECT MATTER. TERMS AND CONDITIONS е You must be at least 18 years old to view or play this game. * You must not find images of adults engaged in violent acts to be offensive or objectionable. * You must understand and take full responsibility for all decisions made in regards to this ad if you breach these terms and conditions. I AGREE TO THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PROCEED AT MY OWN RISK. I CAN NOT IN GOOD CONSCIENCE CONTINUE TO VIEW THIS ADVERTISEMENT. Wit Kil o gs oo аве quist. Ty males АГ -POM боди вот ame verita Bi up and, jekê retis, PlayStation ©1998 Virgin Interactive Entertainment, Inc. Virgin is a registered trademark of Virgin Enterprises, Ltd. Virgin Interactive Entertainment, Inc., 18061 Fitch Ave., Irvine, СА 92614 U.S.A. Licensed by Sony Computer Entertainment America for use with the PlayStation game console. PlayStation and the PlayStation logos are trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. Manufactured and printed in U.S.A. THIS SOFTWARE IS COMPATIBLE WITH PLAYSTATION GAME CONSOLES WITH THE NTSC U/C DESIGNATION. U.S. AND FOREIGN PATENTS PENDING. | pes Fall 1 9% 25 е sk a video game player what his/her favorite arcade driving game is, and you're likely to get a response like *Outrun dude, it was the best." OK, now find Someone unmarried and beardless and the answer would undoubtedly be Daytona. At the time when it was released back around '94, we had seen very little like it. The graphics on Model 2 were nothing less than stunning, and (most importantly) it just felt right. Jump to 1998, and we've driven just about everything driveable, and with graphics as good or superior to Model 2. Super GT was probably the closest in feel, but it failed to generate anywhere near the hype of Daytona. Can Daytona 2 sell in a market drowning in vehicle-driven simulations? As with all driving games these days, there is a stand-up and deluxe version of the game, and either can be linked with up to 15 more using a dedicated network. No other game can handle that many players at once. The deluxe version features a new motion system, the Crash Impact Generator that delivers shocks to the player's back and soles of his/her feet upon impact as well as the feel of the engine's rumbling. The development team is the same as it was for the original Daytona, but new designers were brought in for a fresh look. Thorough calculations of tire engineering and physics of motion and power have created a very accurate simulation of stock car vehicles. Daytona 2, however, was created especially for the Model 3 board. There is little doubt that the Model 3 Step 2 hardware is the most powerful graphics engine on the market today. Utilizing this incredible power, Daytona 2 outputs more than 1 million polygons per second — that's rendering power more than twice that of the original. they handle turns. The cars are all very different in the way Sega of Japan 100 September Sega of America Racing 1998 Web Address: www.sega.com The physics of the cars are spectacular—a lot of time and work was put into the game to make it as realistic as possible. tos Daytona 2 has three different car types, each designed for different skill levels. The Easy Chums Gum Racing car is ideal for beginners because it is easy to steer with speeds of 201 mph(AT) and 204 mph(MT). The Scorpio Plasma Racing car can be used AS—bMEPENLUDS СА хе тапа There are three cars to choose from, as well as at least three tracks. by the average player with top speeds of 206 mph(AT) and 208 mph(MT). For the more advanced racers, the Black Phantom Racing car reaches top speeds of 209 тр (АТ) and 212 mph(MT) and is fairly hard to drive. There are also three different race modes available: "Beat the Clock," a time-trial race with only the player's car racing around the track; “Real Players Only" where only participating racers' cars are on the track, great for competitions and tournaments. The last mode is called “Мо Assist," and it removes the default Auto Assist feature. The Default Mode automatically speeds up the slower cars during linked play; *No Assist" Mode on the other hand allows a straight-up race of tournament winners. A special feature included specifically in the U.S. version is “Extra Coin" Mode, where in Test Mode, if extra coins are dropped in addition to the cost of one game, the player can race extra laps regulated by the test mode (really awesome for practice!). In the Network Mode of linked play, only the players who inserted an The Phantom Racing car is the most advanced. It is by far the hardest to control, but there is nothing faster in the game. Just as in Daytona USA, there are three tracks to choose from, all varying in difficulty. The lap count is also the same as the original, eight laps for easy, four laps medium and two laps for hard. equal number of additional coins will be connected on the network. As we've come to expect from all Sega titles derived from the original Virtua series, players can also switch through four different driving perspectives: front, driver's, rear and bird's-eye. Unfortunately, if anything, the game's soundtrack is likely to be the only downfall, featuring (ahem) a fairly well known band (see below) and Sega's sound staff (that part should be good at least). Daytona 2: Battle on the Edge should just about be out by the time you read this. @ hind the Sound Um, why? Daytona 2 will feature some of the best graphics ever seen in a driving game, along with innovations to the actual cabinet to make you feel like you're really in a car. It also features an excellent new sound system with a new MPEG2 board with four additional speakers to implement 3D sound effects. You would think that Sega would go the route of many other racing games of the day and offer us new music by the Chemical Brothers or Crystal Method. Nope. For the unique soundtrack in Daytona 2, you will be rockin' with the sounds of the '80s hair metal band...Winger. Yup. You heard it here first. Carnevil Publisher/Developer Players/Genre — 9o Done Release Midway 12 80 4th Qtr. Midway Light Gun 1998 Web Address: www.midway.com Demented Clowns, Big Tops And Cotton Candy. 15 Carnival Time! My 2 Cents | have seen a ton of gun games over the last few years, ever since VCOP made the genre successful. А51 was pretty revolutionary, and Carnevil is a lot like it. As of press time, however, it's missing a lot of the special elements that A51 had (read preview), and I'm not sure | like that. The graphics make this game. -Mark Hain here have been about 1,000 gun games since the early days of Hogan's Alley and Duck Hunt. Each game had a different graphics style and all- around feel for audiences to enjoy. One of the most memorable titles recently released was Atari's Area 51. The hardware for this featured a hard drive which allowed for more detail in the scrolling backgrounds and digitized aliens than a usual arcade system. The unique style of this game and its "sequel" Maximum Force have never really been reproduced...until now. Carnevil's style is similar to Atari's other two gun games. The story has not been fully revealed, but the whole game takes place in an insane carnival filled with creatures who are trying to keep you from riding the rides. There. are three parts to the carnival, and each has its own Boss. Then there is a fourth.area where you will have to fight more enemies as well as all of the previous Bosses all over again. The Bosses are well-designed. For example, a large baby named Junior will throw a tantrum (and several large objects at you).as he chases you and your vehicle around a big top like a T-Rex from Jurassic Park. Each enemy іп the game has its own personality. The kids _ “games moon you and flip you "characters and strange- looking s and throw Sharp objects at you. . The gun itself is a very comfortable pi - shotgun. This gun can either Бе shot off screen or pumped off screen to reload, and 15 much more usable d Area 51 arthriti Ape; 7; however, all hidden ba pitis secrets that | el or not, it gave those games plenty of longevity, as evidenced by The gore in this game makes Hellraiser look tame. This is the boss of the Big Top level, Junior. In case you're wondering, he's the size of a small T-Rex, and he'll chase you around and toss blocks at you. А515 year-long stint on the arcade top-10 lists. As of yet there is also no sign of a Streak meter, or the ever-popular competition meter that showed which player had the most kills. What it does have over the Atari gun games is the gorgeous animation of the backgrounds and characters. Good examples include a woman boss being hit with electric blue energy and transforming into a demonic witch (very Parasite Eve), or when you are riding on a roller coaster being hit by flying creatures on all sides. It has a Don Bluth/Disney feel to it, but much darker, and a lot of fun. Carnevil makes use of a hard drive as well so there's plenty of room for all of the awesome graphics. We will have to wait and see if Carnevil has what it takes to go toe to toe with Area 51's upcoming sequel, Site 4, and Namco's Time Crisis Il. @ There are always plenty of enemies to shoot at. Don't expect much time to rest your arms. ARCADE ES Publisher/Developer Players/Genre % Done Release Midway m Available Midway Sports 100 Now “Web Address: www.midway.com NFL Blitz '99 his game goes More Than against the grain of all other titles with a year on it. Unlike Just A Bunch the latest Madden or basketball title, . Blitz has gotten Of Rookies more than just a graphical facelift. First of all, we're talking four players now. This means your buddy can be your blocker, receiver or whatever you two decide. It also means you have a teammate to discuss strategy with, as opposed to always being the one in charge. Midway made it easy by allowing you to always throw to your к human counterpart | IST AND 30 by pressing both non-turbo buttons. In - ON THE 35 all other areas, the e game is played the same as the original. The play pages have been increased by two. There are still only two pages of plays when you start; the other pages can be Now four people can play at once. On top of all the strategy additions to the game, there are also new fields to play on. There will also be a special field like the rooftop in Hang Time. released with codes. Some play names grass and there are hints at a special field not unlike have changed, and some plays have been the rooftop in NBA Hang Time. dropped. (Don’t worry about your favorite Probably one of the most important additions to play being dropped though, one of the Blitz ’99 is the ever-popular "fire" effect. Іп МВА Jam extra pages will be comprised of plays from апа Hang Time, your player was on fire if you made the first Blitz.) Also, Midway says the А! successive baskets. Fire enhances range, accuracy will be smarter (ї.е., you could use the and your ability to hold onto the ball. As of press time Back Split play to get through just about it is still not quite known how fire will be activated in the entire original game— Blitz, but it is assumed it will involve getting three not anymore). sacks or three touchdowns in a row. With fire, the There are more additions QB can throw farther and run faster, and.no player to the game of Blitz. Create a оп the team will fumble. Behind the Screens Play allows you to devise There have-been small graphic changes as well. For ==“ your own strategy when it example, a rendered character appears in the team " comes to getting to the goal select in whatever uniform you are choosing, and the Brand-New Innovations line. An unexpected move players have new victory aid fighting animations by Midway was to include (including the popular butter churn dance) and more. Something not expected by the coin-op an N64 card reader, allowing The best part about Blitz 299 is even though ва industry was the addition of a piece of the player to bring in plays brand-new game, it's still the Blitz you know and love. hardware to Blitz "99: an N64 controller created on the home version It feels exactly the same as its predecessor, but with pak reader. With the N64 version of Blitz, of the game (N64 only, use of another player, it adds a whole new depth of as in Blitz ‘99, you can create your own see sidebar). strategy. On offense, you have a receiver or blocker plays. This card reader will allow you to There are now several that can instantly respond to you. On defense, it is take your N64-created plays to the arcade. ^ пей to choose even more essential since one person can constantly As we ай know, this reader would not last from ranging from turf, block passers and one can Blitz, finally makingfe long in an arcade environment. (How many pieces of gum do you think could fit in there?) It will therefore have a sensor of some kind that will tell if you really have an N64 card, and fuss then a small РИАҮ EDITOR Я m = LOAD FROM N64 door will open MEMORY CARD where you : YES He's а revengeful little devil. And he wants payback from a mad scientist who tried to dissect him alive. But you've got to jump, glide, punch and whip his tail through 12 levels to help him get even. Meet the Jersey Devil.” He's running loose in а huge 9-D environment full of mutant vegetables, nasty bosses and all kinds of mind games. (Better wateh your back.) - PlayStation www.playstation.com т 8 Behaviour Interactive Inc. = А e VS С The evil Tittle tyrant is here. Publisher/Developer Players/Genre % Done Release SNK T2 Available SNK Fighting 100 Now Web Address: www.snk.com The King of Fighters '98 All Your SNK Favorites Are Together Once Again My 2 Cents This is at least the 38th SNK fighting game I've played, and ай are соо!-+о an extent. I'm getting tired of fighting games (you would be too if you spent hundreds of hours in arcades before you even got a job doing it). But SNK gives you plenty to get excited about. This one rules. -Магк Hain NK has long been known as a company of fighting games. A short time after the height of Street Fighter Il, it released a flood of fighting titles that mimicked the feel and look of the SF series, but with its own sense of style (this was helped by the fact that SNK hired away most of the programmers of SFII from Capcom). Games like Fatal Fury, Art of Fighting and Samurai Shodown stuck out above a crowd of clones and carved their own place in the arcade fighting game genre. After that, SNK used an idea arcade players had previously only dreamed of, a combination of some of their most popular titles in one: King of Fighters. King of Fighters '98 is the fifth in the series, and it shows no sign of slowing down now. This newest incarnation includes at least 36 characters made up of fighters and Bosses fro games, as well as other o m the previously mentioned d-school hits like Ikari There is a new type of power meter and a huge amount of special attacks to use it up with. UM Warriors. Not a lot is known about the actual mechanics as of press time, but there is a new kind of power meter for specials, with new and different levels. The teams are broken down into basically what they are: Heroes, Masters, American Sports (who could forget the cool football and basketball guys from previous games), Fatal Fury, the special team from KoF '97, Art of Fighting, Women Fighters, Ikari Warriors and more. The Orochi team seems to be the heavy hitters of the game; it includes Bosses from previous games, like Rugal from KoF 97. The amount of strategy in this game is staggering to say the least. The number of characters does not mean that SNK skimped eplay, it plays every bit as good as алу бА . Each ‹ | as most dre ERR before, and [ T bt this will be your favorite e ofthe year. @ The number of characters in this game Um, a new form of taunt? Joe's getting is frightening: at least 36. pretty informal in his old age. - have at least three new characters. Spikeout- Digital Battle Online Spikeout is a Model 3 Step 2 action fighting game in the mold of Fighting Vipers. Fights take place in urban environments and make the most effective use yet of interactive scenery in this style of game. Watch for more news soon. Street Fighter Alpha 3 Since this game has yet to reach our midwest area, we haven't gotten our hands on it yet. The pics, however, just look cooler and cooler. The custom combo is in full effect, and as you can see by the Character Select Screen there are at least 25 characters (and probably a couple of secret ones—Akuma anyone?) Each character has new moves and specials as well. Look for a strategy on this and EX2 in upcoming issues of Expert Gamer. Bloody Roar 2 Fairly recently Bloody Roar was released on the Sony PlayStation. It featured simple three-button gameplay with characters who could transform into animals fighting each other. This game was seen recently at the ASI ж. 1 - Arcade show in Namco's booth under Racing Jam the name Beastorizer. It appears now 4 B 7 that the sequel will simply be Bloody Cha pter | | Roar 2:-Bringer of-the New Age, and from the few shots we've seen, it will ; ‘fthere is any graphics System that can 5 compete with Sega’s Model 3 board, it > _isKonami’s Cobra hardware. Racing Jam . was released a few months ago, and the | graphics were stunning (esp cially on 3 absolutely kick-butt pano pp should | Бели водел A. Fighters Jet Just about any shooter is a welcome sight in arcades today. This is not to take away from one of the most popular shooters ever, the Raiden series. Raiden, however, was nothing if not difficult. With the number of explosions and animations happening on the screen at once it was always a little hard to see what it was you were trying to hit. The screens for this game look great and the power-ups look as cool as ever. 207 < IN THE YEAR 3000, THERE heat-seeking missiles make this flying fox ss virtually unavoidable and unflappable. A sheep-herding K-9 on "wheels whose Fido firepower is worse than his bite. М You can't get over 15 hump, ki of explosives and ready-to blow. ‚ Packs nuclear. power in his pouch and in his punch. ARE NO PETTING 2005. E N rocket-sneezing, snow- squeezing polar bear who dumps - dangerous icicle mines-in front of unsuspecting foes. n high-speed husky on skis who hates | penguins and often flips his wig. T Full of lightning-fast mayhem and [Кл deadly.cruise m, he's no angel. А dei iously shy tortoise who comes out armor-plated shell to wreak “ME “SHicón Valley, a space station used to harbor cutting- edge змии has disappeared. Now, in the year 3000, it's on a collision course with Earth. You must not only think like the wacked-out beings who. inhabit its: incredibly lavish environments, you-must become them. Only then will you bè able to unlock the mysteries of the Valley and save our planet. Whatever you do, do not attempt to feed the animals. PLAYSTATION Brunswick Circuit Pro Bowling Dead Ball Zone Fifth Element. Future Cop: LA. PD. G. Darius | Kula World: Mind Bending Madness Madden NFL99 — | Master of Monsters Mega Man Legends Moto Racer 2 Nascar 99 NFL Blitz NFL GameDay 99 - Parasite Eve Resident Evil 2 Dual Shock Resident Evil DC Dual Shock Rosco McQueen | S.C.A.R.S. Spyro The Dragon 2 Tales of Destiny Thunder Force V: Perfect System TOCA Touring Car Championship Trap Gunner Unholy War Wild g Activision Classics Armored Core: Project Phantasma Assault Battleship Bomberman World Caesar's Palace 2 3 CoolBoarders3 | Dead in the Water - Dragon Seeds F-1 Racing Simulation Formula 1 98 Game of Life Global Domination Knockout Kings MediEvil = Metal Gear Solid. Motorhead” NBA Tonight NCAA Gamebreaker 99 NHL 99 NHL FaceOff 99 Ninja: Shadow of Darkness орт. Pool Hustler Rival Schools | Rogue Trip Running Wild Small Soldiers Team Losi RC Racing Tenchu Е Test Drives —— Y Thrill Kill _ Wheel of Fortune X Games Pro Boarder Akuji the Heartless Apocalypse 2 AmyMen3D — —— Asteroids Backstreet Billiards | Beavis & Butt-head Do Hollywood Big Air Snowboarding Big Race USA Black Bass with Blue Marlin Brave Fencer Musashi Brigandine | Bushido Blade 2 Bust A Groove 5 Capcom Gen: SF 2 Collection Centipede Colony Wars: Vengeance Crash Bandicoot: Warped THQ 329 GT Interactive THQ _ GT Interactive Activision EA THQ Psygnosis ФА ASCII Capcom ЕА ЕА Midway 989 Studios Square EA Capcom Capcom _ Psygnosis. Ubi Soft Sony Computer Entertainment. Namco Working Designs/Spaz 300 Atlus Crystal Dynamics © Interplay ES Activision ASCII Midway Hasbro Interactive Atlus Interplay 989 Studios ASC Games Jaleco Ubi Soft Psygnosis Hasbro Interactive Psygnosis Accolade Hasbro Interactive Tecmo EA Sony Computer Entertainment Konami Fox Interactive Radical Entertainment 989 Studios EA 989 Studios Eidos Psygnosis Activision Capcom £ GT Interactive 989 Studios EA Fox Interactive. Activision Accolade Virgin Hasbro Interactive Radical Entertainment Crystal Dynamics Activision 300 Activision ASCII GT Interactive Accolade Empire Interactive Hot B Square EA Atlus 5 Square EA 989 Studios Capcom Hasbro Interactive Psygnosis Sony Computer Entertainment September. September September September September September September September September September September September September September September September September September September September September September September September September September Sports. Action/Sports Puzzle | Action Action Action ‘Shooter Puzzle Sports Strategy Action Racing Racing Sports Sports RPG Adventure Adventure Action Racing Action RPG Shooter Racing Action Act/Strategy September Action October October October October October October October October October October October October October October October October October October October October October October October October October October October October October October October October October October October October October November November November November November November November November November November November November November November November November November Compilation Action Action Simulation Racing Racing Misc. Strategy Sports Misc. Adventure Simulation Fighting Action Racing Action Racing Action/Adv Racing Fighting Misc, | Sports Action Action Action Action Simulation Action/Adv Sports Fighting Misc. Fighting | Action. Action Action von S Compiled by: John Stockhausen PLAYSTATION cont. Darkstalkers 3 Diabolical Adventures of Tobu Disney's A Bug's Life Earthworm Jim 30 G Shock Gary Player Golf Kensai - Sacred Fist Lemmings Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete Messiah Monkey Hero National Hockey Night NBA Live 99 - OddWorld: Аве Exoddus Pro 18 World Tour Golf Professional Sports Car Racing Psybadek Rally Cross 2 Rat Attack RC Stunt Copter Superman Syphon Filter TaiFu Ten Pin Alley 2 Test Drive: Off Road 2 Tiny Tank: Up your Arsenal Tomb Raider 3 Twisted Metal 3 Uprising X VR Football 99 Xenogears You Don't Know Jack NINTENDO 64 Cruis'n World GT 64 Championship Edition IS Soccer 98 Madden NFL 99 Nascar 99 NFLBlitz NFL Quarterback Club 99 Body Harvest Buck Bumble | Bust A Move 3 Charlie Blast's Territory Extreme G 2 Ға Racing Simulation F-Zero X Fighting Force 64 Glover Knife Edge Е Е МН. 99 Rush America S.CAR.S. Space Station Silicon Valley Turok 2 Castlevania 64 Earthworm Jim 30 Fox Sports College Hoops 99 Golden Nugget Milo's Astro Lanes NBA Jam 99 МВА Live 99 NHL 99 Roadster 98 Star Wars: Rogue Squadron Superman 64 Survivor: Day Опе Tonic Trouble Top Gear Overdrive Twisted Edge Snowboarding: VR Pool 64 WipeOut 64 SATURN Working Designs. Capcom 989 Studios Sony Computer Entertainment Interplay Konami Е Empire Interactive. Konami Psygnosis Working Designs Interplay Tke2 — Radical Entertainment EA GT Interactive Psygnosis Virgin Psygnosis 989 Studios Mindscape Midway THQ GT Interactive. Titus 989 Studios Activision ASC Games. Accolade MGM Interactive Eidos 0 989 Studios 3Do Interplay Square EA Berkley Nintendo Infogrames Konami EA FA Midway | Acclaim Midway Ubi Soft Acclaim _ Kemco Acclaim Ubi Soft Nintendo Eidos Hasbro Interactive Kemco EA Midway Ubi Soft Take 2 Acclaim Konami Interplay Fox Interactive Virgin Crave Entertainment Acclaim EA Acclaim Titus LucasArts Titus Konami Ubi Soft Kemco Midway Crave Entertainment Psygnosis Magic Knight Rayearth November November November November November November November November November November November November November November November November November November November November November November November November November November November November November November November November November November September September September September September September September October October October October October October October October October October October October October October October November November November November November November November November November November November November November November November November November September Fighting Action Action Action Action Sports Fighting Puzzle RPG Action Action/RPG Sports Sports Adventure Sports Racing Action Racing Action Action Action Racing Action Action Action Sports Racing Action Adventure Action Action Sports RPG Misc. Racing Racing Sports Sports Racing Sports. Sports Action Action Puzzle Action. Racing Racing Racing Action Action Action Sports Racing Racing Action Action Action Action Sports. Misc. Sports Sports Sports Sports Racing Action Action Action Action Racing Sports. Simulation Racing RPG- Hemember how fun it was to torture Your viclims when you were Young? a. hings never EOT: 4242. | L зу > > p > > > > МӨ % % GRIND villains to Pieces! эз ооз ооо уъзвевевова o3 977990000 SMASH ‘em while Freefalling! FEED the beast some Meat Ф Е 9 5 - т > 2 с. Available NOW! : С 1998 Shiny Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Wild 9, the Wild 9 logo, Int 2 logo. and By бате For Gamers."are ti $ of Ша Productions. Shiny, the Н 5 characters are trademarks of Shiny Enterainmen ved. The Aladdin video game i Exclusively for the PlayStation® game содвейей The Walt Disney Company and Virgi ributed by Inte : All other trademarks are properties of their respective owners. PlayStation and the Ра Playstation M logos are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All rights reserved. Call 1-800-INTERPLAY or go to www.interplay.com for more information. Shiny, creators of Earthworm Jim, Aladdin and МОК interactive games, introduce their next big hit -WILD 9. You Play Wex Major, Wild 9 leader. Punk earthling. and bad guy exterminator. So fire up the Rig, the ultimate weapon and torture device, and make Your enemies scream for mercy! Y сосут МЕЙ ROGUE ^. squadron). Strap Into LucasArts’ Final %- E Pre-Prequel Excursion To The Star Wars Galaxy (Or Is 16) 214 Ру ШЕ ана. „сы EES да — ве =" Imperial fighters aren't the only threat. Expect heavy opposition from the ground, too. "There's escape pods in there, and Sarlacc pits, Jabba's Palace, a skeleton of a Krayt dragon," Schmitt says, running down a location roster that would satisfy any Star Wars-savvy sightseer. “We have a sandcrawler in there, Luke's homestead, a landspeeder. We're still trying to see if frame-rate and memory allows rontos and banthas and stuff like that." And Tatooine is only one of 15 planets that serve as Rogue Squadron's levels. Like intergalactic tourists at lightspeed, we surveyed every one of these far-flung locales during a recent visit to LucasArts' offices, just north of San Francisco. Easily the most fantastic development digs through which EGM has trodden in some time, LucasArts' is, predictably enough, crammed to the rafters with every conceivable Star Wars collectible. Armies of action figures crowd desktop workstations, while toy X-Wings, A-Wings and other lethal-looking plastic craft hang from above. Then there's the Darth Vader cardboard standee wearing a stack of sombreros, but we won't go into that now (and, no, the staff here doesn't get all this stuff for free just because they work for LucasArts). It is here also that —under a security lockdown reminiscent of the Death Star detention center—development is under way on the games based on next year's Episode One prequel film. Most fitting, since a few miles north Sits Skywalker Ranch, where George Lucas wrote the prequel's screenplay, while a few miles south lies Industrial Light and Magic, the famous 4 e ratooine EE Rogue Squadron's 16 levels span 15 planets in the Star Wars Galaxy. You've seen one of them-Tatooine-in the flicks. The developers yanked the rest from the novels, comics and source books. Here's an intergalactic tour of special-effects factory that's churning out the film's CG hocus-pocus. Let's face it —Star Wars is in the air here. (Heck, it's even in the water: The lake at Skywalker Ranch is called Ewok Lake.) Could there be a better place in the galaxy to create the second Star Wars game for the Nintendo 64? Maybe. Just down the road a bit, in a multistoried wooden building that seems more treehouse than workspace, we find the offices of Factor 5, the German development team with whom LucasArts has worked closely for the past five years. Rogue Squadron is Factor 5's baby, too. While LucasArts handles the level design and most of the art duties for the game, Factor 5 is responsible for much of Rogue Squadron's programming—its 3D engine, Al, sound and music system, development tools and front end. And although this is Factor 5’s first N64 game, it isn't their first jaunt to the universe George Lucas built. Previously, they coded the PlayStation port each far-flung planetoid. of Rebel Assault II (not to mention Ballblazer Champions and the Super NES game Indiana Jones' Greatest Adventures, as well as the ultra-intense Turrican platformers in their pre-LucasArts days). For Rogue Squadron, Factor 5 is finding all kinds of fun things to yank from the N64 — especially in the digitized speech and music departments. But we'll get to all that later. First, the basics. Rogue Squadron is a flight-combat shooter that's heavy on action, light on sim, and expected to fit on a 12- Megabyte cart (although that size may increase). The game has you donning the orange flightsuit of Luke Skywalker, six months after he destroyed the original Death Star in Star Wars: A New Hope. Now young Skywalker and his wingmates— including unsung trilogy hero Wedge Antilles— engage in skirmish after low-altitude skirmish in a variety of Rebel Alliance craft above the game's 15 planets. Each planet serves as the backdrop for a level, with Kessel hosting two stages, giving the game a total of 16 missions (not to mention several secret bonus levels). Of all the game's planets (see sidebar), only Tatooine appears in the Star Wars flicks. For the rest, the developers had to do a little digging. "These are all Star Wars locations," Schmitt says. “Ме got them from the Adventure Journals, from some of the novels, the comic Боокѕ all over the place. We just scavenged them all." Picking the right planets was the easy part, though; deciding what they looked like was another matter. “We just looked for as much reference material as we could," Schmitt continues, *but a lot of the books and things weren't very descriptive, so we just gave our artists free reign. The planet Corellia, for example, where Han Solo's from, it's been described in limited detail, so we kind of pictured it as the California coast with a spaceport." And this level-building process won't end until Lucasfilm licensing greenlights Rogue Squadron's look and story, since nothing in the game is allowed to clash => e Barkhesh Desert terrain inhabited by humans, Jawas and Sand People. Made famous as homeworld of Luke Skywalker, adopted home of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Jabba the Hutt. bel А Planet in neutral space that is home to a small group of Rebel sympathisers. This group has access to a large cache of weapons and technology that they are prepared to share. e сногах A system known for smuggling and piracy activities Chorax, has been a key system for Rogue Squadron throughout its history. Several missions in the X-Wing collections occur here. e» DONT BOTHER LISTENING FOR FOOTSTEPS OR ENGINES IN THE DISTANCE, OR SIRENS THAT WILL NEVER sounn. - IN THIS WORLD, THE MOST WARNING yout EVER GET IS THE QUICKENING BEAT OF YOUR OWN FEAR, o NOUVE BEEN WARNED N snip shapes down hood “Go-faster” stripe Concussion missile launcher Taim 6 Bak ІХ4 laser cannon Y-wing ІШІН | L| ArMek SW-4 ion Flashy lights cannons Koensayr R200 lon jet engines Bit that tends to with care 0) Wraith Squadron break off: handle Rear-facing, dead-guys seat There are five ships that you can use right from the beginning of the game: three starfighters and two speeders. You'll probably recognize all of them except the V-Wing, which was introduced in the Dark Empire comic book. Other ships will open up when you complete certain sections of the game. Deflector shield Big-ass stereo o Were Repulsor lift drive unit unit The term first appears in X-Wing: snowspeeder Harpoon gun Wraith Squadron, by Aaron Allston. In the navel, Wedge gathers together a new group of pilots who have been rejected from other Units, to perform covert missions. with the continually growing Star Wars continuum that the films, novels, comics, sourcebooks and games have established thus far. Rogue Squadron's levels are divided into four chapters, and you can only reach Chapter Four— comprised solely of the final stage on Mon Calamari—if you do something special, which you'll just have to figure out for yourself. Each mission kicks off with an in-game cutscene (you'll find no Shadows of the Empire-style 2D cinemas here), featuring sweeping shots of your squadron soaring into the mission area and digitized radio-chatter commentary. Missions in Rogue Squadron come in several flavors. You'll pull escort duty, embark on search-and-destroy sorties, dart deep into Imperial territory on rescue missions and engage in lots and lots of dogfights. But the game doesn't throw too much at you too early. "A lot of the missions in the first chapter are simple, one-objective kind of things," Schmitt says. "The first level is just an attack on Mos Eisley. Rendezvous at Barkhesh [level two] is an escort kind of mission. Rout at Chorax [the third level] is a search-and-rescue type. But later missions will have you doing many more things. They might incorporate an escort objective with a search-and-rescue one, or escort with attack." In- game cutscenes and radio messages guide you through the changing objectives of each level. The developers expect that most missions will take at least 15 minutes to complete, and that's only after you've played through the level several h times and know exactly what you're doing. Many of Rogue Squadron's missions mix subplots and characters from the expanding Star Wars universe. Take the second level— called Rout at Chorax—for instance. “This was actually based on a Rogue Squadron comic book mission," Schmitt begins. “А ship called the Nona with some Rebel sympathizers, supplies and officers has crashed on Chorax. Both the Imperials and Rebels know it has crashed and they're both going after it, so your mission is to go find them before the Imperials do. The level's designed so there's one of three places where the crashed ship may be." Minor movie characters pop up, too, including General Madine, the Ted Koppel-coifed Rebel leader who in Return of the Jedi organizes the ground assault on Endor. Turns out he originally worked for the Empire, and one mission has you flying to a rendezvous with Madine, who seeks to defect to the Rebel Alliance. “So, you go in for a supposedly peaceful mission, a meeting with Madine," Schmitt continues, “but then the Imperials begin to raid the planet's capital city. While you're protecting the city, Madine calls for help from his nearby city, which is also under attack. So you have to balance your defense between the capital city and Madine's building." Escort missions, for the most part, have you defending ground vehicles, such as trucks and trains, but some send you on coordinated attacks with other Alliance fighters. So goes the mission over Gerard 5, the final level in the game's first chapter. “Gerard 5 is a planet that tried to rebel, but the Imperial presence there was too strong," Schmitt explains. “So they get word that you're the guy who blew up the Death Star and call for assistance so they can attempt to rebel again. Your squadron shows up, and the Imperials decide to get the heck out of there. They start flying off in their yaughts, taking all the money with them. The Alliance sends in Y-Wings to disable the escaping yaughts, and you have to both defend yourself and the Y-Wings while they go about their job." At your disposal in Rogue Squadron are five Alliance fighters. + e соге га Among the first planets to join the Old Republic and noted as homeworld to Han Solo. Garrisoned by the Empire after the Battle of Endor. 5. cerard v ba Site of failed military uprising against the Empire prior to the Battle of Yavin. Brutally suppressed by orbital bombings from Star Destroyers Adjudicator and Relentless. & e Loronar Home to the Imperial shipyards and the Loronar Corporation. Most of the Empire's largest capital ships and weapons platforms are constructed on Loronar along with synth droids. e» The game engine makes full use of all the tricks in the N64's arsenal. Nighttime missions really show off the dynamic lighting. wa “we knew the newhas the ~~ powerin it to achieve; more graphically; " -Craig Rundels • Lead Artist You've seen four of them—the X-Wing, Y-Wing, A-Wing and snowspeeder—in the films. The final fighter, the V-Wing airspeeder, is from the Dark Empire comic series. (Oh, and there’s a few secret craft, as well.) Each ship has a virtual cockpit, in which you can pan your view with the Camera buttons, or you can choose a third-person, behind-the-ship perspective. The type of ship you fly and its weapons configuration are predesignated for each mission. But as you progress through the game and gain access to new fighters, you can refly previous missions with your newly attained craft. Certain missions will also end with you acquiring new technology, such as more powerful laser cannons. The enhanced weaponry will be present on all craft in the game from that point forward. Rogue Squadron pits you and your squadmates against just about every hunk of deadly junk in the Emperor's toy box. You'll face AT-ATs, scout walkers, TIE fighters and bombers, shuttles, probe droids, turrets and other familiar troublemakers. You'll also take on machinery ripped right from the novels, West End RPG source books and vehicle guides. Look for blastboat gunships, All-terrain Personnel Transports (AT-PTs), special TIE-D fighters, tank droids and even structures and buildings from the Star Wars Special Edition, such as the tibanna gas platforms on a Cloud City-style stage. By design, Imperial Al in Rogue Squadron has been crafted well shy of genius, owing to the game's action instead of die-hard- sim spin. Like any good twitch shooter, you'll face swarms of enemy vehicles at any one time, and life would be frustratingly difficult if the opposing Al were too bright— not to mention that escort duty would be a nightmare, since enemies would # УА “а want Тс always draw you away from whatever it was you're supposed to protect. "We didn't want to make [the enemies] too smart," says Holger Schmidt, lead programmer for Rogue Squadron and the director of development at Factor 5. "We're making them a little bit more predictable, although not quite exactly cannon fodder." He added that the AI was actually developed with an eye toward the Trilogy flicks. “А lot of times it's very cinematic,” Schmidt continues, “like in the movies, when the X-Wings are getting in behind the enemies and shooting them down, or they dodge to the left or to the right and head down a different canyon." OK, now that you've gazed at the screenshots and read about the Imperial opposition, something about Rogue Squadron SELECT YOUR CRAFT Ki V-WING ss стон сит SUCTION no doubt feels a little familiar—at least if you played Shadows of the Empire. LucasArts, it seems, took much of the feedback on its first N64 game to heart. It was the gripes aimed at certain levels of Shadows and the praise for others that very much shaped Rogue Squadron’s design. “I love Shadows for what it was," explains Mark Haigh-Hutchinson, the е. project leader for Rogue EM E Squadron, “but it Wa suffered from a little bit of lack of focus, because we tried to do a general kind of game to please lots of different kinds of people, and we hit every kind of game there is. It worked to a large degree, at the expense of not being able to fine-tune certain levels as much as we would have liked. Now, with this game, we're focusing on a particular style of game which is akin to the first level of Shadows." You remember that stage, right? It was the extraordinary snowspeeder level that had you— as Dash Rendar— knocking down AT-ATs in the most faithful re-creation of the Battle of Hoth ever packed into a video game (and note that this same battle formed a significant gameplay chunk of two previous console games). Well, it turns out that Haigh-Hutchinson had crafted Shadows’ Hoth Battle concept, and he also wrote the initial design document for Rogue Squadron. The graphical and gameplay similarities between the old and new games are obvious. They even share kindred control schemes, with the Shoulder and Trigger buttons in Rogue Squadron controlling speed boost and brakes, while the A and B buttons work your primary lasers and secondary weapons, such as lon cannons, proton torpedoes, etc. But you'd be surprised at how much some development focus can add to a game. “This is a much bigger beast than Shadows,” Haigh- Hutchinson explains. “It’s much more of a free- roaming environment. You can fly pretty much everywhere. In Shadows, you were turned back in the direction of the battle if you flew too far. Here, you can go on for some significant distance." In fact, Haigh-Hutchinson Says, the average level in Rogue Squadron is 20 times larger than Continued on page 228 71 e Balmorra Located on the fringe of the Galactic Core, this is another location for Imperial weapons manufacturing. Primary product is the AT-ST walker. 8 e Kile 11 Temporary base of Rogue Squadron during Shadows of the Empire (novel). Used as staging post for Rogue's attempt to capture Boba Fett and rescue Han Solo. 9 e кеззе! Only source of telepathy enhancing glitterstim spice. Former site of brutal Imperial prison and spice mining operation. Adjacent to cluster of black holes referred to as the Maw that's known for making navigation difficult. e The *1 football game on N64 just got a whole lot better. Brett Favre 3-Time NFL MVP ACCLAIM | > АУ, www.acclaimsports.com WIN 05 NINTENDO” Second Generation Technology Award-winning Hi-Rez" graphics boasts more polygons and colors All-New NFL Artificial Intelligence Game strategy written by New York Jets Offensive Coordinator Charlie Weis Authentic NFL Action | Choose from 30 team specific playbooks like the 49ers West Coast Offense and Steelers Ground Attack / Over 400 All-New Motion-Captured Animations Popular player celebrations like the chicken dance, punching bag and army salute All-New Two Man Broadcast Booth Play by play from Mike Patrick and i color commentary from Randy Cross г All-New Passing System Lightning-quick pass control using the analog joystick Total Team Management” Create your own players, coaches, teams, playbooks and uniforms Turn Back the Clock Replay key moments from all 32 Super Bowls NFL QUARTERBACK | 99 DI 2/7 ж» Levens ИРАК ^w 52 #54 JOYNER 419 MITCHELL "d Ў SUPER BOWL TRIBUTE The more astute among you will no doubt be aware that the Rogue Squadron is an integral part of Star Wars folklore, filling in a number of gaps between the three movies. Formed after the Battle Of Yavin by the two surviving X-Wing pilots (Luke Skywalker and Wedge Antilles), its primary function is to operate as a squadron without a set mission profile. This allows the Rogues to take on any important tasks that come along and fill in when normal combat squadrons aren't up to the task. It is General Carlist Кіеекап, the commander of the Hoth base in The Empire Strikes Back, who assigns missions to the squadron in the LucasArts game. As squadron leader, Luke Skywalker gathered the 12 finest pilots and fighters before leaving to embark on his Jedi studies on Dagobah in The Empire Strikes Back. Once he left, Wedge took over squadron command, and it is at this point where the majority of the X-Wing novels and comics take place. Note that the game is set before The Empire Strikes Back, when Luke was still leader. The Squadron played a significant role in the formation of the new Alliance after the defeat of the Empire at the Battle of Endor and was also instrumental in the liberation of the Imperial Center on Coruscant. Notable Rogue Squadron pilots include Wedge (Rogue Three) and Luke (Rogue Leader), as well as Zev Senesca, the pilot who discovered and subsequently rescued Han Solo and Luke Skywalker after they were forced to spend the night on the surface of Hoth. Senesca (designated Rogue Two) was killed at the Battle of Hoth. Also, Derek “Hobbie” Klivian, a young pilot lured from the Imperial Navy at the same time as Luke's life-long friend Biggs Darklighter, joined Rogue Squadron at the Battle of Hoth and was designated the call sign Rogue Four. He also fought at the battles of Endor and Bakura. If you want to really check up on the background to the game, Rogue Squadron has been featured in: * Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back * The Last Command (volume three of the Thrawn Trilogy, Bantam Spectra books, Timothy Zahn) * Rogue Squadron (volume one of the X-Wing series, Bantam books, Michael Stackpole) * Wedge's Gamble (volume one of the X-Wing series, Bantam books, Michael Stackpole) * The Kytos Trap (volume three of the X-Wing series, Bantam books, Michael Stackpole) п А * Тһе Bacta War (volume four of the X-Wing series, Bantam books, падат of the [star шар; Michael Stackpole) SOULCE] Бокс Sar thin * Heir to the Empire Sourcebook (West End Games, ueren't very des crip tiv Bill Slavicsek ) gave gur artists free г р: Keyin, TTI Lead Level Desigribr (см) : 226 ге Render by Buddy Hannon, Suzanne House and Dan Colon Each of the fighters has its own 3D- modeled "virtual cockpit" which allows you to look around. It's certainly the finest example yet on a console game. According tothe Special Edition release of Star Wars: A New Hope, how many X-Wings survive the Battle of Yavin? A) Four В) Three С) Two The idea behind Rogue Squadron isn't exactly new. Below are shots from Super Star Wars and Super Empire Strikes Back on the SNES, and of course the first level from Shadows of the Empire. Look familiar to anyone? Q: Which of the following was your favorite level in Shadows of the Empire? Survey courtesy of Videogames.com Shadows' snowspeeder stage. You still get bounced back in the direction of battle when you hit a level's boundaries, but you can fly much farther before smacking into these invisible walls, and the location of mission objectives keeps you well away from the worlds' endzones, anyway. Yet size isn't the only thing that matters, and Rogue Squadron one-ups Shadows in several other gameplay departments, too. "Certainly it's doing a lot more stuff than Shadows attempted to do," Haigh- Hutchinson continues. “Ву focusing on one particular style of game this time, we managed to increase the frame-rate significantly [it runs at 30 frames per second]. The scene complexity is much bigger than it was before. You can see much farther than you could in Shadows. Certainly there are a lot more craft on the screen. We're going for a lot more special effects in terms of lighting, smoke and explosion effects than we could do in Shadows." At the same time Rogue Squadron supercharges Shadows' snowspeeder-stage formula, it does share one major piece of gameplay common ground: Its missions are all based above a planet's surface. And that seems odd, considering three of the game's five ships are famous starfighters, built for blowing up Death Stars, strafing Star Destroyers and all the other rigors of deep-space combat. So why keep these craft from slipping gravity's grip? "Part ofthe reason is just for the new experience," explains Brett Tosti, Rogue Squadron's production manager. "After all, it's really simple for us to do a space level. You don't have to worry about terrain. You just put a star sphere around your ship. But then you would have a game very Similar to a lot of the other games we've done: X- Wing, TIE Fighter, even H battle Shadows and its TIE B Falcon, Wedge's г X-Wing and a Y- Yavin 4 after the destri Death Star. Fighter and Skyhook just trying to give people a different kind of game." Five seconds —the time it T ی‎ takes for Tosti to turn on the N64 and fire up the game's Ship Selection Screen—is all we need to see that, yes, Rogue Squadron is an impressive-looking product. The front end runs in 640x480 resolution, and the Selection Screen's ships look incredibly crisp and detailed. ОҒ course, working for LucasArts does entail certain perks for the game's artists. “Ме have a lot of good source material for the ships and everything," explains Craig Rundels, Rogue Squadron's lead artist. "We've been using a lot of reference from the archives, because we have a lot of archived stuff for the Star Wars ships, a lot of nice, high-resolution, high-detail imagery that the general public is not privy to and that we can get a hold of here. We use that a lot to give us a base point for the accuracy of the ships' texture maps in the game." Although the actual in-game graphics aren't in hi-res, the player's fighter does appear crisp and authentic, thanks to some deft wrangling of the hardware. “We knew the N64 has the power.in it to achieve more graphically," Rundels continues, "so rather than relying on some of the old models that were lying around, we pushed the polygon count up a bit on speeder bike levels. With Rogue Squadron, we're the craft— especially the player's craft —and went to hi-res on some of the textures." Rundels further explains that Rogue Squadron's fighters are composed of between 200 and 250 polygons. Onto them the artists have mapped the standard 64x64-resolution, 16-Bit-color textures, while in a few places they've applied larger, 64x128 tinted grayscale textures. It is these higher-res textures — mapped onto the smaller polys afforded by the ships' high polygon count—that give the game a seemingly hi-res look. And let's not forget the landscape's real-time lighting cast from laser fire and explosions, not to mention the scattered particle effects. Rogue Squadron's draw distance has also been the target of much tweaking. The programmers built the game's 3D engine with the intent to maintain a constant, fast frame-rate, and they didn't want to rely on overly foggy skies to hide the hardware's limitations. So, their solution was to allow a flexible distance to the horizon. “Ме always want to maintain 30 frames per second," Tosti says. "That's our goal. And if the frame-rate permits it, the draw distance will be increased. If you have a very objective-intensive area like a city, it will bring the draw distance in a little. But you probably won't notice since you'll be focusing on the nearby buildings and enemies, anyway." Back at the Factor 5 treehouse, we find Rudolf Stember, sound director of the Rogue Squadron project, surrounded by keyboards, mixers, speakers and other toys of his trade. He's just loaded Rogue Squadron's sounds into his main synth board and runs his fingers up the ivory keys, creating an impromptu cacophony of AT-AT stomps, blaster fire and other straight-outa- the-film effects. As with the ship models, many of these sounds are from the Lucasfilm archives and past Star Wars console and PC games. But the game's new vehicles required new effects, forcing Stember to invent homemade heavy-duty sounds from scratch. "When you meet a tank droid in the game, | used a bike chain to make that vehicle's rumbling," he offers as an example. Next Stember fires up the game, which is 4 о. raloraan ӛз 4 e. chandrila Unexplored gas-giant nearly 100,000km in diameter. Atmosphere is extremely rich in Tibanna gas and is breathable at very high altitudes. 44. Fest Site of secret Imperial weapons research facility primarily looking into metallurgical research (phrik, used in Dark Trooper armour, originates here...undermined by Kyle Katarn in Dark Forces). тана 22. Serene agricultural planet known for producing fine political minds-most notably Mon Mothma (one of the youngest people ever elected to the Republic Senate). Unlike Shadows of the Empire, all of the cut-scenes in Rogue Squadron make use of the game engine to present the story. Each of these sequences is scripted, sketched out and storyboarded before being passed on to the programmers. Wey шуди jacked into his supercharged sound system, and we're treated to another surprise: Rogue Squadron supports Dolby Surround sound. The N64 calculates every enemy ship's position in real time and generates the proper doppler effect. In other words, if you have the proper audio hardware (and if you don't you'd better read this month's feature on hi-fi gaming gear), you can hear the swarms of TIE fighters dart to your left, right and rear, making the action that much more immersive. Equally impressive is the amount of digitized speech that Factor 5 has crammed into Rogue Squadron. You'll do very little reading of text in this game. Aside from the initial mission briefings, every other plot twist and in-game message is communicated through narration and radio chatter. You'll hear the usual wingman squeals for assistance, such as “I can't shake him!" and “I’m hit!" You'll also hear lengthy banter between Luke, Wedge and the rest of the squadmates (all voiced by sound-alikes, not by the films' actors). Factor 5 currently has a half hour's worth of speech to squeeze into the game, although that amount will likely be paired to around 20 minutes. The inclusion of so much speech raises obvious comparisons with Nintendo's equally E пле ROGUE 1), & f S quacroan VGEM chatty Star Fox 64, also a 12-Megabyte cart. Turns out Factor 5 went one step further than the big N in the talkie-talkie department. The programmers developed a proprietary compression system that can cram nearly four times as much speech into an №64 cartridge. “We talked to Nintendo and Star Fox has 20 minutes of speech, and they're wasting half of their cart space on it," says Julian Eggebrecht, Factor 5's president. “Rogue has half an hour, and we're using only a small fraction of our cart for that. Half an hour is as much as most PC games have nowadays on a huge CD. So when all of Rogue's cutscenes are done, | don't think you see the limitations of the cartridge at all." Authentic sound effects and in-game commentary are important, sure, but nothing sucks you into the Star Wars galaxy more thoroughly than John Williams' classic scores. And it's in the presentation of these tunes that Rogue Squadron truly shines. Unlike Shadows, which played looping music samples, Rogue uses a MIDI-based music system and thus re-creates the scores through individually sampled instruments, pumping out near-perfect renditions of Williams" soaring compositions. But the real benefit of the MIDI-based system is the sheer amount— and variety —of music that will fit in Rogue Squadron (it packs much more than Shadows). In fact, the finished version of the game will feature between Front Row (left to right): R202, Dan Connors, Princess Lei, Yoda, Buddy Hannon, John Kathrein, Wicket, Kevin Schmitt, Jeffrey Kung, Chris Кір House, Thomas Engel, Mark Haigh-Hutchinson Mike Dillon, Brett Tosti, Marc Overney, Razmig Mavlian, Rene Henki, Florian Saver, Julian Eggebrecht, Mario Wagner, Boba Fett Fourth Row Пей to right): Jabba the Hutt, Han Solo, Rudi Stember, OPO, Kevin Grandt, Chewbacca Back Row (left to right}: Wompa, AT ST 40 to 50 music tracks, most of them based on Williams' original scores, some of them brand- new Star Wars tunes. But here's the really, really cool part: Rogue Squadron's soundtrack reacts to your environment. "Each level has its own theme," Eggebrecht explains, “but when you fly into a combat area, the music will pick up tempo. Or it will switch to a new piece of music when you fly into a specific area. Fly over Luke's homestead on Tatooine, and the music will fade nicely into Luke Skywalker's theme. Banjo-Kazooie does this to some extent, but it only changes instruments. We actually change the score." Rogue Squadron has undergone a relatively short development cycle. Haigh- Hutchinson completed the design document last July, and coding efforts got under way in September. When the game hits in November, it will have gone from concept to completion in about 15 months. Part of the reason for the quick turnaround, of course, was that the developers focused on a very specific type of gameplay here. But a certain other global phenomenon in the making had a little something to do with it, too. "We really wanted to get Rogue out by Christmas," Tosti says, “because next year is all about Episode One, and we didn't want to take away from that. This was our last chance to do a classic Star Wars game." So, yes, Rogue Squadron will be the last console game based on what LucasArts is coining "classic" Star Wars—the story arc depicted in the three films, novels, comics and other spin-off products. Or maybe not. “I'm sure that at some point in the future,” Tosti adds, “when we're done with the prequel stuff, we'll look back and say, ‘Gee, wouldn't it be great to do a classic Star Wars game again.' That will happen. | guarantee it." Second Row (left to right): Craig Rundels, Wedge Antilles, Jens Petersam, Gaurav Mathur, Suzanne Third Row Пей to right}: Dino Ago, Paul Topolos, Aaron Young, Lando Calrissian, Chris Huelsbeck, Holger Schmidt, Martin Simpson, Ryan Kaufman, 4 ч e rThurerra 4 3 e sullust Volcanic world that is home to the mouse-eared, wide-eyed humanoids who inhabit vast underground cities. Sullustans of note include Nien Nunb, Lando Calrissian's co-pilot and his sister, Aril who served as ХО in Rogue Squadron. Ultra-humid rainforest world noted for being the center of the galaxy's bacta industry. Inhabited by the mantis-like Vratix who are credited with inventing the remarkable medical fluid. 4 5 e mon calamari " ee 4 Aquatic homeworld of noted Rebels such as Admiral Ackbar, this water world is home to more than 27 billion inhabitants. Mon Calamari is noted for excellent starship design and construction. © i |uone1sÁeld ЖЕ ы пиодезАонк 58: :uoneis etd Ж Were TUM 1216; ld ;juone1sÁeld iX ШЕТ = ї{чопә1сАр|] HE ;|uonei1sÁe|d ££ » juone1sÁeld ЖЕ TTT = ШТІ ТЕ Even Your дир EC. Machine! 28 TT i * IL Join lay! DATE OF BIRTH 4 Мет. 0 NUT ENT NUR - 2 Build the We suppose there are worse things in the world— Ebola, hate crimes, Michael Bolton — but it's still a crying shame that millions of gamers don't know what they're missing when they power up their consoles. We're talking about Dolby Surround sound. We're talking about comb filters and line doublers, subwoofers and S-video, all the techie hi-fi toys that too many gamers ignore because they're jacked into a tiny TV and its soup-can speaker. But here's the good news: You only need to focus on a few components — namely the TV, receiver or pre-amp/processor and speakers—to experience a game's full room-rocking potential. You couldn't pick a better time to upgrade your gear, either. The number of Dolby Surround- enhanced games has just rocketed past the hundred mark, with publishers Electronic Arts and Psygnosis encoding nearly all their titles with surround sound. And even games that offer only standard stereo, or the surround-simulating QSound, will deliver a satisfyingly ear-splitting experience on the proper gear. Plus, with Dreamcast and more on the horizon, you'll want a TV that helps the new super consoles show their stuff. Best of all, A/V prices have fallen steadily, and you'll undoubtedly find a decent setup that won't bust your bank account. But how do you sort the quality gear from the crap? And just how much is this stuff gonna cost? EGM asked Joe Hageman, an editor for Home Theater Magazine, those same questions. He helped us e assemble a variety of state-of-the-art systems at several price ranges— \ from $500 or less all the way up to $20K hi-fi juggernauts. Trust us: чы This guy reviews A/V gear for a living, and, given the proper setup, every package on the following seven pages will rock your gaming world. How To — Round One... This feature is the first in a series of how-to articles designed to help readers get the most out of the gaming hobby and lifestyle. Watch for new installments every month. Next issue, we'll show how to find, buy and maintain an arcade machine. uri ою. www. Ар оо. со. uk Ultimate Gaming Rig... A Just 'cause your career hasn't progressed past the paperboy stage doesn't mean you're stuck with that hand-me-down TV. Samsung's GXTV — designed specifically for games — combines a three-piece speaker system and TV into one fairly cheap package. Yes, the 13-inch screen is tiny, but its low-emission tube means you can sit close without growing tumors. Cheapskate gamers who already own a decent TV can supercharge it with Altec LE Lansing’s ASC48 PowerCube Plus speaker pack, which consists of two 20-watt Samsung GXTV $299 speakers and a 40-watt subwoofer that packs decent boom for the buck. Or step up to a bona-fide home-theater kit. Cambridge SoundWorks' DeskTop Theater 5.1 features a Dolby Digital (AC-3) decoder, five identical satellite speakers (two front, two rear and a center) and a powered subwoofer. “ог under $500 Jam!! • $80 This nifty little box'll connect your console to a PC monitor. It's a great way to shoehorn your PC and console into a centralized-gaming area. Vivid 3D Plus е $30 From NuReality, this unit converts your console's stereo or mono signal into pseudo surround sound that you only need two speakers to hear. ven if you're satisfied with your current TV and sound setup, you'll always have room for a few more toys, right? So, scattered about the margins you'll find random high- tech novelties, some of them cool, some of them weird. _ Sharp cD- C492 $699 Still working in the mailroom huh? Well, just because you're not the CEO yet doesn't mean you can't have а good system that’ll enhance your games — ог, better still, impress your date. The focal point of any gaming rig or home-theater system is the TV, and we found a good one in the Sony KV-27V35. In my opinion, Sony makes the best direct-view televisions available and this 27-incher is no exception. Packed with features like picture- in-picture (important if you're somehow able to divide your attention between Einhánder and Baywatch), advanced on-screen menus and an S-video input (extremely important — see our cable sidebar), this TV is a great value at only $699. To complement the Sony TV we mated it with either the Sharp CD-C492 or the Yamaha YHT-15. Both systems offer five speakers plus a subwoofer and Dolby Surround sound, with the Sharp getting the edge for offering Dolby Digital. The Sharp is also a complete desktop system, with a three-disc changer and tape deck. With more features and a smaller price tag, the Sharp is probably a better value, although Yamaha receivers are pretty great. Yamaha YHT-15 $599 i a c ...for under $1,500 Some Assembly Required Tune Up Your TV Believe it or not, your shiny new TV won't be perfect when you pluck it from its box. A television's factory settings are usually calibrated to compete with other models on showroom floors under bright fluorescent lights. And while there is no magical set of TV adjustments that'll display every game and movie perfectly, you can at least tweak your TV to a point that'll produce a vivid screen for nearly everything you play or watch. By adjusting the brightness, color, tint (hue on newer TVs), contrast and sharpness controls as described below, your TV should be in tune with most game developers' monitors. In other words, Spyro will be purple and Crash Bandicoot will be orange, not vice-versa. * Brightness This one's easy. Key the brightness way up, then ease it back until black backgrounds are black (below left) and not gray (below right). You'll know you've cranked it down too far if you begin to lose detail or normally vibrant blues begin to look black. * Color You'll want a game with a lot of reds and oranges to set color. Pump up the colors until they're vibrant (left) but stop just before the reds, purples and oranges begin bleeding into each other. Tune the color too low and games will look drab (right). * Tint/Hue Pick a game that shows some skin (most any fighting game will do), and adjust the tint control until flesh tones look like...well, flesh (left) —not too red and not too green (right). * Contrast Boot up a game with a lot of white in it, such as a hockey title or Winter Heat, and crank up contrast until it's unnaturally white and the screen looks washed out (far right). Then dial it back until the white loses its glowing intensity and you can see the horizontal lines of your TV's display (right). * Sharpness Any polygonal game will help you set sharpness, since you'll be looking at the edges of shapes for this one. Increase sharpness until the vertical edges begin to look exaggerated, with a white glow appearing around dark edges (far right), then ease back a tad (right). Essential Setup Tips Setting up your new A/V system can be as tricky as reversing a Tekken reversal. And if all those wires and inputs strike terror in your soul, you can always pay a professional to string together your gear. But we imagine most of our readers are pretty savvy in the tech department and want to assemble the stuff themselves. So we're providing these time-tested ground rules. Just remember, these are guidelines only; experiment with speaker and TV placement until the sound suits your tastes. * When adding stereo speakers (or the two main speakers in a surround-sound kit) to your system, place them at least three feet to the sides of your TV and at least 18 inches from the rear wall. е Most speakers sound better “toed-in,” meaning you should turn them so that the angle of the two mains meets about two feet behind your listening position. If you toe them in too much you will lose your soundstage, and with most speakers if you don't toe them in at all, you will lose that realistic image. * The center channel in a home-theater setup should sit close to the TV, preferably on top of or below it. Note that It's crucial for the center channel to be magnetically shielded. If not, the speaker will introduce major color discoloration which, over time, will ruin your TV. * Rear speakers should be placed just above and behind the listening position (di-pole or bi-poles), or behind you on stands firing directly at the listening position (direct radiators). * Although bass is non-directional, placement of your subwoofer is fairly crucial. Butting it up against the wall may increase its output, but often times bass will sound boomy and unnatural, whereas pulling it out from the wall a bit may give bass notes more definition. There is no real exact science to subwoofer placement (I don't care what anyone says), so depending on your room's natural acoustics, furnishings, type of carpet, etc., play around with placement and see what works best for you. * Speaker wire and interconnects are another critical part of home- theater setup often overlooked. The cables boxed with most A/V gear are what we call “throw-aways.” Better cables equals better performance. Shorter lengths are best, but if you must have long cable runs the bigger the gauge, the better. * If your TV is 31 inches or larger, you'll want to sit at least 5 feet from the screen; any closer and you'll be able to discern flaws in the graphics, and the pixelized textures of PlayStation and Saturn games can be a particular eye sore when they're in your face. Just remember, the bigger the screen, the farther you'll want to sit from it, so plan your furniture setup accordingly. * When it comes to lighting your game room, use indirect lights and place them behind the TV. That way, you'll get no glare on the 5сгееп— ог in your eyes—and won't have to shut off all the lights to play games and watch movies. (Mom was right; staring at the boob tube in the dark'll ruin your eyes.) JUST DLAN PUN? AHADI IF E ACTE | blast the island to pieces an le levels and Charlie Blast's Ter boards, where two to four playe ecially designed stages. Р! n individual quirky personal ily immobilize your oppt Enter the Charlie Blasts Sweepstakes for a Chance to Win a Trip to Nevada! Grand Prize trip includes (for a family of four): Round trip air transportation; hotel accommodations for 5 days and 4 nights at the world renowned Treasure Island Resort where there is a Volcano eruption every 90 minutes; a Lake Mead Cruise on the Desert Princess, where guests will be treated to an "outrageously great time" and the Hoover Dam “Нага Hat Tour," which requires participants to wear hard hats like the hero of Charlie Blasts Territory. This special tour will visit the areas of the dam that are not part of the standard tour - areas like the generator shaft gallery, the needle valve house, the seepage gallery and other “behind the scene" areas. Sweepstakes is open to legal residents of the U.S. and Canada (excluding Quebec), 18 years of age and older. Void in FL and where prohibited. No purchase necessary. То enter the sweepstakes online, visit our website at http://www.JustPlainFun.net from September 1, 1998 thru December 31, 1998. Online entries must be submitted by December 31, 1998. To enter by mail, print your name, address, city, state, zip code, telephone number and email address (if any) on a 3"x5" piece of paper, insert into an envelope, and mail to: Charlie Blasts Sweepstakes, РО. Вох 4080, Grand Rapids, MN 55730-4080. Write in entries mustbe postmarked by December 31, 1998 and received by January 5, 1999. For a copy ofthe full official rules, mail a self-addressed stamped envelope to Charlie Blasts Sweepstakes Rules Request, РО. Box 649, Sayreville, NJ 08871-0649. WA and VT residents may omit return postage. ...for under $2,000 Found some more change in the couch, huh? Well, your exhaustive search for that extra nickel will be rewarded with these packages. Package A: The Hitachi 32CX28B received high marks in Home Theater for its exceptionally accurate color, picture detail and excellent features like three A/V inputs (two sets on the back, one set on the front and optional S-video). Unlike many manufacturers, Denon didn’t throw some crappy speakers into a crate with its AVR-1400 receiver and call it a home-theater-in- a-box. Instead, they became the sole distributor of Mission speakers here in the United States ERE A у ао э» ки 2а ға мата сыла жаласа. and put together the ОНТ-Ма. This package blew — В. _meaway when | reviewed it. The sound and build quality was outstanding, besting any HTIB system | had heard up to that point. The AVR- 1400 has everything you need in a receiver plus a six-channel input for Dolby Digital or DTS. Although not as feature-packed as the Hitachi, the Panasonic TV has a lot going for it. With a universal remote, PIP and, for those of you with kids, a “бате Guard" Mode that locks out all video inputs plus channels 3 and 4. That'll teach your kid to hog your PlayStation! Kenwood has somehow packed the VR-209 with Dolby Surround, Dolby Digital and a host of other features for only $399! I'm not sure how they did it, but thanks to them digital gear is probably going to get more affordable real soon. Rounding out this outstanding package is the New Ensemble 111 Home Theater speaker system from Cambridge SoundWorks. Cambridge has been putting together packages like this for a while now, and with each new incarnation they get better and better —and more affordable. This one's got all the speakers you need in an attractive, tidy little package. = е Cambridge SoundWorks New Ensemble IIl $599 ASCII A/V Selector • $50 } Laral Headphones * $60 This TV switchbox's six S-video and Listen to music or games with composite inputs will save you hours complete wireless freedom of wire swapping if you've filled А эур.) on these Nintendo-licensed every plug on your A/V receiver. 4 4 infrared headphones. Just Order it from www.asciient.com. Е - в don't wander out of range. Benchmark Sound Nine Games That'll Push Your Gear to the Max So you just lugged that mountain of stereo stuff home from the advantage of your various components. To test the boom-boom store and plugged all the wires in the proper places. Now you wanna prowess of your subwoofer, check out the “Bass Busters” category. see—and, more importantly, hear—what this pile of expensive toys The trio in the middle serve as some of the best examples of the can do. That’s where we come in. Just as the home-theater mags 100-plus games — nearly all of them PlayStation titles—that support highlight specific movie scenes (such as Twister's destructive Dolby Surround sound. The bottom three pack all-around incredible opening) to help flick buffs show off their living-room cinemas, sound and music that will put every part of your system to the test. we've assembled this list of ear-friendly games that'll take full So plug 'em in and pump it up 'til the neighbors call the cops. е и A S A ® и GoldenEye 007 * Nintendo 64 Colony Wars е PlayStation Banjo-Kazooie е Nintendo 64 Bang. Bang. Bang. Boom. Every This shooter's surround sound is sub- Rare's masterpiece dishes out massive gunshot and explosion in this game par (the center channel's muffled), but helpings of low-level boom. Find the will rock your room. But for a real the rumbling bass effects are amazing. circling jump pad near the desert gut-rumbling treat, hop into the tank Buzz a capital ship—or blow one up— level's door for a perfect example of and cut loose with its really big gun. and you'll hear what we mean. the game's room-shaking power. © S а [m - = © Road Rash 3D е PlayStation FIFA 98 * PlayStation G-Police * PlayStation Е Electronic Arts is the most prolific Pop in the game, jack up the volume Like EA, Psygnosis encodes Dolby 3 publisher of surround-sound- and— presto! — you're on the field and Surround sound in all its games. Let a enhanced titles, and RR3D is among surrounded by a roaring crowd. Just the enemies in this excellent shooter EA's best-sounding efforts. When a for kicks, try your receiver's Stadium dart around you. Suddenly, you're not cop's behind you, you'll know it. Mode for a slightly different effect. just watching the battle; you're in it. = - т = m е а Panzer Dragoon * Saturn Gran Turismo е PlayStation Castlevania: SOTN • PlayStation It may be one of the Saturn's first With its squealing tires and roaring Konami's masterpiece packs both titles, but PD delivers such an overall engines, GT's sound is unbelievable. excellent music and effects. The exquisite sound and music experience Play it on a big-screen TV and you digitized voice is especially good, that it'll make you weep. Turn out the can actually feel dips in the road while the crisp clang of Alucard's lights and let the game suck you in. (honest— we were nearly queasy!). weapons will work out your tweeters. Now that you're drooling over all this gear, where do you go to buy the stuff? Well, that depends on the type of service you expect and how much you're willing to pay. Higher-end brands such as Lexicon and Definitive Technology can only be found uptown in specialty electronics stores. Here you'll find better service and listening rooms where you can hear your gear in action. You can sometimes even pay a little extra to have store technicians set up your components at home. The downside: limited selection and prices that equal or exceed the manufacturer's suggested retail price. Appliance megastores like Circuit City and Best Buy, on the other hand, offer mid-range components at prices usually well below the MSRP. But the hired help isn't nearly as knowing as the specialty shops' tech heads, and these bustling stores aren't the best environments to judge the displayed models' sound or video quality. You can always bypass crowds and store-floor sales pressure Denon AVR-2700 $899 ...for under $4,000 entirely and get your gear from mail-order and online outfits, which vary widely in their prices and level of customer support. One of the better catalogs is Audio Advisor (www.audioadvisor.com), where you'll find everything from speakers to sorbothane feet for your CD player. Crutchfield (www.crutchfield.com) offers complete customer assistance, extended warranties and a huge selection of high- and mid-range A/V components, not to mention prices usually well under the MSRP. Customer and warranty service from One Call (www.onecall.com), on the other hand, is more of the bare-bones variety, but you'd be hard-pressed to find lower prices on blowout gear. Your best bet is to check the back of stereo mags for a variety of specialty mail-order companies, then shop around for the best prices and shipping fees. Better still, if you have Web access check www.visi.com/ ~ nau/mailorder/clist.html, which lists and rates mail-order companies that peddle consumer electronics. Klipsch Synergy 6 $999 Now we're gettin' somewhere! Not to say that the previous packages aren't great, but let's face it—the more ya spend, the more ya get. Recently Toshiba seems to be at the forefront of technological advances in video. The CN36H97 is no exception. This 36-inch beast offers a plethora of hook-up options including two S-video jacks, several composite video jacks and even component video. This DVD-friendly connector, a step above S-video, is a rarity in this price range and Toshiba gets a big thumbs-up from me for offering it. Denon does it again with the AVR-2700, but this time adding Dolby Digital. Denon amazed me when | reviewed this product — sound quality was spectacular and even the five-channel stereo mode sounded really cool and realistic. A relief, since most of the extra surround modes on receivers are pretty cheesy. Almost as good as the Pro Cinema system is the Klipsch Synergy 6. Two outstanding Klipsch trademarks are represented in this ensemble; the 1-inch Tractix horn-loaded tweeters and a high 92dB efficiency rating. High efficiency means they are easy to drive and will play extremely loud without distortion. Put it this way, my neighbor has a pair of Klipschs and | am starting to understand why some people shoot their neighbors. ...for under $4,000 finiti Normally, the things you stick in holes in the privacy of your own home is your business. But when it comes to hooking your console RF Modulator You're living іп the A/V Stone Age if you're still jacking your console into an RF module. The industry standard in the pre-32X days, RF connections squeeze the sound, color and luminance signals into a noisy mess that makes for wavy game backgrounds and other interference. If your TV only supports RF's coaxial input, save up for a new set. You'd be surprised at how much better composite апа S-video look. arantz SR-780 $1,200 The Sharp 36K-S400 is, in a word, amazing —one of the best 32-inch direct-view tele ns on the market today. Right out of the box the picture is extremely accurate and gets better after some tweaking. It has all the usual stuff with one піНу feature | love —the power cord comes out the side so it's easier to place in a cabi The Marantz SR-780 Dolby it's the little thi iver is so grea that count. s my reference receiver here at Home Theater. The SR-780 features Dolby Surround, Dolby Digital, a disgusting amount of inputs and outputs, not to mention top-notch sound, plus Marantz's excellent RC-2000 Mark 11 universal remote. This remote is huge! It'll run just about anything you throw at it. “Hands-down the best subwoofer/satellite system under 1,500 bucks I’ve ever heard," that's what | went on record as saying about the Pro Cinema speaker system from Definitive Technology. Four identical speakers for the front and rear, a dedicated center and a truly slamming subwoofer, all add up to a home-theater experience that will satisfy even the pickiest audiophile. е À Composite Cable The current standard console-to- TV connector, composite cables come tucked in the boxes of new PlayStations, №645 and Saturns. A composite output pumps the sound signal separately from the color and luminance signals, thus cutting way down on interference. Composite’s far from perfect, though. It can generate dot crawl and hanging dots (pixelated borders between colored objects that make for dull edges). to the TV, certain connections are better than others. Below is a rundown of the three hook-up types, listed in order of quality. So far the most preferred means of connecting a console to your TV, S-video carries the color and luminance signals separately, reducing signal degradation and saving game graphics from nasty artifacts and soft edges. An S-video input is vital on any TV you buy (all of this feature’s TVs, except the GXTV, support S-video), and Sony, Nintendo and Sega make S-video adaptors (each costs about $25) for their systems. Survey Says... Congratulations! You won the lottery! Now it's time to get serious about that massive gaming and home- theater system that everyone in your new gated community seems to have. And widescreen, baby! That's were it's at! Seeing movies in all of their original-aspect-ratio glory is what the Toshiba TW65H80 does best. It also packs component video but goes a step further and throws in a built-in line doubler (with a digital comb filter). This line doubler-up converts interlaced signals into progressive scan signals. In English: Your screen will look more like a computer monitor, displaying no flicker. Convergence is the name of the game with the Philips DVX-8ooo. This sucker's got it all—a 266MHz Pentium computer with a built-in DVD player, an AM/FM/TV tuner, a Dolby Surround and Dolby Digital processor and an internal line doubler that's competitive with most line doublers that alone cost as much as the DVX-8000. Once again we see the RC-2000 remote and too many extras. Plug in your consoles for the ultimate gaming receiver! Good looks and amazing sound quality combine in the B&W CDM SE home-theater speaker ensemble. This system, although not really sold as a “package,” is truly integrated — front to back pans are seamless and realistic, dialogue is crystal clear through the center, while the sub pounds out deep, tight bass. How much did you spend on your game setup (include cost of TV, receiver, Supercharging your game system is important, sure, but so is keeping up with the Joneses. How does your setup compare to the gamer down the street? Check the results of these recent surveys from our site, www.videogames.com. Is the TV on which you play Yes [11282 | coset No БЕНЕН or larger? No Do you use RF, composite or S-video hookups? speakers, etc. — everything BUT the cost of your game system itself)? $200-399 1130 $400-599 449 $600-799 330 $800-999 199 $1000-1199 157 Over 1200 612 15 your game system hooked to stereo speakers? S-Video 304 ves НЕН с it оре 2284 No 1358 RF Modulator 674 Sony Glasstron * $900 Video Essentials е $40 Recently redesigned and | в 1 Available in both laserdisc bound for imminent U.S. | EN | and DVD format, this handy release, this head-mounted disc's step-by-step program display simulates the big- helps you tune up your TV screen punch of a 52-inch TV. Б display and sound system. oi оного, ШЕ e! оо T ———— ee Lexicon DC-1 $4,995 Marantz PV-6070 $4,500 I have to tell you that we at Home Theater liked the PV6070 ТУ so much, the vice president of the company bought it. This 60-inch behemoth from Marantz displays a stunningly detailed picture without the usual hot-spotting exhibited ADA PTM-6150 $1,999 the easiest pre/pro | have ever had the pleasure of setting up, although it could use a make-over. Yet another reference piece is the ADA PTM-6150 six-channel amplifier. We use this amp often because of its amazing power potential and neutral sound. It even has cool lights on the front that bounce up and down with the sound levels. on many RPTVs (rear-projection TVs). Although missing component video inputs, the Marantz does have two S-video and the usual A/V inputs and amplification for hooking up rear speakers. The Marantz also has a bonus called TV Guide Plus And finally, two words: “the best.” That's how 1 that tells you what’s on TV anytime, and it’s free! Anything free describe just about every speaker manufactured by Aerial is automatically good. Acoustics. The Model 8 home-theater system — like most of Aerial Another piece of reference gear for Home Theater is the Lexicon Acoustics’ speakers—can be extremely placement-sensitive, but DC-1. It truly has it all: Dolby Surround, Dolby Digital and DTS, the extra effort of positioning them right is worth it. At just over all of which can be set to switch on automatically when it eight grand they are not cheap, but then only the highest-quality receives the right signal. The DC-1 features a slew of inputs and drivers and cabinets are used, resulting in sheer perfection. If outputs, video switching and very intuitive on-screen menus. It's уои get the Model 8 and can't set it up right, can I have it? [2] ...for under $20,000 KO» FINALLY, A REMOTE CONTROL CAR NOT EVEN YOUR BROTHER CAN BREAK. COMPLETE WITH 16 REMOTE CONTROL CARS AND 15 PULSE-POUNDING TRACKS, THIS GAME LETS YOU DODGE, WEAVE, AND SOAR THROUGH RICH TROPICAL JUNGLES, SUN-DRENCHED BEACHES, AND MURKY SWAMPS. EVEN IF VOU DON'T FEEL LIKE RACING, THERE ARE DOZENS OF HIDDEN PATHS AND SECRET FEATURES FOR YOU TO EXPLORE. ALONE, WITH A FRIEND, OR AGAINST THE COMPUTER, THIS GAME WILL SEND YOU THROUGH DOZENS OF COURSES -- NOT BATTERIES. AVAILABLE оп WIDDOWS^95 CD-ROM ano PLAYSTATION® GAME CONSOLE ©1998 Gremlin Interactive Ltd. Licensed from and developed by Gremlin Interactive Ltd. All Rights Reserved. ©1998 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Inc. All Rights Reserved. "Twentieth Century Fox," "Fox" and their associated logos are the property of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. PlayStation and PlayStation logos are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. шашы PlayStation | ® Ii „геа SEVEN VONE TS ~ wants inair Mame associated IHN БЕТТЕ? BIL = пе поз Eus turis ur] = HTITKTITESTTS IO LUE Шо ше Jeff Gordon Banks on the hen ASC signed Jeff Gordon, they could have just slapped his name on a NASCAR simulation. Instead, they decided to take advantage of Gordon being a long-time gamer by asking him to help design the game. The results were somewhat unexpected —a racing game that loosely resembles NASCAR in the future. Kraig Kujawa - Which game systems do you own? Jeff Gordon - Гуе had all the systems, but right now it's pretty much the PlayStation. | like the variety of games that it has. I’m pretty much а sports game guy—I don't know the names of some of the martial arts games in the arcade l've seen [which] have been brought out on the PlayStation —those are the ones that my wife and | can play together. She can kick my butt in those. KK - Which racing games? JG - Oh, Гуе been playing Gran Turismo and Formula One. KK - Has playing games helped you as a professional driver? JG - Oh yes, | can say it definitely has. Especially when | was younger. KK - What system got you into gaming? JG - Definitely the Atari (2600). | must have been 4 or 5 years old. | think | started playing video games way before | started racing; | remember having Asteroids and Defender. Racing games came out the same year | was racing Quartermidgets....| played some ісе racing game...the cars were little sticks and they slipped and slid around. Man, | thought that was the coolest thing how they slip-slided around the corners; | think that is what really got me attracted to doing a game. | mean, yeah, everyone wants their name associated with a game. But me, how the game turns out, | think means a little more to me than some other guys. I think | know what a good game is to me; now some might want something a little different than what | want, so that's why I’m also trying to integrate the competitiveness of me, and the realness of a driver inside the cockpit and what the other cars are doing, and how the car goes into banking, and when you turn the wheel does it just turn left or drive like a real car. That's the part that really interests me and that's why | want it to be a good game. KK - Is that something you think is missing from a lot of racing games? JG - Some of the ones that l've seen aren't challenging enough in that it's too easy to learn. I've seen some so challenging that you get frustrated and you can't even get past the first segment. So it's important for it to be fun and to have it where you can really learn how to drive a (race) car. A race car isn't hard to drive 50 m.p.h. When you start gettin' it up to 100 m.p.h.—that's when time and laps and experience really pays off. | think a lot of the same things relate to video games. KK - Do you ever play a certain game and think, “This DOES react like a real race car." JG - Yeah, to me Porsche Challenge—| think the car handled well. Sometimes | wish you could adjust the car and make a few changes. Some of the games that | play just really don't react the same way a real race car does. And it’s hard to get that when you're not actually getting the feeling of the (driver's) seat because you're not really moving; you have to го by sight instead of by feel. KK - Have you tried any of the force-feedback controllers for the PlayStation? JG - | haven't gotten [any of those] yet —we're going to look into that. | have the Daytona USA full-size at my house—that has it. That game is Future of NASCAR fun when you play with a lot of people, but by yourself it's not. They need to come out with another. KK - When you first began to work on Jeff Gordon Racing, what kind of specifics did you want designed into the game? JG - The banked tracks were specific—the car reacts similar to the way | like my race car to react. Also, drivability of the car and competi- tiveness. | want to hear that guy on my rear bumper (or right next to me) passing me. I have to work hard to pass him back. KK - Jeff Gordon Racing is a futuristic racing game; what kind of things would you like to see in the future in NASCAR, and are any of them implemented in the game? JG - Something that's implemented in the game is the paving of the race track. Race tracks go from 10, 15, 20, 25 degrees. In our racing game we're taking it to 60, 80 degrees in the game. You can't do that on a real race track. You'll notice these race tracks are basically flat and banked. So the fastest way around these race tracks is around the bottom because it's the shortest way. The banking is the same on the bottom as it is on the top. If we want to see two-, three-, four-, five-wide racing on a real race track, we need to have less banking on the bottom, a little more in the middle, and even more on the top. Because the more banking you have, the greater speed you pull. That's something we're doing in the game. You can carry that arc and you can really see the car grip when you take that high arc on the banking and shoot off the corners. KK - Do you think NASCAR will do any of these things as far as the track changes go? JG - I’ve actually talked to NASCAR about a way of doing that. The problem is in the paving machines; to get them to be able to make a curve. Because the handling of the cars would get upset if they came across uneven banking. KK - You'd think that since we can send a man to the moon, we could probably pave a curve. JG - (laughs) Well, I’m not saying they couldn't, but whether they'll pay the money to do it... the tracks are getting input from the drivers. With the Texas Motor Speedway —all of the problems they've had with that track—the track says, “Hey, let's get the driver's opinion." The Biggest Names in the World Wrestling Federation Steve Austin, Shawn Michaels, The Undertaker, Kane, Ken Shamrock, Rocky Maivia, Triple H and more! The Only Wrestling Game on N64 with 640 x 480 Hi-Rez" Graphics Photo-realistic polygonal wrestlers and 3-D environments. Create-A-Wrestler Customize a wrestler's gender, body, face, strength and costume. Over 300 Motion Captured Maneuvers from the v£'s Finest Finishing moves like “The Stone Cold Stunner” and Shawn Michaels’ “Sweet Chin Music.” % The Only Professional Wrestling" Game with 2-Man Commentary ж Vince McMahon and Jim Ross bring you the action from ringside. Wrestle in Multiple “Тгие To The Ring" Matches Steel Cage, Gauntlet, Weapons, Royal Rumble and Е Challenge. 4-Player Action One-on-One, Tag Team, Three- and Four-Player War Mode. ZÜNE NINTENDO: iN ШІЙ. — GAMEBOY Features listed refer to Nintendo 64 and PlayStation versions. For more information on game ratings contact the ESRB at 1-800-771-3772 V World Wrestling Federation and its logos are trade- marks of Titan Sports, Inc. © 1998 Titan Sports, Inc. All rights reserved. Nintendo 64, Game Boy and the 3-0 “М” logo are trademarks of Nintendo of America Inc. © 1996 Nintendo of America Inc. PlayStation and the PlayStation logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Acclaim is a division and registered trademark of Acclaim Entertainment, Inc. Ф and © 1998. Acclaim Entertainment, Inc. All rights reserved. Screen shots shown are from the Nintendo 64 version. : oT ACCLAIM , P. Ai + www.acclaimsports.com Stone Cold Steve Austin" World Wrestling Federation* Champion Seat Cushion ts hard and very uncomfortable. This is not a comfy Chair! Armrests are too low Lor average adult. Sub ts opttonal and Cranks the price up. Gaming Accessories Reviewed Power Tools The Intensor Chair by: BSG Labs fo price: $300-600 Great idea...having a seat that throbs and rumbles along with the sound, but in practice it's uncomfortable and a bit of a waste of money. Nice try though... spend your cash elsewhere. оржима (ро $ СЕ оу for pleasurable rumblings. Knobs feel really cheap and nasty. www.intensor.com Buttons are in an OK position, but feel too clicky and cheap. Barracuda Dual е analog, Ed but по а ж... dual —— = This is a big and S hock. comfortable pad ч that is let down by cheap-feeling e A buttons. It is loaded with programmable features though, and A Comfortable < Fully programma ble One shape, but а р joypad for.a this ts ы. * h button relocatton feasonable price. iE and d са Ко, С *o anabo www. interact-acc.com BIG pad. 3 Conversion.” Very Cool. itek PlayStation Pad | Pig plas ttcky Case a пее that doesn't like slow-mo, auto and feel as nice as turbo fire, but it’s a bit Standard PS pad. by: Saitek for: PlayStation price: $24.99 fiddly to operate. It also feels a bit plasticky— especially that D-pad which feels very.wrong. © www.saitekusa.com \ fiddy QF | switches Z trigger is + ң © make setting right where your up extra finger falls. features awkward. MakoPad 64 by: Interact Dean Hager, managing for: N64 editor, swears by this pad , p $24.99 50 it must have something. The shape ($ It's a better shape than a more traditional standard N64 pad, and the n { H buttons all fall where you’d Analog stick Ls. tn than о. stock pum 9 0 expect them to. 6.о.5ү-%о-ғе.а. СА place. and lends itsel E: Гог better to fighting games. www.interact-acc.com by: ASCII Folds for stora ae, Ва but feels like TIL break if you do it “оо often! Not exactly a I3 triumph of design. It may seem like a good idea, but it's very uncomfortable to use. Also, it's not Buttons are in awkward spot, might be tough to reach Lor smaller hands. heavy enough and tends to fall over. The buttons are well-placed though. If you're sitting ata table, the , wheel is too hi from base and 4 MAKES Your arms ache. www.asciient.com e UltraRacer 64 by: Interact Power Tools for: №4 price: $29.99 Once you are used to the different style Тебе works. as two buttons So it Can be, wheel has a Spring loaded centering action. Feels of control this is accelerator sturdy. superb. Obviously and brake. you've got to like your гасй тез, Very Cool but its less of an design. Handle investment than ы full wheel Can feel tits well ل‎ a, awkward at iw both www.interact-ace.com first though. hands Good-shaped Dual Mode — stick, nice and FlightStick comfortable. by: Mad Catz The buttons for: PlayStation feel а bit price: $34.99 cheap though. If you like your sim- style action games, this is a nice stick. Worth looking into if you're planning on some heavy Colony Wars: Vengeance sessions this Christmas. Not a bad price either. www.madcatz.com . mS a Big and Sto.ble, Бозе, with a. very Cool palm Buttons are well- rest..makes A placed and fall just it very under your fingers. comfortable to use. stumpy little stick is way too floppy, although Апай r shave a Joystick nice “click” as by: Mad Catz СЕ Moves. TX. It's a fighting game Bo.se, ts arcade stick one very stable, way, and a sim-style tht S won + analog stick the other. Ingenious and fall over stable design that’s ea. Sy. well laid-out. Shame those sticks агеа bit оп the floppy side though. www.madcatz.com Super Pad 64 Color by: Interact for: N64 price: $24.99 9.9 Digital pad feels pretty awful. This is basically exactly the same pad as the Shark Pad Pro, only it’s not see- thru, it doesn’t have slo- mo and auto fire, and it’s not an “official” Nintendo- licensed product. Still ugly. www.interact-acc.com Analog stick feels tod long..like it might snap ot ony moment. Like its Ps counterpart, the stick feels a bit lightweight. You've. got to admit it's a pretty ugly-Look ing stick, transparent or not..yuck. 9, | Z-triage.r | ts sltahtl Not a а comfortable by the г. is use, shape of playing ; Ча" me ра Shark Pad Pro 642 by: Interact 64 Solid, but pretty ugly- looking pad with an extra long lead. Doesn't feel like it was designed with most peoples' hands in mind as it never seems to feel comfortable. www.interact-acc.com Current Favorites Crispin Boyer iium (N64/PS) Cris was at least hoping Spice World would offer some guilty plea- Parasite Eve sures, something he could play when the other guys weren't around. Thunder Force V Alas, Posh Spice has the face of a horse in the game, and Sporty Spice looks even worse. Or at least that's what Cris told us. We're Favorite Genres: surprised-and a little horrified-that he even knows the Spice Girls’ RPGs, Action names, so we're sending the poor guy on а much-needed vacation. John Davison Current Favorites Parasite Eve With EGM swelling in size with each passing month, and the increasing Xenogears ҸҸ number of excellent games passing across our desks, John has been Metal Gear Solid finding himself in increasing degrees of trouble with his 'better half" Brave Fencer Musashi for never being at home. Fortunately, Devil Dice has come to the by again allowing him to introduce a game into the home, BAM2 style, Favorite Genres: where she can attempt to destroy his gaming dignity. Action, Adventure Current Favorites Dean Hager NFL GameDay 99 With both versions of Madden 99, as well as GameDay'99 and МСАА а ОА 99 already in hand, the prospect of receiving QB Club 99 and NFL Blitz (N64) GameBreaker 99 could send Dean into a gridiron overload. And we're not even counting NFL Blitz or Xtreme! To calm his frenzy, Favorite Genres: Dean often wanders over to the other side of the building where Sports, Racing soothing games are played by peaceful wood elves. Silly little guys. Dan Hsu Current Favorites Radiant Silvergun This month, Shoe's eyes are reeling from playing so many bad games. Ч ӘР ТІ He has never given out so many low scores in one month. Don't think ЗТ he enjoys it-Shoe hates cutting down the hard work of game design- МОЯ 077) ers, programmers and artists. But hey, if you're going to put out a * turd, then you're going to get a turd review, right? At least he's playing Favorite Genres: à few good games to balance things out. 1 Strategy, Puzzle Current Favorites Kraig Kujawa Having His Own Office т R "m TD Yelling At Joe Rybicki We're sad to report that last issue was Kraig's last hurrah reviewing ы ^ games on these here pages. Apparently being a sports expert for us MUT Laron pinnes, here on EGM wasn't enough for the ambitious young Texan, as he is dg now lording it up as the brand new editor in chief of our sister mag, Favorite Genres: Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. He'll no doubt think that he's Sports, Strategy important now, but we'll always know the truth. We'll miss ya, Kujawa! З John Ricciardi Current Favorites OUR PHILOSOPHY Parasite Eve EGM rates games based on how they Д With all of the football games this month, John's been seeing Madden NFL 99 (PS) compare to other titles on the same Gatorade buckets in his sleep. When he's not fighting for second place ҮН ШУТЛ system. The highest score we'll give a in the office gridiron battles (Kraig of course maintains the Semradical ВЕЕТ game is a 10. When a game receives a Bowl trophy), he's daydreaming about how fantastic the upcoming 5 Е с 10, you can rest pd it's one of the months are going to be. Think about it-Zelda 64, Metal Gear Solid, Favorite Genres: best games ever made-a revolutionary Color Game Boy, Japanese Dreamcast-all within two months! Man RPGs, Action title that truly stands above everything else in its genre for its time. At the other end of the spectrum sits the lowest score à game can receive: a 1.0. This is the kind of game you want to avoid at all costs. It's pure crap, as our scale (above) explains. In the middle lies the average grade, 5.0. We repeat: 5.0 IS AN AVERAGE GRADE. Simple, ain't it? Current Favorites Shawn Smith Parasite Eve Heart of Darkness With Shawn reviewing Kula World and Devil Dice this month, he has Kula World been reminded of how much fun a good puzzle game can be. This is Devil Dice especially true with the Multiplayer Modes in Devil Dice. In some = genres though, the story is different. Shawn wonders why so тапу Favorite Genres: average games are released. Why bother? Who buys them? Shawn Action, Adventure hopes the reviews in ЕСМ eliminate needless wasting of your funds. Е“ Е yo: XN 2 % Gold Awards go to games е В whose average score He © 8 equals 9.0 or higher. Sushi-X Current Favorites СА S я s я же Street Fighter Alpha 3 miyon? Sushi's been travelling a lot in the last few months, which is why he Soul Calibur hasn't been reviewing as many games as the rest of us. Now that the Daytona USA 2: BotE Games that average at huge holiday issues are approaching, he'll be around a heck of a lot NFL Blitz 99 least an 8.0 receive | тоге! In addition to playing quite a few review games this issue, he's Я Silver Awards А real excited about being able to tackle all of your hardcore gaming Favorite Genres: questions in his new column, Ask Sushi-X. Keep 'em comin! Fighting, RPGs | Изета DEADLY ART mme pj) wem Developer: Konami When will | be able to sit down and challenge a fellow ninja to a good fighting game on the N64? Deadly Arts starts out with flash but quickly fizzles. Graphically, the game isn't all that bad. The polygon builds are nice and the presentation of the stages (especially before a match) are impressive. Where the game falls flat is in the horrendous play control and astonishingly amateur game design. The fighters animate like crap and the camera movement is pathetic. Speaking of the fight- ers, they have an incredibly generic design to them: Aside from one or two female charac- ters who look average at best, the cast of characters in Deadly Arts is about as exciting as getting a root canal. If there is a bright side to the game, it's in the Create A Fighter Mode. The ability to customize your characters is always fun and the possible variations are enough to keep you occupied for a while— that is until you have to train your newbies and subjectyyourself to the game's wonderful play mechanics (sarcasm, kids). With more development time, Deadly Arts could easily have been а decent fighter. Instead it's proba- bly one of the top-5 worst fighting games I've ever played. This is not at all representa- tive of what | know Konami is.capable of, and it only Serves to increase my frustration with the №475 lack of decent fighters. Sushi This is the worst N64 game | һауе ever played. Bad technology: Polygon drop out, sluggish animation, buggy/camera angles, horrible graphics...bad gameplay: piss-poor controls, retarded moves, three buttons (punch, kick and guard), bad collision detec- tion, choppy movements. 1 swear this piece of utter crap must've been programmed in BASIC. | have NEVER Seen a fighting game this bad. Please rent it for a good laugh. Dan Ouch. Deadly Arts may look nice in still scréen shots, but don’t be fooled—this game 15 TERRIBLE. There's nary an ounce of decent gameplay to be found, anywhere. The fight- ing engine is a joke, the controls are slug- gish;the animation sucks, the characters are ridiculously lame and the music is awful, too. Being able to create a fighter is cool, but the game is so bad it sucks the fun right out of the whole process. Pathetic... John R As if the N64's fighting-game track record wasn’t bad enough, the kicky-punchy genre has hit a new low with Deadly Arts. The fighting engine—a no-frills copy of Dead or Alive's is worse than derivative: It’s dull. The animation is choppy and unnatural. Controlis far from precise. Most arenas look terrible. And while the Create a Fighter-feature is inno- vative, why bother building a character when the gameplay is so shoddy? 1-1 :52әКе|а JO Јәдшпм м Кер 01 элен 3,пой под :2n3e3J 3599 рга ƏM :э4пзеэ4 1540 fis D j sus ^ Wi ^ HER 4 Gtk ^ іше — 0:00.39 шшш DINIZ IRVINE ТАС HEUER OFFICIAL TIMING If you've been. complainin" about the N64's lack of a “real” racing sim (like | have), it's time to rest your jaws. F-1 WGP is the most detailed, graphically correct racing game to grace the N64 to date. Now the flipside — you really gotta like in-depth sims to appreciate the ins and outs of this one. Those interested in quick, arcade-style fun should look else- where because F-1 WGP could take a long time to master. In fact, maybe too long. My frustration level peaked several times while trying to win some of the more demanding tracks. The most maddening thing? Watching the competition fly by after the slightest dri- ving error on my part. Another odd thing is that the vehicles have a tendency to power- slide through corners. This is very uncharac- teristic of an F-1 car, plus it kinda blows the sim image out the window. But then again, is that so bad? Those who've played Psygnosis’ F-1 games can attest to the frustration that comes Withjultra-correct cornering. Aftémall, even realistic racing games should be fun at least on some level. On a different note, the frame-tate is a little slow, most likely due to the ambitious.graphics. Yet inthe end, even with its contradictory elements, F-1 WGP is still a fine game with a lot of solid features and replay appeal. Itshould be mentioned that 2P play is very cool, too. Dean F-1 World Grand Prix is an infinitely better F-1 racing sim than last year's F1 Pole Position. The controls are superb, the graphics are far superior, there are more options to.choose from and overall, the gameplay is just much better, F- racing is another style of racing that I’m not a big fan of in the real world, but | have to say, WGP is definitely:the best F-1- style game I’ve played. Be sure toycheck out the very cool Challenge Mode. John R If you've ever wondered what an F-1 track looks like shrouded in mist...now’s your chance. Despite this though, Е-1 WGP tooks absolutely gorgeous (rivaling 3D PC titles) and is probably in a pretty good position to boast the title of best N64 racing game. The dopey opponent А! won't win any awards, and the controls leave a little.to:be:desired, but on the whole, this is a comprehensive and'extremely competent racer. John D Right out of the gate, F-1 WGP earns marks for filling in the needs of racing simulation fans who own an N64. The game is definitely challenging, and offers two lengthy season modes that will take many hours to master. The controls aren't quite as smooth as ld have liked and the frame-rate is a bit off as well, but all things considered Е-1 is ап enjoy- able racer that fans of Formula 1 racíng will definitely want to check out. TL :54эКе]4 JO ләдшпм sriydesy pajreaag :әлпдеәј 3599 әзе JULIJ уи94515ио» шо>‘ориазии ммм те ENTER ШШ. / E EVERYONE Developer: Realtime Associates/Crystal Dynamics Gex may be one of the top mascots on the PlayStation, but his №64 debut packs a lot of problems. Chief among them: the camera, which responds slowly when you shift it and is always snagging on stuff. Awkward angles are abundant, making some levels — namely, “Pain in the Asteroids” — well, a pain. | tell ya', the camera in Banjo-Kazooie wasn't near- ly perfect, but it seems like a gift from the gods compared to the frequently skewed views of this game. The new Titanic level is a disappointment, too. It's seems tacked on and isn't nearly as fun or interesting as the other stages. Graphically, the game's a mixed bag. Some levels are extremely sharp and colorful, among the best seen in third-party N64 games, while others are just blah. As expected of the cartridge format, Gex's col- lection of wise-guy one-liners has dimin- ished dramatically. Yet he still spouts off just as often, and the repeated quips get old real- ly fast. All that said, | know "| bethe target of e-mail gripes claiming I'm biased against the N64 because | gave the PlayStation Gex a higher score, Truth is, Gex 64 15 still а funda- mentally fun game, but 3D action titles just have a much higher standard to meet on the N64—a standard set by Banjo-Kazooie and Super Mario 64. Gex6qisn’t nearly as pol- ished as those masterpieces. | can't believe this. A 3D action-platform game that's worse on the N64? Gex 64 could've, would've, should've been an awe- some game. Unfortunately, the controls.and camera are horrible, making Gex 64 an exer- cise in frustration and confusion. If this game had Banjo's or Mario’s controls and camera, {легате would be fantastic; Аз 15, бех 64 isa great idea with great level designs, plagued by these glaring flaws. Dan I didn't review the PlayStation version of Gex: EtG, and after playing the-N64 one I'm glad. On one end of the spectrum you have Banjo-Kazooie—it probably gets a." Wow" from most people who play it. Gex 64 on the other hand gets an uncomfortable “Ahem.” In short, this game has bad control, a horrible camera and a new stage that's best described as slapped-together. | thought this one was going to be much better. Gex 64 isn’t a horrible game, but if you’ve played the PS version, the faults with this one really stand out. The camerawork is bad, the graphics are substandard, the voices are repetitive, and so on. If you're going to porba 30 game from the PS to the N64 (a system with much, much better 3D action games); you've at least gotta match the:quality of the original. Unfortunately, that didn't happen with Enter the Gecko. Too bad. Cris Ш on a] 1 :5ләҝеја JO зафшпм $]2A27 JO 5301 :э2п3еэ4 3599 aure? Зи!Коциу :әлпуеә4 4510M шозКемриш ммм (Те: ..... EDITION к: Publisher: Ocean Developer: Imagineer Featured In: EGM #110 This sounds lame but if you liked Ocean's other N64 racing game, Multi-Racing Championship, then you'll probably like what GT64 has to offer. Even if you didn't like MRC you should check out GT64, but I'll preface that statement by promising you that it's not going to blow you away. Yeah it's better than MRC—sharper graphics, deeper gameplay and a much more competitive racing engine but my contention is this: It's hard for me to go busting my appendix over a racing game that's programmed for the most powerful system out there, yet it doesn't look or play a whole lot better than even Sega Rally! I'm not condemning GT64 —l'm just bummed that а game made four years ago is still a bench- mark sim. Granted the cartridge limitations have a lot to do with that, but it still bothers me. OK, back to Earth. GT64 has all the fun- damentals in place— most importantly, good competitive gameplay. It's similar to NASCAR t VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY 5 5 5 6 TL :54эАеа JO зафшпм E 4 5 т 3 8 В Е 8 a ы Н я о Q EY z Ei я a шоззашедиедо ммм MADDEN NFL 99 { 28 Publisher: Electronic Arts Developer: Tiburon Featured In: ЕСМ #110 First of all, let me say this: Regardless of what any other mag or Web site may have told you (no disrespect to any of our competition or their opinions— informed or otherwise), last year's Quarterback Club '98 was NOT a better football game than Madden 64. In fact, it was so embarrassingly inferior gameplay-wise, | can't believe anyone was willing to say that QB Club was even in contention. But oh well, extremely pretty graphics have been known to cloud judgment in the past, so we'll forgive and forget. Now on to '99. We haven't received a playable QB Club '99, so | can't compare the two games yet (I hear QBC is much improved this year), but | can tell you this: Once again, EA has managed to pro- duce a football game that is amazingly in- depth, with great Al, loads of options and features (Franchise Mode is great for sim fans), and a gorgeous interface. Of course, this year all the licenses are in place, and the VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY 9 7 7 9 p-1 :s4ake}d JO 48quinN Iy 36249 *$э1уделху 3uaj]ax3 :еапзеоч 1528 Suppe] 319 У $1 a3ey-aure4j :әлпдеәј 35404 W02'5340dsea'MMM Featured In: ЕСМ #108 Good news for fans of EA's NASCAR series- NASCAR 99 for the N64 rocks! It's important to note that it has taken on a new look, as well as new gameplay, car physics and Al; pretty much an entirely new game from last year's version (which was only on the PS). Right off the bat, be it good or bad, it feels much more arcade-like. The cars turn quicker, brake harder and recover from wall scrapes and collisions in an unrealistic way. Whereas. last year you had to enter corners at just the right speeds to avoid spinouts, NASCAR 99 lets you enter turns very fast with only a minor amount of braking to correct your car's path. The same goes for tapping and nudging on the straight-aways. In '98 if you tapped another car's back end, you'd usually go careening off into the in-field. No such thing this time. But thankfully, NASCAR 99 has retained its excellent gameplay balance. The actual racing isn't too discouraging, nor is it Being “ а thicky foreigner," | can't quite e com- ргеһеп‹ i VISUALS 7 7 6 7 SOUND INGENUITY p-1 :542Áe]d JO 49quinN kejdaweg әліздәдшо)) :aınqeay 3529 SION ашЗиз :әлпдеәј алом wo'syiodsea МММ REPLAY т foo att 16) актова, ” “ұр әм # Game of the Month ? ғ % % Publisher: Midway Developer: Midway Featured In: ЕСМ #109 I'd have to rank NFL Blitz as one of my top-20 arcade games of all time. But how good can this fast-paced, smoothly animated, perfectly designed game be on a home system? Pretty damn good. This impressive translation has captured the look and feel of the wildly suc- cessful arcade game. In the graphics depart ment, the only thing the game is missing is the higher resolution. But when you see how quickly and smoothly everything runs, you won't even care. All the animations are in, from the high hurdles to the painful, greatly exaggerated tackles and late hits (remember, this game is all about necessary roughness). The gameplay is right on as well. With a cou- ple of exceptions, N64 Blitz plays just like its arcade brother. So what are these excep- tions? First, the game unexpectedly and inconsistently speeds up and slows down. One minute the game's going through some major polygon slowdown, the next minute the e oH along, faster папи Не arcade T-L :54эАе]4 JO зафшпм џо1цејѕиеду әре>лу 3215 :әлпҙеә4 3594 ah, the excellent pla the cake. It's user sasseg passi|N aSueu3s :элпзеэ4 3510M game ks.who aren't nec console football games. (Oh popu of шо>Хемрішммм VISUALS SOUND 9 8 9 10 INGENUITY REPLAY NFL BLITZ ща Developer: T&E Soft P. WAIALAE CC: TRUE GOLF CLASSICS. 8 A Publisher: Nintendo Featured In: EGM #110 As we said in our preview last month, one of the biggest problems with this game is the fact that there’s only one course. Waialae may be a beautiful and somewhat unpronounca- ble Hawaiian paradise, but it’s not really enough for a golf game these days. Still, the game tries to make up for this deficiency by throwing all kinds of different options at you to keep you interested. Six different play modes kick things off with everything from practice to skins covered. Ample to keep you busy...but not anything to write home about; pretty much every golf game on any system these days offers this much. So what else? Well...there are lots of customizable thingum- mies that let you screw around with attribut- es for the golfers themselves, their golf-bats (just kidding) and the shots, but at the end of the day...so what? Does it play OK? Well, yes and no. The ball physics seem all wonky and it's really cult to judge distances much so that уой p-1 :54эАе]4 JO задшпм suondo JO Азма]а :aanyeay 3sag ng there aren't a lot of golf. itles on $ A ۵ р ‚| " Ы КА 35410) aug Ajug :a4n3ea4 3510M he ball physics during em quin it fir: [ 1 шоуориауши ммм E goes ose from several d nothing! No adv ant! A sub-par effort. — VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY 5 5 4 5 dies who d . ing or то! BATMAN & ROBIN -——— "ч In^ E ج‎ 0007 E, , 5 за Publisher: Acclaim Developer: Acclaim Studios Featured In: ЕСМ #105 Geez...where do | begin with this one. | mean, the game doesn't really have any good points. Well, let's see...the soundtrack is pret- ty cool, most of the character animation is really natural, and the size of Gotham City is awesome (since exploration is such a big part of the game). That's about it for the good stuff. What irks me the most is how difficult the game is. It’s not impossible mind you, but it can be very challenging at times. Now, usu- ally that's a good thing but since Batman & Robin is no fun to play, the challenge turns into annoyance. Graphically Batman & Robin is decent, but often too dark. On top of this, the camera is terrible, swinging around for no apparent reason in some instances and stay- ing stationary in others so you have to con- trol Batman from afar. | can't say | like the control much either, although that can be mostly attributed to the poor camera. Slipping from edges and getting stuck in VISUALS SOUND 5 6 4 2 1 :54эАе]4 JO зафшпм поцешшу 43)2eJeU) :әлпдеәј 3sag ә5|3 Зшуз/палз :әлпдеәј 35410 jeu'uire|53e'MMM INGENUITY REPLAY «> Fast, Free, Online gaming Collect power-ups and fire power-downs, * Inner Workings 1:35:65 28 Experience Ше tension, thrills and Only quick reactions and sheer flying speed of an arcade-style game. skill wil see you through the finish line. SEGAS*FT 1.888.SEGASOFT с liffs and city ground | Plane T means the better Up to 8 pilots can race over Buy equipment and tune your Sonic cannon accesses short cuts you get, the better they gi LAN or HEA plane’s performance and creates obstacle: the HEAT.NoET logo are trademarks of Workings Ltd. Plane Crazy Game © 1998 У N 1998 Inner Workings Ltd. The Inner Workings logo —— European Union. Windows is a trademark of the N HR M DL Ne о VEVEL T7 ag t 02 IP ТТ BXHIBITIO о эмі Р 8 ж: Minow 7“ Publisher: ТНО loper: SCEI Featured In: ЕСМ #110 | knew | was going to like Devil Dice the first time | laid my eyes on it. Like most successful puzzle games, Devil Dice's concept is simple yet deep, meaning any moron can learn how the game works in seconds, and puzzle veter- ans have enough there to keep them busy for weeks. At first glance, the game may look very intimidating, especially if you're watch- ing players who know what they're doing. After all, this isn't your standard 2D cascad- ing colorful blocks puzzle game. But once you sit through the great tutorial (one of the best I've seen in any game), you'll realize the game is very easy to get into. DD is made all the much better with a Five-player War Mode and a completely different Two-player Battle Mode. Both modes are frantic and a blast to play since the game allows you to steal com- | bos away from the other players (part of the | fun of everyone being on a single playing field). On аре of that, the am has a a fun 6-1 :54эАе]4 30 49quinN Кејдәшео anbiuf) Áj]e30] :asnjeay 3599 340W Кеја 01 әш! әлеу 01 Зш/ац :э4п3еэ4 3510M = = = РЗ F A г о з VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY 8 №’ 9 8 DEVIL DICE = FUTURE COP: L.A.P.D. TEEN Publisher: Electronic Arts Featured In: EGM #108 РИ give Future Cop one thing — you'll get blown to bits if you go into a level with guns a-blazin' and no plan of attack. This game is not some mindless shoot-'em-up. Future Cop is very challenging — most of the time because of tough enemies, objectives and other obstacles. Problem is, other times the challenge comes in the form of bad control (at least when your vehicle is in its mech form). Basically this changes challenge into frustration. Why there are so many thin walk- ways and platform jumps | don't know. When you throw in enemies flying around blasting you, things can seem downright impossible. Dying because of a fall or because it's hard to turn around is no fun at all. The hovercraft on the other hand handles quite well. The game- play is along the same lines as one of the Strike games, except with a police theme instead of a military one. It works pretty well, but I’m not sure why EA didnt just call the ich has you protecting wo. | prefer goin troying crazed drug dea lords is alway: VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY 1 6 6 6 с-загбед JO задшпм soiydesy ‘и815э4 |2۸27 :әлпзеәј 1528 Қејдәшес) snoijaday :э4п3еэ4 3510M UIO2'e93/'MMM с. DARIUS чүү” 2. % y ро aw FRhEF-DPL AY Publisher: THQ Featured In: ЕСМ #109 G.Darius is a perfect example of exactly the right way to bring an old-school 2D shooter into a 3D environment. The 3D graphics are totally awesome, and the stage backgrounds are a marvel to look at, but that's just the game's exterior. Behind all the flash (and believe me, there's a ton of it), lies a very well thought-out gameplay system that has all the elements of a great shooter: intense acti great stage design, awesome Bosses, innovative attack methods and more. Two- player simultaneous play doesn't hurt, either. Being able to capture your enemies and use them is a great feature (especially when you capture the mid-Boss-type enemies who have their own special moves), but that's really only half the fun —when you use those ene- mies to power up your super beam and then go beam-to-beam with an enemy Boss, that's when things REALLY get nuts. The rush you get from Е а Boss' beam with T-L :54эАе]4 JO 18quinN saiuau3 aanjde> ој Киифу :э1п3еэ1 3599 at various ро being able t е). Very cool. имормо]$ ашоб :әлпҙеә4 351044 рь шо buy MMM VISUALS 8 7 7 8 SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY 4 Developer: Amazing Studios HEART OF DARKNESS ха 1, 4 EVERYONE 8 Publisher: Tantrum/Interplay Featured In: ЕСМ #110 If Heart of Darkness was about four levels 1 :54эАе]4 JO 1equinN longer and not quite as tedious in some areas, | would've given it a 9.5. Basically, 1 beat the game and felt unsatisfied. It didn't take me that long and | wanted more. This would normally be a good thing, except in this case there was no more to play. So what made the game tedious? Well, a couple of things. First, a few of the puzzles in the game were almost impossible. Sure, you get unlim- ited tries but it still gets tedious. | do like the quick hints you receive if you die enough times—that's a nice addition. A few times, get past a tough puzzle and then something on the next screen would pop up and kill me. Then I'd have to do it all over again...that’s a bit cheap. Second, the control was too loose at times, making double-jumping and aiming your shots really tough in some situations. Still, Heart of Darkness has incredible graph- ics sand cinematics (especially the version of AW puy s2iydesy 3uajja»x3 :әлпдеәј ysag 103005 puy sajzzng зпограц :24n3e34 3540. = = = Е ri 9 5 a < ^ с 3 VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY 8 9 5 4 KULA WORLD (*WORKING TITLE) = — y P, EN By * EVERYONE "| ере Publisher: Psygnosis 'eloper: SCEE Featured In: EGM #110 Who would have thought a game where you control a beach ball around some surreal world consisting of cubes could be so fun? It sounds ridiculous but it's true. But so is the story of most puzzle games. Kula World is a lot of fun. The early levels make it seem like the rest of the game might be ho-hum since all you do is move a ball around, find a key or two, jump over a couple of obstacles and roll onto the exit. As you progress through the game however, you realize this is not true. The fairly fun and innocent look of the beach ball fades into the background as the lava, spikes and deadly polygonal enemy thingies come full-force into the foreground. You'll Sweat as you judge jumps and rotate around cubes, trying to find the right side to fall from, all while working to beat the clock and find the exit. It's really that intense. Simply put, the game is well-made. The graphics are sharp, which is a great feature for a puzzle 1-1 :54эАе]а JO зафшпм $]2A2] Зицзалазщ :24n3e24 3528 eads to a lot rather than on straigi Ked зпозиезупши dt ON :24п3еэ1 3540 М шо>%5150и8Х5 MMM е, = h yo VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY 7 6 8 7 EVERYONE Publisher: Electronic Arts Featured In: ЕСМ #107 It's about time that Madden was finally brought into a polygonal world, and EA did it quite successfully. Although the graphics aren't quite as sharp as GameDay 99's, there are many more animations, and they are inte- grated more seamlessly into the gamepla Low-catches, one-handed catches, and vari ous wrap-tackles are all well-implemented, although a couple of those animations are a little slow. The only thing that aesthetically holds the game down is its frame-rate. The game is very playable, but in some instances it could benefit from smoother player move- ment. The place that Madden really shines is its ultra-realistic gameplay. The computer's intelligence has been further improved, forc- ing you to think before you pass. If thinking man's football isn't for you, there are Arcade and One-button Modes that dumb the game down into a twitch game. There are so many features in this game, it's crazy — Madden 8-1 :54эКе]4 JO 12quinN шзнеэу pajeanun :a1n3eaJ 3599 вәшіҙәшос MOT 319 ү S| азеу-ашейц :апуга4 3540 wo'sjiodsea MMM VISUALS 7 7 7 9 SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY | | 1 | Developer: SystemSoft/Toshiba EMI Developer: Capcom Developer: Midway p-1 :54эАе]4 JO задшпм 1 :54эАе]4 JO 12quinN T-L :54эАе]|4 JO 1э9шй М Master of Monsters is a great game for the It ain't without its flaws, but Mega Man patient, detail-oriented blind man. Patient Legends is still a fun diversion from all that because this turn-based game is extremely side-scrolling Mega Man same ol', same ol'. slow-paced. Detail-oriented because the Instead of a 3D take on the series’ platform game involves plenty of micromanagement. formula, MML is more of an adventure-RPG Blind because the graphics look like they hybrid—and a very simple one at that. You'll came straight out of the '70s. Because of the spend much of the game wandering through above factors, not too many people are going its central city, talking to people, going on to get into Master of Monsters. The game miniquests and building up Mega Man with a crawls along at a wounded snail's pace. With variety of familiar arm weapons (the Grenade each turn, you have so many things you can Arm, Drill Arm, etc.) and parts for his trusty do: summon monsters, move monsters, cast Buster Gun. You'll spend just as much time spells, fight, etc. When you get a decent- down in the dungeons, battling enemies and sized army going, you can see how a turn can seeking the raw materials needed to com- take quite a while to complete. The slow pace plete miniquests and enhance Mega Man's gets slower if you want to really maximize weaponry. Trouble is, the dungeons them- your battle efficiency (that is, taking the time selves are visually bland (although the rest of to do stuff like equipping your monsters, the game looks cool, in an angular, functional matching up the properly aligned monsters, sort of way), while combat is repetitive and experimenting with monster fusing, etc.). often far from an intense ordeal—despite fre- Everything is made all the much worse with a quent Boss encounters. The game’s just too horrible interface, outdated graphics, hard- easy (although you can герау ага harder to-read menus and displays, and other little difficulty once you beat it). The control could annoyances (like not being able to see the Бефейег, too; Mega Man is too slow to turn. damage done in fights if you choose to skip Tapping.a-shoulder button snaps your atten- the battle animations). The game's saving: tion to the nearest enemy, but doing so also. grace is its sheer depth. You can literally play locks you in place, making you an easy target. for days straight and not discover all the cool MMLis a short game if you rush through it, and unique monsters you can create. That but it should last about:2o hours if you take alone makes MoM worth checking out. Dan your time with the miniquests. | had serious doubts that a good version of Blitz would be possible on the PlayStation, but | happily stand corrected. The developers have done an amazing job of retaining the speed and look of Blitz while sacrificing as little as possible. Sure the polygon models have been cut back considerably and the res- olution is nowhere near the clarity of the arcade, but what this version does boast is exactly what the arcade version boasts...it's FUN! The PlayStation version lets you choose from the familiar Arcade Mode, as well as brand-new Tournament and Season Modes. The overall speed of this version is close to the arcade, though there are moments of slowdown and other instances where the action seems unnaturally fast. Luckily, the timing problems don't detract much from the game. The loading times are a bit annoying (especially if you're used to the lightning-fast arcade game), but on the whole it's not too bad; and there are options thataallow you to slightly decrease it by removing certain Screens (like halftime stats, for example). | hate towaste space talking about other games, but | have to say—Blitz makes NFL Xtreme look like complete garbage. Usually imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but in this case it was just big waste of time. Blitz is the ONLY game in its class. Sushi Зшепа saysuow :гапзеац 3529 Ayuajdy sysand-1uiy :aunyeay 3599 g 521 галпзеац 3529 І know graphics shouldn't matter much if a game's good, but Master of Monsters takes it a bit far. Why wasn't anything added graphi- cally.to spice things up with the gameplay? skip through story/talky bits is annoying. | Beats me. | do like the various monsters and had high hopes for this, but its lack of origi- hybrids you can create, and the battles are nality and grating childish humor and presen: decent, too. The.story is fairly interesting as tation really bugged me. There’s plenty to well, except for the cheesy dialogue in the do, and you can make it last (read: drag), intro. Still, | don't know—l'm afraid MoM just thanks to lots of subquests and weapon doesn't do much for те. Shawn mods = but it all seems so boring. John D | hate the graphics, Mega Man's Canadian accent sounds ridiculous, the control system sucks the big one, and the fact that you can't Blitz turned out to be surprisingly good on the PS: The large and detailed players look great, making competitor NFL Xtreme look ancient. The FMV and extra voices are a nice addition, but | would've preferred a play editor. Al- though the player animation is nice, the Overall frame-rate is chunky—but this is only noticeable because the arcade-game is 50 perfect in these regards (it’s a tough act to follow). It’s a great two-player game, too. Dan 19 48-1 :әлпуеә4 3540 М 1043103 :e4n3e234 3540, | was a big fan of the original MoM on the | found Mega Man Legends to be surprisingly Genesis, and it's good to see.that the soul of decent, despite the fruity dialogue and the the game hasn't been messed with much. It's overall shortness of play (15 hours ain't bad, still a great hybrid of fantasy and strategy, but with its RPG-ish elements, | was.hoping with plenty of stats and such, but now you for much more). Unlike my peers, | actually get bonus items and some cool cutscenes like the control setup, though analog control too. Still, you’ll need to be a turn-based would've been nice. Another thing | like is strategy buff—this isn’t the most “immedi- that all of the cinematics aresinweal time, and ate” game out thefe, and the constant disc very well done. If.you'rea Mega Man fan and access makes things real S-L-O-W. John D you dig RPGs, be sure to try this. John R NFL Blitz is hands-down my favorite football game (I'm notitoo keen оп їһелїоге realistic sports titles), and it's one of my favorite two- player games, too. This port is much better than | expected. Sure, the players are a bit small and receivers can get lost in the clutter when they dash too far down field, but the winninggameplay is still solidly intact. Keep CPU.assistance onand you're always’guaran- teed ап insanely exciting game. Cris n әуен зшедц Аддоцу ѕәшцәшос̧ запад 3510M Auoyouow 43345 ‘s21 | actually like Master of Monsters, Combining monsters to create new onesis a great idea fora turn-based strategy game, and this game is just loaded with depth. Being able to use your monsters from the one-player game diversion for a few days. The game is fairly in a fourplayer tournament is very cool. | short; you should be able го Беа it in one could've done without the horrid-looking weekend, especially if you ignore the various spells and corny characters, though, and 1 miniquests. Control could be better, In fact, wouldn't have minded some more eye the awkward control is what made some of candy. Overall, | prefer the original. Sushi the later Boss battles difficult. Sushi Well, this certainly is a different kind of game for the.Blue Bomber. Mega Мап ерепаѕ combines the action and RPG genres, doing neither very well, yet it manages to be a fun | didn't expect the PlayStation version of Blitz тобе this good! The graphics are a little on the weak side (especially if you've seen the N64 Version), but the gameplay is Spot-on. If you felt bad about wasting your money on NFL Xtreme (the overhyped pile of crap from 989), then now’s your chance to redeem yourself. A Play Editor would've-been nice, but it’s no huge loss. If you like hard-hitting arcade-style play, Blitz is for you. John R Vv Чу Чу VV 5 ЧУ VV VU U шоззиаизвелмм шоу шоздеуммм шозХемри ммм Developer: 989 Studios It's incredible how NFL GameDay continues to improve so radically year after year. It's almost scary in a way. This year the addition of 200 or so more polygons per player and lots of creative shading has really made a dif- ference graphically. The animation is much improved, and as far as game speed goes, | couldn't be happier. Even if you crank the speed the players still move fluidly and real- istically. Wrap tackles have been improved too, (no more dragging), though for some reason now when you dive it seems like you've been launched out of a cannon. Anyway though, enough about graphics —on to the important stuff. The best part about GameDay 99 is that they (989) have really tried to bridge the gap between their game and Madden as far as А! and realism is соп- cerned. No, it's still not as smart as Madden, and there's not nearly as many options and features, but it's definitely a big step in the rightdirection. The TV-style appearance of: Madden has been imitated as well (quite nicely, | might add). The commentary is often way off, but overall the feeling of real football is represented much moreso than in previous incarnations. If there's one thing I'm not too happy with, it's the multiplayer play (like last year, it seems like Agoes out the window), but otherwise GameDay 99 rocks. Dean Even though GameDay 99 is vastly improved over last year's game, it’s still got minor holes in the Al and some really annoying bits (like superhuman dives) which take away from the game's realism. If you're more into arcade- style play and don't care so much about the tiny details, you'll probably love GameDay. For me, I'll play it now and again for some quick thrills, but when it comes to my kind of football, Im down with Madden. John R 989 certainly has the best-looking football game for the PlayStation. The player anima- Чоп» and detail are fantastic, making for a very enjoyable playing experience. The AI and gameplay are both very solid, making GameDay 99 an excellent package, overall. Pve seen a few minor bugs, like a computer controlled receiver running away from a pass, or a ref calling the wrong penalty, but the errors are few and far between. Dan It simply amazes me how good this year’s GameDay looks and plays. The characters are packed with polygon beef that rivals the look of some N64 games. Commentary is var- ied and plentiful, easily putting the sparse remarks in Madden to shame: The А! still has some problems and feature-wise it’s some- what lacking, but overall, despite-my fond- ness of Madden's sim aspects, this year I’ve got to give the nod to GameDay. Sushi 8-1 :54эАе]4 JO зафшпм IV padosduyy 'satudeas 36245 :әлпдеәј 3599 nw Sunuroddesiq :әлпдеәј 35104 шо>'иоцедѕќеја ммм Developer: Square Soft Square is touting Parasite Eve as a "cinematic RPG." OK, I'll buy that. In fact, РЦ even liken this very Resident Evil-esque RPG to a big- budget event flick. It packs the same spectac- ular effects, found mainly in the frequent CG cinemas. And the game spins a gory tale that, for the most part, keeps you interested until the finale. But like most overblown summer movies, PE has its faults. Several confusing plot twists had me asking, "What the heck just happened?" Scarce background music makes for mostly silent gameplay. And as far as RPGs go, PE is fairly simple. You just plow through each "dungeon," collect a few items, beat the Boss, then move on. (Thankfully, battles are infrequent, and the innovative combat system saves you from button-mash- ing boredom.) Aya doesn't learn a particularly large number of spells, although you can allocate experience points to improve abili- ties. The weapon-building system, which lets you cannibalize bits of old guns to build up new ones, is very cool—even if only a few gun parts'are really useful; 1 beat PE in less than 11,hours. That includes time wasted re- fighting the final Boss because of a particu- larly cheap gameplay twist (you'll see what | mean). Beating the game opens up the EX Mode, but its 77-level.Chrysler Building isn't really worth a second go-around. Cris n Parasite Eve didn't quite live up to the high hopes | had for it. Gameplay is.sweet—the battle system rules, and the whole equip- ment modification stuff is innovative and fun. But the story, which starts out really good, gets a bit too weird and convoluted near the end, and the writing is spectacularly average throughout. The cinemas are gorgeous, and the game definitely IS fun, but the last two hours or so were a real letdown. John R Parasite Eve is a solid RPG, but it’s certainly notas great or revolutionary asil originally thought. First, it’s a bit short. Because of this, and the way the story (though interesting) is kind of slopped together, | wasn't drawn into the characters or plot all that much. | love the battles though. | wish more RPGs had battles like PE's. Overall, it's definitely worth taking a look at—just don't expect it to be on the same scale as Final Fantasy VII. Shawn Gorgeous graphics, fabulous story, excellent sound and...fepetitive combat, near-redun- dant features (like the cool but not very use- ful weapon mods) and some very dubious interaction “hotspots” that can make things exceedingly frustrating. It's not perfect—it's quite obviously Square giving Resident Evil a respectful nod —but it's so beautifully put together that you'll forgive most of its prob- lems. | loved it. Gooey bits and ай. John D | :54эКе]4 JO 129" М (1036 1005 :әлпуеә4 3529 31045 00] :запуеач 380M шоу 3} озэлепь5' ммм RESIDENT EVIL 2: DUAL SHOCK 5, MATURE Developer: Capcom Well, this game's hard to rate. | mean, every- one who wanted RE2 already owns it, right? Is there enough new stuff here among the rehash? Let's run down the list of enhance- ments. Yes, the game rumbles— a lot. It shakes when you shoot, fall, get attacked, ride the elevators—even when you select a menu option! It's a nice addition if you're not yet desensitized to jumping joypads. Next up is Rookie Mode, which from the outset arms you with the machine gun (and soon after the gatling gun and rocket launcher) and unlimit- ed ammo. I'll admit, there's something insane- ly fun about strolling around, blasting every- thing in sight. Nothing— short of stopping to smooch every zombie—will keep you from breezing through this mode. Finally, you get Extreme Battle Mode, which opens when you beat Scenario B (your save from the original RE2 works, so you don't have to replay both scenarios). This mode has you working through the game backward, hunting for four bombs placed randomly in the police station. Beat it the first time and you can play again at a higher difficulty as Ada. Beat that to unlock Chris Redfield and a third difficulty level. EB Mode is a simple, cool bonus, with more to it than the Hunk and Tofu scenarios. Still, if you already own RE2, you can pass this by with- out losing much sleep. Slightly upgraded games always provide a problem for game reviewers. On one hand, RE2: Dual Shock 15 99 percent the same as the plainol RE2. On the other hand, it's still excellent. At least this time, Capcom isn't promising something that's not there (remember RE: Director's Cut?). | must state the obvious here: You should-only buy this if you don't have RE2 already. The new modes aren't worth buying the game again. Dan We fought about this one. Oh Боу...оп one hand it's an excellent game which now has. some extra "bonus" features/added. On the other, it's the same thing again with not enough extra stuff. Sure, the rumble doofah works well; the daft thing tries to shake itself out of your hand even on Menu Screens. But is it worth buying if you've already got RE2? No.df you don't own the original RE2, buy this—it's a true classic. John D As much.as | love Resident Evil 2, it's hard to recommend this. The improvements are sub- tle, and while the new Extreme Battle Mode will keep the die-hards busy (it's actually very cool, and being able to play as Chris Redfield rocks), there's not enough new here to war- rant another purchase. Still, if you've never played RE2 before, | can't recommend this game enough. It's easily one of my favorite games this year for any system. John R 1 :54эКе]а 30 лафшпм әроү{ г1ззея зшациа :әлпуеә4 3529 yseyay 1350 :Әлпҙеә4 3510/4 шоз шоздеуммм ЧУ ЧУ VU ххх U U UYU WU Publisher: Psygnosis Developer: SCEE/Slippery Snake Featured In: ЕСМ #110 1 :54эАе]а JO 19quinN Please forgive my bluntness, but this game does not deserve to be in the PlayStation library. | haven't seen such a simplistic and repetitive game in a long time. Getting through each stage is a real challenge, not because the game is tough, mind you, but because you do the same thing, over and over and over. And over. Kill enemy. Fight fire. Get more water. Repeat. | kept playing in hopes that the later levels would offer some- thing a bit new or exci No such luck. The cartoonish graphics, silly sound effects and simple gameplay may lead you to think that this game was designed for children. Maybe so, but | have a hard time imagining younger gamers could tolerate the shoddy controls— another huge low point of the game. It feels like Rosco is wearing lead boots in the game when he’s running around hosing down fires. Aiming is sluggish and precise jumping is almost non-existent. The only people who шщ :34n3eaJ 3599 McQueen is s game that е out of grai Tires; rescue Vi Кејдәшес) әлцізәдәүу *]043u0 1004 :24n3e34 3540 uio»'sisouSÁsd'MMM VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY 7 5 5 3 SPICE WORLD n EVERYONE Publisher: Psygnosis Developer: SCE Europe Featured In: EGM #10 | was expecting that playing this would be somewhat akin to being sent to hell and hav- ing my private parts flayed and soaked in vinegar. Surprisingly though, the experience wasn't half as unpleasant as I'd have thought (even though Ginger is still in there in all her obnoxious glory). It's still not my cup of tea, but сап appreciate why Spice World works. Clearly aimed at young, female Spice fans (and not mid 20-something, male games journos) this is less of a game and more of a sort of "toy" where you get to play with the Spice Girls in a number of different environ- ments. Mess up one of their tunes in a mixing studio with the aid of a nauseating South London DJ, practice your dance moves with the superfly dance instructor and then it's off to the TV studio with a camp sounding direc- tor to put your video together. It's like a stripped-down, humorless PaRappa with the irritating Spice Girls thrown i in for good mea- this license. isappointed all of these 4 ews editor VISUALS SOUND 1 :suake}g JO 1э9шй м ¿s19 әзііс"шп :элпзез1 3596 ас wn) :элп3еэ4 3510M uio»'sisoudÁsd'MMM INGENUITY REPLAY 6 7 4 4 Developer: Gremlin TEAM LOSI RC RACER » Pos і EVERYONE Publisher: Fox Interactive Featured In: ЕСМ #106 Just to get it out of the way—don't spend your hard-earned cash on this game unless you have money to burn. Team Losi RC Racer looks like something that should've come out on the PlayStation about a year or two ago. Maybe then people would've been impressed. Now, it's pretty much sub-stan- dard graphically, except for the fancy effects that seem to surround your car at all times. I have to admit, | had fun with Team Losi at first but the more I played it the more | real- ized how much I don't like the game. The physics model, whether it's realistic or not, is annoying on any course with hills or dips. Your car constantly flips over, the camera goes silly and you end up dropping to fourth place. Of course, you can hit the power-up gates to gain some speed or freeze the clock 50 you can regain first, but most of the time (perhaps due to the intense action or just poor use of colors) it's difficult to tell unb 5 are — specific; z Е 3 = о 8 о = = ы < & м / 1013u05 Sojeuy :әлпдеәј 3599 | ayey aure puy sr1ydesy 1004 :әлпуеә 3510M t translate rea еге down the from having d, confusing m U102'9AH2849]UIXOJ/MMM VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY 4 5 4 5 "m p s FORCE V > VED Publisher: Working Designs/SPAZ Developer: TechnoSoft Featured In: EGM #108 When | first started playing Thunder Force V, | was pretty sure | was going to hate it. Until you begin to understand how each of the weapons work and learn when and where to use them, the game just seems outrageously difficult and often frustrating (on the Normal or Hard difficulties, that is). Once you figure out which weapons work best in given situa- tions however, things begin to get much more tolerable and you start enjoying the game a lot more. Don’t get me wrong—this is hardly what I'd consider to be an "instant classic" of a shooter (Einhánder and G.Darius both run circles around it), but there's definitely more ti han what originally meets the eye. If you were a fan of past TF games, you may be a little bit letdown that there doesn't seem to be as much hard-core gameplay in TFV as there was in past TF games, but what's here is still very solid. The graphics are pretty good (nothing mindblowing), the music is the game is branching le you play (һе lear some oft rying, then reset so you tinue). It all mal VISUALS SOUND 7 8 6 7 INGENUITY 1 :5лэАе]4 JO 49quinN Кедешео Зшдизецо :a1n3eaJ 3598 apo 1эАе]4-ом1 ON :2n3e24 3540 шоэ"и8 вор излом ммм Developer: Codemasters 72 = = EVERYONE 4 5 Publisher: 300 Featured In: EGM #107 Just before I left the fair shores of England to take hold of the collective leashes of this bunch of weirdos, this game was causing a stir. With the Touring Car Racing sport enjoy- ing a spectacular surge in popularity it was the right game at exactly the right time. Over here though, it's somewhat less relevant. Most of the cars are known to American play- ers, but there are a few uniquely European models that will have you scratching your heads. The courses are also all uniquely British (as you'd expect...it’s a British sport) and, as a self-proclaimed expert on these things | can tell you that all of them look dead-realistic. Honest guv. What most impressed the discerning British games-play- ing public though, was the way it “feels” — the controls are absolutely spot-on and once you've got the hang of a featherlite touch you'll be screaming around Silverstone behind the wheel of your Renault Laguna in and when playi ave to race every trac a bit odd. Sti raphically it par with Gran VISUALS 7 7 7 8 SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY 1-1 54эАе]а JO задшпм 6 5 я = 3 5 E 5 R z © E! e Я я. a = < > e. о 2 5 2 я 5 E = ® с м 3uajjax3 |224 $10230) :әлпдеәј 3599 Г 4 SA а Publisher: Atlus Featured In: EGM #110 Trap Gunner is a runny-roundy, trappy, actiony, shooty, strategy thingy with anime graphics and bad '8os techno music. It looks a bit crappy at first, but once you get absorbed it’s actually pretty playable. Does anyone remember the Spy vs. Spy game that came out about 400 years ago? It was on var- ious systems, but personally | remember the version for the Atari 800. It was a two-player "cartoon" action game that had you setting malicious-looking traps to wipe out the other player. It looked naff, but was very playable and dead-funny. Trap Gunner is like this, only the graphics are better and the sense of humor has been surgically removed. The whole thing is viewed in a very dodgy, pseudo top-down view (a bit like Loaded) and has you running around trying to annihilate your opponent. You do this by setting traps in key parts of the map and hope that they're dumb enough to run into them. sounds Ыш VISUALS 5 5 7 6 SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY T-L :54эКе]4 JO 19quinN snoiqnq 319 у 51 uonejuasaJd :a4n3ea4 3510 Кејдәшео јеш3120) :аапзеач 3599 шоззпземмм ТЕ’: 5 xit vers de Know videogamespot | “5165/19 Juels əy} Фор yey) sa!waua Surıeaddeaı umop Зиципу Aq use» шез os 4! 252915! 0} Use» sKSoyens ssog ZENER) "191518 Bay эцз pue 1ау5пя рәләмоа әу) эле asn 0) suodeaM |594 au "595508 ay} 10) uodeaM ]е12э4$ 1поЛ anes ‘ип8 21584 4NOA asn 0} уием под $э13324 zsow ul 773), n کے‎ {з Дузахз ре А 10101 e sa1inbai gy aul `1э}5пЯ злцоу əy} pue 1э}5па разамод əy} ге dn Зшрупа циом ома Ájuo eu | 'suodeaM jenəds 1noÁ dn-samod од Ájunjjoddo 34} ПОЛ әлі8 им пом әріп8 ÁSojeujs 3121902 e 10) 154: anssi aac “wau ||! 03 noÁ 10) 1Əp10 и! упа әд 03 3! элпБэл saiwaua 1972) aui јо әшос 'aseaJ2ui aas-o)-Ásea pue глцоаце 350щ Əy} 51 4aMog 1поЛ по хеш 0} Ад ‘Sued 193519 Suiddinba игум Јәмоа-ебәуи “wa}qoid e auio2aq 0} asead им S||EM 1эло Вицооцв pue “Зицооцѕ asiaud элош цэпш элец пол AEM siu | ‘saruaua ошо под »20| 0} deus-ojne ay} uo SulÁJa1 noun дебапоА рзәшрэ ay} Зицощиоз uo JOM *S310M Pıaue2 ay3 Mou А е!2э459 ‘03 "әш pasn 8unje8 әшо saye} Ар|йәшрЗ au EM á aures ay} 1e 10045 pue win} 0) wea] поле) 1noÁ и! sppo aui зпа Ајә; ue» еләшеэ əy} Jo asn “шеЗу "saiuaua 1е]п8э1 əy} Jo Aue 10 Way} "зора jense» e je ji АР] 0] SI Spuasa] иешеЗау Jo 110 150 əy} 398 0} AEM |594 әц | ‘элэЦ} эл.Лэцз Зимоиу зпоцум sjsanb-qns ay} jsed 348 diys тим 54эАе]4 Auew ‘awes ay} Jo SIAN 24} чим иоцоеаазш JO 10] е S! элэц} 114 ‘eau! Зийуву 10) di] 3594 Ayjaid si эше8 au *seuies ро ay} 40 |әә) ЭЦ} S! „Вшлош daay,, ^ eu seu jns aues əy} *'Ajojeunji04 “АЦ 35} BY} UO WAY) jeaq pjnous sjaÁejd “GE и! эле 5вищр *aui siu | “owes SOW *exof e әле 5риэ8а1 Jo sassog au Mau-pueiq e 10) suınaı URW e8a spuobe uey ебей A1uodeaM ueseg MaJpuv SOX Ag "әш; Asana шм 04 sauo? ^ojJaÁ at не 314 оз ans axew "улеа 1э35па Jayzoue doy a2eds под моу Зпа гоздеру "uje3sns noÁ эбешер jo abe3ua2ıad ay} зээпрэч *3ubieu buiduunf рэрре 10; dinb3 $Зи 9$ duinf *punoae Ajyoinb эрн$ под зәј ƏSƏYL sees за! ‘abewep saonpay Рр 19905 "unb e оў рәлейшоо Би! Алле узлом 3,51 31 3nq 'uoij28304d уэ!пЬ 20; рооб S} 3| "uodeaM e 3,051 5141 ә5поцап|2 ‘moys әшео грипо4 YS Номер "410 213SAW :Ә5П шуу pjeius “5әтшәуә бшлош 35шебе әѕп оў peu 3sní 5,31 'uodeaM apeuald алцогце элош ү 4933nJ4 грипо4 зцешецовб quiog :2511 эреиэл9 purig 4832303 рэ4э35п]> әд Кауа изцм suoojjeq pas əy} jo |e dez o} Клу 1002 Зицуешов ayew 04 гроо8 514} 95п ирэ под `W}! ead 19M0]4 Əy} под әлі8 ім ЕД uau | "Áuuaz ooo'Sr aq им |230} eu лодеш au] о} Аэцош au] эл!9 чизшреац ıa 104 Адооицоа) 10} Аэцош spaau je1dsou Əy} jeu INO риу оз Sasinu Jay pue Jay 03 Же! 1еийбоц Əy} шдеаш |], OA jreupjaauw e omi e seil 13 рәлпіш au) фен “шон зиео “пея әпімдиу ‘эАз зодлалеен 504 ]e)sÁ1) ‘әиоя 100 'euog :a1e suia)! IYL 1235/17 шгид eui пол эл!8 0} 13440 pue Suoje awod им ssaJp иза18 e и! |418 e ‘sua! pauinbai иәләѕ ay} padeyd элец пол sayy ‘suns Əy} и! puy noÁ yey} sua}! Зицзэлази! a2e|d ue» под чооц PUOIAS әц UO "Зшрипа ay} 19jua ue» noÁ MON “шпавпш ay} и! SyJ0M aus JEY} 1еэлал тим $141 заушеа BY} 0} 1! BAI ^onisdi] ЈӘЦ 10) 8101s сацор au ut ар ащ Уве uau| 10102 spaau Sunured Jay зец 191 [үә 'UMOLAN ш заушед au 0) ез "Usi]duio22e 0} әш; әшоѕ под aye} им $141 шопоецоз unasnw *sjurod sow əy} 398 03 neg Зод əy} ҷим Зор Зшцзец au ин "шон зиено 24} пол jeu по asino» |еэ!иц2а1 eui puy “Wun -juuiQ au) s! рлемал уред INJ ay1 "ход 2Isnw ЭЦ} s! ezud ay) уоец 1481216 au) 104 "ззем au) 10) Spe] 9914} әле элэц1 "910 2nsÁW au noÁ sujea Ásejue uoojjeg au, "e1qe53az aui по шев |А 193unH jseag :5М01|0) se әле време au, "Sunmes ssep v eui uo way} jeajap под ji sway! anbiun Чим под рлемал тим авац "saure шш a} Ле] о} 935 eui 0} J18} pue uoneis uoisiAaja] aui 193u3 ‘Ked о) sawesiuiw Moysawes ээ14} әле aay)