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СА deadly mist grips the land. Jn its wake lies a decomposing herd of corpses. Jn its path
ave the last remaining outposts of civilization. 7o save them, you must fend off an army
of mad beasts, a giant monster and a mysterious wizard who will stop at nothing short of total annihilation. Zhe secret that you will discover lies in the Genesis trees. Can you
find and save all the trees? Jr will you be taking one last breath before the long dirt nap?
PlayStation
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first of eight gigantic worlds.
Pick one of 32 vehicles and put it
in gear. Who knows? You might Codemasters
catch a whole inch of air! against up to eight players and
Kick up some sand as you race over a bikini or two.
And put your wheels on. Welcome
to the
It's а good month to be in video games
By John Davison * john davisonGzd.com
t's a good month to be involved in video games. I'll admit that | often sit back and think that, but this month has been truly spectacular for two extremely significant reasons. First, and most obviously, we've been lucky enough to spend a great deal of time with not one, but two Star Wars Episode One games. I’m sure you know what a big deal that is...and for many of you it's probably the reason you picked up this issue of EGM. | won't go into it any further here as we have plenty of information later in the magazine —and let's face it, Star Wars is every-frickin-where at the moment. Needless to say it's all very exciting and we've got some stuff in this issue you won't see anywhere else.
Second, literally a couple of days before this issue went to print | was fortunate enough to be in Japan to see the unveiling of the *Next Generation" PlayStation. You can read more about it in this month's Press Start section—but І just wanted to impress upon you the sheer magnitude of this announcement. Sure, it's a pretty big deal to anyone who knows anything about video games — but it has to be said that it is quite possibly the most important announcement in video game history.
The PlayStation is now the most successful game system ever. Sony (in a fit of frantic and deserved willy-waving at the same event) celebrated the fact that they
have now sold more than 50 million systems, and the rate at which they are shifting them doesn't appear to be slowing down. The prospect of a new system has been on the horizon for some considerable time —but we are now faced with both a system and an apparent strategy that would appear to ensure Sony's dominance for at least another five years.
Not only is the new machine so incredibly powerful that it'll make your knees weak, but it is backed up by a plan that has repercussions throughout the home entertainment and technology world. Sony is going to build a chipset that puts most computers and workstations to shame...and is then going to stick it in a box that will probably cost under $300. Intel and all the other manufacturers touting hi-tech wizardry must be so pissed right now...because this is going to change the way people perceive the power of computing in the home forever—and everyone's going to expect it cheap.
If you think back, no one has ever been the dominant force in gaming twice in a row...the PlayStation has established itself as the interactive entertainment system, and along with the efforts of software companies and magazines like EGM and Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine has helped push video gaming as something that isn't exclusively for teenage boys. PlayStation 2 (for want of a better name at the moment) is going to take this...and turn it into something that hopefully everyone can appreciate—in the way that everyone can appreciate a good movie and a good piece of music. If the demos of Tekken, Gran Turismo and Final Fantasy are anything to go by...| don't think they'll have too much trouble.
sh Printed in the USA.
ELEETROIIIE” Number 12.5 GAMIINIG Way 1999
= ДОЛУ | wwwwideogames.com
Dale Strang J. E. Funk * joe_funk@zd.com
John Davison * john_davison@zd.com Dean Hager * dean_hager@zd.com Crispin Boyer • crispin_boyer@zd.com Dan Hsu * dan hsu@zd.com
John Ricciardi • john_ricciardi@zd.com Shawn Smith • shawn_smith@zd.com Che Chou * che_chou@zd.com
Sushi-X * sushi_x@zd.com
James Mielke * Gary Mollohan * Doug Erickson Joe Fielder * joe@videogames.com
Chris Johnston • chris_johnston@zd.com Terry Minnich • tricks@zd.com Wataru Maruyama * wat_maruyama@zd.com
Michael Stassus « mstassus@zd.com Cyril Wochok * cyril wochok@zd.com Andrew Burwell * Jim Cordano
Stuart Levy, CEO & Bureau Chief
Matthew Galgani, Producer
Kiyomi Fukuyama, Editorial Manager Yutaka Ohbuchi, Japanese Correspondent
Jennifer Whitesides Jo-El M. Damen • Gary Steinman
Marc Camron
Paul Ojeda
Dave McCracken
Chris Melody
Mark Lefebvre • mark_lefebvre@zd.com Scott Parus
Jonathan Lane Cathy Bendoff. Robert Kabat Joan McInerney Shirley Viel
Don Galen
Ann-Marie Mrozynski
Ziff-Davis Video Game Group _
50 Beale, 12th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105 Telephone: 415-547-8000 Fax: 415-547-8777 Suzanne Farrell
Tel: 415-547-8781 e-mail: suzanne _farrell@zd.com Jon Yoffie
Tel: 415-547-8773 e-mail: jon yoffie&zd.com Karen Landon
Tel: 760-942-6277 Fax: 760-942-6243
e-mail: karen landon@zd.com
Anthony. Ране
Tel: 415-547-8774 Fax: 415-547-8777
e-mail: anthony деогде®20.сот
Susan Carroll
Tel: 415-547-8776. e-mail: susan carroll&zd.com
Mike Darling
Steve Harris
nailing offices rates: $4.99. The one year (2 issue) subscription rate is $24.97 in the
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Junior's on fire, as usual. And now you can join him in the season's newest
Ken Griffey Jr's game, Ken Griffey Jr's SLUGFEST." It's inning after inning of slick-fielding,
S L U © Е Е S T power-hitting action. Play as your favorite team, pick your favorite players or
create your own player. With updated stats, teams and stadiums, it's a game so
real, you may think you've died and gone to Cooperstown.
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL TRADEMARKS AND COPYRIGHTS ARE USED WITH PERMISSION OF MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PROPERTIES, INC © MLBPA. OFFICIAL LICENSEE - MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYERS ASSOCIATION. 101999 Nintendo, "™, & the “N” Sports Logo are trademarks of Nintendo of America Inc.
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OVER WAYS ТО
SHOW YOUR ENEMIES HOW MUCH
YOU CARE. —
Why limit yourself to a dozen, hell even a hundred, different weapon choices when you can have thousands?
V
It's time to remove the shackles of 2D, top down strategy games. Because in Warzone 2100, you have complete control over unit designs. As a result, it'll be your wits and ability to create an invincible battle arsenal that will save your hide from extinction.
eee est = 400 technologies allow you to design and build more
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ueste ese ~ recycle the experience of field units into bigger, better and even more fierce war machines. And as a Commander gains experience, the greater number of units he can control and the more accurate his laser designation becomes.
cute = lightning fast, fully functional 3D game engine with rotatable ¥ and zoomable cameras for fast and furious gaming action. Strategically placed radar
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IT'S NOW TIME TO TAKE YOUR FATE INTO YOUR OWN HANDS. SO GET INTO OUR VAST 3D WORLD: DESIGN, DEPLOY AND DESTROY.
WARZONE
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Contents
130 — Power Tools
We take a look at a variety of new peripherals in this month's Power Tools section —items like a bat- teryless Rumble Pak for the N64, a Transformer for your Game Boy Color and some shiny new pads from Thrustmaster.
TI2 - Star Wars, Nothing But...
Every generation has a legend? Yep. Every journey has a first step? You bet. Every saga has a beginning? For sure. And you better believe every console gets a game based on Star Wars: Episode |—The Phantom Menace in May.
6 – Editorial
Anew special friend of ours named PlayStation 2.
18 - Letters
Want to be an art director for EGM or Expert Gamer?
28 - News
Sony makes it official — PlayStation 2 is on its way and it looks and sounds simply amazing.
44 - Gaming Gos:
The Q talks about Gran Turismo 2, Final Fantasy IX and Sega.
134 - Review Crew Need For Speed: High Stakes, Shadow Madness, Triple Play 2000 (N64 and PS) and many others.
142 - Reader Reviews
See how your opinions differed and/or coincided with ours.
PREVIEWS 50 - Dreamcast Previews
Power Stone, Psychic Force 2012, Shenmue and Dreamcast Football. NOTE: D&D Collection for Saturn on page 102.
64 - Nintendo 64 Previews Goemon's Great Adventure, WWF Attitude, Super Smash Bros., Harrier 2001 and Pokémon Snap, among others.
82 - PlayStation Previews
Final Fantasy VIII, Fighter Maker, Bloody Roar 2, Gran Turismo 2 and Dino Crisis.
104 – GB Color Previews
Conker’s Pocket Tales, Pokémon Pinball...
106 — Arcade Previews SF III зга Strike, DoA 2 and Crazy Taxi.
144 — Review Archive
All the scores we’ve given games in recent months.
146 - Jump Start
If you need help with Legend of Legaia, then look here. 148 - Tricks of the Trade CW Nitro (N64): all wrestlers, rings and a balloon heads. - Get Some!
Seeing as there's a Star Wars theme going, we went with it.
154 - The Final Word
What Shoe thinks Sega needs to do with the Dreamcast.
Game Directory
66 52 101 135 66 78
137 86
92 104 70 54 50 52 54 101
A Bug's Life Aero Dancing
Alexi Lalas Intl. Soccer All-Star Baseball 2000
All Star Tennis '99 Armorines
Big Air
Bloody Roar 2: Bringer of the New Age
Bomberman Fantasy Race Chameleon Twist 2 Conker's Pocket Tales Crazy Taxi
Dead or Alive 2 Demolition Racer
Dino Crisis
Dreamcast Football Dungeons & Dragons Collection Echo Night
Eliminator
Evil Zone
Fatal Fury: Wild Ambition Fighter Maker
Fighting Force 64
Final Fantasy VIII Fisherman's Bass Hunter 64 Gex 3: Deep Cover Gecko Giga Wing
Goemon's Great Adventure Gran Turismo 2
Gun Beat
Harrier 2001
Harvest Moon 64
JoJo's Venture
Ken Griffey Jr.’s Slugfest Last Legion UX
Lode Runner 3-D
Maken X
MLB 2000
Monsterseed
NBA In the Zone '99
Need For Speed: High Stakes Omega Boost
Pokémon Pinball
Pokémon Snap
Pop'n Music
Power Stone
Psychic Force 2012
Puyo Puyo 4
Racing Lagoon
136,139 Rampage 2: Universal Tour
58 77 78 140 93 101 94 I 60 104 140 104 88 106
141 68 99 99141 137,141 99 107 58 137 68 89
Ready 2 Rumble Boxing Re-Volt
Road Rash 64
Rushdown
Shadowman
Shangai: True Valor
Shao Lin
Shadow Madness Shenmue
Spawn
Sports Car GT
Spy vs. Spy
Star Ocean: The Second Story Street Fighter III Third Strike: Fight for the Future Street Sk8er
Super Smash Bros.
The Next Tetris
T.R.A.G: Mission of Mercy Triple Play 2000
Ultimate 8 Ball
VJ: Visual & Music Slap Web Mystery
WCW Nitro
WWF Attitude
3Xtreme
STAR. WARS
EPISODE I
THE PHANTOM MENACE
t the brawling begin. The Dreamcast has a new challenger with the PlayStation 2. (pg. 28)
ACCLAIM
A : 22 ЕЗ PC bor NINTENDO S = = GAME. їп cw www.acclaimsports.com wwU.majorleaguebasedall.com
www.bigleaguers.com
The smash sequel to “the best baseball game of the year."
Sl - GamePro Magazine
Derek Jeter 2-Time World Series" Champion
Y
dii Next Generation Technology Award-winning Hi-Rez" graphics and 3-D sports engine
IN UE
Р . All-New Player Models Featuring sunglasses, high socks, and alternate team jerseys
4, Game Boy, Game Boy Color and the 3-D "N" logo are.
Authentic Major League" Strategy Scouting reports by Derek Jeter
All-New Instant Replay Check out those close calls at the bag
7
Over 1500 All-New Play-by-Play Calls The Yankees" John Sterling and Michael Кау call the action
t, Inc., an Acclaim Entertainment studi leserved. Screen shots shown were taken from the Nintendo 64 version
More Than 400 All-New Animations Spectacular over the shoulder catches and swipe tags
Advanced Batting Control & Variable Pitch Speeds Adjustable 3-D batting icon for total batting control
ALL-STAR BASEBALL 2000
nsed By Major League Baseball Players Association. Developed by | claim Entertainment, Inc, TM, © & © 1999 Acclaim Entertainment, Inc.
ball Properties, Inc. ® MLBPA Offi
trademarks of Nintendo of America Inc, ©1996 Nintendo of America Inc. Acclaim is a di
Major League Baseball trademarks and copyrights are used with the permissi
“мегу impressive indeed." _-EGM
As Raziel, stalk the shadows of Nosgoth hunting your vampire brethren. Impale them with spears. Incinerate them with torches. Drown them in No matter how you destro them, you must feed on th souls to sustain your ques
the ruin of your creator, Kain. T Seamless gameplay: No loa
“+ Shift real-time between the and spectral planes
rk gothic story
"Vampire fans get ready — Soul Reaver could be the ultimate thriller..."
-GamePro
PlayStation e ROM
tters
Compiled by Dan "Shoe" Hsu
You can write EGM at:
ҮЙ
To Each His Own
Гуе been a loyal EGM reader for a year or two now, and I’ve noticed a rather disturbing trend: Every month the letters section is littered with hate mail telling the Review Crew how stupid and incompetent they are for giving game X a 10 when it so obviously sucked or game Y a 6 when it blew MGS and Zelda out of the water. Now before the tomatoes begin getting lobbed in my direction, let me explain. | understand that a letters section should be used for readers to voice their opinions on what the editors of a magazine may have said. But people, you have to realize that the guys at EGM are gamers like we are, and their opinions, while hopefully more educated than most, are not always going to agree with our own and are certainly not definitive.
Please don’t take this as me trying to defend EGM. For instance, Resident Evil is one of my all-time favorites, and we all know of EGM's much-publicized “snubbing” of Capcom’s survival horror-fest on its top тоо list. | suppose if | were paid to make a top 100 list, old Resident Evil would be pretty high up there. But alas, | am only a student, not an editor for a magazine. So while I strongly disagree with some of the views the guys have, I think it in bad form to tear them up and criticize their merits for it. | guess ‚ what I’m trying to say is, remember
what we're doing here. We are paying money for a magazine written by a bunch of gamers like us who have scored the ultimate job and get to play games for a living and tell the world what they thought. The Review Crew's rating system is the best I’ve seen (how can you tell if a game is worth your hard-earned dough or not if there are a thousand games an issue with straight fives out of five?), and I generally trust the guys' opinions. However, | simply use a game's score to formulate a smart game purchasing process; if it didn't get a gold award, I'm going to have to rent the thing first. There comes a time when the Crew bashes a game I’ve been looking forward to, so in those cases | rent the thing anyway. But we all have to remember that looking at the scores for a game is like asking your buddy who just bought Xenogears if it's any good. Who knows, the muddy graphics and the horrid voice acting may just turn him off, but when you boot the game up you may be stuck on it for weeks, depriving yourself of sleep while playing through the latest Square masterpiece (not that | did that or anything...cough, cough).
So if you really think the guys at EGM are morons, then don't buy the mag anymore. Just don't riddle the letters column with hate mail.
Ryan Short ris42Gcornell.edu
Gamers’ Choice
Thank you for selecting Panzer Dragoon Saga as Role-Playing Game of the year. We poor Saturn owners (both of us) need a little cheering up! At least Dreamcast is only a few months away.
David Hanson DavidHanson@webtv.net
No need to thank us. We're sure it would've won our reader vote for RPG of
the Year as well, had more of you been given a chance to play this rarity.
By the way, that's all the feedback on our 1998 Gamers' Choice Awards we're going to print. Why? Because 99 percent of the other mail read like this:
“Dear EGM,
1 (agree/disagree) with your choices for the 1998 Gamers’ Choice Awards. | think (Zelda: Ocarina of Time/Metal Gear Solid) is (great/a piece of crap)."
EGM Letters
Р.О. Box 3338
Oak Brook, IL 60522-3338 : EGM@zd.com
For subscripti
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).
So we're sure you'll agree with us, we don’t need to waste space this month printing Zelda vs. MGS mail...we've already beaten that subject to a pulp in previous editions of EGM Letters.
Too Subtle?
In your last issue (April, #117), on pg. 125, in Dan Hsu's review of Bust-A-Move '99, on the 15th line, the words are a little messed up, don't ya think?
Just thought I'd point that out. I’m bored. Where did | put my crayons...?
ShaoZero@aol.com
Here’s that excerpt from my BAM ’99 review. Read between the lines: “/ know Acclaim isn’t the type to milk older titles or licenses, but Money talKs...."
Don’t make us spell it out for you any further. Just sit on this one for a while— we're sure it'll come to you... :)
And In Case It Hasn't Come To You Yet...
Hey Shoe, I really liked your *hidden" jab at Acclaim and the over-milked Mortal Kombat series in your Bust-a-Move '99 review last issue.
Jeffery Wilson TerminusFactor@webtv.net
Thanks.
The Search For April Fools’
| went through your issue this month, when | realized that it was the April issue. | then searched endlessly (actually, it was more like 15 minutes) for the location of your annual April Fools’ joke, and | think
eN p
Ов, 4р ир ^ Usi4 ajeg 'еЧЧОР
Гуе found it. Super Mario Bros. isn't coming out for Game Boy Color! Right? Right?!? Or maybe I'm entirely wrong... David Hammer mrdhammer@softhome.net
Nope. We're happy to say you're wrong. (...happy only because we WANT a portable Super Mario Bros.)
About the April Fools’ thing...that company profile on Attention To Detail must be false. That picture of the team looked fake, as did most of their credentials.
Justin Pearl Virginia Beach, VA
Boy, we sure hope none of the folks from ATD are reading this.
| have read your magazine for years, and the one thing | have enjoyed the most is the annual April Fools’ joke. | just got my April issue, however, and there's no mention of it whatsoever! Did you guys just not mention it, or is there no April Fools' joke this year? John Glennon glennons@hotmail.com
Read on...
When | first read your review on the GameShortz, | believed it. Then it hit me that this was your April issue, and that the GameShortz was the April Fools’ joke. It wasn't the best April Fools' joke (that award goes to your April 1997 issue, he he), but it did make me laugh.
domino79@juno.com
Seriously, the April Fools’ joke gets stranger and stranger every year. | thought | had it with the marriage proposal [in EGM Letters], but then | saw the Dreamcast fishing controller, and then the fact that some people would want Ally McBeal made
into a вате... didn't know if any of those could be real.
But then | stumbled upon the GameShortz review. All the hints were there:
What do you
want to see оге to see a battle against in the new Darth Sidious or Darth Maul. Ferrincm@aol.com Star Wars: A The original vector graphics Episode І arcade game hidden inside. games? trex8me@netscape.net
A playable Obi-Wan Kenobi or Anakin Skywalker. | would also
the price ($41.99=4/1/99), the praise it receives, and the fact that it is not quite obvious what it does. If you had only bought the www.madpropz.com domain you really could have fooled us all! Kent Phillips kaphilli@truth.mccallie.org
It didn’t occur to us to register the URL until after we went to print. Damn our useless brains!
First it was Sheng Long. | remember arcade owners offering players $100 in tokens if they could reveal him. Then it was the infamous GoldenEye hoax that had many gamers spending countless hours trying to open up the different Bonds. Now in 1999, millions of kids will be begging their parents for the hottest game accessory ever: the sensual GameShortz. I'll take a Dreamcast for my work in revealing this sick joke.
mcrc@fortwayne.infi.net
You will get nothing and like it!
The April Fools’ joke has got to be the GameShortz. If it isn’t, could you hook me up with a pair?
headbangers69@juno.com
Sorry! There’s only one GameShortz, and we're using it.
Oh Brother
For those of us interested in checking out Choaniki: Great Brother [editor's note: the fruity homosexual PlayStation shooter mentioned in ЕСМ Letters, issue #115], where can we find a copy of the game?
You guys haven't even shown us a screenshot. Why not? After all, you printed screenshots from Atlus' Thousand Arms, the RPG with heterosexual dating. Ugh! Why aren't the gay games getting equal coverage? There are thousands of gay gamers other than myself out there, who would be interested in buying any gay game we could get our hands on, good or bad. I’m sure there aren't as many, but you finally told us (although indirectly) that there is at least one, so how about full coverage of it?
Monroe White steelnylonsQyahoo.com
An adventure game like Zelda with full freedom of travelling on and between planets.
god. 9999Qyahoo.com
Substance and visual dazzle.
Most Star Wars games only
have dazzle. arasera@panam1.panam.edu
| want to see Ewoks! Cute, cuddly, shootable Ewoks! DMKMGS@aol.com [Konami did with] MGS.
It needs multiplayer!!! blaze192@yahoo.com
letters
Got a game-specific question for our resident ninja? Write him at: Sushi-X P.O, Bo 38 Oak Brook, IL 605 e-mail: sushi_x
I was wondering if you knew whether the Final Fantasy IV-VI compilation your magazine casually mentioned in issue #116 had any chance of coming stateside. I'd gladly pay at least $100 for this collection.
StrikerX@aol.com
Square EA will be bringing Final Fantasy Anthology (containing FFV and VI, the latter being what we called FFIII in the U.S.) here for the PlayStation later this year. | don’t know why they won't be including FFIV in the package, but | intend to find out!
What’s going on with Earthbound 64? DeMoNThUgY@aol.com
It’s been confirmed for the cartridge format, but the proposed 64DD version looks unlikely.
Whatever happened to the N64 Kirby game that was supposed to be out at the same time the system was released? I'm assuming it was tossed out...
LuvinPlats@aol.com
Yov're right. Kirby’s Air Ride is gone baby, but there is a new Kirby game in the works from Nintendo.
Hey Sushi! Your letters column should be longer. Heck, it’s only one page long! Shovisa@skyinet.net
Eeeek! Don’t give anyone any ideas. 1 have my hands full as it is. This month and last, they gave me a break since they needed my page for more previews. You won’t see me complaining! :)
I'm hoping LucasArts does something innovative, like
JuraiKing@aol.com
Princess Leia in a bikini. JarJar2002@aol.com
Га like to see a 10-minute
FMV of Natalie Portman as
Queen Amidala. marc17@hotmail.com
Next Month’s Question of the Moment: What does Sega need to do to compete with PlayStation 2? Send your short but sweet responses to: EGM@zd.com with the subject heading: COMPETE
5 UNIQUE GAME WORLDS AND 136 CHALLENGING LEVELS! д
VLA BONUS LEVELS! “
LODE RUNNER 15 BALK! "Y
Only this time, it's been transformed: into a deep, challenging 3-D puzzle adventure for all ages! Enter the mad Emperor Monk's realm and maneuver between 5 worlds with your specially modified LR-29 combat transport. Recover the stolen gold, explode a few bombs and collect some gems along the way. Eliminate the Emperor Monk, and return to Earth alive. Check it out at
www.loderunner3d.com
Dia gy
INFOGRAMES Lode, r is а ratem: 5 © 1999 Infogrames n i seal, Nintendo 64 and
We'd love to show you some screenshots, but unfortunately, our office copy of Choaniki got lost (stolen?) during our move from Lombard to Oak Brook. We'll try to get another copy from Japan, but it's an older game which may be hard to find. If we do, we'll be sure to show you exactly what a gay shooter looks like, as per your requests!
[Regarding Choaniki: Great Brother,] | think America is missing out on a great game. So what if the gameplay sucks, and the men are humping each other in Speedos...the idea of giant penis weapons rocks! This country is lacking video games with giant penis weapons used to smite the enemies. Bring us coverage of this overseas jewel. | just want to see one screenshot of this game in action. You have to expand our culture with this protein-enriched game.
Mark Tyree marktyree@hotmail.com
Ewww.
Only The Lonely
| picked up the March issue of EGM, and turned to the story about Mario Party. What | found shocked me. Every guy except John Ricciardi had a woman clinging at his side. This was disturbing. Why couldn’t you guys just kick down a few extra bucks and hire a high-quality “stand-in” for him too? It’s the least you could do. | mean, look at the picture on page 116...he’s holding his controller high, in a victory stance. But look deeper, further into his eyes...what do you see? | think there's genuine pain there... Does this have something to do with the Bikini Ricciardi pic? Should we be worried about him? Should we urge him to import more than just video games? Jeremy Flessing hazama@gport.com
First of all, those women are.a lot more expensive than any hired “stand-ins” could possibly be...those are our wives and girlfriends. Second, Ricciardi seems perfectly happy without a local steady.
“All the more money for memory cards,” he always says. (We say “local” because he seems to know a lot of hot girls from
the greater Niagra Falls area.)
Congratulations to Alisha Gerard and Ilan Meighan of Brooklyn, NY. Last month, Alisha proposed to Ilan through EGM Letters. After the issue came out, she called to tell us what happened. Apparently, Цап screamed out loud after seeing his name (and the proposal) in EGM while reading it
at work (a very appropriate place to be
reading EGM, by the way), then called
Alisha right away to give a resounding
“yes.” We're happy for the both of
them. Let's just hope these two rabid EGM fans don’t name any of their kids after Sushi-X...
ве letters
D аш =
Hey...ya wanna work at EGM?
The Ziff-Davis Video Game Group is looking for a pair of visual journalists to join us here in lovely Oak Brook, Illinois. If you like video games and can create cool Quark pages like there's no tomorrow, get your stuff together and send it to us. Here are the positions:
Art Director: Expert Gamer Responsibilities include: planning and creating each month’s cover and setting the overall visual tone of the magazine. This person will work with a pool of page designers and editors to create strategy pages which include easy-to-read maps and info our readers use to beat their favorite video games.
Associate Art Director: Electronic Gaming Monthly Responsibilities include: page design and layout, feature page design, making photo and illustration assignments and washing Cy Wochok’s vintage automobile every Saturday.
Both positions require solid Quark, Photoshop, color scanning and picture toning skills; Adobe Illustrator a plus.
This is your chance to work in а really, really fun atmosphere with very strange but friendly people. Please send a résumé, cover letter and five non-returnable work samples ASAP to the address below:
Meg Krida Senior Human Resources Manager Job Code: AD-MK 10 President's Landing Medford, MA 02155
Where creativity, your favorite video game and a stamp can make you immortal!*
Letter Art
Close, but no controller
Gabriel Echaveste Ventura, CA
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.
Chao Sen Chen Brooklyn, NY
Adam Ross Hyde Park, MA
The ASCII Control Pad
Put your creative skills to the test by decking out a #10 envelope (the long business type) with your own unique touch. Send your letter art to:
EGM Letter Art
РО, Box 3338 Пак Brook, IL 60522-3338
(All entries become the property of ZD Inc. and will not be returned!)
“Or at least
your name in the magazine
ш Те ING ог! Wie Ur ABO OND His К Ме yT
HAND
The comedy that gives horror films the backhand.
AT THEATRES SOON
atu. lag
“ „everything the previous game was and more...an incredible gaming experience.
EGM Flesh-eating Fleeches! Undead z ; . Mudombies! Bone-grinding Greeters!
“VEN hetter-a F odder- than the original.” - Official Playstation Magazine
Tons of cool new ques ups! Invisibility! Healing powers! And.more!
“Exoddus easily earns a place among the PlayStation's best this year.”
- GamePro
ША че and pluses that» will delight all the old fans and нышаны the countless new Ones, ue A тат = combines stunning graphics and engrossing. gameplay.”
(* * * * out of four) - USA TODAY
Spode Ses? ` Available at your local retail store paian ect at www.gtstore.com or call 1-800-610-6TIS
$
29 NEED A HINT? T T L Pc rn |; |. mi Vesti ZH -900-CALL-26T 000W44 13) IET Interactive Pl cD Aware Lifeforms li Ac E t ANH bake i jt с layStation ү том | ware Lifeforms In ян! RATED BY | par roper т:
Бае the Mudokons and save your game anywhere!
Virtual Entertainment
^ оноп Abe's Exoddus” © 1998 фоны em ts, Inc. All Rights К. Created by Oddworld, Published and Distributed by GT Interactive Sot PlayStation and the PlayStation logos are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Oddworld Inhabitants Logo is а tradi
a B Designed by the Italians.
wo wonder it's attracted to anything with curves.
EVERYONE
ig сс et os ë SMe
RARIOGE RACER TYPE 4™ ©. 1998 Namco Lid. All Rights Reserved. PlayStation and the PlayStation logos are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertafoiment Inc. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association.
(96)
"The first great racer of 1999 could be a Gran Turismo Killer" - Official PlayStation Magazine, February 1999
e О
oF Б л E 2 С. ie
It is speed incarnate. Its sexy sheet metal restrains à 3000 cc power plant that hits O-190 mph in the snap of a linguini. It is the Bisonte - just one of the automotive marvels that scorch the streets in R4. With over ЗОО new cars, 45 fantas- tic models, 8 thrilling courses, a 2-player split-screen mode and only one way to drive. Fast. R4’s asphalt gulping graphics and spectacular racing environments deliver racing speeds that were once deemed impossible. But not anymore. Now you've got R4.
Ciao, baby.
RIDGE RACER TYPE 4
Think fast. Drive faster.
namco
WWW. niamco. corn
"R4 has to be the best-looking PlayStation racer ever (yes, edging out even Gran Turismo). - Official PlayStation Magazine, December 1998
* Sensational graphics and lighting effects give every race a cinematic feel
* Race at all times of day and night, even during dramatic sunsets
* Relive your greatest moments through the dynamic-camera replay mode.
* Watch your race with all-new motion- blur effects
* Battle head-to-head in split-screen vs. mode
* Speed-tuned physics keep the arcade-style action fast-paced
* Championship performances unlock secret hidden supercars
* Don't be afraid to bump the other car, it's all part of a winning strategy
* Join one of four international race teams - each with individual strengths and weaknesses
* Design original logos to customize your car
* Race on | gorgeous 2з cityscape, = countryside and racetrack 4 courses `
* Money can't buy victory. You’ve got to earn new cars with your race performance
* Experience all the ups and downs of a full racing season in the Grand Prix mode
* Includes a Ridge Racer Turbo Mode bonus disc with 8 БО FPS tracks
айй
= PlayStation
By Chris Johnston chris johnstonQzd.com
The hottest gaming news on the planet
PlayStation Part Deux
arch 2, 1999 will go down in history as one of the most significant days in the
history of video gaming as the day Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. announced the technical specifica- tions of the "next generation" PlayStation. Presented before a crowd of nearly 2,000 journalists and third-party licensees from around the world, SCEI showed what the new hardware can do while at the same time providing an insight into Sony's strategy for
PlayStation over the next few years.
Commonly referred to as PlayStation 2, Sony has refused to assign it a name just yet. “The name of the next system is not decided." explained SCEI boss Mr. Tokunaka. *We have a good idea, but nothing yet. Naming products at Sony has been a big issue for
50 years, and there were some peo-
ple even at the top level who had some strong reservations about the name PlayStation." It's clear that PlayStation 2 will be upon us very soon—SCEI says the machine will launch in Japan this coming winter before March 2000, and in the U.S. and Europe in the fall of 2000. As you look on the following pages, you'll notice there are no pictures ofthe actual hardware—that's because Sony has not yet decided what the external look of the next machine will be.
At the core of the new PlayStation is a set of two extreme- ly advanced chips—the “Emotion Engine," which is the world's first 128-Bit CPU, and the Graphics Synthesizer, a highly advanced graphics rendering chip (for the technical details of these two processors, check out the Specs sidebar on the next page).
The Emotion Engine is very much the heart of the new machine and integrates all manner of technical wizardry that allows the machine to
not only process its socks off, but also decode MPEG2 images (the standard used
28
for DVD) and allow programmers to produce extremely complicated physical calculations through float- ing point operations. The net result is a processor that could allow pro- grammers to produce 66 million polygons a second using the CPU alone. This compares to approxi- mately 10 million polys achievable with the latest generation of PC 3D hardware, and the 4 to 5 million the Dreamcast cranks out.
It doesn't end there. The Graphics Synthesizer pushes things to a ridiculous level— and allows the Emotion Engine to get on with more important things—like pro- cessing the algorithms provided by what has to be a new breed of pro- grammer to take advantage of the power. The chip is centered around a parallel rendering engine that contains a 2,560-Bit wide data bus that is as much as 20 times the size
Namco’s Tekken demo took the original code from Tekken 3 on the PlayStation and applied some incredible new graphics.
he following figures are the numbers of millions of flat-shaded polygons each system is capable of rendering.
Check out the latest gaming news at www.videogames.com
CPU: ` 128-Bit "Emotion Engine" - Clock Frequency:
. 300Mhz
„Маі Memory:
. Direct Rambus (RDRAM) 32Mb
_ Memory Bus Bandwidth: ... 3.2GB/second Floating Point Performance: ` 6.2GFLOPS . 3D CG Geometric Transformations: . ‘i 66 million polygons/second Compressed Image Decoder: MPEG2
at
DRAM Bus Bandwidth: _ 48GB/second RAM Bus Width:
RGB, alpha, Z-buffer
“Sound: | “SPU2+CPU"
aces: F E1394, Universal Serial. Bus(USB) © Communication: PCMCIA PC card
Disc Device: D-ROM/DVD-ROM
The ballroom dancing sequence in Final Fantasy VIII is arguably one of the finest CG sequences in any video game. These PlayStation 2 screens prove the new machine is capable of producing exactly the same result in real time.
of leading PC-based graphics accel- erators. What does this mean in English? Well, it means the GS can squirt all of its graphical cleverness around in massive chunks at a time. Think of the data bus like a hallway where the people walking through it are the bits of informa- tion. On a PC this is about the size of a school or office hallway— throw too many people in there and they get clogged up and there's an inevitable traffic jam. In the new PlayStation this hallway is more like a highway.
When drawing small polygons, the peak drawing capacity is 75 million polygons a second and the system can render 150 million parti- cles a second (to simulate effects like smoke or sparks). With this capacity it's feasible for the new PlayStation to render almost movie- like images. With all of the effects turned on and the GS forced to per- form multiple passes on the same image—i.e., adding textures, Z- buffering, lighting and alpha blend- ing (transparency) it can sustain 20 million polygons a second...more than five times that of the Dreamcast and considerably more than even high-end graphics work- stations like the Infinite Reality 2. As Sony puts it, "Imagine walking into the screen and experiencing a movie in real time...this is the world we are about to enter."
"We're excited, but | have to say |
think it scares the shit out of a lot of console developers," offered Naughty Dog's Jason Rubin at a cocktail reception after the presen- tation. *There just aren't enough people out there with the math and physics talent to take advantage of this thing at the moment. | could hire everyone from MIT and still not have enough good programmers. It'll come, but to start with I think most teams will only get 30-4096 of the power out of the thing. | don't think that's ever happened before." We also spoke with Alien vs. Predator developer Chris Kingsley from Rebellion who was seriously impressed with the system. *PC programmers are going to love this thing, because they're used to scal- able technology. We're optimizing AVP to run on a serious PC with all the 3D hardware, but І reckon you
ing the graphics of original games “was something that we did consid- er during the R&D process, but we feel that it's more important to offer 100 percent compatibility and give the consumer the exact same experience they achieved on the current PlayStation technology." Sony plans to continue supporting the original PlayStation with soft- ware well into the life of the next machine.
The 1/0 Processor will also be keeping an eye on the USB port (Universal Serial Bus, which you know about if you've recently bought a PC or an iMac), PCMCIA (the standard for plug-in cards on portable computers — usually used for modems) and IEEE1394, more commonly known as FireWire because of its mind-boggling speed—the standard port for
"We're excited, but | have to say | think it scares
the shit out of a lot of console developers.
[Li
could throw 10 times as much stuff at the PlayStation 2
without it breaking a sweat. As long as it does what they say it can...and I’ve got no reason to believe otherwise."
INTO THE DIGITAL FRONTIER The guts of the new PlayStation are pretty damn powerful, but it doesn't end there. The new machine will also be 10096 back- ward compatible with the existing PlayStation so you can play all your old games, thanks to the fact that the existing PS CPU will form a part of the machine's I/O Processor (the thing that looks after the joypad ports and other interfaces). Not only will the system be able to play all the original PlayStation's soft- ware, but you can also use your PlayStation peripherals — con- trollers, memory cards and more importantly PocketStation with the new hardware. This gives the machine an unprecedented edge. While it won't improve the graphics of these games іп any way, it does mean that everything will work as it does on the original system. Phil Harrison, SCEA's vice president of third-party relations and research and development said that enhanc-
Digital TV and other digital devices such as camcorders and cameras. Not only will Sony's next generation PlayStation be able to connect with standard TVs of today, but it's also compatible with Digital TV stan- dards so that when HDTV becomes a reality, you'll still be able to use your PlayStation.
"We want to see PlayStation side by side with TV receivers and other TV components," explains Tokunaka. “The PlayStation will continue to be a games system, but we are thinking that it could be connected to Sony’s audiovisual products in the future. For example, maybe you could take your own pictures through a digital cam- corder through the FireWire port and modify characters in games so you can be the hero. Maybe you would want the face of the hero in the game to be yours.”
Does the PCMCIA slot mean that online gaming is also a major ele- ment of the new machine? Will a modem be featured as standard? Kutaragi tells us “online gaming is very attractive — but the infrastruc- ture of the Internet is not satisfac- tory at the moment. It is very easy for us to give the system communi- cation capabilities through the USB
Square's fighting game demo proved the new machine could render some extremely realistic environments in real time.
and PCMCIA interfaces, but it will all be down to the application of the software in the end."
The system is centered aroun a DVD drive, giving developers a possible 4.7 gigabytes of space per disc to work with. As it was explained, the system will likely begin with developers utilizing t CD-ROM format that is most famil- iar, gradually moving to DVD as games start to require it. At the time of the technical demo the team was still unsure as to whether the new PlayStation would be equipped to play DVD movies. “Many stores are now expanding their space for DVD movies and many more people are enjoying them,” offers Kutaragi. “It’s a possi- bility. DVDs are obviously a very passive kind of entertainment, while the PlayStation is interactive. | would welcome the feature though. Technically the machine can do it, but we are not sure whether to or not at the moment.”
One thing Sony is keen on using is DVD’s ability to create amazing sound through both AC-3 and DTS output from the machine. This will give you a much more surrounding experience for games where atmos- phere is everything. Just imagining a Metal Gear or Resident Evil game using 5.1-channel stereo sound is
Ф
Check out the latest gaming news at www.videogames.com
enough to make a gamer's ears melt.
How much will all this cost? Sony is reluctant to say, but you can bet it will land at a competitive price. Sony has seen just how much success it can achieve in the gaming market, and isn't likely to release their grip voluntarily—even if it has to sell the machine at no profit to get there. According to recent reports, the machine will land at a consumer level price under $500— meaning it could be anything (our guess is a conser- vative $299). A price will be announced closer to the system's Japanese launch. There will not be multiple versions of the system at different price points. It will be one, full-featured system at a competitive price.
SHOW US THE POWER
Aside from shedding some light on the technical details of the system, the best thing we can pos- sibly offer you are the screenshots found throughout this news piece. It's safe to say Kutaragi and his team put together an incredible demonstration —and as each of the development teams were wheeled out to show their demos (some of which had only been in develop- ment for two or three weeks) it was increasingly apparent the new PlayStation is more than another step forward from Dreamcast...this is a huge, great Evil Kneival-type leap through flaming rings and over parked buses.
Polyphony Digital
"We've used some of the original GT code to piece together this demo," explained Polyphony boss and Gran Turismo producer Kazunori Yamauchi. On the video Screens we saw a clip of a couple of cars racing around a corner over and over. It looks impressive...but uncannily like a rendering pro- duced on a workstation or a PC. That is until Yamauchi-san picks up a PlayStation joypad and starts playing the thing. The entire track was in place, and the Mazda RX-7 model from Gran Turismo has been
given a serious facelift. If you thought the replays looked cool in the PlayStation game —this will make your jaw drop.
FROM Software
The developers of the King's Field series of games also showed off what they could do with the sys- tem. It showed a brief demo with dozens of skeletons rising from the ground. In this case again, a joypad is picked up and camera angles are changed. A fairy appears to smash the skeletons to pieces, and from their remains rises a huge skeletal dragon, built by the skeletal remains filling the screen. Impressive? You betcha.
Square A bunch of demos were shown by
the Square team, each consider- ably more impressive than the pre- vious. First, the old man's face now associated with Final Fantasy The Movie was manipulated and lit in real time. Joypads were twiddled to produce different facial expressions while the camera was moved around and lights were added
and taken away. Impressive —espe- cially considering it was rendering something in real time that looks far better than anything you’ve seen in a cutscene.
Next, a fighting game that makes the likes of Ehrgeiz and Power Stone look ridiculous. A huge brawl ensues in a room and it soon becomes apparent that everything in the room is modeled realistically. Pugilists are thrown against walls and pictures fall off their hooks to
Along with representatives from Newsweek and the Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine, EGM is proud to be one of the only groups to have had hands-on experience with the new Gran Turismo outside of SCEII’s R&D department. It has to be said for a demo that is only a few weeks old (and just 15 hours before lacked any wheels!)
it’s surprisingly impressive.
The hi-res images are absolutely beautiful and hold a solid 60 frames per second at all times. Although only one of the tracks from the original game was on show—the jump in realism was simply astounding—it really was like playing one of the cinemas from the original, if not better.
PlayStation
Bed lights will be run.
Cop cru/sers w/// be totaled. And bank-robkbing low-lifes will escape.
If you're amy good.
YOU ARE THE WHEEL MAN"
FROM THE CREATOR OF DESTRUCTION DERBY 1&2
driver.gtgames.com
Driver™ © 1999 GT Interactive Software Corp. All Rights Reserved. Created by Reflections 3 Interactive Limited, a GT Interactive Software Corp. studio. Published & distributed by GT Interactive GT Interactive Software Corp. Reflections and the Reflections logo are trademarks of Reflections Interactive Limited.
oftware GT is a trademark and the GT logo is a registered trademark of GT Interactive Software Corp. PlayStation and the PlayStation logos are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment
Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective companies.
FACIAL ANIMATION
knock out the dazed victims. Fighters are hit with objects and eventually thrown out of the room and into an adjoining garden. Beautiful stuff.
Seen the ballroom dance scene in Final Fantasy VIII? It's widely regarded as one of the finest rendered movie sequences ever produced for a video game. It has a grace previously unseen and took someone at Square an awful- ly long time to render. The new PlayStation can produce the same scene in real time. Shocked? You ever heard the sound of 2,000 international journalists and devel- opers' jaws simultaneously hitting the floor? If re-creating the scene wasn't enough, the team went on to prove how great the system was by moving the camera, changing the lighting—and changing the
characters and starting the scene back up again.
Namco
After showing off a fully interac- tive Namco Ridge Racer girl...the real crowd pleaser hit the screens. Talk about saving the best until last. A dark street lit with high- powered stadium lights, a crowd of cheering and chanting spectators, and then Paul Phoenix walks up in his leather jacket. He smoothes back his hair, brings up his fists and starts to bob up and down in that oh-so-typically Tekken fash- ion. Who's he facing? Jin Kazama struts on, does his thing and also assumes the position. The camera swoops, moves and shows off the environment. The shadows look real, the crowd looks real (not just silly Street Fighter-ish two-frame
Like A
FACIAL ANIMATION |
animation), and even the junk in the street looks real. This is a cool-looking demo.
Then the Namco team picked up a couple of joypads and started playing Tekken 3. They've ported all of the fighting code for Paul and Jin, so the demo was fully play- able. An audible intake of breath from everyone in the room aptly sums up the collective feelings.
We were assured this demo was only produced in a couple of weeks, and the models for the characters are simply those from the PlayStation game. It will look a lot better when programmed specifically for the machine.
So is this a good indication of the launch games? “The demos were designed to show the techni- cal abilities of the product,” explains Kutaragi. “It’s up to the individual software companies as to what titles they will prepare for the system launch. They are not necessarily a representation of launch games.”
“How many games at launch?” asks Tokunaka. “As many as possi- ble! We are very optimistic. We can expect the same number as we saw with the current machine in 1994. One thing is for sure. If the
FACIAL ANIMATION
software is not ready...there will be no launch. It's as simple as that. When we launched the first PlayStation we were concerned that companies would not be ready by the Japanese launch— but we're impressed by how they accelerated development times."
As a closing comment it's inter- esting to see who the SCEI team now sees as the competition for the PlayStation. The machine is so much more powerful than every- thing else on the market, it's sure to ruffle some feathers. Who are they competing with now? Tokunaka offers some insight: “1 do not know...maybe mobile tele- phones? Whatever holds the inter- est of individuals. Actually our president of Sony Music Japan claims the music industry is suffer- ing because of the popularity of the PlayStation. If you define the term competition in its narrowest sense...not against Dreamcast, PC or N64...the real competition is anything that occupies the time and attention of people. For exam- ple, my son was a PlayStation fan until recently when he found him- self a very pretty girlfriend. Now he is spending much more of his time and money on her. His playing time is suffering."
Chatroom-
Except
Get the multiplayer
KEDE
PLA |
1998 SegaSolt Networks, Inc. HEAT and HEAT NET ar T
Everyone’s
experience on
March 4, 1999 was another
big day for Sony as it announced that in a joint venture with Toshiba, it would be manufactur- ing the Emotion Engine 128-Bit processor in new production lines at an existing clean room
in Oita, Japan. This manufacturing
joint venture will see the produc- tion of 10,000 wafers of the 0.18-0.15 micron chips per month (there are multiple chips produced on each wafer) and sees SCEII investing 50 billion yen in equip- ment for the venture.
Graphics Synthesizer (above), Emotion Engine (left)
Jack Sorenson Uses The Force at LucasArts
Star Wars excitement won't just be felt at the movie theaters this year. LucasArts is planning a bunch of games based on Episode I so that you don't just have to see the movie dozens of times, but you can experience it at home too. We spoke with Jack Sorenson, president of LucasArts, to find out the company's plans for the future and his take on the state of the video game industry.
EGM: How did you get started in the industry, and when did you join LucasArts?
Jack Sorenson: I’ve been here a little over eight years, but it almost seems like I’ve always been here now. | used to be an investment banker, of all things. Before that, | tried to be a profes- sional musician. So a little bit of extremes.
EGM: Lucasfilm has been known to take movie making to that next level. How do you see LucasArts as bringing that kind of innovation
to the interactive market?
JS: | think we've been trying to do our share for an awful long time. We're obviously limited by the technology that's in homes, which is a little differ- ent than what ILM does and certainly what George is able to do. They're really pushing things where they'll have a task in front of them of "let's try and do this and make it look real," and we haven't had the pleasure of doing that. But when you look at things like where some of the PC tech- nology is headed and then PlayStation 2, | think you're starting to see that soon we'll be able to do things in real time that ILM was able to do maybe three to four years ago.
EGM: Do you think this next push into DVD and really high-end graphics is going to necessarily mean that games get better?
JS: It never does. Just because an effects company can make a better-looking Godzilla walk around, it doesn't mean it turns into a better film.
EGM: Speaking of Godzillas, do you think Sony's next machine will dominate the
next generation?
JS: We're going to be given a heck of a lot of power, but we're going to have to do something with it. | think if we all just fill it up with more full-motion video and higher quality sound and neglect to make decent games and that's all that was out on the Sony platform, then it
would have trouble. 1 don't think that will necessarily happen.
EGM: As a developer, are you excited about the possibilities that Sony's next machine represents? JS: Absolutely. We think all this plays into our traditional strengths. Particularly when you also look at the fact that when you're able to do more in real time, and people start becoming more discriminating about performances, the actual animation performances and the charac- terizations, and how those characters become characters through narrative —these are al things we've been trying to do since Maniac Mansion, if not before. | think a lot of compa- nies are going to be hard-pressed to figure out how to come up with a decent story and decent characters that will work in conjunction with a great control and gaming experience. It's not easy — just look at how many terrible TV shows and films there are.
EGM: Do you think five years from now we'll still have Sega/Sony/Nintendo, or do you t that will change?
JS: | don't think it'll stay the same. It's getting more competitive now and it's getting tough. | think both consumers and the industry, outside of PC anyway, certainly want two competitors, and there will always be at least two. | won't say who those are, but | do think that once it gets into three, it becomes very tough.
ink
EGM: What do you think Sega's chances are with the Dreamcast, especially now that Sony has shown their hand?
JS: | think Sega's got a real shot if they're able to build software like they did before and like they've been capable of with coin-op. If they're very focused on getting out some great soft- ware, even from the first party, then I think given the hardware specs, which are relatively easy to use—and it's a nice system, that they have a shot, but they've probably only got one to two years, and if they can pull off some real- ly great software then they'll be able to contin- ue to compete.
EGM: What do you think of Nintendo's
market position? Has the cartridge format affected them?
JS: 1 don't think it's too controversial to say that no one was really that excited about the launch of a cartridge system, principally because of the economics. But | don't think the position Nintendo is in now has anything to do with whether it was cartridge or CD-ROM. I think the bigger mistake from Nintendo, on a global basis, was having a breadth of software. It’s been enough in the States to stay very competitive with Sony, but in Europe and Japan, it hasn't been. Keeping the num- ber of developers and publishers limited on Nintendo, | think, was probably a bigger impact than the cartridge ver- sus CD format.
Developer Profile
Factor Five
Location: San Rafael, CA Web Site: http://www.factors.com
# of employees: 19
Gameography: Katakis (Amiga), R-Type (Amiga), Turrican (Amiga/ST), Turrican 2 (Amiga/ST), Turrican 3 (Amiga), B.C. Kid (Amiga), Super Turrican (SNES), Mega Turrican (Genesis), Contra 2 (Game Boy), Animaniacs (Game Boy), International Superstar Soccer Deluxe (Genesis), Super Turrican 2 (SNES), Indiana Jones (SNES), Rebel Assault 2 (PSX), BallBlazer Champions (PSX), Rogue Squadron (N64/PC).
Games other team members have worked on previously: Thornado, MOSys FX sound tools for Game Boy Color and N64.
The most difficult thing about making a game based on Star Wars is: To hit the deadline AND meet the expecta- tions of Star Wars fans.
The easiest thing about making a game based on Star Wars is: The name —аї least the first two words.
If there was one thing we could change about this industry, it would be: Less development time until a game is finished — 18 months is way too long.
During breaks from late-night pro- gramming sessions, we: Drink beer and compose German humpa-music on the fly.
Our favorite game to play in the office (not by us) is: Robotron: 2084 (we have an arcade machine in the office — Eugene rules!)
Favorite snack foods: Honey Mustard Pretzels
Music that inspires us around the office: Definitely NOT the Star Wars soundtrack - aside from that anything Euro-techno-like with a bit of jazz
and ambiance.
Story behind our name: Five guys from Germany (Cologne) got bored after School and wanted to create a few good games оп home computers —that was in 1988 and since then we moved to California and did a lot of games...
Born in the vu.s.a.
Believes in every citizen's right to freedom of speed.
‘CONTA RATED BY | [ ESRB
RAERIOGE RACER TYPE 4 © 1998 Namco Lid, All Rights Reserved. PlayStation and the PlayStation logos are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc, The ratings ican is a trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association.
AIO)
“The first great racer of 1999 could be a Gran Turismo Killer: - Official PlayStation Magazine, February 1999
it boasts an American stock car pedigree. Built Tallahassee tough and water-moccasin fast. Its muscle-bound V8 unleashes 317 stampeding horses, as well as unlimited “Yee-Haa’s!”. It is the Detector - just one of the auto- motive marvels that torches the streets in R4. With over 300 new cars, 45 fantasy models, 8 thrilling courses, a 2-player split- screen mode and only one way to drive. Fast. R4’s asphalt gulp- ing graphics and spectacular racing environments deliver racing speeds that were once deemed impossible. But not anymore. Now you've got R4.
So long, pardner.
Think fast. Drive faster.
namco'
www.namco.com
“R4 has то be the best-looking PlayStation racer ever (yes, edging out even Gran Turismo]." - Official PlayStation Magazine, December 1998
* Sensational graphics and lighting effects give every race a cinematic feel
* Race at all times of day and night, even during dramatic sunsets
* Relive your greatest moments through the dynamic-camera replay mode
* Watch your race with all-new motion- blur effects
J ° Battle head-to-head À in split-screen vs. mode
* Speed-tuned physics keep the arcade-style action fast-paced
* Championship performances unlock Secret hidden supercars
* Don't be afraid to bump the other car, it's all part of a winning strategy
* Join one of four international race teams - each with individual strengths and weaknesses
* Design original logos to customize your car
* Race on f) \, gorgeous | ) 3 cityscape, ( countryside JN and racetrack (
courses М.
ren * Money can't buy victory. You've got to earn new cars with your race performance
* Experience all the ups and downs of a full racing season in the Grand Prix mode
* Includes a Ridge Racer Turbo Mode bonus disc with 8 60 FPS tracks
PlayStation
Check out the latest international gam
Tidbits
Ninja Gaiden Resurrection
Been a long time—but Tecmo is considering bringing back Ryu Hayabusa for another adven- ture, but they need your input. Would you buy a new Ninja Gaiden title? If you would, drop an e- mail of support to tecmoinc@earthlink.net.
Dreamcast - $199
Although Sega is still reluctant to put a price on Dreamcast, several sources are indicating that it will come in at $199 with a modem when it's released in the U.S. this fall (September is the likely release date).
FF Collection in U.S.
It has been revealed that Square will bring Final Fantasy Collection to the U.S. as Final Fantasy Anthology later this year—a compila- tion with Final Fantasy V and VI (FFIII in the U.S.). Final Fantasy IV (known in the U.S. as Final Fantasy Il on the Super Nintendo), which
Square Sets Record Square had a record-setting day on the first day of Final Fantasy VIII's release. The company sold a reported 2.21 million copies of the game, with day-one sales estimated at 17.2 billion yen (about US$145 million). However, due to a soft- ware bug, a little over 1,000 copies of the game ave been returned. As of press time, Square had sold 3 million copies of the game in Japan.
Nintendo Delays Space World
Nintendo hasn't held its annual Space World
for quite a while—and it's postponed the show
again. Now it will take place during the summer oliday in Japan — August 27, 28 and 29.
Resident Evil Zero to N64? According to sources in Japan, Capcom is working on a Resident Evil title for the N64 tentatively titled Resident Evil Zero as it takes lace before the events of the first game.
At AOU, Konami had upgrades of its music games, like Dance Dance Revolution 2nd Mix.
is included in the Japanese Collection, will not make it into the anthology set that Square EA will release in the U.S.
Retro Pioneers N2000
Ex-Iguana Founder and President Jeff Spangenberg recently revealed his future plans—a new studio based in Austin, Texas, Retro Studios. The design philosophy of the new team is to produce new titles that apply a "retro" philosophy to gameplay. It would appear the new team has developed close ties with Nintendo and early indications suggest that Nintendo's intentions for Retro are to effectively become the U.S. equivalent of Rare. Projects will be funded by Nintendo, but then allowed to develop at their own pace until they are fin- ished. Most interestingly, we are aware that Retro will not be working on any projects for existing Nintendo systems, making this one of the first indications that Nintendo's "next gener- ation" system strategy is up and running.
NAOMI Rules AOU
The Japanese Amusement Expo AOU 1999 was held this past February at Makuhari Messe in Chiba prefecture. Arcade companies from around Japan gathered to show off their wares at the show. Sega in particular had a strong show with a bunch of new NAOMI titles that will eventually come to Dreamcast including Airline Pilots (flight sim), Zombie Revenge (House of the Dead side story), Giant Gram: Zen Nihon Pro Wrestling 2 (sports), Kurutto Stone (puzzle), Derby Owners Club (horse racing), F355 Challenge (racing) and Boat Race 2 (racing). Konami had a bunch of new music-themed games and Namco showed off some of its latest, but no big surprises.
Capcom had Strider 2 footage on videotape at the show. The game is running off of PlayStation arcade hardware, so the game will definitely be part of Capcom's end-of-year lineup (as well as coming to Dreamcast).
Sega had a new Fantasy Zone title on show at AOU, but instead of a game, it's a UFO Catcher.
news at www.videogames.com
Import Pick of the Month
Marvel Vs. Capcom - One of the Saturn's biggest strengths (R.I.P., ol’ buddy) was that it had nearly arcade-perfect versions of Capcom's arcade fighting games. Now that the Dreamcast's around, Capcom is working the same kind of magic on that machine, bringing with it an arcade-perfect version of its Marvel Vs. Capcom title. This will be the first time the Dreamcast has been able to show what it can do with 2D graphics, making it a must-have for people that have invested in an import DC and fans of Capcom's fighting games.
PlayStation:
3/25 The King of Fighters '98, SNK (Fighting)
4/1 баба Frontier 2, Square (RPG)
4/15 Dance Dance Revolution, Konami (Misc.)
4/15 Bust A Move 2: Dance Tengoku Mix, Enix (Misc.)
4/22 CyberOrg, Square (Action
4/29 Cotton Original, Success (Shooting)
5/13 Konami '8os Arcade Gallery, Konami (Compilation)
5/27 Racing Lagoon, Square (Racing)
5/27 Lunar 2 Eternal Blue, Game Arts (RPG)
Dreamcast 3/25 Marvel Vs. Capcom, Capcom (Fighting) 3/25 Blue Stinger, Climax Graphics (Action) 3/25 Superspeed Racing, Sega (Racing) 3/25 The House of the Dead 2, Sega (Light Gun) 4/1 Get Bass, Sega (Sports) 4/1 Buggy Heat, CRI (Racing) April Redline Racer, Imagineer (Racing) 5/27 Shutokou Battle, Genki (Racing) May Elemental Gimmick Gear (E.G.G.), Hudson (RPG) May Dynamite Deka 2, Sega (Action) May The King of Fighters Dream Match 1999, SNK (Fighting)
Nintendo 64
3/21 Pokémon Snap, Nintendo (Action)
April Pokémon Stadium 2, Nintendo (Action)
Game Boy 4/14 Pokémon Pinball, Nintendo (Action)
* Schedule subject to change without notice. Consult your local import game store for the latest release information.
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mors” are trademarks of The Coca-Cola Company. їп is а trademark of MTV Networks.
All-Star Baseball 2000 - Acclaim All-Star Tennis 99 - Ubi Soft Bust-A-Move 99 - Acclaim Chameleon Twist 2 - Sunsoft Charlie Blast's Territory - Kemco Fighting Force 64 - Eidos
Micro Machines Turbo 64 - Midway Rugrats Board Game - THQ Starshot - Infogrames
Super Smash Bros. - Nintendo
V Rally 99 Arcade Champ. Edition - Infogrames
Super Е А Bug's Life - Activision Caesar's Palace - Crave Entertainment
omin
Sports Sports Puzzle Action Puzzle Action Racing Misc. Action Fighting Racing
Adventure Simulation
IHADURCA
Compiled by: Chris Johnston
Chameleon Twist
Duke Nukem: Zero Hour - GT Interactive Gauntlet Legends - Midway
Goemon’s Great Adventure - Konami Ken Griffey Jr.'s Slugfest - Nintendo Lego Racers - High Voltage Software Monaco Grand Prix - Ubi Soft
Playmobil - Ubi Soft
Rayman 2 - Ubi Soft
Star Wars Episode |: Racer - LucasArts
June
AirBoardin’ USA - Agetec Command & Conquer - Nintendo Gauntlet Legends - Midway
Gex 3: Deep Cover Gecko - Eidos Hybrid Heaven - Konami
Action Action Action Sports Racing Racing Action Action Action
Racing Strategy Action Action Action
Looney Tunes Space Race - Infogrames Pokémon Snap - Nintendo
Rat Attack! - Mindscape
Shadowgate 64 - Kemco
Superman - Titus
Tonic Trouble - Ubi Soft
Vigilante 8 - Activision
World Driver Championship - Midway WWF Attitude - Acclaim
July
Fisherman Bass Hunter 64 - Take 2 Harrier 2001 - Video Systems Monster Truck Madness - Rockstar Roadster 99 - Titus
Twelve Tales: Conker 64 - Nintendo
e Nintendo 64 e Game Boy
Action
Misc. Action Puzzle Action Action Action Action Sports
Sports Flight Sports Racing Adventure
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THIS AIN'T NO G.I. JOKE SOLDIER. MCFARLANE TOYS REVEALS ALL THE DEADLY DETAILS à FROM THIS YEAR'S HOTTEST VIDEO GAME. KONAMI
NO ONE REMEMBERS WHO HAD
THE MOST BUNTS IN A SEASON.
CYBER SAMMY
Station 51999 Electronic Arts. Elciranie Arts, EA Sports; АЕА Spons logo, Triple P ай, it's In the gant@sit's ifthe game; and Cyber Athlete are trademiarks-or cégisterdd trademarks of Electronic Arts-in the. sgslliotendo of America ing. ©1996 Nintendo okAmeriga Thc Major. kes Narademarke agd copyrights ar6.lisey-with:parmission of Major eaque Baseball Propartias, lûf. ОМІ ВРА: Officially Licensed by» х : $ к DASS k SE OS ы,
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Meet Sammy Sosa, Cyber Athlete” and Jack Citys reigning e/ Presidente, Think you can sit him down? Wake up. This is bigger league ball. More warning track power. Deeper ivy-divin catches. Faster inning-ending double plays. And harder trainwreck slides. So pitch around him or you'll get dragged kickin’ and screamin’ into the record books. * + + 5 WWW.eüsports.com © • © »
DANAE!
WCW/nWo Thunder
THQ
1 2
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AN
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Nintendo
GoldenEye 007
3 ae iw South Park
4 Acclaim м
5 Metal Gear Solid L Konami ^
Star Wars Rogue Squadron
Nintendo
6 7 8
Frogger
Hasbro Interactive
Pokémon (Blue Version) Nintendo
Crash Bandicoot: WARPED
Sony Computer Entertainment
Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back |
Sony Computer Entertainment
1 11
Bran Turismo Sony Computer Entertainment
12 2m (Red Version} Knockout Ki DIT =
Spyro the Dragon
Sony Computer Entertainment
14 15 16 17 1 1 20
Rugrats: Search for Reptar THO
A Bugs Life
Sony Computer Entertainment
Super Mario 64
Nintendo
Cool Boarders 2
Sony Computer Entertainment
Cool Boarders 3 989 Studios
WCW/nWo Revenge THO
Top 20
Source: NPD TRSTS Video Games Service. Call Mary Ann Porreca at (516) 625-2345 for questions regarding this list. Тор 5 game descriptions written by the EGM staff.
The Top-20 Best-Selling Games of January, 1999
Last Month
NEW
Last Month
1
Last Month
4
Last Month
NEW
Last Month
7
Last Month
2
Last Month
19
Last Month
16
Last Month
3
Last Month
11
Last Month
17
Last Month
THQ proves once again that wrestling sells, no matter how good (or bad) the game is. OK, to be fair—WCW/nWo Thunder isn’t all THAT bad, but it’s nowhere near as good as its N64 cousin, WCW/nWo Revenge. Wonder how WCW Nitro 64 is going to sell...
6.5 5.0} 7.0| 5.5
Dan Dean Shawn Sushi
Hail to the king! Zelda sold a massive 2.1 million units between Nov. 23 and Dec. 31 last year. Will it have the same long-term success as GoldenEye? Hmm...
GoldenEye 007
Can you believe it? GoldenEye— a mid-1997 release— ended up being the best-selling game of '98! Expect Perfect Dark to break all sorts of records later this year.
South Park
South Park may not be the best game ever created (heck, without the SP license, it'd suck), but it still managed to sell quite well in January. Look for a PS SP soon...
Metal Gear Solid
10
Crispin
10
John R
Last Month
15
Last Month
Konami’s bad-ass tactical espionage thriller (and EGM’s PS Game of the Year for 1998) makes its way back to the Top 5. If you haven't bought it yet, do so...now.
Last Month
14
Last Month
13
Last Month
20
Last Month
Which of the following games are you most interested in?
Gran Turismo 2 13%
N
Final Fantasy VIII 41%
WWF Attitude 22%
Last Month
Perfect Dark 24%
Source: videogames.com poll results for Feb. 19, 1999
What are you waiting for?
won Tomb Raider [| 4
Now on Greatest Hits
ШЕ
ul Б N : Л
EIDOS апа TOMB RAIDER are registered trademarks of Eidos Interactive, Inc and Core Design Ltd. CORE and LARA CROFT are trademarks of Core Design Ltd. Copyright 1999 — Core Design Ltd. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, GEX 3, the GEX character and related characters are trademarks of Crystal Dynamics. © 1999 Crystal Dynamics. PlayStation and the PlayStation logos are registered trademarks of Sony Entertainment Inc. The ratings
TX €
t ar: отте ав г GAMES WITH CHARACTER
icon is a trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. All rights reserved. wwwW.eidosinteractive.com
PlayStation
Top 10 Editors’ Picks All-Star Baseball 2000
Acclaim
2 Need For Speed: High Stakes
Electronic Arts
Courtesy of Famitsu Magazine Top 10 Japan _ week ending Feb. 21
1 Final Fantasy VIII
Square
2 Nintendo All-Star! Dairantou Smash Bros.
Nintendo
Courtesy of Chart Track
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1 Star Wars: Rogue Squadron LucasArts
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Eidos
Quar termann ДЕЕ
No more gossip about PlayStation 2. Big Daddy has arrived...and from what the Q-spy network can see, it's sending repercussions throughout the gaming world. We'll keep reporting on developments over the next few months — but in the meantime:
The Rumor - Sony is chasing a number of bands for Gran Turismo 2 and is courting some artists in an attempt to convince them to provide original material for the game.
The Truth - The list of artists that will appear in the game is by no means complete, and probably won't be for at least another month or two— but the Q-network has managed to squeeze a few details out of its sources...with the aid of alcohol. It would appear that likely candi- dates for the soundtrack aren't just Sony Music artists. Metallica has already been touted as having some kind of association with the new game, but alongside them we understand that Crystal Method, Prodigy, Everclear, Garbage, The Cardigans (who may provide a number of tracks from their Gran Turismo album, including *My Favorite Game") and the Foo Fighters will appear. We also understand that LL Cool J's management is in discussions with Sony Computer Entertainment concerning an original piece for the game, although this may just be conjecture as the Q's bullshit detector was starting to tingle a bit at this point in the conversation. As before, all the tunes will be used in game—and the whole thing will likely be followed by a soundtrack album before the end of the year.
The Rumor - Final Fantasy IX...PlayStation 2 launch game?
The Truth - Who knows? Maybe. It's more than apparent that Squaresoft and Sony Computer Entertainment are in bed together at the moment—and Square's involvement in helping to showcase the
new PlayStation technology is hard to ignore. The Final Fantasy demo
Dragon Quest Monsters
Simple 1500 Series Vol. 1: The Mahjong
Pikachu Genki Dechu
3 Premier Manager 99 Gremlin 4 Zelda: Ocarina of Time Nintendo 5 Grand Theft Auto Take 2 6 Tomb Raider 3 Eidos 7 Tomb Raider Eidos V-Rall 8 ht Ф,
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production undertakings and it would seem unlikely that a game of such magnitude could be put together for a new system in under a year.
The Rumor: Sega...completely f****d?
The Truth - Not necessarily. The Q has spent the last week or so leading up to this issue of EGM going to print speaking to game devel- opers, publishers, industry analysts and other journalists...and the general consensus of opinion from everyone is that yes...Sega is f****q, but only if they don't do something very clever—and soon. As with the Saturn, the Dreamcast looks destined to be an "enthusiast" machine when Sony finally releases the PlayStation 2. The good news is that a) Sega has a full year to endear the gamesplaying community to the considerable charms of the Dreamcast, b) PC developers love the fact that it’s easy to port games to DC—so we could see а lot of games just after the 0:5. Dreamcast launch in September and c) Microsoft CE, Direct X and the nature of the Dreamcast PCB mean that it's feasible to upgrade the Dreamcast at a later date. If this is the case —Sega will need to watch the market and anticipate the demands of all us game players over the next 12 months. Ways to help rescue the situation? Everyone the Q spoke to said that Sega should release the U.S. Dreamcast earlier than September...it should release it for an incredibly competitive price—and ensure that the modem is bundled in thére too. Will it happen? Who knows.
The Rumor - Soul Calibur on Dreamcast very soon.
The Truth - A source in Japan informed us that a major fighting game, that isn't Tekken, was in development at Namco's offices. Our source didn't reveal any specifics...but let's face it. Major fighting game...Namco...what else could it be? We already know that SC won't.hit PlayStation so a DC incarnation seems likely.
-TheQ
T was extremely impressive...but Square’s RPGs are always massive
m
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FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER ON PLAYSTATION® GAME CONSOLE! MISSION PACK TECHNOLOGY! pd >?
its London, 1989. The swinging `БП`в meets the psychotic '7O's. You аге a stylish hooligan entering a пеш decade of grievous bodily harm, car-jaching. and general thuggery. Awaiting you аге 32 new missions, 30 new vehicles, and unlimited criminal opportunity.
2 GRAND THEFT AUTO
Mission Pech #1, London 1969
9 Don t mess.
c [s i E à un > a сн
ә re www.GTA-LONDON.com
ADVISORY GTA Mission Pach requires original GTA game
ишт паны
disc to operate.
PlayStation and the PlayStation logos are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All rights reserved. The Rockstar logo, GTA London, and the GTA London logo are registered trademarks of Take Two Interactive Software, Inc.
PARENTAL MATURE
ADVISORY Ф
EXPLICIT CONTENTS
©1999 All rights reserved. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. PlayStation ROCKET
PlayStation MATOR LEAGUE BASEBALL”
World Series" Championship intensity. Incredible
player models. 175+ personalized batting stances.
And Hall of Famer Vin Scully alongside ESPN’s Dave Campbell to call all the action. With
MLB’ 2000, there's always a great game on TV.
Ion
PlayStation! +
A 2
www.989sports.com
se "Easily The Best Street Fighter Alpha (.
JJ OFFICAL U.S.
Ever.” Sm
- GAME INFORMER.
бАМЕ PURCHASE WORTH
D SEE FIGHTERS EDGE” жо, м POINTS!
Street Fighter Alpha 3 scores a triple K.0! It's the most accurate translation of an arcade game to
grace the circuits of the PlayStation game console... featuring all new enhanced modes of play, including 3 fighting styles for every character — plus the skill building, World Tour Mode. Maybe nobody's perfect. But as of today, at least
Playstation c one fighting game is.
Dreamcast
Capcom's Little Games
The PlayStation version of Street Fighter Zero 3
includes a character raising game that is played on the PocketStation. So what can Dreamcast fans look forward to? How about three different minigames that can be downloaded onto the VMU once they're unlocked
in the Extra Collection book? Thrill as you pilot Fokker's biplane
or throw some of Ayame's shurikens. Perhaps the simplest pleasure
is Gunrock Slots! Jackpot!
Power Stone
eview of a Japanese ttle 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.
Сарсотѕ Got A Brand-
New Bag
apcom gets a bad rap for its endless sequels and related offshoots rather than credit for original ideas. A few minutes with Power Stone says right away that something different is afoot. Yes, it’s a fighter from Capcom, but it has almost none of the usual clichés that come with that distinction save for solid gameplay. Surprise surprise.
First off, there’s no blocking...at all. No holding backward or even a (gasp) block button. It’s all about tenacious dodging with a healthy dose of ring marshalling around varied environments which have a whole lot of interactivity. You can pick up or push almost everything including chairs, tables, barrels and (if your character is strong enough) vertical support beams. Many stages have upper levels that can be climbed on or ceilings that your character can hang from until the right moment when you can swoop down with a precision strike.
With all the environmental stuff to worry about, the fighting engine is mercifully simple. You have a button each for Punch, Kick and Jump which can be pressed in combination with each other to accomplish tasks like picking up objects (press Punch and Kick buttons at the same time). There are no complex joystick and button motion moves of any sort. You can unleash a combo by hitting Punch or Kick consecutively or a combination of the two. The spectacular moves are achieved by collecting three Power Stones which transform your character into its alter ego with suitably powerful moves. Holding together either Punch and Jump or Kick and Jump will unleash one
out of two of the most powerful attacks the character possesses. It’s that simple.
There are eight regular fighters to choose from with an additional three playable Boss characters that you can open up. All have individual endings and can unlock various features like new bonus items and VMU minigames (see sidebars). Currently, Power Stone is scheduled to be a part of the U.S. Dreamcast
launch. @
Game Directory
Capcom 1-2 ae Now Capcom Fighting 100 Japan WWW.capcom.co.jp
The characters in Power Stone look great with a crisp and detailed cartoon style that matches the frantic action of the game.
Not Quite First- Person, But Close
Two of the coolest features you can unlock by beating the game with various characters are the Virtual Battle and Virtual Duel modes. Virtual Battle is a match with you against the computer except the camera view is slightly above your character which is as close to a Bushido Blade-style first-person perspective as Power Stone gets. Virtual Duel is a split-screen match with two Human pponents each with their own semi first-person view. Although not the easiest way to play, you'll be able to see parts of the environment that are normally impossible to see in regular battles.
This big and nasty customer will give you lots of headaches until you discover he's really a pushover.
SOMETHING SPECIAL FOR LOYAL SUBSCRIBERS ONLY! EGM 118
DOE SHAHIRA HIBE
с
Comments? THE SUSHI-X FILES + Р.0. Box 3338 + OAK BROOK, IL 60522-3338 + E-MAIL: SHAWN SMITHOZD.COM
EGM's Official Deadline Snack
After months of meetings with committees, panels and judges, and reading through stacks of legal documentation, EGM's Official Deadline Snack has been chosen. With joyously tear-filled eyes, Joe Funk, editorial director for EGM had this to say of the decision: “Crispin fondly calls ‘em Abes; Hsu calls 'em ‘Lincs; Burwell calls ‘em that sweet, sweet, appley treat; Davison is still trying to figure out why America would name a partially hydrogenated-packed pastry after one of our greatest presidents; and Cordano won- ders how beef fat made its way onto the list of ingredients. But no matter what you call them, the Abe Lincoln Apple Pie is the undisputed heavyweight champion of snack treat good- 1 ness for our crack edit team." We couldn't be м. И Ў , more proud of our little fruit-filled friend
Boyer
15р1п
Editor Profile Сг 1
Hopefully, you're understanding our routine
s : : 5 a with these profiles. This time it’s the elusive Wa l l Ai ds тп Shoe: А man di sgusted with Crispin "Radio Shack" Boyer. Next month, look
о
Blocki ng View his own urine and feces for Dan "Shoe" Hsu's profile. Until then, enjoy. You're sitting in your cubicle at As reported in previous issues of the Sushi-X Files, Real Name: Crispin John Boyer Ill, Esquire the office, minding your own the EGM offices have recently moved. Everything КОЕР Mid business, when someone has. was fine until someone used the bathroom near Alias: Jocko
the gall to walk by. Sound famil- the EGM section of the office. Here it was discov-
iar? The masses have allowed ered the bathroom had no hand soap whatsoever. Occupation: Features Guy
this type of behavior to go unno- Accusations flew and bacteria prospered until Dan
ticed : not any longer. John “Shoe” Hsu took control. “| reached a point when Hobbies: Electronic game playing, roller Ricciardi, resident Band-Aid my hands smelled really foul,” commented Shoe. blading, fake kung-fuism, porno, venting evangelist, recently decided to “I'm not sure whether it was my urine or feces that frustration on inanimate objects.
put a stop їо this unacceptable did the trick, but they smelled bad.” So Shoe took it
behavior. When asked for com- up with the local building manager and the soap Musical Interests: Metallica, Iron Maiden, ment, Ricciardi said, "Hey, I'm flowed freely. Thanks to this courageous citizen, Garbage, Rob Zombie—any easy-listening tryin’ to work over here...l don't our hands are now clean and free of excrement. tunes that help me unwind after a long day
of putting my fist through my file cabinet ‘cause | got beaten at Tekken 3 for the dozenth time by someone using cheapo Paul.
want people walkin' behind me to get to their frickin’ cube.” э. ROMAE A When I'm not at work 1 am: Relaxing. Cris is "ESRB S known for throwing the occasional temper Š ы 9 р cd tantrum. So he spends his off hours taking it i easy, watching TV, sipping cool drinks and tossing sofas through plate-glass windows when he remembers getting trounced by cheapo Paul.
false wall to put in
" front of the opening
icd of his cubicle, so his peripheral vision would
no longer be cluttered with images of his co- workers walking by.
If | could be a video game character I'd like to be: Link. With a yank of his sword, he can skip most of those awkward teen years in the blink of an eye.
Most bizarre job ever held: Used to dress in a giant rat costume at Chuck E. Cheese's. And here's a little known fact: Those Chuck E. Cheese costumes actually augment the strength of wearers. Cris once lifted a bus off а group of trapped Japanese tourists while wearing his costume.
directly pro-
If | wasn't working for ЕСМ, I'd be: Third-key assistant manager at Radio Shack, working the 4 p.m.-to-close shift. “а look exactly as | appear in the above picture, and | would
- require every customer to fill out annoying 15 20 30 address forms in triplicate, even if they're Hours spent playing Irritating Stick т only buying one 9-volt battery.
'onducted by a group of chimps
o I a $ v ре Е ё a е 5 o І
As illustrated, it is our belief ће number portional to the number of hours spent playing Irritating Stick. Furthermore, we
of hours spent sleepin: induced by playing Irritating Stick.
WEB SITES
AS COOL AS ICE
Thank you to all who continue to send us sites. This month we have all kinds of sites: Weird, gaming-related, funny, cool, stupid and so on and so forth. Although not all sites below are Star Wars: Episode One related, be careful of spoilers on the ones that are.
* www.hamsterdance.com
* silly-goose.com
* www.frontiernet.net/~jbennett/nerd/ * www.theforce.net
* www.doodie.com
* www.jedi.net
* www.conspiracy.com
* www.sirstevesguide.com
e WWW.peewee.com
• countingdown.com/starwars/ * www.maulrats.com
* queenamidala.com
* www.fandommenace.com
* We cannot be held responsible for any of the material presented on the sites listed above. Parents or guardians may want to verify the content of the site(s) before allowing their children to venture forth. Yes, it is the only way.
НОТ & МОТ
шинин и шинин и инини 5) EG
Тһе ЕСМ Hot & Not list—a place where you can get an inside look at what the staff of EGM likes and dislikes. The list contains general and specific items, concepts, games, people and other such things. Once in awhile we even throw in an inside joke. Kick it old-school one more time.
| Austin. Power.2 toys from * Darth Vader ^ McFarlane Toys * Old Obi-Wan Kenobi | © Young Anakin Skywalker * Sony contests * Darth Maul * Sports Authority * Obi-Wan Kenobi * Oak Brook traffic * Qui-Gon Jinn * Poor frame-rates { < The Tom Green Show * Poor camera angles
‘ Double-edged lightsabers 1 е Prequel action figures * Abe Lincoln Apple Pie
* Resident Evil wanna-bes. * Fried cheese cheeseburger * Global unrest
e Slam dunking * Busted mufflers
* The Gex 3 chick * Chicago Bulls
«Capcom * Impeachment bullshi* _* Buca di Beppo * Wind-chill factors
* Bennigan's 15-minute lunch * Classic sports network * New Honda s2000
* Snowboarding games * Having to wait for games to be released for the DC
* Yo-yos * Huge price drops on Intel e Selling your old stuff on ebay processors when you just * PlayStation 2 bought one the week before
VIDEOGAMES.COM POLLS
What kind of game would you want the first Star Wars - Episode 1 game to be?
Puzzle Fighting
Strategy/Sim
Driving/Flying Adventure
Shooter
Videogames.com poll - 2/21/99 How would you gauge your interest in the N64 Star Wars - Episode 1 games?
Low
What's Star Wars ?
Incredibly Low
Incredibly High So-So
High Videogames.com poll - 1/25/99
In regards to the whole PlayStation emulator issue, who would you Like to see come out on top?
Don't Cafe,
Sony
Connectix
Videogames.com poll - 2/8/99
EGM's Quote of
Random the Month
“First | have to eat you,
then I have to kick you."
- Andrew Burwell, Art Director for EGM In reference to a particular move you can do in Smash Bros. on the N64
GLEN RICE,
CHARLOTTE HORNE]
The Konami Sports Series is o inis of Konami of ‘without the prot written consent of NBA Properties, Inc Л logos are registered Тобет of Nintendo of Am
inia Xs kor
pu
ston used an an Ge Dd
©1999 Konomi of
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ЅМӘІЛӘЈ
Dreamcast
m. Import at your own risk
Publisher/Developer Players/Genre % Done
He 100
Fighting
Release
Now Japan
Taito Taito
Web Address: www.taito.co.jp
Psychic Force 2012
ans of Taito's original PlayStation hit Psychic Force can now look forward to the sequel, Psychic Force 2012, making its way home, albeit on Sega's Dreamcast console. Originally developed on Taito's proprietary Wolf arcade board, the conversion to the Dreamcast has been a seamless one. While the graphics are nice, they really just look like a beefier, hi-res, бо frames-per-second version of the original. le that's not bad at all, you'd be excused for thinking they could have done a bit more in the polish department. Either way, the backgrounds are now fully 3D, and while the gameplay is basically identical to the first game, Taito has added a grab button that lets you execute a "hold" move. Strangely, there is no analog control, only digital. What sense does that make when the game is supposed to be a 360-degree smack-a-thon?
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A good deal of the characters are completely new, like Might—the electric boy-wonder, although a portion of the original cast make their return as well. Other characters, like Burn and Keith, are hidden in the game, waiting to be unlocked. For replay value, the usual surplus of game modes are in: Arcade, Story, Versus, Training, Watch, Options and some other extras are included. Otherwise, this is basically just a straight port of the arcade game word on a U.S. publisher at this point, although this would make an easy conversion.
Simulation
www.cric.co.jp
Aero Dancing O
online pilots.
Aero Dancing supports the Puru-Puru pack
The game puts you through the paces of a pilot in the famous Blue Impulse airshow squadron. In Mission Mode, you progress through 20 tests, which rate you on everything from landings to barrel rolls to some pretty tricky formation stunts. Score well and you’ll earn certificates and unlock new jets, including the F-16 and F-4. Another mode, called Sky Mission Attack, sends you through aerial obstacle courses. You also get a free-flight mode that lets you soar solo or in formation with three squadmates and barnstorm buildings in the five different environments (which come in seasonal varieties). Most intriguing of all is the ability to link to the Internet and try formation flight with other
We figure 90 percent of you will look at these slick Aero Dancing screenshots and say, “What? You can’t blow stuff up?” ’Fraid so. Like PilotWings with war planes, Aero Dancing’s challenge lies in perfecting precision maneuvers and wingtip-to-wingtip
formation flight rather than dogfighting and moving
mud with mavericks.
for force feedback, and you can record your best aerial performances on a VMU and watch "ет from multiple angles. Japanese game mags gave the game decent reviews, but we gotta wonder how well it will sell with Konami’s combat- oriented Air Force Delta (formerly titled Flight Shooting) waiting in the wings.
Look familiar? Take out the jet and insert a gyrocopter and you've got a prettier PilotWings 64.
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Puyo Puyo 4
ot since the halcyon days of the 16-Bit era have we had the opportunity to lay hands on the globular delights that Compile/Sega’s Puyo Puyo series has had to offer (except for the Japanese- only Puyo Puyo Sun). Originally seen on these shores as Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine on the Genesis and Kirby's Avalanche on the SNES, Compile has now seen fit to release (in Japan) the updated 128-Bit Dreamcast version. Puyo Puyo 4 (called Puyo Puyoon in Japan— “уоп” meaning "four" in Japanese) is aptly titled, because it is not only technically the fourth installment of the series, but it supports up to four players as well. Now you and three of your buddies can attempt to out-blob each other, hopefully setting
Ha Ha! Little Jelly Blobs!
Funny Little Balls!
Arle is back to her blob droppin’ business. This time her victim is poor ol’ Skeleton-T. Poor bony buddy!
off scores of cleverly arranged chain-reactions along the way. Perhaps the best and most addictive puzzle- style game besides the original Tetris, Puyo Puyo 4’s addictive powers are in a league of their own. With plenty of characters, sumptuous artwork and a story line to justify the proceedings, PP4 would make an excellent addition to the Dreamcast's launch line-up when it's released this fall. Much more so than Tetris 4D, that's for sure.
Puyo Puyo has always been a great two-player puzzle game. Now three or four people can play the game
at one time. Release
Publisher/Developer Players/Genre % Done Konami 1 Konami Game Machine Div. Misc.
Web Address: moe
Up to four players can play cooperatively. The easiest way to play with multiple people is to divide up sections of the screen and controller, with each person responsible for — hitting only those buttons. If two or more players hit the same button twice, it can lead to “Bad” grades. There are three difficulty levels: Beginner, Normal and Hard, each with three stages apiece (but multiple songs to choose from in each stage). After you _ complete each difficulty, a new song opens up as an “extra stage” option for the last stage in each difficulty. To make it more difficult, in Normal and Hard modes opponents try to block areas of the screen and rearrange note positions.
You can select from a 5, 7 or 9-Button Mode, but if you're playing a one-player game, Button Mode is advised. Konami has built-in a training mode so you can polish up your skills
In 5-Button Mode, you luckily only have to worry about hitting the middle five bars.
Mix PaRappa’s cartoony art style with Beatmania’s gameplay, throw a neat little controller into the mix, and what do you have? Pop’n Music, Konami's latest home translation of one of its popular music-themed arcade games. The concept is just like Konami’s other
music title, Beatmania—press the right buttons as colored bars land on the bottom of the screen.
after trying each song in the normal game, and a Free mode where you can play any of the game’s songs (The music, however, pales in comparison to Beatmania’s tunes, with only a few memorable tunes out of the group). Pop’n Music is nice, but it’s not the best of Konami’s music games.
With Konami's Pop'n Controller, you can recreate the arcade experience, but watch out—it's ultra-sensitive.
ps BY GAMERS. FOR GAMERS.
www.interplay.com — 1-800-INTERPLAY
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In a game, as in life,
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can be traded.
Hook the DexDrive to your PC,
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Even post or download from the Internet. With the DexDrive from InterAct, everything you do comes back to you.
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Nifitendo; 64 PlayStations DexPlorer:
Now: available-forPlayStation- and: Nintendo 64-owners: Dowrnload;-post;-discuss,- request. at-www:dexchange-net.
Ready 2 Rumble Boxing
Here are some more shots of the Dreamcast version of Midway's upcoming arcade-style boxing game, Ready 2 Rumble Boxing. The DC version will feature network play, something that will (obviously) be missing from the PS and N64 versions of the game. Expect to see R2R Boxing on store shelves around the time of the DC launch, if not shortly thereafter.
Dreamcast Football
Last month, we showed you the first screens of Sega's football title for DC...here are some more to tantalize you until we get our hands on a beta. Check out the details on the player models, like the
holes in the jerseys! Sega still hasn't assigned a name to the game, so we'll just call it Dreamcast Football for the time being.
Web Mystery (e)
Panasonic Wondertainment, unable to develop games for the M2, is now working on an internet-based murder-
Developer Atlus, purveyor of less mainstream RPGs (Persona, Soul Hackers) will debut on mystery title for the Japanese DC. This the Dreamcast with Maken X, a bizarre 3D action adventure. As a Maken spirit, players
must "possess" different host creatures to complete the game. Maken X will also feature 3D positional sound as well as 60 fps gameplay.
adventure game is made up of 7o percent full-motion video and 20 percent still photos. The remaining 10 percent has players browsing the Internet with the Dreamcast looking for clues. Web Mystery players will be directed to a mysterious Web site which will reveal a little bit about the murder case.
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Shenmue
As Sega continues development for Yu Suzuki's ambitious RPG on the Dreamcast, we've come across a few more details concerning the heart of Shenmue's engine. The plot centers around protagonist Ryo Hazuki who travels to Hong Kong (circa 1986) to unravel the circumstances of his father's mysterious death. Events will be triggered by real-time exploration of the urban slums, but a part of the action will also take place via flashbacks to Yokosuka, Japan in the 1950s. You use the D-pad to move around Shenmue's 1,200 locations while the analog stick will dictate head rotation and perspective. To run forward, you press the L and R shoulder buttons. Shenmue will include minigames that involve anything from wage work and gambling to various side-quests for the inhabitants of Hong Kong. As cool as the QTE (Quick Timer Events) may appear, we're still hoping Shenmue will include the rumored Virtua Fighter-style fighting engine. More details will follow as Shenmue nears completion. In the meantime, drop by videogames.com for more screenshots of this highly anticipated title.
Wai is is a preview of a Japanese title that may ог may not be released in the U.S. Itis designed to run оп a Japanese system. Import at your own risk.
Lighining-fast arcade-style action!
i Over 60 of th vu; : stling e top WCW Е Se available! and NWO superstars! All your favorite signature moves, qi finishing moves, and taunts!
WINDOWS THO EE
WOW Nitro © 1998 World Championship Wrestling, Inc. A Time Warner Company. Al rights reserved. WCW" and NWO™ are trademarks of World Championship resting, Inc. All rights reserved. THO TM 1998 THO INC.
м Wrestling, Inc. Ай characters depicted, are trademarks of or used under License to World Champions!
PlayStation
The price you pay for losing isn't just pride. It'S your 396 hp exotic. Watch for nasty hairpins. Aggressive opponents who might damage your baby. Ga
And, of course, the cops. They all want to see you lose it in a very big way.
WWW.NEEDFORSPEED.COM Shh FA 7 HC = aS ELECTRONIC ARTS”
Pipe- Wielding Kid From
Edo Returns
oemon, that Spiky-haired, pipe-wielding wild child, returns for his second N64 adventure in Konami's Goemon's Great Adventure. Unlike his first \ 64-Bit outing, which was a non- „е linear 3D adventure, Goemon's Great Adventure is more of a Tomba-style side-scroller that marries classic platform action with minor role-playing elements. Aside from Goemon himself, the game stars three familiar characters from the Goemon universe: Ebisumaru, a gaseous ninja with a ravenous appetite for dumplings; Sasuke, a clockwork ninja with an internal villain/ altruist switch (kind of like the evil Krusty doll from The Simpsons); and Yae, a beautiful female ninja with the power to trans- form into a mermaid.
While each character has an impressive array of projectile, charging and weapon attacks, they pale in comparison to the carnage you can inflict by “piggybacking” upon a prone pal. While locked in this laughable embrace, one player steers, while the other attacks. You can even unleash powerful new subweapons.
Upon entering a town, players may visit a teahouse to swap characters, a general store to replenish
Objects in the stages can be
used to crush
enemies.
* Goemon's Great Adventure » All Star Tennis '99. «А Bug's Life
Publisher/Developer Players/Genre % Done Release
Konami T2 — мау KCE Osaka Side-Scroller 100 1999 Web Address: w www.konami.com
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"Piggybacking" on a pal opens up a load of new attack options.
supplies, an inn to rest or a fortune teller to obtain secret info. You'll also meet plenty of oddball characters, who may invite you to embark upon side quests.
While its distinctly Japanese graphics and humor undoubtedly will turn off many casual gamers, fans of innovative play mechanics and classic platforming action will find Konami's latest N64 offering to be one adventure well worth taking. @
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EMIRICOM PICTURES
Entertaining and Educating The World
A TV PROGRAM BY & FOR TEENS
A hip design that catches your eye (and others)? A style that fits your body shape? Or, a combination of both? On the next Teen Street, we'll learn about the hottest designs, colors and styles in jeanswear
from Squeeze, and find out how
to choose the best style for your personality and body shape.
LEARN ABOUT AN EXCITING ROUTE TO REACHING YOUR CAREER GOALS by building life-long skills, learning
a valuable trade, and gaining on-the-job experience while serving your country in the United States Air Force. On the next Teen Street program, we'll discover the opportunities for career advancement, to earn funds for college, and for achieving personal goals.
FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS, the world's fascination with the sometimes rebellious, always original rock n' roll culture has spawned a number of icons that set the stan- dard for fashion. On the next show, learn how Dr Martens has become the leader in interpreting today's hippest fashions in footwear and apparel, a trend that's still a favorite among teens and the musicians they idolize.
www.airforce.com www.sqz.com
d
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Ubi Soft 1-4 April Smart Dog Sports 80 1999
Web Address: www.ubisoft.com
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5 0 C 64 sports gamers can step onto tep n enter center court as one of eight top tennis pros—including Michael e Chang, Jonas Bjorkman, Amanda Court With A Coetzer, Richard Krajicek, Gustavo Kuerten, Conchita Martinez, Jana Novotna and Mark Philippoussis —in Tour P 0 All Star Tennis ’99, the latest tennis offering from Smart Dog and Ubi Soft. While it may star real-world players, the game has plenty of over-the-top action fans of Ubi Soft tennis titles have come to expect. In addition to bionic super shots—including a shot that literally defies time and space by shooting from a - -—— 0 SSO aaa 2 magic portal—All Star Tennis '99 has ап Е explosive new Bomb Tennis Mode. In this frantic mode, the ball creates a time bomb each time it hits the court, adding a whole new element of danger to this once-civilized sport. Tennis '99 also has cool instant replays that zoom In addition to four-player action, АП in dramatically on balls that land near a line, Star Tennis '99 has eight three- precluding the possibility of McEnroe-style tantrums. dimensional courts with realistic clay, (Sorry, Sushi.. grass and hard court playing surfaces. Just as Hot Shots Golf made the sport of golf fun Each motion-captured character serves, and accessible for all PlayStation sports gamers, All volleys and dives with amazing fluidity Star Tennis '99 does the same for tennis. Even if and actually changes facial expressions you've never picked up a racket or leaped a net in depending on performance. victory, check it out. e In addition to such touches as the ability to change ball color and camera angles to suit player preference, All Star
Bomb Mode adds an explosive twist to an old game.
Adventure 80 1999
Traveller's Tales
www.activision.com
PlayStation version of A Bug’s Life had stellar production values (e.g. sharp- looking character models and animation, A- list voice talent, etc.) but came up a bit short in the gameplay department. Apparently aimed at the younger crowd, the game required players to run around chucking berries at less-than-brilliant enemies while cultivating plants and mushrooms to solve minor puzzles. Although it boasts marginally improved graphics and 60 new Challenge missions, 2 the Nintendo 64 version appears to serve A up a lot of the same — minus the cool movie clips taken straight from the big-screen blockbuster. (You do get to eyeball some static cinema screens, but it’s not quite
To reach new heights, you will have to grow plants by {һе 5ате.) planting seeds. On the plus side, players can expect to T encounter some of the movie's more {
Traveller’s Tales’ adaptation of Disney/Pixar’s memorable characters—including M computer-animated masterpiece A Bug’s Life is Heimlich, Francis and Hopper—and embark Ы coming to the N64 courtesy of Activision. upon a number of familiar missions, such
Like a lot of games based on big licenses, the as parasailing on a dandelion seed.
(EM 66
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TAITO is a registered trademark of TAITO CORPORATION. Bust A Move '99 is a trademark of TAITO CORPORATION. © TAITO CORPORATION 1998, 1999. Nintendo, the Official Seal, Nintendo 64 and the 3-D "N" logo are. trademarks of Nintendo of America Inc. ©1996 Nintendo of America Inc. PlayStation and the PlayStation logos are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Acclaim is a division of Acclaim Entertainment, Inc. TM, Ф & © 1999 Acclaim Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Screen shots shown were taken from the Nintendo 64 version of the videogame.
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WWF Attitude
Acclaim's sequel to last year's mega-hit WWF War Zone is going to make a lot of wrestling fans very happy. Boasting an unprecedented number of options and modes (Lumberjack, Corporate Royal Rumble, King of the Ring, etc.), WWF Attitude also has an extensive Create-A-Pay-Per-View mode that will replicate practically any championship from WWF's entire history. In addition to an increased roster of more than 40 wrestlers, a dramatically improved Create-A-Player mode allows gamers to customize the smallest details on a wrestler's face, add text to his clothing and more. WWF Attitude will be available this spring.
'BOSSMAN
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Super Smash Bros.
Another party-centric four-player Nintendo game is on its way. Due out April 26, Super Smash Bros. stars eight Nintendo legends (fictional, GN that is...Miyamoto is nowhere to be found here) 1 Ё. Р like Link, Samus and Pikachu, all with their own \ specialized moves (Mario has fireballs, Link has a sword and hookshot, etc.). Not only can you play in a four-player free-for-all, but you can also team up for two-on-twos. Until we get to
7 SEN » the full preview, here are some more screenshots ы у, ч for you to enjoy. Я г Г Pur eii аш ^ лз | 2 92. P. © IW 38% ss \\ Oe M үеге hs. | il
Next party, lose the pifiata. New Point Blank"" 2 allows up to 8 of your gun-crazed pals to unload on over
70 wild and wacky shooting scenarios - from fish and fowl to ninjas and gangsters. Blast through an all-new ec Arcade Mode, Theme Park Mode, Endurance Mode - plus a VS. Mode for the perfect head-to-head
PlayStation
(no pun intended) party game. Point Blank 2. Time to get pistol whipped.
www-namco.com G 1 ith sof hat digol he G Point Blank™ 2 & © 1994 1997 1998 Namco Ltd. All Rights Reserved, PlayStation and the PlayStation uncon Tor a with software that displays the Guncon icon. logos are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. The ratings icon is a trademark of Point Blank™ 2 sold with Guncon and without. the Interactive Digital Software Association. Guncon™ & © 1996 Namco Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Nintendo 64
Harrier 2001
Unlike past console air-combat sims, Harrier 2001 was designed with realism in mind. You get multiple views, including a cockpit with working multifunction displays. Your Harrier handles like
Video System co-developed Harrier 2001 with Paradigm, the defense-industry contractor that crafted the visuals in PilotWings 64 and Beetle Adventure Racing. The game's due in July.
the real thing; you'll use every button on the joypad to guide your jet through vertical takeoffs e and work its weapons systems. Choose your loadout from more than 50 weapons, including laser-guided missiles, rockets and three gauges of guns. The game packs more than 50 missions, as well as a multiplayer mode. It looks good, too.
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Pokémania hits the N64 this June, with Pokémon Snap, Nintendo’s first 64-Bit entry into the wide world of Pokémon. In Pokémon Snap, your goal is explore Pokémon Island in your little safari vehicle, seeking out wild Pokémon and grabbing pictures of them with your trusty camera. As you add more Pokémon pictures to your portfolio, new areas of the island will open up. Strange? You bet...but we're sure Pokémon fans will eat it up.
The sequel to last year's MLB Featuring Ken Griffey Jr. is on the way from Nintendo. Ken Griffey Jr.’s Slugfest features enhanced graphics over last year's game, not to mention an option to go hi-res with the Expansion Pak. In addition, the game features new animations, updated player rosters, uniforms and stadiums, and an all-new (and much-needed) player creation mode. Slugfest won't make opening day, but it Should be on store shelves in May.
WARNING!
Electronics Boutique disclaims all liability for parental nagging resulting from use of these products. May cause temporary deafness to the words "Shut that off!’ and “I said now!” Do not eat. Do not operate while biking or surfing, or attempt to finish homework while using this product. Not for use by ferrets, parakeets, little yipitiy dogs or persons allergic to major intense FUN.
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AC ADAPTER
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Deep Cover Gecko
If you recall, Gex 64: Enter the Gecko didn’t play so hot. Crystal Dynamics assures us Gex will play much better this time around. Besides that, Crystal D is adding four N64 exclusive worlds (Gex 64 only got the one Titanic stage). These stages will revolve around a new western theme, fairy tales, Greek mythology and a water-based world. Look for Deep Cover Gecko in June.
Harvest Moon 64
If you didn’t get a chance to play Harvest Moon on the Game Boy or Super NES, don’t worry, because the N64 version is due out later this year. In this role- playing game/farming simulation, you have to manage crops, raise livestock and even find true love. For this 64-Bit update, you can find all-new tools (which can be powered up), a larger world, new animals and veggies, beautiful 3D graphics and more than 50 unique characters to interact with. You can even earn extra money with a part-time job or by racing horses or dogs that you raise and train. Look for Natsume to release Harvest Moon 64 around August of this year.
Fans of R/C racing action can look forward to Acclaim’s “racing” title Re-Volt. Imagine Micro Machines-type life-size environments viewed from a more traditional racing perspective and you've pretty much got it. Developed by Probe (Extreme G-2), Re-Volt is scheduled for a fall '99 release on the N64 as well as the PlayStation.
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Nintendo 64
Fisherman Bass Hunter 64
Bass Hunter is coming to the N64 along with host Al Linder, 3D graphics and lots of beautiful fish. The game will take the sim angle as represented by the huge amount of tackle, boats, environments and game fish. The title supports the Rumble as well as the RAM pak. Take 2 Interactive will release the game in July.
Armorines
This winter, Acclaim will be bringing out its next big licensed project, Armorines. Based on the comic book, this action game has you saving the world from invading swarms of alien insects. This one- to four-player game can be played in the first- or third-person perspective and has both deathmatch and cooperative modes. It will also support the Expansion and Rumble Paks.
Road Rash 64
This new Road Rash, developed by Pacific Power & Light Company (which apparently is not a utilities company), features more weapons, characters and up to four-player multiplay. Team Race and Pursuit Modes are new
as well. We can't say how the game plays but we're hyped about the multiplayer mode. THQ will release Road Rash 64 in October.
Last Legion UX (e)
First shown at E3 two years ago, Last Legion UX (Hudson's Virtual On-like two-player mech combat game) has since been in hiding. Recently, the game has resurfaced in Japan with a tentative release date of May. In LLUX, you can customize your fighters’ weapons and shields, and power them up through the use of special “Powerstones.” Similar to the home version of Virtual On, two-player bouts can be played out via split-screen. Currently, there are no plans for a U.S. release.
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Final Fantasy VIII
(005 Gift To Gamers
fter spending the majority of 1998 at the top of every RPG fan’s most- wanted lists, Square’s latest installment of its ground-breaking uber- franchise, Final Fantasy, is finally out (in Japan at least). Taking the RPG genre a significant step forward into the future, the changes in the newest Final Fantasy are many. For the considerable bunch of you who thought there would be some continuity between VII and VIII (i.e., story lines resolved, Cloud back in action, Aerith back to life, etc.), think again.
To begin with, the most obvious change would be purely aesthetic. FFVIII eschews the previously dominant super-deformed look featured up until chapter VII, in favor of a more mature, more realistic lifelike set of characters. The backgrounds are still prerendered, but Squall, Zell, Seifer and just about everyone else are all represented as full-size models in every aspect of the game: on the world map, in towns, during battle sequences and in the normal exploration mode.
Clocking in at a whopping four discs (that's more than 2,500 Megs of Final Fantasy gaming), Final Fantasy VIII redefines the term "epic
RPG." FFVIII’s overriding theme is that of “love.” While that may make
The training area of Balamb Garden (below) is a good place to get used to FFVIII's battles.
“Trick or treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat!” Here we find our pals waiting for Ifrit to answer the doorbell and toast some ass.
Square Soft 1 Now Square Soft RPG 100 Japan www.square.co.jp
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If you thought FFVII had cool spell effects, just wait’ll you see the visual wonders that await you in FFVIII.
more than a few of you gag, it keeps in line with the series' increasingly melodramatic story lines, that up until recently, could not be supported by the medium. So for any dissenters who believe the FF series should return to Nintendo, rest assured a game like this could not be done on the cartridge format.
The game begins at the top military academy in the world — Balamb Garden — with the main character, Squall Leonhart, about to join the ranks of a mercenary unit named SeeD. Along with his classmates Zell and Selphie, Squall and company wind up assisting a "rebel alliance" in a confrontation with the Galbadian Empire and a powerful yet mysterious sorceress named Edea.
As is custom with the FF games, basic menu operations aside, the battle engine is all-new.
Guardian Force monsters have their own HP now, so you can use them over and over until their health is depleted.
At certain points, you get to play as Laguna Loire, а mysterious character who exists in Squall's dreams.
Instead of the "Materia" system found in part VII, Square now gives us the "Junction" system (see sidebar). Casting magic spells is at once a simpler and more elaborate affair than any battle system before it. From the outset, powerful call spells, or “Guardian Forces," are available once you've found the right G.F. cards. In no time at all you'll be casting visually impressive mega-attacks courtesy of Shiva, Diabolos, Leviathan and more.
Instead of all the various weapons and armor you typically need to equip your party in previous Final Fantasies, part VIII simplifies it to no armor and only one weapon for each person. Another difference between VII and VIII is the lack of gratuitous minigames spread throughout the quest. Instead, Final Fantasy VIII features one largely influential minigame called the Card Battle. Depending on how well you do playing cards, you can earn various items, some of which can be used to increase the power of your characters' sole weapons as the game progresses.
FFVIII has all the makings of being the best FF yet, which, as many would agree, would make it the greatest RPG ever. With a grandiose, yet intimate story line that really brings you close to the characters, Square has closed the gap on melding the perfect blend of amazing cinematics and emotionally resonant scripting previously only found in movies. If this is any indication of things to come, Final Fantasy VIII could very well end up being gaming's Gone With the Wind (or Titanic, if you prefer). High praise indeed. @
Junction, Junction, What’
In FFVIII, there are three main considerations when heading into battle: the Draw system, Guardian Forces and the Junction system.
Instead of buying or learning magic spells, like you would in typical RPGs, you instead "Draw" magic energy from an enemy or a "Draw Point" (like a save point, but where you are given spells instead of the chance to rest and save). Each time you draw a specific type of spell from an enemy, (like Cure), you can use it for a limited number of times before you must draw it again. Powerful spells and even Guardian Forces can be drawn, so in battle (especially during boss encounters) you'll want to be sure to search your enemies for any new or unique spells. Some are so rare they only appear once during
V29n-5bi- Suni HLS TUSK ENE
the whole game!
The Guardian Forces are FFVIII's way of summoning monsters to aid you in battle. Each one has its own HP levels and stats and will gain experience after every battle, so long as you have it equipped.
Finally, the Junction system is the key to effectively using magic in FFVIII. Junctioning must be used in combination with Guardian Forces to increase the options and abilities at your disposal. Say for example, you "Junction" Shiva to Squall. Without a junctioned G.F., all Squall could do is attack. With Shiva junctioned (or "equipped") to him, Squall can now cast spells, draw magic or use items. Once junctioned, each G.F. can then learn new skills or powers ("Abilities"), kind of like the job abilities found in Final Fantasy V or
UY
»- ТУУУ B96 [Beers
The monster designs and animation in FFVIII are a huge step above FFVII.
= =
хе?
Your Function?
FF Tactics. And because some skills
are only available once you learn certain other skills, choosing which abilities you will devote your Guardian Forces' experience points to lets you customize them to some degree. Will you steer your G.F. toward abilities which increase your magic power? Or how about some that increase your HP? Maybe a little of both? At the very least, it's complex enough for you to develop your Guardian Forces in hundreds of different ways, making for even more flexibility than that of FFVII's Materia system. So plan on spending some time mastering this system. While it at first may seem frustrating, once mastered, the Junction system is perhaps the most fascinating aspect of the Final Fantasy VIII experience.
(cM) 83
Your Very Üwn Fighter Factory
Avoid time-
AGETEC T2 Р Ascii Fighting 70
Оше 1999
www.agetec.com
reation has been an
aspect of limited to
gaming God sims
and the occasional
player atti
ribute/
appearance option,
but that h
as all
changed thanks to Fighter Maker. You can now customize most everything you'd want to in a fighter including sound effects, physics and every single character animation. Besides the kitchen
1 sink, the only thing noticeably consuming missing from the game is the mistakes ability to customize the look of your character. Regardless of that oversight, you’ll be hard-pressed Moving your hips to say Ascii skimped on the
When animating a
character, start with through the 72-page manual for
the hips since their the proof. Don’t let that huge Vos movement affects the manual intimidate you though — it JE am WHOLE body. There's is possible to create all kinds of Lon)
nothing worse than customizing arm and feet movements only to have to adjust them again to get the hips moving correctly.
The chest
The other part that affects the upper body is the chest. Fix the chest after the hips, and then move onto the limbs and head.
Watch your body
It's important to note that your character will always remain at the same height level regardless of what you do to the legs or hips. If you want the character to get closer to the ground, you've got to lower the body.
features. Just take a quick look
moves without ever looking at the
thing. We got a couple c
moves down in the first two hours of fiddling around
ool-looking
Fighter Maker
with it, but reading the manual will be essential
for serious creators. There are 20 regular c
haracters available from the
start, each with his or her own set of moves and special attacks. Between them all are about 600 moves that can be selectively added to your own
CLAN ET Ft]
“Wow, you've grown up to be such a big boy haven't you? Yeah, you're a big boy. Such a big...heavy...boy.”
custom fighter or edited to suit your tastes or needs. Editing existing moves is the easiest way to get started and requires the least amount of trial and error. You can also go to town with the sound effects for moves as well as altering the effects of an attack to an opponent. Make sure you have some memory cards handy because each custom character takes up a full 15 blocks of a memory card, which isn't too surprising considering you can pack so much into one individual fighter.
If the character-creating madness going around our offices is any indication, Fighter Maker could be a big hit. The best part is that characters created by players across the country can be traded via the Net with devices like the Dex Drive. Who knows...we may be playing brand-new characters for years to come. Thoughts like this make us hold our breath for a U.S. appearance of RPG Maker (which has a remote chance of happening if Fighter Maker sells extremely well here). @
This is just like that skit from Mr. Bean when he got a turkey stuck on top of his head. Except here, it's a man.
Not quite ready for prime time? Take your custom character into Test Mode to see if your new moves are any good.
~ D = D Otherworldly evil. dUReartny friends. Unusual means of transportation. It’s a big galaxy, somebody has to clean
fw TWINKLE, TWINKLE THIS, FLYBOY.
* Experience the pure rush of flight as your skill is tested time and time again. ы
* Explore with total freedom as you travel through fantastic 3-D worlds in real time.
* Over 300 unique characters, seven incredible planets * fand mind-benging graphics offer an out-öof-this-world adventure filled with never-ending challenges.
w Ej Visit our website atywww.st пе! (194 fogrsmes, NINTENDO, THE OFFICIAL SEAL, МИЕНОО ВА AND THE "иг 1000 ARE TRADEMARKS OF NINTENDO OF AMERICA itc. ©1994 NINTENDO 0
is a rademark ofthe Interactive Digital Software Association
The Beauty Of The Beast
Did You
Know?
The first Bloody Roar was released to U.S. arcades as “Beastorizer.”
The new “Beast Drive” attack transforms the battle arena into an abstract grid and gives true meaning to the word “overkill.”
Fighters can use the explosive power of beastly transformation to repel and damage opponents.
Bloody Roar 2:
SCEA 1-2 70 May Hudson Soft/Raizing Fighting 1999
www.playstation.com
espite its rather odd name, there’s no denying that Bloody Roar was one of the more notable sleeper successes in 1998. Sporting flashy graphics and some of the hardest hits in a fighting game, it bore more than just a passing resemblance, play-wise, to Sega’s Fighting Vipers, with one notable distinction: during battle, your character could, with the tap of a button and a pyrokinetic undulation of translucent glory, be transformed into a werebeast and execute combos even more brutal and over-the-top than they could as a mere human martial-arts master.
Well, the Beasts are back, and better than ever. Sure, the psychotically explosive play has been tamed a tad (the graphics, fortunately, are still as insane as ever) in favor of more precise and technical controls, but even the most avid Bloody Roar fan won't be disappointed by the massive roster of improvements, including hi-res graphics, a doubled frame-rate and the spectacular Beast Drive finishing moves. Combos are even more spectacular ап painful than those in the first title, what with the ability to transform into a beast mid-sequence and tack on some sick, sick damage.
The all-new Story Mode allows players to tackle six foes and relive the struggles of their favorite beastly alter ego as they struggle against the evil huma hunters out to end the werebeast race. Linking battles are more than 100 pieces of stylish artwork, which are saved and can be viewed later on in the art gallery. Analog and force-feedback support are also present for those looking to give their new Dual Shock pad a good workout. Capping out
the list of new features is
the Custom Mode, which allows hardcore players to design their own combos
5
Bringer of the New Age
through the use of Raizing's “Any Cancel" system.
With its plethora of options, improved controls and almost faultless 3D polygon graphics, Bloody Roar 2 should be a title any fighting game fan can sink their canines into. @
Vs. Bloody Roar
The first Bloody Roar was definitely a stylin' game, but Raizing has really powered through with their sequel. In almost every technical aspect, Bloody Roar 2 ravages its predecessor. Check out this side- by-side comparison between Bloody Roar Parts Un and Deux:
Bloody Roar Bloody Roar 2 Frame-Rate: 30 fps 60 fps Resolution: 320x240 512x384 Backgrounds: 3D Still 3D No. of characters: 8 1 Story Mode? No Yes Custom Combo (Any Cancel) Mode? Мо Yes
Analog and Dual Shock support? No Yes
All the realism of an 18 hole golf course.
(Without the nasty goose droppings!)
Pro 18: World Tour Golf is the biggest thing to hit golf since titanium clubs. Unrivaled attention to course detail and TV-style coverage make a perfect foursome when combined with some of the hottest pro players and our groundbreaking 4-click swing system. Tee off on some of the world's greatest courses including Royal County Down (Ireland), The Lost City (South Africa) and Coeur d’Alene (USA). Piqued your interest?
For a free demo check out Pro 18's 3rd hole, Coeur d’ Alene Actual 3rd hole, Coeur d’ Alene
www.psygnosis.com/pro18/.
CHonestly, if you're playing the course and » р i you're playing the game, there is no difference! how you can win a real trip —Bill Reagan,
> General Manager, to The Coeur d'Alene Resort. The Coeur D'Alene Resort
And while you're there, find out
EVERYONE
yenosis and the Ps в Limited. All rights reserved. The ratings icon isa trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. PlayStation and
Baby, The Stars Shine Bright...
(ESM 88
Star Ocean:
АЯ 15 June
1999 www.playstation.com
The Second Story
nyone waiting around for Enix to А finish up Dragon Quest VII is just going to have to wait a little bit longer, since the game isn't scheduled until [р later this year, in Japan no less. ^ Meanwhile, RPG fans can get ready to cozy up to the next best thing, Star Ocean: The Second Story. Due to arrive early this summer, Second Story is the sequel to the old Super Famicom title, Star Ocean. While the original never quite made it to these shores, the sequel will.
As young Crawd C. Kenny, you're a soldier serving under your father's command. While on an expedition, you decide you're going to do a little freelance exploring. Despite your father insisting you move no farther, you accidentally trigger a spatial warp of some sort and find yourself in a strange, new world of unknown origins. After saving a young girl by the name of Lena, you embark on a quest of mythical proportions after the local populace has proclaimed you to be the prophesied warrior of legend.
While the beginning of the game is hampered by a great deal of tedious
dialogue, after you reach
the castle to speak with the king, the game picks up considerably. Utilizing an active-time battle engine, you are free to enter your commands in real time, have the computer do it for you, or
a slight combination of
both. Characters move
around on prerendered backgrounds, kind of like
Parasite Eve, while battles
are fought on a 3D
polygonal backdrop, similar to Xenogears.
The level of detail in Star
Ocean is what separates
The scenery is gorgeous...even with the cartoony characters dropped in.
s Li
meman ‘ 166 mmódorey We | егес the a
this game from other RPGs. Geese fly past in the sky while your reflection mirrors your every move as you pass by a small stream. Light even affects the appearance of your sprite-based character as you pass by an open window.
Spanning two discs, with the occasional FMV sequence done by Links (the company responsible for some of FFVII and Shining Force III’s CG movies), Star Ocean: The Second Story offers a considerable quest to hold you over until those “higher-profile” RPGs make their way home. @
989 Studios 12 10 April 989 Studios Sports 1999
www.989studios.com
3Xtreme
his latest installment from 989 Studios Back To The shuns the excess of 2Xtreme and re- creates the simplistic, yet successful а gameplay of the first edition. Basics In 3Xtreme, you can earn points for tricks and beating records. With these points, you can buy better skateboards, BMX bikes and in-line skates. This new equipment includes a load of brand-name stuff (Santa Cruz, Toy Machine, Creature and more for boards; GT, Trek, Haro and K2 for bikes; and Salomon and K3 for in- line skates).
You can race in five wacky locations with 27 regular and bonus tracks. Shred the asphalt with any of 13 different hep cats, each endowed with their own special skills and move abilities.
3Xtreme’s game modes headlining the show.
A good shot of all three styles kickin’ it at the same time. Notice the gigantic ramp on the bridge.
include: Season, With music from Ultraspank and motion-capture Freestyle, Time Trial and from X-games Gold Medalist Andy Macdonald plus Exhibition. Two-player notable Xtreme athletes Chris Potts and Todd split-screen will be the Grossman, it's sure to look authentic. We'll let you game's major attraction know how it plays as soon as we get a playable here with old-school combat at EGM headquarters.
ка каке
OF THE BIGGEST
To every ogegre i) funfa; comb eee a legends, (Е ў of Mental ed ability du i D її ДАДА
Д 1 lives of hese ЩЫ
fers, Euch has 1214 Па û story. Professional as шд
fice and those sio: Wess edins them fear and respect in io oloo y derworld —
of siréef fighting meet Withneydmmon goul: to claim the ТЕККЕ
MOTION РИ
ANIMATION FOR А NEW GENERATION!” WWW.ADVFILMS.COM and other f WE
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Baseball In The Next Millennium
PlayStation
ince all the major players (EA Sports,
Interplay, Konami, Acclaim) have
already shown their baseball lineups
for this year, we were beginning to wonder when we'd get a chance to play
989 Sports’ MLB 2000. Luckily it
arrived just in time for this issue.
While MLB 2000 doesn’t look wildly different from last year’s edition, 989 Sports added a few nice touches. Generally, things look a bit more realistic, especially when looking at players’ faces and body types. More than 175 individual batting stances help add some realism as well. The parks look about the same except for the noticeably more detailed skylines.
On the audio side, Vin Scully and ESPN’s Dave Campbell provide the play- by-play and in-depth color commentary as only they know how.
As expected, full MLB and MLBPA licenses guarantee you'll have your favorite player or team. A Manager Mode allows you to make simple lineup changes. For a hands-on approach, the Enhanced Spring Training option lets you play your way up to the big leagues. Of course, poor play will land you back
Publisher/Developer Players/Genre — 9o Done Release
989 Sports 1-2 90 March 989 Sports Sports 1999
Web Address: www.989sports.com
кил
Face detail is nice and realistic. Неге a surprised Chuck Knoblock watches a strike go by.
well as loads of stat tracking (90 categories per player). Other notable features include: Home Run Derby, Total Control Fielding and Batting, animations and finally, faster gamepla'
Having played this version, it's obvious a bit more tweaking is needed but luckily, the gameplay is on the right track. With EA Sports' Triple Play 2000 for the PlayStation making a very strong showing (see
on the farm. MLB's Create-A-Player has returned as
this month's Review Crew), it'll be interesting to see which game ends up on top. @
A sweeping, full-field view opens up the defensive play possibilities.
Fighting
be one of the year’s most unique 3D fighters.
The game’s most noticeable asset is its 1o-character roster which features а welcomed variety of styles. Influences on character design range from live-action superheroes and high school uniforms, to more ominous combatants entrenched in the occult. Like other fighting games, battles in Evil Zone take place over diverse, albeit passive, backgrounds (11 of them) that correspond thematically to each of the characters. Additionally, the game will have a few different modes of play: Story Mode, One-Player Battles, Versus and a helpful Practice Tutorial.
In terms of gameplay, Evil Zone employs a simple control scheme but emphasizes fast- paced and offensive-based strategies. Aside from the usual text and voice translations, Titus will also include an original music score to suit the game. Despite its offbeat take on ae a genre which is increasingly becoming more | insular, Evil Zone’s gameplay is both solid t and original—in the end, this is all that really matters.
SETSUNA
Some of the more unorthodox characters have special moves that depict demonic imagery—kids, don't try this stuff at home.
Evil Zone will mark the entry of veteran developer Titus into publishing for the PlayStation. Originally
developed by Yukes in Japan and released overseas A dynamic camera system will show the
as Eretzvaju, Evil Zone is shaping up thus far to (ЕСМ most dramatic angles for a move
90 depending on the distance of the attack.
AGETEC 1 5 0 July From Software Adventure 1999
www.agetec.com
Echo Night
hen it comes to anything but the Armored Core series, From Software seems to specialize in fairly slow-paced games (King’s Field, anyone?). Echo Night is their latest adventure game that’s currently out in Japan and is coming to the U.S. this summer.
The story starts off with the main character, Richard Osmond, receiving a mysterious envelope addressed from his father. Inside the envelope is nothing but a key. At that very moment, a police officer calls, informing Richard that his father’s house had just burned down. Thus, starts his “long and mystical journey,” as the game likes to call it.
Echo Night is a first-person adventure game. Don’t be fooled, however, into thinking this is Doom or GoldenEye. There’s nothing to shoot, nothing to kill, nothing to destroy here. Instead, you'll have to solve a series of puzzles that are scattered throughout the 3D worlds.
We've played the Japanese version and can tell you, this IS a slow-paced game. We don't expect it to change much for the U.S. version.
You'd think "Gee, this looks nice, kind of like GoldenEye.” You'd be wrong, however.
Go talk to that shadowy lonely fellow at the end. Go on. Do it!
BRING HOME THE FAMILY HISTORY
A SOUVENIR OF 1999/C ULTIMATE CONCERT EVENT.
LP/CASSETTE/CD/VUS HOME VIDEO IN STORES NOW
FAMILY VALUES CREATED BY: KORN, THE FIRM £ METROPOLITAN ENTERTAINMENT
AUDIO RELEASE: PRODUCED BY JOSH ABRAHAM EXECUTIVE PRODUCED BY JEFF KUATINETZ
VIDEO RELEASE: PRODUCED BY ALLEN NEWMAN DIRECTED BY JOE FRIDAY MUSIC PRODUCED BY JOSH ABRAHAM
www.korn.com www.immortalrecords.com www.epicrecords.com
E
"Epic" and #= Reg. U.S. Pat. & Tm. Off. Marca Registrada,/ a trademark of Sony Music Entertainment Inc./O 1999 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
Available at И КВОТЕ. * WHEREHO 2 SE and | It locations musicmoviesmore
[тап Turismo Team Tackles А Space Shooter
Gratuitous
Plot
The justification for most shooters is usually pretty vapid, but Omega Boost really takes the cake when it comes to gratuitous and stupid- sounding background. OK, here goes. It's the near future, and all the computers are doing crazy stuff. It turns out that a criminal mastermind has gone back in time and screwed around with the ENIAC (the world's first computer). So...you have to go back in time to 1946 and replace a vacuum tube to ensure the safety of the future. OK, fair enough. But where does the flying through space ina giant robot suit shooting at other big robots fit into it then? Err...
(сМ 92
Omega Boost
SCEI 1 Polyphony Shooter
Summer 1999
80
www.playstation.com
ith a game as big as Gran Turismo safely under its belt, Polyphony can thankfully shake off the reputation it gained from the Motor Toon series. Now that it has produced what was the biggest PlayStation game of 1998, it's safe to say that people are genuinely excited by any game the team may be working on. Elsewhere this month we have more shots of GT2 (watch for a big exclusive next month too) but the real surprise is this...a game revealed completely out of the blue when EGM recently visited Sony Computer Entertainment's offices in Tokyo.
Basically it's kind of a cross between the action parts of Colony Wars, with bits of Afterburner and R-Type thrown in for good measure. If you had to apply any kind of comparison you'd have to say that it's about the closest thing to a real-time, interactive incarnation of the space battles seen in Macross.
Big robots, ludicrous weaponry and seriously, seriously big explosions.
You pilot the Omega Boost, a huge, flying, time- travelling mech-suit that is armed to the teeth with things that make other things go bang. The story line behind the game is suitably ludicrous (and outlined to the left) but the action stays pretty consistent throughout. Blow the crap out of stuff. Big stuff, little stuff, fast-moving stuff...you name it—it needs destroying. In order to do this you move a small cursor around the screen and lock your weapons on to certain targets (Panzer Dragoon style) before letting rip with a slew of impressive-looking missiles or, for more satisfactory results, a whopping great big Vulcan cannon. Shoot things in space, wipe out huge space stations and decidedly R-Type-like twisty-turny space snakes and then travel down to ground level to wipe out other stuff.
Although we only got about an hour with the game,
it has to be said that Omega Boost, like Gran Turismo,
Omega Boost: Time-travellin’, bad guy-blasting, space-shooting, vacuum tube-changing muthafunkster.
Everything is full 3D, and not on rails as games like Star Fox are. Everything looks pretty spectacular too.
is one of the most impressive-looking examples of its genre. The game engine somehow manages to sustain an incredibly high frame-rate while animating some beautiful objects. The lighting and effects used throughout are truly gobsmacking...and it all culminates in a spectacular final boss sequence that features real-time “liquid metal"-looking morphing stuff. It’s all very cool-looking—and often makes you wonder how the guys at Polyphony managed to squeeze such great looking graphics out of the PlayStation. @
Fancy effects are used all the way through. If you think Colony Wars looks cool..this looks cooler.
The green things are Omega's missiles, locked onto the other robo-dude and about to kick some serious butt.
Shadowman
Developed by Iguana Studios U.K. and published by Acclaim, Shadowman is a 3D action/adventure that stands apart from others thanks to a disturbing and incredibly complex story line. It has a load of characters to interact with, items to find and fleshy levels to make your way through. Look for it later this year.
Dino Crisis Capcom recently unveiled a new survival horror game for the PS called Dino Crisis. Produced by Shinji Mikami, the man behind both Resident Evil and Resident Evil 2, Dino Crisis could easily end up being one of the biggest games of 1999. The fully 3D adventure (yes— по more static 2D backgrounds) takes place in the near future at a place called Ibis Island.
The story revolves around a scientific genius named Professor Kirk, who sets up a secret lab on the island to complete work on an incredible experiment. The experiment involves the development of a powerful energy source known as "Clean Energy," that has the potential to wipe out pollution and
clean up the environment. You play the role of a special force operative named Regina who, along with her team of government agents, have orders to capture Professor Kirk and seize the details of his research. The problem? Ibis Island is littered with menacing dinosaurs. How they got there is up to you to find out. Detail-wise, Dino Crisis sounds awesome—the incredibly modeled dinosaurs will stalk, attack and toy with you. They can disarm you, forcing you to change weapons.
If you get hurt, your player will limp like in RE2. Even better,
if she's really injured, she'll leave a trail of blood behind her. And if she suspects something is nearby, she might even cower in fear. Very cool. There are surely plenty more details to come on Dino Crisis, so keep your eyes on EGM for future updates. Currently, the game is due to be released in Japan
in July, with a U.S. release to follow this fall.
Gran Turismo 2
Sony's eagerly awaited sequel is edging nearer and nearer. Just before we went to print we were lucky enough to get our hands on some more pictures and details to slip to you before our big blowout next month. The game is still on course for a summer release (no firm date yet...although later looks likely) and it still looks like the team's ambition of having 400 cars to offer is likely. Recent deals with
a number of U.S. and European car manufacturers have helped assure there's something in here for everyone — including Rally cars, muscle cars and tricked-out GT1s.
Shao Lin
Those upset over the cancellation of Thrill Kill can now look forward to another four-player fighting game (only without the gratuitous violence). Shao Lin is currently the only fighter that will support four-player simultaneous play. To boot, the game has a promising Story Mode where you can raise a character that changes physically as he or she evolves (he/she can be super-fit or grow fat, depending on your actions and decisions). This Story Mode will have towns and buildings for you to explore (it’s been described as a Tobal-style RPG mode with more depth) and will have two different endings and many alternative paths to get to them. Since last we saw it, the cast of fighters has been expanded to enormous proportions (although they only share six fighting styles between them). Shao Lin is currently slated for a late summer/early fall release from THQ.
THE COCOON HATCHES JULY 14, 1999
PlayStation |
. RÀ
WWW.CRAVEGAMES.COM
[o]
v
Jade Cocoon: Story of the Tamamayu, Crave and their respective logos are trademarks of Crave Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Res
ved. Crave Entertainment is a registered trademark in the US. tered trademark of Genki Co., Lid. All Rights Reserved. PlayStation and the PlayStation 19 re registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
© 1999 Crave Entertainment, Inc. Genki is a ге;
FROM THE MAKERS OF TOMB RAIDER...
BONG FORCE GA
Hitting the Mean Streets April '99,
The year is 2001 and the Evil Dr. Dex Zeng is expecting the apocalypse. When nothing happens at midnight on the first day of
the new millennium, Dr. Zeng decides a cosmic mistake has occurred and it is now his job to end the world at any cost. The scary part is ..he knows how!
Fighting Force delivers unparalleled action and tons of attacks in а fully progressive
3D environment to bring you the next level in fighting games. Defeat the evil forces of Dr. Zeng as one of four different characters or in 2-player co-op mode.
Seven intense levels take you through office buildings, secret islands, submarines, shopping malls and more! Never before has a fighting game offered so much depth and diversity; Fighting Force is truly the next generation of fighting games.
WE cibos ex [1
Crave is a trademark of Crave Entertainment, Inc. All rights reserved. € 1998 Crave Entertainment, Inc. Fighting Force 64 and Eidos are trademarks of Core and Eidos Interactive respectively. Nintendo and the Nintendo logos are registered trademarks of Nintendo of America Inc.
crack the lid at www.cravegames.com
yeah, YOU! Why don't you get off your lazy rump and go visit our new website at www.cravegames.com. You don't wanna? Oh, like you have something better to do? What, like reading the boring legal copy at the bottom of ads or waiting for little.
Hey. you. Janie to cali to say that she'll go on that date with you. Well guess what? She ain't calling! In fact, | just saw her at make-out point with your best friend. A lot of people have worked very hard to bring you this website. By the way, everything you see here are © 1999 Crave Entertainment, Inc. That's right... we own it, just like we own you. You need our games... you CRAVE our games. What's that? You think you can resist? Ha! Don't kid yourself
you're not so tough. Say your prayers and kiss your mommy, ya pansy.
trademarks of Crave Entertainment, Inc. All rights reserved. unless you want to end-up with YOUR head in a jar. Yeah, that's what we thought.
Ultimate 8 Ball
Coming from Mirage Technologies and THQ in June, Ultimate 8 Ball is quite a billiards game. Not only does it support up to 16 players in multiplayer and tournament play, it has 10 environments to play in, 14 different games to play, 15 types of tables (both in shapes and sizes) and 15 different players to choose from. It's a big one.
The Next Tetris
Hasbro Interactive will be releasing a puzzle title
Demolition Racer
Demolition Racer is the latest pileup from the producers of the Test Drive series. Demolition Racer will guarantee 16 cars in every race, with plenty of debris to populate every track. There are a total of 20 tracks on which two players may compete via a split-screen mode. Demolition Racer should fishtail into stores later this fall.
же,
POSITION
T.R.A.G.: Mission of Mercy
Known as Hard Edge in Japan, T.R.A.G.: Mission of Mercy (Tactical Rescue Assault Group) plays a little like Resident Evil, without the survival-horror bit. In T. R.A.G., you control a team of four characters (you can switch between any of them, and they
worthy of the Tetris name. In The Next Tetris, you need to clear the bottom row of blocks on the playfield to advance levels. The complexity of The Next Tetris lies with the new “cascading pieces" which fall to fill gaps otherwise unreachable by non-cascading shapes. The Next Tetris should hit store shelves in June.
sometimes split up to take on different parts of the game) as they try to take out terrorists intent on blowing up a skyscraper (a la Die Hard). Check out the review of this Sunsoft game in this issue.
NOW YOUR FAVORITE FINAL FANTASY? VII CHARACTERS ARE FIGHTING FOR THEIR LIVES
AGAIN
GOD BLESS THE RING
p
MAY 1999
SQUARESOFT
© 1997, 1998, 1999 Square Со, Ld /DreamFactory Co., Ltd. All rights reserved. PlayStation and the PlayStation logos are registered www.squaresoft.com trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Square Soft and Final Fantasy are registered trademarks of Square Co.,Ltd. Published by Square Electronic Arts L.L.C. EHRGEIZ is a trademark of Square Co., Ltd. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association.
PlayStation _
Shanghai: Alexi Lalas
True Valor
True Valor, the newest in a long line of tile-matching puzzle games, has three modes of play: Classic (the version we've all grown to love), Battle (a two- player vs. mode where you can match special tiles that will launch attacks on your opponent's stack) and Rolling (like
927 =
International Soccer
Become a big enough sports celebrity and someone somewhere’s bound to make a game with your name on it. Developer Z-Axis and publisher
Take 2 Interactive are looking to release Alexi Lalas International Soccer sometime in June.
Classic, but with four different boards you must rotate around to see). Otherwise, it’s the same ol’ Shanghai!
Monsterseed
Sunsoft’s Monsterseed is a “monster collection” RPG as well as a turn-based combat game (a la Final Fantasy Tactics). As a “Ruler” of seeds, players breed an assortment of monsters and unleash them in strategic battles. A versus mode will allow both players to duel with their favorite monsters via memory cards.
PlayStation
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Racing Lagoon
Leave it to Square. They'll take just about anything and slap the “RPG” tag on it in an attempt to create something new. In the case of Racing Lagoon, it seems as if they're trying to create the world's first “racing RPG.” While not much is known about the story, the plot, dialogue and character interaction appear to take place in prerendered CG scenes, a distinct departure over the usual 2D or 3D RPGs. As far as the racing is concerned, it looks like Gran Turismo may have some competition in store— Racing Lagoon looks pretty damn good so far. The game is due out this spring in Japan...Square hasn't made any announcements yet about a U.S. release.
his is a preview of a Japanese title that may in the U.S. Itis designed to run stem. Import at your own risk.
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Dragons Collection
he landscape of arcades in the early 19905 was distinctly characterized by the predominance of side- scrolling fighters. Capcom, aside from pioneering the genre, also held the light for others to follow by proliferating hit after formulaic hit. Their Dungeons & Dragons series took 2D side-brawlers to the next level by incorporating light RPG elements and offering players spells and an inventory to manage. After a long and inexplicable delay, Saturn owners can now import Capcom’s double-CD package, Dungeons & Dragons Collection. The games compiled here are Tower of Doom and Shadow Over Mystara. Stylized anime interpretation of the western mythologies underlying Dungeons & Dragons makes this one of Capcom’s
* Dungeons & Dragons Collection
Publisher/Developer Players/Genre % Done Release Capcom 12 Now Capcom Compilation 100 Japan
Web Address: www.capcom.co.jp
best design efforts ever. For the Saturn port, Capcom once again makes excellent use of the machine’s 2D capabilities and graces us with near-perfect CPS2 conversions. Four-Meg RAM cart enthusiasts will want to be sure to pick up the collection for Shadow Over Mystara, the more recent and ambitious of the two titles. For those who never played the sequel, one look at Shadow Over Mystara will draw comparisons to Treasure’s Guardian Heroes. Some of the innovations found in Mystara include a real-time menu system to select spells or equip items, as well as the ability to choose which path to take (this affects which set of stages players will need to clear to reach the next level).
Despite all its graphical splendor, Dungeons & Dragons Collection has one major quibble that keeps it from attaining 2D nirvana. Surprisingly, the load times in Shadow Over Mystara are abhorrently lengthy, even with the assistance of Sega’s 4 MB cart. To make matters worse, if one should change characters during battle, the game will freeze for two
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to three seconds to accommodate for the extra data. Fortunately, the action stays smooth even during the most intense moments. Kudos to Capcom for finally releasing Dungeons & Dragons Collection. The project’s suffered so many delays that fans were chalking it up as a casualty in the 32-Bit system wars. Unfortunately, Capcom’s untimely release also means this title will never be out in the U.S. The good news is, of course, fans of the originals can finally add a little piece of history to their collection. e
Although Tower of Doom is slightly dated graphically, it still stands as one of Capcom's best side-scrolling fighters.
Select spells and items in real time.
LONG AGO, A SMALL COUNTRY WAS BESTOWEO MYSTICAL OBJECTS POSSESSING MYSTICAL POWERS. BUT THESE OBJECTS, RELICS, WERE MUCH ТЇЇ POWERFUL. EVENTUALLY, THE EMPIRE DESTROYED ITSELF, SEALING ITS SECRET FOR ETERNITY. 1000 YEARS LATER, ONE MAN HAS UNLEASHED THE POWER AND ONCE AGAIN, THE CONTINENT FACES TOTAL DESTRUCTION. PIT RELIC AGAINST RELIC AS 12 INDIVIDUALS FIGHT FOR-PEACE, POWER, GREED AND PROSPERITY. OBJECTS OF POWER FAIL, BUT THE SCARS REMAIN...
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Conker's Pocket Tales
While you continue to wait for Rare's oft-delayed Twelve Tales: Conker 64 for the N64, you тау want to check out their upcoming GB Color action/RPG, Conker's Pocket Tales. Similar in style and structure to Zelda: Link's Awakening, CPT offers more than 20 hours of gameplay (or so they say), and is compatible with both the original Game Boy and GB Color. Look for it in April.
Spawn
Konami is bringing everyone's favorite hellspawn to the Game
Boy Color. Judging from these early screens, Spawn for GBC will feature not only side-scrolling action elements, but racing and adventure ones too. Right now, the game is slated for a May release.
Spy vs. Spy
In May, Kemco will be bringing out a GBC version of a true classic: Spy vs. Spy. The game stars Mad Magazine's infamous duo, the black and white spies, who are competing to find four objects in each stage while avoiding
deadly traps set by the other guy. This GB Color-only cart has 32 stages (with some all-new rooms and mission objectives compared to the original NES game) and supports the Game Link Cable.
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Pokémon G ey Pinball
The first Japanese game to |
utilize Nintendo’s new
Rumble Cartridge for Game
Boy Color is none other than ° Pokémon Pinball, the
company's latest attempt to
cash in on the current
Pokémon craze. The game features 150 different Pokémon, which can be captured if you can manage to reveal them on the pinball playfield. The cartridge requires one AAA battery for the rumbling function to work, but you can play without it if you wish. Pokémon Pinball will be released in the U.S. later this year.
is 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.
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· УАТІСА 1.
ENTERTAINMENT www.vatical.com
©1999 VATICAL ENTERTAINMENT, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. LICENSED BY NINTENDO, NINTENDO, THE OFFICIAL SEAL, GAMEBOY and GAMEBOY COLOR ARE TRADEMARKS OF NINTENDO OF AMERICA INC. € 1996 NINTENDO OF AMERICA INC. ©1999 KEMCO, TopGear Pocket and Spy vs Spy are registered trademarks of KEMCO, ©1999 Zebco Fishing is a registered trademark of Zebco
Street Fighter III Third
PY е Strike: Fight The latest update to Street Fighter 11 sees the return of Chun-Li along with four new characters. Makoto is "a girl with a sheer karate spirit" and is dressed in garb similar to Ryu's. Next is a guy dressed in a trench coat and hat with a weird mask. He's called Q, "the unknown." Fans of Dhalsim will probably want to check out Twelve, the “pale slaughtering machine” who looks like a cross between
Gun Beat (e)
Treasure, the kings of action and mayhem, have revealed their first Naomi-based arcade game, Gun Beat. First shown at the AOU show in February, Gun Beat is a frantically paced “action racing shooter" that features various modes of transportation. No word yet on a U.S. arcade release, but a Dreamcast version is likely to surface in the coming months.
106
for the Future
an alien and a squid. The last addition is Remy, who is "in a cross between love and hate" (whatever that means) and bears a striking resemblance to lori Yagami from the King of Fighters series. SFIII Third Strike: Fight for the Future was originally rumored to play on the Naomi arcade board, but it currently runs on the CPS 111 (according to Capcom). Look for it in arcades in late spring.
JoJo's Venture
Capcom's latest 2D fighter, JoJo's Venture, is set to hit U.S. arcades this spring. The CPS Ill-based, animation-heavy game features 11 characters, each with his or her own "inner personas" (known as “Stands”) that can be brought out during fights. These Stands can be programmed to perform special attacks and combos in conjunction with regular attacks, making for some serious on-screen action. Expect to see PS and DC versions of JoJo's Venture later this year.
Fatal Fury: Wild Ambition
Following in the footsteps of Samurai Shodown 64, Fatal Fury moves into the world of polygons. Wild Ambition has most of the familiar faces like the Bogards, Joe Higashi, Mai and Kim Kapwan, plus a couple of new faces. It currently runs on the Hyper Neo*Geo 64, but may pop up on Sega's Naomi board in a later incarnation. FF: Wild Ambition is in arcades now.
Dead or Alive 2 (e)
One of the most impressive-looking Naomi games unveiled at the AOU show in Japan was none other than Tecmo's jigglin' sequel, Dead or Alive 2. The game looks totally incredible in motion (far better than even Virtua Fighter 3) and features an all-new Tag Match option that allows for two-on-two or three-on-three matches. In Tag Match, you'll be able to switch out teammates at anytime (similar to Capcom's Vs. games). DOA 2 also has fighting on multiple levels. In one stage, we witnessed two fighters falling off a waterfall, only to continue their battle on the river down below (see sequence). No word yet on a release , date, but a Dreamcast port is pretty - much guaranteed. НАҮАВШ5А AYANE
VJ: Visual & Music Slap (ө)
In Japan, Jaleco is taking the concept behind Konami's Bemani series of music games and giving it an MTV charge. In VJ, you mix music and video clips (displayed on three big monitors) by pressing the buttons at the right time, following the on-screen commands. It includes music from various musical styles and even features popular ’7os and ’80s songs.
298 24:
107
Crazy Taxi (e)
From the programmers at AM3 comes Sega's latest Naomi-based arcade game, Crazy Taxi. You play as a cab driver on the West Coast, and you've got to pick
up customers and take them to various locations (including real-life spots like Pizza Hut and the Levi's Store). Similar to Harley Davidson, you can drive pretty 5 rep Aug much anywhere you want. Expect a U.S. release sometime soon. 8 3 COMBO
game time
Capcom is working on a new vertically scrolling, two-player simultaneous 2D shooter in Japan called Giga Wing. The game employs a feature called “Reflect Force," which allows your ship to deflect enemy attacks back toward the enemy. No word yet on whether or not the game will be released in U.S. arcades.
тте
Ruust Price TE
3 Xtreme 03/99 $4299 — Darkstone
A Bug's Ше 11/98 $4298 Destreger
Ace Combat 3 05/99 $4699 Doom
Akuji the Heartless 01/99 $44.99 Dragon Seeds
Alien Resurrection. 03/99 $44.99 Dragon Valor
Armored Core Proj Phan 10/98 $36.99 — Dragon Warrior
Armorines 06/99 $4699 Driver
Army Men 03/99 $42.99 Duke Nukem Time Kill
Battleship 03/99 $39.99 ESPN X Games ProBrdr
Bomberman Phantasy Race04/99 $44.99 — Eggs of Steel
Brave Fencer Musashi — 11/08 $46.99 Ehrgeiz
Breath of Fire 3 05/98 $41.99 Evil Zone
Brigandine 11/98 $46.99 — F! Racing Sequel
Broken Sword 2 04/99 $4499 FIFA Soccer 99
Bugs Bunny Lost Time 04/99 $4299 Fade to Black
Bushido Blade 2 10/98 $42.99 — Fighter Maker
Bust а Move 99 05/99 $4499 Fighting Force
C:Contra Adventure 09/98 $29.99 Final Fantasy 8
Caesar's Palace 2 10/08 $3999 Formula One
Carmageddon 2 03/99 $4299 Freestyle Boardin 99
Centipede 04/99 $39.99 — Future Cop LAPD
Circuit Breakers 09/98 $4299 СЕХ 3:Deep Cover
Civilization 2 01/99 $39.99 бате of Life
Clock Tower 2 05/99 $4299 Gran Turismo 2
Colony Wars 2 Vengeance 11/98 $41.99 — Grand Theft Auto London
Contender 01/99 $4499 — Granstream Saga
Cool Boarders 3 11/98 $4299 Guardian's Crusade
Crash Bandicoot Warped 11/98 $42.99 Guilty Gear 2
Crusaders Might Magic 07/99 $46.99 Gunship
Cyberbots 03/99 $44.99 — Heart of Darkness
Danger Girl 09/99 $4699 Hexen
Darkstalkers 3 11/98 $9699 High Heat Baseball NINTENDO 64
AirBoardin’ USA 02/99 $5499 — Micro Machines
Banjo-Kazooie 07/98 $5499 Мопасо Grand Prix
Beetle Adv. Racing 03/99 $5499 — Monster Truck Madness
Blades of Steel 2 02/99 $56.99 Моп. Kombat Spec Force
California Speed 04/99 $6499 N64 Controller Gray
Castlevania 64 02/99 $5499 N64 Rumble Pak
Command & Conquer 06/99 $64.99 N64 System Purple
Conker's Quest 03/99 $5399 МВА Jam 2000
Cruis'n the World 10/98 $52.99 NFL Blitz 2000
Donkey Kong 64 09/99 $6699 МЕ QB Club 2000
Duke Nukem Zero Hour 05/99 $5499 Ogre Battle 3
F-Zero 64 11/98 $52.09 Pokemon Snap
Fighting Force 64 04/99 $59.99 Rampage Universal Tour
СЕХ 3:Deep Cover 06/99 $62.99 Ready 2 Rumble Boxing
Gauntlet Legends 05/99 $6699 Resident Evil 64
Goemon's Great Adv. 07/99 $6299 — Shadowman
Jet Force Gemini 06/99 $62.99 Smash Brothers
Ken Griffey BB 2 05/99 $5499 — South Park
LEGO Racing 05/99 $66.99 Star Wars Racer
Legend of Zelda 11/98 $49.99 — Super Cross 2000
MLBPA Bottom of 9th 07/99 $64.99 Tonic Trouble
Madden Football 99 09/98 $53.99 Turok Dinosaur Hunter 2
Mario Party 02/99 $5499 _ Vigilante 8
COMPUTER GAMES
3D Naval Battles
Alien Vs Predator
Alpha Centauri
Ancnt Cnast: Gldn Есе Army Men 2
Baldrs Gate: Tle Surd Cst Baldur's Gate
C&C 2: Tiberian Sun Civilztn Call to Powr Cmmndos:Bynd Call Duty Daikatana
Descent 3
Diablo 2
Dungeon Keeper 2
Eldr Scrlls Mrr EverQuest Falcon 4.0 Fallout 2
Fleet Command Gabriel Knight 3 Gangsters
Grim Fandango Gruesome Castle Half Life
d
03/99. 03/98 02/99 03/99 03/99 03/99 12/98 06/99 03/99 03/99 05/99 05/99 09/99 04/99 03/99 03/99 12/98 11/98 03/99 07/99 12/98 10/98 03/99 11/98
$49.99 $48.99 $43.99 $42.99 $35.99 519.99 539.99 $54.99 $44.99 $19.99 $39.99 $39.99 $48.99 $45.99 $54.99 $48.99 $39.99 $29.99 $48.99 $48.99 $29.99 $39.99 $47.99 $34.99
Heavy Gear 2 Heroes of M & M 3 Homeworld
Indy Jones Infrnl Mchne Interstate 82
Jagged Alliance 2 KO8:Mask of Eternity Lands of Lore 3
Legacy of Kain 2 MechWarrior 3
Mig Alley
Might & Magic 7 Mordor 2
Myth 2 v1.1
Planescape Torment Prey
Quake 3 Arena
Quest for Glory 5
Reach for Stars 2 Requiem
Resident Evil 2
Return to Krondor Revenant
Roller Coaster Tycoon Screamin’ Demns Europe
PLAYSTATION RELEASE Price ттк RELEASE Расе 08/99 $58.99 High Voltage 03/99 $46.99 03/99 $46.99 ID4:independence Day 03/97 $29.99 11/95 $22.99 Impact Racing 09/96 $9.99 10/08 $46.99 — Incredible Hulk 12/96 $19.99 06/99 $59.99 Indy Jones Infernal Mach 04/99 $46.99 07/99 $46.99 Invasion from Beyond 01/99 $36.90 06/99 $42.99 Jade Cocoon 07/99 $49.99 10/98 $46.99 Jurassic Park:Warpath 09/99 $44.99 11/98 $29.99 К-1 Revenge 05/99 $46.99 $4499 KageroDeception2 10/98 $46.99 $49.99 Kawasaki Motocross 03/99 $39.99 $46.99 King of Fighters 98 06/99 $46.99 $46.99 — Kiss:Psycho Circus 11/99 $46.99 $39.99 Knockout Kings 11/98 $42.99 $1999 LEGO Racers 06/99 $46.99 $46.99 Defense Armada 04/99 $46.99 $3999 Legacy Kain Soul Reavr 05/99 $46.99 $59.99 Legend of Legaia 03/99 $42.99 $4499 Looney Tunes Space Race 04/99 $46.99 $3099 — Lutia 3 04/09 $48.99 $3999 MLB Pennant Race 2000 03/99 $44.99 $46.99 Madden Football 99 09/98 $4299 $39.99 March Madness 99 01/99 $44.99 $4499 MarvelSprHero Vs. SF 03/99 $44.99 06/99 $39.99 MediEvil 10/98 $42.99 07/98 $44.99 Metal Gear Solid 10/98 $49.99 03/99 $46.99 Місто Machines 12/97 $36.99 10/99 $46.99 Mission Impossible 05/99 $44.99 06/99 $42.99 Monaco Grand Prix 03/99 $46.09 09/98 $42.99 — MortKombat Spec Forces 10/99 $52.99 05/97 $29.99 NASCAR 99 09/98 $42.99 03/99 $44.99 МВА Fastbreak 99 03/99 $44.99 f | 1МРОВТ GAMES 03/99 $5299 Dreamcast 05/99 $5999 Climax Landers 06/00 $69.99 07/99 $59.99 Dreamcast System 02/99 $399.99 09/99 $59.99 Dreamcast Visual Memory02/99. $52.99 10/96 $26.99 House of the Dead 2 03/99 $69.99 09/97 $19.99 Project Berkeley 05/99 $69.99 11/98 $139.99 Shenmue 03/99 $69.99 09/99 $66.99 Sonic Adventure 02/99 $69.99 09/99 $6499 — Virtua Fighter 3 02/99 $69.99 09/99 $66.99 Playstation Japanese 06/99 $69.99 Асе Combat 3 02/99 $59.99 06/99 $59.99 Chocobo Mystery Dung 2 02/99 $59.99 03/99 $62.99 Deep Freeze 02/99 $66.99 09/99 $64.99 Dragon Quest 7 09/99 $66.99 07/99 $6499 Ehrgeiz 12/98 $72.98 03/99 $6699 Final Fantasy 8 02/09 $89.99 04/99 $54.99 Jade Cocoon 02/99 $69.99 12/98 $6499 — Monster Farm 2 02/09 $62.99 05/99 $6499 PaRappa the Rapper2 03/99 $64.99 07/99 $66.99 А Type Delta 01/99 $62.99 04/99 $59.99 — Saga Frontier 2 05/99 $62.99 12/98 $69.99 Suikoden 2 01/99 $64.99 09/99 $58.99 $54.99
03/99 03/99 03/99 09/99 06/99 07/99 12/98 03/99 04/99 05/99 03/99 06/99 06/99 01/99 07/ 06/99 06/99 12/98 04/99 03/99 03/99 12/98 05/99 03/99 03/99
$45.99 $39.99 $48.99 $48.99 $45.99 $44.99 $29.99 $44.99 $37.99 $49.99 $39.99 $48.99 $38.99 $39.99 $47.99 $49.99 $48.99 $29.99 $48.99 $45.99 $34.99 $29.99 $29.99 $27.99 $44.99
TNT Next Tetris 01/99
COMPUTER GAMES & HARDWARE
SimCity 3000 01/99 Star Trek Birth Fed 05/99 Starcraft 04/98 Starsiege 03/99 Swords & Sorcery 06/99 Thiet: The Dark Prict — 12/98 Total Annhitn Kingdoms 06/99 Total Annihilation 2 08/99 Ultima 9 Ascension 07/99 Warcraft 2 Platinum 9 Wizardry 8 06/99 X-Wing Alliance 03/99 HARDWARE
$44.99
$44.99 $36.99 $45.99 $48.99 $29.99 $46.99 $48.99 $52.99 $39.99 $49.99 $49.99
30fx Voodoo3 3000 AGP 04/99 $174.99
СН EXL 500 Racing Set 09/98 CH F16 Fighterstick 11/96 Diamond Monster MX300 01/99 Gravs PC Gm Pd Pro USB 02/99
$52.99 584.99 $89.99 $29.99
Interact V4 Р Fdbk Wh! — 02/99 $129.99 53 Savaged PRO32 04/995199.99 Saitek А4 Frc Fdbk WI — 11/98 5169.99
Saitk Cybrg 3D Jstk USB. 12/98. Sound Blaster LIVE! Value 10/98
$55.99 $89.99
TM F22 Pro. 10/96 $129.99
Turtle Bch Mntgo A3DX 2 12/98
$89.99
Tie NBA Shootout 2000
NCAA Game Breaker 2000 09/99 $48.99
NHL Hockey 99 Need for Speed 4
PSX Dual Analog Contr PSX System
Pac Man 30
Parasite Eve
Point Blank 2 Populous 3
R Types
SaGa Frontier 2
Shao Lin
Silent Hill
Sithoutte Mirage Sports Car Supreme GT Street Sk8ter Streetfighter Alpha 3 Suikoden 2
Super Cross 2000
TNT The Next Tetris Tekken 3
Tiny Tank Up Yr Arsenal Tomb Raider 3 Tomorrow Never Dies Top Gun
Twisted Metal 3 Uprising X
Vigilante 8 2 Offense WWE Attitude
Warzone 2100 Wipeout 3
BOARD GAMES
Airlines 1 or 2 ea. Awtul Green Things Axis & Allies
Battle Mist Battletech 4th Ed Car Wars Deluxe Crimson Skies Critter Tek Knightmare Chess 2
| ‘LEGACY KAIN SOUL LEGACY KAIN | REAVER’ continues [ax
| the story of Kain, evil ES Í vampire. Full 3D polygonal environ-
ments to explore with abilities to shunt from у Д опе world to another. | Run, jump and fly
while harvesting souls for the dark master. Eleven bosses, 20 dif- | ferent enemies, & 10 | classes of vampires
Release Price 09/99 $4499
09/98 $44.99 03/99 $44.99 05/98 $29.99 06/98 $139.99 03/99 $44.99 Ё 09/98 $49.99 Crystal Dynamics 0599 55199 D (Roleplaying)
03/99 55939 f Release: 5/99 05/99 $46.99 GX
06/99 $49.99 03/99 $44.99 02/99 $46.99 05/99 $43.99 03/99 $39.99 03/99 $39.99 03/99 $46.99 06/99 $46.99 05/99 $46.99 05/99 $42.99
Кашын ер
"LUNAR SILVER STAR' | Join Alex as he tries to save the land from the Magic Emperor. Explore dun-| geons, fight monsters, & gather information as you advance toward confronta- tion with the Emperor him- self! Menu-driven combat &
04/08 $46.99 04/99 $44.99 over 45 minutes of awe 11/08 $49.99 some animation СЕВ 3 46.9 33 um (Roleplaying) 11/98 $42.99 1 3 Release: 3/99 = PSX 12/08 $42.99 |
10/99 $44.99 ODT SSI A CERNE SE 05/99 $46.99 ALL-STAR BASEBALL 400 new |
03/99 $46.09 09/99. $44, .99 ALL-STAR motions include over-the-
BASEBALL O , shoulder catches, break-
ing up double plays, hook slides, swipe tags and fist | > pumping player celebra- M EE 4 tions. Instant Replay lets 054 212 r3 i manao | you view that game-win- bienen Ей ^ i ning HR time & again. All 07/96 $2199 30 Major League teams, | 0189 $29.99 " Stadiums and over 700] PEU Acclaim (Sports) players from the MLBPA. paene Release: 4/99 3-D rendered down to the |
99 N64 cut of the grass. |
08/08 $34.99
Lionheart 10/97 $35.99 l ey Dm Mis < a "JEFF GORDON XS ВАС. кон ё ING' Arcade/action racing Quests of Round Table — 10/96 $16.99 Êê a EL па " bie 18 Technology has changed | Sa q^ i mu Nee the face of racing - cars raid po RANDE now reach speeds off nia Rodeo 300mph on steep banks | ce / nd | urns. Player Starship Troopers 03/06 $29.99 A d M ШУ ч xe Rs with assistance from rac- | Sis Ha репо War 01/99 $39.99 В Ing ;vetern; eff Boron Warhammer Fans 10/96 $6499 American Softworks Compete sayansi ет ыш у | (Simulation) PSX Gordon himself - one-on- | HINT BOOKS | Release: PSX 3/99 мед °" | -—— Release: N64 5/99 ‘Alien Resurrection 04/99 $109 Basse х
Armored Core Proj Phntsm01/99 $11.99
Army Men Banjo-Kazooie Brigandine Bushido Blade 2 Castlevania 64
ClockTower 2 Off Srv Gde03/99 $11.99 f
| R4 RIDGE RACER TYPE 4°
04/09 $10.99 is the next chapter in the |
RÆ
11/98 $9.99 | popular Ridge Racer series. f 12/98 $1199 Bf | Gorgeous scenery, awe-] 1098 51199 ff RIDGE RAGER TYPE Д | some sound effects and 03/99 $1199 [f
| precise driving controls all add up to a very realistic dri-
The "рег order" charge is charged once per order placed, the ‘per item’ charge г is charged once for each item ordered and the "per shipment’ charge is
Visa, MC & Discover accepted. Checks held 4 weeks. Money Orders under $200 same as cash. COD $8. Price, & 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, т, per Shipment, and per item basis.
Conker's Quest 12 Tales 04/99 $10.99 ving sim. Make hairpin | Crash Bandicoot 3 11/98 $999 turns, pass cars with super- | Destrega 03/99 $1199 sonic speed and battle to | Kagero:Deception2 01/99 $9.99 remain оп the asphalt | Kartia 10/98 $10.99 Namco Legacy Kain Soul Reaver 04/99 $10.99 (Simulation) | Legend of Legaia 03/99 $12.99 Release: 5/99 Legend of Zelda 64 12/98 $12.99 PSX Lunar Silver Star Story 02/99 $11.99 Metal Gear Solid 10/98 510.99 "QUAKE II’ Quake was just | Parasite Eve 056 12/08 $12.99 foreplay. Now comes Quake | Silent Hill 03/99 $1099 . Il. Includes larger, mission | Suikoden 2 0609 $1299 [f Pe Ы based levels, superior artifi- | Syphon Filter 02/99 $1499 Ё# M 3 cial intelligence, and wicked Tomb Raider 3 12/98 $10.99 i multiplayer capabilities. Turok Опѕг Ніг 2 OSG 11/98 $1099 [f 4 "| Experience smoother 16 ER X-Men Vs. Street Fighter 11/98 $9.99 B t \ | graphics and real-time | release, availability, shipping times| ү lighting effects.
Y Activision (Shooter) |
Release: 5/99 |
S. Mal
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Driving on the ground is so 90's.
PlayStation |
Drive any of 6 indestructible vehicles anywhere and everywhere, from the sides of walls to the roofs of tunnels.
Blast away at the scenery with 8 innovative weapons to slow down your opponents.
Race through 20 different tracks spread over 4 distinct environments.
2-player split-screen, head-to-head racing action with 4 specially designed tracks.
Break every law. Including gravity.
Star Wars,
Nothing but ®
Star Wats...
No Jedi mind tricks here. The Force is with us in a big way this May, when every console gets a game based on
STAR. WARS
EPISODE |
THE PHANTOM MENACE
By John Davison and Crispin Boyer
or a couple of guys
who've already seen
“the movie,” Dean
Sharpe and Mike Ebert sure seem calm. The two men are president and vice president respectively of Big Ape Productions, LucasArts’ development team working on one of the first games based on Star Wars: Episode |—The Phantom Menace.
And since 7he Phantom Menace can only be considered the Biggest Thing Ever when it hits theaters on May 19, you gotta figure Sharpe and Ebert feel the big movie's mystery has been spoiled a bit by the bombardment of super-secret Episode I source
Photography by Michael Sexton
material and pre-screenings that come from working on the game.
“Spoiled? Absolutely,” Sharpe says,
rocking back in the chair of his toy-cluttered office. “I mean, I felt like that 18 months ago when I saw the first screening. It was like, ‘Hey, I didn't wanna know that!" Of course, such sacrifices are to be expected when you're working on an enormously high-profile project. And no less than five such projects are in the works in and near LucasArts’ San Rafael, Calif., offices. While Star Wars fans start wrapping their mouths around tongue-twisting new names like Qui-Gon Jinn, Jar Jar Binks and Mace Windu, LucasArts is keeping things simple with the titles of its
first two announced games. Called Star Wa
pisode I Racer an pisode I The Phantom Menace, both games hit stores y 24, when demand for 7he Phantom Menace-related stuff will be hotter than the Death Star's superlaser.
Racer, based on the podracing event you've already glimpsed if you've seen the first trailer, will hit the Nintendo 64, alongside PC and Mac versions. This ultra-fast racing game will also arrive on the PlayStation, but not until the latter half of the year, due to Nintendo's limited exclusivity deal with LucasArts (which includes one remaining, and still unannounced, Episode I game for
the N64). A Dreamcast version is also highly probable. The Phantom Menace is a PlayStation and PC title, with a Dreamcast version likely in the works, too. The other three Episode I games will hit all the platforms (a Game Boy Color title is brewing, as well) and "cover every genre you can think of,” according to LucasArts. So, will we see a Phantom Menace fighting game? A first-person shooter? A space-combat game? We'll find out when the remaining titles debut at E3.
For now, we're ready to slice open the blast doors that have hidden The Phantom Menace
and Racer since the beginning of their development.
Spoiler Warning: This feature reveals minor details
about Star Wars: Episode I—The Phantom Menace. If you fear learning anything about the film, put this magazine down, back away and go hide under your house until May 19.
All screenshots © Lucasfilm Ltd. & ТМ. All rights reserved.
Editor's Note: Unfortunately, PlayStation shots of Phantom Menace weren't available at press time, so we've included PC pics that are representative of the gameplay. Fear not—
we'll show plenty of PlayStation screens nex
Big Ape Productions’ past work for LucasArts includes Herc's Adventures and the 16-Bit gem Zombies Ate My Neighbors. The team includes, top row from left, Dan Ross, Mike Ebert, Ray West, John Barnes. Middle row from left: Eric Wilder, Dean Sharpe, Robert Leyland, Denzil Kriekenbeek. Brennan Underwood.
1 2
PISODE I
THE PHANTOM MENACE
The Phantom Menace, the video game, starts pretty much exactly as the film will: Sar Wars logo, star field and straight into the music—pow! Followed by the now-familiar "crawl" explaining the story, Flash Gordon style. So, is the game going to follow the opening of Episode I exactly? “It will," explains Dean Sharpe, the aforementioned president and
"programming guy" at Big Ape Productions, the development team working on the PC version on which the PlayStation game will be based. (A much smaller team is working on the PlayStation port a few miles away in LucasArts’ San Rafael offices.) “It’s very close to the original, but they've [Lucasfilm] changed it since we wrote that opening crawl. That's actually one of the challenges of working something like this. They keep changing things without telling you...and they'll continue to change things up until the movie comes out.”
Once the familiar Star Wars- ness is over, the game reveals itself to be just what its former working title, “The Adventure,” suggests: an adventure game in the spirit of something like Tomb Raider, only with a fixed, higher camera angle that creates an isometric perspective. Your character explores and battles through polygonal environments straight from the film, about 13 levels in all
The game mixes
lightsaber battles, puzzle solving and lots of character interaction in a plot that closely follows the film’s fast-moving story, which interestingly enough is set over only a couple of days.
The first in-game cutscene in The Phantom Menace, much like the opening sequence, mimics the movie very closely. Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn are two Jedi sent to investigate trade sanctions imposed upon Planet Naboo by the Trade Federation. An impressive prerendered sequence of the Jedi’s ship (no movie footage) leads into a further cutscene that utilizes the game engine as the characters follow lines loosely based on the movie script. Now seems as good a time as any to pose the question we've been itching to since we got to Big Ape's office— do they have copies of the script lying around? “Are you kidding?” Sharpe says, laughing along with Big Ape VP and “art guy” Mike Ebert. “No way. It’s all under strict lock and key and you have to arrange time to go look at it. The level designers pretty much fleshed out all the characters and what they wanted them to say, and then we farmed this stuff out to a writer who was able to work with the movie script, go over it and work it all out for us. We did a lot of initial dialog, but most of it was completely reworked by the write
The game's script is sizable.
But what makes it even more impressive is the text is conveyed through digitized speech (along with interactive music—see sidebar on page 120). “There are close to 4,000 lines of dialog,” Sharpe explains. “In a normal game that uses the SCUMM interface [LucasArts’ point-and- click interface for adventure games that has been heavily modified for The Phantom Menace] there are 8,000 lines, but this is a different kind of thing. As far as dialog goes, this is more like Zelda, although Zelda was really bad; there was a lot of talking there without anyone saying a whole lot.”
Sharpe talks us through the game as he guides the characters
Dateline: Episode I
Nov. 1, 1994
George Lucas begins writing the screenplay for Episode I in the same loose-leaf binder he's used for all his scripts since American Graffiti. He builds Episode I off the 15 pages of notes he wrote in 1975 to serve as a backstory for the original trilogy. Moviegoers—still fascinated by the exploits of a speeding, flying, exploding bus—have no idea
what's in store.
How much of John Williams' score for Episode Т is new, as opposed to classic tunes from the original Trilogy?
A) It’s all new. and open doors and st ака B) 90 percent ^ C) 50 percent
D) John Williams didn't compose any new music.
because it spoils the
forth in order to flick switches flow—but to follow the story
"When you see the movie, you'll see the Jedi are so not interested in anything that's attacking
them. They're so cocky and so good." —Dean Sharpe, president of Big Ape Productions
EO P dad
N L3 7 b up in
*
le do is wander е first;jawa they an get themselves going on if
—Miké Ebert, Big Аре? vice president
The Phantom Menace is packed with cutscenes using the game engine (top). Many are shot-for-shot re-creations of scenes in the film. Although you spend most of the game on foot (bottom), you'll get to pilot a STAP and a tank.
accurately we had to make some compromises. Fortunately in this case, I think it works really well."
‘The first level is all about Obi- Wan, and as the game unfolds it's more than apparent that this is a bit different from what we normally expect from an adventure title. For a start there's none of the usual rigmarole of building up your character. "You can see you're pretty much a bad-ass Jedi from the very beginning” Sharpe says, chuckling as he moves Obi-Wan down a corridor, deflecting laser bolts with his lightsaber in a manner that could only be described as “nonchalant.” he characters start out at the beginning of the movie as real kick-ass Jedi, so it was hard to work in the whole video game ‘powering-up’ thing. We tried to just start the game off and say, ‘Well, OK, they're bad ass,’ so you can go in and pretty much kick the shit out of anyone.”
The Jedi’s fully powered-up abilities are ably demonstrated as Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon move into a room filled with the now- familiar Battle Droids. Laser bolts fly everywhere, and then, out of the blue, all of them are pushed ainst the far wall and erupt into balls of flame, Cool. ks like someone is using the Force. “You always have Force powers,” Sha ains, as a wave of Force energy careens across the screen. “The only thing we have is the Force push and the acrobatic stuff like big jumps, though. We really argued with ourselves a lot about putting in loads of Force powers, but they just don’t use anything in the movies. They use the Force push, and then there are some ridiculous acrobatics, but that's it. We went through the Jedi Knight game list of Force abilities and thought about putting some
of those in but, y know, when was the last time you saw a good Jedi doing а Force grip on someone?” Good point, After all, it's only dark Jedi who crush tracheas and shoot lightning bolts from their fingertips in the original trilogy. So is the gameplay just all wandering around and kicking the crap out of Battle Droids then? Or is there more going on than pure action? "There's actually an equal balance of action and adventure, puzzle solving and dialog,” Sharpe explains, “but we don’t let things get complicated. Everything will be triggered by using the Use, Attack and Direction buttons to keep things simple as you transition between gameplay styles. Even the blocking is automatic to keep things simple. When we first put auto-block in we thought, ‘Y'know, this is way too easy.’ But then we thought it was pretty fun just to walk around deflecting shots and stuff. It also makes the game pretty close to the movie, too. When you see the movie, you'll see the Jedi are so not interested in anything that's attacking them. They're so cocky and so good. They re just not worried about anything." In the end, though, The Phantom Menace is hardly a cakewalk. “You can't block everything in the game,” he adds, “and you can screw up objectives and you can get caught in crossfires and things like that.” Sharpe demonstrates the differences in gameplay styles as he skips us to a level deeper in the game—which again showcases the gorgeous graphics engine and excellent art style that manages to capture the legance of the Episode I imagery. “Puzzles are puzzles and pretty much whatever way we paint them they’re going to pretty much work the same
2
Obi-Wan Kenobi—Fresh from his Jedi training and already a bona-fide badass, Obi-Wan hopes to train young Anakin to be a Jedi.
Queen Amidala—a young queen (and the future mother of twins Luke and Leia), Amidala enlists the aid of Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon Jinn to protect her planet, Naboo.
Qui-Gon Jinn—A full- fledged Jedi master and Obi- Wan's mentor in the ways of the Force.
goodbye if you dropped it. Its end-over-end tumble would cut to the core of the planet.
Captain Panaka—Queen Amidala's head of security and bodyguard.
* You'd pretty much have to kiss that sucker
way—whether they're push blocks or switches or whatever,’ Sharpe explains. “There were so many things we had to cover with different types of gameplay we decided not to focus too heavily on any one area. You pick up an item and you use it. It's not complicated. You don't have to use this item on that item. If you talk to someone and they need something, we'll guide the player along the dialog path according to whether they have the item in their inventory or not. We didn't want to get into a situation where we tried to push everything to new levels and end up not doing any of them well. We decided to put in all of the elements that we'd need as far as gameplay was concerned, and we wanted to do them so they were good. The only way we could do that was by not making them too complicated. The rules of good- game making dictate that you'd normally take one element and push it as far as you can. We've had to take a different approach and combine multiple gameplay
(Double) Handle With Care
We all saw it—that wicked double- ended lightsaber Darth Maul whips out near the end of the first trailer. Cool? Yes. Dangerous? Very. Imagine all the things that can go wrong when wielding
one of those gizmos...
elements in order to capture the essence of the movie.”
Of course, trying to capture the essence of any movie in a game is never easy—but imagine having to adapt what will surely be the most spectacular film ever. It led to more than a few headaches for the Big Ape team. “Moviemakers tend not to think of video game producers when they're making their movi Sharpe and Ebert chime in together. "They set so much stuff in outside environments, and that's really not easy to do in a game. We've seen the movie and we've seen the sets, so we know what most things look like, but to capture the whole feeling of the movie, we have to cram a lot into what we're doing."
Big Ape had full access to everything Industrial Light and Magic was churning out for the film—although much of it came too late. “ILM supplied all of the art that we could possibly want,” Ebert continues, "but because of time constraints we actually ended up not using it. These days
Since each blade can be switched on independently, flicking the wrong switch could burn a nasty hole in your favorite Sith Lord T-shirt. And torso.
Swing the top blade forward too far in the heat of battle, and that pesky bottom blade might leave you with one shoe too many.
Illustrations by Lisa Blackshear
Seis
s
—M— 2
€
by
You still want that T-14?
I will give you 5000 Credits for a T-14: J will give you a Portable Fusion Coil from Naboo in exchange for the T-14.
Neyer mind:
Still a LucasArts SCUMM game at its heart, The Phantom Menace is crammed with aliens—including parts dealer Watto above and the twin twileks below—to play with. Dialog trees step you through the 4,000-line script.
—
a kick-ass weapon that you really don’t need to use anything else.
II the other weapons are really for the non-Jedi characters.
“The weapons we've used are from the movie to some extent— there are thermal detonators, but I don't think I've ever actually seen anyone use a thermal detonator in the movi everyone has them. We've got blasters—but what blaster is what? We didn’t go crazy. Most of the time you're Obi-Wan, so we focused on making the lightsaber fun to play with.”
Ebert has gone through a similar movie-to-game experience before, and he says things can get bizarre when it comes time to see the finished film. “I worked on the Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade game years ago, and I was working on it for ages before the movie came out. It's weird working on a project because after a while you forget what's in the game and what's in the movie, so you go to the theater and start thinking there are bits missing."
The Phantom Menace's action and puzzle elements seem to fuse perfectly, but how does all that dialog fit into the gameplay? "The Mos Espa level on Tatooine is a good example of this," explains Ebert. "It's actually ап example of the kind of game I would love to make, if I wasn't working on a game based on а movie. It's sort of a big, interactive world that you can play around in and talk to people. The whole town will pretty much react to whatever you do. If you just stroll into town and start killing guys, well, the town is going to react to you. I enjoy watching people play, because usually the first thing people do is
а game can take as long as a movie to produce, so by the time they'd done all of their rendering it was past the point where we really needed the art and we were pretty far in. We used some textures, but we didn’t use any of ILM's models." The challenges inherent in creating a game alongside the film meant the developers and filmmakers weren't always on the same page. In fact, the Phantom Menace even contains some cutting-room floor bits. "There are parts of the game that are based on scenes that were originally going to be in the movie that George [Lucas] has since cut," Sharpe explains. "We originally saw footage of all the main characters riding in a taxi on Coruscant, so we thought there must be a scene like that — so there's a bit in the game where everyone piles into а flying cab. That scene never materialized in the end, though. We suffer from the editing process of the movies. | They'll maybe produce a scene and then for the sake of flow, they'll make a quick cut and leave something out entirely. But by that point we've already built something in the game around that visual so it ends up being somewhat irrelevant.” Sometimes, Big Ape strayed from the movie's plot intentionally, for the sake of gameplay. “We took some liberties in places,” explains Ebert. “The weapons, for example, aren't that prominent in the movie. You've got the big guns and all of that kind of stuff, but we really tried not to get too carried away with it. Basically we didn't want to give you а gun just for the sake of giving you a gun, and to be quite honest you don’t need anything. The lightsaber is such
Dateline: Episode I
Sept. 26, 1997
Lucas winds up the last day of Episode I's principal photography after a 65-day shoot. Meanwhile, special- edition rereleases of the original trilogy give us a collective woodie
for the new film.
Power-ups? Power-ups? Jedi masters don't need no stinkin’ power-ups— as this shot of Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon Jinn wading into Battle Droids shows.
wander into town and kill the first Jawa they come across. They can get themselves a little Jawa race war going on if they re not careful. Once you get into the town it becomes more like a LucasArts story game, like Full Throttle or Grim Fandango or | something. There are dialog puzzles and inventory-based | puzzles throughout this section ‘The reason we wanted to go this way with the game was basically because the movie went this way. It’s not an action sequence in the film, so we followed suit."
Mos Espa is certainly an impressive-looking section of the game. The level is huge and filled with characters wandering around, almost like a town in any RPG. “It’s actually very cool because there's a lot going on that's independent of your character," Sharpe explains as he guides Qui-Gon around the city. "People are getting on with their lives and talking to each other— and it has absolutely nothing to do with you."
Characters familiar from the original trilogy are milling around here too, and interaction with them—what they say and how they treat you—depends on a lot of variables. “You can go to some parts of the level,” Ebert
explains, “and you end up getting a certain smell on your clothes, and the people in the town will react to that too. You can talk to anyone. Some people will have proper conversations but everyone has some kind of response. You can piss off the guards and some of the characters without too much trouble, but if you mess with others you can find yourself in some difficult situations.” Amidst all the character interaction, puzzle solving and lightsaber dueling, you'll find a few vehicles and secret bits, too, “There are 13 levels, give or take a few,” explains Ebert. "We're saying 11-plus at the moment. . . but that’s pretty loose. You do get. to ride the STAP, which is the thing the Battle Droids ride, and you also get to drive the tanks to go around blowing the crap out of stuff. We keep the gameplay and the view fundamentally pretty consistent though. We lidn't want to do something like Shadows of the Empire where there were so many different gameplay styles. We change camera angles slightly for the vehicle parts—but basically this stays pretty much the same throughout. The vehicles pretty much equate to how the ones in Tomb Raider act: As far as camera angles and control go, things stay pretty consistent.” Before we leave Big Ape’s offices to speak with the PlayStation-conversion team, Dean and Mike show us one last level of the game, just to get us even more fired up about the whole thing than we already are, Remember the scene in the first trailer where Obi-Wan and Qui- Gon are dueling with Darth Maul? When Maul draws that second blade on his lightsaber, you have to agree it’s one of the coolest movie moments ever, eh? Well, in the game that whole scene is going on as you're playing another section. The 3D engine used is so impre: and the feeling of depth provided by the imagery is so convincing, that action takes place on two different planes of the level. The lightsaber duel rages in the foreground, while you continue to explore sections in the background. It's surprisingly effective, and when the speech and final music is eventually dropped in, it's going to be an incredible moment, we're sure.
Wars on the Web
Surprise, surprise—the Internet is crammed with more Phantom Menace rumors than Chewbacca has fleas. But amidst the goofball reports (Charlton Heston as the voice of Yoda?) you'll find some bona-fide behind-the-scenes tidbits, pics, plot points and even shots of prequel toys. Thanks to their network of spies and insiders, the following fan-run sites consistently separate the facts from the bantha fodder. If you're a spoiler seeker craving the kind of Episode I deep-throat dirt they just don't post on the official site at www.starwars.com, click this way...
www.theforce.net
www .jedinet.com
www.newsdroid.com
www.countingdown.com/starwars www.starwarz.com www.echostation.com www.virtualedition.com www.toshistation.com
www.maulrats.com
www.sirstevesguide.com
On the Portside...
They may be up against an ultra-tight deadline, but the small team of coders porting The Phantom Menace to the PlayStation have one thing going for them. "Big Ape originally designed the game with the console in mind," says senior programmer Nick Pavis, formerly of
Codemasters and now working in-house at LucasArts to bring Phantom Menace to Sony's system. "The poly counts are about OK, the interface is pretty simple, save files fit OK on a memory card. It's just a really efficient setup."
Of course, porting the game wasn't simply a matter of
fiddling with the poly count and sending it on its way. For one thing, the PC version of Phantom Menace makes use of LucasArts’ patented iMUSE system, which blends John Williams’ soaring score from one tune to the next
depending on events in the game. And while interactive music isn't new to the consoles (listen to Banjo-Kazooie), a dialog-heavy game that spools changing music from the CD
is a definite first. "They have something like 4,000 lines of
dialog,” explains Pavis. “They weren't gonna have all that speech on the PlayStation, but we said you have to have it, because it's an important part of the game.
"$0 we spent a little time researching how we were gonna do interactive music and dialog and create an iMUSE system for the PlayStation. It's pretty neat. It allows you to stream different tracks off CD and have them loop
seamlessly and go from one to the next while having dialog at the same time. The closest thing to it is in Metal Gear Solid, where they have interactive music in MIDI, but this is actually original score spooled off the CD and being interactive." Sure, the PlayStation version of Phantom Menace won't look as pretty as the PC game; it lacks the hi-res sharpness and filtered textures of the high-end hardware. But the PlayStation has its own bag of tricks. Expect to see plenty of slick lighting effects as you deflect laser bolts with your lightsaber. And ultimately, the porting team is relying on the system's knack for pumping out m polygons. We're from the console school," Pavis says, “and I really hate the mentality of ‘you can't do this on the PlayStation’ or ‘you can't do that on the PlayStation.’ I think we can in a lot of cases. Even though the PlayStation doesn’t do perspective-correct mapping, even though it (ÉGNN doesn't do bilinear filtering, it can still output a lot of
120
sive numbers of
LucasArts programmers Pat Costello, Jon Menzies and Nick Pavis are bringing The Phantom Menace from the PC to the PS—with all 4,000 lines of dialog and nearly every poly intact.
polygons and pretty much match what they're doing.” With the deadline looming (the team is only getting about three months to port the game) Pavis and fellow senior programmers Jon Menzies and Pat Costello are facing a lot of long days and late nights in their cramped alcove at LucasArts. But Pavis is convinced that Phantom Menace will go beyond being a solid port. “I think it's
better as a console game than a PC game,” he tells us. “You don't worry about using the keyboard and which key turns
on your lightsaber. You just pick up the joypad and go.”
Dateline: Episode I
Sept. 25, 1998 Lucas ends months of speculation and name games when he announces that The Phantom Menace is the official title for Episode I. Outspoken fans, thinking the name is better suited for a Goosebumps novel, hope it’s just a Jedi mind trick.
While Big Ape wraps up The Phantom Menace in the non- descript confines of its Northern Marin County offices, work on Racer proceeds in-house deep within LucasArts’ San Rafael headquarters. The team behind the game came together from various LucasArts Star Wars projects, including Shadows of the Empire, Jedi Knight and Rogue Squadron. Racer is being developed simultaneously for the Nintendo 64 and РС, with all future versions building off those two. Although development nitty- gritty didn’t kick off until last year, Racer has been in the planning stages since 1996, when portions of the new film became obvious candidates for video- game treatment. “Back in 96 ILM had done an early animatic of the podrace, so we knew early on that we wanted to do a racing game based on this sequence,” Jon Knoles, Racer's project leader and lead artist, tells us.
But while podracing seemed a perfect fit for a video game, the Racer team faced hurdles from the get-go. “One of the challenges was getting a game based on a movie to come out when a movie comes out— which rarely happens, and when it does the game often doesn’t resemble the movie,” Knoles explains. “But we were fortunate early on to have good reference material, not final reference, but good placeholder reference."
So, working with sketches instead of ILM’s own computer- generated models, the game's artists built their pods from scratch using 3D Studio MAX. ‘The Tatooine track featured in the film was given a similar treatment, while the rest of Racer's courses are exclusive to the game and have nothing to do with the movie. "They had a sketch for the track in the movie," Knoles says, *and our ‘Tatooine track is based on that sketch. But they ended up cutting out huge portions of the track to make the scene last a specific amount of time, so we have a lot of surprises in our track. You'll also see some familiar areas, scenes that look right out of the trailer."
‘The Racer team's next obstacle was a doozie: Since pods cruise at 600 miles per hour, how could they re-create this extreme speed in a game? "Imagine taking Daytona in a 15-second lap," Knoles says. "That's how fast you're going, and that presented a few technical problems for us. You end up driving a very small thing in a very large world, since the tracks need to be so expansive, and interacting with other racers is key. You really want a lot of bumping and grinding going on, because it's a big part of the race in the movie. When you're going at these speeds, it's like flying in formation with WWII fighters— it's a little hard to ride bumper to bumper."
Aggressive AI was one solution to keeping races tight, but, more importantly, the developers wanted to stick a lot of opposing pods in the race with the player. For the N64 version, they wanted to cram 12 other vehicles on the raceway, but that goal came with. its own set of challenges. “These pods aren’t all a Chevy with different paint jobs,” Knoles explains. “They all have unique textures and unique models that look so different, Each pod model took more RAM than the usual car models in a car-racing game. We kept hitting that ceiling in the N64 in the amount of available RAM. You just can't load any more racers into the game. It took a lot of tucking, cutting and rebuilding to get the 12 racers on the track with the player.”
Eric Johnston, Racer's leat programmer, adds that despite all the squeezing, the game's р‹ are still presented with a hefty amount of detail. “The poly count for the other vehicles is still pretty high as far as racing games go,” he says. “They go from 20 polygons to 1000, basically." And here's a cool bonus if you have a RAM Pak: Not only does Racer take the Rogue Squadron route and jump. to hi-res when you pop in the Pak, it also adds more opposing pods on the larger tracks. The number of extra racers varies per track, however. The game's target frame-rate is 30 frames per
Podracing 101
If you watched the Episode I teaser trailer, then you already caught a glimpse of podracing, the often lethal, lightning-fast sport that makes up the meat of Racer’s gameplay. The movie's race is held on Tatooine, on the rugged outskirts of Mos Espa, where young Anakin Skywalker is growing up in indentured servitude with his mother, Shmi. And lo’ and behold if we don't see a familiar crime boss hosting the Mos Espa race—none other than Jabba the Hutt, a full 30 years before becoming the galaxy's most notorious blobster.
According to the film, hosting podraces is one of the ways young Jabba built his fortune, since the sport supports so many underworld activities. "Podracing's on the verge of being illegal, like those races we used to have in the Nevada desert," Knoles tells us. "You're not supposed to do it. The emphasis is not on safety here. Rather, there's a lot of gambling going on— gambling with lives as well as money.”
Pay attention to the podracer drivers when you see the film, too, since they re probably the craziest-looking critters to appear in Episode J. And they look like oddballs for a reason. “All the podracers are alien,” Knoles explains. "Many have multiple arms, because pods are such complex vehicles that racing them is something humans just don’t have enough limbs or the reflexes to do. But Anakin has this thing with machinery, which will be with him for the rest of his life, and he has the benefit of the Force, of course.”
When does George Lucas plan to have Star Wars: Episode II ready for theaters? A) 2001
B) 2002 C) 2003
D) Never. This is his last Star Wars film.
нб] ty
"Imagine taking Daytona in a 15- second lap. That's how fast you're going, and that presented a few technical problems for us." —Jon Knoles, Racer's project leader ^A couple courses are not road- based at all, and you feel like
you’re on an off-road adventure.” eS m —Eric Johnston, Racer's lead programmer B) Lucas stated he tentatively plans to finish Episode П by 2002. He's developing
the film’s story right now—a story he said includes Boba Fett.
|
Dateline: Episode I
Nov. 20, 1998
The initial teaser trailer is released in theaters, three days after its pre- release in limited markets. The trailer is such a draw that even people who aren’t female sit through Meet Joe Black to catch a glimpse of Episode 1.
Dateline: Episode I
April 30, 1999
Grab your lightsaber and ewok pelts and hyperspace to Denver, Colo., for the Star Wars Celebration fan event. See games, Episode I celebrities and about 40,000 fellow Star Wars freaks. Call 800- TRUE-FAN for ticket info. Attendees wearing Klingon costumes will
be teased until they cry.
second, and the PAK will only add as many extra pods as that frame-rate will allow. Note that higher-end platforms such as the PC, Mac and Dreamcast will support more racers on the track.
Just as the team needed lots of pods on the starting line, they also needed courses large enough to give the lightning-quick vehicles room to run. “A brand- new engine was built in-house especially for this game," Johnston tells us. “It was essentially taking some of what worked really well in Shadows of the Empire and tuning it specifically for a racing game. Our emphasis was that we wanted the tracks—rather than being trenches—to be worlds we could design from the beginning. They're a lot more freeform than in a typical racing game. For example, the Tatooine track looks a whole lot like the one from the movie, and you don't feel like you're racing at the bottom of a funnel the whole time.
“Our level builders were pretty much allowed to create any world they wanted and then lay a track through it, instead of the other way around. In fact, it wasn’t even necessary that they have a road. A couple courses are not road-based at all, and you feel like you're on an off-road adventure.”
In the end, Racer's level builders created 23 tracks scattered across eight planets (seven planets host three tracks, while Tatooine hosts two), Expect a few bonus courses, too. In the game's Circuit Mode, players compete to become the podracing champion of the galaxy by beating the Boss racer on each track, which in turns opens that Boss’ pod as a playable vehicle for the single-race mode, two- player mode or when you begin а new circuit career. Eventually, you'll go up against Sebulba, the droopy-faced final Boss whose pod is loaded with dirty tricks.
The planets pack the usual variety of fantasy-racing-game terrain. You'll see an ice planet, а lava world, a WipeOut-like city course set on an asteroid penal {опе of these worlds appears in Zhe Phantom Menace. hing's new, with the exception of Tatooine as it will appear in the movie,” Knoles says. “All the planet names in Racer, all the planets themselves, those are all created from scratch, just classic Star Wars
stuff except 30 years in the past ying to open up new territories, just like we did with Shadows and Jedi knight and any other game we worked on that had us inventing new locales. There are other planet locations in the film, but when you see the film you'll realize why they don’t hold podraces on them.”
The courses all vary in size, usually according to their order in the game. “Since each planet has three tracks,” Knoles adds, “the first one is shorter, the second one a little longer, and the third one a little longer, although not always. We have a track that’s about five miles long and takes 30 seconds to lap. The scale of our final Tatooine track is approximately 30 miles, and you're covering 10 miles per minutes, so it works out to 400 to 600 miles per hour scale speed. That's a little faster than the pods in the movie, where they're hanging around 300 to 400 miles per hour and hit about 550 miles per hour when they re really booking. ILM plays with their numbers to make it feel right on film, and we fudge our numbers to make it feel right for us."
All tracks have multiple shortcuts and hidden paths; keep an eye out for breakaway walls and out-of-the-way routes you can only reach by jumping your pod just right. Advanced courses are twisty and crammed with stomach-churning dips and gaping chasms. Put simply, this is а game that, like EAs excellent Beetle Adventure Racing, is heavy оп exploration. “At any point, you can drive off the road and cruise through the country,” Knoles says. “Like in Tatooine, for instance, at any point you can drive up on the hills, although you can’t get too carried away. This is a racing game, after all "There will be a few surprises spread about here and there, although I wanted to be a little more obvious and give people the cool stuff in their face. The jawa sandcrawler was going to be a bit more off the beaten path, but it's really cool to drive under that thing, so we stuck it in the middle of the road."
All the tracks pack hidden details that you'll want to hunt down and see. “On the penal colony world,” Racer's product manager, Brett Tosti, says, "we're gonna have a big interrogation- type ship in one of the shortcuts that'll chase you and fire at you
What inspired the look of Episode I's Battle Droids?
A) Humpback camels
B) Shogun warriors C) The original Imperial stormtroopers D) African tribal art
As you'd expect, Racer offers multiple control setups, but the developers are even toying with the idea of sticking in a configuration that matches what you'll see in the film. In Episode 1, the alien racers steer their pods by working two throttles, one for each engine. The game may let you plug in two joypads to simulate this control style, with each analog stick controlling a separate engine.
“You find yourself going like this,” Knoles says, taking a joypad in each hand and holding them out as if they're handlebars. “You really understand just how hard these things are to drive.”
REAR VIEW
because he thinks you're escaping." Also look for asteroid- filled zero-g tunnels that your pod will glide through.
Since Racer features multiple tracks set in the same planetary environments, it's fallen back slightly on the racing-game convention of building later courses off previous ones. Yet it doesn't re-use track portions to the obvious extent found in Ridge Racer. "We have a planet called Endo Prime, for instance, which now planet,” Knoles explains. “The first track there just takes you on a little part and you see glimpses of areas where you'll be racing on the second and third tracks later on. They may be hidden behind an avalanche or something, Each track is more of an expansion on
the first, and sometimes they share a half-mile stretch, but really each track is mostly unique. In а couple of locations, we turn the race around so you drive backward and then we add a huge new portion. No one will feel like we added a little road and suddenly it’s a new track.” One game Knoles and his team unabashedly admit served as inspiration was Wave Race 64, which offers a level of control finesse that applied well to
Racer's chariot-like pods. “Ву pushing forward on the stick, you go faster but turn shallower, just like in Wave Race,” he says. “By pulling back on your pod’s engines, you can turn sharper
ys you down. And you can do a lot of things in Racer to get through tricky areas, like
Anakin Skywalker—Before he became the infamous man in black, Anakin Skywalker was an adventurous boy on Tatooine with a knack for machinery. This gift gives him an edge in podracing, a sport usually reserved for multi- limbed aliens with the dexterity to drive the complicated machines.
Sebulba—Tatooine's podracing champion and the final Boss of Racer, Sebulba is a cheater who'll do anything and everything to win, including flaming you with his engines. Sebulba’s a strange-looking dude, with legs that also seem to function as arms. Like all alien podracers, he uses every limb he's got to control his machine.
Dateline: Episode I
May 3, 1999
A mountain of Phantom Menace merchandise will hit store shelves like a ton of ewoks, as this is the day Lucasfilm licensees will unleash their biggest wave yet of Episode I toys, trinkets and promotional tie- ins. Expect Hasbro’s microchipped action figures and LEGO's vehicle sets to make the
biggest splash.
rolling on your side."
Yanking back on the stick after you jump keeps you airborne longer, while pushing forward. cuts jumps short. Holding forward also charges turbo. Once charged, you can boost to speeds exceeding 1,000 miles per hour in faster pods. Boosting too long overheats your engines, however, and you'll get a flameout if you don’t ease off the gas.
Unlike WipeOut, Racer is not a combat-racing game. None of the pods, except Sebulba’s, carries weapons. Instead, it's more like F-Zero Х. You can damage opponents by ramming them, or take them out of commission (and earn access to their junked parts) by forcing them into canyon walls and such. In some cases, you can even use the terrain beneath your pod to screw pursuers. “One level has a methane lake you can cruise across,” Tosti says. “If you do a speed boost on it, the whole lake catches on fire, so all the players who come after you will take a small amount of damage.”
Roughing up opponents or flaming out your engines will take its toll on your own race performance. “We handle damage really subtly in the beginning,” Knoles explains, “but over time, you begin to notice that your craft is pulling almost like you have a flat tire, and the engines will smoke and sputter and spark.” Since the game's races don't have pit stops (although one’s featured in the movie), your only recourse when damaged is to hold the repair button, which acts as an on-the-
ly pit stop. It slows you down considerably, but it keeps you in the race while your systems fix themselves, Of course, you could always go easy on the repair button and hope your pod makes it across the finish line in one piece, at which point special roids you purchase called pit roids fix your pod between races.
At least four pods, including Anakin’s, will be available when you first start the game. From there, as you beat the Boss racer of each track and unlock his pod, you'll eventually open 23 craft. Sebulba drives the last pod, and you earn his craft once you beat him on the final track on Tatooine. And here's an interesting bit of trivia: Racer actually contains a few podracers that you'll never see in the film. "When they originally started. out, there were going to be 22 racers in the movie's pod sequence," explains Knoles, "but they cut it down to 18. We got the sketches for the ones they cut and they were kinda cool, so we said, ‘Hey, let's build them.’ We end up. having all 18 from the movie, plus the extra ones and the pilots that go with them, and a couple more secret ones, 100.”
As you'd expect, each pod has varied performance capabilities and is fully upgradeable (see Pod Mods sidebar). Anakin's compact pod boasts better acceleration than most, while bigger racers have higher top speeds and more efficient cooling systems for extended turbo. All the pods handle differently, as well. “You do feel different slipperinesses on different surfaces,” Johnston
Every Garage
Playing Racer had us craving the real deal, so we put together this shopping list of stuff you'd need to build your own, if not exactly street-legal, pod hotrod:
* 1969 Chevy Chevelle—as the passenger-pod portion of your homemade machine, the whale-size Chevelle comfortably seats five, and you just can’t beat that ol’ Detroit steel for raw durability.
Price: $5,000
* Two Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-229 jet-turbine engines—These are the same turbines that propel F-16 and F-15 fighters, and they look almost identical to the engines pulling Anakin’s pod. A bit pricey, though.
Price: $5 million each
* 210 feet of surplus Navy destroyer anchor chain—Divided into two 100-foot strips, this chain will link your Chevelle to the engines, as well as support wiring for throttle controls, status readouts and the front turn signals. Use that last 10 feet to tie the engines together.
Price: $1,000
* Alpine CDA-7940 stereo system with eight XR 12- inch subwoofers and four MRV-1001 amplifiers— What's the point of owing your own podracer if you can't cruise to your favorite tunes? And you'll need the power of Alpine's high-end system to hear your '805 hair-metal compilations over the turbine whine.
Price: $5,000
We hate to poop on your party, but bear a few cautions in mind before you fire up your pod for that morning commute. Safety goggles are a must if you plan on punching the afterburners. Always wear your seatbelts. And if you're really concerned about personal safety, dive in the nearest ditch the second you activate this jet-powered sucker. “Two F100s would not really be a good way to get around,” Pratt & Whitney spokesman Mark Sullivan tells us. “Each generates about 30,000 pounds of thrust, which works out to 24,000 horsepower per engine. If you hooked them up to a car, it would rip the thing to pieces quite quickly. I don't think you'll see these pods on the freeway anytime soon.”
* Add tax, license and doc. fee. Prices based on qualification for all rebates
or cash equivalent. All incentives applied. Must qualify for college-grad rebate. MSRP may not be the actual price at which podracers are sold.
Which Star Wars personality does not belong in this list and wl
A) Anthony Daniels B) James Earl Jones C) Frank
D) Jan McDiarmid
LucasArts' Racer team includes, top row from left, Paul Topolos, Paul Zinnes, Lisa Wong, Armando Lluch, Christina Napier, Mark Blattel, Livia Mackin, Amit Shalev, Brad Post, Nathan Stapley. Bottom row from left: Mark Haigh-Hutchinson, Jon Knoles, Justin Graham, Eric Johnston, Brett Tost, Jacob Stephens, Sun-Inn Shih, Duncan Brown, Camela Boswell, Japeth Pieper, Dino Ago, Darren Johnson, Clint Young, Jim Rice, Bill Stoneham.
adds, “because the repulsorlift has sort of a gripping element to it. Certain vehicles have weaker repulsorlift generators so they fly around corners really wide, while others are really grippy and tight. There's a lot of vehicles. They all look very different from each other, so we want them to feel different from each other.”
To get the right feel for these unusual craft, Johnston spent a lot of time experimenting with the game's physics models—and even got his two big dogs into the act. “I put a harness on both of them and let them pull me on my skateboard,” he tells us.
“We rode around the neighborhood, and that gave
me an idea on how the pod should swing back and forth behind its dual engines."
n the end, the game's Pods handle identically to those created just a few miles away in ILM’s studios, “Early on, we had good communication with the head honchos ILM before they got swamped,” Knoles say “They were really excited to see our game and what we were doing, because they hadn't solved the pl problems either. Mter all, they just don't animate these things; they have to deal with the physics, too, ог the pods won't look right in the film. And it was funny, when we first showed them the game and they showed us the first few shots from the race sequence, it was amazing how similar we were all working. Their pods act just like ours do."
And that's really the overall goal of the Racer team—to make a game that looks and feels exactly like Episode I's podracing sequence. That meant Racer had to look as good as it played. “Early on there was a conscious decision
made to not go the graphics route of games like F-Zero X, which, as fun as they are, aren't filled with a lot of eye-candy,” says Knoles. "With this game, it's essential that it looks right. You're going to come out of this movie and you're gonna want to play this game. The podrace sequence is going to be in your head just like the trench run in Star Wars or the speeder bike scene or the walker battle. If you turn the game on and just have blocks flying around on an invisible road somewhere, you're gonna be hugely disappointed.” ‘The team’s attention to graphical perfection is obvious as soon as you look at your pod, which bristles with animated engine parts, spherical shapes and dozens of other details. “Any one of the parts of Anakin's pod is as many polygons as a typical car in a typical car-racing game," Knoles adds, “The whole vehicle in its entirety with the cables, binder beam, flames and all that cool stuff is about 1,000 polygons, which is roughly a third of what the N64 can handle at a decent frame-rate. To do anything less would just be criminal, because you see these
Dateline: Episode I
May 19, 1999
Star Wars: Episode I— The Phantom Menace will open in theaters across the country. Everything not related to the film will cease to exist on this much-
anticipated Friday.
Dateline: Episode I
May 24, 1999
Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace will hit stores for the PlayStation and PC. Star Wars: Episode I Racer will be released for the Nintendo 64, PC and Macintosh. Players will squeeze in quick games between visits to the gigaplex to see Episode
1 for the 20th time.
things in the movie and they're mind-blowing.”
Such fancy visuals don’t come without a price, though, and in Racer's case, the multiplayer mode took a bit of a hit. The game only supports two-player split-screen racing instead of four players. “Because of the complexity of our vehicles,” Knoles explains, “a fourplayer mode would force us to cut down the overall level of detail to a point where you'd be flying kites through an extremely foggy environment. While it'd be cool to put four-player on the box, I wouldn't sacrifice the game to make it happen." Two players can race on any tracks and use any pods that have been opened in the one-player game.
Right, so we know Racer packs amazingly detailed pods and moves at blazing speeds, but does it live up to the stellar sound- effect standards set by Rogue Squadron? Well, what would you expect from developers who have а direct line of communication with Skywalker Sound, Trust us—the pods in the game will sound just as cool as their on- screen counterparts, and Racer supports Dolby Surround sound, too. But what the heck does a rewing podracer sound like? "The sounds are in the same vein as X-wing, TIE fighter and landspeeder sounds,” Knoles says. “George Lucas is always looking for people to feel familiar with the objects he’s putting on the screen, so there's a lot of car sounds that found their way into the podrace. There's a lot of that Formula One shiftbox pounding going on—pow-pow- pow-pound!"
Unlike Rogue Squadron,
however, Racer is much leaner in the music department. "We're not going to have a looping soundtrack throughout the game," Knoles s "Music in racing games always annoys me, unless it's really cool like in WipeOut. Most of the time, the first thing I do with a racing game is switch off the music, and I think most gamers might agree.” The game will blare short bursts of music for key events, such as when you enter a mysterious cavern or pass а track's Boss racer. ‘The Racer team is hoping to cram in a lot of speech. For starters, all the opposing racers will shout taunts in Jabba's language, Huttese. Watto will have at least 40 different things to say when you enter his shop. None of the speech will be digitized directly from the film, however. "We were able to use а couple of actors who did some of the voices in the movie," Knoles adds, “but everything they say is new, with the exception of Jabba going ooooh once in a while.” And although Knoles dealt with actors from the movie, saw update after update of the film’s podrace and was generally bombarded by all things Episode 1, he managed to avoid having the entire film spoiled for him as it was for the guys over at Big Ape. “Given my position, I was asked early on if I wanted to watch a screening in its entirety Knoles says, “but I've consistently avoided watching more than 1 need to. I'll see any ILM shot of the podrace for the sake of the game, but I wanna go into that theater when the film opens like I did when I was 8 and saw the first one. I wanna go, "Wow." o
Like an intergalactic grease monkey, you can upgrade your podracer. After each race, you'll head to Watto's parts shop and spend winnings on pod enhancements in several categories, including acceleration, top speed, traction, air braking, cooling and repair. Each part category has about six levels of upgrade, so you can either focus on improving one area of performance or spread enhancements across your machine. “The better cooling part you get, the longer you can hold the boost button without overheating your engine," Knoles offers as an example. "And the maximum cooling part you buy will allow you to indefinitely hold down boost, if you can handle the race at those speeds."
As an alternative to buying new parts, you can force opponents to crash, then pick apart their wrecked pods in Watto's junkyard and snag damaged parts dirt cheap. The more enemies you wreck, the more junk parts you'll find. Damaged parts don't boost performance nearly as much as new stuff, but that's where Watto's pit droids come in. Not only do these expensive droids fix your pod between races, they also take your junkyard parts and make them as good as new. "The more pit droids
you buy," says Knoles, "the more of those customized parts you can get fixed. So you can buy a bunch of crappy parts and they'll get fixed really quick and be good parts."
In the end, you're gonna need a well-balanced supermachine to beat Sebulba, whose pod packs the best of everything—even nasty secret weapons. “If you won all the races and bought all the best parts,” Knoles says, “ру the time you face Sebulba, it's gonna be pretty close."
Who you callin’ a pussy?
<>
PlayStation
Activision is a registered trademark of Activision, Inc. T'ai Fu © 1999 DreamWorks Interactive L.L.C. T'ai Fu is a trademark of DreamWorks Interactive L.L.C. DreamWorks Interactive is a trademark of DreamWorks L.L.C. Published and distributed by Activision under license. 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. All rights reserved. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners.
Strut your bad self through 20 intense levels of sweeping rivers and dense hamboo 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 ‘em
off with thrashing claws and razor-sharp teeth.
Tai-Fu-putting the “F-U" in Kung-Fu.
IN STORES MARCH 1999
Wrath of the Tiger
That's Chinese For Kick Ass.
www.activision.com
™
10015
Peripheral Reviews
130
Shock Hammer
by: Thrustmaster for: PlayStation price: $29.99
This Dual Shock pad should be a sure winner with fans of the Saturn Analog controller. Design influences aside, our main problems are the awkward placement and closeness of the shoulder buttons, and the location of the Start and Select buttons. Overall, it has a solid feel and an above-average look.
www.thrustmaster.com
оюл;
MC Sports Рай
by: Mad Catz The MC Sports Pad feels great for the for: Nintendo 64 most part. Like some other Mad Catz price: $19.99 products, it has a sweet, grippy coating
underneath. We also like the
placement/spacing of the A, B and C buttons. Although, some of the buttons themselves feel a little shotty.
Ф www.madcatz.com
by: Thrustmaster for: Nintendo 64 price: $29.99
Like the ShockHammer, the StingRay has a sweet-looking design. And really, the only
ons thing that bugs us These shoulder button about this pad is its
don't feel right--maybe tight analog stick. they shouldn't be so www.thrustmaster.com Close, together.
Sow.
Dual Analog Controller
by: MadCatz for: PlayStation
This Dual Shock-compatible pad grew on us—its intense rumble and solid feel works quite well. We especially like the rubberized coating on its underbelly. Still, its design is pretty standard
otherwise, and the start button is placed akward| www.madcatz.com ®
price: $19.99
Memory Rocker Pak +
The Ha former by: NAKI On one hand you have a iA oa trans + it's for: Nintendo 64 memory/rumble pak that’s --bu slightly unstable when
price: $16.99
sort of way really clunky:
reading and writing saves. In addition, it doesn’t fit perfectly into the N64 pad. On the other hand, it rumbles without batteries — and does so really well. For the price, it's worth it. They come in a variety of colors.
www.nakiusa.com
The lights under the magnifier Greate a nasty glare on the GBC screen.
by: InterAct Now this one isn’t practical
for: Game Boy Color in the least. Look at the
price: $19.99 thing—it’s huge. Well, it is cool how the Pak can collapse onto itself to become somewhat smaller—kind of like a Game Boy Transformer. Still, the HandyPak just isn’t that smart of an add- on for a portable system seeing how big it can get.
www.interact-acc.com
Color Protector
by: InterAct for: Game Boy Color
price: $6.99
The Protector is one of the most practical GBC items we've ever seen. This rubbery sleeve protects the edges and screen of your GBC from bumps and falls. It fits onto the unit perfectly and comes with a nylon strap. Plus, it's licensed.
PowerPak Color
Like the protector, this GBC add-on is quite practical. It'll save you tons of money in the long run, it has this cool LCD
by: InterAct for: Game Boy Color
price: $19.99
that shows you how much battery life is left and has a slot in the back of it for your GBC's battery cover to snap into. Plus, it's not all that bulky.
www.interact-acc.com
www.interact-acc.com
NS speed, awesome competition and the pulse-pounding exhilaration of flying by cars at speeds in excess of 300 MPH.
Windows® 95
PlayStation
WWW.asegames.com • WWw.jeffgordonxsracing.com
DEVELOPED BY
Real Spo RED 4 тм
BOB M" 2-7] A
LAMES,
ASC Games@ is a registered trademark of American Softworks Corporation. © 1998 American Softworks Corporation. Jeff Gordon® XS Racing™ is a trademark of ASC Games®. © 1998 JG Motorsports Inc. Developed by Real Sports. ® PepsiCo, Inc. 1998. FRITOS ® is a registered trademark used by Frito-Lay, Inc. © 1995 PEG Limited Partnership and PEG 97 Limited Partnership. PlayStation and the PlayStation logos are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Windows® 95 is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corp. The ratings icon is a trademark of
the Interactive Digital Software Association. All rights reserved.
Platinum Awards go to games that get four 10's, the best possible review а game can get.
Gold Awards go to games whose average score equals 9.0 or higher.
Games that average at least an 8.0 receive Silver Awards.
OUR PHILOSOPHY
EGM rates games based on how they compare with other titles on the same system. The highest score we'll give a game is a 10. When a game receives a 10, you can rest assured it's one of the best games ever made-a revolutionary title that truly stands above everything else in its genre for its time. At the other end of the spectrum sits the lowest score a game can receive: a 0.0. 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 Hydro Thunder (Arcade) Gex 3: Deep Cover Gecko Goemon's Great Adven.
Crispin Boyer
Amidst all the crap games (and there were a lot of ‘em) that buried him this month, Crispin found a few rays of hope. First, the
Final Fantasy VIII
Favorite Genres:
RPGs, Action movies. Yes, Crispin, there is light at the end of the tunnel.
John Davison
John has an inflatable sofa in his office. It's comfy and has plenty of give in all the right places (it also has a leopard print cover on it, but let's ignore that for now), but the fundamental thing is that it's inflat- able. So when John was shouting "stupid, crappy, boring, muth******”" at Rampage 2 while slamming the joypad into the sofa...you can imagine the consequences. It sounded a bit like a fart...only it lasted longer.
Current Favorites NFS: High Stakes All-Star Baseball 2000 Hydro Thunder (Arcade) Sega Rally 2
Favorite Genres: Sports, Racing
As the fresh crop of baseball titles begin to crowd Dean's desk, thoughts of sunny summer days spent at Wrigley Field begin to
Dan Hsu
Wanna hear something strange? Shoe's not 100% excited about the PS2 announcement. Not that he's not psyched about the super machine...but he's afraid a lot of developers will now write off the Dreamcast and jump into Sony's all-encompassing embrace. Shoe wants Sega to stick around for the long-term. Wanna hear something else strange? Watching Episode / trailers makes Shoe teary-eyed.
Current Favorites All-Star Baseball 2000 Need for Speed: HS Power Stone
Final Fantasy VIII
Favorite Genres: RPGs, Action
All this Star Wars craziness has John running scared. What if he
he's also shut down his Net connection. Talk about dedication...
Shawn Smith
Shawn has PlayStation 2 on the brain. That's all he talks and thinks about, for crying out loud! He's especially excited about Sony's upcoming system from a technological standpoint. The PlayStation 2 truly is a symbol of what's to come since it integrates many aspects of computer and home audio/video technology. And since Shawn is the Consumer Hardware Editor for EGM, this pleases him to no end.
Current Favorites Sushi-X Street Fighter Alpha 3 Power Stone
Crazy Taxi (Arcade)
Soul Calibur (Arcade)
PlayStation 2 specs have him dreaming of future Final Fantasy and Tekken experiences so real they defy description. And then there's Star Wars: Episode |-The Phantom Menace, the movie to end all
Current Favorites Power Stone
Beetle Adventure Racing Sega Rally 2
Crazy Taxi (Arcade)
Favorite Genres: Action, Adventure
Dean Hager
cloud his mind. “All-Star Baseball 2000 may be mighty realistic and fun but it can’t hold a candle to the real thing,” he says. Judging by the amount of empty beer cups and peanut bags left in his cubicle you'd think it came pretty close, but nonetheless he's probably right.
Current Favorites Hydro Thunder (Arcade) Puyo Puyo 4
Lode Runner 3-D All-Star Baseball 2000
Favorite Genres: Strategy, Puzzle
John Ricciardi
somehow stumbles upon an important piece of the plot before the movie hits? He'd be crushed! Knowing this, John has locked himself away from society. Not only is he completely ignoring everything Crispin and Johnny England say (they yap about the flick daily!), but
Current Favorites Street Sk8er
NFS: High Stakes
Gex 3: Deep Cover Gecko Hydro Thunder (Arcade)
Favorite Genres: Action, Adventure
Sushi's been in and out all month. We've hardly seen the guy! In the short time he was here, he kept babbling on about Soul Calibur and how we'd all be playing it at home a lot sooner than we think. Could
he be talking about the rumored DC version? Hmm...in other news,
Favorite Genres: Fighting, RPGs
Sushi had a chance to try out Crazy Taxi recently in Japan. He says it's one of the coolest arcade games he's played. High praise, indeed.
ALL-STAR
[ни
Publisher: Acclaim
Developer: Iguana
Featured Іп: EGM #117
All-Star Baseball 2000 is a perfect example of how a sequel should be done. Iguana didn’t go and make any drastic changes to ASB '99's impressive game engine. Instead, they merely tweaked the crap out of it and added à bunch of cool features to make it an even more well-rounded game than before. Let me tell you, they did an amazing job. All-Star Baseball 2000 is a hardcore baseball fan’s dream. The graphics and animation are out- standing (at first glance, a friend of mine thought | was playing a Dreamcast game—no joke), and the gameplay is spot-on. What impresses me the most is that the game is really user-friendly. There are a ton of entirely optional features that real baseball fans will love (3D Batting being the most innovative and fun of the bunch) that novice players can choose to ignore if they so desire. This makes for a game that’s instantly playable for non fans of the sport (like Crispin, for example), while'Keeping rabid fans (like myself) totally satisfied. Many. of the problems from ASB :09 have been fixed (the batting interface is much more precise, baserunning isn't as much of a chore, etc.), and the Al is very, very good. GM options are more in-depth this year too, with an improved draft and the ability to make multiple-player їгайе$: һе commentary is kinda weak, but it's a small gripe. John R
While ASB 2000 doesn't play much different from '99, it's even prettier (if you can believe it), and faster overall. New animations and other “nuance” extras have fattened ASB’s. realistic punch. For sheer graphical beauty
it's unrivaled. | wish it was a bit faster with more authentic sounds, but | can deal. The same cursor-style batting interface is back but.i-swear it's harder! You have to be quick
to consistently hit well. Great game. Dean
The various improvements Acclaim and
Iguana added to this year’s ASB have refined itinto being the best baseball game on the system by far. Everything is impressive, from the new 3D batting to pitch location guessing and so on. It all leads to a very thorough
game that can be as in-depth and strategic as you'd like, while still being intuitive enough: for rookies to enjoy. And boy, does the game rock in the graphics department! Dan
I'm no hardcore fan of sports games, but | like to take them in now and again, which is exactly why All-Star Baseball 2000 appeals to me so much. It's easy to get into, has a very intuitive control scheme and its graphics
and animation are simply outstanding. | was able to jump right into it quickly without hav- ing to worry at all about stats,omsim details. But if you are into stats and realism, ASB has plenty to offer in that arena, too. Shawn
VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY
10 7 8 9
BASEBALL 2000 28
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REPLAY
Publisher: Sunsoft
Developer: Japan System Supply
Featured In: N/A
In the same way Goemon has a bunch of weird enemies and silly story line tidbits that make you laugh, Chameleon Twist 2 features loads of strange enemies and weird levels that leave you emotionless. | played level after level without feeling one bit of anything. Well, actually | did feel something—anxiety when | died and realized | had to play through most of a level again, and uneasi- ness when | walked anywhere near a platform or ledge. This uneasiness is thanks to awk ward control when walking around and using your tongue. For example, | come close to an edge— yikes! | automatically feel like | might fall off. | think it's a depth thing. It’s too hard to tell where you are in the Z plane. In addi- tion, the whole sticky tongue swinging thing just doesn’t work for me. After 20 times of trying to make my way across a chasm by swinging from pole to pole with my chameleon tongue, | realized it should be much easier to do. And from a gameplay sense, the game is way too easy. At least if there was some challenge behind the game, the trouble with the control would be some- what rewarding — but then that's not a very good way to look at things. At least the graphics are better than the original, and the characters actually look like a chameleon's. Wow...stunning good points, eh? Shawn
Like the original, Chameleon Twist 2 is fairly short and geared more toward.kids. It does look better, with bright, colorful levels and some imaginative enemy oddballs (yes, those are cheeseburgers attacking your lizard). You'll come across а few fun minigames, too, but nothing to make CT2 more than a week- end diversion. Bosses are lame and too easy. The entire game is too easy, except for some platform bits and the final level Crispin
Believe it or not, | actually enjoyed the first Chameleon Twist. Yeah, it was short and it
had a corny premise, but it was fun to play and it had a fair amount of technique. Unfortunately, CT2 is no longer than the first game (took me four hours to beat), and the level designs and bosses are even simpler this time around. They cut out.the:4P mode, too. Kids may get a Kick out of it, buteven
still I'd recommend a rental at best. John В
The graphics may be OK, but there are some seriously dodgy elements to the gameplay in CT2. The whole sticky tongue thing is a nice idea, but it isn't backed up with any particu- larly enjoyable gameplay. In places it's diffi- cult to judge where things are within the 3D environments, and the “puzzles” that some- one-obviously thought were cleverare just annoying. Poking yourself with a fork is. more fun...and it'll last longer.
VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY
6 5 3 3
John D
REPLAY
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Publisher: Crave Entertainment Developer: Eidos/Core Design Featured In: EGM #109
It’s not like the PlayStation version wasn’t crap enough. It may have sold 4ook copies...but that was because of a Tomb Raider II demo as much as anything. Why would you want a bad conversion of a bad PS game? The graphics are awful—they're slow, badly animated, appallingly drawn and topped off with some spectacularly naff effects. The fighting engine is sub-Final Fight in quality... had more fun fighting alongside Chop Chop in PaRappa the Rapper than | did here. The appeal of the “gimmick” that allows you to pick stuff up and use it as a weapon soon wears off, and you find yourself just wanting to tear the cart out of the system and hurl it against the wall. The three differ- ent characters were far from endearing in the original incarnation...and still have no appeal whatsoever. You want more? The backdrops look bad, the story line is laughably clichéd, the camera system sucks like an over-pow- ered vacuum cleaner, the bad:glys are dumb, the bosses look like crap and absolutely.no effort has been made to take advantage of the N64. This is terrible. It’s so bad, in places it’s just embarrassing. | would rather be locked in a room and forced to listen to Britney Spears than play this. A lazy port of a game originally touted simply as being “from the creators of Tomb Raider.” Yuck. John D
| remember when І really enjoyed playing games like this— but that was like seven years ago. The PS version wowed me not too long ago but times have changed, even though this version is essentially the same. | just want more from a game now—not just the same old punching and kicking over and over again. If FF64 had a truly inventive spin on the normal Final Fight-style of gameplay, then maybe it'd be worth buying.
What we have here is a straight port of a game that was nothing special.to begin with. A few levels are interesting, and your ability to use nearly anything as a weapon is still a cool idea, but the gameplay is so dull you're ready to quit after a few stages. You just fight waves of the same enemies over and over while mashing the same buttons. Two- player mode is sluggish; it sometimes feels like you're fighting underwater.
Fighting Force on the PlayStation brought back memories of the 16-Bit Streets of Rage. We weren't sure what the story was, but it was a damned good excuse for some ultra- violence in a seedy urban locale. Fighting Force 64 is almost identical to its PlayStation counterpart, except the textures look a little. better. Still, the game's glaring lack of aes- thetic style and lethargic controls make this a most tedious 64-Bit experience. VISUALS
SOUND INGENUITY
Shawn
Sushi
REPLAY
5 4 3 3
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Publisher: Konami
Developer: KCE Osaka
Featured In: EGM #118
This game earns instant brownie points for offering something | crave—a cooperative multiplayer mode. And two players can do more than just battle through the stages side by side. They can even piggyback on each other to wield souped-up attacks. One player controls walking and jumping, while the other attacks baddies. It's an odd way to play and it takes some getting used to, but it's fun. Yet even as a one-player game, GGA has a lot going for it. Its side-scrolling stages—and there are a lot of them— pack old-school charm. You will run into some cheap bits, Such as platforms that drop you onto spikes without warning. And the foreground graph- ics can get in the way sometimes. But other- wise the levels deliver a good balance between twitch gameplay and puzzle solv- ing (later levels have you switching between characters and using their unique abilities to pass certain obstacles). The robot boss bat- tles are cool, too; but then you already knew thatif you played Mystical Ninja. Only the town-exploration portions of the game drag, since you pretty much need to talk to every yokel to find all the miniquests. GGA is also crammed with the odd humor that defines the Goemon series. Why all the muscly men? The ghost of James:Dean? It's funny, sure, but what the hell does it mean?
Yes! If you’re a fan of old-school side-scrolling platformers (who isn’t?), you HAVE to check this game out. It’s great! Not only does GGA feature two-player simultaneous play, but it’s got great level designs, challenging (and interesting) bosses and a long quest. It's like this game came into the future from 1989 or
ing. If you've been longing for a “true” platformer with some real meat (forget all this 3D crap!), you must check out GGA. John R
GGA is a goofy game with strange enemies and bosses, and a whacked-out story line — and that's exactly why | like/it. Sure, there are a couple of areas where the camera gets screwed up, making it hard to judge when you're going to get hit by an enemy and when to jump: But overall, GGA is highly addictive, and offers plenty of interesting gameplay elements and puzzles. I really enjoy the two- player mode as well, It’s a fun опе, Shawn
We all should be pretty thankful we're still getting traditional side-scrolling games— magical titles like this one are few and far between. Goemon's Great Adventure is not only packed with very old school-style game- pláy, but it's sprinkled with innovative bits as well, like the town parts and the giant robot battles. Just be warned: This game is very Japanese: The mainstream, video gamer may not be too thrilled with it. Dan
VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY
8 7 7 6
Developer: Big Bang Software
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Publisher: Infogrames
Featured Іп: ЕСМ #113
If you're a fan of the classic Lode Runner games like | am, you may be a little fright- ened by the “3D” in Lode Runner 3-D. Don’t be. I’m happy to report that this isn’t a free- roaming, classic gameplay-destroying, three dimensional update that has forgotten its roots. Although the worlds are in 3D, the game still plays on rails, so you can only move in two directions at a time (thank God for that). Does this new format work well with the addicting Lode Runner formula? For the most part, yes. That’s mostly due to the absolutely brilliant puzzle designs of Big Bang Software. Each of the well-over 100 stages is well-made, and require plenty of thought, a lot of careful planning and even some quick reflexes to get through. And just when you think you've gotten the hang of Lode Runner 3-D, it hits you with new game- play elements and even tougher puzzles. (Yes, this game can get very, very frustrating at times.) The solution to a stage may often. seem unattainable, but this game is so well- designed, you can't help but keep trying and trying (because you know victory is only a. few attempts away). Lode Runner 3-D is. extremely addicting with plenty of variety to keep you going for days. If you can look past the grainy graphics, give.it a shot. You may find yourself seriously hooked: Dan
Like Asteroids on the PlayStation, Lode Runner 3-D is a proper update of an old- school classic. Not only does the game fea- ture upgrades both graphically and in.the gameplay area, but it retains the incredible playability of the original as well. You can tell some real thought was put behind this Бате — it’s not just some half-rate-title some- body slapped together. Besides, who can resist a good puzzle game? Not me. Shawn
Does the 3D curse strike again? Thankfully, no. This 3D incarnation of Lode Runner is far removed from the original but still manages
to be entertaining to play. The level of chal- lenge spans from amazingly simple to mind- numbingly difficult. Luckily you have a lot of lives to work with. The simple controls are complemented by competentand creative level design. Overall, it does what it's sup- posed to do—it keeps you playing. Dean
For a puzzle game to be truly great, it needs not only long-term replay value; but a good learning curve as well. Lode Runner 3-D deliv- ers big-time on both counts, with more than 100 extremely well-designed levels that get increasingly tougher as you progress, not to mention the same feverishly addictive game- play that made the original game such a cult hit so many years ago. A great gameto play overa long period of time. John R
VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY
6 6 8 8
Developer: Avalanche
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RAMPAGE 2: UNIVERSAL TOUR ( 288
Publisher: Midway
Featured In: EGM #115
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Like its PlayStation cousin, the N64 version of Rampage 2 is an improvement over older Rampage titles. It still retains some of the repetitive play the series is known for (OK, maybe a good amount of that repetition after the 3oth level or so), but for the most part Universal Tour is more a of true game instead of just a brainless arcade smash- 'em-up. For example, there is a wider range of monster types to choose from now—and more than once you open up the original three characters. Plus, each of the monsters has unique strengths that come through dur- ing gameplay. Some walk and climb slow but punch faster, and vice-versa. In addition to this, there are different types of weather to deal with, combo moves and more of a vari- ety of levels than usual (once you make your way further into the game). These relatively small additions add up to make this version of Rampage stand out moreso than previous versions; When you throw the addictive multi- player mode in there, you getia lot of blown- up/buildings and tasty humans for your money. Overall, it’s not the slickest package around but it's pretty darn good for a Rampage game. If you're into the series, it Shouldn't do you wrong. If you're looking for Something revolutionary.though, you.should definitely rent this one first. Shawn
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Is Rampage the most boring game in the world? Im not sure, but | can't really see why anyone would want to play this over the origi- nal. The gameplay mechanics are basically
the same—thumping buildings and grabbing goodies—but it’s just dull, tedious and mind- lessly repetitive. | feel numb. | don’t care that there have been gameplay tweaks and added goals. It’s boring: It makes Chameleon Twist
2 look like a worthy purchase. John D
OK, I can only smash so many cities before | start to get bored, and | got my fill of that with the last Rampage game. Other than some cool space levels and nifty new.mon- sters, there's really nothing here to hold my, interest. It’s still a much better two- and three-player game than a solo experience, and the monsters’ animationis.especially smooth. But the game delivers too much of the same after the first few levels. Crispi
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| liked playing Rampage 2 for the first hour or 50, but eventually the repetition’got to me. Nonetheless, little kids and fans of the series (one and.the same?) will be happy with this new-and-improved edition. Primary improve- ments include new characters, sharper visu- als and a huge amount of levels (over 130). Multiplayer games are quite fun as well. As
a mindless smash-fest with elementary objec- tives, Universal Tour is decent. Dean
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VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY
6 5 3 5
TRIPLE PLAY 2000
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Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: Trey Arch
Featured In: EGM #117
While its PlayStation counterpart turned out to be an extremely solid, fun baseball game, the N64 version of Triple Play 2000 didn't fare quite as well. TP2000 seems like a rushed port of the PlayStation game that could've used another month or two of gameplay tweaking before being released. The graphics are adequate, but hardly revolutionary (they look like crap next to All-Star 2000), and much of the animation is rather choppy. The camera movements are terribly awkward and jumpy, which can make it difficult to tell what's going on in clutch situations. The game speed is actually too fast —so much so that novice players will have a hard time adjusting to hitting, and will be hard-pressed to ever field on any mode other than auto- fielding, which is a shame. The analog con- trols are overly sensitive, too. And if that's not enough, the AI (particularly on the bases) is unpredictable at best. You'd better take full control over your guys if you want them to behave properly. Oh yeah, one more thing— no draft in the N64 version (sigh). Any good things? Well, for one there's a decent amount of options and GM-like features that'll keep stat fans somewhat occupied, but then again, they.can get all that and more in the PS ver- Sion, and it's a better-playing game to boot. Bottom line: a rental at best. John R
TP 2000 tries to fuse arcade and sim play styles together. Sadly, it's a poor mix. Not only is it a bit choppy, but the batting and. pitching interfaces aren't as accurate as they should be. Aiming pitches is unpredictable and touchy. Hitting is a combination of tim- ing, precision aiming and luck. The multitudes of quick-cut, TV-style views are a good idea but cambe a hindrance. Bottom line—l just didn't have much fun playing this опе. Dean
It’s not a terrible game overall, but every- thing about Triple Play 2000 seems off the mark. The graphics are just plain uninterest- ing. The fields and players are flat and.unnat- ural, even though animation is pretty decent. The graphics even glitch for a split second when your bat hits the ball. | never really got the-hang of pitching, either; itjustseems too touchy. Casual fans like myself will be turned off by all these little problems.
M
While I’m happy to see EA bring the Triple
Play series to the N64, I'm disappointed that it's getting the same half-assed treatment
the N64 versions of NHL and NBA Live got. The PlayStation version is much better than the N64 one, and to be honest, there's a
much better N64 baseball game out there anyway (All-Star Baseball 2000). The controls are too sensitive and the game speed is too fast for its own good. A letdown. Sushi
VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY
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WCW NITRO is
MACHO MAN
—
Publisher: THQ
Developer: Inland Productions
Featured In: EGM #115
WCW Nitro is getting a lot of flak from critics, but | think for the most part, that's due to the presence of two superior products on the market: WCW/nWo Revenge and WWF War Zone. On its own, it's a fairly decent title. It has a lot of common and wrestler-specific moves to learn, so if Revenge was a bit on the simplistic side for you (because all the wrestlers share the same no-brainer control scheme), Nitro might be something you may want to fiddle with. Chances are, however, you won't fall in love with this game. Both Revenge and War Zone have much better wrestling engines than this game. With Nitro, it’s very difficult to tell who has priority when two wrestlers clash—it feels very ran- dom and hit-and-miss. At the same time, some characters possess moves that have too high a priority and work a little too well (i.e., Goldberg’s Spear). Either way, the game will have you scratching your head a lot, won- dering whyra move you think you'executed didn't happen. Nitro is also a lightweight when it comes to features. The multiplayer modes are.extremely lacking, with no cooper- ative play to be found. The game also bogs down with four wrestlers on the screen—it’s very noticeable since the normal game is: pretty fast-paced. Overall, Nitro is fairly fun, but it has a very incomplete feel to it. Dan
If you crave a WCW game, get WCW/nWo Revenge and avoid WCW Nitro. If you already have Revenge and really, really want another WCW-licensed game, avoid this anyway.and see what EA does with the license. Nitro is a slightly speedier port of the PlayStation game, and it’s lackluster throughout. The ani- mation's clunky, and control seems stiff (I prefer Revenge's simpler system). Atleast you can open a lot of wrestlers.
Putting this title out now is a little mystifying since it’s basically been aroundas a PS game for over a year. Compared to its better half (WCW/nWo Revenge) or WWF War Zone,
Nitro seems dated. No create-a-wrestler. No weapons. It’s too limited and not a whole lot of fun to play. | like the simplicity of moves andthe overall speed, but not enough to give ita good.score. Unless you're a hardcore wrestling geek, you can do better. Dean
| never liked the PlayStation version of Nitro, and now, over a year later, I'm по more a fan of the N64 version. The wrestlers look a little better, the game speed is a bit faster and the rosteris (obviously) updated, but none of that matters to me, because the control still stinks and the gameplay is as boring and repetitive as can be. If you want a good N64 wrestling game, go:with WCW/nWo Revenge or WWE War Zone. This one stinks. John R
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Developer: Pitbull Syndicate
Big Air won't win any awards for originality, nor will it astound you with its speed and gameplay. Sadly, it's rooted firmly in medioc- rity. On top of that, it's batting clean-up in a very crowded year for snowboarding games. Part of the problem stems from its long development period. Much time and care was taken to include plenty of boards, clothing and interesting characters. Unfortunately those things don't add much to the package. The time would've been better spent tweak- ing gameplay or finding a way to increase the frame-rate. Granted the fps isn't horrible, but it's far from being consistently fast. If you hold a straight line during a race you'll pick up decent speed. But, when you deviate, it tends to really slow you down. It's similar to Test Drive 5 in that regard (they use the same engine). The tricks interface consists of old- school button combos and stick turning. It works fine but remembering what does what is a hasslevespecially in the halfepipeiwhere quick thinking is a must. Of the three varia- tions/ Within the game, Big Air Mode offers the;most promise. Here, pulling off high-fly- ing tricks is somewhat entertaining. But that’s about the extent of it. Two-player could’ve been a lot better—it’s slow and awk- ward. If you're a snowboarding fan, rent Big Air first. Otherwise, beware. Dean
When not much more than a game’s sound- track impresses you, it's time to/move on to something else. This is the case with Big Air. The graphics are all right, the frame-rate is decent in 1Р games and there are a healthy: number of racers, boards and courses to choose.from. But then, you actually race and realize how boring the game is. The courses are short and unimaginative. Plus, the two-
player mode is REALLY choppy. Shawn
Showing its Test Drive 5 roots in some pretty bizarre ways, it has to be said that Big Air is yet another one of “those” snowboarding games. It's nO secret that I'm Sick of the lack of originality in this genre, and Pitbull’s game does nothing to tickle my fancy. The courses are short and boring, the two-player mode sucks:big-time, and the senseofispeed is down-right sloth-like. I'm not into the-button combo trick thing either. Too fiddly. John D
It's becoming increasingly difficult to distin- guish ойе snowboarding game.from another. Despite its brand-name licensing and а most- ly excellent soundtrack, Big Air still gets lumped.into the bunch for its generic game physics and controls. You can 1080? and Lien Air until the cows come home but it won't make Big Airs gameplay any less Stale. But hey, if snowboard games are your thing, why not play one with a cool soundtrack? Sushi
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BOMBERMAN FANTASY RACE 4
Developer: Hudson
Bomberman Fantasy Race isn't the cheap Mario Kart rip-off everyone expected it to be. What 1 found here is a surprisingly interesting racing game that has a lot more depth than most games of its type. BFR offers several mounts to choose from, each with different characteristics, and having to decide which one to buy for which track gives this game a nice hook (and replay value, to boot). Even better, this game requires more strategy than the average cartoony action-racing game. You'll have to learn how to throw bombs skill- fully, because they can either give you a boost of speed or hinder your opponents (and if you're not careful, they can even hin- der you). You'll also have to learn how to take advantage of shortcuts and how to bounce off walls, in order to take tight turns better. But while Bomberman Fantasy Race has some unexpected and fun in-depth game- play, it also has its share of bad points, vihichris very'unfortunate. Thedigitaltonly controls and the miniscule number of courses (even with their mirrored equivalent) hurt. Worst, the two-player Vs. Mode is not a lot of fun. 15 rather uneventful since only the two humans race (no CPU opponents), and it’s plagued with bad pop-up. Bomberman Fantasy Race is definitely worth checking out, but it definitely could’ve been better. Dan
BER is pretty cool in that it offers a distinctly “different” style of racing with some neat innovations (wall jumps, betting on 2P
games, etc.). Sadly, it’s plagued with various problems that hold it back from ever becom- ing truly enjoyable. The lack of analog con- trol is unacceptable, and the amount of slow- downsfor a game with such simple:graphics is absurd. Plus, it’s pretty easy. Worth renting? Definitely. But that’s about all... John R
Although it superficially looks a bit Mario- Karty, beneath the cartoon visuals, BFR ià actually a pretty strategic racer. Managing your Weapons is vitally important, as is keep- ing an eye on Your finances to open up new tracks...which | can’t decide ifl like or not. Don't think | do. If you're any good at this kindsof thing, you'll probably open the whole thing up-in a few hours..-which is a bit limp. Two-player mode is a bit crap too. John D
Bomberman Fantasy Race is a hell of a lot of fun, and has many more gameplay options and racing techniques than you might think at first. The game's graphics aren't that impressive and neither is the music, but the one-player game has a lot of interesting aspects (like being able to upgrade your ani- mal and buy various power-ups:to use while racing). Lastly, the-two-player modesis decent but suffers from unsightly pop-up. Shawn
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ELIMINATOR
Developer: Magenta
At first glance, Eliminator looks like just the type of game we'd expect out of Psygnosis: a vehicular arena combat game set in a bleak distant future. Unfortunately, Eliminator lacks some of the qualities that made other Psygnosis titles (Wipeout, Colony Wars, G- Police) stand out among their genres. As a jailbird in a highly fortified prison, your goal is to survive endless waves of mechanized death. For all intensive purposes, this is Smash T.V. without the sense of humor. The stages are set up so that you have to "elimi- nate" all enemy opposition before a gate leading to the next area will open. The chal- lenge, of course, is to blow through these areas under a certain amount of time. Not a bad premise, but the controls in Eliminator leave quite a bit to be desired. The mindless action and the droll level design wouldn't bother me so much if aiming vertically was more intuitive. This game needs an option to turn on aütoó-aiming (on the Үғахіѕ) Even in 2P deathmatches, the action inevitably: degenerates into strafing circle fights with lit- tle strategy except to “grab the biggest gun.” Whatever happened to levels streamlined for two-player deathmatch? There’s very little here to recommend, except perhaps the funky soundtrack bysexeStone Roses member Aziz Ibrahim; Groovy stuff! Sushi
“Blah” best describes my feelings about Eliminator. It's vaguely enjoyable, but mostly repetitive and annoying — certainly nothing that merits a purchase. It has some cool lev- els and:énemies, and a decent concept but that’s about it: On the two-player front, Eliminator is no better. There's nothing to this mede- you just go around indifferent arenas killing each other. If Eliminator сате ои two years ago, it might've been decent. Shawn
Eliminator is about as generic as action games get. The plot is pure cliché (you fight for your life on a futuristic game show). The maze'like levels are monotonous, despite a fevwwerude puzzles. Two-player deathmatch is equally dull and seemingly just an excuse to note a.multiplayer mode on the jewel case. Yes, Eliminator looks nice (especially the Bosses), and you get some nifty bonus racing levels, but it's just too mindless. Crispi
This very dull, very repetitive action-arcade game isa technology showcase more than anything...and it doesn’t even do that as well as it should have. Besides a very nice frame- rate, Eliminator has nothing on similar, com- peting titles, like the older Tunnel B-1 from Acclaim-(which looks better and is much
more fun to play). Since the action is so generic and straightforward, even ala? mode doesn't really help matters any. Dan
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GEX 3: DEEP С
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Developer: Crystal Dynamics
Even moreso than Gex 2, this game dumps tons of objectives, collectibles and secrets on you. You'll want to perfect every level. You'll want to track down every secret. This thing will keep you busy forever. The game- play's been tweaked and cranked up a notch. Gex dons loads of new outfits, many of which give him cool abilities this time around. Most—such as the superhero, Dracula and mech costumes — let бех glide, which opens new puzzle possibilities (although some puz- zle are a bit obscure). The hub worlds give you more to do now, and the secret and bonus stages have been given a new treat- ment. You'll uncover lots of minigames and vehicles, including a tank, a kangaroo and a crocodile. Find enough stuff and you'll earn access to a cheat-packed vault. As in Gex 2, the levels are imaginative and well-designed. | especially liked the anime stage, although the superhero level is frustratingly tough. Mostofthe difficult sections'in the'game can be attributed to the camera system, which still suffers from its share of problems. | guess the big question here is wether Gex gets ilon with his new non-lizard coaster, Baywatch’s Marliece Andrada. Beat the game yourself to find out. All we'll say.is Gex is one lucky lizard, and Matliece may be breaking some laws of nature.
Gex’s humor is getting a bit old. The controls in Gex 3 aren’t what they should be. The cam- era can make you yank your hair out in frus- tration. But! still like the game. Why? The level designs, like in the last Gex, are great. This isn't your standard 3D platform fare—
the wide variety of non-traditional stages keeps things interesting. The-worlds are also different enough from Gex 2’s to make this sequel worth checking out for Gex fans. Dan
If you've played Enter the Gecko, you pretty much know what to expect from Deep Cover Gecko. The two games look and feel virtually identicalythough the stage designs are more varied and interesting this time, and the hew FMV clips add to the game’s “visual” appeal (wink, wink). The camera can be extremely frustrating at times, and the-analog control doesn't feel very “analog,” but otherwise,
Сех 3 is definitely a worthy sequel. John R
Gex 3 will keep you playing for hours and hous finding all of its items and obscure secrets. And for the most part, you'll enjoy the experience. The main thing that stands out as a problem is the camera. Granted, it's fairly controllable, but it still gets screwy at times. Still, the game has a ton of imagina- tively themed levels, excellent graphics and a lot of good, witty humor—stuff that’s:truly
funny...and not annoying. Shawn
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Developer: КСЕ Tokyo
In general, basketball games are steadily advancing by way of improved animation, “TV-style” camerawork and comprehensive special moves. NBA In the Zone '99 is no exception, but unfortunately the game's innovative stuff is partially spoiled by mal- adjusted Al. It's obvious the lower levels are made easy by cheap, dummied-down Al. Case in point: a computer player will stand under an open basket and pass the ball out rather than take the easy hoop. Transversely, they'll leave that area wide open for the human player. On the bright side, cranking up the difficulty to Hard or Very Hard seems to cure the bone-head stuff. Here steals are rampant and most of the money plays are non-exis- tent. Overall the title's saving grace is its above-average animation and special moves. They include great block, spin and steal maneuvers. Little things mean a lot. For example, rather than simply stopping when a collision-occurs; the ball-handler willlose bal- ance and stumble backward: Also nice is a lunging steal move which often results in a fast break jam situation (fun). 2P works well, especially if you like stealing and blocking shots: | give the game points for animation and decent playability, but it’s still not in the same league as NBAvkive 99. It is, however, a big improvement over last year’s ITZ. Dean
ITZ '99 offers gorgeous graphics, impressive animation and.fast-paced, fun gameplay. It's also the only b-ball game to offer *post-lock- out” rosters and an accurate/50-game short- ened schedule. The Al is a little quirky (even ол Very Hard, the CPU isn't all that bright), which detracts from solo play a bit, but 2P games are still fun. The 3-Point Shootout and Dunk Contest modes are entertaining as well. Definitely worth checking out. John R
This is one of the best PS basketball games l've'played. For the casual sports video
gamer like myself, ITZ 'o9 has everything
ЇЧ want: fun three-point and dunk contests, fantastic graphics (the animations are incred- ibly lifelike with a lot of attention paid to the little details), solid controls and plenty of options. The Al is not the brightest; but over- all, this is still a great game. This is a big improvement over last year's edition. Dan
Despite the obvious improvements made to this year's In the Zone, | still prefer NBA Live 99. The more casual basketball fan will likely enjoy 172401 its flashy graphics and monster dunks, but those of us who are in it for the long haul will be destroying CPU opponents by the 10th game of the season. The Al just isn't smart enough for my tastes; Still, it's a solid game, and it'at least has the correct rosters. Not bad, but not the best. Sushi
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Developer: EA Canada
Even though High Stakes is a tad slower than last year's NFS offering, its graphics are much more detailed. In fact, the whole game—from the interface screens all the way to the actual races—has a very slick and realistic look to it (thanks to an array of sweet-looking effects). Visuals aside, this game has many more win- ning features. First, the control of each of the cars is amazing. Jumping into a BMW Z3 Roadster has an entirely different feel com- pared to a Jaguar. And when you buy perfor- mance upgrades for each of these cars in the Tournament Mode, the handling changes again— you can feel it in the control. Next, we have the way the gameplay works. In a sense, being able to jump from one race mode to another in order to advance takes this game to a different realm than most racers. High Stakes gets slightly confusing because of this. But being able to save, step back and play the Hot Pursuit Mode, or some of the incredible head-to-head modes fora while kind of cleanses the palette and read- ies you for your next Tournament attempt. It gives this racer more depth. Lastly, although itumay seem like there aren't enough tracks at first, when they're flipped and mirrored, they really do play like whole new tracks. Overall, this one's definitely.worth looking into—it’s a solid and very challenging game. Shawn
High Stakes has retained the appearance and great speed emulation of NFS |i while adopt- ing gameplay similar to GranTurismo. It's an awesome combo! Car selection is more than adequate (Jag, Corvette, BMW, “Ghini” and more) plus they're upgradeable. Tracks are long, snake-like and designed with top speed in mind. Two-player is good but sadly, slow- down occurs when traffic gets heavy. It’s the only fame thing about this one. Dean
NFS: High Stakes is a surpi
racing game that excels in just about every area of play. The tracks are large and well- designed, the controls are excellent and the game is just remarkably fun to play. 2P races are a blast, and being the cop in Hot Pursuit rules! I’m not too keen on the High Stakes Mode (losing a car like that is.justz; wrong); but the money aspect is very cool. NFSIII did have a faster frame-rate, though. John R
One of the best and oft-overlooked racing series just got better...for the most part. High Stakes is a worthy successor to EA's continu- ally improving line of racing games. The new money system (for buying/repairing/upgrad- ing) adds a nice dimension, as does the abili- ty to play on the "good" side of the law, but what happened to the nice frame-rate from NFS 1112.415 Gran Turismo too serious for you? Don't miss NFS: High Stakes. Dan
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Developer: Avalanche
If the big deal about Rampage 2 is the fact that it's some kind of “world tour" to rescue the three monsters from the original—can someone tell me why all of the levels look basically the same? The game is spread across three major continents giving you vaguely Oriental-, American- and European- looking cities to bash...but at no point do you ever mangle anything recognizable. If you could hammer at the Eiffel Tower or, | dunno, the John Hancock building, you'd get a bit of an Independence Day buzz from seeing something established getting the crap kicked out of it. But oh no...not here. Boring, generic buildings are the order of the day. You see stuff in some of the bonus rounds (which are also dull..involving the same gameplay mechanics as the main levels, only with tighter constrictions) which are vaguely familiar, but since when was Chicago's pride and joy, the Sears Tower, in Europe? Duh? If you thinkithe buildings look.boring, well — they're a pretty good metaphor for the game- play. Jab, jab, jab on the buttons. Crash, crash, crash on the screen. Yawn, yawn, yawn from the player. There are new combos and stuff for the combat, but at the end of the day who really cares? It’s so utterly, mindlessly dull you'll pass ош from brain freeze. А good
cure for insomnia. John D
Rampage 2: UT is a pleasant surprise—it’s more than just a mindless arcadé game now. | played early versions of R2:UT and figured the finished product would be the same old repetitiverstyle of game l've grown tired of. | was wrong for the most part; It does get a bit repetitive after some time, but you can tell Some real work was put into this title to ensure it-lasts longer than other versions. It's
still Rampage —just cooler. Shawn
First, read my review of Rampage 2 for the N64. OK, ditto that for this PS version. Except for annoying load times, it's the same game. Graphically it’s prettier than World Tour and there’re more things to eat and destroy. Yet it’s still very narrow and repetitive in scope. Each tour features roughly the same style buildings and enemies—more variety would’ve been nice; Multiplayer is fun though, and kids will love it anyway.
Dean
| really have to be in a certain mood to get into Rampage 2. This is the kind of game you break out on a lazy Saturday, when you don't wantito worry about thinking too hard, when youjust want to drink beer with a few bud- dies and break stuff. It's mindless and repet- itive and dull. But it looks nice. Monster animation is fantastic. The FMV.is:hilarious.. There's not enoughinew here to get me excited about the tired gameplay. Cris D
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RUSHDOWN
Developer: Canal+Multimedia
Outwardly Rushdown appears to be another ho-hum, extreme/gen-x/x-game offering like so many before it—but looks can be deceiv- ing. Rather than using a trick-based system, Rush concentrates on straight time-trials and one-on-one racing. As the title suggests, the angle is the "rush" of racing a mountain bike, snowboard or kayak down a mountain at con- siderable speeds (kayaking isn't fast but it's very realistic). Not coincidentally, the speed emulation is the best part of the game. 30-60 fps action is not out of the question. No doubt it's a movin' mother with a firm handle on sharp and accurate control as well as authentic sound effects. But sadly, while sin- gle-player is killer, 2P split-screen is not good at all. Awkward viewing angles, slowdown and wacky, unpredictable controls virtually dismantle any functionability in that mode. Obstacles seem like fly-paper hanging you up at every opportunity. | got so frustrated trying to'untangle myself from a grovelof trees | launched my controller іпіо ће wall. Overall, as a racing fan, | really like Rushdown for its intense.mountain biking and snowboarding thrills but Im disappointed that two-player is so nasty, If you like the challenge of besting your own times, you'll probably like the game. Of course anyone interested in two- player will be s**t out of luck. Dean
Surprisingly, | like Rushdown quite a bit— even though it's another extreme sports title. No matter—RD’s fast frame-rate, magnificent graphics and simple gameplay concept go beyond.its genre classification. What's most impressive is how the control'is consistently good throughout all three types of play. It's too bad the game has some minomhit detec- tion problems, lame music and a below-aver- age two-player split-screen mode: Shawn
I really enjoyed Rushdown. At first | wasn't really expecting the macho extreme sports thing to really tickle my fancy, but all three events are well-represented. The graphics aren't particularly great, but the sense of speed,you get in the snowboarding (although it's the least fun section—there are no stunts), along with the sense:of.being at the mercy of nature inthe kayaking andybiking makes this something special. Dan
It’s ironic that the PS snowboard game with the'greatest feeling of speed isactually only a third of a much greater game. Rushdown captures the sense of recklessness involved in the three sports simulated almost perfect- 1у The feel of trying to tame something as it is pulled along by the forces of nature is cap- tured incredibly well and it’s matched by a great control system that keeps things excit-
ing and challenging throughout. John D
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Developer: Craveyard Studios
Shadow Madness has two things going for it that keep it from being a complete disaster: It’s got a really good story, and a fairly decent soundtrack, too. Unfortunately, that’s about it. The game engine suffers from a horrible lack of originality (it's like a total rip-off of FFVII, only not nearly as good in any way), as well as weak design elements. The character models throughout (enemies included) are horrendous, and the spell “effects” (I use that term loosely) and FMVs are atrocious. | hate to bag on the game so much, because | really liked the story. The lengthy quest (40+ hours) is loaded with witty, interesting dia- logue and a cool plot, not to mention good character development. Being able to avoid battles is pretty cool, too. Sadly, the archaic game engine drags everything down. The bat- tle system is totally unbalanced—you can max out half of your characters before you even get off disc 1, making most of the game a cakewalk You'll never need over 05% о? the spells in battle, either. Shopping is а pain, Since you can’t see how equipment affects your party's stats. And there are TONS of/pointless, stupid items, not to mention an inventory that's way too small. I only wish Crave would’ve worked more on making a decent “game” out.of SM, because they got the hard part (the story) down pat. John R
Yes, | know graphics aren’t everything, but if you're playing an RPG that in many ways mimics Final Fantasy VII, you at least expect it to be kinda pretty. Shadow Madness isn’t.
The characters, backgrounds and FMV ай
look blah. It makes the game hard to get into, particularly since the story doesn’t get good "уоште about seven hours in (but it gets very good). Despite'some innovations to the battle system, combat's a bore. Cris D in
| know what you're all thinking. Shadow Madness looks like a blatant Final Fantasy VII rip-off. But before you condemn this ambi- tioüs RPG for what it is (or isn't), definitely give it a:try first. While combat in Shadow Madness is lacking the complexity of the
Final Fantasies, a decent script pulls the player into the whirl of its plot»On the other hand, the poorly rendered, FMV makes this game look rough and unpolished. Dean
I've always felt that a good story can make
or break an RPG, and in this casé my feeling really shines through. Why? If not for the interesting, well-written story that accompa- nies Shadow Madness’ insidiously crappy game engine and god-awful character
designs (wait'll you see the hand-drawn “portraits”), ld have probably given the game a 1.0. But alas, the story is pretty good, and for that reason, | say give it a try. Sushi
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SPORTS CAR GT
Developer: Westwood Pacific
Sports Car GT is a little dated when compared to Gran Turismo or Need For Speed: High Stakes. Chunky backgrounds and slightly car- toony-looking vehicles make it appear first- generation-ish. Also, the motor sounds are pretty hideous. All the cars sound something like a mini-vac. The drum-machine and syn- thesizer soundtrack is nothing to write home about either. OK, I'm on a roll; the follow-view is a little too low, often obscuring the oncom- ing track. Whew! So it looks bad on paper but let me assure you Sports Car has its strong points. For one, it’s the only racing game with a GT1 license. That means it’s got a load of licensed, exotic road machines like the Callaway c7 and Vector M12 (to name a few). These are cars you won't find collectively in any other racer. But more importantly than that, the gameplay is tweaked to a fine arcade-inspired point. Nailing corners with just the right amount of drift is lots of fun. If you getit right you can skate the edges at close'to full speed. Other notables include a “Pink-Slip” mode which lets you play for your opponent's.vehicle. Two-player racing is real- ly decent as well. Overall it's in the top third of PS racing games but it's definitely not in NES: High Stakes’ league. At best it'll keep you hooked for а decent.baul. After that you'll probably never play it again. Dean
On its own, Sports Car GT is probably one of the better PS. racers I’ve played. The graphics are adequate (nice weather effects), the frame-rate is solid (even in 2P), and the.level of challenge'is high. The game speed really: picks up as you. progress (the GT2 and GT1 circuits are insanely fast), but on the whole the experience just isn’t quite.as fun and/or rewarding as in Gran Turismo or Need For Speed: High Stakes. А good rental. John R
Sports Car is a poor-man's Gran Turismo. Yeah, it has a decent number оҝсагѕ you can upgrade and tweak, and a variety of courses but there's just not enough meat to it. Besides, the graphics are unimpressive— everything has a certain cartoonish or simple quality to it. On the good side, the head-to- head:mode remains speedy, and the Pink Slip Mode isa unique way to play against some-
one. Still, Î wouldn't buy it. Shawn
Steer clear of Sports Car GT if you like your racing gámes pretty. This thing looks like a *74 Dodge Dart compared to NFS: High Stakes. On the plus side, the visuals were designed with speed in mind, and things move along lightning fast in the later circuits (to the.point where control gets tricky). You do get to tweak and tune yourcar's parts, and you'll face nasty weather, but SCGT just isn't as fun as it is realistic. Crispi
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STREET SK8ER
Developer: Micro Cabin
Although I've grown more and more annoyed with these gen-X extreme sports games (i.e., the barrage of snowboarding games that have come out in the past year or so), Street Sk8er is extremely fun and worth looking into. Yes, SS has some “dude” dishing out in- your-face quips when you successfully com- plete a kick-ass stunt or smack into a tree ("C'mon! Bust out some moves!”), and it fea- tures a variety of music tracks from real ska/punk-type bands (which are quite good and fit the game well), but all in all | can han- dle its hipness. Other than this, the graphics are pretty sweet-looking with little or no pop- up, and the frame-rate stays very speedy. But this exterior stuff isn’t really what stands out about this game. | like SS the most because it’s so darned easy to get into and have fun with. | haven’t been this genuinely interest- ed in a game of this type since 1080" Snowboarding on the N64. | would've liked niore-courses; but the different. paths that. open up in each of them add a bit more vari- ety. Another key feature is the number of opportunities each course has for pulling off some death-defying tricks. Some games have four of five areas per track at most SS easi- ly has double or triple that. Overall, with its solid gameplay and'all.of the secrets you can
open, SS is worth a purchase. Shawn
The first level is unreasonably hard, especial- ly for inexperienced gamers, but'once you've got into the swing of things, SS is actually reasonably fun. The automatic tricks аге а bit off-putting'at.first, but after a while you learn that it's finding where you can perform them that’s important— not the actual tricks them- Selves. It's not EA's finest hour by any Stretch, but it's an original take on the usually staid racing/boarding genre. Not bad. John D
It's not a particularly deep game. Tricks are a cinch to'pulboff. There's no split-screen two- player mode. But you know what? Street Sk8er is still fun. Despite its lack of analog süpport; your skater controls just fine—even ifturning seems a tad touchy when you're getting the hang of it. The tracks pack trick- maximizing bits that aren't so.obvious your first timearound. The game's a fun, brainless take on Sega's Top Skater formula. Cris D
An alternative to the oversaturated snow- boarding genre...and it's fun ав Wellin SS.
the slant is on earning points and finishing races, not memorizing frustrating button. cómbos;Its unique “user-friendly” trick interface and speed-saturated tracks are а nice mix. The drive to conquer course after course is high. Control is swell;.but:would be better if the game used analog. For a.simple, Xtremeclike offering SS is good fun. Dean
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Developer: Sunsoft
Can you imagine how cool a Resident Evil- style game with a futuristic, anti-terrorist theme (instead of horror) would be? How about the same game, only you control a team of characters, who can split up (and you can switch between them, so you can play out different areas of the game)? Well, keep imagining, because while T.R.A.G. is all of those things | mentioned above, it’s chock- full of ugliness. For one, it’s extremely easy to miss "pick-upable" objects (basically, you have to be constantly hitting the button as you inch along the walls in order to find things). Also, the puzzles are all no-brainers (in fact, the answers to the coolest puzzle, a numbers game, are posted up just a few rooms away!). All of these complaints are nothing when compared to T.R.A.G.'s worst feature: the R.E.-style controls. Turning is way too slow, making you a sitting duck for many attacks. And if you decide to use the right analog stick.(where you move'inithe:direction you point), you'll find much better controls at the'cost of awkward hand placement and really. messed-up, looping viewing angles (because you're moving in one direction, the camera flips, and now you're moving back toward where you just came from). ! really: hope for à sequel withifixed game mechanics. This is a very cool concept for a game. Dan
Think of Resident Evil, except not at all scary. Think of dialogue that's about aS bad as RE, if not worse. Finally, think of Burning Rangers except without the fires. Put all of these ele- ments together and you have T.R.A.G. The game's not especially bad —it's just not that good. Certain cool gameplay elements pop up.now and again, but they're just not
enough to hold my interest very long. I'd give it arent, but | don’t think I'd buy it. Shawn
T.R.A.G. is a game with the right idea and
the wrong implementation. The game is overly easy, from its simple puzzles (half of which are explained to you, taking all the solving out of the phrase “puzzle solving”) to its overabundance of health power-ups (the only time! died.was when | wasn't paying attention to my health meter). The sluggish control is the only thing contributing.to any sort of “difficulty” this game has. John D
Having played Hard Edge (the Japanese ver- sion of T.R.A‘G,), | was really hoping for a lot of fixes for the U.S. release. After all, the game has a great premise, but a lousy game enginewAs you can tell by my score, | am rather disappointed. The silly combos make combat a drag, the puzzles are either way too ваѕухог way too obscure and.the:constantly changing viewing angles are annoying. Why didn’t Sunsoft fix this one up??? Sushi
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Developer: EA Canada
Last year, EA's Triple Play 99 would've been the PS baseball game to own, had it not been for one glaring problem —the frame-rate stunk. Fortunately, this is no longer an issue in Triple Play 2000, and as a result the game is much more enjoyable to play. Feature-wise, there's not much new—the Tournament Mode has been axed (no big loss), and you can now make multiple player trades. In addition, the Home Run Derby has been replaced with a Home Run Challenge that I’m really not fond of (it's different from the way the MLB does it during the All-Star Game). Finally, you can now alter your stance at the plate (this rules). Graphically, the game looks great. Everything is a heck of a lot smoother than last year, and the player and stadium models are very nice. An option to turn off the cheesy trail that follows the ball would've been nice, but oh well. I'll live. The sounds are amazing (no surprise), and the play-by-play is superb. As far.as gameplay goes, TP2009'excels big: time. The analog control is great for fielding, and batting is much more manageable this year than it was in TP99 (the animations were improved tenfold). Manual baserunning can be a pain at times (you'll see what | mean), but otherwise | really have no complaints. If you're out for an enjoyable, realistic baseball game, TP2000 won't disappoint. John R
TP 2000 is far better than '99. It's not only great-looking and innovative, but smooth.and fast as well. Quick-cut cameras add flair to HRs, close calls and pickoffs. Belting a homer is accompanied by rocket sound-effects, ball- cams and wild cheering. It’s very cool. The batting interface works nicely but the pitch aiming is touch-and-go. You'll need to mess with.the difficulty levels a bit, too. Even so,
it's the best PS baseball game to date. Dean
I'm not a big fan of console baseball games, butil still found a lot to like in Triple Play 2000. The graphics are fast and well animat- ed, although they lack detail. And although control isn't as intuitive as in other baseball. titles, I still learned the ropes with a mini- mum of fuss. In the right mode, this game
has a great arcade feel that wilkappeal to casual fans of the sport. It packs enough real- ism for stat-spouting fanatics, too. Crispin
Finally, baseball games are coming of age! Triple Play 2000 is an all-around better game than any of last year's PlayStation baseball games. The graphics are sharp and smooth (no more choppy frame-rate), and the game- play is very polished. Some of the little tunes they play when batters come to the plate are incredibly lame, and the ball traikis rather corny, but these fortünately don't detract
from gameplay. A real solid effort... Sushi
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Here’s your chance to vent your views on recently released games. If you have something you think needs to be said about either опе of our reviews ora game you've recently bought, e-maihus'your thoughts at review: crew@zd:com or write to us at the following address: ЕСМ Reader Reviews, Р.О. Box 3338, Oak Brook, IL 60522-3338
Reader Reviews
Mario Party
What we said:
“Mario Party is an extremely well-designed party game....This cart is loaded with well-designed mini-games that are fun and easy to pick up....Play Mario Party with friends and you'll never want to play it alone again."
How we rated it: 8.5 8.5
What you said:
1 just got Mario Party and what a disappointment it is! Not only does this game suck with one player, but it's really not much better on multiplayer! Some of the minigames are fun, but overall it's pretty stupid. The stupidest part of the game is the fact that you have to BUY the minigames! What the hell is up
with that?
8.5 9
Cyborg #17 juunanagou13@hotmail.com
My 5-year-old cousin enjoys this game а lot more than | do. | am 27 years old and | am constantly disappointed at how Nintendo is aiming all of their games to little kids. Who wants to control overweight plumbers, an ugly princess, an overgrown lizard, and other kiddie characters in a game with such boring, easy minigames? | would rather see a deathmatch-type game with these characters so | could kill Mario! Jurgen Erlandsson bwabb@hotmail.com
Castlevania
What we said:
“Castlevania reveals itself to be an atmospheric and superbly designed adventure that seems to increase in quality the further you progress...an overall great game."
How we rated it: 9.0 9.0 8.0
What you said: | love Castlevania games. They are the coolest games without a doubt. And this game is no exception! Smooth animations, hi-res videos, multiple characters and a variety of cool enemies are what make this game cool. | think 3D is definitely an improvement on 2D. Michael Harper dumbdumb27@hotmail.com
9.0
(GM) 142
As a Castlevania fan, | expected the worst from this game. While it isn't as good as Symphony of the Night or the TurboDuo Dracula X, Castlevania 64 has excellent sound and music, good stories for both characters, a good frame-rate and cool endings. Unfortunately the graphics are blurry and grainy, but if you give the game a chance, you might be pleasantly surprised. | was! Raymond Burgos raysaber@webtv.net
You couldn’t have been more right when you said that Castlevania gets better as you go through it. Once at the third stage it’s obvious this game is one cool 5.0.В. | had no problems with the camera, although there was some annoying slowdown. Alex Garnecki sxesoldier@hotmail.com
| cannot disagree with you more regarding Castlevania for the N64. | thought the graphics were OK with some noticeable slowdown. Konami must have gotten lazy on us; no rumble pak or RAM pak support. The controls are not very good. My final complaint is that it is too short! | finished it in 11 hours. This includes both characters and seeing the different endings. | would have given Castlevania a 4.5. Michael Wright xuxass@hotmail.com
Silent Hill
What we said:
“Probably the most genuinely disturbing “survival horror" game around....Controls could be tighter, and the writing/voice acting is a little weak....Silent Hill pushes all your fear buttons....Do not let your children see this game.”
How we rated it: 8.5 9.0 8.5
What you said:
After just getting four hours into it, I'd have to say this game is scarier than Resident Evil could ever be, and its graphics are better too. The place for improvement would be better dialogue, and make the game longer.
8.5
The PsYcHo SiLeNt T StALkeRGhotmail.com
In Silent Hill, you are in a constant state of fear. When that creepy
piano starts playing, the hairs on your neck will stand up.
Ryan Worley zanzibar64 hotmail.com
This game is the most frightening and disturbing game I have EVER played. The voice acting is quite up there, but not the absolute best. Only gripes are, as with Metal Gear Solid, it is a tad on the short side, but the new weapons in Hard Mode make it a worthwhile undertaking to play it again. As for the graphics, the fog and darkness make for an extremely creepy environment, but after a while become only slightly bothersome; and the lo-res color palette make for faded and washed- out environments. RaNMa pplloonnkk@geocities.com
Syphon Filter
What we said:
“Syphon Filter takes a lot of cool Metal Gear Solid-inspired ideas and crams them into a slick package.... For edge-of-your-seat, sniper-fueled action, SF outshines both MGS
and GE.”
How we rated it:
8.0 8.0 6.5 8.0
What you said: You guys gave Syphon Filter three 8’s and a 6.5! But yet you give Metal Gear Solid four 10's! What the hell is wrong with you guys??? | mean sure MGS is graphically better, had more hype, and came before Syphon Filter; but MGS was so much easier than Syphon Filter. If you gave MGS four 10's, then you should have at least given Syphon Filter a 9.5!!! D. Sambo dsambo@gateway.net
989 Studios has made a semi-winner. The scores you gave it were for the most part right-on, except Johnny England's 6.5. | think it deserved a silver award. There are several graph- ics glitches, as well as control prob- lems. There are, on the other hand, several fun levels, and most of them are challenging (1 spent about an hour in the destroyed subway. Don’t laugh). Some of them leave you with no idea what the fudge to do, especially Rhoemer's Hideout and the Expo Center Reception, but overall, this is a fun and interesting covert ops game. Peter Jurmu HVSL93A@prodigy.com
Syphon Filter rocks! It has great graph- ics, and great sound and quite possibly the greatest gameplay in the genre! | like it better than Metal Gear Solid because it’s more fast-paced and
exciting. The gameplay engine is good and the target locking feature is a much needed innovation. Suraj Das wet-paint@prodigy.net
| just purchased Syphon Filter and what | was presented with was a well- rounded game with intense action, great graphics, excellent story line and, most importantly, fantastic gameplay. One note to make, every reviewer made reference to MGS. This game isn’t, and doesn’t pretend to be the same game. If you want to play a great action game, buy Syphon Filter. If you want to watch an espionage movie on your PS, buy MGS. Clinton Spindley lilvw@hotmail.com
Now | read your magazine carefully so | know that three 8.0's is hardly а bad score. But І personally find this game to deserve a Gold award. The levels are incredibly well thought-out and the interaction one has with the environments is amazing. The enemy Al is stunningly realistic (not to men- tion damn cool) and to top it off, your character has access to some of the coolest weapons around. I'll admit that the control is occasionally a little shab- by, but | had gotten used to it after just a few hours. The graphics are solid with some nice textures and the sound is some of the best ever heard in a video game. Wes Mize Arcata. CA
| enjoyed the game's varied missions which expose you to a vast assortment of objectives, as well as a myriad of ways to meet them. Also nice is the manner of weaponry available, and the designers have provided quite a few ways to use them. Also nice is the automatic lock-on targeter; this system makes hectic firefights far easier to manage. It's refreshing to have a game that moves the focus off of aesthetics in favor of solid, engrossing, consistent gameplay. Brad Shoemaker bkshoemaQunity.ncsu.edu
Syphon Filter may start out slow, but by about the fourth level you'll be hooked. The stealth-based levels are some of the best I’ve ever played, and the sniping is done almost perfectly. The targeting system needs a little bit of work, but overall Syphon Filter is worth every dime.
Bob McTague rjmo118Qrit.edu
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э, Trickman Terry goes Berzerk!
The Trickman has been on a retro rampage lately, and his sights have been set on the classic games of yesteryear... especially Berzerk. Terry's obsession
with it has gotten so bad, that we've caught him sneaking in sessions on his Atari 2600! Send Terry some killer codes that will get him focused back on the present gaming world: Tricks of the Trade, P.0. Вох 3338 Oak Brook, IL 60522-3338
or e-mail to: tricks@zd.com
є
Co-op Single-Player Levels
(Note: Must have "level warp” opened for desired level. Get all levels/cheats by typing: BEWAREOBLIVIONISATHAND at Cheat Entry Screen). Begin a game in Multi, (works best with two) go to the Cheats Menu after players have chosen characters. Warp to desired level. You can now play cooperatively on any boss or level. Be careful about warp points; enter at the same time or it will screw up the game by loading two maps at once!
Ben Arfmann
Boulder, CO
Win Games and Accessories for your Tricks!
ici you are given credit for RARR Rules: 1. No Purchase Necessary: To erter, sed a leter or заи size postcard wi your best т co “Tricks ot the Tede P 0.87335 Oak Bn а ква ticks om. Ве sure 1o шде your name address, and phone number No purchase or payment afany rone s cess to enter, One eniy per household, Entes mast be receive by Ar 5, 1999. Alertes become exte property of Sponsors and wil net be блонд ure. Sporsor assume no respons bity ros
ive Gn addition to the First Prize awards) one () Game Shar е has an approximate retail aue. Sag Mime esee piso
3, Odds of Winning: The number of winners and the odds of wiring wil be determined by number of valid entries received.
If your trick is selected as the Trick of the Month, you will win a free GameShark provided by the kind people at InterAct. If
submitting a hot trick in this 4 By Contest open to residents of United
in Quebec. Non-compliance with the time ‘return of any prize vie notification as unde
af est morth following the onsale of
section, you will win a free game.
NOTE: If you send your trick by. e-mail you must include your real name, address, city, state and zip code.
Winners or their legal guardians shal sign an affidavit of ase of abit prie acceptance within fwe days of receipt By acceptance of pize, vinners agree to the use oftheir
damages, aes, or expenses that consumers might incur as a result of this contest or receipt of prize. Winners accepting prizes agree that all prizes are awarded on the condition that ZD Inc. frterAc Accessories and. their agents, representatives, and employees wil have no laity whatsoever or any injuries, lasses, or damages of any kind resulting from acceptance, possession, or use of he prizes
5. Winners List: For alist of winners, send a stamped, self-addressed
ich the winners sts requested to
8013338, Oak Brook as
must be received by ihe sth day thepübicaon,Alow four
ted or restricted by law. Al federal
by 20 Inc. and Inter
7 by 2D in ‘acessories Iac. 01939 7D Inc. Al Rights Reserved Printed in USA
Dreamcast
Yee Tis rik worse tbe Japanese version of the game and is subject to change.
Hidden Cars, Raceways, Etc.
ae SELECT CAR
(CHAMPIONSHIP):
ШТАТ
C
At the Title Screen, put in the following codes for the results as shown. If done correctly, you should hear a confirming sound:
All Cars - Up, Down, Up, B, A, Left, B, B, Down.
All 10 Year Raceways Open - Up, Left, Down, Right, B, A, B, Right, Down.
Increased Ргате-Каїе - Up, A, Down, Down, Left, Right, B, B, Down.
i
All Wrestlers, Extra Rings and Balloon Heads
All of these codes are to be entered at the Title Screen:
All Wrestlers -
Right-C(4X), Left-C(4X), R(4X), L(4X), Z.
Extra Rings - Left-C, 1, Right-C, В, Left-C, L, Right-C, R, Z.
Balloon Heads (Damage to Wrestlers makes their heads swell) - Press Left-C(7x), L, Z.
Cheat Codes All Weapons - At the Title Screen press Left, Right, Up, Down. Then hold Z and press Right, Right, Left, Left. When the game begins, press A+B+R buttons at the same time to give you all the weapons. You will hear a noise if it is done correctly (it only works in 1-Player Mode).
Level Select - At the Title Screen hold Z and press Right, Down, Down, Right. Release Z and press Right, Up, Down, Left, Left, Up, Right, Right to finish the code.
Refill Health and Ammo - You can
only use this code if you have All
Weapons on: Press A+B+R buttons while playing, and you will refill
your health and ammo.
Multiple Bottles Trick
Choose any one of the ЕМРТҮ bottles you have. Find a shallow pond with a fish or find a fairy. Swing the bottle and in mid-swing, press Start. On the Select Item Screen, choose any weapon or item (except the ice, fire or light arrow) and equip it to the spot where the bottle is. Now you will have a bottle in place of the weapon. The best part is if you use the bow or a special arrow the bow will still work with the special arrows. When you collect ammo for the item it will go back. Warning: If you cover a needed weapon, you may not get
it back!
On the Option Settings Screen, move down to the "Password" option and enter one of these codes for the results shown:
Crystal Cup - LGSSSX
Diamond Cup - CRKKYY
Zenith Cuop - DZPKKK
Master Mode - PXPRTS Scorpion Саг ~ SDSSRT
Cobra Car - TRTTLL
Cheetah Car - NRNNRR Panther Car - YMSTTR
All Cars and Tracks - WLLVDD
Cars and Cups
Open All Secrets At the Player Select Screen, press Left, Up, Right, Down, Z, R, Down,
© netter O pach
Left, Up, Right. Every cheat will now be opened.
Multiple Cheats
These codes are to be entered after
pressing Start to pause in the middle of the game:
For Giant Players: L, L, Right-C, L, L, Right-C, L, L, RIGHT-C, Z.
For Tiny Players: L, L, Left-C, L, L, LEFT-C, L, L, LEFT-C, 2. Automatically make your next shot: L button, L button, C-Up, L button, L button, C-Up, L button, L button, C- Up, Z.
Dunk from anywhere: L button, L button, C-Down, L button, L button, C-Down, L button, L button,
C-Down, Z.
Super push: L button, L button, Up (on D-Pad), L button, L button, Up (on D-Pad), L button, L button, Up (on D-Pad), Z.
Tie the score: L button, L button, Down (on D-Pad), L button, L button, Down (on D-Pad), L button, L button, Down (on D-Pad), Z.
Turn team on fire: L button, L button, Right (on D-Pad), L button, L button, Right (on D-Pad), L button, L button, Right (on D-Pad), Z.
Cancel activated cheats: L button, L button, Left (on D-Pad), L button,
L button, Left (on D-Pad), L button, L button, Left (on D-Pad), 7.
Ma
Line Clear Graph
Here's a hidden feature that's not mentioned in the manual for Magical Tetris Challenge's Endless Tetris Mode. Begin a game in Endless Mode and press A+B simultaneously while playing. This will go to a display on the other side of the screen that shows how many lines of singles, doubles, etc. you have.
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Main Event Characters in Two-Player Mode
Start a new boxer in the Main Event. Pick one of the boxers and immediately save him to your memory card. Exit, then repeat with another character. When you have saved each boxer start a two-player match. At the Character Select
tricks
[1] The Legend 4
of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Hidden Pictures
Find the place in the Hyrule Castle courtyard where you meet Princess Zelda for the first time. To your left and right, there will be windows. Look (with Up-C) to the right window and you will see pictures of Yoshi, Mario, Luigi, Bowser and Princess Toadstool! Now, take aim with your slingshot and shoot at the window. A red rupee will pop out and you can collect it for a gain of 20 rupees! If you take aim and shoot the window on the left, a guard will pop out, scold you and throw a bomb back at you!
Y МЯ Rogue Squadron Many Cheats
› Star Wars:
Infinite Lives Cheat: At the Passcodes Screen enter IGIVEUP.
Fly the Millennium Falcon: At the Passcodes Screen enter FARMBOY
Fly the Tie Interceptor: At the Passcodes Screen enter TIEDUP.
The Tie Interceptor is hidden behind the Millennium Falcon.
After you have entered both the Millennium Falcon cheat and the Tie Interceptor Cheat, go over to the Millennium Falcon then press Up on the analog stick. The camera will pan around to the Tie Interceptor!
All Power-Ups: At the Passcodes Screen enter TOUGHGUY
j Crash Bandicoot: | WARPED р
Free Apples
When you are playing a level that has the rock-throwing monkeys, after you have destroyed the vases that they occupy you can jump on the monkeys and get free apples.
tricks
д GoldenEye 007
Secret Level Editor |
Finish all levels on the “00 Agent" difficulty setting (plus bonus levels 19 and 20), a special “007 Моде" will open. This is an Editor Screen, in which you can configure options such as Enemy Health, Enemy Damage, Enemy Accuracy and Enemy Reaction Speed!
WCW/nWo z2 Revenge h Cool Codes
Nitro Arena Trick:
When fighting in the entranceway throw your opponent into the black door at the very end. He will disappear for several seconds and then will come running out like he just hit the ropes.
Playable Managers:
Go to One-on-One Exhibition match and choose wrestlers that have managers. After play begins, press Z on the third and fourth controllers and you will take control of the managers.
Tomb a Raider 111 <
Incredible Cheats
In the middle of the game without pausing, enter any of these cheats as shown:
All Weapons: L2, R2, R2, L2, L2, L2, L2, R2, L2, R2, R2, L2, R2, R2, L2, L2, R2, L2, L2, R2. You will hear a scream.
Level Skip: L2, R2, L2, L2, R2, L2, R2, L2, R2, L2, L2, L2, L2, R2, L2, R2, R2, R2, R2, L2. Lara says "No."
Metal Gear Solid =.
Tuxedo Code
Play as Solid Snake in a Tuxedo: you'll have to beat the game twice using your old save data to reload new games. Then on the third game, Snake will change into his tuxedo when he is on the elevator coming out of the dock.
RON MEMORY
ОГППННИН
Screen, press the Square button to pick any of the other boxers from your memory card.
99 Lives
CONTINUE OPTIONS
INVENTORY QUIT САНЕ
In the middle of the дате, press the Select button and then press Square(6x), Circle, Up, Circle, Left, Circle, Right, Circle, Start. Then check your life counter and you will see that it has increased to 99! Dennis Vosburgh Albany, NY
E c
Invincibility and Level Select
Invincibility - Pause the game at any time and press L2, R2, L2 3 times, R2 three times, then Circle, Triangle, Square, Circle, Triangle, and Square. Listen for a chime to verify that you entered the code correctly. When you unpause, you'll now be a skeleton with infinite lives, energy, smoke bombs, magic potions and full scroll power! To revert back to a ninja, simply pause and re-enter the code. However, when you do, you'll get to keep all of the maxed-out items you got when you were the skeleton!
Level Select - Remove your memory card then turn on the PlayStation. When the screen says "Checking
EL SELECT MONASTERYSENTER TOR
Memory Card” quickly press L2, L2, L2, R2, R2, R2. The words
“DELS LEVEL CHEAT ON” will briefly appear. Start a new game and you'll access the Level Select Menu.
Many Cool Codes
Press Start to pause the game in the middle of play and enter these codes for the results shown:
Fill Health -
Left, Right, Left, Right, Square. Fill Mana -
Left, Right, Left, Right, Circle.
Fill Ammo -
Left, Right, Up, Down, Circle, Square.
Power-Up Weapons -
Ri, L1, R2, L2, Left, Right, Up, Down. Raise Abilities -
Square, Circle, Triangle, Select, Left. Fill Experience -
Circle, Square, L1, L2, R1, Select. Turn Off Monster Energy - Triangle, Square, Circle, Triangle, Circle.
50 Lives -
Triangle, Up, Circle, Right, Select, Square.
Raise Level for Each Spell - Down, Triangle, Select, L1, R1, Select.
A
Infinite Weapons, Unlimited Jump and Play as Big Daddy
First, you must enable the Cheat Mode. Press and hold LI+R1+R2+Select in the middle of a game. Now enter this code after you have enabled the Cheat Mode
(Don't pause the game):
Infinite Weapons - Press and hold L1+R1, then press Up, Down, Up, R2
Enter these codes as a Password under the Options Menu: Unlimited Jump -
Press Circle, Square, R2, X, Triangle, R2.
Play as Big Daddy -
Press Triangle, Square, R2, X, Triangle, R2. Then pick challenge mode and choose "Nuke York" as your level. Big daddy will appear on the Character Select Screen.
Cool Codes
Level Select -
At the Main Menu hold R1, then press Down, Up, Left, Right, Triangle, Square, Circle, Triangle, Square, Circle, Down, Up,
Left, Right.
View all FMVs ~
At the Main Menu hold RI, then press Up, Down, Left, Right, Square, Circle, Triangle, Circle, Square, Circle, Up, Down, Left, Right.
Invincibility -
While playing a game, hold КІ, then press Circle, Triangle, Square, X, Down, Down, Down, Circle, Triangle, Square, X.
BREWERY
taur
View Arenas
Enter these passwords to do a "fly- by" of the following stadiums: ANA: Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim (Anaheim)
BOS: FleetCenter (Boston)
BUF: Marine Midland Arena (Buffalo) CGY: Canadian Airlines Saddledome (Calgary)
CAR: Greensboro Coliseum (Carolina)
CHI: United Center (Chicago)
COL: McNichols Sports Arena (Colorado)
DAL: Reunion Arena (Dallas)
DET: Joe Louis Arena (Detroit) EDM: Edmonton Coliseum (Edmonton)
FLO: Miami Arena (Florida)
LOS: Great Western Forum (Los Angeles)
MON: Molson Center (Montreal) NAS or NSH: Nashville Arena (Nashville)
NYI: Nassau Veterans Memorial
Coliseum (New York Islanders) NYR: Madison Square Garden (New York Rangers)
OTT: Corel Center (Ottawa)
PHI: CoreState Center (Philadelphia) PHO: America West Arena (Phoenix) PIT: Civic Arena (Pittsburgh)
STL: Kiel Center (St. Louis)
TOR: Maple Leaf Gardens (Toronto) VAN: GM Place (Vancouver)
WAS: MCI Center (Washington)
Debug Menu and Invincibility
Debug Mode -
Press Start to pause the game
then hold L2 or R2 and press
Left, Up, Up, Triangle, Right, Square, Left, Triangle, Up, Down, Right, Right. Then press X for the Debug Menu to appear. You can choose many options, including your starting level!
Invincibility -
Press Start to pause the game, then hold L2 or R2 and press Right, Right, Left, Triangle, X, Up, Circle, Left. Akuji will be invulnerable to
all hits.
Another World
You'll get an entirely new set of levels when you enter this code. At the Title Screen, press Triangle, Left, Right, Left, Triangle. You will hear a sound and see a little green spinning icon in the lower-right corner of the screen to confirm that it worked. From the Game Menu, Choose Puzzle and then pick Arcade. Choose your difficulty level and then you'll be able to play a plethora of new stages!
trick?
Continued
Rad
Ре
à Turok 2: Ы? Seeds of Evil
Enter any of these codes at the Enter Cheat option on the Main Menu Screen, or when paused, access the Enter Cheat option and enter a code. Access the Cheats option to turn on the cheats of your choice.
To get Big Head Mode enter: UBERNOODLE
To get Stick Mode enter: HOLASTICKBOY
To get Big Hands and Feet Mode enter: STOMPEM
To get Tiny Mode enter: PIPSQUEAK
To get Pen and Ink Mode enter: IGOTABFA
To get Gouraud Mode enter: WHATSATEXTUREMAP
To access Juan's cheat enter: HEEERESJUAN
To access Zach's cheat enter: AAHGOO
lo Twisted
Metal 111 £ Sweet Tricks
Infinite Specials:
Enter L1, Ll, Ri, Ri, R1 as a password.
Then you will return to the Main Menu. Now begin a game and quit. When you begin a game again, you will have an unlimited amount of your character's special weapon.
Play as Sweet Tooth:
Enter Left, Left, Left, Right, Right as a password. Then you will return to the Main Menu. You can now select Sweet Tooth at the Vehicle Selection Screen.
NASCAR 99 М Hidden Announcer
To play as the commentator, Benny Parsons, just follow this method: Оп the Main Menu Screen, choose а Single Race. On the Single Race Screen, move down to “Select Track.” Now choose the Richmond Track. Move up and highlight the Select Car Option. With this option highlighted, enter this code very quickly (within four seconds): Up-C, Right-C, Down-C, Left-C, Z, Z, 2, L button, Z, Z. The Benny
Parsons car will now
appear! e
Gadgets j Electronics Accessories New Media
Cool stuff you could probably live without, but shouldn't
Hasbro Is Definitely Making Us Smile
The upcoming release of The Phantom Menace also means there's a load of on the way from Hasbro. Some are slightly modified reissues of existing figures with Episode One Flashback Photos included, while others are directly from the upcoming movie—like the STAP w/Battle Droid and Mace Windu* shown far below. Dozens of others are on the way, but Lucasfilm doesn’t want them to be covered until May! Price: Around $8 each www.hasbro.com
LEGO My DEGObah
Star Wars is so cool, even LEGO is getting in
on the hot licensing action. They have five
to choose from: The Landspeeder, the Snowspeeder and the X-Wing, Speeder Bikes and a TIE Fighter/Y-Wing combo pack. Each set also comes with a figure, or various accessories. Look for eight more LEGO packages coming in early May based on The Phantom Menace, and an R2-D2 LEGO Mindstorms kit in September. Darth Vader doesn’t look all that menacing when he's a LEGO man—in fact, he’s downright adorable (see right). Price: Landspeeder - $6, Speeder Bikes - $10, Snowspeeder - $20, X-Wing - $30, TIE Fighter/Y-Wing combo set - $50 www.LEGO.com
VD Release List „гозу
April Adventures Of Baron Munchausen American History X: Special Ed. Amistad Apt Pupil Armageddon: Special Edition Beautiful Girls Birds Of The World Born On The Fourth Of July Bug's Life Bulworth
Clay Pigeons
Dawn Of The Dead Dragon Ball Z: Arrival Dragonheart
| Still Know What You Did Jackal
La Bamba: Special Edition Lord Of The Flies
Meet Joe Black
Monty Python: Life Of Brian Presenting Felix The Cat
Price: Around $13 each www.mtv.com
Gumby On Crack
You've watched the show on cable carnage to the privacy of your own home with these from MTV and SMV. Each video contains six commercial-free all-star bouts, plus bonus behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with the show's creator Eric Fogel. The second volume features Stone Cold Steve Austin as himself. Look for the first video to arrive in stores the first week of February.
now bring the claymated
Punisher
Relic
$расе Асе
Travel The World By Train (2 Vols.) Very Bad Things
Jewel Of The Nile
Kingpin: Special Edition Romancing The Stone
Romeo * Juliet
Travel The World By Train (2 Vols.)
War Of The Worlds White Man's Burden X-Files: Fight The Future
LEN Edge, The
True Lies
Vampyros Lesbos
What Dreams May Come Your Friends & Neighbors
The Shape Of Things To Come
This from Philips is both technologically impressive as well as visually pleasing. Not only can it capture video at 24 frames per second, it has a built-in microphone to record audio. All this is transmitted digitally via the USB connection. It's possible a still camera as fashionable and functional as this might make its way to USB- ready console systems like the PlayStation 2. Hmm.. Price: Around $100
www.philipsUSA.com
"Note To Self..."
well kick it in style with the
Price: Around $90 www.Sony.com
If you want to get into the whole voice memo craze that's sweeping the nation right now, you might as
from Sony. This stylish little recorder offers 10 minutes of recording time, and holds up to 99 messages (as long as they add up to 10 min- utes). In addition, 20 of those messages can be played back randomly for some reason. Weird.
Humble Advice From Your Friendly Neighborhood Editor
he other day, Sega asked me what | thought they should do to make sure the Dreamcast is a runaway success. Being the big (and disappointed) Saturn fan that | am, | was happy to offer some advice, for whatever it's worth. I truly want to see Sega do things right this time around. After all, wouldn't you agree that a market dominated by three video game powers is much more fun than a market domi- nated by just...shudder...Sony? So here are the tips | gave Sega, minus a few of the universally obvious ones (get good third-party support, blah blah blah).
1) Don't model the Japanese DC launch. Why? It had garbage in the starting lineup (Godzilla Generations?!? Come on...that is NOT some- thing with which you want to showcase a brand-new system. Good thing Sega's not bringing that one over here.). | know big boss Bernie wants to have a dozen or so titles for the U.S. launch, but he has to make sure none of them.make customers want to vomit in dis- gust. Is that asking too much?
2.) Don't shove all of Dreamcast's goodness down our throats at launch time—spread out the killer apps a little. | know this may sound a little backward, recommending holding back some titles come September...but if all the awesome titles are available at the same time Dreamcast hits the stores, we'll have nothing to look forward to for a while, One reason why the PlayStation had a great first few months was because it kept you coming back for more. Remember? One week we got WipeOut, another week we got GameDay, another week we got Tekken, etc. Keep us visiting our stores week after week, wondering what new DC game we can get our grubby little hands on.
3.) Please spend these few months before the September release tweaking the U.S. versions of Sonic Adventure, Sega Rally 2 and Virtua Fighter 3tb. The complaints on the Japanese versions are widespread: Sonic needs camera work, Rally 2 needs a steady frame-rate, and VF3tb needs some more modes of play. Everyone knows it: These games need work! (Sega Enterprises Vice President Tadahiko Hirose did say in.a press conference that Sega is planning on “enhancing” the U.S. VF3tb, which is a good sign they give a damn.)
4.) Here's another seemingly backward one: Don't rely on arcade translations to keep your boat afloat. Sure Sega Arcade has some kick- ass coin-op games, but those don't necessari- ly make the best console games unless you throw in a lot of extras (like you did with Sega Rally 2). Take a look at the Saturn. Sure it was cool to play Virtua Cop and Die Hard Arcade at home, but after zipping through them a couple of times, they got boring. I'm not saying you shouldn’t port Sega arcade games to the Dreamcast—people want to see home conver- sions of Super GT and Lost World. Just don’t lean on them so heavily.
ру Dan Shoe Hsu dan_hsu@zd.com
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5.) You're thinking about it right now aren't you? C'mon admit it...you want to cut costs and leave out the modem, making it an optional add-on for a few extra bucks (note to readers: Sega is thinking about this). Let me tell you right now, forget about it! The modem is so key. | mean, everyone's drooling over the device, from the promise of four-player Rally 2 to the dream of a multiplayer, networked Unreal Tournament. But why is it imperative the modem is included with the Dreamcast and not sold as an extra? Simple. You need to have a modem on every Dreamcast sold in order for developers to embrace it wholeheart- edly. Hardly any games today support the PlayStation Link Cable because hardly any PS owners have one. Who wants to spend the time to make a linkable mode for that silent minority? But if you make sure every DC owner automatically has a modem, you'll make it worthwhile for developers to include online multiplayer modes (they'll sell more games since millions will want to play online, they won't fall behind any competitive products that do have online play, etc.). Charge a bit more if you have to, but give all DC owners a modem, whether they want it or not!
6.) Get people so psyched for the launch, they'll be lining up to buy up their Dreamcasts on day one. Remember how excited people were to get a PlayStation on Sept. 9, a date engrained in our collective heads? Use that as a model, not the secretive, anti-climactic Saturn release. Use in-store demos, teaser campaigns, advertising and VHS demo tapes. to escalate the hype. (I still remember watch- ing a Donkey Kong Country videotape put together by Nintendo. By the time I finished watching it, | rushed to EB to prepay for the game. Now that's marketing!)
7.) Now that Sony's announced PlayStation 2, a significantly more powerful piece of machin- ery, think about upgrading the Dreamcast hardware sooner than later. (Although we don't see how this can possibly be an easy task, Sega says the DC can be upgraded to DVD, and they'll do it when “the time is right.”) Yes, we all know it's the quality of the games, not the number of polygons or fancy effects they have. Yes, we all know games won't utilize DVD to its full potential for a long time. But be realistic: People ARE excited about more advanced technology. No matter how much more expensive PS2 might be, peo- ple aren't going to be as enthusiastic about a DC purchase if they know there is a more super super-system out there. We know it can't and won't happen, but if you upgrade the machine now, before the U.S. release, you can insure that all American DCs are the most powerful they can be. If you wait a couple of years and ask people to upgrade, when the DC installed base is in the millions, it will bring back terrifying visions of 32-X and Sega CD, no matter how different this situation is. You don’t want consumers to say, “Upgrade? Yup, it's Sega back to its old tricks again.”...do уои?
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1000s of New & Used PlayStation and Nintendo 64 Games, Hint Books & Accessories available FREE Newsletter - Updated Daily - Online Specials - Secure Ordering - New Releases & More
All Used Games CHESSMASTER 24951200 GUARDIANS CAUSADE 34981600 NEED FOR SPEED 1795700 SHADOWMASTERS 1995800 WCWNITRO 1995800 MIKE PIAZZAS Е CHRON. OF SWORD 29951400 GUILTY GEAR 2995/1200 NEEDFORSPEED2 24951200 SHIPWRECKERS 24951200 WCWVS WORLD 1995800 STRKEZONE — 29951400 include Original CACUTBAEAKEAS 2189140 Канто DARKNESS 2391400 NEEDSPEEDVANLY МШШ SRENIMU ао WONNMOMUNDER 9609 MCRONACHNES ARBAT i On a hy ey t Boxes, Original CITYOFLOSTCHILD. 2995/1400 HERCSADVENTURE 2995/1400 NEEDFORSPEED3 34951600 SILHOUETTE MIRAGE 2995/1400 WHEELOFFORTUNE 32951500 MILOSBOWLO-RAMA 3795/2000 п a full sized piece of paper, write your name, complete address, Instructions anda SLOCKTOWER 29951400 HERCULES 29941400 NEEDFORSPEED4 34951800 SIMCITY 2000 27.95)12.00 WILDS 2995/1400 MISCHIEF MAKERS 29951200 | Phone number and a list of all the items you would like to order. To speed CLOCK TOWER 3495/1800 HIGHHEATBASEBALL 3495/1500 NEWMANNHAASRAC, 24951000 SKELETONWARRIOR 1995800 WILD ARMS 2495/1000 MISSIONIMPOSSIBLE 37951800 [ processing of your order, lst an alternative for each title you are ordering 90 Day Warranty. CODENAME ТЕМКА 24951200 HOTSHOTSGOLF 3251500 МА ВІТ 34981600 SKULLMONKEYS 24351200 WNGCOMMANDER4 27951200 MKMYTHOLOGIES 34991400 | 2. Calculate the total for the item you wish to order, including shipping & 7895/1400 INCREDBLEHULK 2495/1200 NFLGAMEDAYS9 29891000 SLAYER 34951600 WIPEOUT XL 29951400 MK TRILOGY 355551209 | handing charges ($8.00 for the first 1 or2 lems $1 00 or each addtional NG. 37951800 INDEPENDENCE DAY 24991200 NFLXTREME 2981000 SMALL SOLDERS 29581400 WORLDGUP I 29951400 MONACOGRANDPAX 4438500 | шка ама, BA VI Goan APO FPO PO COMMANDACONQUER 24951200 INTELUGENTQUBE — 2499/1200 NHL'99 28951400 SOULBLADE 2495/1200 WORLDCUPGOLF 29951400 MORTALKOMBATS 7951800 р Alaska, Hawal, шп, Boxes add $5.00). Сай RED ALERT 2995/1400 INTLSSTAR SOCCER $829 95/1400 NHL BLADES STEEL 99 29951400 SOVIET STRIKE 2495/1000 WORMS 3495/1600 MULTIRACING CHAMP 34951400 || residents add 7.75% sales tax. RETALIATION 3495/1600 INTLTRACKAFIELD 1995800 NHLFACEOFFS 24951000 SPAWN 2495/1200 WWE ARCADE GAME 1795800 MYSTICAL NINJA 39852000 03. Allow an additional 21 days for personal checks to clear -send money CONTENDER 2995/1500 INVASIONFRM BEYOND 2995/1400 NIGHTMARECREAT. 1994800 SPICEWORLD 2495/1200 WWEATTITUDE | 37952000 NAGANOWINTEROLY. 3495/1400 [ order for fastest processing. Allow 40 days to receive orders placed with CONTRALEGACY WAR 2495/1200 IRON & BLOOD 24951000 NORSE BY NORSEWEST 2495/1200 SPIDER 2495/1200 WWFINYOURMOUSE 1794800 NASCAR SO 38952200 || money orders and 60 days to receive orders placed with personal checks, COOLBOARDERS — 17585700 IRONMANXOMAN 24991000 NUCLEARSTRKE — 2795/1200 SPORISBASEBALLO0U SS 1500 WWFWARZONE — 481600 NBACOURTSDE 299512000 J send ycorosder to ee addions beh COOLBOARDERSS 32951600 JEFFGORDONRACING 39942000 ABESODDYSEE 1795700 SPOTGOESTOMOLLY. 1795700 XMENCHLDRENATOM 29951400 NBAVTHEZONESO 11552600 COURERCRISS 1995800 JEOPARDY 298/1600 ABESEXODDUS 31951600 SPYROTMEDRAGON 20991800 XMENVSST FIGHTER 29891400 NBAJAMSS 3795000 ТО SELL GAMES E CRASH BANDICOOT 175987 00 JEREMYMCGRATHS 3298/1500 ODT 7195/1200 STEEL REIGN 34951500 XENA NBALNVE 99 3795000 PlayStation m RASH BANDICOOT 2 1795700 JERSEY DEVIL 32951500 OFFWORLDINTER. — 1795700 STREAK 29951400 WARRIOR PRINCESS 3495/1500 NFLBUTZ 39950200 [ 1. On a full sized piece of paper, write your name, complete address, CRASH BANDICOOTS 32951600 JET MOTO 1788700 OGRE BATTLE 37951800 STREET FIGHTER XENO GEARS 37981800 NELO-BACK CLUB 90 29931209 | phone number and alist of al the games/systems with the buy back prices CRIME KILLER 2495/1000 JET MOTO2 1985800 OLYMPICSUM.GAMES 1995800 АРНА 1995600 We Buy & Sell all PlayStation NFLO.BACKCLUB 9 37952000 | Poo ane өү y We Sell Used | We Buy КАЕН “1934800 WDSEDRED ато ORE EO APP massie "tes see ur webe or NLS Seo Y ing O. We Buy сяос 24981200 JURASSICPARKLW. 1995800 OVERBLOOD 951200 ALPHA S 32991800 call for titles not listed МН. BLADES STEEL 99 39942000 | 2. lf you would like to purchase games with the money or credit received, 2 GeOWovor ANGELS 27400 K1 ARENA FIGHTERS PACMANSD 951500 COLLECTION 3495/15 0 NHLBREAKAWAY'88 38952000 [ list the titles you would like to order on the same piece of paper. pled TE Веси, оеявтзо E E o PACMANGHOSTZONE 11900 COLLECTIONZ МЕЗО ^ ментиляесяелт. 37850000 [ 3. Pack your games, all paperwork and any coupons па box. Send the 3 4931600 DAREDEVIL DERBY3O 19958 STU PANDEMONIUM 1994800 STREET FIGHTEREX 29951140 орт. 4 je Abusire, ansa 24991200 OF DECEPTION PANDEMONIUM2 21951200 STREETFIGHTER MOVIE 1795500 OFF own CHALLENGE O SAND | OOK te address below by UPS or registered mall, Ве sure to include ACECOMBAT? 2889400 DABKUGHICONFUO 1988800 KARTA NED PANERGENERAL хаоса СТАА IESG crue nooxey зе алго Те Dep Jour package, Радар essed to AKWIUHEARTIESS ^ 2991400 DARKSTALKERS 1995800 KENSEISACREDFIST 3495/1500 PARAPPATHERAPPA 2995/1400 STREETSKBER 32951500 PENNY RACERS 39952000 | the Dept # below or received after the date listed below will be issued our инсти 1800 DARKSTALKERSS 34951800 KINGS FIELD 24981000 PARASITEEVE 34951600 STRIKE POINT 1995800 PLOTWNGS&é — 399872009 | current catalog prices. OCDE RES 4? DEADBALLZONE 29951400 KINGSFIELDN 29991400 PEAKPERFORMANCE 1985800 SUIKODEN, 22951400 QUAKE 299511400 | 4. You wil normally receive your check within 7-12 business days after we ALL STARTENNISS9 29881400 DEADINTHEWATER 31951600 KLONOA 3495/1600 PENNYRACERS 2095/1400 SUPERPUZZLEFIGHT. 23951200 We Sell Used /We Buy QUAKEZ 44352500 | receive your package, ALLO GENERAL, 24891000 DEADORALVE 1995800 KNOCKOUTKNGSSe 34951600 PERFECTWEAPON 17957.00 SWAGMAN 2495/1200 1080 SNOWBOARDING 3195180 QUEST 64 37951700 МОНЕ ТЕ ОА DEADUNITY 34981500 LEGACYOFKAN 2495/1200 PERSONA 2895/1800 SYNDICATE WARS 2495/1200 AERO GAUGE 31991900 яашундов ssel Send your Games/Systems/Orders to:
ALUNDRA 2995/1400 PA 1 А 3 1 ANDA HUNTER 22551400 DEATHTRAP DUNGEON 2495/1200 LEGACY OF KAIN 2 PGATOURGOLF9S 1995800 SYPHONFILTER 31951600 AEROFIGHT. ASSAULT 3495/1600 RAMPAGE
1491509 DESCENT MAXIMUM 20951400 SOUL REAVER ` 498/1800 PGATOURGOLFS; 24981000 TACTICSOGRE 37991800 AIRBOARDIN'USA 4852600 “UNIVERSAL TOUR 44952400 ANDRETTIRACING 1989800 сиы 30951600 LEGENDOFLEGAA 34951800 PGATOURGOLFSS 31951500 TAIFU 3495/1600 ALLSTARBASEBALLSS 29951400 RAMPAGE WORLDTR 39952000 BRE Software TAS DESTRUCT.DERBY ` 1738800 LEGION 3495/1600 PITFALLSD. 24981200 TAILOFTHESUN 29951400 ALLSTARBBALL 2000 44952500 RAT ATTACK 4.952400 ENPINALLE DESTRUCT DERBY2 1998800 LEMMNGS&MORE 29591400 POCKETFIGHTER 26987200 TALESOFDESTINY 3499/1900 ALLSTARTEMMGSS 38852010 RAYUANZ pron Dept. EM5 DEVIL DCE 24951200 LETHALENFORCER 142 2495/1200 POINT BLANK WGUN 49982500 TEAMLOSIRCRACING 2495/1200 BANJOKAZOOE 327852000 ROADSTER S8 44952400 352 W. Bedford Ave, Suite 104 ا DIABLO 29951500 LOADED 17947.00 POOL HUSTLER 2995/1400 TECMOSTACKERS 24951200 BATTLE TANX 27952000 ROBOTRONS4 29951200 . , DES 29891400 DIEHARDTRLOGY 1995800 LODERUNNER 2495/1200 POPULOUS 3495/1800 TECMOWORLDGOLF 24951200 BETTLEADV. RACING 3992200 RUGRATS 44952400 Fresno, CA 93711 frwoneocone senao SCOR 2995/1400 LUCKY LUKE 2495/1000 PORSCHE CHALLENGE 2498/1200 TECMOSDECEPTION 3296/1400 BIOFREAKS 2595/1400 RUSHZEXTREME RAC. 44952200 АЛОЕ ы Т DISCWORLD? 3435/1600 LUNAR 39992000 POWERMOVEWREST. 24951200 TEKKEN 1795600 BODY HARVEST 29951400 RUSHAMERICA 4495/0400 9 Juil я DISRUPTOR MADDEN 99 27951000 POWERRANGERSZEO 2495/1200 TEKKEN 2 1995800 BOMBERMANGA 34991500 SAN FRANCISCO RUSH 3498/15 00 o Boxes z 51600 DOOM MAGICCARPET 2991400 POWER SLAVE 1995800 TEKKENS 2895/1400 BOMBERMANHERO 3799/1800 SCARS 39890000
ASSAULT Brn scs AGGAIMERNG 29891400 POWEREOATRAONG 249200 TENPNALLEY 173M0 BOTTOWOFTHESTH 34892200 SMADONGATEGS аин
ASTEROIDS | 20551400 ООКАТ О ЭПА MARCHIMDNCSS o 34191600 PAO TONOMDGOL? изле MUCKRUMRE $9200) ShoNBOARDMOS2 30852000 No Instructions? JATARIGOLLEGT.4#) 29351400 DUKE NUKEM MARVEL SUP. HEROES 2898/1500 PRO PINBALL 2496/1000 TENNIS 4891200 BUSTAMOVEI 37992000 SOUTH PARK 8/2400 Н x 9391400 TOTALMELTDOWN 24951200 MARVEL SUPER HEROES PSYBADEK 24951200 TEST ORIVE 4 BUSTAMOVE О 4495/2400 SPACE RACE 4495/2200 : TU GLO fim VS STREET EONTEN йули PSICMCOETEGTME AEN TONES эмн CAESAASPALACE МЮ SPACE ETON "1 GUNGEONKEEPERN 3805700 MASSDESIRUCTON 4120 FSUCHCHÓRGE 24891200 TESTORNEOFFROAD 199000 CALFORNASPEED 40400 SLCONVALEY 37352000 o Frobiem:: SACISTRETTBLLAROS 91800 DYNASTY WARRIORS 29991400 MASTERS MONSTERS. 34991600 PUNKYSKUNK 2498/1200 TESTORIVEOFFAD2 9496/1600 CASTLEVANIA 4498/2400 STAR FOK 64 BASSLANDING. cg 39902000 EARTHWORMJMZD 49982000 MASTERS TERASKASI 2395/1400 QUAKE2 3495/1600 TETRIS CHALLENGE 3495/1600 CHAMELEON I 38950200 WIORUMBLEPAK 29951200 We buy the following games without boxes or instructions. BASS MASTERS CLASS. 30991800 EINHANDER. 2998/1400 MAXMUMFORCE —— 1999800 RIYPES 21951500 TETRIS PLUS 1995800 CHARUEBLASTCHALL 29991400 WIRUMBLEPAK 39851800 The following are prices for cartridge or disc only. BATMANAROBN 279500 ELEMENTALGEARBOLT2098/400 МОК 1998800 RAGE RACER 24951000 THEFNALROUNO 29951200 CHOPPERATTACK 29981400 STARSOLOIER 38.352000 BATMAN FOREVER 20951200 ELMINATOR 2495/1200 MECHWARRIOR2 2495/1200 RALLY CROSS 1995800 THEME HOSPITAL 3495/1500 CLAYFIGHTER6S З 2995/1400 STAR WARS Nintendo 8 bit (cartridge опу)" $025 BATRLEARENATOSHO 289940 FIMOSLETTER JOURN 20581400 NEDIEVIL 2998/1500 RALLYCROSS? 2098/1600 THEME PARK 1400 CONKERS: #952800 пови вооон esae Nintendo 8 ni А A BATTLESTATIONS 2495/1200 ELMOSNUMBERADV. 2891400 MEGAMANS 271400 RAMPAGE THUNDER TACK RALLY 1995800 CRUISIN USA 29951400 STAR WARS ame Boy (cartridge only) E EU 2599120 EPIDEMIC 1995800 MEGAMAN LEGENDS 3495/1600 UNIVERSAL TOUR 34951600 THUNDERFORCEV 2995/1400 CRUISIN WORLD 39992200 SHADOWS OF EMPIRE 3495/1400. Game Boy Color (cartridge only) $600 BEASTWARS др 21251200 ESPEXTREMEGAMES 1999800 MEGAMAN X4 279/1400 RAMPAGEWORLDTR 289/1400 TIGERWOODSPGATR 3499160 DEADLYARTS 2998/1400 STARSHOT 44932400 | Game Gear (cartridge only) $0.50 BEAVIS BUTTHEAD, MONIO EXCALIBUR2SSSAD 2405/1200 MENINBLACK 2985/1500 RASCAL 2499/1200 TIGERSHARK 19981400 DODYKONGRACNG 34991700 SUPERMAROSA 79917000 Сепо (cartidge ony) $100 кшш и EXTREME PINBALL 2495800 METALGEARSOUD 37952000 RATATTACK 31951600 TMECOMMANDO 1099800 DOOM 27951200 SUPERMANGS 4952400 $ 9 BGAR SNOWBOARD 98/1800 FANTASTIC FOUR 8700 MICAOMACHNES 2998/1400 RAY STORM 24981000 TMECRISISWIGUN 49952500 DUKE NUKEM 28981400 TETRISPHERE 37891700 uper Nintendo (cartridge only) $300 BIG BASS рш ин ЫШ FELONY 11.79 MKMYTHOLOGIES 2498/1200 RAY TRACERS 29981000 TIME SHOCK DUKE NUKEM ZERO HR 4952400 TONCIROURLE 44842200 | Saturn (disc only) $1.0 ا 35891900 FIFA SOCCER” MK TRILOGY 1895800 RAYMAN2 34951600 PRO PINBALL 15.00 EARTHWORM JIM 30 44952400 TOP GEAR OVERDRIVE 4495/2200 PlayStation (disc only) $500 BLAST RAD 29991800 nra ROAD TOT мазе 1799600 ACSTUNTCOPTER 3485/1600 ЛУ TANK 3495/1600 EXTREMEG 2295/1400 TOPGEARRALLY 319504000 Nintendo 64 (cartridge only) $10.00 BLAZING DRAGONS enago WORLD CUP 98. 2995/1400 MLB 99 2495/1000 REBEL ASSAULT II 29951400 TNNHARDCORE4X4 1995/8 00 EXTREME G 2 37952000 TRIPLEPLAY2000 — 44952600 * AUN де ON) норма PEAS 3499/1500 LB 2000 3498/1600 REBOOT 249811200 TOBALNO.1 2495/1200 F ZEROX 38952200 TUROKDINOHUNTER 34.38/15 00 intendo 8 bit games except Super Mario, Duck Hunt, Gyromite, CODE EEN FIFTHELENEN] 24951200 MONACOGRAND PRIX 34991800 REBUS 28981400 TOCATOURNGCAR 2495200 Fi WORLDGRANDPRIX 3795/2000 TUROK2SEEDSEVIL 17952500 | Hogan's Alley and other zapper gun or power pad games. BOGEYDEADE, D FIGHTING FORCE 24991200 MONKEY HERO 34991600 REDASPHAULT 24951200 TOKYOHWYBATTLE 2495/1200 FIFAINTLSOCCER64 2995200 TWISTED EDGE 44952200 | The above prices do not apply to demo discs, special offerfimited KERONO: DOOM 2995/1400 MONOPOLY 27941200 REEL FISHING 31991500 TOMB RAIDER 5/700 FIFA ROAD TO THE VRALLY 44952200 | packaged games (Virtua Fighter Remix, etc.) and games that were FANTASY RA LFANTASYVI 34981400 MONSTERRANCHER 24991200 RELOADED 2481200 TOMBRADER2 24951200 WORIDCUPSB — 39950200 VIGLANTES Pon] ; BRAHMA FORCE H n ^ с Е included with systems. Exira Nintendo 64/PlayStation boxes and BRAHMAFORCE 1788700 NAL FANTASY MONSTER SEED . 29891900 RESIDENT EVIL 395800 TOMBRADERS FFAS 42932400 VIRTUAL CHESS 952000 е n УЕ РЕМ НІ 34991600 TACTICS 1500 MORTALKOMBAT 3 95800 DIRECTORSCUT 1995800 TOMBA FIGHTERS DESTINY 29991200 VIRTUALPOOLG4 4062000 || instructions will be purchased for $.25 each. Send your Genesis, Super ERAVGARRACE, 24991200 FISMERMANS BAT MORTAL ОТА sham НЕБО? О тозу ТОРО FGHTINGFORCE 24952600 WaILAE GOLF 449200 | Nintendo, Nintendo 64, Saturn and PlayStation games without boxes n m Е 551600 FORMULA 1 MOTORACER RETURN FIRE TRAP GUNNER 95/409 FLYING DRAGON 34951600 WARGODS 29951200 || or instructions to the address above. аны = FORMULA 1 CHAMP ED, MOTORACER2 0 RIDGE RACER REV. TREASURES OF DEEP 2495/1200 FORSAKEN 3495/1600 WAVE RACE 64 29951400 FORMULA 1 98. 32951600 MOTOR TOON GP. RIDGE RACER TYPE 4 TRIPLE PLAY 99 1200 FOX SPORTS падр МАТЕ FEY 29981200, N PlayStati A 5 24981200 MR DOMINO SK s TBPLEPLAYANO 3498/1600 'S9 29981400 WAYNEGRETZRY 88 3499400 2791400 MYST NAL SCHOOLS TRUEPNBALL 2495/1200 GAME SHARK WoW NITRO йн New PlayStation Accessories 2495/1200 NAMCO MUSEUM AVEN 5498/1500 TUNNEL) 1295100 MINNSITUCTONS 9485/1500 WCW VS NWO Game Shark 44.98 200 VOLUMET 2495/1200 ROAD RASH 199580) TURBOPROPRACG 2491200 M 952000 WORLDTOUR 2098/1400 BUGS BUNNY FOXSPORTSTENNIS 2495 VOLUME 2 3295/1500 ROADRASH30. 3495/1600 TWISTED METAL 17.95/7.00 GLOVER 37982000 WCW VS NWO Game Shark Enhancement CD (гед. Game Shark) 19.98 Bucs BNN FREESTYLE BOARDI 1891000 VOLUMES SNE ШЕР ею Тїк GOLDENEYEOo 27282000 REVENGE ааа || Cool Stand 2998 BUSHOOBLADE FROGGER 3/1200 VOLUME 4 2891200 ROLLCAGE ЙС 3298600 GOLDENNUGGET — 44982400 WETRIK 5751801 DexDrive 3998 BUST AMOVEZ FUTURE COP LAPD VOLUMES зу ROM SKNGDOMSS 44951800 2499/1209 GTRAUNG 3495/1600 WHEELOF FORTUNE 44990200 BUSTAMOVE2 N40) NANOTEKWARRIOR TASK ROSCOMCOUEEN МОЮ 2495/1200 HEXEN 2998200 WNBACK 33952200] Shark Link 49.98 Tuv 3 NASCARRAGNG. — 1999800 RUGRATS 3851800 VANOALHEARTS 27951200 IGGYSRECKIN BALLS 34391600 WIPEOUT 64 3:520] Pelican 1 Meg Memory Card (15 Block 9.98 тацозо GAUEOFUFE 29891600 NASCANRACNGGS 20991000 AUNNNGWLO 20661200 VIGILANTES И ЭЕ ican 1 Meg Memory Card ( з) H A ADVENTURE 1 GAME SHARK WIBOOK 3495500 NASCAR RACING 99 3495/1600 AUSHAMERICA 3495/1600 VIRTUALPOOL 2495/12 00 JEOI 44982200 WWEWARZONE _ 44952400 | Pelican 8 Meg Memory Card (120 Blocks, 199 ESAME сЕ 1995800 NBAIN THE ZONE 9 34991600 RUSH HOUR T3980 VMXRACNG 2495/7200 KENGRIFFEY JRBBALL 3495/1600 YOSHISSTORY 39982000 3 у Card (120 Blocks) oe GAESARSPALACE? 4991800 GEXENTERGECKO 20251000 NGALVE S тен аброй gim о Т уш 388900000 Pelican 24 Meg Memory Card (360 Blocks) 27 S GEXIIDEEPCOVER 3495/1600 NBA LIVE 99 5 SAGAFRONTIER 27:951200 VRGOLF 97 1995800 INI 64 11600 ` We Buy & Sell all Nintendo 64 GArueceooon2 MSD hoor TE SHEL NEON NBASHGOTOUT SG о SAMURAISHOOOMNS. NEN УЗ AIAN Loenen 3008020 "ames зобом нечне | Pelican 72 Meg Memory Card (1080 Blocks) 3998 CARURE HER M GLOBAL DOMINATION 343811600 s SaNFRANCISCORUSH 27981200 WAR GODS 1995800 MADDEN 64 call for utes not isted | Pelican Multi Player Adapter (Multitap) 2998 CARON SHOT ees 3.251900 GOLDENNUGGET 30951500 1985800 SCARS 2991400 WARCRAFT 2995/1400 MADDEN 99 Pelican Link Cable 14.98 ART WORLD SERIES GRANDTHEFTAUTO 29991400 NCAAGAMEBRKRSS 1499500 SENTIENT 1985800 WARGAMESDEFCON 1 24981200 MAGICAL TETRIS CHALL Game Boy Color ' SPER GRANDIOUARACING 249120 NCAA GAUEBAKA 99 1999800 SENTINALRETURNS 28990400 WARHAMMER CO" 2981400 MANO KANT 6s Sony Control Pad 1498 GASTLEVANA 00 GRANTURISMO 3895/1600 NECTARIS SHADOWGUANER 238/400 DARK OMEN 21901200 MARIO PARTY We Sell Used /We Buy | Sony Dual Shock Control Pad 26.98 CENTIPEDE 0 GRANSTREAMSAGA 34951600 MIUTARY MADNESS 3495/1500 SHADOW MADNESS 29951400 WARZONEZIOD 37:951800 MEMORY EXP. PAK 24 ALTES 1998/1000 Dee
CASH for your old games/systems
Receive a check back or purchase other titles of your choice-Prices in this ad good thru May 31, 1999
ties in TALICS are newer and may or may notbe available, lease сай for availability. All PlayStation games must include box, jewel case, instructions, and any hint books/maps that were included with the game, we wil deduct $1.00 for broken CD jewel cases. For N64 games, we wil deduct $3.00 for each missing damaged bor, $3.00 foreach missinldamaged instruction book and $2.00 for each missing cardboard insert. All Game Boy Color games mustinclude original box & instructions. PlayStation & Game Boy Color games without box & instructions wil be purchased at the No Box/No Instructions price above. Games notin resellable condition or with evidence ol rental store stickers wil be returned at your expense ($6.00 minimum). All games are used, include a 90 DAY WARRANTY and are subject to availabilty. We reserve the right to refuse any sale ог purchase. Allow 40 days to receive orders placed with money orders and 60 days to receive orders placed with personal checks. No refunds) exchanges on opened games. Add $8.00 S&H for the first 1 or 2items and $1.00 for each additional. Alaska/HawailPRGuam/V\/APO/PO Boxes add $5.00. Сай. Res add 7.75% tax. We do not ship outside the US. Prices are for mail order only and based on 1 copy peri, to buy or sellin quantity, contact our wholesale dept. Limit of 1 game per tile accepted without proof of purchase, If we do not receive your package by 5/31/99 or your game tiles are not listed in this ad, you will be paid from our current catalog. To receive prices in this ad you mustinclude the "Оер. # from this ad on the OUTSIDE of your package. If you are unclear about any of our policies, procedures or prices, please call before sending your games or order. nda tes are adenars ol het respectie companies. PiayStaen and he Раб азс lago are кабетай ol Sony Conoder Entertainment с. ире Nintendo, Gare Boy Game Bo Cot, Nintendo 64 and NEA are registred vadens Nitendo ot Aerie
BREGames. Com
For CLAssie AND Haro то Fino Vinco Games, Hint BOOKS AND ACCESSORIES i 1 4000s or Surer NinteNno, 8 вит Nintenno, Game Boy Coton, Game Boy, Saturn, Genesis, Seca 32K, 1 І Seca CD, Game Gear, 300, TursoGrary, Jacunn Games, Hint Books AND ACCESSORIES AVAILABLE
with www.ho-rc.com
46-47
989 Studios www.989studios.com Acclaim www.acclaim.net Activision www.activision.com AD Vision www.advfilms.com ASC Games Www.ascgames.com BRE Software www.bresoftware.com Buy.com www.buygames.com
www.capcom.com Chips & Bits www.cdmag.com/chips.html Coca-Cola
www.cocacola.com
Crave Entertainment www.cravegames.com
Eidos 10-11, 16-17, 43, 96-97 www.eidosinteractive.com Electronic Arts .. . 40-41, 62-63 WWW.EA.com
Electronics Boutique www.ebworld.com
Funco . m
www.funcoland.com
Game Cave
www.gamecave.com
Gamespot . .
www.gamespot.com
GT Interactive Ent www.gtinteractive.com
HO/RC Hobbies .
www.ho-rc.com
Infogrames
www.infogrames.net
ADVERTISER INDEX
Interact Accessories .56-57, 162-63 www.interact-acc.com Interplay www.interplay.com Koei Corp www.koeigames.com Konami www.konami.com Midway Home Ent www.midway.com
Milk Processor’s www.whymilk.com Namco WWW.namco.com Nintendo of America www.nintendo.com Psygnosis www.psygnosis.com Sega of America www.sega.com SegaSoft www.heat.net
Sony Computer Ent www.sony.com
Sony Music . des www.sonymusic.com Sony Pictures iia asinê eene 23 www.sonypictures.com Squaresoft . М www.squaresoft.com Take 2 Interactive www.take2games.com T*HQ, Inc . ғ www.thq.com
Todd McFarlane Productions www.mcfarlane.com Tri Com Pictures. . www.tricompictures.! Vatical Entertainment www.vatical.com
meceLand Superstore
1000’s More Titles Available! Want Something? Can't Find It?
WE'VE GOT IT! We Sell Previously Played
Video Games, Decks
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at Great Prices.
We also Sell New Products! 612-946-8102
Bubble Bobble Contra Excitebike Hogans Alley Kung Fu
Mega Man Operation Wolf Pacman
Super Mario 3 Tecmo Bowl Wheel of Fortune. Yoshis Cookie Zelda 2
Aerobiz
Donkey Kong Ciy Griffey Baseball Home Alone
Lion King
Mario Kart
NBA Jam
Nhl Hockey 97 PGA Golf
Rom 3 Kings 2 Sup Mario All Stars TMNT 4
WWF Raw X-Men
Yoshi's Island
Alleyway $12
Baseball 87
Dr. Mario $13
Fortress of Fear $6
In Your Face $6
John Madden 96 $18
Jurassic Park BE =
Kirbys Dreamland $17 HM 222. Metroid 2 $11 SI AS! NBA Jam $17 5
Pipe Dream $8 a
Super Mario Land 3 $18
Tetris $11
TMNT $9 : Zelda Link $19
We Accept: pey
http://www.funcoland.com
E = 8 Fd 3 = 8
PlayStation
Cool Boarders $19 Crash Bandicoot $19 Destruction Derby — $18 Doom $19 Gex: Enter Gecko $29 Granstream Saga $19 Jet Moto 2 $19 John Madden 98 $15 Legacy Of Kain $19
Mib 99 $29
Moto Racer $19
Nba Live 98 $19
Nfl Gameday $8
Need For Speed 2 $28
Odd World $25
Tomb Raider 2 $28
Nintendo64
Cruis n USA $35 Doom 64. $25
Griffeys Baseball 535 Killer Instinct Gold $28 Mission Impossible $39 Mortal Kombat Tri $25
Nba Courtside $29 Pilotwings 64 $29 Quake $35 Star Fox 64 $25
Star Wars Shadows $25 SuperMario64 $29
Turok $29 Wave Race 64 $29 WCW/NWO $29
Online Ordering!! For the Hottest Tips & The Hottest Games at the Hottest Prices
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To purchase: Call for Current Prices, send check money order, ог credit card number to Funco, Inc., 10120 West 76th Sireet, Mpls, MN 55344. Add $1.99 per item
($3.99 per control deck) for shipping and $4.00 handling. Charge. For Canada, Guam, Puerto Rico, and Virgin Islands please double the per item charges. Please call for all other international orders. СА, СТ, IL, IN, KS, MA MD, MI, MN, MO, NJ, NY, OH, РА, RI, TX, VA, WA & Wi residenis please add applicable sales tax. ‘All prices based on US funds. Most games delivered within 7-10 business days. Generally games don’t come with boxes. or manuals. We are sorry bul we can't accept requests. for them. Rush delivery is available. АП sales are final. Defectives replaced with same item, All prices are sub. ject to change. We reserve the right to refuse any pur. chase or sale. TR
All Games Come With a 90 Day Warranty!
ONE YEAR Warranties are Available Hours: Mon-Fri 9:00am to
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612-946-8102
Legacy of Kain 2
3Xtreme
Bass Landing
Bomberman Fantasy Race Bust A Move 99
Centipede
Clock Tower 2
Elmo's Number Journey Gauntlet Legends
High Heat Baseball
Jeff Gordon Xs Racing
Legacy of Kain 2: Soul Reaver
Lunar: Silver Star Story Men In Black
MLB 2000
Monaco Grand Prix Monster Seed
NBA In The Zone 99 NHL Blades Of Steel 99 Point Blank 2
Point Blank 2 w/ Guncon Pro 18 World Golf
В.С. Stuntcopter Rampage 2 Universal Tour Ratt Attack
Rayman 2
Shadow Madness Shanghai
Shogun Assassins Street Fighter Alpha 3 Superman
TRAG.
Vermin
VR Baseball 2000 Warzone 2100
Ace Combat Elite
Armed Fighter
Armored Core 3
Beat Mania 3RD Mix Bugi
Bust A Move 2
Capcom Generations Vol 5 Chocobo Racing Chocobo's Dungeon 2 Dance Dance Dance Dance Dance Revolution
$34.99
Call $29.99 $23.99 $34.99 $35.99 $32.99 $34.99 $35.99 $38.99 $42.99 $48.99 $34.99 $34.99 $37.99 $34.99 $34.99 $34.99 $34.99 $43.99 $34.99 $37.99 $34.99 $35.99 $37.99 $41.99 $34.99 $37.99 $30.99 $34.99 $38.99 $34.99 $38.99 $34.99
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Digimon World
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Eretzvaju
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nternal Section
King Of Fighters 98 Langrisser IV-V Final Libero Grande Soccer Parapa The Rappa 2 Rally De Africa
R-Type Delta
Saga Frontier 2 Sonata
Tales Of Phantasia housand Arms
INFO LINE : 626-930-0060
ORDER LINE : 888-GAME-CAVE
Specials are limited to stock on hand and in most cases quantities are limited. Prices are subject to change without notice. Shipping and handling are extra. Returns are subject to evaluation and a re-stock fee. Import PlayStation games are not compatible with newer systems. Artwork copyright their respective companies. All rights reserved
$59.99 $39.99 $39.99 $39.99 $59.99 $59.99
Call! $49.99 $63.99
Cybernetic Empire
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Bio Motor Unitron Capcom Vs. SNK Fatal Fury 1st Contact
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Last Blade
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Everquest
10 Six
3D Dinosaur Adventure
After Dark/Hoyle Bundle
Age of Empires Il
Aliens vs Predator
All Star Baseball 2000
Apache Havoc
Austin Powers Operation: Trivia Babylon 5 Space Combat Simulator Battleground 9: Chickamauga
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Blood Il: Nightmare Levels
Catz IVDogz Il Bundle
Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun Creatures 2 Deluxe
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Extreme Water Sports
F-16 Aggressor
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Fighting Steel
Flanker 2.0
Flash Point
FLY!
Flying Nightmares 2
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Gabriel Knight ll
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Giants
Heavy Gear II
Homeworld
Hoyle Craps and Blackjack Hoyle Solitaire and Mah Jong Hoyle Video Poker and Slots Infinite World : Sequel to Mordor Interstate '82
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Lands of Lore Ill
Laura's Happy Adventures Links Extreme
Machines
Magic & Mayhem
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Messiah
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Motor Head
NASCAR Racing 3
Outcast
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Planescape: Torment Professional Sports Car Racing Rage of Mages 2: Necromancer Requiem
RollCage
RollerCoaster Tycoon
Sega Rally Championship 2 Shadow Company
Shadow Man
Skies
Star Trek Birth of the Federation Star Trek: Klingon Academy StarCon
Starshot
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Super Bike World Championships Tonic Trouble
Total Annihilation Kingdoms Unreal Add-On: A World Gone Dead Unreal Level Pak (Add-on) Unreal Mega Pak
Unreal Tournament
WarZone 2100
Werewolf the Apocalypse Wizardry 8
X-Wing Alliance
Yoot's Tower
notice. Shipping and handlin.
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Ah My Goddess Vol.1
Ah My Goddess Vol2 Baroque Orignal
Beat Mania Remixes
Beat Mania Tomoki Hrata Biohazard 2 Original Biohazard Symphony $8 200 Blue Seed Vol.1 Original Bue Seed Vol.2 Original Blue Seed Vol.3 Original Brave Fencer Original 20 Bushido Blade 2 Original Bust A Move Original Chrono Trigger Brink of Time Arranged Chrono Trigger Original 300 2 Dreamcast Original racula X PS Original Dracula X PS Original #6 Dracula X The Best Vol racula X The Best Vol.2
ragon Quest/ Final Fantasy Composer Symphony Dragonball Z 18 1/2 Special
Dragonball Z Anime Colection Original
ragonball Z Movie 1996 Original
ragonball Z Never Ending Story 200
El Hazard Orginal
El Hazard The Alternate Word
Elemental Gearbolt Original
scafowne Lovers Only
Escaflowne Vol.1
scaflowne Vol.2
Escafowne Vol.3
Evangelion Addition
Evangelion Death and Rebirth
Evangelion Philharmonic 20D
Evangelion Retain
Evangelion $2 Works 6CD
Evangelion The End of Evangelion
Evangelion Vol.1
Evangelion Vol 2
Evangelion Vol3
Evangelion VOX
Final Fantasy 6 Grand Finale
Final Fantasy 6 Original 300
Final Fantasy 7 Original 4CD
Final Fantasy 7 Reunion
Final Fantasy 8 Original Direct
Final Fantasy Pray
Final Fantasy Symphonic Suite
Final Fantasy Tactics Original 20D
Front Mission 2 Original
Fushigi Yugi Best Colecions
Fushigi Yugi Sensitive Minds
Ghostin the Shell Anime Original
Ghostin the Shell PS Limited 20D
Ghostin the Shell PS Original
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Gran Turismo Rock Arranged
Grandia Arranged Direct
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King of Fighters 98 Original 200
б
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