“шом INSIDE PERFECT IDARKSSECRETS! CHEATS! RUMORS! SCENARIOS! NINTENDUOS SP TAYSTATIUN ES) Zep HEAMCAS А НАМОНЕВО АНСАОЕ ELECTRONIZ "CEP uo) aA M Mb duni S нба prr» Dreamcast and Q <" PREVIEWED j _ The good, bad and ugly from a» ca the big show | HO WANTS E CONKER’S BAD METAL GEAR м _ A MILLIONAIRE UR DAY SOLID 2 =" 3 = = 4 August 2000 7 р = $4.99/$6.50 Canada ' / š d E 08» AUD | i m - 2 1 Я £ 1 Y 01402406960 "s eee coo es o ° e e өө o SHOP ONLINE * AOL KEYWORD: SKECHERS SKECHERS.COM FREE CATALOG 1.800.201.4659 FOOTWEAR Complete your Mutant Academy training Fight as 10 different X-MEN characters, Use signature ‘mutant moves, powers and by dominating in arena-fighting matches. including Wolverine and Cyclops. abilities—for the first time in 3-D! wwwaactivision.com | GAME BOY e % с COLOR MEE 2. (ER Аа бон. ote cor i ce de ovens уран» THE MUTANTS Train with fellow mutants and fight your way up the ranks, learning amazing mutant moves and using your special powers to dominate super-villains. It's boot camp for fighters... and only the strongest will survive. Professor X wants you! DO YOU HAVE WHAT ibuted by Activision. тает pí Activision, Inc. © 2000 Activision, Inc. X-MEN: Mutant Academy for PlayStation developed by Paradox. Licensed by Sony Computer Entertainment Americal with, ih Playstation and the PlayStation logos are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. X-MEN: Mutant Academy for Game ВОЙ Color einen ty Cen ter Boy and Game Boy Color are trademarks of Nintendo of America Inc. © 1989, 1998 Nintendo of America Inc. The ratings icon is a їгайета ой the Interactive Digital Software Other trademarks and trade names are properties of their respective owners. Screen Shots taken from PlayStation® game console gameplay. MARVEL and X-Men: TM and © 2000 Marvel Characters, Inc. All rights reseed) PUBlished and manu You are the chosen one. Prove it. TM, ® and Game Boy Color are trademarks of Nintendo of America Inc. © 2000 Licensed by SNK Corporation of America. © 1988 SNK Corporation of America. All rights reserved. © 2000 SNK/Nintendo. www.gameboy.com/crystalis Converted by Nintendo Software Technology Corp. Character(s) used in the Game © 2000 Nintendo THE FEW. THE PROUD. Man or Beast? You decide - as you plot your battle strategies, train dragons and use the power of wizards to defeat your enemies. © Nintendo, TM, ® and Game Boy Color are trademarks of Nintendo of America Inc. © 2000 Nintendo of America Inc. WWW.gameboy.com/warlocked PlayStation ® Mild Animated Violence PlayStation and the PlayStation logos are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Grind Session is a trademark of Sony Computer Dety gravity DM Poe Q г 1 ; ordinance Toned Ban Ways to tra лм ү ego. Your oh. ree duas QW Sick КЕТ ТТТ ПЕТА аа ПИ 1 . MUIR ТД ГЕ АМ! ч LR Do) eae MIR 17 Fuge Entertainment America Inc. ©2000 Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. Developed by Shaba Games. Vans and the Triple Crown of Skateboarding are registered trademarks of Vans, Inc. JLLED BY SADISTIC THERMO-TERRORISTS ADOR'S LIFE HANGS IN THE BALANCE, аа ACTION/ADVENTURE MULTIPLE DECISIONS. SEARCH. SOLVE. - GOES HIGH-SPEED. MULTIPLE OUTCOMES. AND DESTROY. Lose yourself in a heart-pounding Every decision becomes crucial as Search computers and bodies to find 3-D thrill-ride that stretches across you change routes, engage enemies, clues; then dispose of terrorists using 30 different cities and 12 countries. and alter the outcome. 10 different military weapons. < (A j кл wwwaactivision.com = а x "n CDs LUNG — ACTIVISION. Covert Ops: Nuclear Dawn © 2000 Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Covert Ops: Nuclear Dawn is a trademark of Activision, Inc. Published and distributed by Activision, Inc. Activision is a registered trademark of Activision, Inc. All rights reserved. Licensed by Sony Computer Entertainment America for use with the PlayStation game console. 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 other trademarks or trade names are the properties of their respective owners. EDITORIAL ith some historical НЕ two months after our industry’s annual pilgrimage to E3, we can better digest and summarize the showing of the four major hardware makers: Sega is the most vibrant company right now. With fresh titles like Jet Grind Radio and a strong online showing, they're back to doing what has made Sega great for nearly two decades— By Joe Funk • joe_funk@ziffdavis.com workers pleading for their lives), and Conker's Bad Fur Day (featuring an intro where some Mario- style small woodland creatures are placed in the opening scene of war epic Saving Private Ryan), Nintendo is clearly making a commitment to broaden its target demographics. We don't expect them to show their new hardware until Spaceworld in Japan this August, but we can already see a bold new swagger to "Nintendo may take some backlash from mainstream теша and upset parents.” building fantastic games. Sony meanwhile is the juggernaut of the industry and they are at their peak. PS2 will undoubtedly post record sales numbers for an entertainment product when it ships here this fall. Microsoft has emerged as the unabashed (and pardon the pun here) x-factor with X-box, which is perhaps the most impressive piece of gaming hardware we've ever seen. And then there's Nintendo. The enigmatic giant took its usual low-key approach at its booth (it's really more comparable to a small theme park) by letting the quality and depth of its games and franchises speak for themselves. And while the other three have all put their cards on the table by showcasing their next-generation hardware, Nintendo was conspicuous by its reserve. There are some tantalizing clues, though, about Nintendo's next big push in a couple of eyebrow- raising titles. With games like the profoundly violent Perfect Dark (where if you don't turn the violence switch off you'll see innocent desk Having recently graduated from Northwestern University, Peter's anticipating getting back to his gaming roots in Japan before he returns to the US of A and begins his new job. Watch for his name in the credits of some upcoming PC games. Peter Bartholow Peter Bartholow is moving on after freelancing for Several years. ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY (ISSN #1 rate is $24.97 In the U.S. and service questions, call (303) 665- form at www.icopy Contained therein are owned by the respe Printed in the USA. Mario’s strut. Nintendo, long an advocate of wholesome gaming targeted mostly at kids in the vein of Disney or Nickelodeon, is growing up. Nintendo VP of Marketing and Corporate Communications George Harrison told us, “We decided that we cannot afford to compete in only half the market—half the market is under 18 and half is over...and we'll be very clear that the marketing outreach we do will be targeted toward people 18 and up.” Being the great bastion of warm and fuzzies, Nintendo may take some backlash from mainstream media and upset parents. But we at EGM have always believed that games will one day be as diverse as movies, and while Nintendo will continue milking the Pokémon juggernaut and producing other wonderful games for all ages, this path was in many ways inevitable if Mario Inc. wants to remain a majority player in this next round of system wars. For more information on Nintendo’s coming out party, turn to page 36 for Chris Johnston’s superb interview with Nintendo's Harrison. Joe Funk a regular contributor to EGM, The Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine and Videogames.com. He may be young, but he’s been living and breathing video games since he was old enough to hold a controller. His favorite genres are action and role-playing. Andrew Pfister Aside from being a full-time student at the University of Wisconsin, Andrew is | ELECTRONIC Number 13.8 August 2000 WWW.videogames.com GAMING = MONTHLY E “eran f pe. funkGziffdavis.com Mi dito! BEI Hager» dean_hager@ziffdavis.com Features Editor on ispin (m старі \_boyer@ziffdavis.com R shaw nami (EE shawn s smith@ziffdavis.com WS tan acbonald * mark macdonaldGziffdavis.com Chris d <” Johnston * chris_johnston@ziffdavis.com Previi ped ito} LER wart LI и com EXE ssociate Edito] aig Ku Цама . raig_kujawa@ziffdavis. сот Asset Eo е, "id плед * sam kennedyGziffdavis.com RU ШШ * tricks@ziffdavis.com E coas lielke e james_mielke@ziffdavis.cot dcm ster . (Я im uem ‘Andrew | rew Vestal Tode Nina fme ir NIS. com dw * cyril. wochokGziffdavis.com Te Reset e ilte reel Ba ер, fer m D ue aE p oe d bo Tj Edere Mane ondent Ме ЕЙ, Editor Whitesi es Production Director Я Lugo Senior, [nns Manager ete Prej fess Mana Assistant үс; Мападег КОК те mark_lefebvre@ziffdavis.com lavis.com javis.com | Vice ale Stang Group al Creative Direc ‘Mich cha laesus ® mstassus@zifidavis.com URS recto) athy Beı gnc Circulation Director an Mcinerne| Circulation irector irector shirley Vie em nee (eee Sales Manager Хб on бо ON vaen: E E service ite; Тете! egmmag.com Advertising Inquiries Contact: Game Group 50 Beale, 12th floor, San Francisco, CA 94105 Telephone: 415- 547 8783 Group Publisher Lee Uniacke 415-357-4910 * lee_uniacke@ziffdavis.com soupy ae Publisher Suzie Reider AA 15 * suzie@ziffdavis.com salts [4 EST AND EAST COAST. Regional Sales Manager Marc Callison Account Executive Tallie Fishburne 415-357-5226 * tallie_fishbume@ziffdavis.com КЫ NORTHWEST (Bay Area Peninsula, OR, WA, ID, MT, WY, Western Canada) Regional Sales Manager Dru Montgomery Senior Account Executive Joann Case! 415-357-4920 * joann_casey@ziffdavis.com SALES, SOUTH-CENTRAL (Bay Area: San Francisco, Marin County, East Bay; TX, AR, LA, MO, GA, FL, TN SC, NC, CO) Regional Sales Manager Marci Yamaguchi Account Executive Mary Gray 435 E 7-8782 e mary. ayaa com SALES, SOUTHWEST (So, Regional Sales Manager Karen E. Account Executive Linda Philapil 15 An 3781 • linda. philapil@ziffdavis. com Senior ting Manager & Creative Director Rey Ledda 415-547- 8775 * rey_ledda@ziffdavis.com датата Coordinator Annie Lipscome 415-5 547-8248 • annie_lipscome@ziffdavis.com Advertising Coordinator Tipler Ubbelohde 415-357-4930 * tipler_ubbelohde@ziffdavis.com Sales ordinator Шү Olman 415-547-8783 * emil 1 ENES сот Sales Assistant Bonita ш 41 5: 547 7-8778 ° nia lukGziffdavis.com Advertising Production Coordinator Wen Laws 415-357-8114 * wen_laws@ziffdavis.com Founder Steve Harris 522-3338. Periodicals Class Postage Paid at Lombard, IL and additional mailing offices. Single issue rates: $4.99. The one year (issue) subscription Monthly magazine. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Electronic Gaming Monthly. Р.О. Box 55722. Boulder, CO 80322-5722. For subscription te at http://service.egmmag,com. We periodically make lists of our customers available to mailers of goods and services that mayinterest you. If you do ide your subscription label when writing to us. It contains valuable information about your subscription that will help us. Please allow 6-8 weeksbefore receiving your first responsible for unsolicited materials. Without limiting the rights under copyrights reserved herein, no part of this publicaton may be reproduced, stored recording, or otherwise), without the the prior written notice of Ziff Davis Media Inc. To reuse any material in this publicaton, obtain a permission request. ja Inc. АП Rights Reserved. Electronic Gaming Monthly and EGM are trademarks of Ziff Davis Media inc. TM and © for all other prodicts and the characters ме trademark and copyright owners. All materials listed in this magazine are subject to manufacturers’ change and the publisher assumes no responsibility for such changes. The Canadian GST Registration number 5140496720 RT. Aust Bureau Сало | | | | l Put Teddy on thé. most. endangered species list and FUR FIGHTERS on your most - Wanted. A new kind of game has it the scene. Part adventure- crammed shoot ‘em up, “heavy petting and 1 ‘action. Play as E animal liberators against th malevolent fat-cat; General ‘Viggo. It's а raging romp of “feline conspiracies, blazing ` animal combat and unrelenting ® ‘beaver shots! Animated Violence Comic Mischief Suggestive Themes fammént, Ino: Alt Rights Réserve, "Developed by Bizacre Creations. Ait Rights: уйн! tradetnackstor trademiates of Sega Eriterprises, 110. ОА ENTERPRISES T0: M. Rights, CONTENTS Game Directory 90 Aerowings 2: Air Strike 132 Animorphs Arcatera 132 Armada F/X Racers 148 Armorines 118 Army Men: Air Attack 2 96 Bangai-O 102 Banjo-Tooie 81 Black & White 119 Bust-A-Groove 2 132 Cari Lewis Athletics 2000 100 Conker's Bad Fur Day 122 Cool Boarders 4 94 Demolition Racer: No Exit 100 Dinosaur Planet 124 Disney's Dinosaur 104 Donald Duck-Quack Attack 128 Donkey Kong Country 145 Draconus 126 Dragon Warrior | & Il 148 Duck Dodgers 123 Emperor's New Groove 80 ESPN Baseball Tonight 112 ESPN International Track & Field 80 Нета! Arcadia 106 Eternal Darkness 108 Evergrace 124 Fear Effect: Retro Helix 112 НРА Major League Soccer 102 Fighter Destiny 2 148 Fur Fighters 112 Fusion GT 110 Gradius M & IV 121 Grinch, The 151 Grudge Warriors 128 Harvest Moon GBC 2 104 Hercules 104 Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine 132 Inspector Gadget 152 Jeremy McGrath Supercross 2000 121 Jungle Book Rhythm N'Groove 110 Kengo 112 Knockout Kings 2001 Koudelka 149 Legend of Dragoon 149 Legend of Mana 130 Legend of the River King 2 98-99 Legend of Zelda. Majora's Mask 126 Legend of Zelda: Mystical Seed of Power 110 Legion: Legend of Excalibur 145 MagForce Racing 145 Marvel vs Capcom 2 104 Mickey's Speedway USA 123 MLS Game Night 132 Mowgli's Adventure 118 Ms. Pac-Man Maze Madness 94 Mummy, The 132 New Batman Adventures, The 82 NBA2Ki NCAA Football 2001 78 НА 2K1 106 NFL Quarterback Club 2001 149 NGen Racing 112 Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee 104 Ogre Ваше 64 102 Paper Mario 114 Parasite Eve И 116 Persona 2: Eternal Punishment 94 POD Il 130 Qix Adventure 78 Quake Ш Arena 146 Rainbow Six 106 Rally Challenge 2000 150 Rayman 2 97 Rent A Hero No. 1 130 Return of the Ninja Rhapsody 150 RPG Maker 96 Sakura Taisen 72 Samba de Amigo Seaman 86 Silent Scope 81 Silver 120 Simpsons Wrestling, The 146 Space Channel 5 122 Spyro: Year of the Dragon 106 Starcraft 64 116 Star Trek: Invasion 119 Star Wars Demolition 111 Star Wars: Starfighter 82 Star Wars: Super Bombad Racing 90 Stunt GP 146 Super Magnetic Neo 9] Super Runahout Surf Riders 96 Sydney 2000 August 2000 Issue 133 To be Kaintinued Soul Reaver ended in a sloppy cliffhanger, and gamers everywhere cried conspiracy. Did Crystal Dynamics and Eidos break the original in half just so they could rush it to market and make easy money with a pseudo part two? Or will Soul Reaver 2 be a fully realized game that blows the original away? We answer all your questions inside. pg 134 Metal Gear Solid 2 Everyone is saying it may very well be the best game we'll see for years, and we won't argue. Check out tons of new screens and a huge interview with creator Hideo Kojima. pg 26 90 System Shock 2 86,130 Test Drive Le Mans. 86 Test Drive V-Rally 151 Threads of Fate Timesplitters 130 TOCA Touring Car Championship 152 Tomb Raider 124 Torneco: The Last Hope 74 Ultimate Fighting Championship 110 Unreal Tournament 124 Valkyrie Profile 90 Vanishing Point 148 Virtual On: Oratorio Tangram Races Wacky 2 Wario Land 3 151 Who Wants to Be a Millionaire 120 World's Scariest Police Chases 78 World Series Baseball 2K1 74 WWF Royal Rumble 14 Tomb Raider (GBC) We review little Lara. pg 152 Space Channel 5 review pg 146 @ Editorial 12 @ Ə $ Letters 19 News 26 Interviews with Hideo Kojima, Shigeru Miyamoto, new MGS2 screens and tons of news from E3. Gossip 90 Rumors about Sega getting out of the hardware business, and info on Lara's upcoming adventure. Ож- p E Nm § © @ The Final Word Samba de Amigo and Seaman for DG; Parasite Eve Il and Fear Effect: Retro Helix for PS; Star Wars: Starfighter and FIFA MLS for PS2; Banjo-Tooie for N64 and tons more. Review Crew 144 This month we review Marvel vs Capcom 2 for DC; Legend of Mana and Who Wants to be a Millionaire on PS; and Wario Land 3 on GBC. Tricks 194 Be sure to check out our all-new monthly Perfect Dark Insider section in Tricks this month. EGM staffers have an informal discussion about the winners and losers at this year's E3. B© Dreamcast Шй Nintendo 64 m =r= PlayStation2 BE Playstation m Game Boy Color БЕ [Ш e-[[oNeosGeo Pocket Color m Arcade | The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask We give you an in-depth look at Link's newest quest. pg 98 ROBDYRDEK (ED GRIND. BLABAC PHOTO, THE SHOES CAN HANDLE IT. CAN YOU? ‘SHOE FEATURED: ROB'S NEW SIGNATURE Move TE ENDEAVOUR AVAILABLE AT YOUR FOR STICKERS, POSTERS AND INFO SEND $2.00 (U.S. CURRENCY ONLY) TO E LOCAL SKATEBOARD DC STICKERS, 770 SYCAMORE AVENUE #471, VISTA, CA 92083. OFFER VALID IN USA ONLY. Е TO FIN e886" TEAM INFORMATION AND SHOES, VISIT OUA WEB SITE AT REALEN INFO 800*886*8225 | DCSHOECOUSA.COM .com thetruth Help make the world a better place. Rip out the next cigarette ad you see. But hurry, every 8 seconds someone in the world dies from tobacco. Of course, only rip out ads from magazines you've purchased yourself. Thank you. ^ f j имам hol ror t l INFOGRAMES, ntertainment Inc Sega@ Dreamcast. ce YU Infogrames is a trademark of Infogrames Entertainment S.A. © 2000 Kadokawa Shoten Publishing Co. LTD./ Asmik Ace Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Published under license by Infogrames Entertainment S.A. Sega, Dreamcast and the Dreamcast logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Sega Enterprises, LTD. а ka арысы a а ЫЫ н E АН cue tomo qt these indici qai sr ams Sio sk "ES, Congratulations. You win an InterAct controller. You will be receiving a Barracuda (PS), an Alloy Arcade Stick (DC) or a SharkPad Pro 64° (N64). See page 163 for official rules. " - 31-39 Glue-Sniffing Slack-Jawed Mouth-Breathers What’s up with the slack-jawed mouth-breathers who are eagerly anticipating the demise of the (insert the name of any major console system currently on the market or expected to be released in the near future)?! | can’t stand seeing letters and e-mails that seem to have only one purpose: to bash one system and promote another. | can respect another gamer's opinion, but it seems that these correspondences always come down to a brief, juvenile rant of what amounts to name calling. My God, people, if you have a beef, at least try to legitimize it with more than middle- *# of readers who put their game systems in dresses: 1 *Best $20 word: antithetical *Canadian readers scared to go to work on Oct. 26: *Near-death experience letters: 1 sure as hell don't want Sony to be the only game in town (pun very much intended, thank you). I’m happy with the initial success of the Dreamcast (my first Sega purchase ever) and see a healthy future for the DC. To actually wish for the DC to fail is antithetical to a healthy gaming market. I’m ukewarm about the impending arrival of Nintendo's Dolphin, but | want to at east give it a chance. Maybe Nintendo will surprise me with a more eclectic range of titles. I would caution anyone against buying a system on impulse; rather, if a particular system’s merits appeal to you or a console seems especially adept at presenting a favorite genre, by all means, purchase it. Now, just because you bought said system, that doesn’t mean everything else on the market is garbage. Hopefully, you got “...емегу system deserves a chance. it’s the games which will make or break a console, not the name on the box.” school bravado (e.g., “Sega sucks! Sony rules! Me go potty now! Oops, me no make it...uh, Sega sucks!"). | cannot understand system bias. Гомп a Sony PlayStation, an N64 and a Dreamcast, and | enjoy all three systems. | think any serious gamer should be excited to be alive right now. | don’t plan on purchasing a PlayStation2 when it is initially released in the States, but | most likely will eventually own one. The X-Box has me curious, but | need to know much more about both the system and possible developers before ever entertaining the thought of buying it. What has me so ecstatic is all the choices | have. Why the hell would anyone want a system to fail just for spite? | enjoy my PlayStation, but | Word is bond, G, word is bond. what you wanted and will be satisfied with that, and the beauty of today is that even if you aren't happy, you can always take a chance on another console. This goes out to all of you glue- sniffing punks who can't see beyond your own little world: Every system deserves a chance. It's the games which will make or break a console, not the name on the box. If you want to limit yourself to one party's offerings, by all means, feel free to do so, but don't wish your one- dimensional world upon me. And for the love of God, EGM, quit letting the idiots get into print! You're a better magazine than that. Lee Bensenhaver Petersburg, WV 19 XXOO000000000€ CHECK OUT THE TRUTH TOUR. BRING YOUR RIPPED OUT ADS. GET FREE TRUTH GEAR. iion Promotion starts on 6/26/00 and ends on 8/6/00. For complete terms and conditions and other ways to participate, visit www.thetruth.com. Offer limited to residents of the states listed above. Void where prohibited. While supplies last. LETTERS Barrel Of Drunken Monkeys Snicker, chuckle, do what you like... playing video games may have saved my life last night. | was on my way to work, going toward Cedar Point when this jackass from out of the blue decided to change lanes....RIGHT INTO ME. Well, | certainly wasn’t going to stand for that, so | swerved up onto the curb, put two wheels in the grass, and heard something squeal. Then after barely dodging a “No Parking” sign, | landed the ol’ family truckster back on the road with nary a fret in sight. | didn’t even get nervous. THAT was what scared me. Have all these hours of Gran Turismo, Rage Racer, Need For Speed and Driver helped me hone my driving skills through practicing escape from reckless abandon on a mere simulation generated of 360,000 polygons or less (probably less)? For once, video games saved a life, though the rest of the world would lead us to believe they merely inspire the taking of life. Tourists suck. So life’s just a barrel of drunken monkeys right now, like water under a duck’s bridge, or something like that. Mark Buckingham Ш ‘Five Games You Couldn't Do Without EGM C ziffdauis.com Send us your thoughts, your wishes, your innermost weirdness... your pictures, crazy screenshots or photos of hizarre game-related moments, and you might win something, or see your name in print! This is just the kind of positive publicity we gamers need. Sure, the whole violence/M rating thing grabs all the headlines lately, but where can the legions of people who owe their very lives to gaming be heard? Huh? Right here, brother. And you’re not alone. Why, our very own Greg Sewart might be pushing up daisies right now after nearly being mowed down by a rogue jetski. If he hadn’t learned how to swim backward standing on his tail from ECCO...we can’t even think about what may have happened. Insane In The Game The life of a video gamer is not an easy one. It is an art form which is very beautiful and not possible for most people. Friends, family and other loved ones must always come second. To be the best you can be, you cannot love anything above your precious video game collection. Second, your devotion to games must be absolutely sickening to outsiders. Food, drink and sleep are important to your health, but games are first. After you have finished playing the appropriate time (the appropriate time being a proper 24- to 36-hour gaming spree), you may then indulge yourself gare If you were stuck on a desert island and could only have five games with you, which would they be? E-mail us your lists at EGM@ziffdavis.com. Mark the subject line Desert Island Games. FF VIII Legend of Legia The Legend of Zelda | Legend of Legaia Metal Gear Solid EarthBound | Lunar: SSSC EarthBound Zero Final Fantasy IV | Lunar: Eternal Blue Chrono Trigger Final Fantasy VII Final Fantasy IX Lunar: SSSC Final Fantasy VIII aaron skippyGhotmail.com calisscrimsoneagles grotch donghammer Ghotmail.com hotmail.com Final Fantasy VII Perfect Dark Final Fantasy IX Zelda 64 — Super C Final Fantasy VIII | Super Metroid Tetris (GB) Grand Turismo 2000 | Phantasy Star 2 Super Mario Dragon Quest | Half-Life (РС) Legend of Zelda Metal Gear Solid 2 | existor@hotmail.com LINK7182Gaol.com Deceptekon@aol.com | 20 ...1 swerved up onto the curb, put two wheels in the grass, and heard something squeal. Then | landed the ol’ family truckster back on the road with nary a fret. | didn’t even get nervous. THAT's what scared me...." ^... Jour devotion to games must he absolutely sickening to outsiders. Food, drink and sleep are important to your health, but games are first.” Are you glad Final Fantasy IX is returning to the series’ fantasy roots, or do you like the futuristic stuff? YYYYYEEEEESSSSS! IT’S ABOUT TIME. zz petroGhotmail.com | love the new designs but | have hope for IX because of the new skill system. the malevolent milk manGyahoo.com NO! The one great thing about the Final Fantasy series is that you got to watch a world grow and develop. This has now been, in my opinion, a change for the worst. BuddhaBelly39424@aol.com Final Fantasy as a series was built on the fantasy premise. The sci-fi games were, at least to me, boring. They need to be fantasy because the sci-fi games weren't much fun. Zaldymir@aol.com SWEET!! Final Fantasy IX will be the greatest game of the series yet. Fantasy, in my opinion, has been one of the greatest aspects of the series and | am glad to see it being continued. | have waited for this moment since FFV. Job classes rule baby! Long live the mighty Square Empire. RShirkGconcentric.net 0000000H YEEEEEEEAH! Up with Cid!!! kvwesten@uswest.net I'm glad that FFIX is returning to its roots. The futuristic stuff gets old after a while. captainfrizo@hotmail.com Wooo Hooo!!!! Yeah baby yeah!!! Final Fantasy is returning to the fantasy roots. Oh wait!!! | don't even like Final a пісе day. KaNeCrEeD311@aol.com The futuristic stuff is great, but as long as the story is good, nothing can beat an original. FF forever!!! Next Month’s Question of the Moment: Are you looking forward to more Pokémon games? Send your short but sweet responses to: EGM@ziffdavis.com with the subject heading: More Poké? | | Í | 000 Kellogg Comp LETTERS in a healthy five- to 10-minute break to enjoy things such as: food, drink, sleep and the company of other human beings, then it is back to the video games. Finally, you cannot, absolutely cannot be sane. When | pass the proper amount of time for a break (that being 10 minutes of course), | like to make it up to my games by apologizing to them. l'Il put on a nice tuxedo, put my PlayStation and Dreamcast in pretty dresses, and take them out for dinner and a movie. That helps them forgive me. Matt Ternus This level of devotion in an amateur is refreshing, not too sure about the dresses thing though... However, we here at EGM don't even go home. Our significant others can come “visit” us in the lobby if they like, with Dean standing watch of course. Oh yeah, we all wear Depends?" undergarments as well. This provides roughly two extra hours of gaming each month. Hi, as a long-time reader of EGM and part of the dying breed of the hardcore gamer, | have noticed an awe-inspiring event. | currently work for Electronics Boutique in Ontario, Canada (insert stereotype here) and recently received an e-mail direct from Sony Computer Entertainment of America. We are to stop pre-booking PlayStation2 units! The pre-bookings have exceeded available units to be distributed in Canada. | have checked with independent game stores, and they’re all sold out as well. | don’t mean to bash Sega, but | think Sony has already conquered the market. | have never seen anything like this before. My store alone has approximately 300 pre- booked units at $300 a pop. A lot of people said that what happened in Japan for the PS2 launch would NEVER happen here, but after about 1 million units sold out in less than a week | am getting scared. | don’t want to work for SOMEONE PleASe maxd2486@cs.com ‘Well people, he asked for it... Why doesn't this EGM come in A plastic cover like in the News stands ? Also in that cover there are more gaming info ? oldnavy143@ yahoo.com Well, Tarzan, you no get plastic bag cause you use bag for make mask toy. ^... don't mean to hash Sega, hut | think Sony has already conquered the market. | have never seen anything like this before.” 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 You can write ЕСМ al: EGM Letters P.0. Box 3338 Oak Brook, IL 60522-3338 e-mail: EGM@ziffdavis.com EB on Oct. 26 'cause frankly | don't think I'll make it out alive. So | have two final things to say: 1) Congratulations to Sony and 2) Get ready for the greatest event in North American gaming history. Josh Gamble It is scary Josh, and all we can say is be careful up there, eh? Gaming: It's Not Just For Grrris | don’t know if you guys still remember, but way back in EGM #113 (aka December 1998), released about a couple of months after your "Women in Gaming" feature, you snuck in a short half-page column written by GRRLGamer's "head grrl." | rather appreciated that EGM lent an ear to the women gamers out there, and along with that, all their complaints (“1 can't talk to guys about video games seriously because it's seen as a butch thing to do"; “Please design games women will like"; etc.). 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). | saw the column as a nice addition to your magazine. Haven’t you considered making it a regular thing, taking the opinions of women gamers (not necessarily just the people from GRRLGamer)? | know you guys have admitted there isn’t much of a female influence in your offices, but | just thought this was a nice suggestion. Who knows, it might just spark a positive response from developers— more good games maybe? sakurai@edsamail.com.ph We here at EGM welcome the ladies’ opinions. It’s just there aren’t many girl gamers out there we know of. Maybe because they’re afraid to “come out.” So here it is: We are officially putting out a call for all girls who a) can write clearly and effectively and b) are hardcore gamers to contact us; we'd like to hear from you. Send us an e-mail with the subject heading “girl gamers” include writing samples and a brief rundown of your gaming/ journalism experience. Who knows, you may get published. Matt Berkheimer Glens Falls, Ny those intense moments. The ASCII Control Pad Put your creative skills to the test by decking out a #10 envelope (the long unique touch. Send your letter art to: EGM Letter Art PO Box 3338 Oak Brook, IL 60522-3338 (All entries become the Davis Media Inc. and will business type) with your own property of Ziff | not be returned!) 22 no controller |^ ` Bad luck to these guys...better luck next time. Feel free to e-mail us artwork as well. More of our messages are e-mails these days- Close, but Arturo Velazquez Houston, TX so don't miss out! Giovanni Leboffe Fairfax, VA GET READY TO CRUMBLE. ONG р Wn Z= — — $ 22 "E iE. wt Р 2 By Chris Johnston chris_johnston@zd.com Press Start The Hottest Gaming News on the Planet Putting Solid Snake Through His Paces Without a doubt, the biggest news out of the recent Electronic Entertainment Expo was the premier of Konami’s Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty for PlayStation2. Check out the screenshots and you can see why. And yes, all the screenshots you see here are running in real time PlayStation2 hardware —director Hideo Kojima was recently shown on Japanese TV demonstrating the game, and it looked just as nice as what you see here. MGS2 is still a year off as the team polishes and pieces together the story line, but already it looks more complete than some of the PS2 games we saw at the show planned as launch titles. EGM sat down with Kojima-san to talk about MGS2 and the future of gaming. Here’s what we found out: EGM: You've said Metal Gear Solid 2 is a social critique, dealing with the digitization of the future. Do you think that is kind of ironic, considering you're making the game for the PS2, a platform aiding in this digitization? Hideo Kojima: The game does hit on points like this—like the digitization of society and digital money. At the same time, the gameplay—the experience—is a message to the player himself or herself that they are a part of that digital society, playing in this virtual world that is made capable on the PlayStation2. EGM: Did you use Legos to design the levels like you did with the 26 In the true spirit of Hollywood, Konami held an event for the gaming press to get a sneak peek of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty a day before everyone else. They held the event at Universal Studios in a private theater. Afterward, rabid gaming journalists pelted Kojima-san with questions. Like, “Can we see that again?” first MGS? HK: We actually tried that again at first, but we realized that the levels were too complicated—too three dimensional—to plan out with Legos. So we used computers instead. EGM: The original MGS used every aspect of the PlayStation controller. Will MGS2 make use of the PS2 controller’s new analog button feature? HK: Yes. Depending on how hard you push the buttons can affect the speed of some actions. Like when you draw your gun—depending on how hard you push the button changes how fast you pull it out and aim. Or when you push a button to crawl, pushing it harder will make you crawl faster, but if you crawl too fast you might make noise and alert the guards. There are also other things, but | can’t talk about them right now. “Violence doesn't have to he the only answer in a game." EGM: In the demo, it looked like Snake was chewing bubblegum? HK: (laughs) That's amazing you noticed that! Yes, at some parts in the game he can't smoke, so he chews gum to help the cravings. EGM: We also noticed Snake sneezing in the demo, was that just a joke or is that part of the actual gameplay? HK: That's actually in the game. It's like in the original MGS, Snake can catch a cold from being out in the cold rain too long. Also, you noticed the kitchen in the demo? If he is next to a bag of flour and it's shot and explodes, it can get all over him and also cause him to sneeze. EGM: How does the first-person mode work? HK: The first-person mode is only for looking around and shooting, and it's activated by hitting a button. You can't move around while using the first-person perspective, though, as it's only for aiming and looking. EGM: Will there be significant improvements to the enemy Al for MGS2? HK: Oh yes, definitely. The Al will be very different in Metal Gear Solid 2. This time you won't be just fighting individual guards, but instead you'll be against many teams of guards. They'll attack in their own ways, but all work as a team against you. The battle system is much more complex for the sequel. EGM: You've mentioned that it's possible to make it through the entire game without actually killing anyone. Is that a response to the recent uproar on the issue of video game violence? HK: A lot of what you've seen so far in the Metal Gear Solid 2 video trailer has been Solid Snake and the soldiers shooting at each other. But that's not the main focus of the game. As you know, Metal Gear is all about stealth, and you have to try to move around while avoiding fighting and avoiding being spotted. That is why we included the tranquilizer—to tell people that you do not have to kill enemies to play the game. And at the same time, | guess it's my way of interpreting the current situation with the violence in the games industry and is a message toward players. Violence doesn't have to be the only answer in a game. ЕСМ: Will MGS2 have extra VR Training missions, so that there doesn't have to be separate “VR Missions" game after it's released? HK: If we did that, it would add a significant amount of time to the development of the game. We have to be able to release the game 21 continued... 2 someday [someday right now is projected for fall 2001]. HK: You'll probably end up in the streets, yeah. It takes place in that area, so we'll see (smiles). HK: We don't try to determine the nationality for Solid Snake, because it's the nationality of the player. You are Solid Snake. Every player is Solid Snake. But with that said, he does look half Anglo-Saxon and half-Asian. HK: Obviously there were a lot of ideas that kept popping up while we were working on Metal Gear Solid 1, but the actual development and planning didn't start until after the original Japanese MGS was released. And while we were working on the conversion for U.S. and Europe and during the development of the VR missions, we started working on the planning of Metal Gear Solid 2. HK: Yes, definitely. Not only are we now able to improve graphics, but we can do things such as enemies spotting shadows. That element of light and shadows was something we couldn't do before. HK: Taxi Driver and 2001. HK: We're definitely going for a real orchestral Hans Zimmer-style soundtrack, and we'll be using lots of digital samples for the music. When you come across situations in the game, the music will change to reflect them. However, unlike in the first game we won't be switching from one track to another. Instead, the game will make changes to the existing track, so it will seem as though an orchestra is sitting there making the changes as you go along. Winner: Metal Gear Solid 2, PS2 (Konami) Runner-up: Munch's Oddysee, PS2 (Infogrames) This was an easy win for Metal Gear Solid 2. After seeing it, we decided to separate this category into playable and non-playable, | since it didn't seem fair to put anything else up against Snake ‘n’ company. Munch's was the only other game that came close. HK: 35. The original MGS team was like 30 people. All of the people from the previous team are on the sequel, though. HK: Working for Konami is actually my first job. | started as a game planner and then moved up to director for Metal Gear. Before that | was a student, and | spent a lot of time making 8 millimeter movies and wrote a lot of stories. But | did that stuff as a hobby, not for money. HK: | do really like them very much, but they are becoming harder and harder and | can't play them as much. My personal favorite, though, is Guitar Freaks. HK: Well, what I really like about the game is that it's fun to play. It's too bad that all | can show you so far is the video, but | can tell you that when you actually get a controller in hand and play it, | even tell myself that | don't even need a story for the game. It's just really fun to play. я And there’s not a bear or a bull in sight. Introducing TradeDemon.com, the internets premiere trading community, where you can trade your “haves” for your “wants”. There are no more worries about not finding a one-to-one trade. TradeDemon’s technology allows you to find trades among an unlimited number of individuals, so if someone has what you want, we can get И in your hands. So now you can turn "Ice Cube” into “Crystal Waters”, “Everything But the Girl” into “Barenaked Ladies” and PlayStation’s” “Rat Attack” into “Urban Chaos”. So check out the trading floor on TradeDemon and start trading today. E3 2000: Come Out And Play Phew! The insanity that was the 2000 Electronic Entertainment Expo is over! Also known as E3, the show is host to all the new games and hardware that will be introduced over the next year in the U.S. This year's show marked the first time Sony showed off the U.S. PS2 hardware, and as such was given major attention by major media outlets, not just the humble gaming press like EGM. Sega and Nintendo knew they had strong competition, and came out swinging with plenty 30 Ñ of potential blockbusters, including new games starring Sonic, Mario and all those cuddly Pokémon. Microsoft also proved they were serious about getting into the console market— their X-Box demo blew us away, and was on the lips of many a developer and PR flunkies. The rest of Press Start this month is dedicated to the sights, sounds and news of the show. Check the top of each page for our picks on the winners (and maybe a few losers) of the show. Until next year! AS exea | > eo MING SEPTEMBER CUM ^ THE SURVIVAL OF HUMANS 3 ii ме — E = Tj OK. aim SRE BIRTHSOE WARS TT $ Turok 3 © : Shadow Of Oblivion™ and Acolalfn @ & © 2000 Аса Visit wwwesrb.org š Entertainm, inc. Al Rights Reserved, rok: & @ 2000, GBPG, Ine or call 1-900-771-3772 LAIT Rights Reserved. Nintendo, Nintendo 64 and the "N logo are trade- sorore info №. = a Moto of Aene ne © 1890 Milena of Aer е —— чыи ee ы 9 7 een: intendo. The ratings icon is a registered trademark of the TUE оле Digtal Sonar Assocation www.turok.com BEGINS WITH ONE NAME > generations; the title of Turok has been. given to only the bravest, ows life of wan hardship and loss, Now, a Sew generation of warriors, Joseph and Danielle {ЕЕЕ ЕЕ ПО CONTIG te legacy of Turok. And [HEY ISL face msavage cosmic entity of unspeakable yi), calle ЦОП THEY тоте Гог honor THEY o this for Humanity. Most ior all HEY MO tins hecause they are heroes. DO n JOIN THE LEGACY. qe 3 FE FM D HN = EX з ^ =з ` Fight as either Danielle or Joseph “Save Battle through 20 fiienacing levels Wield 24 devastating weapons Fireseed, each with unique 1 - .. spanning 5 living environments! through 8 intense character skills! 2 276 multi-player modes! Featured Skaters-findy Macdonald Danny Way Colin Mckay Rick Howard Brian Howard Rob Dyrdek Josh Halis 4 Sports: Skateboarding - Game and Software © 2000 Darkblack Corporation. Game and Software exclusively licensed and published by ТВО Inc. "MTV Sports" names, trademarks, and logos and all related titles and logos are trademarks of MTV Networks, a division of Viacom International Inc. "MTV: Music Television" and all related titles and logos are trademarks of MTV Networks, a division of Viacom _ International Inc. MTV Sports exclusively licensed to THQ Inc. Skateboarding Featuring Andy Macdonald, THQ and the THO logo are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of THQ Inc. . All other trademarks and logos are property of their respective owners. All rights 3 reserved. Deftones Cypress Hill Pennywise System of a Down opm Snapcase Goldfinger Pilfers No Use for a Name Flashpoint WINDOWS æ 95/38 m 914447 www.thgq.com You’re looking at the only two bits of information Nintendo released on Game Boy Advance or , Dolphin at E3. No Dolphin or Game Boy Advance until next year! #2001 Launch Nintendo Shifts Gears on Adult Games, Prepares Dolphin Launch — If there was one thing unclear about E3 before the show began, it was how Nintendo was going to fare against the likes of Sega and Sony. Nintendo built its console market presence on strong, family-oriented entertain- ment. But recently, games like Perfect Dark and Conker's Bad Fur Day seem to be changing all that. What's changed at Nintendo? What can we expect from Game Boy Advance and Dolphin? We sat down with George Harrison, Nintendo's Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Communications, to find out. EGM: Ten years ago, Nintendo was anti- violence, anti-adult themes. Now, that has totally changed. What happened? GH: Well | think our company has been firmly grounded in our character-based games— they've made us very, very successful. The demographics have expanded in the last few years, and that's a competitive tool that Sega used to get a leg up on us back in the 16-Bit games and Sony's always been pretty successful with. We decided that we cannot afford to compete in only half the market—half the market is under 18 and half is over. Our business right now is 6096 under 18 and 4096 over. We had a long gap between GoldenEye and our next product for older teens and young adults. We felt that we had to get more games in that area. The investment we made in Silicon Knights is for the same reason—to find developers who make products for young adults that will have those products under way and ready for Dolphin when it launches. Nintendo of America's Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Communications, EGM: What's the marketing plan going to be like for Conker? Conker's Pocket Tales was mainly aimed at kids whereas Bad Fur Day is aimed at adults... GH: We'll have to be careful. In the case of Perfect Dark, which is also a mature-rated game, it's more clear what that is. We're going to work real hard to make sure there's no confusion. The last thing we want is for someone to come in during the holidays who's not familiar with video games looking for a gift for somebody else and make a mistake. So we're going to be very clear— certainly the marketing outreach that we do will be heavily targeted toward people 18 and up, like we did with Perfect Dark. GH: | think our plan right now is to launch it probably in the late first half of next year, and try to schedule Game Boy Advance late in the first quarter of next year so we can get it out before Easter. So we'd Dolphin out by the end of school or the beginning of summer vacation. | don't know that being a couple months in advance of Microsoft will dramatically make much of a difference. It certainly didn't help with Sega Saturn when they launched. In the end, the most important thing is to have killer applications that make people say, ‘Wow, I’ve never seen that before, | need to buy a new hardware system.’ The change from 2D side- scrollers for 16-Bit games to the 3D worlds of Mario 64 was that kind of impact. So we've got "We had a long gap between GoldenEye and our next product for older teens and young adults. We felt that we had to get more games in that area." EGM: Do you think there will be a price drop for the N64 in the near future, or is $99 the magical number? GH: We're not planning a price drop. We typically follow a competitor when they make a price drop. We don't think there's really a need for one when the announced price point for PlayStation2 is $299— we think that's a nice high umbrella, and there would not be that much to gain. EGM: Is it your intention to release Dolphin before Microsoft's X-Box? George Harrison. No, he was not the guitarist for the Beatles. But thanks for asking. to do our part to make sure that really exists. One of the things that sort of surprised us is we don't necessarily see that in the PlayStation2 lineup. EGM: How important do you think the Pokémon franchise is going to be on Game Boy Advance and Dolphin? GH: Hard to say yet, but | assume that we have to do something there. It's certainly going to be a huge Pokémon year here in 2000. But what I really don't have a view of yet is what's beyond Gold and Silver. When we started this whole thing back in '98, we had a pretty good view. We knew what was coming —we knew Red, Blue and Yellow were there, that there was a series of movies, we knew that Gold and Silver were in the works. But we haven't heard much about what's after Gold and Silver. But | think when we talk about things like connectivity for Game Boy Advance and for Dolphin, certainly the Pokémon idea fits right into that. Whether it's a transfer pak, or wireless or network- based exchange of data. | wouldn't be surprised if there's something Pokémon early on for Dolphin. EGM: Last year when Dolphin was first announced, it was said that it would use DVD, but not play DVD movies. That was before Sony announced that PS2 would play movies. Has that position changed at all? GH: It really hasn't. It comes down to our desire to keep this as close to a mass-market price as possible. We haven't announced a price, but we'd rather be closer to $200 than $299. Adding that extra functionality can drive the price up. We left the door open by saying that part of our agreement with Matsushita is that they could in fact sell a multi-functional “IN SPACE, МО ONE CAN HEAR ` E SCREAM FOR YOUR MOMMY. ` Ў WAVE jûn wave of pitiless alien attack craft stand between h JOU ai an Earth worth living on. This is the all-new GALAGA. There 1s no diplomacy. No alliances. No sissy strategy. Just a warp-speed plunge into the teeth of a relentless alien armada. It's simple...destroy all spaceships...or run screaming into the cold vacuum of outer space. Consider yourself warne: ari, ALN VEW WOR Animated ==> one iolence Playstation [Ш Interactive ©2000 Hasbro Interactive, INA Rights Reserved, PlayStation and the PlayStation logos are registered trademarks of Sor. geffíputer Entertainment Inc. I will not mate outside my species. I will not mate outside my species. І will not mate outside my species. I will not mate outside my species. my species. I will not mate outside x ecies. Tough as it is, you must resist. Otherwise, you could end up with something like Seaman on your hands. Oh sure, treat him nicely and he’s your buddy. Slack off, though, and he becomes just another verbally abusive mutant. Remember that the next time you feel the urge to fiddle with Mother Nature. wov'ueweas}aaw SEAMAN ON LOVE: “Don't make me vomit!’ SEAMAN ON THE "F' WORD: “I'm too polite to use that word, sol'Il just say, ‘Bite me, you baboon-faced ass-scratcher.” SEAMAN ON HIS ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: "| need a middle finger to show уои" SE... IT'S THINKING . | Winner: Sega | Runner-up: Nintendo T Space Channel 5 dancers, Samba de Amigo and network games like Quake 111 Arena made Sega's booth the biggest free-time trap. TALKING WITH MIYAMOTO We had an opportunity to ask well- known Nintendo game designer Shigeru Miyamoto a few burning questions about upcoming games. Last month we reported that Mother 3 (known as Earthbound 64) was rumored to have been cancelled. Miyamoto confirmed that the game is still being made (hurray!). There were also rumors that the three new Zelda Game Boy Color games (known in the U.S. as the Triforce of Power series) have been made into two, not three, games. "Yes, that's true, it is now two games. Originally there were three titles, but it was one series story-wise,” he told us. “We decided to adapt a so-called link system so that the three titles are linked together. But we wouldn't be able to tell who'd start the game at what point: one-two-three, or two-three-one, or two-one-three or whatever. So as we incorporated this possibility, the scenarios started getting bigger and bigger and in the end two titles made more sense to us in terms of the story. We have just put the story of three games into two games." Now you know. POKÉPRESS CONFERENCE One day prior to E3, Nintendo hosted a Pokémon Press Conference for kids from L.A.-area school Calvert Elementary. The kids got a chance to ask Pokémon's creators a few questions, but the real highlight was the unveiling of new Gold and Silver Pokémon: Ho-Oh, Lugia, Chikorita, Cyndaquil and Totodile. w George Harrison Interview, Continued... player at a higher price point under the Panasonic brand. There’s a possibility, and | don’t know what their plans are. But they would roll it out as being also a movie player. EGM: Sony said they are no longer going to be considered a gamer maker, but they’re going to change entertainment. How does that jive with Nintendo’s thinking? GH: Sounds like something Trip Hawkins would say—the ghost of Christmas past. He was talking about his 3D0 machine and how it was going to do Photo CDs and all sorts of things. | think our philosophy is to try to figure out what consumers want and not build on extra features and benefits that they might not necessarily really want or would be willing to pay for. It’s the same reason you don’t start out by including keyboards and other kinds of things like that, and we'll have to try to go from there. EGM: When Nintendo started with the N64, you didn’t have a big second-party roster. It was basically just Rare. Now you’ve collected Silicon Knights, Left Field, Retro...what’s the impetus behind that? GH: Particularly with a third player coming in in the next generation, Microsoft, to go to the third parties and try to say, ‘I want your game exclusively for six months,’ is going to be increasingly difficult. Microsoft in particular is going to have to go out and spend a lot of Illustration by Mike Reisel Nintendo Star Сире? = Before Nintendo 64 was released, it had two other names: Project Reality and Ultra 64. Dreamcast was Katana and Black Belt before Sega landed on its final title. No one expects Nintendo's new system to be called Dolphin when it reaches store shelves. Days before E3, evidence surfaced that Nintendo had registered trademarks for a video game system called “Star Cube.” Nintendo deftly avoided being pinned down on the name. We're not likely to hear what the name of the new system is until it makes its debut in Japan at Spaceworld in late August. money to get some exclusive games on their system. So for us, the impetus really is to try to not only corral some of the best development talent, but to make sure we have enough exclusive software available that we can say, ‘This is the reason to buy Dolphin as opposed to another system.' That doesn't mean we aren't going to court the third parties real hard, it just means that we're fairly realistic that we're potentially not going to get exclusive games from EA or other people. We just think the bidding wars may be too high. But we also try to tie up the people we think are really good. EGM: The market will be hard-pressed to support four platforms. Which do you think will be the first to drop out? GH: There's probably room for two big players and one small one. | honestly don't think Dreamcast is going to make it much past the holidays. Doesn't mean that they'll go away completely, but I think they'll quickly be relegated to also-ran. And that's driven by developers pulling support. So | think next year is a pretty critical year for the three platforms that are left —Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft— to duke that out. That's why we're so focused on software, because that's really what's going to help us break through. EGM: What kinds of things have you learned, from a marketing aspect, with the N64 that you're not planning on repeating with Dolphin? GH: It certainly starts with the portfolio or library of games. We tried early on in TV spots to say, ‘Hey, we have a big library, and there’ll be 30 games before too long.' | think we've got to start out and create a big portfolio of product and then build it from there. The grassroots certainly helps. We didn't go on the road with Nintendo 64. We did put interactive kiosks into the stores, but word of mouth, grassroots buzz is very important. So | think you may see us, assuming we can get the hardware in advance of the launch, on the road, getting the word out. DON'T LIKE OUR CORPORATE LOGO? — THATS OK. YOU HAVE FIVE TO CHOOSE FROM. At Customatix, nothing is sacred except your freedom to choose. You pick the style. You pick the logo. You pick the colors. Then we send you the shoes. So, stop letting other people tell you what to put on your feet. And express your individuality ten toes at a time. | | | І | l l l l 1 1 I 1 ! 1 I 1 1 1 I 1 I I l 1 1 l І l l 1 1 І } l I І 1 1 1 I I gned by you" fa p pu бн‏ سے DEVELOPER PROFILE Location: Novato, California Web Site: www.bigape.com # of employees: 20 Current project(s): Simpsons Wrestling, PlayStation2 development Games people on the team have worked on previously: Zombies Ate My Neighbors, Metal Warriors, Episode 1: The Phantom Menace, Outlaws, Jedi Power Battles, Lode Runner 2, Toe Jam and Earl, Star Control, SimCity 2000. Favorite Simpsons quote: “| didn’t do it!” Most difficult aspect of putting The Simpsons into a video game: Getting the characters to appear like 2D drawings but actually be 3D models. The idea behind the graphical style of Simpsons Wrestling is: Make it look as much like the show as possible. We are trying to avoid a video game 3D look. It needs to appear like traditional 2D cartoon cel animation. Will there ever be another Zombies Ate My Neighbors game: We'd love to make one if we could find a publisher who wanted to do it. We've had a prototype for a similar style game up and running. There are screenshots of it on our Web Site at bigape.com. If there was one thing we could change about this industry, it would be: One universal home game machine that every- one made games for. But since | can't get that I'll settle for less than five different ones. During breaks from late-night program- ming sessions, we: Play Bomberman. Story behind our name: When we started we shared office space with “Toe Jam and Earl” and “Toys for Bob.” We figured we needed a goofy name or they'd make us leave. One of our friends had a Hawaiian statue of a large ape on his desk, and that's what made us think of “Big Ape." Favorite catchphrase or slogan: “What's for lunch?" Although X-Box is still well over a year away, Microsoft didn't keep quiet about its new console at E3. The company didn't have as big a booth as Sony, Sega or Nintendo, but Microsoft gave showgoers some first glimpses at its future game technology. Microsoft intends to not only set the X-Box ahead of the game graphically, but also audibly. The demo we saw showed the X-Box doing on-the-fly transitions between drastically different types of music (such as rock turning into country and so forth) seamlessly as a Slider was moved across the screen by the touch of a Sidewinder pad. This sort of technology could be used to add "living" soundtracks to a game, where music smoothly changes according to the action on screen. X- Box development kits are going out to most developers during June and they'll have plenty of time to get working on games for the launch of the console in the fall of 2001. We asked what Microsoft's reaction was to Sony's decision to incorporate a bay for a hard drive. Kevin Bachus, Microsoft's X-Box third- party guru told us, “All that does is validate our decision." As for what the final version of the X-Box will look like, Bachus couldn't reveal anything yet. However, he used the following terms when describing it: very precise, clean and high- fidelity. We were informed that the metallic- Silver casing accented by a green translucent bubble we saw at E3 (below) was merely a mock-up to give the current chipset a presentable look, but should give us a hint at what the finished X-Box might look like. Bachus also pointed out that the designer of the X-Box, who happened to be mm sitting in the m... same room Winner: Conker’s Bad Fur Day, N64 (Nintendo) | Runners-up: Jet Grind Radio, DC (Sega) and Madden 2001, PS2 (EA) Conker pushes the limits of Nintendo’s content policies and good taste. But besides that, the demo (in a bar at Nintendo’s booth) was a blast to play. Microsoft Shows Off Its X-Factor Raven kicks it into high gear in this screen grab, taken directly off of X-box hardware. with us at the time, spent three years trying to find the exact pair of sunglasses that he’d want to wear. “That’s the kind of guy you want designing your console.” When we asked about some of the rumors circulating about Microsoft buying certain developers, Bachus was quick to point out that many of them were bogus. He went on record to say that Microsoft has “made no offer to buy Square,” contrary to Internet scuttlebutt. Bachus also brought up the point that it would make little financial sense for Microsoft to purchase a large publisher that generates much of its revenue with products on multiple platforms such as PlayStation and Game Boy Color and ask it to focus all of its efforts into one platform, especially considering the X-Box will have a small user base in the beginning. But with that said, he also mentioned that Microsoft has its eye on certain developers. “I’m sure that somewhere along the line we'll pick up a company or two." This is just a prototype, but pictured above is an actual, working X-Box system that Microsoft demonstrated behind closed doors. Of course, the final system won't look like an “X.” 44 a D | d йык " Б me [me L b>- еско.сот mindquarters/media “lab JET GRIND INTERVIEW We sat down with Jet Grind Radio team members Masayoshi Kikuchi (Director), Takayuki Kawagoe (Producer), Osamu Sato (Assistant Producer) and Ryuta Ueda (Art Director) at E3 to ask them a few questions about their upcoming Sega game Jet Grind Radio. EGM: How long has the game been in development? Jet Grind Radio Team: We started planning the game two years ago, though actual development didn’t start until a year ago. EGM: Are the locations in the game based on real places? JGRT: They’re based on real locations in Tokyo, but they’re kind of fake. It’s not completely different, but it is from point-to-point. EGM: What previous games has the team worked on within Sega? JGRT: One artist designed enemies for Panzer Dragoon and the main programmer for Jet Grind Radio was from Sega Rally 2 on Dreamcast. And are you familiar with the DC game Let’s Make A Baseball Team? That was our team. Л Sega’s rollerblading Dreamcast action EGM: How do you game, Jet Grind Radio, in action. think the game will do in the U.S.? JGRT: | think people in the U.S. will accept this game more easily than people in Japan. We thought that Japanese cities were good- looking, but we didn’t develop it only for Japan. We think it’ll do well in the U.S., probably better than in Japan. EGM: Since you mentioned Panzer Dragoon: Will there be another Panzer Dragoon game? JGRT: We have 10 times more passion for Jet Grind Radio than Panzer Dragoon. There are many titles out right now that are similar to Panzer Dragoon, so we'll leave that to those people and try to make new types of games. It's really strange, but there are not many action games in Sega's first-party lineup. Sonic Adventure is the only action title we have. EGM: Are there any secrets in the game? JGRT: Yes, there are. You'll be able to design your own graffiti. EGM: Will Jet Grind Radio become a series of games— will there be a sequel, or will it branch out into other areas? JGRT: We'll think about it after the Japanese and U.S. versions have been released. The inspiration for the next game will come from getting feedback from people who've played the first one. EGM: Did you play any other rollerblading or skateboard games to research this game, and do any of you do that in real life? JGRT: We didn't do any kind of research because our focus was to make an action game. We just happened to use rollerblading to give the player free movement. It's not like other games where you go around performing tricks. A Winner: Ulala, Space Channel 5 (Sega) y š Runner-up: Amigo, Samba de Amigo (Sega) Sega scores a double win in the Best New Character of E3 category. Slack-jawed gawkers gazed at Ulala’s swingin’ shenanigans inside Sega’s booth for hours at a time. в Sega Gets Gamers Online Via Bonuses One of Sega's big announcements at E3 was that consumers who purchase a Dreamcast between June 4 and Aug. 31, 2000 are eligible for a $50 "connectivity bonus." Effectively, that puts the price of a new DC at $149. All you have to do is sign up for one free month of SegaNet service and register your system online. SegaNet is Sega's own Internet Service Provider (ISP), specifically tailored toward gamers who will be playing online-capable Dreamcast titles like Quake III Arena, NFL 2K1, NBA 2K1, Chu Chu Rocket and others. And in case you missed our big The Numhers Game feature a couple months back, don't forget about the other offer Sega has to convince you to get a DC and get online: Sign up for two years of SegaNet at $21.95/month Total Spent after Dreamcast System 199.99 Connectivity Bonus -50.00 and Sega will send you a check for bonus: 149.99 $200. As you can see from the chart at the right, it certainly SegaNet Bonus doesn't give you a free Dreamcast. Check [19900 But, if SegaNet and Dreamcast will be your primary way of getting on Two Years of the Internet (most ISPs run about SegaNet service $20/month anyway), it’s not such a @24.95/month 526.80 bad deal. Just know what you're getting into. TOTAL PAID: $476.79 ‘Soni and hiš ‘Sega of America pals grillup `. \ : Bandicoots prior to Sony's PS2 press conference. 46 PRE-ORDER TODAY AT YOUR FAVORITE GAME RETAILER. THIS SUMMER, WE’LL BRING 400 NEW GAMES TO THE SEGA DREAMCAST. After posting its third annual loss, Sega Enterprises President Shoichirou Irimajiri announced that he would step down, to be replaced by CSK chairman Isao Okawa. “We accepted lrimajiri's request to resign to take responsibility for the losses,” Okawa said. “We aim to revive the company by focusing on growing Internet-related services by using Dreamcast.” The debut of PlayStation2 in Japan weakened Sega’s marketshare somewhat, due to its DVD-playing capability and the timing of its release. When PS2 came out in Japan, the DVD market experienced a huge Interest boom. Additionally, Sega’s 10 R&D teams have separated themselves from Sega directly, and have changed their names from numbers to proper monikers. For instance, Sega’s R&D 9 was responsible for Space Channel 5. They will now be known as United Game Artists. Sonic î Konan’ r Team and AM2 will keep their well-known names. Space Channel 5 Producer Tetsuya Mizuguchi told us, "Having game distribution and production separate is like what happened in the movie industry 20 or 30 years ago. Now we can focus on producing good games." Sega partied hard at E3, demonstrating that they're ready to take on PS2 this year. Dreamcast DVD Makes Quiet Appearance at E3 At the very back of Sega's booth sat a display case with mock-ups of future Dreamcast peripherals. Included in the bunch was the oft-rumored, mysterious Dreamcast DVD drive. Sega would say nothing about the device, but there were no controller ports on the drive, proving that it would most likely be an add-on. No price or release date has been announced for the drive. Hail To The King, Baby! THQ has renamed its Evil Dead game from Ashes 2 Ashes to Evil Dead: Hail to the King. We caught up with game's wise-cracking square-jawed star to find out what we can expect from Ash this Halloween. EGM: So what is your and Sam Raimi's involvement in the design of the game? Bruce Campbell: it's what | know just from working on it for 12 years that these guys might not know—that will be my addition to the game. And then when it comes time to do the script I'll probably get Sam Raimi involved, after these guys have their first whack at it. Because they know what they want; they're writing it based on how the game is designed. These guys have to be allowed to do the game; we can't have our fingers in the pie the whole time. The hardcore Evil Dead fan will not be disappointed. It's just like Evil Dead 4! If you took all the movies and crammed them together, it's just what you'd get. Only it's much more interactive; that's the cool part. In the Evil Dead movies you may have wanted to yell something at the screen about how stupid Ash is. Now you can be Ash; now you get to be just as dumb as him. EGM: What was it like getting back into Ash's character? Was it difficult? BC: It takes about two seconds. He's just the same idiot you know and love. And once we get the script in shape, it becomes easier for me to go through and see which are non-Ash lines and which are. That's not to suggest that he does something completely different; it will be more like just lines of dialogue. Because there's no lip-sync anyway! EGM: Have you heard many comments from fans about the game? BC: The game, unfortunately, only prompts them to say, "When's Evil Dead 4 coming out?" To which | say, “Just buy the game!” It truly will be something that can help satiate that insatiable urge to watch Evil Dead movies all in a row over an entire weekend over and over again. Now they can play the one game, all weekend long. EGM: What’s it like seeing yourself in a 48 | Winner: Every hour at Konami fo | Runner-up: The new 16-year-old DD-cup Lara Croft at | Eidos' booth MGS2 г | | Trying to get past Konami’s booth when the MGS2 | video was playing was nearly impossible. Konami | easily created the biggest buzz. IMPORT BULLETIN DC GameShark Plays imports Mod chips for the Dreamcast just recently began to be available to gamers as a solution for playing import games. But don’t send your DC away to be modded just yet. There’s a new way to play Japanese games on your American Dreamcast. Boot up the recently released DC GameShark CDX ($49 MSRP), select “Start Game,” and start the game without any codes on. Switch the GS disc with your favorite import game and you're all set to go. Plus, games like Samba de Amigo and Sakura Taisen that have Internet connectivity will use your U.S. Internet settings to connect. VERSION 3.3. USE UP/DOI game like this? Seeing a character you actually played in a series of movies instead of, say, Pitfall Harry? BC: Way more amusing. It makes me pay attention to the design of the character. It makes it that much more fun. I’m really looking forward to doing this game. Bruce Campbell: On a PlayStation and Dreamcast near you this Halloween. SOUTHPEAK™ INTERACTIVE " registered: Other brand NINTENDO 64 AND THE “N" LOGO ARE TRADEMARKS OF NINTENDO OF AMERICA INC. © 1996 NINTENDO OF AMERICA INC. © 1999 Imagineer Ca., Ltd. © 1999 OPUS CORR. ©1999 Genki Co., Ltd. Winner: ERC s five Mary Kate“ n Ashley games Runner-up: Simpsons Wrestling, PS (Fox Interactive) OK, when we saw the first Mary Kate ‘n’ Ashley Game Boy title we laughed. But five more? It’s not funny anymore. Sony To Gamers, “It’s the End of Entertainment As We Know It.” We expected Sony’s PS2 presence at E3 to be unstoppable—a Sony version of Sega’s mind-blowing pre-launch Dreamcast showing just one year earlier. Instead, Sony’s presence at E3 was decidedly business as usual. The lack of SCEA first-party titles was due to a majority of those titles being too early to show. Instead of displaying titles that had not been properly tweaked, Sony chose to show only finished or very close to finished games. Will there be PS2 versions of all the 989 Sports titles? Most definitely. As it gets closer to the "PlayStation2...is 70i the future of video game entertainment. PlayStation2 is the future of such, the company has decided to build a hard drive bay into the back of the U.S. machine from the get-go. The U.S. PS2 will also not require the use of the memory card to store its DVD player software. This will be the first time the difference between a Japanese and U.S. system is beyond cosmetic. PlayStation2 is on track for an Oct. 26 launch in the U.S. for a $299.99 suggested retail price (that includes the system, one Dual Shock 2, A/V and power cords. According to Sony, games in every type of genre will be represented at launch, from sports to RPGs. entertainment, period." -xaz nirai, coo, scea holidays, we'll begin to see all of these (and then you'll see them in our Previews section). The message of Sony’s E3 display was also to appeal to the broadest consumer possible — ће consumer who is planning on buying a DVD player this holiday season, the gamer, the person who doesn’t know what the Internet is but is less frightened by using a box with the Sony brand on it than a personal computer. As Nintendo focuses on appealing to older audiences, Sony’s going for the younger crowd with new PS1 titles. Its titles based on Aladdin and The Emperor’s New Groove, in addition to the new Crash and Spyro games, have broadened the company’s attention to this market. Broadband connectivity plays a large role in Sony’s plans for PS2. Partnerships for this online presence will be made in the future. As ™Ken Kutaragi, takes the PS2 out ѓоа, ріп. Sony Announces PS One, PlayStation2 Hard Drive in Japan On July 7 in Japan, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. will introduce PS One (SCPH-100), a smaller version of the standard PlayStation hardware for 15,000 yen (about $140). PS One, which is 1/3 the size of the original PlayStation, will be released in the U.S. and ү Europe this fall. It does z not include a built-in screen—that will be sold separately beginning next spring. A retail price on the color LCD screen has not been determined yet. The PS One will not feature any of the graphic enhancements for PS games the PS2 does. Sony also plans to introduce a cable this winter that will allow users to connect their PS or PS2 hardware to cell phones. No game- specific applications were mentioned within the announcement. Also announced was the PlayStation2 Hard PS опе. چ‎ A EA M 0) А a ) m wo Disk Drive for the Japanese market. Scheduled to be released this winter, it has the built-in ability to connect the system to an ethernet network. It attaches to the PS2 via the PCMCIA port on the back of the machine. Sony plans to use the drive to add content to games, such as new tracks in driving games, new levels, etc., and plans to offer other broadband Internet services. No price has been announced for the hard drive. Your Game Bay Headquarters! A | FIND OUT MORE ABOUT ү HOW TO SHOP = Newest & Hottest Games! Call for a store near you over m Large Selection 570 = Hassle Free Return Policy ]-30902300-3]95 SIORES NATIONWIDE = Pre-purchase/Reserve List Program J electronics m Low Price Guarantee * Shop by phone m Knowledgeable Sales Associates < 1-800-800-0032 boutique’ m PC/Video Game Trade-in Program WHERE THE WORLD SHOPS FOR INTERACTIVE GAMES! Animated Violence © 2000 Square Co., Ltd. All rights reserved. SQUARE SOFT and the SQUARESOFT SOUARE.SOFT- Mild Language logos are registered trademarks of Square Co.. Ltd. Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross are trademarks of Square Co., Ltd. PlayStation and the PlayStation logos are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment inc. The ratings icon www. squaresoft.com is a trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. Published by Square Electronic Arts L.L.C. Winner: DESEE MP3 VMU | Runner-up: Link Cable for PS2 It was just a mock-up, but the MP3 VMU, } complete wi) headphones) looked sweet! Quartermann - Game Gossip & Speculation resh from, Es the Q and his gang of spies EE more gossip tian you could possibly imagine. Some of it was alcohol-fueled, and some we can't even print, but believe me when | tell you that the next six months are going to see some really interesting developments. This month we focus on some of the more immediate issues facing the games industry, but we'll have some really juicy gossip for you as we get closer to PS2 and X-Box launch! Rumor: Sega is licensing out the rights for its top titles to third-party developers for potential development of the games on other consoles. A number of high-profile industry observers hàve commented on the possibility, with some going so far as to specify games in development for PS2 (Crazy Taxi and Seaman among them). Truth: Communications director of Sega of America, Charles Bellfield, gets straight to the point on this one: “Sega has no plans to support any other game console whatsoever, period." Time will tell if this is really the case, or if this is a carefully worded smoke screen. Rumor: Another Sega rumor that keeps making the rounds—that Sega is planning to quit the hardware business altogether and develop software for all platforms. The rumor was fuelled again recently when Shoichiro Irimajiri stepped down as president of Sega Japan and comments were made about Sega's future. Truth: Another Bellfield quote puts this one to rest, “| can categorically deny that Sega will exit the hardware market." Rumor: Gran Turismo 2000 continues to be delayed because of "quality issues." Truth: The real reason for the delay actually seems to have more to do with Kazunori Yamauchi and his team not knowing when to stop. FFX Character Gets Name Change Referred to as Salamander in our Final Fantasy IX feature last month, this character is now known as Amarant. We know we're gonna get letters, Just when you thought Our spies have АИ RINT that GT2000i is S müda more than just GT2 with cool graphics...it will have even more cars (and some of the pre-release cars will be updated like the TVR Tuscan) and there’s the possibility of a four-player split-screen mode. We also hear that full, PS2-optimized versions of both Motor Toon GP and Omega Boost will appear as “bonus” items that can be opened up once you've got all the cars. Rumor: PlayStation3 development kits are already up and running at - Sony's headquarters in Japan. Truth: Well of course they're working on PS3, but the reason everyone's going nuts is 'cause Sony registered PS3 and PlayStation3 as future trademarks in Japan and even filed a crude sketch of the PS3 logo (just like the PS2 logo with a 3 instead of a 2—natch) with the appropriate authorities in Japan. But don't expect to see anything until at least 2005. Rumor: The new Tomb Raider game, isn't. Truth: Er, sorry? Our spies managed to sneak a look at the new Tomb Raider game at E3, and executives from Core Design have made no secret of the fact that they're disgruntled with the way the franchise has been treated by Eidos. A game that is effectively Tomb Raider V will emerge before the end of the year, but the "true" sequel to the original, dubbed “next-gen Tomb Raider" by insiders, could well be a massive departure. The game will feature Lara, but probably not as the only major character. It probably won’t even be called Tomb Raider, it may just acknowledge Lara as a starring role (like Indiana Jones). The early demo we saw was extremely impressive (if brief) and shows a definite change in direction from the “staring at Lara’s butt” approach we're used to. -TheQ Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask Nintendo Breath of Fire ү CORE Kirbys Dreamland и. | Nintendo Ape Power Pro Baseball 2000 (Konami i 2 ки + so we thought we'd attempt a preemptive correction. Final Fantasy freaks (you know who you are), take note: Square has changed the name of flaming-haired support character Salamander to Amarant. In case you weren't a rabid fan, FFIX—which mixes the medieval settings of the series’ older games with the spectacular visual flair of FFVII and FFVIII —will hit the PlayStation this winter and mark the franchise's last installment for that system. Pokémon couldn't invade your soul any further, Nintendo has FEVER SANKYO Pachinko Simulation m teamed up with Kellogg's to release “limited-edition” “Tle hay Tuan ru Pokémon cereal and Pop-Tarts. - Е - Both of these tasty treats are Vergrace part of a balanced breakfast 7 From гав ге and feature marshmallow апа ae MES candy versions of the most Space Battleship Yamato p popular Pokémon. The Pop- Bandai Tarts begin to disappear from = store shelves in July, and the Power Prokun Pocket B cereal will be gone by the end Konami of the year (do | smell a Gold 3 Š š; ñ and E edition?) so if you 1 Pocket Monsters Gold/Silver B plan on catching them all, you n Nintendo better act fast. 54 Weekly Famitsu, week ending 5/14/2000 MIDWAY. ® www.midway.com PLAYERS HITTING STORES THIS SEPTEMBER. NO REFS. NO RULES. NO MERCY. + Sega© Dreamcast. LII ved. BLITZ, MIDWAY, and the MIDWAY LOGO are trademarks ot A Amusement Games, ULC. ©2000 AFLP. Team names and logos. 1 of Players It. The Players tnc. 1000 45 a registered trademark ol the ye funder сабой by МИмау Homme ainment tne, Витеб, Nintendo 64 and ihe N logo are trademarks of Nintendo of America Inc a Inc. Game Boy and Game Boy Color are trademarks of Nintendo of Ameria tne. Licensed by Nintendo: PlayStation and the PlayStationi lodos are registered tad meast and the Dreamcastilogo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Sega Enterprises; ttd. marks of Sony Computer Enterta The Top 20 Best-Selling Games of April, 2000) i Pokémon Trading Card B NEW ET] “Tony Hawks Pro Pro Skater = [9 | Although the public can't get | | Activision | enough of this one, the ЕСМ staff E — was split. The art guys—who 8.5 | 4.5 12 Syphon Filter already love the “real” card الا‎ SCEA game—took to it like a Psyduck to 9. 0 water, but it wasn’t enough for us | Triple Play 2001 | , J "normal" people to really get into. | P"" | —— | 13 ln ка П 2 - Pokémon Stadium — Wi Ди ови. Nintendo took its sweet time 989 Studios translating this one from Japan, | A š sour | but judging by the sales numbers | 15 6.5 | 15 Tony Hawks Pro Skater 8 | NEW | it was time well spent. PokéSta — Activision | (as true Pokéfreaks like to call it) 5 5 6 5 | $ qum : is selling like hotcakes by itself nU v. | Super Mario Bros. Del B em ww 16 TONDA | 19 | 3 - Pokémon Yellow B 11 у eem п n OK, it may look like the Shellder in Nintendo this screen is doomed—but no, 8 0 6 0 | д E эй — и m‏ سا АВ wait! Just after this pic was taken | “Chris. | Crispin | 1 Gran Turismo 2 TP | 8 |‏ o cored] it made an incredible comeback, | SCEA | |‏ taking out Mewtwo with one bene ss | Clamp attack. Оса suspect 8.0 6.0 19 ^" used PSYCHIC? i i (Yaqa Che Shoe Don King and are investigating. Nintendo 4 - WWF SmackDown! + NEW. 20 5^7 "mr It's nice to know you people listen 300 to us once in a while. WWF fans 9 0 5 can smell what THQ is cookin’ and | “сте have bought this game in mass — —— — quantities. It must be all those 5 == EGM readers who want their very own E-Sak. Source: NPD TRSTS Video Games Service. Call Mary Ann Porreca at (516) 625-2345 for questions regarding this list. Top 5 game descriptions written by the EGM staff. = i Peripherally Speaking 5 - Tony Hawk's Pro Skater W0 [67] numm. №4 owners have spoken: 1 such as PS2 and Dolphin to have? Activision's Tony Hawk's Pi | Skater rocks. With allof its kick- 9.0 9.0 ass levels, multitude of tricks and ——əÀ——— intuitive control, it's no wonder it’ selling like Кока. Lats hope š 1.0 8 9 the sequel comes to the N64. [Жез Чы Source: Videogames.com poll, 4/24/2000 1850 | Syphon Filter 2 p 6 тн 4 | SW Ep. 1: Jedi Power Battl p | 1 uum Arad NEW Pokémon Blue Nintendo E 5 | Pokémon Red B | Nintendo 6 Resident Evil Code: Veronica l 1 Capcom 10 | 45 1306 z Е 2 л 2 š s о " š £ = E š ? 2 š Ë Е H t 5 H Ë Е о Arcade fighting pads š Е = H s " T E] š 8 > © = Steering wheels Light guns Illustration by Raul Ferren at Jivestudios Electronic Gaming Monthly - 88 What can you get for under $10? 68546 221 13 e| 0 72.66 ЕСОЅОҒВ 17.80 UPPER UPPER CONCOURSE 72.00 THE CORPORATE-MEGAPLEX ARENA 22 86095 D a ) 221 IN ASSOCIATION WITH “ROT Y0 TEETH SODA" 221 | 213498 PRESENTS CHUMP | в 1 “DACORN BISCUITS" 5 | HMBONE NO GOOD TIMES/NO FUN MD 17.68 f | 846UG FRI AUG 4 2000 3:30 PM ° b) О “А great new game for the PlayStation’ game console... $9.99 w $9.99 SPEC OPS: Stealth Patrol ` THE ENEMY 15 EXPECTING YOU TOMGRROW..-YOU'RE ALREADY THERE! n ve] c [e] = fJ p un 232 > 3 Choose stealth or all-out frontal assault as you lead your team of Rangers f => into combat against ultra-powerful terrorist units. e. d z7 ne Fight against time and huge enemy forces in global terrorist hotspots. E P ver An arsenal to choose from including night-vision goggles, sniper Y rifles, machine guns, tripwire mines, grenades, shotguns, and more. H P: noc? i Two player split-screen battle mode. Lead your team with guns blazing or silently under the cover of darkness across landscapes of thick jungle, barren desert, arctic tundra and dense forest. -ACT ION BASS SIZE MATTERS Tournament-style Challenge Mode, free-wheeling Free Mode, and an Extra bonus Mode is available. Lure Action Gauge (lure movement status meter) allowing the player to monitor lure movement easily. Enjoy watching fish (up to five heaviest) you brought back in the Aquarium Mode. Five diverse lures are available at the beginning, covering a wide range of water conditions and lure movements. More lures will be available as the player gains experience. Wide variety of "lure action" possible to attract bass, with some lures requiring retrieving or rod movements only while others requiring skillful combination of the two. 9.99 wm $9.99 _ WWW. TAKE2GAMES CUM $9.99 worm $9.99 MARTIAN GOTHIC EXPLORE THE DARKSIDE OF THE PLANET. Year 2018. On Vita 1, a base constructed on the face of Mars, man searches for evidence of bacterial life beneath the frozen surface. During the excavation, a giant sarcophagus opens into a vast and ancient necropolis. Soon after, all communication with Mars ends. Reason for breakdown of transmission: unknown. Fate of Vita 1 base: unknown. x. = У ТЕ Ба Th ¿ Crs 1 yaaa == MARTIAN GOTHIC = `w a fJ dd un > Through the complex, layered plot follow three investigators [re] g p — sent by Earth Control to assess the situation on Vita 1. С. Dozens of treacherous subterranean city caverns to explore. H i Non-linear puzzle structures challenge you at every turn. Strange and violent creatures stalk you constantly as you seek answers to the disappearance of Vita 1's staff and the mystery of the ancient Martian necropolis. GRUDGE WARRIORS THERE 1$ NO SUCH THING AS FRIENDLY FIRE. we EZ D E 23 mission battle arenas. 11 ruthless and unique gangs + the Final Boss to compete against іп battle. Each level is loaded with secret areas, hidden power-ups and dozens of non-gang opponents like attack droids and robotic gun turrets. Head-to-head 2 player split screen combat. Dozens of power-ups including invulnerability, invisibility, double damage, guided missile jammers, nitro boosts... я Ап arsenal of destructive weaponry including shield-draining bombs, April 2000 energy mega-bolts, corrosive gas bombs and mini-thermonuclear warheads. * Suggested Retail Price=$9.99. ©2000 Take-Two Interactive. Alll rights reserved. Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. LAXE and the Take-Two logo are registered trademarks of Take 2 Interactive Software, Inc. Spec Ops & Zombie are trademarks of Zombie Software Incorporated. Grudge Warriors *- 3 is a trademark of Take 2 Interactive Software and Telstar Electronic Studios Ltd. Martian Gothic is a trademark of Creative Reality, Ltd. PlayStation and the PlayStation logos are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. The ratings icons are - trademarks of the Interactive Digital Software Association. 727 $9.99 w 59.99 - чу WWW.TAKEPGAMES.COM t PRESS START Coming Soon - August 2000 Game Boy Color Austin Powers 2 - Barbie Fashion Pack - Mattel Carnivale - Vatical KISS: Psycho Circus - Take 2 Lemmings Revolution - Take 2 Magical Drop - Electro Source MTV Sports: Skateboarding - THQ Perfect Dark - Rare Pocket Racers - Interplay Pokémon Attack - Nintendo Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue - THQ Pro Pool - Codemasters Puzzle Collection - Electro Source Ronaldo V-Soccer - Infogrames Test Drive Cycles - Infogrames Titus the Fox - Interplay Warlocked - Nintendo Xena - Titus X-Men: Mutant Academy - Activision Action Bass - Take 2 Countdown Vampires - Bandai Danger Girl - THQ Darkstone - Take 2 Interactive Duke Nukem: Planet of the Babes - GT Interactive Harvest Moon - Natsume Hogs of War - Infogrames Jeremy McGrath 2000 - Acclaim Martian Gothic - Take 2 Peter Jacobson Gold Tee Golf - Infogrames Rampage Through Time - Midway Speedball 2100 - Empire Threads of Fate - Square EA X-Men: Mutant Academy - Acti Nintendo 64 Banjo-Tooie - Nintendo Blues Brothers 2000 - Titus Super Bowling - Tommo, Demolition Racer - Infogrames Disney World Magical Racing Tour - Eidos Evolution 2 - Ubi Soft Giga Wing - Tommo Hidden and Dangerous - Take 2 Jeremy McGrath Supercross 2000 - Acclaim King of Fighters 99 - SNK Marvel vs Capcom 2 - Capcom Metropolis Street Racer - Sega Namco Museum - Namco/Hometek Seaman - Sega Silver - Infogrames Toy Story 2 - Activision Virtua Tennis - Sega World Series Baseball 2K1 - Sega Game Boy Color Aladdin - Ubi Soft Bowling - Vatical Entertainment Carmageddon 2 - Interplay Championship Motocross 2K1 - THQ Donkey Kong Country - Nintendo Dragon Warrior | & II - Enix Gauntlet Legends - Midway Jack Nicklaus Golf - Vatical Entertainment Jimmy White’s Cue Ball - Vatical Entertainment Mr. Driller - Namco/Hometek Scooby Doo Classic Capers - THQ Seadoo Hydrocross 2001 - Vatical Entertainment Spider-Man - Activision Sydney 2000 - Eidos TOCA: Touring Car Championship - South Peak : SI Aladdin in Nasira’s Revenge - SCEA Alien Resurrection - Fox Interactive Animorphs - GT Interactive ATV: Quad Power Racing - Acclaim Carmageddon 2 - Interplay Chrono Cross - Square EA ECW: Anarchy Rules - Acclaim Kengo: Master of Bushido - Leightweight LEGO Rock Raiders - LEGO Media Lunar 2: Eternal Blue - Working Designs Racing Misc. Action Action Puzzle Puzzle Sports Action Racing Puzzle Action Sports Puzzle Sports Racing Action Strategy Action Action Sports Action Action Adventure Action Action Strategy Racing Adventure Sports Action Sports Action/RPG Action Action Action Sports Shooting Action Racing Fighting Fighting Racing Misc. Misc. Adventure Action Sports Sports Action Sports Action Racing Action RPG Action Sports Sports Puzzle Action Racing Action Sports Racing Action Action Shooter Action Racing Action RPG Sports Action Racing RPG Major League Soccer - Konami NCAA GameBreaker 2001 - 989 Sports Re-Volt 2 - Acclaim Rock Raiders - LEGO Media Rollcage Stage 2 - Midway Sno-Cross Champ. Racing - Natsume Spider-Man - Activision Star Trek: Invasion - Activision Sydney 2000 - Eidos Tenchu 2: Birth of the Assassins - Activision Vanishing Point - Acclaim Wacky Races - Infogrames Winnie Pooh Tiger Honey Hunt - Mattel i ionship - Activisio 40 Winks - GT Interactive Aidyn Chronicles: 1st Mage - THQ Madden NFL 2001- EA Sports Mia Hamm 64 Soccer - South Peak NFL QBC 2001 - Acclaim Polaris Sno-Cross 2001 - Vatical Entertainment Seadoo Hydrocross 2001 - Vatical Turok 3: Shadows of Oblivion - Acclaim Winnie the Pooh - Mattel X-Men: Mutant Academy - Activision Armada II - Metro 3D Cannon Spike - Capcom 02 - Sega Deep Fighter - Ubi Soft Ecco the Dolphin - Sega ECW: Anarchy Rulz - Acclaim ESPN Baseball Tonight - Konami NFL Quarterback Club 2001 - Acclaim Power Stone 2 - Capcom Quake 3 Arena - Sega Quarterback Club 2001 - Acclaim Renegade Racers - Interplay Sega GT - Sega Snow Cross Champ. Racing - Crave Star Wars Jedi Power Battles - LucasArts Sydney 2000 - Eidos Test Drive Off Road 3 - Infogrames Tokyo Extreme Racer 2 - Crave Vanishing Point - Acclaim Game Boy Color ‘Animorphs - Ubi So! Blaster Master Enemy Below - Sunsoft Cannon Fodder - Codemasters Cat Const. Zone 2: Mining 4 Gold - Mattel Doug: Quailman to the Rescue - Mattel Dragon Tales - Mattel F1 Championship 99 - Ubi Soft Hercules - Titus Inspector Gadget - Ubi Soft Lion King: Simba's Adventure - Activision Micro Machines V3 - THQ Mission Bravo - Mattel NFL Blitz 2001 - Midway Racin' Ratz - Mattel Rambler - Mattel Rush 2049 - Midway Tom & Jerry - Mattel T-Rex - Eidos VR Powerbo; PlayStation Action Man - Hasbro Interactive Breakout - Hasbro Interactive Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX - Acclaim Dinosaur - Ubi Soft Dragon Tales Dragonseek - Mattel Earthworm Jim - Interplay F1 Championship 99 - Ubi Soft Family Feud 2 - Hasbro Interactive Frogger Il - Hasbro Interactive Galaga - Hasbro Interactive Inspector Gadget - Ubi Soft Jeopardy! 2 - Hasbro Interactive King of Fighters 99 - SNK Mega Man Legends 2 - Capcom Micro Maniacs - Codemasters Mike Tyson Boxing - Codemasters Ms. Pac-Man Maze Madness - Namco/Hometek NASCAR Racers - Hasbro Interactive NFL Blitz 2001 - Midway - Vatical Entertainment Compiled By Chris Johnston chris_johnston@zd.com Sports Sports Racing Action Racing Racing Action Action Sports Action Action Racing Adventure Racii Action RPG Sports Sports Sports Racing Racing Action Adventure Action Action Action Action Fighting Adventure Sports Sports Sports Fighting Action Sports Racing Racing Racing Action Sports Racing Racing Action Action Action Action Action Action Action Racing Action Action Adventure Racing Action Sports Racing Action Racing Action Action R Action Action Sports Action Action Action Racing Misc. Action Shooter Action Misc. Fighting Action Racing Sports Puzzle Racing Sports & Jennifer Whitesides Nickelodeon's Cat Dog - Hasbro Interactive Action Panzer General Assault - Mindscape Action Polaris Sno-Cross 2000 - Vatical Racing Rayman 2 Back to School - Ubi Soft Action TONKA Space Station - Hasbro Action Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 - Activision Sports Wheel of Fortune 2 - Hasbro Misc. Nintendo 64 Big Mountain - South Peak Racing F1 Championship 99 - Ubi Soft Racing Intl. Track & Field 2000 - Konami Sports Looney Tunes: Taz Express - Infogrames Action Mario Tennis - Nintendo Sports NFL BLitz 2001 - Midway Sports Ogre Battle 64: PoLC - Atlus Strategy Pokémon Puzzle League - Nintendo Puzzle Rush 2049 - Midway Racing Tom & Jerry - Mattel Action VR Powerboat - Vatical Racin; Dreamcast Aero Wings 2: Air Strike - Crave Entertainment Action Arcatera - Ubi Soft RPG Dark Angel: Vampire Apocalypse - Metro 3D Action Dragon Rider - Ubi Soft Action F1 Championship 99 - Ubi Soft Racing Greatest Arcade Hits II - Midway Misc. Heroes 3 Might & Magic - Ubi Soft Action Jet Grind Radio - Sega Action Legend of the Blade Masters - Ripcord Action Monster Breeder - Tommo Misc. NFL 2K1 - Sega Sports NFL Blitz 2001 - Midway Sports Peacemakers - Ubi Soft Action Rush 2049 - Midway Racing Starlancer - Crave Entertainment Action Stupid Invaders - Ubi Soft Action Viva Soccer - Interplay Sports Game Boy Color Barbie Pet Rescue - Mattel Misc. Batman Racing - Ubi Soft Racing Blues Clues - Mattel Misc. Brunswick Pro Pool - Vatical Sports Cruis'n Exotica - Midway Racing MTV Sports: Ultimate BMX - THQ Racing Pokémon Gold - Nintendo RPG Pokémon Silver - Nintendo RPG Batman Racing - Ubi Soft Racing Buzz Lightyear of Star Command - Acti Action Dark Stone - Take 2 RPG Donald Duck - Ubi Soft Action Flintstones Bedrock Bowling - South Peak Sports HBO Boxing - Acclaim Sports Jungle Book - Ubi Soft Action Mary Kate/Ashley Myst Mall - Mattel Misc. Muppet Race Mania - Midway Racing NASCAR Heat - Hasbro Racing Star Wars Demolition - LucasArts Action Wild Thornberrs Animal Adv. - Mattel Adventure Worms Pinball - Infogrames Misc. Caesar’s Palace - Crave Entertainment Misc. Cruis'n Exotica - Midway Racing Eternal Darkness - Nintendo RPG Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue - THQ Action Rugrats in Paris - THQ Action Scooby-Doo Classic Capers - THQ Action Austin Powers: Mojo Rally - Take 2 Racing Buzz Lightyear of Star Command - Acti Action Dogs of War - Take 2 Strategy ESPN NBA Tonight - Konami Sports Grand Prix 4 - Hasbro Racing Messiah - Interplay Action M.O.U.T. 2025 - Ripcord Action Ms. Pac-Man Maze Madness - Namco/Hometek Puzzle МВА 2K1 - Sega Sports POD II - Ubi Soft Racing Specs Ops: Mout - Ripcord Action Speed Devils 2 - Ubi Soft Racing Star Trek: New Worlds - Interplay Strategy * R t Unlock the secrets within this long-lost place and time © 1999, 2000 Square Co., Ltd. All rights reserved. SQUARE SOFT Mild Animated Violence and the SQUARESOFT logos are registered trademarks of Square Suggestive Themes Co., Ltd. LEGEND OF MANA is a trademark of Square Co., Ltd. PlayStation and the PlayStation logos are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. The ratings icon is a trademark www.squaresoft.com of the Interactive Digital Software Association. Published by Square Electronic Arts L.L.C. PlayStation Y | e = š й ` ` 3 MediEvil isa registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. © 2000 Sony Coi jinment Europe: Developed by Animated Violence Ñ ~ Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. aN and the PlayStation logos are registered trad ‘Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. i 4 PASTY COMPLEXION, FUNNY ACCENT: BAD TEETH. HELL FEEL RIGHT AT HOME IN LONDON. Good looks are nice, but they won't help you defeat an evil maniac hell-beni on conquering the world. Lord Palethorn’s sinister spell has unleashed a gang of sadistic villains on Victorian London. It's up to Sir Dan to destroy them with his lethal arsenal = Gatling guns, torches, axes, his own removable arm and more. Between mighty battles and baffling puzzles, Sir Dan's facing a deadly challenge. He'll need smarts and some helpful friends - a mad professor, a wily ghost and his Egyptian princess girlfriend — to prevail over an unspeakable horror. After all, a quy can't save the world on bad looks alone. MEBIEVIL x A GOTHIC JOURNEY TO DIE FOR. GREAT Scott! HES BEEN CRASH 1! | | | bl d | мех To MENTION Y A Ko RETI Ави Ч DESIGNED FATALLY WEAK POINT WELL, ANAK, THA FoR THIG EFISODE, VIDEO * | GAMERS! COME GACK NEXT UAT DIRTY | Time, tgn WELL HAVE LIAR! A SHORT, ITALIAN PLUMBER WHO LOOKS |^ олт GT LIKE | масо’ OOM! 64 ВЇАМЕТ ОЕ ТНЕ BABES p МОКЕ = : Animated Violence BL m ç A GT Interactive „КЁ Animated Blood and Gore Paves EALM 2 Software Strong Sexual Context layStation www.3drealms.com www.n-space.com www.gtgames.com By folding chair and kendo stick. By fire and tables. | believe in creative weaponry. FEATURING AN ALL-NEW PICK-UP-AND-PLAY CONTROL SYSTEM. THE ONLY WAY.TO HANDLE ECW! < Over 60 hardcore anarchists! • Dusty Rhodes! Rhino! Justin Credible! New Jack! • New matches including Table Matches, Backlot Brawls and = ° АС сіт Animated Blood = 4 2229 Strong Language www.AnarchyRulz.com Playstation Sega(9 Dreamcast. Suggestive Themes www.ecwwrestling.com ® ESRB Extreme Championship No rules. No limits. NO pity. EOS of HAG! Corps ECW Anarchy ВО and АСС С 2000 Acclaim ЕЕ вые Ec CrveC. Developed by Acclaim Studios Salt Lake City. All Rights Reserved. Marketed by Acclaim. Distributed by Acclaim Distribution Inc., One Acclaim Plaza, Glen Cove, NY 11542-2777. ТММ® and the TNN logo are registered trademarks of Network Enterpnses, inc, (^ nd the Play tered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. taken from the PlayStation version of the video game. ‘Sega, Dreamcast and the Dreamcast logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Sega Enterprises, LTD. © SEGA ENTERPRISES, LTD. All Rights Reserveu. Seren «h^ и — > Е § Dreamcast 72 Samba de Amigo 7 Seaman 74 Ultimate Fighting Championship WWF Royal Rumble 78 NFL 2K1 Quake III Arena World Series Baseball 2K1 80 Eternal Arcadia ESPN Baseball Tonight NBA 2K1 Star Wars: Super Bombad Racing Wacky Races 86 Test Drive V-Rally Test Drive Le Mans Silent Scope 02 87 Black & White Silver 90 Aerowings 2: Air Strike Vanishing Point System Shock 2 Stunt GP. 94 The Mummy POD Il Arcatera: The Dark Brotherhood Demolition Racer: No Exit 96 Bangai-O Sydney 2000 Sakura Taisen 97 Super Runabout Nintendo 64 98-99 Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 100 Conker's Bad Fur Day Dinosaur Planet 102 Banjo-Tooie Paper Mario Fiqhter Destiny 2 104 Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine Ogre Battle 64 Hercules Mickey's Speedway USA Donald Duck-Quack Attack 106 Rally Challenge 2000 NFL Quarterback Club 2001 Eternal Darkness PlayStation2 108 Evergrace TIO Kengo Unreal Tournament Legion: Legend of Excalibur Gradius III & IV m Star Wars: Star Fighter Timesplitters 12 FIFA Major League Soccer Fusion GT Knockout Kings 2001 ESPN International Track & Field Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee 14 Parasite Eve II 16 Persona 2: Eternal Punishment Star Trek: Invasion 18 Ms. Pac-Man Maze Madness Army Men: Air Attack 2 19 Star Wars Demolition Bust-A-Groove 2 120 The Simpsons Wrestling World's Scariest Police Chases 121 The Grinch Jungle Book Rhythm N'Groove 122 Cool Boarders 4 Spyro: Year of the Dragon NCAA Football 2001 123 Emperor's New Groove MLS Game Night 124 Valkyrie Profile Fear Effect: Retro Helix Disney's Dinosaur Game Boy Color 126 Legend of Zelda: Mystical Seed of Power Dragon Warrior 811 Wacky Races 128 Donkey Kong Country Crystalis Harvest Moon GBC 2 130 Test Drive Le Mans TOCA Touring Car Championship Legend of the River King 2 Qix Adventure Return of the Ninja 132 Armada F/X Racers Animorphs The New Batman Adventures Car! Lewis Athletics 2000 Inspector Gadget Mowgli's Adventure symbols may or may not be released in the US. They are designed to run on Japanese or European PAL systems. Import at your own risk. MEMO. his year's E3 show offered up a plethora of new and exciting games for every System currently on the market, and one that will be arriving by the end of the year. The following pages are crammed with all the screenshots and details we could fit into the space we have. Most agree that the Dreamcast had the strongest show of the "big three." Their booth was overflowing with great new games, including the addictive Samba de Amigo (check it out on page 72). Most of Sega's online lineup was playable in some form as well, and we've got 'em all here too—everything from Quake III to the 2K1 sports games. Despite the Dolphin no-show (outside of a light show on their booth walls), Nintendo had one of their strongest shows in recent memory. Conker's BFD is real, and it looks grand. (In fact, the entire upcoming №4 lineup is exciting.) Meanwhile, the GBC support is stronger than ever. We've previewed no less than 17 new games for the venerable little handheld in this issue. Then there's Sony. While the PS2 1. Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 2. Conker's Bad Fur Day 3. Star Wars: Starfighter 4. Samba de Amigo 5. NFL 2K1 The next Zelda adventure is everything Ocarina of Time was and more! Our huge preview starts on page 98. showing at E3 may not have quite lived up to the hype, there's no question that the PS2 software on the horizon is impressive. Check out the pics of games like Starfighter and Oddworld. And let's not forget Metal Gear Solid 2 (you didn't miss the blow-out in Press Start, did you?!), easily the most awe- inspiring game at the show. But as exciting as it is to catch a glimpse of the most rare of games, it's nice to be back home and spending some quality time with current favorites like Perfect Dark. E] Nintendo 64, November 2000 Nintendo 64, December 2000 PlayStation2, Winter 2000 Dreamcast, Winter 2000 Dreamcast, Fall 2000 Whenever a new music game hits the office, the competition between Expert Gamer's Phil "Ulala" Theobald and our own Chris “CJ” Johnston can get pretty heated. Following a recent victory, Phil was heard mocking Chris: *Pro Tip: You suck!" Apparently CJ didn't take this too well. We found Phil in the parking lot, knocked stupid, with maraca shards lodged in his Skull and...other areas. Upon dragging him back inside for some first aid, we swear we heard CJ giggling to himself. These boys take their music games very seriously. kohl's* goody's mervyn’s california® OUR “COMPETITION” L THEY KNOW ABOUT S HINK THAT'S PRÉEIY-EUNN TITORS” DON? THINK IT’S AS FUNNY AS WE 00. THEY MUST NOT UNDER- STAND THE IRONY OF THE INTRODUCIN * R ING MLS GAME NIGHT Cmi l the games espnthegames. com PREVIEW Sega Sonic Team (Sega) 2 Music 100% (Japan) Now (Japan)/Winter (U.S.) Arcade www.sega.com samba.dricas.ne.jp Infectious music and the fun of shaking maracas. Strained muscles and broken limbs from playing for six hours straight. The faces of enraged OPM editors who put up with the shaking of maracas for six hours. | n Self Gontrol Samba’s no fun unless you have the maraca controller (7800 yen, about $75), | demonstrated here by our very own “CJ” Johnston. The sensors on the floor | read the maracas’ height. | = Games in the Party Mode include а variation of Whack-A-Mole, a “pose” | | | | game, and a Simon Says-type game. | | | | There's more than just shaking the maracas in time with the blue balls. When groups of red balls appear (left), shake the maracas in the specified direction as fast (and as many times) as possible. When a “pose” comes up (right), you have to point the maracas in the specified directions. onic Team takes the music game where it's never gone before with Samba de Amigo. Like most games in the genre, the concept is simple: Shake the maracas at the high, middle or low position when blue spheres fall into the circled template positions (in time with the music). Also like most music games, it may seem easy, but on the harder difficulties, it becomes near-impossible. There are several modes of play: Arcade, Original, Challenge and Party. Challenge is perhaps the most difficult: You have to complete a certain task— finish a song perfectly, get above a certain grade or other challenges. Believe us, they get hard really quickly. Party Mode has mini-games like the ones described at the top of the page as well as “Love Love” and "Versus." In the Japanese version you can connect to the Internet and download files which unlock new music, which include tunes from Sonic R, Afterburner, NIGHTS and Rent A Hero No. 1. The soundtrack features a wide selection of samba tunes—from the "Macarena" to "Soul Bossa Nova" — licensed from the original artists. Sega's still deciding what music will be in the U.S. version, but you can bet there’ll be some more popular tunes by the time it crosses the Pacific. Also of concern to many is the expense of the maraca controllers —two sets of them plus the game cost you almost $200 in Japan. Sega is trying to find a way to get the game and one set of the maraca controllers packaged together for a decent price tag. Let's hope so! Ф You’re having problems raising your pesky Seaman you say. “Help me” you say. Well, then maybe you'll want to head over to http: / /www.fishlinkcentral.com / which should provide you with everything you need to know on how to keep your aquarium correct. Remember: Don't panic! | Sega J Vivarium 1 Simulation ПИ 90% July J| www.sega.com 111999 Sega had the stones to bring this weird title to the States. T=) The archaeological mythology was left behind in Japan. nd Seaman, in his various forms, is downright creepy. ge In Japan, the legend of Seaman was foisted upon the unsuspecting public via a “journal” written by one Jean Paul Gasse (gassy?). Titled Le Journal De Jean Paul Gasse, this book detailed the archaeological exploits of monsieur Gasse and his “groundbreaking work” of discovering the mysterious half-human, half-fish known as Seaman. Purportedly born in October of 1899, Jean Paul compiled a 221-page collection of notes, observations, photos and drawings of the Seaman in an attempt to legitimize his findings. Some people in Japan actually believe that there is a Seaman swimming around in the murky depths due to this clever subter- fuge. Will we see this in America? Who knows? If you're not a complete screw-up, and give your Seaman lots of attention and care, he may turn from a teeny wuss (see wuss at right), to a big ole fish-guy. Seaman is one of the few Dreamcast games that make use of the special microphone accessory. ho would have guessed, almost a year after its release in Japan, that a strange little “virtual-pet” simulation like Seaman: The Forbidden Pet would have sold more copies than heavy-hitters like Shenmue and Biohazard? Not many, but that's exactly what happened. Yes, Seaman, that strange and sassy sea- creature (or, rather, tank-creature) who gave back- talk new meaning to over half a million Japanese gamers, is about ready to wade up to U.S. shores, fins akimbo, and infiltrate the minds of Dreamcast owners everywhere. In case you missed our import coverage a few months back, Seaman is a monster-raising game of sorts, where you can actually talk to your pets using the DC's microphone attachment. How you treat your strange creature determines what type of Seaman it turns into. If you neglect your pal (the DC's internal clock keeps tabs on how much you Seaman is born of the funky shell being displayed to the left. From a snail to the fine specimen below, Seaman is amazing. n PREVIEW play), he'll become surly, and complain about the lack of attention. Keep him fed, warm and happy, and your Seaman will flourish. He might even become one of a few different species of Seaman, including moth and frog-like versions of the disturbing creature. In a move that both surprised and encouraged gamers and press alike, Sega announced last winter that it would indeed localize Seaman for the U.S. But the announcement also raised a lot of questions (besides the obvious “What the $#%^ is Seaman?”). After all, there was an immense amount of language to be "translated." Many cultural in- jokes would be lost to the American public, and lastly, just how would the conservative American market react to a science-experiment gone wrong? From the evidence on hand, pretty well it seems. With the vocal duties being handled by Jellyvision, the sick minds behind the hilarious You Don't Know Jack games, Seaman couldn't be in better hands. Some slight additions have even been made to the U.S. version of the game, like a new overhead perspective of the tank...OK, it’s pretty worthless in practice, but it's the thought that counts. Sound freaky? Fun? Both? It's unique, that's for sure. And Japanese gamers sure love it —then again, they love horse racing simulators. We'll just have to wait until July to see if Americans have a taste for Seaman's salty charms. m Back in the day, the only things you couldn’t do in the UFC was bite someone or poke their eyes out. These days, the following moves are illegal in the UFC: e Fish-hooking M k PREVIEW tting * Elbow strikes to the back GALLERY of the head or neck * Pressure point strikes * Groin attacks * Small joint manipulation We've long suspected there ain't nothin’ more fun than watchin’ a couple of brawny men beat the living crap out of each other, and the new playable UFC we got from Crave proves it. It’s far from finished, but we can already tell it’s a fighting game with some real technique involved— tons of different disciplines, real UFC fighters and 3,000 total moves. It’s being developed by Anchor Inc. and will be available in the fall. Royal Rumbie THQ, Yuke’s and Sega are bringing us this arcade-inspired nine- person battle royale. It’s got an up-to-date WWF roster and all of the signature entrances, moves and taunts, plus new arenas and topnotch visuals. It’s got just about everything a wrestling fan could ever want outside of a big fist full o' Slim Jims. And yes, we do smell what the Rock is cooking...smells kinda sweaty. Look for this one in the fall. n = Kicking a downed opponent. * Spitting * Faking an injury e Unwillingness to fight * Throwing an opponent outside the fighting area * Stalling a fight by holding onto the fence * Eye-gouging and biting ee эге; + E 0i WAY Sie i dis. Зу e Wi i ONLY 0 w ME electronics boutique’ Call for a store near you! 1-800-800-5166 TTE «f world? com —€—— WWW.EBWORLD.COM NFL 2K: will be Internet-ready upon release later this fall. Gamers who use SegaNet will also have access to e-mail, the Internet and a host of | other attractions for $21.95 a month PREVIEW (includes Sega ISP). GALLERY NFL Sega Sports has ramped things up for NFL 2K1. The framerate and passing have been improved, and the whole game runs about 20 percent faster than the original NFL 2K. Most importantly, you can get some real zip on the ball. On the graphics side, they’ve added polys to the player models, and our biggest gripe with the last edition, the running game, has been revised. Look for this SegaNet-ready title in the fall. а аи ud In case you were curious how Quake III was running on the Dreamcast, Sega had an extensive О! setup at the E3, which amply displayed the DC's modem abilities, pumping a networked game of Quake over eight linked consoles. Control was excellent with little slowdown, and the game played great using Turok-style configurations. We didn't get to sample the DC-to-PC compatibility though. However, the action was fast and furious, with all the levels and graphics making the transition from PC to console practically pixel-perfect. Quake lll Arena will release to coincide with the unveiling of Sega's SegaNet network this September. Baseball 21 - For better or worse Sega Sports’ WSB 2K is nothing like its predecessors. Take for example: the batting interface—you hold, then release the right trigger for the swing. Weird, but it works. The game looks fantastic too, but what we saw at E3 also revealed a few problems, like judging fly balls. Hopefully all the kinks can be worked out before the July release date. WWW.KOUDELKA-THEGAME.COM ANNs INFOGRAMES 4 4 4 kai PREVIEW GALLERY Take to the skies in Eternal Arcadia, the new RPG from the makers of the Phantasy Star (but not Phantasy Star Online) series. Go island-hopping with Vyse as he takes on the Sky Pirates. Vyse and his crew have a penchant for pulling the ol’ “David and Goliath” whenever they can, and when they bump into larger battleships, it’s trouble brewing! Choose from over 80 different sky-ships and select up to 15 assorted crew members to assist in your cause. Enchant your weapons with magic and do battle in the desert, villages, the sky and even space. You'll need to collect moonstones, from six gigantic levels, to buy weapons, spells and fuel for your sky-ship. RPG fanatics won't even have to wait abnormally long for this stellar- looking game as Sega's scheduled to ship the title this September, just in time for school. ESPN Born from a partnership between Konami, Disney and ESPN, this August release is chock-full of realistic features. Not only does it have a stack of big licenses (ESPN, MLB and MLBPA), it also features all of the pro players and stadiums, a watch-the-game-as-you-play type of feel, commentary by Joe Morgan and Chris Berman, and gameplay tweaked by Barry Bonds himself. He transformsinto monsters She uses powerful magic spells Play as both characters Its a whole new game © 2000 Square Co., Ltd. АН rights reserved. SQUARE SOFT and the SQUARESOFT logos are registered аге Co., Ltd. PlayStation and the www.squaresoft .com PlayStation logos are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. The ratings icon is a “Published by Square Electronic Arts L.L.C. jy ` d trademark of the Interactive Digital. Software Association. "- ^ » ` ы: Evidently, all of that high-profile PlayStation2 posturing Sony did with George Lucas paid off. Already, there are two confirmed PlayStation2 Star Wars games in the works. Starfighter is PS2 only, while Super Bombad Racing will also | find its way to the platform. Don’t be surprised if LucasArts’ first-person PC game, Obi-Wan, is next in line. At this rate, | Lucas will embrace DVD on the PlayStation2 before he embraces the movie format itself. PREVIEW GALLERY NBA 2K1 is on the horizon, featuring network play. Rapper Ice-T was showcased playing NBA 2K1 at Sega's E3 party, against two other guys playing from San Francisco. The game played as smoothly as if it were a one-player game, showing little to no latency. With updated player graphics, improved Al, even more animations and newly recorded commentary, NBA 2К1 is looking better than ever. Get it this November. сз Kart racing seems to be all the rage this year, and even the folks at LucasArts aren’t immune. In this Mario Kart-like game, you choose from eight different cartoon versions of Star Wars: Episode | characters such as Jar Jar, Anakin, Boss Nass, Sebulba, and even Darth Maul to race and fight with up to four players at once. You'll have to wait until spring 2001 to run Jar Jar off the road. Races We recently received a playable version of this incredible-looking cartoon kart racer from Infogrames, and are happy to say it looks as good in motion as it does in these still screens. In fact, it looks so much like a cartoon it’s almost eerie. The cel-shading technique (a la Jet Grind Radio) really works wonders. Problem is, this early rev has slight slowdown in spots. Let’s hope the final version, due in September, can stay smooth. © 16-bit CPU. ° Up (6 40 pou м en 9AA Gecteriee (included) €6 coo СОг р ТЭГШ fag tons of fun! Eg morê information call: (927) 341-3288 or visit www.snkusa.cóm Em: Welcome to the majors, meat. Enjoy all the detailed player profiles, full 3D ballparks, and ultra-realistic stat-based game play while you can. Because our nastiest pitching engine yet has been designed to find your weaknesses, then hammer them mercilessly. And eventually it's going to be a certain Señor Martinez’s turn in the rotation. Sega(&! Dreamcast | x 7 ro 3271452 š Mere SOONER OR LATER, ме?) PEDRO COMES FOR US ALL. PREVIEW GALLERY V-Rally Rally fans will remember this as V-Rally 2: Need For Speed on the PlayStation. This summer DC owners will get their own version of Infogrames' consummate rally game, sans the NFS license. What they won't lose are the more than 25 real-world rally cars, the option to race against up to three friends, or the more than 200 miles of racing surface the game has to offer. Test Drive V-Rally is looking clean and quick. TAP 1/3 ИМЕТОВ This does not refer to a really quiet mouthwash. No, Silent Scope is Konami's innovative sniper-shooter that debuted in arcades quietly last year and quickly shot to the top of the coin-op revenue charts. Side- stepping tyrannical anti-gun groups by making the targets terrorists, SS loses the special arcade rifle controller, but retains all the graphics and gameplay. Coming to a DC and a PS2 near you this fall. There are few things as satisfying in a video game than taking a bad guy down with a cleanly executed head-shot. Discover the real thing by clicking on http:/ /www.marinescoutsniper.com/. The collected sniper experience on hand will keep you away from windows for good. Test Drive L If Infogrames can re-create the gameplay of TD Le Mans (PS) with vehicles that look this good, we're all in for a treat. The DC version promises to take it up a notch with additional teams, tracks and race modes. Having witnessed its performance at E3, we can assure you TD Le Mans is very fast —we're talkin' consistent 60 frames-per- second fast. More than 30 real cars, 10 tracks and the famous 24 Hour race are in this November release. Originally created to run on the 3DO's stillborn M2, Warp's art- house game D2 is finally seeing the light of day in August. The game has undergone extensive retooling over the years and become an odd combination of computer-generated cinemas and first-person shooting with Tomb Raider elements. Sega had to make a few changes for the U.S. version, like no giant tentacles spewing milky white liquid. It's surprising that the sequel to an FMV adventure looks like this. Believe it or not, silver has been used f | as a medicine and preservative by many | | cultures throughout history. The Greeks h E ] used silver vessels to keep water and - other liquids fresh. Pioneers going t t | westward placed silver coins in storage LI casks to retard the growth of bacteria. The list could go on. Silver rocks! Source: www.clspress.com Black & White In Black & White, the game takes place in Eden, and you attempt to take your tribe to greater heights than your opponent's clan. Choose from existing tribes modeled after Aztec, Japanese, African, Tibetan, Egyptian and Zulu civilizations. Sega picked up the publishing duties for Black & White themselves. The release date is undecided, but Lionhead says sometime this year. over 25 g-force eating p v ` kE Siluer This action-RPG from Infogrames was announced way back before the DC launched, but we finally got a playable version this month. Instead of clicking around with a mouse like in the PC version, you now have direct control of your character. It has a medieval theme with beautiful graphics, plenty of battles and above-average voice-overs. It'll be here this summer. battle head to head in VS mode combat intensive, armed to the teeth gameplay Sega® Dreamcast. SRAVE: 87 Play as three stealth assassins, Rikimaru, Ayame and Tatsumaru, in 29 day and night missions. <> PlayStation POSSE iene | Í | | | | | Unleash 21 stealth kill techniques and a Create your own missions and save them variety of ninja weapons and items, to a memory card to share and trade — including flaming arrows and invisibility. even over the Internet. www.activision.com Animated Violence Animated Blood and Gore Scale walls, set traps, search and hide bodies, swim, and breathe underwater using a bamboo reed. Tenchu 2 © 2000 Sony Music Entertainment (Japan), Inc. Tenchu № а trademark of Sony reserved. The ratings kon is а trademark ofthe Interactive Digital Software Association. A other trademarks and trade names are properties of бей respective owners. ——— ТЕМЫ! BIRTH OF THE STEALTH ASSASSINS” Live by Honor. Kill by Stealth. PREVIEW GALLERY Aerowings 2: Air Strike We just got our filthy paws ona playable preview of Aerowings 2 from Crave, and have to say it’s coming along nicely. It’s obviously geared more toward flight nuts than your average Joe, since it has tons of planes and scenarios to choose from and doesn’t feel very arcadey. At this point though, it’s too early to tell if the game's hardcore enough for those who want total control and complete realism. It's due out in September. System Shock 2 One of the most critically acclaimed science-fiction games of all time is back, and it's on Dreamcast. Yay! Use psychic powers (or don't, spoil- sport), hack security systems, create, modify and repair weapons. Do it all, hotshot, because this sexy little number is coming your way shortly. A touch of Aliens with a dash of Doom should make Looking Glass’ classic a standout this fall. Vanishing Point Clockwork Games and Acclaim are bringing us this one sometime in the fall. It features tons of licensed cars from all over the world, incredible-looking levels and a good number of modes— take the Stunt Driver Mode for example. You choose from a series of Crazy Taxi-inspired tricks (long jump, slalom, barrel rolls and more) and go for the most points you can. You can also pump up your cars. The DC needs a driving game like this—totally arcadey with tons of stuff to do. Stunt GP There’s a place for serious racing games, and then there’s a place for the fun, free-wheeling games such as Infogrames’ Stunt GP. Here, you can defy gravity and conventional racing wisdom with loop-to-loops, crossover tracks and huge jumps while racing in more than eight colorful (and somewhat eclectic) tracks. Variety shouldn’t be a concern as there are 16 different RC cars to choose from and a few different game styles that include a nifty Freestyle Stunt Mode. Charge your RC car batteries to race this fall. WANT A BRAWL MAKE IT ` where get a double-dose of double-tro BD with Street Fighter IIl: Double Impact. - This explosive street brawl for the Sega Dreamcast" contains TWO arcade hits on one disc — Street Fighter Ill: New ` Generation and Street Fighter ЇЇ: Second Impact. Loaded with a new legion of fighters, Street Fighter ЇЇ: Double Impact is double dynamite! Animated Violence CAPCOM Sega + WWW.CAPCOM.COM © Dreamcast. You'll need skill, endurance and a reliable blowhole. Sega(S Dreamcast THE DOLPHIN" DEFENDER OF THE FUTURE © SEGA ENTERPRISES, LTD. 2000. Appaloosa | IT'S THINKING | | Joga, ECCO THE DOLPHIN and DEFENDER OF THE FUTURE are tr or registered trademarks of SEGA ENTERPRISES, LTD or Stay away from jellyfish. Remember to come up for air. Don't eat bad fish. Or you could die. Of course, a shark could kill you too. On top of all that, the ocean's in a downward spiral and it's up to you to save it. Tough job, but you'll figure it out. You're the chosen one. The big fish (although you're not a fish). Too bad you can't even count on Greenpeace. The weight of the ocean rests on your dorsal fin. Animated Blood PREVIEW GALLERY POD POD was one of Ubi Soft’s most popular PC games a few years back, and this September they’re looking for a repeat performance with this Dreamcast sequel. POD Il takes place in a world infected by a virus so powerful it even mutates the player’s racing machines. As you pilot one of the eight original vehicles around the 10 all-new tracks, the environment affects the way the car looks and handles. Ubi Soft has also stated that POD Il is planned to take advantage of SegaNet. What is it with movies and their really late video game tie-ins? The Mummy’s been out almost a year, the sequel’s almost in the bag, and now we're seeing the first signs of a game based on the original? Anyway, hoping to tap into the archaeological instincts of the Tomb Raider acolytes, Konami and Universal have conspired to bring you this sandy adventure. Featur- ing a virtual-Brendan Fraser, who is suitably equipped to swat mummies (not zombies!) with torches, shoot bad-guys with guns, and save damsels in distress, Virtua Fraser can also do things like jump over spiky pits of death! See the sights, breathe the desert air, hear death knocking on your door as you attempt to unravel the mysteries of the Mummy this October. Lara Croft better watch out, there's a new game in town! Arcatera: The point-and-click genre rarely fares well on consoles, but that’s not No Exit stopping Ubi Soft from releasing this stylish detective story on the DC this spring. The game will feature over 150 characters with voices in six When we first saw Infogrames different languages. Ubi Soft hopes the non-linear story line will keep DR: No Exit, we were concerned it players coming back again and again as they try to solve the mystery of would play too much like Test Drive Arcatera either alone or with friends in the four-player multiplay. 6 for the DC (they’re from the same developer—Pitbull Syndicate). Well, it’s similar, but surprisingly fun anyway. Damage is tallied by a point system: Small taps are five points, spinning someone gets you 25, Death-from-Above for a whole lot more. It’s clear multiplayer is where all the action is gonna come from in this June release. 94 E www.titusgames.com GE ШИЕ а [О T eu reath AB f air qui 30 and modifiable parts- four different game styles p E: s - . available on blowing road racing wide open PREVIEW GALLERY Treasure has finally found a publisher for their over-the-top shooter Bangai-O, and it's Classified Games. Bangai-O lets you control either Ricky or Mami in a strictly 2D, missile-launching, fruit-collecting slice of visual mayhem. Ricky has homing missiles, Mami has ricochet shots. Neat! No, release date has been set, but 39 levels of insanity are heading your way sometime this year. Sydney 2000 Courtesy of Eidos comes this button-masher's delight. Sporting gameplay similar in style to classic games such as Track & Field (Konami is doing an update of this—see preview in PS2 gallery), Sydney 2000 offers 16 different events including Olympic standbys such as weightlifting, hammer throwing, platform diving, and of course, plenty of meter relays. Get ready to try for the gold this fall. Sakura Taisen One of Sega’s most popular Saturn games has just been rereleased in Japan for Dreamcast. Sakura Taisen (“Cherry Blossom Wars”) is a mech-based strategy RPG set in Japan around 1912. All the mechs are steam-powered, creating a very “old world” style, with character designs by Kyosuke Fujishima (of Oh My Goddess fame). You star as recent military academy graduate Ichirou Oogami, assigned to duty at Teikoku Kagekidan Hanagumi (Imperial Splendor Assault Team). The group disguises itself as an opera troupe between battles and you (as the “man” of the team) try to win the girls’ hearts in between battling evil forces. When talking to any of the ladies you're given choices of how to react or respond. Answer correctly and you win points with them. Each girl also has a mini-game of varying difficulty that, when successfully completed, will get you mega-points and usually a lil’ something “extra.” This is all in addition to fending off evil, strategy RPG-style. The DC version features improved FMV, but is otherwise the same old game. PREVIEW GALLERY Super At first we were a little turned off by the somewhat sloppy control of this sequel from Climax, but soon the sheer insanity of the gameplay won us over. Think Driver with some extra weird mission objectives, like destroying bomb containers, getting various hot dog condiments, or pushing parked limos into the ocean, and you'll start to get the idea. There's no word on a U.S. release yet, but stay tuned m 00:36:26 0 No. 1 What if you were a superhero? What would you use your powers for? Truth, justice and the American way, or food delivery? In this new remake of an old 16-Bit Mega Drive game from Sega out now in Japan, the answer is all these things, and more. You play Taro Yamada (the Japanese equivalent of “John Smith”), a young boy whose life changes forever when a pizza delivery man (yes, you read it right) drops off an unexpected package —a special suit that gives the wearer super-human speed and strength. Since the suit is only on rental and needs expensive batteries to work, you have to take various part-time jobs to earn money. You begin with lowly grunt work like handing out promotional fliers and delivering love letters, but eventually you'll be taking out local thugs and cleaning up the streets. If it sounds silly, it is. From your dad dressed in a godzilla costume fetish, to the obvious parodies of McDonald's, and even the "Seca Creamcast" machine you use to check your e-mail and choose between jobs, this is one game that never takes itself too seriously. WHDINIGHT CLUE 7772770007, Playstation TINE PENDING `` % 58 ие В. RELEASE DATE: PlayStation 2 Launch This title is not yet approved by Sony Computer Entertainment America. 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. Angel Studios and the Angel Studios logo are trademarks of Angel Studios. Rotkstar Games and the Rockstar Games logo are trademarks of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. © 1999 All rights reserved. PREVIEW Nintendo Nintendo ravers ECS Action/RPG |е опе Мом (Јарап) Nov. 20 (U.S.) LOLU www.nintendo.com Play as four different Links, each with special powers. FTI The clock is always ticking! It never stops! СТВ The tripped-out blur effects might have you reaching for the Dramamine. Back—Look Busy | “One big regret | have with Ocarina of Time," says Zelda creator Shigeru | Miyamoto, “is that you can’t | battle the bosses again once you beat them. You could go back to dungeons again for fun, but there's no need or enough attraction to do so." All that's changed т | Majora's Mask. Once you complete a dungeon, you can return anytime and warp straight to the boss. In fact, you often have to fight them again to trigger certain events. Legend of Zelda: Some of your actions can have far-reaching effects; removing a snowy curse from this area melts away the frost and opens up new areas. aybe you've already heard some of the ugly rumors circulating about the new N64 Zelda. That it looks just like the last game. That Miyamoto himself had little to do with it. That it’s a super-freaky trippy game unlike any of the previous Zeldas. Well, it’s all true. But Nintendo doesn’t screw up their franchise titles (Did somebody say Yoshi's Story? Quiet you.), and the last couple weeks we've spent with the import version of Majora's Mask have wiped away any doubt or worry we might have had. Since it uses a modified Ocarina of Time engine (the RAM pak is now required), you might expect a lot of similarities between Majora's Mask and the last N64 Zelda game, and indeed most of the basics are the same. You still set items up on the three yellow buttons (including familiar ones like Fire arrows, the Lens of Truth, and of course the Ocarina), the Z-trigger to lock on to enemies, and other buttons which cycle between attacking, jumping, talking and other actions as appropriate. But Majora's Mask has become much more than the side story it was originally planned to be. It may share its foundation with Ocarina of Time, but in practice it's different enough to be considered a true sequel. For one thing, the passage of time is much more significant in MM. The game takes place over three days, which still pass in real time (an hour in This handy clock always lets you know what time it is. Here it's 7 a.m. (sun is on the left side of the dial) on the first of the three days in which the game takes place. the game lasts about 45 seconds in real life). At the end of the three days, a huge moon slams into the ground, destroys the entire world and it's game over. “So,” you may be thinking, “the game is only...let's see...24 hours in a day, times three days, times 45 real seconds per hour in the game...only about 55 minutes long before it ends?!" No, no, hold on a minute there, Einstein. There's a way around it—you can use your Ocarina to travel back in time to the Here's all four of Link's forms-their strengths, weaknesses, and how the dog in town reacts to them: STRENGTHS: Longest jump of any character, can climb blocks, use items others can't (bow, lens of truth, etc.), ride Epona, wear other masks, powerful sword attacks WEAKNESSES: none in particular DOGS: are indifferent to him Can’t afford both the new Zelda game and Pokémon Snap? No problem! Early on in Majora’s Mask you can get a camera that lets you snap shots of whatever you want. Now, remember the Keaton mask from Ocarina of Time? Well it’s back—and doesn’t it kinda look like a Pikachu? You can pretend the plant monsters are Bulbasaurs, the snowblobs are Grimers—the possibilities are endless! STRENGTHS: Bubble-blowing ability, can walk on lilypads, skip across water surface, fly using special flower launchers WEAKNESSES: fire and lava i DOGS: hate him, and will attack him if he gets close. Link To The Past Plenty of old friends from Ocarina of Time reappear in Majora’s Mask. Of course, since it takes places in a different dimension they are all a bit different and none of them recognize you, but check out some of the familiar faces returning in the new installment. start of the first day as many times as you want. The catch? Most everything you accomplish goes back to the way it was— paths you've cleared, progress you've made in mini-quests, smaller items you've gathered (like bombs, arrows, deku nuts, etc.) all disappear. Only really important equipment you've gathered (bows, masks, bottles) remains. Further- more, the game has tons of events that only happen and people you can only meet at certain times. So like Bill Murray in the movie Groundhog Day, you have to repeat the same days over and over and over again, slowly figuring out when to be where to make progress. Then there's the masks. Besides the three big masks that turn you into other creatures with entirely new powers (see sidebars), there are also 20 regular masks that lend special abilities (like the bunny hood, which makes you run faster and jump farther). Using and switching between all the masks is an integral part of the game. For example, in a dungeon you might have to turn into Goron Link to push a large block, then turn into Deku Link to skip across poisonous water, then to normal Link to make a long jump, all in one room. Nintendo has hinted that they may be making STRENGTHS: Powerful punch can break boulders, roll into a ball, stomp ground, resistant to fire, large man- breasts. WEAKNESSES: Can't swim or jump, moves and attacks slowly DOGS: are afraid of him, and will run significant changes to Majora's Mask for the U.S. away if he release (including fine-tuning the difficulty), but approaches. from what we already know, they could leave it just as it is and have another awesome game that lives up to the Zelda name. E: 4.20RA LINK STRENGTHS: Fast swimmer, walk underwater, boomerang- style special attack, special shield ability WEAKNESSES: fire and lava DOGS: love him, and will follow him around. 99 PREVIEW GALLERY Conker's Bad Fur Day It’s not a joke! Rare’s newly edgy, over-the-top, potty-mouthed 3D action game heads to N64 Dec. 6. Conker's a squirrel with a hangover after spending a night of drunken debauchery at the Cock & Plucker (and reading back issues of Beaver magazine). Memorable scenes include Conker urinating on fire enemies, riding atop a dino- saur biting large chunks out of a caveman's ass, an encounter with paint buckets and pitch forks that don't like squirrels, and a meeting with Gregg, a mini-Grim Reaper (don't laugh). The game includes a variety of multiplayer missions like The Heist— where you and your friends (as weasels, a la Roger Rabbit) rob a bank. This game is definitely for the older set, as there's plenty of ahem “dirty” words, blood and sexual innuendo. Dinosaur Planet Rare takes its first shot at a true adventure-style game with Dinosaur Planet. Join mammal warriors Krystal and Sabre as they fight to save the planet from an almost invulnerable evil force. Each has a dinosaur sidekick to help him/her in his/her quest. Control is Zelda-style, complete with Z-targeting. The game has no text to read; instead, the team went for a movie-like feel with full dialogue —hours of speech will be crammed into this cart. In the E3 demo, scenes included sneaking out of a prison Solid Snake-style and nabbing a key to set your dino friends free. Among the boss sequences we saw were a Tyrannosaur which corners you in a huge square hallway, and a Panzer Dragoon-esque battle with a huge enemy airship. Dinosaur Planet is scheduled for a holiday release. AH YES, CONKER. 100 € Up for a good dose of disturbing paranoia on the Web? Head to the Anti-Squirrel Coalition (http://web.qx.net/antisquirrel/) and read about how the | “Bushytails” are plotting our demise. File this under W for weird. F "s * Fishing Experience Ever! Reel Fishing? II builds on the success of Reel Fishing? by offering all the extraordinary game play features that made it the most popular PlayStation? game console fishing game, while at the same time set new standards by being the deepest and most realistic fishing simulation to date. Serious Fun!" PlaySt teract and the PlayStation log: Digital Software Associa registered Trademark of Natsum: есенва мс, Ай righe respond. PREVIEW GALLERY Banjo-Tooie Rare hinted at the existence of Banjo-Tooie in the ending of the first game. And two years later, we're almost at its Aug. 28 release. Banjo and his bird friend Kazooie are back to battle the newly exhumed Gruntilda. Rare's made lots of improvements to the engine in order to fix the camera problems some players complained about in the first game. You start with all the moves Banjo learned in the first adventure. Now Banjo and Kazooie can separate and take on areas specifically designed for them through special "swap" floor pads (Kazooie even has a few first-person shooter missions to take on). And—as fans requested, Mumbo Jumbo is now a playable character. Banjo can transform into more than just animals, too—like a submarine or a washing machine (but anything you turn into will still sport his trademark backpack). There are over 10 multiplayer games for up to four people to challenge. Still undetermined is exactly how the game will exchange data with the first Banjo-Kazooie. But we'll keep you posted! Fighter Destiny 2 The first Fighter Destiny didn't exactly set the world on fire, and the N64 still doesn't have a legitimate top-tier fighter in its library (sorry, kids, Mortal Kombat doesn't qualify). South Peak hopes to change all that with the release of Fighter Destiny 2. Featuring 12 different characters who would fulfill their destinies by beating the crap out of each other on и uenire i Jem small square arenas, Fighter Destiny 2 will be available this June. Paper Mario Don't let the odd title confuse you, this is Nintendo's sequel to the SNES game Super Mario RPG. Much like Yoshi's Story before it, Paper Mario uses a mixture of 3D backgrounds and sprite-based characters to create a world which looks like an *animated pop-up m — = AORIANA book.” Otherwise Paper Mario is set to deliver the same turn-based, RPG action of the original SNES game complete with the old time-based attacks. Look for it on store shelves Dec. 26. DON’T SET THE РАСЕ. DEMIOLISH LL only official Indy Racing” game available, cap all the excitement and high-speed action of РПП 225 mph toward victory. 4 Жш a Aa a Тай ACHION! — GON IO End with Mut SpIiI-SUTEPITATOU EI Widget = рс LJ se =) 20 Фай ея unde nom MS Preis е, AU Rights Resor, Developed by Pardin Entartaimon Ine Tha Paradigm ogo роты trademark ot Paradigm Енесін distributed by infogremes, Inc. IRL, Indianapolis 500 Mile Race and Indianapolis Motor Speedway are trademarks of IMS Properties nc. Infogrames, Inc. and the Infogrames logo are trademarks of (ogame hc Nateedo Nintendo Goeth Aloo are deal Mondo of America. ©1838 Nintendo ol Amarica Ic. consed by Wena AT oihar ademas ot ope d let о ыла дү nacina LEAGUE | PREVIEW GALLERY Indiana Jones: Infernal Machine After disappearing from PlayStation release lists, Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine has been announced for the N64. LucasArts has taken Indy into the realm of 3D as he fights against Soviet Russia rather than Nazi Germany in a very Tomb Raider-esque game environment. Indy sports a huge arsenal of moves and travels the globe in his latest quest to keep the museums of the world well stocked. Hercules Based on the popular TV series, this N64 3D action adventure from Titus and Player 1 should please fans of the show. There are plenty of show-inspired places to travel to, townsfolk to chat with, enemies to kick the snot out of, and boulders to pick up and toss around. After all, you are Hercules. You can also control other characters from the series, on your way to confront the wrathful Ares. Look for it by the end of June. Mickey's Speedway USA Just what the N64 needs—another Mario Kart-like racing game. This one, created by Rare, follows the same action-adventure formula used in Diddy Kong Racing, their previous kart venture. The cast of characters is different, obviously—this time you choose from Disney mascots like Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy and Goofy to race on 15 different tracks. This me-too racing game will probably arrive in the fall. Donald Duck-Quack Attack We don't make up names like this, and neither should you. Donald Duck-Quack Attack brings the speech-impaired duck to life on the N64 via Ubi Soft. The most attractive element of the game will be Donald's various moods: determination and frustration, agitation and exhaustion will all factor into the gameplay in one way or another. DD Quack Attack arrives in your gentle hands this fall. 104 That's right. Hercules has a fine- looking mullet on his hit TV show, so it only makes sense he has one in his N64 game. The mullet is commonplace in Greek mythology, so Hercules isn't really doing anything new. Hell, even Zeus had a flowing mullet. * Ogre Battle 64 Thank God for Atlus. if it weren’t for them, we may never have seen Ogre Battle in any form on our fair shores. Now, with OB 64, N64 owners finally have a real strategy-RPG of their own (and it only took four years!). The makers of this deep, deep game went on to create such classics as Tactics Ogre, Final Fantasy Tactics, and now, Vagrant Story. What more do you need? Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber hits shelves this fall. > namco' Sega®Dreamcast. COLOR Payson PREVIEW GALLERY Rally Challenge 2000 If you're looking for a realistic rally racing title, then maybe South Peak’s game will fit the bill. Equipped with nine customizable real-world cars such as the Toyota Corolla WRC, VW Golf GTI MK, and sassy Hyundai Coupe Evo ll, you race on nine different courses set across the world. Variable weather effects, a realistic physics engine, and saveable vehicle modifications round out this game, due in June. 1ч 2/ Utt par ОР) Te Г pisi We promised more on this game after E3, and here it is. This 3D action/adventure is from Nintendo and Silicon Knights, the same developer as Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain on the PS. The name of the game is time travel, and as you traverse various eras you'll get to use everything from medieval swords to modern military hardware. ED will be full of eerie animated cut scenes. Look for it later this year. | | Acclaim’s Quarterback Club has seen | better days. In fact, the original | release from 1998 actually outsold | Madden 64, Since then things have | gone sour for the series. QB Club '98 NFL Quarterback Club 2001 After last year’s disastrous effort (our condolences for those who bought it), we're surprised Acclaim is going ahead with QBC 2001. They've taken a step in the right direction however: help from a new developer, High Voltage. A revamped game is in the works featuring new player models (they look pretty good), refined special moves, replay modes and all the proper teams and personnel. Check it out this August. Starcraft 64 Why this game has taken so damn long is a mystery, but it's finally ready to go. Well, almost. Blizzard's been taking their sweet time with the N64 port of their most successful PC title ever. This port contains the original game AND the Brood Wars missions, which should do wonders for the strategy-starved console. Control the Zerg, Terrans or Protoss this summer when Starcraft 64 burrows its way into your homes. 106 BANDIT yu eOvvressiow Cut Г. у.о”, САТЕ When DILLETIIESSS: hi na Ene Lee tb ry A EU Ru Е == PREVIEW [Punisher Acetec From Software LEN |: [семе СУЧ 80% |вееазе. october www.agetec.com Goofy Fashion Design Options. Slowdown during battles. | And The Ugly. | It doesn't look too impressive for being a PS2 game. Tres Chic! While present in many From Software games, the most unusual and original | feature in Evergrace is the option to customize the colors of your items and accessories. The shop- keeper, a longtime fan of | Vogue, may even give the player discounts! vergrace — i What happened here? Don't let the tattered appearance fool you: The Rieubane empire is vast and fraught with danger. Yuterald fights the first boss to save à local peasant. Don't run! ver the last few years, the RPG genre has become increasingly important in a console's lineup. With few RPGs scheduled in the PS2's U.S. launch lineup, Agetec has stepped up to the plate with From Software's Evergrace. Evergrace is an Action/RPG epic telling the story of Yuterald and Shalami. Practically brother and sister, both bear a Crest on the back of their right hand that is thought to bring misfortune upon all who see it. Mysteriously transported to the Rieubane empire, the two heroes will discover the true destiny of those marked with the Crest as they are pursued by the forces of evil. While Evergrace's story is relatively original, its gameplay is mostly familiar to action/RPG fans, with a few interesting nuances. Players can play as both characters, switching between paths at their leisure at Save Crystals. As players explore the world from a third-person perspective, they'll search for keys, hit switches and do other RPG stuff in order to complete their quest. To make things interesting, enemies randomly spawn in their path to provide the necessary combat element. In addition to a standard attack, players can key a variety of special attacks to another button. After battle, players can collect Вігіуапа seeds to upgrade their stats, as well as money to buy new equipment. In true From Software fashion, Evergrace does 5 Many of From Software's recent offerings allow the kind of visual | customization that Evergrace does. While it didn't affect gameplay at all, the Dreamcast's medieval mech simulator | Frame Gride and the forthcoming PlayStation2 mech-simulator | Armored Core 2 both let players change the color of their assets. feature a high level of customization options. In a nod to Final Fantasy VII's Materia system, "Palmira" gems can be mixed and matched on equipment to create your own unique arsenal of weapons and spells. For example, playing a Flame Palmira on a sword will result in a Flame Sword of some type. Palmira have limited uses, however, so players will have to use these magical resources sparingly. Armor, unlike in most games, is accurately represented on the character models. Taking advantage of this, players can custom-color their outfits to tailor their characters' appearance however they choose. Originally developed for the PlayStation, Evergrace's visuals have been upgraded to take better advantage of the PlayStation2's hardware. Yuterald and Shalami have high polygon counts, and the environments have a number of textural and polygonal touches that the PlayStation couldn't handle. All kicked up to high resolution, Evergrace's battles are still occasionally marred by slowdown. Hopefully Agetec can address it before the U.S. release. Evergrace's sound represents a strong effort, using soothing fantasy-themed music and lots of recorded dialog to move the story along. Evergrace should be a good game for starved RPG fans, although it will face some dire competition with RPGs like Dark Cloud and Eternal Arcadia. 5 108 GET $5.00 OFF ; AT BEST BUY! x “Every facet of the game, from its zany appearance to its goofy character designs and nutty score, is tailored to perfection. Rating: A-” Pinki and her goons have taken over Pao Pao Park and it's up to Neo to set things right! Dave Halverson * Gamers' Republic amagnetic Neo Use Neo's magnetic powers to capture metallic enemies, catapult off platforms and rocket through the air! Jump, run, ride and swing your way across 20 fantastic levels, spanning 4 bizarre worlds. E] CRAVE Sega (5 Dreamcast. WWW. си com. © 2000 Genki Co., Ltd. All rights reserved. Published and distributed by Crave Entertainment, Inc. under license from Genki Co., Ltd. Super Magnetic Neo, Crave Entertainment and the Crave Entertainment logos are trademarks of Crave Entertainment, Inc. Crave Entertainment is a registered trademark in the U.S. Sega, Dreamcast, and the Dreamcast logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Sega Enterprises, Ltd. All rights reserved. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective holders. Ship date subject to change. SAUE $5.00 SUPER MAGNETIC neg” "onera Cashier Instructions: 1) Verify that product qualifies. 2) Scan coupon UPC. 3) Highlight item. 4) Press “Item Discount”. 5) Press "Tab", 6) Enter "soo" and press "Enter". Sega Dreamcast. т Limit 1 per coupon, per customer. No dealers, please. Coupon must be presented at time of purchase. No facsimiles or photocopies of 3604 К - š coupon accepted. Not valid with other discounts or promotions. Quantities (and titles) vary by store. Coupon value is 1/100th of $.01 „10003912625 19 Dr : ©2000 Best Buy. Expires September 15, 2000. Valid at Best Buy stores only. Ship date subject to change. Ë So just what is the deal with those Easter Island Heads in the Gradius games? Called Moai, the big mystery seems to be how these huge, heavy statues were moved many miles with only the primitive tools available thousands of years ago. Some have even suggested extra-terrestrials must have helped out—maybe some of the same aliens you're blasting away in Gradius! Anyway, if PREVIEW 2 you want your own Moai (including fountains, candle holders and GALLERY the “Swingin’ Tiki god” toy), head to www.tikitrader.com. Unreal Tournament The current big debate among PC gamers: which is better, Quake II! or Unreal Tournament? Our answer: Who gives a crap—we want both! Instead of standard boring-as-hell single-player levels (find key, throw switch, find key...), UT is all multiplayer deathmatch, whether it’s split-screen, networked with other human players, or against computer- controlled “bots.” Special care has been taken to make these Al players behave like real people—they make mistakes, Kengo: Master of Bushido Originally designed for the PS, Bushido Blade developer Lightweight has pushed back the release of its next samurai fighting game to Q1 2001, and are now developing it exclusively for the PS2. As in the BB games, those expecting a button-masher will be sorely disappointed: In addition to the life meter, Kengo has a ‘ki’ or spirit bar, which drops each time you attack. Being patient, watching for openings and carefully choosing your attacks are the keys to victory here, not memorizing miss with weapons, lose track of 300-hit chain combos. Other you, etc. You can even team up features include a reputation with bots in Capture the Flag and System, based on the honor and three other modes. Infogrames is technique you display in battle, only giving out PC shots for now, various training modes, and the and after seeing the choppy early ability to save your advanced version at E3 we can understand characters to the memory card and why. But we expect great things in fight against your friend's warriors. && С time for release late this year. m Gradius III & IV OK, so it's not exactly a graphical showcase for the PS2, but if you're down for some old-school shooting action, you'll be up for this collection of two of Konami's finest. Both games are arcade-perfect, including the start-up test screens and even slowdown when things get hectic. There's few frills— variable difficulty, hi-score challenge mode, a new intro —but plenty of Easter island heads and nostalgia in store for fans this fall. Legion: Legend of Excalibur Midway tells us Legion is quite a departure for them. For starters it's designed by Erik Yeo of Command and Conquer fame and incorporates several interesting elements. Officially it's a 3D, Strategy/RPG with an emphasis on real-time battles. As the story goes, you take on the persona of Arthur Pendragon and claim your right as the King of England. Lead your band of killers (12 different Knights) into battle where strategy and real-time fighting determine if you'll retain the crown. Multiplayer modes include Deathmatch and Co-op. It appears these pics are taken from a development PC but Midway promises it'll look just as impressive when released for the PS2 in the summer of 2001. More to come on this one. 110 Star Wars: Starfighter The parade of Star Wars games continues with this 3D flight sim that seems like a combination of Rogue Squadron and X-Wing. LucasArts’ Starfighter takes place during the Trade Federation takeover of Naboo where you pilot three different types of ships in 14 missions taking place both on the planet and in space. The graphics, particularly the landscapes, are absolutely gorgeous. You can see for yourself this winter. PlayStation.2 T Pi 5 Timesplitters This PS2 launch title from Eidos and Free Radical Design is a fast and furious FPS free-for-all. Right now, the development team (which is comprised in part of former Rare employees who worked on GoldenEye) has the one-player and B two- to four-player split-screen modes running at an awe-inspiring 6ofps. It also features a variety of co-op and deathmatch scenarios, tons of themed levels and characters, and a fully featured level editor (sweet). The thing looks like it's going to rock out. 2 NE PREVIEW GALLERY m R. —. PREVIEW GALLERY FIFA: Major League Soccer While this is likely to be one of the PS2’s launch games, we were able play the finished Japanese version. As you might expect, the graphics in EA’s PS2 FIFA are pretty amazing. The game is running on the FIFA 2000 engine, with the only major difference being the myriad of league licenses in the game. EA is adamant about licensing every major league they can find. Kickoff is in October. Fusion GT Let the early PlayStation2 WipeOut clones commence! Called Hresvelgr in Japan, Crave just picked this one up and hopes to have it ready in time for the PS2 launch in October. It looks like your usual futuristic racer, aside from the impressive graphics you would expect from the PS2. You choose from eight different jets to race on eight wild tracks and you can upgrade your vehicle’s offensive and defensive capabilities. Knockout Kings 2001 We're amazed how good this winter release title looks— it's incredible. EA used their new Cyber Scan technology to map the boxers' faces. The motion-blur effects are equally impressive, especially when using the new-and-improved Haymaker punch. The gameplay is refined to include signature boxing styles and something called Dynamic Punch Control—a feature which allows you to make and control your own custom combos. ESPN International Track & Field - When the PlayStation2 arrives, there won't be a shortage of button- mashing games thanks to Konami's newest addition to the Track & Field franchise. In this Sydney edition, there are 12 different competitions including Weight Lifting, Pole Vaulting, Clay Pigeon shooting, gymnastics, and Freestyle swimming, in addition to the various forms of dashes. You'll even see some big-name athletes when the action hits in the fall. Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee The real showing for Munch’s Oddysee at the E3 was behind closed doors. Oddworld Inhabitants has created a world with a fully functioning ecosystem in Munch. If you build a factory that uses a lot of wood, certain areas will suffer from deforestation and all the problems that result from it. The basic point is that every action has a realistic reaction within the virtual world. This game is going to be a real treat. 112 - www.vi STEP INTO THE OCTAGON” THIS FALL Visit www.esrb.org or call 1-800-771-3772 for more info. DEN TER TAIN MENT] www.seg.com www.cravegames.com © 2000 Crave Entertainment, Inc. All rights reserved. Ultimate Fighting Championship and the Ultimate Fighting Championship Logo are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Semaphore Entertainment Group in the U.S and other countries. Used under license from. SEG Sports. Crave Entertainment, the Crave Entertainment logo and FIGHT LIKE A MAN are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Crave Entertainment, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective holders. PREVIEW Square EA Squaresoft 1 Survival Horror 80% September www.squaresoft.com www.squareusa.com Aya in the shower. NMCs across the U.S. That poor girl in the diner. Biology 101 Q: What are mitochondria? A: Mitochondria are a part of the cell that combines glucose with oxygen to produce energy. They are often called the “powerhouse” of the cell. Q: Are they parasitic? A: No, they’re symbiotic. But even though they exist inside human cells, they have a double-membrane cell wall, DNA independent of the cells, and reproduce independently via splitting. Q: Who is “Mitochondrial Eve?” A: Studies suggest every modern human's ancestry can be traced to a single prehistoric woman. As the first human to be "infected" by mitochondria, this woman was dubbed “Mitochondrial Eve.” Q: Are mitochondria sentient? A: No. Aya's mitochondria make her age backward, so she's younger and sexier in this game than the first. Summoning her mitochondrial energy from within, Aya puts down the Pyrokinetic burn on an opponent. quare’s Parasite Eve was an early experiment in creating a “cinematic” video game. It looked fantastic, but its short length left some players cold. Square’s honed their graphical skills over the course of several games—so why not give their modern-day series another go? Heroine Aya Brea returns, and several years younger, thanks to the retrograde aging effect of her personal mitochondria. She’s left the NYPD and joined up with the Feds: FBI, MIST (Mitochondria Investigation and Suppression Team) division. MIST is a top-secret, X-Files-like government bureau that deals with and covers up Neo-Mitochondrion Creature- related incidents. Ever since the New York episode, dangerously mutated creatures have been popping up all over the nation. Aya and a team of experts are the nation’s first line of defense. Her adventure takes her from the Akropolis Tower in the heart of Los Angeles to the sandy wastelands of the Mojave Desert and beyond. Seemingly isolated incidents start to form a pattern, and Aya begins to suspect a conspiracy behind the rise in NMC activity. If the original Parasite Eve was a traditional RPG with survival-horror elements, then the sequel is а survival-horror title with RPG elements. Resident Evil-style locales (complete with auto-map) replace RPG-style field maps. Control, as in most survival- horror titles, is now character-relative. A large number of (often illogical) logic puzzles stand 114 between the player and success; the sequel also places greater emphasis on the proper use of a “key item” inventory. With all these gameplay changes, a totally revamped battle system should come as no surprise. Gone are the expanding wireframe spheres and breaks in the action. Gamers now shoot, reload, dodge and take damage in real time: Select your target and hope for the best. Aya’s arsenal includes pistols, submachine guns, rifles, shotguns and even grenade launchers; more powerful weapons have effects such as splash damage upon impact. Unfortunately, the first game’s extensive weapon customization system has all but disappeared. More powerful weapons and armor are purchased using a “currency.” For some foes, a shotgun blast to the head just won't cut it. That's why Aya has “magic.” (They call it Parasite Energy, but trust us, it’s magic.) By summoning the inherent power of her sub-cellular organisms, Aya can access eight separate “spells.” These range from a directed energy blast and a radial shockwave to status/HP replenishment and a defensive shell. Spells are unlocked by spending experience points earned in battle and can be upgraded several times with further experience expenditures. Is it an adventure-RPG or an RPG-adventure? No one knows for sure. Except for its sexy heroine, Parasite Eve II has little in common with its predecessor. ® INFOGRAMES, Sega© Dreamcast. DASTARDLY & MUTTLEY AND THE WACKY RACES and oll related characters and elements are trademarks of Hanna-Barbera. © 2000 Hanna-Barbera and Heatter-Quigley. CARTOON NETWORK and logo are trademarks of Cartoon Network © 2000. © 2000 Infogrames North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Infogrames is a trademark of Infogrames North America, Inc. Sega, Dreamcast, and the Dreamcast logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Sega Enterprises, Lid. Game Boy and Game Boy Color are trademarks of Nintendo of America. © 1989, 1998 Nintendo of America, Inc. All other trodemorks are croceriy of their respective owners. Ever want to direct the wondrous talents of William Shatner on the bridge of the Enterprise? | Now you can! SimShatner lets you control the dialogue and re-create some of Bill’s most shining moments. http://www.hecklers.com/simshatner/ a> PREVIEW GALLERY Persona 2: The original Persona was a sleeper hit, lauded for its twisted, non- standard story and battle system. This November, Atlus will release Persona 2: Eternal Punishment in the U.S. The follow-up to the Japan- only Persona 2: Innocent Sin, Eternal Punishment continues the story of a troupe of high school students that battle the forces of evil three years after the original Persona. A curse has befallen Sumaru City that turns rumor into reality. Players must use this curse to their advantage — manipulate the town’s rumors and you'll change reality as well. As with the previous Persona games, players can negotiate with demons in order to summon them later. And, of course, Persona 2 features the dark, ultra-mod art of Kazuma Kaneko. We don’t see too many RPGs like this in the U.S.—adult-themed games that take place in the modern-day world. Atlus has suggested that if there's enough demand, Innocent Sin may make it over here as well, so let's hope they sell some! Invasion It's surprising that it took this long for a Star Trek game to hit the PlayStation, but luckily it looks like the first time's the charm. Activision is taking the franchise in a direction it hasn't gone before in this fast- paced 3D space action game that plays a lot like Colony Wars. This is no coincidence, however, as most of Invasion's team is made up of ex- Psygnosis employees. Their influence really pays of with the stunning visuals they've been so adept at creating. Paramount worked with Activision closely in developing, and the actual 3D models used in the movie were downgraded and crammed onto a PS disc. The end result is incredibly detailed starships, including a huge Borg cube you can fly inside. Trekkies start saving your nickels and dimes for this August release. 5 № L SPAM b. 116 SOUTHPEAK™ INTERACTIVE € out of this thing ows” in © different languages. [EVERYONE = <=> === Ed SouthPeak Interactive * One Research Drive • Cary, NC USA 27513 + tel 919-677-4499 * fax 919-677-3862 4 / www.southpeak.com SouthPeak Interactive and the SouthPeak Interactive logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of SouthPeak Interactive LLC. @ indicates U S A registration, Other brand or product names are the = trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. NINTENDO, NINTENDO 64 and the “N” logo are trademarks of Nintendo of America INC ©1996 Nintendo of America Ine (62000 Europress Software Limited, Imagineer Co., td. and Genki Co., Ltd. VOLKSWAGEN TRADEMARKS, DESIGN PATENTS AND COPYRIGHTS ARE USED WITH THE APPROVAL OF THE OWNER Ф Ms. Pac-Man Maze Madness Pac-Man World was one of last year’s best platform games, but much of the gameplay strayed from what Pac-Man does best—eatin’ the dots. This time his better half finds herself in a similar situation, but with more puzzle elements to complement even more gobbling. Namco has included classic Ms. Pac-Man and 3D boards to go with the game’s Quest mode. Get ready to feast this October. ПЕ Army Men: Air E m >. tack 2 Like it or not, the Army Men E - * : games are fast becoming a staple Е of the PS game stable. In all fairness, the first Air Attack was probably the best game in the extended series thus far—that’s > j А ^ ; right, a fun game with the Army ~ j ee н Men name on it. This time around, > 1 s et household items (and not-so- household items) play a greater © role in the success of your : missions. In Air Attack 2, you can pick up almost anything with your winch to bowl over the Tan Army. It’s not exactly “Army Men Bowling” (or is it?), but it’s as close as you're likely to get. Designed by many of the veterans who had a hand in the popular Genesis and SNES Strike series, the Army Men: Air series is taking an arcade- oriented turn for the better. This one hits this fall. Animated Violence. Animated Blood É L . Ms. Pac-Man Maze Adventures is basically w, q a sequel to last year’s Pac-Man World. 2. Interestingly enough, Namco significantly oe ^ xii P — E simplified Ms. Pac-Man's controls to only use x the directional pad. Or were they just making a => Social commentary on women in general? » Ñ 4 PREVIEW After all, technically, you could say that g yy GALLERY Ms. Pac-Man is a blonde. Developer Luxoflux, creator of the Vigilante 8 console games, is no stranger to vehicular combat and now they’re turning to the Force. Demolition takes place between Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi—a perfect time for you to fight with tanks, Rancor beasts, STAPs, and Sandspeeders in various combat arenas owned by—of course— Jabba the Hutt. May the Force be with you this fall. Enix’s return to the U.S. market includes a sequel to the hit dance game Bust-A-Groove. BaG2 will feature 18 characters, some of which are returning from the original, and 12 all-new songs. Gameplay enhance- ments include the ability to avoid or reflect opponents’ attacks, an all- new scoring system and a more involved dance system that includes all four controller buttons. Bust-A-Groove 2 should hit this winter. 119 A ә PREVIEW GALLERY The Simpsons The title says it all. This winter release from Fox pits a variety of characters from The Simpsons against each other in the squared circle. Hey, why not? Put Homer up against Flanders. Moe against Lisa. Bart against Scratchy. The list goes on and on. It features over 20 characters (13 playable from the po» beginning, with plenty more to open BEP up) and a variety of arenas inspired by the show, including the Nuclear Plant, Moe's Tavern and others. It also has a variety of wrestling moves, and hilarious character- specific specials (like Barney's Duff Cloud Burp). The 240 lines of verbal taunts is the game’s most winning feature though—it guarantees lots of laughs during play. It was a little rough around the edges at E3, but as big Simpsons fans we'll hope for the best. p Police Chases Based on the popular TV show, Fox’s World’s Scariest Police Chases is being presented like an extra TV episode on the PS. Gamers can play as either the cops or robbers, so to speak, in over 50 single-player missions and four different multiplayer matchups. The game is looking very similar to the hit Driver, which is to say it should be loads of fun. Look for it sometime this winter. => PREVIEW GALLERY The ma. Christmas...bah, HUMBUG! Wait, В 4 Р 4 wrong movie. Konami has nabbed 3^ the video game rights to one of = Dr. Seuss’ most beloved books for u — this game (not based on the film dd . which is coming to theaters in November). It's best described as a non-violent—according to Konami—action-adventure game. You star as The Grinch, and your job is to halt the spirit of the season in Who-ville by collecting presents, solving puzzles and spreading unhappiness. Headed to PS, DC and GBC in November. Rhythm N’Groove Like Disney? Like music games? Then there's a good chance you'll dig Ubi Soft's jungle Book Rhythm N'Groove, coming in November. It features music from the movie, including “I Wanna Be Like You" and "Bare Necessities," and you dance along using a special floor pad, planned to be released by Guillemot. Good to see someone getting in on the dancing games (nudge, nudge — Konami). | On the left is NCAA Football | 2000, on the right is NCAA | Football 2001. Besides the | momentum meter and the box | colors they appear almost identical. > PREVIEW GALLERY Boartlers 4 30 new courses, 5 new mountains, downhill, half pipe, slope style, CBX, big air and new special events are among the new features you'll find in Cool Boarders 4. Tight carving and improved physics have been ma mi^" implemented to loosen up the rider's handling. 16 pro riders, 34 brand- 8 > cus name boards and even some Road Rash-style chop-socky are included р E - ч in the package. Sony’s Cool Boarders 4 ships this October. y š š Spyro: Same little dragon—whole new game. In fact, this one from Sony and Insomniac Games has over 30 new levels to explore, with tons of challenges and stuff to collect. It also has more of the extra stuff like the hockey game in Spyro 2, including boxing, skateboarding, sharp shooting and more. Will it look even better than part 2? Well, it is looking quite nice but we shall see. It'll be here in November. Outside of a momentum meter, EA's NCAA CF 2001 looks exactly like last year's game. Honestly, we can’t tell "ет apart. But beneath the skin there are changes (however small) to this August release title. The Dynasty Mode now includes junior college transfers and even high school recruitment. In addition, a deeper Create-a- School Mode offers more uniforms and icons. Gameplay (the strongest part of this pup) is similar but includes something called Advanced Player Control—an option that lets you utilize special traits be it greater juke ability and so on. This could be the last blast for NCAA CF. It’s rumored EA won't bring it to PS2 right away. ® Emperor's New Groove Based on the upcoming Disney animated feature, this one from Sony and Argonaut Software is a hybrid type of game including puzzle, action/platform and even pseudo-racing elements. You control an Incan ruler by the name of Kuzco, who has been magically turned into a llama. The November release has eight themed worlds, comprised of some 30 levels, which are broken up by cinematics from the upcoming movie. ESPN MLS GameNight If there's one sport Konami does well it’s soccer. For GameNight they've taken their successful ISS soccer game engine and integrated large amounts of American Major League Soccer flash (yes, we have a professional league). The title features all 12 MLS teams plus 53 international-style clubs. ESPN announcers, Create-a-player and loads of team management options round out this August release game. Ў or т WU | = z s sa = END or “ЭВАСО THE END IS JUST THE BEGINNING. => PREVIEW GALLERY As you might expect from Star Ocean: The Second Story developer Tri-Ace, Valkyrie Profile plays with the standard RPG formula, mixing in a healthy dose of action and other unique elements. You play the goddess Valkyrie in her search for souls worthy to fight alongside Odin and other Norse deities in their sacred war in Asgard. Throughout the game you recruit and train warriors, choosing which of their skills and special abilities to develop before sending them to fight in the battle with the gods. Much of the game, including town and dungeon maps, takes place on 2D, platform-style levels. You can jump, slide, dash and climb your way around; if you get lost, just consult the auto-map. In combat, each of your four characters is assigned to a button. The goal is to time their moves so they hit simultaneously and open up special bonus attacks, There are also tons of special items, skills, spells and other techniques to learn. So far it looks like Enix is doing a fine translation job—the text is smooth and the English voicework (which there’s a lot of) sounds good. Definitely one to anticipate this summer. Fear Effect: So what the heck does Retro Helix mean, anyway? Basically it’s the name for the leftovers from human evolution (tonsils and tailbones are good examples). It will also be the title to the sequel to Eidos’ critically acclaimed Fear Effect. The whole gang will return—Hana, Deke and Glas—but there will be a new character, Rain, whose history with Hana is, shall we say, an interesting one. FE: Retro Helix is due early 2001 The movie was weak-sauce in the eyes of many (usually those over the age of one), but that doesn’t mean the game has to be! Ubi Soft is aiming this one at the kids, but that’s not a bad thing if the gameplay turns up aces. While the movie may not be the blockbuster everyone expected, the game will linger on when it’s released this summer. You’ve always wanted to be an Iguanodon, admit it! Torneko: Set in the same universe as Enix’s mega-RPG Dragon Quest (Dragon Warrior in the U.S.), Torneko is a Chocobo’s Dungeon-style random dungeon crawl due out late this summer. The emphasis is on exploration and finding items, and there's certainly plenty of those—over 148 weapons, treasures and other knickknacks to find, collect and sell. Great to see Enix bringing this over, but where’s Dragon Quest VII? 2 Tee H raite Rak Мы Total, Needed CF | level бинти Hero Value it КЕТСЕ: 124 Your beeper beeps. Your PDA chimes. You can make a quick call wherever you are. Yup, technology is an integral part of everyday life. That's why ZDNet has all the product reviews to help you find the latest gadget. In fact, ZDNet was named "Best Overall Online Site" by the Computer Press Association. However technology touches your life, ZDNet's Reviews Channel has something for you. et www.zdnet.com PREVIEW GALLERY Zelda: = Mystical ~~ Seed of " Power Originally planned to be a trilogy, the new Zelda GBC game series has become a set of two titles. Here are some more screens of the first game. Actions in each of the two games (which can be played in any order) will affect aspects of the other. As of yet Nintendo has not announced a release date for the U.S. market. We'll have more information on MSoP as it becomes available. Dragon Warrior 181 This fall old-school RPGers are gonna have a massive joygasm. Dragon Warrior 1811, not available since their release on the NES, are getting a full update and being released together on one GBC cartridge by Enix. Both games have been retranslated (to get rid of errors in the original release), touched up to appear better on the tiny screen, and have even received cinemas. Ne e z À = EF wea Wacky Races Infogrames isn’t wasting any time taking advantage of this Warner Bros. license. Along with just about every other console out there, Wacky Races will hit the GBC this summer. From what we've played, Wacky Races is chock-full of play options and some of the smoothest graphics in a GBC racer. Players have to use weapons to take out competitors. The racers are large and really capture the feel of the cartoons they’re based on. race FIRST? d ва to Your challenae? Hargon’s army! 126 More THAN A SEQUEL: THE IMPACT GAME = Ur Dre p.VEAR. So you think you're pretty hot with a hoe do you? Well, do the world a favor: + ee Put that hoe down, and check out Sat http://www.arborday.org/programs/rfrCoffee.html # Not only will you learn about more than just trees, you’ll be drinking java (maybe!) and PREVIEW saving a rainforest. GALLERY Donkey Kong Country That's right, a full- fledged SNES port of Rare’s masterpiece is on its way to the GBC this August. Nintendo is quick to point out that DKC won't be a carbon copy, but rather an upgrade, sort of like the other DX games. Expect “lost levels,” added mini-games, Game Boy Camera (how, we have no idea) and Link Cable support. It’s going to be interesting to see if SNES games translate to the GBC as well as the NES classics have. f'uiefaoalie Crystalis Here’s a quick update on the Zelda- esque NES classic Crystalis, being brought to us from Nintendo and NST. The game has all of the stuff that made the original SNK title so enjoyable, along with some new GBC-specific features, including improved graphics, a tweaked story line for more logical continuity and ending, new abilities and much more. It’s scheduled for release sometime this summer. Harvest Moon GBC 2 Harvest Moon 2 gives you all the good stuff you loved about the first game and more. Play mini-games, trade insects(!), fish and even plants with gamers who own Harvest Moon 2 or Legend of the River King 2. Spray yourself up with cheap cologne for 4 September when Natsume ships this little gem. CE SALAS ZS d Back Flips, Gyroscó г $ Country tracks NINTENDOS* ! : | % ь atii y : r | PlayStation com beginning August 15, 2000 ese d ENTERTAINMENT +o 7s PREVIEW GALLERY Test Drive Le Mans This summer Infogrames’ s racing sim hits the Game Boy Color in fine style. Coming to the tiny c is every feature found in its bigger PlayStation counterpart. Test Drive Le Mans will also include a battery backup, over 20 tracks and 10 licensed cars. Players will race during the day and at night against up to 20 cars at once. Take an RPG with a plot revo! and Sea Gods, lost jewels and whole mess of fishin’ and here" over 60 types of fish and insects to collect, trade (with the Harvest Moon 2 cart as well) or toss back into the wild. Natsume's releasing LotRK2 this fall. Qix Adventure The original Qix is rivaled on simplistic but highly addictive gameplay. This update retains that flavor but also incorporates collecting (over 8o treasures to find), a link-cable Battle Mode (featuring 30 characters) and o! Qix arcade game. Natsume wil Return of the Ninja d | The original arcade Qix was introduced | back in 1981. The first Game Boy version came out in 1990. The latest, GBC Qix | Adventure i is on target for a fall release. | @ Qix AB o 4 TO Championship | A Touring Car ports car Yet another PlayStation-to-GBC conversion. This time it’s South Peak taking their popular racing sim and shrinking it down to the handheld wonder. TOCA will feature nine real- world tracks with different weather conditions and a full-featured championship mode. This summer the Game Boy is the place to be for hardcore racing fanatics. artridge different both lving around Mountain more, then add in a 5 what you get. There's y by Tetris for its f course, the original release QA this fall. In Natsume's new side-scro confrontation is as important a push comes to shove, your ninj defend himself. He can pick up embrace the five elements as weapons: Fire, Wind, Earth, Water and —Heaven?! Slice and dice this fall. ler avoiding s fighting, but when a has plenty of ways to items, but can also 42 all new wicked-fast cars to choose from An exclusive for Dreamcast High-Speed, full-impact racing action = Collisions: damage and destruction = Two 12 torturous tracks exclusive tracks for Dreamcast, each with multiple driving paths А] E Incredible сити] B Smoke, fire? ho К vehicles show ha ative Real-Time Damage effects ods fly Off cars, tires Moh and rdcore damage as it happens PREVIEW GALLERY Armada ЕК Racers Unlike the Dreamcast title, Armada F/X Racers is a racing game. Six very distinct alien species race over six different worlds, and each area requires a different strategy if you intend on finishing first. The graphics are pretty sharp for the GBC. Metro3D is shipping this one in June. Animorphs Animorphs pops you into the role of four different TV characters. Over five missions and 12 levels, you'll take the Animorphs on a dangerous adventure. The catch is that you cannot remain an Animorph for more than two hours. Animorphs is scheduled to ship this September from Ubi Soft. New Batman Adventures Suit up as either Batman or Batgirl and take on 18 levels of rock-’em sock-'em action in this latest portable offering from Ubi Soft. Based on the Warner Bros. cartoon, it’s your job to stop a crime wave caused by the simultaneous escape of Gotham’s most notorious villains. Coming in September. HORK-BAJIR EXR. 87 $ HEALTH Carl Lewis Athletics 2000 Apparently Ubi Soft wants a share of the Track and Field pie. Ten events are featured in their version of the finger-blistering classic. Most are running-based but javelin, discuss and shotput are offered as well. Two players can play on one Game Boy or compete using the Link Cable. Watch for it this September. "I'll get you someday Gadget!” September, actually. That's when Inspector Gadget hits stores from Ubi Soft on GBC and PS. Metro City is being terrorized (or is that, forever terrorized) by MAD agents, and only Inspector Gadget can stop them. Use Penny, Gadget or Brain across five worlds of four levels apiece. Mowgli's Adventure This October Mowgli will travel through the world of The Jungle Book once again, courtesy of Ubi Soft. Making his way from the jungle to the “man village,” Mowgli will interact with many characters from the movie, including Shere Khan, Kaa, Baloo and King Louie. _ Scientists estimate it took a jillion years Now we're announcing product fine for release in September 1999, the Worm Light reached number 7 in the TS Repe fea а! February, The Worm Light for Game Boy Color remains number 1. Photo: Eagle Nebula - Courtesy of =: ~ ^w ESN VEEN us. ге Concept art roll call (clockwise from top): Blood Omen’s Vorador returns to the spotlight; one of the new, hard-to- kill Thrall warriors; the limp-winged hero himself, Raziel; and a nightmarish demon. 4 А a Players who beat SR remember—and probably even griped about—its abrupt to-be-continued finale, which saw Raziel stalk after Kain into a star-swirling time vortex. Some gamers even cried conspiracy. After uncovering dialog sequences on the game's CD that they never heard during Raziel's adventure, cynics figured publisher Eidos and Crystal slapped an ending onto the already late SR and shipped it half finished. Lack of story development for the vampire lieutenant Turel supported that theory. The truth isn't so sinister. "The stuff we cut was the equivalent of the Silenced Cathedral level from Soul Reaver,” Hennig said. “It would have been nice to keep that in, and all the denouement and character resolution, but there was just no time....We couldn’t spend five years making that game. It was just as well to do it in two parts. | just wish we had While you check out SR2’s screenshots (taken from the Dreamcast version) keep in mind that the finished game will look much better. The team is still stripping out all the original PlayStation code and tweaking it for the new hardware. planned that from the start and had a more elegant cliffhanger. That's the only thing | regret. But for all those people who like to pick apart all the game’s audio files and try to deduce what we were trying to do with the story, they’ll be disappointed, because it’s not gonna be like that at all.” Instead, SR2—which hits the PlayStation2 and Dreamcast in March 2001— takes a few of the gameplay elements originally planned for the prequel and drops them into a time-tripping story that picks up right where that game left off. Players start the game as Raziel, with all the abilities he earned last time, including phasing, swimming, scaling walls and constricting. He wields the Soul Reaver at the game's outset, except now he doesn't need a full health coil to whip out the blade in the Material Plane. The reaver is much more crucial to the gameplay this time around— . für all those people who like to pich apart all the game's audio files and try to deduce The Paley di h t : t | th th t They may have been sliced from the last game, but the reaver W at We were ИШ j 0 wit l š 01), forges аге back іп а big way in Soul Reaver 2. These wishing-well- shaped structures come in seven elemental flavors—Dark, Y H . Spirit, Light, Fire, Air, Earth and Water—and each imbues they | lp disappointed, because Raziel’s reaver with more uses than a mystical Ginsu. You'll find the forges scattered throughout the ТЕ , y a game’s time zones—usually after figuring out a it 5 not gonna lp | li that. > . particular area's puzzles. Once Raziel dips the Soul REX Reaver into these " E di T. pits (a feat conveyed via a — director Any Hennig nifty in-game cinema) the m blade is granted between four and six new abilities, many of which you'll need to reach new areas in the game. “We want players to have that ‘ah ha!’ moment every time they get the new abilities,” Hennig said. “You'll say, ‘Oh great—there’s all these places | can go now that | couldn't go before.” Take the Light Reaver, for instance. It glows in the dark once equipped, and you can aim it like a flashlight to inspect murals in the gloom—and see clues you'd otherwise miss. This reaver launches projectiles that turn on lanterns, while you can also strike special elementally attuned symbols to open sealed doors and trigger other events. Reaver types you'll find later in the game bestow more dramatic abilities. You'll use the Spirit Reaver kinda like a hookshot; aim it at special distant tiles in the spectral realm and you'll teleport to that location. In addition to the reaver forges, you'll also find seven reaver augmentations that bestow special charge-up moves. Find the Fire Reaver augmentation and you can cast a ring of fire by holding the attack button. The Dark Reaver augmentation gives you temporary invisibility, the Light Reaver power-up will illuminate an entire room and blind light-sensitive enemies, etc. OK, so Crystal Dynamics’ current game plan has it that you'll find seven reaver forges, and each imbues your blade with four to six new abilities. On top of that, you'll find seven additional reaver augmentations. A quick check of the math shows you'll wind up with more than до skills by the end of SR2. "You're not limited to just climbing, swimming and constricting things this time," Hennig said. “The player ends up with a whole bunch more abilities than they had in the first game." by tracking down and dipping his blade into the seven elemental reaver forges, Raziel will gain the new abilities he needs to reach every area in the game (see the Reaver Rack sidebar for more details). The Glyphs, on the other hand, have been removed from SR2 entirely. In their place are spells Raziel must find to open certain portals and figure out puzzles. Players spend SR2 chasing Kain through three time periods: one set before Blood Omen, during the prehistory of Nosgoth; a period right around the time of that game; and a period soon after. "We're not revisiting the destroyed wasteland world of Soul Reaver in this game," Hennig told us. "We're kinda going back to say, ‘Well, the wasteland is unredeemable, but what can we do about the past to change that?” The pillar area Kain used as his headquarters in SR serves as the central hub of all three time periods, which offer new types of terrain and locations such as swamps, forests and cities (a new on-screen compass will help save you from getting lost). According to lead animator James Guilford, SR2 will pack many new vampire types, as well as much greater variety of human NPCs and enemies. You'll encounter catlike vampires, hunters clad in stylized swash- buckling attire, the Sarafan warrior priests, vampire- and demon- worshiping sects of humans and & other creatures similar to the A undead minions and extra- dimensional demons that plagued Nosgoth in Blood w Omen. Combat will work P pretty much the same as before; Raziel needs to pummel enemy vampires into submission, then do 'em in with a fatal feat such as impaling or hurling them into water— except now he'll encounter hardier vampire types invulnerable to those old- school finishing moves. The skeletal Then and now: Wanna know what a difference thousands and thousands of polygons can make? Take a gander at these mock-up shots of a pillar- lined hallway on the PlayStation (left) versus a hall on the Dreamcast/PS2 (right). The largest rooms in the original PS Soul Reaver were made of about 10,000 polygons. For the Dreamcast and PS2 versions, most rooms will be between 20,000 and 30,000 polys. Thralls you face near the start of SR2, for example, don’t go down when you run them through with a spear. Fortunately, the designers are expanding the combat system to include more types of fatal moves. Some enemies can only be dispatched by decapitation, some are only vulnerable to weapons made from certain materials, etc. Hennig is still keeping SR2’s story a guarded secret, but you can expect key characters from Blood Omen and SR to appear in the game. You'll see Kain and the Elder, of course, as well as World Builders Research, research, research: SR2’s designers and mesh artists consult architecture books for ideas, sketch out each level, then map it out in Adobe Illustrator. They walk through the level several times on paper and meet with everyone on the team for feedback. Meanwhile, the texture artists visualize and research what each area should look like. Then the meshers build the level in 3DStudio MAX, the artists add the textures and lighting and —voilá! —a world is born. *We end up with something that looks intentional," Hennig said, *as opposed to something extemporaneous, which | think a lot of games feel like." Moebius, Ariel and missing- in-action SR2 lieutenant Turel. Raziel will also run into characters from Nosgoth's past, including Vorador and the Sarafan. "What we're doing is reinvesting in the mythology of the original Blood Omen, as well as how it all ties into Soul Reaver,” Hennig explained. “Our last game was more peripheral for all sorts of reasons, but now we can really get in there and roll'up our sleeves and get back to the-mythology, and it's going to be really important for this game-and “When we worked on the first game.. it was lihe, Qh, here are all your restrictions, Now we can Û whatever we have time for." — artist Matt Mocarshi Electronic Gaming Monthly - 138 - www.videogames.com future games that people get familiar with it." Of course, you're gonna need the newest hardware to follow along. Crystal recently announced that SR2 will only be available for Dreamcast and PS2. Although the game was originally supposed'to be a PS1 title, the team’s now ramping up the engine to take advantage of the Slicker— and, they believe, more lucrative —new machines. “The impression we're all getting is the PlayStation1 market is dying a quicker death than anybody thought," Hennig said, *and whether that has to do with the readily available CD burners and the fact that people are just renting games rather than buying them, who knows. It just doesn’t seem like it would be as financially sound as we'd hoped. And obviously, for what we wanted to convey with story and architectural richness and character detail, this new hardware gives us so much more creative freedom.” Not a single member of the SR2 team regrets the decision to move on to the newer hardware. “When we were making Soul Reaver for the ‘We're going to vector units, PlayStation, it got to the point where we were afraid to add code,” lead programmer Marc David told us. “We would add code to support some feature, and then we would have to spend some time removing code from other places and shrinking it. Our et into the lanti ‘lle re going to push а We havea lot of Меен that.” — programmer deat frota time's memory was so tight. But now we have more memory and can push more polys. The game experience will be much richer.” “And the other really important thing is the frame- rate,” chimed in programmer Jason Bell. “The PS2 and Electronic Gaming Monthly - 189 - www.videogames.com Dreamcast versions will run at 60 frames per second. That's one of the reasons the DC version of Soul Reaver looked so much nicer than the PlayStation1 game. It played so smoothly." Programmer Scott Krotz added, "Plus, we're going to get into the PlayStation2’s vector units. We'll have anti- aliasing. We're going to push the hardware. We have a lot of experience with that." But while the programmers tweak SR2's engine for the Dreamcast and PS2, it's ultimately up to the texture artists, animators and mesh w amare answers to ЕШ Questions he staff at EGM is a nitpicky bunch, and we found a few minor head-scratching contradictions while playing through Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. So, since we have way too much time on our hands, we thought we'd clear up four little conundrums while we had the ear of the game's director, Amy Hennig. Sorry, Amy, but we just had to ask... EGM: Raziel's skin and jaw burn away when he's tossed into the Lake of the Dead at the beginning of Soul Reaver, so why does his hair stay intact? AMY HENNIG: Because he'd look silly if he was bald. | dunno. It's magical hair, or maybe he just has deep follicle. EGM: How come Raziel can stand on blocks in the Spectral Realm, but he can't pull or push them? AH: Because if he fell through the world, that would be an A bug. (Editor's note: An ^A bug" is a critical flaw that would prevent a game from shipping until it's fixed.) But the real answer is that time stops in the Spectral Plane. So he can stand on a block —it has physical presence —but he can't move or manipulate it because the Spectral Plane is timeless and changeless. That's our story, anyway, and we're sticking to it. EGM: Why didn't Kain ever sprout wings like Raziel did? We thought those Dark God vampires followed each other's evolutionary footsteps by about a decade or so. AH: Everyone's on a different evolutionary path, but there's something deeper going on. Without giving anything away, ГИ say Kain knew exactly what he was doing when he had Raziel thrown into the vortex. Raziel's wings were a sign, and Kain had him tossed on purpose. He's not a compulsive, jealous creep. Soul Reaver 2 will reveal more of that. EGM: Why does Raziel's cowl and boots pass to the Spectral Realm with him, but he can't carry other solid items like spears or torches from the Material World? AH: The tattered remains of his clothing aren't literally material objects anymore; they're more like *organic" manifestations of their former states, now melded into Raziel’s being just like his flesh and bones. From a philosophical point of view, Raziel doesn't really literally have a physical body anymore anyway — his appearance is just an illusion, a spiritual manifestation. Therefore all his accouterments are just a projection of his Spiritual state. Is that convoluted enough? builders to make the game shine on the new hardware. "When we worked on the first game for the PlayStation, it was, like, OK, here are all your restrictions," texture artist Matt Mocarski told us. *Now we can do whatever we have time for." Every member of the game's art team stressed to us again and again that SR2 will look much better than the screens you see here (these shots were taken from a version the team started building back when the game was going to be a PS title). The programmers are now in the process of revamping the game engine to take advantage of the new systems' boosted horsepower. We're told to expect a 150 to 200 percent increase in detail in the final Dreamcast and PS2 versions. Monsters will be built from at least twice as many polygons as before. Raziel's character model will be beefed up by about 1,000 polys. Textures will be higher-res and in 16-Bit color. The environments will teem with ambient critters, little animals like dogs, rats, snakes and birds. And all structures in the game will look more curved, realistic and organic; pillars in the DC and PS2 version will be rendered with 18 sides, for example, while pillars in PS Soul Reaver only had six sides. Put simply, SR2's gonna give you a lot more to look at. “The first game was gothic throughout,” texture artist Brian Morrisroe said. “But for this game you'll see more architectural differences." Hennig added, "Because Raziel travels between different time periods and explores areas built by different races at different periods in history, we can have a lot of architectural variety. The seven elemental reaver forges, for example, were all constructed by an ancient race of weapons SR2 carries on the series’ legacy of excellent voice acting. The same actors return, including Michael Bell (pictured) as Raziel, Simon Templeman as Kain and Tony Jay as the Elder God. Gordon Hunt and Kris Zimmerman (who was in charge of Metal Gear Solid’s cast directing) return as £ the voice directors. < masters, but each has its own architectural style.” In the end, though, it's not SR2's visuals that the team is most proud of—it's the puzzle system. “We fell back on the block puzzles too often in Soul Reaver just because we didn't have enough tools to make more creative puzzles,” Hennig explained. “But the cool thing about this game engine is it’s been more and more generalized so the creative power is in the designers’ and artists’ hands now, as opposed to relying on the programmers. The designers can think up a puzzle and just make it, because the pieces are all there. We don’t have to make special-case requests for the programmers to hardwire anything anymore." You'll find puzzles in SR2 that require a lot more exploration and attention to your surroundings. You’ll need to examine murals on the walls for clues. In an early level, for example, you'll see a painting of an obelisk blocking the sun. Look nearby and you'll find an obelisk and a giant reflector, which you must rotate to catch sunlight. Pulling the obelisk in front of the reflector creates a magical shadow bridge you can traipse across to reach a new area. The SR2 team isn’t overhauling the gameplay so much as tweaking it. You can impale vampires with burned-out torches now, for example, and you get a handier sight for aiming projectiles in look-around mode. f302:2 687 Y ILL—A €*3 5%. Hundreds of opponents | е strong competition CORBA ERBE | BR EIZI-G Ad 5 > ultra-super cool Z £ (E ÛT Иво \ | ЖЗИ. MSILEOHTS 2,71 @ create and | — AMORVER< LBS. edit logos 35. ЖФ" Emperor of the Streets DZE (RENE PROPRE IPRC FANDI. L share LL. мра S ' б ХА B. www.cravegames.com ae Sege DIC ast В nag Raziel can haul around more than just spears and torches in SR2; he'll often need to carry items from one area to another, thus completing lock-and-key- type puzzles. And since Raziel can’t carry physical objects in the Spectral Plane, many of these puzzles require you to invent novel ways of carrying something from point A to point B. “We want players to look around, remember stuff, think about what they’re doing and deduce the relationship things have with each other rather than just plowing through the game,” Hennig told us. “You’re gonna have to use your brain.” Ultimately, though, SR2 is still early in development, and Hennig emphasized that some of the gameplay elements covered in this feature may be modified when the game hits next March. But Crystal still has plenty of time. The team has already learned the hard way what happens when you try to cram too much into a single game. And they plan to make SR2 much more than just the conclusion to "Ше want players to logh around, remember stuff think about what they're doing and deduce the relationships things have with each other...” — director Amy Hennig the first game’s cliffhanger. Crystal Dynamics wants Kain and Raziel’s universe to fuel an ambitious franchise; this game— more so than its two prequels— will set the stage for all things to J come. “This isn’t sloppy storytelling,” Hennig said. "We're spending a lot of time making sure we're paying attention to the consistency, and | think fans of the series will appreciate that.” $ ust downstairs from the Soul Reaver 2 team, another cadre of coders, artists and designers—half of them veterans of the Gex and Akuji projects, the other half new to Crystal Dynamics—is working on a separate Kain PlayStation2 game not due for release until Christmas 2001. Tentatively titled Legacy of Kain: Blood Omen II, it’s the direct hush-hush sequel to the 1996 PlayStation original, and it’s being built from the ground up to take advantage of the PS2 hardware. The game kicks off about 200 years after the original Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain—way before the blood-sucking star turned the world into the wasteland seen in Soul Reaver. As Kain, you spend the game prowling through Meridian, a bustling human city caught in an age of renaissance thanks to the harvesting of Glyph Magic. é Gameplay is similar to Tenchu and Metal Gear Solid; you control Kain from a third-person view and must often hide in shadows, creep through alleys and leap across rooftops to hide from humans and the vampire-hunting Sarafan. Of course, since Kain's gotta eat just like any other hard-working vampire, human contact is inevitable. “The nice thing about this game is you get to play a guy with an evil side to him,” said lead designer Mike Ellis, who previously designed Colony Wars and CW: Vengeance for Psygnosis. “And every character in the game is a potential food source.” Feeding time's handled just as it was in the PS original: You suck blood from victims in a flowing stream that shoots across the screen—except now the extra power of the PS2 means you'll see plasma splatter Kain’s clothes. Speaking of 142 detail, Meridian will teem with an unwashed mass of shopkeepers, peasants, even mangy dogs and rats. Crowds will react intelligently to your actions. Folks will eye you when you pass by and call the guards if you draw a sword or perform supernatural feats. “A lot of the game evolves around how you feed on people,” Ellis said. “If you discreetly pull someone into an alley and feed, you won’t get caught. But if you snack on humans in the middle of the street, you’ll have a lot of problems with the guards.” BO2 is broken into consecutive levels with goals rather than hubs that let you revisit areas as in SR. Kain starts with the basic vampire tricks (he can suck blood and become nearly invisible in shadows), but as he beats bosses he'll gain “Dark Glyph” skills, including super leaps anda charm trick that'll have weak-willed humans doing his bidding. BO2 is the first of several planned spinoffs that will take the Kain mythology in new directions. Many of the characters covered in SR2 will be further developed in this game. “It’s kind of like the Star Trek TV spinoffs,” executive producer Andrew Bennett told us. “Next Generation and Deep Space Nine have their own characters, themes and settings, but they’re set in the same universe. We want the Blood Omen and Soul Reaver fans to really feel as though they’re playing characters in a totally consistent world.” RODUCTS RANGE FROM TEEN ro MATURE MATURE ANIMATED VIOLENCE ерул зи ANIMATED BLOOD & GORE = = ЕЕ ЕЕ Cashier Instructions: Verify product qualifies Press "Item Discount" Press tab Enter "500" and press "Enter" Street Fighter Alpha 3 Resident Evil Code : Veronica or Plasma Sword for Sega Dreamcast One coupon per person. Limit two $5 discounts per coupon. Offer is for individuals, not businesses. Must present coupon at time of purchase. No photocopies or facsimiles accepted. See store for details. Certificate value is 1/100th of one cent. Not valid in combination with any other coupon, discount or promotional offer. No dealers please. € 2000 Best Buy. Expires Sept. 1, 2000 ow ЕШ This Month... The Players... otal number of N64 games we T received for review last issue: o. Total number this issue: 1. Total number of N64 games worth playing we received this issue: o. We might be wor- ried about Nintendo's aging machine if it wasn't for their strong showing at E3— hopefully we'll get our hands on some of that lovin’ (like Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards and Starcraft 64 at least) next month, so sit tight Nintendo fans and keep the faith. Hey, you got Perfect Dark, right? Go play that some more. Meanwhile, this month begins Square's “Summer of Adventure" onslaught of RPGs, which, so far, seems more like a "Summer of Mediocrity." Maybe Chrono Cross can turn the tide next month. «m DB. o | 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 spec- trum sits the lowest score a game can receive: а о.о. 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 ISAN AVERAGE GRADE. Simple, ain’t it? Our Awartis Platinum Awards go to games that get three 10’s, the best and rarest review a 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. Crispin Boyer If Cris reviewed “Monster Parties,” the game he built with RPG Maker, he'd rate it a o.o, "because it takes 10 minutes to beat and the plot's retarded," Cris says. Favorite Genres Action, Adventure Joe Funk Joe's being pulled into the EverQuest vortex, but he's promised to bring some balance back to his life— at least until the online console games arrive. Favorite Genres Sports, Monster Parties After deadline, CJ's going to sit down and finish watch- ing those DVD box sets— Magic Knight Rayearth and The X-Files Season One. Mmmm, Pokémon cereal. Adventure, Puzzle, Music Kraig Kujawa After spending blissful hours play testing Monster Parties for Crispin, Kraig's expectations for games have risen markedly. He can't wait for a PS2 version. Favorite Genres Sports, EGM RPGs tors and whispering sweet _ nothings to Seaman. - Greg finally discovered Pokémon this month and he's hooked. We figure it's because Pikachu must never have made it behind the “maple curtain.” Favorite Genres Racing, RPG, Pokémon John’s become something of an overnight success. His creation, MEProject, is burning up mp3.com, he’s now a $15-aire, babe. Oh, he still likes games too. Favorite Genres Action, Racing, Dancing ЕЗ маза lot of fun Madden (PS2) and ай! the free beer. Next year he hopes for Sam Kennedy Now that his Fight Club DVD arrived in the mail, Sam is spending a couple of days exploring its many features. After that, he'll play more RPG Maker. Favorite Genres Action, RPG Realizing late one night deadline how peaceful the _ empty EGM offices were, - Mark decided ithe poisoned the water, it c always. at way. мелено тепаа Action, Adventure, Andrew Pfister Andrew got his grades back this month, prompting cele- brations at local drinking establishments. What'd he get? Well, the important thing is that he passed. Favorite Genres RPG, Action In addition to reviewing some mediocre titles this month, Shawn spent a lot of time as Lead Artist on Crispin’s RPG Maker game called Monster Parties. Favorite Genres Action, Adventure 144 Pg.152 The Game Boy lives! And we ain’t talkin’ about those dirty Pokémon crit- ters. Although it faced some stiff com- petition from Marvel vs Capcom 2 and the sleeper RPG Maker, Mario’s feisty nemesis Wario managed to steal the sole EGM Gold Award this issue along with Game of the Month honors. Who can’t love a character who gets set on fire, zombified, crushed and frozen every few minutes? No matter how many times we saw his evil pants go aflame, we couldn’t help but laugh. Being bad never felt so good. Now the burning question: Will Luigi’s evil coun- terpart Waruigi (from the upcoming N64 title Mario Tennis) get his own handheld adventure? fy Wario Land 3 Nintendo Perfect Dark ЕТ Maker Li EA EE Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask Nintendo Tony Hawks Pro Skater 5 © Samba de Amigo Sega : © Virtua Tennis Sega © 1 Gran Turismo 2 SECA Publisher: Crave Developer: Treyarch Featured In: EGM #127 Players: 1 Supports: Jump Pack Best Feature: Level Design Worst Feature: Enemy Al Web Site: www.cravegames.com When | first started playing Draconus, | wasn't very impressed. It seemed like some sort of fancy-looking medieval version of Fighting Force —obviously, not a good impression to have floating around in my melon. But as | played it, and got into the intricacies of the battle system, figured out how particular lev- els worked and found what items | needed to advance, a lot of my negative first impression dissi- pated. The story is interesting, with excellent nar- ration. | also like how you can pick from one of two warriors at the start of the game, and upgrade vari- ous offensive and defensive traits as you progress through levels. The visuals (including the detailed character models, textures and effects), and the ambient and battle sound effects are well above- average. The design and detail of the levels is down- right amazing as well. The animation, however, is not awe-inspiring. In fact, it's just plain ridiculous most of the time, with all of that wacky flipping and weird side-stepping. It really should've- been tweaked a lot more. And while I'm talking about the game's problems, the puzzles are too easy, and a lot of the enemies are in desperate need of an IQ boost (as are most of the bosses). The voice-overs are real- ly silly, and the humor is cheesy and unnecessary. Still, even though it's a tad rough around the edges, Draconus as an above-average action/adventure stands on its own. Shawn It's a good thing | stopped playing Draconus when | did, because if | had to hear one more horrid voice actor ramble, | might have hung up my reviewin’ pants. Draconus has lots of really annoying traits that, if done properly, could have given this game the polish to make it really stand out. Instead, it's a decent action-adventure that drowns in a sea of glitchy graphics, annoying camera angles and ugly player animation. But, just when you start hating this game, something cool happens, such as a cool sword fight, or a really well-designed level. You just never know whether you want to break the disc in half or sit back and enjoy the ride. Kraig A beautiful-looking game that obviously has some beefy production values, т a little bummed to report that Draconus almost feels over-produced. From exaggerated player movements to the fact you start with a decked-out arsenal, | was contemplating these obtuse irregularities as much as | enjoyed playing the game. In most games like this the excite- ment comes from building your character up, and while there’s definitely some cool power-ups in Draconus, this adventure requires more brawn (in the form of action) than brains. In the end, though, it manages a slight twist on an otherwise tradition- al gaming experience. Joe REPLAY SOUND INGENUITY VISUALS Publisher: Crave Developer: VCC Entertainment Featured In: EGM #132 Players: 1-4 Supports: Jump Pack Best Feature: Smooth framerate Worst Feature: Tripod vehicles Web Site: www.cravegames.com You may remember this as Killer Loop when it come out for the PlayStation several months ago. Since then it's been improved in several ways, including more tracks and a multiplayer option. Yet even in this prettier incarnation MagForce Racing is still a giant Wipeout rip-off. The tracks, the futuristic themes, the techno soundtrack...it’s all very similar. But the one element they should have copied they didn't—the vehicles. The game's tripod ships are not only ugly, they're hard to control. If you've ever pushed a three-wheel cart you know what I'm talking about: The front wheel tends to drift to one side causing the back end to follow suit. | believe the term is "dog- walking," and it's the same thing in the game. There's a way to powerslide but it doesn't make the oddball handling any easier to stomach. The tracks, on the other hand are pretty good. The magnetized cars can Stick to every portion. Copious amounts of loops, tubes and corkscrews create an effect similar to rid- ing a roller соаз{ег— | really like that. Unfortunately the tracks alone don't sell the game. When you factor in the awkward handling and the insane framerate things get out of control fast. Keeping your perspec- tive while careening all over the track is a monumen- tal challenge. Add the occasional cheap shot by the Al vehicles and you have a mixed bag of tricks. Multiplayer is decent however. Fans of the genre should rent MagForce. Dean This is one of the worst Wipeout clones I’ve ever seen, and over the last few years I've seen a ton. MagForce is one of the most boring and uninspired racing games to hit a console, not to mention one of the ugliest. Apparently, in the future, everyone races in really ugly tripods that slip, slide and sputter around the race tracks and draw energy from green pebbles spilled on the road. Now doesn't that sound fun? The power-ups and weapons should have been a strength of this game, but instead they are laugh- able. Believe it or not, I've seen better special effects in early PlayStation games. Need | go on? Just stay far away from this stinky embarrassment. Kraig A souped-up-for-DC version of PS classic WipeOut, MFR puts you in futuristic vehicles racing through tubular courses, collecting power-ups along the way. While the game is an eye-catcher if you happen to have friends over watching, appearances don’t neces- sarily translate into fun here. While a solid-looking and feeling game, MFR did a better job of wreaking havoc on my equilibrium for several hours than it did in entertaining me. It doesn’t help that the vehi- cles always seem to be sliding slightly to the left and right rather than going straight down the track. There’s better racing games out there, but if sliding through tubes is your thang than check this one out. Joe REPLAY VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY 145 Publisher: Capcom Developer: Capcom Featured In: ЕСМ #131 Players: 1-2 Supports: VGA Box, Jump Pack Best Feature: Awesome graphics and gameplay Worst Feature: It doesn’t cook breakfast Web Site: www.capcom.com This game is something special. Despite the deluge of Street Fighter-related software Capcom has released up until now, Marvel vs Capcom 2 stands out as state-of-the-art in fighting games. Combining a simpler control scheme, gorgeous hi-res 2D/3D backgrounds and super-fast gameplay, MvC2 takes Capcom’s “versus” series to a new level. Going for a four-button control setup was a great idea as it does- n't penalize Dreamcast owners because of the funky DC pad. The action can get kind of hectic though, making this a thumb-cruncher. The graphics really benefit from the move to the Dreamcast (and NAOMI) hardware. While the characters are still 2D sprites, comparable in animation quality to Capcom’s CPS-II stuff, just about everything else, from back- ground graphics to explosive effects are rendered in VGA box-worthy hi-resolutions, running at 6ofps, all while showing off sexy transparencies with no slow- down. Whereas the first MvC pit you 2 vs. 2, the sequel triples the madness by making it a 3-on-3. Marvel vs Capcom 2 also nearly triples the roster of the previous version with characters like Jill Valentine (Resident Evi, Tron Bonne (Mega Man Legends), Captain Commando, Hayato (from Star Gladiator/ Plasma Sword), Cable and Marrow making their vir- gin appearances in a 2D fighting game. If you dig on 2D fighters, this is the cream of the crop. A must- buy for 2D fighting fans. Milkman The first MvC on the Dreamcast was well-done, make no mistake. But it's safe to say that the sequel blows it out of the water in just about every respect. This game is to 2D fighters what Soul Calibur is to the 3D genre. The fact that you "buy" new characters and backgrounds through points earned during gameplay is a welcome addition. The 3D back- grounds are so well-done they look hand-drawn, and as you'd expect, the 2D characters animate flawless- ly. The biggest improvement is the four-button con- trol scheme, which makes for a perfect match with the DC controller. Fighting fans need look no further for their 2D fix. Greg Although I have never been a big fan of the series for some very basic reasons that don't change in MvC2 —the gameplay is just too frantic and unpre- dictable for my tastes— | must say this is by far my favorite of Capcom's "versus" games. So what makes this one better? The new control scheme works great—especially for a more casual fighting game fan like myself—and the graphics (awesome back- grounds), animation and characters (especially Jill from Resident Evil and the Servbots from Tron Bonne) are topnotch. If you like your fighting fast and furious, with big number combos and screen-filling mayhem, look no further. Mark VISUALS INGENUITY REPLAY SOUND Rainhow Six Bogart il ү Em ANS xn BI АНАРА Publisher: Red Storm Entertainment Developer: Pipedream Featured In: EGM #123 Players: 1 Supports: Jump Pack Best Feature: Realistic, lots of missions Worst Feature: Complicated controls Web Site: www.redstorm.com Unlike the embarrassingly dummied-down Play- Station version, Rainbow Six on the DC has every- thing the PC game does, plus more missions. What it doesn’t have, however, are intuitive controls. This is probably the most complex Dreamcast game on the market. Since you control a tactical squad of troops equipped with lots of gadgets, it takes an awful lot of button combinations to keep things in hand. After all, on the PC you have the luxury of a keyboard and mouse. For the first few missions you'll be fumbling about and sometimes you'll feel like you're fighting your control pad as much as you are the terrorists. Having the instruction book in front of you helps, but not as much as it should—a lot of the subtleties in the game aren't covered at all in the crappy manual. Once you finally get into the swing of things, you'll find that Rainbow Six is a very satisfy- ing tactical game that is a welcome alternative to the crowd of cookie-cutter first-person shooters out there. Not only do you complete your missions by being stealthy, but also by planning ahead of time. Properly outfitting your troops and having them work together is key (through orders and planning on a map), but the game's flaky Al makes them stumble about, sometimes rendering that planning useless. Between that and the controls, Ré can be very frus- trating, but if you can grit your teeth and be patient, you'll probably enjoy the game Kraig Oh, you "lL fi find plenty of reasons to cringe at Rainbow Six. It’s got blocky, as-seen-on-PC visuals. Control is downright grueling; figuring out the button combos to switch weapons, change views, jump to different team members, etc., is about as simple as mastering Tekken combos (I wish this game supported the key- board). And where's the multiplayer cooperative mode? Even the N64 version's got that! But give this game a chance. It's got the infamous and intense one-hit-and-yer-dead gameplay, and the mission planner is surprisingly rewarding once you get the hang of it. Just be sure to twiddle with the training missions 'til you master the controls. Crispin Space Channel 5 Publisher: Sega Developer: Sega Featured In: EGM #128 Players: 1 Supports: Jump Pack, VMU Best Feature: Funky music, graphics, flash Worst Feature: Video is sometimes out of sync Web Site: www.sega.com It’s not often that a game comes along that’s as fun for the hardcore gamer as for someone who's never held a control pad in their life. Space Channel 5 is such a game. Part of what makes this one so engag- ing is its style—the mix of funky and futuristic is a visual feast. The story flows along at a nice pace and takes some whacked-out turns, especially toward the end. But it's the music that really steals the show— groovy enough to make you want to jump out of your seat and start dancing along. Sure, the "game" is pressing the correct buttons in a rhythmed sequence (a la “Simon Says"), but it feels like more of a game than previous music titles like PaRappa or UmJammer Lammy. Bottom line is it’s fun no matter if you're playing or just watching. Voices are excel- lent—Apollo Smile makes a great Ulala. But the game's not without its problems. Video backgrounds are often out of sync with the real-time characters as camera angles switch, which doesn't slow down the pace ofthe game but can occasionally be distracting. The game is also a tad on the easy side, especially if you've had experience with other music games, but there are enough extra paths and character profiles to unlock that give it some extra life. All in all, SCs is another good example of a DC game that challenges what you think of a genre. If you enjoy listening to fresh tunes and playing games for the simple fun of it, this is for you. Chris AS their first attempt at a music game, Sega’s to be commended for Space Channel 5. Dancing through Ulala’s adventure is the most fun I’ve had in this genre, and that's relative to some stiff competition. The combination of polygonal characters and FMV backgrounds in each area works surprisingly well, but does lead to some awkward camera angles. The simple control scheme means anyone can have a good time with this one. The major drawback is the fact that the game is literally over within a half hour—that's a tad too short for my 5o bucks. Real fans of the genre should still buy SCs, but anyone who's unsure should definitely rent first. — Greg Super Magnetic Neo Crave Entertainment Publisher: Developer: Genki Featured In: EGM #128 Players: 1 Supports: None Best Feature: Colorful graphics Worst Feature: Cheap deaths Web Site: www.cravegames.com | really wanted to like this game. | really did. As | fought through the first few levels, Magnetic Neo seemed to have everything going for it: interesting, colorful graphics, plenty of levels, and a rather, erm, original character. | mean, how could you possibly not like the game’s endearing lead character who looks like a cross between a smurf and a magnet? His animal magnetism isn’t just window dressing, either. The best parts of this game involve using Neo's mag- netic fields to attract or repulse him to various things scattered throughout the levels. But the novelty wears off once the levels get mind-numbingly diffi- cult. In a platform game a certain number of dying is to be expected, but in Magnetic Neo just about every misstep results in a loss of a life. Cheap, cheap deaths. What makes it worse are the imprecise con- trols and large number of precarious jumps early in the game, which just keep getting worse. Adding more frustration are the oodles of stressfully narrow platforms that you must carefully walk across—a feat made more difficult by annoying camera angles. And let's not forget the enemies, most of which can kill your character by only touching him once. If Magnetic Neo had a better learning curve and was a little more forgiving, this could have been a classy platform game for the Dreamcast. But as it stands now, only hardcore gamers with nerves of steel should bother. Kraig | have so many problems with this game. Where to start...one-hit kills. One hit, you're dead, back to the checkpoint, repeat. There are invulnerability cap- sules, but they only protect for one hit from enemies, (not falling). In Crash Bandicoot, the camera was pretty well fixed behind you or to the side. In Neo, it pans around while you're moving, making it extreme- ly difficult to judge distances. | wished there was a button that'd get the damn camera behind me. Alas, there isn't. The graphics are good, don't get me wrong—this is a nice-looking game with an excellent style. But with all the camera and control prob- lems, this is too hard to be any fun. Chris "т blown away by the depth of this game. As a PC port nothing was compromised. In fact, there are even more options and features including extra mis- Sions. Once you get accustomed to the commands (there are many, believe me) and settle into the rhythms of this game you're going to love it. Mission plans are deep with detail and can be customized to the hilt. Characters gain skill with each successful campaign. Eventually you can simply command your boys to do the dirty work for you. It's not an easy game either—enemies are surprisingly clever most of the time. If you don't mind a steep learning curve, Rainbow Six is well worth the money. Dean VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY 6 6 8 6 Even for a rhythm-based game, Space Channel 5 is incredibly simplistic—it’s all up, down, left, right, shoot-shoot, shoot-shoot. There isn’t the gameplay or long-term value of PaRappa or Bust-A-Groove, but on a purely superficial level they don’t come any slicker than this. You have to at least see and hear this game once; rent it, borrow a friend’s copy, whatever. The groovy retro-futuristic designs, fluid animation and catchy tunes combine into one freaky experiment that’s unlike anything else. Like those lit- tle plastic kiddie pools from Wal-Mart, Space Channel 5 is horribly shallow but somehow fun for a few hours anyway. VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY 9 9 8 1 146 Mark | to rent before you buy this one. Better known for Tokyo Highway Battle and Jade Cocoon, Genki isn't the first name you think of when you think of traditional character-based platform games. Well that's exactly what Super Magnetic Neo is: an old-school action-platformer, with a magnetic twist. By shifting Neo's polarities, you can push or pull objects and enemies depending on their mag- netic properties. The visual/gameplay mix of Silhouette Mirage and Crash Bandicoot is cool, with a wacky day-glo world reminiscent of Ren & Stimpy, but the big problemis that the game is so dif- ficult. In less you're into tough games, you may want Milkman VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY 1 1 9 4 In Real Life, Guts and Lara would play with each other... not with you. Real life sucks. Go to www.gamedealer.com FETS ER, COM 395 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014 1-800-610-2614 A USE VIP CODE EGMG2 IN THE SHOPPING CART TO RECEIVE YOUR DISCOUNT. k^ N Groun 2 КЫ 30° *Available on orders of $30 or more and valid through August 31, 2000. Limited to one per customer. Gamedealer accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover and Flooz. ©2000 UGO Networks, Inc. All rights reserved. GameDealer, UGO and UnderGroundOnline are trademarks and service marks of UGO Networks. ©1999 ASCII Corp./YUKE'S, @Kentarou Miura/STUDIO GAGA сЕ HAKUSENSHA, ©Kentarou Miura/HAKUSENSHA Е VAP «-E NTV. Published by Eidos Interactive. Sword of the Berserk: Guts’ Rage is a trademark of Eidos Interactive, Inc. Eidos, Eidos Interactive, Eidos Interactive logo and Tomb Raider logo are registered trademarks of Eidos Interative, Inc. Lara Croft, Core and the Core logo are registered trademarks of Core Design, Ltd. Sega, Dreamcast and the Dreamcast logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Sega Enterprises, Ltd. The rating icon is a trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved. ‘Sword of the Berserk: Tomb Raider: Guts’ Rage™ The Last Revelation™ Fur Fighters а. я Publisher: Acclaim Developer: Bizarre Creations Featured In: EGM #129 Players: 1-4 Supports: Jump Pack Web Site: www.furballs.com Best Feature: Huge variety of gameplay styles Worst Feature: Some areas get tedious You may think you fought big bosses in past games, but just wait ’til you go face to face—actually, make that face to foot—with some of the level guardians in Fur Fighters. These Kong-size beasts could step on Bowser and not even know it. “Bigger is Better” seemed to be Bizarre Creations’ golden rule when they made FF. The seven humongous hub worlds are dwarfed only by the sprawling levels themselves. Scenery stays interesting throughout, despite some bland textures. You'll scurry through a giant house populated with dino-people, for example, and bound in low-G through a spinning space station. The basic gameplay is standard adventure-game collect-'em- up stuff, except with a pick-the-right-character-for- the-job twist that's highly derivative of Donkey Kong 64. Levels do get tedious, though; you're often forced to backtrack. But an enormous variety of mini- games — you'll shoot hoops, land a jet, drive a sub, etc.—keep things interesting, while the multiplayer mode delivers the first fun and smooth deathmatch action on the system. Crispin SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY 6 9 1 VISUALS Virtual On: Oratorio Tangram Publisher: © rrj Activision Developer: Sega Featured In: EGM #122 " 2 e Players: 2 ANA 12 Best Feature: Solid, color- Supports: ful graphics Jump Pack Worst Feature: Noticeable Web Site: slowdown in multiplayer www.activision.com Virtual On gained a sort of cult following on the Saturn, and it’s safe to say fans of the original will be ga-ga over Virtual On: Oratorio Tangram. It seems like Activision knows not to mess with a good thing, so you're basically getting the Japanese ver- sion of the game (sans the all-important twin-stick controller). VO:OT features a full single-player mode, a somewhat underwhelming training section and the always-exciting split-screen multiplayer mode. In two-player mode you have a choice of a horizontal or vertical split, as well as two different settings featur- ing “windows” that don't fill up the screen. Although the windows are a tad small, they don't suffer from the slowdown seen in the full screen-split modes— an unfortunate problem with this game considering how silky-smooth and pretty it looks during any of the single-player outings. The only other real down- fall is the learning curve using the standard DC con- troller, Otherwise it's full-speed mech fighting action the way it was meant to be. This is a solid addition to any DC action fan's library. Greg REPLAY VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY Duck Dodgers Publisher: Infogrames Developer: Paradigm Entertainment Featured In: EGM #119 Players: 1 Supports: Rumble Pak Best Feature: Looney Tunes graphics Worst Feature: Simple gameplay Web Site: www.infogrames.com The best way to describe the camera in Duck Dodgers is “herky-jerky” (thanks to Chris Johnston for the term). For some reason, the view in this game is constantly moving. If you turn just a little bit, it quickly swings all the way around your character. And since you're always moving (like in...uh...most games these days), the camera is jumping around all over the place—it makes taking on enemies and judging where the edge of ledges are a real pain in the neck. And get this: If you jump on a rotating plat- form, the camera rotates with the platform. You have no real bearing on when and where to jump. Strange and annoying. If you look beyond this camera prob- lem, things don’t really get any better—Duck Dodgers is average to begin with. It’s one of those games that could either be a halfway-decent kid’s game, or a terribly average regular 3D action/adven- ture. Although occasionally innovative, most of the puzzles are extremely simple and tedious, and the levels drab and boring. And | haven’t even got into the awkward graphics, choppy framerate and terrible music and sound effects. Allin all, the game is simply blah. You could play it, but there’s no really good rea- son to. In fact, if you accidentally bought this, take it back and save up your dough for Banjo Tooie. But please do remember: Kids may like running around as Daffy Duck, hearing repetitive noises and stomp- ing on funny cartoon enemies. Shawn Looney Tunes games seem to fall into the nothing great, nothing awful category. And Duck Dodgers is no different. It’s a run-of-the-mill 3D platform game with a camera system that swiftly succeeded in giv- ing me a headache. Some of the little touches here are brilliant, like levels that are more like “missions” and music that changes with the speed of your sneaking around. The flat, lightly shaded polygon environments look like the 'toons they're based on, but sometimes also make it difficult to tell where doors are and judge depth. Control is an exercise in frustration, and Daffy’s voice gets annoying and repetitive really quickly. Rental at best. Chris | don't understand how Paradigm (the makers of PilotWings 64, by the way), would bother making such an obviously lame platform game. The minute you turn it on, the blurry, choppy graphics give you an uneasy feeling that picking up the controller is a mistake. The gameplay is decent at times, but that's as good as it gets. The rest of itis as fun as eating week-old beef jerky. The worst part is the white noise they call *music" that drones on relentlessly in the game. The only thing that saved me was that you could turn it off—too bad that's not the default option. Using Looney Tunes in a platform game is a good idea— just not like this. Kraig VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY — REPLAY 6 3 4 4 148 Publisher: Developer: Distinctive Developments р Featured In: N/A Players: 1-2 Supports: Dual Shock Best Feature: Exploding spiders Worst Feature: The graphics are pretty ugly Web Site: www.acclaim.com Despite some unique story elements and characters, Armorines hardly supports an original plot (aliens invade Earth) and the overall game gave me the unmistakable feeling I'd seen this all before. It's a Classic first-person shooter—this time you play futuristic commandos trying to repel insectoid aliens (think Duke Nukem crossed with Starship Troopers). The graphics are surprisingly primitive for a mod- ern PS title, and while the game is playable, | never got emotionally involved. Heck, | was much more immersed in Acclaim's Alien Trilogy with its eerie atmosphere (and that was a first-generation PS game). In Armorines though, | methodically waylaid the insects with about as much passion as | have when | mow my lawn. The game just can't match the depth of heavyweight contemporaries like Perfect Dark or Medal of Honor. To make a first-person shooter stand out you've got to do something excep- tional. Armorines does not. | hoped to find some redemption in the multiplayer modes, but there was- n't much there either. However, | don't want to ham- mer a game too hard though that doesn't do any- thing horribly wrong. The mediocre parts add up to a mediocre finished product. If you're a hardcore fan of shooters and have got to play and beat them all then by all means buy it, but if you already own the top- tier titles in this category (Quake Il, MoH), don't bother with Armorines. Joe Armorines has me frustrated for a number of rea- Sons. For starters, spotting spiders against like-col- ored backgrounds is darn near-impossible. When you can't see a giant bug standing directly in front of you there's a problem. My other complaint involves the accuracy it takes to kill them. Seems like you have to nail 'em right between the eyes. Meanwhile they blast the crap outta you. At least in the N64 version the enemies are back-lit so you can see them. Last complaint: When my character meets his demise after a valiant battle, | like a little more fanfare than just an instant black screen—geesh. | can’t recommend this one. Dean The N64 version of this game was far from stellar, so | figured this опе would be mediocre at best. Of course, | gave it the benefit of the doubt, as the developers had ample time to fix the problems found in the sister version (taking into consideration the technological limitations porting a game from one system to another). Unfortunately, the game is exact- ly the same. Instead of the fog found in the №4 ver- sion to cover up draw-in, objects just pop up out of nowhere, and have little or no detail. Besides, the missions are just not fun. With Medal of Honor and Quake И available, | really can't think of a reason to bother with Armorines. Shawn VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY 3 9 4 4 SPECIAL SOMETHING FOR SS t LOYAL EDI ACK Л ИН IA SUBSCRIBERS ONLY! EGM 133 Comments? FORCED FEEDBACK + P.0. Box 3338 ° THE HORRIBLE SITUATIONS VIDEO GAME EDITORS FACE OAK BROOK, IL 60522-3338 + E-MAIL: SHAWN sMITH@ZIFFDAVIS.COM SHAWN VS. CHRIS IN A HEATED PS2 DVD DEBATE It was just one month ago when EGM editor Greg Sewart found him- self face to face with a charging bull in the mountains of his native homeland, Nova Scotia. Luckily, Greg remembered how to avoid an attack from a bull thanks to the info found in his Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook by Chronicle Books (Note: He did lose three of his toes, one eyebrow and a shoul- der, but other than that he's in tip- top shape). Since then, the powers that be at Ziff Davis have made the Worst-Case Scenario Handbook our official employee handbook. The book gives all sorts of useful information on how to stay alive and level-headed in a number of ridiculous situations. If only we had this information just months ago— maybe we wouldn't have lost sev- eral of our editors to a shark, an alli- gator and to the unforgiving sands of the Sahara Desert, respectively. Believe it or not, since the handbook was instated, several editors have run into various ordeals where the book has come in quite handy. For example, just the other night Mark MacDonald was walking to his apartment in downtown Chicago when out of the darkness a sword- wielding madman charged at him. He knew just how to win a sword- fight, and coolly conquered his foe (luckily, he was carrying his saber). Joe Funk was at his local grocery store when a swarm of killer bees came at him from behind a jar of mayonnaise. He used what he learned in the handbook, and made it to the checkout alive. And lets not forget about Crispin Boyer who recently got lost in the mountains while searching for gold. For the average man, this would have proved fatal— but to a Worst-Case Scenario Handbook reader, it's a piece of cake. Yet again, the information found in the book saved this young man’s life. Looking toward the future, the Worse-Case Scenario book will no doubt become an indispensible fixture on each and every ЕСМ editor's desk. You too can live a longer life by reading this book. Believe us—without it, you wouldn't be reading this new issue of EGM. Instead, you'd be mourning ihe loss of four young, strapping game mag editors who were taken from this world far too early. #% Upon sighting a mountain lion, do not run. Do not crouch down. Try to make yourself appear larger by opening wide your coal. Shawn “PS2 DVD lover” says: | think it’s going to kick much ass to watch DVDs on my PS2. | don't have a DVD player, so | can't imagine a better scenario then to have one machine to play games and watch movies on. And with the PS2 DVD remote on the way, it's even better than | first thought. | realize the DVD player on the PS2 may not be as “high-tech” as your fancy stand-alone player, Chris, but it'll be fine for my needs. | think you need to relax and get back to basics, Mr. High and Mighty! Chris “PS2 DVD hater” says: If you like the PS2’s DVD capabilities so much, why don't you marry them? | already have a DVD player, so | can't see using the PS2 for playing movies at all. If you have an audio CD player, you don't use the PSI to play music, do you? Maybe you do Mr. Shawn “PS2 Biased” Smith...ya freak. It’s great that it can play DVDs, but | noticed on my Japanese PS2 that the audio sometimes skips after pausing and it's not as convenient to use as my stand-alone DVD player. So there! WORLD'S T-SHIRT, HAT AND BAG SUPPLY RUNS LOW THANKS TO VIDEO GAME PUBLISHERS Recent studies have concluded if video game publishers continue sending out T-shirts, hats and bags at the current rate, the world's supply of the materials used to make such items will be depleted to dangerously low levels in 2001. “It’s like this, baby,” says Dr. Johann Z. Uberkopf of the Chotzsky Research League of the Greater European Areas. “If these game companies keep sending this extra large-sized crap out to magazine edi- lors and gaming consumers who pre-purchase games, we can all say bye-bye to T-shirts, hats and bags by 2002. The resources will be gone." Is widely known that most people who receive these usually mediocre items on a regular basis, often throw them away, use them to dust off elec- tronics, or just wear them a couple of times and then light them on fire. Once in a while, the shirts, hats or bags are worth keeping. But all too often they're simply "a dastardly terrible waste of cotton, nylon and canvas," commented Mark MacDonald, critic. The question arises: Just how many shirts, hats and bags can one person have? The answer is unknown. The nation's leading Hobos have had nothing but good things to say about the findings, as local thrift shops and Salvation Army facilities will continue to have the T-shirt, hat and bag supply—however ripped, soiled or other- wise—needed to clothe these wandering drifters. “I's a scraggly-scruff skiddley pop | tell you,” Captain Joe Potato, Oklahoma Hobo mentions. "| don't know when it'll end, but It's easy-pickins from here on out when | enter through those cherry gates...everyday is like bunions on parade!" #% EGM's Random Quote of the Month WEB SITES PHATTER THAN FAT Thank you to all who continue to send us sites. We love check- ing them out more than we love G.I. Joe and Cobra T-shirts. As usual, here are all kinds of sites: Weird, gaming-related, zany, funny, cool, stupid and so on and so forth. Send Web site sub- missions to shawn_smith@ziffdavis.com ‘She's a man, baby. yeeeaah.” 0, doing his finest Austin Power gards to shots of money-hungry y on the covers of recent tabloids Ё Р -Jim Cordan impression, in re Oprah Winfre * www.mustbedestroyed.com WIN STUFF It's Quite Simple: Away A Bunch of Stuff for Free As you may or may not know, we get a lot of cool items from game companies. And yes, we do appreciate them, but all too often after looking at them for a while they end up sitting in somebody's cubicle or getting stored in a cabinet. So we thought, “Let's pass some of these things on to our readers, instead of just having them lay around." After all, better you enjoy this Stuff than us. Like last month, read the instructions below, send in a postcard and you might just be picked as the winner! This doesn't cost you anything—it's as simple as sending in a postcard with your name, address and phone number on it to the address below. We'll then pick one winner in a few weeks, and send out the goods. ЕСМ Box о’ Stuff Sweepstakes #133 c/o Electronic Gaming Monthly P.O. Box 3338 Oak Brook, IL 60522-3338 Congrats to EGM #131 Winner: Steven Cottle of Cincinnati, OH LEGAL STUFF Ocal Sweepstakes Rules: L No Purchase Necessary: To enter, send а standard size postcard containing your name, address, and phone number to "EGM Box Û Stuff Sweepstakes”, PO Box 3338 ak Brook, Ilinois 60522-3338. No purchase or payment of any money is necessary to enter. De entry per household per month. Entries must be handwritten and must be received by the Sth day of each month to {walt for that montis sweepstakes. Mechanically reproduced entries will be void. All entries become exclusive property of Ziff Davis Media Inc. and wil not be acknowledged or retuned. ТЇ Davis Media Inc. assumes no responsibilty forlost, mutilated, lae legible incomplete, sape ue, or misdirected entries. i Davis Media Ic reserves the right to cancel hs sweepstakes at any time with appropriate notice. 2 Prizes: rand Prize. Each month the Grand Prize winner wil receive a package containing miscellaneous items rom the EGM offices with a total approximate retail value of at least 530. Winners shall be determined by a random drawing from all valid entries by EGM editors whose decisions are final. Drawing to be held on or about the last day of each month. A prize winners will be notified by mail, Prizefs| are non-transferable. No substitu- tions of pies) are allowed, except at the option of Ziff Davis Media h should the featured prizes become unavailable. 3. (ds of Winning: The number of winners and the odds of winning will be determined by number of valid entries received. Take a look at what we're passing on to you this month: * An MDK2 T-shirt * A fancy CD holder * A mini-puzzle of a dinosaur * Silly Putty (don't eat it!) * A long-sleeved Capcom denim shirt * A Street Fighter action figure * a GTA2 sticker * A Turok: Rage Wars hat A PulsePak Color for GBC * A little plastic thing * A Nyko date book * A picture of a man and his monkey * A special piece of paper with information on it that will surely impress your neighborhood chums 4. Eit: Sweepstakes open to residents of United States and Canada Mid in Quebec) who are subscribers to EGM for at least 30 days prior to the commencement of he current monthly sweepstakes. Non-compliance with the time parameters contained herein or retum of any prize/prize notification 5 undeliverable will result in disqualification. Winners or their legal guardians shall sign and return an affidavit of eligibility/release of ability prize acceptance within 5 days of receipt or forfeit prize. By accep- tance of prize, winners agree to the use of their name and/or likeness for purposes of advertising, trade, or promotion without further compensation, unless prohibited by law. Nether 1 Davis Media Inc. nor its айтеп, direc- tors affiliates, subsidiaries, divisions, or related companies are responsible or able for any damages, taxes, or expenses that consumers might incur as а resolt of this Sweepstakes or receipt of prize. 5, Winners [ist Fora list of winners, send a stamped, sell-addressed enve- loe to "EGM Box Sul Sweepstakes Winners Ls; PO Box 3338 Oak Brook, Minis 60522-3338. Please specify for which month that you are requesting the list. Allow 4 weeks for delivery of winners list. E Restrictions: Void where prohibited or restricted by law. All federal, state and local regulations appli 1 Sponsor: This sweepstakes B sponsored solely by Ziff Davis Media Inc. 2000 i Davis Media Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. We're Giving e www.bogbeast.com e www.jesus.com e WWW.pogo.com • www.wrestle-planet.com e www.anime-genesis.com e www.thorf.co.uk/ragnarok e www.zophar.net e www.wickedcoolstuff.com e www.crosswinds.net/~gaim/ e www.svt.se/drama/svensson/dcr/shock.html * mp3.com/jhg * www.thesimpsons4ever.20m.com * www.snsusa.com * www.angelfire.com/on/nsyncnducesvomitting/main.html * 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. Remember to surf safely. HOT & NOT mama = mmm eee О ЕСМ The 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 more. Note: Particular entries may or may not coincide with the opinions of particular staffers. Send yours to shawn_smith@ziffdavis.com * MGS2, MGS2, MGS2 * Ulala and Apollo Smile * Conker and his ability to pee on enemies * Bashing on PS2 and then pre- ordering one anyway * Samba de Amigo * Chris after playing Samba De Amigo for hours * Fat Cat brew * Nintendo's 2000 N64 lineup * Everything Sega * Bleem! Concept and Legal Victories * "Adult" Nintendo Games * Workout shakes * Jet Grind Radio * Leprechauns in the hood * Magic Flutes * Ice Cream Mans * Skateboarding in the office * Walkie-Talkies * Recycling every lame ‘70s show into a made-for-TV movie. * No Dolphin or Game Boy Advance at E3...DAMN THEM! * Not having money * Sony's E3 booth in general * United Airlines pilot strike * Talking bad about Sega * Not enforcing the ratings system * $3 fee at the hotel ATM machine * Everything about Battlefield Earth * Staying on Earth for 50 cycles with infinite possibilities for renewal * Star Cube * Sony's PS2 U.S. lineup * The way Bleem! for Dreamcast is being released...confusing * Sony lawyers * Army Mens * Putting blame on mature games instead of deadbeat parents * Dead computers * Not enough time for stuff * Dinosaur: the Movie * Perfect Dark's framerate in certain areas, modes of the game SCEA Publisher: Developer: SCEI Featured In: EGM #131 > Players: d Supports: Dual Shock BestFeature: Beautiful CG cinemas Worst Feature: Robotic-sounding dialogue Web Site: www.playstation.com Why can't Sony get it right? Legend of Dragoon isn't à bad RPG by most standards. It's no Final Fantasy or Grandia, but it's not bad. Of course, that's before you actually hear the voice acting or read the dialogue. have to say, Dragoon survived the now-infamous Sony localization process much better than Grandia, but just barely. Translation aside, Legend of Dragoon is fairly straightforward, average RPG fare. Enter an area or town, talk to everyone, fight far too many random battles, beat a huge boss charac- ter, and watch what may or may not be an inspiring Cinema scene, rinse, repeat. It has to be noted that the CG backgrounds and cinemas in LoD put most of Square's stuff to shame. Yeah, it's hard to believe, but true. And to their credit, Sony's attempted to dress up the tired RPG battle system by requiring players to complete "combos" during each attack. These are basically timed button presses, either to attack or defend a retaliation. While it seems cool at first, it ultimately makes even the easiest battles tedious. Unfortunately, the only real way to defeat more powerful enemies is to complete these combos over and over again. Later, transforming into a dra- goon during battle is required to further strengthen your characters, but really only serves to make the game even more irritating. When you add everything up, Legend of Dragoon is a game only RPG com- pienists should bother SE Greg This i is getting ridiculous. Sony is a “company with a lot of money at their disposal, and they are unable to do decent English translations of RPGs. What is the deal? The lack of good, coherent writing (and some badly dubbed dialogue) sours what would otherwise be a great RPG experience. For me, RPGs are all about story, and if Sony isn’t willing to give it the once-over and make it coherent, then why should anyone waste their time? Square, Atlus and Working Designs are putting out RPGs this summer with better translations than this. Visuals in Dragoon are excellent—finely detailed FMV and decent graph- ics. But the translation doesn’t match up. Chris Does the phrase * “style over ir substance" ring a bell? Some say Star Wars killed Hollywood, as every film after it had to be a blockbuster. One could argue, with LoD as evidence, that Final Fantasy VII had the same effect on games. Sony has obviously poured a large amount of money into this tepid RPG and emerged with four discs of disgustingly high-produc- tion values, but with no heart or soul. Never does this become more apparent than in the bland, life- less battle-engine, which pales in contrast to the stunning cutscenes. Yeah you can turn into dragon- guys, but who cares? This is the Waterworld of video gaming— pretty, but not much else. Milkman VISUALS REPLAY SOUND INGENUITY Publisher: Square EA Developer: Squaresoft Featured In: EGM #131 A > Players: 1-2 Supports: Dual Shock Best Feature: Great 2D hand-drawn artwork Worst Feature: Weak battle system Web Site: www.squaresoft.com Let me start by saying that Legend of Mana is a beau- tiful game. The 2D hand-drawn graphics are lovely (marred only by characters begging for more anima- tion) and the music is wonderful (I bought the sound- track). Because of this, | really wanted to love the game. Unfortunately, | didn't, and it was because of two fundamental areas: story and battle system. The big problem with the game's story is that, well, there really isn't one. Your main objective in LoM is to collect artifacts and place them in your world to create small lands to explore. This keeps the game very non-linear, but at the same time adds a feeling of fragmentation, as each area is isolated from the rest. And the same goes for the tasks LoM offers: You're basically given 70-odd quests to complete and nothing really unites them. This might be acceptable if there were decent battles to back them up, but unfortunately, LoM's are quite poor. Most are an exercise in mindless hacking, and seldom do they even present a challenge (especially since you are back at full health after each fight). And one element that is likely to displease Mana fans is the omission of a decent multiplayer option, a staple of the series thus far. Previous games featured great three-player support, and Legend only has a half-assed two-play- er game. If you're a giant fan of Square games you may want to look into this one, but otherwise I'd rec- ommend кш off for Chrono Cross. Sam A feast for! the. senses, Legend of Mana boasts some of the most impressive 2D artwork ever seen on a console. Combine that with an excellent soundtrack and you have an audio/visual masterpiece. But when you examine the gameplay there are problems, the biggest of which is the lack of a strong plot— something to tie all the mini-quests together. Fans of non-linear RPGs will undoubtedly enjoy this aspect, but it doesn’t seem right in the Mana series. The bat- tle system could have been tweaked a bit more, as could the menu interface—what happened to the cool rings? Legend of Mana is a solid title, but | was expecting a bit more. Andrew | loved Secret of Mana, so when | heard Legend was on its way | just about wet 'em. You can't imagine my disappointment. Sure the music is fantastic and most of the incredibly detailed 2D artwork looks great, but the animation is merely decent and I'm not a fan of the porcelain "Precious Moments"-style characters. | also don't like the fact that there's no one main quest, but my biggest beef is with combat: It's too repetitive, way too easy, and nowhere near as deep or fun (single or multiplayer) as in SoM. Separately the graphics, sound, and huge variety of abilities and other peripheral features are nice, but they never add up to anything special. Mark VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY a НЕЕ НЕЕ ЕСН Publisher: Infogrames Developer: Curly Monsters Featured In: EGM #131 = > Players: 1-2 Supports: Dual Shock Best Feature: Awesome speed Worst Feature: Awkward button configuration Web Site: www.Infogrames.com Several members of the original Wipeout team took part in the creation of N.Gen, so it's no coincidence they share traits like a techno soundtrack, strobe light beacons, amazing speed and so on. It also borrows a thing or two from Gran Turismo (permits, buying and selling aircraft, upgrades). Beyond the similarities, N.Gen's strong points are its impressive speed and handling capabilities. The first few levels move about as fast as the average PS flight sim, but the later races take place at a sonic pace. The effect is magnified by the surprisingly smooth flow of moun- tains, valleys and other background elements. The handling is nice and intuitive in arcade mode which makes it perfect for the casual gamers. Beyond the occasional hard turn it's pretty straightforward. Pro mode, on the other hand, is really tough to master. The jets react to the slightest nudge of the stick, and this extra maneuverability is required to win the high- er levels. In the end, N.Gen delivers a decent racing experience with a healthy amount of Wipeout- inspired adrenaline. It's not without some negatives. The biggest problem is the button configuration is awkward. Holding down the thrust, after-burn and weapon buttons at the same time is just plain silly, especially when the action heats up. Configuring the controller doesn't seem to help either. If you can deal with that and you liked Wipeout, you'll probably like this one. To be sure, rent it for a night or two. Dean Initially, N.Gen comes across as one of those games where the designers sat around and said "let's do a racing game, only instead of cars...let’s have planes!" The whole thing feels very forced and you can't help feeling that it hangs together like an idea in desper- ate need of adequate execution. If it was a $10 game, I'd be all over it, believe me. The graphics are great, bordering on the superb in places, but the gameplay never matches up. The beauty of a good racing game is being able to jostle for position and feel like you really are "racing." Jet planes just aren't conducive to that kind of action, so you just whiz around admiring the е John I've been waiting fora fence airplane racing game for a long time, and it's finally here. Curly Monsters pumped some sweet graphics out of the PS, with only a hint of slowdown when there’s a lot of stuff on screen, The racing gives you freedom of movement (there is a “track” but you can move outside it for short periods of time) and a real sense of speed. Tunes are a collection of electronica tracks that, while not performed by big names, fit the racing action perfectly. My only concern is with the control. Sometimes juggling the buttons for changing and fir- ing weapons, thrust and afterburner can be a huge chore. But it's worth a look. Chris VISUALS REPLAY SOUND INGENUITY EVERYONE Publisher: Ubi Soft Developer: Ubi Soft Featured In: ЕСМ #131 > Players: 1 Supports: Dual Shock, Pocket Station Best Feature: Excellent style Worst Feature: Camera Web Site: www.ubisoft.com Even though it's a little late making its way over to the PlayStation, | think Rayman 2 is well worth the wait. While it's basically the same game as the Dreamcast and N64 versions (which means it's a highly polished, fun game...an average of 9 points out of 10), it has a few additions and modifications. It has all of the familiar stuff, of course (the collection of items, innovative mini-games, etc.) but some of its levels are changed—new parts have been added, tweaked or deleted altogether. In addition, voices have been added to all of the main characters (although | can't say | enjoy them very much). Obviously, the graphics aren't quite as nice as those on the DC or N64, but they're still impres- sive. In fact, this version retains the style of the oth- ers—a certain natural-looking cartooniness not found in most games. The camera is the only prob- lem with the game (although it's not as bad as some 3D action/adventures out there). And for you import freaks out there: For some strange reason, the game has Pocket Station support. Pop in your Pocket Station and download 11 rather enjoyable mini- games—yet another neat little addition to this port. Overall, Rayman 2 is definitely one of the better 3D action titles on the PlayStation. If you're in the mood for one, this is an excellent choice. If you already own the DC or N64 version, however, don't bother since it's essentially the same game. Shawn If you played the Nintendo 64 or Dreamcast versions of Rayman 2, you know exactly what to expect here. Or do you? Surprisingly, this PS incarnation packs subtle variations to the level design, gameplay— even enemies, While you won't find enough new stuff here to warrant playing through it if you already beat the N64 and DC games, you will find the excellent control and gameplay variety that earned those versions such high scores. Whether it has you ski- ing, flying a projectile barrel or riding a bucking rock- et, this adventure gives you plenty of little extra tasks to keep you busy. And the brilliant visuals translate pretty well to the PS, too. Crispin While not nearly as pretty as its N64 and Dreamcast cousins, the PlayStation version of Rayman 2 is still a great game and a perfect first offering from Ubi Soft's Shanghai studio. Graphically, Rayman 2 is pretty damn good for the PS, and it also excels in the sound department. There were some subtle changes made to the game (a few additions, a few deletions) from the other versions, but they don't really alter the experience at all. Except for the voice—1 probably could've done without that. If you don’t have the option of playing the N64 or DC versions, definitely look into picking this one up. It’s one of the best 3D platform games out there. sam SOUND REPLAY VISUALS INGENUITY Publisher: Atlus Developer: Nippon Ichi Featured In: EGM #129 < Players: 1 > Supports: Dual Shock Best Feature: Great dialogue Worst Feature: Boring fighting Web Site: www.atlus.com Rhapsody came as a pleasant surprise to me. Its press materials and screenshots had me expecting a game aimed at young girls (and Mark). However, after playing through it and experiencing the lush graphics, original songs (in both Japanese and English for you purists out there) and the excellent writing, I’m not so sure about this game’s target mar- ket anymore. Rhapsody is, for all intents and purpos- es, a love story. You play as young Cornet, a country bumpkin who dreams of someday meeting a prince. Through a strange and hilarious string of events, it ends up happening. Of course, the forces of evil always need to screw up a good thing, and thus Cornet’s musical adventure starts. See, Cornet has three amazing talents: She’s an incredible singer (as are most characters in the game), she can converse with puppets (who become her party members, a la Pokémon), and she can play a magical horn that powers up her companions. What we have here is pretty standard role-playing fare, except that the battles play out much like Shining Force. You move a character within a certain range and decide whether to strike or perform another task. Unfortunately, the mundane fights, repetitive dun- geons and brief 13-hour quest drop the score a little. But the awesome dialogue, gorgeous hand-drawn graphics and delightful story make this a game that RPG purists might find worth checking out. Greg Maybe I'm spoiled by games like Final Fantasy VIII and Vagrant Story, but Rhapsody just doesn’t do it for me. Yes, it is a very solid RPG with a unique angle (it’s a musical, duh!) and a lot of charm, but it’s not what | look for in my “role-playing.” | really wonder who this is supposed to appeal to, since it’s so girly. | don’t see a Final Fantasy fan picking this one up. Atlus has been gaining ground as a respected RPG publisher, often straying beyond their own Japanese first-party titles, but this is just bizarre. The different puppets you control are pretty neat, and like | said, Rhapsody’s a solid game, but this is for select tastes only. Milkman Greg is right—Rhapsody is a fine-looking game that should please any RPG fan. But | find it extremely difficult to get past the sappy story and decidedly girly dialogue (although it’s written really well, and can be humorous). However, this doesn’t mean it’s a bad game. | imagine Rhapsody will bring the RPG genre to a lot of people who normally wouldn’t play such games—namely, girls. And that’s a good thing for the industry as a whole, because if a company can get new people hooked on games who normally wouldn't play them much, it'll create a whole new segment of gamers. Yeah, this thing is lighthearted but it'll keep some entertained for hours. Shawn VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY 150 EVERYONE Publisher: Agetec Developer: Success Featured In: EGM #132 > Players: 1 Supports: Mouse Best Feature: Worst Feature: Web Site: Comprehensive suite of tools Steep learning curve www.agetec.com Think of any type of traditional RPG you'd like to play—any setting, any quest, any character roster, any arsenal, any job system, any anything—and you can build it with RPG Maker. You can draw the Title Screen with the included paint program. You can cre- ate and animate all characters from scratch. You can orchestrate effects-laden cutscenes, lay out sprawl- ing dungeons and overworlds, plan branching story paths and tack on bonus endings. You can set your game in the future or in ye olden days, on the moon or at sea, in Hyrule or in Rhode Island. RPG Maker packs all the tools you need to build the next great 16-Bit-quality role-playing game—but you gotta work for it. Don't think you'll churn out Square-caliber epics 10 minutes after you chew off the shrinkwrap. It took me a weekend to learn the basics enough to craft a simple adventure (a basic game only takes up two memory card blocks, unless you use custom art). The matrix of menus and com- mands is as complex as it is powerful. It doesn't help that the interface is clunky (the paint program sup- ports the mouse, but the scenario editor doesn't, which makes typing text a carpal-tunnel-syndrome- inducing chore). But if you roll up your sleeves, read the manual, tinker with the clever sample game, and above all experiment, experiment, experiment, you'll eventually master this beast—and learn a thing or two about game design along the way. Crispin Having played Fighter Maker, I didn't expect too much from this second Maker title (mainly because of the lack of options in FM). | was pleasantly surprised. RPG Maker offers up just about every option you could possibly want for creating your own custom RPG. Sure, the graphics look like they could've been done on a 16-Bit console and the battle system isn’t the greatest, but the fact that you can create your own RPG quests is just awesome. The menus and scenar- ios can be a tad difficult to figure out at times, but getting the hang of things is very rewarding. |f you're an RPG lover and you've got the time to devote to this game, you'll have a blast. Sam OK, so the graphics and sound are right out of a bad Genesis RPG—the point is, it's your bad Genesis RPG, built from the ground up with whatev- er crazy ideas you want. This has got to be one of the coolest ideas for a game ever, so it's not that surpris- ing that the execution doesn't quite live up to the concept—the menus could be more friendly, and you should be able to use the mouse everywhere. Nevertheless, the overwhelming variety and scope of stuff you have control over is just amazing. If you have the patience to deal with the somewhat clunky interface and the drive to make your own game, RPG Maker could make your whole summer. Mark REPLAY VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY Publisher: Square EA Developer: Squaresoft Featured In: ЕСМ #131 - Players: 4 > Supports: Dual Shock Best Feature: Two separate quests Worst Feature: Annoying autoaiming Web Site: www.squaresoft.com After the first few hours of Threads of Fate, it really wasn't looking good. The graphics were fine (blocky yet cartoony and colorful, like Brave Fencer Musashi), but the battles were way too easy, the dungeons sim- plistic, and the lack of items and weapons annoying. And the music— good lord it's bad. Threads was on track for the big 2.0 when suddenly, around six hours in, things started to get more interesting—a few good boss battles, more involved dungeons, and best of all the story finally picked up. So it gets better, but it never gets great. A few control issues are never resolved — why have autoaiming for action/RPG real- time combat? It only leads to frustrating mistakes when fighting multiple enemies. The camera itself isn't really a problem, but the fact that you don't have any control over it is frustrating when you have to make jumps in 3D. The way the two parallel story lines intersect and diverge and the very different pow- ers of the main characters themselves (the guy can transform into defeated enemies, the girl learns all kinds of magic) is a pretty innovative idea. As far as replay goes, though, it's hardly two games in one— more like two half-games in one, since both quests add up to roughly standard game length (24 hours or 50). Some mini-games and funny story bits kept me interested to a point, but there was never enough to the control, plot, characters or gameplay to ever get me even close to addicted. Mark Here's an RPG that tries to deliver a a little bit of every- thing—hack-"n'-slash action, platform jumping, puz- zle solving and multiple story lines. It's just that Threads of Fate doesn't do a spectacular job at any of this stuff. Combat gets boring quickly, but | think that has more to do with the ho-hum action stages than any faults with the combat system. The story itself takes too long to get interesting with both charac- ters. And if you're not a big fan of cutesy RPGs, ToF ain't gonna change your mind. | do like the novel continue system, which has you collecting and trad- ing coins to stay in the game. But otherwise, this is an adequate-but-forgettable action-RPG. Crispin ToF would be something special if the | battle system was more complex, and the overall quests were longer. Instead, it’s just another slightly above-aver- age RPG on the shelf with the rest—and if I’m going to dedicate a lot of time to a game like this, | want it to be a stellar experience. Even with its interest- ing story (later in the game) and two characters to choose at start (with character-specific intertwining quests), there's just not enough here. It has a decent number of dungeons to work through, but only one town to visit. The characters you meet up with aren't very memorable either. | want to like it more, but it'd be best to rent ToF rather than buy it. Shawn REPLAY VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY < КВАС The Strauss family of composers popularized what dance? Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment, Developer: Jellyvision/Celador Featured In: EGM #131 = > Players: 12 Supports: Dual Shock Best Feature: Technically faithful to TV show Worst Feature: Lame multiplayer mode Web Site: www.playstation.com РЦ admit it—l'm one of those people who tries to tune into “Millionaire” when | can. Granted, it’s not often (since I'm usually slaving away in the office doing lovely game reviews for your perusal), but | do usually catch it at least once a week. For the one or two of you who might not know, the show's draw is its drama, not its ingenious game design. We're all pulling for the 30-something mother of two (with twins on the way) to make enough money on the show to put a couple of them through college, but we seethe at the rich attorney who makes another mil- lion while sitting in the “Hot Seat.” During the process we learn about each person through his/her lifelines, the resident person rooting for them, and Regis’ conversational banter. The PlayStation has sucked all of this away, however. The “Phone-A- Friend” lifeline has been destroyed by Regis calling his own equally annoying friends who try too hard to be witty, and the key decision of when to take the money and walk away doesn't matter since it isn't real. Furthermore, the questions repeat way too quickly and. the multiplayer option is laughable, since it is restricted to the “Fastest Finger" question that opens the gates to Regis' den. To be fair, this is technically a close enough translation to please most fans, but | recommend games such as Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune to the rest of you— they just translate to a console much better.| Kraig | like Regis. I think he’s а “swell guy, but m not con- vinced he can carry this game on his celebrity alone. On TV the game works because you have the drama of the nervous contestant, the audience and the pressure of the moment. Here you have text on a screen, suspenseful music and Regis reading the question (just audio). Comparably it only captures about 60 percent of the excitement. The questions repeat too often as well (a major no-no for a trivia game). Play it too much and you'll have it memorized in no time. In short, it can't hold a candle to You Don't Know Jack, but it has some charm. | wouldn't buy it, but it's perfect for a one-night rental. Dean | The TV show i is so popular because it's simple and straightforward—and fortunately, so is the game. In fact, it's almost a direct lift of the show so if ever a | review score didn't mean much to a game's sales, | this is it. This game is a good enough version to | feed your jones if you love the show and want to play at home. In a pure entertainment and replay sense, though, it shares the cardinal flaw of most console-based quiz games—a limited database of | questions. These games will really come into their | own when they go online, but for now, this drawback | persists. | might have given it an even higher score if | could turn that devilish pixie Regis off. Joe INGENUITY REPLAY VISUALS SOUND 151 Take-Two “=> Tempest N/A 1-2 No one forces you to play Dual Shock, Analog Does not pro- vide any entertainment www.take2games.com It's a good thing that this game is already priced for the bargain bins, because that's exactly where it belongs. Looking like a pre-first-generation PlayStation game, Grudge Warriors is among the worst of any vehicular combat—nay, any game for any зепге—Гуе had the misfortune of playing. Assuming you can actually manage to point your vehicle the direction you want to go, you're in for a slippery and frustrating ride. Physics? We don't need no stinkin’ physics! Not when we already have glitchy collision detection and an erratic camera to contend with. Everything about the combat engine is uninspired (ї.е., a rip-off), especially the weapons (which you can randomly run out of, thanks to a bug). If they cleaned up the graphics and tightened up the control, Grudge Warriors may have achieved medioc- rity. Unfortunately, everything about this title screams “apathy.” It’s tragic that this game will sell just because its low $10 price tag. | feel for all the kids whose well-meaning relatives dump this pile on them as their birthday present. Andrew VISUALS REPLAY SOUND INGENUITY Infogrames =» Sacnoth EGM #129 3 CG movies Uneven Dual Shock enemy difficulty www.infogrames.com Koudelka has its charms—beautiful CG movie sequences and an intense, dark atmosphere— but as for the game itself, there are just too many small problems to keep it from rising much above medioc- rity. It plays like a cross between Resident Evil and a strategy-based RPG: You explore the prerendered backgrounds of the 19th-century monastery RE-style (I actually prefer the control in Koudelka), occasion- ally battling enemies on a grid in turn-based combat. Since all of the battles are random, you often find yourself not wanting to explore areas out of fear of bumping into more enemies. Most of the bad guys are relatively easy to defeat, but once in a while you're confronted with some (especially the bosses) who are suddenly really tough. And with the overall lack of save points (they're usually after those boss- es), it gets frustrating. Another qualm | had was with weapons breaking— several hours into the game | didn't expect to have to resort to fist fighting again. Koudelka definitely feels unpolished, but there is a decent adventure in there if you can find it. Sam VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY Surf Riders Publisher: Ubi Soft « Developer: ^* АСОТ Featured In: N/A Players: 1 Supports: Dual Shock Web Site: www.ubisoft.com Best Feature: Cool surf tunes Worst Feature: Gets repeti- tive quickly I'm not sure if it was the constantly repetitive playing area or the heavy use of plain primary colors, but for some reason Surf Riders reminded me of a late '8os | arcade game. Nostalgia is not a good thing in this case though, as | usually find those games that held | me riveted at a darkened arcade for hours just don't have the depth to hold my interest anymore. SR was easy to get into and difficult to master, butthatdoes- | n't make it a Tony Hawk on water. The wave anima- | tions are peculiar (then again, it would be pretty hard ro replicate realistic surf), but since every wave is a perfect wave, you focus more on riding the break and scoring boffo-style points for tricks as you work your way up to big kahuna status. Despite taking an original angle on a very cool sport, the game | quickly became repetitive and almost felt like an extended demo instead of a stand-alone title. Probably the best thing is the ability to choose brand-name surfboards and the inclusion of some very cool surf music, but that's just icing on an oth- erwise very bland cake. Joe REPLAY VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY 3 8 EVERYONE B eature: Easy, simple gameplay Worst Feature: Easily induces boredom www.acclaim.com It's a good thing Acclaim decided to use Micro Machines as an inspiration for this license cash-in; basing it on anything else would probably have made it completely unplayable. Supercross 2000 plays almost exactly like the aforementioned classic, with a bike-slide physics effect thrown in for authenticity. Perform a "trick" in mid-air and you're rewarded with a power-up—unfortunately these power-ups are practically worthless and the implementation does- n't make sense (lay off the accelerator to use Turbo?). There's also some poor collision detection at the corners, the most vital part of the track—hit a corner the wrong way and you're stuck for at least two full seconds. If anything, Supercross 2000 could stand to have more variety. Twelve tracks is plenty for a Game Boy racer, unfortunately they all look the same. Apparently, all the brown and green took up too much memory on the cart, so there’s no background music to help quell the boredom. For a Game Boy racer, you could do worse—but you can definitely do a helluva lot better too. Andrew SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY VISUALS EVERYONE Publisher: THQ Developer: Core Design LI Featured In: EGM #132 ... Players: 1 7. Supports: None Best Feature: True Tomb Raider feel Worst Feature: Monotonous at times Web Site: www.thq.com Who would have thought you could take Tomb Raider—an inherently 3D game—and bring it into a 2D environment without a hitch? Not me. What's more, the whole thing is on the freaking Game Boy Color. Very strange indeed, but very cool. Granted, this GBC version of the game is very similar to Prince of Persia with Tomb Raider-inspired visuals— but it works. It feels like Tomb Raider, instead of being some no-name piece of Game Boy Color action garbage that happens to have Lara Croft's picture on the front of the box. Keep in mind, the game's not near as complex as its PlayStation cousin but the basics are in place. You have a backpack full of good- ies, there are switches to find, inclines to slide down and spikes to avoid, all in cavernous-temple-type levels that are a trademark of the series. You even have cutscenes, though not animated. Think of it as the Tomb Raider that would've been on the NES. Graphically, the game is quite nice. There is plenty of detail in the levels and characters, and on the anima- tion front, the little 4o-some pixel-tall Lara moves around just like her big sister. The levels are huge (with checkpoints, thankfully), and there are plenty of items to pick up. There are a decent number of enemies as well, but like the PS version, there are more traps than baddies. Strangely bosses are rather scarce. Be aware: There's only one save slot on the cart. Shawn i Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Nintendo Featured In: EGM #131 Players: 1 Supports: None BestFeature: Excellent graphics, difficult puzzles WorstFeature: Bosses are too easy Web Site: www.nintendo.com Just when | thought the GBC's graphics couldn't pos- sibly look any better, along comes a game that raises the bar again. The first time you play, Wario can be frustrating because you'll see areas in most levels you can't get to or have obstacles blocking your way. But by the end, when “Da Evil One" is all decked out with power-ups, you'll be rolling through levels real- ly quickly. Part of the fun of Wario (and sometimes most frustrating) is figuring out what move or reac- tion will get you past a certain area. Wario 3 is an even mix of platform-style gameplay and puzzle solving. After a while you'll get very familiar with the layout of each level, as you have to go back into stages you've completed to uncover new areas. And even if you play it off and on, you can always go to The Temple to find out where to go next. The golf mini-game is fun, but the courses never offer too much of a challenge. It costs you coins to play golf, but there's an almost limitless supply of those. On the downside, a lot of the bosses are incredibly easy—three hits, they're dead. They just don't match up with the difficulty of the rest ofthe game. Some of the boss encounters are incredibly cool—in one you have to score “goals” using the boss as a soccer ball (there's a goalie so it's not as easy as it sounds). The music, while good, is pretty standard Game Boy stuff—there’s nothing you'll be humming to yourself while driving. Chris Since Tomb Raider on the PlayStation swiped Prince of Persia’s gameplay and stuck it in a 3D world, it only makes sense that TR on the Game Boy Color plays just like good ol' 2D Prince of Persia. And that's а good thing. И means that Lara’s adventure here isn't mindless side-scrolling crap like so many other GBC titles. You'll need to take your time and watch for traps. You'll need to explore the massive levels, track down items and find switches. Lara can pull off nearly all of her PS moves, and that means it'll take you a while to master this version's controls. Some areas get tedious, but TR is still a solid—and stellar-looking—GBC adventure. Crispin Tomb Raider has some of the best graphics I’ve seen on the GBC—cool cinematic stills and huge charac- ters that animate incredibly smoothly. Control-wise there’s plenty of moves (run, roll, climb, hang, swim, jumps, etc.), but the slight lag between your button presses and the in-game response is annoying. The gameplay (think Prince of Persia) is adequate for a handheld action/adventure, but could definitely be better. There’s lots of traps and switches, but the level design lacks polish—you spend lots of time backtracking through similar-looking places just try- ing to find what to do next. Hey, at least that part of it’s faithful to the PS games, right? Mark REPLAY INGENUITY VISUALS SOUND 152 Is it wrong for a grown man to be in love with a video game? Of course not. I'm proud to be smitten by Wario Land 3. With tons of items, coins, power- ups and more to collect, dozens of innovative puzzles to figure out.and old-school levels to go back and forth between, what's not to love? Sure, the more tedious parts of this GBC masterpiece may induce fits of swearing, but at the end of the day you'll look back and feel all warm and fuzzy about your Wario Land з experience—you'll be addicted. Plus the thing looks really nice. One thing to note: It's more of а sit-at-home-and-play kind of game rather than something you take on vacation. Shawn It's odd to see a great game on the Game Boy that's not a remake or adaptation of a classic NES or PlayStation game lately. 1 love the whole “impossi- ble to die" setup of this game. It requires the play- er to think-outside the box. You can't just go from point.A to point B, but you need to consider the effects each enemy's attack has on Wario (i.e., make him grow, turn him into a zombie) and use the sub- sequent abilities he gains to find hidden areas in each stage. Every level changes based on the time of day too, which creates endless possibilities for exploration of another excellent addition to the Wario Land series. Greg REPLAY VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY s.com BOOMERANG 64 SNIPER FOR PS GAME BOY 1(900) 113-8439 «кт mmm PRIZES PROVIDED BY NUBY www.nubyonline.com Jacob Overmiller, Grand Island, NE; Raff Salinas, Denver, CO; John Price, Magee, MS; Chris Smior, H Fullerton, CA; Lee Elveson, Oceanside, NY; Kody Cullum, Chatsworth, CA; Micah Veazey, Glendale, Listen to Quartermann AZ; Christine Gadd, Brooklyn, NY; Eli Нагу, Van Buren, AR; Dave Gregory, Hazard, KY: Andre x " Flores, Trenton, NJ; Donell White, New York, NY; Paygar Williams, Trenton, NJ; Patrick Mcauliffe, Gossi Before it's in EGM! Norco, CA; Thomas Bollinger, Las Vegas, NV; Dan King, New Holland, PA; Daniel Exindil, Jamaica, p . NY; Carl Burnett, Pittsboro, NC; Austin Laffis, Wesley Hills, NY; Michael Isler, Memphis, TN; Frank Chavez, Topeka, KS; July Cady, Capistrano Beach, CA; Wendy Banga, Bronx, NY; Neil Rodriguez, New York, NY; Ansel Hart, Wylie, TX; John Price, Magee, MS; George Coffield, Apopka, FL; George ө Саії апа Test Your Bussey, Columbus, GA; Leon Knight, Brooklyn, NY; Ricky McClendon, Oilton, OK; Chris Brown, Naples, FL; Chris Grace, Covington, L; Angie Dremean, Decatur, IL; Stephanie Smith, Hagerstown, Knowledge of Video MD; Justin Nicholls, Barbourville, KY; Henry, Milwaukee, WI; Tracy Nicholson, San Jose, CA; Doreen Stanelonis, Colchester, CT; Daniel, Hialeah, FL; Nathan Haviland, Augusta, KS; Matt Frenis, = = Waterbury, CT; Sean Halderman, Otis, OR; M. Rosas, Lehigh Acres, FL; Corwin Williams, Memphis, Game Trivia! TN; Ken Jordan, Florence, AL; Even Revish, Alpharetta, GÀ; T. Whitner, Horn Lake, MS; Nicholson, Kansas City, MO; Marcos Chaj, Staten Island, NY: Shawn Holden, Otis, OR; Ricky Odonald, Palo Alto, CA; Cody Boston, Wayland, OH; Luis Casadea, Hialeah, FL; Kevin Bostell, Augusta, GA l> Get the Latest Expert Gamer Codes & Tricks 1.49/minute » Неаг Review Crew YOUNGER THAN 18 YEARS OLD MUST HAVE PARENTS’ PERMISSION Members’ Game Ratings! — 3132727712" GAMING IM ONT HL 1. Entry. To enter, correctly answer six consecutive trivia questions and leave your name, address and phone number as instructed. Winners will be determined by judges whose decisions are final. One winner per household per month. Ziff-Davis assumes no responsibility for unintelligible, incomplete, or misdirected responses. 2. Prizes: Winners will receive опе (1) of the following at Ziff-Davis sole discretion: Boomerang 64 controller, PS Sniper Gun, or Game Boy Color Action Pack. Prizes have an approximate retail value of at least $25.00. А! prize winners will be notified by mail. Prize(s) are non-transferable, No substitutions of prize(s) are allowed, except at the option of Ziff-Davis should the featured prize(s) become unavailable. 3. Eligibility: Contest open to residents of United States and Canada. Void in Maryland, Non-compliance with the time parameters contained herein or return of any prize/prize notification as unde- liverable will result in disqualification. Winners or their legal guardians shall return a signed affidavit of eligibility/release of liabilityprize acceptance within 5 days of receipt or forfeit prize. Employees of ZD Inc., Nuby Interactive, and their respective affiliates are not eligible. Neither ZD Inc., Nuby Interactive, nor their respective affiliates, subsidiaries, divisions, cr related companies are responsible for any damages, taxes, or expenses resulting from this contest Winners acknowledge that ZD Inc. has neither made nor is in any manner responsible or liable for any warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied, in fact or in law, relative to any prize including but not limited to its quality, mechanical condition or fitness. Winners accepting prizes agree that all prizes are awarded on the condition that Ziff-Davis, its agents, representatives, and employees will have no liability whatsoever for any injuries, losses, or dam- ages of any kind resulting from acceptance, possession, or use of the prizes. 4. Winners List: For a list of winners, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to Preview Line Trivia Contest, PO Box 3338, Oak Brook, IL 60522-3338 Please specify the month for which you are requesting the winners list. Allow 3-4 weeks for delivery. 5. Restrictions: Void where prohibited or restricted by law. All federal, state and local regulations apply. NOLLWYOdYOD SONIGIOH АЯПМ JO $Улешэрел рәзә}5!Зәз эле ѕәшеи PNPOId Tricks Trade By Trickman Terry tricks @ziffdavis.com THE MONTH Hidden Character Codes Play as Kaede At the Select Screen, highlight Rain and press Down, Down, Left, Left, Up. Kaede will appear in a box above Rain. Play as Rai-On At the Select Screen, highlight Byakko and press Up, Down, Left, Left, Right, Left, Up. Rai-On will appear in a box above Byakko. [ГЇ Play as Evil Gamof At the Select Screen, highlight Gamof. Hold Start and press A. Rayman 2: The Great Escape Ял the Title Screen, press Start, then immediately hold L+R but- tons and press B, B, B, B while the screen is scrolling down. Now, you will have access to a new option called Globox Disc Access. Choose this and you'll be taken to a multiplayer mini-game. اک ارس .سک street Fighter Alpha 3 Play as Shin Akuma EJ At the Character Select Screen, highlight Akuma, hold Start and press A. Akuma will now be Shin Akuma. All-Star Baseball 2001 Sweet Cheats At the Options Screen, scroll until you highlight Enter Cheats. Access this option at the Cheat Code Screen, and enter any of these passwords: Aluminum Bats Put in HOLLOWBATS as your password. Small Players Put in TOMTHUMB as your password. Blurred Graphics Put in MYEYES as your password. Float to Dugout After an Out Put in FLYAWAY as your password. Blackout Mode Put in WTOTL as your password. 154 Excitebike 64 More Codes On the Main Menu Screen, press and hold these buttons in order. Hold L, then hold C-Right, then hold C-Down. While hold- ing these buttons, press A. The “Enter A Cheat Code” Menu will appear. Now you may input any of these passwords. Unlock Every Stunt Enter TRICKSTER. Mirror Tracks Enter YADAYADA. Night Mode Enter MIDNIGHT. GoldenEye 007 More Mission Button Codes Enter codes at the Mission Select Screen, use the L and R buttons, C buttons and D-pad. Be sure to hold the buttons for one or two seconds before going to next step. El Statue Unlocked Hold L+ R Buttons and press C- Down, hold L+R Buttons and press C-Down, hold L Button and press Right, hold L+R Buttons and press Left, hold R Button and press Left, hold R Button and press C-Right, hold L+R Buttons and press Left, hold R Button and press C-Up, hold R Button and press C- Down, hold R Button and press Right. И Archives Unlocked Hold R Button and press Left, hold L+R Buttons and press Up, hold L+R Buttons and press C- Down, hold R Button and press Got your own PD tidbit for us? Send us a letter or e-mail us at EGM@ziffdavis.com, subject: Perfect Dark. If we choose your letter you'll get your name in EGM and maybe even a little somethin’ extra! PERFECT DARK У‏ ت Your monthly source for anything and everything Perfect Dark WHAT IS THE MATRIX? WHO CUT THE CHEESE? Looking for cool new multiplayer scenarios? Maybe you've Swallow the red pill and check out this recipe noticed little for playing out the lobby scene from The Matrix bits of cheese that readers Ben McShane, James Smith and like this one Sam Adams sent us. sprinkled Scenario: Combat throughout Arena: The Grid some of PD's Weapons: 1) Falcon (w/scope) 2) CMP150 levels. What the 3) Shotgun 4) Combat Boosts (for that Matrix- hell’s it doing esque slo-mo effect) 5) AR34 6) K7 Avenger there? Nothing. Limits: 10 minutes (or whatever) Apparently Rare was planning on having you Simulants: 2 KazeSims (your choice of difficul- collect these tender morsels to open up cheats ty) 1 NormalSim (or other difficulty) in the game but ran out of time and had to cut Teams: 1-2 players (Neo and Trinity) vs. Sims the feature at the last minute. ENTER THE ARENA Sure, multiplayer Perfect Dark rocks the house, but don't you wish the other guys couldn't see your screen? Enter “The Arena" screen divider, $63 shipped from www. comp-systems. com. This bad boy uses mirrors to separate the game Screens and give everyone their own private view. So how well does it work? After the half hour Or so assem- bly, we had a few slight problems aligning the mirrors and getting all four screens completely squared, but your nç T after some adjustments the payoff (being able friends, or use it to trick to sneak around and camp as a sniper) was well them into thinking it's worth it. If you have the cash and are really into true! Oh, and feel free multiplayer, check it out. Rating: 8/10 to decrease the time limit when you retell it. Have fun! The Matrix Perfect Dark “The Grid” BS RUMOR WATCH Just like with GoldenEye, you know there’s going to be tons of bogus info making the rounds about Perfect Dark—this month’s top BS rumor is that you can open the Game Boy camera face- mapping feature by beating the Central level in 2:03 or less. This rates 7 the patented EGM-PD-BS-O-METI 155 Perfect Dark Unlocking Codes Press Start to pause the game. Then you'll see the Perfect Menu. Move Left or Right to Options and then access the "Cheats" Menu. Each of the options has many different unlockable cheats within each category. Listed here are the categories with the missions and times you need to complete them in order to unlock the cheats. Як Mode: Beat Chicago-Stealth Mission on any difficulty set- ting. Small Jo: Beat G5 Building- Reconnaissance Mission on any difficulty setting. °та!п Characters: Beat Area 51- Infiltration Mission on any diffi- culty setting. Play as Elvis: Beat Area 51- Rescue Mission on Perfect Agent setting in under 7:59. Slo-Mo Single Player: Beat dataDyne Research- Investigation Mission on any difficulty setting. TRICKS The top 5 games of the last month given the full- on Trickman treatment: 1. Pokémon Stadium (N64) Pikachu Talks Note: You must have the yel- low version of the Game Boy Pokémon game for this to work. Upload Pikachu from the game to Pokémon Stadium. Don't register Pikachu. Now start a battle and use Pikachu. When bat- tling, Pikachu will say its name and have new anima- tions for some of its moves. 2. WWE SmackDown! (PS) Find Codes Send in codes for this game. If we print yours, you'll score a free game! 3. Pokémon (Yellow) (GB) Easy Level Gain To easily gain experience, switch the Pokémon you want to train with the top Pokémon on your list. When you go into battle, this Pokémon will appear. Switch to another Pokémon. Once you win the battle, the beginning Pokémon and the fighting Pokémon both gain experi- ence points. This is especially useful if the Pokémon you want to build up has no initial attack in its first form. 4. Syphon Filter 2 (PS) Level Skip Pause the game in the middle of play. On the “Pause” screen, highlight Map and press and hold these buttons in this order: Right+L2+R2+Circle+Square. With these held, press X. You will hear a sound when entered correctly. Now go to the “Options” Screen and enter the “Cheats” option. You'll find an option to end your current level and go to the next one. ral Ourumov has NINTENDO 64 GoldenEye 007 cont. Left, hold L+R Buttons and press C-Right, hold L Button and press Left, hold L+R Buttons and press Right, hold L+ R Buttons and press C-Down, hold L Button and press Up, hold R Button and press C- Down. Klstreets Unlocked Hold L«R Buttons and press C- Left, hold L Button and press C- Right, hold L Button and press Up, hold L+R Buttons and press C-Down, hold R Button and press C-Right, hold R Button and press C-Down, hold R Button and press Left, hold R Button and press C-Down, hold R Button and press C-Up, hold L Button and press Down. И depot Unlocked Hold L Button and press Down, hold L Button and press Down, hold R Button and press C- Down, hold L Button and press C-Right, hold L+R Buttons and press Right, hold R Button and press C-Left, hold L Button and press Down, hold L Button and press C-Left, hold L Button and press C-Right, hold L Button and press Up. Tarzan El Level Select Cheat Пл Main Menu, press Left, Left, Right, Right, Up, Down, Left, Right, Up, Up, Down, Down. You will see “Cheats” as the last Eloption on the menu. Access this option to get Level Select Menu. Hit Right to see more levels, including bonus stages. Perfect Dark CONTINUED Gameplay Invincible: Beat Area 51- Escape Mission on Agent setting in under Cloaking Device: Beat G5 Building-Reconnaissance Mission on Agent setting in under 1:40. Marquis of Queensbury Rules: Beat dataDyne Central- Defection Mission on Special Agent setting in under 1:30. Jo Shield: Beat Deep Sea-Nullify Threat Mission on on any diffi- culty setting Super Shield: Beat Carrington Institute-Defense Mission on Agent setting in under 1:45. Enemy Shields: Beat Carrington Institute-Defense on any diffi- culty setting. Enemy Rockets: Beat Pelagic 11- Exploration Mission on any diffi- culty setting. Perfect Darkness: Beat Crash Site-Confrontation Mission on any difficulty setting. Weapons for јо in Solo Rocket Launcher: beat dataDyne Central-Extraction Mission on any difficulty setting. Sniper Rifle: Beat Carrington Villa-Hostage One Mission on any difficulty setting. SuperDragon: Beat Area 5: Escape Mission on any difficulty setting. Laptop Gun: Beat Air Fore > One- Anti-Terrorism Mission on any ` difficulty setting. Phoenix: Beat Attack Ship- PLAY ION Colin McRae Rally Ellopen Alt Tracks From the main menu screen, choose Championship mode, then choose Continue. When asked to enter your name, put in the following password: OPENROADS and then move to OK and press X. You will hear a voice say, “Trick mode enabled.” Once you hear this, go back to the main menu screen and choose Rally. When you go to choose your track (country), you will see that you can now choose the Super- Special stage in Greece. Die Hard Trilogy 2: Viva Las Vegas First-Person Shooting Codes From the main menu, choose Movie Mode or Arcade Mode. If you choose Arcade Mode, pick the spinning pistol. In the mid- dle of the first-person shooting Covert Assault Mission on any difficulty setting. Psychosis Gun: Beat Chicago- Stealth Mission on Perfect Agent setting in under 2:00. Trent’s Magnum: Beat Crash Site-Confrontation Mission on Agent setting in under 2:50. Farsight: Beat Deep Sea-Nullify Threat Mission on Perfect Agent setting in under 7:27. Classic Weapons for Jo in Solo РРӘ!: Win all gold stars in the Carrington Institute Firing Range. CC13: Win all gold stars in the Carrington Institute Firing Range. KLO1313: Win all gold stars in the Carrington Institute Firing Range. KF7 Special: Win all gold stars in game, press START to pause. Now enter one of these codes for various results. For best results, enter the Unlimited Ammo code after the Every Weapon code. ЙТЕуегу Weapon Square, Square, Circle, Circle, Le EIS DIE HARD CONT. Unlimited Ammo and Grenade Weapons L1, L1, R1, Ва, Circle, Circle. Invincibility Triangle, Triangle, Circle, Circle, Lays Automatic Weapon Reload Square, Square, Triangle, Triangle, Circle, Circle. Super Slow Rockets L1, R1, R1, L1, Triangle, Square. Slow Motion Movement Triangle, L1, Triangle, L1, Triangle, L1. Speed Punks [Boost Start This trick will give you a boost ahead of the other cars when Яуси begin a race. When starting a гасе and the lights start to count down, wait until the third red light beeps, and then imme- diately hold the X button. For best results, try holding the X button about halfway in between the third and fourth light. In the middle of the game, press and hold the accelerator the Carrington Institute Firing Range. ZZT 9mm: Win all gold stars in the Carrington Institute Firing Range. DMC: Win all gold stars in the Carrington Institute Firing Range ARS; in all gold stars in the Carrington Institute Firing Range. RC-P45: Win all gold stars in the Carrington Institute Firing and brake buttons simultane- ооу. Now turn yourself around twice, so that you complete two 360s and let go of the accelerator and brake buttons. You will get an instant turbo boost! Just make sure you aim the right way when you initiate the boost. Range. Weapons Classic Sight: Beat dataDyne Central-Defection Mission on any difficulty setting. Unlimited Ammo - Laptop Gun: Beat Air Force One-Anti- Terrorism on Perfect Agent s ting in under 3:55. Hurricane Fists: Beat dataDyne Central-Extraction Mission on Agent setting in under 2:03 Unlimited Ammo: Beat Pelagic II-Exploration Mission on Special Agent setting in under 7:07. Unlimited Ammo - No Reloads: Beat Air Base-Espionage on Special Agent setting in under 3:11. X-Ray Scanner: Beat Area 51- Rescue Mission on any difficulty setting. R-Tracker/Weapon Caches: Beat Skedar Ruins-Battle Shrine Mission on any difficulty setting. All Guns in Solo: Beat Skedar Ruins-Battle Shrine Mission on Perfect Agent setting in under 5:31. Velvet Dark: Default Character. Pugilist: Beat dataDyne Research-Investigation Mission on Perfect Agent setting in under 6:30. Hotshot: Beat Area 51- Infiltration Mission on Special Agent setting in under 5:00. Hit and Run: Beat Carrington Villa-Hostage One Mission on Special Agent setting in under 2:30. Alien: Beat Attack Ship-Covert Assault Mission on Special Agent setting in under 5:17. ricks | Criffdavis.com. | | We want your tricks! We want to шеше | | your best codes and tricks in every issue, to | put along with ай our great tricks we pack in | every issue. You can even win prizes if we pick yours as Trick of the Month! “see page 163 tor contest rules TRICKS 5. Pokémon (Blue) (GB) Infinite Items With this cheat, you can give yourself an unlimited supply of whatever item you have in your sixth inventory slot. Keep in mind that this trick only works in the Red and Blue versions of the game. First, head to Viridian City and talk to the old man who instructed you how to use Poké Balls. When he asks you, choose to watch his demonstration again. After that, immediately fly to Cinnabar Island. Choose one of your Pokémon who has the Surf Ability. Ride up and down the east coast of the island (hugging the shore- line) until you get into a bat- tle. Eventually, you will encounter one of two glitchy Pokémon, either one with a name made up of scrambled boxes or the infamous Missingno. Whatever you do, do not catch any Pokémon that you encounter here. Repeat: Do not catch any of them. It will ruin your saved game. Run from every battle as soon as you get into one. After running from a battle with a glitch Pokémon, check your inventory. Whatever item was in the sixth slot should have a strange symbol where the quantity used to be. This usually means that you have well over 100 of that item. This trick can be done repeat- edly, so you can essentially have infinite items. Now, you can have a ton of Master Balls or enough rare candy to power up all your Pokémon to level 100. Just don’t power them up past that because you then run the risk of dam- aging your save game. 1-900-PRE VIEW The number to call for the Street Sk8er 2 Incredible Tricks On the Title Screen where “Press Start Button” is flashing, enter any one of these codes for the results shown. You will hear a click noise if the code was entered correctly. Every Board Circle, Circle, Square, Circle, Square, Square, Circle, R1. Every Skater Left, Left, Circle, Circle, L2, Square, Right, R2. Every Course Open Left, Right, Left, Right, Circle, Circle, R1, Square. V-Rally 2: Need For Speed All Bonus Cars and Levels On the Title Screen, highlight and enter Game Options. Now move down and access Game Progression. Quickly press L1, R1, Left, Right, Left, Right, Up, Down, Up, Down, X, X+Select. You'll hear a buzzing noise. You can open up any level and car by pressing X on any rectangle. Who Wants To Be A Millionaire Replacement Names Go to "Enter Your Name" screen. Enter REGIS PHILBIN, Regis denies you that name. He will then replace it with DREAM- ER, FIBBER or SMARTY PANTS. If you don't enter a name, you will be given one like EINSTEIN, KATHIE LEE, GELMAN or CODY. Pac-Man: Special Color Ed. Pac-Attack Level Codes Press Start on the Title Screen. Now move down and choose Pac-Attack. On the Pac-Attack Title Screen, move down and access Puzzle Mode. On the Puzzle Mode Main Menu Screen, choose Password. Now you can enter any of these level codes. Level 2: HNM, Level 3: KST Level 4: TRT, Level 5: MYX Level 6: KHL, Level 7: RTS Level 8: SKB, Level 9: HNT EY Level то: SRY TONIGHT'S LEADERBOARD Star Wars Episode 1: Racer Е] Boost Start First, start a race. As the count- down begins, wait until it reach- es “1.” As soon as the number goes away, immediately press and hold button A. If your tim- ing is correct, you will get a boost ahead of the other racer. The timing is tricky, so keep try- ing if you miss it the first time. НЕО • СЕО РОСК The Match of the Millennium: SNK VS. Capcom Alternate Costume Colors On the Character Select Screen, move onto the character you want to pick, then press and hold A. Your character’s cos- tume color will change. 158 HEY, YOU: WANNA WIN FREE STUFF? If your trick is selected as Trick of the Month, you will win a free GameShark provided by InterAct, and a Pro Shock, or a Нурегбд, or a VIPER controller from Fire International. If you are given credit for submitting a hot trick in this section, you will win a free game. See page 163 for rules. Note: If you send your trick by e-mail, you must include your real name and address. Send your best tricks, codes, Web sites, anything that can help make games more fun or interesting to: Tricks of the Trade Р.О. Box 3338 Oak Brook IL 60522-3338 or send e-mail to: tricksGziffdavis.com TRICK SCORE 1728» МО f, ~ Sony Playstation Dual Shock, Sega Dreamcast, Game Boy Color, апа Nintendo 64 Funtastic Series. Get all four or trade what you don’t want for cash. Options include accessories, plenty of games, Sony Playstation 2 and 36” monitor. Base prize package value $1200. All this and more could be yours. In these contests everyone starts out equal. There is no luck involved. You win the prizes by outscoring other players in games of skill. Begin your journey by solving the puzzle below. If you stick it out till the end and have the highest score, you go on a shopping spree and we foot the bill. This first puzzle is easy but it gives you an idea of how the contests work. You will receive full information when you enter. You have been given the opportunity to live your dream. Are you up to it? For each contest you enter, you will receive by mail, four more puzzles at $2 each and a tie-breaker at $1. You have three weeks to solve each puzzle. We can not predict the number of entries for each phase. PRIZE PUZZLE #1 WORD LIST TOWER -P EARTH -X WORLD - U SPACE -W HAPPY -O SHARE -Z Fill in the puzzle with the correct words going across. Transfer each word's corresponding letter to the line at the end. This should spell the secret word going down. HINT: Read the secret word clue. SECRET WORD CLUE: Clip This Order Form And Mail It but before tomorrow? Value of prize 700 MHz, 128 mb RAM, 27 gig hard drive, 8X DVD-ROM, CD-RW drive, modem and 17” monitor. Options include software and acces- sories. Base prize package value $2600. What comes after yesterday packages as follows: Video Game package $1200 base prize, bonus options $2350, cash options $1250. Computer package cash options $1250. Home theater package $7475 base prize, bonus options $6375, cash options $1250. For any questions e-mail us at elation@uswest.net. or call us at 612-826-0033. PLIU тшшш ee ee 60” big screen, 100 watt receiver with Dolby Pro Logic Surround Sound, DVD, 200 CD changer, dual tape, HI-FI VCR and tower speakers. Base prize package value $7475. Typically 78% attain the highest score in phase 1, 65% in phase 2, 38% in phase 3 and 31% in phase 4. The winner will have the highest score after the tie-break- er. Each contest has its own tie-breaker. In the unlikely event that players are still tied, they will split the value of the package they are playing for. Follow the directions below to fill in the puzzle. Check the boxes on the entry form to specify the contests you are entering. Add up the entry fees and send that amount with the entry form to the address below. Remember, you can't win if you don't enter. Only one entry per person. Prize totals are descibed below puzzle. BI IN INI A3 ACCEPT CANADIAN CHECKS. ist be po ENTER ME IN THE FOLLOWING CONTESTS: [0 ($3) Video Game L] ($3) Home Theater L1($3) Computer L] ($5) All Three - Save $4 101 Name Mailing Address Apt st City State Zip SEND CASH, MONEY ORDER OR CHECK TO: ELATION, P.O. BOX 62126 DEPT 953, MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55426 This puzzle is void where prohibited. Employees of Elation, Inc and its suppliers are ineligible. Judges decisions are final. Where judges are in error the sponsor's liability is limited to the amount of entry fees paid. Elation is not responsible for lost, delayed or stolen mail. Winners will be determined no later than July 01, 2001. This contest is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada only. If you are under 18, you must have parents permission to play. © 2000 Elation, Inc. —— ОНОМ 139935 у ней риу w404 зәр:о siu diio í `x $2600 base prize, bonus options $2850, Chris Johnston • chris_johnston@ziffdavis.com Kraig Kujawa • kraig_kujawa@ziffdavis.com Mark MacDonald • mark_macdonald@ziffdavis.com Greg Sewart • greg_sewart@ziffdavis.com E3 Winners and Losers James: When | was at the Tokyo Game as a gamer, | think it'd be safe to wait Show, the consensus was that Sega it out. kicked everyone's ass there as well. Mark: That's the thing— people say Sony We figured Sony would unleash the had a horrible E3, and maybe they did as mother lode on everyone at E3 since far as living up to the crazy hype built up they hadn't really done an American around the PS2, but ask any developer or blow-out before. But E3 showed me publisher what systems they are backing Chris Johnston nothing that | hadn't really seen before in the coming year, and it was all about (MGS2 excluded). If Sega can't cement the deuce baby. their place in this industry through the They would say, “Maybe X-box,” t sheer quality and quantity of their “Maybe dolphin,” even “Maybe PC,” but y games, and lose marketshare to record- a PS2 version was practically a given. Y breaking pre-orders of a system that | think everyone — т the press and in hasn’t shown much at all, then | quit. the development community—likes to | think Bleem! for Dreamcast fairly bitch about Sony 'cause they are so мнит “1 agree, Sega definitely stole the show this year. Just like last year they had a huge collection of games that people will want to buy." Mark MacDonald equalizes things. dominant and have this “you need us, | thought this E3 was a lot of damn but we don't need you" attitude, but work, and | wonder why we even deal when it's time to put their money where with it any more. | mean, all the PR their mouth is, they shut right up and get chickies come running around with revs of in the PS2 line just like everyone else. all their games anyway, so the E3, in my Kraig: The effects of E3 will be interesting own stupid opinion, is a big spankfest of ^ to see, to say the least. If E3 was any gargantuan proportions. All it makes me indication, Sony looked to be in trouble, want to do is get back to work and callup while Sega and Nintendo looked like said PR chickies for burns of their games. kings. Sony didn't even have many “booth This year, if I'm forced to be objective, babes,” either. Sega won hands-down. Holy cow, did they Even though Sony had a lousy showing, have a buttload of awesome games. And two of their PS2 presold launch games are their booth rocked too. Nintendo, sur- already tops in Top 10 Games sold in the prisingly, came in a strong second with a month, and retailers are being asked to solid lineup of kick-ass games. Sony was stop selling preorders. š š the most disappointing with a gratui- Greg: | agree that Sega definitely stole tously large booth that lacked direction, the show this year. Just like last year they an amazing dearth of significant had a huge collection of games that PlayStation games, and a shocking lack of people will want to buy. As for Nintendo, quality PS2 software. As with the TGS, it’s the first time in years that I’m actually Sony could have shut the door on the dying to get my hands on their upcoming Dreamcast if they wanted, but they games. Their entire lineup screams showed up lacking teeth. quality. Sony...well, they might as well Chris: | think perhaps if | hadn’t seen or have not even shown up. It seemed the played all of the Japanese PS2 games biggest attraction in their booth was the when the system came out in Japan, section demonstrating the PS2’s ability to I'd be a lot more excited about PS2 now. play DVD movies. Yawn. And | am excited about PS2— just not As for the E3 show being a big waste of about what's coming this year (only time...well, at least it's a few days out of Onimusha: Warlords looks any good). the year when we're not in the office, and The future of the system is assured from it also gives us Chi-town boys a chance to a developer/ publisher point of view, but see the West Coast editors’ smiling faces. Electronic Gaming Monthly - 160 - w deogames.com 7 22) ZIFF DAVIS ZIFF DAVIS PUBLISHING INC. Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and PEELE д... „James D. Dunning, Jr. Chief Operating Officer. and Senior Executive Vice President ..............1 Tom McGrade President, Consumer Magazine Group ......... James J. Spanfeller President, Business Magazine Group ............... „Al Perlman Executive Vice President and Editorial Director . . Michael J. Miller (Editor-in-Chief, PC Magazine) Executive Vice President and Publishing Director . . . Scott Crystal (Consumer Magazine Group) Executive Vice President and Publishing Director .... . Peter Longo (Consumer Magazine Group) Senior Vice President (Corporate Sales) .. Rita Burke Senior Vice President (Circulation) .... Charles Mast Vice President (Editor, еЖЕЕК).................... John Dodge Vice President ....... Lees 4. Barry Golson (Editor-in-Chief, Yahoo! Internet Life) Vice President (Production) ................. Roger Herrmann Nice resident. ................... dei dee sand Howard Kaplan (Marketing, Consumer Magazine Group) Vice President (Editor-in-Chief, eWEEK) ........... Eric Lundquist Vice President (Technology) .................... Bill Machrone ice Presidente sese ИЕ 1 Michael Perkowski Marketing, Business Magazine Group) Vice President (Editor-in-Chief, FamilyPC) ......... 1 Robin Raskin Vice President (Publisher, eWEEK) . . ............. Sloan Seymour Vice President. Раш Somerson. (Editor-in-Chief, (ART BUSINESS for the New Economy) Vice President (Game Group) Vice President (Human Resources) .... Vice President and General Manager Chief Technology Officer . CLAN MANY Е ВАЕ „James D. Dunning, Jr. Chief Executive Officer and President Chief Operating Officer ........................ Tom McGrade and Senior Executive Vice President President, Consumer Magazine Group ......... James J. Spanfeller President, Business Magazine Group Chief Information Officer . Director of Communications . Publishing Consultant ........................... | | | | | | | PLAYSTATION | DREAMCAST E һим Pace Tm Валы Pace Тт йш Price Tie Release Price Alien Resurrection 06/00 $39.95 Legend of Mana 06/00 $39.95 Sydney 2K Olympics 0800 $3995 18 Wheeler Pro Thunder 07/00 $46.95 Alundra 2 03/00 $39.95 Lunar 2:Eternal Blue 07/00 $68.99 Syphon Filter 2 03/00 $3995 Aero Wings 2 Airstrike 08/00 $46.95 Arc the Lad Collection 10/00 $76.95 MLB Pennant Race 2001 03/00 $38.95 Tenchu 2 08/00 $3995 Атту Men:Sarge's Heroes 08/00 $46.95 Arena Football 06/00 $39.95 Medal of Honor 2 08/00 $39.95 Test Drive Le Mans 05/00 $39.95 Castlevania Resurractn 06/00 $46.95 Army Men World War 04/00 $3995 — MediEvil2 05/00 $39.95 The Grinch 10/00 $3995 Crazy Taxi 02/00 $46.95 Bass Landing 2 07/00 $39.95 Меда Man Legends2 07/00 $39.95 Dead or Alive 2 03/00 $39.95 Monstr Rnchr Battle Card 08/00 $42.95 Топу Hawks Pro Skatr2 08/00 $3995 Draconus 06/00 $46.95 Buzz Lightyear 09/00 $39.95 М5. 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Brand new battle sys- tem that allows the player a Choice of fighting options, who to battle & when & where. Takes place 20 years after the events of Chrono Trigger. EA Molen ayn) Release: 8/0 X | Warriors of Might & Magic12/00 Ridge Racer V 10/00 $49.95 Smuggler's Run 11/00 $49.95 | | Streetfighter EX 3 10/00 $49.95 Street Lethal 11/00 $49.95 Summoner 11/00 $49.95 Tekken Tag Team 10/00 $49.95 Top Gear Dare Devil 11/00 $49.95 | Unreal Tournament 11/00 $49.95 $49.95 World is Not Enough — 11/00 $49.95 COMPUTER GAMES & HARDWARE Age of Empires 2 Age of Wonders Asheron's Call Baldur Gate w/EP 1 Battlezone 2 Bugs Bunny Lost Time C&C 2: Tiberian Sun Delta Force 2 Descent 3 Descent 3 Mercenary Diablo 2 Diplomacy EverQuest: Ruins Kunark Forgttn Rims Silver Ed Force Commander Gabriel Knight 3 Grand Theft Auto 2 Half Life Adrenaline Pk. 09/99 08/99 11/99 06/99 11/99 02/00 11/99 03/99 08/99 03/00 11/99 10/99 01/00 $39.95 $39.95 Half Life OppsingFrc — 12/99 $27.95 Homeworld 09/99 $28.95 Interstate 82 11/99 $34.95 Jane's USAF 10/99 $36.95 Madden NFL 2000 09/99 $34.95 Master of Orion 2 11/96 $995 Messiah 02/00 $39.95 Mig Alley 12/99 $34.95 MS Flight Sim 2000 10/99 $38.95 MS Flight Sim 2000 PE — 10/99 $59.95 Myth: Total Codex 11/99 $19.95 Omikron: Nomad Sou! 11/99 $28.95 ORB. 09/00 $39.95 Pharoah 11/99 $29.95 Planescape Torment 11/99 539.95 Quake 3 Arena 12/99 $32.95 Rage of Mages 2 10/99 $1295 Railroad Tycoon 2 Gld 09/99 $28.95 Rainbow Six Gold 06/99 $24.95 Rogue Spear Add-On 10/99 $19.95 Septerra Core. 11/99 $1495 Shogun: Total War 06/00 $37.95 50-27 Flanker 2 11/99 $39.95 Thief 2: Metal Age 11/99 $28.95 Tomb Raider 4 11/09 $28.95 WarCraft 2 Battle.net Ed 10/99 $18.95 3Dfx Voodoo3 3500 08/99 $249.99 3Dfx Voodoo4 4500 03/00 $179.99 Diamond Monster MX300 01/99 $85.95 Everglide Lrg Айк Pad 11/99 $15.99 Everglide Mouse Surf 11/99 $1295 Fortissimo Sound Card 10/99 $49.99 Hercules 3D Prph II 64MB 05/00 $399.95 Elsa GLADIAC GeFrc2 05/00$359.95 3dfx Voodoo 5 5500 AGP 05/00 $289.95 Diamond Monster MX400 02/00 $79.95 Axis & Allies Europe 03/00 Battle Mist 10/98 Battletech 4th Ed 12/94 Castle of Magic 05/99 Crimson Skies 01/99 Diskwars Asstd Armies ea.07/99 Guild Wars 12/98 Lionheart 10/97 Monopoly Deluxe 05/98 Robo Rally 01/96 Scrabble Dlx 08/97 Settlers of Catan 11/96 HINT BOOKS Banjo Tooie Players Gd 08/00 Dragon Warrior Monsters 05/00 House of Dead 20556 10/99 Jet Force Gemini OSG 10/99 Kirby 64 OSG 06/00 Legend of Мапа OSG “06/00 Lunar 2 Eternal Blue 07/00 Mario Party 2 02/00 Ogre Battle 3 09/00 Perfect Dark 05/00 BOARD GAMES $42.99 $42.99 $21.99 $2499 $29.99 $8.99 $34.99 $34.99 $33.99 $36.99 $49.99 $32.99 $12.99 $12.99 $10.99 $11.99 $10.99 $12.99 $17.99 $11.99 $12.99 $12.99 Resident Evil Code Veronica04/00 $11.99 Starcraft 04/00 Threads of Fate OSG 07/00 Vagrant Story OSG 05/00 X Men 30 056 07/00 $12.99 $12.99 $12.99 $10.99 The "per order" charge is charged once per order placed, the "per Нет" charge isa, MC & Discover accepted. Checks held 4 weeks. Money Orders under $200 same as cash. COD $8. Price, release, availability, shipping times] |& offer not guaranteed & are subject to change at any time. Hardware may require added S&H. Within 10 days defectives repaired or replaced at| our discretion. After 10 days the manufacturer's warrantee applies. All sales final. S&H calculated on a per order, per shipment, and per item basis. | а de ) 7 i i is charged once for ach item ordered and the E {рл carg n TE dig Bees Bets [nd the Wena charged once for each shipment we make to you. For еасі order || [2T Das орау l 7 Days 7-34 Days will be allocated to a 12 issue subscription to Computer Games Strategy Plus. [ре Оби. НО 00 бий sow р g0 Call for details. Per item $075 $100 5100 $200 — $200 $800 ©2000 CHIPS & BITS, ING ‘X-MEN: MUTANT ACADEMY’ Train with Professor Xavier & fight your way up the ranks, Fight as one of 10 different X-Men, each with their own unique mutant pow- ers & abilities. Three modes of play include Training, Arcade & Versus. Hone your powers in training mode and then move up the ranks in Versus & Arcade. 3D fighting arenas, aerial Combat, finishing moves and realistic X-Men costumes give you the total X-Men experience. GE PlayStation | i+ Activision (Fighting) Release: 6/00 are an | 1 elite fighting force of stuffed animals on a mission to res- cue their families from the | “FUR FIGHTERS" К evil General Viggo. Fight | É your way past Stupid Bears, | Ë Solve puzzles to save your [a] babies, rescue your mutated kin from 6 boss levels & save the planet! Forty levels, | q LM 20 weapons & multiplayer option. Acclaim (Adventure) Release: 6/00 | Dreamcast NINTENDO 64 07/00 $59.95 Айуп Chronicles Jet Force Gemini 10/90 $45.95 AirBoardin' USA 06/00 $49.95 Ё Kirby 64 Crystal Shards 06/00 $49.95 All Star Baseball 2001 03/00 $49.95 M Legend Zelda Majora Mask11/00 $59.95 Army Men Air Combat 06/00 $39.95 M Legend of Zelda 11/98 $29.95 Mario Golf 64 08/99 $44.95 Battlezone 03/00 $56.95 Ё Mario Party 2 02/00 $49.95 Blues Brothers 2000 06/00 $59.95 M Mario Tennis 08/00 $59.95 Bomberman Second Attack05/00 $49.95 ff Mia Hamm Soccer 08/00 $49.95 Brunswick Bowling 12/99 $49.95 Ё N64 Controller Asstd. Color10/96 $26.95 Castlevania Spec. Ed. 12/99 $49.95 N64 Expansion Pak 12/98 $24.95 Command & Conquer 07/99 $49.95 Conkers Bad Fur Day 11/00 $59.95 M NASCAR 2000 09/99 $30.95 NBA in Zone 2000 03/00 $44.95 CyberTiger Golf 03/00 $49.95 NFL ОВ Club 2001 08/00 $52.95 Donald Duck 08/00 $52.95 M Ogre Battle 3 08/00 $56.95 Donkey Kong 64 12/99 $54.95 M Perfect Dark 05/00 $59.95 Dragon Sword 06/00 $59.95 @ Pokemon Puzzle League 09/00 $54.95 Duck Dodgers 06/00 $49.95 Ё Pokemon Stadium 03/00 $5495 Duke Nukem Zero Hour 09/99 $49.95 № Ready 2 Rumble Boxng 2 08/00 $52.95 ECW Hardcore Revoltn 02/00 $49.95 Ñ Scooby Doo 08/00 $52.95 ExciteBike 05/00 $44.95 В Sea-Doo Hydro Cross 09/00 $54.95 Fighters Destiny 2 06/00 $49.95 Starcraft. 06/00 $49.95 Gauntlet Legends. 09/99 $49.95 Golden Eye 007 09/97 $38.95 WWF Wrestlemania 2000 11/99 $54.95 Hey You Pikachu 11/00 $59.95 B WinBack 10/99 $49.95 Hydro Thunder 03/00 $49.95 M World is Not Enough 08/00 $56.95 Indy Racing League 2K 06/00 $39.95 Ü Xena Warrior Princess 12/99 $54.95 | ‘BANJO-TOOIE’ Join | Banjo & Kazooie as they travel through 9 3D worlds, full of magic, =j power ups & enemies. The | worlds cover about 150 NO Youn | areas & 9 bosses, which и Spie 9 |the pair can explore fe /| а | together Or separately. | ихиме- Mini-games are featured in | | every level and players can oM spell-casting Nintendo (Adventure) Mumbo Jumbo. Up to 4 Release: 7/00 players can play. N64 HJ в | —— | ‘OGRE BATTLE 64: PER- SON OF LORDLY CAL- IBER' Develop warriors, | master magic spells, bal- | ance unit strengths & cope | with a huge variety of ter- rain as you play Magnus Gallant, brave hero & sav- | ior of the people. Three | scenarios in huge 3D | worlds encompass 35 bat- tles & missions. New Я Atlus (Roleplaying) lasses of allies, enemies ee 8/00 & monsters. N6 NEXT MONTH чш» ELECTRONIC] GAMING September = MONTALA e Full of Pokémon Gold And Silver for Dreamcast Is the Pokémon craze coming close to an end? Are gamers getting burnt out on Pikachu? We examine the whole Poké phenomenon and how it has changed the face of gaming. Check out extensive previews of the new Pokémon Gold and Silver, including versions for the Nintendo 64. e Previewed for W Preview or * Review of • Super-detailed Aug. 2000 On sale July 18 PlayStation Aus. 2000 3:717 GAMER, Perfect Dark * Perfect Dark • Star Wars: Episode | Jedi Weary from the “dog days” of August? Cool off in the Shady world of Perfect ЖЗ Dark and count on XG getting you through the Power Battles ° Play with the Teletubbies * Walt Disney World: Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine got levels, secrets explained <. e More moves for Marvel Magical Racing Tour large last single-player missions in . анне 2 month with an style. If you’re having a Vs. Capcom 2 Ë expanded problem killing time, jump А • Destruction Derby Raw magazine size over to your PlayStation for в of and more Legend of Dragoon. This ragoon original RPG from Sony has a unique battle system and a ton of strategy. XG will cover all 80 hours of it in painstaking detail. Fighters can look forward to a Marvel vs. \ • Dave Mira Freestyle ВМХ PlayStation news than ever before. Don't miss all the latest PS2 info, along with reviews and previews of the hottest new games. In August you'll get a sneak peek at even more of the jaw- dropping screens of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, a rundown of 25 must-play games in the next year, and a behind-the-scenes look at Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. Capcom 2 guide. Finally, look for stunning tips and hints on Mr. Driller and Wario Land 3. > Destruction Derby Raw * Puzzle-tastic Mr. Driller strategy guide -. ° Beat Wario 4 Land 3 +] www.funcoland.com Rules 1-888-684-8969 Ггіс the Month з No Purchase Necessary: To enter, send a letter or Standard size postcard with your best tick codes for any videogame to “Tricks ofthe Trade,” РО, Box 3338, Oak Brook L 60522-3338, or eal us at: eke @aldviscom. Be sure to include your tame, address, and phone number. No purchase or payment ofany money is necessary to enter. One Entry per household. Entries must be received by Муз, aoc Al ене; become exclusive property of Sponsors and wil not be acknowledged or returned. Sponsors assume no responsiblity for lost тийме, late, legible, incomplete, postage due, rmisdrcted eres Sponsors reserve the right to Cancel this contest at ny time with appropriate note Onlyone prize per famiy, organization, or Кошен persue, Winning entries may be printed in EGM andor Expert Gomer, however, only www.eckounlimited.co te prize shal be awarded. 2 Pes Fist Prze winners wil have their name Bation, inc. ........ and tick displayed i the magazine and wil receive и à video game cartridge selected by Sponsor. First Prize has an approximate retai value of $60.00. The best wick submitted by the rst Prize winners Wil be declared the Grand Prize Winner, One Grand Prize winner wil receive (n addition othe Fist Prize awards) ow (J Game Shark. Grand Prize has an appronimate retal value of $99.95. Winners wil be selected by a judging panel whose decisions are бла Winners shal be selected fom all valid entries received. Entries shal be judged on he folowing GT Interactie - criteria: () Uniqueness (59; 0) Novelty (25%): ww.gtimteractive.com Gi Accuracy (hand) Ortinalty (25%0 Judging tobe held on or about Jane 30, 2000. Al .......3 prize winners wll be noted by mai Nae are hon rasferable, No substitutions of pie) are allowed, xcept at the option of Sponsors should the featured prizes become оне لیا ر‎ 3. Odds of Winning: The number of winners and the adds ol winning wil be determined by number of val ents received 4. Eligibility: Contest open to residents of United States and Canada. Void P Quebec. Non compliance with the time parameters contained herein or retum of any pz pre notification as undeliverable wil resul n disqualification. Winners or their legal quare shal sign an afidavit of "liy release of fbi prae acceptance within fe days of receipt or foret prize. By acceptance of prize, winner) agree to the use of The name and/or ikeness for purposes of fiac advertising, trade or promotion without futher atom. com Compensation, unless prohibited by law. Employees 2 of Ziff Davis Media Inc., InterAct Accessories and ther respective fates are not eligible, Neither if Davis Media Inc, Interact Accessories nor their respecte flats subsidiaries divisions, or related companies are responsible for any damages, tanes, or expenses hal consumers might Incr as a result of this contest or receipt of prize Winners accepting prizes agree that al prizes are awarded on the condition that Ziff Davis Meda n. teret Accessories and their agents, representatives, and employees wil have no abit whatsoever for any injuries osses, or damages ofany kind resting from acceptance, Possession, or use of the prizes S. Winners Llst: fora ist of winners, senda Siamped, self addressed envelope ening the month for which the iners ist is requested о “Ticks of e Trade Winners Lst- P.O. 8013558 Oak Brook, nois 60522-3338. Requests for Winners ists must be feceived by the t ay of next month folowing the onsale date ofthe publication. Alow four weeks Tor deliver of wines it 6, Restrictions: Void where prohibited or restricted byl. Al federal, state and local regulations apply. 7 Sponsors: Tris contest is sponsored by if Davis eda Inc and Internet Accessories, ine. зоо ТИ Davis Media nc, Al Rights Reserved. Printed in USA YOUR VIDEO GAME SOURCE WWW.FUNCOLAND.COM *PLAYSTATION 2 ORDERING INFO *POKEMON SUPPLIES & HUNT *OVER 7,000 TITLES *ONLINE SWEEPSTAKES *WIN A PS2! *NEWSLETTER *CALL TOLL FREE 1-888-684-8969 RESERVE THESE HOT TITLES TODAY! /-888-684-8969 ЗМК Corporation ................ Monti UEA + No Purchase Necessary: To enter, send your fete to son ten, PA. бө эй, бак Sony Computer Entertainment of America . . Brook, iois 60522:3938, or email us at OMG com Hale sure o include your 118, 120-121, 123 name, address and phone number. No Е By he ин day of ine month for he nest alioi sud a CUM. эрлей азил no fesponsbily far lat tated, te egli compete, Postage ue or sd + 48, 117 entries. Contest open to residents of United Since ang Case Vol in Quebec 2 Pita One Grand Prise er wl receive .. 61, 81, 52-53 ene ofthe fübowing prizes پا‎ option: One (1) SharkPad Pro 642 for N64; One EB Saracada er ayant One (Y ...... 51-59, 97, 111 Eclipse Stick for Saturn. Grand Prize has an И Wires will be selected oy the Carters Editor Mhase decisions are fat Winners shall be Tata rom all vali anties recaia, Entries shall be judged on the following criteria: (i.) Originally Cod and (D Tope Go) fuking t bc he onc abad IN tg day of tech ont Al priza vers wil be notice Sy als ane es eet No Substations ol prized) are allowed except at бе option o Sponsors should tne featured pres become жашымы The odds of Binning wilt determined by тне number of aid edes еннен Vod where posed белые by lev HL federat state and local regulations apply. FOR AN OFFICIAL COPY OF THE RULES, SEND A SELT ADDRESSED. STAMPED ENVELOPE TO, LETTER OF THE MONTH CONTEST RULES, PO Box 3338, Dak roo L 6052232328, Playstation 2 System ESPN Baseball Tonight - DC Banjo Tootie - N64 Perfect Dark - GB \ Ecco the Dolphin - DC Threads of Fate - PSX Electronic Gaming Monthly - 163 - www.videogames.com SOMEONE'S ABOUT TO GET PURCHASE A GAIVIESHARK CDX FOR THE SEGA DREAMCAST® AND A PERFORMANCE TREIVIORPAK TO RECEIVE $5 CASH BACK AND REGISTER FOR A CHANCE TO WIN A VIP TRIP FOR TWO TO ESPN'S 2000 SUMMER X GAMES*. GINA AND NIKKI, NOT INCLUDED. YES, THE GAMESHARK CDX HAS ARRIVED FOR DREAMCAST. THIS COOL LITTLE DISC GIVES GAMERS THE EDGE TO MASTER EVERY GAME BY UNLOCKING ITS SECRETS (MSRP: $49.99). м ADDED ТО А DREAMCAST CONTROLLER, = THE PERFORMANCE TREMORPAK WILL DRIVE GAMERS TO THE BRINK OF SENSORY OVERLOAD (MSRP: $9.99). *Send your name, address, phone number and proof of purchases from a GameShark CDX for Dreamcast and a TremorPak for Dreamcast to "VIP Contest", InterAct Accessories, 10999 McCormick Rd., Hunt Valley, MD 21031, by August 1, 2000. For a complete set of rules and regulations visit the GameShark.com website and click "Contests". GINA SAVAGE e Performance NIKKI SHARPE they are not lost permanently. People interested in helping out in any c please visit us at www.retromags.c No profit is made from these scans, nor do we Offer ar available from the publishers themselves. [f you come across anyone selling releases from this site, please do not support them and do let us know. Thank you!