2 aer oss N64* GameCube PS one • PS2*Xbox* Dreamcast» FIRST NBON gez MONTHLY PHANTASY ниш STAR ONLINE ЗК Exclusive first review. characters inside and Online survival. guide PLUS SONIC ADVENTURE 2 Celebrate 10 years with Sonic +024 06960 01 :10S зармод Ц58:4 105 зермоа 45814 :105 лармод цѕәл 105 зармод 5814 10$ жоға рең 105 зармод S214 106 зармод US8J4 105 зармоа цѕәЈ 105 Е 21/88 гаће Ш% 6/22 8/02 01/22 SE/Lv SLEE mous :KepsaupaM mous :ÁepsaupaM mous :Керзаирам mous :Аерѕәирә/д mous ‘Aepsaupam mous ‘Aepsaupay, mous :Aepsaupam, mous :Aepsaupay, mous :Aepsaupam, mous ‘Aepsaupam 22109 0Е/6Е ZEY 81/08 БЛА 81/02 21/02 8/02 1/29 SUEE mous :Aepsany mous :Aepsany, mous :Aepsany, mous :‘Aepsony, ерѕәпі mous :Aepsany mous :Kepsany mous :‘Aepsany ерѕәпі mous :Aepsany 0£/s£ MOUS 6/7 MOUS 52/5е MOUS 5/66 MOUS 5/12 MOUS беле MOUS 02/уе MOUS 21/2 MOUS 5/16 MOUS 91/Е MOUS puepaor) money vjuepy Y oonj oj10nq us 95702 Us 92/0Е «onu PUPAEH 7 HEME; us 21/02 ШІН es џепу ue ° 702 2. 1 ES us 9¢/ee afesoyouy us $z/08 ninjouoy 4 (Л no Bu yoeagujeg М у Ugsz/CC. йу изсг/рЕ абпон uojeg us 6z/se оШзошан • џој5пон (62/02 ° us Se uoson, us oiee us oc/oz . p Ше јез ешеңү wosyoer US 22/06 ө e А *— uo seiteg us Sipe us ergumjog 202 " enbionbndly. 8/02 . шецбшшія Ussi/sz S хшаоца s oz/ve oou emn us SU/vE deus us oc/sc әцорец) e esini sejofiuy so us og/ze ua бол ' ES us бе |. | us 81/92 Ш52/02 pO! us 91/62 ƏMAYSEN Mee ЕТЕТ seban 521 OSU ues Ost! i GEES oe о Ы шегіне " A е . шгшде 2% әлошеЯ ~ P fi ЭША$ЇПОТ us 62/96 ® e eyadoy 5 шегі, изе уза us 91/03 А и E Куо sesuey uszize е кид ued шер Aug onueny 3 E [oo Y “ee aonek aye en “>: V- us 6г/рЕ Әшен роз С Us OLCE plo ив22/16 МЕНИ риејелај) e % D изб1/0дө® usci/oz fig ӘУЕ eS 3104 MƏN --e. BIHOISpeliud “soies зашој 591 рцешр us сЕ 4 обе 9IoH. САА 72 e UOSYOUf ө у Ы 101508 уодад е us ві us /ee puojpay а ў 05 8/02 à A119 pidey kanen ung e S 2/02 D uszi/oz әлә us 8/0 us 5а | Зов MP! eds 1 79 риво е ЕШ . из 01/22 LI Jd PIN usao. 5905 610: 18919 e ШИШ? 0103 . Е us 02/3 usgi j gueXods. BE s Saura BÎ spun yĝiy м uns 6 ue 1 К “өшу uuoN оу Ә ЧЕРЛЕ Ne ts Т siamoys us — (рпор (рі od голу NUM 0021 “МЛЯ. ge о I Ol OD t I 14- а- хао БШ. 4 MAS US: роди Мәлә si sy'uado apim Әле sanijiqissod au 1 ‘AHAB |0 үчешдәцеәдү әй XSV :01 9111M 1O шооч ш-д тету Snog 101103 ләцтвәдд :01 suonsənb Anos риә$ ueul9u]eaM ӘЩ ASY фом ш опор 199 'sedojs əy} umop Ay pue рлеодллоиз 1П0/ дел) 40р 0} бшоб пол 1,џаје jeu ‘sı uonsenb 1913q V ¿MOUS SIU} je цим ор 0) бшоб am әле PUM SMe] 9U} xem] "adid-J[eu оцу 1010 ле ufiu-auozo O0 06 08 OL 09 MOUS US SONY MoUs 4s Apnoj 9 "иоцеи оцу 550128 5152910) pue senje1aduia] 5,Керој. Пе os Or OF 0 OL oyu] yoquo1qeg, ANNGIYL • 0002 72 H380100 Avasan. = '11919504 9,11 АЭН a> (рәхел рлеод INOA ST 39815 UI PUI ON ‘U22M12q ш әләцл\Алтәлә pue “OPIMUO!VU 5710591 UIE} 1105 “рои *jsoA seg лормод usoj s13-1M0Á-0}-dn Jo sjunoure ошовоме APSO оорпо Херипе u3no.u) Херо, У | Ч d : EIER р — J PENN рт SH - и) уро -ипош је әпициоо p[nous зрмоло SOMNIS ЕДЫ АНЕ 7 5 c „is шишиши MO ‘OOH іу E 1л NOLIVMLS E 001 кшишшшишиышш VO зону NV уыз Z СЕ p1029231 MOus KAVY 0) ONP ломој Кривоцтидт од 1А o2uepuone SUNOH tT 1SV'T штпреј5 [1293007 ‘Yoo 1g8Te1)s SINQOWY TIVIMONS LS3HOIH pip әш 10477 [euoneirAug Old зеррјед роон IN 99) је зәрі пәш риәјәр Коца se sopp[eq vie pue souof шләу S1opreoqAous ләйшец ppnoo Lom Кер eauh E JSOMYWON IJ1Ld ә) ш spIezzi[q Кер ред y :Кә| jayjeam suods риәуәә/Д зәрмоа цѕа 105 JopMOd uS914 105 JopMOd u5913 105 ед рген 105 зармод 48814 106 хова рген 105 cuve 2192 АТАЎ 92/66 02/9 ША mous :Kepsaupaw mous :Kepsaupaw mous :ÁepsaupaM moug :Áepsaupaw. mous :Áepsaupaw moug :Керзаиром mous :Áepsaupaw mous :Аер$әирәд\ mous :Лервашрәмд 5/66 9/80 ISL 80/2 24/02 SIZE 92/06 %2/96 ША mous :Aepsany mous :Aepsany mous ‘Aepsany mous :Aepsany, mous :ќерѕәпі mous :Aepsany, mous :Aepsany mous :ќерѕәпі mous :Aepsany mous :Aepsany 22/06 MOUS 2/06 MOUS 81/06 MOUS 2102 MOUS 01/26 MOUS 8/0€ MOUS 81/02 MOUS Sc/ve MOUS 22118 MOUS 62/25 MOUS ausa ресе jug E! ај e SI siopitog (o0) ЭМОАЫЗАЗ uoneis/e|g 1015/0] © = ‘d!USIOM pue no 199 “9У005 aney SPOS sayzeam eu PON әбиәјеуо) 014 payım e бипрпјо "squene гәү XIS "sapie ele] pue |15140 ДӘ ‘seuor шләу 'spreuoid рој бшрпјош ‘soid do} Q; uy 19/00 deap palus "595102 ШӘррІ-9|081500 "901 02 Jeno ш 0216 pue S4011} Buap- uel yo eag “UIPJUNOW ay} uo noÁ апа 97159111002 11010Ш 21911691 (ӘШРШ 0] MOUS бше Ш0:4"ӘШбешІ ueo puit 3 YIS INOA золајецм 10} 811891589920) 9U |. 29101 АСТЫН SEI TEE &рәхел\ рлеод NO sp 3031s ur puo ON “иәәмдәд U! олоцмАлоло pue “OPIMUOTILU 5]105ә1 ure] ynos “флоп 95әм 3524 лорлод ysay sreo-1noÁ-03-dn Jo sjunoure ошовоме Apso :4oopno 1 - = м -ипош је әпициоо p[nous зрмоло 155 MIN 2 Hova NS ^16. естен MO 'аоон ін» -L6 ПРЕТИ 1^ ‘Novis % LL VO зони уына 2 LE o 00 "вебу 1. = SUNOH tz LSVT umrpejs [[eq100] ‘yoom 14818146 | SINQOWV TIVIMONS IS3HDIH p1092931’ Mous KAVY о) INP ломој KpueorjruSis од [JIM ооџерџојје рат оф 10477 [euorjejrAug Old роон JA ou зе son 1Y} риәҙәр Коца se soppieq BIEL pue souof шләу s1opreoqAous Jodurey p[noo “ssamoud edid-jjeu 1noÁ uo YOM. "Rep ols ISIMYNON IOV OY) ш sp1ezzi[q 01 Aunyoddo әш y :X9eg рен в ASN 0} aum дәрә у :ләрмоа Jayyeam 5140045 ризудојћ зармод 45814 105 хова рең 105 зармод usaH 105 E зермод usel 105 110$ ләрмод 584105 жоға рен 105 Јармоа S213 105 хова рен 105 2/62 9/92 2/2 224 ША туге 92/8Е сате БИА mous :Aepsaupam | | mous :Aepsaupam | | mous :Лервәшрәл | | wous:Kepseupaw | | mous:Aepsaupam | | "ous:Aepseupaw | | Mous:Aepsaupam | | mous:Aepsaupam | | Mous:Aepsaupam | | wous:Kepsaupaw SEE 2/02 91/82 [ДИ 80/2 ША SIZE 52/06 62/56 ше mous :Aepsany mous :Aepsany, mous :Керзопј mous :Aepsany mous :Aepsany mous :Aepsany, mous :Aepsany mous :Aepsany mous :ќерѕәпі mous :Aepsany 22/06 MOUS 21/08 MOUS 8/06 MoUs 2/02 MOUS 01/26 MOUS 8/06 MOUS 81/02 MOUS 92/ує MOUS 22/15 MOUS 62/26 MOUS EDITORIAL The Changing Face Of Sega By John Davison • john_davison@ziffdavis.com his issue has something of a Sega theme as I’m sure you'll have noticed by now. It's Sonic's 10th anniversary (Yes, 10! Can you believe it?) and we have all kinds of cool stuff on the two big projects from his cre- ators. You can check out our extensive history of the series this month before oogling at the gor- geous images of Sonic Adventure 2. If you really want to sink your teeth into some hedgehog goodness, get out to a store now and buy Phantasy Star Online. Not only is this a superb example of Sega leading the way for console gaming, but it also comes with a damn fine playable demo of SA2. What are you waiting for? changing the expectations and perceptions of gamers everywhere. Players of NFL 2K1 look at Madden on the PS2 and say, *Hmmm, it looks great, but I’d rather take a slight hit on graphics and play my buddies online." With Phantasy Star Online, Sega will no doubt help elevate the con- Sole RPG to a new level and bring the genre in line with its PC-based brethren. Sega is opening the doors for everyone. Hopefully they can enlighten the whole games industry...but this leads us to our other big Sega story. The rumors about Sega's fate have been circu- lating for a long time. They finally reached a peak at the end of 2000 in a story in the New York "As they've proved so many times before, the boys and girls at Sega really know what they're doing..." Go out and get it! When you get back, finish the demo a couple of times...rejoice in the knowledge that the Dreamcast is a damn fine system and then pop that PSO disc in. You're going to need some time to enjoy this, so you might want to order some pizza, take your pants off, kick out the cat/roommate/girlfriend and settle in for one of those truly satisfying all-night sessions. Keep your copy of EGM in hand too, as we've put together a survival guide to make sure you don't make a fool of yourself when you first log on to play online. As they've proved so many times before, the boys and girls at Sega really know what they're doing when it comes to this video game malarkey. In forging ahead with their online plans, they are doing something that everyone Times claiming that Nintendo was to buy Sega for about $2 billion. This, we understand, is not true. What we are hearing more and more, though, is that the Dreamcast will almost certainly be the last piece of hardware we see from Sega. Why? Despite an awesome range of games, the system is not selling as well as it needs to globally. Why? We have no idea. If you look at the DC catalog, it has proportionately more great games than just about any system ever. Sega takes the risks for everyone else. They continue to open the doors on new concepts only for everyone else to come storming along afterward and steal their thunder. Sega will continue as a force to be reckoned with, but | fear it may be in a very different form from what we see now. Only time will tell, but we wish them the very best. has wanted to see for a long time—they're John Davison Contributing Writers Ethan Einhorn Shawn Smith ЕСМ” official “jack- of-all-trades” free- lancer came in and (once again) played all of the games we didn’t want to. Occasionally he found one that he liked (WDL: Thunder Tanks, for instance), but once we found out that he was having a good time with that one, we quickly confiscated the game and replaced it with more drek. Shawn left us for Illinois State University a few months ago, but man- aged to play the “I'm a poor college boy" card So that we would give him enough work to pay for his college text- books and finger paints. Over his Christmas break, we let him rummage through his old toy box in the office, and he rewared us with a new installment of Power Tools. ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY (ISSN #1058:918) is published monthly by Ziff Davis Media Inc, 28 East 28th Street, New York, NY 10016. Periodicals Class Postage Paid at New York, NY 10016 ELECTRONIC Number 14.03 GAMING March 2001 MONTHEY www.zdnet.com/egm Editor in SAO (acti John Davison • john. davisonGziffdavis.com Managing Е itor E e dean hagerGziffdavis.com Executive E апі Macbonald * mark macdonaldGziffdavis.com Features Edito! in Bore crispin | boyer@ziffdavis сот arte greg sewart@ziffdavis.com Senior Associate Kraig Ки; awa . АУА сот Associa К, Edit Sam Ker use * sam_kennedy@ziffdavis.com Assistant Editor IS Dudlak • jonathan. dudlakGziffdavis.com ry Minnich e • tricks@ziffdavis.com ee lke * james. mielkeQziffdavi mes Mielke • james. mielkeGziffdavis.com cont ч Lockhart | ryan TockhartGzi us lavis.com lim. Cordano Ethan Einhorn, Dan Leahy, Mike Price, joe Rybicki, Jeremy "Norm" Scott, Shawn Smith тїс! Japanese Corresponden 1% (1 chi Europe rs Cone оса Senior Art Director АН сто 0 • ЕТЕ wochok@ziffdavis.com Mike Reisel * mike_reisel@ziffdavis.com y Editor Managing Coi hitesides Jennifer noon mE Senor B Produttion Manager Pre Me ia САЗЫН ae Pre ju fed п ма eduction Coordinator Assistant Production Manager Teresa Newson Project Leader Mark LeFebvre • mark_lefebvre@ziffdavis.com and additional mailing offices. Single issue rates: $4.99. The one year (12 issue) subscription rate is 52497 in the U.S, and $40.97 outside the U.S. Checks must be made payable in U.S. currency only to Electronic Gaming Monthly magazine, POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Electronic Gaming Monthly, P.O. Box 55722, Boulder, CO 80322-5722. For subscription service questions, address changes, or to order, please contact us at: Web: htp://servie.egmmag,com (ог customer service) or hitp://subscribe.egmmag.com (to order): Phone: U.S. and Canada (бос) 779-1174 or (850) 682-7624, elsewhere (303) 604-7445: Mail: Electronic Gaming Monthly, P.O. Вох 55722, Boulder, CO 80322-5722 (please include your mailing label with any correspondence as it contains information that will expedite processing): Fax: US. and Canada (850) 683-4094, elsewhere ((303) 604-0518; E-mail (please type your full name and the address at which you subscribe; do not send attachments): egm@neodata.com. The editors and the publisher are not responsible for unsolicited materials. Without limiting the rights under copyrights reserved herein, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in, or introduced into a retrieval system, ог transmitted, іп any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the the prior written notice of Ziff Davis Media Inc. To reuse any material in this publication, obtain a permission request form at wwwcopyrightcom/ziffdavis/, or have a form faxed or mailed to you by calling (425)430-1663, © 2001 Ziff Davis Media Inc. АП Rights Reserved. Electronic Gaming Monthly and EGM are trademarks of Ziff Davis Media Inc. TM and © for all other products and the characters contained therein are owned by the respective trademark and copyright owners. All materials listed in this magazineare subject to manufacturers’ change and the publisher assumes no responsibility for such changes. The Canadian GST Registration number is 140496720 RT. Printed in the USA. Audit Buresu Creation. Vice President/Game Group le Stran; le Str. creative Director hael Stassus • mstassus@ziffdavis.com Busine > irector. endoff ci ЛЕҢ Director ете сот Director Senior Newsstand Sales Manager Don Galen SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE NUMBER: WEB SITE: PLEASE SEND ALL SUBSCRIPTION QUESTIONS TO: DO NOT CONTACT THE EDITORS RE: SUB. PROBLEMS ENE Inquiries Contact: id Bae 1th floor, San Francisco, CA 94105 Group Pul PH inishet PERUSE [ее Uniacke 10 • ыс ош мш * suzie@ziffdavis.com Bs Ші Coast Territory ote 4 * marc, а опата IVis.com 05639 ЕЧ Recresentative, East Coast Territory Tallie Fishburne 2. Ошу от 26 * el olman@ziffdavis.com 520 2 Northwest & Bay ien Peninsula 25 e ian. sinclairGziffdavis.com. (oum NOR west & Bay Area Peninsula ia iziffdavis.com Rej ahaa Manager Sou out s от ‘aren Landon 760-942-6277 7 agn. landon@ziffdavis.com ле Еа west Territory * linda .philapilt NEM ze Sari Francisco Territory RE ES 51357-4 marciy@ziffdavis.com Acci Кай Teras, lashington, San Francisco Territory En О”! Rourke. ud fef 0,9 meighan_orourke@ziffdavis.com seni атке пе Manager & Creative Director 2) S leddaGziffdavis.com Lo 3 Е pus арте lipscomb@zifdavs.com лү isin Roda Р : Tipler U A jo • tipler ubbelohdeGziffdavis.com 4. Wm QU pe risteen -8778 • kristeen_laut@ziffdavis.com sue ENG tal i^ arrell пе ПЕ 8783 • cheryl_farrell@ziffdavis.com К lavis.com ington, Founder С Steve Harris. JUMP START YOUR руб COLLECTION! 2521201 и эште mm tonos n [2521904] | [2513208 2532208] 2495406 SDDS Pus 1 MORE AT SUPER SAVINGS! (2516904 ; ў s ы; 2396802. 4 4 1 Plus shipping and handling with membership. See details. 2467009 2480200 p M'B MEN IN LAGI 4,6 С m. s, Y \ бїтї SSC 2448801 2411601 г م > 19 JON FINAL DESTINATION 2503407 MYDOGSKIP 481405 ENEMY OF THE STATE PINK FLOYD—THE WALL- 2345304 NEW ON DYD LED ZEPPELIN: THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME 0605907 ARABIAN | NIGHTS SPACE JAM- SPECIAL EDITION 2481505 COLLECTOR S EDITIONS THE CIDER HOUSE RULES 2512200 f DELUXE EDITION 2425205 FARGO 2497600 WES CRAVEN'S SCARFACE- GRATEFUL DEAD: TOP GUN 0426908 BLADE 2284809 МЕМ NIGHTMARE 2384303 1н Ен 1959600 VIEW FROM THE VAULT 2516805 2186500 FRIDAY 1 7 (1990). E || JENNIFER LOPEZ: Trae nek NEXT FRIDAY- SME BIGGER, LONGER AND UNCUT 2420503 || COLLECTOR'S EDITION 2388007 2 j FEELIN’ so 6000 2544401 ME. MALE GIGOLO 2490704 PLATINUM SERIES 2469203 "DOUBLE JEOPARDY дал ЕТ & | KEEPING THE FAITH 2537900 ME MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 1999200 THREE KINGS 2430403 ҒАСЕ/ОҒҒ 2152007 || AMERICAN PIE- = || RICKY MARTIN: GOODFELLAS 0969808 MONTY PYTHON VARSITY BLUES. 2347904 | COLLECTOR'S EDITION 2424307 S MERC MARTIN ох | THEFIETH ELEMENT 2145506 ANDTHE HOLY GRAIL 0192005 “АІ FORCE ONE 2160000. | THE HURRICANE (1999)- e 5 DOWN o You 2511806 |Д ТНЕТЗТН WARRIOR 2435007 RUNAWAY BRIDE 2433803 THE SHAWSHANK гар EDITION 2480408 С > piden 2512507 || THEBONECOLLECTOR 2449100 BLUE STREAK 2434405 REDEMPTION 1345503 | FAST TIMES AT || Е ё Love & BASKETBALL- PULP FICTION 1430008 PRETTY WOMAN- .IWISTER-SPECIALEDITION 2470003 || COLLECTOR'S EDITION 2424406 | = = | EN SERES. міз |Ң TOMBSTONE 1254200 10ТН ANNIVERSARY EDITION 2436608 THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER 0825000 | APOLLO 13- 2 2 USER GAMES 2512309 || GONEWITHTHEWIND 2258309 THEROCK 2018406 APOCALYPSE NOW 0200105 | coLLECTOR'sEDITION 1937200 Щ = E B rus is зрнаста. CASINO 1922707. А NIGHTMARE ON THE GENERAL'S DAUGHTER 2421602 || NATIONAL LAMPOON'S = З ELM STREET 2: ане = - E SET 2340404 M COTM ANNIVERSARY EDITION 24698 _ FREDDIES REVENGE 2393800 SPECIAL EDITION 2499505 | COLLECTOR SEDITION! 2253904 ШШ 5 = || 28 DAYS- DIRTY DANCING- 2 = || SPECIAL EDITION 2513406 a a пе 2383602 А ДЕ ON ЕКШИН. он COLLECTOR'SEDITION 2420206 |] = Ж Н : H Е о S АСОМ MEMORATVE ов |Д MUSIC VIDEO COLLECTION 2508208 THE DREAM MASTER 2384006 ТНЕ DREAM CHILD acc | Ee ee 2521705 8 5 THE WHOLE NINE YARDS. 2480507 MISERY 0776302 THE PRINCESS BRIDE 0125005 Columbia House DVD Club, Dept. 4NW, Р.О. Box 1173, Terre Haute, IN 47811-1173 Yes, please enroll me under the terms outlined in this advertisement. As a member, | need to buy only 4 more selections at regular Club prices in the next Now, jump start your DVD collection—and see your favorite 4 movies as never before! Just write in the numbers of the 3 DVDs you want for just 496 each, plus shipping and handling. In exchange, you simply agree to buy four more $ ГР | N DVDs in the next two years at EE U) regular Club prices (which currently start as low as $19.95, plus shipping and handling}—and you may cancel membership at any time after doing so. What's more, you can get still one more movie for the low price of $14.95 and Buy only what you want! If you want the Director's Selection, do nothing—it will be sent automatically. If you prefer an alternate selection, or none at all, just mail the response card always provided by the date specified. NE E 7) And you'll always have 10 days to decide; if not, you may return the selection at our ) [014 expense, and we'll credit your account. ” Money-Saving Bonus Plan. If you continue your membership after fulfilling your obligation, you'll be eligible for our generous bonus plan. It enables you to enjoy more great savings on the movies you want—for as long as you decide to remain a member! 2 years. Send me these 3 DVDs for 49¢ each, plus $1.99 each shipping/handling (total: $7.44). BUY YOUR FIRST SELECTION NOW—AND HAVE LESS TO BUY LATER! QAlso send me ту first selection for $14.95, plus $1.99 shipping/handling, which I'm adding to my $7.44 payment (total: $24.38). | then need to buy only 3 more (instead of 4) in the next 2 years. have less to buy later (see complete details in coupon). — 10-Day Risk-Free Trial. We'll send details of the Please check how paying: О My check is enclosed TKK/D8C Free Magazine sent every four weeks (up to 13 times Club's operation with your introductory package. If not О Charge my introductory DVDs and future Club purchases to: B5V/GZA a year) reviewing our Director's Selection—plus scores satisfied, feu co НШІ 10 ы at an О MasterCard О Diners Club QAMEX ОМЅА О Discover of alternate choices, including many lower-priced DVDs. SUNT Ru оз њалол Acct. No, Exp. Date. And you may also receive Special Selection mailings Hundreds of Selections! If you want a "c оше up to four times а year. (That's up to 17 buying movie on DVD that you don't see here, шша opportunities a year.) just call us and ask or visit our website, DVD CLUB Name. Use your credit card and order 24 hours a day: eh n = Boso: A ity. tate ip. nine: COlumbiahouse.com/dvd Sar ЙЕ rm Do any of the following apply to you? (41) Ql own a Personal Computer (1) OI own a PC with a CD-ROM (2) а pan to buy a PC with a CD-ROM (3) ight to reques form ject any application or cance for customers iQ United ates. Customers from Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto es, APO and FPO addresses, please write for separate offer. Tax added to orders in states where applicable. R-MARO1-EGM Call: 1 -888-CHC-D VDS To ensure you get this great offer — use this savings code when ordering. ——————T--------------------4 s l;squaresolf.com. Published by Square: "Во 2001 Square Со. Ld. / Dream -Lesered, "PlayStation" and the “PS? Farti trademarks of Sony Computer Ent ‘and the SOUARESOFT 10005 até Co., ttd. The Bouncer is a tre Ci ^ Bick A WORLD SQUARE.SOFT МЕ ТАКЕ YOU THERE 9 E] E 8 8 5 'josuoo әшеб pue sofoj pue ‘sy, әле ѕобој pue sé шәрі T.J. Lavin's helpful hints on backyard landscaping. 1.Кі11-а11 living plants and ‘lawn BaIrutk in ФТ 3. Build huge jumps ц. Watch for signs. of stray flowers 5.Kill stray flowers b. Truck in more dirt ?-Build bigger jumps pere mp n 200 ees NDA ЖОПЕ ни Шу 1000's of Real BMX Trick Combos у dub Huge Dirt, Street and Uert levels 2 У 207598 P 222 S Unique Evolutionary Playfield re Mike Ardelean . ; „1 Dave Freimath bris Видеа 6% Ghoul spoon Millencollin @ әлдә SE iim SAS aut uj od бы “ЛЕ you GOT TIT TO: KNOCKOUT KI Ges 2001. ТНЕ BOXING. DYNASTY. FOR. THIS CENTURY. NEXT CENTURY. - “AND THE CENTURY AFTER THAT WHICH- -WAY- Ыб. HE-GO DANCE STEPS. - HAY MAKER FACE LIFTS. AND THE “GUTS “TO STRUT WITH GIANTS. THINK YOU GOT THAT KINDA САМЕ. BRING: m N IF IT'S IN THE GAME, IT'S. IN. THE САМ p zh EASPORTS: COM AOL KEY. ORD СЕА SPORTS CONTENTS Game Directory 70 62 68 110 110 114 69 58 112 72 67 55 84 17 110 17 58,110,113 114 76 76 74 114 84 72 56 76 107 Ace Combat 4 Aidyn Chronicles: The First Mage ATV Offroad Fury Bang! Gunship Elite Bangai-O! Bouncer, The Commandos 2 Charge'N Blast Dance Dance Revolution Dance Summit 2001 Dark Cloud Daytona USA Network Racing Devil Children Donald Duck: Goin' Quackers ECW: Anarchy Rulz ESPN NBA 2Night Evil Dead: Hail to the King F1 Championship Season 2001 Formula One 2001 Giants: Citizen Kabuto Goemon Gold and Glory: The Road to El Dorado Grandia Parallel Trippers Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec Guilty Gear X Hidden Invasion Hoyle Casino Inspector Gadget. Jungle Book Rhythm n' Groove Kengo: Master of Bushido Klonoa 2 Malice: A Dark and Comic Fiery Tale Mario Party 3 Mario Tennis Max Steel Metal Slug X Monster Force NBA Hoopz NBA Live 2001 NCAA GameBreaker 2001 NCAA Final Four 2001 NCAA March Madness 2001 New Legends Paper Mario Persona 2: Eternal Punishment Phantasy Star Online Point Blank 3 Pokémon Crystal Pokémon Puzzle Challenge Pokémon Stadium 2 Prince of Persia: Arabian Nights Q*Bert Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear Rayman 2 Revolution RC Revenge Pro Record of Lodoss War, The Robopon: Sun Edition Seven Shadow of Destiny Sidewinder Max Spider-Man Star Wars: Super Bombad Racing Supercar Street Challenge Super Street Fighter И Turbo X Typing of the Dead, The Theme Park Roller Coaster Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2001 Time Crisis: Project Titan Triple Play Baseball 2001 Ultimate Fighting Championship Vanishing Point Winback World Destruction League: Thunder Tanks World’s Scariest Police Chases March 2001 Issue 140 o HP 262 262 TP 341/377 па Мани ма s Lv 27 TWIBKIK 85 uki It's EGM's PSO Survival Guide! fune CT winkiKabuk н Bite me, fanboy! 1 е Phantasy Star Online Survival Guide You won't last long іп PSO without a little help from your friends —and we're here to jump-start your group's adventure. Wanna know how to build the perfect character? Help out your teammates? Screw over your teammates? Turn to page 108 before you begin the quest. ME O11 3147 с 080 Sonic's 10th Anniversary Spectacular Sega's blue blur turns 10 in 2001, and we're on hand to celebrate with a look back at the world's most famous member of the erinaceus species (er, that's Latin for “hedgehog”). Page 88 Everything Old is New Again Tomb Raider, Tekken, Twisted Metal—these and other famous PS one franchises are finding new life on PS2. Find out how they're being reinvented on page 98. 10 Daytona USA: Network Edition Sega's most-recognized racing franchise has sped onto the DC, complete with online support. See how this arcade and Saturn classic works on Sega's latest hardware. Page 55. Gran Turismo 3 It's not called Gran Turismo 2K anymore, and it's finally right around the corner. We take a hands-on spin with the jaw- dropping game that every PlayStation 2 owner has been waiting for. Page 72. Departments @ Editorial 2 @ Letters 18 & News 26 We had a ton of info on the Xbox last issue, but find out what new details have recently surfaced. Also, a closer look at the Nintendo- Sega merger, Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft, and new Sega CD games. Yes, you read that right. 6) Gossip 40 oW --2A8$.— Previews 54 We inaugurate our Xbox previews With a new peek at Malice. Also inside is Pokémon Stadium 2 and Mario Party 3 for N64; Ace Combat 4 and Gran Turismo 3 for PS2; and finally, Spider-Man, NBA Hoopz and Guilty Gear X for DC. Review Crew 106 We rate Evil Dead, The Bouncer, Paper Mario and Mario Tennis GBC, along with a new wave of PS2 sports games: F1 Champion- ship, NBA Live, NCAA Game- breaker, ESPN NBA 2Night and NCAA Final Four. @ Tricks 120 @ The Final Word 125 Rumors about Nintendo buying Sega are back, and the crew waxes about “What if?". Although Nintendo and Sega vehemently deny the reports, take a look at what we think about this possible Dream Team. Г SYSTEM KEY | “MEY - | M ee ВАР {© Dreamcast | [je э Nintendo 64 | Ig = = PlayStation 2 | Ee PlayStation | ШЕ Game Boy Color | @ 9 Arcade | Хх Xbox ТАТТИ ou кайыш the rules, gt E are nn rules. ( ; "m A отла ‘Sense oF SEVERAL MUST-HAVES Fol p || А - GAMER'S REP YOU'D EXPECT TO GET f HOLLYWOOD BIG BUDGET, CHASE SCENE,- RATHER THAN A СОП5 ACING Game" - NEXT GENER June 2000 Wc SOUNDTRACK FROM SOME OF THE UORLD's LEADING TECHNO/DRUM AND BASS ARTISTS - DOM AND ROLAND, DERRICK MAY AND SURGEON ІН 575ВМҮГІІ 1 CICROCKSTAR 575BWY O IROCKSTAR 575BWY OO OCOOROCKSTAR 5758WY QO OORock Jaa eae) Race across two accurately modeled cities - Win the pink slips of opposing players! Play in a persistent world with Пеш York and London! Rise up through the ranks in the interactive traffic, pedestrians illicit world of the Midnight Club. and law enforcement. TIT отуши и E TT omui sm зо POM ЕЛІТІП тшт WWW.ROCKSTARGAMES.COM/MIDNIGHTCLUB ® Animated Violence RN e counterbalance "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo 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 e => logo are trademarks of Angel Studios. Rockstar Games and the Rockstar Games logo are trademarks of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. & ©2000 АП rights reserved. “Buy immediately.” — GAMEPRO, OCTOBER Fun Factor 5.0 NES “Neversoft has built the ultimate skate game with this sequel.” — EGM, NOVEMBER í. absolutely the best PlayStation game I’ve ever played.” — OPM, NOVEMBER | pug mmm DOWNLOAD THE TONY HAWK'S PRO SKATER™2 РС DEMO AT WWW.BLUETORCH.COM CAMEBOY РС amm Violence (5 Dreamcast. нм ТЕТІ а, © 1999, 2000 Activision, Inc. All rights reserved. Published and Distributed by Activision, Inc. Developed by Neversoft Entertainment, Inc. Activision is a registered trademark and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater and Pro Skater 2 are trademarks of Activision, Inc. Tony Hawk is a trademark of Tony Hawk. 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. Game Boy and Game Boy Color are trademarks of Nintendo of America Inc. © 1989, 1998 Nintendo of America, Inc. Licensed by Nintendo. Sega, Dreamcast and the Dreamcast logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Sega Enterprises, LTD. ғ... believe that Tony Hawk's «it’s just so Pro Skater 2 damn fun that is the best game you’ll always of all time!” | come back for 33 — GAMER'S REPUBLIC, mere. NOVEMBER — PSM, NOVEMBER «And this time he’s | brought Dep ros (Caballero, Koston, Mullen), new tricks {бите BS/FS Noseslides + Tailslides. Н Heelflip Varials, Melon Grabs, ) and techi ђ ды ШЕ Skatepark Editor, Ci kater), it (the park, not the house). Build your own Then against the real ones. You'll also find sick new. leos and where you earn cash money to move up in the | tang yout levels that were onc reserved for mere légende : у TONVIHAWK'!S № PRO) SKATER 2-PLAYER MODE NEW TRICKS + TERRAIN SKATEPARK EDITOR 2-Player Modes and New Tricks, New Terrain 3-0 Real-Time Single-Player Career Mode and New Skaters Skatepark Editor . BURNQUIST / CABALLERO / CAMPBELL / GLIFBERG / HAWK / KOSTON LASEK / MULLEN / MUSKA / REYNOLDS / ROWLEY / STEAMER / J. THOMAS ACTIVEION 8 5 Epic Games, Inc. All rights reserved. 'ed trademarks of Sony Computer Enter ™ Tournames >S" Family logo are Р; no LUE 0 Unreal™ Tournament's fast and furious, p single and multiplayer experience comes to life on PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and Sega Dreamcast?" Lead your team of virtual teammates against the deadliest gladiators in the galaxy. Mind-blowing realistic 3D eraphics. High-octane game- play. Totally Unreal combat action. Just be sure not to lose your head. _ Emm =. ES 6 uM Bet up close and personal in the first-person perspective with over 10 weapons of destruction! Screenshots are from the PlayStation?2 system. Go online with up to 8 players on your Sega Dreamcast", play 2- or 4-player split screen, ог network 2 PlayStation??'s systems with i.LINK™. ر Experience dazzling graphics and a multitude of maps and weapons - all іп a frame rate so fast it's Unreal. BRAKES ARE FOR SISSIES. SELECT CAR Type WD Toin Lat 181и жыр. iones Max Төче. OPNE: б) M40 Weigh eto 13 Abu. EVERYONE 1 Visit www.esrb.org or call 1-800-771-3772 for Rating information. PlayOnline.com Published by Square Electronic Arts L.L.C. 000, 2001 SAUARE/ESCAPE. SQUARE SOFT and the SOUARESOFT logo are registered trademarks of Square Co., Ltd. "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. DRIVING EMOTION TYPE-S is a trademark of Square Co., Ld. Honda, Civic, Honda $2000, Integra and NSX names and emblems are trademarks of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. and American Honda Motor Со, Inc. Depiction of names, marks, and shapes of exterior and interior of the cars in this game are licensed to SQUARE Co., LTD. by Honda Motor Co., Ltd. and American Honda Motor Со. Inc. Official American Honda Motor Co., Inc. Licensed Product. All cars, manufacturers, names, brands, and associated imagery featured in this game are trademarks and/or copyrighted materials of their respective owners. All rights reserved DRIVING EMOTION TYPE-S. Simulate the sensation of driving as closely as possible. That was our goal. Technology has finally caught up with our ambition and racing will never be the same. Everything, from the exterior and interior form and distinct behavior of the cars to the racing circuits, has been painstakingly recreated using data provided by manufacturers and drivers. DRIVING EMOTION TYPE-S Setting the new standard for racing games. PlayStation.e 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 128 for official rules. Hsu and Chan In: The Third Dimension Hello! I didn't know if you'd be interested or not, but my friend (Todd) and | thought it couldn't hurt to take a chance. We dressed up as Hsu and Chan for Halloween and thought someone at EGM might find it amusing (we already e-mailed the creator about it and he was greatly impressed). | made a Web site out of the pictures and stuff at http://www.angelfire.com/ anime2/ kasagirl/howto.html if you're interested. We even have a shameless plug picture of us reading EGM (and we got the brand-new issue that night, which I'm looking at in the picture). OK, that’s all, just thought I'd let you know such a thing existed. | think it’s ...and after, gasp! Uncanny! The attention to detail is dizzying. pretty cool, but we're hoping to do better next time. And there SHALL be a next time! Zim (Sara Brooks) Go to the Web site Sara listed for more details and funny stories about Sara and Todd's evening as their favorite video game heroes. And here's what Hsu and Chan creator Norm Scott had to say to our costumed duo: Мом you guys went to a LOT of work, the costumes looked great! | am thoroughly stupefied and flattered, all atthe same time. Norm, the mighty stupefied and flattered cartoonist http://www.ape-law.com/evilmonkey Thanks Sara and Todd —we put your photos in either really late, or really early, but either way we're sure we echo the sentiments of Hsu and Chan fans everywhere when we say the costumes and figures look great. 18 e '805 sitcom-based letter art: 1 * Letters from Africa: 4 * % of writers who need a grammar-refresher course: 46 * Anti-Canadian letters: 17 * Obvious attempts to get in the Shorts section: 143 * System war-related letters: 267 Greetings! | have been a loyal subscriber to your magazine for several years now. І have also been a loyal subscriber to T.V. Guide. Why do | bring this up, you ask? Well, | was thinking about things | like and dislike about your mag today, when it dawned on me what a great idea it would be to have a section in your letters area devoted to “Reader Cheers & Jeers.” This would allow us gamers to give equal voice to the good and the bad, while allowing you to consistently hone your fantastic publication into an even greater one. If | were you, though, | would add one iron-clad rule: All responses must be written in a civilized manner (none of that “Sega suks, Sony rulz!” neand- erthal crap). To wit, here are my first Cheer and my first Jeer, respectively: Cheers: To the Review Crew, for always remaining honest without insulting the gamers. | used to say | never trusted critics, but now that isn’t 100 percent true. | trust you guys implicitly to warn me about the crap and steer me toward the good stuff. | was disappointed that Spider-Man didn’t get a silver award, but | thank you for having the integrity to not let your love for Spidey get in the way of honesty. Jeers: To not seeing certain games get reviewed at all. Several times in the past year, | have noted that a game | was anticipating did not get reviewed, even weeks after its release. This seems to happen most with GBC games (like Yoda Stories and Deja Vu 1 & 2). | know you have limited space, but | still wish you could find a way to let me know how good or bad a game is before | buy/rent it. Maybe online? Let me know if you think this section is a good idea. I personally think it would bring you and the gaming public closer together (but not in a bad way...no B.O. or anything). Thanks. Rob Sinyard Hampton, GA How refreshing. It's nice to receive such a finely crafted letter. And the use of such words as “һопе” is always appreciated. Not to mention that you say nothing we can fire off Following WWII, Cold War tensions have peaked. The Soviets с LEE and Allies have divided Japan and war has broken out. As leader of the Allies, you'll command squadrons of troops and giant mechs through intense 3D firefights in a real-time battle-action system. Enter the Ring of Red, lead your men to victory, and change the face of history. Animated Blood | e | PlayStation.? т Animated Violence Konami® is a registered trademark of the Konami Corporation. Ring of Red is a registered trademark of the Konami Corporation. "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. ©2001 Konami of America Inc. All rights reserved. EGM@ziffdavis.com Send us your thoughts, your wishes, your innermost weirdness...or your pictures, crazy screenshots or LETTERS = photos of bizarre game-related 0 f еденге uestion o an extremely sarcastic retort to. gamers, we try to mention it in the “You often What IS your first Darn. Of course we have no intention review text. So don't forget to comment on H H of heeding your suggestion for a always read the reviews, and don't how video Impression of the Cheers and Jeers-esque section, but just rely on the scores. aming is Xbox? at least you got yours off your chest. ret Я Keep readin', and keep your powder H1 dry, partner. Fun With Playboy In more mainstream, It's amazing that Microsoft managed to Palm of Your Hand but your plagiarize the Р52, Dreamcast and Gamer Wants More Recently, I’ve heard (or dreamt) that magazine is Gamecube system/controller designs in Sony is going to be making a handheld Е one swift blow. Soft-Core Coverage video game console to compete with Still rather Novasol33@aol.com | noticed lately that your content is Nintendo’s Game Boy Advance. Sony harticore After reading үйге Л, айу. from the perspective of and targeted representatives have hinted that the gamer- excited aBoutthe Xbox. Withithe toward the “hardcore gamer." The new handheld will look somewhat like oriented." hardware it has and the software being gamers who have the time and patience to muddle through, say, the weapon system of Vagrant Story or even the random battles of the early Final Fantasy games. | don't want to come across as a fusion between a Dual Shock Controller and the Game Boy Color. They have also said that the Prototype name for the handheld is the Playboy (note: already copyrighted for an adult mag) and it would be released developed for it, | know it will steal many hardcore Sony fans. cigma77@hotmail.com The “system wars” standings after the Xbox launch: E 8 Хы being critical, the EGM editors are sometime in fall 2001! RR NE exceptionally experienced in their | myself am really excited about the 3)Dreamcast field, but I'd really like to see some announcement of the Playboy and | 4)PS2 articles written from a different perspective, from that of the “casual gamer.” The gamer who is interested in fast twitch games and doesn’t care about exploring the depths of role- playing games and the rewards of building up strong characters; those who prefer action games. You often comment on how video gaming is becoming more mainstream, but your magazine is still rather hardcore gamer-oriented. The problem in this is that an in-depth game will receive a very high score despite the fact that many gamers wouldn’t buy it. I'm not asking you to reform your entire magazine, but please give more recognition to the casual gamer. Name withheld by request Hold on there, chief. It's like the Air Force motto says: Aim High. We wouldn't be here if we were casual about games. It's in our DNA code ‘n’ stuff. Don't believe us? Just try to grab a freshly opened F1 sim away from Dean. Guarantee you'll pull back a bloody stump. If we lowered our standards, you'd be waist-deep in a world of Superman 64s (shudder), and I don't think any of us want to live in that world, do we? Seriously though, if we think a game is more suited toward casual think it would be a revolutionary system. Edmund Lai Vancouver B.C. Q-Mann is on the case, but he’s being tight-lipped so far. In the meantime, we suggest another use for your idle hands (they are the devil’s workshop, you know). Try the PS one with an available plug-in screen (from Pelican or Interact). It’s out now, and there’s more fun to be had with that than a stack of nudey books three feet high. Almost. Harho(u)ring Rage For Our Northern Brother To everyone at EGM (except for the Canadian): Recently | was at a friend’s house (not in Canada) and he hooked up his NES for some retro gaming. He began to play a game | never heard of called Rescue. | thought it was some sort of stealth game because you were dodging searchlights and stuff. But then a sniper part came up, with a scope just like in Silent Scope. | guess that game isn’t so original after all. | just thought | should tell you that, but 20 kevinkioo@sega.net Finally, a controller that’s not grey/white! kixposse@hotmail.com Xbox is the hottest thing coming out this year! | can’t get my hands on a PS2 (it's sold out almost everywhere), but once the Xbox comes out, it's gonna blow away that little Р52 box! Tsyphonog28Gyahoo.com l just finished looking at pics of the Xbox. Man, what a joke! The controllers are a blatant rip-off of the Dreamcast's controller. It also has the pressure- sensitive buttons of guess what other console?!? THE PLAYSTATION 2!!! Oh, that's not all! It also has the C-joystick of the Gamecube! I can't believe Microsoft can't get a design of its own! bronxbombers51_2@yahoo.com Next Month’s Question of the Moment: What upcoming game are you most excited about? Send your short but sweet responses to: EGMGziffdavis.com with the subject heading: excited DON’T BE AFRAID OF "Compelling gameplay and genuine tension set Alien Resurrection above all other FPS games." THE DARK. BE AFRAID OF WHAT'S IN IT. "Mien Resurrection is the most technically superb game available on the PlayStation" PSExtreme Gamers Republic PlayStation ® WWW.FOXINTERACTIVE.COM INTERACTIVE | MATURE | | Animated Blood and Gore Animated Violence CONTENT naten BY ESRB - - тм 8 ©2000 TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX FILM CORPORATION. FOX, FOX INTERACTIVE, ALIEN RESURRECTION AND THEIR ASSOCIATED LOGOS ARE TRADEMARKS OF TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX FILM CORPORATION. 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. You can write EGM at: EGM Letters Please note: We reserve the right to edit any correspondence for space P.0. Box 3338 purposes. If you don't want your name, city/state or e-mail address printed, SE tell us so (but please include your phone number and mailing address for Oak Brook, IL 60522-3338 Letter of the Month consideration). Also note: although we can only respond e-mail: EGM@ziffdavis.com t° a few letters each month, we read and appreciate (most) all of them. So keep 'em coming, eventually you might see your handy work turn up here! LETTERS you all probably knew that already (except for Stewart). Oh, if you can’t tell, | am still mad about Stewart's Chrono Chross review. beagles_gay@hotmail.com Wow, who knew our little friend from behind the “Maple Curtain” would touch so many so deeply with his prose. His Chrono review was all the way back in issue 134, and our mailboxes are still seething with mail about it. In fact, it ranks among the top 10 subjects every month. For his part, Sewart (note the proper spelling) remains unapologetic, and stands brazenly in the face of all who query him. Area Youth Demands “Madd Propz” For Luigi Why has Luigi always been overshadowed by Mario? He’s taller and can jump higher (according to Super Mario 2’s physics). Why does he always get crapped on? He never got much credit in saving Peach. In Super Mario World, when you beat Bowser, it mentions Mario, Yoshi and the eggs. Not even a mention of Luigi. The eggs get mentioned instead of Luigi? | don’t think that’s right. And then the one game Luigi stars in, and what's it called?! Mario is missing! It doesn't even have Luigi's name in it. And then in Mario RPG, | forgot if Luigi was in it, and if he was, it was pretty late in the game. Oh, then in Super Mario 64, no Luigi to be seen. Even Yoshi got a special appearance. In Smash Bros., he's a secret character. They put a yellow electric rat in front of a legend! Don't get me wrong, | was all for Pokémon until it became the cash crop of every company, but they put Pikachu before Luigi, who's been around for about 16 years. If you noticed in Mario Tennis, the glum way he says, "Here we go..." and the expression on player 2 Luigi in Smash Bros. I think Luigi deserves to outdo Mario for once. He's been crapped on for over 15 years. Adolfo Reyes Northlake, IL In life, a man has to pick his battles in order to truly accomplish a few precious things that are near E nee ine and dear to his heart, rather than minds. fighting for everything and winning nothing. Obviously you are aware of this notion, Adolfo, and we are all the better for your passion. Who else would take up the mantle of a maintenance engineer’s sibling, Three questions, 1. Is there really a barrel? 2. How do you put e-mail in. it? 3. Is this bad enough to get in? panamai enat small in stature, who has, in your own words, been “crapped on”? We 1. Yes 4 Ea) 2. Very carefully hope that your touting of Luigi s role 3. Yes down through the ages will inspire others to laud his virtues. Or something. Grandork-Ganontorf We all know that many actors end up in video games, like Mark Hamill and Malcom McDowell. Well, | found another one. The first clue was a painting of Ganondorf in the instruction booklet of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. His hairstyle, his shoulders, the way he smiled...everything looked so familiar to me. This was two years ago, but now l've seen that GameCube video and suddenly everything is clear! | analyzed one screenshot with a special software (www.mossad.com/download/tools/ fakefinder) and | was able to restore the original pixels. | can't wait to see a new screenshot of the fountain fairy... Nic Cramer nicolauscramer@aol.com Nice work, man! This ranks up there with the unmasking of Batman, Kiss and Wonderdog. Of course this takes some of the mystery out of the game, but anything goes in the world of hard-hitting investigative journalism. Expect a call from the Nobel people. LETTER ART - WINNE Raniel Nebrida Houston, TX Congratulations! Your prize is on the way-an ASCII Specialized Control Pad for the PlayStation. Put your creative skills to the test by decking out a #10 It features rapid-fire controls for all buttons and slow motion for those intense moment: EGM Letter Art Close, but no controller Bad luck to these guys... better luck next time. Feel free to e-mail us artwork as well. Ook Brook, IL Ы 3438 B. Cary B envelope (the long business РО BOX 3338 type) with your own unique Oak Brook, IL 5 E fonch. sem our естен Pe ae Georgetown,TX (All entries become the property of Ziff Davis Media Inc. and will not be returned!) WITH | hed 4 ... WHO NEEDS EP “ Maned- Dut, Fully-Loaded 30 Action МОК2 ARMAGEDDON, a high-energy mix of intense action, stealth, brain teasing challenges, hi-tech gadgets and offbeat humor no gamer should miss. This next-generation sequel packs more twists and turns than a corkscrew roller coaster. MDK2 ARMAGEDDON: MAXED OUT AND FULLY LOADED! Animated Violence DEVELOPED BY E: ө | 9 Animated Blood BiOWARE ESRA CORP MDK2 ARMAGEDDON PS2 © 2000 Interplay Entertainment Corp. Omen Engine © 2000 BioWare Corp. Developed by BioWare Corp. The BioWare Omen Engine and the BioWare logo are trademarks of BioWare Corp. MDK, MDK2 and related marks, Interplay, the Interplay logo and "By Gamers. For Gamers.” are trademarks of Interplay Entertainment Corp. Certain characters are © Shiny Entertainment, Inc. All rights reserved. LUA copyright 1994-2001 TeCGraf, PUC-Rio. All rights reserved. All other copyrights and trademarks are the property of their respective owners. "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. BY GAMERS. FOR GAMERS." Press Start By Chris Johnston chris johnstone7iffdavis.com & Jonathan Dudlak jonathan_dudlak@ziffdavis.com The Hottest Gaming News on the Planet If Th to Buy Sega? ou've probably heard this one before. “Dude, Nintendo's going to buy Sega and they're, like, gonna stomp the competition. My uncle’s brother's mom’s sister's husband's friend works at Nintendo in Japan and he totally says it's true. Yeah, and they're, like, doing a system called DreamCube now which can rotate all these polygons. It's super boss." OK, so we've exaggerated a little. But if you've been listening to the news lately, you may have heard a startling report come over the wire: Nintendo's going to buy Sega! But wait, before you begin jumping around for joy (or begin cutting off limbs, depending on your console affiliation) let us calm you down— it hasn't happened...yet. That didn't stop people from believing it, causing Sega's stock to rise, Nintendo's to fall, and a whole bunch of people to become horribly confused. How It All Began On Dec. 27, 2000, The New York Times printed a story called “Nintendo Is Reported in Talks to Buy Sega." The paper sourced "executives close to the negotiations" but did not name names, saying that discussions had reportedly been going on for months, and put the deal somewhere around the $2 billion mark. The same article quoted representatives from both companies scoffing at the report, including Sega spokesman Munehiro Umemura who called it *absolutely outrageous." After the report was mirrored by Reuters, it was picked up by many other news outlets, including local news affiliates all over the country who reported it almost as if it had happened. Shares of Sega on the Tokyo Stock Exchange rose by 100 yen before being frozen by the exchange at 1,054 yen ($9.25), even as Nintendo stock fell 5.4 percent to 17,390 yen ($152). This is common activity in a buyout— the buying company's stock dips a little, while the one being bought goes up. Nintendo and Sega both continued to deny the report. A Nintendo spokesman told Reuters, "We are not in such talks." Nintendo President Hiroshi Yamauchi got in on the action the day the report became public by stating, “Тһеге is absolutely no chance that Nintendo will buy Sega." The report was echoed in another New York Times article on Dec. 29, "Sega Looks at World Beyond Hardware Merger." This time the story added that Sega has also been in talks with Electronic Arts and Microsoft. Sega sprang into action, issuing a statement from Sega's Corporate Executive Vice President, Shunichi Nakamura. *We would like to express our concern over the fallacy that appeared on 12/27/00 regarding Nintendo’s buyout of Sega,” he said. “Not only did this erroneous allegation cause the trade of Sega’s corporate stock to be temporarily suspended while substantially influencing Sega and Nintendo's stock prices, it caused unnecessary confusion among stockholders, affiliated companies, business partners and end-users of both companies. It also severely damaged Sega's corporate and brand image during a very Electronic Gar precarious time in the video game industry... “...бисһ repeated and arbitrary publication of groundless statements is pure harassment and unacceptable obstruction of our business, which we cannot overlook. We believe that The New York Times as a news organization is heavily responsible for this misinformation." The letter goes on to call for an apology or retraction. But interestingly enough, a New York Times source told EGM that no one at the paper received such a letter, and that they only learned of it after it was posted in various places on the Net. The Pros/Cons of A Deal A few years ago, this report would've been openly mocked. That was when Sega and Nintendo were both successful, and when bigger fish like Sony and Microsoft weren't circling the boat ready to strike. But now the stakes are much higher, and Nintendo is about to launch GameCube, a new hardware platform, against machines from Sony and Microsoft (and to a lesser extent, Sega). Third-party publishers aren't making as many system-exclusive titles Aonthly - 26 - www.zdnet.com/egm “Dude, SSX totally rocks.” SADDAM SAYS, “I WANT MY PS2” You probably heard as we did that the reason you couldn't get a PS2 this past Christmas was because Saddam Hussein smuggled 4,000 of them into Iraq, supposedly to use them for military purposes. This unsubstantiated report came from a “news” Web site with highly dubious sources. One quote attributed to a “military intelligence officer” that made us laugh read, “Most Americans don’t realize that each PlayStation unit contains a CPU—every bit as powerful as the processor found in most desktop and laptop computers.” these days, which used to have the power to make or break a system. (The original Madden on the Genesis, for example, is widely acknowledged as one big reason for that console’s success). Nintendo already has some strong second-party development (including Rare), but taking Sega under their wing could give them an edge. Microsoft has spent the last year either buying developers outright (Bungie) or teaming up with them (Oddworld Inhabitants) to make certain the Xbox has a large supply of exclusive games. “I think Sega will always be the subject of takeover speculation because of their software built a community of online gamers since its August 2000 launch. On the down side, if Sega is sold lock, stock and barrel, whoever inherits its business also inherits the problems. And they're big problems. Sega expects to post its fourth consecutive net loss for the business year ending in March —not exactly the most attractive thing for a potential buyer. Dreamcast is still kicking (at least in the U.S.) and that market would have to be slowly phased out if a buyer came forward. That's a difficult proposition for any company. It took 3DO a few years to get to the point where it re-entered the business as a software developer *There is absolutely no chance we will buy Sega." resources," Roger Lanctot, Research Director for PC Data, told us. “The two companies’ demographics are complementary—Nintendo skews more toward a younger audience with Pokémon and Game Boy, whereas Sega tends to skew to the upper demographics. The rationale is there and I’m sure Nintendo would love to have that kind of software team against Microsoft." Certainly we've seen Nintendo begin attempts to appeal to an older audience with Perfect Dark and Conker's Bad Fur Day. Nintendo also plans to offer online gaming with GameCube, but it hasn't yet announced a partnership with a company to build/maintain this network (although an announcement 15 expected around E3 in May). Sega has an established network—SegaNet—which has -Nintendo Co. Ltd. President, Hiroshi Yamauchi after its hardware business dried up. One possibility is that whoever acquires Sega won't take its hardware business and will instead round up all the development houses Sega made separate during its restructuring last fall. Nintendo could take the home-based teams and leave the arcade teams for another company more interested in that market. Will It Happen? Well, we know that a deal was in the hatching. Nintendo, Electronic Arts and Microsoft have all been in talks with Sega in various stages, going over the books. In the end, it hasn’t happened yet, and all this publicity may have scared both parties away from a deal. Damn. Perhaps video game history will be made another day. % We got to thinking about what we'd do if Nintendo really did buy Sega (besides watch hell freeze over). So we came up with a bizarro Press Start opening spread and the front page of The Star Times, a fictional video game newspaper. Check ’em out... Re ott Gone каз one et Electronic Gaming Monthly - 27 - www.zdnet.com/egm TIDBITS Blaze Boots DC Imports Looking for an easier way to boot up imports on your Dreamcast? Blaze Accessories may have the cure for you. They recently released their under $30 DC-X Dreamcast boot disc to 2 stores. Just рор DX MP it in, and when it loads, switch it with your favorite import game and voila! Menu options let you tweak the settings so any ей game from any an 65 сатса! region will play on your DC. A1 Releases Value Titles Agetec's Ал label is gearing up to jump feet first into the cheapo PlayStation games arena. It's very similar to Japan's popular Simple 1500 series —games often have very simple titles like *Bowling" and *Snowboarding" (the two games already released as of press time) and are priced at an attractive $9.99. Rockin’ to Streets of Rage If you follow game music, you'll want to check this out. Mars Colony Music is releasing a soundtrack CD to Sega's Genesis beat-'em-up Streets of Rage 2. Relive the old days with these classic 16- bit beats. Available in stores beginning in January or on marscolonymusic.com. More Nuon Titles Ahead At the Winter CES in Las Vegas, Nev., VM Labs announced six new titles coming later this year for its Nuon gaming platform from Hasbro Interactive and Taito. Hasbro will bring Monopoly, The Game of Life and Breakout to the system, with Тайо supplying RC de Go!, Bust-A-Move 4 and Space Invaders 2001. All six titles will carry a $29.95 MSRP when they land at retail. In other Nuon news, the company also announced that the Brendan Fraser/Liz Hurley comedy Bedazzled will be the first DVD movie to have Nuon-specific content. That includes digest-sized commentaries, production still-to-final comparisons, and _ an interactive chapter index. THE ROCK ROCKS CES _ At the Winter CES unveiling of Xbox, Bill Gates brought out a friend to help him show off the new system. Yes, that’s right, none other than The Rock. Can you smell...oh, you know the rest. Microsoft Unveils Xbox to the World at Winter CES | AWS ` E 5 2 ЕРЕ 3 he future of video games is here! Well, almost...we still have to wait until the fall for Xbox to be on store shelves, but the company finally unveiled the system to the public at the recent Winter Consumer Electronic Show 2001 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Aside from taking up 15 minutes of Bill Gates' hour-long keynote address (with a little help from none other than The Rock), the Xbox's only other appearance on the show floor was in the form of a small wall with three video screens in Microsoft's booth. They didn't even have a unit behind glass—a shockingly small presence for the system's first public showing. When asked why, members from Team Xbox smiled, and said while this was the first public unveiling, E3 is where all the true action will be—including the announcement of the price and release date along with “а ton of games." Prior to that, the system will make stops at the upcoming Tokyo Game Show and Game Developer's Conference. Even though it wasn't on the show floor, we did get to see the final system and two games, Malice and Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee, both being played on development kits behind closed doors. Munch looked incredible, but Malice was truly breathtaking—featuring graphics and shadow effects that had an almost Toy Story look to them, and the game was running on hardware that was nowhere near final. (See page 82 for more.) Several new titles were also announced simultaneously with the unveiling at CES. THQ will bring WWF Raw Is War to Xbox in the fall, developed by Anchor (who previously worked on the Dreamcast version of Ultimate Fighting Championship). You'll be able to grab clothing, announcers will provide on-the-fly commentary, and the audience will run for their lives when someone gets thrown into the stands. Opponents can be confronted on their way to the ring and backstage combat areas will randomly change from venue to venue. All we can say is, sounds cool. Activision also made it official — Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2x is slated as a launch game for Xbox, and is the first of six games the company has in development for the system. We hear it will have more levels, more populated environments, online play, tournament hosting and more. In mid-December, Electronic Arts announced that it would be supporting Xbox with versions of its strong library of titles. The company plans to have up to 10 games ready for the launch of the system next fall. Madden Xbox? Count on it. ж com - өз = 5 = = > a” = = ЕЗ E peyesodioou "таг 00020 | Aueduioo | чешену H змон SIN09 01005 09а aljasse) [eng Opep “07-6 ШЕШ еј -007 TOMB RAIDER MOVIE She's Crofty Below are the first official pictures of Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft in the Tomb Raider movie, coming to theaters June 5. We asked Jolie if playing video game babe Lara Croft was a huge departure from her other roles. “It’s funny,” she tells us. *| thought it was really, really far from what I'm used to, but it's not. Her essence is similar to all the other characters I’ve played—somebody who's kind of alone and focused on justice or setting things right. And it's kind of a little insane." So what kind of things has she had to go through to get the part right? "They've had me on a really disgusting diet, actually," she says. “It’s lots of proteins and sardines. | eat lots of meat, and | eat lots of fish— just the high, high protein. And all these vitamins and stuff like that. In between, in the middle of the day, | work out and train and run a bit. There’s a lot of pressure to be this woman, and to get even her accent right. She's raised a certain way, she’s had a certain breeding, and she is Lady Croft." We can't wait to see the results this summer! Here are the first in-game screens from Square's Final Fantasy X, set to hit PS2 by this summer in Japan (and later in the U.S.). For the first time in the series, characters will have voices, complete with facial motion (thus the need for DVD-ROM). Real-time 3D environments are used instead of prerendered backgrounds. 4% Shown аге the У Ви main hero, Tidus E m (above) and the heroine, Yuna (right), both 17. They kick ass. 1 Ereesrunerm \ l controctcers рог \ (эы тиже \ GOARI CONSOLES If you wanna kick ass, ше can help you do it. Check out our entire line of PC and console accessories at www.thrustmaster.com or call toll-free 1-877-484-5536 for more info. THRUSTMASTER GAMING ACCESSORIES © Guillemot Corporation 2000. Thrustmaster® is a registered trademark of Guillemot Corporation. All other nationally and internationally recognized trademarks and brand names are hereby acknowledged. Photos not binding. Contents, designs and specifications are subject to change without notice and may vary from one country to another. => PlayStation PlayStation.e — — «өле GUA Animated Violence r А ж starfighter.lucasarts.com 4 starwars.com vi © 2001 LucasArts Entertainment Company LLC. © 2001 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM or ® as indicated All rights reserved. Used under authorization. LucasArts and the LucasArts logo are registered trademarks of Lucasfilm Ltd.. "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. FINAL FANTASY PACK-IN On launch day, Bandai offered a special bundle of the Wonderswan Color hardware that came packaged with Final Fantasy for 9999 yen ($93). As you can imagine, this box was a big seller. The front of the box is all white except for a Final Fantasy logo on the right side in the middle, and when you flip it open, you see the system and the game (pictured at left). On Dec. 9, 200 Wonderswan Color—a color version of their black-and-white handheld game system in Japan. This sleek piece of hardware is about the size of a deck of cards, weighs almost nothing, and can run for 20 hours on a single AA battery (according to Bandai). Its 16-bit central processor is more powerful than the Game Boy Color's 8-bit CPU, and it's got strong third-party support— Capcom, Konami and Namco are all on board. The system sold 300,000 units in two days, which can mostly be attributed to the availability of Final Fantasy 1 as a launch title (and packed in with special-edition systems). How does the machine fare compared to the Game Boy Advance? From a technical stand- The Games Final Fantasy Two words: killer app. More than just a port of the original NES cart, its graphics have been given a facelift and the music remixed to take advantage of the machine's four- channel stereo sound. FFII and III are slated to ship 2nd quarter 2001. Sorobangu While not as captivating as Gunpey Ex, this is another solid puzzle game...kind of a Electronic Gaming Monthly point, it's significantly less powerful (see the spec chart on this page). When we took the system for a hands-on test, its performance was far from perfect. The screen tends to suffer from the same blur the Game Boy used to. This is because it uses a passive rather than an active matrix color screen like Game Boy Color ог Мео•бео Pocket Color. But the ’swan is definitely capable of offering SNES-level graphic performance as far as color and resolution go—just check out the Final Fantasy pic below. It's comfortable to hold, features a flexible button layout, and is very durably designed. Game Boy Color Size: Wonderswan Color 7.5cm x 13.3cm x 27cm 12.8cm x 7.43cm X 2.5cm 13.5cm x 8.0ст x 2.5cm So Japanese gamers аге all set...what about us? Will we ever see a domestic rollout? It looks as if the answer is...probably. Unfortunately, nothing has been set in stone yet, and no release dates have been announced. At one time, a release was pinned to Mattel's Inter- active division, who later told EGM they had no such plans. With the impending release of Game Boy Advance both in Japan (in March) and the U.S. (in July), it almost wouldn't be worth it for the machine to come out here. Especially since it lacks the support and name recognition the Game Boy Advance already has. Game Boy Advance Weight: 138g 96g 1408 Playtime: 10 hours 20 hours 20 hours Resolution: 160X140, 2.3" screen 224X144, 2.8" screen 240X160, 2.9" screen Total Colors: 32,000 (56 on-screen) 4,069 (241 on-screen) 65, 535 (511 on-screen) RAM: Total Sprites: 32k 40 128 512k 256k 4,096 Four channel stereo Sound: Four channel stereo 32 channel stereo Price: 6800 yen ($65) high-tech connect-the-dots. Not very impressive from a technical standpoint, but fun to play nonetheless. Gunpey EX A color version of the WS's flagship puzzle game. Link line segments to create long, colorful strands stretching the length of the Screen. A cross between Columns and Pipe Dream, and not a bad little puzzler. pa Digimon Zero Two What would a new Bandai system be without a Digimon game launching by its Side? The usual monster battlin’ is found inside. If the system ever does come to the U.S., expect this to come with it. 6800 yen (S65) 9800 yen ($95) Rhyme Rider Kerorican Psychedelic neon images, bizarre cartoon characters, music-based gameplay, and a heroine who's a young woman in a frog costume who is asked to do battle with blue armadillos and purple duck heads. Trust us, it's even weirder than it sounds. Dokodemo Hamster 3: Odekake Saffron Capitalizing on the Japanese love of virtual pets, this “game” puts an animé-styled hamster in a player's care. The bright, bouncy graphics are eye-catching, and the variety of maintenance duties are interesting—for about a half hour or so. 34 - www.zdnet.com/egm моз”әсноозчозиыы"мин squ003H ази» NO RON LNO TANIN/GD SNYALIYNA SNITH 7 N3013H NYA QNUNHSU THE VIEW FROM JAPAN Game Companies "Gell" Out A few months ago, | talked about how hard it is to develop online games in Japan because of the high phone charges, lack of experience, and the expensive cost to maintain servers. But online gaming via cell phone is already spreading like a virus in Japan. Here, research suggests that phone с "AN charges (including those used for Internet connections) have doubled in five years among the under-30 crowd. So inexpensive gaming via cell phones is an attractive option for many. Some folks in the entertain- ment industry cite cell phones as the reason people don't buy video games and CDs as much as they used to. Whether that's true or not, game companies have responded to the demand and have started to make games for cell phones. As of last December there were over 60 million cell phone subscribers in Japan. Among them, 20 million used Internet connection services with their phones. You abcdefzh might think it'd be difficult to browse the Web on а cell phone, but using a modified _ Dokodemo Fighter version of HTML designed specifically for from Capcom and a cell phones lets you view them fairly well. Өзек game from E udson. Many respected game companies like Capcom, Hudson, Konami and Namco already provide games for cell phone users. They're simple compared to games on consoles— mostly table games, text adventures or quiz games. For developers, they're inexpensive to make and quite profitable. According to Hudson's president, over 100,000 players have played their games, each paying a monthly charge of a couple dollars. Some companies make phones with screens that can display up to 6,000 colors and have FM sound chips. Soon there will be Java-compatible cel phones, that will allow users to download data. Naturally this allows developers to make more elaborate games. Sega's already signed a deal with Motorola to use their image- processing technolo- ву. Sega games will soon be able to run on Motorola's cell phones. The next-generation of cell phones will be available later this Yutaka Ohbuchi year in Japan. Not only will they be Java- compatible, they'll provides a much broader (up to 2Mbps) connec- tion, which makes cell phones a more valuable platform as a PDA or multimedia console. But some people think that no matter how strong cell phones become technologically, it's still just a cell phone. You can't really play games comfortably. Time will tell if these games have what it takes to compete with console handhelds long-term. -Yutaka Ohbuchi Nintendo has every confidence that Game Boy Advance | will be successful. The company plans to produce 24 milli | поп __ | | d | units of Game Boy Advance hardware within its first year of release. it’s Been A Long Time, Sega CD More than five years after we last reviewed a game for the Sega CD, out pop two more. Good Deal Games (www.gooddealgames.com) has given Sega CD owners a reason to take the system out of storage. Well, sorta... Bug Blasters: The Exterminators and Star Strike, both originally developed by Stargate Films for Sony Imagesoft, are currently being sold on GDG's Web site. Both are full-motion video games that utilize the Tomcat Alley game engine. So far, so good, right? Well, not really. EGM's Review Crew took both games for a test drive. The results were ar from sterling. Bug Blasters First there's Bug Blasters. It's the story of a Los Angeles overrun with uge, intelligent insects. The result of a horrible accident at a local chemical plant, they've taken over city hall and are cocooning every human possible. You play Hugh D. Player, a rookie member of the Bug Blaster team (these people resemble the Ghostbusters right down to their theme music). Thankfully this game doesn't take itself too seriously. You're constantly bombarded with slapstick humor and fart jokes. Still, at its core BB: TE is a shooter that's so poorly made you'll ikely give up after the second level. Unfortunately Star Strike isn't quite as good. The story of a rookie pilot joining a war between Earth and an alien race intent on conquering the human race and eating their brains, Star Strike is just god-awful. It's almost impossible to be accurate when shooting down enemies, and the game is simply overflowing with the horrible acting that was a video-game trademark in 1995. Outside of pure collector's value, neither of these games is worth the $34.95 price tag. However, if this stuff excites you like it excites certain Canadian staff members, take heart. Good Deal Games has already announced the impending release of Wing Nuts for the Sega CD. They've also confided to EGM that they're actively pursuing the rights to other completed, unreleased games for the Sega CD and other systems. Thank God for the Internet. 36 "..INSTANTLY INTELLIGIBLE, MIND-BOGGLINGLY VAST, AND A TOTAL GAS TO PLAY....MAKES FOR ONE HELLUVA VIDEOGAME" - GAMER'S REPUBLIC, SEPT 2000 "MUST BUY PLAYSTATION 2 LAUNCH GAMES LIST" - Nov 2000 EGM "DRIVING THROUGH THE SPECTACULAR TERRAIN IS A BLAST" - EGM OCTOBER 2000 "А - ...THE BEST DISPLAY AND TRUEST TESTAMENT TO THE PROCESSING POWER OF THE PS2 TO DATE." - GAMERS REPUBLIC OCTOBER 2000 98% PLATINUM - 'THE BEST OFF-ROAD EXPERIENCE YOU'VE EVER HAD"... "ONE OF THE MUST - BUY LAUNCH GAMES" - PSE2 NOVEMBER 2000 _DELIVER AT ALL COSTS Levels are over 5 square miles, each with a "drive anywhere" environment filled with other smugglers and law enforcement officials. Choose from 35 different vehicles, each with unique modifications and strengths. Compete head-to-head or run "pick up and deliver" missions against Al opponents or in full multiplayer mode. Maneuver your way through arid desert, icy tundra, or rocky mountain forest. Real Time Damage Models allow you to watch the parts fly as you pay the price for punishing collisions! SOUNDTRACK AVAILABLE ОМ ر س سے a‏ کو چ د "S be D = COSTA WWW.ROCKSTARGAMES.COM/SMUGGLERSRUN GBWYCIUI ROCKSTAR 575BWY QO JROCKSTAR 575BWY 0 -JROCKSTAR 575BWY( vum | веш ни mibi! emi АМИИН ТАЛЫ, cos PH зч PST "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo 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. E => | Guidance Recordings and the Guidance Recordings logo are trademarks of Guidance Recordings Inc. Rockstar Games and the Rockstar Games logo are trademarks of е Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. © 2000 All rights reserved. Animated Violence Animated Blood and Gore Suggestive Themes 2. PlayStation. THESE TWO _ LADIES PUT THE ASS _ IN ASSASSIN. "...great plot points, plenty of action, incredible graphics and both of the female characters taking off their clothes for no good reason... it's everything we were hoping it would be." i ig Hong Kong and New York ng detail with new Motion FX 3D technoloi Exp ight environmen | City in breathtaki Play four different characters, including Hana's new mysterious and beautiful companion, Rain, as an intriguing story unfolds. Ес eee www.feareffect.com Import Pick of the Month: Sony CEI's Gran Turismo 3 A-Spec gets the nod this month. Kazunori Yamauchi & Co.’s work on this game is absolutely astonishing. PlayStation 1/25 Metal Slug X, SNK (Action) 2/22 Volfoss, Namco (Action) PlayStation 2 1/25 2/15 (Driving) Feb. Kessen ll, Koei (Strategy) Feb. Shadow of Memories, Konami (Adventure) 3/1 Z.O.E, Konami (Action) 3/15 Shutoku Battle Zero, Genki (Driving) 3/22 Biohazard Code: Veronica Complete, Capcom (Adventure) Mar. Bloody Roar 3, Hudson (Fighting) Mar. Klonoa 2, Namco (Action) Mar. Monster Farm, Tecmo (Virtual Pet) Dreamcast 2/2 El Dorado Gate Volume 3, Capcom (RPG) 2/15 Aero Dancing i, CRI (Flight) Onimusha, Capcom (Adventure) Gran Turismo 3 A-Spec, Sony CEI 2/15 Hundred Swords, Sega (Strategy) 2/22 Battle Beaster, Studio Wonder Effect (Action) 2/22 Macross M3, Shoeisha (Action) Nintendo 64 Feb. Animal Forest, Nintendo (Adventure) Feb. Echo Delta, Nintendo (Strategy) Game Boy 2/23 Dance Dance Revolution GB3, Konami (Music) Feb. Fruit, Nintendo (RPG) *Schedule subject to change without Legend of Zelda: Mysterious Tree of notice. Consult your local import game store for the latest release information. JOVOVICH GETS EVIL Milla Jovovich (The Fifth Element) and Michelle Rodriguez (Girlfight) have signed on to the $40 million film version of Resident Evil. Directed by Paul Anderson, it won't follow the plot of the game—it features a supercomputer gone mad that begins turning. scientists into zombies. Bleh. Quartermann - Game Gossip & Speculation i-dee-ho, Quarterfriends. It is ye old Rumormaster, who has returned to yonder magazine pages to deliver ye | hottest rumors in all the land...and so on and so forth. 1 have returned from a quest with the wizards of the lost kingdom, where 1 forged these many rumors that I shall now read to thee... ...Square has finally heard our pleas for U.S. releases of some of its most endearing classics, PS one versions of Chrono Trigger _ and Final Fantasy IV are certain to make the cut, with Tobal 2.still up in the air, Also interesting are the possibilities that Square will rerelease other titles with special-edition treatment and include extra goodies like soundtrack CDs. Sounds good to me! It’s about time Chrono Trigger got its due inthe U.S. now that RPGs are popular.., planning stages for a while now according to The Q's spies)... „Sony řeally wants people to go broadband when the hard drive/ethernet unit comes out. So the company's thinking about putting together a deal where, if you sign up for Sony's service; you get the hard drive/ethernet unit for free. How'sthat? Believe yoü.me, The Q just jumped into the.broadband revolution, and lemme tell ya...there's no going back. And, heh...The Q needs that fast connection to keep downloading those, ей... ілер eye videos from his network of spies! С -:Namco's gearing up for some heavy action -this year, The big news, of course (wait for it... Wait for it...) is that Soul Calibur 2 will be announced "round Ез time and possibly shown. Kplatform hasn't been decided on yet, but The ~Qthinks it’s a no-go on Dreamcast (d'oh!). ...Remember Sega's Virtua Fighter X? It’s almost ready and will be shown to the public for the first time at the AOU Show in Japan in ` February. Hopefully it'll look better than those. lame-o demos Sega was showing on МАОМІ-2. 7 at the last arcade show... The sequel to Space Channel 5 cancelled? Or does Peter Moore know not that which he speaks? Hmnim...Did t- mention how much motorized skateboards-rule for inter-office transportation? ...Electronic Arts has recently added GameCube versions of SSX and Madden to` its 2001 lineup. So it looks like the only system not receivirig EA lovin' is the Dreamcast now that they're on the Xbox bandwagon...speaking of that, EA's working on an Xbox version of The Sims as a test to see if the game can work on consoles. If it's successful, expect to see it on any and all systems thatcan handle it (except, well, Dreamcast...damn?):..A new Medal of Honor game, called.Medal of Honor Frontline, is headed to PS2, It'll be shown off at E3, and apparently will cross over with that popular WWII movie from a few years ago, Saving Private Ryan... ..Acclaim is still on shaky ground (they've been there before though), but is still pushing ahead with a few games that could save them from extinction. That includes Turok 4, coming to PS2 (and GameCube) as 5oon-as-the— — — — company can cross the t's and dot the i's on the finishing touches...They've also got a super-secret platform game for Xbox in development as well as a possible Turok spin- off RPG based on Adon (that's been in the Tekken 4 Will also be shown at E3, with a PlayStation 2 release almost guaranteed sometime in the fall... „Апа if you aren't excited about the Final “Fantasy movie by now, you will be. Тһе Q's heard-that the DVD version of the movie will include two discs. Оле will be the movie on a standard, dual-sidéd, dual-layered disc, all / tricked out with the special-edition content, including commentaries and making ofs and all that. good stuff. The second disc will include PlayStation 2-specific content, including a “you be the director” option which will feature several scenes rendered in real time on the PS2. You canthen select your own camera angles forthe scene and watch them play out. Now that's what | call a killer app! That'll have to fight for DVD time in The Q's player with the Power Rangers Movie/Turbo double feature set. Yeah baby! ...Finally, Warren Spector (OK, so many console gamers àren't going to know that name-—his credits include games like System Shock and Deus Ex on the PC) has just recently signed a deal with Eidos to do an exclusive Xbox game for them. Sounds cool, but when can we kick the tires and look under the hood? 50K, that's all for this month Quarter-buds. Wow, | thought this month | wouldn't have _ much fer ya, but...golly, hot dernit! Back next month with a bevy of gaming goodness the likes of which have never been seen...OK, I'll stop now... -TheQ .zdnet.com/egm LI L| om A redfaction www. The Top 20 Best-Selling Games of November, 2000 1- Pokémon Gold e= The little beasties in Gold and Т Silver had a rumble to see which , SCIZOR | of Nintendo's latest cash cows [ Ne zie got to hold top spot this month. Еа | It wasn't pretty. You should see Pikachu. Tyranitar worked him [== oni over sumthin’ fierce. 2 - Pokémon Silver = G НЕ Silver took the long fall from first to second in November. We figure it's because most stores only had 21/ 21 copies of Pokémon Gold left. Nintendo executives must laugh DFIGHT "y 3- Zeltia: Majora’ s Mask all the way to the bank when they release these games. Nintendo completes a one-two- three sweep this month with the continuing strong sales of Link’s latest time-twisting adventures. Expect to see this sort of unreal domination until the PS2 builds up steam. The mind wobbles. д - Final Fantasy IK showing in the top five is Square EA’s latest epic. Our Review Crew says this is the best Final Fantasy to hit Sony’s system. Besides, Vivi’s just too damn cute to pass up. 5- WWF No Mercy The latest WWF spectacular from THQ debuts in the top five! Who else wants to see The Rock and КУ Triple-H in a tag-team match against Bastoise and Squirtle? Knowing our luck, the little buggers'd probably win. Tony Hawks Pro Skater 2 Activision The World Is Not Enough Electronic Arts NBA ЛП Sega Driver 2 Infogrames Super Mario Bros. DX Nintendo 6 1 8 9 10 It's fitting that the sole PlayStation | aT 8.5 9.0 Mark Chris Crispin | NE Mark Chris Crispin L 1 10 10 Mark | Greg 10 Ryan Æ нам | 10 9.5 Greg | Milkman Ryan Mike | Crispin 42 ЕТЕТ | 12 Tony Hawks Pro Skater | Activision Lu | 1 Madden NFL 2001 _ Electronic Arts h , 1 ЕТІТТІТІП " zo сода зри REPRE TON ы EASE тва авот TC OTA A 15 Spyro: Year of the Бо | Sony CEA : TuS Madden NEL 7001 1 1 1 1 20 Source: NPD TRSTS Video Games Service. Call Kristin Barnett-von Korff at (516) 625-2481 for questions regarding this list. Top 5 game descriptions written by the EGM staff. Electronic Arts ‘Hey You, Pikachu! Nintendo Gran Turismo 1 Sony CEA Driver GT Interactive Tony Hawks Pro Skater Activision 4 Н TOP 10 Pokémon Crystal Nintendo. Mario Party 3 Nintendo Yugio Duel Monsters 4 Konami Pokémon Crystal sits atop the Mobile Suit Gundam r Japanese chart. It’s already sold ل ودا‎ SE over a million copies in Japan. ТЕГЕН Guess the Pokémon craze isn't [rz uite over there! Suare Е a Pokémon Stadium Gold/Silver/Crystal Nintendo у Lets Make a Pro Soccer Team! Sega Phantasy Star Online Sega © + в Pachi-Slot Aruze Kg П мше Sega's Phantasy Star Online debuts on the chart in Japan at number eight. Not too bad, but it was outdone by two PS2 | games, Bandai's Gundam and 1 Dragon Quest Il | Enix ! Weekly Famitsu, week ending 12/24/2000 | Square's fighter, The Bouncer. SULTS DON'T SHOW Ut an на ' THE RIC Torment friends with our revolutionary new savable instant replay feature. Get skillz playing in mini-games Like Hoopz Practice and 2ball. We motion captured Shaq-Diesel's MVP moves for your rim-rattling pleasure. || Use the new Hoopz button to make sure the rock will end up in your hands. | AG The only dedicated 3-on-3 this season. PlayStation.2 4 n П с Е N 5 Е 5 RODUCT PlayStation.? "têni Dreamcast. COLOR MIDWAY on www.midway.com GAME BOY and GAME BOY COLOR are trademarks of Nintendo of America Inc. © 1990, 1998 Nintendo of America Inc. "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered Аа OF So Copias Enna eret а Sage Dite ed he сасе SEG regaled припала с ratem of Saga Емегривев, Lid Q 2000 MENAS, eusament Genes, LC. MIDWAY and the MIGWAY LOGO are rademarks of Mida Amusement Games, LLC. Used by permission. The NBA and Individual МВА member taam cate used af ori (f product а (simal con) ighad ігі ad ler ет О ао торду cf NBA Prepare; Inc. and the прасе NBA matier eame ard Fre t ba sx и whl oe iri part: Wicd бе Fr IRIGI cotsen'ot NEA Propartos, Jig: © 2000 NEA аралық o. AN nights reservod inest of Sequi Chal ued lear oes: Olstibuled undae condo by MES Hina Сей тон Ina, каре of SANDIP OG Ved Under cea, Soresn shots taken [SM анан ari PEZ pans ене Coming Soon - March 2001 February Action Man - THQ Action Aliens: Thanatos Encounter - THQ Action Dragon's Lair - Capcom Misc. ESPN National Hockey Night - Konami Sports Hercules - Titus Action Indiana Jones - THQ Action Metal Walker - Capcom RPG NBA Hoopz - Midway Sports Sea-Doo HydroCross 2001 - Vatical Ent. Action Trouballs - Capcom Action PlayStation Blaster Master: Blasting Again - Crave Ent. Action Burstrick Wake Boarding - Crave Ent. Sports Disney's Aladdin - Sony CEA Action Ға Grand Prix 2000 - Eidos Racing Fear Effect 2: Retro Helix - Eidos Adventure Mega Man Xs - Capcom Action MTV Sports: Т) Lavin's Ultimate BMX -THQ Sports Sea-Doo HydroCross 2001 - Vatical Ent. Action Tom Clancy's Rogue Spear - Redstorm Action PlayStation 2 Army Men Air Attack 2 - 3DO Action Army Men Sarge's Heroes 2 - 3DO Action ATV Offroad Fury - Sony CEA Action Carrier - Jaleco Action Dark Cloud - Sony CEA RPG Dinosaur - Ubi Soft Action Ephemeral Fantasia - Konami RPG ESPN NBA 2Night - Konami Sports High Heat Baseball 2002 - 3DO Sports Ico - Sony CEA Adventure Illbleed - Jaleco Adventure Knockout Kings 2001 - EA Sports Sports Navy Seals - Jaleco Action NBA Hoopz - Midway Sports NBA Shootout 2001 - 989 Sports Sports NHL Face-Off 2001 - 989 Sports Sports Seven Blades - Konami Adventure Warriors of Might and Magic - 3DO Adventure Zone of the Enders - Konami Adventure Nintendo 64 Eternal Darkness - Nintendo Action Paper Mario - Nintendo Action/RPG Sea-Doo HydroCross 2001 - Vatical Ent. Action Dreamcast Conflict Zone - Ubi Soft Action Ducati World Racing Challenge - Acclaim Racing F1 Championship - Ubi Soft Racing Legend of the Blademasters - Ripcord Adventure Mars Matrix - Capcom Action M.O.U.T. 2025 - Ripcord Racing NBA Hoopz - Midway Sports Phantasy Star Online - Sega RPG Shrapnel: Urban Warfare 2025 - Ripcord Action Surf Rocket Racer - Crave Entertainment Racing Worms World Party - Titus Misc. Compiled By Jonathan Dudlak jonathan_dudlak@ziffdavis.com March Army Men Arcade Blast - 3DO Action Legend of the River King 2 - Natsume Action Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX - Activision Sports Portal Runner - 3DO Action Puzzled - Natsume Puzzle Return of the Ninja - Natsume Action Rocket Power - THQ Adventure Scooby-Doo! - THQ Puzzle Simpsons Treehouse of Horror - THQ Action Sponge Bob - THQ Adventure VR Sports: Powerboat Racing - Vatical Ent. Racing Xena - Titus Action PlayStation Alone in the Dark 4 - Infogrames Adventure Bombing Islands, The - Kemco Action Digimon World 2 - Bandai RPG Inspector Gadget - Ubi Soft Action Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX - Activision Sports Rayman 2: Back to School - Ubi Soft Action Simpsons Wrestling - Fox Interactive Sports Triple Play 2002 - Electronic Arts Sports PlayStation 2 Age of Empires ІІ - Konami Strategy Army Men: Green Rogue - 3DO Action Bouncer, The - Square EA Action Clive Barker's Undying - Electronic Arts Adventure Dark Angel: Vampire Apocalypse - Metro 3D Action Giants - Interplay Adventure Gran Turismo 3 - Sony CEA Racing Heroes of Might and Magic | - 3DO Adventure Jungle Book Rhythm N' Groove - Ubi Soft Misc. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2 - Eidos Adventure MDK2 Armageddon - Interplay Action Off Road Thunder - Midway Racing Onimusha: Warlords - Capcom Adventure Quake III: Revolution - Electronic Arts Action Portal Runner - 3DO Adventure Red Faction - THQ Action Rock and Roll Racing - Interplay Racing Shadow of Destiny - Konami RPG Star Wars: Starfighter - LucasArts Action/Sim Tiger Woods PGA Tour - Electronic Arts Sports Tokyo Extreme Racer 2 - Crave Ent. Racing Triple Play 2002 - Electronic Arts Sports WDL War Jetz - 3DO Action World Is Not Enough, The - Electronic Arts Nintendo 64 Aidyn Chronicles: The First Mage - THQ RPG Conker's Bad Fur Day - Nintendo Pokémon Stadium 2 - Nintendo 18 Wheeler: American Pro Trucker - Sega Racing Alone in the Dark 4 - Infogrames Adventure Armada ІІ - Metro 3D Action Bangai-O! - Crave Entertainment Action Dark Angel: Vampire Apocalypse - Metro 3D Action Daytona USA Network Racing - Sega Racing 44 Evil Twin - Ubi Soft Adventure Floigan Brothers - Sega Action Half-Life - Sierra Action Heroes of Might and Magic III - Ubi Soft Adventure Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2 - Eidos Adventure Mummy, The - Konami Action Outtrigger - Sega Action Playmobil Hype - Ubi Soft Adventure Project Justice - Capcom Fighting Record of Lodoss War - Crave Entertainment RPG Soldier of Fortune - Crave Entertainment Action Stunt GP - Infogrames Action Stupid Invaders - Ubi Soft Adventure System Shock 2 - Vatical Entertainment Action Unreal Tournament - Infogrames Action VIP - Ubi Soft Action Game Boy Color Frisbee Golf - Vatical Entertainment Land Before Time, The - Natsume Monster Force - Konami PlayStation Roswell Conspiracies - Redstorm VIP - Ubi Soft PlayStation 2 Pry ЕВЗ oon 884 z 3 Ез НЕ 35 Cool Boarders 2001 - Sony CEA Sports Forces of One - Interplay Action Roadster Trophy - Titus Racing Run Like Hell - Interplay Racing Supercar Street Challenge - Activision Racing Ultimate Sky Surfer - Crave Entertainment Action Nintendo 64 Dinosaur Planet - Nintendo RPG VR Powerboat - Vatical Entertainment Action Dreamcast Exhibition of Speed - Titus Game Boy Color Racing Batman Racing - Ubi Soft Racing Playmobil Hype - Ubi Soft Action VIP - Ubi Soft Action PlayStation Batman Gotham Racer - Ubi Soft PlayStation 2 EJ в kel F [zi Barbarian - Interplay Action Commandos 2 - Eidos Action Gauntlet: Dark Legacy - Midway Action Herdy Gerdy - Eidos Adventure Project Eden - Eidos Action/Strategy Star Wars: Super Bombad Racing - LucasArts Racing Dreamcast Commandos 2 - Eidos Action Dragon Riders - Ubi Soft Adventure Gorka Morka - Ripcord Action Ooga Booga - Sega Strategy ШИ! Wai “Available Now! "Easily one of the most technically impressive action games ever." — PSM Witness extraordinary graphics on battlefields of truly epic proportions! Play as one of 9 legendary warriors battling on foot and horseback! Join the ranks of heroes of old as you fight through hundreds of merciless warriors for the greatest prize of all — China! Dynasty Warriors 2 is a trademark of KOEI Corporation and КОЕ! Co, Ltd. ©2000 КОЕ! үш All rights reserved. PlayStation and the PlayStation logos are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment (os GAME DESIGNERS із PREPARE TO TAUGHT ^ BE VALUABLE lig" р HELLO, VIDEO GAMERS! үм CHAN TANAKA, FILLING TM ER HSU ON ME For мч BROTH! TRADITIONAL ыё сом DUNES! месом! AS MOST OF You KNOW), HSU AND ARE AWARD-GANNING GAME DESIGNERS! WHAT YOU жаюы, HOWEVER, ! DNESDAN EVENING, ты THE UP TWENTY-FIVE BUC ADMISSION. LETS WAT TuE MAGIC THE REAL BEAUTY OF RUNNING А Scoot OF GAME DESIGN 15 “TART HAVING VERY UTTLE IN THE WAY OF s NO REAL on FOR Pipe: Look! ЖЕ: WEIRD, HUNT Taxe NOTES! TONFIDENTIALLY, | FEAR BE TAKING HS STER А BIT ToO APS) WORRY Too © THAT HAVING AUTHORITY utnout ADEGOA' HAVE SEEN THE REACTHNEST THING me PSYCHE. You MISS THE PONT, HSU. IM AFRAID TAAT NOU MAS BE GONG, WELL, A LITTLE BIT PoweR MAD. WHEW! SHAPING THE MND OF TODAYS YOUNGSTERS 15 чоооң WORK! KELLS. SHARON! хм GOING QN BREAK | МАМЕ А LITTLE CHAT, хл A IT WORRIED LESSON PLAN! YouR BEMAVIOR, OF LATE. or SELF oF ALL NONCONF NIWO OVERSEE EXECU “ORM STS. WELL, МЕ THINGS BROTHER ME, FOR INSTANCE, THESE NEW моме - DIRECT CONSTRUCTION OF LAFE-SiZED BRONZE STATUE mon You COULD _ ве “ARCHDUKE ROTHER! HSU... You DONT HAVE АМУ EASE, Y МАМЕ RANQUILIZING DARTS- т MAKE. ME SHOOT CANT You UNDERSTAND, CHAN?! YOU THINK NOU САМ, ~ CHANGE A PERSON'S UFE TEACHING WM -- BUT T'S A LIE? A LIE? NO, THE ONLY Jo IN TEACHING Y Ти FROM MEA 1 JUST WANTED NOU TO XM oU), MR TANAKA, YOURE THE REST TEACHER | EVER MAD! www.ape-law.com/evilmonkey HAVE WARPED ЧО | CAN HEL? you! WITH ME! Back OFF, oR VN ARMY OF GIANT RATS MAS HIM FOR BREAKFAST! GUARDS, LIKE SO MANY OTHERS, THE RIGORS OF TEACHING JR MIN ue ATTACK THIS MAN! come GO, MY MINION “6ТА? IN ScHOOL.” A SPECI 12743 FROM HSU AND CHAN, AND “THs FINE MAGAZINE. ше TINK. THE END. => PlayStation A magical new adventure takes off on PlayStation. The evil sorceress, Nasira, has returned to Agrabah, seeking revenge for her brother, Jafar. Join Aladdin and friends in a frantic battle between good and evil. Run and swing your way through mystical landscapes. Ride The Magic Carpet across the Cave of Wonders. Treasure hunts, puzzles and mystical chal- lenges await you. Need directions to this enchanting world? Just follow your imagination. Animated Violence esas ©Disney. PlayStation. ‘andthe PlayStation logos. RE are registered trade- ACTIVE maiks of Sony Computer po) Entertainment Inc. rai Курап ® WWW.SCEA.COM AIV Ditroad Fury is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. © 2001 Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. Developed by Rainbow Studios. (89 inbow. ESR АТУ racing fully preserved for your enjoyment. Become a four-wbeeling, mud-spinning terror when you roar off the dirt path and charge through rocky hillsides, sandy deserts, deep forests and more than 20 huge race courses on your way to the finish line. Of course, you could take your time and enjoy the beauty of the massive terrain. But then you'd lose. ATV Offroad Fury is now open to the public. Conquer the terrain! PlayStation.2 PUT ЕЈ "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc, Honda ©, the Wing® logo, Ride Red! and Боди ах are trademarks of Honda Motor Co, Ltd, used with permission from American Honda Motor Co. Inc Honda trademarks are used under license from American Honda Motor Co. Inc and Honda Motor Co, Ltd. Total Control Passing" Keith Jackson Play-by-Play PlayStation.e Also available on PlayStation® www.989sports.com н > $ ы is the property of the Independent Labeling Group. All names, logos, team icons, and mascots associated with the NCAA, universities, bowls, and conferences are the exclusive property (D Lo] Red Zone Interactive, Inc. PlayStation and the PlayStation logos are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. © 2000 Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. See “PlayStation” and the ере? ‘Family logo аге registered trade; Entertainment Inc; €' 2089 Seny Computer Entertainment supervision. Fdllowall appropriate safely precautions: Ей Anytime is a good time for fireworks. These days the word addiction gets a bad rap. Sure, there's a long list of bad influences out there. But an addiction to setting off massive fireworks displays? Only good can come from that. At first glance, FantaVision is a colorful fireworks puzzle game. Not so fast, my friend. That's how they get you. It starts by capturing and detonating flare after flare, which triggers chains of fireworks explosions as well as tons of points. Then you advance from one difficult city-scape to the next more difficult one. And on to even more difficult bonus rounds. But you can handle it, right? NAW < Maybe we shouldn't ë mention FantaVisions ı two-player mode. Ог , he real-time lighting \ effects. Or the fact = that once you feel = like you've mas- tered massive combinations, d another layer Қар” -of this intense j action puzzle game pulls you in deeper. So be careful. Because before you know it, you'll be looking for any excuse to detonate fireworks. PlayStation.e WWW.SCea.com Dreamcast 55 Daytona USA Network Racing 56 Guilty Gear X NBA Hoopz Spider-Man 58 Super Street Fighter ІІ Turbo X Evil Dead: Hail to the King Charge'N Blast 62 Аійуп Chronicles: The First Mage 64 Pokémon Stadium 2 Mario Party 3 PlayStation 2 66 Кіопоа 2 67 Dark Cloud 68 Shadow of Destiny ATV Offroad Fury 69 Supercar Street Challenge Sidewinder Max Commandos 2 TO Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2001 Triple Play Baseball 2001 Ace Combat 4 T2 Gran Turismo 3 Dance Summit 2001 74 Seven Goemon T6 Hidden Invasion Giants: Citizen Kabuto Formula One 2001 78 Winback Star Wars: Super Bombad Racing 80 Time Crisis: Project Titan Point Blank 3 Metal Slug X 81 Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear World's Scariest Police Chases Monster Force NBA Hoopz 82 Malice: A Dark and Comic Fiery Tale New Legends Game Boy Color 84 Devil Children Pokémon Crystal Grandia Parallel Trippers ark March 5 on your calendar—that's the day Nintendo gets nasty. More to the point, that's when Conker's Bad Fur day hits stores. We don't have any new screens of the game to show you in this issue, but we just wanted to reassure you that, no, Rare hasn't canned development on WARNING: the game and, yes, it’s still gonna be Previews geared to us grown-ups. Conker's box, Pee-pee, hard liquor, cleavage-no, we're marked with in fact, will sport an extra large ESRB not talking about the EGM New Year's intemational M-rating to drive the point home—so party. This is the stuff of Conker's BFD, e you underage players better meet at due March 5. Play responsibly, people. released in the the teen center and plot how you'll : US. They are sneak this thing past Wal-Mart security. exactly the same amount as last designed to (Hint: Don’t bother applying a hobo month). It’s just that, as we’ve seen in run on beard with black crayon; most clerks recent months, development for the Japanese or are wise to that trick.) older systems is dwindling. At least we European PAL As far as this month’s previews go, have a few N64 games to show you systems. it looks like the PlayStation 2 dike is this month—and only one of them has Бы your finally about to bust, and there's по li'l the word “Pokémon” in its title. Dutch boy in sight to plug it with his finger. (Please stop giggling—no one will sell you Conker's BFD with that immature attitude.) We have as many PS2 previews as we have for all the other systems combined. Why the flood? Well, it's not that we have more PS2 previews than usual (we have And here's something to get really excited about: We kick off our very first Xbox previews section this month with Argonaut's superb-looking platformer Malice. Go take a gander, and then brag to your buddies that you were hip to our Xbox previews section before anybody, man. ж 1. Malice 2. Klonoa 2 Xbox, Fall PlayStation 2, May Dreamcast, February PlayStation 2, March PlayStation 2, Spring Fifty RPGs Enter...0ne RPG Leaves We've had an overwhelming response to our RPG Maker contest— nearly 5o home-brewed RPGs! We considered hiring senior citizens from the local McDonald's to help us play all your stuff, but in the end we decided to split the games among the staff and take the next two months tearing into your masterpieces. Some of you have written strategy guides for your RPGs. Others have filled multiple memory cards with game data. Heck, one creator claims his game combines Final Fantasy with Chrono Cross. Talk about ambitious! Remember, we'll give the one-page- preview treatment to the RPG we deem most fun and clever. The grand prize also includes a PS2 with Armored Core 2, Evergrace and Eternal Ring, courtesy of Agetec. 3. Daytona USA Network Racing 4. Gran Turismo 3 5. Dark Cloud "Legendary Legends," from reader Adam DeLaMartre, was the first RPG we got. Will it win? Find out in the May issue. ctronic Gaming Monthly - 54 - www.zdnet.com/egn “FLY LIKE THE SONS OF ANGELS” _ Did you know that Eric Martin (of Mr. Big fame) did the music for Daytona CCE on the Saturn? To this day it ranks as some of the absolute worst vocal stylings you'll ever hear in a video game. | | | | PREVIEW CN sexe Genki ла 1-4 Racing 10096 February Speed Devils Online WWW.sega.com Finally, a Daytona game for Dreamcast owners! Too bad it's not Daytona 2. СІВ Mielke dealing with the new control scheme. Go Away! BEST TIME CIRCUIT LENGTH: 3. 843K ОК BRACH TOMAIN SELECT In addition to the three original courses from Daytona USA and the two newer ones from Daytona CCE, Network Racing features three all-new tracks to test your skills on. Circuit Pixie is a simple, flat oval seemingly based on the Motegi Ring found in Japan. Rin Rin Rink is a slightly more advanced road course with one or two very sharp, tricky turns and some major elevation changes. Finally, Mermaid Lake is a stylized figure-eight course with a huge, banked turn on one end and a deadly-sharp hairpin on the other. All told, the new tracks are arguably less interesting than the original’s, but they still maintain that unique Daytona feel. We're certainly not complaining. | NEW TRACKS The Rule of 9th is one sweet car. Not only is it a classic racing machine, but it's got the best handling and acceleration around. Ah the Hornet. How we've missed thee. | Anyone else getting a little teary-eyed? — t's about friggin’ time! Daytona fans haven't had much to smile about since Daytona CCE came out on the Saturn in 1996. Even then, the game was so mediocre it was almost an insult. Finally, after four long years, Daytona USA will make a triumphant return to the home market, complete with Net play. You bet we're excited! And yes, we realize that seeing Genki as the developer has a lot of you holding your breath. Put their conversion of Virtua Fighter 3tb out of your minds, though — Daytona Network Racing doesn't disappoint. Sure, the control is a little different from the original arcade version, but it's still much better than Daytona Championship Circuit Edition. New to the series is a championship mode that actually keeps tracks of points gained in each race, plus awards extra points for setting the fastest time and leading consecutive laps. Of course, choosing the right car for each track is the only way to find There's still a split-screen mode that runs at a beautiful framerate. Of course, you're limited to 10 cars on the track. fa) 2/8 success in any race. And there’s more vehicle variety in Network Racing than any Daytona before it. Not only does each car handle uniquely, each is based on different real- world models, ranging from a Ford Taurus to an Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme to a classic formula- one car. It's a far cry from '94, when all cars were based on the Chevy Lumina. As you can see from these screenshots, it’s easy to appreciate all that wondrous auto variety with the ean, sharp look of Daytona on the Dreamcast. It’s afe to say these visuals blow away those found on the original Daytona, although comparisons between this and arcade Daytona 2 will surely lead to hot debates on the Internet. For those of you wondering, the freaky music of the original game makes a slightly remixed return appearance on all the original tracks. Unfortunately, the tunes on the newer tracks ain't anything to write home about. At least there's no Eric Martin music on the disc this time. Of course, let's not forget that this new Daytona is going to be compatible with SegaNet when it's released on these shores. Can you imagine? Maybe we'll finally get that linked arcade feeling that has eluded all home conversions thus far. Heck, if the network play is even as good as that found in Speed Devils Online, it'll be a treat. It's good to be a racing fan on SegaNet nowadays. ж PREVIEW GALLERY Guilty The sequel to Arc System Works' cult-hit Guilty Gear has just landed on Japanese shelves after a brief stint in the arcades. This Dreamcast port (developed on Sega's NAOMI-board and published by Sammy) offers little in the way of extras, although it does add training and survival modes. The gameplay remains largely the same from the original, with the biggest difference being the hi-resolution, 640 x 480 (VGA- box ready) graphics, something Capcom has yet to get hip to. Kind of like Samurai Shodown meets SF Alpha, GGX offers fast-paced gameplay, air-blocks, air- recoveries, and the original Guilty Gear one-hit-kill mode as an unlockable feature. As of now there is no official U.S. release date. But EGM has heard from various publishers interested in getting the rights for these shores. Here's the scoop on Hoopz: Midway built this new three-on- three arcade game around its successful NBA Showtime game engine, so you'll find just about everything that was good in Showtime here —namely, fast- breaks galore, tomahawk jams, super-fast arcade gameplay, etc., etc. In addition, you'll see 5oo new animations (including a couple from Shaq) and a cool three-point mode. Unfortunately, multiplayer is limited to two-on-two in this DC hoopsfest, due in summer. MAN'S OTHER NEW PLATFORM. In a little over a year, the Spider-Man movie will be hitting the silver screen, and we trust you'll all be flocking to a theater near you on opening day. Here's a quick rundown of some of the major players for the film: | * Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker * Randy Savage as Bone Saw McGraw * Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane * Others: Bruce Campbell (!), * Willem Dafoe as The Green Goblin Rosemary Harris and J.K. Simmons mjaa Given the success of its PS and N64 Spidey releases, it’s no surprise that Activision is bringing the webhead to the DC. Treyarch — which ported both THPS and THPS2 to DC—is putting the finishing touches on the game now, so you can get your hands on it when things thaw out in the spring. While there are no plans for adding levels or changing game- play, Spidey will look a heck of a lot sharper than the earlier versions. j рав 56 GET .XTREME. Je GET RIGHT GUARD. Xtreme protection against odor and wetness that goes on clear and doesn't quit. Even under the most Xtreme conditions. À | 7 И sport| LE SP Or Anti- irant 4 inti Porspir Anti Porspirant. (Gum) («нүн») = E. PREVIEW GALLERY Бевара Street Fighter is finally online, іп one of its greatest incarnations to boot! Too bad it's just in Japan. Since it's a precise port of the arcade/ 3DO classic, this version really isn't much to look at. But hey, you can play your friends in Kyoto! All the old favorites, and not so favorites, аге here—from Deejay to E. Honda. Ah, memories. Three words, Capcom: Bring it here. ормо > y А и и Sue» orang тты” 3 отоу TW MEE m 5 ri "n Chua TUR ЧЕ te } Hail to the King As you'd expect, the Dreamcast version of THQ's survival horror knock-off is pretty much the same as the PlayStation game— except with slicker visuals. We never showed any DC shots before, so we figured why not do it here and now. Flip to our review section to see what we thought of the game. Suffice to say, we reckon only die-hard fans of the flick will want this lackluster title, which is out now. The title of this new Sims game says it all: After you (and a friend for two-player action) choose from three playable characters, you charge through various stages (including Las Vegas and an underwater level), stopping only to blast aliens Cabal-style. If stray fire happens to destroy a building or two in the background, don't fret—that's how you earn bonus points and uncover power-ups. It's out now in Japan and Europe. Location of Death: Occupation: Coroners Notes: aths in the District above -ERMANY, 58 di ође a true CORY of an ent Certified t RAL RE S Given at the GE! he said Office, бе GA. ay of Animated Violence ® imi of Ате! > "PS" rica Inc. Fa а Inc. All right amiydogo SETS У d кадета! arks of rst Mags; THO and tho THG ро are trademarks and/or fogstered tradat rights reserved. Nintendo ба and "Nt logo are trademarks ot Nintendo of Алиса Ie ӨЛІ EX. ° бу H20 Entertainment C. America inc. Al rights гөвегуеа Hi, Body Exwts lo The (Daodaoe World. Hi, ӛрич Resides Оо à Higher Plane. [0 Between К Cbao;. In this, the first traditional RPG for N64, a young man à embarks on a seemingly impossible journey to discover his identity and fulfill his destiny Can he stave off his cw P i 1 | [Trekno and dS nni enemies, overcome his obstacles and find that which he . HIIS WE has dreamed about? Or will chaos keep Alaron from everything that may be rightfully his? * Real-time 3D environments and еац anintated characters. + Unique blend of party-based adventuring ` and turn-based ъз _ | * Storyline written by Chris Klug, creator of the pen-and-paper game DragonQuest. • Ор to 13 characters to add to Alaron's party. Animated Violence NICE HE FIRST MAGE PREVIEW СТИ тно H20 Entertainment Players: 1 СИ Frc 80% Winter www.thg.com The adventure is long and involved. Graphics are a bit on the muddy side. Hordes of Clash of the Titans-style scorpions. T 4 The Ше of Brian Shortly after the N64's launch, THQ and Imagineer released Quest 64, an odd | action RPG featuring а hero clad in tights and a dainty | | red cape. Cute as a | | PowerPuff Girl, and about | asintimidating, "Brian" is | debatably the least liked — | and most frequently | mocked— character in RPG | history. Must not be great | for the guy's self-esteem. | If he reconsidered his | ridiculous Alfalfa-do and | picked up a new wardrobe, a | little more respect might be | inorder. | | | | | | | Aidyn Chronicles: The First Mage Aidyn doesn't feature a conventional overworld map; instead, players wander the game's expansive worlds in full 3D. Cinemas feature very expressive character models and pop up frequently throughout the game. he Nintendo 64 has been on the market for nearly five years, and there still isn't a single traditional console RPG available on the platform. (No, we're not counting action-RPG Zelda titles, strategy-RPG Ogre Battle 64 or the just plain God-awful Quest 64.) But now, H20 entertainment is putting the finishing touches on the N64's first real RPG. Aidyn Chronicles centers on a young orphan who possesses a burning desire to uncover his forgotten past. The story is made up of standard sword-and-sorcery stuff; all of the clichés you've come to expect from a medieval epic are firmly in place here. But while the game's narrative is bound to tradition, its play mechanics experiment with genre conventions. For example, overworlds are iii ey mt LAT UL A not explored from a top-down vantage point. Instead, you traverse all of the game's enormous landscapes up close, right behind leading-man Alaron's back (you can have up to four characters in your party). This design choice allows you to investigate castles and ravaged towns with the same ease as in the N64 Zelda games. It also makes environments feel more alive and interactive than the beautiful but static prerendered backdrops presented in most PlayStation fantasy games. You'll find a second, subtler departure from standard RPG design in the game's battle mode. Combat still kicks off in a fairly traditional way — approach wandering enemies in the overworld and the screen immediately swirls to turn-based combat— but here you have direct control over the advancement and positioning of your team members. It's a battle system slightly similar to that of strategy titles like Shining Force IIl. This added maneuverability is welcome, as the stakes during skirmishes are very high: When a party member dies on the battlefield, he's gone for good (you'll need to reload from your last save point to get him back). Sure, the visuals in Aidyn Chronicles are far from stellar, and the story is crammed with clichés, but this is the only game of its kind on the N64. And if you can live without FMV cutscenes and have already finished Majora's Mask, Aidyn Chronicles could be your next big RPG time waster. ж $ 0 DEPOSIT PlayStation.2 L | Tear out and take to any Best Buy store to reserve your game. AVAILABLE AT BEST BUY | Friday, March 28, 2001 TurnOntheFun BestBuy.com" CUSTOMER PROCEDURES Step 1: Present this deposit certificate to ANY cashier between 2/6/01 and 3/17/01. Step 2: Pay the 510.00 deposit toward the purchase price of the game and obtain receipt for verification. Step 3: Retain this deposit certificate along with your RECEIPT verifying your paid deposit. TO OBTAIN CREDIT FOR THE DEPOSIT, BOTH ITEMS MUST BE PRESENTED WHEN PICKING UP THE GAME. Step 4: Return to store where deposit was made between 3/28/01 and 4/14/01. (Availability date is subject to change. Product will be held two weeks after arrival date.) Proceed to Customer Service. Present cashier with both deposit certificate and receipt. Pay existing balance due on game: 49.99 - *10.00 deposit = 539.99 Note: the 510.00 deposit is toward the purchase price of the game. All deposit certificates MUST be redeemed at Customer Service. Deposit certificate is not redeemable past the expiration date. If not redeemed by 4/14/01, the receipt may be refunded at Customer Service. No photocopies or facsimiles of receipt or certificate will be accepted. Release date subject to change. CASHIER DEPOSIT PROCEDURES Step 1: Scan the barcode on the deposit certificate. Step 2: Continue to scan any other items and tender transaction as normal. Step 3: Staple receipt to deposit certificate. Step 4: Point out the deposit amount on the customer's receipt. Explain procedures for redemption to the customer. CASHIER REDEMPTION PROCEDURES Step 1: All redemptions will be processed as an exchange at Customer Service Step 2: Customer must have receipt and certificate for redemption. Step 3: Select PF2 for Return. Step 4: Enter transaction information from original receipt. DO NOT PROCESS WITHOUT RECEIPT. Step 5: Scan UPC on certificate or enter SKU. Select the return reason of “Paper.” Step 6: Press F2 for Sale. Step 7: Scan UPC on game or enter SKU. Do not change the price of game. Step 8: Continue scanning any remaining items and tender transaction as normal. Step 9: Each customer receives a game. Step 10: Place deposit certificate and original receipt in Media file. Note: If the customer wishes to keep the receipt, circle the item and price, write “Redeemed” and the date inside the circle, and initial, Redeemable only at the Best Buy retail store location where deposit was placed. Offer is not valid with other discounts, special, bonus or free offers, or promotions. Offer is for individuals; no dealers, please. Any applicable taxes are the responsibility of the person redeeming the coupon. No cash or other substitutions, except that Best Buy reserves the right to substitute this offer with one of equal or greater value in the event the offer is unavailable for any reason. ҮШІП CAPCOM’ Title shown is mature rated. Call 1-800-771-3772 for video game & computerntiware 8318 © 2001 Best Buy MAPPED! One of the handy features of Pokémon Stadium 2 is that it serves as a guide to the GB game. Here, | you can see where all the Pidgeys are located in both Johto and Kanto. And like the first Stadium, PREVIEW you can use the Transfer Pak with Stadium 2 to GALLERY play Gold and Silver on your N64. Pokémon —— Stadium 2 Nintendo's Pokémon phenomenon has died down from “craze” to just plain “popular,” but the games are still going strong— as our charts clearly show. Stadium 2 is scheduled to hit the U.S. on March 26. Newly added: a tutorial mode that gives you hints on how to be a better trainer, quizzes you on techniques and throws you into battles with weak Pokémon so you can try out what you learn. In addition to the regular cup battles, you'll find special bouts against each trainer from the game. On Gym Leader Island, for instance, you challenge the leaders of each gym in the game, one by one, and they're no pushovers. More mini- games starring new Gold/Silver Pokémon and old favorites round out just some of the more interesting features. Mario Party 3 If you've played one Mario Party, you've played them all— sorta. Nintendo isn't taking any risks and radically changing its premiere party franchise, but developer Hudson has substantially freshened this sequel up with over 70 mini-games. These new games include mini-gambling fare, button- mashing races and simple puzzles that anyone can pick up and play— even if substantially inebriated (hint, hint). You'll also find 10 different game boards, twice the amount of items and two new characters (Daisy and Waluigi) to à е nes top it all off. If you're a Mario Party Mm. УМ им, | ғ БАУ veteran, rest assured that the 5 s + gameplay is still intact but has been refined a bit. Some of the : $$ tweaks include the addition of a companion to help you in battles 4 and a few new action squares. ~ Gather your friends апа...ег, K refreshments, this May. Your friend wants you to smoke that wacky weed. You don't know what to say. Try this. БЫ ( МЫШЬ | $ ШЫ ЫЫ Or you could just say: I'm not into that stuff. MY ANTI-DRUG. м mu M eeu PREVIEW СТИ Namco Namco Players: 1 СОННИ Platformer 90% May www.namco.com ЛЕШ A shiny, new Klonoa game, at long last! The first game sold like dirt. | And The Ugly: | Could the sophomore slump strike K2? Say it ain't so! | E | Toon-tastic! | Klonoa Filter or cel- shading? You decide! Klonoa 2 _ The above shot shows the old, flat, 2D sprite that was Klonoa v.1. To the right is the new, fully 3D, fully fresh Klonoa v.2. The transition to 3D has been a smooth one, though, as Klonoa controls just as responsively as he did in Door to Phantomile. Go, Namco, go! lonoa: Door to Phantomile was almost universally hailed as one of the PS one's best platformers, mentioned in the same breath as games like Symphony of the Night. Unfortunately, having an overly cute candy-coating and no name recognition gave the game a limited audience. Which is a shame, since that means most gamers missed the spot-on control, NIGHTS-like dream theme, the visual splendor, and most importantly, the menacing undertone that permeated the game. At last, cries for a sequel have been answered as a new, improved, truly 3D (graphically, at least) Klonoa is headed for the PS2 later this year. Making use of a cel-shading-esque technique Namco dubs the “Klonoa Filter," K2 looks like a cartoon come to life. Playing almost identically to the 2.5D action of the first game (jump, grab guys with your power-ring, throw them to and fro, etc.), Klonoa 2 is easy to pick up and play. The biggest difference here is the incredible heights from which you can drop —something the original game could not do for technical reasons. When cornered and questioned about the content of Klonoa 2's story line, and how it follows the bittersweet ending of the first game, Tsuyoshi Kobayashi, chief director of Klonoa 2 had this to say: “It is a secret. Basically, you can play it without knowing the story line of the first game. In developing the game, we took it into consideration that Klonoa should be older and we have given many other aspects to show this." As these screens show, the game boasts plenty of technical wizardry (huge, Perfect Storm-sized waves crashing in the background, lit by lightning flashes, etc.) not possible on the PS one. Kobayashi says, “There are many things that couldn't be done in the first game— extensive backgrounds, special effects and various character motions. Any one of these could not be created in the first game. Using dynamic camera angles throughout the game will also keep players immersed in the game." Who knows? Maybe the great look of this game will breathe new life into the platforming genre. ж Sony Level 5 Players: 1 ССНИ Frc 100% (Japan) Spring Zelda: Majora's Mask www.playstation.com www.level5.co.jp Creation-themed gameplay and nice graphics. Dungeons are simple and boring in design. The mug on the evil genie in Dark Cloud's intro. You will be able to take control of different characters. Your city will be sparse for | the first few dungeon levels you clear. But things really start getting crowded as you reach the cave depths. Е — PREVIEW The combat uses a Zelda-inspired lock-on camera-and foes who look straight out of a Nintendo game. After you set down buildings you can run around the town, talk to people, and take a closer look at your creation. hose who long for a new Actraiser or Soul Blade have quite a wait on their hands. Not only has Enix completely given up on these properties, Quintet, the development company behind these (and many other) 16-bit hits, has faded into obscurity. Thankfully though, someone finally picked up where Quintet left off; the creation RPG is back. Dark Cloud is less a traditional RPG than it is a “god game.” Like many of the older titles it borrows ideas from, the goal here is to re-create what has been destroyed. You do this by entering dungeons and finding orbs that contain buildings, people and items that once littered the landscape and bringing them back to a bare field that once held a bustling 61 town. You can then place these houses, trees, roads, rivers and such in any way you please on the landscape. After you're done playing god, you can actually zoom down and run around your creation, talking to the folks you've saved. Talking is an important aspect of the gameplay; while building the houses, you'll need to fill them with items they used to contain, and the only way to find out exactly what the buildings held is by talking to their inhabitants. Once some buildings are complete they'll offer special abilities, such as selling items or giving you more storage space. Each level of a dungeon has a certain amount of orbs, and you've got to find all of them to fully re-create the town. Of course, the Quintet games were not the only inspiration for Dark Cloud— it's obvious that this game's developers also enjoyed the latest Zelda titles. Dark Cloud's graphics, music, steady (and very impressive) passage of time, lock-on combat, and even the very enemies you face all have a very Zelda-like feel, lacking only the charm found in Nintendo's series. Titled a “Georama RPG,” the first PlayStation 2 role-playing game is certainly not your standard offering, and it's an impressive indication of what Sony's machine can do with real-time environments. But, the question remains, even with its interesting gameplay, is Dark Cloud good? That's an answer we'll have closer to its late-spring release. ж =k PREVIEW GALLERY Shadow of Destiny While it’s been forced to lurk in the shadows of Konami’s MGS2 and Z.0.E. since last E3, Shadow of Destiny is emerging as one of the PS2’s brighter prospects for 2001. Due in March, this dark adventure feels like a very cinema- intensive Shenmue with a bit of Silent Hill ambience (it’s being handled by the same director), flaunting characters and environ- ments with unparalleled realism. The premise? You’ve got to journey through several periods in time to prevent your own death in the present, which is when the game begins. Interacting with people and places in the past will seriously alter your future and uncover a lot of the mystery around your untimely demise, so plan your actions accordingly when time-traveling. ATV Offroad Fury Notice any resemblance between this Sony title and Microsoft's Motocross Madness? You oughta. Offroad Fury is from the same developer, Rainbow Studios, and it packs the same semi-realistic physics and horizon-to-horizon freedom. A good run up a steep hill will launch you into low orbit, and jumps of 200 meters or so are not uncommon. In addition, the framerate and animation are silky- smooth —even when things get crowded. Throw in the numerous licensed quads (more than 20), 20 diverse tracks, thumping music and up to four-player split-screen play, and the result is the most in- depth ATV game we've played yet. Hopefully the developers will implement a first-person view before release. ATV should be in stores now. 68 | Last month Infogrames’ Xtreme | Sports wet our whistle for hardcore | | ATV action. But compared to Sony's | Offroad Fury, it's looking mighty tame. | very intergstin Е === PREVIEW GALLERY Supercar Street Challenge Don't look for everyday sportscars in this slightly arcadey racer, due this summer. Activision's new supercar racing simulator will allow players to build their dream concept cars from the ground up and race them through city streets, smashing through barriers and finding shortcuts. If you don't fancy yourself a designer, famous names like Fioravanti, Callaway and Modena have lent their talent to the game. We doubt the demand for flight sims is strong enough here for a U.S. Sidewinder Max release, but armchair jet jocks may want to import the game (it's out now in Japan). Combining air combat with flight training (you'll learn to take off, land, maneuver, etc.), Asmik Ace's Sidewinder Max feels like Sky Odyssey with missiles, but drags a bit with its military minutia. Commandos 2 Well-received in the PC community, Commandos is about to get a sequel. This time, however, the game will also land on the PS2 and DC. Commandos 2 takes place during WWII and features a host of missions (some inspired by movies such as Saving Private Ryan and The Bridge on the River Kwai). Gameplay is a mix of action, strategy and stealth. Pyro Studios and Eidos plan to release Commandos 2 in March. 69 inet PREVIEW GALLERY Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2001 EA's golf games never hit their stride on the PS, but maybe the PS2 is just what Tiger needs to get on track. This deep golf sim packs PGA courses (Sawgrass, Poppy Hills, Scottsdale, etc.) and six modes. The most unique item is a Tour Challenge that has you take a golfer through amateur play and improve his skills, and then take him Pro. Or just play as Tiger and crush the field when you tee off this March. Loghi. Ace Combat 4 The fog is gone, the sense of scale is unbelievable, and the planes look even better than ever in Ace Combat 4. Seen in motion, Namco’s sequel is on par with flight sims used by real-life jet jockeys. Although we've yet to get a chance to kick the tires and light the fires, we expect the action to remain close to the series’ arcadey roots when it ships this fall. Hopefully another PS one franchise will be reborn. BLONDE ON BOARD? _ m as EA was finishing up the PS2 version of Tiger Woods, the S Bly) goes and gets a dye job. We called EA to find out if they would have a Rodman-fied Tiger in the game, or even a hair color option on their Create-A-Golfer feature, but they couldn’t be reached to answer this burning question. No sign of it on the screenshots below. Triple Play Basehall 2 EA is set to have you swing for the fences in time for spring training in March. Obviously, the graphics have been improved markedly, but you'll find subtle features (real-time scoreboards changing in-park, 150 real player faces, lighting effects according to time of day) that add a nice touch. A slew of new features are also being added, such as analog button support to gauge your throw's power and an all-new basi UU [есе 10 et.com/egm SERVING SUGGESTIONS: | MILD. MEDIUM OR ||, - pr np pes PREVIEW GALLERY Gran Turismo 3 | "T rri Fast and beautiful—these are the $ only two words needed to describe r ТШ иниң Gran Turismo 3. It’s the game Sony < PS ~ “ы 3 is pumping up to be the flagship title for the PlayStation 2, and we recently had the chance to sit down and play the thing. We walked away from it with a sense of awe. Yes, it looks nice (jaw-droppingly nice). We've always known this about GT3, but we're happy to report the control is incredibly solid as well —which is good, because this game isn't easy, not by a long shot. Be prepared to devote some serious racing time this spring if you want to fully master GT3. Along with trying out a couple city street tracks, we were also able to experience the Rally Racing section of GT3, complete with its super-realistic dirt-kicking effects. The physics were wonderful, and the sense of sliding was incredibly authentic. Sony also brought by Logitech's black-and-blue GT3 wheel, and even though it's only confirmed for Japanese release, there's a very good chance it's coming here. The force-feedback wheel felt great (if a little too small), but the pedals Time Limit were a bit light and cheap-feeling and needed traction. i [Lum "mm Dance Summit 2001 Enix's latest in the Bust-A-Move (or Groove, in the U.S.) series is a team-based dancing game. Instead of opponents, you just have to keep your dance meter from falling too low. You watch each sequence first, then perform it, similar in style to PaRappa the Rapper. Music and character designs aren't as good as the previous Bust-A-Move's. Dance Summit's out in Japan now—a U.S. release is unlikely. Mc L / Only Through unyielding- иад йт ( ; a warrior overcome Those ОРГАН which af first appear overwhelming. capcom.com © CAPCOM CO., LTD. 2001 © CAPCOM U.S.A., INC. 2001. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. CAPCOM and the CAPCOM logo are registered trademarks of CAPCOM CO., LTD. ONIMUSHA and CAPCOM EDGE are trademarks of CAPCOM CO., LTD. "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. The ratings icon is a registered trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. Қ относно ноне | | PS2 Goemon doesn't mark the LL #58. а SERT | haired kid hero has teamed with a tiger pal. Remember | | Calvin and Hobbes? Bill Watterson's classic comic strip | | packed the perfect combo of imagination, wit and kid | angst. Unfortunately, Watterson retired the duo in PREVIEW dm | 1996. The only places you'll likely find Calvin now are on the rear windows of pick-up trucks, wee-weeing on GALLERY Ford and/or Chevy logos. Though its 2D graphics hardly utilize the real power of the PS2, the smooth animation, brilliant effects and storybook-style art of Namco's new RPG Seven, out now in Japan, add up to more than an old-school throwback. Combat is unique — you don't choose individual attacks but rather organize your army into rows, with the option to rotate forces (the front line attacks while the rear can heal) between rounds. Konami isn't releasing this PS2 installment of the oddball Goemon series here in the States, so here's what you're missing: It plays a lot like Mystical Ninja on N64, complete with kung-fu helpers Ebisumaru, Sasuke and ninja-chick Yae. It's kinda action-RPGish and loaded with Japanese text, so importers beware. You do get a cute tiger pal who claws the enemies you target and cleans up their spilled coinage. 1 (0 LIFE AND STYLE 10 1 CLIMATE/ THE JOURNAL OF ECK INTERACTIVE CD ROM/&ETA: БЕЛЕП | 590 5/09 8УЗМ100- 0923 28ЯУ14 ОЗЫ 0X93 МОШОМПЗ 0X93 X3 14020903 Planet Moon's opus. But John Flansburgh and John Linnell might be giants anyway. | Check out this stellar рор group at | http://www.tmbg.com/index flash.html Not everyone can be like big Kabuto in | РЕНЕ PREVIEW GALLERY Hidden Invasion Set in a sci-fi world, Hidden Invasion puts you in the role of a special- forces operative called to the scene of a terrorist crime. There, you'll fight all sorts of enemies— many of them alien—and generally kick a lot of butt. The game's developers, Toka and Idea Factory, say they would like to emulate the intensity of the Die Hard movies. Look for the game in late spring. Interplay's ambitious third-person, neo-RTS, quasi-FPS, god-game is heading to the PS2. Little is known about the PS2 port of this game, but at the very least it will contain the same villager-eating action favored by Kabuto, as well as the presence of the other two races, the Meccaryns and the Sea Reapers. Simple controls ensure ease of play in the game's 40 Worlds, but multiplayer is up in the air. No release date has been set. Formula One 2001 In addition to the Ubi Soft and EA PS2 Formula One titles, Sony will soon offer its own F1 game. Developed by its Liverpool studio, Formula One 2001 will feature a highly complex physics model that allows for spectacular crashes. Much focus has been placed on Al, as well—there аге зо parameters that influence drivers, resulting in aggression, rivalry, experience and determination. Look for it in spring. EURURE NE w ' Easily one 0 the hest PS2 launch titles. E TM де games go to 7// to e» "Arts. Licensed from Game Arts by Working Designs. Original Game © Game Arts 2000. ved. If you're happy and you know it, target mechs. if you're happy and you know it, target Marget mechs. Wel ingdesigns.com. For a dealer near you, call (530) 243-3417. [E] E me: PREVIEW GALLERY Koei originally released Winback (developed by their Omega Force team) for the N64 a year and a half ago. Now it's getting a second chance on the PS2 (with improved visuals), scheduled for release in March. Gameplay takes you through four stages of tactical espionage action as you try to regain control of the GULF weapons complex. And importers take note: The Japanese version has an English option. 2000000200 d Star Wars: Super Bombad Racing LucasArts is putting the finishing touches on the PS2 edition of this kart-themed title, and we're seeing a few unexpected surprises. Sure, you race cartooony adaptations of Jar Jar, Darth Maul, Obi-Wan, Sebulba, Yoda, Princess Amidala, Boss Nass and Anakin, but rumor has it you'll find some old-school characters in the roster too (they must be unlocked). Another new twist is a co-op racing mode that lets you and a friend help each other during the race. For example, one person could distract enemies while the other scoots ahead for the victory. This mode complements a multiplayer game and another nice twist on the typical “Ghost Mode" that lets you race against yourself by having the game Al emulate how you drive. There's no lack of depth in the gameplay either. Twenty-five different weapons (although they are variations of five main ones) and nine huge tracks (complete with shortcuts) comprise the meat of this racer. The territories (Corsucant, Naboo, etc.) each have their own "champion," and it'll be up to you to unseat them from their perch. Super Bombad Racing should be in stores now. "me "А visual feastfor р52 owners... іп shooter heaven. layStation and the "PS" Family 1 me-© Game Arts 2000. Рогіод of the English Translation py ром 2000 Waring Desons isa réistered гавета of Working Designs ert rights reserve You pes dom have а ite itybu'e reading th this far, so. t check out the far more {pler@sting content http /vvrw.rorkingdesign®. com? Рока dealer near you, call (530) 243-3417. . К . . АША, К "ш ` ۳ e е» PREVIEW GALLERY s. Project Titan Namco's Time Crisis series continues in May with Project Titan, the Series' second appearance on PlayStation. Fans of the first two arcade games will be familiar with the ducking feature, plus Namco has added a “multi-hiding” ability that lets you change the angle of your perspective and shots. Plot-wise, it’s Time Crisis. It’s the perfect title to keep the ol’ PS and oft-ignored Guncon from gathering dust, though. Remember the GunCon? It’s that dusty gray gun-shaped thing in your closet. Namco's hoping you'll bust it out again this May for its latest shooting-gallery mini-game compilation, Point Blank 3. Up to eight players can compete (two at a time) in teams or ladder-tournament setup, in over 80 new contests that once again star doctors Don and Dan, plus other Namco celebrities (can you spot them all below?). SNK is here to keep the 2D shooter genre alive and kicking with its newest installment in the classic action series, Metal Slug. Agetec will bring it to the U.S. this spring, hopefully sans the slowdown and load times of the NeoeGeo Slug games. Based directly on MS2, X has some new bosses and stages, but the real treat is that this series— which has a strong cult following— will finally get its due on a mainstream system. PES Lov Electronic Gaming Monthly - 80 - www.zdnet.com/egm A е» PREVIEW GALLERY | Fans of HBO's now-defunct Mr. Show know who Ronnie Dobbs 15. | | He's the hot-headed, drunk, White Trash dude with the golden | | voice. Check him out in the upcoming film Run, Ronnie, Run. | —————————PÓ——— — — ih Police Chases This spring, PS one owners will get their chance to drive a cop's beat and ram crooks' cars courtesy of Fox. And, yes, this game really is based on the guilty-pleasure-packed TV show. The game looks like it'll be the next Driver clone, which is really the best kinda game to emulate here. If the graphic engine stays solid and the framerate remains high, these police chases could deliver the ultimate therapy for our road rage. Rogue Spear One big problem with the PS Rainbow Six (besides its lack of multiplayer) is that many of its strategy elements—the strength of the PC original—were taken out. Red Storm will make things right in February, when Rogue Spear hits with an in-depth 3D mission- planning phase. This all-new version comes with three PS- specific levels (for a total of 16), and, better still, you get multiplayer modes this time. No doubt Midway's NBA Hoopz will put the fortified Showtime engine to good use this summer. We hope the addition of a third player won't slow the pace (we'll let you know when we get hands- on play time with the thing). In the meantime, check out these stats: It packs more than 500 animations, four game modes (regular, three- on-three multiplayer, *21" and three-point shootout), plus Fire Mode and Create-a-team. The game even spotlights team mascots and a load of NBA stars. What happens when you shrink Universal's famous monsters and plop them in a 3D platform game? You get this marketing-department brainstorm from Konami and Universal Interactive. The game— due in March —has you joining forces with mini-me versions of Frankenstein, Dracula and The Wolfman as they venture to find the ingredients to counteract an evil witch's spell, bashing enemies and solving puzzles along the way. That's right —the monsters are the good guys in this game. f 4 à PREVIEW GALLERY A Dark and Comic Fiery Tale Claiming influence from Monty Python, Red Riding Hood, Batman and everything in between, Malice looks like one of the prettiest and most unique 3D platformers yet— and will likely hold that ground when it launches with the Xbox in late 2001 (Microsoft says these shots are from a dev system with one-fifth the power of the final console). The game's name comes from the fire demon that a young girl unleashes accidentally on the world and must battle through 25 magical levels to stop. To get the insider's perspective, we talked to Argonaut prez Jez San, who, in addition to extolling the virtues of programming for Microsoft's new baby, gave us the lowdown on this sinister offering. “It displays some deep, dark and very warped fantasies, with novel gameplay and surreal characters and plotlines," San explains. Too much to ask for in a 3D platformer? Not with the yet-to-be-fully realized potential of the Xbox. Besides, how many other games can boast a Quantum Tuning Fork as part of your twisted arsenal? What console launch would be complete without a strong action/ adventure title to usher it in? Infinite Machine is teaming up with Infogrames to release this enticing title, which blends ancient mysticism with post-modern technology in a futuristic Chinese setting, out on the X this fall. From what we've heard, Legends sounds like The Bouncer meets Dynasty Warriors — hey, maybe you won't need that PS2 after all... 82 EL GAME BOY PREVIEW GALLERY Devil Children You might mistake this new Atlus RPG for Pokémon at first glance, but once you spot the pentagrams and handguns you know this is no Nintendo game. Yes, you do play a young adventurer who collects strange creatures to fight for him on his travels, and, yep, there are two versions of the game (Red and Black, in this case) that allow you to trade creatures via a link cable. But the Pokécentric theme isn't such a stretch in this case: Gathering monsters (actually “devils”) has always been a part of the Shin Megami Tensei series (Revelations: Persona, Persona 2), Devil Children just focuses on it and gives everything a cuddly makeover for the Game Boy audience. Some original touches like multiple enemies and party members are nice too. Devil Children is out now in Japan. No word yet on a possible U.S. version. Pokémon Crystal Pokémon Crystal is to Gold and Silver what Yellow was to Red and Blue: exactly the same game with a few minor aesthetic changes. The biggest addition is the option to play as a new girl character. Animations have also been added when enemies appear on the % соз feeveus-¢ screen for battle—Pidgey flaps his wings, Sentret E tuk foe эйе waves his arms up and down, etc. As you pass into : = new areas, the name of the area is displayed at ће bottom of the screen, so you don't have to look at a map or read a sign (see the far left picture on the bottom row). Crystal is also compatible with Nintendo's Mobile GB adapter, which goes on sale Jan. 27 in Japan, for battling and trading via cell phone. No date's been announced for Crystal in the U.S., but an eventual release is guaranteed. 42243649 oom e ceo ALRARD ээс сэе*® Grandia Parallel Trippers 3PEG.4 |^ i ccn AG 654 Who'd have thought it would be possible to convert отео oue an epic RPG like the original Grandia to the Game Boy Color? Well, that's not exactly right. Besides sharing a similar battle system and all the same characters with Grandia, Parallel Trippers is, technically, an original game. Still, it's cool to see characters like Sue, Feena, Justin and Liete roaming around the handheld screen picking fights and using cones of light to recover their power. What's even better is that the classic battle system has been re-created almost completely; the interface has your party and enemies traveling along a time bar, so you can see who will attack when. It's exciting and depressing at the same time: While Hudson has already released this game in Japan, there are no current plans for a U.S. release. $e BREG Ті disi 84 TST i Order Back Issues of: Issue #122-$6.00 Issue #126-$6.00 Issue #125-$6.00 Issue rS T Issue а Issue #124-$6.00 September "99 Dreamcast Final Fantasy VIII MGS Integral Soul Calibur Dune 2000 Pokémon Snap WCW Mayhem Tekken Tag Tournament Tomb Raider: Last Rev. October '99 Spider-Man WWF Wrestlemania 2K Twisted Metal 4 Strider 2 Seaman Zelda Gaiden Legend of Mana Chrono Cross Castlevania: Spec.Ed. (2144718 CAN NE | November '99 Pokémon Phenomenon Pokémon Gold/Slvr. Final Fantasy Anth. Star Wars Episode 1 Road Rash 64 Jet Force Gemini Mario Golf (GBC) Resident Evil 3: Nemesis Decemher '99 Donkey Kong 64. Tekken Tag Tournament Gran Turismo 2000 Street Fighter EX3 Resident Evil: Code Veronica WWF Attitude (DC) МВА Showtime Macross VF-X2 Ridge Racer 64 January ‘00 Dreamcast Purchase? Gran Turismo 2 Soul Reaver DC Zombie Revenge Tony Hawk N64 WWF SmackDown! Tomb Taider TLR Turok: Rage Wars Fear Effect Sega GT February ‘00 Crazy Taxi Pokémon Gold/Silver NHL 2K Syphon Filter 2 Pokémon Stadium Mario Party 2 Metal Gear: Ghost Babel Gran Turismo 2 Ridge Racer 64 Zelda Gaiden Not Listed are Also Available! Issue #128-$6.00 #129-$6.00 Issut Issue #130-$6.00 Issue #131-$6.00 FANTASY 4 Issue #132-$6.00 Issue #133-$6.00 How to Order March ‘00 Driver 2 MDK2 Space Channel 5 Syphon Filter 2 Front Mission 3 MLB 2001 Crazy Taxi Hot Shots Golf 2 Spider-Man Tony Hawk (DC) April ‘00 Perfect Dark Final Fantasy IX, X XI Dead or Alive 2 Fur Fighters Sega GT Turok 3 Vagrant Story Evil Dead Daikatana Alone in the Dark May '00 Tony Hawk Ridge Racer V Gran Turismo 2000 Spider-Man X-Men Tomb Raider 4 (DC) Star Trek Invasion Wild Arms 2 Tenchu 2 Street Fighter EX3 June ‘00 Sega Strikes Back Phantasy Star Online Quake ІІ Arena Soul Reaver 2 Hey You Pikachu! RE Code: Veronica Excitebike 64 Pokémon Card Game PS2 Wipeout The World Is Not Enough July ‘00 Final Fantasy IX Driver 2 PS2 Madden PS2 NBA Live PS2 NASCAR PS2 NHL Hockey Star Wars: Battle for Naboo Mega Man X ECCO the Dolphin August ‘00 Soul Reaver 2 Conker’s Bad Fur Day Tomb Raider GBC Metal Gear Solid 2 Space Channel 5 Seaman Zelda: Majora's Mask Black & White Banjo-Tooie Star Wars: Starfighter Ziff Davis Media Inc., Back Issues, Р.0. Вох 3338, Oak Brook, IL 60522-3338 September ‘00 Pokémon Gold & Silver Seaman Jet Grind Radio Kirby 64 Smuggler’s Run Chrono Cross Dragon Warrior 1811 Dino Crisis 2 Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX Virtua Tennis Issue #134-$6.00 October ‘00 Zelda: Majora’s Mask Final Fantasy IX Game Boy Advance Onimusha Ogre Battle 64 Quake III Smuggler's Run Madden 2001 THPS 2 Mario Tennis Ер) : Issue SESS November ‘00 PlayStation 2 Launch Gamecube Game Boy Advance Grandia || THPS 2 Paper Mario Kessen Pokémon Crystal Get A Job in Gaming Dino Crisis 2 "ELECTRONIC MING MONTH 55 ETE оли ron лас ош, AND EVERYTHING PLAYSTATION 2 Issue и Decemher '00 Unreal Tournament Capcom Vs. SNK Daytona USA МВА 2K1 Crash Bash Dragon Warrior VII Gran Turismo 3 Paper Mario Fall Tokyo Game Show Games You'll Never Play Issue #137-$6.00 January ‘01 Twisted Metal Black EGM Slick 5о Sonic Shuffle Skies of Arcadia 18 Wheeler Red Faction Sky Odyssey Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Tomb Raider Chronicles Gundam Battle Assault Issue #138-$6.00 February 01 Xbox Revealed Zone of the Enders Phantasy Star Online Fighting Vipers 2 Star Wars: Starfighter Grandia I! Banjo-Tooie Tomb Raider Chronicles Donkey Kong Country Mickey's Speedway USA Issue #139-$6.00 ELECTRONIC) GAMING! | MONTHLY | Check or Money order only (in U.S. Funds) made out to: Ziff Davis Media Inc. $3 for each magazine ($3 Canada and Mexico, $5 foreign) Prices and availability subject to change without notice. Thanks :) A DARK FUTURE... AN UNCERTAIN PAST... no ONE LEFT TO TRUST. A Rn INTENSE ACTION THRILLER COMES TO LIFE WITH EXCITING ANIME STYLE CHARACTERS AND STORYLINE. REVOLUTIONARY GAMEPLAY BLEND OF HAND TO HAND AND WEAPONS COMBAT. EASY TO LEARN FIGHTING SYSTEM WITH COOL, LIFELIKE AND REALISTIC MOVES. THE ARSENAL OF WEAPONS INCLUDES PISTOLS, ROCKET LAUNCHERS, ENERGY AND PROJECTILE WEAPONS. "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. The ratings icon is a trademark of the interactive Digital Software Association. Dark Horse Comics? and the Ø Dark Horse logo are trademarks of Dark Horse Comics, Inc., registered E -d in various categories and countries. All rights reserved. Rockstar Games and the Rockstar Games logo are trademarks of Take-Two Interactive @ Software, Inc. © 2000 All rights reserved. PlayStation.e IUO/UJO2'S2UJVDHV.LS»20àH'mnmm TEEN т Animated Violence Bv MARK MACDONALD eah, we know you think you're hardcore, but when you jump on SegaNet to play Phantasy Star Online prepare to be humbled. If online PC RPGs like Everquest are any indication, you're going to be running into people in cyberspace who eat, drink and sleep this game -— people who get kicked out of school, lose their jobs, wives, everything because they do noth- ing but play PSO morning, noon and night. How are you supposed to compete with these obsessive freaks? That's where we come in. Our guide gives you everything you need to know to infiltrate this secret society, to walk alongside Mr.-Know-It-All-57th-Level Ranger without him screaming, “Stupid newbie!" and maybe even show him a trick or two. But enough talk, let's get started... br nd COMMUNICATION Communication is essential for progress in Phantasy Star Online. Asking for help, trading items—you won't get far (or have much fun) if you aren't interacting with others. But how you say something in PSO is just as important as what you say. For one thing, you don't want to be fumbling around the keyboard when a group of Bohmas is beating you to a pulp, or wasting your time typing "follow me" over and over and over again. That's why you need a good set of chat shortcuts; here's a list of the essential phrases you should have set to buttons for quick and easy access. All of these are available Electronic Gaming Monthly - 88 - www.zdnet.com/egm from the premade chat FIXED menu in the game or created using icons, so even players in other countries will understand you. We picked the eight most important phrases (and where you can find them in the game in parentheses) to fill the eight spots you can bind to the DC pad. 1. "Help me!" (FIXED: IN THE BATTLE): Trust us, you're gonna Don't wait until you see the red screen of death to ask your buddies for help. need this one. Use it for backup in combat, when you need healing, want other players to assist on a switch puzzle, etc. 2. “One moment...” (FIXED: IN THE AREA): You have to eat and go to the bathroom sometime, don't you? Let everyone know you're gonna be sitting out for a bit. 3. "Thank you."/ “You’re welcome." (FIXED: ANSWERS): Common courtesy, especially after someone heals or resurrects your worthless behind. 4. “Come over here." (FIXED: IN THE AREA): At higher levels, many spells affect a small area around your character. Use this phrase to get everyone close to share their healing or stat- boosting effects. 5. "This way. Follow me." (FIXED: IN THE AREA): Someone has to take charge when there's more than one way to proceed. Use this to keep anyone from wandering off. 6. "Shall we go back to the city?" (FIXED: IN THE AREA): You'll be surprised how often you need to go back to town to sell items and pick up supplies, especially Spell-casters who constantly need Magic Point-boosting Monofluid infusions. 7. "RUN!" (CUSTOM: SYMBOL CHAT): Surprisingly, there is no set phrase for "Retreat!" so instead, try making one like ours here from the symbol chat menu, with the accompanying "Sadness" Sound Effect. Use this when things go wrong to call everyone out of combat to regroup. ERED, 8. “Cool!” (CUSTOM: SYMBOL 1 їй CHAT): Great for all occasions, \ О from someone gaining a level to = = your party finally trouncing that tough second boss. Sure you could choose the word “Cool!” or "Wicked!" from the FIXED: GREETINGS category, but making your own icon just has more style. The added "Pleasure" Sound Effect is a must. No one should be without at least two signal icon chat binds: one signaling retreat and another just to say, “Yes!” You can have lots of fun making your own, but here's ours to give you some ideas. ww.zdnet.com/egm e CHARACTER ATTRIBUTE KEY AC - Armor class (Level of defense) sins Your AD = Attack Damage CHARACTER HP 7 Health Points The first important decision you have HUNEWEAR es 5 iis d p to make is choosing your character. ар HP More TP makes her a slightly more ругу ШЕГЕ e ш уе з о TP = ige ams KO O Cons will also go for the НЕШЕ (Spell Points) consider this: All the time you put into ac some character you end up deleting is precious hours you could have spent building up one you eventually keep. The three important questions you IP need to answer before picking a HUMAR character are 1) Do you prefer guns or The stock character for hand-to-hand weapons? 2) Do you beginners with a little of want to be able to use magic? and 3) everything —attack power, Will you be playing mostly online or FIUcAsT some magic, and nice Hit single-player? If you aren't sure about any of these, try a few different characters for 10 minutes or so a piece— it'll be worth it in the long run. When you know your preferences, take a look at our breakdown: This thing is a combat machine— literally, since it's an android. If you don't care about magic, it's got the most Hit Points and attack power of any character. ар HP ас Hit ТР TD RAMAR If you’re into guns but still want some AD HP magic ability (and you probably do) this is your man. Highly recommended and the best character for the single-player game. TP RAcAST Like a big dumb jock, this hulking robot lives up to its intimidating looks with excellent offense and defense but no spell RACASEAL ability whatsoever. She may look like a maid, but this android is actually a lot like RAcast. Slightly better defense makes up for a matching drop in attack power. HP TP ТР TD Points. ар HP ТР TD HUNTER If you are looking for a good balance between fighting and magic this is the profession to start with. Close combat (their specialty) is a bit riskier and takes some getting used to, but the blade weapons Hunters equip are generally more powerful than guns. RANGER Probably the easiest profession for beginning and single-player gamers. Rangers can use every gun in the game so you can stay safely away from monsters for those first few formative levels while you learn the ropes. Force At higher levels, these magic users are arguably the most powerful profession. Their offensive and defensive spells affect a wide radius and become almost scarily potent. But if you're planning on playing single-player much, especially at the start of your game, you'll want to look elsewhere. FONEWEAR Forget about attacking with regular weapons, she has the worst Hit percentage in the game. But if you want nothing but magic, she’s your best choice. 2% Ме етте How you treat your fellow party members means a lot in PSO. If you're selfish and rude no party will want you, and you won't build up a good group of comrades you can play with regularly. Here's some tips on how to act and what to look for in fellow adventurers: DON'T BE GREEDY: Don't head straight for the treasure boxes, grabbing every item and Meseta in sight. Concentrate on killing the monsters first. Leave stuff for the other players, or offer them items that you don't need or can't use. Set a good example and hopefully your teammates will follow. Those friendly *bots hangin' out just off the shoulder are MAGs, and they come in all shapes and sizes depending on how you raise them. DO UNTO OTHERS: Heal other players when you can. Cover their backs in combat. Resurrect them when they die. Use one of your Telepipes when they need to go back to the city. Build up some good karma and it'll pay off when it's your body that's lying dead on the floor. DON'T SELL IT —STORE IT: Find a really nice item but your character can't use it? Or maybe you already have a slightly better item? Give it away or trade with someone instead of just selling it. If no one's around, deposit it at the Check Room for later. The goodwill you build with other players is worth more in the long run than the few Meseta the item store will give you. DON'T MAKE THEM WAIT: If you're going to be away from the game for a while, don't just stand there idle — quit. Groups can only hold four people, and you taking up a slot is dead weight that handicaps the rest of the party. FOMARL AD HP If you are convinced you want to rely mostly on magic but still want to mix it up hand-to-hand now. ар and then, choose her. FONEWM КЕШКЕ 2 STRATEGIE As ex-Dallas Cowboys head coach Tom Landry always said, “Teamwork is the number one thing that will save your butt in PSO.” Well, he would have if he was really into this game. And he wasn’t dead. We like to think he’d approve of these plays too: INTERFERENCE: While the rest of the group waits in the hall, have one person run around the room, luring the monsters away from the rest of the party. Once everything is a safe distance away, the other three players can enter at once and attack together. DIVIDE AND CONQUER: Split into two groups, one that goes left in every room and one that goes right. Surround the monsters and attack from both sides and they'll move slower and die faster. HEALER: Designate the party member with the strongest defense (or the most hit points) as your Safety. He or she should stay toward the back and be the first to run when monsters get close but also have status healing and resurrection spells or items always at the ready. Especially helpful when fighting the bosses. Don't be fooled by his goofy appearance: The most powerful magic user (along with FOnewear), with a party to back him up this guy kicks booty. ар HP Hit тр Inet.comi/egm RAISI YOUR MAG So what is that little thing hovering over your shoulder? It’s called a MAG, and it’s basically a little robot sidekick. It may not seem like it now, but that little comma-shaped buddy is critical to your character’s success in PSO. It can cast spells and perform special attacks, but the MAG's biggest perk is the boost it gives your stats. As your MAG gains levels it can improve your attack power, defense rating, spell abilities —just about everything. But in order for it to gain levels, you have to feed it. A lot. Every three and a half minutes you can feed your mag any item from a Monomate to à Sol Atomizer. But don't just give it whatever you happen to have on hand. Different items can affect different MAGs in various ways, depending on their type and level. Watch your MAGS’ stats closely. Try to focus on one stat at a time, and feed it only the items that raise that stat. If you rely on spells, focus on INT, fighters on POW or DEX and so on. Also keep a close eye on its IQ and Synchro level (don't let it fall under 3096) —these numbers are critical to your MAG's evolution and performance. Most important of all, feed your MAG often (you could even keep a clock close by to know when it's feeding time) and carry plenty of whatever item you are currently feeding it. Date- SPECIFIC events This isn't really a tip, but it's something you should know: PSO has several date-specific events locked inside. Two examples: For the holidays, the principal's office was decked out with Christmas trees, and New Year's had a giant “21” twirling in the city, complete with the music from 2001: A Space Oddyssey. Cool. Keep on truckin' with a rubber band (above) and use natural barriers like this moat (right) to kill enemies without getting a scratch. TIPS AN TRICRS There’s no out-and-out way to cheat in PSO, at least not that we've figured out. But there are a number of little sneaky ways to do things that might not be obvious. BUILD UP EXPERIENCE WITHOUT BREAKING A SWEAT: Low level characters out of their league against tough opponents should try hitting every monster they can just once, then running away. Let the rest of the party finish off the baddies and you'll still share in the experience points. LEARNING SPELLS: If your character can cast spells, never throw away any Priest/Mind unit you find. Put it in storage instead. Whenever you are close to being able to learn a new spell, equip every slot in your armor with these to temporarily boost your magic ability. Once you learn the spell you can put the units back in storage and equip whatever other units you normally use, and you can still cast your new spell. IDLE AS LONG AS YOU DAMN WELL PLEASE: PSO normally only lets you idle for up to an hour, then it automatically quits and saves. But if you don't mind tying up your phone line, set up a rubber band on your pad like ours here to make your character run in circles and you won't have to start all over at the first area when you want to play again. MONSTER TRAPS: Enemies can sometimes be blocked by hills, walls and other obstacles that will still allow you a clear shot at them. Try to find and take advantage of these locations. YN Distract your teammates as you go for the treasure— but don't expect to keep getting away with it. CHEAT LIRE A BASTARD Are we suggesting you try any of these low-down, dirty, downright nasty methods for getting what you want, or merely letting you know about them so you can watch out for other scumbags trying to use them on you? That’s a good question. We'll get back to you on that one. GETTING ITEMS (AND LOOKING LIKE A BASTARD): If you spot a bunch of treasure you want to grab, try asking the other players questions (like “Hey, what time is it?” or the FIXED: RECOMMENDED question “What is your hobby?” if you're playing with foreigners). While they are busy on the keyboard answering, you can run over and snatch the goodies. Of course, this only works so many times before it becomes painfully obvious what's going on. GETTING ITEMS (WITHOUT LOOKING LIKE A BASTARD): If you See some money or items lying around in the middle of combat, position yourself by them and start attacking. Since the default setup uses the same button for attacking as picking up items, it looks like you just grabbed the loot on accident in the course of helping your fellow players, and you won't look like the selfish prick you really are. GETTING ITEMS (AND MAKING SOMEONE ELSE LOOK LIKE A BASTARD): Stand next to the item you want and wait for another player to approach. Just as the second player gets close enough to take the treasure, you grab it first. Stay standing there, perfectly still for a few seconds after the other player walks away. Sure you know you got the item, and he knows you 92 - www.zdnet.c got the item, but to the other two players it looks like he just ran up and grabbed it, the greedy punk. Then it's your word against his, and who's gonna believe some hit-and- run item-grabber over you? THROW ENEMIES ON SOMEONE ELSE: When you first enter a room full of monsters, make a quick lap around it. After you have all the monsters following you, lead them to some other poor schlep in your party. Once they lock on to your “buddy,” take off for the other end of the room and pick them off at your leisure. LANGUAGE FILTER? $#%@ THAT!: Now we aren’t ones to encourage the use of four-letter words, but PSO's language filter is just too puritanical for our tastes (even Amish grandmothers say “fart” and “poop” for crying out loud). How do you get around it? Just add a space or period in the middle of the word (fa rt or fa.rt) and your message will get across with all the flavor and panache you intended. Also, dog- lovers take note: The word “bitch” is inexplicably not filtered out when it is the first word of a sentence. Well that about does it for our PSO Survival Guide. Don’t miss EGM's exclusive review of the game on pg. 108. Say hello if you run into Shalashaska, and remember: Take care of yourself, and each other. ж Beus SPECIAL POKEMON EDITION NINTENDO DOES NOT ENDORSE, SPONSOR, NOR OTHERWISE AUTHORIZE Rs: MAGAZINE EXPER T: CODEBOOK’ * 100% Pokémon Tricks, Tips & Strategies [EOKEMON Everything you need to know about Pokémon all in one magazine ALSO The Ultimate Pokémon Gold & Silver Pokédex! Pokémon Puzzle League Pokémon Trading Card Game Game Pokémon Pinball ) Hey You, Pikachu! „= d v Pokémon Snap, Only on Mii Each year, the hard-workin’ editors of Electronic Gaming Monthly create special-edition magazines such as the Video Game Buyer's Guide, Pocket Games or DCM the Unofficial Dreamcast Magazine. These magazines can only be found on the news- stands or through back order. Look all three magazines above on sale now at Babbages, Software ETC., Barnes & Noble, Wale Mart, K-Mart, Walden Books, Target, Borders, B. Dalton and many supermarkets and drugstores near you! ШІ. Are You Missing Something? 2000 - Winter 99 - Fall Pocket Games Pocket Games. How;To Order: sama v2CHe ch; YOU, Mag. Simply check off which magazines you want and send in the order form (photocopies accepted) along with a check made payable to: Ziff Davis Media Inc. for the amount indicated for each magazine plus shipping and handling—add $3 for U.S., $3 for Canada and $5 for foreign orders—in U.S. funds only for each magazine! Orders should be mailed to: Back Issues, Р.О. Box 3338, Oak Brook, IL 60522-3338. Price and availability subject to change without notice. "ow ГЕШЕС ишини That was Науао Nakayama's (then head of Sega) master plan—to give three top designers 11 months to create Sega's first million-seller console game. The chosen ones were Yuji Naka (programmer), Hirokazu Yasuhara (level designer) and Haoto Oshima (character designer). The group grew a little and the development took 14 months, but the final product was a blue hedgehog named Sonic. In 1991 he invaded our living rooms and proved that Sega was not going to take the launch of Nintendo's Super NES lightly. The following 10 years saw Sonic survive a bitter war with Nintendo, weather some dark days for Sega, and take on a new rival in the form of Sony's PlayStation. Now we showcase the blue blur's evolution, with a special focus on all the major games, and wrap everything up with a look at Sonic Adventure 2. 1991, Genesis Taking a page out of Nintendo's gameplan, Sega decided to pack this killer-app in with each Genesis sold. The result? === A whole new generation of Sega fans. Sonic the Hedgehog brought blistering speed and attitude to the somewhat stale platform genre. This game was about action, not exploration, as each level had a 10-minute time limit and plenty of ramps and loops to take advantage of Sonic's blurring speed. The original game also pushed Sega's hardware to the limits by featuring fully rotating bonus stages. Sega claimed the Super NES couldn't do Sonic, since its system clock was slower than the Genesis. Sonic also hit the Master System and Game Gear. Didja know? if Sega of America had its way, the world may never have met Sonic. SoA wasn't too keen on Sonic's design. And Yuji Naka actually quit Sega once Sonic The Hedgehog was completed. He left because he didn't like Sega of Japan's seniority-based pay-scale. 1992, Genesis Sonic's return appearance marked the first simultaneous worldwide release of a video game. Sonic 2's Day (Nov. 24) introduced the world to a two-tailed fox named Miles “Tails” Prower (get it?). It also introduced Metal Sonic, Dr. Robotnik's hedgehog doppelganger, and the Spin Dash. Now Sonic could crouch, build up speed and take off at full throttle. Perhaps the most famous innovation of Sonic 2, though, was Blast Processing. It was a Sega of America marketing ploy that described the programming techniques that allowed Sonic to run faster than ever before. The bonus levels were yet another technical milestone, featuring a 3D scaling half-pipe. Sonic 2 was also released on the Master System and Game Gear. Didja know? Sonic 2 was developed by the Sega Technical Institute, a U.S.- based collection of American and Japanese programmers. Yuji Naka joined them to work on the sequel, but left the company again before the game was completed. Sonic CD 1993, Sega CD Considered a bit of a departure from the main series, the point in this sequel was to travel between future and past levels of each world and stop Robotnik's evil plans even before they started. Sonic's girlfriend, Amy, made her first appearance in this game. Along with the Spin Dash, Sonic CD featured the Peel Out, where Sonic would basically do a standing Spin Dash. This move, along with the time-travel ability, was never used again in a Sonic game. The bonus levels were the only real part of the game that showed off the power of the ill-fated Sega CD. These free-roaming, 3D battles with UFOs looked just as good, if not better, than anything seen on Nintendo's Super NES. Many people consider this the best 16-bit Sonic title ever made. Didja know? The American tunes for Sonic CD, composed by Spencer Nilsen, were a radical departure from the absolutely superb Japanese tracks —so radical, in fact, that even today you'll find old- school Sonic fans whining about Spencer's handiwork. SegaSonic 1993 Arcade Sonic & Knuckles 1994, Genesis Sonic & Knuckles seemed almost identical to Sonic 3. The levels were different, but the look was the same as the previous game's. However, Knuckles was now a playable character. Playing as the echidna opened up whole new sections of each level, since Knuckles could hover for short periods of time and climb walls with his spiked hands. S&K was also the first and only Lock-On cartridge released for the Genesis. Plugging Sonic 2 or 3 into the slot on top of S&K made Knuckles a playable character in both games. The difference was most dramatic in Sonic 3, where it was obvious that the game had been planned with Sonic & Knuckles in mind. Sadly, Sonic & Knuckles was the last of the “real” Sonic games to hit a home console for quite a while. By this time Sonic Team was a much more diverse development house than the original three-man group. Sega gamers would have to endure a stream of stopgap titles, such as Sonic Jam and Sonic 3D Blast, while Sonic Team branched off into other game genres on the Saturn. Sonic the Fighters 1996 Arcade Sonic Chaos Sonic Spinball 1993 1993 Game Gear Genesis/ Game Gear Sonic The Hedgehog 3 1994, Genesis By 1994, Sonic was starting to grow a little stale. The first three games had looked almost identical, even with the different level designs. The series needed something to freshen it—to save it from becoming as flat as so many other character-based games in the mid-'9os. With that in mind, Sonic 3 received a complete graphical overhaul. Sonic and Tails were a little more stylized, and each level was overflowing with color and animation. The gameplay was tweaked a little, too. Now Sonic could grab certain things and get various shields that made him impervious to fire or helped him breathe underwater. Plus each level flowed a little better and the game featured a battery back-up (a first for Sonic). The most memorable part, though, was the unveiling of Knuckles The Echidna. Tricked by Robotnik into hating Sonic, he was the guardian of the Chaos Emeralds. Though he was an antagonist throughout Sonic 3, he later became more of a friendly rival. Sonic Sonic Sonic Triple Trouble Drift 2 Labyrinth 1994 1995 1995 Game Gear Game Gear Game Gear Sonic 3D Blast 1996, Saturn Suffering a beating at the hands of Sony and its PlayStation, Sega rightly assumed that its best chance at turning around the Saturn's flagging system sales would be to release a new Sonic title. 3D games were the hot new thing back then, but knowing the Saturn really couldn't handle a fully polygonal Sonic game, Sega opted for a pseudo- 3D, isometric title that just didn't work. The limited viewing area and sloppy control kept Sonic from ever getting up to speed in this disappointing sequel. There was also a version of 3D Blast released on the all-but-dead Genesis platform. Didja know? Sonic 3D Blast marks the only time Sega farmed out a major Sonic title to a third-party developer. Traveller's Tales (who later developed Sonic R in 1997) did not handle the license well. This was a disturbing trend in the early days of the Saturn. Other huge franchises, like Virtua Racing and Shinobi, were also handed out like candy to anyone with enough money. Seen much of those two series lately? 4 Sonic Jam 1997, Saturn Boy, did it suck to bea Sonic fan during the Saturn era. Not until the system was almost three years old did gamers get a Sonic game that was worth owning, and even then it Sonic Adventure 1999, Dreamcast Sega learned a lot of lessons from the Saturn’s Sonic Pocket was simply a compilation. Sonic Jam featured Sonic 1, 2, 3 and Sonic & Knuckles, with Sonic CD conspicuously absent. Having all those classics on one disc was a pretty sweet deal, but Sega upped the ante a little by including “Sonic World,” a fully 3D area that Sonic could zip through and explore the many different gallery buildings littering the landscape. Sonic freaks dug it. From sketches of Sonic and friends to a Sonic timeline to a collection of Japanese game commercials, the Sonic memorabilia took hours to check out. What a way to apologize for never giving Saturn owners the Sonic game they really deserved. short and messy Adventure career—one of which 1999 was to launch the Neo*Geo Dreamcast with a real Sonic game on the shelves. And Pocket Color man, Sonic Adventure was quite a game! Even though gameplay was far more complicated than the single-button scheme of the first title, the unmistakable feel and attitude of Sonic was still present in spades. Sonic Adventure borrowed from Sonic & Knuckles in that there were multiple characters to play as, each with its own unique quests and play styles. Y What's more, the Chaos Emeralds were finally made Sonic an integral part of the story. Robotnik was collecting Shuffle them to resurrect a monster, aptly named Chaos. 2000 I Г Dreamcast D 2 Sonic Adventure is the most successful Dreamcast game to date worldwide. Sonic R 1 4 saturn y Àj Game.com Almost as interesting as the Sonic games released over the past 10 years are the games that didn't make it, likely more than we can count. There are three examples that spring to mind immediately, though, when we think of Sonic's stillborn adventure. 0712216 100) 5 Т = ! j | Ж | у (8 pe ease и Sonic 4 was scrapped in favor of Knuckles Chaotix on the 32Х. First there's the rumored Sonic The Hedgehog 4 on the Genesis. The game had Sonic and Tails teaming up once again, but this time connected by a big elastic band (or something). The gameplay proved so slow and un-Sonic-like that the title was scrapped. The premise resurfaced in a game called Knuckles Chaotix on the Sega 32x, which didn't feature Sonic. Then there's the planned Saturn version of the arcade-only Sonic The Fighters. Sega's arcade conversions were the stuff of legends back then, so Sonic The Fighters seemed a natural — especially with the lack of Sonic games on the system. Sadly, the game never made it to the home system, though two of the combatants did appear in Fighters Megamix. Finally, and probably most famously, we have Sonic Xtreme, developed by Sega Technical Institute (of Sonic 2 fame). Shown in playable form at the '96 E3, Sonic Xtreme had been in development for three years before Sega finally realized it would not be the hit the Saturn needed and pulled the plug (see our 10 Games You'll Never Play feature in EGM #137). The Sega Technical Institute was dismantled soon after and the Saturn died without a “real” Sonic title. Sonic Xtreme spent three years in development only to be killed. This brings us to Sonic's 10th year. We've only had a chance to play around with the first level of Sonic Adventure 2 (you can too with the demo included with Phantasy Star Online), but even that's enough to see that it's well on the way to being a worthy successor to Sonic's first Dreamcast outing. First and foremost, Sonic has received a redesign of sorts. Yeah, he's still a blue hedgehog who runs really fast, but he's lost a little weight and is much more animated than before. When he walks up to a ledge he stops and throws his arms out to maintain his balance. Also, when he falls he goes into a spread-eagle pose. Sonic's got some new moves, too. Along with the return of the homing attack, Sonic can now grind down any rails you find in the game (a la Jet Grind Radio). Also, destroying Badniks earns Sonic whistles that he can use to call various animals, collecting them (we assume) for more Chao breeding later in the game. Finally, Sonic can grab hold of horizontal bars and use them to swing and boost himself up to higher platforms. The texture quality in Sonic Adventure 2 is simply breathtaking. The walls and ground look so realistic it's almost scary. The particle work in the game is pretty impressive, too— especially the spark trail left behind Sonic when he’s surfing down the streets of the opening level. Checking out the preview video uncovers a few interesting points, too. It seems the main antagonist in Sonic Adventure 2 is some sort of dark hedgehog (or similar character) and that Dr. Robotnik may actually be playable. The video shows him running around in an egg-machine blowing up a bunch of enemies. It should also be noted that Amy, Big, E-102 and Tails are nowhere to be seen in these gameplay clips. Knuckles, Sonic and Dr. Robotnik are the only recognizable characters. ж A big thank you to Mark Cerny, a former member of Sega Technical Institute for hipping us to the more interesting moments in Sonic's history. Sonic makes like a young girl in a Spielberg movie and saves the world with gymnastics! Seriously, the swing is one of Sonic's cooler moves in a while. 97 WIPEOUT TEKKEN TEKKENRIDGERACER AE er NLS MVIPE€OUTN! c! GS AYRIDGERAC TEKKENWIPEOU ACERTO TWISTED METAL , g Monthly - 98 - www.zdnet.com/egm Sure, Tekken Tag Tournament may not have pushed many new boundaries for the series, but Tekken 4 is coming. It’s got real-world weather and Е umesepasy transitions. It's got a 3 much deeper combat system. It's got a dark theme that's been described as “mood altering.” ejector seats. But that mean everything about Metal: Black will be y alien to fans of the series. ing of all car-combat -due on PS2 іп early like Outlaw, i Spectre, Sweet : Tooth, Darkside 7 and Calypso. And weesif.youread last month's cover story, you know jat developer ognito is staffed with all the key ingletrac guys who worked on Twisted Metal 1 and 2, before the шаш. Series fell apart at the hands of 989 Studios. “Іп all honesty, we don't feel there has been a great car- combat game since TM2," says Dave Jaffe, Sony Santa Monica's director and lead designer of TM1, TM2 and TM: Black. “There have been good-looking ones, but nothing that has played that great.” So what makes TM: Black so special? Plenty. The arenas—which expand as the battles wear on—are more interactive than ever. See that water tower over there? Blast its support struts and send it toppling onto enemies. The development team is implementing a new enemy-acquisition scheme that'll help you track enemies without having to rely completely on radar. And the weapons system is ultra-deep. “Тһеге is a greater emphasis on skill this time out, instead of the simple ‘fire-and-forget’ type weapons of other car-combat games," Incognito president Scott Campbell tells us. “Ғог new players, the game is still easy to pick up and play, but we've worked hard to make a car-combat game with the depth of Street Fighter II.” Best of all, Incognito is taking their time with TM: Black. The game's been in development for more than a year and a half already, and the team is well into the gameplay-tweaking stage. This will be one finely tuned product—and that fact alone means it will be a heck of a lot better than the last two PS one installments in this lackluster series. “Twisted Metal: Black takes the best gameplay mechanics Кот TM1 (chasing and jousting) and TM2 (weapon combos, car dynamics, environment interactivity),” says Campbell, “then blends them in with the new gameplay mechanics that allow for a more balanced combat experience.” весесвенсвевовневевововововевововововевовововововововевововововевевовввовоовововеввововосевововововововосевоввовевововововвововововововое Wipeout Fusion Every new console needs a jaw-dropping showcase title, but today’s grown men were mere babes when the first Wipeout hit PS one, and they barely had ’pit hair when the more fully realized XL cruised to the system. Good news for anti-grav newbies, Wipeout Fusion is on course to hit PS2 sometime after June 2001, and the same Psygnosis team that worked on the previous games (before they were absorbed by Sony Europe) is building this one. Better news: This team is doing more than just jazzing up the visuals. “Each track will have a PS2 innovation—something we couldn’t achieve on PS one,” says Enda Carey, brand development manager for SCEE. “The most obvious of these will be 360-degree loops, corkscrews, etc., and there will be shortcuts in every track, some of which won’t become apparent until you study the replays.” Eagle-eyed readers will also note that the 100 You can expect three things to happen every year in the video-game biz: Madden and GameDay will ! battle for gridiron supremacy, an EGM editor will N get explosively hungover at E3, and a new Tomb Raider game will hit a system near you around Thanksgiving. And we reckon if you're anyone but that weak-bellied EGM editor, the annual tradition that thrills you least is Lara Croft's annual reappearance. For four years now, Tomb Raider sequels on the PlayStation (and, more recently, the Dreamcast) have delivered new levels, new EA puzzles, a few new moves for its star gunslinger, and that's about it. Most gamers and game reviewers agree this franchise ran out of tricks two games ago. If any series is ripe for a rebirth, this is it. Thank the gaming gods — developer Core Design seems to agree. Due in late 2001 for the PS2, Xbox and perhaps even GameCube (*We're by no means ruling it out," a Core spokesperson tells us. “It’s an awesome machine.”), Tomb Raider: Next Generation is set to take the series in a new direction. Heck, even the name won't be the same. “It probably won't be called Tomb Raider," says Adrian Smith, development director for U.K.-based developer Core Design. “I mean, І call it ‘Tomb Raider: Next Generation,’ but I think as soon as we say Tomb Raider, people think temples; tombs; bears; bats; Lara with her guns, shorts and a T-shirt — that's not what this game's about." Core has lots of ideas on how to make us fall in love with Lara again, and we'll get to those in a sec. But first, the really important series improvement — Tomb Raider: Next Generation will have a new control scheme. Instead of Lara's current grid-based movement system (tap forward, she steps ahead one grid space; tap backward, she hops back a space), the new games will offer complete analog freedom. So, like Mario in Super Mario 64, Lara will be able to tip-toe, walk or lara's character model will jump from 400 polygons to 4,500. Tomb Raider: Next Generation all-out run with complete * analog precision. And control will feel fluid, not rigid and clunky like it does in the five PS one games. Core also plans to take Lara into the realm of episodic entertainment. That doesn't mean all. future Tomb Raider games will be available only via download. The main chapters of the game will still be sold in stores every year or so. But sidestory adventures — chapters focusing on characters other | than Lara— will be available for download as often as every three months. Loads of backstory find its way online, too. Core's still sweating the details on how all this will work, since Sony and Microsoft haven't crystallized their online plans yet. But a professional scriptwriter has already roughed out the next 20 or so chapters of Lara's life in a “series bible," and Core promises that the new games, which will be darker in tone, will feel more like X-Files episodes, full of loose ends and unsolved mysteries. "You're going to get to the end and go, ‘Hmmm, I’ve obviously finished that adventure, but 1 know there's тоге,” Smith says. “What happened to that character | met, and what was that whole thing | heard over there, and what about E those five doors | couldn't open?’ You're going to get to the end and realize you just solved a piece to... the overall puzzle." ОООО ы Са tracks are considerably wider than those in the previous games. “This forces the player to make the choice between speed and combat as they will have to veer off to the side of the track to choose their relevant pick-up, making the game more strategic,” Carey says. “It will also prevent one of the problems of previous versions of the games —namely the scraping into the sides —and allow us to have up to 16 craft on screen at any one time." The game will also support a two-player split-screen mode, but won't feature any fire-wire or link- cable shenanigans this time around. The story line will also be a key factor in Wipeout Fusion, which, it should be noted, will have its look crafted not by Designer's Republic, but by Good Technology, makers of the Audi, BBC and U2 Web sites. ж 101 Peripheral Reviews Blue Thunder Racing Wheel ee This is the best racing wheel to hit a | home console, bar none. Whether | | you sit the wheel in your lap or clip | it to a table, the steering is respon- | Sive and offers enough resistance that you feel like you're really dri- ving a car. Plus this baby comes | with a real gearshift! Rounding out th ience is the footpedestal. e unique so as to fusion, and the added E nA M Thunder would be a no-brainer. | www.interact-acc.com PS2 Controllers PX4000 Storm Chaser Freedom Shock 2 Saitek • $29.95 InterAct * $29.99 Pelican Accessories “ $49.99 Dual Force 2 It's a tough call between this pad and When you see ( The 900 MHz technology used in this the Mad Catz to the left. Both feel InterAct’s Ps2 pad, you controller allows for true wireless func- Mad Catz • $29.99 T excellent, and both have their fair want to like the tionality (no more having to have the. From the moment you share of unique features. The thing—it looks like " thing aimed directly at the system for it pick up this pad, you PX4000 has an analog knob axis some sort of Batman to work). Still, it’s not 100-percent know it's a winner. lock feature and an d weapon. Problem is, the quality of the problem-free. It wigged out more Maybe that’s because extra analog throttle controller is just average. It’s quite than once when held too it’s not terribly different underneath. The best | large and all, but it just doesn't feel far away. Plus, the from the Dual Shock 2. Except that it’s feature? The 10-foot- very solid. It does have a nice pro- price is too high, and cheaper, and has a sweet macro fea- long cord—who needs grammable feature though. Nice the analog knobs feel ture. The cord is really short though. a remote? design, but we like the others better. really loose. Score: 8.0 out of 10 Score: 8.5 out of 10 Score: 6.0 out of 10 Score: 3.0 out of 10 102 A/V Selector It’s a PS2-styled composite and S- video A/V switch box with four con- nections—pretty straightforward. The little plastic nameplates identi- | Company | System fying what system is connected toa | Act р: м [uc uu | | need.for-cumbersome.stickers. All | SUUS i: (RUE о вау | you need to do is snap the name in | шырақ Mie ore ud | and уоште set. It comes withitags | ud род Be player just МЕЛІ | for PlayStation, N64, Dreamcast, | Шыр b еу vi КЕ МЫН | | PlayStation 2, Gamecube; Хбохапа | 1045 agp pers in hopes еуі! | | more. Five ports would've been includie- and зог | өз in ето future titles. As a four. player adapter, | vods tenen it works just fine. A solid choice. www.interact-acc.com Multiplayer Adapter Two things make this Mad Catz 8MB PlayStation 2 memory card | worth considering: 105 officially | licensed by Sony so you know the thing will work, and it’s five bucks cheaper than (һе Sony-branded card. As always, we recommend the first-party version if you can | find one and afford the extra dough. But this nicely 2 designed third-party card = will do the job. Plus it comes with a handy plastic case for those mobile Timesplitters multiplayer blast-a- thons. | www.madcatz.com PS2 DVD Remotes DVD Remote Wireless Wireless DVD DUD Remote InterAct е $14.99 Remote Remote Saitek • $19.99 This is just like the Master This remote's Master Remote Re йл te SHOW toe left Mad Catz * $19.99 ў Nyko • $19.99 sleek design will «о» InterAct • $19.99 without the TV control This rather bulky remote gives ^ This egg-like remote B fit right in with the You can control your PS2 function. It feels just YO" Power over your PS2, TV features a pass- E ` ether remotes іп and your TV with this stylish „ as natural, but still and VER: Setup through connector, your A/V arsenal. remote. Note: Early versions B puces Ould ve ва and a button to switch The pass-through had two mislabeled but- à much-needed тоте idend put between a game pad and the connector works like a tons. In addition, the | pass-through Е worth CN remote on the fly. The rather champ, but sometimes the IR device doesn't have port. Luckily, лке! oug \ tight fit of the pass-through buttons on the remote itself a pass-through port. the price is five А Î port, and the tiny size ofthe act quirky. Early versions had Score: 6.5 out of 10 bucks cheaper. á Play and Stop buttons knock the swapped button problem Score: 5.5 out of 10 Жесе However like the InterAct remotes. Score: 6.0 out of 10 i the score down, Score: 6.5 out of 10 Score: 73 URF 103 Freestyler Board Thrustmaster PS $69.99 Another situation where you're bet- | ter off sticking with your trusty Dual | Shock. Sure, the well-made | Freestyler offers a more realistic "boardin' experience but games are | designed with the regular pad іп — —— | mind—not this thing. After some control customization, -the»Board average gamer— especially at the price. 165 more. for the hardcore boarders out there who double as gamers. www.thrustmaster.com DPS 5.1 [ “Company [System] Price | Boston Acoustics PS2 $599.99 In a word, incredible. This high- | end (and pricey) DTS-compatible | 5.1 digital speaker/subwoofer set will have you loving whatever you hook up to it—preferably your PS2 since it has a digital connec- | tion and is DTS-compatible. The | package will give you crystal-clear highs and powerful but appropri- ate lows in every movie and game you throw at it. Iteven comes with a full-featured remote that can be configured for your TV, VCR and rm home. theater setup, more than ample power for your apartment or dorm. Panther 06 www.bostonacoustics.com x T | Company | System | Price wg Mad Catz DC $44.99 You'd think the Panther DC would be the ideal way to play first-person shooters like Quake III and Half-life with the trackball and abundance of buttons. Unfortunately, even with tons of tweaking and cus- | tomization, it just doesn't feel as natural as the mouse and keyboard configuration, or even the-DC pad. | It functions properly, of course, but why adjust to an entirely new type of control when other types exist that:work better? But if you're into flight games like Starlancer, the Panther is a gem of a choice. www.madcatz.com “өз. | % е 2 Тһе DPS 5.1 сап be purchased online from www.bostonacoustics.com l Electre 1g Monthly - 104 - www.zdnet.com/egn First Aid Kit If you're in the market for some Game Boy peripherals, this pack- |4 age from Nyko is a steal. Not only do you get the award-winning Worm Light (now with pass- | through:connector for linkycables) y into a mobile gam- ing assault aunit its, true. Seriously, there's a load of high- quality gear included in this kit. www.nyko.com Bone Light bringing us this ghoulish Game Boy it's silly, but jt's-fün. is, it's difficult to adjust comes unplugged too easily. www.madcatz.com | Halloween has come and gone, but | that's not stopping Mad Catz from | add-on: With the WormkightyGobra | Light, Blob Light and every other | Battery Puck ea ala чак а Clip this battery pack to your belt and you can become the world’s | biggest dork! Actually, you become the smartest kid on the block, since | the nicely designed puck doesn’t weigh down your GBC like other bat- tery packs. Plus, it gives you three or four more-hours of play;time. over standard akalines. Keep in mind, the we don’t get it. Stupid marketing. www.madcatz.com 105 y.zdn g but it М This cheat device specifically designed to work with Pokémon Gold and Silver will make you the king of all Pokémon trainers. Problem is, it’s not how the game was meant to be played, so don’t ruin the experience by using this thing from the get-go. But let’s say you've made it through the game a couple of times and have an array of pumped-up Pokémon. In this case, it'd be fun to mess around with your experience, max HP, money and a ton of other options. The Monster Brain works without a hitch, including a nicely designed interface, but kinda pricey. www.pelicanacc.com While this pack isn't quite as impressive as Nyko's offering, it does include a couple of useful items. First, the winged battery pack gives the GBC a more bal- anced feel compared to other such devices. Next, a handy Game Boy padded tote allows you to store a slew of games and acces- sories, as well as your system. The amplified speakers and magnifier attachments are basically point- less. Do you really need GBC game music any louder than it already is? And do you really need to have an old-school clunky mag- nifier snapped onto the top of your handheld? We think not on both accounts. www.madcatz.com = рш This Month... the exclusive first review of the U.S. version of Phantasy Star Online, and we're celebrat- ing by giving this revolutionary online RPG the special two-page treatment. What? Don't believe us? Flip the page right now and see! D on’t bother looking anywhere else. We have The Crew sleeper hits this month too. Ever hear of Bangai-O! has stumbled onto some potential The Crew Our Awards LAN Crispin Boyer Cris reckons the only thing more frus- trating than Prince of Persia is Chicago’s f'ed up bus system. An hour-and-a-half wait in subzero temps for a bus? C’mon! Favorite Genres: Action, Adventure Jonathan Ошшак Mediating the heated rivalry between CJ and Sewart is a full-time job for young Dudlak. It's good practice for when he someday has kids of his own, though... Favorite Genres: Fighting, Rayman With the holidays a distant blur, Dean now begins several months of hiberna- tion before the big thaw...or E3, whichev- er comes first. Favorite Genre: Sports, Racing When Chris isn't beating Sewart firmly into the ground in Speed Devils Online, he's thinking about the many victories he's had on Aspen Summer. Oh baby! Favorite Genres: Adventure, Puzzle Kraig Kujawa Kay-Kay, as we call him, has been nurs- ing the callouses that all those swell sports games have laid upon him. His thumbs look like big leather sausages. Favorite Genres: Sports, Strategy Platinum Awards go to Ethan Einhorn games that get three - 10%, the best and rarest John Davison review a game can get. T " Mike Price Gold Awards go to CENE games whose average Joe Ryhicki score equals 9.0 or 5 higher. Shawn Smith Games that average at least an 8.0 receive Silver Awards. or The Record of Lodoss War? Both games got high marks and are definitely worth looking into. If only we could say the same about some of the more high-profile stuff hitting stores. Although hugely hyped, The Bouncer merely offers short-lived thrills. And don’t even get us started on Evil Dead: Hail to the King, reviewed this month on both PS and DC. Come get some? No thanks. You keep it. Dan Leahy “Danny Vegas” met his match on a recent excursion, and was nearly thrown in the clink by a pit boss named “Benny the Bite.” Will he be on COPS? Favorite Genres: Sports, Craps Ryan Lockhart Ryan’s frothing at the mouth after seeing actual Xbox games in Vegas. He's also frothing because he left Sin City with an empty wallet. Damn blackjack. Favorite Genres: Whiteness, RPG Mark MacDonald Mark had few reviews this month, but he earned his pay enduring Mielke's end- less bitching for countless hours playing Phantasy Star Online. Pity him. Favorite Genres: Action, Adventure This holiday has been cruel to Milky. Rib-snapping coughs, a hyper-drunken New Year's Eve and the PSO review. Oh when will the nightmare end? Favorite Genres: Reading, Tea Greg Sewart Fresh from his vacation behind the Maple Curtain, Greg has been taking all comers in Speed Devils Online. And kick- ing CJ's ass on a regular basis! Favorite Genres: Racing, Action, RPG Additional Contributors We gave Ethan a break this month and actually let him review some good games. Our fearless Editor-in-Chief cannot be harmed by conventional weapons. EGM'’s expert on all things violent takes down another wrestling game for us this month. We tricked OPM Review Editor Joe into review- ing a game for us. Then we TP'ed his house. Shawn spent his holiday break from college at EGM. We kept his room just how he left it. 106 10 | - [m EGM rates games based on how they com- pare with other titles on the same system. The highest score we'll give a game is a 10. When a game receives a 10, you can rest assured it's one of the best games ever made—a revolutionary title that truly stands above everything else in its genre for its time. At the other end of the spectrum sits the lowest score a game can receive: a 0.0. This is the kind of game you want to avoid at all costs. It's pure crap, as our scale (above) explains. In the middle lies the average grade, 5.0. We repeat: 5.0 IS АМ AVERAGE GRADE. Simple, ain't it? Paper Mario Ро.112 We only have one N64 review—and it gets game of the month. Go figure. Intelligent Systems and Nintendo really came through with this sequel to Mario RPG. With its roster of classic characters and mix of old-school gameplay, Paper Mario is a Nintendo fan's wet dream. EDITORS' CURRENT FAVES Phantasy Star Online 2 Paper Maria та atone) C 3 Speed Devils Online Ubi Soft 4 Pokemon Puzzle Challenge CR Dance Dance Revolution Konami Tony Hawks Pro Skater 2 Activision 1 Jet Grind Radio Sega Nintendo 8 тшш Majoras Mask 9 Final Fantasy IX Square EA 1 Daytona USA Network Racing Sega Publisher: Mattel Interactive Developer: Avalanche Software Featured In: ЕСМ #136 Players: 1 Supports: None Best Feature: Crisp textures Worst Feature: Cruel level design Web Site: www.mattelinteractive.com The original Prince of Persia was tough, frustrating but a heck of a lot of fun. Now guess which of these attributes is missing from this PC port. Not only is Arabian Nights not fun—it goes out of its way to be spectacularly un-fun and fight you every step of the way. You get a lot of levels in this game, and each offers a new lesson in aggravation. Invisible, sudden- death traps— lethal stuff like falling blades, spring- ing spikes and crushing columns— pop up in nearly every new room. You find most of these hazards the hard way: by dying, a lot, and that means you'll do a lot of reloading from the game's too-scattered save points. In short, this thing's just plain cruel. On top of that, control is awful, an order of magnitude worse than in Tomb Raider. Jumping feels unnatural. That's no good at all, considering all the high ledges and platforms you face in the later levels. And don't even get me started on the combat system. Blocking enemy sword attacks seems more like a matter of luck than skill. Save yourself the frustration and just run from enemies like a li'l Persian princess. Arabian Nights looks just plain awful too. Your character runs like his shoestrings are tied together. Textures, although crisp, are way too repetitive. It makes for one big, bland, horribly frustrating adventure that — trust me—you really don't want to play. Stick with the Tomb Raider games. They're a much better 3D take on the Prince of Persia formula. Crispi Wow, there’s nothing Tenjoy m more e than Guns and having to reload a saved game— something that hap- pened, oh, every two minutes in Arabian Nights. Yes, this 3D Prince of Persia was always meant to be a console game, even when it was released for the PC last year, and here it finally is, on the Dreamcast to boot. And man, am | ever disappointed. It's not that the control or gameplay is bad...it’s just frustrat- ing. There are hard-to-see traps all over the place, ones you don't notice until you're dead, and the save system is archaic. Overall this game feels like noth- ing more than a slow-paced Tomb Raider, which is just about as appealing as it sounds. Ryan Taking the Prince to Tomb Raider territory didn't turn out so well on the PC, and while this Dreamcast ver- sion doesn't offer much more, there is merit to what's going on here. Placing a higher premium on puzzle- solving than out-and-out bad-guy hacking works in its favor, as the camera angles and controls aren't quite up to task for full-on combat. The graphics (especially the painful FMV), are merely OK, and the Prince himself looks like kind of a doofus, but the Arabian architecture is pretty nice. Unfortunately, Arabian Nights is more of a rental than a purchase, as it fails to recapture the things that made the origi- nal so good all those years ago. Milkman INGENUITY REPLAY _ VISUALS SOUND Publisher: Conspiracy Entertainment | Developer: Neverland/ESP Featured In: EGM #131 || Players: 1 * Supports: None Best Feature: Addictive gameplay Worst Feature: Simple graphics Web Site: www.conspiracy-games.com Let’s skip that “imitation is the best form of flattery” line and just get to the point: The developers behind Lodoss War liked the Diablo series. A lot. And, believe it or not, they made a game that actually sur- passes Blizzard’s PC phenomenon in many ways. Keeping the general feel from Diablo, Lodoss War has the same kind of super-addictive, just-have-to-keep- playing-for-10-more-minutes gameplay, complete with the hundreds of items, dozens upon dozens of unique weapons and armor (all upgradeable with an almost too extensive power-up system), a solid story line and a fantastic sense of killing. There are parts where you'll be hacking through scores of goblins and such, and it just feels great. But where Lodoss War actually exceeds Diablo is in its control. Unlike the point-and-click interface found in the Blizzard series, Lodoss War gives you full analog freedom, and it's spot-on. It did take me a few hours to really get into the game, but once the gameplay and story line grabbed me, it was very, very hard to get away— a rare feeling in games these days. It does feel a bit "first generation," though. Even with the great ani- mation, the creatures you face are simple-looking. The environments are nothing spectacular. There are no shadows. But all of this is easy to ignore once you get into the gameplay. Lodoss War is addicting, fun and very satisfying—easily one of the best con- sole action/RPG: Whether intentional or or r not, Lodoss Waris Diablo for the Dreamcast. From its PC feel to its quests-within- a-quest infrastructure to its magic, weapons and armor systems, it feels a lot like Blizzard's genre- defining hit of the "905. That's really OK, though, 'cause Lodoss War is fun and very easy to get into, even if you know nothing about the pen-and-paper RPG or Manga it takes its name from. It's a good- looking game, but | did see some slowdown prob- lems when going after hordes of enemies, which is a considerable turn-off. Don't get too excited here— Lodoss War doesn't break any new ground. But at the very least it's a solid title. Jonathan Although it offers no multiplayer modes (which is disappointing considering the DC’s online capabili- ties), Lodoss War is an impressive improvement over PC Diablo, so | don’t really mind that it’s a shameless rip-off. The control is superb; many action-RPG interfaces are clunky, but this one is very easy to learn and use. The graphics are some of the best in the genre. Your 3D characters’ appearances change as you outfit them, and spells look great when they tear through the bad guys. The only prob- lem here is the slowdown during big battles (and there’s many of them), but don’t let that stop you from trying this excellent game. Kraig VISUALS REPLAY SOUND INGENUITY 107 PERFECTO Í Publisher: Sega Developer: Sega Featured In: EGM #139 Players: 1-2 Supports: Keyboard Best Feature: Hysterical gameplay Worst Feature: Too weird for some folks Web Site: www.sega.com I would have paid money to have been іп оп the brainstorming session for this one. “Yes, let’s take our number-one shooting game and add typing! Genius!” Despite the incredulous origins, this may yet reach a surprisingly wide audience. When | first saw it at last spring’s Tokyo Game Show (with two quick-fingered secretaries at the helm) and then in a Japanese arcade, | thought I'd seen everything. Yet, somehow, it works. Take The House of the Dead, nix the need for light-guns, plug in a keyboard and you've got Typing of the Dead! As zombies approach, words pop onscreen. You must type out the words that appear. The faster you type, the higher you score. The more accurately you type, the higher you score. Suck at typing? Fear not, the in-game tutorial mode will have today's Web-savvy gamers clicking their keyboards faster than ever. The game features the familiar arcade and original modes, among oth- ers. Original mode allows you to earn special items for one-time use (usually by hitting the F1, F2, F3 and F4 buttons), and is a bit more enjoyable than the straight arcade port. The real hilarity is when you see the cutscenes, which reveal the characters with Dreamcasts strapped to their backs and keyboards bound to their chests. 105 an inspired piece of software that may not be for everyone, but quirky gamers'll no doubt find it an extremely enjoyable, humorous game. Milkman Without. a doubt, The Typing of the Dead is the best typing-training/zombie-murder simulator I’ve played thus far in 2001 (yes, even better than Night of the Brain-eating Mavis Beacons for PC), but | gotta wonder how much appeal this game will have for folks who long ago played, beat and buried The House of the Dead. Aside from its typing drills, “edu- tainment” value and sheer novelty, this sucker does- n't offer much new. And you really need to be careful where you place your keyboard or you'll be stuck in carpal-tunnel-syndrome city for a week (my finger- tips are still tingling). Still, this game delivers unique thrills, and it's fairly и to boot. Crispin This i is TE Поуе Sega. Who else would have the rocks to bring a title like this to these shores know- ing it likely won't make much money? Basically, this is a typing tutorial that plays out like House of the Dead 2. It's the same game, except for a few new challenges in each level (like beating 10 zombies in 30 seconds and such) and some weird power-ups that simplify the required words or change the form of your onscreen counterpart. Somehow, though, | don't see parents buying this as a typing tutor for their children with all the carnage and horrific themes involved. Plus the font makes it hard to dis- cern a period from a comma. Greg ву HP 262/262 /F TP 307/353 A Lv 25 ^T winkiKabuki De Rol Le | Attribute: A.Beast Publisher: Sega Developer: Sonic Team Featured In: EGM #140 Players: 1-4 (online) Supports: VMU, Keyboard, SegaNet Best Feature: Online player interaction Worst Feature: Lock-on fighting system Web Site: www.sega.com irst, so everyone knows, we played Phantasy Star Online on a server Sega established for the U.S. gaming press, and the load of players on this server (rarely even 10 people at once) was substantially lower than it will be once the game is released. Also note that we were unable to play with gamers from other countries, and we lost all of our items a few times due to a Save-game bug. The following reviews are based on impressions from our Chicago- and San Francisco-based editors playing on that server via the standard DC 56K modem. Sega assures us performance will be identical once hordes of gamers hit the servers and that the bug will be worked out, but if there are prob- lems we'll print an update on this review next issue. We also resurrected the old four-review system, since it seemed appropriate for the four-player online experience. Attribute:Machine | Now for the review: Opinions of this game varied a bit between the crew, so here we'll stick to the five things we could all agree on. One: Whether or not you enjoyed earlier Phantasy Star games has nothing to do with how you will like PSO. The game is tied into the series, but only in subtle ways— spell and item names, a few monsters and one very special boss—but anyone expecting Myau or Nei to pop up are gonna be sorely disappoint- ed. Two: Playing PSO without a keyboard is like playing Samba de Amigo without the maracas—it's possible, but you won't be experiencing anything close to what the game truly offers. You need to be able to chat with the other players, and the on-screen keyboard just doesn't cut the mustard. Three: The graphics and music are amazing. Each of the four dungeons, with two or three sub-sections each, are totally different and stunningly beautiful. Monster designs, player anima- tions, spell effects—all are topnotch. Four: As a single-player game, PSO doesn't fare so well. Story is almost nonexistent and there are very few recurring characters. Plus, with- out fellow party members to help you out (save the dim-witted Al partners who join you now and then) combat is a chore—run over here, attack a couple times, run over there, attack a few times more, run back, repeat over and over. But the main purpose of single- player is—or should be, anyway —merely to train your character for the online game. Which brings us to our fifth and final point of unanimous agreement: If you aren't careful, PSO can become an addiction so all-consum- ing it makes heroin look like peanut-butter cookies. The whole social-interaction-with- other-players aspect, where you not only fight 108 Ey rk Attribute:A.Beast к REPLAY VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY Make no mistake, PSO has some glaring problems: Combat is repetitive, especially in single-player, there's lots of slowdown when things get heavy online, the lock-on system needs work (it's too easy to lose a lock), and technical annoyances like not being able to continue your game on a different Dreamcast and only one character per VMU just suck. And yet for all of its flaws, when the power blew out in my apartment 1 unplugged the fridge from the one working outlet to continue playing PSO. Yes, | am addicted. What keeps me coming back? It's not the aesthetics, despite graphics that are right up there with Jet Grind as the best ever on Sega's machine, and fantastic music that hasn't got- ten old even after more than 80 hours of play. No, the true beauty of this game is building up your charac- ter and interacting with other players. Customizing menus, making binds and symbol chat icons, raising your MAG sidekick, all the different kinds of special armor and weapons there's so much you can do to give your character his or her own personality. And the multiplayer dynamic, including stuff like formu- lating battle strategies, trading items, taking on the bosses (wait until you see them), or even just chat- ting, is unlike any other console game. PSO is defi- nitely flawed, but it's a testament to how well the enjoyable parts work that it's still incredibly fun and impossible to put down. Mark 2! ег. |) Do you need my assistance? "| Which item should I examine? alongside but really get to know and befriend other people, is like a great multiplayer game and Internet chat room in one. And when you make friends, it's quick and easy to find them online. Players can give each other cards (like a business card) with their name, e-mail address, whatever they want on it. You can use that card to instantly see if that person is online, where they are, and meet them or send them e-mail, all within the game. Adding to PSO's addictiveness are all the different ways to build your character and set them apart from everyone else. Besides the obvious stuff (choose your own hair, body size, color, etc.), you'll find custom chat icons you can make and all sorts of different ways of strengthening your character and your MAG sidekick. Now for the crew's individual takes: Phantasy Star Online is a beautiful, beautiful game, easily one of the best-looking l've ever seen. But, as a single-player game, it's also one of the most boring and monotonous I’ve ever experienced. Going into the same level 20 times on "fetch quests" and fight- ing the same boring enemies thousands of times isn't exactly my idea of fun. The monster АІ is crap, there are tons of collision problems, and the lock-on is weak. Thankfully, though, the "online" part of PSO's name isn't just there for show— this title really is meant to be played on the Internet, and as a multi- player game it succeeds wonderfully. Hell, | played the single-player game for 20 odd hours and couldn't stand to look at it for another second, yet after only a few minutes of online play, it was almost impos- sible to put down. The magic behind playing PSO on the Internet is the feeling of interactivity you experi- ence with other players—the super-addictive nature of cooperation and teamwork, something games like Quake Ill and NFL 2K1 really can't portray. There's something about running into a room full of enemies with your buddies and helping each other take them down, something wonderful. Hopefully Sega will release an update disk with some new levels in the future. | can certainly see this getting old eventually, but for now I’m having a grand time, warts and all. Just stay away from the one-player game, and I'll see you online. Ryan Pofulily Slime Attribute: A.Beast Behold the Photon Blast. It's basically a special attack that your MAG sidekick can perform after you take enough damage. You get all sorts of different Photon Blasts, some offensive, some defensive. Which ones your MAG earns depends on how you raise it. It's just another cool way PSO lets you make your character different from anyone else's. The upper-left pic is a Tekker. He's the guy who identifies any unknown items you may pick up. Tam the Queen, bow down, dor! Iwas really looking forward to this game, but the final product has left me with a love/hate feeling. PSO fancies itself a futuristic Diablo 2, and yet misses its marks more often than not. Aside from the stunning visuals, and the cool but limited create-a-player function, PSO is really a pretty basic game. Level-raising and item-finding becomes rather addictive once you get into the hard or very hard difficulty levels, but the game is marred by an evil camera, sluggish control (there is auto-target, but no auto-lock— did Zelda teach us nothing?), stu- pid yet relentless Al for the enemies, and super- repetitive gameplay. Most of the game is spent run- ning back into area-dividers, which monsters cannot cross, and taking pot shots at them from afar. Deeper into the game, the difficulty spikes, but the dys- functional gameplay remains the same. While the single-player experience is especially lame, the online game saves the day. Sure, multiplayer suffers all the same problems, but there's something to be said for joining up with three other people for an online ass-kicking session. Creating your alter-ego is a rush, but the game needs more dungeons to explore. Technically, PSO achieves many things, and there is great potential to this new series, but this virgin effort does not display the quality gameplay Sonic Team is usually known for. Still, this is SegaNet's killer-app by far. Milkman I'm torn. | think the online aspect of PSO is incredi- ble. I love that up to four people have to work togeth- er to fight endless streams of enemies and incredibly tough bosses. | like that people have to share the items that are gained from exploration and battle, and even agree on which areas should be explored first. And of course, I’m overjoyed that Phantasy Star has finally made a return to retail after all these long years. The graphics are great, especially in some of the later levels, and the game has that techno-myth- ical feel that made the first four so awesome. Being able to create your character from scratch (sort of) is also really cool. | guess my only real complaint is that the game gets too monotonous. Almost the entire game consists of opening a door, clearing out the room of monsters and traps, collecting the booty, and moving on to the next room. The cool team play and pretty graphics make it a little easier to take, but at the end of the day that's all you're really doing unless you're in a chat room lobby or fighting one of the gigantic bosses. It all gets very tiresome after a while. This genre needs to be refined a lot before console RPG players, who are used to epic story lines and concentrated character development, will feel totally comfortable playing online. Phantasy Star Online is still revolutionary, and | still say anyone with a DC and Internet connection should play it, but you may be a tad disappointed. Greg Acclaim Publisher: Developer: Clockwork Games Ltd. Featured In: EGM #133 Players: 12 Supports: Jump Pack, SegaNet Best Feature: Nice graphics Worst Feature: Floaty physics Web Site: www.acclaim.com Aaarg! If | get run off the road by another VW bus I'm gonna explode! Why the hell are those sputtering tubs in the game anyway? Being sabotaged in the final lengths of a race by some lame-o, slow-moving jerk is BS! But that's what you have to tolerate in Vanishing Point—lots of frustration. First of all, you're competing for the best overall time, which is fine, but you're doing it with several other gear-heads among alot of slow-moving traffic. So while it feels like a real race, the other cars are only there to make your life miserable. OK, not a problem, but in order to unlock the faster cars and options you must win each heat in the Tournament Mode. The problem is, you have to do it with some of the sloppiest handling vehicles known to man. Fortunately, with practice, you can gain a pretty good command of the inherently floaty cars. Once you've done that you сап access the superior handling rigs. The question remains though, do you have the patience to see it through? And why are you expected to race with such precise, sim-like accuracy when the cars handle like arcade racers? It's a puzzling game but if you're willing to invest the time, there's some fun to be had. It's fast, the licensed vehicles look good and the Internet chal- lenge is strangely addictive (even though it's only for posting best times— not real-time racing). Since the game is so niche you should probably rent it for a couple nights to see if you can handle it. Dean This game has so much potential. Its loads of licensed cars, solid graphics and a good framerate all make the experience look enjoyable enough—at least until you pick up the controller. Then you real- ize that no matter what car you choose, you always feel like you're racing on ice. No matter how big your vehicle is, even. a tiny VW Beetle can bump you off the road. And no matter how good you are, you're still gonna bust a lot of DC controllers. This game is frustrating. The basic ingredients for a quality racer are here, but much like MSR before it, Vanishing Point needed a lot more playtesting before hitting the market. Don't even bother. Greg Vanishing Point is a very substantial attempt at injecting some life in the ever-crowded driving-game genre. Featuring a game engine that allows for virtu- ally no pop-up (hence the name), VP is a graphically Slick game that swims along at a snappy 60 frames per second, with nice car models and some decent track design. The game packs plenty of value, as it throws in Crazy Taxi-style mini-games and chal- lenges, a rally mode and plenty of multiplayer options. Handling takes some getting used to (hint: Let go of the analog to let your car center), and the cars feel a little floaty at times, but generally, this is quite a fine racing game. Milkman INGENUITY REPLAY VISUALS SOUND Red Storm 22 Rayland Ent. everyone N/A cM Nice back- ground graphics Jump Pack Cheap, long, annoying missions www.redstorm.com Red Storm did a great job of disguising this as a good game. At first glance, | was wowed by the amazing graphics—it looks like Colony Wars on steroids. The backgrounds are good enough to be in a space movie, and the weapons, explosions and lighting effects are excellent. Now if only the gameplay were just as rewarding. Gunship Elite falls into the trap that a lot of games in this genre do—the missions are too long and tedious. Most of them have a com- plete laundry list of objectives, each of which takes a while to accomplish. And if you fail one, it's time to do the whole thing over again. | can understand hav- ing a few missions like this to bust your balls, but my frustration started as early as level two. There is also very little strategy; Fighters endlessly pop out of nowhere, giving you little incentive to clear the field before going after the big targets. Dogfighting is also nonexistent, as it's hard to see enemy laser blasts and you usually pick at fighters from a distance, after which they zoom by you. If you want a space-action game, Starlancer would be a better choice. Kraig VISUALS INGENUITY REPLAY SOUND Conspiracy Games Treasure EGM #133 1 Innovative None shooter design Graphics are — www.conspira- really old-school cygames.com Treasure makes the niftiest shooters in town, and this is yet another example of their expertise. With Robotron-style controls and super sprite-madness, this funky shooter is aimed directly at the hard- core gamer who likes a stiff challenge. Lucky to be on U.S. shores at all (thanks, Conspiracy), Bangai-O! offers a nutbag story line, Ultraman-size robots, fast action (with very little slowdown) and swarms of ene- mies to blow away. The graphics are definitely 16-bit quality, but run in high-resolution and sport a level of 2D detail that will make you yearn for the days when games like this were commonplace. Not that Treasure ever does anything commonplace. The fruit- collecting antics of the game will have you reaching for the Visine, as you rediscover (һе meaning of "twitch gaming." Sadly, the game is only a single- player experience, although you can switch between two different mechs—one with homing missiles and the other with ricochet shots. Don't be put off by the extremely tiny characters, or you'll be missing a wicked little game. Milkman SOUND INGENUITY БЕРІЛҮ VISUALS Acclaim Acclaim Studios Salt Lake City EGM #135 14 modes and options Still stinks of WWF Attitude Jump Pack www.acclaim.com ECW Anarchy Rulz, while boasting an "all-new control system," still can't shake the musty smell of its WWF Attitude roots. The problems aren't with its visuals or gameplay speed—everything moves fast and the graphics are sharp. I'm just not keen on the poor control timing and shoddy collision detection, which reduce the gameplay to button-mashing ran- domness. Combine that with the cheap Al and you're due for some controller-bashing frustration. The announcers can't keep up with the action, either. Anarchy Rulz does have its good points. | like the tie- up meter for pulling off more complex moves, stat tracking is cool, and Create-a-Freak is very detailed. You'll find plenty of wrestlers, modes and options early on with even more to unlock. But the high diffi- culty and frustration level shows how much other titles have evolved. Maybe the Acclaim guys will play WWF Royal Rumble and learn something about con- trols, while Yuke's Co. will play this game and take a cue from its play modes. Then maybe Dreamcast owners will get a good grapple game. Mike VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY THQ Heavy Iron Studios EGM #138 1 Bruce Everything Jump Pack that’s not Bruce www.thq.com Hype has surrounded this game for over a year now, and a legion of splatter-film buffs have been count- ing the days ’til its release. Well guys, I hate to say it, but this package is a total letdown. It shame- lessly copies Resident Evil—right down to the item boxes and fixed axis control. Lifting every element from Capcom's survival horror games forces a com- parison, and let me tell you, Hail to the King does not benefit by placing itself in that position. Ash is no Claire Redfield —he can't spin 180 degrees with the touch of a button, and his movements are very stiff. The game's enemies also lack finesse: Deadites are little more than regenerating distractions that slowly drain you of ammo and energy. Bosses look cool, but fighting against them is more irritating than fun. It's frustrating—when a game looks this good, and its quest is this large, you know a lot of time was spent on production—so why is the end product totally busted? Without question, Evil Dead: HTTK stands as one of 2000's biggest disappointments. Not even Bruce Campbell's voice-overs can save it. Ethan INGENUITY REPLAY VISUALS SOUND 110 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. t | et www.zdnet.com 62000 2D Inc. ZDNet, the ZDNet logo, and Where Technolo Y Publishe Mattel Interactive Developer Treyarch EGM #36 : Stunning >: No strafing buttons www.maxsteel.com Yes, this release is branded with a lame kiddie license, but don't dismiss the game before giving it a try. Max Steel is far better than you'd expect it to be. From a visual standpoint, it's absolutely breath- taking. The environments sport an incredible level of detail — enemy quarters look messy and lived in, city Streets are illuminated by half-broken neon lights, etc. Characters move with fluidity and grace, and the framerate is locked at a smooth 6ofps. If the quality ofthe play mechanics were on par with the graphics, we'd have a minor classic on our hands. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Max controls too loosely, making it a hassle to jump, climb. or pick things up. More problematic is the lack of strafing buttons. Since much of the action forces you to round sharp corners, this omission is profoundly irri- tating. Ultimately the title’s pros outweigh its cons, but not to the degree that a purchase is justified. Rent the game during a long, laid-back weekend. It's easy to get into, and offers just enough fun to keep you busy for a three-day stretch. Ethan REPLAY SOUND INGENUITY VISUALS Feature: Classic теп өү e: Having to tilt your ош pad Jump Pack We www. ase com The popularity of the original Q*Bert arcade machine stemmed from its simple, elegant game design. And, on the surface, a lot seems to have been added to the formula with this update—our hero now has to Scale mountains, dodge booby traps and visit ancient temples. But fortunately, these varied set- tings and obstacles do not alter the nature of the game; they only act as window dressing. Q*Bert has- n't learned any new tricks. He's still only capable of performing single diagonal hops, and his objectives never deviate from having to switch block colors. This is an affectionate, respectful remake, and it'll be sure to delight old-school gamers — provid- ed they can familiarize themselves with the infu- riating control scheme. The configuration menu indicates that players should hold their controllers at a 45 degree angle while playing, which is very uncomfortable. There is no way to adjust this, and if you do not tilt your pad, gameplay becomes very dis- orienting. @&!#*! Sadly, this flaw really tarnishes what is otherwise a well-designed game. Ethan REPLAY VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY Paner Mario Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Intelligent Systems T Featured In: ЕСМ #137 Players: 1 Supports: Rumble Pak BestFeature: Lots of variety Worst Feature: Web Site: Nothing worth noting www.nintendo.com The N64’s long RPG drought has come to an end in the best way possible. Paper Mario is simply awe- some. The game's combination of stylized, flat-as- paper characters and 3D worlds is really the perfect way to deliver the high-tech look RPG fans have grown accustomed to while retaining the cool car- toony qualities Mario fans have grown to love. The whole package is pretty topnotch. The music is respectable, and the translation is very well-done. | didn't expect а Nintendo RPG to contain as many genuinely funny moments as Paper Mario does. The translation also. does an excellent job of giving each character in the Mario universe a very real personali- ty, especially poor, overlooked Luigi. Pudgy, mousta- chioed Italians aside, though, the real star of Paper Mario is the incredibly diverse gameplay. As he goes about his quest, Mario meets various partners, one of which he can have in battle at any time. They all have separate types of attack (from Goombario's jump to Spike's spiny offense), and strategic use of them is the only way to finish the game. The variety doesn't stop there. Every chapter in Paper Mario is as unique as can be. What's more, the game isn't some six-hour affair that you'll finish in-one sitting. You'll really need patience, dedication and a little luck to rescue Princess Peach this time. Speaking of which, you'll get some real Metal Gear moments with her majesty, too. Buy it. Greg Dance Dance Revolution ЕШ ШШ: SBE TT ЕВГЕ 747 T M € 12 «5:68 р Копаті Publisher: Developer: Konami CET Featured In: М/А Players: 12 Supports: Dance Mat Best Feature: Great fun with a group of friends Worst Feature: Limited song selection Web Site: www.konami.com lam a fan of music games, so | was ecstatic to see Konami finally come to their senses and release their most popular Japanese game in the U.S. It's not all that it could've been (the song selection is lacking; it’s missing "Butterfly"—a travesty), but it's a good first entry to ensnare U.S. gamers. To enjoy this game, you must have a mat controller (preferably two) and a group of friends to play with. Soon enough you'll find yourself dancing around even if you are a tall, gangly white boy (like me). If you enjoyed Sega's Samba de Amigo, you're going to like this. It’s a workout— you will break a sweat using the mat. Watch someone cut it up on Expert difficulty and you'll appreciate how amazing this game can be. І can honestly say I’ve gotten more enjoyment out of the DDR games than any game series ever. l've played it constantly since the first Japanese version came out. For those familiar with the series, I'd put it between the first game and 2nd Remix in terms of quality and song selection. The dance tunes mostly consist of Konami originals, and unfortunately there are no songs by Papaya, smile.dk or E-rotic in the bunch—which is why my score isn't higher. I'm hop- ing that people buy this thing and show Konami that the music-game genre can sell in the U.S. so they'll release more titles with better songs and more options. If you like dance music or wacky Japanese games — buy it. You won't regret it. Chris Ignore the name on the box— this is Mario RPG 2, and it lives up to the first game both in content and quality. The whole 2D “paper” spin is an inspired move, giving everything a unique and colorful look while avoiding the trademark N64 blur effect. Like Mario RPG, Paper Mario also does a fantastic job of using the plumber's world — hammers, stars, coins, Shyguys—everything is pure Mario. Timed button presses and new partners keep combat surprisingly fresh (a sore point in many modern RPGs) and all the powers Mario earns from badges give a real sense of building your character. Secrets, optional side quests, mini-games, it's got it all. Mark It's more like March March Revolution the way most people play this game, but no matter what you call it, it's one helluva lot of fun. Once you learn how to stay balanced and hit the steps, it's hard to pull yourself away—you'll be trying to finish the harder songs and master the simple ones until your legs are lit- erally sore. But there are drawbacks too. The game and dance mat combo is $60, and honestly you need another $50 mat for DDR to live up to its party- game potential; that's a fair chunk of change. Also, there's no really catchy or recognizable music (outside of one “Smoke on the Water" remix) and too many of the tracks sound alike. Cool but | want a remix! Mark For you old-schoolers who didn’t take kindly to Mario’s 3D transformation, Nintendo has flattened his world right out for this platformer/RPG. A brilliant extension to the gameplay, characters and story of Mario RPG, Paper Mario is a long overdue return of our favorite Nintendo heroes doing what they do best. The game boasts all of the franchise's defining traits, with tons of old and new interactive characters moving to an engaging score. Plus, you finally get to see what happens to the ol’ princess while awaiting rescue (she's playable!). If you have a soul, you'll enjoy this game. If you don't, well, games are prob- ably the least of your worries anyway. Jonathan SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY 8 8 8 1 lon 112 Inet.cor VISUALS Let’s get something out of the way right from the start: lm addicted to DDR. Yeah, you'll look like a fool doing it and the dance pad might cost more than you're used to spending, but man is it worth it. DDR is a decent way to exercise and a hell of a lot of fun when you get a group of like-minded people togeth- er for a few hours. Especially when one of them is Chris Johnston, who's got more rhythm than any man I've met. The thing that keeps this first U.S. version of DDR from greatness is the very limited song selection and the fact that some of the best songs on the Japanese version were left out. Otherwise, | recom- mend it if you haven't imported зга Mix yet. Greg SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY 9 1 9 9 VISUALS MATURE Publisher: THQ Developer: Heavy Iron Studios Featured In: EGM #139 Players: 1 Supports: Dual Shock Best Feature: Voice of Bruce Campbell Worst Feature: Crap gameplay Web Site: www.thq.com It's really too bad. How could a game fashioned after Resident Evil and combined with the pure coolness of Evil Dead go wrong? Apparently quite easily. I’ve got to admit, as a huge (huge, huge) fan of the Evil Dead movies, I'm a little pissed off. THQ took what was looking like a sure thing and dropped the ball on dozens of gameplay aspects, both big and small. First of all, respawning enemies are just bad. Especially when they pop up right after you just fin- ish one off. | can’t count the number of times | killed a foe, went to pick up the item he dropped, just to have yet another deadite come crawling out of the ground. That adds frustration, not challenge. And the camera angles are another major problemo. There's nowhere near enough of them, so too often you find yourself fighting and not even really able to see your character. The battles are just boring, with little skill needed, and the graphics really aren't that great. Oh, and the plot is terrible; not to give anything away, but why can't a grown man stop a tape player? Even with all the downsides though, this game still has one major thing going for it: The Evil Dead name. It's great to be able to walk around the cabin and other famous Evil Dead locations, and the voice of Bruce Campbell really adds a lot. But | was hoping for more, much more. Fans of the series might want to check it out, but those looking for a solid game should stay away. Far away. Ryan THQ had a good idea when they got the Evil Dead license. After all, Bruce Campbell is a fine voice- actor, as proven by his work on Broken Helix. That the game copies Resident Evil is not so much a prob- lem as is the crappy combat system (your chainsaw runs out of gas every five seconds), and the spastic camera angles. Good grief. Every time you kill a mon- ster another one spawns in its place, before you've had а chance to even move from that spot. It's almost like an endless cycle of battles. Each baddie also drops a medkit, 'cause you'll need 'em. It's a shame, really, as the source material is topnotch, but this game offers very few surprises. Milkman Being a hardcore fan of the Dead film trilogy, | really wanted to like this title. Unfortunately, sloppy con- trols, regenerating enemies and baffling level designs make for a very disappointing play experi- ence. Too bad, given all that the game has going for it: The prerendered backgrounds look great; the quest—which touches on elements from all three movies—is lengthy; and the clever implementation ofataunt button allows you to crack wise while hack- ing up deadites. The style is there, but if the game isn't any fun to play, who cares? Most fans will pick this up regardless of reviews, but just remember, guys— you've been warned. Ethan INGENUITY — REPLAY VISUALS SOUND 1 8 4 4 Publisher: EA Sports Developer: EA Sports Featured In: N/A Players: 1-8 Supports: Multi-tap Best Feature: Lots of teams Worst Feature: No analog support Web Site: www.easports.com While last year’s March Madness game was a decent first effort from Black Ops, this is a decided step backward. | think the sports term that applies here is sophomore slump. Shot blocking, a major problem in last year’s game, has gone through the roof. It’s like playing against a team of Manute Bols. But the offensive woes don’t stop there. Bringing the ball up against the press is another exercise in futility, as the CPU is all too happy to swipe the ball for a five-on- none break. The mechanics are so sloppy that inbounding the ball even becomes a guessing game. Sometimes a CPU defender will magically vacuum the ball away from your guys. Not cool. Finally, as if to add insult to injury, EA decided not to bring back the voice of commentator Dick Vitale. | know this doesn’t sound too important to all you sports “purists” out there, but believe me, he helped make last year’s game. It was hilarious to get a run going and hear Dicky V harping on and on about how you (well, your team) are the greatest thing ever. Now you get canned phrases and remarks that are straight from sports cliché 101. On the bright side, or shall we say dimly lit side, you can now unlock special moves and high-flying dunks for your players. Franchise mode and recruiting are still intact, but no real improve- ments were made in this area. | don't know what else to say except that | hope you're enjoying year 10 of your franchise from March Madness 2000. Бап Any sports game that doesn't have analog control has a big strike against it right off the bat. Once you go analog, you never go back—unless of course you're playing March Madness 2001. Overall, the problems outweigh the positives here. | had the hardest time with the difficulty levels. On the easier settings the steals are rampant. Crank it up to Senior level and they're still rampant. There's an option to turn them down manually but still, the steals are many. There are actually several adjustable ele- ments— steals, Al, game pace, etc., but in the end I'd rather not be bothered trying to find the perfect com- bination. MM 2001 is а bit disappointing. Dean EA's commitment to their college games has always been suspect, and this is the biggest rush job I’ve ever seen them do. The first clue came when І could- n't control the game with the analog sticks— what's up with that? | can't remember the last game that didn't support analog control, but | have my suspi- cions why this one doesn't: It probably wouldn't have worked properly with the jittery player animations. It's not just the graphics that need a tweaking—the gameplay is just as raw. There are way too many blocks and steals, and even though there's a sliding bar that lets you adjust those, it's EA's job, not mine, to make this game play right. Kraig VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY 5 5 4 5 113 Persona 2: EU Eternal Punishment Publisher: Atlus Developer: Atlus Featured In: ЕСМ #139 Players: 1 Supports: Dual Shock Best Feature: Deep story line Worst Feature: Bad voices in battles Web Site: www.atlus.com | love medieval-themed RPGs, | really do, but some- times it’s cool to take a break and get a taste of something a little different. Which, of course, is where Persona 2 comes in. This game is cool, pure and simple. It’s got solid graphics, great music, and one of the most compelling plots I’ve experi- enced in an RPG in a while. The story line has a dis- tinct movie feel to it—it's much deeper and more involving then even seasoned RPG fans might expect, and the characters are incredibly well-devel- oped. The whole serial killer idea is excellent, and | love that certain events don't happen until you start up rumors. Persona 2 also has a sense of style that is second to none, accompanied by fantastic artwork (some of the animated cinemas are simply breath- taking), giving it a very mature feel. And the 3D graphics are wonderful—a bit simple in design but there's loads of detail. Even though it really doesn't affect the game, I’m still upset Atlus chose to skip the “first” Persona 2 (see last month’s preview for more details), and | hope this one does well enough to jus- tify bringing the original game out. It should—it’s a great RPG hampered only by some lame voices in battles and the fact it’s not always clear what to do next. Will every RPG fan enjoy Persona 2? No, not a chance. It takes a while to get into and the modern setting will surely turn off a few, but those who give it a chance will no doubt be impressed. Ryan RPGs traditionally thrust you into a time and place so different from reality, it’s an altogether foreign expe- rience. A game that can create this fantasy world using elements that are instead very familiar to the player is that much more enthralling. This is where Persona 2 shines; folding occult elements into an off- beat serial-killer plot starring an otherwise ordinary group of young adults. P2 demands a lot of atten- tion and strategy, but is extremely satisfying if you oblige. The localization is a bit rough, and the complex gameplay is only for seasoned RPG folk, but even those who disliked the original should give Persona 2 a few hours to prove itself. Jonathan The Persona series has always had a different flavor from most RPGs. Focusing on modern-day school kids is one unique way to approach an RPG, and this is one of the most stylish yet. Despite being only one half of Persona 2 (the first part only came out in Japan), American gamers will be able to follow the story just fine. Sharp graphics, a dark story line, and a complex, yet utterly rewarding battle-system make up the backbone of this game. Persona 2 has loads of optional mini-games and a cast of memorable characters. The translation has also been handled rather well. A step to the left of “conventional” RPGs, this is for more eclectic tastes. Milkman VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY 8 8 8 1 The Road to Е Dorado y Publisher: Ubi Soft Developer: LSP Featured In: EGM #136 Players: 4 Supports: Dual Shock Web Site: www.ubisoft.com Best Feature: Great voice acting Worst Feature: Choppy ani- mation If you're looking for a fast-paced, exciting game, please take note: There is no action in this adven- ture, based on the animated flick. Gold and Glory is all about exploration and puzzle solving. This game is cut from the same cloth as King's Quest, which makes it rare in the realm of console entertainment. Unfortunately, it's not as well-designed as that clas- sic PC game— easy puzzles often border on insulting, character animation is choppy, and collision detec- tion is poorly implemented. Surprisingly, the game still manages to provide a worthwhile play experi- ence, regardless of these (rather substantial) flaws. Its relaxed pace allows for an impressive level of character development. Extensive, well-written dia- logue and stellar voice acting combine to give every individual you bump into a distinct personality. And most importantly: The game's general tone and sense of humor suits the license. EL Dorado's devel- opers understand the source material and are quite successful in embellishing the movie's world. Give it a try if you liked the film. Ethan SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY 1 8 8 5 VISUALS Jungle Book Rhythm n' Groove Publisher: Ubi Soft Developer: Ubi Soft Featured In: EGM #138 Players: 12 Supports: Dance Mat Web Site: www.ubisoft.com суу. h Best Feature: Features two Disney tunes Worst Feature: Rest of the music/gameplay is lame Maybe Rhythm n' Groove would be a good time if you're under 10, a Jungle Book fanatic or like Lou Bega. Any music game is only going to be as good as its music. Unfortunately, Rhythm n' Groove's tunes aren't sonically pleasing to us adults. The music's catchy, but not in a good way. Stages are really long— you want it to be over so you can get the #@%S! tunes out of your head. Power-ups don't really do much for the game. For example, the Firewall power- up leaves you standing there for a few seconds with no steps to do. Having to perform extra steps to defeat bosses is a cool idea, but even that seems a lit- tle out of place— you have to glance away from the steps you're required to take to peer at the steps needed to beat the boss. Thankfully there are two songs from the real Jungle Book movie, but that can't save this 12-stage game. There is a bonus stage fea- tures Lou Bega's rendition of “I Wan'na Be Like You," but it's not much different from the old version. If you're looking for a good dancing game that's a little more mature, get Dance Dance Revolution. Ghris VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY 9 4 4 3 The Bouncer = "SION wur _ LR Publisher: Square EA Developer: Dream Factory Featured In: ЕСМ #136 LIE Players: 1-4 Supports: Multi-tap Best Feature: Lots of cool attack moves Worst Feature: It's darn short Web Site: www.Squareusa.com When Square ran a non-playable, gameplay-free demo of The Bouncer at the last E3, everyone was disappointed, to say the least. And now that I’ve played the finished product, the disappointment sets in again. Why? Probably because all the hype sur- rounding this title since its conception made me think I'd spend more than an hour-and-a-half busting through it. I've beaten the game four times, have all my characters to top status with every special move unlocked, and feel like I've played the heck out of it, but my game clock is in no danger of hitting 10 hours anytime soon (bear in mind | skipped any redundant cinemas). The Final Fight-style action is a great, almost nostalgic element, but it takes at least two trips through to build up all your special attacks, so the real fun doesn’t set in until then. The idea here is that you play the game using each of the three bouncers for key battles to access different paths of the game, see new cinemas, and build character abil- ities. You can use all of the characters, good and bad, in a two- to four-player versus match, which is very cool and arguably more fun than the solo game itself. When you look at actual gameplay time and the pret- ty repetitive nature of it, though, there’s not a lot to rave about. Still, The Bouncer is probably the pretti- est action game I’ve seen on the PS2, and the story will keep you engaged for as long as it lasts, so you'll want to set aside a little time to try it. Jonathan If all you want for your PS2 is a showpiece title, you can't go wrong with The Bouncer. This game looks stunning, with vibrant colors and heavy use of the system's soft-focus effects. The characters— cre- ated by Tetsuya Nomura, the artist behind Final Fantasy VII and Vill—really pop to life with facial expressions and little details like flowing hair. Heck, the game even makes use of the Dual Shock 2's pres- sure-sensitive buttons (pressing harder unleashes more powerful attacks). Unfortunately, the gameplay itself is a bit dull. There's not much technique to the combat—once | earned a few special moves, | just kept using them over and over. Crispin This was supposed to be such a great game: You were supposed to be able to destroy your environ- ment and pick up anything in the area and use it as a weapon in these Battle Royal-style rumbles. Well, the rumbles are there...but no weapons, no interactive environments, no nothing. It’s incredibly disap- pointing. That disappointment is tempered some- what by the absolutely stunning graphics, both real- time and rendered, but that just isn't enough. And on top of all that, the game's insanely short, under two hours. Sure, there's a four-player Versus mode, but the fighting engine isn't nearly robust enough to make up the difference. Blah. Joe Rybicki VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY 9 1 5 6 F1 Championship Season 2001 P 117 үз” ums Publisher: EA Sports Developer: EA Sports Featured In: ЕСМ #139 = ге Players: 14 Supports: Multi-tap Best Feature: Excellent sound effects Worst Feature: Totally broken Al Web Site: www.easports.com This is definitely a better offering than EA's NASCAR game on the PS2, but there's still a major problem: The Al in F1 is frightening. | know the first corner in any grand prix is a crapshoot at best, but these guys just line up and come to a complete stop. If you have the damage turned off you can plow right through most of them. That really confuses the game, too, since it's trying to make sure that whichever driver won each race last season will win that race during the game. It makes for some amazing recoveries by guys like Schumacher during certain events. Finally, the lapped cars are way too aggressive. Even if you're a couple of laps ahead of a guy, he won't move out of the racing groove when you overtake him, and if you do try to outbrake him, he'll run like he's racing you for position. In other words, it just ain't realistic. That translates into a lot of unnecessary spins for the leaders of the race. It's all very frustrating when you consider that the driving physics in this game are excellent. Taken as an arcade racer, F1 is not all that bad. Plus, it's got all the elements of an excellent simulator. F1 2001 also has the best sound effects of any Formula 1 game, ever. It's too bad the Al wasn't tweaked a lot more. I hate racing in a high-speed parade. Something else is that there are no penalties for jumping curbs. It's possible to skip whole sec- tions of the racetrack without getting a stop and go! That's just unforgivable. Greg Once again EA Sports has delivered a fairly good F1 racing game. The cool thing is, you don't have to devote hours upon hours tweaking and adjusting your vehicle. Just start 'er up and rip into it. 105 more or less a “turn-key” game, which I’m sure is welcome news for casual fans. For the devoted motor-head however, it offers a few deeper options but nothing too intimidating. The gameplay mechanics are tight across the board with the exception of some suspect Al. You get a good sense of speed and the difficulty settings offer a decent challenge for all ability levels. Oh, and I’ve never heard the high pitch squeal of an F1 engine brought to life so realistically. Dean It's a gorgeous game, and it has some very cool cos- metic features, but having played the hell out of every mode | can honestly say that the Al in F1 leaves a lot to be desired. Unless you're a blood relative of Schumacher, you're going to want to get started with one of the less difficult settings...and that's where the problems lie. On anything but the highest set- ting, opponent drivers cruise around like they're stoned, even going so far as to back up completely and stop on tight corners. When they're not driving like your mom, they're acting like a$$holes, and there doesn't seem to be any semblance of team- work or anything. Very disappointing. John VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY 8 9 6 1 114 Kengo: Master of Bushido | Yasutomo Publisher: Crave Developer: Lightweight Featured In: EGM #137 Le Players: 12 Supports: N/A Best Feature: Worst Feature: Web Site: Training mode Awkward control www.cravegames.com Kengo is from developer Lightweight—the same guys behind the novel Bushido Blade and its sequel—but you wouldn’t know it after playing this sword-based fighter for a few minutes. Several things that made Bushido Blade revolutionary are missing here. For starters, Kengo lacks one-hit deaths. Instead, the fighters have life bars (something Bushido Blade avoided) and opponents stay spry even if you unleash a lethal blow—although they will begin to gush blood and lose health slowly. Kengo’s combat dojos are much smaller and more straightforward than Bushido Blade’s too. But that’s really for the best, since the control here is extremely awkward. Here’s why: The camera has a nasty habit of spinning around the arena without warning. Your perspective relative to your fighter is constantly changing, so you never quite know which way to press the D-pad to perform a move or run in a certain direction. It's real- ly too bad, because the actual combat system is sim- ple and elegant (one button for attack, one for parry, one for block and one for special moves, while the shoulder buttons set up different combo strings). Even better is the single-player game, which has you choosing a warrior and training dojo, then putting him through a series of tests and mini-games to build his skill. It coulda been the Gran Turismo of fight- ing games. Instead, you spend too much time fight- ing the control. Crispin I've never been a fan of samurai combat games like this or Bushido Blade. Kengo's not the type of game that you can pick up and immediately get the hang of. It takes hours to master the details, and that's not my thing. When all is said and done, the fighters don't look as good as those in games like Dynasty Warriors 2, Onimusha or Tekken Tag Tournament. АЦ the detail went into the arenas, which look great. The training exercises are fun (the first few times) and give it a bit of a Monster Rancher feel. You can then use your customized character in versus or tour- nament play. Hardcore samurai fans may dig it, but to me it's an average game. Chris The obvious comparison here is to Bushido Blade for the PS one, but the single-player character training and fighting mechanics in Kengo make it a very dif- ferent game. The game features the same swordplay and damage ideas of BB, but won't allow you to dis- able an arm ora leg, which should be a no-brainer for this type of sword fighter. While the battle arenas are small dojos instead of large, open spaces, there’s still enough room to attack, defend or regroup strate- gically. Little touches like opponents’ faces that track your precise position and parrying in battle give Kengo a smooth finish, but it becomes tedious before too long in any mode. Jonathan VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY 6 1 1 5 та Electronic Arts Publisher: Developer: EA Sports Featured In: EGM #136 mre Players: 1-8 Supports: Multi-tap Best Feature: One-on-one game Worst Feature: Choppy graphics Web Site: www.easports.com So far, so good. EA's first attempt at a basketball game on the Р52 is pretty impressive, and it gives me reason to be excited about what else they do with the franchise. The graphics are gorgeous, if not much better than the Dreamcast's NBA 2K1. Highlights include loads of animations, real digitized faces on the players' mugs (complete with facial expressions and lverson's cornrows), and loads of on- and off-the- court activities (the pre-game dances are realistical- ly obnoxious). It just looks and feels more like the NBA than any other—until you see it in motion. Although there are lots of animations, they don't flow together like buttah. Instead, players stutter and move choppily around the court almost every time you execute a drive. It would be much better if the game gave you more direct control over your character, instead of having motion-captured moves play out at the touch of a button. As is always the case with this franchise, the features are absolutely topnotch. The one-on-one game (which includes Jordan and other all-time greats) is addicting and, in some ways, plays better than the five-on-five simula- tion; | think | enjoyed it more. There's also the beefy season mode that includes all the fixin's. EA obvi- ously has the mechanics down, but | just can't help but shake my head at their inability to come up with а smooth game that plays as well as it looks. Live 2001 is good, but it could have been great. Құ Welp, it's prettier, moves well and retains the classic NBA Live feel, but I’m still a little disappointed. It's a bit too much like a deluxe version of its PS cousin than a spectacular new PS2 b-ball sim. Why, you ask? Much of the graphic detail gets lost once you pull the camera out to a workable level. The tight camera angles don't reveal enough court to be func- tional, so you're left zooming "ег way out. | guess I'm spoiled by МВА 2k1’s ability to place you close to the action while still revealing the majority of the court. Devoted Live fans should be pleased with the product anyway. Like | said, many of the same moves, tech- niques and Live flavor have been retained. Dean NCAA GameBreaker 2001 EVERYONE | Publisher: 989 Sports Developer: Red Zone Interactive Featured In: N/A EE Players: 18 Supports: Multi-tap Best Feature: Sweet tackle animations Worst Feature: Al bugs Web Site: www.989sports.com After GameDay's lackluster debut on the PS2 it's no surprise GameBreaker would follow suit. After all, they share the same game engine. How much better is the college version? Well, not much, other than a few minor tweaks. The sad part is, with more devel- opment time, it could've been decent. In its current condition, however, the game is riddled with holes. One of the most serious is the collision detection. It's not always obvious during normal gameplay, but replays reveal players (on occasion) passing right through each other. Trying to sack a seemingly invin- cible quarterback is darn infuriating. Again, it's the kind of snafu that could've been fixed with more tweaking time. Even more problematic are the AI bugs. | was able to pull off a plethora of money plays time and time again. The funniest is one I like to call the Benny Hill maneuver. On a kick return you can fool the defense into forming a giant train as they hopelessly chase you up and down the gridiron. | could literally run several laps with every player on the field in tow. That particular problem is partly due to an overly potent turbo boost and partly due to the herding problem. The AI moves too many players in unison instead of running each as an individual enti- ty. In the end, the game is playable—and you may even want to rent it for a night or two— but if you're looking for a serious college football sim, wait to see how EA's NCAA Football turns out. Dean 989 Sports sure has developed a knack for creating PS2 train wrecks. Before | played this “football” game, | thought GameDay was the most disappoint- ing PS2 game to date, but this one narrowly edges it out to win that dubious honor. The list of stupid things that happen during a game is endless: Player animations are buggy, the playcall screen is crappy, the graphics are subpar, and my personal favorite bug of all—wide receivers actually run away from the ball when you heave it to them deep down- field, causing oodles of stupid interceptions. | know that this is the only PS2 college football game, but you still shouldn't buy this drek. Kraig As a PS2 owner, all you need to know is that NBA Live is by far the worst of the EA SPORTS games released for the console. At its core, Live is just not fun. Players don't seem to carry any real weight —they fly around the court like marbles when the turbo button is held. Also, what gives with the difficulty in making a shot? I’m usually no slouch, but | found shooting the ball in NBA Live 2001 to be very difficult. Maybe it's because my guys were always doing ridiculous, out-of-control leaning jump shots due to the lousy control, eh? That was part of it. The other part is that the game just doesn't feel tweaked. For next-gen hoops, see МВА 2k1. Dan SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY 1 1 6 1 115 v.zdne VISUALS Well, 989 got one thing right with this game...the title. GameBreaker fits so perfectly, as this is one broke-ass game. Outdated and inaccurate rosters are a forgivable crime, but porting over the horrid GameDay engine is not. There’s nothing like seeing defenders run through ball carriers, or better yet, away from them. | personally love the ball-is-five- yards-away/ball-is-in-his-hands catching animation. The one positive thing | can say is that it does have less glitches and bugs than GameDay. But that’s kind of sad, because | don’t get the belly laughs going like | do with GameDay. Avoid GameBreaker and all 989 sports titles until further notice. Dan VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY 6 6 3 4 NCAA Final Four 2001 Publisher: 989 Sports Developer: Killer Game Featured In: EGM #39 Le Players: r8 Supports: Multi-tap Best Feature: Auto Defend Worst Feature: Al Web Site: www.989sports.com Wow...l'm beginning to think 989 is the devil. First GameDay and now this (and GameBreaker). The phrase that most repeatedly ran through my head while playing this game was "make the bad man stop.” | mean, c'mon Sony...these games offer less gameplay and fun than anything ever seen before. To sum it up briefly, I'll just say this game looks and plays like it was dragged "through a cow's ass." | know, | know, much like people demanding more cow bell in Blue Oyster Cult's classic hit "Don't Fear the Reaper," you demand more of me. Specifics, you scream. How about ridiculous animation sequences that are wholly unrealistic? They're in there. Ignorance of basic basketball rules? Yup, just watch offensive players stand in the lane for 5-10 seconds at a time. Player movement is poor and other game- play elements (blocking shots, rebounding) are almost missing entirely. The crowd and arenas are miserably bland, which helps sap the life out of any college atmosphere 989 was trying to capture. You may find it hard to believe that 989's PS2 games are worse than their PS one counterparts, but it is painfully true. Trust me, even if you like Final Four 2001 on the PS one, you will feel betrayed by this title. It’s not just the “same game, with better graph- ics." While usually being a cardinal sin of game development, that formula would have been a bless- ing in this case. Dan Like the old NBA Live games, this thing has the ‘ol Swiss cheese defense problem. Playing the comput- er is more a dunking contest than a team endeavor. It’s all about streaking down court (using the turbo), threading through the flat-footed defenders and lay- ing down the big jam. You'd think the higher difficul- ty levels would prevent such a cheap maneuver— but they don't. Instead they just increase the amount of steals and blocked shots. It's not a constant occur- rence but it still happens too much. On a positive note, multiplayer is a much better experience. Oh yeah, the camera work is very good as well. And let's not forget those hot cheerleaders either Dean Like every other 989 Sports PS2 game, this falls well short of expectations. It’s about as vanilla a PS2 hoops game you'll ever see, but at least it isn't as bad as GameDay or GameBreaker. The basics of the gameplay are solid: The players move smoothly and the control is pretty good. Sometimes the player ani- mations are weak, and the rebounding is sloppy, but it's something | can live with. A lack of depth and excitement is what tanks the game. The crowd is so quiet and the sound effects are so mundane that it feels like you're playing in a morgue. But then again, who could blame the virtual crowd. It's hard to get excited about this game. Kraig VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY 9 4 3 4 pomen 1 " E Rayman 2 Revolution EVERYONE Publisher: Ubi Soft Developer: Ubi Soft Featured In: EGM #137 LE Players: 1 Supports: None Best Feature: Gameplay is a nonstop blast Worst Feature: Pretty tricky, for its audience Web Site: www.ubisoft.com When | heard a follow-up to the original Rayman was in the works years ago, | wasn't all that thrilled until | saw it in action on the DC—it was like night and day compared to Rayman’s first title. As one of my all-time favorite games, Rayman 2 could have been ported straight to the PS2 and I'd be perfectly happy, but Ubi Soft has made a bunch of changes that make Revolution a must-buy for any adventure gamer with a pulse...oh, and a PS2. Not surprisingly, it’s nearly graphically identical to the DC version, though it looks like the lighting and textures have been spruced up. The little glowing “lums” you collect in a Mario 64-esque fashion not only unlock bonus stages but can now be traded for power-ups, which changes the game dynamic quite a bit. The beauty of it is you're not punished if you don't grab every single one, but you rack up some cool rewards if you do. It’s also a treat to go back through the levels and see how creative the designers got with hiding the little suck- ers. Despite its relatively simple gameplay and child- like characters who speak Raymanian (which is one oddly endearing step above baby talk), don’t dismiss Revolution as a game for novices. | noticed myself dying and getting stuck a lot more than | remember from the DC days, so be prepared for a challenge. You'll probably be a little frustrated with the load times, but such is the burden for PS2 owners. Relax, Revolution is worth the wait. Jonathan Revolution expands on an already strong platform game, giving it a few extra things here and there. Does it necessarily make it a better game? No. But if you һауе а PS2 and haven't played Rayman 2, do yourself a favor and check it out. Graphics are comparable to the Dreamcast version, with a few polygon seams visible occasionally. The only slight drawback is the load times. PS2 games seem to real- ly like those long loading screens. Now that Rayman 2's been out for every system in different forms, it's time to move on to Rayman 3. This is a great game, but any more updates and Rayman runs the risk of overstaying his welcome. Chris Revolution is to Rayman 2 what Special Edition was to Star Wars. It's the same profoundly addictive game that we saw on the N64 and DC, with the added bonus of new visual effects, creatures and environ- ments. While it would have been nice to see a third chapter, this installment still stands as the only plat- form game to surpass Super Mario 64 in terms of play control and level design. It's a masterpiece. It's also unbelievable eye candy —this is one of the best- looking PS2 games on the market. If you've never picked up a Rayman game before, Revolution is an absolute must-have. If you already own an earlier edition, a rental will suffice. Ethan VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY World Destruction League: Thunder Tanks Ax Publisher: 3DO Developer: 3DO Featured In: EGM #136 Le Players: 14 Supports: Multi-tap Best Feature: Cool explosions Worst Feature: Sparse play fields Web Site: www.3do.com The PS one version of this game was nothing short of appalling. Why would 3DO want to release a new edi- tion? Examining this PS2 port tells the tale. By dra- matically improving the game's graphics, boosting the speed, and allowing up to four players to com- pete simultaneously, a once-awful product sudden- ly becomes the life of any video-game party. Granted, it doesn't have the infinite replay value of TimeSplitters, but what does? In its corner, WDL is far more accessible to casual gamers than standard FPS shooters are. If you have a group of friends come by, and not all of 'em are big into gaming, this is a great title to boot up. Gameplay capitalizes on one of the most basic of human desires—to blow stuff up. Just about every building, vehicle or monument can be annihilated, and every time you mow something down, you're rewarded with a series of fantastic- looking explosions. The super weapons are really cool; most light up the screen with dazzling particle effects. The one-player game, sadly, is a total bust. | played through it in about two hours and didn't have much fun doing it. That's a significant stumbling block, but it's not a deal killer. Some games are sim- ply meant to be played with a group of people. All said, you may grow tired of WDL in a few months" time—the control is not very deep, and the arenas don't offer much in terms of variety. But it'll do "til Twisted Metal: Black ships. Ethan While the original PS version of Thunder Tanks was a beast at best, the new revision is a very different game and thus a lot more palatable. It’s good —not great— looking. You can actually tell what's going on in battles. But you'll do best to avoid the single-play- er mode like the proverbial plague and jump straight to multi-tank combat with some friends. Sure, the horrendous tough-guy commentary is about as entertaining and redeeming as your average tractor pull or backyard tough-man competition, but the action, weaponry and respectable graphics make МОТ a guilty pleasure for at least a few days. || should tide you over until TM: Black. Jonathan Wow! Now this is a man's game. Big, ugly, two-ton tanks, huge cannons, walls of fire, exploding build- ings, obscene carnage —WDL has it all. And then right when you think you've seen everything, there's the glorious nuke that makes you think, “That’s what | got a PS2 for.” This gets to the root of all that | like in video games: simple gameplay and the ability to blow up lots of stuff in short order. WDL isn't original, and it doesn't pretend to be innovative. It takes vari- ations of Capture The Flag and Deathmatch, puts them on tank treads and adds a lot of pizazz. With all of the modes and characters, WDL is a sleeper title that should keep you awake for hours. Kraig VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY 1 6 6 8 116 Donald Duck: Publisher: == r == Ubi Soft Developer: Ubi Soft Featured In: N/A Players: 1 Supports: None Web Site: www.ubisoft.com ТЕЗ Best Feature: Sharp graph- ics and animation Worst Feature: Not enough levels Before | even booted this game up on Р52, | figured it would be the same Goin’ Quackers that I'd played twice already. Luckily, this is a very different game from the one | played on PS, DC and N64, though they share the same story and end-level bosses. Level designs are completely new, with gears instead of stars to collect, special moves like invincibility to learn, and a boatload of new enemies. So even if you've played one of the others, it's worth checking out because this version's so different. Ubi Soft sig- nificantly raised the difficulty so it's not as much of a cakewalk as before, but it's still too short. Why no new environments? Special-move challenges and time trials help keep things interesting after you've beaten the regular game. The 3D animation for all the characters is great, much better than the Dreamcast version— especially some of the motions for Donald's special moves. The music's forgettable but the voices are great. It's one of the few platform games on the PS2, so if you need your fix, rent it for a few days’ fun. Chris VISUALS INGENUITY REPLAY 5 3 SOUND 1 5 ESPN МВА 2Night Publisher: = rz Konami Developer: Konami Featured In: EGM #127 Players: 1-8 Supports: Multi-tap Web Site: www.konami.com Best Feature: Razor-sharp graphics Worst Feature: Chunky pass- ing The ESPN license will mean nothing for Konami if they can’t support it with quality games. NBA 2Night for the PS2 is a step up from NBA 2Night on the Dreamcast, but it still lacks enough gameplay muscle to merit your attention. The passing game lacks any zest or sense of movement, as players kind of do a “medicine ball" pass to each other. It's slow, erratic and a total barrier to running any offense. On defense, you'll become frustrated at your players’ moronic steal attempts. It looks like they're trying to take the guy's arm off instead of just poking the ball away. Also, the CPU can put some lockdown defense on you—thanks to the length of the shooting anima- tions. Still, there is room for growth here. The visuals look really good and presentation is great. Options and customization aren't quite up to the gargantuan standards of EA games, but the basics are there. One final note: Do not buy this game with a one-player experience in mind. The Al is weak and boring. Actually, don't buy this game at all, as a quick rental will satisfy your curiosity. Dan VISUALS REPLAY SOUND INGENUITY 4 1 5 RC Revenge Pro Publisher: = r == Acclaim Developer: Acclaim Studios Featured In: EGM #137 Players: 12 Supports: None Web Site: www.acclaim.com EVERYONE Best Feature: Course and vehicle variety Worst Feature: No four-play- er support Kart games are everywhere these days, but this isn't а bad start for the genre оп Р52. The strength of this game begins with its glut of vehicles. They include regular cars, trucks and even boats (30 in all!), but also offer lots of goofy fare (a skull, a space- ship) unlockable as you progress through the game. Up to eight of the buggers can be on the screen at once, and it's pretty damn hectic when that happens. Just wait "til everyone starts firing at you! The con- trols and pace of the action are usually good, but sometimes it feels a little too slow for a kart game— especially when some of the weapon effects bog everything. down. On some tracks, the framerate sputters. On others, the track's moving parts (a mon- ster squid, for example) animate badly. | could understand if this game were pushing the PS2 hard- ware, but these graphics aren't even scratching the surface of what Sony's machine can do. | suspect that the game was rushed, and that's why there's no four-player mode. At least the cool track editor offers something fresh to the genre. Kraig REPLAY VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY 5 Theme Park Publisher: = r= Electronic Arts Developer: Bullfrog Featured In: EGM #139 Players: 1 Supports: None Web Site: www.eagames.com RT Best Feature: Building your own coaster, and riding it Worst Feature: Monstrously long load times This is one of those games that really grows on you. When | was writing the review for it, | wasn’t expect- ing much—but when it came to moving onto the next game, | had to pry my fingers from the con- troller. It's hard to believe that it's so easy to get the hang of playing this game, considering how deep its gameplay is. Not only can you design and build your own roller coaster, you can also ride it and create entire theme parks. Unlike other *sim" games, there are goals to accomplish here that give playing it a purpose. You can't just build arbitrarily —unless you don't mind going out of business. Instead, you must carefully balance your expenditures and. growth so that you can meet business goals and win "tickets," which let you open bonuses and advance further in the game. Don't worry, though—the game doesn't get buried in boring economics. You can see if people like your park by looking at their faces, and making kick-ass rides will earn you awards and fame. It may not be as pretty as some PS2 games, but surpris- ingly, it's one of the most addicting. Kraig VISUALS SOUND REPLAY 1 9 INGENUITY 107 Mario Tennis Nintendo Publisher: Developer: Camelot Featured In: ЕСМ #132 Players: 1-2 Supports: Link Cable, Transfer Pak Best Feature: Addictive gameplay Worst Feature: Working the tiny control pad Web Site: www.nintendo.com Camelot set a precedent for turning great N64 games into outstanding GBC titles with its translation of Mario Golf onto the smaller screen. So it comes as lit- tle surprise to us that Camelot has handled Mario Tennis in much the same fashion. Mario Tennis for the Game Boy is a blast, featuring the same addic- tive gameplay as its N64 counterpart. To add some depth to the game, MT steals a page from Mario Golf with an RPG-type mode where you build a player from scratch. The only way to improve your new Character is to compete in various mini-games and tournaments. This is where the real fun of the hand- held version lies. Link play is not that exciting, and lengthy duels against the CPU get a little tiring. Working the GBC's minute D-pad gets to be a chore at times. | found myself wishing the matches were a bit shorter. But once you've built the proper...ahem, stamina, you'll be tearing up the courts in no time. Perhaps the coolest feature of the game comes via the Transfer Pak, which lets you import your Mario Tennis GBC characters into full 3D glory on the N64. This is not only very cool— it's a very practical appli- cation to get more out of your N64 cart. Your players can bring a wider variety of styles and shots to the game, which lends a lot to the replay value of dou- bles. All in all, Mario Tennis is a very good game that is sure to keep handheld owners happy for months to come. Maybe even longer. Dan The repetitive nature of tennis wears thin on the GBC. The small digital pad and the constant back- and-forth pressure does a number on the ol’ thumbs. Yeah, it's a pathetic complaint, but that's the only thing wrong with this game. You won't find a better tennis game for the GBC. The gameplay mechanics are rock-solid, the link-play is great, and the RPG ele- ments are addicting. That about covers it, at least on one level. On another level | don't like it as much as Mario Golf. Even though the two share the same for- mat and many similar characters, Tennis just doesn't translate as well on the small screen. But hey, that's splittin' hairs— it's still a fine game. Dean | can't see how tennis on a handheld system could get any better than this excellent adaptation of the N64 game. Even the best sports games lose a lot of their luster when you play by yourself, but Mario Tennis' exceptional depth makes it just as fun as playing it with another person. The game is insane- ly addicting and easy to learn. Its challenging mini- games (and fun tutorial) and RPG-like upgrading of characters give it a unique feel, much like the Dreamcast's Virtua Tennis. When you add in the link multiplayer and Transfer Pak capabilities, this is not only one of the best GBC sports games, but one of the best GBC titles, period. A must-buy. Kraig VISUALS SOUND REPLAY 1 1 8 INGENUITY Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Intelligent Systems Featured In: EGM #136 Players: 12 Supports: Link cable Best Feature: Very challenging Worst Feature: No slowdown Web Site: www.nintendo.com Since Puzzle Challenge was developed by Intelligent Systems (and not Nintendo Software Technology), this looks and plays more like Tetris Attack than Puzzle League did. In case you haven't played either yet, let me repeat: This is the best two-player puz- zle game ever, not to mention a very addictive one- player game. Even if you’ve never played a Pokémon game in your life, but are a sucker for an addictive puzzle game (like me!) you'll be able to appreciate this game. It’s simple enough at the beginning, but the difficulty increases ten-fold by the time you move on to Hard difficulty and higher (Super Hard, anyone? Ultra Hard?). When you get to that level, you realize just how deep the gameplay is in this deceptively simple game. Graphics are vibrant, making it easy to distinguish the colors from each other even in dim light. Aside from Challenge, you get a handful of other modes of play to hone your skills. For instance, Puzzle Mode forces you to set up combos in a mini- mum of moves, and the Marathon mode starts out nice and slow and won't drop garbage blocks your way. On the extreme end, there’s a Garbage Mode that tests your skills at dealing with various levels of garbage blocks. My only complaint with this game is that because it’s missing the slowdown present in the Super NES and Nó4 versions, you have to be even faster at setting up combos. This is a must-have for any gamer's GBC library. Chris | enjoy some parts of PPC even more than its N64 counterpart—the annoying voices are mercifully gone, and earning Pokémon is a nice touch. It's also perfectly suited to the Game Boy. Tetris Attack/Pokémon Puzzle has always made the hours fly by, only now you can bring it wherever you want to kill time. But my favorite mode—multiplayer—is basically gone. Yeah you can play if you find a friend with the game and a link cable, but how often do you have both on the plane or bus when you really want to play? Also, the delay between when blocks disap- pear and when they fall is shorter, making combos harder. Still, an excellent handheld puzzler. Mark Thisi is the game that saved my sanity during the hor- rifying ordeal that was my recent vacation. Through one cancelled flight after another, | could count on Pikachu and pals to keep me going. | simply love the different play options in this game, especially the Puzzle Mode, where you have to clear a stack of blocks within so many moves. Completing certain goals adds a few new Pokémon to your stable and gives you that many more chances to complete the game in the quest mode. Everything on this cartridge is designed to build your skills at identifying huge combo possibilities within the actual game. No GBC owner should be without this. Greg REPLAY 10 VISUALS SOUND 1 INGENUITY Hoyle Casino Publisher: Sierra Developer: Pulsar Interactive Featured In: N/A Players: Bank $ 43.030 1 1-2 Best Feature: Abundance of Supports: voice for a Game Boy title Link Cable Worst Feature: Roulette Web Site: isn’t random enough www.sierra.com From the get-go, you know Hoyle Casino is more than just another average casino game. First, it features a battery back-up save system, so no need for annoy- ing 30-digit passwords. Just enter your name, pick your player type and you're ready to gamble. The game selection menu is pretty standard, as are the types of games you can play—you have your black- jack, roulette, poker, slots and a couple of others. Once you start playing any of these games however, things get interesting. Believe it or not, this little GB cart features a ton of voice. Sure, you've heard voice in GB titles before, but this time around it real- ly fits into the gameplay nicely, and makes for a more enjoyable experience. Your dealer tells you when you score a blackjack, when you've won a hand, and what number the roulette wheel lands on, among other things. Speaking of roulette, the developers need to work on the randomizer—the same numbers keep popping up again and again. Overall though, Hoyle is a well-made, highly addictive gambling game that would even make Kenny Rogers happy. Shawn REPLAY 10 VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY тюн Gadget Publisher: Ubi Soft Developer: Light & Shadow Featured In: EGM #133 Players: 1 Supports: None Web Site: www.ubisoft.com Best Feature: Some of the best graphics on GBC Worst Feature: A few difficult control problems Inspector Gadget was one of my favorite cartoons when | was a youngster, so | was overjoyed that there's finally a decent game based on the show (and not the movie). Perhaps the best thing this has going for it are the graphics—they're damn good. Now for the bad news: switching between characters on the fly is sometimes a chore since you can't change characters while they're attacking or in mid- air (and other times too). Is this music from the show? | can't tell. It's sounds crappy and is not rec- ognizable. Control is sometimes frustrating, espe- cially in levels where you have to make pinpoint jumps (often blind). Earlier levels are filled with “?” icons that give you hints (although these are obvious earlier in the game). They disappear when you read them, so you better pay attention to the more impor- tant hints. It's too bad Penny and Brain are under- used, two-hit-and-they're-dead characters (Gadget can take more damage). And what's the point of the end-of-level puzzles? They're lame! It's got a few kinks, but overall IG's a fun platformer. Chris INGENUITY REPLAY VISUALS SOUND 10 9 118 - wy inet "Ls ресе 100/100 Publisher: Atlus Developer: Hudson Featured In: EGM #136 Players: 1-2 Best Feature: The best Supports: Pokémon clone yet Game Link Worst Feature: Not much Web Site: here is new www.atlus.com If Nintendo had snagged the rights to this game and released it here as "Pokémon: Robot Edition," Pokéfreaks would have accepted it as an extension of their favorite franchise without any qualms. That speaks volumes for the quality of this title: The graphics, interface and play mechanics are just about on par with the newest Game Freak releases. Scouring the cart's overhead worlds in search of new Robopons is intensely addicting; you'll be glued to your Game Boy for hours on end, guaranteed. Just don't expect much innovation — beyond the superflu- ous additions of a built-in speaker (which will chime at the start of real-time events when your Game Boy is turned off) and a custom infrared transmitter (used to unlock secrets with any TV remote), every element of the game has an unavoidable “been there, done that" feel. This wouldn't be a big deal if Robopon's mechanical monsters were as interesting and varied as the Pokémon critters, but they're not. Still, it’s worthwhile for die-hard fans who have already finished Gold and Silver. Ethan REPLAY VISUALS 1 SOUND 1 INGENUITY Ultimate Fighting Crave Developer: Fluid Studios Featured In: N/A Players: 1 Best Feature: Smooth ani- ^ Supports: mation none Worst Feature: One-player Web Site: only?! www.cravegames.com UFC—good on the Dreamcast, mediocre on the PlayStation, awful on the Game Boy. It's an exciting license, but this watered-down cart is not likely to satisfy fans of the sport. The sluggish fighters are limited to performing only the simplest of punches and kicks. Effectively using this small selection of moves requires little skill, since the game's crude Al ensures every opponent you face will be dumb as a box of rocks. To win any given bout, simply press up on the directional pad while hitting the B button about 50 times, then pin your opponent and force a submission. Matches take forever to end; playing through the game's Tournament mode is a profound test of patience. This might be forgivable if you could ignore the solo game and focus on some two-player action, but, inexplicably, there is no link cable sup- port. Be prepared for an experience completely void of variety—every selectable character controls more or less identically. Barring the smooth animation, this game has nothing positive going for it. Stick with the DC rev and pretend this never shipped. Ethan VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY 3 2 1 ESRB Rating System: www.esrb.com EARLY CHILDHOOD RATING: Deemed Suitable For Children 3 Or Older. Products Carrying This Label Have Absolutely No Material That Would Be Considered Inappropriate By Parents. EVERYONE RATING: The E Replaced The Previous K-A Rating Last Year. Suitable For Kids Ages 6 And Up, E-Rated Games May Contain Minimal Violence Or Crude Language. TEEN RATING: Contains Suggestive Themes, Mild Or Strong Language And Animated Violence. Some Parents May Want To Supervise Children Playing T-Rated Games. MATURE RATING: These Games Contain More Adult Themes, Such As Blood And Gore, Stronger Language And Sexual Themes. Deemed Not Suitable For Those Under 17. A CONTENT RATED BY ES ADULTS ONLY RATING: The Extreme Of The Ratings, Suitable For Adults Only. Packs Sexual Themes And Extreme Violence. Console Manufacturers Have Yet To Allow An AO-Rated Game. COMPUTER TARON” e пите“ Barrons GIGLI GPIYGAMER ING By Trickman Terry tricks @ziffdavis.com POWER-UPS AND HIDDEN MODES These commands can be done multiple times in Gradius III. In Gradius IV, you must beat the first boss of the game to do the tricks and they can be done once per level beaten thereafter. If you don’t use the power-up trick in a level, you can build it up to do it multiple times in the next level. Double Weapon Power-Up In Gradius III or IV, pause the game during play and enter Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, Square, Triangle. You will be fully powered up with the double weapon. Laser Weapon Power-Up In Gradius III or IV, pause the game during play and enter Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, X, Circle. You will be fully powered up with the laser weapon. Hidden Modes in Gradius III 1. If you reach Stage 9, Extra Mode will appear, and then you can play Cube Attack. 2. If you get hit with a bullet from the boss of Stage 10, stages from the very first Gradius will appear. If you play these stages once, you can select them from Extra Mode. 3. Complete the entire game once and Extra Edit will appear within Extra Mode. 4. Complete the entire game in HOBOX. RESES "i j А Extra Edit to choose from more kinds of weapons. Hidden Modes in Gradius IV 1. Complete the entire game once to get Boss Rush Mode to appear. 2. Complete the entire game without using a Continue and you will get the Stage Select. Ready 2 Rumble Boxing: Round 2 Kl UNLOCK ALL BOXERS From the main menu, choose Arcade mode. Then select one or two players. On the Boxer Select Screen, press Left, Left, Right, Ra, Left, Right, Right, R1, R1, R2. You will hear a bell when entered correctly. Now you can choose from a variety of new boxers, including Bill and Hillary Clinton! Silent Scope MANY CHEATS On the Mode Select screen, enter these cheats as shown. Professional Mode Hol the R1 button and quickly press Start, Start, Start, Start. Night Vision Mode Hol the Ел button and quickly press Start, Start, Start, Start, Start. Professional Night Vision Mode Hol the R1 button and quickly press Start, Start, Start, Start, Start, Start. No Crosshair Right, Right, Right, Square. You 3 5 а entered correctly. ] Romantic Mode Left, Right, Right, Square, Triangle. You will hear “Wow!” when entered correctly. Super Fast Professional Mode Down, Triangle, Up, Square, Triangle, Down, Right, Down, Right, Square, Triangle. Mirror Mode Left, Left, Right, Square, Down, Down, Up, Triangle, Up, Right, Down, Up, Left, Down, Square. :1 No Scope Right, Down, Right, Square, Right, Down, Right, Square. Hidden Mode (All enemies are invisible) Right, Down, Right, Square, Up, Square, Square, Triangle, Down, Right, Down, Right, Square, Triangle. Night Mode Up, Right, Down, Left, Up, will 120 ear an explosion when Square, Triangle. You will hear “Silent Scope" when entered correctly. First-Person View Up, Up, Up, Up, Down, Down, Down, Down. No Enemy Targeting Mode Right, Right, Right, Right, Left, Down, Up, Right. Life Exchange Pause the game during play and enter these commands to exchange life for time, and vice versa. Half of Life for 5 Seconds: Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, X, Circle. 5 Seconds for Half of Life: Circle, X, Right, Left, Right, Left, Down, Down, Up, Up. ГОТ Army Меп: Sarge's Heroes From the main menu, go to the Input Code option and enter any of these passwords. 2. Spy Blue Mission: TRGHTR 3. Bathroom: TDBWL 4. Riff Mission: MSTRMN 5. Forest: TLLTRS 6. Hoover Mission: SCRDCT 7. Thick Mission: STPDMN 8. Snow Mission: BLZZRD 9. Shrap Mission: SRFPNK 10. Fort Plastro: GNRLMN 11. Scorch Mission: HTTTRT 12. Showdown: ZBTSRL 13. Sandbox: HTKTTN 14. Kitchen: PTSPNS 15. Living Room: HXMSTR 16. The Way Home: VRCLN (unlocks the secret characters in a multiplayer game) Dave Mirra Freestyle ВМК From the main menu, choose Proquest mode. Now enter these codes on the following screens for various results. You will hear a sound when they are entered correctly. Slim Jim On the Select Rider screen, press Down, Down, Left, Right, Up, Up, Y. You will hear a sound. Move Left until Slim Jim appears. Unlock Bikes On the Bike Select screen, press Up, Left, Up, Down, Up, Right, Left, Right, Y. Styles Unlocked On the Style screen, press Left, Up, Right, Down, Left, Down, Right, Up, Left, Y. Looney Tunes Space Race From the main menu, access the Options. In the Options screen, access "Cheats." On the Cheats screen, enter any of these codes for the results as shown. The screen will flash and Foghorn Leghorn will say, *There y'are. Have fun!" Unlock Off-World City Limits 1 DURNIDGIT Unlock Off-World City Limits 2 PALOOKA Unlock Galactorama Park 1 YOIKS Unlock Galactorama Park 2 DODGPARRY Unlock the Pyramids of Mars 2 SCWEWBALL Unlock Wild West Quadrant 1 HOGGRAVY Unlock Planet ACME 2 MAROON Unlock The Nebula MRFUZZY Unlock Marvin the Martian REDWAGON Unlock Porky Pig YAVARMINT Every Gallery Item Open MICHIGANJ Unlimited Turbo Boost DUCKAMUCK No Gags in Game SUCCOTASH All Tracks Mirrored SAMRALPH Every Challenge Open MOIDALIZE Every ACME Event Open 3LILBOPS Open up everything in the game CHEESFISH Silent Scope On the Mode Select screen, enter these cheats as shown. Professional Mode Hold the R-Trigger and quickly press Start, Start, Start, Start. Night Vision Mode Hold the R-Trigger and quickly press Start, Start, Start, Start, Start. J nt Professional Night Vision Mode Hold the R-Trigger and quickly press Start, Start, Start, Start, Start, Start. No Crosshair Right, Right, Right, X. You will hear an explosion when entered correctly. Romantic Mode Left, Right, Right, X, Y. You will hear "Wow!" when entered cor- rectly. Super Fast Speed Down, Y, Up, X, Y, Down, Right, Down, Right, X, Y. Mirror Mode Left, Left, Right, X, Down, Down, Up, Y, Up, Right, Down, Up, Left, Down, X. No Scope Right, Down, Right, X, Right, Down, Right, X. Hidden Mode (All enemies are invisible) Right, Down, Right, X, Up, X, X, Y, Down, Right, Down, Right, X, Y. Night Mode Up, Right, Down, Left, Up, X, Y. You will hear "Silent Scope" when entered correctly. First-Person View Up, Up, Up, Up, Down, Down, Down, Down. No Enemy Targeting Mode Right, Right, Right, Right, Left, Down, Up, Right. Life Exchange Pause the game during play and enter these commands to exchange life for time, and vice versa. Half of Life for 5 Seconds: Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, A, B. 5 Seconds for Half of Life: B, A, Right, Left, Right, Left, Down, Down, Up, Up. DAP 1/8 *see nage 128 for contest rules tricks ziffdavis.com We want your tricks! We want to include your hest codes and tricks in every issue, to put along with all our great tricks we pack in every issue. You can even win prizes if we pick yours as Trick of the Month! 121 The top 5 games of the last month given the full- on Trickman treatment: 1 Pokémon | 20:22 Gold/Silver Duplicate Pokémon and Items WARNING: THIS TRICK AFFECTS YOUR SAVED GAMES. USE WITH CAUTION! First, you must decide on the Pokémon and item you want to clone. At any time during the game, press Start and. access the Pokémon option. Choose the Pokémon you want to clone and make it hold an item that you also want to clone (such as a Master Ball). Next, go into a town and find a Pokémon Center, Move in front of the PC and press Start. Move down: the menu and access the Save option. After saving your game, press the A button to turn on the PC, Access Bill's PC and deposit the Pokémon you want to clone into one of the boxes. Then choose "Change Box" and move to an empty box. Press A and choose "Switch." When it asks if you want to save the game, choose "Yes." Now, this part is very important and requires precise timing. The game will tell you that there is already a save file, and it will ask you if it is OK to overwrite the file. Choose "Yes" and immediately turn off the Game Boy. Be sure to turn it off before any words other than “Saving” appear on the screen, or the trick will not work. Turn the Game Boy back on again. Check your party status and you should see the Pokémon you wanted to clone still in your party. Access Bill's PC and look at the box in which you deposited the Pokémon. The Pokémon and the item it was holding will be cloned inside the box, and still in your party! You can clone up to five Pokémon and items at one time by doing this trick. 2. Tony Hawks P. Pro Skater 2 Cool Codes From the main menu screen, access Career Mode and choose to continue a career or start a new one. On the Select Player screen, choose a char- acter and begin your game. In the middle of play, press START to pause the game and then press and hold the L1 button. While holding this button, enter any of these codes to unlock the following features. The screen will shake when each of these tricks are entered correctly. Unlimited Special Meter: X, TRICKS TOP 5 TRICKS Triangle, Circle, Up, Left, Triangle, Square. Fast Motion: Down, Square, Triangle, Right, Up, Circle, Down, Square, Triangle, Right, Up, Circle. Full Statistics: X, Triangle, Circle, Square, Triangle, Up, Down. No Blood: Right, Up, Square, Triangle. Skinny Skater: X, X, X, X, Square, X, X, X, X, Square, X, X, X, X, Square. Obese Skater: X, X, X, X, Left, X, X, X, X, Left, X, X, X, X, Left. 3. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater * Blowout Trick This trick will blow open the game and give you a new character. From the menu, access Career mode. Begin a new game and press START to | pause. Press and hold the Lı | button and enter Circle, Right, Up, Down, Circle, Right, Up, Square, Triangle. The screen shakes if entered correctly. Go to the Main Menu screen. Choose to continue the Career mode and Officer Dick, all tapes, levels, medals, stats and FMV movies will become available. | A. Tekken Tag =-= Tournament Begin With Tag Partner If you want to start your match with your second play- er, just hold the Tag button on the loading screen until the match begins. New Armor King Costume To get Armor King's costume (without armor), beat Arcade mode with Armor King. Then at the Character Select screen, highlight Armor King and press Start. Tekken Bowl А Use Ogre to unlock True Ogre. This will give you Tekken Bowl. While bowling, you can see Dr. Boskonovitch jumping in the background. Aim to the left where he is, and if you get it just right, you will be able to К.О. him with the bowling ball! Jukebox In Tekken Bowl, get a score of 200 or more and you will open up a new Jukebox option on the Pause screen. The jukebox will allow you to choose the VARIOUS CODES On the main menu screen, enter any of these codes for the results as shown. You will hear a sound when they are entered correctly. Unbreakable Weapons L-Shift, R-Shift, L-Shift, R-Shift, C-Left, C-Left. Super High Stamina R-Shift, R-Shift, B, R-Shift, R- Shift, B. New Wrestler Noises R-Shift, L-Shift, R-Shift, L-Shift, B, B. Tiny Wrestlers R-Shift, R-Shift, L-Shift, L-Shift, C-Left, C-Left. El Women Wrestlers are Huge R-Shift, R-Shift, B, B, L-Shift, L- Shift. Star Wars Episode 1: Battle For Naboo MANY CODES From the Main Menu Screen, enter the Options. Access the Passcodes option and put in any of these codes. Advanced Shields DROIDEKA Showroom Art Gallery KOOLSTUF Development Team Picture LOVEHUTT Pink Ship RUAGIRL? PLAYSTATION Army Men: Sarge’s Heroes 2 INVINCIBILITY AND MORE Invincibility In the middle of a game, press Start to pause. Then press Square, Circle, L1, R1. You will hear a sound. Unpause the game and you will see the word, “Invincible!” at the top of the screen. All Weapons and Unlimited Ammo In the middle of a game, press Start to pause. Then press Square, Circle, R1, L1. You will hear a sound. Unpause the game and you will see the word, “Power Up” at the top of the screen. Press Circle continuously to scroll through your available weapons. Looney Tunes Racing NEW CHARACTERS On the main menu screen, press the following buttons to get these characters. Duck Dodgers L2, Square, Square, Triangle, Circle, Select. Evil Scientist Square, Circle, L2, R2, Triangle, Select. Foghorn Leghorn Right, Right, L2, Square, Square, Select. Genie Square, L1, R1, Triangle, Circle, Select. Gossamer Triangle, Circle, R2, R1, Square, Select. Granny Circle, Triangle, Triangle, L1, R1, Select. Hector Triangle, L2, L1, Triangle, Square, Select. Pepe Le Pew Left, Right, R1, Circle, Square, Select. Rocky Triangle, Left, R2, Circle, Circle, Select. Sylvester Left, Left, L1, Triangle, Circle, Select. Yosemite Sam Left, Right, R2, Square, Circle, Select. Single Race Bonus Levels On the main menu screen, press 122 - www.zdnet.con the following buttons to open these bonus levels in the Single Race. Wackyland Bonus Level L1, Circle, Square, R2, Triangle, Select. Planet Y Bonus Level Right, Left, Triangle, L2, L1, Select. 2 Player VS. Mode Speedways On the main menu screen, press the following buttons to open these Speedways in the 2 Player VS. Mode. Planet X Speedway R1, Square, Circle, L2, Triangle, Select. Garden Speedway R1, Right, Left, L1, Square, Select. Forest Speedway Triangle, R2, Left, Triangle, L1, Select. Duck Dodgers’ Speedway Circle, Left, Square, Square, R2, Select. Medal of Honor Underground COOL PASSCODES From the main menu screen, choose the Options. Access the Passwords screen and put in these codes for the results shown. Once these passwords are in, choose Secret Codes from the Options screen to acti- vate them. The codes will work in the levels you’ve already com- pleted. Invincibility PUISSANCE Quadruple Firing Rate BALLESVITE Bouncing Bullets RICOCHET Podoski Mode (One hit kills for enemies and you) LATIREUSE Wacky Taxi (one minute to kill each enemy you come across) AUTODINGUO Moto Racer: World Tour AWESOME CHEATS Ultimate Code On the main menu screen, press Square, Triangle, Circle, Circle, Up, Up, Left. The screen will flash and you will hear a sound. Now you will have access to all the bikes, courses and game modes. Slower CPU Bikers On the main menu screen, press HEY, YOU; WANNA WIN FREE STUFF? If your trick is selected as Trick of the Month, you will win a free GameShark pro- vided by InterAct, and a Twin Shock, or a Нурегбд, or an Advanced Pad, or a DC carry- ing case from Blaze. If you are given credit for submit- ting a hot trick in this sec- tion, you will win a free game. See page 128 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: tricks@ziffdavis.com 1-900-PRE VIEW The number to call for the Down, Up, Up, Right, Triangle, Square, R2. The screen will flash and you will hear a sound. Tomb Raider Chronicles MULTIPLE TRICKS All Weapons, Unlimited Ammo, Medipacks, Etc. In the middle of a game, press Select to get to the inventory screen. Move over and highlight the Timex-TMX option. Now press and hold L1+R1+L2+R2+Up. With all of these buttons held, press Triangle. Go back to the game, press Select to get back to the inventory screen and you will see that you have unlimited ammo, medipacks and more. All Items In the middle of a game, press Select to get to the inventory screen. Move over and highlight the Timex-TMX option. Now press and hold Li+Ri+L2+R2+Down. With all of these buttons held, press Triangle. Go back to the game, press Select to get back to the inventory screen and you will see that you have all the keys and items. Special Features In the middle of a game, press Select to get to the inventory screen. Move over and highlight the Timex-TMX option. Now press and hold La+R1+L2+R2+Down+Circle. With all of these buttons held, press Triangle. Go back to the game, press Start and quit the game. Once you are back at the title screen, a new option called Special Features will be under- neath the New Game option. Access the special features to find new options such as story- boards and concept art. GAME BOY COLOR Buffy the Vampire Slayer LEVEL CODES Graveyard: 3NKFZ8 Alley: 9MD1WV Sewers: XTN4F7 Zoo: 5BVPL2 Mansion: 9D6FoS Initiative: TSCNB4 Caverns: CSJTQZ Hellmouth: BNPXZ9 Ending: GHoMRY Chicken Run AWESOME PASSCODES From the Options screen, access the Password option. Put in any of the codes for these results. Stage Skip Oval, Triangle, Circle, Rectangle Unlimited Time Diamond, Oval, Cross, Crown Unlimited Corn Triangle, Triangle, Eagle, Circle. No Alarms Crown, Circle, Oval, Triangle After you enter any of the above passwords, press A and you will hear a sound. You can enter any of the other passwords as well to combine the codes. Level Passwords 2. Circle, Cross, Crown, Eagle 3. Diamond, Eagle, Oval, Circle 4. Cross, Eagle, Circle, Circle 5. Crown, Diamond, Crown, Oval 6. Triangle, Diamond, Cross, Rectangle 7. Oval, Triangle, Cross, Circle 8. Diamond, Rectangle, Cross, Crown 9. Oval, Triangle, Eagle, Diamond 10. Circle, Eagle, Cross, Eagle 11. Rectangle, Cross, Rectangle, Diamond 12. Eagle, Diamond, Cross, Triangle 13. Rectangle, Cross, Eagle, Eagle 14. Triangle, Crown, Triangle, Triangle 15. Circle, Crown, Cross, Oval 16. Triangle, Rectangle, Eagle, Eagle 37. Circle, Rectangle, Triangle, Diamond 18. Crown, Triangle, Diamond, Rectangle 19. Cross, Rectangle, Rectangle, Crown 20. Rectangle, Diamond, Triangle, Eagle 21. Crown, Triangle, Cross, Rectangle 22. Oval, Cross, Crown, Cross 23. Crown, Rectangle, Cross, Oval 24. Oval, Diamond, Triangle, Diamond Pokémon Puzzle Challenge MULTIPLE CODES Extra Options On the Options screen, hold 123 TOP 5 TRICKS ) background music that plays as you bowl. 5.Spider-Man р. Awesome Codes | Оп the main menu screen, access the Special menu. Highlight and enter the. Cheats option. Now put in апу of these cheats (shown іп caps.) on the Enter Cheats Screen as shown. Level Select: XCLSIOR Invulnerable: RUSTCRST Webbing: STRUDL Game Comic Covers: ALLSIXCC Movie Viewer: WATCH EM Character Viewer: CVIEW EM Storyboard Viewer: :С6055ЕТТ What If Contest: GBHSRSPM Ben Reilly Costume: BNREILLY Symbiote Spidey Costume: BLKSPIDR Spidey 2099 Costume: TWNTYNDN Captain Universe Costume: S COSMIC ‘Spidey Unlimited Costume: AMZBGMAN | Peter Parker Costume: MJS STUD Quick Change Costume: ALMSTPKR Unlock J. James Jewett: RULUR - ; | Full Health: DCSTUR Big Heads: DULUX Debug Info: LLADNEK Everything: EEL NATS aughty Words: Enter a “naughty” word for a cheat ў rd and Spider-Man will . appear next to the word and punch it; turning it into a. "nice" word. Select and press the A button. Seven new options will appear beneath the Gallery option. Super-Hard Difficulty Go to the 1 Player mode and choose Challenge. Highlight the Hard difficulty level and hold the Select button. While holding it, press A. S-Hard will appear beneath the Easy option. Intense Difficulty Go to the 1 Player mode and choose Challenge. While high- lighting the S-Hard difficulty level, hold Select and press the A button. Intense will appear underneath the Normal option. ELECTRONICI Mee GAMING On sale March 6 2000 Gamers’ Choice Awards — € Knockout Kings 2001, Yeah, we know we told you last month that we ATV Offroad Fury were going to run our 2000 Gamers’ Choice “ Awards feature in this issue, but we've decided reviewed on to hold off until the April issue so readers will PlayStation 2 have more time to cast their votes. You'll find your ballot in last month's issue or— better still— e Devil May Cry, vote online at www.zdnet.com/egm. Last 5 2574 year Soul Calibur came away with a pile of our Resident Evil Cote: coveted robot awards, so what will be the big winner this year? Find out in 30 days. Veronica X, Crash Bandicoot, Half-Life, Quake 3: Revolution, All-Star Baseball 2001 previewed on PlayStation 2 * First screens and details on Final Fantasy X! Cover story: Gran Turismo 3 A-Spec—the real reason you bought a PlayStation 2. II edi I cı nt is subject to сі PlayStation March 2001 GpzGAMER MAGATINE 0n sale Feb. 13 Demo Disc EA Sports Battle for Naboo · зае tor ноо пега March 2001 On sale Feb. 20 ЕЕ Golf 2 This month, ОРМ takes an inside If you liked Rogue Squadron, ји Project Justice moves, У look at the latest offering from EA then Star Wars Episode I: Battle tactics e Disney's Tarzan Sports Big. It doesn't matter if for Naboo is right up your alley. е R2R2 special moves е Grind Session you're a rabid armchair video game Check XG for the skinny on how • CTR Crash Team Racing quarterback ЈА : wannabe to ed the top Bu * Mega Man bonus coverage you're going to drool over the future mission-by-mission. For the " Non-Playahles of these extreme sports games. fightin’ fans out there, they'll be ? а-ы. а • ATV Offroad Fury You may even get a glimpse of covering two over-the-top Sections * Fear Effect 2 the sequel to a certain PS2 brawlers. In one corner, Capcom's • Soul Reaver 2 snowboarding game. Plus, how newest Dreamcast fighter, Project to play games and shed pounds at Justice...and in this corner, Ready the same time. Just what is this 2 Rumble Round 2. Either way, mysterious video game diet? you'll come out a winner with You'll have to read the magazine XG's combos and tips. Finally, to find out. And if you're having a they'll go into overdrive to deliver hard time finding all of those older a Bond 007 Racing strategy. PS games, don't worry — OPM will Saweeet. show you where to look. 124 Crispin Boyer • crispin boyerGriffavis.com Chris Johnston 9 chris_johnston@ziffdavis.com Greg Sewart • greg_sewart@ziffdavis.com Jonathan Dudiak ejonathan_dudlak@ziffdavis.com John Davison 9 john_davison@zitfdavis.com What if Nintendo Actually Bought Sega? Greg Sewart Jonathan Dudlak John Davison Crispin: Well, it seems like everybody has debunked that New York Times article about Nintendo buying Sega, and | gotta say I’m a little disappointed the story's not true. | mean, think about it: An alliance between Nintendo and Sega—the two best game developers in the world — would be a hardcore gamer's dream come true. We'd get all the awesome Mario and Zelda stuff from Nintendo, sure, but the Sega teams would no doubt influence Nintendo products too. Nintendo would suddenly become known for the more experimental, boundary- pushing games Sega's famous for. Imagine Sonic and Mario starring in game retail back then, telling customers why they were right to love the Genesis and wrong to like the SNES...ahem. Anyway, on the other hand Га like to see Sega and Nintendo team up. It'd be like two Davids taking on two Goliaths with Sony and Microsoft. Plus, where Sega's been suffering financially it makes me worry my favorite software developer might disappear, and that would be a darned tragedy. Jonathan: Heck, none of us would be disappointed to see an alliance between the two companies that pretty much defined the entire industry a short decade ago. | think it'd be pretty cool if Sega and Nintendo joined up, then went "Imagine Sonic and Mario starring in the same game. Holy ѕ t'" in the same game. Holy sh t! It'll never happen, І reckon, even if Nintendo did buy Sega, but it sure is fun to think about. Chris: lm also disappointed it's not true. Nintendo and Sega are far and away my favorite game pubs—if they combined their efforts, it'd be like forming Voltron's blazing sword, splitting the competition down the middle. Back in the day, this rumor used to be around all the time—| think | heard it at least once a month when | was working in a game store. Back then it didn't make sense, and now it does. Nintendo's gonna have to start up an online business for Gamecube, where Sega has one that could easily be transitioned. Sega's got some of the best game developers in the world under one umbrella and Nintendo's going to need some serious first- and second-party support when the GC launches. In a perfect world, it would happen—two archrivals teaming up against new competition. Just imagine a Super Smash Bros. 2 with Nintendo and Sega characters (Sonic, Alex Kidd, ToeJam & Earl, Seaman, Amigo). That'd be sweet. Greg: On the one hand I'm kinda happy since the Sega/Nintendo rivalry goes back so far. How many of us were on one side or another when the battle lines were drawn during the heyday of the Genesis and SNES? It was great to work lectronic Gami Aonthly back and changed all of our historical records to show that they'd been partners all along, kind of like in 1984. They could erase their past differences, then merge Mario and Sonic into a spikey-blue-haired plumber with a 'tude and no one would be the wiser. Sure, we'd all have to lead bland, restricted lives under the yoke of the new gaming mega-corp, but I think it's a fair trade. John: It looks like Nintendo is going to rely on its first party stuff with the 'cube more than it ever has before, so teaming up with Sega would be perfect for them. They still haven't really talked about an online service yet, so SegaNet would be perfect for that, too. Is everyone else as surprised as me at how quiet Nintendo has been lately though? Aside from emphatically denying anything and everything about Sega they've gone awful quiet about the 'cube. Is it really going to be 2002 before we see it now? I hear rumors we'll get some big Nintendo news in March, but | want to see stuff now! Sure Advance is going to be huge, but is it really going to be as big as they think? They're making, what, like a bajillion units in the first couple of years? It took 10 years to sell 100 million Game Boys...so unless they're going to give them away in boxes of Cheerios, | have to worry that maybe this Pokémon stuff has frazzled their brains. 125 | | ГА 2) ZIFF DAVIS MEDIA Chairman, Chief Executive Officer rand Presidente УЛМАШ А дас вене нова James D. Dunning, J Chief Operating Officer and Senior Executive Vice President ................... Tom McGrad President, Business Media .............................! AI Репта Chief Internet Officer and President ..............1 Wenda Harris Millar (Ziff Davis Internet) Executive Vice President and Publishing Director ........ J. Scott Crysta (Consumer Media) Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President ........... Bob Mador Executive Vice President and Editorial Director........ Ј Michael J. Mille (Editor-in-Chief, PC Magazine) Executive Vice President and Publishing Director .......... Peter Long (Business Media) Senior Vice President (Circulation) .. . Charles Mas Senior Vice President (Strategic Services) . . „Rebecca McPheter: Vice President (Corporate Sales) ....................... 1 Ken Beacl Vice President (Editor, еМЕЕК)......................... John Dodge Vice Presidente. isum eere ted rire er eie 6. Barry 601501 (Editor-in-Chief, Yahoo! Internet Life) Vicepresidente eere СЕО] Gordon Lee Jones Il (Publisher, Ziff Davis SMART BUSINESS for the New Economy™) A edic aga ЕРЕ! Howard Kapla (Marketing, Consumer Media) Vice President (Editor-in-Chief, eWEEK) . Eric Lundquis «Bill Machron Vice President (Technology) Vice) тездете ae Se AREE EE Michael Perkowsk (Publishing Director, Smart Partner) Vice President (Editor-in-Chief, FamilyPC) ............... Robin Raski Vice President (General Counsel) ................ Carolyn Schurr Levi ИКЕНЧЕ ЕК OC BPO BER RA RO DS OSA Sloan Seymou (Group Publisher, eWEEK and Smart Partner) s Bios У Paul Зотег5ој Vice President (Game Group) .......................... Dale Strani Vice President (Human Resources) ................... Vincent Stabil (rop Push interactive Week d e el xno” eTesting Labs Executive President and General Manager ............ | Mark Van Nam Chief Technology Officer ...........................! Bill Catching ZIFF DAVIS MEDIA INC. CRA sees ім атары атағы James D. Dunning, Ji Chief Executive Officer and President Chief Operating Officer ............................: Лот McGrad and Senior Executive Vice President Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President ........... Bob Mador President, Business Media ............................. Al Perima Chief Internet Officer and President ............. \ Wenda Harris Millar (Ziff Davis Internet) President, Brand Development .... Justin McCormac Vice President and General Counsel Carolyn Schurr Levi Chief Information Officer . Kim Hoove Chief Content Officer Лот Steinert-Threlkel Controller . Director, International Director, Communications ......................... Elizabeth Estrof Director, Creative Services Bobby Suto! Publishing Strategist . . Chip Bloc ‘GRAN TOURISMO 2000" М с Ri D | аасас Let's go racing! GT 2000 PlayStation e A ) B. W 1 B. Ч A >) B. ~ | will give die-hard fans а ни chance to jump behind the wheel of over 500 vehi- cles, each with unique attributes such as speed, handling and more. Drive | around several courses іп SONY PLAYSTATION 2 |3D interactive environ- = — ЕЕ — MÀ =i | ments as you go for the 000 тте Release Price Tme Release Price Тт Revease Расе Tme Release Расе | ultimate speed rush! А Age of Empires 1 11/00 $48.95 — Galerians 2 11/00 $48.95 Moto GP 11/00 $48.95 — Ready? Rumble 2 1000 $48.95 Armada 2 Exodus 11/00 $48.95 Galleon 12/00 $48.95 — Motor Mayhem 12/00 $48.95 Real Pool $48.95 GRAN TURISMO Armored Core 2 10/00 $48.95 Gauntlet Dark Legacy 11/00 $4895 NASCAR 2001 11/00 $49.95 Red Faction 01/01 $4895 11/00 NBA Hoopz 11/00 $48.95 Army Men Air Attack 2 12/00 $49.95 Getaway $48.95 Army Men Sarges Heroes 211/00 548.95 NBA Live 2001 11/00 $48.95 Road to El Dorado 02/01 $48.95 Baldurs Gate || 11/00 $48.95 — Gran Turismo 2000 01/01 $48.95 МВА Showtime NBA/NBC 11/00 $48.95 — Roadster Trophy 11/00 $48.95 Bloody Roar 12/00 $48.95 [MADDEN FOOTBALL 2001" All the NFL Shadow of Destiny 12/00 $48.95 А le ae ada іш ME Sony (Simulation) Carrier 1000 $40.95 E Silpheed Lost Planet — 11/00 $48.95 Release: NOW Commandos om stags | ЛИМА ПАЛО sand nea тет Sky Odyssey 11/00 $4995 yelling. Each player is extremely Dark Angel Vamp Apoc 11/00 $4895 luetailed with awesome animations. Smuggler's Run 10/00 $48.95 Dark Cloud 01/01 $4895 | Snowboard SuperX 10/00 $49.95 "THE BOUNCER’ Combines a four-per- |John Madden and his partner Pat Space Асе 11/00 $29.95 son fighting game with an adventure Dinosaur 12/00 $48.95 jeu CaS pace trompe Spy Hunter 11/00 $48.95 game to create a truely unique gaming Donald Duck 11/00 $48.95 |200 Star Trek New Worlds 12/00 $48.95 ОШ Шш oning о | Dragon's Lair 11/00 $2995 | Star Wars Star Fighter 12/00 $48.95 and massive street brawls with maraud- | Dragon's Lair 2 Time Warp11/00 $29.95 ing gangs bring The Bouncer to life. The | Bun "tion $4895 | ‘Summoner 10/00 $48.95 battle arenas are fully interactive. Pick | Driving Emotion Туре S 11/00 $48.95 EA (Sports) Super Bust A M 11/00 $42.95 қ | Release: NOW, Mee up objects off the street and use them | Dynasty Warriors 2 10/00 $48.95 Swing Away Golf 10/00 $48.95 10 your advantage. An incredible story- ESPN NBA Tonight 11/00 $48.95 түр) 12/00 $48.95 line and amazing visuals await those ESPN NFL Prime Time 12/00 $48.95 Ground Control 01/01 $48.95 NCAA Final Four 2001 12/00 $48.95 Tekken Tag Tournament 10/00 $48.95 that challange the Bouncer. ESPN Track & Field Sydney10/00 $48.95 — Gun&riffon Blaze 11/00 $48.95 NCAA Game Breaker 2001 11/00 $48.95 Тһе Bouncer 01/01 $48.95 c Eternal Ring 10/00 $48.95 Hidden & Dangerous 2 11/00 $48.95 NFL Game Day 2001 11/00 $4895 The Lost 12/00 $48.95 EA (Fighter) В Evergrace 10/00 $49.95 — Jungle Book 11/00 $48.05 NHL Hockey 2001 10/00 $49.95 | Release: NOW, || Evo Rally 11/00 $48.95 Onimusha Warlords 01/00 $48.95 Tiger Woods 2001 12/00 $48.95 PSX2 | Extermination 11/00 $48.95 Killer-B 12/00 $48.95 Orphen: Scion of Sorcery 10/00 $48.95 Time Splitters 10/00 $48.95 F1 2001 12/00 $48.95 Knockout Kings 2001 11/00 $48.95 PSX 2 Dual Shock 2 10/00 $33.95 Тор Gear Dare Devil 11/00 $48.95 ‘KESSEN’ 15 the real-time strategy F1 Champ Season 2K 11/00 $48.95 Legion Legend Excalibur 12/00 $48.95 Unreal Tournament 11/00 $48.95 game that will define strategic com- F1 Championship 11/00 $4895 МОК Armageddon 11/00 $48.95 PSX 2 Vertical Stand 11/00 $34.95 Warriors Might & Magic 01/01 $48.95 mand as well as fulfill the complete FIFA Soccer 2001 11/00 $49.95 — Madden FB 2001 10/00 $49.95 — Popolocrois 3 02/01 $4895 — Wild Wild Racing 11/00 $48.95 potential of the PlayStation 2 computer Metal Gear Solid 2 02/01 $4895 Quake ll Arena 04/01 $49.95 Wipeout Fusion 11/00 $48.95 entertainment system. Players control Ferrari 360 Challenge 11/00 $48.95 Midnight Club Street Race 10/00 $48.95 АС Revenge Pro 11/00 $49.95 World Destrctn Lg Tanks 12/00 $48.95 m ps ДА ШЕШ Formula 1 2000 11/00 $48.95 Mobile Suit Gundam _ 12/00 $48.95 RayMan? 100 $4895 — X Squad 10/00 $48.95 t . ril = powerful cavalry - and engage them in PLAYSTATION |еркс battles from the Warring States B | Period of seventeenth century Japan. Ace Combat 03/00: 12/00 $29.95 Jarrett & Labonte Racing 10/00 $38.95 Roleplaying Game Maker 09/00 $44.95 Action Man 11/00 $29.95 Blades of Steel 2000 02/00 $29.95 Knockout Kings 2001 11/00 $3935 Ро! Cage Stage 2 1000 $2495 Activision Classics | 10/08 $19.95 Blast Radius 03/99 $19.95 Legend of Mana 06/00 $39.95 Rugrats in Paris 11/00 $39.95 ) Adidas Power Soccer 2 07/98 $1995 — Blaster Master 12/00 $39.95 Lion King 2:Simba 12/00 $3995 баба Frontier 2 02/00 $39.95 EA (Strategy SEAT @ | Akuji the Heartless 01/99 $19.95 Blazing Dragons 10/96 $22.95 Little Mermaid 2 09/00 $34.95 Sheep 11/00 $32.95 Release: NO Aladdin Маза Revenge 11/00 $39.95 Bloodlines 12/00 $3995 (ша 02/01 54895 — Sledstorm 08/09 $1995 Alexi Lalas Intl Seer 04/99 $1995 Bloody Roar 03/98 $24.95 Spider-Man 08/00 $39.95 т Bloody Roar 2 05/99 $34.95 MLB Pennant Race 2001 03/00 $38.95 TORREKO: ІНЕ (CAST Alien Trilogy 02/96 $1995 Blue's Clues 10/00 $42.95 МТУ Sports Pure Ride 10/00 53998 Star Trek Invasion 08/00 $3995 HOPE’ This RPG-style Alone in the Dark 4 11/00 $39.95 Bomberman Phantasy Raca05/99 $29.95 Madden FB 2001 08/00 $39.95 Streetfighter Alpha 3 05/99 $29.95 game features classic Alundra 2 03/00 $3995 Bomberman World 10/98 $42.95 March Madness 2001 12/00 $39.95 Syphon Filter 2 03/00 $39.95 gameplay and а game Щч ‘Animaniacs 10 Pin Alley 01/99 $32.95 Boombots 12/99 $39.95 Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX 02/00 $39.95 Tekken 3 04/98 524,95 design with monsters and SJ Animorphs 09/00 $29.95 Brave Fencer Musashi 11/98 $29.95 — Medal of Honor 2 10/00 $39.95 Tenchu 2 08/00 539.95 items from the Dragon Ape Escape 06/99 $3295 Bravo Air Race 1097 $2495 [WWF SMACKDOWN! 2° Warrior series, gamers will feel immediately at home. Randomly generated dun- geons in 9 enchanted areas Apocalypse 11/98 $24.95 — Breakout 11/00 $24.95 Arcade Class? Midway 12/96 $19.95 Arcade Class4 Midway2 11/97 $19.95 Buffy Vampire Slayer 11/00 $39.95 Bodyslams, insane action and complelling storylines. Featuring all the top names PlayStat Arcade Classics 2 04/98 $29.95 Bugs 8 Taz Time Busters 11/00 $19.95 | EU 32 types of mon- 4 7 Arcade Party Pak 12/99 $29.95 Bust A Groove 2 08/00 $29.95 | iang pes S | Enix (Roleplaying) = 4 an қ Area 51 11/96 $24.95 — Buzz Lightyear 10/00 $39.95 те Undertaker, Triple Н. Release: NOW. 1 Î Î Arena Football 0000 $3995 CTR:Crash Team Racing 1099 $9995 | kane, and many more. PSX Armored Core Mstr Arena 03/00 $39.95 Carmageddon 2 11/00 $39.95 Outstanding graphics and Armorines 05/00 $29.95 Casper Friends World 11/00 $29.95 intense action with WWE 7 Army Men 03/99 $29.95 Chrono Cross 08/00 $39.95 ‘Smackdown 2! LUNAR 2: ETERNAL BLUE Army Men Air Attack 1199 $29.95 Colin McRae Rally2 12/00 $4295 COMPLETE’ Join Hiro & Cool Boarders 2001 1000 53995 THQ (Sports) Ruby as they try to unlock ~ Army Men Sarges Heroes 211/00 $39.95 Countdown Vampires 08/00 $39.95 наны NOW. the secrets of the Blue Army Men World War 04/00 $39.95 Crash Bandicoot Warped 11/98 $1995 |PX — Spire & the strange young ~" Army Mer:Sarge's Heroes 02/00 $34.95 Crash Bash 11/00 $39.95 girl within it. Meet new Assault 11/98 $34.95 Danger Girl 09/00 $34.95 Меда Man Legends2 10/00 The Grinch 11/00 characters, fight monsters, Am Asteroids 11/98 $19.95 Destruction Derby Raw 10/00 $39.95 Micro Maniacs 10/00 $39.95 Тһе Mummy 11/00 $39.95 climb mountains & crawl у Auto Destruct 01/98 $29.95 — Digimon World 07/00 $39.95 Mike Tyson Boxing 11/00 $39.95 — Tiger Woods 2001 11/00 $39.95 through dungeons as you Backstreet Billiards 11/98 $39.95 Dino Crisis 2 10/00 $39.95 Ms. PacMan Maze Mad 09/00 $39.95 Time Crisis 2 11/00 $46.95 continue your quest to Backyard Football 11/00 $49.95 Disney World Racing 03000 $39.95 NASCAR 2001 09/00 $39.95 — Tohshinden 4 11/00 $39.95 defeat the evil Zophar! Z5 / Baldur's Gate 11/00 $46.95 _ Donald Duck 11/00 $39.95 МВА Live 2001 10/00 $39.95 Tomb Raider 5 11/00 $39.95 Working Designs У К, Ball Breakers 07/00 $1295 Dragon Tales 11/00 $39.95 МВА Shootout 2001 10/00 $39.95 Tomba!2 02/00 $36.95 DD ng) 1 2 Ballistic 11/00 $39.95 Driver 2 11/00 $42.95 NCAA Final Four 2001 11/00 $39.95 Tomorrow Never Dies 12/99 $39.95 elease: NOW, 08 Mer JÎ ebie Race & Ride осоо $39.95 Duke Nukem Land of Babes09/00 $39.95 NCAA Gamebreaker 2001 08/00 $39.95 PSX 3 Barbie Super Sports 03/00 $37.95 Dukes of Hazzard 2 11/00 $39.95 NFL Blitz 2001 10/00 $39.95 Тотеко The Last Hope 11/00 544.95 7 в - Bass Landing 2 11/00 $29.95 ECW Anarchy Rulez 08/00 $38.95 NFL бате Day 2001 08/00 $38.95 Triple Play 2001 03/00 $38.95 FINAL FANTASY IX’ Young Bass Landing w/Contrir 10/99 $54.95 Eagle One Harrier Attk 04/00 $39.95 NHL Hockey 2001 09/00 $39.95 Twisted Metal 4 11/90 $34.95 bandits are enlisted in the ШИ | Bass Masters Сі5с: TE 11/00 $44.95 Emperors New Groove 11/00 $42.95 Nicktoons Racing 11/00 $29.95 Ultimate Fight Champ 11/00 $4295 fight against the ruthless || Bass Rise 01/00 $39.95 Evil Dead Hail King 11/00 $38.95 PGA European Tour Golf 12/00 $39.95 Vagrant Story 05/00 $39.95 |queen ої Alexandria. Batman & Robin 08/98 $34.95 FIFA Soccer 2001 11/00 $39.95 Parasite Eve 2 09/00 $39.95 Valkyrie Profile 09/00 $44.95 Featuring 4 characters, wiz- E Batman Beyond 11/00 $39.95 Fighter Maker 06/99 $39.95 Vampire Hunter D 10/00 $42.95 ards, & knights, The crys- Х Batman Racing 11/00 $39.95 Point Blank 2 05/99 $34.95 Vandal Hearts 2 12/99 $39.95 als from earlier titles are у Battleship 2 11/00 $2495 Frogger 2 10/00 $29.95 Polaris SnoGross 2000 09/00 $19.95 Vanishing Point 11/00 $39.95 back too! One young bandit Battletanx 2 03/00 53995 Front Mission 3 03/00 $36.95 Power Spike Volleyball 12/00 $39.95 WCW 2001 Backstage — 11/00 $39.95 and his entourage must ^ Beast Wars. 06/00 $29.95 Gauntlet Legends 09/00 $39.95 АС Revenge 08/00 532.95 battle their way through к 4 Bedrock Bowling 11/00 $39.95 бтап Turismo 2 12/99 $34.95 Rampage Thru Time 06/00 $34.95 Warriors Might & Magic 11/00 $44.95 many challenges to bring 2 p... Big Air 03/99 $34.95 GunGage 11/00 $39.95 Вау Crisis 10/00 $29.95 Wheel of Fortune 2 11/00 $29.95 FACE to their world € Big Bass Wrld Champ 03/97 $39.95 НВО Boxing 11/00 $39.95 НауМап 2 09/00 $29.95 Wild Arms 2 05/00 $39.95 | А (Roleplaying) Biofreaks 06/98 $29.95 Harvest Moon 11/00 $4495 Reel Fishing 2 07/00 $39.95 World Destrctn Lg Tanks 11/00 $39.95 (Release: NOW, Black Bass/Blue Marlin 12/99 $39.95 Но! Shots Golf 2 03/00 $39.95 Resident Evil Survivor 09/00 $36.95 World is Not Enough 11/00 $39.95 [PSX Blade 11/00 $39.95 Jackie Chan Stuntmstr 03/00 $29.95 Rockem Sockem Arena 11/00 $39.95 X Men 3D Mutant Acad 08/00 $39.95 ©2001 CHIPS & BITS, INC. EGM 0301 P1 |. 4 a2 | 4 Hot Deals! GAMEBOY COLOR || DREAMCAST Tme RELEASE PRICE Tme Revease PRICE Tme Rest Price ттк RELEASE PRICE 102 Dalmatians 11/00 $28.95 Ноуіе 5 Card Games 11/00 $28.95 Pokemon Gold 10/00 $29.95 102 Dalmatians 11/00 $46.95 1942 05/00 $28.95 Pokemon Pinball 07/99 $28.95 4х4 Evolution 11/00 $39.95 3D Ultra Pinball 12/00 $28.95 ^ Legend Zelda Link Awake 01/99 $28.95 ^ Pokemon Puzzle Challenge12/00 $28.95 Bang! Gunship Elite 11/00 $46.95 Aladdin. 11/00 $28.95 Lemmings Revolution 11/00 $28.95 Bust A Move 4 08/00 $39.95 Alice in Wonderland 09/00 $2895 Lion King 2 12/00 $28.95 Pokemon Trading Card 04/00 $2695 Buzz Lightyear 1000 54455 Army Men Sarges Hero 2 11/00 $28.95 Little Mermaid Pinball 09/00 $32.95 Polaris SnoGross 2000 09/00 $28.95 Batman Beyond 11/00 52995 Looney Tunes Alert! 0900 $28.95 Pong The Next Level _ 0900 $2895 02 08/00 $44.95 Bionic Commando 01/00 $28.95 Looney Tunes Racing 12/00 $29.95 Power Boat Racing 12/00 $28.95 Dave Mirra Free BMX 11/00 $44.95 Blaster Master Boy 09/00 $28.95 MTV Sports Pure Ride 1100 $2895 — Power Rangers 07/00 $2695 Dead or Alive 2 09/00 $39.95 Bomberman MAX Blue 05/00 $2895 МТУ Sports Skateboard 11/00 $28.95 Powerpuff Girls Bad Mojo 11/00 $29.95 Donald Duck 1100 $42.95 MTV Sprts Freestyle BMX 11/00 $28.95 Q-Bert 11/00 $24.95 ECW Anarchy Rulez 11/00 $46.95 Buffy Vampire Slayer 10/00 $28.95 Madden FB 2001 11/00 $28.95 Rainbow Six 04/00 $28.95 Ecco the Dolphin 08/00 $39.95 Busta Move Millenium 11/00 $28.95 Mario Golf 10/99 $28.95 ВауМап 2 05/00 $28.95 Evil Dead Hail King 12/00 $44.95 Buzz Lightyear 11/00 $28.95 Mario Tennis 01/00 $28.95 Ready 2 Rumble 2 11/00 $28.95 Half Life Online 11/00 $46.95 Cannon Fodder 11/00 $26.95 MatHoffmans Pro BMX 02/00 $28.95 Road Rash 11/00 $28.95 Jet Grind Radio 11/00 $46.95 Croc 2 11/00 $2895 Меда Man Xtreme 11/00 5289 Ябай Runner 1200 $29.95 — Metropolis 11/00 $46.95 Cruisin’ Exotica 12/00 $28.95 Меп in Black 2 07/00 $28.95 ^ Road to El Dorado 06/00 $28.95 NFL Blitz 2001 11/00 $44.95 Dave Мігта Free ВМХ 11/00 $28.95 Merlin 01/00 $29.95 Ноһороп 12/00 $34.95 NFL OB Club 2001 08/00 $39.95 Disney World Racing 11/00 $28.95 Rugrats in Paris. 11/00 $29.95 РОО 2 Online 11/00 $42.95 = 7 Rush 2049 09/00 $28.95 ДИЕ, orr SF Alpha Warriors Dream 04/00 $28.95 Power Stone 2 08/00 $44.95 a % game starring Donkey Kong Scooby Doo 11/00 $28.95 Quake Ill Arena Online 10/00 $49.95 У and Diddy Kong. Originally ‘Sea-Doo HydroCross 11/00 $28.95 Ready 2 Rumble Boxng 2 11/00 $42.95 released for the Super | SPeedy Gonzales 01/01 $28.95 Resident Evil Code Veron 03/00 $44.95 Nintendo Entertainment АГ On кш System in 1994, this game | SYA 2K Olympics 0900 $2895 Samba de Amigo 10/00 $4295 has been reproduced for TOCA Tour Racing 11/00 $29.95 Sea Man Forbidden Pet 08/00 $49.95 the Game Boy Color, along Test Drive 2001 12/00 $29.95 беда Marine Fishing. 10/00 $39.95 with extra bonuses not Tetris DX 01/99 $28.95 Sega Sports МВА 2K1 11/00 $49.95 found in the original game. | те Grinch 11/00 $28.95 Sega Sports NFL 2K1 09/00 $4995 Nintendo (Adventure) | Te Mummy 11/00 $28.95 Sega Sports NHL 2K 02/00 $46.95 Release: NOW Tiger Woods 2000 01/00 $2295 Shenmue 11/00 $49.95 Tomb Raider 06/00 $28.95 Tony Hawks Pro Skatr2 11/00 $29.95 Sonic Shuffle 11/00 $46.95 Top Gear Pocket 2 05/00 $28.95 Space Channel 5 06/00 53695 Donald Duck 10/00 $28.95 Mia Hamm Soccer 11/00 $28.95 Towers Lord Baniff 08/00 $28.95 Speed Devils 2 Online 11/00 $42.95 Donkey Kong Country 2 11/00 $28.95 Trick Boarder 06/00 $22.95 Streetfighter Alpha 3 05/00 $39.95 Dragon Tales 11/00 $28.95 NASCAR Heat 11/00 $28.95 Triple Play 2001 11/00 $28.95 Sydney 2K Olympics 09/00 $42.95 Dragon Warrior 1 & 2 09/00 $28.95 МВА Jam 2001 11/00 $28.95 Turok Shadow Oblivion 11/00 $28.95 Tetris Online 11/00 $48.95 Driver 05/00 $28.95 NFL Blitz 2001 09/00 $28.95 Ultimate Fight Champ 11/00 $28.95 The Grinch 11/00 $42.95 Dukes of Hazzard 11/00 $28.95 Nicktoons Racing 11/00 $2895 WCW Mayhem 05/00 $2295 Тһе Mummy 12/00 $4295 ECW Anarchy Rulez 11/00 $28.95 Other Life Azure Dreams 02/00 $28.95 Tokyo Extreme Racer2 10/00 $46.95 Paint Ball 08/00 $28.95 Wario Land 3 07/00 $28.95 Tomb Raider 5 11/00 $44.95 FIFA Soccer 2001 11/00 $28.95 Perfect Dark 09/00 $28.95 Warlocked 07/00 $28.95 Tony Hawks Pro Skatr2 11/00 $44.95 Frogger 2 10/00 $28.95 Playmobil: Hype 11/00 $28.95 Warriors Might & Magic 12/00 $28.95 Ultimate Fight Champ 09/00 $46.95 Gobs of Games. 10/00 $28.95 Playmobil: Laura 11/00 $28.95 World is Not Enough 07/00 $28.95 Virtua Tennis. 07/00 $38.95 Godzilla 2 11/00 $2995 — Pocket GT Racer 18/00 $28.95 Х Men 30 Mutant Acad 08/00 52895 Harvest Moon 2 11/00 $32.95 Pocket Soccer 02/00 $28.95 Х Men Mutant Wars 11/00 $28.95 Zombie Revenge 01/00 $36.95 COMPUTER GAMES & HARDWARE NINTENDO 64 11/00 $2895 Unreal Tournament GYE 10/00 $28.05 — Aidyn Chronicles 10/00 $59.95 Indy Racing League 2K 06/00 Anachronox 01/02 $38.95 WarCraft III 06/00 $42.95 АШ Star Baseball 2001 03/00 $49.95 Је! Force Gemini 10/99 Baldur's Gate 2 09/00 $42.95 Zeus:Masterof Olympus 11/00 $39.95 Kirby 64 Crystal Shards 07/00 са C:Red Alert 2 11/00 $44,95 СН Flight Sim Yoke USB 10/00 $99.95 Cruisin’ Exotica 10/00 $5295 — Legend Zelda Majora Mask10/00 $59.95 Championship Manager 5 06/00 $38.95 Diamond Monster MX400 02/00 $7495 — Dragon Sword 10/00 $5995 — Madden FB 2001 09/00 $49.95 Delta Force:LandWarrior 11/00 $39.95 Elso Gladiac GeForce? 06/00 $279.95 Eternal Darkness 02/00 $5295 Mario Golf 64 08/99 $44.95 Deus Ex 04/00 $33.95 Everglide GIGANTA Pad 12/00 $16.95 — ExciteBike 05/00 $44.95 Diablo 2 02/00 $4295 Ота Monster MX400 03/00 $69.95 F1 Championship 10/00 $39.95 — Mario Tennis 09/00 $49.95 Diablo Il Expnsn Pek 04/01 $2995 Herc 3D Prot II DI-Dsply 09/00$184.95 Fighters Destiny 2 06/00 $4295 — NASCAR 2000 0999 $30.95 Dirt Track Reg Sprnt Crs 09/00 $1995 — Hercules3DProphetl 64MB07/00 $399.95 NBA Live 2000 11/99 $39.95 Escape from Monkey Isle 11/00 $39.95 — Herc3DProphet2GTS64MB10/00 $499.95 Harvest Moon 12/99 $59.95 NFL Blitz 2001 09/00 $49.95 EverQuest Scars of Velious01/00 $19.95 Saitek X-36 Cont Sy USB 03/00 $99.95 — Hey You Pikachu 11/00 $82.95 Ogre Battle 64 10/00 $56.95 Fate of the Dragon. 08/01 $33.95 — ] "HEY YOU PIKACHU’ Paper Mario Story 03/00 $49.95 Half Life Platinum Edition 11/00 $49.95 Perfect Dark 05/00 $59.95 Homeworld:Cataclysm 09/00 538.95 Longest Journey 11/00 $38.95 MechWarrior 4 11/00 $44.95 No One Lives Forever 11/00 $34.95 Oni 01/00 $44.95 $19.95 $33.95 Pharoah Add-On:Cleopatra07/00 Quake 3 Arena 12/99 Rainbow Six Coll. Edition 12/00 $59.95 Reach for Stars. 10/00 $38.95 Roller CT Loopy Landscapeso9/00s29.95 | Nintendo (Adventure) Rogue Spear Platnium Pk 11/00 $39.95 | Release: NOW Sims:Livin’ Large 09/00 $29.95 | N64 Spend the specified amount on any in-stock software and choose one free ІВМ game from the corresponding list. Request must be made at time of order. Offer good on in-stock software only, while supplies last. Limit 2 per customer. Valid through March 13, 2001. ЮМ | Combines the interaction of a virtual pet and the challenges of a point and. Click puzzle game. The game comes with a| microphone that plugs into your N64 controller, and | friends! 50 you Pikachu, earn his trust become сап Рікасһи talk to good is lis- tening. So get ready toj say Hey You, Pikachu! Pokemon Puzzle League 09/00 RayMan 2 10/99 $52.95 Resident Evil Zero 10/00 $52.95 Ridge Racer 03/00 $36.95 Rush 2049. 08/00 $52.95 Spider-Man 11/00 $52.95 Star Wars Racer 05/99 $26.95 Starcraft 06/00 $44.95 Tony Hawks Pro Skater 03/00 546.95 Turok Shadow Oblivion 08/00 $49.95 WCW 2001 11/00 $49.95 11/00 11/00 WWF No Mercy World is Not Enough SPEND $60 Dark Vengeance, Flying Corps Gold, Realms of Arkania Trilogy SPEND $100 Witchhaven, Tek War, Odium SPEND $200 Quake, Prince Persia 3D, Tomb Raider 2: Total Annihilation Bundle Visa, MC & Discover accepted. Checks held 4 weeks. Money Orders under $200 same as cash. COD $8. Price, release, availability, shipping times 8 offer not guaranteed & are subject to change at any time. Hardware may require added S&H. Within 10 days defectives repaired or replaced at our discretion. After 10 days the manufacturer's warranty applies. All sales final. S&H calculated оп а per order, per shipment, and per item basis. The "per order’ charge is charged once per order placed, the "per item" charge lis charged once for each item ordered and the “per shipment’ charge is charged once for each shipment we make to you. For each US order $10.00 will be allocated to a 12 issue subscription to Computer Games Magazine. (Call for details. Per Order Per Shipment Per item Standard Priority Express Express Mail To Mall To US. Mail U.S. Ма! Canada — The World 1 Das 2 jy “Шан LU Dan $100 5200 9200 5200 200 5200 $250 9050 5550 5450 5350 5250 $1.50 550 — $150 — $250 5250 5650 (©2001 CHIPS & BITS, INC. © Dreamcast Sega (Roleplaying) Release: NOW Dreamcast 'SKIES OF ARCA- DIA Follow the adventures of the young hero Vyse as he struggles with his place as a mem- ber of the noble Blue. Rogues. Through his voyage he will wage epic battles against savage monsters, evil Pirates, and a pow- erful enemy nation Accompanying Vyse on his quest will be Aika, his childhood friend, and Fina, a mysterious girl from. a distant land. “SHENMUE’ Transports you back to Japan, circa 1986. You are Ryo, a young man trying to Ed the mystery of his father's death. Interact with hun- dreds of characters and solve a myriad of puzzles. It's epic storytelling at its best, and it's only on the Sega Dreampg Sega (Roleplaying) Release: NOW Dreamcast Coming Soon! ROLE PLAYING Г BOARD GAMES AD&D 3rd Ed. ОМ Guide 09/00 $19.95 1864 Year of Decision 07/00 $29.95 Ancient Empires 01/95 $29.99 AD&D 3rd Ed. Players 08/00 $17.95 Axis & Allies 11/94 $49.95 Aberrant 11/99 $19.95 _ Ваше Cry 05/00 $42.95 Alternity Player's Handbook04/98 $24.95 Battleground WW2. 03/99 $28.95 Call of Cthulhu Sth Ed. 07/98 $24.95 Battletech 4th Ed. 12/94 $21.95 Changeling 09/95 $24.95 Brandywine 03/00 $32.95 Cyberpunk 2020 05/05 $17.95 Deadlands Rulebook 10/97 $24.95 Crimson Skies 01/99 $29.99 Dragonlance Sth Age 09/96 $21.95 Empire Builder 03/96 $31.95 Earthdawn 06/95 $17.95 Gear Krieg 08/00 $20.95 Lionheart 10/97 $32.95 Hell on Earth Rulebook 12/98 $26.99 Mage 2nd Ed. 02/95 $24.95 Risorgimento 1859 08/00 $59.95 MERP 2 Softcover 10/95 $19.95 50РАС 10/00 $39.95 Palladium Fantasy. 03/98 $21.99 Settlers of Catan 11/96 $32.95 Pendragon 4th Ed. 05/95 $24.95 Totaler Krieg! 01/00 $69.99 Unknown Armies 09/99 $19.95 Victory 06/99 $35.95 Warhammer Fantasy 10/96 $69.99 Warhammer Fantasy 06/95 $24.99 Wraith 02/95 $22.95 World in Flames Ох 11/96 $99.95 TS] WWF NO MERCY’ THO (Sports) Release: NOW N64 Featuring 80 WWF Superstars including The Rock, Triple Н, Kurt Angle, Chris Benoit, Chyna, and many more! Compete in different matches such 25 Weapons, Ladder, and Cage. Enter the ring, and | prepare for battle, just don't expect any mercy! Т! Nintendo (Roleplaying) Release: NOW N64 == | ‘LEGEND OF ZELDA D | MAJORA'S MASK' Join | Link as he unravels the mystery 04 Majora's Mask. Link relives the same 3 days and nights, enabling him to explore his 3D world and interact with characters like never before. Use Link's Notebook to keep track of characters, tasks and appointrnents as you trav- el through the game. EGM 0301 | Асімісіоп....................12-13 Сарсоп УЗ. www.capcom.com Chips & Bits. . ..126-127 Columbia Ноиве..................з Ecko Unlimited. ........ 1.....35,75 Eidos Interactive .............38-39 Elation Inc. ...................129 Electronic Arts . ..8-9 Fox Interactive ..................21 бийетоб......................31 Harmen Multi-Media.............29 Infogrames ..................14-15 Ітегріау....................23-25 Кові.......... ...45 Konami оҒАтегіса............19,59 WE. SmackDown! 2 2 SNK Kraft - Packaged Goods...........71 LucasArts Entertainment Company32-33 Midway - San Diego .............43 Office for National Drug Control Policy65 Sega of America ............ 130-132 Sony Computer Entertainment of America2, 47-53 Squaresoft ............... 4-5, 16-17 Take 2 Interactive - Rockstar 11,37, 86-87 The Gillette Company. ............57 IQ . 6-7, 41, 60-61 Ubi Soft Entertainment ....... 130-131 Working Designs .............77,79 Wrigleyz ВЗ, ZD-ZDNet. . 111 Official Contest and Sweepstakes Rules 1. No Purchase Necessary: To enter, send a letter or standard size postcard with your best trick codes for РО. Box rook, IL 60522-3338, ог e-mail us at: tricks@ziffdavis.com, Be sure to address, ment ofa е е el ре identifying the per house winners listis requested to me exclusive property of Sponsors owledged or returned. Sponsors ibility for lost, mutilated, late, ge due, or misdirected el this tice. Only !ousehold per Ine, Ox din USA and wil receive by Sponsor. First е of $60.00. The 1. No Purchase Necessary: To enter, send your letter to EGM Letters, Р.О. Box 3338, Oak Brook, Illinois 60522-3338, or e-mail us at EGM@zifdavis.com. Make sure to include your пате, address and phone number. No pur chase or payment of any money is nece to enter, Entries must be re day of the month for the of EGM. Sponsors assume no responsibility for iqueness (25%); (0 Now and (i) Oris about Feb be. number of winners and the be determined by number of ‘one of the following prizes at Sponsor's sole. ‘option: One (1) SharkPad Pro 64? for N64; One () Barracuda for PlayStation; or Eclipse Stick for Saturn. Grand Prize has an approximate retail value of $29.99 US. e selected by the Letters Editor lecisions are final. Winners shall be from all valid entries received. Entries shall be judged on the following criteria: Û) Originality (50%); and (1) Topic (50%), Judging to be held on or about the 15th day of each month Al prize winners wil be notified and/or liken or promotia (5) are allowed, except at the !ould the featured prizes become unavailable. The odds of winning will be determined by the number of valid entries received, Void where prohibited or restricted by law. All federal, state and local regulations. apply. FOR AN OFFICIAL COPY OF THE RULES, SEND A SELF-ADDRESSED STAMPED ENVE- LOPE TO: LETTER OF THE MONTH CONTEST өрге RULES, P.O. Box 3338, are awarded on the condition Oak Brook, IL 60522-3338. InterAct Accessories nor thei subsidiaries, divisions, or rel responsible for any damages, that consumers might incur asa or receipt of prize, Winners ac agree that all p © 1,000s of Tricks» and Codes for all О Ultra-Detailed Maps Revealing All Secrets and Items! کک wer M Ed Бн g Tomb Raider Chronicles, Silent Scope, | || Star Wars: Demolition, Unreal Tournament, Pokémon G&S and Much More! СРИ гов у TERI U: САМЕ mel DRIVER. m wt com пау Usborne тет Нап pPerfeotinrole Papakoach [x Eminent 5 Дре; / Greed AGDE Karn of Brain "d STEM Ei ulis ШТИ қ бой апа 100028008 PRODUCTS Baseball Caps бой Sweatshirts T-shirts Patches Јат: йге 5 STCKETS diio е CONTEST 1 - VIDEO GAMES Sony Playstation 2, Sega Dreamcast, Р51, and GameCube. Get all four or trade what you don't want for cash. Options € include plenty of games, Xbox, Gameboy Options | Advance, accesories and 36" monitor. accessories. Base prize package value $1400. All this and more could be yours. In these contests everyone starts out equal. There is no luck involved. You win the prizes by outscor- ing 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. Typically 59% attain the highest score in PRIZE PUZZLE WORD LIST TOWER -P LEGAL EARTH -X EMPTY WORLD -U WATER SPACE -W COAST -HAPPY—O FIELD SHARE -Z BLADE Name City гүү риу шоч JEPIO SUL diio -«— ОВОМ 199935 SECRET WORD CLUE: What comes after yesterday but before tomorrow? CONTEST 2 - COMPUTER 700 MHz, 128 mb RAM, 27 gi hard drive,8SX DVD-ROM, CD-F drive, modem and 17" monitor. include software and Base prize package value $2600. Fill in the puzzle word's corresponding lett: the secret word going dov ENTER ME IN THE FOLLOWING CONTESTS: П ($3) Video Game П ($3) Computer Mailing Addr Area Code SEND CASH, MONEY ORDER OR CHECK TO: ELATION, P.O. BOX 62126 DEPT 953, EDEN PRAIRIE, MN 55344 hibited Value of prize packages as follows: Video Game package $1400 base prize, bonus options $2350, cash options $1250. Computer package $2600 base prize, bonus options $2850, cash options $1250. Home theater package $7475 base prize, bonus options CONTEST 3 - HOME THEATER 60" big screen, 100 watt receiver with Dolby Pro Logic Surround Sound, DVD, 200 CD changer, dual tape, НІ- FI VCR and tower speakers. ptions include Sattelite TV and camcorder. Base prize package value $7475. phase 1, 47% in phase 2, 39% іп phase 3 and 34% in phase 4. The winner will have the highest score after the tie-breaker. 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 speci- fy 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 described below puzzle. e e e 25 ALL ENTRY FEES MUST BE PAID IN U.S. FUNDS ONLY. WE WILL NOT ACCEPT CANADIAN CHECKS. DIRECTIONS ct words going across. Transfer each to the line at the end. This should spell HINT: Read the secret word clue. ith the П ($3) Home Theater П ($5) Enter All Three 102 Apartment # State Zip Phone Number f Elation, Inc and its suppliers are s are in error the sponsor's liability paid. Elation is not responsible for lost, delayed ined no later than December 01, 2001. This con- d Canada only. If you are under 18, you must $6375, cash options $1250. For any questions e-mail us at elation @uswest.net. or call us at 952-826-0033. "A visual dynamo that could best be described as Monkey Island on some weird alien crack..." IGN.com Spiraling through the Cosmos, five aliens have crashed on our fair planet Earth. Their intent? World domination? Enslave our women? Steal our bodily fluids? No, they'd just like to leave. For they are trapped between the clutches of the evil Dr. Sakarin and his deadly ' hitman. You must help them fashion solutions from strange and savage surroundings. Arm them with bathroom products, used undergarments, and cow dung to get them home. It's the greatest adventure you and five space idiots could possibly imagine. Dreamcast. Pia, — 3 YOU CAN — SCREAM “HELP” LIKE A LITTLE GIRL ____МЕМЕ DIFFERENT LANGUAGES. "Help те е ; “Its just eration of the l&géndary Phantasy Star most complete role-playing experienc шагу Sega is registered in the U S. Patent and Trademark Office. Sega, Dreamcast? the Dreamcast logo, and PHANTASY STAR ONLINE are registered trademarks or trademarks of SEGA CORPORATION OF its affiliates. © SEGA CORPORATION, 2000. All Rights Reserved. © SEGA/SONIC TEAM, 2000. www.sega.com. Made with love’ by: