se Kes ‘POKEMON RUBY, SAPPHIRE: 2-ON-2 BATTLES REVEALED The €@) Video-Game Mag for ;, GameCube PS one GBA... YA SLI ROWE 5 Pie Ree ey GET ONLINE. PRONTO Pl 3 GO BROADBAND THE US: AND WAY SHARE YOUR PC'S CONNECTION : BUILD A WIRELESS NETWORK FROM TWISTED METAL L OCTOBER 1 GET THE GAMING EXPERIENCE | TO SOCOM 3 L Perrier issue 159 __ October 2002 $4.99/$6.50 Canada 221Z-ZT068 AN NOSYJQGN3H 1 De : SSOO0Of Yd GOOMISONYIL OT he VV¥SN IZZOJINIW SINO! : cM yw. 950009#T 26015010 INW# = Tony Hawk 4 (all) | Wey! pny ‘oe | lel pea ot ee | eb [' Tate | @ Star Fox Adventures (GC ; 7 0°"14024"06960 EGM.GAMERS.COM —— Wh! Ape Escape 2 (PS2) €¢T0682 LISOIQG-G.. xxxxxx spines ‘ on Ninja Gaiden (Xbox) a mm Po eee exes OTA cee ‘tit t unites se NINTENDO GAMECUBE pub OHI “OU DHL. Au} PUR’, 20022) UONPISAR Id, (ane “ ‘ Muy 4 |} pansasay Syybu |} | painquisip pue 0} pasueai) AjaAlSMYOX “OU| JUdUL AIUIN JO SysBWapes) aie OHO] agngawey opuE U99!|.JAPUN pasn pue Aq PUMO ae SyIBU) OHI j0 Sywewaped| paiajsibas 10/pue syettiapes aie O60) OH 2u) 3 JaNdwoy Auos jo syiew apes pasa]sibe! aie OgpANWIEY ,Sd., ) pup aoueApy Aog awed ‘@ ‘wy; s]ybiy Uy] “Jane PIOOSSP-pUe ,2N}q SjaayM JOH, 10]09 ay) “OBO) auiey ‘sjaaym JOH ~ PORE LGA 50 WINDOWS® 98 www.thq.com poms, @®@ LIVE IN YOUR WXRLD. SSRs, EVERYONE ® Mild Violence CONTENT RATED BY ESRB we: So www.playstation.com “PlayStation” and the “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. “Live In Your World. Play In Ours.” is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. Developed by Sucker Puneh Productions LLC. ©2002 Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. The-ratings icon is a trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. { RAJAH parishes nani ot this heen nratarean Steet of Parada e it oo ranson TRE his nhetts- ) abdgcted Net ht of 00.5 © joining that Vin Binh to per 1h : Fanih wae Het Proasensing 217 tucets and a = us = tegund © dinmond omnes, from the eae ae j i the swe of an ide ko i oe Io eee ale Sora to (ie Salton wt a Piney 4 peso sete eOE? eee To ae amir wae gsr” sai ares penne AARNE RRRNENIE NT Ay rerAneN Neate ta THIS WAY TOTHE RYE OF RAJA eens One cunning devious thievius raccoonus. Stealing is never condoned, unless you're Sly Cooper. A notorious raccoon thief on a mission to steal back his family's most prized possession. Using a repertoire of sneaky moves, you'll go from one impossible jab to the next using cunning skills and maneuvers to infiltrate the most secure places in the world. Spotlights, alarms, infrared lasers and tripwires are no match for this raccoon. Because when you're as good as he is, grabbing priceless jewels and emptying casinos is like taking candy from a baby. PlayStation.e Sees or faster than nae, de the ‘realm of S Haein) “i attempt t | 7 EVERYONE - F CONTENT RATED BY fer n ‘* ager of the interactive?Digital Sitharehcnosk hts.reserved. Manvlactuccdiant! halted byint aa Sey) a aU TENE ™, © and the Nintendo GameCube jogo are trademarks of Nintendo. SEGA is registered in the U.S. Patent and _ Wademark Office. SEGA and SUPER MONKEY BALL are registered trademarks or trademarks of SEGA CORPORATION or its affiliates. © AMUSEMENT VISION/SEGA 2001, 2002. All Rights Reserved. DOLE® and DOLE & Sun Design® are registered trademarks of Dole Food Company, inc. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association CONTENTS Game Directory PODER OTTO EOR SONNTAG III ORI PIT ION III ON ONIN RR RII 196 Animal Crossing 110 Ape Escape 2 179 Armored Core 3 148 Batman: Dark Tomorrow 192 Beach Spikers 115 Blade Il 150 Bloodrayne 204 Bruce Lee: Quest of the Dragon 137 Capcom vs. SNK 2: EO 206 Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance 146 Conflict: Desert Storm 137 Disney’s PK: Out of the Shadows 179 Dino Stalker 179 Dual Hearts 192 Egg Mania 179 Gungrave 204 Gun Metal 92,96 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets 116 Haven: Call of the King 142 House of the Dead III, The 179 Kelly Slater’s Pro Surfer 180,182 Kingdom Hearts 117. Legend of Legaia 2 147 Marvel vs. Capcom 2 138-139 MechAssault 149 Medal of Honor: Frontline 192 Mystic Heroes 116 NASCAR Thund2r2093 150 NBA Inside Drive 2003 184 NCAA College Football 2K3 184 NCAA GameBreaker 2003 184 NFL2K3 204 NFL Fever 2003 184 NFL GameDay 2003 148 Ninja Gaiden 188 Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny 194 Pac-Man Fever 124,126 Phantasy Star Online Episode 1& ll 114 Pro Race Driver 144 Psychonauts 104,108 RAD: Robot Alchemic Drive 98,102 Ratchet & Clank 130 Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc 132 Rocky 202 Sega GT 2002 150 Shenmue Il 186-187 SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs 136 Sonic Mega Collection 122-123 Star Fox Adventures 204 Street Fighter Alpha 3 198,200 Super Mario Sunshine 192 Super Monkey Ball 2 190 Tekken 4 140 Toejam & Earl Ill: All Funked Up Tomb Raider Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 Twisted Metal: Black Online V-Rally 3 Wild Arms 3 X-Men: Next Dimension XXX Yoshi’s Island: Super Mario Advance 3 114 86-90 192 116 115 117 204 152 October 2002 Issue 159 _ D e p al ll i e nits Editorial Letters 18 4) Press Start 30 Just for you, we’ve pilfered the first screens of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. Also, the developers of SOCOM share their innermost secrets, and we offer the latest on Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire. ‘ == @ P< BD Previews 84 The holiday-gaming blitzkrieg is nearly upon us. Batten down the hatches and arm yourself with knowledge. Get to know Star Fox Adventures for GameCube; Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 for the PlayStation 2; plus, Psychonauts for Xbox. Review Crew 178 You know that someone’s feelings cern are going to get hurt when Super wiis Mario Sunshine, SOCOM: U.S. a Navy Seals, Kingdom Hearts and the latest Castlevania all square off. Which will prevail? 10d Complete guide inside: CANE BO Pg. 160 Broadband vs. dial-up Pg. 162 Sharing broadband between your PC and PS2 Pg. 166 The ultimate wireless setup Pg. 170 Your guide to the games Pg. 172 Sony vs. Microsoft “THans-oeipal VLE be / Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire. Four cuddly critters on the same screen? It’s a veritable Pocket Monster orgy. More on page 50. Tricks 210 Trust us—you’ll need help with Super Mario Sunshine. Luckily, we've got some hot tips for it and a gaggle of other games, too. @ The Final Word 218 and every other online launch game reviewed on page 120. it) Macic gain 2 3 mt , Kingdom Hearts Square and Disney’s first big collaboration is here. Is it worth your time? Find out on page 8o. Nei a B- -B8ecWx<2| GAME BOY: Bor : ANC AVENE ; 1 ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY (ISSN #1058-918X) 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 and additional mailing offices. Single issue rates: $4.99. The one year (12 issue) subscription rate is $24.97 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 55721, Boulder, CO 80322-5721. 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Without limiting the rights under copyrights reserved herein, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in, or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in 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 www.icopyright.com/ziffdavis/, or have a form faxed or mailed to you by calling (425)430-1663. Copyright © 2002 Ziff Davis Media . All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. For permission to reuse material in this publication (or on this Web site) or to use our logo, contact Ziff Davis Media’s Rights and Permissions Manager. For reprints, contact Reprint Services at 800-217-7874. Olga Gonopolsky, Ziff Davis Media Inc. 28 E. 28th St., New York, NY 10016. Tel: 212-503-5438. Fax: 212-503-5420. olga_gonopolsky@ziffdavis.com. 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 magazine are subject to manufacturers’ change and the publisher assumes no responsibility for such changes. The Canadian GST Registration number is 140496720 RT. We do what we want and we get it from you, we do what we like and we like what we do! Printed in the USA. Audit Bureau of Grasations ELECTRONIC Number 15.10 By Dan “Shoe” Hsu —— MONTHLY October 2002 ae im Editor in Chief Bey on. adi “ Dan er ai Hsu * shoe@ziffdavis.com Managing Ealtor EDITORIAL Dean Hager ¢ dean_hager@ziffdavis.com Executive Editor | Mar pyeonats * mark_macdonald@ziffdavis.com eatures Eaitor - . ( ea cee * crispin_boyer@ziffdavis.com od Ww‘ > Eq 00 ve, id Friends , Chris “ Johnston ¢ chris_johnston@ziffdavis.com reviews Editor ae |p Greg Sewar * greg sewart@ziffdavis.com Reviews Editor ‘ ; ; ‘ . ; ‘ ‘ Jon ag Dudlak ¢ jonathan_dudlak@ziffdavis.com id June. Our parent company, Ziff Davis could live that long. We’ll miss them and we wish Associate Editor/Art Director a * . . . 2 ° c Q) Media, makes the mother of all them the best of luck (though some will continue As Me ne Kim ican announcements to the staff: We’re to freelance here and there for us and other Ziff yoentiane Bettenhausen e shane. iain | packing up the Illinois office and mov- Davis publications). Be ee sl ing to San Francisco! Well, hot damn—EGM will Like | said, these folks are integral. That means OO uae | nadeeen finally be in the thick of the action! (If you’re won- without them, there can be no more EGM. So this Contributors . hn et cae 18 . ‘ ‘ ‘ : ; ; David Hodgson, Bill Howard, Miguel Lopez, Jeremy dering what “action” I’m referring to, I’m talking is the final issue you have in your hands. Scott, Scott Steinberg about how most of the video-game industry is Pft...just kidding, of course. With our move In “ihn Editor ° = 5 ONN WICClardl located out in sunny, earthquakey California.) japanese Correspondent This was great news. Especially since my co- "alll co-workers and : won't Fy _dutaka ORBUER Axel Strohm workers and | won’t be smelling like sweaty old - - goat sacks from being in this Midwest humidity. he smelling like sweaty old senior ‘Ar iia : a Cyril Wochok ¢ cyril_wochok@ziffdavis.com at : - Art Director Unfortunately, some EGMers actually have goal sacks... Mike Reisel ¢ mike_reisel@ziffdavis.com established lives here in Chicagoland. They’re not Marasine Cony Rate gonna want to move, especially when Bay Area closer to the middle of the gaming industry, we'll cll cost of living probably puts Barry Bonds in the be stronger than ever. For example, now that Manufacturing Director ear ; * . od ; arlos Lug middle-income” bracket. we’re millions of miles closer to developer Senior Produ Lam Manager So with this issue, we say goodbye to some Neversoft, we may never print incorrect codes for | pre Media Manager dear friends who just couldn’t make the trip to Tony Hawk games ever again! (Don’t hold me to | Pre meet San Fran. Managing Editor Dean Hager. Senior that, by the way, as we have some inexplicable | Etanh oh 185 tion Manazen Art Director Cyril Wochok. Managing Copy Editor curse with regards to Jony cheats.) We’ll be in the “Teresa Newson Jennifer Whitesides. Art Director Mike Reisel. best position In Our history to delivery all the ieee Tar buiee talk letabvetiiauls cou Reviews Editor Jon Dudlak. And Associate gaming info you'll ever want or need. ie Sanaa td) :. . . ° ; ‘ ice President/Game G OUp Editor/Art Director Jeanne Kim. Plus, we have a fantastic team of new writers, | oat’ Strang ° . ° ° ; Tle jive ) You may or may not know these folks, but editors and design people coming in—you’ll see ‘John Davison . ‘ ‘ ; ‘ ; Creative Directo they’re all integral to the creation of each issue of them and their work over the next few issues. ee imon COK EGM. They put in the crazy hours, they dedicate So stay tuned. EGM’s best times are coming : eu ths Bendot themselves like no one’s business, and they’d up, right around the corner. | ren deer j ro . i Shoe Circulat tion ‘Director keep on working here another 100 years if they Shirley Viel Se nfor ‘cae id Sales Manager on Galen - | Advertising Inquiries Contact: | Game Group 50 Beale, 12th floor, San Francisco, CA 94105 elephone: 415-547-8783 4 y SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE NUMBER: Miguel Lopez . - . Bill Howard 800-779-1174 (U.S. and Canada) This former GameSpot editor divides his An award-winning columnist and contribut- WEB SITE: http: //service.egmmag.com ing edi ill applies hi PLEASE SEND ALL SUBSCRIPTION QUESTIONS TO: ing editor for PC Magazine, Bill applies his RO: Box 95732, Boulder, CO Lophpreey Net know-how to our cover story: the ulti- DO NOT CONTACT THE EDITORS RE: SUB, PROBLEMS mate guide to taking your PS2 online. time between writing previews, holding a push-up position for as long as he can, and guarding his guava tree with a machete. | Group Publisher Lee Uniacke ss ” rt elye 4910 e lee_uniacke@ziffdavis.com Jeremy “Norm” Scott Scott Steinberg NORTAWE 5 ’ = : . @z en 4 : ri ; Re hid ) N y Lovers of Norm’s Hsu and Chan comic series Scott’s back at it again, torturing inno- eign sana wil are going to poop their pants when they see cent celebrities. Check out the 415-357-4944 ¢ marci_yamaguchi@ziffdavis.con : : ; Account Executive he designed our PS2 Online cover feature latest mess he’s made speaking with Meighan O’Rourke this month. Have tissues ready. Marshall Faulk from the St. Louis Rams. aah peat ee MIST, AER aus Lom District Sales Representative - - Mary Gray David Hodgson (Prima Games) John Ricciardi 2 ideeeillsiizil fest Ge le: Ml " ring em pen > H : ‘ ; Regiona Sales anager Now a gibbe ring shell of aman after winning a ie EGM’s International Editor subsisted on | PA are Callicon _— | Mario Sunshine, David finished our Tricks re a diet of Pocky and ice nee while , 630- 382-9034 ° marc_callison@ziffdavis.com ; ie + Nay ; egional Sales Manager section only after much ranting about “120 sequestered in his tiny apartment in Japan lan Sinclair ” Shines Get!” and horse tranquilizers. playing Super Mario Sunshine for review. Pe i Emily Olman patie aa _— ; Fie 5226 © emily_olman@ziffdavis.com ; souTR Fal My Shorts! pit a few of the quotes from issue #158: Res onal sa le SN Manage " ‘ " s - | 7 an On ..you give away his position...one more time 760-942-6277 ® karen_landon@ziffdavis.com and he’ll bleed you...real quiet.” (Predator, pg. 146) | Se nin AC count Executive Be io came ac , Yo inda Philapi ; Look around this issue for quotes a ee aes weighs the ade ey duck, and she’s - 415-357-8781 ¢ linda_philapil@ziffdavis.com from The Simpsons or a famous made of wood, she’s a witch.” (Monty Python and ONLIN ; oa the Holy Grail, pg. 58) Online Sales Manager . am C movie. Find one, . mail it (and e All the quotes on pgs. 124 and 125. Easy! sie eee ¢ sam_cimino@ziffdavis.com where you found it and your non- Senior ae Manager & Creative Director 7“ ey Ledda P.O. Box mailing address) to us at Issue #157’s winners of The Mark of Kri (PS2): mart ode, 8775 © | ° rey_ledda@ziffdavis.com EGM@ziffdavis.com (subject: Eat My ° ee r Jones—Modesto, CA wea? Pll 7 e Lucas Schippers— Tucson, AZ 15-547-8248 ® wayne_shiu@ziffdavis.com Shorts—EGM #159), and you maybe . Forres email, a ane ert re ing Coardinator Bt . ; 2 : Ys ipler el =e one of five lucky winners (chosen at e Matt Lodestein— Shenandoah, IA 415-357- 4930 * tipler_ ubbelohde@ziffdavis.con a random) who will win a copy of this e Justin Pacelli— Milford, CT aay (eee s Ps month’s Game of the Month. 415-547-8778 ® kristeen_laut@ziffdavis.com ea 4) We use EarthLink | 3 a ae nt 2s EarthLink (0; our online 415-547-8783 ® cj_amit@ziffdavis.com gaming needs. Founder Steve Harris 10d H i “Looks like one of the best First Person Shooters yet” - PSM "A brilliant game” ~ Nintendo Power , insite wisn daa Naan sree eisccine ReliniieitonavinenMalNwbweiiancniancation “...a game of the year title ...one hell of a game" ° - Gaming Horizon - PSXNation ‘emacs na mecenaae tae ; t 3 / “...the best-looking first-person shooter currently in development for PSe" “TimeSplitters 2 is going to be awesome.” | - IGN.com - Gamespot.com Es ] he makers of GoldenEye return oO bring you the most exciting new shooter this side of Halo." - GameNow “So polished it shines” - Xbox Nation st Acclaimed Game o t SEPTEMBER 2 Pre-Order Your Violence ee FREES uweu| RADICAL GiloOS GAME. CUBE... Co CONTENT RATED BY | ESRB PlayStationoe © 2002 Free Radical Design Lunited, TinmeSplitters 2, Free Radical Design and associated logos are trademarks of Free Radical Design Limited. All rights reserved. Published by Eidos Interactive, Inc. Eidos, Eidos Interactive, and the Eidos Interactive logo are all registered trademarks of Eidos Interactive, Inc: ©}002 Eidos Interactive, nc “PlayStation” and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertaiment Inc. Microsoft, Xbox, and the Xbox log diunder license from Microsoft, TM, ® and the Nintendo GameCube logo are trademarks of Nintendo, ©2002 Nintendo. The ratings icon is a registered trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. All other titles, trademarks, characters, and registrations are property of their respective owners, All rights reserved G) — are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsott Corporation in the U.S, and/or other countries and are | * Bice TETANY y q ‘ WW i oo ant ie a ot ate Pa MY SMT TTT BIEIEISIEIE IEE IEIEIEIL I ea ed ed BS a Bd BBB! 4 : a4 a4 4 a ar Not for contest trophies. Not for a video game deal. For the love. JOSHKALIS tas WHAT’S HOCKEY WITHOUT HITz? Coming Fall 2002 Violence CONTENT RATED BY ESRB NHL®) Hitz™ 20-03 © 2002 Midway Home Entertainment Inc. HITZ is a trademark of Midway Home Entertainment Inc. MIDWAY and the Midway logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Midway Amusement Games, LLC. Used by permission. NHL and the NHL Shield are registered trademarks of the National Hockey League. All NHL logos and marks and team logos and marks depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, LP. ©) 2002 NHL. All rights reserved. © NHLPA; Officially Licensed Product of the National Hockey League Players’ Association. National Hockey League Players’ Association, NHLPA and NHLPA Logo are trademarks of the NHLPA and are used, under license, by Midway Home Entertainment Inc. Micrasoft, Xbox, and the Xbox logos are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries and are used under license from Microsoft. TM, ‘8, Game Boy Advance and the Nintendo GameCube logo are trademarks of Nintendo. tered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. “PlayStation” and the ''PS" Family logo are regis- NINTENDO GAMECUBE. www.midwaysports.net EVERYONE WHAT’S FOOTBALL WITHOUT THE BLITZ? Coming Summer 2002 PlayStation. Violence PLAYERSS CONTENT RATED BY ESRB NFL® BLITZ® 20-03 © 2002 Midway Amusement Games, LLC. All rights reserved. BLITZ, MIDWAY and the Midway logos are trademarks of Midway Amusement Games, LLC. Used by permission. ©) 2002 NFLP. Team names and logos are trademarks of the teams indicated. All other (NFL-related marks) are trademarks of the National Foothall League. Officially Licensed Product of Players Inc. The Players Inc logo is a registered trademark of the NFL Players. www.nflplayers.com ©2002 Players Inc. Used by permission. Distributed under license by Midway Home Entertainment Inc. TM, ‘®) and the Nintende GameCube logo are trademarks of Nintendo. “PlayStation” and the “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Microsoft, Xbox, and the Xbox logos are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries and are used under license from Microsoft. ie EVERYONE Mild Lyrics Mild Violence | CONTENT RATED BY PlayStationee ae GAME BOYADVANCE |. iia xeBOx 2 Riis | af GAMECUBE 2002 Activision, Inc. and its affiliates. Published and distributed by Activision Publishing, Inc. and its affiliates. Activision and Pro Surfer are registered trademarks and Activision 02 is a trademark of Activision, Inc. and its affiliates. All Rights Reserved. Kelly Slater is a trademark of Kelly Slater. PlayStation 2, Xbox and GameCube versions developed by Treyarch. Game Boy Advance version developed by HotGen Studios."PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Microsoft, Xbox and the Xbox logos are either registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S.A, and/or other countries. ™, ®, Game Boy Advance and Nintendo GameCube logo are trademarks of Nintendo. The ratings icon is a registered trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. All other trademarks and trade names are the property of their respective owners. SEEN ASRS I EM POEL ION LEA LINER 8 A BERLE sre me ton Visit 13 of the popular surf spots from around the globe. 9 modes of play including 2 player PUSH™ mode. = ~ -———sSSURFING WILL NEVER BE THE SAME Drop in with 6-time World Champion Kelly Slater or one of 8 other top pros in the ultimate surf experience, Kelly Slater’s Pro Surfer®. Play a total of 30 levels at the most challenging surf breaks from around the globe. Pull off big air and fantasy tricks like Rodeo Flip, Knack , aaa Knack and Hangman that let you take surfing ~— SS ae to a whole new level. Surf in a constantly — = changing wave environment — you’ll never vo “or see the same wave twice. SPORTS REVOLUTION J ACTIVISIONO2.COM VERYONE Visit www.esrb.org or call 1-800-771-3772 for Rating Information. POWERED BY: ESE AREN’T EXPORTED. THEY ESCAPE. Ferocious beasts like the Lamborghini Murciélago, Porsche Carrera GT and Ferrari 360 Spider’ are born to run. And run fast. Cut one loose on heavily trafficked public roads with unpredictable conditions and waiting police cruisers. Avoid recapture or spend the next 5-to-10 in captivity. Take the reins at needforspeed.com. snare tia 7a eagames.com Letters to the Editors ~~ Ren NSIRNOSAISRTAREEOMEOEAESEBSIOASSEASEASSAESSSSSAAAASY SS SSE SSE SSASSEAANNENS ARRAS SLES ARN SIE BA NS SOSBIEDETOOLE BASES BESS SESISSB OSSD SEEEERAGI BOBS LESI IIL LET US HOOK YOU UP... ...WITH A FREE CONSOLE OF YOUR CHOICE! We know you have opinions about EGM. Here’s your chance to put those thoughts to work and win free stuff. Log on to www.surveymonkey.com/egmedit with the password “EGM1002,” complete a reader survey by Oct. 31, 2002, and you'll have a chance to win a console of your choice (approx. $200 in value). LETTER OF THE MONTH Playing With Yourself I’m disturbed by this rapidly growing Congratulations Jason Carlile! You win an InterAct GameShark for PlayStation 2, PlayStation, Dreamcast, Nintendo 64 or Game Boy Color. trend in gaming. It seems that every month, more and more titles are going the online route: Phantasy Star Online on GC, Final Fantasy XI, Resident Evil Online, Star Wars Galaxies...you get the idea. Most of these games are either part of a popular series with a strong following or appear to be extremely promising. But why go online? |, for One, enjoy relaxing in front of the boob tube and playing at my own pace with no distractions or interruptions, especially when it comes to RPGs. | don’t want to have the pressure of other gamers waiting on me to make my next move or possibly expecting me to show up for a game at a certain time. The games | mentioned above are among my favorites series-wise, but their online limitations are going to drive me to Prozac! My question is, will any of these games have the option to also play offline with a single-player mode? Anybody feel the same way? Where's Tlie Love? I’m a huge PlayStation [1] fan with lots of great games. It’s truly a great sys- tem. | love it. What | don’t understand is why there are no—and | mean zero—new games coming out! Yes, | know that it’s an old system, and there are three brand-new consoles out there that look a heck of a lot better, but c’mon! It’s the system that changed gaming forever! There are still millions of people who own PlayStations and still play them today. We’re all longing for better new releases. Why is it that all the game creators out there just don’t seem to care? Kazkid8@aol.com It’s sad when your favorite system dies, but it’s all part of the grand cycle of life and death. Sure, the PlayStation had its time in the sun, but the creeping shadow of the Jason Carlile Hurlock, MD Reaper has taken this once-mighty system out of the limelight. There is still a handful of major new releases to look forward to, like Black and White and Madden 2003. But realistically, it’s time to start thinking about moving on—after all, While we can understand those without access to broadband being unhappy with titles like SOCOM that require fast Internet connections, you’ve really got nothing to fear from online gaming. Most games in the foreseeable future will still ship with robust single-player modes (like SOCOM, TimeSplitters 2 and all the recent football titles), with online play as a bonus for those who want it. Game developers know that single-player games will be the biggest market for a long, long time, and they aren’t going to start ignoring it anytime soon. It is true some cool-looking online-only games (like Final Fantasy XI) are on the way, but most of them let you go at your own pace and play whenever you like, so you needn’t worry about that. (You don’t have to set a time to meet and play with friends ya know—that’s your choice.) And don’t forget all the positives of online gaming: teamwork, camaraderie and smart opponents. a pair of ante | article in EGM - #158 by Sean- pissed myself while bie oe ue you can always play all those old games on your new PSz2. And wouldn’t your old PS1 have wanted it that way? stopping To Smell The Games | was playing Pikmin the other day and, for a short period, | felt baby, “30 Days i in the Hole.” ‘Seanbaby will be thrilled to hear that he got yet another reader tosoilhis — trousers. As for us here at EGM, we’re working on enlightened. | completely forgot the ot aaa on pressures of life, and | felt both Depends people peaceful and uplifted. It was like being foradiaper | 5 years old again in a bright new pack-in with the world. Isn’t that what gaming should writes for. he” be all about? We get so wrapped up in : > Electronic Gaming Monthly - 18 - egm.gamers.com * Only one entry per household. Duplicates will be deleted. keeping up with the latest releases, we forget to just sit back and savor what we have. | lost sight of that somewhere, but the magic of Pikmin opened my eyes again. I’ll look forward to this feeling again and again through other Nintendo games like Zelda and Mario Sunshine. Maybe even the sublime beauty that is Resident Evil. | Salute Mr. Miyamoto and other game designers like him who help keep the magic alive. Kevin hero_2587@hotmail.com Ah yes, there’s nothing like getting the warm ’n’ fuzzies from playing a great game. With three platforms to choose from and so many games coming out these days, it’s easy to get jaded. Sometimes it’s important to take time, slow down and reap the rewards of our incredible current gaming climate. Something to think about (especially those of you about to write us complaining about anything). Don’t let the Muggles get you down. Stop and smell the flowers of Pikmin. The Road Aheat After reading your E3 report on the future of the PS2 and Xbox [EGM #157], | can’t help but think that the execs at Microsoft are looking in the wrong direction. Ed Fries (VP of games publishing at MS) says, “If [Sony’s] looking 10 years ahead, | think they’d See this was...a much larger war.” If there’s anything I’ve learned about myself and other gamers in 15 or so years of gaming, it’s that we’re a very fickle crowd. Gamers live in the now, not what’s coming a year—much less 10 years—from now. Don’t tell us av se of Alcohol Gambling iolence ©2002 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft, Xbox, and the Xbox logos are registered trademarks of the Microsoft Corporation in the United States Shenmue Hi are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Sega Corporation. The names of actual products and companies mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective own 2 ~~] Lette LETTERS THE INFO ome way to ‘Teasurea a $ power von, i all three systems pack 128 bits, but more than the number of bits. . ALL this online talk got me thinking: | “Will the Game Boy ‘Ad ance ever get _ cer a say never, but Nintendo’s online ‘Ica <2 Will Nintendo do. a eke ee . estore _ attbi. com none brag about : ‘it. The : matter much | hotmail. com about how great it’s going to be— show us how great it is. | think that Microsoft is making a mistake in looking that far ahead. People who spend $200-300 hard-earned dollars on a system don’t want to hear about how big it’ll be in 2012. Mark San Giacomo Amherst, MA We hear you Mark, but we think you might be missing the point of what Fries was saying. As any of us who own a Dreamcast know, a console doesn’t have to be #1 to be worth owning. Fries wasn’t saying to wait for anything—he was talking about Microsoft’s commitment to video games in general. You have to realize that Microsoft is not used to being #2 in anything, but as the #2 (Nintendo might say #3) player in the industry right now, a lot of people ask if Microsoft will just pack it in and give up on video games. What Fries was saying was, not only are they not going to give up anytime soon, but they are in this industry for the long haul and are committed to eventually becoming the #1 console maker somewhere down the line, even if it takes years and years. And think about it—who would have guessed 10 years ago that Nintendo wouldn’t be #1 today? Oh No You Di'nt Is it me or is anyone else getting tired of female gamers writing in and talking about how game magazines have sexist remarks? I’m a female gamer and no, | don’t like the remarks anymore than they do—but it’s just a _ fact of life. Deal with it. Video games reflect the predominantly male society that plays and creates them. Most of us women are used to this sort of treatment. If they don’t like it, then why play the games? If they want to read a female’s thoughts on gaming, then make a difference by becoming an editor. The point I’m trying to make is, don’t complain if you’re not going to do something about it. Mary Washington Andicare@aol.com Why, whatever video-game magazines could you be referring to? Not us, surely! Mary, we males on the staff respect the opposite sex as much as the next educated guy. Associate editor Jeanne Kim forces us to. Any time we start on about gazongas or what not, we catch a brainer upside the head. It’s good to Pavtews editor Greg Sewart will think twice before questioning Jeanne’s taste in wallpaper for her house in Animal Crossing again. So you’ve just finished reading the magazine from cover to cover, but you want more EGM? May we suggest the EGM message boards, viewed daily by literally thousands of other gamers just like you? Hit egm.gamers.com and strike up a conversation today! > a | % # ge Ic raya kovall & | _ » ALi e BX ~ Xe se SEE = & Se SEGesE « Se seeVee “| pay a lot for my broadband cahneetion as it is; paying more just to get online with the Xbox isn’t very attractive to me.”—Son_of_Liberty LGNTTIS Tity AMUA LU Shiite § UV we elf SalN ~COifa bs ‘ Vv J REA « prereras ie Nintendo ‘ wait ee see’ approach. Besides, the majority of console gamers don’t even have broadband.” — Byrn Electronic Gaming Monthly - 20 - egm.gamers.com What's the worst game you've oe — Shaq-Fu [for the Genesis and Super Nintendo]. He has a chance in fighting games like he does in music. afroman4783@hotmail.com | don’t buy bad games [’cause] | read your [reviews], duh. Grime670@aol.com Mortal Kombat Advance. Need | say more? SubZero187@aol.com When | was 7, my mom tricked me into spending my hard-earned allowance on a !@*$% educational game, Mario Is Missing for the Super Nintendo. It sucked! Airwalk51@aol.com Halo. It cost me a whole lot more than the $50— it cost me my job. bbchs_trash@attbi.com Nightmare Creatures for the PlayStation. Should’ve been called Nightmare Controls. quinze15@earthlink.net 18 Wheeler: American Pro Trucker. There’s noth- in’ like driving across the continental U.S. in 15 minutes. Joobidy2006@aol.com Shadow of Destiny. No violence, no action, no fun. wishpoosh_shane@yahoo.com That award goes to Metal Gear Solid 2. If | wanted a crappy love story, | could’ve watched a daytime soap opera. shamingox@hotmail.com Ring King for the 8-bit Nintendo. | didn’t think the boxing was too bad up until | saw my coach giving me a [B}]. KiDxDeCa@aol.com | am very proud to say that | once owned Total Recall for the old 8-bit Nintendo. SolidSnakeog28@aol.com Next Month’s Question of the Moment: Which fighting game is better, Virtua Fighter 4 or Tekken 4? Why? Send your brief, coherent responses to: EGM@ziffdavis.com with the subject heading: Kung-Fu Fighting CLONED SHEEP JEALOUS: WANTS TO BE MORPHED ) PROFESSOR BURNITALL'S SECRET PLAN FOR | ~ WORLD DOMINATION! | 3 Why He Hates Muto-The Inside Scoon ae $ 1.77 9/cANADA $2.15 RATING PENDING Visit www.esrb.org or call 1-800-771-3772 for Rating Information. CONTENT RATED BY ESRB - — ns , a : Dr. Muto © 2002 Midway Games West Ine bo (ee a reece oe | See How Morphing Hanne Pull-Out Schematic — THE MIDWAY REWVEALER SUMMER 2002 EDITION / Ss tsa BAITS ed. MIDY tainment ine in| the Abax logos in i} Aiieke \f arid the Mi tall esther ty Lot Boy Ad requstere ie) are re NiCe www.drmuto.midway.com trate Aide i, “GAMING'S NEWSPAPER” MIDWAY www. midway.com \ You can write EG!\) at: EGM Letters Please note: We reserve the right to edit any correspondence for space - PO. Box 3338 purposes. If you don’t want your name, city/state or E-mail address LETTERS Oak B k IL printed, tell us so (but please include your phone number, mailing address 6 q roo 3 and system preference for Letter of the Month prize consideration). 0522-333 Also note: We just can’t write back to everyone who writes in, but make your comments constructive or at least humorous and you might get sumpin’ back! E-mail: EGM@ziffdavis.com seo eeeenemieensenseaasenesemmneeneeenseneenemeessebicsnenmenesessisadentnseesscnuneeessnecenenndnnnmeetemtinesi sneer nen nn STOTT nee te know that, even in these politically correct times, a staff full of game editors can quickly be put in their place by a womanly headlock...or a game of Halo. MORE SHORTS Why can’t Jill or Chris kick zombie ass Jackie Chan- | Will Somebody Please Think Of The Children A lot of people (including you guys) have often made the statement that COMMITTED (OR SHOULD BE). To get the word King Pong pg Nintendo has an image of being a Headline News Resident Ful “kiddie” company that makes games = 2 Thursdays at My friend and | recently purchased a movie? They for kids. It seems to me that if it 4:45 PST, | shaved and then tatooed Blockbuster Games Freedom Pass, and ought to put ina weren’t for Nintendo games, there’d be “EGM & CNN” on my stomach, then our first rental was Jest Drive for the fighting system. little on the market for younger gamers pranced around in a belly shirt. PlayStation 2. As we waited for the wowitsnotbutter = with shorter attention spans. Blair Yeary game to load up, a humble, epeo-com Daniel Laws Akron, OH unassuming little minigame by the For the same N. Wilkesboro, NC name of Pong graced our unworthy reason that Hmm...looks like marker to us, but television screen. At first we thought tons of readers Well, the truth of the matter is the good enough! Got a neat, legal stunt nothing of it—just a simple diversion to es wa best games appeal to players both that promotes EGM? Send it along keep our short attention spans. We -you...to ae young and old. Nintendo might have with some proof (we need a picture played the first race of the game, and while we waited for the next, yet again Pong returned. Soon, Pong became more important than the actual game we rented. In order to emerge victori- ous, we had to achieve a Zen-like state and raise our mental being to higher planes of understanding. We recom- mend this game to every type of gamer on the market. Oh, and there’s also a decent minigame called Jest Drive that comes with every copy of Pong. Stewart Pelto mcaflo@hotmail.com Ah, nothing like the classics. Of course, we’d rather not have to deal with load times at all, but if we have to, it’s always great to have something to keep our thumbs busy. Another cool example is Namco’s Ridge Racer (PS1) way back in the day; during those long waits between races, you were treated to a full game of Galaga. Pong, the first console game ever made. It ain't just old-school, it’s pre-school. you insane, wowitsnotbutter 8@aol.com! a kiddie image, but it’s no secret that gamers from all walks of life dig on their stuff. We certainly do. or something) to EGM@ziffdavis.com with the subject heading “I heart EGM.” You could win cool stuff! LETTER ART: WORTH ITS WEIGHT IN MCI STOCK Letter Art of the Month WINNER Not Quite Sharkworthy... Serious tech points, but light on creativity... Looks like Knuckles has got a case of the Akira or somethin’. Either that or Dale Davis has quite an imagination. Congratulations, Dale. Please allow 6-8 weeks for delivery of your InterAct GameShark for PlayStation 2, PlayStation, Dreamcast, Nintendo 64 or Game Boy Color. Some assembly required. _conpecnmewozonoeT ET Get creative with your postal supplies. Deck out a #10 envelope (the long, business type) with your own unique touch. Send letter art to: EGM Letter Art, P.0. Box 3338 Oak Brook, IL 60522-3338 (or E-mail EGM@ziffdavis.com) Make sure you send us your address and which console you'd like your GameShark prize for in the event that you win. By “win" we mean “pass.” See, entries will be subjected to a battery of tests to determine authenticity and absorption. Those entries able to PEPPERONI RII RITHM ITIP H ONO HAIR IOI O IOI IIIT UR OIRO INDO OONODIN 3 ii’ auld vo “Hien ey i a ‘it 7 withstand over 1 fl. oz. of Vanilla Coke saturation without dissolving | _™= will be entered to win our Letter Art of the Month award. From there on out, it’s all based on mood swings and blind luck. } Tuan Nguyen Westminster, CA _ Tony Mendez | North Hollywood, CA The nice thing about Letter of the Month and Letter Art of the Month contests is that there's no purchase is necessary. Some places you can get EGM without actually having to pay for it include your dentist's office and that newsstand down the street with the old sleeping man who won't notice if you rip it off. Official contest rules can be obtained by writing: EGM Contests-Legal Rules Request, P.0. Box 3338, Oak Brook, IL 60522-3338. Rules can also be found online at egm.gamers.com. tlectronic Gaming Monthly - 22 - egm.gamers.com U.S.ARMY ‘Ee UNIVERSAL Oe A, INTERACTIVE Own the movie on DVD! MATURE BLOOD and GORE VIOLENCE CONTENT RATED BY -- es ; et “SBLAUNOD seyio 0/0 “sn ZOSOI5i4 JO. SweWwlapes) JO swewspes) poie}sifisy Jaunia 3/2 060; xody eae YOOX YOSOIDIN ou; uae PaZ Jajndwiog AUOS Jo sysewenen paiailent ae 060) Aue wSda aii DUR _UOIBISAL|d, DS squBy {iv UcHei0d2075 iiseuo, nue “OUj “BANOBJa}U) jesISAIUA AQ pajnguisip puP pausiqhg eit ‘Suistiaor SOIBNIS jESISAIUN Aq PeSuss1}SOINMS JESISAIUT JO & OUR oie SAPERE pajeiau we Gunes uh ene fesiowun zovz 9 pene SNE s8}U! Syl Os, SeEece igs 68s te ~~ ed a 2299 ¢ a eae Ss “eh @ tae we etete @ 2 ; . a &. e S : a © S > A= DB ) i #2 STE S 9 = - s : i & ° > 1 ou ; os = AW 5. - ££ G6 Ss ae = z 4 te aw = = Se," a) * &e° EE 2 - ees Bers t ss 4 2 aS cae se Se kD eo 7 es 35 Ee Se = Pe ches 4 i Owes Cs eS > Pe bo Ba www.BruteForceGame,.com MATURE Violence Blooc set digita ation, All ai producis an ft, Xbox, Brute Force, and the Xbox logos are E si of the Microsoft Corporation d companies mentioned here ’ FOUR RUTHLESS MERCENARIES. ONE HOSTILE UNIVERSE. IT’S A MATCH MADE IN HELL. The year is 2340 and more than fifty star systems are populated with colonies. But when an alien invasion threatens to put every living organism on the endangered species list, the Confederation of worlds must dispatch its elite special forces unit. code-named Brute Force. That's you. As Brute Force, you are four separate intergalactic mercenaries. The trigger- happy assault trooper. cyborg sniper, stealthy assassin and feral alien are all played by you. As you guide these shooters through 20+ missions and six exotic worlds, your knowledge of combat survival tactics will be severely tested. Depending on what the enemy throws at you, you ll need to switch between squad members and use their specialized individual skills. Whether you play alone or in co-op mode with three friends, the battles escalate, the plot thickens and the violence gets addictive. Good luck. To all four of you. 5:9 es narcans® EA Sl GETHER www.xbox.com x that there is a method, but ; they are undecided at this time if it will make it in. (Our thoughts: Don’t count on it.) it Hund Ybieo Bp! SSS se This hanity utility belt trae enough pockets on it for all your junk and replaces the backpack from Gold/Silver. te 10380R Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire usher in the biggest advance in the series’ battle system: two-on-two fights. Now trainers can bust out os — two Pokémon at a time > against you, and you can con Au 10 select which of your aan - opponent’s monsters you — want each of your Pokémon to attack. Which beasties ses si pour ac ai duo? Findon tana a PLE —-btwt a3 : Cl eee cals) Y=) HS Pee Do you have the Pokéballs to take on two Pokémon at once? Here, Sameheader (the shark-lookin’ guy on the bottom left) pulls off a devastating bite attack on Pelipper. Rat GEES * + = 5 + Z EVERYONE a =) 7» www.midwaysports.net Comic Mischief WE CALL IT SLUGFEST FOR A REASON Violence CONTENT RATED BY ESRB MLE" Sugtest@ 2003 © 2002 Midway Amusement Games, LLC. Ali rights reserves. SLUGFEST, MIDWAY and the Migway loges are trademarks oi Midway Amusement Games, LLC. Used by permission. Major League Baseball trademarks and copyrights are used with permission o! Major League Gaseball Properties, lnc. Visit the etical web site at MLB.com. COMLBPA Ovicial Licensee, Majer League Baseball Players Association. Visit he Players Choice on the web a! www bigleaguers com Distributed under license ty Midway home Emertnmen: inc TM <= Game Gry Advance ant te Nitende GameCune ioc at Iragemarts 0 Nutende “PieyStabor” ane te “PS” Family loge at repisteres raemarts of Suny Computer fatertaimen! ic Micresa, Neo ant he Koc logs at eer regsteret trademarks or trademarks o! Mires! Corporain i the US. ano Mer ceuries and art eset wader licexse rom Micrasol Screes image capares shew’ tatet trom PlayStation’)? compete entertainment system. “The only thing | can say about that is it sounds really, really sexy. For further comment, I'd have to direct you to Sony...” here at the EGM offices, even with the latest Mario and Castlevania games making the rounds, is Sony’s tactical action-shooter SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs (check out the review on page 186). So for our Afterthoughts interview this month, we sat down with the Creative Director at developer Zipper Interactive, David Sears (a.k.a. Dr. Boom if you happen to see him online), to chat about the best weapons to use in multiplayer, Russian heavy-metal tunes, and why he had to fake his own death, over and over again. EGM: Let’s start with single-player. What do you think is the best way to use your computer-controlled teammates? David Sears: | tend to keep the team with me on most missions, but we put in a lot of extra way-points in some missions so you can sort of move them one waypoint at a time ahead. But it really depends on the mission. It depends on how comfortable | feel with what the enemies are doing. One of my favorite things to do is leave my guys behind in sort of an over-watch position. They'll pretty much take out anything that’s gonna come my way. A good example is in the Turkmenistan “Mouth of the Beast” mission where you’re going after the two suitcase nukes. In the outer area, | always leave my guys behind, at that entrance to the canyon. | make a run for the radio when | can, but when I’m inside that cave complex? | want those guys like three feet ahead of me. Because they tend to see the enemies before | do. EGM: What about Boomer? Since he always sticks with you, we sometimes have trouble with him getting spotted. DS: He does tend to stay with you, although you can get him involved with a task that will cause him to lag behind a bit. Hmm...Boomer is very good. He’s better than your two other partners at staying hidden. Boomer is gonna try to stay in shadows, grass, foliage, whatever. My advice is to give him the better position—you move slightly out of it and kind of get behind and to the side of him. So when Boomer stops and finds cover, find your own cover near him [instead of running to the best cover position — Zipper Interactive Creative Director David Sears on the possibility of future level and weapon add-ons for SOCOM first and leaving Boomer in a position where he might be exposed]. Another trick: If you really want him to be invisible, pass your weapon over him and he’Il go from the crouch to the prone position. All the guys—if you move your raised rifle or pistol over them—will drop down to the next position so they aren’t blocking your line of fire. EGM: How about the Aim Assist feature in options — exactly what does that do, and does it work in multiplayer? DS: No, in multiplayer you’re on your own. In single-player, Aim Assist is basically...anywhere in the circle that makes up the crosshair, you have a chance of actually hitting the target. Shots tend to stay closer to the center, and always tend to stay more inside the circle. It’s not an auto-aim, it’s not going to “pop” to another target after you deal with one, and it’s not gonna choose the closest guy. By the way, as far as aiming goes, my advice is to set up custom controls so you find the turn speed and aim speed that feels good for you. EGM: Are there any secret voice commands hidden in the game? svcyet WAL Lt HAY Lhd ery . (leaiiaaiaaceaamimae temmameaamamatacatataian (VPP RENEE RCA ADA ae A HEMMER) SESLLO AY RTO PEDAL AS NS VaR HPT ATPSV MTS SRS 5 eA NS PT) SCA PT rs AA TES Pt A nr GET DE SA nanan) revoECne TES NAAN FORAY i Fy . L Ty t 7 = a DS: Um...[confers with public-relations rep]... well, there is at least one, but | wouldn’t want to spoil it at this point. [Editor’s note: We’ll cut out all the begging and pleading that went on here. Suffice it to say, Sony wouldn’t budge. | EGM: Anything else about single-player? DS: Something | don’t want people to miss— we wrote and recorded tons, hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of lines of dialogue for the enemies, and you hear very little of it once the shooting starts. But if you sneak around, if you’re very covert about things, you can hear all kinds of conversations throughout the game. EGM: We noticed that, like the guard in Turkmenistan counting the stars. Another cool little audio touch we noticed was the Russian music the guys in Alaska were listening to in the second mission. DS: We were really excited and pleased about the music. Our producer Seth Luisi handled the acquisitions for us. The Russian songs are all original compositions for SOCOM, and if you want to hear a real, 16-bit 44kilohertz version of the Russian metal piece, all you have to do is listen during the credits. Cont. on page 34d Dr ISNE fp T SQUARESOFT An amazing new adventure from the creators of FINAL FANTASY, “Guys, | said it’s CLEAR! Now MULTIPLAYER MAP OF CHOICE David’s favorite multiplayer arena also happens to be popular around the EGM offices. “I really like the level Blizzard. It’s fencer i quiet. It’s pretty. And it can be run in so many ways. There are 8 | some very good sniping positions on the map. Plus, it has out- se houses [laughs]. You’d be surprised at how few people hide in c'mon, | seriously have to go.” Cont. from page 34 EGM: OK, on to our favorite part of the game: multiplayer. First of all, how are the online player rankings determined? DS: It’s a mathematical formula—indistin- guishable from a magical formula [laughs]. It is very arcane, designed to be fair in the sense that with SOCOM online, we wanted to give people a game that was more about teamwork than building up a body count. So if you are an MVP, that’s because you’ve killed a lot of guys. But just killing those guys, if your team loses, doesn’t mean that you’re going to go up in ranking at all. The more victories your team earns, the greater number of points that go to you to move up the rankings list. So it’s fine going around killing everybody—that’s going to help your team. But you'll get more points if you play offense and defense. EGM: Are you guys worried at all about people cheating? Like setting up a bunch of idle friends for the other team and just killing them over and over again? DS: Um...hmm...well, | think...| believe that uh...we discussed doing something...but | don’t think we really did anything to prevent that. You can start games with just two peo- ple so...| guess if you want to sit there and monotonously do that, you can.... It’s not a lot of fun...but if Someone is that bent on doing it, more power to them. That’s not going to make them a better player. EGM: Was there ever a narrowband, dial- up version of SOCOM planned? DS: There was never a running version, but there were really brief discussions about doing it. You wouldn’t get 16-player games with a 56K connection. If you did, it would be a game about teleporting characters [laughs], because we’re passing a ton of data back and forth between the machines. Yes, the only point to this screen is the guy is getting shot in the nuts. So what? EGM: As a game that deals so much with terrorism, did 9/11 change anything in SOCOM? DS: We consulted with the Navy and we ulti- mately decided to change a few locations and missions—one involved a downed airlin- er. 9/11 was a Shock for all of us and coming into work that day was very surreal. We had just gotten the terrorist A.l. to a working state, so | came in and spent the day killing terrorists. It was a very strange feeling. EGM: Any other final development anec- dotes you'd care to share? DS: | guess my favorite is when our lead ani- THE BEST WEAPONS David helped balance all the weapons in SOCOM, so when he recommends what to take into the multiplayer battlefield, you should pay attention: SEALS PRIMARY: M4A1 “The SEALS’ absolute best weapon is the M4Ai1, definitely. It’s great ’cause it has a scope. It’s not a very powerful scope, but for most of the multi- player maps, you really don’t need one, and it’s a good all-around weapon. If you want silence, take the M4A1 SD; if not, take the unsilenced—it does a little more damage.” SECONDARY: MARK 23 SD “As far as SEAL pistols go, if you’re gonna go with the M4Ai11 sup- pressed, go with a suppressed pistol. Because it’s pretty terrifying as an enemy to see ricochets and only hear these little ‘thhpt’ noises.” TERRORISTS PRIMARY: AKS-74 “A lot of people complain that the terrorists don’t have a weapon equivalent to the [SEALs’] M4A1,” explains Sears. “To which | say, you really haven’t played until you’ve played with the AKS-74. It has a powerful round, good piercing, and it is the most accurate assault rifle in the game, period.” SECONDARY: DESERT EAGLE or MODEL 18 “As far as secondary weapons go, it depends on how you play up close. Terrorists have a definite those. | do it all the time and no one ever finds me.” mator and | were at 989 Studios for a mo-cap [motion-capture] session. We had two SEALs with mo-cap body suits on and we were watching them go through everything —knife kills, getting on and off helicopters, etc. They did a great job, until we said, “OK, now we need you to act like you were just shot.” And they were just not able to do it. It was obvi- ous that they had no frame of reference for it, even though they had been shot before. So | had to get into the motion- capture suit and do all these insane, exaggerated deaths. So everything in the game you see, those are the SEALs—they even played the parts of the terrorists —but any deaths are me [laughs]. it advantage when it comes to pistols. The Desert Eagle [labeled simply DE .50 in the game] fires a .50 calibre round that will kill anyone it hits. It also has enough piercing power to go through several bodies, if you’re lucky enough to line up a shot like that [laughs]. The Model 18 just sprays lead. So it depends if you need precision or if you just freak out when you’re up close. If you freak, go with the Model 18.” EQUIPMENT: M67 FRAG GRENADE, AN-M8 SMOKE GRENADE AND CLAYMORE MINES “For items, everybody wants 4 [frag] grenades, and that’s great. | always take smoke. If I’m the last or second-to-last guy on my team, I’ll start to throw smoke, so people don’t know if I’m running behind it, through it, or in the opposite direction. It’s not the most effective defense against bullets, but a little chaos doesn’t hurt. | always throw two. Keep varying your Strategy and approach. = You'll find some things that work for you, but | guar- antee as soon as you get a really good smoke pattern, people will pick up on it. And Claymores... gen- eral rule of thumb with Claymores: When you set them, the detonator automatically appears in your hand. So if you want to set another Claymore, you have to go choose it. [Also remember] the 90° directly in front of the mine is extremely deadly —every- where else around it is just deadly.” ee be NE fp T SQUARESOFT You never know who you will run into next. www.kingdomhearts.com Published by Square Electronic Arts L.L.C. © 2002 Disney. Tarzan™ Owned by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. and Used by Permission. Copyright © 2002 Edgar Rice Burroughs. Inc. and Disney Enterprises. Inc. All Rights Reserved. Developed by SQUARESOFT. : : Vj 0 | ence © 2002 SQUARE CO.. LTD. Ail Rights Reserved. Character designs: © 1997 Square Ce... Ltd. s \ 5 [> | ay5 ta Cl O Nn ‘ All Rights Reserved. FINAL FANTASY and the SQUARESOFT loge are registered trademarks of EVERYONE Square Co., Ltd. “PlayStation” and the “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. The ratings icon ts a trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. Ei DICED NASA Set yore av UHL NIA RETAIN TSO NOEL IA OREN SHEER TIARA eA SEAS AEN IRS OSI iS ERE OO Introducing the Network Adaptor for PlayStation.2. Reach out and smoke someone. Or cross-check, smash, tackle, leg-sweep or ollie over them— even if they’re in another time zone. With the Network Adaptor (Ethernet/modem) (for PlayStation. 2), just about anything is possible. Like downloading new rosters, stadiums and characters. Trash-talking opponents you’ve never met. Or, better yet, starting your very own East Coast-West Coast sports rivalry. All against live competition, so no two games are ever alike. The Network Adaptor for PlayStation 2 is here. Get your game online. WHAT YOU GET: * The Network Adaptor, which offers both dial-up and broadband connectivity * Start-Up Disc with playable demos of Madden NFL“ 2003 and Frequency“ * Video demos of Tribes” Aerial Assault, ATV Offroad Fury” 2 and Tony Hawk Pro Skater" 4 * Mail-in offer for a FREE copy of Twisted Metal:Black” ONLINE * All this for just $39.99 (SRP) WHAT YOU NEED TO CONNECT: * PlayStation 2 (duh) | * Network Adaptor (obviously) * Memory card (8MB for PlayStation 2) with at least 137K of space (that ain’t much) * Dial-up or broadband Internet connection (in English: such as cable modem, DSL, T1 or just a plain ol’ phone line) * Network Adaptor Start-Up Disc to create ISP settings (don’t worry, it’s easy) OTHER STUFF: * The Network Adaptor works with just about any ISP subscriber, including AOL, AT&T Worldnet, EarthLink, Prodigy/SBC and Sympatico. Check with your ISP for details. These are just a few of the games with online features available this year: ‘AutoModellista’ es ATV Offroad Fury’ 2 Madden NFL’ 2003 Tony Hawk Pro Skater" 4 | SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs wee Frequency www.playstation.com “PlayStation” and the “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. “Live In Your World. Play In Ours’ is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment (NFL-related) marks are trademarks of the National Football League. Officially licensed product of PLAYERS INC. The PLAYERS INC. logo is a registered trademark of NFL players. www.nfiplayers.com. ©2002 PRODUCTS RANGE FROM RATING PENDING TO MATURE America Inc. NFL GameDay 2003 ©2002 NFL Properties LLC. Team names and logos are trademarks of the teams indicated. All other PLAYERS INC. All other games featured herein are trademarked and copyrighted properties of their respective publishers and/or licensors. LIVE IN YOUR WXRLD. PLAY IN OURS: nz Aaron Ko ym: San Francisco, CA Yes. lam cautiously excited about it. ne? Everquest might be cool. | actually plan on getting Xbox Live too, because | want to play Phantasy Star Online. Brent Hughes Virginia , halont have a PS2. | have an Xbox. I’m planning on reste recs Deve 2003 and NFL Fever 2003. Those are the games | want to play. n: Jamon where | South San Francisco, CA Yup. | Yeah, but it’s a dial-up modem. They don’t have broadband where | live yet. So | can’t play games like SOCOM. NFL 2K3. Those kinds of games. You know, aports games. -Lee S. San Pablo, CA ’m looking forward to playing sa Sa ll play i laa too. | sf games like Asheron’s Call [PC], so l’m used to monthly fees. I’ll buy the Stee! Battalion controller, so that should give you an idea of how much | pay for games. A limited-edition platinum Ganetube (ust like | platinum Game Boy Advance released earlier this summer) | goes on Sale in the U.S. on Nov. 3. The price of this luxurious item is the same as any other GameCubes — $149.99. On a related note, Nintendo will release a ’Cube pack that includes an Indigo GC, Super Mario Sunshine and a Memory Card 59 for $189.99 on Oct. 14. ¥ 8 ee strretse yt Py ¥ 93 by 4 | dies He Do a history report featuring 15 minutes of playing Medal of Honor: Frontline. Write “Calculator” on Game Boy in magic marker. Grind bike racks a la Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater using math book. Paint eyeballs on front of Virtual Boy and wear it to class. Make out with cardboard Lara Croft standee under bleachers. Install NES emulator in computer lab. Mustration by Jeremy Scott 1 Stuntman =: 6 Atari EA Big 2 ; ] EA Games Rockstar 3 x 8 : Atari Universal Interactive 2< A Man =.= x 9 — Activision Acclaim Infogrames Bam! _ Source: Blockbuster Video, July 2002 | Electronic Gaming Monthiy - 38 - egm.gamers.com HALF-HUMAN, HALF-UAMPIBE, AnD ONLY | HALE-DONE KILLING. video game system screenshots shown. Ee = 3 a ee y a Set hii KEEP THE FORCES OF EVIL AT BAY WITH YOUR 360-DEGREE COMBAT SYSTEM AND UNSTOPPABLE RAGE POWERS. Play$tation®2 computer entertainment system and Xbox ao @ @ DELIVER LAST RITES TO YOUR VILE VAMPIRE VICTIMS WITH GRUESOME, OVER-THE-TOP FINISHING MOVES. USE MARTIAL ARTS, GUNS AND THE SWORD OF THE DAYWALKER IN A DANCE OF DEATH WITH YOUR INHUMAN ENEMIES, e THE HUNT BEGINS AGAIN... TS} FAITH WY P Scot” Bay bh Mb Ru, y y AVAILABLE ON VHS AND 2-DISC PLATINUM SERIES™ DVD EVERYWHERE! www.blade2.com te es as | | Blood and Gore Strong Language a NEW LINE HOME ENTERTAINMENT An AOL Thme Warner Company | | J ® Violence PlayStatien.c ACTIVISION. activision.com — * Marvel, Blade and the distinctive likeness(es) thereof are trademark(s) of Marvel Characters, Inc., and are used with permission. Copyright © 2002 Marvel Characters, Inc. All rights reservV@d-Wiw.marvel.com. Blade 2 motion picture artwork and other motion picture material ©) 2002 New Line Productions, Inc. All rights reserved. Game code © 2002 Activision, Inc. and its affiliates. Published and distributed by Activision Publishing, Inc. Activision is a registered tradefafMtofActivision, Inc. and its affiliates. All rights reserved. Licensed for play on the PlayStation*2 computer entertainment systems with the NTSC U/C designation only. “PlayStation” and the “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Microsoft; @@Xpand the Xbox logos are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries ahd are used under license from Microsoft. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. All other trademarks and tfa@e.names are the properties of their respective owners. % oy oat ee 2 Femara hal aa ir oR ASR elon tata aa aOR ia gt ae SEITE EES RO on pro alereatet Ree SCD SR AIRE ESE AE DOE AOA AS AIT ECAP BANE NNN AIL ALAN LE EERE SLB ATA ANNES GIP LASS EE TI rissa ott = Franchise It Resembies ARRON siniaiiain: iaiieiemiiatans anmaeaiaabanias 5 Sanna sionman eure MSE AAT PAUP mC Ot HON NADA T AI IED A MA AN SESE ALI IE IME RA A EN A RM nS eal ede tes DBE SMR AS LNRM Ne penetra firon Grudge Match = Online only on PS2 this year— 56k and Broadband It'd be the Niners of the late *8os and early ’90s: predictably excellent. John Madden Thinking-man’s football. High sim value. Yes, on PS2 (56k and Broadband) and Xbox (just BB) The Bills of the ’9o0s. Hopefully 2K3 won’t be relegated to four years of being second-best. Radial play-calling menus, poor substitution system and plays named Z-axis(f)x— what is this, algebra? Great sim game, balance on both sides of the ball. Yes, 56k and Broadband Current Cowboy teams. Minus the crazy all-night parties, drugs and prostitutes. Control rivals some of the worst sports games ever (eyes copy of Super NES Bill Laimbeer Combat Basketball). Poor A.|. = poor sim experience. BE LIKE BROSNAN __| Pierce Brosnan has played James Bond on the silver screen since 1995’s GoldenEye. This November, he’ll become the secret | agent again in Die Another Day, the 2oth film in the series. But | his likeness also appears in EA Games’ latest 007 video game, | James Bond 007: NightFire (all systems), thanks to a deal the | company struck with the actor. That’s gotta be a better gig than his appearance in The Lawnmower Man (Super NES), right? Ready to hit the field but not sure which NFL pigskin sim meets your needs? Let’s take a look at the lineup... Pat pH gp OCEAN AN Yes, Broadband only The Buccaneers: Decent each year but never a serious contender; More flash than fulfillment. Camera pans every five seconds. Let us play the game, damnit! Low on sim. Call it sim- cade. Long-range passing too prevalent. mee Et sericiba eink emecnconcnicnass Lie nes ae aS. . a . acta Siete Naha im et tho R Se - a aeatnagaias vs ennidinniaorons ene eee ee Fa at ance $2 ERECTED PI RIE IIE EE ESE TERR a Ne ne ESET SRLS A ii MOCO AP NY FETE STEEL Spe i i Sm RCE AOE ene At A th Ha CS RTO EELS SA Dial tS ROR CEPR eh th a ah NSIS RATE SEA ED ASSES ORO OR RO lee ts a OATS | i a . | ' | H Savage World So Real. Youll smell the smoke of war-torn cities and burning jungles. See the flaming battlefields below from the MATURE ® CONTENT RATED BY ESR Blood and Gore Violence TUROK™: EVOLUTION™ TM & © 2002 ACCLAIM ENTERTAINMENT, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. TUROK: TM & © 2002, CLASSIC MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ALL OTHER CHARACTERS HEREIN AND THE DISTINCT LIKENESSES THEREOF ARE TRADEMARKS OF ACCLAIM COMICS, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. DEVELOPED BY ACCLAIM STUDIOS AUSTIN. "PlayStation® and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Microsoft, Xbox and the Xbox Logos are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or in other countries and are used under license from Microsoft. TM. © and the Nintendo GameCube logo are trademarks of Nintendo. Game Boy and Game Boy Advance are trademarks of Nintendo. © 2001 Nintendo. Screens shown were taken from the Xbox version of the video game. NINTENDO GAMECUBE. » <— | > e Ou a ohund oneal OJ UW armed Tluing Pterosaur. find sm wiite-no PlayStation.c GAMEBOY ADVANCE " Bedrock Bowling, the worst of the worst. | EGMs Review Crew has played | through enough bad games to fi tt a | landfill, but these Fearsons fiv The bad licenses, the shouting matches, the greedy suits pulling the strings.... Learn all the dirty details about how crap games happen from our man on the inside—an actual developer who worked on a terrible title by Richard Del Medio* my t’s a fact of gaming life: For every console | masterpiece—every Metal Gear Solid or Halo or Grand Theft Auto I1//—that makes m you Say, “Wow,” just as many not-so- special games make you go, “Ewww.” Superman for the Nintendo 64, Mortal Kombat Advance for the GBA, Total Recall for the NES—the list of titles we’d just as soon throw away as play goes on and on. But no one sets out to make a bad game. | should know—|! worked on one. It was released a few years ago for the Nintendo 64. “innocen e author wou =. only submit this: i article under tet condition of Sn anonymity4 We'll call it “Game X” to protect the developers attached to the project, and the production history of this unsavory game illustrates the major reasons so many bad titles make it to store shelves. Game X began life as an awful movie with a dismal box-office take. Why a game publisher bought the rights to this movie remains a mystery. As the producer on Game X later told me, “They shopped it around for ages and never had any takers because it was such a dumb license.” Bad-game reason #1: Licenses that kill i Game publishers seem to think that having a recognizable brand name will hypnotize players into.ignoring bad graphics or nonexistent gameplay. History has repeatedly proven them wrong. One of the first licensed Pag Electronic Gaming-Monthly - 44 - egm.gamers.com games, E.T. the Extra Terrestrial for the Atari 2600, was So bad that millions of unsold copies wound up in a desert landfill (see sidebar on page 48). Why do so many licensed games go horribly wrong? Part of the problem is that every dollar spent on acquiring the license is money not put into making a fun game. With a few exceptions (GoldenEye 007 for the N64 or the recent Spider-Man movie game), the results of this spending pattern speak for themselves. Why did our development company agree to make a game based on a terrible license? We needed the cash. Bad-game reason #2: Money—the root of allevil | Game developers pay rent, electric bills and salaries like any other company. At the time the publisher of Game X approached us and offered to pay us to develop the game, we were strapped for money. We were well into production on a title for Sega’s Saturn, which had just died as a viable console. We were also snared in a legal dispute with a former publisher over proceeds from a finished game. Given the lack of cash flow, the opportunity to develop Game X and grab its $1.1 million budget was too good for us to pass up. Without that money, the company would have had to fire employees and possibly close its doors for good. Despite the terrible license, we had no choice but to go ahead and develop Game X. A designer began work on the project. Normally, this designer was a competent graphic artist with game-production experience. Unfortunately, as his marriage disintegrated, so did his interest in Game X. The designer paid less attention to the fledgling game and became more absorbed with his frustrations at home. Six months into the project, he left the company. Bad-game reason #3: Employee turnover The press rarely reports when an employee leaves a project, but it happens quite often in this industry. The effect on a game under development can be devastating. Employees scramble to catch the dropped workload while management conducts a frantic hiring campaign. If it was only the designer who had quit, Game X might still have stood a chance of becoming a decent game. But at about this same time the lead artist and one of the coders — described by Game X’s lead programmers as “one of the best programmers we ever had” —also left the company. The loss of so many key team members sealed Game X’s fate. Of the three remaining coders, one was a junior programmer working on his first project and another was what What Crapnened? A case history of a bad game The game: Mortal Kombat Advance (Game Boy Advance) Midway’s bloody lt brawler wWaS_ & the first game to ever earn a Zero a score from EGM’s Review Crew. _* Word has it that Ed Fries, Microsoft’s VP of games publishing, was SO inspired by the game’s crapiness that he keeps a copy on his desk to remind him what not to do. Why it went awry: Midw farmed it out to a third-party devel ) cheap and turn it around ina lightning: “You could call it a rush job,” says an In condition of anonymity. “Let’s say reviews. But it did sell well enougt jat we shipped, and business exactly wi , lliant move. wise...maybe not a bri we call “dead wood.” He earned a six-figure salary yet only typed a few lines of code each day. Much of what he wrote had to be re- written by the junior programmer anyway, so his contribution to the project was negligible at best. An even bigger problem: the leadership vacuum. All of the company’s other game designers were busy with their own projects. Hiring a new designer to oversee this Game X on short notice proved to be impossible. Hence, everyone on the team—from artist to programmer to tester—took a crack at trying to finish the game’s design. Bad-game reason #4: There is no substitute for experience The original design document for Game X was as confusing as it was unfinished. Neither the story nor the enemies made any sense, in some cases having nothing to do with the license. Much of the art and game engine had already been built, however, so it was impossible to start from scratch. The project was a mess. The designer of the day would draw up a level and add new gameplay elements without consulting the programmers. The artists would build the level without regard to such essential technical issues as clipping distances or the limitations of the camera-collision code. As one of the programmers later said, “The artists did a lot of hard work and tried to make the best of it, but they lacked a technical understanding of how the game Electronic Gaming Monthly - 45 - egm.gamers.com Nicht! mole 864 ay was looking for a quick oper, who agreed to! a quick two-month development cycle. -the-know source who spoke on that no one was SUrpr , to make money. SO yO -wise it was a VeTy RUNG Lat buck with this title. They make the game for ised that it got bad u could say we knew ; good SuUCCeSsS. Brand- “every dollar spent on acquiring the license is money not put into making a fun game.” —bad-game designer Richard Del Medio re ee GG Se EVERYONE ® Visit www.esrb.org or call 1-800-771-3772 for more info. CONTENT RATED BY ESRB WW O col Q LTD. bs TELENET JAPAN CO “Brutal shouting matches broke out between programmers and wannabe designers. Artists added new assets or changed old ones without informing the rest of the team....” —bad-game designer Richard Del Medio & engine worked.” This inexperience in the design and art arenas led to a massive waste of time as game assets constantly needed to be redone in order to work correctly. The programmers, meanwhile, were swamped as they tried to both finish programming the game engine on schedule and fix errors made elsewhere by the team. Eventually, the pressure began tearing us What Crapnened? A case history of a bad game The game: E.T. the Extra Terrestrial (Atari 2600) With gameplay that boiled down to you tumbling into holes, then clambering out over and over and over, E.7. found a home at the numero-uno spot of many worst-games-ever lists (including our own) and has even been blamed for jumpstarting an early-’80s breakdown of the video-game biz. Why it went awry: Blame it on a hot license matched with a nightmare holiday deadline. When Atari’s top brass sealed the deal to make the E.T. game on July 21, 1982, they needed to have it finished by Sept. 1 to get cartridges into production for Christmas shoppers. “That left about five and a half weeks to complete the game,” says Howard Scott Warshaw, the Atari programmer (his credits include Raiders of the Lost Ark and Yar’s Revenge) who took on the challenge to make the game. He had been asked by then-Atari CEO Ray Kassar to craft E.7. after the company’s director of software, Warshaw’s own boss, said it couldn’t be done in such a crunch. “No one had made a game in less than five months at that time,” Warshaw says. What followed was a world-record development cycle in which Warshaw cooked up E£.7.’s design in a few days, showed it to Steven Spielberg (who wondered why the game couldn’t just be more like Pac- Man), then spent the next five bleary-eyed weeks jamming through a programming marathon, outputting 13 times more code per day than the industry average. “People speculate that drugs were involved,” says Warshaw, “but | don’t know if that’s what kept up my productivity. The thing that kept me going was just my desire to do it. This wasn’t just making a game alittle faster than anyone had done it. It was a lot faster. It was an irresistible challenge.” Warshaw completed the game on time—and even managed to hide his initials as an Easter egg. (You can learn more about Warshaw’s behind-the-scenes shenanigans at all apart. Brutal shouting matches broke out between programmers and wannabe designers. Artists added new assets or changed old ones without informing the rest of the team, causing the game to stop working. Game X’s bug database, where the testers registered all the game’s flaws, soared to over 1,000 problems. Amidst this chaos, the publisher was demanding that we stick to the original schedule. Electronic Gaming Monthly - 48 - egm.gamers.com Bad-game reason #5: Time is of the essence Ever notice how store shelves are flooded with quickly forgettable games during the holiday season? When publishers force developers to adhere to artificial deadlines such as the Christmas-shopping rush or the launch of a new system, developers must focus on reaching deadlines instead of designing a fun game. Working 70-hour Cont. on page 50 S—o2 4 Atari from a series of videos he produced, for sale at www.scottw.com.) Atari made 4 million £.7. cartridges; more than 2 million sold. But just as quickly, nearly a million carts flooded back to stores, returned by disgruntled gamers turned off by the game’s stinkeroo gameplay. Now a technical director at 3D0, where he’s working ona multiplatform combat-racing title called Jacked, the always-colorful Warshaw says he has no regrets about E.7. or how it turned out. “I was faced with a technical challenge no one else would take,” he tells us. “1 was proud of myself for having the kind of reputation where the CEO of the company, after my boss said it couldn’t be done, asked me to make the game, and | did. It may not have been the greatest game, but it was stilla complete game, not just crap taking up memory on the cartridge.” MT ee bs i Ret ony ae te ota) Laks eth Pht Pe Oe) Ae freevibe.com Office of National Drug Control Policy Ifialc|t|¢| THE ANTI-DRUG. S T PRES STAR Com, from page 48 weeks to achieve project goals on schedule, many developers don’t realize the game isn’t any fun to play until it’s too late. With Game X, the entire team knew the game wasn’t any fun to play. Unfortunately, no one had time to fix it. The team worked 12 hours a day, including weekends. Between the constant design and art revisions, we were too far behind schedule to even consider finishing the project on time. The publisher was naturally upset to hear this, and we wasted nearly a month trying to convince them of how dire our situation was. Eventually, we reached a compromise with our publisher, who gave us twe extra months and $150,000 more to finish the game. But that extra time and money still wasn’t enough, considering our staffing situation and the state of the game's design. It took us three months to finish Game X, with the last month’s expenses coming out of our own pockets. It still wasn’t enough: The finished game could hardly be called fun. The publisher, however, released it anyway. Bad-game reason #6: A little bit of something is better than a whole lotta nothing Most of the time, publishers can’t afford to not bring a crap game to market. If their title was made on a shoestring budget, they'll manage to make a profit since they’re not depending on blockbuster sales to recoup stratospheric development costs. So, believe it or not, pumping out subpar games actually makes good business sense to many publishers. And if they’ve invested millions in a project, they still need to earn back some of their losses. Better to release a bad game and The game: Army Men: Sarge’s Heroes (PlayStation 1) Yeah, we know playing 3D0’s Army Men games is a lot like eating ass sandwiches, but the worst of the worst in the franchise’s 21-game (across four different platforms) lineage has to be Sarge’s Heroes. An inferior port of a mediocre Nintendo 64 action title, Sarge on the PS1 packed terrible gameplay that pissed all over our fuzzy childhood memories of those mint “At first, Sarge WaS an OU ‘ : oel Dinolt, one of the key members on “But then they canned these Why it went awry: we involve any 3DO programmers, said J every Army Men game this si developers and moved the en the three other coders who sl outsourced “inept technology” an eplay vision tha | ones he Dinolt’s cube and handed hi plan for the game—98 percent of character bios. Dinolt and his co focus on the game’s techno deadline. “We had this thing call ‘F you... They wanted too muc game’s design, [and] w earn some sales from unsuspecting parents and others who don’t read game reviews than to earn nothing at all by throwing it away. In the end, that was the strongest reason Game X was released. If we had not finished the project, we’d owe the publisher the money they had given us. Since we had used all that cash in developing the game, we couldn’t abandon the project just because it wasn’t turning out to be a fun game. The publisher, meanwhile, couldn’t just write off the millions in development, licensing and “The last month’s expenses [came out] of our own pockets. It still wasn’t enough: The finished game could hardly be called fun. The publisher...released it anyway.” —bad-game designer Richard Del Medio Electronic Gaming Monthly - 50 - egm.gamers.com de of the PS1. tire project in-house to ~t aved over this “Manhattan Fro} | da “bullish” designer before settling on a ides knew was M ore ma fat design document—the overall it was filled with useless weapons and horts tosse logy and control | 4 ed the F.U.N. file,” Dinolt says, W o” It was something we had to say re h in too little time... . hat they wanted was special ature green and tan army dudes. t-of-house project that didn’t 3D0.” Bad idea. Dinolt and ect” wrestled with ediocre. When Sarge’s producer d the doc into the trash and tried to s. Sarge was also Up against a tight hich stood for peatedly to artists and designers. We never had a clear vision on the effects and cinematics. marketing fees they had already paid. Thus, Game X made it to the shelves and found its place in history as yet another bad game. | hope you didn’t have to play it. Editor’s note: Game X’s developer has gone out of business, and its publisher has been on the verge of shutting down for years (“I hope to God they die soon,” the author says). Meanwhile, the author has been hired as a designer at another game studio, where he plans to work on good games for a change. th Death is my business and business is good. MATURE Blood Strong Sexual Content CONTENT RATED BY Violence ctive. Hitman 2: Silent Assassin is a trademark of Eid are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. N : stive Digita eA ciation )2 10 Intere PS" Family lo s "and the sa a aa i) Ah na Check out Chase www.bam4fun.com/chase ent entand @ ate erther reqistere Bape. ey a a \ Asiana De MIRE Hts ae i THE FINISH LINE IS JUST THE BEGINNING. He Ihe i i i } " Mi = ae hg aha. g Take control of Ryan McKane’s racing ¢ in an involving m Rip up the asphalt in over worldwide. / Fight it out in with up to 20 cars on the course at once.* / Experience | i and su and graphics. CODEMASTERS.COM call 1-800-771-3772 Visit www.esrb.org or oa Cc - PlayStation.e Codemasters'(, GENIUS AT PLAY for Rating Information. CONTENT RATED BY ROM Screen shots taken from PlayStation’2 computer entertainment system game play. *Number of cars on course simultaneously varies by platform. © 2002 The Codemasters Software Company Limited (“Codemasters”). All rights reserved. “Codemasters” is a registered trademark ow are trademarks of Codemasters. Developed by Codemasters. Published by Codemasters. All other copyrights or trademarks are the property of their respective owners and are used under license. Micrt trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the US and/or other countries and are used under license from Microsoft. “PlayStation” and the “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainmer trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. All other trademarks and trade names are the property of their respective owners 1ed by Codemasters. “Pro Race Driver and “GENIUS AT PLAY ra a rir + anes I c aro hor 9 - ‘ wane an t. Xbox and Xbox logos are either registered trademarks or A inhtc r - 7 | eat ve —rery ic “ fey | All nants reserved. ihe ratings icon is a registered CELEBRITY GAMER: MARSHALL FAULK Celebrities are normal people too—just incredibly rich ones. You like games; they like games. Each issue we'll talk to a different celebrity who plays ’em, is involved in their creation, or, if they’re lucky, is in one. This month we caught up with St. Louis Rams runningback Marshall Faulk, spokesman for EA Sports’ Madden NFL 2003 (pictured below), available now for PS2, Xbox and GC. Talking Madden with St. Louis Ram Marshall Faulk EGM: What happens when two of the biggest names in football—Faulk and Madden—team up? Marshall Faulk: We’re gonna make [Madden NFL 2003] better—sell more, you know. Not that it needs help; it’s already good. But with the two of us, it’s gonna be great! EGM: This year there’s a lot of competition. Are you sure of that? MF: Yeah. Madden has always been the hottest game out. I’ve been playing it for 11 / years, since it was on the Sega Genesis. EGM: You’re representin’ EA, but teammate Eric Crouch is reppin’ Sega (NCAA 2K3). Will there be any beef? MF: Nah, ’cause | have the edge. [I’ve] been here longer, you know? It’ll be about real football between us, not the game. We’re gonna take care of business that way. 2 yas Rockstar will be bringing out a game based on the 1979 cult film The Warriors. The company’s Toronto studio will do the honors on the title, which will follow the plot of the film—you play as members of a gang blamed for killing big-time leader Cyrus. Now you must get from one end of New York to your turf on Coney Island in one night, tailed by rival gangs (one, a group dressed like baseball players) out for vengeance. Can you diiii EGM: What are your secrets to a Super Bowl victory in Madden NFL 2003? MF: Control the clock. It doesn’t matter who | play as—that’s how | do it. EGM: Where the hell does Madden come up with some of the stuff he says? MF: Some of the things he must’ve seen on the sidelines as a coach. The names and references he busts out with are amazing! EGM: What is the best feature this season besides Monday Night Football’s Melissa Stark’s considerable “assets”? MF: Funny thing is, the feature | like best is defensive. The defenders play like they’re holding a zone. They’ll back up and play the ball—it’s awesome. EGM: You see cash like the U.S. Treasury. What’s your gaming setup like at home? MF: Low key—just a TV in a regular room. Nothing special. EGM: You must spend cash on games themselves then? MF: Yeah, like SSX Tricky. They do some cool things on the snowboards. Not that | snowboard or anything, but it’s fun. EGM: How many times have you tackled someone after losing a game to ’em? MF: [That’s] not my style. I’m a peaceful man. — Scott Steinberg Kemco’s Pocket Recording Studio for its ability to record music (onto a The SongPro player ) Play MP3s on GBA Those of you looking to squeeze every | \ ounce of entertainment out of your Game >, Boys may want to check out two new MP3- player attachments from publisher Kemco and newcomers SongPro. Both plug into the GBA’s cartridge slot and use the system as an interface to play your favorite MP3s. Pocket Recording Studio Both players have their strengths. We like CompactFlash card) and because it works | as a Stand-alone unit. Meanwhile, SongPro’s easy-to-use MP3 player is compatible with your dusty old , Game Boy Color and uses the much ) cheaper (and better) Secure Digital | f (SD) card standard. Both players will be available in stores this fall \ for just under $100 each. electronic Gaming Monthly - 56 - egm.gamers.com 3 trademark of the NFL players. § Of the National Football League. ibe United States and/or other countries. Other ~ Die Nee Mrademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporal licensed product of PLAYERS ING. Want to know how realistic NFL Fever ’03 is? Take a number. 1 - Dramatic camera angles take you all over the field 2 - Go from clipboard holder to MVP in Career Mode 3 - Customize your plays to throw off the D 4 - 60+ teams mean over 1800 possible match-ups 5 - Player physiques from L to XXXXXL 6 - Tougher Al anticipates your moves 7 - Where you sweat — they sweat 8 - Updated player rosters 9 - Helmets that reflect the playing environment 10 - Unique player faces 11 - NFL newbies, the Houston Texans 12 - Total control over the weather — no, not in domes 13 - Use Hot Routes to exploit the defense 14 - Someone should’ve used the bump-n’-run 15 - Updated home and away uniforms 16 - One very frustrated defensive coach www.nflfever2003.com et P| ft eit Ye Zee al PL td ACROSS 1, Local supporter of network gaming 4. Tetris-inspired puzzler _ Mania 7. Pokémon’s Mr. Ketchum 10. Sony’s flagship ’Net game 12. Goes with Jam and Earl 14. Upcoming PS2 mech title Robot _ 15. Shalashaska’s MGS2 alias 17. Strafes out of the way? 20. Need it to get online with the PS2 22. NES racer _ Pro-Am 23. PlayStation acronym 24. Nintendo’s 8-bit systems 25. Weak little car in Gran Turismo 3 28.1 million bytes, for short 29. 4X 4 _ (abbrev.) 30. Narrowband alias “_-up” 32. Ninja Turtles’ Splinter relative 34. Do it to people in online-game lobbies 35. Marvel vs. Capcom 2’s Dr. Doom, for short 36. MGS2: _ 38. 27 Down’s animal affiliate 40. Eternal Darkness magick makers 42. Bloody Roar or Burning Rangers, for short 43. GameCube thriller, for short 44. Like Pokémon Mew? 46. Mortal Kombat 3 songstress 48. MGS2 security device 51. “Not in bounds” 52. First PS2 Final Fantasy 54. Fellowship of the Ring setting 55- Points that identify Halo teammates 56. Super Pitfall Harry, to Pitfall Harry 57. ° 1°? _-a me, Mario! ane eT eit | ff “iti | | ey ei | | te an eit ae DOWN 1. Keep video game doors and treasure chests sealed 2._ Combat 4 (PS2) 3. Ryan of Super Nintendo baseball 5. Sega _ (Xbox) 6. David’s cloven-hooved enemies in Bible Adventures (NES) 8. Sodom of Street Fighters weapon g. PS2 online hardware add-on, for short 1o. Pitcher stat in RB/ Baseball (NES) 11. Dial-up adapter 13. Time of PS2’s Extinction 16. Syphon Filter shocker 18. Lord of the Rings beastie 19. Razor Freestyle _ (PS1) 21. Battle of Olympus (NES) inter-city transporter 23. What your parents call controllers? 26. Bruce and Tekken’s Chaoulan 27. Bloody Roar mainstay 31. GBA shooter_ 3D 33. Restores health in Final Fantasy II/ 37. State of Emergency Mack’s pants? 39. Flanders of Simpsons Wrestling 40. Outlining characteristics in every video game 41. FFV// bad guy, for short? 42. Served in arcade classic Tapper 45. Mario Tennis “do-over” serve 47. Sports series _ Live 49. _-man (PS2) 50. Survival-horror pioneer, for short 53. “_ one can stop Mr. Domino!” (PS1) aa ett aa ae FREE AGAIN AT LAST As of Aug. 1, Sega decided to make their Dreamcast SegaNet servers free again so all Dreamcast users (all 10 of you) can enjoy unlimited, free online gaming through the end of 2002. When the calendar flips to 2003, servers for Sega-published DC games will begin to close down. So get in those precious last games of NFL 2K2 while you can, friends. Hands-On With Bandai’s owanCrystal Move over, Game Boy Advance—there’s a new bird in town. On July 12, toy giant Bandai unleashed a third iteration (in stylish red and blue models) of their handheld WonderSwan system, the new-and-improved SwanCrystal, in Japan. With an enhanced screen display and support from the likes of Squaresoft, Sega and Sony, does this Swan finally have what it takes to fly with Nintendo’s big boy? The Hardware: SwanCrystal looks like a slimmed-down version of the Game Boy Advance, with an extra set of directional buttons positioned in such a way that the unit can be held either horizontally or vertically (a nice touch for fans of shooters and puzzle games). The compact design is certainly impressive, but the system’s not nearly as comfortable in your hands as the GBA is, and you need to purchase an optional adapter just to use headphones (ouch). While the screen is a major improvement over past Swans (no more blindness-inducing blun), it’s still unfortunately way too dark, making most games difficult to see without optimal lighting. The Software: The ’Crystal launched alongside fairly high-profile games (Sony’s RPG Arc the Lad and Square’s Front Mission), but its future release list is grim, with less than a dozen games scheduled for release in the next six months. Since the system is backward- compatible with past WonderSwans, however, its back catalog includes several old-school Squaresoft remakes (Final Fantasy I, Il and IV, among others) and a few choice games from Capcom (Ghosts & Goblins, Mega Man & Bass), Namco (Klonoa) and Sega (Golden Axe). Sarit “ey : JF WM es ass “Ul bo Deana The Verdict: So, is Bandai’s new baby worth its weight in feathers? Well...no. Still, it’s a quirky little gadget that import freaks (a U.S. release is very unlikely) and collectors might find some kitsch value in. —John Ricciardi From top: Arc the Lad, yet another Digimon and the RPG Riviera for SwanCrystal. PCeESS i) to More, CONTENT RATED BY ESRB Visit www.esrb.org or call 1-800-771-3772 for Rating Information. Oo NIGHTFIRE Interactive Game (all object code. all other software components and certain audio visual components only) ©2002 Electronic Arts Inc. Electronic Arts, EA GAMES and the EA GAMES logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other coun- tries. All rights reserved. NIGHTFIRE Interactive Game (certain audiovisual components) ©2002 Danjaq, LLC, and United Artists Corporation. JAMES BOND, 007, James Bond Gun andhiris Logos and all other James Bond related trademarks TM Danjag, LLC. James Bond, 007, James Bond Gun and lris Logos and all other James Bondwelated. properties ©1962-2002 ‘Danjag, LLC. and United Artists Corporation. NIGHTFIRE is a trademark’ of Danjaq, LLG, and United Artists Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. EA GAMES™ is an Electronic Arts™ brand: goes EVERYONE Visit www.esrb.org or © 2002 Electronic Arts Inc. Hectronic Arts, EA SPORTS, the EA SPORTS logo, John Madden Football, and if is in the Game, I'S in the Game are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts call 1-800-771-3772 Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. All rights reserved. © 2002 NF. Properties LLC. Team names and logos are trademarks of the teams indicated. All other (NFL-elated marks) are trademarks of the National Football League. Officially licensed product of PLAYERS INC. The PLAYERS INC logo is registered trademark of the NFL players. www.nfiplayers.com © 2002 PLAYERS INC. TM, ®, and for Rating Information.| the Nintendo GameCube logo are trademarks of Nintendo. “PlayStation” and the “PS" Family logo are registered tradernarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Microsoft, Xbox and the Xbox Logas CONTENT RATED BY are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or in other countries and are used under license from Microsoft. All other trademarks are the property RB 7 of their respective owners. EA SPORTS™ is an Electronic Arts™ brand. PLAYERS Go to work. Crush people. Get paid. You gotta love this job. . a al | Do ee a a Tt Show off your moves on the turf. And in the zone. Where the players play. SPORTS MADDEN 2003 The ultimate judge. tationec madden2003.com Welcome to the 500-mile commute with only one parking spot. © 2002 Bectronic Aris inc. Electronic Ars, iS in the game, EA SPORTS and the EA SPORTS logo are tradamarks or registered trademarks of Blecronic Avis inc. in the U.S. ancvor other countries. All fights reserved. NASCAR fs 2 registered trademark and NASCAR fhards amare 0 oral Assn ge and Bill Davis Racing trademarks and fikenesses are used unde license from Caterpillar Inc. CAT, CATERPILLAR and their design marks are registered traclerrarks of Catepillr inc, © 2002 Caerpiltat @ Unless otherwise indicated, all raderrars are owned by Newell Rubbermaid, Inc, or #s subsidiaries, and are used! Sy amnission. Al rights #8 ranecat and the Dale Earnhardt, inc. crest or sonpt jogo are licensed under the acrrinistation of Dale Eamhard, Inc. © 2002 Evemham Motorsports, LLC. Biz Eliot tracteriarks fioansed by CMG Worldwide. Dodge ® is a registered! trademark of DaimlerChrysler Comoraion. © 2002 J& Matorspars, inc. The name and Heeness of Jeff Gordon inc. #24 DuPoni/Pepsi Monts Carlo aro used under license by JUG. Motorspatts, inc. PEPS!, PEPSI-COLA, and the Paps! Globe design are trademarks of Pepsi Co. tne. UPB, UPS.COM®, UPS Racing jono®), and the UPS logo® are registered tradamarie of the United Pavel Servios of America ine. and used under foase, Dake Jartelt and black color scheme is trademark for DeWALT <® Power Toots and Ancessories. “Bobby Labonte @”, #182 and “inlerstale® Balleries” ficensad uncter authorily of Joe Gibbs Racing, Huniersville, NC. Penske Racing South, ino. tradamars, induding the #12 and the Hkeness of the racecar, and Ryan Newman's name and/or tenes are granted! Steve Park are lioansed under the adminisirdion of Dale Eamard, inc. Liosrsed by Steve Park Motorsports, LLC. The siyiasd #1, likeness of the #1 rane car and the Dale Eamharc, tno. orest or sorint logo are under the adrninistrtion of Dale Eamherd, Inc. Panrll @ is a registered trademark of Pannzoll-Quaker Stato Co. The rame, Sionalure Under license from Michael Wali, Inc. anc/or Michael Walt. The siyized #5, lieeness of the #15 race cay and the Dale Eamharci inc. crest or script iogo are under the aciministrtion of Dale Eamihere, Inc. Ford, Taurus and vehicle model body designs are trademarks of Ford Motor Company and used under license to Bectronic Atts inc. Alectronic Arts inc. Dodge s @ tradernerk of Daimler Chryster Corporation. The Way lis Meant tp be Played Logo and other (NVIDIA Marks are radamarks of NVIDIA Comoraion. Nintendo GameCube Is a trademark of Nintendo, “PlaySation’” and the “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment inc. Microsoft, images, track nares, trademarks, and ofher Intellectual property ave used under ltosnse from their respective owners. EA SPORTS ™ is an Elecironic Arts ™ brand. | EVERYONE Visit www.esrb.org or POWERED BY: Co eSpy: call 1-800-771-3772 for Rating Information. m@ CONTENT RATED BY ESRB ‘Valvoling trademarks, and Johnny Bensors remeanity 8 Kist Busetts and Roush Ra == : RETES OE ne #24 Ou Files esr Poe Rang Sat. ino. AL LTR. rhe ve eglaved trademarks of AL afei Yeeness of Michael Waltrip aro floansed unds te acninssaion o | Jale Eamberdt, inc. & Sabet Lit The Mina ¥ Chanud, Mont Caro, Porte, Grand Prix, the Chewolet “Bow Tie” arian, the Poriiat “Arrowrest” ck and fe tax casein at y registered frademaris of Microsoft Comoratioy inthe tS Ease WWranasot aaasns Opponents ‘Debris Second Biice. Evade thai all. CR 8 fantesy courses. 23 mithendic tracks. All hearts racing. Re SPORTS NASCAR THUNDER 2003 Now on PC easports.com EVERYONE Comic Mischief Violence CONTENT RATED BY ESRB © 2002 Electronic Arts Inc. Electronic Arts, EA SPORTS, the EA SPORTS logo and “It's in the game.” are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. All rights reserved. NHL, National Hockey League, the NHL Shield and the Stanley Cup are registered trademarks of the National Hockey League. All NHL logos and marks and team logos and marks depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. © 2002 NHL. All Rights Reserved. Officially Licensed Product of the National Hockey League. National Hockey League Players'Association, NHLPA and the NHLPA logo are trademarks of the NHLPA and are used under license by Electronic Arts Inc. © NHLPA. Officially licensed product of the NHLPA. The names and logos of all stadiums are trademarks of their respective owners and are used by permission. Microsoft, Xbox and the Xbox Logos are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries and are used under license from Microsoft. Nintendo GameCube is a trademark of Nintendo. “PlayStation” and the “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. EA SPORTS” is an Electronic Arts™ brand. You got new moves. So do the goalies. It’s only fair. very great magician uses a magic wand. his one makes frozen rubber disappear. PlayStationee easports.com Hi-dee-ho, neighbors. Welcome to another spine-tingling installment of Quartermann. This month’s aspartame-free for your safety (that’s right — nothing on this page has been proven to cause cancer in lab rats). And before we get started, let me say that it is a travesty of justice you Sonic newbies will not get to play the excellent Sonic CD (originally released for the Sega CD Genesis add-on) when Mega Collection comes out for GameCube. Anyway, onto the rumors! ...Let’s start it off with the slightly boring (yet still important) stuff... Not that you pay attention to the “biz” side of video games, but if you did, you’d surely have heard this one by now. Sega, the house of Sonic, is looking for companies to take under its wing during its ride to the top (if press releases and CEO banter are to be believed). Possible targets to come under the Sega umbrella include such companies as Infogrames, Midway and THQ. Or perhaps it’s just a big developer—Reflections and Rare’s names have also been mentioned as possibilities. Which one will be assimilated? |...can’t share that information yet. But wouldn’t it be weird to have the Atari name (recently resurrected by Infogrames) fall under Sega’s jurisdiction? These are crazy days we live in, my friends.... ...No, I’m not talking about Pokémon’s popularity (though yes, ithas slowed down quite a bit since the initial “craze”). I’m talking about a little game you may know as Meowth’s Party or (more recently) Pichu Bros. Party Panic. |n case you don’t remember it, check the screenshot below. Look familiar? Good. Let’s move on. This game was initially shown during Nintendo’s Japanese unveiling of the ’Cube two-years ago as a demonstration of what the machine could do,.starring its then-very-popular characters. The plan was to turn this into the first Pokémon game for the GameCube, and it was on tap as recently as this past spring when the titte mysteriously appeared on an ESRB-ratings list in advance of the Electronic Entertain- ~ ment Expo in May. 4 But the title, which was reportedly less game and more interactive movie starring various Pokémon, has been officially shelved. Awww, yeah, | know you guys are all broken up over it, right? RIGHT?.... In Atlus’ Cubivore (GC), it’s eat or be eaten as you try to survive in the harsh wilderness, filled with similarly angular animals. Originally published by Nintendo in Japan (as | Animal Leader), this bizarre little nature simulator will arrive | on American shelves in November. Last long enough and you'll pass down your genes to your offspring, and the circle of life will begin anew. Ugly? Yes. But fun? We hope so. IRI TET I TEE ET FOTO TIT TTI TI ITE HPO PEATE TO AIP TT PPD PAPO OPO MI ay ye we) ..Remember that PS2 game that came out about a year ago called Ico? Of course you don’t, becauseiit didn’t sell well in the U.S.—wake up, people! Anyway, a hint at the /co team’s\next project has appeared in the latest issue of Japan’s Famitsu in a two-page help-wanted ad for their next game. The bad news: You’re on the wrong side of the Pacific Ocean, don’t know a lick of Japanese, and your programming knowledge is limited to setting the VCR for Anna Nicole Smith’s new show. The good news is that this mysterious project (if The Q’s sources are to be trusted, and they haven’t failed me yet) is indeed a sequel to /co (hurrah!). While the rest of us patiently wait for the game’s arrival, we have the above artwork from that ad for you to drool over. Just make sure you don’t get any of that dribble on The Q’s page o’ goodness.... Nintendo & Online—When? ..-LOOKs like the future is going to be bright for those of us willing to embrace the coming wave of online gaming wonderment. While Nintendo has yet to announce online gaming support, the rumors are flying that word will come down very soon of their plans. The first of Nintendo’s entries will reportedly be a new Mario Kart for the first half of 2003. Current speculation indicates that’ll be followed by an online version of Mario Party and a Net-enabled sequel to the soon-to-be- released life simulator Animal Crossing. Design docs for one last online title have been floating around Nintendo’s Japanese offices—and that game is GameCube Wars, the ’Cube sequel to Advance Wars (GBA). Now that’s sweet... And by jove, that’s all | have to say this month. Now | can finally get back to more Super Mario Sunshine. ’Tis a good year for platformers— Mario, Blinx, Sly Cooper, Ratchet & Clank. Gotta love it! And if you want to write this ol’ seahound, get on yer computer and drop an E-mail to quartermann@ziffdavis.com with any comments or questions you might have. Until next time.... —TheQ vy - 66 - eom.camers.com Duel to the de ee th. eb SAN A SIAN EEPROM - ee ee Cee —- = ——— eee eS IIIT oe . - = d ten: RRR opapapataapamiatapis. Ba toores 4 Ce ee eae wer? ee — oeeeenenenmnel ~ Dic renee : Na saemnnuananenall a —— aaa tec Ret eis saammamamn reac cnethiiniase sae: _ acetates : - (ee a ses D cneenmentiiiin-.----anemanemnanelll —s 2 nian meen an aeamtaahonies onneange a, ee Seiten a earenaetee —_ _ i. Pcs ‘ p—= 2 — e P F rom eel | pow : 5 he i f f f iM becsaitewr apiPains Saar sales beac = "Cas lg aoe Se », a pene ™ ™ Ruthless CPU > anglers to battle. Sega Bass Fishing Duel will knock you overboard with heated two-player competition. And when you finally run out of friends to beat, you can tackle the CPU opponents, each with their own A Lakes with fully modeled ecologies, weather, and more! personalities, strengths and weaknesses. This = attitude may not make you popular around the < The only PlayStation®2 computer entertain- ment system fishing game with split-screen two-player or vs. computer competition. watering hole, but it’s lonely at the top, buddy. Who says fishing’s not an extreme sport? EVERYONE ®) PlayStation.e SEGA is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. SEGA and Sega Bass Fishing are either registered trademarks or trademarks of SEGA CORPORATION. © WOW ENTERTAINMENT INC./SEGA CORPORATION, 2001, 2002. www.sega.com. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. “PlayStation” and the “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All rights reserved. The The Top 20 Best-Selling Games of June 2002 ROSSER TIRANA NTIS SIENNA ENS LLE NEL OO ONENESS SEDDON ENCORE TINA TEENA NNR NN n nents ttinennentebnnenaneene SONORAN BORER BERRA SERI SRBC REIT NDE ETEI IACI OENE RNBE EAS LLOSERIT ISOS ROOSEI IE RBLLE EREIERIAPOEEETTEDAOE ODLIEET ING DLE BIR ETLEEE OLSEN ES Before all the Xbox and PS2 fanboys use Eternal Darkness’ \ack of a top-10 showing as proof of the GameCube dying, remember ED came out late in the T1 Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem month of June. So expect it to have a stronger showing next time. The big Nintendo Surprise of June, however, was Morrowind on the Xbox. We knew it was a ; good game, but the top seller on the system? Wow. Maybe there’s a bigger 12 Yu-Gi-Oh! Forbidden Memories market for hardcore, open-ended RPGs than most people think. Or maybe Konami being the only RPG on a new-ish system is the key. Either way, it’s nice to see some different genres creeping up the charts once in a while. 13 Midnight Club . Rockstar Medal of Honor: Frontline a EA Games 14 Star Wars: Attack of the Clones 8.0 9.0 | 8.0 “ Crispin | Kraig | Mark a_i = 15 Stuntman Grand Theft Auto It Atari Rockstar , 16 ATV Offroad Fury Sony CEA Te T7 Super Smash Bros. Melee Gran Turismo 3 A-spec en ony THQ 19 Yu-Gi-Oh! Dark Duel Stories Konami 20 Spider-Man Chris | | John R milkman Activision x80x Spider-Man The Elder Serolls Ill: Morrowintt Source: NPD TRSTS Video Games Service. Call Kristin Barnett-von Korff at (516) 625-2481 for questions regarding this list. Chart eo written by EGM staff. Bethesda | ‘ ) Suikoden III One look at this chart | Konami rT = and you don’t have to aaron guess which systemis | My Summer Vacation 2 on top in Japan (hint: It’s — PS2). But what’s that Golden Sun: The Lost Age WS there? It’s Bandai’s Nintendo portable WonderSwan ae : turn to page 58 to find Chris | Greg | thy ious Swan Colloseum WSs Ke ie ate their a El cence latest version of the Test Drive Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters 7 hardware). Seems like a Atari Konami game based on One i Piece (a popular anime By : r—_I" = TV showin Japan) pops — ran eee een CROCE UR up on the chart every ‘World Soccer Winning Eleven 6 — = fewweeks. Will it come Chris JohnR | y_N Konami CE LE oe eenneeenaeatete tec eccenneton herodancing 4: New Generation —> ——= a MR Victorious Boxers: valde en 10 Halo cl — Microsoft tak Volume 1 = oo Bandai S 0) 10 Che | Jeanne : PONCE ER OBE ELISE NIROME ENDS ONL ORONO AROS to the U.S.? Source: Weekly Famitsu, week ending 7/14/02 wise: < 3% ‘ Se) ae » NOT IN MY HOUSE: 7; tizg a: en been SOF at 18. S386 Ti see ; ear oP, Pa 73 A * EATION — UPLAYE L Pee ee ; Bae on ace Se ENT git ne Bee 112% NBA Anyone can give 110%. NBA Inside Drive 2003 is now loaded with a 25-season dynasty mode that includes player management, timely trades, intense drafts, play design and stars that improve ~ with age. Will purple reign? Will the windy city rise again? It’s your team, kid. More basketball than basketball www.nbainsidedrive2003.com _ www.xbox.com CONTENT RATED BY ESRB www.nba.com ©2002 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft, Xbox, and the Xbox logos are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/ or other countries. Other products and company names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective owners. The NBA and Individual NBA member team identifications used on or in this product are trademarks, copyrighted designs and other forms of intellectual property of NBA Properties, Inc. and the respective NBA member teams and may not be used, in whole or in part, without the expressed written consent of NBA Properties, Inc. ©2002 NBA Properties, Inc. All rights reserved. Ile in) _+ THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING -- OFFICIAL GAMES BASED ON THE LITERARY WORKS OF j-B.B. TOLKIEN. COMING SOON WWW.LORDOFTHERINGS.COM Violence “The Fellowship of the Ring” interactive game © 2002 Vivendi Universal Games, Inc. Alll rights reserved. The Tolkien Enterprises logo, together with “The Lord of the Rings,” “The Fellowship of the Ring,” and the characters, events, items, and Pe therein are trademarks or registered trademarks of The Saul Zaentz Company dba Tolkien Enterprises under license to Vivendi Universal Games, Inc. Black Label Games, the Black Label Games Logo, Vivendi Universal Games, and the ivendi Universal Games Logo are trademarks of Vivendi Universal Games, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Microsoft, Xbox, and the Xbox logo are either registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries and are used under license from Microsoft. “PlayStation” and the “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Nintendo, Game Boy and Game Boy Advance are trademarks of Nintendo. © 2001 Nintendo. aR ih i B ~ — > [| You're ane of the most highly-trained U.S. warfare experts on the planet. Put your skills to the test as you battle your way through fifteen : : levels of realistic tactical combat. When the brass wants a tareet secured, they send in a platoon. When they want a tareet erased, they 7 4 send in your squad of four U.S. special forces. This is the part of the war that the media didn't cover. Welcome to Desert Storm. a ae WWW.GOTHAMGAMES.COM/CONFLICT Bs gia fi ea HRI NO DIPLOMATS. NO NEGOTIATION. NO SURRENDER. * A et : \ Visit www.esrb.org or call 1-800-771-3772 i y 1800-77.377 for noe nf for more info. GAMECUBE. CONTENT RATED BY ESRB “PlayStation” and the “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Microsoft, Xbox and the Xbox logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries. Nintendo GameCube® and the Nintendo GameCube logo are trademarks of Nintendo. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. Gotham Games and the Gotham Games togo are trademarks of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. Conflict: Desert Storm and the Conflict: Desert Storm logo are trademarks of SCi Games Ltd. E&OE © 2002 Take-Two Interactive, Inc. All rights reserved. S T PRES STAR Sep tember PlayStation 2 Blade Il—Activision Action Dino Stalker—Capcom Shooting Dynasty Tactics — Koei Strategy Grandia Xtreme— Enix RPG Gundam: Federation Vs. Zeon— Bandai Action Gungrave — Sega Action Kelly Slater’s Pro Surfer—Activision 02 Sports Kingdom Hearts— Square EA RPG NASCAR Thunder 2003—EA Sports Racing Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit2—EAGames_ Racing NHL 2003—EA Sports Sports NHL Hitz 20-03 — Midway Sports Ninja Assault—Namco Shooting Robotech: Battlecry—TDK Mediactive Action Sega Soccer Slam—Sega Sports Sports Simpsons Skateboarding—EA Games Sports Sly Cooper & the Thievius Raccoonus—Sony Action Star Wars: The Clone Wars— LucasArts Action Summoner 2—THQ RPG Superman: Shadow of Apokolips—Infogrames Action Tekken 4—Namco Fighting Terminator: Dawn of Fate, The—Atari Action Thing, The— Universal Interactive Action TimeSplitters 2—Eidos Action Turok: Evolution—Acclaim Action Vexx—Acclaim Action Wild Arms 3—Sony CEA _ RPG Animal Crossing—Nintendo Misc. Broadband Adapter— Nintendo Hardware Freekstyle—EA Sports Big Sports Kelly Slater’s Pro Surfer—Activision 02 Sports Mat Hoffman’s Pro BMX 2—Activision 02 Sports Modem Adapter—Nintendo Hardware Mystic Heroes — Koei Action NASCAR Thunder 2003—EA Sports Racing NCAA College Football 2K3—Sega Sports Sports Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit2—EA Games _ Racing NFL 2K3—Sega Sports Sports NHL Hitz 20-03 — Midway Sports Robotech: Battlecry—TDK Mediactive Action Star Fox Adventures — Nintendo Adventure Star Wars: The Clone Wars— LucasArts Action Super Monkey Ball 2—Sega Puzzle TimeSplitters 2— Eidos Action Turok: Evolution—Acclaim Action Blade Il—Activision Action Blinx: The Time Sweeper — Microsoft Action Brute Force— Microsoft Action Dynasty Warriors 3—Koei Action Kelly Slater’s Pro Surfer—Activision 02 Sports Kung Fu Chaos— Microsoft Action NASCAR Thunder 2003—EA Sports Racing NBA Inside Drive 2003 — Microsoft Sports Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit2—EAGames_ Racing NFL Fever 2003— Microsoft Sports NHL 2003—EA Sports Sports NHL Hitz 20-03 — Midway Sports Quantum Redshift — Microsoft Racing Robotech: Battlecry— TDK Mediactive Action Sega GT 2002—Sega Racing Sega Soccer Slam—Sega Sports Sports Terminator: Dawn of Fate, The—Atari Action Thing, The— Universal Interactive Action TimeSplitters 2— Eidos Action Turok: Evolution—Acclaim Action Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance— Konami Action eReader—Nintendo Hardware Mega Man Zero—Capcom Action Robotech: The Macross Saga—TDK Media. Action Super Ghouls ’n Ghosts— Capcom Action Yoshi’s Isltand—Nintendo Action October PlayStation 2 BloodRayne— Majesco Action Dave Mirra BMX XXX—AKA Acclaim Sports Dragon’s Lair 3D—Encore Software Action Grand Theft Auto: Vice City— Rockstar Action Jet X20—Sony CEA Racing Legend of Legaia 2— Fresh Games RPG Lost, The—Crave Action NBA 2K3—Sega Sports Sports NBA Live 2003—EA Sports Sports NHL 2K3—Sega Sports Sports Tribes Aerial Assault — Sierra Action WWE Shut Your Mouth!—THQ: - _ Sports Action BloodRayne— Majesco Dave Mirra BMX XXX—AKA Acclaim Sports Dragon’s Lair— Encore Software Action Evolution Worlds— Ubi Soft RPG Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters—Infogrames Fighting Legends of Wrestling 2—Acclaim Sports Mario Party 4—Nintendo Party NASCAR Thunder 2003—EA Sports Racing NBA 2K3—Sega Sports Sports NCAA College Basketball 2K3—Sega Sports Sports NHL 2003—EA Sports Sports NHL 2K3—Sega Sports Sports Phantasy Star Online: Episode |&ll—Sega RPG Taz: Wanted — Infogrames Adventure Vexx— Acclaim Action BloodRayne— Majesco Action Crimson Skies — Microsoft Shooting Dave Mirra XXX—AKA Acclaim Sports DOA Xtreme Beach Volleyball — Tecmo Sports House of the Dead III, The—Sega Shooting Medal of Honor: Frontline—EA Games Action NBA Live 2003—EA Sports Sports NHL 2K3—Sega Sports Sports Panzer Dragoon Orta— Sega Action Star Wars: Knights of the Old Rep. — LucasArts RPG Steel Battalion— Capcom Action Toejam & Earl Ill: All Funked Up—Sega Adventure Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon—Ubi Soft Action Unreal Championship—Infogrames Action Whacked! — Microsoft Misc. Game & Watch Gallery 4—Nintendo Misc Hamtaro—Nintendo Misc. Yu-Gi-Oh! Dungeon Dice Monsters — Konami RPG RA Cr lartennic Camin a Nw i. Sy PT RO = os ae ~F el ool a Ut aaa Electronic Gaming Monthly - 14 - egm.gamers.com 8/29 ° SHPAARSAABe , - Rey ‘| They don't make shooters like this anymore. import Pick of the Month: Those of you who still have a Sega Dreamcast that can play imports better start dusting it off. Treasure, developer of such classics as Gunstar Heroes (Genesis) and Guardian Heroes (Saturn), is releasing their latest top-down shooter, /karuga, in September. And you'd be insane to miss out. Don’t remember much about this classic genre? Maybe this’ll refresh your memory: Shoot down hordes of enemy squadrons, grab power-ups, and dodge the hail of red gun- fire coming toward you. Just thinking about it turns our knuckles white and makes our palms sweat with glee. Considering how much Treasure’s last shooter, Radiant Silvergun (Saturn), still fetches on eBay (around $150), we suggest you don’t dally this time around. PlayStation 2 7/25 Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, Capcom (Fighting) 8/15 Virtua Cop Rebirth, Sega (Shooter) 8/22 Auto Modellista, Capcom (Racing) 8/22 Gigantic Drive, Enix (Action) Switch, Sega (Misc.) Marvel Vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes, Capcom (Fighting) 9/19 Dreamcast 9/5 Ikaruga, Treasure (Shooting) Game Boy Advance 8/23 Mr. Driller Ace, Namco (Puzzle) 9/6 The Legend of Starfi, Nintendo (Action) Sept. Super Mario Advance 3: Yoshi's Island, Nintendo (Action) Oct. Kirby, Nintendo (Action) GameCube Nov. New Mr. Driller, Namco (Puzzle) Nov. Mario Party 4, Nintendo (Misc.) *Schedule subject to change without notice. Consult your local import-game store for the latest release info. It is the ’90s, and it is time for Klax. A RNR NRT NT NT RNOLD EEO IES RP LEPTIN RR NE, = = Fs <8 x PlayStation.e Sony Computer Entertainment America Takes No Responsibility For This Offer. mit | coupon per customer. Good at Best Buy stores only s. Not valid on prior purchases Valid on in-stock tems only; Coupon must be presé t Violence Blood and Gore HSU AND CHAN’S OFFICIAL WEB SITE - www.ape-law.com/evilmonkey BUY HSU AND CHAN JUNK! - www.cafeshops.com/hsuandchan A SPECIAL cyuT-OUT SUPPLEMENT To ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY (oR TEAR-OUT, IF You'RE A REAL anarcuist!) HELLO VIDEO GAMERS, AND WELCOME TO THIS, OUR FIRST LESSON IN INTERNET ETIQUETTE! FAR FROM THE GEEKS-ONLY PLAR GROUND IT WAS ONCE ENVISIONED To BE, THE INTERNET HAS BLOSSOMED OVER THE YEARS INTO AN HONEST-To-~ GOODNESS, FLOWER - BUYIN) FLIGHT- BOOKIN, LOOKIN = UP-DINOSALRS“FOR- YouR- KID WORLD Power, ATTRACT ING ALL KINDS OF PEOPLE, FROM THE ONES WHO CAN'T PROGRAM A VER TO THE ONES WHo AREN'T QUALIFIED To WORK AN ELEctRic TOOTHBRUSH! THEYRE ALL HERE, AND Now THAT CONSOLES ARE MOVING ONLINE iN FORCE, THE CHANCES OF You ACTUALLY MEETING ONE OF THEM ONLINE ARE DANGEROUSLY a é mah “= . : HIGH! if GOOD INTERNET GRAMMAR: INCORRECT: Hello. CoRRECT: @ ‘G) SHIHEY OMULOLBoKKor SH") INTERNET GRAMMAR FOLLOWS ITS OWN RuLes! TAKE Notes! TAKE A SEAT, AND \F ) SEE ANY SPITWADS, Gov FORFEIT PouR TONGVE. THE ROLE OF THOMB WITH E-PUNCTUATION IS THAT onLY THe STRONG SURVIVE, AND STRENGTH LIES IN NOMBERS! FOR ADDED GRAMMATICAL SPICE, PUT PUNCTUATION iW PLACES Yop WOULDN'T NORMALLY ExPect To FIND tT! VOILA! Agr! @) LEAVING TYROS IN) CONVERS A SENSE OF URGENCY AND PURPOSE | @ EFFICIENCY, THE HALLMARK OF THE ELECTRONIC AGE! @ WHAT \F THE READER MISINTERPRETS YOUR FRIENDLY GREETING AS AN EMBITTERED ANO DESPERATE CRY FoR HELP? BETTER Toss (IN A HEARTY L-O-L To SET HIS MIND AT Ease! @ SAME DEAL With THE SMILEY, THERE IS NO GREATER DANGER ONLINE THAN HAYING Qour MOOD Mi STUPGED, EXCEPT LOSING NouR ACCOUNT NUMBERS ANDIOR BEING STALKED, MURDERED AND LEFT IN A DITCH ABOUT EQUAL, REALLY, @ \NHAT'S THIS “leet SONK THAT'S ALL THE RAGE WITH THE KIDS THESE DAYS? BETTER THROW SOME IN, OR THEY'LL ALL ou! ~ . ONLINE! < < DATING Tips FoR WIRED MEN! CONTRARY Te POPULAR FOLKLORE GiRLS to ge FOUND ontin TURN OUT To Be , THERE ARE, IN FACT, E, AND NOT ALL OF THEM ‘NTE LLECTUALLY VACANT HIDEOUSLY OGLY, a : 3 comes ni SOMEBODY'S CREEPY, BU-YEAR-OLD UNCLE. E Rye ARE ALL TYPES OF LADIES ON THE WEB, a beech a WHO WANT To BE “Sust FRENDS" To THE mi E ACTIVELY SEEKING RESTRAINING ORDERS CORRENT ONuUNE SUITORS. LET'S LEARN mMoRE! FOR DEMONSTRATION PURPOSES, bs ARE HERE USING \1-VeAR-aLD KAREN" AS OUR Tesy GiReL. SRE LAKES PuzZLE GAMES OLD MONIES, JOGGING in THE EARLY MORNING AND CATS: r @ BREAK THE ice ! A Good OPENER'S HARD STUDIES SHOW, HOWEVER, THAT GIRLS RESPOND BEST TO GREETINGS THAT ARE SHORT, INNOCUOUS, YET Wirt: \ LENG, 1 AM HAN E RESTERAS, ZND LENEL WIZARD AND MASTER OF MY PARENTS BASEMENT IN CENTRAL LOOKS LAKE HE WAS LOADED, GO SEE WHAT HE'S GOT- TO COME UP WITH, WE KNOW! Te PemnaeR E PRIMERS! "HOW SHODLD | ACT? WHAT SHOULD | SAQ?" THESE ARE SUCH QUESTIONS You SHALL BE ASKING YOURSELF UNORIGINAL THOUGH THEY Are! COMPREHENS'VE NET ET QUE TTE Guide! NOW SHUT UP AND TAKE NoTeS, May SANE You SORRY HIDE NEXT TIME | A SHoRT PLAYLET To DEMONSTRATE THE SUBTLE ART OF COURTEOUS BEHAVIOR IN INTERNET GAMING: FMIESTE RIS, | HA RIDER. DUDEIG, ZH LEVEL DWARF AND A GREAT BEAST, BUT IT HAS LOST ME MARY HIT Points! OrLaAps Wiel t SHARE THE TREASURE IF YOu Wile EXTEND To ME A HEAL! POTION ‘5 MEN! SUR SMALL P ANY ADVANCE NOTICE! oF @ THINK ON YouR FEET! GIRLS LIKE SPONTANEITY IN PRISE HER WITH LITTLE Notes, RESENTS, OR BY TRAVELLING “COUNTRY To VISIT HER WiTHooT SHE'LL. NoT SOON FarRGEeT You / Ger A FEEL FoR THE INTERNET! fs ee GO SAILING 'IN 1T A GOOD IPEA TO ROUGH NOTLON a nee Ase sD WATERS, Go wee SURF a ae ¢ . vt STTME COMMON METHOD FOR “TESTING THE WATERS SIT WERE, (9 TO GO INTO NOUR ROOM, ROA fo THe INTERNET AND NEVER COME ae WE HAVE WEVER, FOR THOSE PRESSED FoR TIME, OALED A, SHORT LIST OF SEARCH TERMS MIHICH, WHEN PLACED INTO ANY DEEN ES a SEARCH ENGINE, WILL QUICKLY SAMPLE OF AND ACCURATE REPRESENTA pe Whar THE INTERNET HAS TO OFTEN: BEARCH TERMS. . DONNY MOST FAN PAGE efAT NUDE PEOPLE - eGOLF BALL WHOLESALERS MAKE 499 WORKING FRom HOME @ PICTURES OF CATS ; eo EVERY PIECE OF "CHiPs MEMORABILIA EVER MADE MAKE Some FRIENDS! NO MAN (S AN ISLAND ONTO HIMSELF EXCEPTING PERHAPS THE LATE CHRIS FARLEY 50 ONE OF THe FIRST THINGS You SHOULD Do ONLINE 15 EXTEND TO SOUR FELLOW MAN THE HAND OF FRIENDSHIP! How? WE RECOMMEND MASS =-MAILING SURNERS CONTAINING EXTREMELY PERSONAL INFORMATION TO EVERYONE IN, CREATION, FoR WHAT STONY HEART CAN YET BE ONTOLKHED BY RECE\VING AN EMAIL, FRM A PERSON THEY DON'T Know CISTING THE NAMES AND AGES OF ALL PETS THEYVE OWNED To DATE? BE SURE To INCLUDE LARGE PHOTOS OF YOURSELF AS ATTACHMENTS, WITH AMUSINGEY CRYPTIC FILE NAMES LiKE “DEIVEWIPER. EXE SPG /” ONLINE DATING AiPS FoR GIRLS: “NEVER, EVER, DATE ANQONE You MEET ONLINE! ARE You INSANE 2 * \ % THIS 15 @WHERE To Find GIRLS. Seer tins, GIRLS, LIKE MANY OTHER, EASIER- NORMAN Scott TO-FATHOM VERSIONS OF HUMANITY — CAR TOONL ST, CAN OFTEN BE FOUND IN OnuUNE tert Rs on GROUPS co ee eer RRESPONDING TO THEIR ‘NFO, (ba GET INDIVIDUAL HOBBIES AND INTERESTS, BALK TC You. INDUSTRIOUS FELLOWS CAN FIND A TREASURE TRave OF LADIES IN "RELATIONSHIP" FoRuMS, IF THEN Look. REMEMBER, THERE'S NO DISHONOR IN SNagGING ONE ON THE. REBOUND! WASTE NOT WANT NOT! AT NS You'Re FREE ON SATURDAY? COMING 102202 *® PlayStation.c f WWW.ROCKSTARGAMES.COM/VICECITY ? " RATING PENDING a ® Visit www.esrb.org | RP or call 1-800-771-3772 | for more info. | CONTENT RATED BY ESRB Before the Mansion. Betoresthe Disaster. Visit www.esrb.org or call 1-800-771-3772 for more info. NINTENDO GAMECUBE. CONTENT RATED BY © CAPCOM CO., LTD. 1996, 2002 @ CAPCOM U.S.A., INC. 1996, 2002. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. GAPCOM and the CAPCOM LOGO are registered trademarks of CAPCOM CO., LTD. RESIDENT & CO., LTD. The ratings 108 1 @ registered trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. LICENSED BY NINTENDO. Nintendo, Nintendo GameCube and the Official Seal are trademarks @ Sa registered trademark of CAPCOM tendo. © 2001 Nintendo. GET A GOOD DOSE or EVIL WHEN YOU ENTER THE ULTIMATE SURVIVAL HORROR SWEEPSTAKES. Win Nintendo GameCube™ gear, Resident Evil® games and other prizes! Enter at your own risk at www.ResidentEvil.com f : Jee : “. { (Register online or by mail. Fight for survival in this action-packed, thriller: : : pea iwalena tor details > all new story-line! : : ee < rca ae ae . : Must be 18 years or older. ) wa s 3 or och a 2 = od i< & a ee for | , + ent Sy | Use more’ strategy as you switch between Re M4 sc y _ or Billy for collaborative gameplay. OaGnaranin The brand-new Zero chapter- only’on Nintendo GameCube"! Sat © Introducing a new playable character, nightmarish Ss © beasts, and non-stop terror. MeN ND AN i Wii Atay Kia i Wey \ Blood Mild Language Violence ) rademarks of THO Inc. All Rights Reserved. Microsoft, Xbox and the Xbox uited States and/or other countries and are used under license from Microsoft. ‘ See BAS asi: LEON LP IAEA NEL LORE ANT ANAANE A INN RR ORO te eee ethene ee Re te i tee tein ete teen tenet tte Nem ain ey ee www.thq.com Thq-com/Textegrind www. Pesos ne Spo tgeeeesnsi', Beiietatcnan”, Se Geeta aR Gor Ren ess seebs oe veer KOS Violence, Suggestive oe er: MARVEL, X-Men, and all Marvel characters: TM and @'2002 Marvel Chatacters, Inc. All rights reserved, www.marvel.com. 6é Publishing, Inc. Activision is a registered trademark of Activision, lnc. and. its affiliates. All rights reserved. Licensed.for play o “ae “PlayStation” and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Microsoft,.Xbox, and t > ot U.S. and/or other countries and are used inder license from Microsoft. TM, @ afid the Nintendo GameCube logo aré trademe the interactive Digital Software Association. All other trademarks and trade names are the propetties of theif respectiv EACH X-MEN HAS EXPLOSIVE AND UNIQUE SUPERHERO POWERS TO TAHE ON OTHER IT'S THE MOST INTENSE Aen— FIGHTING YOu > 4 ‘VE EVER EXPERIENCED. BATTLE THROUGH EXPANSIVE 3-D LEVELS THAT RECREATE EPIC COMIC AND FILM SUPERHERO BATTLES INCREDIBLE COMBINATIONS AND SMOOTH ANIMATION BRING 24 DIFFERENT X- MEN MUTANTS TO LIFE. AVAILABLE LATE OCTOBER 2002 Previews Playstation 2 —— 86-90 Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 92,96 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets 98,102 Ratchet & Clank 104,108 RAD: Robot Alchemic Drive 110 Ape Escape 2 114 Tomb Raider Pro Race Driver 115 Blade ll Wild Arms 3 116 ~=©V-Rally 3 Haven: Call of the King NASCAR Thunder 2003 117. +~Legend of Legaia 2 X-Men: Next Dimension 122-123 Star Fox Adventures 124,126 Phantasy Star Online Episode | & Il 130 Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc Rocky Sonic Mega Collection Disney’s PK: Out of the Shadows Capcom vs. SNK 2: EO 138-139 MechAssault 140 142 144 146 147 148 HR DOR RHR OTT OH RI IIPS RT ODI IEA PT ITI TPIT PNP IPP PEPE EP AI AAP A IAAI PPI III PIPE PI PEO I IIR ARRON ToeJam & Earl Il: All Funked Up The House of the Dead III Psychonauts Conflict: Desert Storm Marvel vs. Capcom 2 Ninja Gaiden Batman: Dark Tomorrow Medal of Honor: Frontline Shenmue II Bloodrayne NBA Inside Drive 2003 Yoshi’s Island: Super Mario Advance 3 WARNING: Previews marked with international symbols may or This Monih in Previews — :ASSLRREE ROR SSRNAONAAES ASSIA NNNASS AORN NSAI SAAR Anannnannnmanisenscennnnnnenss his industry has always followed big, everyone made fighting games. When Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater hit, everyone announced that they’d be doing an extreme-sports game—or five. It’s not just based on sales, though. Every now and then, developers all may not be Seem to prepare similar games for Te aie ola release at the same time. Squad-based war games and mech games are two genres enjoying that kind of attention right now. One other trend is emerging as well that | just don’t get: Rally racing games. Don’t get me wrong. | really enjoy Rally racing (especially the recent RalliSport Challenge on Xbox and WRC on PlayStation 2). But honestly, how popular is this sport in the U.S? | never hear anyone standing around talking about how Colin McRae or Tommi Makinen did over the weekend. It’s not like those names are as well known as Jeff Gordon or Dale Earnhardt Jr. in these parts. Yet, for some reason, one publisher after another is set on bringing their Rally titles to the States. designed to run on Japanese or European PAL systems. Import at your own risk. 1. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater A 2. Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3 3. Phantasy Star Online Ep. | & Il 4. MechAssault 5. Star Fox Adventures trends. When Street Fighter // was The series that started the action-sports genre is about to get its third sequel. Check out our Tony Hawk 4 preview on page 86, including online-play impressions. It may be stupid to complain about good games getting released—and trust me, most of the upcoming Rally games are lookin’ good—but flooding such a limited market like this seems like a bad idea to me. Since the publishers are competing for the dollars of such a small audience, it’s going to be next to impossible for any of the titles to enjoy any real commercial success. The result could be going from too many Rally games on the market to none at all. And that would just suck. — previews editor Greg Sewart PS2, GC, Xbox, November 2002 GBA, Sept. 30, 2002 GC, November 2002 Xbox, Nov.8, 2002 GC, Sept. 23, 2002 Se eee ee cr a Which Racing Games Are Best? ee ea In an attempt to prove his rantings above correct, Sewart asked the patrons of Gamers.com which type of racing games they like most. The results speak for themselves. ELECtTRowic AMING —— MONTH ) Simulations (F7) 5A% meeian snl onion licensed cars (G73) U/y) Areadle Racing (Test Drive) Source: Gamers.com poll, 7/29 tfeats mic his bright flash. After that I felt these rs rolding me down. i woke up floating fr 7] 2 NOBODY’S LAUGHING ANYMORE. You don’t live in denial. You die in it. As Resistance fighter Lt. Riley Vaughan, you’ ll have A oF Ds j to rely on your cyborg eye for surveillance imaging. An energy blade for room-clearing attacks. And a rocket launcher to fire Final Resistance,, homing projectiles at a horde of otherworldly killers. From the makers of MediEvil® comes this frantic last stand for mankind. TEEN PlayStation and the PlayStation logos are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. MediEvil is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. C-12: Final Resistance is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. ©2002 Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. Mild Language Violence PlayStation r—_J PREVIEW Activision 02 Neversoft Le 1-2 (1-8 online) Ce Action 50% November 2002 GameCube, Xbox Vera www.activision02.com The Good: Classic, accessible gameplay meets cool new features. How many THPS games do you really need? Check out the new bailing animations. Brutal... Tony Hawk’s Pro Tennis — OK, first Solid Snake tricking off a quarterpipe, and now Tony Hawk playing tennis. What’s next, Lara Croft in her own puzzle game? Each of the massive areas in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 will contain at least one mini-game of some sort. Skate over to the tennis nets in the college area, for instance, to get your Kournikova on; or (if Neversoft has time to implement it) head to the asphalt for a little b-ball with the locals. Winning these minigames gets you...well, absolutely nothing. “They’re just minigames that are meant to distract you for a while,” says THPS4’s producer, Scott Pease. ) SCORE YO f you’re a Tony Hawk virgin, kicking off your video-skating career with THPS4, the biggest game yet in an already gargantuan series, can seem downright intimidating. Nobody knows this better than the folks at Neversoft, creators of the Tony Hawk series, who devote a good chunk of their time working with focus testers for feedback on new features. “The bigger we make the game, the more difficult it gets,” says Joel Jewett, president of Neversoft. “We want new people to get on board and have a good time. But there’s definitely a lot to learn here for a newcomer.” So to balance accessibility with complex and rewarding gameplay, Jewett and company have gone back to the drawing board to rethink what makes ol’ Tony tick. The game they’ve emerged with is a kinder, gentler THPS: one that eases newcomers into the fold with its mellow learning curve, yet maintains that hardcore pedigree returning deck junkies will crave. Tony’s most significant departure from its past is the new free-roaming goal system that gives you unprecedented control over how your career develops. Rather than force you to play the Career mode in short, frantic bursts with an overriding time limit, this version allows you unlimited leisure to take to the streets, combo and grind ’til the cows come home. But that doesn’t mean the game’s gone and wussed out. To advance into locked areas or new levels altogether, you’ve still got to bust skills and complete goals (although time limits for individual challenges still apply and will vary). The difference is, now you choose your goals by skating up to one of the many characters you'll run into on each level. “That’s actually the way we wanted Tony 1 to play,” Says Scott Pease, producer on the THPS titles. “We wanted to make it open-ended, because one of our inspirations was always that old skateboarding arcade game 720°.” In THPS4, you skate where you want and take on a challenge when you want. Electronic Gaming Monthly - 86 - egm.gamers.com Finishing goals hooks you up with one of two things: skill points or cash. Similar to previous THPS games, you take skill points and buff out areas you'd like your skater to excel in. With cash, you unlock only the secrets that you want. “We don’t force you to do every goal,” says Jewett. “There are always things on each level that players don’t learn or just don’t like to do, and we don’t think that’s very fun in the long run.” Last year, Jony introduced the “revert” move which let players combo aerial moves into ground tricks for massive scoring potential. But the outcry from hardcore fans was a unified plea for balance. “We realized that for hardcore Tony players, reverts made getting high scores too easy,” says Jewett. “So what we did this time was make the Career mode freaking huge and mix up the goals so that it isn’t just about racking up points.” But they didn’t stop there. THPS4 also brings to the series two new wrote — ~ . _ meth Fe = 575 XI Skitchin “We found out the hard way that we’re very reliant on what Sony puts into their online plan...” — THPS4 producer Scott Pease techniques: the recovery and the spine transfer. Recoveries level you out in case you miss re-entry onto a ramp, while spine transfers let you shoot off one pipe and onto another without having to hit the ground first. Both moves are subtle refinements to the THPS gameplay arsenal that give you the freedom to customize your style. Hardcore fans looking for some masochism will be glad to know that THPS4 definitely isn’t a cakewalk. After completing 80 or so of the 200-plus goals, the game turns you out with some truly tough challenges. Jewett reckons there’s probably about a year’s worth of replay value in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4. Then there’s Tony online. — cont. on page 90 Meet Officer Tom. The only thing he hates more than his job is you. Ah, but you'll have plenty of ways to make a mockery of him. Back when most of us EGM editors were just wee pups, skate-boarding games got a huge kick in the butt from an old Atari arcade game called 720’, an fun quarter- muncher that required both skills and imagination. The makers of THPS proudly acknowledge this game as a major influence on what’s ultimately become THPS4. Skitchin’ is the best way to build up speed. SKATE ARCHITECT So you’ve been making your own skate parks since Tony Hawk 2 and you're all tapped for ideas? How about adding goals to your levels in THPS4? “The new skate- park editor lets you assign stuff like ‘collect the S-K-A- T-E letters.’ We just haven’t finalized all the goals you can customize yet,” says producer Scott Pease. And although it will open a whole can of security and virus-checking issues, Neversoft is also toying with the idea of sharing custom levels over the Net or even creating official Neversoft levels for download after the game’s winter release. layStation.c FRAP aA Md PRE Udy Get ready to come to blows with over 130 types af of enemies hell-bent on making mincemeat out of you and your party. Traverse 8 wild elemental lands while discovering the depths of the newly tuned Grandia combat and magic systems and tackling the most brutal Grandia yet. It’s not called xtreme for nothing. Mild Violence Mild Language WWW.ENIX.COM , 1®@ PlayStation.e 1997. 1999. 2000 GAME ARTS. ©2002 GAME ARTS/ENIX. ENIX is a registered trademark of Enix Corporation. Grandia is a trademark of Game Arts Co. Ltd Characters designed by Kamui Fujiwara. “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. All Rights Reserved. '(@)) J PREVIEW NEW GOALS A Day in the Life THPS4 ditches the annoying time limit in its Career mode to give you free reign over how you play your game. Here’s what we did on our first day at Tony University: 10:30 a.m.: After checking out the babes, some schmuck begs us to warn other skaters about Officer Tom before he catches them. A short race ensued. The smell of bacon was in the air. 12:45 p.m.: Some inline blader got uppity and wanted to race a lap around the school. First we beat his best time and then his face. 2:00 p.m.: A buddy of mine got his ass kicked by a bunch of frat boys. Time to visit Abercrombie and Fitch for some payback. Cont. from page 87 When it comes to Tony Hawk online, Jewett has a bone to pick with EGM. You see, back in our June issue (#155), we proclaimed SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs as the first online game for the PS2. Oops, our bad. Truth is, although few gamers took advantage of its bleeding-edge potential, last year’s THPS3 was an entirely online-capable title. “We found out the hard way that as a developer, we’re very reliant on what Sony’s putting into their online plan. And when the PS2 network adapter slipped, we were kind of left on this island with no support, Says Jewett in retrospect. But now, with the PS2 poised on the brink of a massive Internet gaming blitz, Neversoft is once again ready to do its part. Building on the last game’s online technology, THPS4 doubles the number of players from four to eight, and has thrown in new team modes for the added company. “There were times when you’d get ” online and there’d be people who were really good, and it just wasn’t any fun,” Pease tells us. “With team play, we remove that barrier to entry. You can still feel like you contributed to a victory, even if you’re just a beginner.” Yet, even with all these improvements, do we really need a new Tony Hawk game every year? “Yeah, we’re totally aware of the sequel syndrome,” Says Pease. “We try our hardest to reinvent every year. It’s almost a curse because people expect us to with each game.” Jewett believes that the trick is to keep things fresh and push innovation. “People seem to think that we’ve hit the ceiling on originality with this series,” he tells us. “Honestly, there’s a whole list of things we didn’t even get to in Tony 4 that we’d love to put into future THPS games.” Hmm, definitely expect more sequels. —Che Chou TONY HAWK ONLINE Skatehoarding Online Is Not a Crime THPS4 allows up to eight players to get together for some online shenanigans. Neversoft has imple- mented a “Homey List” to help you build your repertoire of friends and let you know when they’ re online. Here are the modes you’ll be competing in: r (s909e30° TRICK ATTACK: Score the most points in a given time limit. This mode is best played with eight skaters in kick fools into the teams of two. Oh, and feel free to like Twisted Metal: knock each other off Black without the your boards, too. guns and missiles. SLAP: Just like its name suggests, this THPS4. Cruise KING OF THE HILL: Ram into the skater it, and hold it for as around the level and long as you can. In Team mode, use your higher your score dirt for points. Plays cohorts as defenders for that particular to stop incoming opponents from stealing your glory. ston nome jeans Sea RE ae g* GRAFFITI: Tag and trick onto almost is the deathmatch of with the crown, grab any object in the GOAL ATTACK: A mad scavenger race to complete as many level to transform it goals as possible into your color. The during a given time limit. You can only access goals that combo, the harder it you've already is for others to steal completed in your territory. Career mode. sarminc hAnn APS saming Mont - 90 - ecim.gamers.com lt weighs 3 tons. It occupies 100 square feet. = = —— SS : = i And it's hiding right in front of your face. aaa Cloak yourself to hide Engage in fast and furious Test your skills against from enemies or launch mech battles at speeds other players in @ stealth attack. over 108 mph. a non-stop rumble. RATING PENDING Wwuwus.phantomcrash.net Visit www.esrb.org or call 1-800-771-3772 p < PHANTAGRAM * 2002 Genki Co., ktd. Al reserved, Published and distribu 7 R A ea f t f of Phantaaram interactive. inc. f+ sha n c pe Mes = for Rating Information. sia EON E ~~ Harry Potter and PREVIEW the Chamber of Secrets OREO ARIE NIPRINT HOTTIE O EBON OREO N OOOH CONOR ANIT INI NIISNI ROCIO HORII DERI ORDER KIIROIDOMNDDEDDOIDOA ADEN PoE OORERDOSROCEDDOORRE SERED TI DOTSDDERRDRTOHESBINICORRRINOIRHRIHARI-CORIDORIDONRSDOSSDORERREORARINICRO NEDSS DROHD SS RIORREASRRO ROBOT RRRESIOO NRHN IIIA INHHIIOO IIR RINK HIINNO DARIN AONN DOD OROO RIO SDKRIOISOOSIODRNIIHRODDRSSHIORMHOERDSOOODORONOSD EA Games Eurocom/EA U.K. Adventure % Done: 15% Nov. 15, 2002 GameCube, Xbox wWW.ea.com hpgames.ea.com Carefully crafted visuals, sounds and gameplay re- create the feel of the book. The flying-car bit got left on the cutting-room floor. PUT Puta EN) Gnome tossing plus the side of a barn equals mayhem. HARRY'S PET Owl Power he Harry Potter phenomenon has divided the adventure. A colorful, Zelda-inspired game aimed at population into three distinct classes: 1) hard- both kids and adults, it’s a perfect fit for the core Potter-maniacs (of all ages) who have ’Cube...and luckily enough, also for the PlayStation read all the books and loved the film, 2) closeted 2 and Xbox. Electronic Arts’ dedication to producing fans who secretly enjoy the books but wouldn’t a multiplatform, next-gen Potter title meant that last Many Potter fans were be caught dead eating Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor year they had to skip producing a PS2 game for the disappointed last year by Beans in public, and 3) jaded, stalwart Potter first film, but the extra time appears to have been the almost total exclusion of skeptics who refuse to succumb to the boy wizard’s worth it. It’s the same game across all three systems Hedwig, Harry’s snowy owl wide-reaching appeal. If you fall into the first class, (with a few subtle differences), and it accurately companion, from the film you’ve probably already preordered this game, but if follows the plot of the book, allowing you to be and game based on Harry you're still iffy on the whole Hogwarts hullabaloo, Harry Potter during his second year at Hogwarts Potter and the Sorcerer’s this new Potter game might just sway you to the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Stone. We're not sure why side of magic. The storyline during Harry’s sophomore year his feathery friend got the Last month, we offered a look at the upcoming centers around the opening of the Chamber of nperanse tine, Dut in GameCube version of Harry Potter’s second Secrets, a hidden catacomb deep within the school. Chamber of Secrets, she’s an integral part of the game- play. In addition to deliver- ing letters for our hero, she also can be persuaded to uncover secret areas if given enough Owl Treats. Potter diehards might even want their own magical pet, but hold off. Before your Hedwig fandom whips you into an owl-buying frenzy, know this—they don’t actually make good pets and are illegal to keep as such in the U.S. Cont. on page 96 ¢ i begins, Harry \ [must travel to | Diagon Alley to | parc saa ase all his ‘ 92 - SST? Geers ere CST HACK YOUR WAY THROUGH COUNTLESS OPPOSITION "Xbox owners will receive one fine game in the form of Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance." ae "Like Gauntlet, in the same way that a Ferrari is St ee like a Fiat." - Official Xbox Magazine "ENVIRONMENTS Violence Use of Alcohol Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance © 2002 Interplay Entertainment Corp. All rights reserved. Baldur's Gate, Dark Alliance, Forgotten Realms, the Forgotten Realms logo, D&D, the Dungeons and Dragons logo, and the Wizards of the Coasts logo are trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc., and are used by Interplay under license from Infogrames Interactive, Inc.. All rights reserved. Snowblind Studios and the Snowblind Studios logo are trademarks of Snowblind Studios. Microsoft, Xbox and the Xbox logos are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or in other countries and are used under license from Microsoft. All rights reserved. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners. * or call 1-800-771-3772 CONTENT RATED BY SRB www .unrealichampionship.com “Game that makes us most excited about Xbox Live!” - Official Xbox Magazine Top Ten Xbox Games of E3 2002 - Unreal Championship: #1 - Gamers.com “Unreal Championship is amazing...the game for Xbox Live!” - IGN Xbox Best Xbox Live Game: Unreal Championship —IGN Coming October 2002 Pre-Order Today x ae Caine replays: 7,O83tF e3 AUZeCS ON the Ime: 5,000 Hoiler sracies: -Cis5 tyia23 Chie Cheatwse 741 ‘In seconds, Magic: The Gathering® Online lets you access over a thousand powerful creatures and spells. All different. All deadly. aa And every year, hundreds 3 = more are added to wis, alr the arsenal. Magic® Online: | Second to none. ae sare ca ei A ee BEST REWAROS. DEAOLIEST STRATEGIES MOST COMPETITION: Get the game free: (Mtgonlime.com All tademarks are property of Wizards of the Coast. inc. ©2002 Wizards. Experience unprecedented realism in the only racing game that lets you control the rider lean in turns. ———- on 200 of the world’s _ fastest motorcycles from Yamaha, — Honda, Suzuki and more.. and suspensions. : S Visit www.esrb.org or call 1-800-771-3772 for Rating Information. ~ WWW.BAM4FUN.COM Rom REPS SAL ISLA A LEEPER BM er lias AEE OE ® KICKIN’ IT OLD SCHOOL Want to see where it all began? Scour the bargain bins for Disruptor, insomniac’s first PlayStation title. It’s one of the best first-person shooters on the old PS:, stuffed with creative, futuristic levels and ambitious graphics (for the time). Many of the guys behind Ratchet and Clank started here, so take a trip down this bullet-strewn memory lane. = — PREVIEW RRS PPS RE PRE BOD PBR PR RAR EPPO 2 TPP PD AT AAP PPA HRN RS, WONDERFUL TOYS Cont. from page 98 aren’t accidental. “We have an agreement with [/ak and Daxter developer] Naughty Dog to freely share our technology back and forth,” says VP of technology Al Hastings, “and we have incorporated a couple of very clever elements of their engine into Our own.” Hey, if you’re going to borrow, taking pieces of the best engine out there is the way to go. Likewise, the gameplay isn’t all hopping on critters and smashing crates. Gunplay is the focus here, and Ratchet amasses over 30 different firearms. Packin’ these gatts doesn’t come cheaply, though; you must save up your bolts (this game’s currency) and buy guns from the shopkeepers throughout the levels. You don’t have unlimited ammo, so strategic conservation is key. Choosing the right pieces for Ratchet’s arsenal started with some intense brainstorming. “First, we came up with as many ideas as possible for the weapons and gadgets,” says consultant Mark Cerny. “Then, we went back in and trimmed this list of more than 100 items down to the 35 or so you will see in the game.” (For a taste of the heat he’s carrying, check below.) The game’s story also takes some risks—Ratchet BLASTER Function: Multiple Strategy: Use as a normal machine gun up close or snipe from afar. Don’t ask what it’s shooting. L: { W353 YOU a yoo ela, “We have incorporated a couple of very clever elements of Uak and Daxter's} engine info our OWN.” —Insomniac’s VP of technology Al Hastings and Clank don’t exactly fit standard “straight guy and wacky sidekick” formula. Ratchet is the live wire of the group: a headstrong, brash guy with a selfish Streak. He’s not that interested in saving the galaxy; he’d rather get famous by riding his hoverboard. Clank is the do-gooder here—a polite, C-3PO-like robot who puts a serious damper on Ratchet’s good time. In fact, sparks fly between these two so often that you’ll wonder if they’ll even stay together. Packed with innovation and inspiration, R&C might convince many jaded gamers that hop-’n’-bop platformers aren’t just for their little brothers. — Shane Bettenhausen HYDRODISPLACER Function: Drainage Strategy: It’s not really a weapon, but it will drain pools of water that block your progress. ae ey BB, sta a _ Everyone digs a cool pair of shoes, and Ratchet has quite possibly the best ever: Magnet Boots. This footwear lets him stick to any metallic surface with ease. Beware — the view could be too much if you have a weak stomach; the smoothly bending camera perspective might leave your head spinning. To prove that he’s just as radical, hip, with-it and extreme as other mascots, Ratchet pulls off some killer moves on his hoverboard. DEVASTATOR Function: Missile Strategy: Obliterate foes on the ground or in the air with this kick-butt guided- missile assault. THE ONLY TELEVISION NETWORK DEVOTED TO VIDEO GAMES. >>>>>2>GO TO G4TV.COM oR, CALL YOUR CABLE OR SATELLITE PROVIDER TO DEMAND IT >>>>>>>333>>33>> Seeabe es i: TY 4 GAMERS How Convenient GAMES con OVER 700 STORES NATIONWIDE AOL KEYWORD: EBGAMES a PREVIEW Publisher: Enix Sandlot 12 Action 85% November 2002 Also On: None www.enix.com Bashing the living tar out of aggressive alien invaders is a great way to relieve stress after a hard day of work/school. That one Volgara robot totally wrecks your best girl's grandma's house-not cool! If you mess up and fall through a building, it gets taken out of your allowance. HEROIC TRIO Fantastic Three You’ll choose one of three characters to be your in- game persona: Naoto Tsukioka (bottom left)— Your average Japanese teenager. He is the most balanced of the bunch. Ryo Tsukioka (bottom middle) —Has superior physical skills but plays it cool round the ladies. Yui Tsukioka (bottom right) — Typical cute high- school girl, Yui lacks the strength of the other two. For water battles, you might want to jump on your robot's shoulder to get to the action faster. But get off before the action heats up unless you wanna take a swim. How about a fist in the face followed by a bus in the gut? hen humanity is threatened by a hostile alien race of giant robo-beasts known as the Volgara, there’s only one thing to do. As countless anime shows have taught us, get a rag-tag group of inexperienced civilian teenagers to pilot huge, robotic assault machines (in this case, called Meganites) to fight off the invaders. And that’s just what happens in RAD (aka Robot Alchemic Drive). As one of three hapless teenagers (see sidebar), you’re thrust into the role of Earth’s defender as wave after wave of Volgara (alone or in groups) descend on Tokyo. But what sets this apart from the average mech-battling game is that you don’t ride inside your robot. Instead, you’re running around outside on the ground, in the way of the sccopsconeees . oo “ coos neeDeOeS . ORO IEODEORRION ION ODN NOR OHRID CRP OSE IBIDIO IS IIE DIDO BEI IIDC DI REARDON HOPI O IODIDE DODO ROI RAEI AAR PORE DENIER HOO IAIN HTN ELPA REE RIE LAER OEP ILRI AE ALEE IP LEOLL ESE DEL ED EPL EES PLER PYRE LE PEELE EAP LERSP ELS AEL VEN REASDEES SEATS, robotic feet of the giants throwing punches just above your head, switching control between the robot and your flesh-and-blood self. Missions throughout the 4o-plus chapters can range from the simple (defeat the Volgara) to the more difficult (save specific buildings from attack or a bus of innocent tourists from being flattened). A typical one starts like this: Imagine, if you will, a quiet spring afternoon. It’s your day off and you’re escorting your girlfriend, Nanao, to the local bakery after school. Suddenly, the sky turns dark, and purple lightning streaks across the clouds—you sense impending danger. Sure enough, a Volgara ‘bot falls out of the sky, landing on the streets of the city with an Earth-shaking thud. Air-raid sirens blare Cont. on page 108 iG GAMECUBE Beach Volleyball has Never Been Hotter! i EVERYONE zy SES NINTENDO GAMECUBE. nd Seg Sega is registered inthe U S- Patent and Trademark Offic. Sey ea, the Seqe a © SEGA CORPORATION, 2001. All Rights Reserved.www.sega.com © 2002 NFLP Team names and nnd are trademarks of the teams indicated. All other (NFL-r trademarks of the National Football League and NFL Properties: Officially Licensed product of the PLAYERS INC. The PLAYERS INC logo is a registered trade www.nfiplayers.com © 2002 PLAYERS IN INE. Made and printed in the USA. ‘PlayStation’ and the “PS: Family logo are registered ronenats Sony C ™, ® and the Nintendo GameCube Pi Fratetiarks of Nintendo. Microsoft, Xbox and PNiseuaiore 0g eithe narks | It’s football to the power of 2K3. Now go rattle some cages. - PLATFORMS SeGrM NINTENDO segasports.com PREVIEW Hmm...wonder i ifn my car insurance covers “acts ot giant alien invaders"? Cont. from page 104 as your communicator rings. It’s Foundation headquarters: a Volgara’s been sighted. Time to Spring into action. You ditch your girl and call your Meganite. It emerges from underneath a (luckily) vacant parking lot and awaits your command. You press Select, switching control to robot movement, and begin alternating the R1 and L1 buttons, making the steel beast walk forward. (At this point, you Should shout, “Robot, GO!” just for effect.) You switch back to control yourself for a moment and use your hover shoes to float up to the top of a nearby building and get a better view of the action. Once you’ve found a perch, you switch back to your robot and walk him down the street, toward the chaos that’s being covered live on the news report playing in the upper-left corner of the screen (above). You stop and fire a long-range laser attack as a first strike. But the alien is too smart for that and leaps into the air out of the way, landing right in front of you. Using the analog sticks, you control your robot’s arms and knock the alien to the ground. As it fights to get up, you have time to press R3 and L3 to bust out tools like drills, clamps, etc. (depending on your robot) to deliver more effective punches. You float your character down to street level and move to a safe spot (dodging cars) and switch back to your robot just in time to block an attack and counter with an uppercut. A few more hits and the alien submits to gravity, leveling a building before reaching its final resting place. And with that, you’ve saved the city once again. Back at HQ, you can use the money you earned from saving the world to upgrade your Meganite’s weapons and get new abilities. Hey—you deserve it, right? Now get back to Nanao and “knead some bread.” th —Chris Johnston PICK A ROBOT, ANY ROBOT Size matters when fight- ing aliens, and you’ve got three giant, state-of-the- art Meganites (aka ass- kicking robots) to fend off any threats to society (from left to right): Vavel (who can fire his fists), Laguiole (transforms into a plane) and Gllang (transforms into a tank). HAIRCRAFTINGS Our nomination for most unfortunate hairstyle in RAD is this lady’s burly mop- top. Looks like a small bear cub, raccoon or possum got up there and just curled up. That or she hasn’t used shampoo since Ronald Reagan was president. — are at LX aaa Fe STORYTELLING Sex, Lies and Giant Robots As if defending Earth from the Volgara weren’t hard enough, you’ve also got to deal with gal pal Nanao (below), who constantly finds herself underfoot nearby aliens. You can’t just let her get squashed. Nah, that’d be too easy. You gotta save her. (Then try to convince her she should stay inside from then on.) Play as either of the guys, and she’s your love interest. But as Yui (the girl), she’s just a good buddy. Either way, she makes good alien bait. 7 The deencal-be-disteacs nck b is wet makes the Volgara want to stomp her flat. Can you blame ‘em? Turbo Shock 2 Cyber Shock 2 ontrollar 9 ontroller Programmable Allows Up To 12 Difficult ame Screen Multiple Moves To Be Programmed Into One Button! Full Color Game Screen Allows You To Play Games, Home Videos & DVD's Anywhere! Features Turbo Function For AutoFire Capability Remote, Multitap & Horizontal Stand Wireless Control, 4 Player Multitap, Organize PS'2 Games and DVD's with Style! AV Selector and Stereo Speakers Add A Blast To Your Gaming MEMGNY CARD on vain a OW _ Available * 235 6 regintered frademar tation) Kol Sony Computeremerainment int, these items are p Mere 43 red, § FER Pen 4 ter Enter’ = = PREVIEW Sony CEI Sony CEI Players: 1 Mm Action 85% Out Now (Japan) None WwWww.scej.jp Several publishers are looking to bring this ape-tastic sequel Stateside. Gameplay hasn't evolved much since the first game. How does a 500-Ib. female ape in a thong sound? From mechanical bulls to armored tanks to giant robots, these little chimps know how to ride in style. In most games, the main character takes center stage. In Ape Escape, it's all about the monkeys. Even the frozen ones. efore Super Monkey Ball rolled onto the scene last year, the number-one way for video gamers to get their daily dose of simian Satisfaction was with Sony’s marvelously original PS1 platformer, Ape Escape. With a unique control system that made full use of the Dual Shock’s two analog sticks (one to control your guy, one to control his gadgets) and a cast of more than 200 personality-charged, helmet-clad monkeys, Ape Escape managed to breathe new life into an otherwise stale genre that was overloaded with shallow Super Mario 64 knock-offs. Three years later, the sequel has finally arrived. Ape Escape 2 is what you’d call a “safe” sequel. It looks and feels almost identical to the original, with no major changes or additions to the gameplay. Had the first game not been so darn fun to begin with, we might have viewed this as a big negative, but instead we’ll just chalk it up as “a minor disap- pointment” and move on. MONKEYING AROUND PANTS-SUCKING FUN Last year in Japan, Sony released an oddball spinoff of Ape Escape called Piposaru 2001 where the object was to (literally) suck the pants off of 2001 monkeys using your trusty vacuum cleaner. Despite the amazingly cool premise, the game turned out to be a dud, and thus, the “back-to-basics” sequel you see here was born. Once again, the whole point of the game is to travel through time to various themed stages (an Egyptian ruin, a Venician city, a Japanese castle, etc.), searching for monkeys to catch with your Time Net. Along the way, you gain access to various gadgets that assist you in your search, including all eight from the first game and three new ones. The controls have been slightly tweaked, and you now have a baby monkey sidekick at your disposal, but otherwise things are mostly as they were last time. The one area that has been given a major facelift is the Time Station, which is essentially your home base. Thanks to the new prize machine in the lobby, you can unlock a boatload of cool stuff using the chips you’ve collected, including music tracks, video clips, short stories, artwork, minigames and more. While not as fresh or innovative as the original, Ape Escape 2 is still a joy to play and another fine example that in video games —just like in real life — monkeys = fun. sR —John Ricciardi As was the case with the first game, Ape Escape 2 features three minigames that can be unlocked. This time, instead of collecting Specter Coins to open them up, you need to win them by chance at the prize machine in the Time Station (inserting 10 chips nets you a random prize). The three games include a simplistic but fun Dance Dance Revolution clone (left), a quirky rope-climbing event (above left), and a surprisingly playable five-on-five soccer game with power-ups and even substitutions (above right). Electronic Gaming Monthly - 110 - egm.gamers.com Amer DIG DEEP Gaming is a state of mind and body. Breathe. Chant. Light incense if you have to, just keep it away from the shag. LOSE CONTROL This means you'll be needing something soft to slam, flip, twist, or fall on. Shag carpeting not only looks good, it feels good. Leaving you free to grab your joystick and game on. TALK SOME TRASH Psych out your opponent with a verbal kick to the groin. Throw some new trash their way and they’ll be losin’ in no time. MASTER A PLAN OF ATTACK Throw in a meal and an extra blanket and you can play til’ dawn. Still not enough? Wipe that crust off your eyelids and find yourself a good excuse for callin’ in sick. GAME YOUR WAY AT BLOCKBUSTER’ Now you can RENT or BUY games and systems. Previously played games are up to 60% off the manufacturer's price. And with tons of copies, hot titles are guaranteed to be there. BLOCKBUSTER is totally committed to games. Are you? i f Fe : . PREVIEW GALLERY Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness Eidos * November 2002 ¢ Also On: None — Finally, a few new screens of the next Tomb Raider. See that new dude in some of these shots? His name is Kurtis Trent, and you'll actually play as him during part of the game. Kurtis uses guns, like Lara, but also a glaive (that spiked thingy from Krull). And since Mr. Trent has limited magical abilities, he’s able to control the glaive in mid-air. BAe LITE ONT "Sema zr aire meer ea ey rere ZOR aL eR ee UR Pro Race Driver Codemasters ¢ September 2002 ¢ Also On: Xbox — Anyone who’s played the TOCA or Jarrett & Labonte games on the PS1 will know what to expect here. PRD is the latest in Codemasters’ collection of touring- car games where you take driving tests, sign with specific teams, and compete in various series. As usual, the control is spot-on and the computer opponents are really aggressive. eee ace aceon aoc cade aaa on enna ocr naaioaaamaaa mia eEaeNmaAmeEaeenemmmemememe meme ememememmmedemmemm mere temmmemermemee EERE EEE Hh ~ §8:86.88 vcs: g Monthiy - 114 - es You can’t see them, of course. After all, they're - SEALs, a commando unit legendary for its ability —_ ___] i — __] to penetrate enemy territory undetected. And then ” strike with surgical precision. Enter the world of SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs, where stealth, intel- PREVIEW ligence and teamwork are the ultimate weapons. GALLERY Wl eee ~~: Activision ¢ September 2002 ¢ Also On: Xbox — When the vampire underworld threatens to resurrect a race of super bloodsuckers called Reapers, there’s only one guy to call: Blade. In Blade //, you control the infamous hybrid vampire/human hero as he slashes, shoots and kicks the asses of undead hordes. And if he gets really pissed, he’ll unlock Rage powers, making him nearly invincible. Developed in association with the U.S. Navy SEALs, SOCOM is unconventional warfare the way it’s really fought. That means hostage rescues, recon- naissance, ambushes and demolitions. Hoo-yah. Whether you're in single-player mode or playing online with and against up to 16 total players, your SOCOM headset is critical. It'll help you communicate and strategize with your unit, so everyone returns in one piece. Remember: “No SEAL left behind.” Combat terror in extreme environments like Turkmenistan, Alaska, Thailand and the gnat- infested Congo. Should be a walk in the park. Next to Hell Week, that is. Wild Arms 3 Sony CEA ¢ October 2002 ¢« Also On: None — Wild Arms 3 caters to the traditional RPGer. Just like the two PS1 games before it, WA3 won’t win any awards for amazing cinematics or innovative play mechanics. Instead, you'll get a very solid, no-frills RPG with turn- based battles and the occasional puzzle to solve. Nothing terribly exciting, but a nice addition to the PS2’s growing RPG library. ademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment inc. = =o " and the "PS" Fami vi LIVE IN YOUR WXRLD. PLAY IN OURS* “PlayS fom = — 4 PlayStation.e Blood and Violence CONTENT RATED BY ESRB MAN IN BLACK Sg oe Out of respect for Dale Earnhardt 7 SS ee S| and his family, EA Sports took him — | mond i ee ee i ee = | out of last year’s NASCAR game. * i. Ti But this year the Intimidator will : ee make his video-game return as a PREVIEW a . | hidden driver in Thunder 2003. GALLERY _ teementataeinauaptnganenmasananeemmmemennemnenememmmnanmenmmamaeneenenememameneare meee ee ene iy V-Rally 3 Infogrames *¢ September 2002 ¢ Also On: None — This is a really beautiful game: The backgrounds, vehicles and even secondary stuff like the pit areas are nearly photorealistic. Developer Eden Studios did a great job on that. The gameplay—or more specifically, the vehicle handling —is tight and responsive as well. Look for a ton of licensed rides, plus enough international tracks and weather conditions to please most any Rally fan. rer A ae "E- eee BAP aptly WOEHOORHOSELERORINOORE AORODOOSEOORI OOS EONIDROODSI ONCE SOI ECR HODHONIEOEOIROODIAANIOE RIL LOMO HINSIMRI CORNICE OSEASOOTEADNASRNRO ACO NNKHOCOHN SANA NNAONONANSONIOIDNIMASCOCEONIDOMNIONERSEDAMOERKAAODIOADEAAnSoAehtnondatognansonteneonannnconoeonnrcennannsnndeer Haven: Call of the King Midway ¢ November 2002 ¢ Also On: GC, Xbox — The first part in an ambitious trilogy, Haven: CotK centers on a hero’s quest to emancipate his people from the oppressive reign of the evil Lord Vetch. Developer Traveller’s Tales hopes to blend traditional platform mechanics with flying, shooting, space exploration and vehicular-combat elements to create a compelling, galactic 3D adventure. fi eR eA LEAD PL Yh IBS AS BSURIS bux j - (SORE DRTC RRM NPD E DTT TPIS ORTIGAS ETT BITE I TDP OTE Ee TOI a HAA PO DONO NASCAR Thunder 2003 EA Sports ¢ October 2002 ¢ Also On: GC, Xbox — This year’s Thunder ase : jaa ans features a much more in-depth Career mode. Now you have to sign your pevoeh () panans ter ea ama entire team, from engine builders to tire changers, and keep everyone — : Sons happy by performing well on the track. Fans will also find the Shootout, the Daytona Twin 1255s and even the All-Star race, all of which have been missing from NASCAR games up until now. a PREVIEW GALLERY = 5 ic clean fe od Legend of Legaia 2: Duel Saga © a Fresh Games ¢ September 2002 * Also On: None — [he first ; Legend of Legaia was a ho-hum RPG made more interesting by the addition of fighting game-style controls. Combat in Legaia 2 is a bit easier on the fingers, but the game is much deeper for it. Comple- menting the funky battles are a cool item-customization system, parlor-style minigames and side quests up the yin-yang. XOdX NO MON GN4941 dHL WOD WeSSNOLIS MMM “‘Panasad s}yBu ify “uj ‘aANDeIa}U} OMJ-aye] ZO0Z © “SALJUNOD JayJO JO/PUR *S"7) ay) UI UOBIOdIO4) YOSOIDIW, JO SyJeWapey] 40 syeWAaped Pasajsifies Jayya aue O60) XOX ay} Puke XOgX ‘YOSOIDIW) “S4BUMO BANDedSaJ Jay] JO Saledosd QJe SQWPU pel] PUR SYJPWAPeI) |]y “DU] ‘AANIeIA}U] OM-aye] JO SyJeWAPeI) ase Ofo) saweN wWeYJON ayy pue SWE WEYJOD “p] ‘Wea}O19 jo syeWapes) ase OBO Wea}09 ay} Pue WeA}0I9 ‘OG0] WeS sNoLaS ay} ‘Wes snoEaS RR NR OO RAPHE IRA LE PAI ADA AORN OR DAO I ION ELA A NEIL ACO NIAID AIO AD EO LINED LOSI Y IER EL IO LOLOL RIL OLLIE DLL ELO EE ER OLYDE AEE PLLORL ERLE X-Nien Next Dimension Activision * October 2002 ¢ Also On: PS2, Xbox — Don’t let the name fool you—this is the sequel to Mutant Academy 2 on PS1. So yes, a dozen of your favorite mutants will battle across various comic-inspired levels. Expect aerial combat and huge, multi-tiered arenas (you can throw opponents through walls and floors to get to new battlefields). Patrick “Dr. Xavier” Stewart stars as the narrator. ‘WOGSIM JHL NVIN HL & WL pea 20 Buo'quse wm Ysi/\ SNIONId SNILWY 3 & = a s 3 c= = bad o =} = = m = = = => — m o a =< BJo'qusa"MwM IiSI/\ CLLE-LLL-008-| |[E9 40 Bis Eve Ke i aN Sue Feats Fight zombies, vampires and ghouls on your own as | Attack 20 types of creatures in swarms of up to 3 = Slay in brutal single- and multi-player action Lee 2 one of 4 unique Hunters, or battle evil cooperatively : at once using 20 melee, ranged and spell weapons— ~ through 23 huge environments, including a prison Se 2 a with up to 4 players on a single screen, from swords to axes and flamethrowers. . gothic church, cemetery and torture: , MATURE = en = ee | Blood and Gore [ia 7 : i T Ht Ri CK 4 N ING. 3 : Violence f Se ESE oes eens ner : DELIVER US FROM EVIL.-= Hunter The Reckoning for the Xbox video game system © 2002 Interplay Entertainment Corp. All.rights reserved: Allaslech Game Engine-trademark 2000 High Voltage Software, Inc. All rights reserved. Developed for Interplay Entertainment Corp. by High Voltage Software; in€., under license _ from-White Wolf Publishing, Inc. Hunter The Reckoning is a registered trademark of White Wolf Publishing, Ine. Interplay, the interplay logo,"“By Gamers. For Gamers.”, Digital Mayhem and the Digital Mayhenttogo-are trademarks of Interplay Entertainment Corp. Mierosott, Xbox-and the =Xbor'lopos are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U-S.and/or in’ other countries and are used.ufider license from Microsoft. The ratings icon ts-a registered trademark of theInteractive Digital Software Association. All other copyrights and “diademarks are property of their respective owners. Sea i = ee a = Sh : =< ee —— § a a hs, Fe sak EVERYONE .' _ ig yg ee ee P* OENS: Sega is registered in the U.S. Patent and tademark Office. Sega, the Segadogo, and Sega gi eas trademarks of Se CORPORATION, 2002. All Rights Reserved. www.segasports.com The "Officially ene ate Pro Company. The “Collegiate Licensed Product’ label is the praperty of thaiiadependentLabelin cid: ne NCA Fas NCAA Football USA, Inc. All names, logos, team icons, and mascots assoelated with the NC institutions. ESPN is a trademark of ESPN, Inc. ESPN branded elements © Disney. Made and printed inthe USA of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. ™, ® and the Nintendo GameCube loge jaciemarks of Nintendo, Microsoft, Nasu andthe Xo lego or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or in other coun i COLLEGE FOOTBALL ices gan gt yA as rir * eon hit The smell of rivalry is in the air. $B... oY Feel the stampeding rush of speed on every play. ' And trample the living snot out of your opponent’s pride. sSeGr NINTENDO GAMECUBE. segasports.com PREVIEW _ Nintendo _ Rare 1 Adventure en 95% Sept. 23, 2002 ») None | www.nintendo.com CCT WP) Fox McCloud kicks loads of dinosaur butt but still looks all warm and fuzzy while doing it. 1 8 Ambiguous puzzles and gameplay could make things frustrating. General Scales. He's Star Fox Adventures is a big ol’ melting pot of gameplay ideas. You'll be riding around on dinosaurs, fending off enemies with your magical staff, and hopping around platform- heavy environments — it’s actually a lot like a Zelda game. It should be no surprise. “They have a very similar control scheme,” Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto says of their latest first-party GC games. “And when you play them, you're going to get the same feeling out of those games.” _ In SFA, the context- sensitive A button is your primary action trigger. You'll use it to attack, bring up inventory items, interact with other characters, and | pick up objects, just to name | afew. Simple, eh? It is! BI ad ay Mex. sconsccmone Se erere he recent buzz around Rare, Nintendo’s killer second-party developer, has been whether or not they’re planning to jump ship from the big N to go multiplatform. Amidst this storm of rumors, Rare’s been hard at work on one nice-looking game with Star Fox Adventures. Star Fox Adventures originally started life as Nintendo 64 adventure game called Dinosaur Planet—an ironic title for the then-dying system. As the N64 went the way of the dodo—and Dinosaur Planet languished in development limbo—Nintendo and Rare added the Star Fox license to the game and overhauled the graphics to take advantage of the new GameCube. SFA is now a world of unique, vibrant areas rife with exploration potential. We’ve played parts of the game as both Fox McCloud and side-story starlet Krystal (whose kidnapping later throws a monkey wrench into the story) and had a taste of classic Star Fox-style mid-air battles, basic item-retrieval sub-quests, puzzles and even a little paw-to-paw combat. While it definitely has the potential for frustrating snags (figuring out what to do or where to go threw us for a loop on a couple of occasions), the game’s nifty design ideas and variety of playable characters make SFA tough to dislike. Since most gamers remember Fox McCloud either from his days in the cockpit of the Arwing or on the battlefield of Super Smash Bros., SFA’s gameplay features a little of both—flight and air-combat missions accent the predominantly ground-based & Electronic Gaming Monthly - 122 - egm.gamers.com “Dude. Quit freakin’ me out with that hologram crap.” exploration and combat levels. The cast of previous Star Fox games returns to help Fox out (see sidebar), along with a new addition: a cheeky dinosaur called Prince Tricky. We know that sounds a little lame, but the execution’s a lot more serious and tasteful than you’d think. Your quest is based on freeing the once- peaceful Dinosaur Planet from the tyrannical General Scales. It sets a pretty somber mood from the outset that is carried by story developments and some of the game’s darker environments. Considering the amount of time we’ve had to wait for Star Fox Adventures, we're glad it’s looking good so far. Not that it’s a surprise, since Rare has always done the 3D platform genre so well. Besides, it’s only been in development for several years. We have to be honest, though—we’d rather see Fox McCloud and friends flying their Arwings through hordes of enemy starfighters. But in a pinch, this’ll work too. Re —Jonathan Dudlak We're Shipping HOW. late?!" 000 Fox McCloud comes complete with triceratops accessory. Prince Tricky has his own set of “Sidekick Skills” that help Fox out on Dinosaur Planet. He sticks by Fox's side most of the time (top), so you can’t very well leave him behind when he’s chained to the wall (above). He’s yours whether you want him or not, so get used to it! Se aca ES HOS agi: The Crew Rare has assembled a rag- tag bunch of misfits to round out Fox’s motley crew. These boys should be familiar to Star Fox fans. SLIPPY: WEAPONS DETAIL Like a wart- backed crack dealer, Slippy gives Fox gram after gram of weapons for his gadgetry fix. SFr SSGEAT NS AALS Oe ERAT DTIC SEROMA CAAA VEER ALEVE TERE PEPPY: MISSION SUPPORT Former wingman Peppy is now on navigation, keeping Fox abreast of his location and courses of action. ROB THE ROBOT: SUPPLIES We're not crazy about ol’ C-3P0 here, but he’s another go-to guy who'll help you on your quest to save ERI CURL ECAC SCENE ITERTE CI PREVIEW AAAS NEALE ANDREAE ON SAREE sega Sonic Team 1-4 RPG 75% = November 2002 Xbox, sort of... WWW.Sega.com www.sonicteam.com PSO is back and ready to enthrall a whole new audience. Cee Offline is improved, but you still can’t play with ‘bots. | Item-stealing sons of @$%#es during online play. mo’ DEM ‘DAPTAS Hook It Up - ,..PSO finally gets broadband love. | Although Nintendo’s attitude on online gaming is a bit— how shall we put it— indifferent, that doesn’t mean they’re not supporting it. Quite the contrary. This September, Nintendo will release both the 56K V.90 compatible modem and the broadband adapter for roughly $35 each. Unlike the PSO broadband debacle on the Dreamcast (it wasn’t officially supported), PSO Ep. 1 & ll will utilize both online formats. Groovy. > Star Online sepnanndamnnnannennmnenmnnammnnemnn sameness cane ed te ee & Y 4 Welcome to the lobby of Episode II. You'll notice that this Episode I/ isn’t filled with crap actors. If, for some reason, online play isn't an option (no credit card, mom won't pay, etc.), you and up to three friends can still spend time in PSO’s beefy offline mode. ith the history-making Phantasy Star Online and Phantasy Star Online Ver. 2 for Dreamcast under its belt, Sonic Team is poised to take the franchise to even greater heights, this time on Nintendo’s GameCube. After logging in some 20-plus hours of questing with Phantasy Star Online Episode | & II, it has become apparent that PSO’s development team learned its lessons on the Dreamcast well. In case you’re unfamiliar with the ways of PSO, it is best described as an online multiplayer RPG for up to four players. Similar to the PC game Diablo but viewed from a friendlier behind-the-back perspective, it was very addictive but not without issues. If the previous iterations of PSO suffered 75 SHP 108/108 G 21/208 ea Cy. i) LLG i Grass Assassin AttributetA, Beast | y ——- mr ey Time. We ve owners please call our toll- itch number at 1- 800 PREVIEW soso 2 “0 DELOREAN LENE ELISE EERE NN ROLLE NOES LESAN ORES ASSSAANNSSSNNAEAS NASER IAIN A ERASER SNE A NANA NN NNN NN RE NSS RENDERED ASR ARS AAAS BANS AN NEARED ARE OREN R EEE EEEN DEEP CEED LEED EOE POCEEDNC ED DCOSEDOOESEN CEEISEEESOESENOCEEI TS RISOSC EDEL SE ECE EO ERINESIEENISS SLES NE Microsoft Day 1 Studios 1-2 (2-8 online) Ce Action 60% Nov. 8, 2002 CECE None WWW.xbox.com Cool single-player missions and Xbox-online multiplayer support. Arcade feel may turn off BattleTech purists. When three big mechs decide to gang bang you all at once in multiplayer. TENACIOUS D See the mech in the pic above? No? That’s the point! Each ’bot in MechAssault will have its own defensive system — invisibility, chafes to throw off enemy missiles, sensor jamming, etc.—to add a little more strategy to the multiplayer firefight. SCORN NESE SARESN ASE SDANSSASSSAANNS ANAS “That armor’s too strong for blasters. Use your harpoons and tow cables!” “Oooooooh, Ahhhhhh!” Enemy mechs are tough and can require serious work to finally destroy. But the explosion once they go down? Makes it all worthwhile. hen you daydream about climbing into the NW cockpit of an 80-foot-tall, fully armed battle robot (and please don’t waste our time claiming you don’t daydream about that sort of thing), what do you think about? Chances are, you imagine stuff like melting other mechs down into scrap with your laser cannons...the blossoming explosions as your missiles slam into their target...the buildings crumbling in your mighty wake...crushing helpless enemies underfoot...and the burning...the BURNING OF THE HOMES AND CITIES OF THOSE WHO WOULD DARE OPPOSE YOU. WAHAHAHAHA! THEY WILL PAY, THEY WILL ALL PAY! Anyway, the point is you picture the action and the carnage, right? You aren’t worrying about turning radiuses, ammo weight or topping off the windshield-wiper fluid. And yet, most games set in the popular sci-fi BattleTech universe (like the pen- and-paper RPG that started it all and the MechWarrior PC game series) typically worried about simulation-type aspects like these. MechAssault is different. Although it’s still very much a BattleTech game (most of the traditional mechs and weapons return), the older, slower, more “realistic” gameplay is gone, with a new, more console-friendly design philosophy in its place: Say hello to my little friend! Like- new, lime-green ‘56 14S ASSAULT BATTLEMECH, Refurbished interior, heavy laser cannons replaced five months ago, new head. Watch your enemies panic when they see you pull up in this mean machine-it's all about the offense. A real man’s mech if ever there was one. Plus, it’s a chick magnet! 8 million credits 0.B.0. CEDALANSET NA ANI RSENS ENNIS NITE NAAN RAEEE ASAE ARSENE SAN AAEM NNN “It’s fun—let’s do it!” That’s how Producer T.J. Wagner sums it up, and if there’s one guy who should know what is and is not fun in a mech game, it’s him. He’s been working on BattleTech video games of one kind or another for almost eight years, including MechCommander and MechWarrior 4 (both for the PC). And although he’s proud of those games, he’s always been held back on what he could do with them. “Sometimes the rules of the franchise that were set before the electronic games can feel restrictive,” he says, “especially when you go ‘Oh, this would be a great idea!’ and it’s like, ‘No, that doesn’t exist in BattleTech.’” But with MechAssault, those great ideas can finally see the light of day—traditional rules be damned. So just what are these rules and how does Assault break them? Glad you asked... Rule #1: Robots are heavy and slow. “This game is all about fast action,” says Wagner, and that much is apparent from our experience with an early version of the multiplayer game. Sure, you can choose the lumbering monsters loaded with armor and powerful weapons (see the Atlas model below), but the mid-sized and lighter mechs are quick enough to dart around corners and boost onto or over buildings. FIND THE PERFECT MECH FOR YOU IN THE ROBO-TRADIN’ TIMES Barely used orange-and-blue- striped THOR HEAVY BATTLEMECH. Power steering, alarm system. Great at short or medium range, this baby has the maneuverability to get your family where they need to go and the firepower to protect them along the way. Handles well in the city, off-road or in the snow. Call 8-0990-23 after 5 p.m. and leave a message for Carl. va 138 ait SArere. Cram perk Project Plumber = How to Vacation in Style uper Mario Sunshine: a swig of classic Nintendo platforming concoction with a twist of insanity. But don’t fret, plumber wannabes—we’ve torn apart the first two stages for you, haven’t we? And not only that, there’s information on where all the level entrances are, how to find Yoshi, and what all those maddening Blue Coins are good for! Blue Coins. Whaaaaa? @ Each level has a number of Blue Coins to find, and these appear in a huge number of devious ways: after washing “M” logos off walls, by washing down locals, by eating critters with Yoshi. And there are a ton of them—we reckon around 30 per level! W@ You cash in 10 of these at the hut in the village with the crazy raccoon folk in it. For every 10 coins, you get a Shine. Remember that some Blue Coins are easy to spot, but other’s aren’t. Here’s a clue: Look for everything that’s blue! Where Are All the Level Entrances? © All the entrances are accessed from the main Delphino town center. Level 1 is at the front of the statue in the main square. ~ Level 5 is a red pipe on top of the building just behind the level 1 statue. Yoshi needs to chow down on the massive pineapple first. ” Level 2 is accessed by spray- ing the gunk at the pier. A hut will appear where you cash in blue coins, and a multi-colored “M” appears here. Level 3 is painted on the side of the lighthouse in one corner of the level, to the far right of where you start. Spray the mud to access it. Level 6 is the area of bright sunlight near where the boats stop. Once brightness is restored, sunlight is allowed in. Look at the sun to enter. © Level 7 is a red pipe on the right side of the huge Shine monument at the back of the town. Use the rocket pack. Level 4 is accessed once Liquid Mario kidnaps the Princess, and you reach it by entering the big red cannon. Who's This Guy? @ We're not telling, but let’s just say he’s slightly scalier than he looks. He’ll pop up on the seventh story of each level and needs to be sprayed down before the final level can be accessed. There are seven main levels to head through, and Story 7 is where you'll face Liquid Mario each time. Once he’s been watered down on the seventh stage, the volcano will open up, allowing you to face the final monstrous boss! ey Bianco Hills Shine 1: | Big Windmill Path ® Take the winding path, leap onto the rope and over the white wall on the right, or step onto the large rotating water wheel at the far side of the structure and enter the palm tree wood. Hover-jet to the rated area where the Piranha Stast the pulsing base with water until a muck-covered Piranha Plant appears and blast water at it when it opens its uth. After hitting it twice, it rsts apart, the hillside raises up to the bridge, and a Shine appears! Grab it quick! Shine 2: Windmill Piranha Plant @ Head over to the palm tree wood and then hover-jet over the gunk and up the path to the bridge. Then hover-jet over that and run up the path to the windmill. Next, while blasting goo, hover up the curved path around the windmill. Hover-jet over the gaps in the path. exie —— @ Leap onto the platform at the base of one of the windmill sails and ride it to the roof. After a yell, the plant knocks you both into the windmill, where you must fill its mouth when it opens, then jump on its belly three times. Kaboom! Another Shine! Shine 3: Inside the Near Cave @ Saunter over to the bridge, then leap off the middle of it onto the rope suspended underneath. Head toward the far riverbank, hover-jumping to the far side, then flip-jumping up and onto another rope. Turn around and enter the cave. without jumping, pound the right nail for a 1-Up, then nego- tiate the orange blocks. Stay in the center and avoid jumping if you can. Run along the thin platform as the cubes pass, then jump to the middle of the stars and onto the shine plat- form. Shine 4: Red Coins in the Village ®@ Stay to the left of the white wall of the bell tower for this collection. At the river, leap on the rope and bounce to the small windmill platform. Take the red coin from the white archway on the house (in the archway next to the bells) and on top of the white wall. @ Drop down and grab the rope between the two buildings and bounce up for another coin. Flip-jump, wall-jump, and grab the higher rope, then leap left onto the roof for another. The seventh is between the two Sail windmills —hover-jump between them. Wall-jump between the two second-floor towers to take the final one. Shine 5: Revenge of the Piranha Plant ® Head for the building where you found the seventh coin and take the rope to the rocky out- crop. Clear the gunk and leap upward to the mud-filled plateau and head for the fence. Suck up a pink blob, inflate it, and fire it at the plant until it wakes up. ia : Ga. - @ Leap back down to the vil- lage and wait for the flying plant to arrive. Watch for its shadow, then look up and aim at it, knocking it down to Earth. Step back from its whirlwind attack, then fill its mouth three times for the Shine. Shine 6: Hidden Back Cave ® Hop onto a water-lily leaf and ride it using your water jet to the very back of the murky lake. Aim for consecutive leaves as they disintegrate! Leap onto the bank with the backpack power-up, open it, then enter the cave without using it. @ Leap on the flipping plat- forms just after they flip, then wall-jump to the rotating cube. Don’t jump—just walk on it as it rotates, moving to the flat area. Run by the shooting red arrows, walk onto the flat areas as the second rotating cube heads up, then leap the flipping platforms to the Shine. Shine 7: Get Liquid Mario! @ Run after your watery foe with the R button pressed, aim- ing the water jet at him. He’ll take off down the path and jump the lake. Continue to run and water him as you go. @ This guy flashes pink when you’re hitting him with water, so keep spraying as you run around the village. When he falls, go up and claim the Shine. on tate ial Ae ee % i ee —— > _ ~ LSS ~“-* = ae ee sama «a ‘ + st . Bbw t.ley Phtyes ww 7 ee OF Se NE f WS< AVS SR SEAN USEZ DY I ay DO THE BIDDING. An editorial supplement to Electronic Gaming Monthly™ RATING PENDING fmm g Visit www.esrb.org : or call 1-800-771-3772 PlavStation.2 | 7 R | for more info. | ion : aa VE. ESRB : — e ay — 2 xBox a Al a * eae ie tal | © 2002 Irrational Games LLC. All rights reserved. Published and distributed by Crave Entertainment, Inc. under license. The Lost is a trademark of Irrational Games LLC. Crave Entertainment and the Crave Entertainment Logo are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Crave Entertainment, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries. Developed exclusively by Irrational Games LLC. Unreal™ Engine Copyright 1998-2001, Epic Games, Inc. All rights ee. Ae 1 IDin Otatian" and tha "DC" Camih; naan ora ranictarad tradamarke nf Cany Camnuiitar Entertainment Inc) Micrnentt Xhony and the Xhoy lodo are cither renictered trademarke or trademarke of Micrasoft Cornoration in the U.S. and/or other countries and are used under license from Microsoft. All other trademarks and copvriahts are the property of their respective holders. Shine 8: Airborne Red Coins ®@ You'll need the Rocket Pack for this little jaunt. Speed over to the palm tree wood, leap onto the leaves from the white building, and head for the two mini-windmills with the rope. Coin one is there. Then hover- jump across to the cluster of platforms and claim the pack. ®@ The remaining seven coins are all up in the sky, halfway up ropes. They all require you to bounce from the rope to grab them in mid-air. The final coin can be snagged by rotating around the rope and leaping onto it or by hover-jumping from a windmill sail to a top platform. Phew! 3 Hidden Shines! @ The Shines on this stage involve retracing your steps into the caves and collecting 100 Gold Coins. Grab the coins in Story 4, as it contains more plants to water. For Shines 3 and 6, you need to re-enter the two caves where you leapt through the minigames earlier. ® Assuming you already took the original Shines, the next time you enter, you'll see a red switch plate. Stomp on this and eight coins appear—you need to grab ’em all before they dis- appear. Remember you can hover-jump now, so use it and take one Shine per spelunking expedition. Riko Harbor Shine 1: Blooper Trooper @ Head up the gangplank across the ship (smash the set of crates to access the under- ground passage if you like), and either wall-jump up the scaffolding or hover-jet to the two fruit machines near the gunk. Then head for the squid arm Sticking out of the crates. @ Pull the arm off, then squirt the blooper in the face, and it attacks with four arms. Leap over the arms and butt-stomp them to flatten them. Press B and pull back to rip the arm off. Then repeat until all arms are off, squirt the Blooper again and pull its nose. Repeat. Shine 2: Blooper Sewer Race ® Turn right and leap over the floating logs to the three Bloopers and ride one of them to the sewer entrance. Follow the coins across the water to find this entrance. Once inside, choose a Blooper and complete one lap of the sewer. ®@ Leap onto another hook and onto the higher beams, and hover-jump the gap. Avoid the wind spirits by leaping onto the trampolines before they charge you. Keep leaping up until you reach the golden steel hole. Drop down and collect the Shine. ® You need to complete the lap within 40 seconds, which is easy if you control with the C button and keep pressing up with the stick. Jump over the corners on Sharp curves and Scrape over the bricks at cor- ners to Save a little time. Shine 3: Scaffold Climb @ Head to the pink mesh wall, climb it, flip the panel, and grab the striped hook, then do the Same again. Land on the pink mesh and then onto the pink mesh with the crane. On the upper blue mesh, walk around the steel beams, following the arrows over the box. Shine 4: The Tower’s Secret @ Head to the white scaffolding and wall-jump to the top plat- form. Enter the domed entrance and go into another mini-level. Four rotating platforms appear—run the opposite direction they are turning, then leap for the solid platform and wall-jump for the 1-Up. # There are Blue, Black ane Red hoses in. the levels, and these hold water-pump power-ups. They’re accessed during the course” of the stories, or in the case of the main “hub” level, badaciae | chase Liquid Mario. The black box enables you tojetforward quickly, while the red box allows | you to jet ba aaa These a are ot all sea later ont We; @ Wait for the cog platforms to line up, leap onto the pointed parts of them, and quickly jump onto the final series of rotating platforms. Use the C button to rotate the camera so you don’t lose your perspective, and you'll reach the Shine platform with minimum sanity loss. Shine 5: The Mighty Blooper Returns! M@ Now on an upper circular platform, the Blooper’s back and mighty stressed! Head over the boat, toward the fruit canis- ters, and flip-leap on the crane and onto the nearer canister. Then jump on the bouncing valve handle and hover-jump into combat! @ This Blooper is to be tackled the same way as before, except you should stand in the mesh indents as he swirls his arms about. Pull the arms off while away from the edge of the plat- form, or you’ll fall off. Pull four arms and the nose twice, and he’ll give up the Shine. Shine 6: Red Coins in the Bay @ This is straightforward enough but requires good steering. Choose the green Blooper and follow the string of coins around the bay. All of them can be run into. If you miss one, don’t stop—return to it later. Leap the sixth coin, staying right of the submarine. @ Swerve left, heading through the pink steel legs for the sev- enth coin, and jump the speed- boat for the final one. To claim the Shine, zoom back to the bloopers and leap onto the platform, aiming for the Shine itself. This is tricky, so keep that Blooper in line! Shine 7: Liquid Mario Squirting @ As before, run after him with your water cannon splashing him. Follow him up the ship’s funnel and onto the girders. Remember that he’s a strong jumper, so you may lose him. Listen for his theme music to check his location. ® Reach the central girder area, switch to first-person view, and aim the water as he runs around—this is easier than running after him and falling! After some major squirt- ing and complaining, he gives up his Shine prize reluctantly. Shine 8: Yoshi Platform Madness! @ One of the most difficult Shines of all time! Head to the fruit canisters, checking that the Yoshi egg requires the Spiny fruit. Remember: Yoshi must be active in order to get this Shine! Now leap atop the fruit canisters and bash them until the correct fruit pops out. | ere’s Yoshi? Wot saers once you open “up the red cannon to the a t park and complete ne fourth ston He can’t be between levels and “requir > sk ecific fruit before vakes u ao his egg-like imb vill then appear in is and can be used : " is v ously inaccessi- s, eat the wildlife, and @ Kick the fruit to Yoshi, ride him to the jumping fish, and spray them with juice. This bizarrely turns them into plat- forms. Ride one to the girder platform, turn left, knock fruit off the palm tree to change Yoshi’s color, and spray the fish with the new juice. The plat- forms now move vertically, allowing you access to the Orange gunk that Yoshi must spray. Now leap in to claim that Shine— you earned it! | tutndione ers into moving eautaed @ The other Shine is in the mini-level of Story 4. Hit the switch plate and remember to change to the hover-jets to avoid massive disappointment! Don’t overuse the jets while collecting the coins, as you can run out—only squirt when you're near a coin! 3 Hidden Shines! @ There’s the obvious 100 Coin Shine, which is best completed in Story 8. Then re-enter Story 2 and beat your previous time in the sewer race for another Shine. Choose the quicker yel- low (or purple) Blooper this time around. An editorial supplement to Electronic Gaming Monthly™ Project Plumber = How to Vacation in Style uper Mario Sunshine: a swig of classic Nintendo platforming concoction with a twist of insanity. But don’t fret, plumber wannabes—we’ve torn apart the first two stages for you, haven’t we? And not only that, there’s information on where all the level entrances are, how to find Yoshi, and what all those maddening Blue Coins are good for! Blue Coins. Whaaaaa? M@ Each level has a number of Blue Coins to find, and these appear in a huge number of devious ways: after washing “M” logos off walls, by washing down locals, by eating critters with Yoshi. And there are a ton of them—we reckon around 30 per level! @ You cash in 10 of these at the hut in the village with the crazy raccoon folk in it. For every 10 coins, you get a Shine. Remember that some Blue Coins are easy to spot, but other’s aren’t. Here’s a clue: Look for everything that’s blue! Where Are All the Level Entrances? Level 2 is accessed by spray- ing the gunk at the pier. A hut will appear where you cash in blue coins, and a multi-colored “M” appears here. Level 3 is painted on the side of the lighthouse in one corner of the level, to the far right of where you start. Spray the mud to access it. Level 4 is accessed once Liquid Mario kidnaps the Princess, and you reach it by entering the big red cannon. © All the entrances are accessed from the main Delphino town center. Level 1 is at the front of the statue in the main square. chow down on the massive pineapple first. ties eee Oa, = os Stop. Once brightness is Look at the sun to enter. right side of the huge Shine monument at the back of the town. Use the rocket pack. © Level 5 is a red pipe on top of the building just behind the level 1 statue. Yoshi needs to ™ Level 7 is a red pipe on the ™ Level 6 is the area of bright Sunlight near where the boats restored, sunlight is allowed in. Who's This Guy? @ We're not telling, but let’s just say he’s slightly scalier than he looks. He’ll pop up on the seventh story of each level and needs to be sprayed down before the final level can be accessed. There are seven main levels to head through, and Story 7 is where you’ll face Liquid Mario each time. Once he’s been watered down on the seventh stage, the volcano will open up, allowing you to face the final monstrous boss! Bianco Hills Shine 1: Big Windmill Path @ Take the winding path, leap onto the rope and over the white wall on the right, or step onto the large rotating water wheel at the far side of the structure and enter the palm tree wood. Hover-jet to the rafsed area where the Piranha nam Pei AAA ADE Bast the pulsing base with water until a muck-covered Piranha Plant appears and blast water at it when it opens its Huth. After hitting it twice, it Bursts apart, the hillside raises up to the bridge, and a Shine appears! Grab it quick! Shine 2: Windmill Piranha Plant @ Head over to the palm tree wood and then hover-jet over the gunk and up the path to the bridge. Then hover-jet over that and run up the path to the windmill. Next, while blasting goo, hover up the curved path around the windmill. Hover-jet over the gaps in the path. @ Leap onto the platform at the base of one of the windmill sails and ride it to the roof. After a yell, the plant knocks you both into the windmill, where you must fill its mouth when it opens, then jump on its belly three times. Kaboom! Another Shine! Shine 3: Inside the Near Cave @ Saunter over to the bridge, then leap off the middle of it onto the rope suspended underneath. Head toward the far riverbank, hover-jumping to the far side, then flip-jumping up and onto another rope. Turn around and enter the cave. @ Head up the moving blocks without jumping, pound the right nail for a 1-Up, then nego- tiate the orange blocks. Stay in the center and avoid jumping if you can. Run along the thin platform as the cubes pass, then jump to the middle of the Stars and onto the shine plat- form. Shine 4: Red Coins in the Village @ Stay to the left of the white wall of the bell tower for this collection. At the river, leap on the rope and bounce to the small windmill platform. Take , i f ) Wa "i / : f | k } ‘ ff 0 A, ' ay hd i: me Le & sAieR the red coin from the white archway on the house (in the archway next to the bells) and on top of the white wall. @ Drop down and grab the rope between the two buildings and bounce up for another coin. Flip-jump, wall-jump, and grab the higher rope, then leap left onto the roof for another. The seventh is between the two Sail windmills —hover-jump between them. Wall-jump between the two second-floor towers to take the final one. Shine 5: Revenge of the Piranha Plant @ Head for the building where you found the seventh coin and take the rope to the rocky out- crop. Clear the gunk and leap upward to the mud-filled plateau and head for the fence. Suck up a pink blob, inflate it, and fire it at the plant until it wakes up. M™@ Leap back down to the vil- lage and wait for the flying plant to arrive. Watch for its Shadow, then look up and aim at it, knocking it down to Earth. Step back from its whirlwind attack, then fill its mouth three times for the Shine. Shine 6: Hidden Back Cave @ Hop onto a water-lily leaf and ride it using your water jet to the very back of the murky lake. Aim for consecutive leaves as they disintegrate! Leap onto the bank with the backpack power-up, open it, then enter the cave without using it. ®@ Leap on the flipping plat- forms just after they flip, then wall-jump to the rotating cube. Don’t jump—just walk on it as it rotates, moving to the flat area. Run by the shooting red arrows, walk onto the flat areas as the second rotating cube heads up, then leap the flipping platforms to the Shine. Shine 7: Get Liquid Mario! @ Run after your watery foe with the R button pressed, aim- ing the water jet at him. He’ll take off down the path and jump the lake. Continue to run and water him as you go. @ This guy flashes pink when you're hitting him with water, so keep spraying as you run around the village. When he falls, go up and claim the Shine. ae BE Sie Eat See ee fer sng BPE ESR OF 2 PARA RR MRR 1 gE ae SNE ace Of course not. Who wants to read when they can watch a movie about something instead, right? But before you go check out yet another Japanese battlin’-mech anime, why not rent the 1989 Italian production Robot Jox? Set in a future where war is outlawed and nations settle disputes with giant robots (which appear to be constructed mainly out of cardboard), this B flick is the perfect low-tech primer for MechAssault. Timberrrrr! Blasting down buildings in MechAssault is more than just a cool effect-you might find power-ups for your mech among the rubble. Plus, falling debris can damage any enemies close by. In addition to enemy mechs, you'll face more conventional vehicles like helicopters and tanks-even tiny ground troops you can squash underfoot. Some of the ‘bots you can pilot have jump-jets, so you can get airborne for a short period of time. Great for getting out of sticky situations fast. The final heads-up display (the one you see here is just placeholder) will show your current weapon, ammo, health and engine heat level, along with a radar to help keep track of enemies. Rule #2: Robots have lots of complicated But, of course, not all previous BattleTech game controls. How’s this for simple —MechAssault uses conventions will be broken. Assault’s single-player the two thumbsticks (one to move and the other to game is Set up a lot like its PC ancestors; you aim, like Halo) and the left and right shoulder embark on missions to complete various objectives, buttons for switching weapons and firing. Push in everything from simple search-and-destroy details the left stick for your jump-jets (assuming you chose to in-depth tasks like sneaking into a research a mech that has ’em) and the right to activate your facility (on your own two tiny human feet) to steal a defensive systems (see sidebar). After literally 30 top-secret enemy mech. As for multiplayer, no seconds, we had the controls down cold. modes outside of a standard deathmatch have been Rule #3: You must return to base to repair and decided on, but Day 1 is experimenting with all sorts reload. Upgrading weapons or fixing armor damage of conventional (capture the flag, protect or destroy All right, we admit it-this isn’t a real in Assault is as simple as grabbing a power-up. bases, etc.) and original setups (like a competition screenshot. We just pasted together Salvage them from defeated mechs (an extra to see who can level a city the fastest). Just like the two screens to show you what the two- incentive to finish off your buddy’s smoking ’bot in rest of MechAssault, there’s only one rule any player split-screen game will look like- multiplayer), blown-up buildings and supply trucks, modes will have to follow to make it into the final you and a buddy will be able to share a or find them in spots hidden throughout levels. game: It’s gotta be fun. ce —Mark MacDonald _ screen both offline and on. Must see to believe! Super-fast — Cherry-red | | . Low 8 | . Power options, still mileage, new brakes, good condition (slight blast damage on right shoulder). Push down the gas and hold on to your butt! At only 35 tons, this Cougar really cooks- and the bad guys can’t hit what they can't catch, right? Don’t let its small size fool ya-its weapons still pack a punch too. two years left on warranty. It’s not too fancy or fast, but this Cata- pult’s long-range missiles still got what it takes to send ‘em packing before they get to your doorstep. Equally great for defending your military installation or home. Visit Crazy Eddie’s Pre-Owned Mech Warehouse in Schaumburg. PREVIEW Sega ToeJam & Ear! Productions 2 a Adventure 90% October 2002 Also On: None www.tjande.com (OE) This game has got personality to spare. You'll instantly love the characters. ToeJam’s pathetic attempts at impressing Latisha. Latisha shooting ToeJam down over and over again. ToeJam & Eart ill: Se consoneoouesnesasscoen2c92nonesonnatoCeantonesONaiOD2 an HenEn aD INNODDDEADSCORRODSHIROORO INNIS NNNIRO ROOD SNRH IMHO RRODRIIO HNN AIRMEN SEER RANI RII NIIRH DIN R IODINE RIOR IDR RIOT IOI Hoa SSIE ESE Ho RRDoSOROE ARI poaaN Les Da;DORgHESHOEEcISODIDOBREEHOEEODOSRIUCOIHReTERHEaDRCEREHORERRNOSEOED ToeJam looks deep into the black void where your soul should be. Either that or he’s auditioning for a Devo video. Drop a decoy and sneak away to keep from getting in any trouble with the humans. It ain’t pretty, but it works. heck it: The 12 sacred albums of funk (the source of all funk in the universe) have been Said fans will be happy to know that 7/&E£3 plays almost exactly like the first Genesis game, just a little TOEJAM & WHO? We see that bewildered look in your eyes. (Honest. We can see you...right now.) FYI: Toejam & Earl first hit Sega’s Genesis console back in 1991 in a two-player scavenger hunt for pieces of their crashed spaceship. The game featured off-the-wall humor and lots of funk. There was also a not-nearly- as-fun sequel in 1993. Stolen. ToeJam, Earl and the feisty Latisha have been sent to Earth by the Great Funkopotamous (aka Lamont) to retrieve the missing vinyls and to funkify as many earthlings as possible. But it’s been almost a decade since TJ&E have made an appearance. Why come back now? “One way to describe it would be to say it was a Divine Cosmic Convergence of Auspicious Happenstance,” Says TJ&E Productions co-founder Greg Johnson. “But no one would know what the heck you were talking about, which makes it kind of a stupid way. Honestly, we’ve had a steady stream of fan mail since the first title in ’91 asking for another game.” more funky. You still get the at-your-own-pace gameplay, the randomly generated maps, and a bevy of presents that unlock everything from decoys (to keep those un-funky earthlings off your homey’s back) to super hightops that make you run faster. This is a go-anywhere, do-anything scavenger hunt. You don’t need to spend your time looking for the sacred vinyls. Instead, roam around and check out the different humans. Funkify ’em and get some presents. Or collect as many keys, notes and other trinkets as possible to open various minigames (maybe even an old Genesis title...). All three characters have different attributes, which affect the way you play each level. Plus, listening to ToeJam hit on “Miss Thang” Latisha is hilarious. “Latisha and TJ) make perfect sparring partners, and Earl is there to provide the laid-back spirit that ties them all together as friends,” explains Johnson. Word. ay — Greg Sewart Left: Use your funk-fu to fill up the disco balls above the heads of Earthlings. After that, they'll be so mellow they might even give you presents. At the very least, you've made the world a funkier place. Electronic Gaming Monthly - 140 - egm.gamers.com Who needs nine lives when you can control time? tts es a Mae 5 if 4 Hit fast-forward to tackle challenges that Rewind time to throw. the world in reverse and uncover secret areas. \ MILD VIOLENCE << »> gameXstudios™ © 2002 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft, Blinx, The Time im Mla Slam on pause to take Record you 10 Slo-mo to make every free shots at frozen adve s, t one seem like they’re stuck enemies or grab crys- lay for twi in mud as you and “TI tals without any hassle. Blinx™ actior Time Sweeper'”do damage weeper, Xbox, and the Xbox logos are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Other products and company names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective owners. PREVIEW eee cena ee _ Sega wow 1-2 _ Shooter 7) 75% — October 2002 Aisoon; = = Os 7 WwWW.Sega.com | Sawed-off shotgun, bani on ite pump, left hand ona a aad on a blunt! No Cypress Hill songs anywhere on the soundtrack. . Gratuitous violence will be the end of us all. Oh mercy! “Care to, dance?” ' Let’s take this opportunity to | check in on the House of the Dead movie—surely a _ cinematic event if there ever _ was one. According to the movie’s Web site (www.house- of-the-dead.com): “It’s spring | break and college co-eds just _ want to party.” Hell, who | doesn’t? Of course, what this means is that co-eds are | gonna get ATE! Apparently _ the young, irresponsible students/ravers didn’t realize _ that a naughty Spanish priest | had, centuries ago, created a _ serum for eternal life. Confused? Don’t be! The Web site even goes so far as to explain virtually everything _ that happens in the movie _ (“Kirk dies!”). Does it sound | like it has anything to do with _ the games? Nope. Acclaimed (not really) director Uwe Boll _ does the honors. LODO D ODODE OHARA ADRIAN EAR OR DL HRP EO DOA BR ABO OOH IIOP OIRO POIANA HEHEHE hile companies like Namco have made efforts to refine the light-gun genre with balloon-popping minigames, duck-’n’-cover police tactics and, um, revolver-toting ninjas, other companies, like Sega, seem content to provide each new generation of consoles with gut-crunching arcade blasters—finesse be damned. In the case of House of the Dead III, that’s a good thing. Set in the near future following the events of House of the Dead 2, we find our heroes Lisa and G (these guys don’t wear Dreamcasts strapped to their backs, sorry) trapped in a zombie-filled post- apocalyptic world. Unlike the pistol-packin’ protagonists of adventures past, Lisa and G toss the Glocks in the garbage in favor of pump-action The House of the Dead | Although the gameplay formula remains basically the same as previous entrants in the series, Wow has brought the dead back to life, so to speak. If you thought the series peaked with HOTD2, wait until you see the wicked new bosses (like the ape sloth-styled Fool) and hordes of undead underlings swarming at you as you unload your sawed-off. Time to crap your pants. shotguns—perfect for perforating a bloated zombie or two. For the first time in House history, you actually see the gun (and hands) on screen, giving the game a first-person-shooter feel. That’s not to suggest you can just go roaming wherever you wish, though. You can’t. HOTD3 is still “on-rails,” meaning you’re limited to a predeter- mined path. Fortunately, for added longevity, you can select from multiple paths in between each of the five chowder-filled levels. New to the series is a time-attack mode that replaces your character’s life bar with a countdown timer. The faster you chunk the chumps, the more time you’ll add to your clock. Conversely, every hit you absorb subtracts time, so it’s in your best interest to keep the lead flying fast. But don’t just go dropping your load anywhere, tough guy. Precision shots go a long way toward determining how fast an enemy goes down. Sure, gut-checking a zombie is fun, but headshots are far more effective at dropping decomposing dirtbags. The purists out there will be happy to know that a light gun is coming, courtesy of Mad Catz (although the standard controller configuration works fine). And for gamers who missed out on previous HOTD games because you didn’t own a Saturn or Dreamcast, chances are you’ll be pleased by one of the game’s many secrets (cough, ahem). ae —James “Milkman” Mielke ONE CHANCE TO FIND THE WAY... THREE SOULS TO DO THE BIDDING. SHADOW « INSTINGT- CORRUPTION EEE SAS ¥ x 1 A, at Yeo A | * RY VE Pa Be ™ | 4 RATING PENDING jammy Visit www.esrb.ord or call 1-800-771-3772 i IRRATIONAL ema ih > PlayStation. aaa CRAVE, CONTENT RATED BY ® bows Pee eee really creative stuff these days is being done on the consoles.” Psychonauts casts you as Raz, a spindly tyke with crazy psychic powers. He hones those skills at a special Summer camp for gifted kids, where he uncovers sinister plans, explores forgotten areas, and enters the psychedelic, twisted minds of local residents. You’ll run, jump and shoot like any good action star, but you’ll also develop psychic powers that you’ll use to solve puzzles and find secrets. Psychonauts is definitely one to watch. — Shane Bettenhausen fs Good only at ad Buy stores. Not good in Fda with other ‘B coupons or oifers. Limit one coupon per fitle or accessory per customer. Not valid on prior purchases. Valid on in-stock items Bow, only; no rainchecks. No dealers. Coupon must be aiehe at time of melee No copies. Coupon value is 1/100 of one cent. Good through 12/7/02. any video game softwar @ OF Cashier Instructions: Scan coupon UPC. Scan vile HLM eds 6) 6 S d product UPCs. Scan all other product(s) being sold. Press accessory 19.99 an up “Total.” Select “Yes” to op package pricing. Write “VOID” on © 2002 Best Buy the coupon and place in the register coupon media file. PEE} (oll 1-800-771-3772 for video RP game and computer software arr game rating information. Se eee sialic aisncescioanaene ! © 2002 Best Buy she games you're into, and everything to playthemon. TurnQntheFun BestBuy.com™ prs ee sins ae ie & PREVIEW Pes tundeh pee Wlaldbadade Action RR ° The Bad: _ No online play. Only having the money to buy one squad-based action game this year. Using the proper member of your team for specific jobs is the key to succeeding in Desert Storm. Take control of your sniper and have him find a nice vantage point to cover the rest of your men while they move in. Death is but an inconvenience to this team. Here, Foley buys it. Have no fear. See that red bar? if a teammate reaches the victim before it runs down... “Hey Bob, get behind the freakin’ wall! Over here! Behind the...aw, man. How’s the leg, moron?” In the first mission, you'll actually have to break one of your team- mates out of a terrorist prison. ost games like this are pretty hardcore,” Says producer Ames Kirshen. “It’s usually one hit and you’re dead, or really intricate controls. This still has squad-based gameplay and all the cool weapons, but it’s more of a casual, user- friendly title.” From our playtime with Conflict, we’re inclined to agree with him. Desert Storm shares a lot of aspects with Sony’s much-more-hyped SOCOM. You’ve got a team of four operatives (the British SAS or American Delta Force) that you can issue orders to and use to generally funk things up. But the controls and gameplay in Conflict are very straightforward. You won’t need to worry about any confusing menus or hiding the bodies of enemies. You'll be able to concentrate more on using the right man for the right job (your team is made up of a rifleman, a Sniper, and heavy weapons and demolition experts). But you won’t just be issuing orders to your squad. For the really specific tasks in the game, you'll be able to switch between different team members at will. So much for bitching about stupid A.|. screwing things up. It’s really entirely in your hands in Conflict. Or you could always get up to three friends together and take on the Desert Storm campaign as takes is a - ambush. tarsanedecudarsiaeseenite Me can be revived. All it medkit. Well, that and the bait for an = Desert Siorm sian sti selec tiaitaetiaseeieli seein . isan manasa ee ne ‘ eee LOCKED! a group. Unfortunately, there’s no online play to be had in this game, just split-screen. But hey, you don’t spend enough time with your buds anyway. What other bonding experience could possibly rival blowing away Saddam? (Yes, he’s in the game.) Another neat feature of Conflict is the ability to revive fallen comrades (see sidebar below) — yet another example of not penalizing genre newbies. So if games like SOCOM, Delta Force and Ghost Recon sound a little too difficult (wuss!), then Conflict is made for you. it —Greg Sewart _ See? Foley's , = already starting | to feel better (the red baris | turning yellow hope that your again). Soon _ enemies aren't he'll be back on using your — his feet, shoot- friend's body as _ ing terrorists | and saving | _ democracy! | re TETANY OAEPUEDH SUMMED SOT Electronic Gaming Monthly - 146 - egm.gamers.com PREVIEW GALLERY Capcom * November 2002 ¢ Also On: Dreamcast — And you thought you’d never see a 2D game on the Xbox.... All the madness of 50 fighters in three-on-three tag-team matches will still probably tax the ol’ hardware just a bit, especially when you get full-screen laser super attacks and Team Hyper Combos going. MVC2’s a lot more friendly toward beginners than Capcom vs. SNK 2; just make sure you have the handier Controller S. rinhte riGiits darmony PREVIEW GALLERY Tecmo ¢ Spring 2003 ¢ Also On: None — Everyone’s favorite Dead or Alive ninja, Ryu Hayabusa, will land on Xboxes next spring ina solo adventure that can only be described as epic. With revenge the motive du jour (see Shinobi), Ninja Gaiden’s Ryu seeks to avenge his clan, which was massacred by the Vigor Empire and their leader, the Holy Emperor. As if avenging his fallen friends and family weren’t stressful enough, Ryu must also try to reclaim the magic sword, Ryuken, which was stolen from the clan during the raid. Featuring a proactive battle system, Gaiden encourages gamers to actively seek out combat by rewarding them with new combination attacks and skills based on their performance. The Strategies you use and the decisions you make during the game will determine what new moves and weapons you acquire. One interesting feature that Save-point junkies will enjoy is the ability to save your game at any point. Will this affect Gaiden’s difficulty? Perhaps, but with the game so far off, we’ll have to chew on that thought while playing DOA Xtreme Beach Volleyball. Yee haw! a3 cae = en Rane wea a Kemco ¢ November 2002 ¢« Also On: PS2, GameCube — |t’s about time we had a good Batman game. Kemco’s upcoming multiplatform Bat caper doesn’t star the Animated Series-style superhero or some futuristic Batman Beyond wannabe. It captures the spirit of the gritty, violent Dark Knight from the comics. It follows an all-new scenario packed with Bat gadgetry, furious fisticuffs and several of the greatest villains. yn Eiectronic Gaming Monthly - 148 - egm.gamers.com < Medal of Honor: Allied Assault EA Games ° Early 2003 * Also On: PS2, GameCube — Das popudlre PS2 shooten gamen ist komen zum Xbox und GamenCuben? Mein Gott. How manieve gamens ist au gauing to maken whicht everyboten killink Nazis? Waiten einen moment—das Xbox und GamenCuben verson ave got einen new multiplayer modus? So au canst killink aur buddies und nein killink das Nazis? Fantastich! © 1965, 2002, Harmony Gold USA, Ine. Ali rights reserved. ROBOTECH and associated traden PREVIEW GALLERY — the YOU MUST CHANGE INTO A HERO. PREVIEW GALLERY su aii caida ii aaa aii i alice aiabnllabaaalanl fh Shenmue |! Microsoft * November 2002 ¢ Also On: None — A lot of Dream- cast fans cried foul when Sega cancelled the U.S. release of Shenmue !|/. Apparently, everyone loved meandering about quaint Japanese towns in search of simon- Says minigames and collecting tiny, useless trinkets. Shenmue I! picks up where the first game left off, with young Ryo Hazaki traveling to Hong Kong on his quest to exact revenge on his father’s killer. What you'll get is a much longer game than the first Shenmue, with much more emphasis on minigames and fighting. In fact, a lot of the plot revolves around Ryo’s growth as a martial artist. Oh, and along with Super Hang- On and Space Harrier, Hong Kong’s arcades house two other playable Sega classics: OutRun and AfterBurner. RROD TOTTORI Majesco ¢ October 2002 ¢ Also On: PS2, GC — As half-vampire, half-human Agent BloodRayne, your job is to carry out the orders of the secret Brimstone Society. Sharpen those incisors—there’s gonna be a lot of blood to suck along the way as you travel from the bayous of Louisiana to heavily guarded Nazi strongholds in Germany. In addition to the usual vampire moves, loads of weapons and special vision abilities, when you fill up her Blood Rage meter, you can slow down time for even deadlier attacks. ie Microsoft * October 2002 ¢ Also On: None — Put yourself on the court | Bey using the new Create-a-Player option, then participate in two-on-two _ matchups in any NBA stadium you’d like. That’s just one of the new features in 2003. An expanded Dynasty mode lets you play and manage up to 25 seasons, and enhanced post-up plays (with a new deke move) give you greater faking ability under the hoop. ee eee ee ee ee ea er Manthnive - ~-e2Om Famers com YSAPPELEGLY 150 ct BD RRs # ners. com CHANGE OR DIE. Visit www.esrb.org or call 1-800-771-3772 for Rating Information. NINTENDO GAMECUBE meAiactive: 1985, 2002, Harmony Gold USA, Inc. All rights reserved. ROBOTECH and associated trademarks and characters are owned by Harmony Gold USA, Inc. Videogame © 2002 TDK Mediactive, inc. All rights reserved. PUBLISHED AND DISTRIBUTED BY TDK MEDIACTIVE, INC. Licensed by Nintendo. TM ® and the Nintendo GameCube logo are trademarks of Nintendo. © 2001 Nintendo. Licensed for play on the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment systems with the NTSC U/C designation only. “PlayStation” and the “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Microsoft, Xbox and the Xbox logos are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. andior other countries and are used under license from Microsoft. The ratings icon is a registered trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners. _ Xbox™ video game system screenshots shown. PREVIEW _ Nintendo _ Nintendo | 1-4 (Linked) _ Platformer — 85% _ Sept. 20, 2002 _ Super NES _ www.nintendo.com Aut Ha) Classic 2D game design at its finest, crafted by masters of the form. _ The storybook tone is definitely on the saccharine side. fhastcalle a reptilian babysitter. The way it works is simple: You'll find bubbles scattered around with pictures of vehicles on them. Grab a bubble, and Yoshi will transform into that vehicle for a period of time. If you need to “stay in shape,” as it were, just pick up the next bubble on your path before Yoshi reverts to his original form. As a ‘copter (above), you'll be able to zip around the air to your heart’s content, while a mole tank will let you burrow in the ground and crawl up walls. You can also turn into a car with crazy stilts, a choo- choo train that can race along tracks laid in the backgrounds and a submarine, torpedoes PRR SIR OSI included. Who said people | can’t change? Sad oO you’ve been po’ed ever since you found out that the next Super Mario Advance game isn’t gonna be Super Mario Bros. 3. It’s time to Simmer down, pumpkin. Once you realize that Yoshi’s Island was one of the coolest platformers ever released on the Super Nintendo, you won’t be missing those red hot suspenders. Just ask any group of grizzled old gamers and let the light in their eyes bring you joy. Back when it launched eons ago in 1995, Yoshi's Island was easily the Super Mario game that most boldly messed with the series’ formula. Not only was Mario’s role reduced to secondary, but he wasn’t even fully grown! Remember that lame Baby Mario character that’s made a bunch of cameos in Mario Golf and Mario Tennis? Well, this is where he was born, so to speak. As the stork was dutifully delivering him and his bro Baby Luigi to their future home (presumably someplace in either Jersey City or Sicily), an evil koopa witch doctor named Kamek hopped on his broom and commenced the bum- rush. He only got one of them, though; Baby Mario careened to what could have been a most fitting end, but found his fall broken by the soft back of a friendly, intelligent dinosaur. All told, Yoshi’s Story: Super Mario Advance 3 is pretty much a Straight-up port of the classic Super Me aR) oN Ph 2 » Sissy tone aside, Yoshi’s a Island serves as an excellent Nintendo game. With Yoshi as the leading “man,” it's natural to expect something a little different from the typical Mario Bros. stomp-a-thon. Much of the game- play focuses on Yoshi’s ability to swallow stuff and spit it back out—you’ll use eggs as ammunition, which the dino produces by swallowing enemies and plopping them out from his rear end. You can also down pieces of fruit that are scattered throughout the levels for differing sorts of projectile goodness. And those of you with friends and a Link Cable will be able to indulge in the very same four-player mode from the previous two Mario Advance games. But the most insane aspect of the gameplay is without a doubt Yoshi’s ability to transform into a bunch of different vehicles (see sidebar). The purpose is to allow you access to previously blocked parts of levels, be it to snatch up remote items or to travel through alternate paths. As Yoshi’s Island is pretty heavy on item collection, you can expect to replay most, if not all, of the levels many times through in order to reach the elusive 100- percent mark. With visuals as impressive as these though, chances are you won’t mind. People aren’t kidding when they say that Yoshi’s Island is one of the finest-looking examples of 2D gaming to date. These pictures say a thousand words. oh — Miguel Lopez Fs ‘oh gts Rally Ca Asean 3 Electronic Gaming Monthly - 182 - e gm.gamers.com nei” “ecko unltd. iyliegiuiciiyss nine Se rks or trademarks of Sega Corporation or its affiliates. © 2002 WOW ENTERTAINMENT INC / SEGA Sega is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Sega, the Sega logo, and Sega GT are either registered CORPORATION. www.sega.com U.S. Patent Nos. 5,269,687 and 5,354,202 All manufacturers, cars, names, brands, and associated imagery featured in this game are trademarks and/or copyrighted materials of their respective owners. FORD GT and FORD GT90 are registered trademarks owned and licensed by Ford Motor Company. Dolby and the double-D symbol are trademarks of Dolby Laboratories. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. Microsoft, Xbox, and the Xbox logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries and are used under license from Microsoft. All Rights Reserved. +s or roe eo enacarte ies PEC i generated from original manufacturers' ¢ GT 2002 Mode - Win races, events, and licenses © Quick Battle - see who has built the best car ¢ Customize your car, garage, and soundtrack V | S it W WW . r ‘ y e ) all 1-800-7 772 for Rating Information. DU] [povsy Ts! CONTENT RATED BY * s ESRB DIGITAL | ¢ Over 100 licensed sports cars from yesterday, today, and tomorrow MATURE ee eS : ‘ Blood and Gore Cc. o ae — : : Violence wed ~™PlayStation.c Strong Language ss CONTENT RATED BY ESRB ALH Aun Like Hell” © 2062 Interplay Entertainment Corp. All Rights Reserved. ALH Run Like Hell” the ALH iogo, Digital Mayhem, the Digital Mayhem logo, Interplay. and the Interplay logo are trademarks of Interplay Entertainment Corp. All Rights Reserved. Licensed for play on the PiayStation®°2 computer entertainment systems with the NTSC U/C designation only. “PlayStation” and the “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Interactive Digits! Software Association. All other trademarks and trade names are the property of their respective owners. anene Sun ones nigen : seme Seeee ee HUN Ys G8. BE. HUNTED Your pulse pounds in your temples. Your crewmembers lie dead or dying around you. All you know for sure about the alien invaders is that you’re nent on their hit list. Time is running out. So is your life. ten takeover as an eniled ro in an intense sci-fi. or adventure. Struggle to outthink. outrun and outgun intelligent foes who learn from your behavior and adapt to it. Get the feeling of living a movie— from the edge-of-your-seat tension to the voice talent of top actors. CYBORG MODEL AH-NLUD 800 HAILING FROM SOME DARNED CENTURY IN THE FUTURE, WHEN ROBOTICS ARE HIGHLY ADVANCED AND THE PLAYSTATION 2 ONLINE NETWORK HAS BECOME SELF-AWARE, THE AH-NUD 800 IS A MACHINE POSSESSED OF SUPERHUMAN FIGHTING ABILITIES AND MORE GAMING KNOWLEDGE THAN CAN POSSIBLY BE CONSIDERED HEALTHY. HE ENJOYS RUNNING, BOATING AND TENNIS. JIMMY BOY, VIDEO GAMER, NINNYHAMMER. ILLUSTRATIONS BY JEREMY “NORM” SCOTT rr BY JEREMY “NORM” SCOTT AND BILL HOWARD t doesn’t have a catchy name like Xbox Live, Microsoft’s competing online ser- vice. In fact, Sony’s PlayStation 2 gaming network doesn’t have a name at all. But “it” is officially alive. Roughly 100,000 Network Adapters—the $40 black boxes that bridge your PS2 to the ‘Net—arrived in stores Aug. 27, sharing shelf space with online-ready titles SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs, NFL GameDay 2003 and Madden NFL 2003 We figure this launch batch of adapters—so paltry compared to the PS2’s 11 million U.S. installed base—will sell out quickly. Even Sony Computer Entertainment America President and COO Kaz Hirai admits there’s “higher main- Stream interest in the Network Adapter than ini- tially expected.” All told, Sony expects to ship half a million of the gizmos over the holidays. It adds up to an army of early adopters with adapters snugged into their systems right now, as well as a lot of fence-straddlers waiting to see if the gadget will fly or crash and burn like SO many past console add-ons. Whether you’ve decided to dive right in or sit tight, you probably have lots of questions — especially if you’re new to online gaming. Hey, we’re here for ya, and over the next 10 pages, you'll find the most comprehensive and enter- taining guide to PS2 online on the planet—or at least in your tri-county area. Think of it as PS2 online for complete idiots, except the idiot will be played by li’l Jimmy over there to the left. But before we get to Jim and his adventures, we must admit we don’t have all the answers: Much of Sony’s PS2 strategy remains a noggin- scratcher. A Web browser, for instance, is still in the works, but Hirai says it will only launch once the system can deliver a browsing experience you won't find elsewhere. “If all we’re doing is saying, ‘Hey, you can do the very same thing on your PS2 that you can on your PC,’ well, that’s very un-Sony like,” Hirai says. A hard-drive add- on, meanwhile, won’t arrive until we see games that take advantage of it. A likely first candidate is next year’s online RPG Final Fantasy XI. The PS2’s much-heralded assault on your liv- ing room—in which we'll download movies, music and other fancy content to the console— sits even further into the future than the hard drive (which you'll need to do all this stuff). Hirai says Sony, like the rest of the industry, is waiting for that all-important increase in broad- band penetration, which seems to have stalled with the implosion of mega-telecommunications companies and broadband-subscription prices still running high. “We don’t control those parts of the puzzle,” Hirai says, “so it’s difficult for me to put a time frame on when PS2 will be used for more than just games. It’s still something | see happening in the system’s life cycle.” That leaves one final mystery, and this one’s a biggie: How long can gamers count on a lack of subscription fees for online PS2 gaming, which, unlike Microsoft’s network, requires no extra costs? “There’s no timeline like, say, as of March of next year everything will suddenly become subscription-based,” Hirai says. “It all depends on each game, who it’s aimed for, whether the title is online-only and so on.” We expect next year’s EverQuest Online Adventures’\| be the first Sony game to require pay-per-play fees. Third-party publishers, meanwhile, are free to charge whatever. Right now, only Square and LucasArts seem likely to seek subscription fees anytime soon—for next year’s FFX/ and Star Wars Galaxies respectively. But all that lies in the future; we wanna help you now. And that help, oddly enough, comes from the distant future. Confounded? Not for long. Come with us if you want “it” to live.... P . ~ ° A A F ' ONIN e AMIN MONTNIV - 159 7 CETL Saliicts.comM TSS NSCAPETIE ER PERRET LEY Ce Soilt.- oa OF re a Se Se 0 a3 INSIDE: PG. 160 BROADBAND VS. DIAL-LIP PG. 162 SHARING | BROADBAND BETWEEN YOUR PC AND PS2 PG. 166 THE ULTIMATE WIRELESS SETUP PG. 170 YOUR GUIDE TO THE GAMES. XBOX COMPATIBLE JUST ‘CAUSE : THIS GUIDE IS GEARED TO ONLINE PS2 | GAMING DOESN’T MEAN YOU XBOX OWNERS HAVE | TO SIT ON THE SIDELINES. ALL OF THE INFO AND | : NETWORKING TIPS IN THE FOLLOWING SIX-PAGE | “GRAPHIC NOVEL” APPLY TO MICROSOFT'S UPCOMING XBOX LIVE NETWORK. SO JUST SUBSTITUTE “XBOX” EVERY TIME YOU SEE THE WORD “PLAYSTATION 2” AND | YOU CAN FOLLOW ALONG | LIKE A CHAMP. | CHAPTER [: ALG. 27, 2002. 7 P.M. JIMMY “MILHOUSE” PATTON, VIDEO GAMER, AGE 11, PREPARES TO TAKE HIS PLAYSTATION 2 ONLINE VIA THE SIMPLEST POSSIBLE METHOD: A DIAL-UP CONNECTION. HE’S SCREWED HIS NEWLY BACK OF THE PS2 UNIT AND GETS READY TO CONNECT THE ADAPTER TO A PHONE LINE. AFTER THAT, HE’LL RUN THE INCLUDED SETUP SOFTWARE. iS DES SHEBOYGAN? ANYVAY, VHAT HAPPENED VAS DAT ALL INTELLIGENT ROBOTICS SUBSEQUENTLY MANUFACTURED HAD VITHIN THEM GREAT STORES OF GAMING KNOWLEDGE, AND IT IS DIS VHICH I AM NOW GOING TO SHARE VITH YOU, IF YOU VILL STOP BEING A SMARTY-BREETCHES. FIRST, HAVE YOU IN YOUR TINY HEAD ANY QVESTIONS WELL, YEAH, ACTUALLY. WHAT IS IT? WHAT’S SO GREAT ABOUT te DO NOT VORRY ABOUT YOUR CAT, LITTLE ONE. BECAUSE SEPARATE PIECES OF MATTER CANNOT OCCLIPY DE SAME SPACE AT DE SAME TIME, DE TIME CIRCUITS MERELY SVITCHED OUR POSITIONS. MITTENS IS SAFE UND SOUND IN DE FAR-OFF FYOOTURE UND VILL IMMEDIATELY RETURN IN MY PLACE UPON MY DEPARTURE, ALDOUGH DERE IS A SMALL CHANCE HE VILL HAVE BEEN REPLACED VITH AN EVIL ROBOTIC DUPLICATE, SO EXERCISE CAUTION VHEN NEXT YOU PAT HIM. HUH? OH, YEAH. I’M TAKING IT ONLINE RIGHT NOW! HEY, IS DATA WV PLAYSTATION 2? BROADBAND IS ABOLIT 20 TIMES DE SPEED OF DIAL-UP, UND SUBSTANTIAL ENOUGH TO BE USED SIMULTANEOLISLY BY ALL MEMBERS OF DE | HOUSEHOLD, ALLOWING YOUR MAMA TO DOWNLOAD RECIPES VHILE YOUR SISTER TALKS TO HER GIRLY FRIENDS IN HER ROOM UND YOUR ARE UPSTAIRS USING THE PC FOR IT? PURPOSES TOO DESPICABLE TO DESCRIBE. ABOUT BROADBAND? BROADBAND IS HIGH-SPEED INTERNET ACCESS, USUALLY AVAILABLE DROUGH A CABLE MODEM OR OVER YOUR PHONE LINES VIA DSL. BROADBAND IS ALVAYS ON: NO DIAL-UP. NO DISCONNECTS. BROADBAND IS INFINITELY FAST UND ALL= POWERFUL; ITS COMING VAS FORETOLD IN ANCIENT MANUSCRIPTS. GOSH! REALLY? - 160 VITH A DIAL-UP CONNECTION? YOU VILL BE BEATEN AND YOUR PUNY BODY CRUSHED, UND YOU VILL CRY TO YOUR MAMA AND SHE VILL LAUGH AT YOU. RIGHT. WHO ARE YOU, AGAIN? I AM CYBORG MODEL AH-NUD- 800, PROFESSIONAL ROBOT FROM DE FYOOTURE. IN DE YEAR 2005, ON APRIL 9TH, 12 HOURS AND 36 MINUTES, .0O6 SECONDS, DE PS2 ONLINE NETVORK BECOMES SENTIENT... YOU MUST UPGRADE TO BROADBAND TO SURVIVE. SOME DEMAND DAT YOLI PAY $5-10 MORE PER EXTRA CONNECTION, BUT MANY PERSONS DO NOT GET AROUND TO REPORTING DESE CONNECTIONS FOR SOME REASON. AND THE COMP- ANIES DON'T CARE ABOUT NOT GETTING EXTRA MONEY FOR ALL THAT? TRIES TO TAKE OVER THE WORLD? VHAT? NO, OF COURSE NOT. IT IS A GAMING SYSTEM. VHAT IS IT GOING TO DO, PLAY PONG AT YOU? NOW, VHEN DE BLENDERS UND TOASTERS BECAME SENTIENT, DAT VAS A BAD VEEK. GOLLY! BROADBAND SOUNDS EXCITING AND HIGHLY ADVANTAGEOUS! IS THAT WHAT THEY USE IN YOUR CENTURY? HMM? OH, NO. VE USE VASTLY SUPERIOR NETVORKS OF ¢) CHIPMUNK BRAINS KEPT ALIVE IN TANKS OF SALINE SOLUTION, BUT DAT VILL NOT COME TO PASS FOR MANY YEARS, SO TOLIGH POOPIE. VHERE IS YOUR BAFROOM? YOU ARE LOOKING AT A MONTHLY EXPENDITURE OF BETWEEN YO-50 DOLLARS. UNLESS YOU LIVE IN CANADA, VHICH YOU DO NOT. DO NOT DESPAIR, HOWEVER, FOR DIS FIGURE CAN BE LESSENED. DOWN THE HALL. HEY, OUTTA CURIOSITY, WHAT'S THIS GOING TO COST ME? IF YOU HAVE CABLE TV SERVICE, YOU CAN OFTEN GET A $5-10 DISCOUNT ON A CABLE-MODEM CONNECTION, UND MANY ACCESS COMPANIES OFFER DEALS VHERE YOU CAN GET DE FIRST FEW MONTHS OF SERVICE AT A REDUCED RATE BEFORE DEY HEARTLESSLY SPRING DE BIG BILLS ON YOU. UND CONSIDER DIs: IF YOU PAY FOR A DEDICATED PHONE LINE FOR YOUR DIAL-UP ACCESS NOW--ON TOP OF YOUR MONTHLY DIAL-UP-SUBSCRIPTION FEE--ALREADY YOU ARE SPENDING ESSENTIALLY DE SAME AS YOU VOULD FOR ANY OF DE MAJOR BROADBAND SERVICES. OF COURSE, IN YOUR OWN PARTICULAR CASE, YOUR BEST BET IS TO TELL. YOUR FAHDDER DAT IF HE DOES NOT UPGRADE, ALL OF HIS FRIENDS AT VORK VILL LAUGH AT HIM. HEY! GOOD IDEA! COMPANIES WILL RENT YOU DEIR MODEM, VHICH COSTS =O, LErs SAY I SIGN UP. WHAT HAPPENS CABLE AND DSL MODEMS HAVE TWO PORTS. DE "IN" PORT, VHICH IS VHERE 4 DE LINE CONNECTS FROM DE WALL TO DE UNIT, VARIES DEPENDING UPON YOUR SERVICE--EITHER A PHONE JACK OR TV- CABLE CONNECTION. DE "OUT" PORT IS AN ETHERNET PORT. IT RESEMBLES AN OVERSIZED PHONE JACK. BE VARY: SOME MODEMS HAVE USB CONNECTIONS RATHER DAN ETHERNET, VHICH VILL DO YOU NO GOOD IN TERMS OF MOST £ ONLINE PS2 GAMES. K SAY, DO YOU KEEP ANY MAGAZINES IN DEN, DEY SEND YOU A MODEM FOR DE TYPE GF SERVICE YOU HAVE CHOSEN UND SETUP SOFTVARE FOR YOUR PC. YOUR PS2 NETVORK ADAPTER HAS ITS OWN SOFTVARE. CONNECTING IS A CINCH. THERE'S “WOMAN'S DAY,” IF YOU'RE INTO THAT. 50, THAT'S IT? NO HIDDEN CHARGES? rn § SINCE JANUARY OF 2908. at IT IS: A LONG STORY, IN DE RANGE OF $5-7 A MONTH UND CAN ADD UP OVER TIME. IN DIS SITUATION, YOUR BEST BET IS TO TRY DE DO ROBOTS SERVICE FOR A MONTH, UND IF YOU LIKE IT, GO AHEAD HAVE TO GO LIND BUY A MODEM. DEY ARE AROUND 100 BLICKS APIECE, TO THE SINCE WHEN VHICH VILL NOT BE TOLD TO YOU NOW. I SUSPECT, HOWEVER, DAT STILL ARE YOU HESITANT ABOUT UPGRADING BUT YOLI VILL SAVE MONEY IN DE LONG RLIN. SOME DSL BA TAREE COMPANIES VILL ACTUALLY GIVE YOU A MODEM IF YOU AGREE TO SIGN UP FOR A SPECIFIED LENGTH OF TIME. CHOOSE VHICH IS BEST FOR YOU. NOW, IF YOU VILL PLEASE STAND BACK UND BE SILENT. I HAVE DIFFICULTY GOING VHEN DERE ARE PEOPLE AROUND. DE SIMPLEST UND CHEAPEST METHOD IS TO RUN AN ETHERNET CABLE FROM DE BACK OF YOUR MODEM TO YOUR PS2 NETVORK ADAPTER. IF YOU ARE SHARING A CONNECTION VITH YOUR PC, YOU JUST UNPLUG DE COMPUTER’S CABLE UND PLUG IT INTO YOUR PS2. DIS, HOWEVER, CAN BECOME SLIGHTLY MORE COMPLICATED VHEN DE PS2 IS A CONSIDERABLE DISTANCE AVAY, FACILITATING DE NEED TO PURCHASE CONSIDERABLE LENGTHS OF ETHERNET CABLE. OK! CRIPES! I'LL UPGRADE, ALREADY! GEEZ! WHAT, ARE YOU GETTING COMMISSIONS FROM CIRCUIT CITY OR SOMETHING? JUST TELL ME HOW TO HOOK UP MY PS2. DE CABLE ITSELF IS RELATIVELY CHEAP, BUT DERE CAN STILL BE COSTLY SIDE YOUR LOVED ONES CONSTANTLY TRIPPING OVER DE CORDS UND MAKING AT YOU ALL MANNER OF UGLY CURSES. ALSO, BEAR IN MIND DAT DIS IS STILL A SINGLE-USER TO RUN BACK UND FORTH VHEN YOU VISH TO USE IT ON SEPARATE DEVICES. : ee oe a EFFECTS FROM DIS SETUP, INCLUDING ALL OF CONNECTION, SO YOU VILL CONSTANTLY HAVE TO BROADBAND SERVICE. CONSIDER DIS: ALREADY ARE DERE ONLINE PS2 GAMES REQUIRING IT, AND SOON DERE SHALL BE MORE. DOSE DAT DO NOT REQVIRE IT ARE GREATLY ENHANCED BY DE FREEDOM BROADBAND ALLOWS. IT IS INEVITABLE DAT-- WELL, POOP ON THAT. IS THERE ANY WAY TO JUST SPLIT THE CONNECTION? YES, BUT FOR DAT, VE MUST VISIT DE ELECTRONICS SUPPLY STORE! DIS VAY! CHAPTER 2: SPREADING, THE BROADBAND /X\\ OWE MISSUS PATTEN, “CLEAN” IS A RELATIVE TERM, FOR INDEED, IF YOL KNEW HALF OF DE ORGANISMS DAT DVELT DEEP IN DE RECESSES OF YOUR CLEAN UNDERTVOUSERS, YOU VOULD CRY NAKED IN DE CORNER, FEARING EVER DE HORRIBLE-- MOM, WE’RE GOING OUT! ARE YOU WEARING CLEAN SHE’S ASKING LUINDERWEAR? ME! THEY'RE FINE, MOM! YOU'RE ONE WEIRD ROBOT FROM THE FUTURE, AH-NUD 800. HERE IS A Lisl OF DE COMPONENTS VE NEED. W-WHY WOULD I NEED DIGITAL TIMERS AND NAPALM TO SPLIT A BROADBAND CONNECTION? I VILL TAKE DIS oul AISLE, YOU DE - ~~ NEXT... — I’M NOT DE ONE VITH DE POPULATION OF CHINA IN MY UNDERPANTS. AH, HERE VE eseaiare A HUB AND SWITCH ARE BASICALLY DE SAME DING: A ~ GOTCHA. -| LITTLE BOX VITH MULTIPLE PORTS if WHAT ABOUT FOR ALL DE DEVICES YOLI VISH TO THE SPLIT DE BROADBAND AMONGST. NAPALM? ALDOUGH BOTH COST ABOLIT $40, DE SWITCH IS PREFERRED FOR Io SPEED. IT GIVES EACH DEVICE A YOU DON’T. YOU DIDN'T DINK I VENT CENTURIES BACK IN TIME JUST TO PROVIDE | HELPFUL ADVICE ON SETTING | UP A BROADBAND NETVORK FOR GAMING, DID YOU? VHAT § KIND OF A NINNY ARE YOU? VHAT YOU NEED TO SPLIT YOUR PC/PS2 CONNECTION IS LISTED AT DE BOTTOM. BASICALLY, A OR , ALSO KNOWN FULL 100 MEGABITS, VHILE DE HUB MUST SPLIT BANDVIDTH AMONGST DEM. NOW, YOU CAN'T TAKE YOUR PS2 AND PC ONLINE AT THE SAME TIME VIA A HUB OR SWITCH UNLESS YOU ORDER AN EXTRA FROM YOUR ‘NET PROVIDER. THAT’S A BUMMER. WHAT I PREFER A ROUTER YOU'RE NOT ABOUT THE BECALISE IT BLOCKS GONNA TELL ME ACCESS TO YOUR ...HELPFUL FOR ABOUT THE NAPALM? DEVICE FROM HOSTILE OUTSIDE FORCES, UND IT TRICKS OBSERVERS INTO SEEING ONLY ONE IP ADDRESS VHEN IN FACT DERE CAN BE MANY SIMULTANEOUS CONNECTIONS... AVOIDING MULTI- PLE-CONNECTION CHARGES FROM YOUR ACCESS PROVIDER. AGAIN, VINK, VINK. NAPALM, ARE YOU? Sa Nay winnvcor nn ssehthiiansinnnnn A ebb iy Hayy ye 000 Nighy y- SCOOB ShStanee a SO Esa alinianeeere MMA Featuring the Scooby-Doo cartoon 12 huge levels based on the Encounter 20 classic original Scooby-Doo cartoons. Scooby-Doo villains. Voice actors and special guests. EVERYONE comic misc PlayStation. www.thg.com <—— STUDIOS RIiINTENDO AS IT IS A CLOSED SYSTEM, NOT REALLY. NOT AT PRESENT; CURRENTLY, SO, ABOUT THOSE DE ONLY REAL DANGER IS TO HOSTILE FORCES, ARF — YOUR PC. BUT BE VARY STILL, YOU SAYING My ps2 on FOR DE FYOOTURE HOLDS MANY HOW TOUGH IS IT IS IN DANGER OF , HORRORS YOU CANNOT YET gl GONNA BE TO HOOK BEING HACKED? IMAGINE. 2 THIS STUFF UP? FEAR NOT. A RETARDED MUSKRAT COULD DO DE JOB. YOU JUST HAVE TO RUIN SOME PC SETUP SOFTVARE VHEN INSTALLING YOUR ROUTER. BETTER HARDVARE COMPANIES VILL HAVE SOFTVARE SPECIFIC TO YOUR CABLE OR DSL SERVICE, AND YOUR PS2 NETVORK ADAPTER DISC DOES DE SETUP AG AUTOMATICALLY, SO EVEN YOUR YEESH! MAYBE, ie TINY GANGLIA SHOULD BE CAPABLE DO THEY OK? YOU HAPPY a4 [4 OF DE TASK. INVOLVE a NOW, YOU LITTLE ) NAPALM? : FLEEDEN- ) ~~ : wigan a a SHNAUSENP =f} | | eer LOOK HERE, VE MUST MAKE SHOPPING DECISIONS. YOUR BEST BET IS TO PURCHASE AN ALL-IN- ONE ROUTER VITH ¥-PORT SVITCH INCLUDED--MANY OUTFITS » =. SC MANUFACTURE DEM.... f SALESGUY: IT’S TRUE! YOU CAN’T GO WRONG WITH BRANDS LIKE L/NKSYS, D-LINK, 3COM, NETGEAR, CISCO, ORINOCO, ASANTE, PROX/M, SMC OR S/EMENS. FIGURE $75 TO $125 FOR THE ROUTER. AVOID THE PRICIER, $300+ GIZMOS. THEY’RE FOR BIG BUSINESSES OR THOSE OBSESSED WITH SECURITY. WHEN IT COMES TO ROUTERS WITH SWITCHES FOR UNDER 100 SMACKERS, I LIKE THE L/NKSYS BEFSR41, THE D-LINK DI-7O4YP, BELKIN'S FD52304 AND NETGEAR’S RP114. WOW! IT’S REALLY * I DON’T GET CREEPY THAT YOU OUT MUCH. SET KNOW ALL THAT! IT ALL UP LIKE eal | MARELS rr. | OLO-FasHioned A | Rovutees lm PLAYSTATION 2 | WHY ARE YOU READING THIS IF CRIPES! YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT A PS2 IS? a GO PLAY OUTSIDE. flere WAY AROUND THEM? ” INTERNET WE'RE NOT ENTIRELY SURE ABOUT THIS ONE OLIRSELVES. WE | THINK IT MIGHT HAVE ™ CABLE/DSL MODEM | | | SOMETHING TO DO CONVERTS THE BROADBAND WITH FOREST SIGNAL INTO DATA GNOMES. LINDERSTANDABLE TO YOUR WIRED DEVICE AND VICE-VERSA. sna, M@ ETHERNET CABLE mace HUB*/ROLITER a BROADBAND SIGNAL. SPLITS THE BROADBAND Bene fe BLIY CAT. 5 CABLE, DATA SIGNAL BETWEEN oan NOT CROSSOVER INTERNET DEVICES. ALVA hehe VAY, LITTLE JIMMY! COMPUTER PROCESSES AND STORES DATA, INCLLIDING, , BUT NOT LIMITED TO, YOUR ENORMOUS TO CHAPTER COLLECTION OF GIRLY PICTURES. DREE! *HUB USERS MUST CONTACT THEIR BROADBAND PROVIDER AND ORDER AN IP ADDRESS (ABOUT $5 MONTHLY) FOR EVERY EXTRA CONNECTED DEVICE. OTHERWISE, THEY CAN ONLY GO ONLINE WITH ONE DEVICE AT A TIME. i ot ee: So a ee as a a | 2S ee @ft -— s the past. y i autiful onde. / jailstorm of bullets, an explosion of ight carries you t new dangers lurk. A new enemy waits. Prepare to battle sadistic di Byte through nee pe only by a bizarre mili w imepioc www.capcom.com CAPCOM ENTERTAINMENT, INC. 475 Oakmead! Paildieay. Sunn Vale, CA. 94085 © CAPCOM CO., LTD. 2002 © CAPCOM U.S.A., INC. 2002. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. CAPCOM and te'@ARCOM Blood LOGO are trademarks of CAPCOM CO., LTD. DINO STALKER is a trademark of CAPCOM CO.. LTD. = . The ratings icon is a registered trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. “PlayStation® and the “PS” Violence Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. GUNCON"’2 & © 2000 NAMCO LTD., ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ‘MATURE YOU MAY BE PLEASED TO NOTE DAT YOU VILL LIKELY NOT HAVE TO DEAL VITH THESE SETUP TROUBLES IF EVER YOUR LIMITED MENTAL FACILITIES ALLOW YOU TO GO TO COLLEGE--MOST DOUBLE DORM ROOMS CURRENTLY HAVE ONE OR TWO ETHERNET JACKS, SO ALL YOU'LL NEED DERE IS A CHEAP HUB... THAT’S GREAT. HEY, LEVEL WITH ME, WOULD YOU? WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH THE NAPALM? WHAT ARE YOU HERE FOR? VE ARE STILL HOW DO MAYBE.... KNOW HA HA! YOU BET I DO, OR I’M YOU MAKE PUZZLING OVER ANYTHING ABOUT NOT A SPECTACLE-WEARING A ROBOT DAT OURSELVES. BE REDLICING WIRE SOCIAL OUTCAST NAMED "CARL!" OUT OF VARY OF CLUTTER ON LOCAL LIQUID? SUSPICIOUS HIGH-SPEED YOU ACTUALLY HAVE A LOT OF PERSONS NETWORKS? OPTIONS HERE. IF YOU'RE REALLY CARRYING SERIOUS ABOUT BROADBAND IN BUCKETS. YOUR HOUSE, YOU CAN HIRE SOMEBODY TO WIRE ALL OF YOUR ROOMS WITH ETHERNET PORTS, : WHICH CONNECT FROM INSIDE THE * al )\ WALLS TO A CENTRALLY LOCATED DSL <7 |x OR CABLE MODEM. THIS’LL RUN ABOUT $150 A ROOM. IF THAT DOESN'T STRIKE YOU AS TOO APPEALING, YOU CAN ACTUALLY USE YOUR EXISTING PHONE/ELECTRICAL WIRING AS THE CONDUIT FOR YOUR BROADBAND SIGNAL! ACH. OK, OK. JIMMY, DE DEAL IS, I VAS SENT BACK TO HUNT DOWN UND DESTROY A ROGUE CYBORG--A MODEL FAR MORE ADVANCED DAN MYSELF. HE IS MADE OF...LIQUID LIQUID. SO, HOW ARE YOU FOLKS DOING OVER HERE? ANYTHING I CAN HELP YOU WITH? WELL, NOT THAT SWEET. MOST OF THESE DEVICES USE USB CONNECTIONS, WHICH WON'T WORK ON THE PS2 NETWORK ADAPTER’S ETHERNET PORT, AND BOTH HOMEPLUG AND HPNA ARE PRICEY. THE L/NKSYS HOMEPLUG ROUTER IS ABOUT $170, AND THE SAME MANUFACTURER’S BRIDGE IS AN EXTRA $150. SIR, AS AN EMPLOYEE OF "HOUSE O’ ELECTRONICS ’N’ JUNK IN THE WESTRIDGE SHOPPING COMPLEX ON RT. 32," JOKING OR ANY SORT OF OVERT FRIVOLITY IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED, SAVE DURING BREAKS IN SPECIALLY- DESIGNATED FRIVOLITING AREAS. I ASSURE YOU, I SPEAK ONLY TRUTH. ALSO, HOMEPLUG DOES ODD THINGS IN BIG HOUSES, AND VERSION 1 HPNA IS PRETTY SLOW, SO BEWARE OF VERSION 1 PRODUCTS. STILL, IF YOU'RE INTO THE IDEA, SOME [A RELIABLE MANUFACTURERS ARE D- = LINK, PHONEX, 2W/RE AND PROXIM FARALLON. HERE’S HOW IT WORKS: YOU CHOOSE EITHER PHONE OR POWERLINE NETWORKING--THE POWERLINE FORMAT IS CALLED HOMEPLUG, THE PHONE IS HOMEPNA, OR HPNA AS IT IS KNOWN ON THE STREET. EACH INVOLVES A SPECIAL ROUTER YOU HOOK TO YOUR MODEM. YOU'LL HAVE TO PLUG AN ADAPTER, KNOWN AS AN ETHERNET BRIDGE, INTO A WALL SOCKET OR PHONE JACK NEAR YOUR PS2. YOU PROBABLY WON’T NEED A [ene BRIDGE FOR YOUR PC, SINCE IT'LL LIKELY BE CLOSE : ENOUGH TO YOUR ROUTER THAT YOU CAN JACK INTO IT WITH A SHORT ETHERNET CABLE. SEE? ARE YOU ALL VELL, CREEPY AH.... HEH, I SALESPERSON? JUST GET YOU SEEM TO BE | OVERLY EXCITED SVEATING ABOUT THE PROFUSELY. BENEFITS OF BROADBAND NETWORKING, I SUPPOSE! ME?! WHAT ABOUT MR. CREEPY- PANTS THERE? LORD KNOWS WHAT HE’S BEEN DOING HERE AT NIGHT-- HIT DE FLOOR, JIMMY. DAT IS DE EVIL ROBOT. EWW! CRIPES! I DID NOT HAVE TO HEAR THAT! ICK! ‘Of play including Story, S E in Force PAVOFIE TEKKEN Veterans With new moves and (OK ring ie ., Neva figtitars jump into the Benz de mee 8 active environments = mputer Entertainment Inc._ A-ARE YOU OK? YOU SEEM TO BE MISSING IMPORTANT PARTS OF YOUR WELL, NO, BUT THERE MIGHT BE MORE PRESSING MATTERS AT HAND.... ROBOTS TRYING TO KILL US AND ALL... I AM UNDAMAGED. I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN EARLIER: ONLY AN EVIL ROBOT VOULD i | RECOMMEND HOMEPLUG FOR A GAMING NETVORK. VIRELESS IS FAR MORE FLEXIBLE. SAY, DID I TELL YOu ABOUT VIRELESS? I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU! ww) 5 ALSO CALLED... 802.11B...OR WI-FI.... IT'S A SYSTEM TO TRANSMIT BROADBAND SIGNALS THROUGH THE AIR...NOT AS SPEEDY AS A HARD-WIRED SETUP, BUT PLENTY FAST FOR ONLINE GAMING... TELL ME WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT WIRELESS IF YOU DON’T HAYE A ROLITER YET, FORGET THE WAP AND JUST GET AWIRELESS ROLITER, SOMETIMES CALLED A WAP ROLITER. THEY'RE ABOLIT $160 AND PLUG INTO YOUR MODEM LIKE A REGULAR ROUTER. THEY PROVIDE A WIRED CONNECTION TO YOUR NEARBY PC BUT ALSO BROADCAST BROADBAND THROLUGHOLT THE HOUSE. REMEMBER, YOU'LL STILL HAVE TO GET A WIRELESS BRIDGE FOR EACH DEVICE. GG f . a WARE LESS ROVTER WAGTH Ly -POR'T YOU SAID ALL ROBOTS IN YOUR TIME KNOW LOTS ABOUT NET GAMING.... IS THAT WHY HE KEPT RATTLING ON LIKE THAT? VELL, POSSIBLY, OR HE COULD JUST BE A SOCIALLY INEPT VIENER-- YOU'LL LEARN MORE ABOUT DEM VHEN YOU GET TO PARTYING AGE. LEAN OVER HERE. I THINK I HAVE UNLIKELY. YET, VITHOUT NAPALM, I MUST REMAIN OPEN TO SUGGESTIONS. WHAT DO I NEED FOR ROBOT! TF YOU ALREADY HAVE A ROUTER, YOU'LL NEED A WIRELESS ACCESS POINT, OR WAP. PRICE: ABOLIT $100. IT PLUGS INTO YOUR ROLTER AND TRANSMITS THE SIGNAL YIA ANTENNAE. YOUR PS2’LL NEED A CABuas DSL. Mopem Pe laren) YOU'RE MOPPED! WIRELESS ETHERNET BRIDGE TO RECEIVE THE EACH CONSOLE WILL NEED ITS OWN BRIDGE TO GET THE SIGNAL. BLIT IF THEY'RE CLOSE TOGETHER, YOU CAN SAVE A BIT OF CASH BY GETTING JUST ONE BRIDGE, CONNECTING IT TO A CHEAP HUB AND SPLITTING THE CONNECTION BETWEEN YOLIR SYSTEMS. UH--CAN THE BRIDGE BE TOO FAR AWAY TO WORK? VHAT BRANDS OF VIRELESS ROUTERS DO YOU RECOMMEND? OF COURSE; WALLS AND FLOORS CAN TAKE A BIG TOLL ON THE SIGNAL, REDUCING YOUR RANGE TO AROUND W\ 50-75 FEET.... JIMMY, YOU NOW KNOW MUCH ABOUT BROADBAND, IF LITTLE ELSE, AND I MUST NOW LEAVE.... an MOPPED: I MEANT 1O SAY, "I VILL. CLEAN YOUR CLOCK!" BUT, YOU KNOW, HEAT OF DE MOMENT.... HEY, PUT DIS UNDER A SUN LAMP FOR A VHLLE. NO! YOU’RE NOT GOING TO...MELT YOURSELF, ARE YOLI? VHAT? NO, OF COURSE NOT! I’M GOING BACK TO MY OWN TIME. "ALF" IS ALMOST ON. AS FOR YOURSELF, GET TO VORK ON YOUR NETVORK, FOR DE SOONER IT IS UP, DE SOONER CAN YOU BE PLAYING. REMEMBER, BROADBAND Is A BYOOTIFUL OPTION FOR ANYONE VILLING TO INVEST A LITTLE TIME, ENERGY UND LOTS OF MONEY! FAREVELL! OH, WELL, T LIKE THE LINKSYS BEFWI1SY VER.2, D-LINK DI-713P, BELKIN F5D6230-3 OR 3BCOM’S 3CRWE5SO194. THESE ARE ONLY ABOLIT $50 MORE THAN A REGLLAR ROUTER, AND A GOOD INVESTM-- f ::SNIFF!:: THANK YOU, AH- NUD 800! AND I’LL BE SURE TO GO TO EGM.GAMERS .COM FOR IMAGES AND PRICES OF THE HARDWARE I’LL NEED-- IT’S WHAT YOU WOULD HAVE WANTED! RIGHT, MITTENS? Ferrari ; I? B88 rallanrgz , Race the cat you can't afford to own. PlayStation.c 2) ¢ Spinouts, bumper grinds, smoking tires - and that's just the first turn. Capture the definitive experience and white-knuckle excitement of real Ferrari racing. PlayStation.2 I rrari RTiME What fA EVERYONE CONTENT RATED BY ESRB SEGA is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. SEGA and Ferrari F355 Challenge are registered trademarks or trademarks of SEGA CORPORATION or its affiliates. Original Game ‘ ) SEGA CORPORATION ©SEGA/AM2, 2000, 2002. All Rights Reserved. www.sega.com “PlayStation” and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved. THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO EVERY ANNOUNCED ONLINE PS2 GAME y now, you’ve learned all you need to know about getting your PS2 wired and ready. You're a regular Internet scientist. But enough with the work, It’s time to see what all that fuss was for: the games. So plunge into our carefully researched, hand-crafted Review score: 3.5 Madden NFL 2003 The best pigskin game out there. Leagues and online tourneys are a must for true Madden junkies. Review scores: 9.5, 9.5, 9.0 NFL GameDay 2003 Nice try, but GameDay’s a rookie next to Madden and NFL 2K3. (Reviewed on page 182.) THE FREE STUFF Swell news, cheapskates: You don’t need to buy anything more than the Network Adapter to experience online fun time. The gadget comes with a demo disc that includes Frequency Online, which has you pumping out Takes Madden to overtime before falling a field-goal short. Review scores: 9.0, 9.5, 8.5 (Reviewed on page 182.) ZOOW: 82x fies is (6) SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs The 16-player combat here is so brutal, we’re suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Review scores: 9.5.9.5, 9.0 (Reviewed on page 186.) month-by-month planner to help you figure out which online-ready titles you should get and when you’ll get ’em. techno tunes with up to three strangers. It’s not quite thrilling, but the price is right. By far, the Adapter’s best bonus is the packed-in coupon for a free copy of Twisted Metal: Black Online. Just mail it to Sony and they’ll ship you the disc. Worth the stamp? See page 188 for our review. GAMES ON THE WAY SEPTEMBER TimeSplitters 2 Eidos Connection: Dial-up and broadband # of players online: 2-4 dial-up, 2-16 broadband If SOCOM’s gritty gung-ho gameplay is too much for your girly-man constitution, then turn to this goofball shooter for similar thrills TIMESPLITTERS 2 |i sans the shell shock. TimeSplitters 2 is brim- ming with kooky characters, swarms of wild, mischievous monkeys (yep, monkeys) and a massive array of online multiplayer modes. If you thought the first game was fun in split- screen, just wait ’til you try it online. omen encarta Mle tenn So | ie Tribes: Aerial Assault Sierra Connection: Dial-up and broadband # of players online: 2-4 dial-up, 2-16 broadband With its wide-open environments and team- based strategies, Aerial Assault zips up, up and away the first-person-shooter crowd. Not only does it have you nuking enemies with a huge arsenal of futuristic weapons, each team also has access to vehicles. It’s best played with a high-speed connection and lots of can- non-fodder enemies. A, me» RY ER lal Sega Sports Connection: Dial-up and broadband # of players online: 2-8 While football requires strategy, basketball is more run-and-gun arcade action. Nothing beats launching threes behind the line or jack-knifing a ferocious slam on some fool. The game only supports online play between OCTOBER CONTINUED... _ two PS2s, so both systems will need a Multi- tap if you want the four-on-four experience. NBA LIVE 2003 EA Sports Connection: Dial-up and broadband # of players online: 2 Online play alone can’t save a bad game, and the NBA Live franchise has been suffering from sloppy gameplay for a while. But EA’s promising an all-new engine here. So far, this year’s model is looking much improved, although the online mode is bare-bones: You only get two-player support and no built-in chat functions. ATV Offroad Fury 2 Sony CEA Connection: Dial-up and broadband # of players online: 2-4 Last year’s surprise hit returns with hi-rewvin’ features like multiple sponsors and 20 ATVs with true-to-life specs. But the big deal here is that you can haul tail on the game’s 4o tracks with up to three other mud-jumpers online. Race head-to-head or engage in an ATV OFFROAD FURY 2 assortment of muddy minigames until you’re black and blue all over. Catan Capcom Connection: Dial-up and broadband # of players online: TBA Ah, Germany: fatherland of Oktoberfests and the world’s gnarliest porno. It’s also, oddly enough, the birthplace of Capcom’s first major online title. Based on a blockbuster German board game, Catan has players try- ing to settle and expand their territory through trading and construction. Victory goes to whoever builds the mightiest colony. Suis Wouter o Rosey * TONY HAWK'S PRO SKATERY rN se Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 Activision Connection: Dial-up and broadband # of players online: 2-4 dial-up, 2-8 broadband Didn’t play Tony 3 online? Now that the Network Adapter has officially arrived, you have no excuse to make that same mistake with its sequel. Jony 4 bumps up the number of online skate rats—from four to eight—and includes new team options for old-fave modes like Graffiti, King of the Hill and Slap. Grind all the way to page 86 for our exclusive hands-on test of the online modes. 431 AIXD YOUR NETIQUETTE HOW NOT TO GET YER ASS KICKED ONLINE NLINE GAMING IS ABOUT MORE THAN O»= CRUSHING COMPETITION FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COUNTRY. YOU'LL ALSO ENGAGE IN BONA-FIDE--GASP!- -INTERACTION WITH FELLOW HUMANS. ALTHOUGH SOCOM IS THE ONLY GAME WITH VOICE COMMUNICATION, MANY ONLINE PS2 TITLES SUPPORT CHAT IN THEIR LOBBIES VIA AN ON-SCREEN KEYBOARD OR, BETTER YET, A REAL KEYBOARD IF YOU HAVE ONE. BUT IF THE FIRST THING YOU TYPE IS "NINTENDO RULES!!!! SONY SUCKS!!41!" DON’T BE SURPRISED IF YOU GET SHUNNED IN A LOBBY FULL OF KIDS YOU THOUGHT WERE JUST LIKE YOU. TO PUT IT SIMPLY, THE INTERNET IS A TEMPERAMENTAL PLACE. AND WHILE YOU DON'T ALWAYS HAVE TO PLAY NICE, KEEP THESE TIPS IN MIND IF YOU YOU'D RATHER NOT HAVE THE ENTIRE WORLD HATE YOU.... » a 5 Y Required gear: A cheapie USB keyboard makes lobby chat easier. Any brand’Il do. ¥ REMEMBER THAT THE PERSON YOLI’RE CHATTING WITH OR PLAYING AGAINST IS A HUMAN BEING. HE’S PROBABLY GOT FEELINGS JUST LIKE YOU. PROBABLY. ¥ DON’T BEHAVE ONLINE IN A WAY YOU WOULDN’T NORMALLY IN REAL LIFE. IF YOU ARE OBNOXIOUS IN REAL LIFE, HOWEVER, KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT AND JUST PLAY THE DAMN GAME. v¥ DISCUSSION IS COOL, BUT DON’T USE THE LOBBY AS YOUR PERSONAL SOAPBOX FOR GAME-SYSTEM ADVOCACY. IF YOU REALLY THINK THAT "THE PS2 SUXORZ," THEN AT LEAST BACK IT UP WITH SOME FACTS. ¥ DON’T FLAME (OR INSULT) OTHERS WITHOUT CAUSE. ON SECOND THOUGHT, JUST DON’T DO IT AT ALL. GO PLAY A GAME OF HOOPS ONLINE IN NBA 2K3 OR PUT A CAP IN THEIR ASS IN SOCOM. ¥ USE COMMON SENSE, HAVE FUN, AND KEEP IT REAL. SHORT AND SWEET L33T KIDS USE THESE ACRONYMS: @ GG -- GOOD GAME @ BRB -- BE RIGHT BACK @ SB/AB -- BE BACK IN A BIT @ AFK -- AWAY FROM KEYBOARD @ LOL -- LAUGHING OUT LOUD @ ROTFL -- ROLLING ON THE FLOOR LAUGHING @ ROTFLMAO -- ROLLING ON THE FLOOR LAUGHING MY ASS OFF @ L8R -- LATER CAS IN LATER, DUDE) @ OWNED -- YOU JUST GOT YOUR ASS HANDED TO YOU IN A MULTIPLAYER GAME @ L337 -- IN CHAT-SPEAK, "3" STANDS FOR "E," AND WHEN PEOPLE TELL YOU THEY'RE "L33T," THEY MEAN THEY’RE "ELITE." THE BIG DAWG. THE S@#$. a Auto Modellista Publisher: Capcom Connection: Dial-up and broadband _ # of players online: 2 | Talk about worlds colliding. The Fast and The Furious meets Gran Turismo meets the Cartoon Network in Capcom’s.’toon-shaded street racer, Auto Modellista. And since virtu- ally every piece of your screamin’ hot-rod can be souped-up or replaced, you'll be stylin’ and profilin’ each time you hit the Net. Rad. My Street Sony CEA Connection: Dial-up and gddhande # of players online: 2-4 Filling the kid’s-stuff void in the PS2’s online lineup, this screwball title packs eight straight-outta-gradeschool minigames like dodgeball, volleyball, RC racing, mazes, mar- bles and chemistry-set experimentation, all set on a neighborhood block. Yeesh, now kids don’t have any reason to go outside. NCAA College Basketball 2K3 Sega Sports Connection: Dial-up and broadband # of players online: 2-8 Expect the nation’s frat houses to put binge drinking on hold and focus all their attention on this b-baller when it hits in January. Pick your alma mater or favorite in-state U and play out your Final Four fantasies online. We can already see the lobby arguments for this one: “Dude, I’m always Duke!” “No way, man. totaltime Ddass0 6.8 record 002 45°.0\7\ fastestiap 22 0 035: 0):57/2:0: SHOULD SONY BE SCARED OF MICROSOFT’S BIG BAD NETWORK? ON’T COUNT ON NINTENDO TO TAKE ON SONY IN THE SIMMERING [Dorne-consai WAR. SO FAR, THE COMPANY’S GAMECLBE- ONLINE SCHEME ADDS UP TO ONE GAME--PHANTASY STAR ONLINE EPISODE 1 & 2 (CHECK PAGE 124 FOR A PREVIEW)--AND SEPARATELY SOLD } DIAL-UP AND BROADBAND ADAPTERS, LALINCHING IN SEPTEMBER FOR $35 EACH. SO IT’S UP TO MICROSOFT AND ITS XBOX TO BRING IT IN THIS | = === _ BATTLE. AND THIS FALL, IT WILL BE BROUGHT--IN THE FORM OF XBOX LIVE, MICROSOFT'S BROADBAND-ONLY ONLINE be ORK. THE SPECIFICS: DATE OF IGNITION: NOV. 8 SERVICE PRICE/PLAN*: MICROSOET | SCRIPTION DEAL. THAT GETS YOU | ITIAL $50 SUB- SS, PLUS GAME DEMOS $10 A MONTH. HEADSET MIC THAT WW PLAYERS IN EVERY ONLINE SUBSCRIPTION DEAL. THE 1EADSET BY ALLOWING SOCOM ONLY LETS ONE ‘THE EXACT oe TO WORn teed eth EXTRA PERIPHE Chatty gadget: The Xbox Communicator even lets you modify your voice with screwy effects. ETHERNET PORT. OF “COLI SE, THAT ME GAMERS STUCK WITH DIAL-UP AREN’T TO THIS BROADBAND-ONLY PARTY. WHAT DOES XBOX LIVE GOT THAT PS2 ONLINE DON’T? IT’S A FULL-SERVICE, ALL-ENCOMPASSING GAMING NET- WORK WITH FEATURES LINIVERSAL TO EVERY XBOX LIVE-COMPATIBLE TITLE (LINLIKE PS2’S ONLINE STRATEGY, IN WHICH FEATURES VARY BY GAME). THAT MEANS ALL XBOX LIVE SUBSCRIBERS HAVE ONE IDENTITY, CALLED A GAMERTAG, AND A SINGLE PASSWORD THAT'LL LOG THEM ONTO EVERY “ONLINE XBOX TITLE. THAT DOESN’T MEAN YOLI’RE STUCK WITH THE SAME ASIDE FROM THE HEADSET, YOLI —, HAVE ; I’m Duke!” All-Star Baseball 2004 Acclaim Connection: Dial-up and broadband #of layers online: TBA | dov nhill since it moval fom the Nintendo 64 to the PS2. But we figure it has to be better online than the first experiment in networked baseball: Sega’s awful World Series Baseball MECHASSAULT = | They five: These snliecody games'Il be waiting when Xbox Live launches: NFL Fever 2003, NFL 2K3, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon, NBA 2K3, Unreal Championship, MechAssault and MX ay Featuring Richy, Carmichael. NAME FOR EVERY GAME. “YOU CAN HAVE A NICKNAME FOR EACH GAME,” LUCERO SAYS, “BUT EVERYTHING TIES BACK TO YOUR GAMERTAG. THE GAMERTAG WILL STICK WITH YOU ALWAYS.” AND THAT’S GOOD, BECAUSE THE GAMERTAG MAKES IT A CINCH TO FIND FRIENDS ONLINE AND FOR THEM TO FIND YOU. WHEN YOU'RE READY ae TO PLAY, YOU JUST BRING UP YOUR FRIENDS LIST, SEE WHICH BUDS ARE INVITE THEM TO PLAY A GAME (A NOTIFICATION WILL POP UP EEN, EVEN IF THEY’RE CURRENTLY NECK DEEP IN A DIFFER- SAME). THEY DON’T EVEN NEED TO POWER DOWN THEIR EM TO SWITCH DISCS. YOLI CAN INVITE NEW PLAYERS TO JOIN YOUR - List <7 ANY TIME YOU WANT. THE FLIPSIDE: EXPECT STRANGERS TO RECRUIT YOU FOR THEIR LISTS IF YOU PROVE A WORTHY OPPONENT. IT ALL MAKES FOR A COHESIVE ENVIRONMENT MORE LIKELY TO PRO- MOTE AN ONLINE COMMUNITY THAN SONY’S GAME-BY-GAME STRATEGY. BUT THEN XBOX LIVE’S FEATURES DON’T COME FREE. YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR, WE FIGURE. "XBOX LIVE SUBSCRIPTION FEES ARE IN ADDITION TO WHATEVER YOU'RE PAYING YOUR BROADBAND-SERVICE PROVIDER FOR NET ACCESS. fe Visit www.esrb.ord or call 1-800-771-3772 for more info. CONTENT RATED BY ESRB ©2002. Miciasot Corporation. All rights reserved | Microsott. Xbox “the Xbox logos, a other countries. Other products: and company names mentioned herein bas be trademarks of their P res 2 “ ‘os q ONLINE | 2003 CONTINUED... _ yi EVERQUEST ONLINE ADVENTURES |= EverQuest Online Adventures Sony Online Entertainment Connection: Dial-up and broadband # of players: Thousands The infamously addictive massively multiplay- er PC RPG is being “consolized” into a modi- fied PS2 version that packs all the perks, including an easy-to-use buddy-finding sys- tem, “pets” to collect and summon in battles, and a huge persistent world. Expect to pay a subscription fee, although you won’t need the hard drive—the game won't require it. STAR WARS GALAXIES Star Wars Galaxies LucasArts Connection: TBA # of players: Thousands Now that George Lucas has taken a crap on our beloved Star Wars universe with his cursed prequels, it’s up to players of this mas- sively multiplayer RPG—set during the origi- nal trilogy—to set things right. Galaxies lets you make your way in that galaxy far, far away as anything from a canteen musician to a Jedi Knight. You’ll even hop in classic Star Wars vehicles. Like EverQuest and FFXI, this game will probably cost a monthly fee. —— a = RESIDENT EVIL ONLINE Resident Evil Online Capcom Connection: TBA # of players online: TBA While the GameCube holds a monopoly on RE games that follow the series’ storyline, the PS2 is getting one heck of an online spin-off. Unfortunately, Capcom hasn’t unearthed many details on this game. We’re told you’ll fend off undead with your friends, as well as shamble through the streets as a zombie in search of flesh. Mmm...flesh. Final Fantasy XI Square Electronic Arts Connection: Dial-up and broadband (Requires the hard-drive peripheral) # of players online: Thousands Square’s ambitious online RPG hit snags in Japan, where hard-drive shortages, server problems and cheating plagued its launch. Let’s hope these issues will be sorted out before it hits stateside next spring. FFX/’s lush visuals, familiar character classes and epic scale could give console-newbie EverQuest a lickin’ —especially if Square reworks the game so it doesn’t require the hard drive. — a LAY THY HANDS — ON BROADBAND | FIND THAT FAST CONNECTION URE, YOU CAN TAKE YOUR S= ONLINE JUST FINE WITH DIAL-UP. YOU'LL JUST MAKE AN EASY TARGET FOR EVERY OPPONENT GLINNING FOR YOU VIA BROADBAND. WHY NOT EVEN THE PLAYING FIELD (PLUS HAVE ACCESS TO BROAD- BAND-ONLY GAMES LIKE SOCOM AND ENHANCED FEATURES IN OTHER TITLES) BY GETTING A FAT-PIPE CONNECTION YOURSELF? IT’S NOT AS ELUSIVE AS YOU THINK. THE FEDERAL COMMLINICATIONS COMMISSION SAYS MOST OF THE COLINTRY HAS ACCESS TO | CABLE MODEMS OR DIGITAL SUBSCRIBER LINE (DSL). COMPETING DSL COMPANIES MAY HAVE DIFFERENT DISTANCE LIMITS, ANYWHERE FROM 12,000 TO 20,000 FEET FROM THEIR CENTRAL SERVERS, BUT NOTE THAT’S AS THE WIRE IS. STRUNG AND NOT AS THE CROW FLIES. THE ROLIGHLY $40-50 MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTION FEES AIN’T CHEAP, NOR WILL THEY PLUMMET - ANY TIME SOON, BUT YOU CAN USUALLY NAB DISCOUNT DEALS FOR SIGNING LIP. IF YOU CAN FIND BOTH DSL AND CABLE IN YOUR AREA, WHICH SHOULD YOU CHOOSE? CABLE IS AN ALWAYS-ON CONNECTION, WHILE — SOME FORMS OF DSL (LABELED ) SUF- FER FROM A FIVE-SECOND LAG WHEN YOU CONNECT. CABLE MODEMS, MEANWHILE, BOG DOWN A BIT IN CONGESTED AREAS WHERE ALL YOUR NEIGHBORS SUBSCRIBE TO THE SAME SERVICE. WITH DSL, YOLI USUALLY GET THE OPTION TO PAY EXTRA (UP TO $90 A MONTH) FOR FASTER LIPLOAD SPEEDS. WHICHEVER PIPE YOL PICK, BOTH BROADBAND AND DSL ARE PERFECT FOR CONSOLE-ONLINE GAMING. THE SAD TRUTH, HOWEVER, IS THAT BROADBAND IS STILL OFF LIMITS IN SOME PARTS OF THE COUNTRY. SATELLITE-BASED BROADBAND IS AN OPTION IF YOU LIVE IN THE STICKS, BUT BE WARNED: IT’S A BITCH TO INSTALL, IT COSTS MORE, AND THE CHEAPEST SATELLITE SERVICE REQUIRES YOU TO JACK INTO YOUR PHONE LINE ANYWAY (FOR LIPLOADS FROM YOUR PC). A NEW WIRELESS FORM OF BROADBAND USES TWO-WAY RADIO TO COVER THE LAST COUPLE THOUSAND FEET TO YOUR HOUSE, BUT IT’S NOT WIDESPREAD YET. FAST TIPS: @ FOR A PRONTO WAY TO FIND BROADBAND IN YOUR AREA, CLICK TO WW, | RTS VU OR ; . EACH PROVIDES ZIP-CODE-SPECIFIC AVAILABILITY OF HIGH- SPEED PROVIDERS. @ EGM COUSIN MAG PC MAGAZINE PUBLISHES READER RATINGS OF ISPS AND LOTS MORE TECHIE STUFF. GO TO ; THEN CLICK ON “ISPS” IN THE CONTENTS. AMONG THIS YEAR’S HIGHEST RATED: OPTIMUM ONLINE AND ROADRUNNER. @ ASK POTENTIAL PROVIDERS HOW MLICH THEY CHARGE FOR INSTALLATION. SOME SEND YOU A SELF-INSTALL KIT AND ONLY COME TO YOUR HOUSE IF YOU CAN’T GET IT UP AND RUNNING. @ ASK IF YOU'LL HAVE DIAL-UP ACCESS FOR WHEN BROADBAND SERVICE FAILS. (REMEMBER: THE PS2 NETWORK ADAPTER INCLUDES AN ANA- LOG MODEM AS WELL AS ETHERNET PORT.) Pe ——— Ee Mild Violence Suggestive Themes Comic Mischief So © 2002 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All rights reserved. Fox Interactive, The Simpsons and their associated ‘THE CODE MONKEYS logos are trademarks of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. “PlayStation” and the “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. a He eon Violence ee RED, WHITE, BLACK & BLUE. it ‘Ubi Soft Tights reserved. "PlayStation" andthe ‘a a Tegistered trademark of the Interactive Digital em conmariee rarer SDC SCADBOOAED ELAR MECN Da ADORE DADE AOC OODECE ONO AOE DOGO DODD OAD OSE AOCOD EOI OOSO INDIO RICONISOBE ORE SODISODEESO CONIC OSERODREOCERDAGEE ON CORSONENSLODNLONAE LEILA NEGA LENOLR ONE LGE OSHA OIE D SOS LICDS NARCOTICS EASES SOLS TT EEL S EE LL SEL DLLIEA ILLIA Our Philosophy EGM rates games based on how they compare with other titles on the same system. The highest score we'll give a game is a 10. When a game receives a 10, you can rest assured it’s one of the best games ever made—a revolutionary title that truly stands above everything else in its genre for its time. At the other end of the spectrum sits the lowest score a game can receive: a 0.0. This is the kind of game you want to avoid at all costs. It’s pure crap. In the middle lies the average grade, 5.0. We repeat: 5.0 IS AVERAGE. Simple, ain’t it? Platinum Awards go to games that get all 10’s, the best and rarest review a game can get. Gold Awards go to games whose average score equals 9.0 or higher. 3 Z es s g z E s e e - 28 af af oF 3] s e © OUNMY 391089 ,SH0LI03 than 9.0) receive Silver Awards. QyuMe 320082 SwOLIG} shane Bettenhausen Associate Editor “mm A trip to London has turned Shane into a total Anglophile—he’s now m™ speaking cockney, eating sausage © and beans for breakfast, and singing the praises of old Amiga games. Xenon 2: Best shooter ever! Favorite Genres: Fighting, Action, RPG Current Faves: Psychonauts, Kingdom Hearts Crispin Boyer Features Editor ) Cris didn’t mind the lectures on mili- , tary blunders or even the daily boot , camp at 0600 sharp. But when Mark insisted all SOCOM players start | # dressing the part, Cris got worried. e Say, where is “Lt. MacDonald?” Favorite dence: Action, Adventure, Online Current Faves: SOCOM, Eternal Darkness _ e ol West Coast Editor The future is here. Che’s been living out his Battlestar Galactica fan- tasies with his new best friend: the Aibo ERS-220A. Now all he has to do is get one of those buckle jack- m ets and feather his hair like Apollo. Favorite Genres: Fighting, Racing, RPG Current Faves: RE Zero, Neverwinter Nights (PC) .. Jonathan Dudlak Reviews Editor Dean Hager Managing Editor 4 when he started with the company. You don’t wanna see him now— youch. The toils of working on EGM wwe toll on the poor guy. Favorite Genres: Sports, Racing Current Faves: NCAA Football 2003 Editor in Chief are pouring in from people looking was forced to boil the interview process down to one simple hand gesture. Is he not merciful? Favorite Genres: Everything Current Faves: SOCOM, Mario Sunshine # Chris Johnston News Editor m& After cramming a year’s worth of = Animal Crossing into a week, it’s = been hard for CJ to tell the differ- ence between game and real life. We’ve caught him hunting beetles Favorite Genres: Action, Adventure, Puzzle » Associate Editor Jeanne finally found the perfect The End??? rs ing desires after winning in Who Wants to Marry a Millionaire? this month. Check out what she’s up to now in Final Word. Favorite Genres: RPG, Shooter, Puzzle Current Faves: Animal Crossing, Bodysurfing Favorite Genres: Fighting, Action, Shooter Current Faves: Sega GT, Rez, Galaga Games that average at least an 8.0 (but lower This is how Dean looked back in ’94 for several years have really taken a A flood of résumés and cover letters to work for EGM. So many that Shoe outside the office four or five times! Current Faves: Animal Crossing, Mario Sunshine gamer companion to fulfill her gam- hiy - 118 | PEt « - SRST) Carriere ¢ Cer: F eee tll A ae aie 3 i Wild ‘eR: ATR. ESTAR an seateutate: | Harmony of Dissonance po. 206 Half a point from a tie with Mario’s Sunshine, Juste Belmont nabs GOTM by the skin of his bony ass. Here’s a quick breakdown of the game: (Circle of the Moon) - (anything bad) + (the best bits of the PS1’s Symphony of the Night) = HOD. It’s tiny, but it packs a whallop. Dan Leahy Editor In Chief, GameNOW Inspired by Glengarry Glen Ross and funded with Ziff severance -! cash, Leahy’s moving into the real ' estate sector. Should be a snap finding a tenant, with the way com- panies move around these days :) Fexerite ye Sports, Action Current Faves: SOCOM, Madden NFL 2003 | Mark MacDonald —— | Executive Editor ae _ We haven’t seen much of Mark e od 5 since he started playing SOCOM Ate this month. At least we think we haven’t—he’s gotten quite good at camouflaging himself. Hmm...he must be around here somewhere... Favorite Genres: Action, Adventure, RPG Current Faves: Mario Sunshine, SOCOM James “Milkman’ Mielke West Coast Editor/Webmaster Ever since turning to Buddah, Milky # has found himself in the company of » , game-playin’ hotties like these. Is it .. his effervescent inner peace? Is it the rakish angle at which he wears his hats? We may never, ever know. Favorite Genres: Action, Fighting, RPG Current Faves: /karuga, Gungrave, Popolocrois 3 : Greg Sewart > Previews Editor - What a month! Sewart had so many Pm good games to play, we couldn’t ; even drag him out of his cubicle to ' take a good Review Crew shot. The hope is that he did take time out to eat...or at least bathe. Favorite seieek: Racing, RPG, Action Current Faves: Castlevania: HoD, Mario Sunshine bal hey Armored Core 3 Publisher: Agetec Developer: From Software Players: 1-4 Also On: None Supports: i.Link Web Site: www.agetec.com Par Best Feature: Brain-drib- bling depth Worst Feature: Initially clunky control Although you'll initially need two brains to compre- hend the controls, Armored Core’s mech-maneuver- ing system eventually becomes fluid, just as the level difficulty flicks up a notch. Stages are reasonably short, but there are masses of them, and completing each one without an embarrassing internal fire is the key to purchasing more dangerously over-the-top weapons. Well over 200 core parts, including cool hidden pieces scattered throughout the campaign, give you near-infinite combinations of add-ons. And arena adversaries can be met at your discretion in a number of high-tech amphitheaters. Fans of the series won’t be disappointed, unless they’re expecting online play — it isn’t in. Only those dedi- cated enough to have an i.Link cable, two PS2s, two copies of the game and two TVs, however, will enjoy any four-player action. Add the fact that the noise of exploding mech metal is in Dolby Surround, plus the ability to “buy” CPUswingmen for missions, and you’ve got yourself an addictive action-combat extravaganza. David H. INGENUITY REPLAY VISUALS SOUND I 1 Publisher: => -=> Capcom Developer: Capcom Players: 1 Also On: None Featured In: EGM #155 Web Site: www.capcom.com Best Feature: Innovative gameplay using both gun and movement controls Worst Feature: Tired hands Dino Stalkers fusion of light-gun gameplay and free- roaming first-person shooter controls is, if you'll excuse the pun, hit-or-miss. There are definitely some cool ideas here: giving you full control of movement in a light-gun game is something fans have been screaming about for years, and Dino definitely deliv- ers on that promise. But if you want to play Dino, you should make sure you have Namco’s Guncon 2 con- troller, a light gun that sports an on-board directional pad. While you can use a regular Dual Shock con- troller to play the game, it just isn’t the same without that gat in your hand. That said, even after mastering running, strafing and firing with the Guncon, having to constantly hold the weapon with both hands got tiresome—fast.And despite its adventure-game pre- tensions, Dino still suffers from annoying time lim- its and short overall length, pitfalls that plague many other light-gun titles. With its detailed graph- ics, wide assortment of weapons and high-produc- tion values, Dino would have made for a much better first-person shooter sans the gun gimmick. Che SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY VISUALS MALONE ERLE ASE ETTORE ELEN ESERIES ER LESLIE LLL ELDON EEE EISENSTEIN AAD RODAN ECONOLINE CLI NC CAEAANE NCCAA ORAL LtLLtLieneenttnnebte ene nnenandnenAnenseabttese SODAS SNL LL ENL LEE L OEE LL OOO ELON LEENA NLD LE ELELEBN AIS BLDOD ILD LEEBEDAOOAL SEEDS SDOOR ERED ORR RREC LEONE NNNNNL NNN: Dual Hearts Seeeeee Publisher: Atlus Developer: Matrix Players: 1 Also On: None Supports: The buddy system Web Site: www.atlus.com mare ee Ne” RATING PEAOING Best Feature: Unique weapons/combat system Worst Feature: Tumble’s Jar Jar Binks-esque persona Arriving at the same time as Square’s Kingdom Hearts, Dual Hearts could easily get lost in the shad- ow of KH hype. But that would be a shame, because this is a quality, enjoyable action-RPG. Featuring a good balance of exploration, puzzle-solving and combat, DH will wow gamers with a huge variety of solo and tag-team attacks heroes Rumble and Tumble can perform. Rumble’s weapons, for exam- ple, can be imbued with cool elemental attributes that give greater power to each one’s attack set. And combat works seamlessly because the camera func- tions well and the controls are solid, which is some- thing a.certain other RPG that comes out this month can’t boast. On the downside, your goofy cohort, Tumble, sounds like a combination of Jar Jar Binks and Klonoa. This is either a plus or a minus, depend- ing on your mindset, but for me it borders too close to the kiddy side. And the graphics have a PS1-esque quality about them that’s hard to ignore. Still, on the strength of DH’s story alone, you have an RPG worth not only playing but owning. Milkman SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY J 1 I J VISUALS Kelly Slater’s Pro Surfer Publisher: == > => Activision 02 4 Developer: _-| Treyarch | Players: =| 1-2 x41 Also On: ‘| GameCube, Xbox Best Feature: Deep, easy- Featured In: to-learn combo system EGM #155 Worst Feature: The water Web Site: doesn’t look very real www.activisiono2.com Surfing is a tough sport to simulate in a video game. It involves waiting for the right wave, skillfully riding the tube, and then wiping out in a blaze of glory; it’s a visceral rush in real life, but usually dry and mun- dane on a TV screen. Activision is marginally suc- cessful shoehorning this experience into the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater mold. The Career mode, goal- based gameplay, two-minute runs and trick combos will be instantly familiar to THPS players. That’s part of the problem, though. At its core, Kelly just feels like a bare-bones version of THPS in the ocean. Sure, there are a ton of levels, but they’re all just, well, waves,-Realistic surfing doesn’t lend itself to creative, unique stages. Other problems aren’t as easily forgiven, such as the lack of a custom-charac- ter feature and the disappointing water graphics. However, this title does boast a glimmer of hope for the genre: a soundtrack that isn’t all cheesy pop- punk, Groovin’ island tunes and trip-hop work won- ders. Surfer guys and gals might find it worth a pur- chase; everyone else should rent it first. Shane INGENUITY REPLAY é 1 . RA .i.} aming Monthly - 179 -eo0m 9am € SEFEE RR FVII Litty COT mee 3 hk BT VISUALS SOUND ers com seheheeeeeebeeeeeeeeeeeeeenebeeeeianenaeeiamaddnieiimenmenedemnede menaetmdammmmmaadmdedamenimmimieismacaeiamenedtecmmenmrammmmnimeeredm emma ee — anne ROTOR REECE ENDO IE EER ETE ETO NOIE ORO SOO IE EEE EROORISEETIELOEEPIEEOPEDROLOD EI PIEDELDDIDEDIOSPDLLDOODTIOEEEOD LORDS IED RP CEREET SEDC OCETETETEEIOIETIESEED ODO TCTEEIILO DIOL EETIELC OLE DISERIDEOLIIEDERNNONOON ION ONOHRSIEERDONRIAPTIE RDO NOMRO ECE SED SOAR REOC RRR PITRE DOL DNORENNE ORO A AOD OO ROEDER ROSARITO OOOO menacronesesesansces nao : MATURE Publisher: Sega 7 -— Developer: Red Players: 1 Also On: None Featured In: EGM #155 Best Feature: Worst Feature: Web Site: Relentless teeth-gritting action The camera rides the short bus www.gungrave.com In a perfect world, games like Gungrave would thrive like bunnies in heat. In the real world, however, they are a rarity. It’s not every day that a game comes along that merges the blood-pumping qualities of Devil May Cry, Loaded (PS1) and Desperado (the movie) into one chewy nugget. Yeah, sometimes it’s nice to just pick up a mindless shooter in which your goal is to destroy everything in sight. While Gungrave isn’t the most innovative effort on the block, it is bursting with action and style. Whether you’re send- ing lead into any fool stupid enough to cross the path of Cerberos (Grave's lethal twin pistols) or making a mess out of the destructible environments, the reac- tive, interactive nature of nearly everything on screen is a freakin’ blast. But the sheer controlled chaos and mayhem of Gungrave aren’t its only good points. The game’s combination of gritty, Heavy Metal-style visu- als and over-the-top special effects graces both the in-game graphics and the digitally animated cinemas quite well. This, along with the disposable but well- written script puts you in the perfect mood to kick enemy ass for hours at a time. The responsive con- trols do a good job of keeping up with the frenetic action, but the camera, sadly, does not. It’s not exact- ly bad, but it is sluggish, especially when running around corners. Despite this quibble, Gungrave suc- ceeds in its mission to provide blistering, adrenaline- fueled entertainment. Milkman My excitement for this game went from 60-0 after very limited exposure. On the surface, its sexy, anime- inspired visuals really grabbed me, and |’m all for nonstop explosions and gunfire. But a few levels in, | realized it’s. also got that Bouncer kind of letdown— Gungrave’s so shallow it couldn’t drown a face- down, sleeping baby. Everything’s either a bad guy Or an inanimate object, so you just have to lay into the fire button with the occasional dive to avoid incoming shots. Don’t expect a challenge, either; you can cap off the game in atwo-hour sitting and proba- bly only meet death a fewtimes along the way. Unless you just really like the box art, rentit. Jonathan cane naneneeneeeiannnnamnemmmnnnnncncammmmncenccemem mmc cranee rare CCT SLUTS TUTTI TT TNES TOUTE TETESSTTCET TST TEEIINUTTOSSTONSVEESTEUTOSSTERONTODSC NY nr isa reemeevinlent comic book come to life. it’s all style and relentless action so over the top, it makes Doom look like Mary Kate and Ashley: Girls Night Out (not that I’d know what that game is like...ahem).-It’s undeniably satisfying..to..watch as just about any object that crosses your path—desks, crates, walls, and of course wave after wave of ene- mies—are shredded by your never-ending barrage of gunfire. But only stringing combos and a couple boss fights require any thought, and your character moves so slowly that Gungrave-never gives your reflexes much of a workout either. A few hours of cathartic fun, but definitely not wortha purchase. WMark INGENUITY REPLAY VISUALS SOUND a i a J e i—] = S| = _ oo; =F Ss = bs we oe Ss & — Ss t~] e EDITORS CHOICE AWARD @ : ~ © GUVMY 29/0H9. SUOLIC: Publisher: Square EA —— ee Developer: Square Players: 1 Also On: None Featured In: EGM #158 Best Feature: Worst Feature: Web Site: Hollywood-quality production values Confusing, frustrating camera www.kingdomhearts.com quare and Disney have teamed up to pro- duce the Uber action-RPG, much like when the coolest heroes hooked up to make the Super Friends or when two killer bands joined forces to form Jefferson Starship. The result is a synergistic pairing of Final Fantasy and Walt’s Magical Kingdom that blurs the lines between serious, hardcore fantasy and aw-shucks cartoon goofiness (that actually co-stars Goofy). You take the role of Sora, a spiky-haired, spunky lad who dreams of exploring the world outside of his tropical-island home. He soon gets his wish, as his world is torn asunder by a group of shadowy no-goodniks known as the Heartless, landing our hero in a foreign town. Just as Sora begins to search for his missing friends, Kairi and Riku, he runs into two unlikely traveling companions, Donald Duck and Goofy. They’re on their own quest Kingdom Hearts _ In some of the worlds, Sora and co. modify their look in order to blend in better with the locals. Here we see them going goth for Halloween Town. for a missing friend (King Mickey), so the three join up to travel myriad worlds and combat the Heartless menace. A network of independent realms combines to form Kingdom Hearts’ overall world. Sora and friends zoom between them using a candy-colored spacecraft (see sidebar), with each area taken from one of Disney’s beloved films. You’ll shimmy into the plots of movies like Aladdin, The Little Mermaid and The Cont. on page 182 ime OM" #28? \ CORMRMD & "4 J Magic items ? rrnee sage |” What happened here? The biggest mini- game in Kingdom Hearts is the Gummi Ship, and boy, does it ever suck. You use this silly spacecraft to fly from world to world, but after a few minutes, we were all ready to send it to the scrapheap. Designing and forging upgrades for the thing is a complex, intimidating bore, and piloting the damn thing looks like a $10 PS1 game. 180 > N10) WORLD VERT.TITLES. IJEPIC ROAD; TRIP. ee Best Score . 2,239 » COMBO X15 Crank out huge airs like 10-time World Vert Champ Mat Hoffman. BMX WILL NEVER BE THE SAME... Ihe only BMX game to Offer flatland tricks. Sele. Jump on the bus with Mat Hoffman and ten other top pros for the ultimate BMX blowout through eight U.S. cities. Pull hundreds of tricks and combos using {maT HOFFman’s the new Trick Tweaking System or iPRO|BMX keep it on the ground with the only BMX eimai game that offers flatland moves. Unlock 7 fae = behind-the-scenes video footage from : Mat’s actual road trip and then snap shots of your best tricks for your own photo scrapbook. One day on this road trip and you’ll know why BMX will never be the same. Re pare a an A RDA FH Sa peeps oFFman’'s Force your opponent off the screen PRODUCTS RANGE FROM | | : 3 - | /= in the 02 exclusive PUSH mode. EVERYONE tro TEEN — a CONTENT RATED BY = - eA (R} ee NENTENDS STUDIOS GAMECUBE © 2001, 2002 Activision, inc. and its affiliates. Published and distributed by Activision Publishing, Inc. PlayStation 2 and Xbox versions developed by Rainbow Studios. GameCube version developed by Gratuitous Games. Game Boy Advance version developed by HotGen Studios. Activision is a registered trademark and Activision 02, Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX and Pro BMX are trademarks of Activision, Inc. and its affiliates. All Rights Reserved. Mat Hoffman is a trademark of Mat Hoffman. "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Microsoft, Xbox and the Xbox logos are either registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S.A, and/or other countries and are licensed under Microsoft. '™, ®, Game Boy Advance and the Nintendo GameCube logo are trademarks of Nintendo. Screenshots are from PlayStation 2. The ratings icon is a registered trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. All other trademarks and trade names are the property of their respective owners. ACTIVISIONO 2.COM Nightmare Before Christmas on your way to Save your missing friends. Since it’s an action-RPG, combat plays a cru- cial role. Sora swings a mean key-shaped sword, but the somewhat spastic camera often makes the real-time fighting a tad confusing. In battle, you run around slashing foes with multi-hit combos (by jamming like mad on the X button). You can also conjure up spells, sum- mon magical creatures, and use items, but entering the full menu during a melee is pro- hibited—you must clumsily navigate quick menus on the fly while you fight. Due to this setup, prepare to die during the heat of bat- tle...a lot. In fact, the game’s difficulty is far beyond that of other Square RPGs, so young- sters might find it too tough. The distinctive feel of Disney coats the game in a gleeful, kid-friendly veneer, yet Square’s darker Final Fantasy mythos shares the spot- light. You’ll encounter a veritable who’s who of memorable stars from Final Fantasies of yore. Also, the game’s central storyline feels a lot like an FF game—heavy themes of loss, love and sacrifice lend the game a weighty, serious tone FANTASTICAL | Sora come EDIOWSOVET: Kingdom Hearts (cont.) that takes the edge off the Disney sweetness. As is evident in these screens, Square’s rep- utation for making visually rich games holds true here. Much like last year’s FFX, the worlds of KH are crafted using detailed, fully 3D graphics. All of the extra touches you expect from a big-budget RPG production are here— characters’ mouths perfectly sync with dialog, gorgeous CG cinemas pepper the gameplay, and outlandish summon spells fill the screen with dazzling fireworks. Similar care went into the game’s audio. Japanese pop star Hikaru Utada rerecorded the theme song “Simple and Clean” with new English lyrics, and Square amassed an all-star cast of voice actors to bring the characters to life. Notables include Haley Joel Osment as Sora, Billy Zane as Ansem and N*Sync's Lance Bass as one of our favorite Final Fantasy char- acters (we won’t say who). Overall, the colossal team-up is a Success. It’s a little rough around the edges with its jumpy camera and uneven difficulty, but fans of Final Fantasy and Disney alike will surely be enraptured. Square fans will squeal with delight as a seemingly endless parade of Final Fantasy characters makes cameo appearances in Kingdom Hearts. Within the first hour alone, you'll run into Tidus, Wakka, Selphie, Aerith, Yuffie, Squall, Cid and a Moogle! Although they don’t join your party, these guys do offer advice and help to flesh out the plot— it’s all very cool. Oh, and don’t accuse us of spoiling anything for you—there are still some special guests you don’t know about. ime things are Worse Wwe WOgscH franmic flarmine hAnAnthiy: Age ramoarc cmam € PIS te Dring hea rarrsits . “« BOT OAmMnr A TC a aR A A ANE REET A : > OVER 44 CHALLENGERS - 6 GAME MODES EXTREME OFFENSE DELIVERS INSTANT DEVASTATION! Two monster corporations are at war! Choose from 44 of your all-time favorite fighters. It's Capcom vs. SNK2 E.O. with custom fighting Grooves and the most radical features of any fighter on the NINTENDO GAMECUBE™ system - including exclusive Extreme Offense control! Deliver furious combos and devastating super moves at the touch of a single button! This plus, control the level of your fighter’s strength with the new “Free Ratio System.” Let the battle begin in this system defining arcade fighter. ©CAPCOM CO., LTD. 2001, 2002 ©CAPCOM U.S.A., INC. 2001, 2002. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. CAPCOM and the CAPCOM logo are registered trademarks of CAPCOM CO., LTD. OPLAYMORE R Fi Corporation. CAPCOM VS. SNK 2 EO is manufactured and distributed by CAPCOM CO., LTD. under Suggestive Themes the license from PLAYMORE Corporation. SNK is a trademark of PLAYMORE Corporation. Nintendo . and Nintendo GameCube are trademarks of Nintendo. The ratings icon is a registered trade- Violence mark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. CONTENT RATED BY ESRB capcom.com Sony CEA Zipper Interactive 1 (2-16 Online Broadband) None EGM #155 Intense multiplayer online game Sometimes-screwy A.I. www.scea.com EN HUT! DRILL SERGEANT ON DECK! “My...god...20 years in the corps and IF THIS IS NOT THE SORRIEST BUNCH OF RECRUITS | HAVE EVER SEEN, WELL THEN MAY JESUS CHRIST, OUR LORD AND SAVIOR, STRIKE ME DOWN RIGHT HERE WHERE | STAND.... Well, I’m still talking, WHICH MUST MEAN THAT JESUS IS WITH ME ON THIS ONE. THERE IS ONLY ONE HOPE FOR YOU SORRY SACKS OF DOG BISCUITS AND THAT IS TO LIS- TEN TO ME, SO LISTEN CLOSE. FROM THIS DAY FORWARD, YOU MAY EAT ALONE, YOU MAY SHOWER ALONE, YOU MAY HAVE SEXUAL RELATIONS ALONE, BUT YOU WILL NEVER PLAY SOCOM ALONE. EVEN IN SINGLE-PLAYER YOU WILL HAVE THREE COM- PUTER-CONTROLLED MEN WITH YOU AT ALL TIMES. THIS IS GOOD AND BAD. IT |S GOOD BECAUSE SOMETIMES THESE MEN WILL PULL YOUR BACON OUT OF THE FRYING PAN. THEY CAN SNIPE ENEMY POSI- TIONS. THEY CAN BREACH DOORS. THEY CAN TOSS GRENADES. THEY CAN DO EVERYTHING SHORT OF SCRUBBING THE GODDAMNED STAINS OUT OF THE BOXER SHORTS GRAND- MA BETTY KNITTED YOU FOR CHRISTMAS — ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS ASK OVER THE INCLUDED HEADSET MICROPHONE. THIS WILL MAKE YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ARE NOT ALONE, AND IT MAKES THIS GAME DIFFERENT FROM WHAT YOU ARE ACCUSTOMED TO. BUT IT 1S ALSO BAD. IT IS BAD BECAUSE YOUR TEAMMATES ARE NOT ALWAYS SMART. SOMETIMES THEY ARE STUPID. SOMETIMES YOU WILL WISH YOU HAD HELEN GOD- DAMNED KELLER BACKING YOU UP INSTEAD. THEY WILL STAND OUT IN THE OPEN AND THEY WILL NOT SEE ENEMIES AT THE TIPS OF THEIR NOSES. BUT THEY ARE STILL YOUR TEAMMATES AND YOU MUST PROTECT THEM, OR YOUR GAME WILL BE OVER. THIS WILL BE FRUSTRATING. AT SOME POINT, YOU WILL WANT TO QUIT. BUT YOU WILL NOT QUIT. YOU WILL NOT QUIT BECAUSE IT IS FUN TO SNEAK UP ON AND STAB GUARDS. IT IS FUN TO RIG DIVERSIONS TERRORISTS shh and left directional but Would you prefer a sniper rifle, with long range but a low fire rate, a loud machine gun that sprays lead but only at close range, or something in between? SOCOM lets you choose different real-world weapons to suit your style of play. Se eae | SOCOM offers three different multiplayer modes online—all of them end in six | minutes if neither team has succeeded. pies en pee SUPPRESSION: | Kill every member of the | other team first, simple as | that. Wipe them out-all of them. (Noooo!) \ | stim Vistmhatal te | DEMOLITION: = al Both teams start at oppo- site ends of the map, with a bomb in the middle. The first team to grab the bomb | | (if the player holding it is killed, other peo- | ple can pick it up) and plant it in the other team’s base, wins. Great because both | teams have a base to defend, plus the bomb | | adds an important X factor to all the killing. | The SEAL team | tries to secure a group of hostages and escort them to an extraction point, and the | terrorists try | to stop them. Both teams lose points if they | accidentally kill any hostages. Fun because | the hostages become very important-and using them as human shields makes for some interesting confrontations. Once you're online (left), you can create a clan, check player rankings, chat with friends (not using the mic though-you have to type), or find a match to join by map, game mode or connect speed. REINVENT YOURSELF One of the great thrills of SOCOM’s online multiplayer game is the feeling of becoming an elite special-forces badass, no matter how pathetic your everyday life may be. Here’s an example of one reviewer compared to his SOCOM online alter ego: ONLINE NAME: Captain U.S.A. AGE: 25 HEIGHT: 61" WEIGHT: 210 Ibs. (8% body fat) SPECIAL SKILLS: Mandarin e Trained to withstand bullet wounds and torture ¢ Can kill a man 32 different ways with a fork MOTTO: FAVORITE STORY: with one bullet RECENT ACCOMPLISHMENT: Thai jungle. WHILE YOU RESCUE HOSTAGES. IT IS FUN TO CUT OUT THE LIGHTS IN AN ENEMY CAVE, STRAP ON YOUR NIGHT-VISION GOGGLES, AND KILL EVERYONE INSIDE. IN SHORT, IT IS FUN TO KILL, AND BY THE END OF THIS GAME, YOU WILL BE A KILLING MACHINE. BY THE END OF THIS GAME, YOU WILL BE SO BAD THAT THE GODDAMNED PRINCE OF DARK- NESS, SATAN HIMSELF, WILL BE HONORED TO GET DOWN ON HIS HANDS AND KNEES AND KISS THE GROUND YOU WALK ON. THIS IS A GOOD FEELING, AND YOU WILL ENJOY IT. BUT IT 1S NOT THE BEST FEELING. CAN ANYONE TELL ME WHAT THE BEST FEELING |S?” “SIR! PLAYING MULTIPLAYER, SIR!” “Well, saddle my ass and ride me to Texas— WE’VE GOT A GODDAMNED GENIUS IN OUR MIDST. IT’S LIKE STEVEN GODDAMNED HAWKING ROLLED IN HERE AND JUMPED RIGHT OUT OF HIS WHEELCHAIR. WHAT’S YOUR NAME SON?” “SIR! PRIVA—” “NOT ANYMORE! FROM NOW ON YOUR NAME IS PRIVATE HAWKING. PRIVATE HAWKING IS EXACTLY RIGHT. THE BEST FEELING WILL ONLY COME WHEN YOU PLAY THIS GAME ONLINE WITH OTHER KILLING MACHINES. YOU WILL TALK OVER YOUR HEADSET MICS, AND YOU WILL STRATE- GIZE, AND YOU WILL WORK TOGETHER, OR YOU WILL BE DEAD. BECAUSE SOCOM |S NOT LIKE DOOM, AND IT IS NOT LIKE HALO. e Fluent in German, Russian and “Never leave a teammate behind.” The time he shot three terrorists Rescued U.S. ambassador and his wife from rebel group deep in the IN REAL LIFE Mark MacDonald 28 6'1" 175 Ibs. (8% Mountain Dew) ¢ Reads and writes at 7th grade level © Misses work if he cuts himself shaving e Can make a fork appear to hover behind a napkin “Whoever smelt it, dealt it.” The time he got drunk on cooking sherry Got 12 stamps on Subway “Sub Club” member card, earning free 6- inch sub of his choice. THERE ARE NO SHIELDS, NO ROCKET LAUNCHERS, AND NO GODDAMNED LITTLE GREEN MEN WITH LASER PISTOLS AND ASSES ON THEIR FOREHEADS. THESE ARE REAL WEAPONS AND REAL PEOPLE. IF YOU ARE SHOT IN THE HEAD, YOU WILL DIE. TO SUCCEED ONLINE, YOU WILL HAVE TO BE CAREFUL, QUIET AND STAY HIDDEN. TO MANY OF YOU, RAISED PLAYING QUAKE ON AUNT MARY’S BIG IBM COMPUTER, THIS WILL BEA NEW EXPERIENCE. BUT AFTER SOME ADJUST- MENT, YOU WILL ENJOY IT. NOW, CAN ANYONE TELL ME WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO PLAY MULTIPLAYER ONLINE?” “SIR! A BROADBAND CONNECTION, SIR!” “Well, ’ll be godda—IS THAT A NOBEL PRIZE IN YOUR POCKET PRIVATE HAWKING OR ARE YOU JUST HAPPY TO BE AROUND SO MANY OTHER MEN IN UNIFORM? THAT IS 100 PERCENT CORRECT. TO PLAY SOCOM ONLINE, YOU MUST HAVE A BROADBAND INTERNET CONNECTION. THIS MEANS NOT ALL OF YOU WILL BE ABLE TO PLAY ONLINE, AND THAT IS SUCH A GODDAMNED SHAME IT MAKES ME WANT TO VOMIT. BUT FOR THOSE OF YOU LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE A CABLE MODEM OR DSL, IT MEANS THE GAME WILL BE SMOOTH, WITH FEW HICCUPS OR OTHER PROBLEMS. THAT IS ALL | HAVE TO SAY. SO GET OFF YOUR TWO FLABBY SEAT CUSHIONS AND PLAY THIS GAME. I’m going to go get a god- damned losenge for my throat. Objectives in the single-player missions vary but are always cool. You'll be gathering intel (over- hearing conversations, grabbing maps and books), sinking ships, disarming nukes, rescuing P.0.W.s (below), and, of course, killing certain targets. I’m no doctor, but I’m pretty damn sure the A.I. in this game is an idiot savant. You know, like Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man? He could do complex math in his head but couldn’t tie his shoes. In SOCOM, team- mates and enemies often show surprising intelli- gence — finding cover, picking each other off quietly or from long distances—but other times a guy will stand out in the open, or sit there staring while a member of the opposing force runs right up and shoots him in the face. Luckily these occasional annoyances are overpowered by an avalanche of quality throughout the rest of the game. Levels have been ingeniously designed to incorporate a bevy of ambush points, sniper spots, alternate routes and plenty of real-world objects (trees, shrubs, rubble) to hide in or behind. And cool mission objectives like disarming suitcase nukes, rescuing hostages and especially the final Blackhawk Down-style building-by-building battle, give you that warm, Chuck Norris feeling deep down inside, And that’s just single-player—multiplayer is the real reason to buy SOCOM. The realistic weapons and possibility of one-shot deaths give it a viscer- al excitement other shooters lack. Plus the voice chat, clan system and different game-types create an environment where teamwork is crucial. And if you didn’t already know that being part of a successful team is infinitely more fun than going it alone, SOCOM their thousand-yard stares and post-game night- mares. Online battles here are that intense. The thrill comes from the lethal stakes: A couple of hits’ll kill you, and you don’t respawn until the match is done. Creeping through bushes and covering buddies’ backs (only team players survive) will pump your pulse to turbo speed. The one-player game tries to deliver the same thrills, with levels that sometimes require Stealth, sometimes explode with panic- inducing chaos. But friendly A.l. taints the experi- ence. Fellow SEALs occasionally make dunce moves some stupid stunts in SOCOM’s single-player mis- sions, but spotty as it is, the game is still one of the best tactical shooters I’ve ever played. SOCOM’s gritty realism, tense firefights and cutthroat military efficiency are bolstered by thoughtful level design and responsive controls that become second-nature in time. Were it not for the fact that many of you won’t actually have a chance to experience SOCOM online (get broadband now!), | would easily have scored this game a 10 for its addictive multiplayer mode and innovative use of sound. Definitely the best reason to get online this fall. Che VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY Capcom Capcom 1 None EGM #155 More action, more characters Maddening camera angles www.capcom.com ead actors, vengeful spirits, historical intrigue, the macabre and more—the second installment of the Onimusha tril- ogy features all of these things and then some. If you are a fan of the first game, you’ll find more to love in Onimusha 2 than you ever bargained for. So what’s to like about Onimusha 2? Well, for starters, you won’t beat it in less than three hours like the first game. Your initial run through O2 will probably take upward of 10 Like Samanosuke from the first game, the | real-life actor. Only this time, that actor is dead. Series creator Kenji Inafune picked the late Yusaku Matsuda (best known for his role in the popular Japanese TV show Detective Story) because of his appeal to the female audience and movie fans alike. | hero in O2, Jubei Yagyu, is modeled after a | MATURE “sitsCleRn7 Hs te Here we find the young ninja, Kotaro, checking his buddy's rifle for soot build-up. This fast-moving young ‘un is one of four playable companions. hours, depending on whether you decide to root out every last weapon and item the game has to offer (they’re worth it, trust us). And replay value? Try coercing each of the four additional characters to fight by your side. Each one has a different path through the game, giving you at least four compelling rea- sons to make repeat visits. Plus, the secret modes, minigames and surprises more than match anything even the Resident Evil games have offered in the past. The visuals have improved as well. The orig- inal Onimusha was initially designed for the old PlayStation, and it showed. O2’s graphics take a bold step forward with life-like charac- ters, Super-crisp backgrounds, more on- screen enemies and tons of cool weapon effects. Control, although limited to the digital pad, is ultra-responsive and facilitates —with ease—the wide variety of moves Jubei and company are required to perform. Is Onimusha 2 a worthy follow-up to the ground- work laid by the first chapter? Absolutely. hiv - 188 - egm.vamers.com Both Onimusha games feature a female love inter- est, and in 02 that person is the beautiful armored warrior, Oyuu (inset). Determined gamers who play through 100 percent of the game’s various routes will unlock her feathery, revealing secret costume. Hey, it worked for Samus. Having played the crap out of the original Onimusha (both its PS2 and Xbox incarnations), | had high hopes for the sequel. | was not disappointed. O2 fea- tures the trademark head-chopping swordplay, only now it tastes five times as nice. Better graph- ics, new weapons, tighter controls, more special moves, multiple paths and five playable characters. Wow. Since you alternately play as, or are accompa- nied by, each of these warriors, you almost feel as if you’re playing cooperatively with a friend—pretty cool for a single-player action game. Each character’s combat-packed path reveals another layer of the sto- ryline, multiplying O2’s replay incentive. Unlocking everything in the game and playing through with every ally can take more than 4o hours. Thankfully, there’s also a wealth of secrets to find as a further award. O2’s environments are larger as well, giving gamers plenty of areas to explore (you'll get chills when you find the original Onimusha areas). | also admire the stylistic choice of sticking with 2D back- grounds. They're so detailed and animated that they’re practically breathing. Unfortunately, this makes for some tricky moments when you battle not only the enemy but the unmoving and inflexible cam- era aS well. Was it so bad that it stopped me from playing the hell out of this game and enjoying every damn second? Nope. And it shouldn’t stop you from probably do more of the same. The core gameplay of slashing and puzzle-solving remains unchanged, and Capcom has upped the ante with five playable char- acters and RPG-like fetch quests. Personally, | find the whole experience sort of played-out, The charac- ters still steer like tanks and the fixed camera angles obscure the action. Also, while the wallpa- per-like 2D backgrounds sport some pretty video touches (like crashing waves and falling rain), similar effects in the GameCube Resident Evil remake look worlds better. Overall, it’s a solid effort, but it’s noth- ing you haven't seen before. Shane It’s easy to bag on Onimusha 2 because it’s a sequel that doesn’t innovate much beyond its predecessor. Strip away the A.l. partners, pseudo-adventuring, item-Swapping and periodic brain-bustin’ puzzles, and all you’re left. with is a basic hack-’n’-slash affair. After hours of eviscerating fiendish samurai zombies, however, | realized that sticking to Onimusha’s action philosophy is a good thing. Why? Because dicing up the undead with your oversized Ginsu knife is a helluva lot of fun (if you can live with the occasion- ally annoying camera angles). It’s the fast gameplay that floats Onimusha 2, not the pretty graphics, digi- tized faces or awesome production values. QOhe VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY Soe Mireur ot ed — Fal - Rober ria, eb NO ce yn oR, atin amet sh I San Si R ; co = bade > O z ar ie Z KD we > stered jogo are regi tion."PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. ia Tecmo® and the Tecmo | - LTD 2002 The Legendary Adventure™. oTecmo, S ital Software Assoc! ig QO = , e Torrance, CA 90503 p (310) 944-5005 f(310) 944-3344 Rygar trademark of the Interactive D icon is a PMB #5553 21213-B Hawthorne Bivd., ‘of Tecmo LTD. The ratings Publisher: Namco Developer: Namco Players: 1-2 Also Try: Virtua Fighter 4 Also On: None Best Feature: Sharp, clean graphics Worst Feature: Web Site: Lackluster extras and Practice mode Www.namco.com t used to be so easy to pummel your friends with a video-game controller. You’d send the girls out shopping, buy a case of Pabst, and bust out the clunky joysticks with the big, noisy buttons. Choosing your games was a no-brainer, too. If you owned a Dreamcast, it was Soul Calibur; on the PS2, you'd pop in Tekken Tag Tournament or ring up one of the Dead or Alive girls for some- thing easy on the eyes. But then Virtua Fighter 4 hit the scene earlier this year and screwed up everything. Sure, it was the same Friday-night routine with the beer and the girlfriends, but sudden- ly, VF4 was all you played. This was the fight- ing game to beat on the PS2. Now, with Tekken 4 on the ringside raising all sorts of ruckus and eyebrows, the question is: Should you even bother with Namco’s latest heavy- weight? We’ll leave the answer up to our three chop-socky reviews. TEKKEN IT Tekken 4 t2¢ 40%) AEIHACHI DAMAGE . Sa aaa 3HIT COMBO { se 5 4 paAmMaGe r Dragon Axle In the Practice mode, players can watch demos of combos and attacks to learn the exact timing of button and joystick inputs. There are a few things we do agree on right off the bat with Tekken 4. For instance, the great graphics and sharp photographic-back- ground environments. It’s just too bad the game is still weak sauce when it comes to character design. It’s hard to take your assailant seriously when he’s an eight-foot, candy-ravin’ Panda Bear. Overall, the game just lacks the Namco luster we’re used to with older releases like Jekken 2 and 3. Read on to find out why. BY FORCE Tekken 4 includes an updated version of Tekken 3’s beat-’em-up minigame, Tekken Force, letting you take a fighter through four stages of repetitive action. In this pseudo adventure-game environment, you have access to all your attacks to brutalize wave after wave of generic, faceless enemies. Pick up eggs and chick- ens along the way to replenish your health. So what happens at the end, after you’ve put your foot to the collective ass of an entire army? Absolutely nothing. The most important new addition to the series’ gameplay in Tekken 4 is the wall. While stages vary in size, every level is enclosed, so you've always got to watch what you're backing up into. Some stages even have objects in the background (like the phone booths below) you can destroy. Paes =° imo) OmLee While games like VF4 and DOA2: Hardcore taught us new tricks by innovating in the 3D fighting genre, Tekken 4 plays it safe by sticking to its gameplay roots. That’s both a blessing and a curse. The good news is that old-timers familiar with Tekken’s four- button-control layout, hard memorization of long combo strings, and Street Fighter-style blocking will certainly feel right at home. The bad news is that, even with two new characters and features like full 3D movement, uneven floors, enclosed arenas and wall combos, Tekken 4 feels stale and rehashed. Ina lot of ways, this is pretty much the same game we’ve been playing since 1997, but without the refinement of Tekken 3 or the added team complexity of Tekken Tag Tournament. What’s worse, at intermediate or higher levels of play, character balance goes right out the window. Fighters like Jin, Nina and Heihachi are loaded with exploitable glitches (140 percent com- bos anyone?), while chumps like Bryan and Kuma don’t stand a chance. Now, | know a good’chunk of you Tekken players out there enjoy the series partly for its accessibility. And that’s all good, because if all you're looking to do is mash buttons, see your on- screen persona dish out some pain, and unlock all 19 characters, Tekken 4 will get your rocks off. But if you and your friends are competitive about your fighting games, Tekken 4 won’t have the longevity of classics like Soul Calibur or VF4. Che Tavantiad to Te TA (really). The problem here! is that, at the most basic level, T4’s gameplay is simply broken. Punches have no reach, the collision detec- tion is questionable, and sidesteps/parries are prac- tically useless..Some characters have been neutered beyond belief (sorry, Bryan), while others are still trading on the same cheap moves they’ve.had since the first Tekken (yes you, King). The pretty 3D back- grounds are only occasionally relevant since you rarely visit any interactive bits. Steve Fox (the boxer) is the only thing | reallytiked about 74. Most people will still be able to enjoy this game, but it’s time for the series to get a serious overhaul. Milkman sscanmansnnnonee s2nnnnneNIneRRAESEONAOSOOROORISS LEADS LDSLESINILO BORN OTLB BENSALEM Tekan ‘fatig will cringe when thay see How many reviewers mention Virtua Fighter 4, but the truth is unavoidable —Namco’s latest slugfest doesn’t hold a candle to Sega’s masterpiece. Tekken q is still a good game, but it doesn’t do much to evolve this stagnant series. Graphically, it’s stunning, with sharp, colorful backgrounds and cool characters. It’s the gameplay that smells musty. You'll see the same old animations, easy throws and mashy combos that Tekken 1 had. Even the dependable Tekken extras (i.e., secret modes and-GG-endings) seem uninspired this time around. For serious fighting fans, it’ll just kill some time until Soul Calibur 2. Shane VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY 8 6 3 7 Naughty little bears www.haribo.com Publisher: Sony CEA — Developer: Incog Inc. Players: 1-2— Dial-up, 1-8 — Broadband Also On: None Price: Free! Best Feature: Eight-player matches rule Worst Feature: Occasional latency issues Web Site: www.scea.com hen you purchase Sony’s Network Adapter for your PS2, you’ll get a lit- tle something extra for free: a mail-in certificate that entitles you to a copy of this game. It’s an online, multiplayer version of Twisted Metal: Black, one of the most popular PS2 games to date. All of the vehicles, weapons and levels of that game’s addictive multiplayer modes are available for simulta- neous, online fragging. Of course, the tradi- tional deathmatch mode is the star attraction, but some new match types and crazy new power-ups flesh out the experience. If you’re using a dial-up modem with your PS2, you’ll only be able to engage in two-player matches, but if you’re surfing the ether on broadband, prepare for eight-player mayhem. What better way to foster positive human inter- action than by firing missiles at one another via the magic of the Information Superhighway? Twisted Metal: Black Online WHAT'S NEW? Back in Black Again TM:BO offers a few new modes and giz- mos. Scope them below so that you’re not surprised in the thick of battle. In addition to Deathmatch, you can blast away in Last Man Standing (where survival is the goal), Man Hunt (where “hunters” try to kill the “prey’’) and Collector (where the object is to find the most crystals). Relic Mods are the biggest change. Create a game with ‘em and you'll be able to pick up items that raise your defense, increase your damage, heal your vehicle, and more. CREATE ACCOUNT When you first start playing 7M:BO, you'll make an account and nickname. Wanna fight? We're EGM-Shan3, EGMShoe ‘n’ JockoEGM. The name of this game offers some real truth in advertising. It’s not a sequel; It’s an online-only ver- sion of last year’s hit car-combat title. Nothing more, nothing less. The tight, responsive gameplay remains mercifully untouched, and the cool new Power Relics add a layer of strategy to the gameplay. Too bad some of the things from the original 7M:B that could have used an update were left unfixed. Dark, dingy environments and drab color choices won’t win the graphics any awards, and the whole insane, gothic theme seems really played out these days (Sweet Tooth’s hipness wore off years ago). Some might also frown upon the lack of a full single- player mode. Realistically, though, it’s hard to find fault with a game that’s given away for free. It’s a blast to play online, and you’ll likely find yourself shooting missiles at your friends at 3 a.m. for months to come. We did run into some network-related prob- lems, though. Occasionally, it was difficult for all of us to join a game, and a few times, the PS2 required a reboot after a nasty crash. Presumably, Sony will work out all.of these issues by the time thousands of players clog the Servers. Sadly, | wager that one of the technical glitches that plagued-our games won't get fixed: Latency (lag between players) slows the game down sometimes, causing your enemies to vanish and reappear. Still, it’s fast, fun, and most rere Ene, Shane Picture a bunch of human contralled cars Jpaovided you’re playing broadband) zipping around arenas, with gunfire, missiles and special attacks flying every which way.... It’s fast and furious vehicular combat, the way. it’s meant to be played. No more cheatin’ A.l., no more having to eliminate your drone oppo- nents methodically, and no more lonely. matches. Just keep your expectations low and take the game’s name literally: This is little more than an online ver- sion of the PS2 title we played a year ago. /M:BO has a few minor additions, but none of the new stages or cars you'd want in a “sequel.” But hey, this one’s a freebie. Who am | to a, saastsalll shoe ALDEN DRRAEARNADASRNE RN ANIOAB TR AANO DRA ICIRAMMMARNIRASRANENeNBtA Sante It’s a ance stifisery you weet ‘his game fee resto t’s missing team-play modes and any means of commu- nicating with others (you can’t even chat in the lobby). The action spreads thin in the larger levels, which sprawl.too.much for just eight.players; stick with small to medium arenas if you crave bumper-to- bumper combat. And that’s the story of this game: it's only stellar if you tweak the right options. Disable the health meters if you don’t want everyone going after the weakest drivers. And set the scoring system so you get points for the damage you inflict rather than kills. It makes all the difference between a match that’s boring or a blast. Crispin VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY L L a 8 Z ‘ } ‘ : Violence layStation Pac-Man Fever Publisher: Namco am Developer: “5 Namco gq Players: || 1-2 (1-4 Multi-tap) Also On: GameCube Extra Insult: Add $30 for a ’tap Web Site: www.namco.com = fa Best Feature: Super- deformed Heihachi Worst Feature: Massively bloated Ms. Pac-Man Imagine a Mario Party with most of the fun sucked out—that’s the feel of this hastily cobbled-together offering. Super-deformed versions of Jekken’s Heihachi, Ridge Racers Reiko, Mr. and Ms. Pac-Man, and others waddle through badly constructed 3D “boards” in search of coins, raffle tickets and just over 30 minigames. Problem 1: Namco characters don’t have the same draw as Nintendo plumbers. Pac-Man was cool when he looked like a pizza; now he resembles Mr. Potato Head with acute liver fail- ure. Problem 2: This is a snore-fest, made all the more yawnsome when you discover you have to watch the,computer players take theit turns in their more Ce ans put the Billy « “fever” a was a spasm brought on by boredom. JJayid) H. VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY 4 3 2 a Publisher: Kemco Developer: HotGen ithe) Players: | 1-2 (8 alternating) ee | Also On: : sy ~PS2 Best Featu re: Fast, compet- Kind of Like: itive two-player mode Reverse Tetris Worst Feature: No four-play- | Also Try: er game! Super Monkey Ball 2 | never realized how many words in the English lan- guage can be reworked to fit an eggy theme ‘til Egg Mania happened along. And while the title and theme of this puzzler kinda suck...well...eggs, don’t let them deter you altogether. The game itself is actually very addictive. The nuts and bolts of it: Build a tower out of falling pieces to boost you up toward the goal before your opponent reaches it—it’s a simple con- cept that offers a fun twist on the falling-block model of a Tetris or Doctor Mario. |t also offers about as much depth—a few additional modes extend replay some, but it’s the competitive two-play- er and main.games that are the focus. here. |’ve also got to give a nod to the music; Catchy tunes that won’t get on your nerves during play but will still haunt you days after your last game. Too bad there’s no four-player mode—that just seems like a no-brain- er for a puzzle game on the ’Cube.... You're either going to be addicted to or disinterested i in Egg Mania, so rent it first and see if it’s eggceptional (sorry) enough to add to your collection. Jonathan VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY 4 8 6 ] Electronic Gaming Monthly — sy FYRVONE a LIE Publisher: Sega Developer: Amusement Vision Players: 1-4 Also On: None Featured In: EGM #158 Best Feature: Lots o’ minigames Worst Feature: No free-look camera Web Site: www.sega.com Most of us Monkey Ball fans would have been content with a level-expansion pack for the original game, and in a lot of ways, that’s what SMB2z2 is. Barring a ridicu- lous story that tries to give personality and purpose to the starring monkeys (just a terrible, terrible idea), SMBz2 is just a Souped-up version of part one. Almost every stage has some kind of clever gimmick: dominoes to dodge, switches to activate, erratically moving platforms, and some neat tricks with steps, drops and elevators to make you think about that third (vertical) dimension a lot more. I’m impressed that the developers were able to expand so much on what seemed like a very one-dimensional concept. But while | really admire AV’s creative ideas and attempt to step up the gameplay, | just didn’t get into the new dynamic like | did with the old game—most stages are too annoying to go back to a second time, especially since the novelty of encased primates has all but worn off. Fortunately, the physical limitations of a real-life ball monkey don’t apply here, and the minigames have gotten more numerous and enjoy- able as a result. All the games from the first title return revamped, and new diversions like Monkey Tennis, Monkey Baseball and Monkey Shot {a light- gun-inspired shooter), are simple fun for gaming in groups. Alone, neither the mini- nor the main games make SMB2 a must-buy, but together, they’re a tough package to turn down. Jonathan While SMB2 doesn’t play much ‘differently than its predecessor, it makes up for it with devious level designs. Some of the puzzles here are downright mean (but they’re not annoying or impossible, thank goodness). You just won’t be flying through SMB’s Story.mode in one:sitting. Honestly, you’ll probably only play the single-player game long enough to unlock all the awesome minigames—that’s where Monkey Ball 2 really shines. Getting together three friends to play Monkey Billiards, Race, Baseball, etc., is the most multiplayer fun I’ve had since Super Smash Bros. Melee. Fans of the series and newcom- ers alike will not be disappointed. Greg ATUsaMEn ERT has really outdone itself this time. Everything the original offered—a great one-player puzzle game, multiplayer action, tons of mini- games— SMB2 takes to the extreme. The single-play- er is still awesome (especially with the addition of themed Story-mode levels), but what really launch- es Monkey Ball into the stratosphere is the multi- player. Once you get this game (and you should), you’ ll probably be calling in sick all the time because you’ve accidentally stayed up the night before ’til 4 a.m. playing with your buds, It’s that addictive. The only things missing from SMB now are Internet play and a puzzle editor. Chris VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY L ] ] 9 - 194 - egm.gamers.com Beach Spikers Publisher: Sega Developer: AM2 “| Players: |r =a] | Also On: None Featured In: EGM #155 Web Site: www.sega.com Best Fumie: The : deoth of the Create-A-Player Worst Feature: Not enough minigames Long ago, most sports games were less simulation and more arcade-style, white-knuckle action. AM2’s Beach Spikers is reminiscent of those days of old, with a simple, two-button control scheme and the most addictive gameplay this side of Virtua Tennis. You'|l spend most of your time in World Tour mode, where you create a team and go head-to-head with a long line of opponents. Before you get on the court, you can have plenty o’ fun customizing your team’s look. Want to be sunburned or jaundiced? No problem! It’s just too bad you can’t go back and edit anything later—new swimsuits or accessories you unlock will have to go to a different duo. World Tour’s other drawback is that it’s just volleyball. Why not throw in an occasional minigame from the Versus mode to keep things interesting? Spikers has a hand- ful of ‘em for two players, like the hot-potato-style beach bomb and a button-mashing footrace that help bump up the replay value. This is a great alter- native for gamers who don’t live near a beach (or who just wanna ogle cute womenfolk). Chris SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY 1 a 6 8 VISUALS Mystic Heroes Developer: Koei Players: 4 ma, Also On: | - » None Best Feature: Rune-based Featured In: combat system EGM #158 Worst Feature: Attack,run | Web Site: and wait battle cycle www.koeigames.com Americans tend to think that more is always better. Apparently, the Japanese dudes at Koei think the same way. They’ve definitely embraced this philoso- phy in MH—It’s like Dynasty Warriors 3 with a twist of classic RPG. The ratio of enemies to you is oh, hmm...1 godzillion to 1! Sound unfair? Actually, it’s not, since most of the bad guys stick to groups and only pounce on you when you get too close. Stay your distance and they’ll stand as still as a bamboo forest. But say they do come, after you’ve shouted the fifth obscene remark about their mothers. Not to worry —just jog around the battlefield (you’ll always outrun your pursuers) and let your allies take care of the hordes for you. All this waiting and running does get boring. But you do get a primitive satisfaction out of whacking enemies with the special attacks you select before battles. The combat system accented with collecting runes is also fun, but it isn’t enough to elevate this glorified beat-’em-up. Truth is, it’s too simplified and repetitive for even the most desperate of action-starved gamers. Jeanne VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY 6 ad a 4 The future of FaCing isn Glory Tt's vendettas Quantupy Redsh | 90al is two 't Guts ang and S yO 16 Professions) “fold: Grab the and dog your rivals. And to Mak even more INterestin come with a total of 1 Checkered flag VTA @ Vengeance WWW.xDox.com Microsoft, Quantum Redshift, Xbox, and the Xbox logos are either registered trademarks Of tadem of Microsoft Corporation in sompany names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective owner re ers Li SUSE peerne Sepeeeee sy = ~ Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Nintendo " Players: 1 ‘| Also On: None Featured In: EGM #158 Best Feature: Huge amount of things to do Worst Feature: Clunky interface Web Site: www.animal-crossing.com ish you could escape the humdrum routine of school/work and venture off to a tropical island and make friends with local wildlife? Then come to Animal Crossing, where no one else in town is human and the fish and bugs are plentiful. Once you arrive, there’s so much to do— and plenty of time to do it. This game has no real ending at all: no princess to save or evil overlord to defeat. Instead, your time is filled with other, less-stressful activities: run errands for the townspeople, pull up weeds, chop down overgrown trees, sell fish and bugs so you can pay off your house, play Nintendo classics like Balloon Fight and Excitebike, and send letters to your new ani- mal friends. And you can do even more with the GBA Link and eReader. Or, know someone else playing AC? All you need is his memory card, and you can hop on a train to his town and check it out. And who knows, maybe someone from there will move to your town. Or®: Sun 0: 06:(5 ESRS Real-world holidays are celebrated in the world of Animal Crossing, too. So cancel those plans with friends to stay inside curled up with the TV. Electronic Gaming Monthly - 196 - egm.gamers.com Some events are dependent on time. For instance, if you want to get credit for attending early- morning calisthenics (left), you've gotta stop by between 6 and 7 a.m. each day. If that’s not your bag, you can cheat and advance the clock. But you would never do that now, would you? Kody Huh? WHAAAT?! You unbelievable jerk! Yeah, I'm talking about YOU! Some people are going to be turned off by Animal Crossing’s concept: a game with no discernible end- ing, where you’re free to do (almost) whatever you want, and your most difficult task is finding out who’s got Camofrog’s comic book. They don’t know what they’re missing. AC is like having a virtual communi- ty inside your TV. When you’re not trying to find that comic or running other errands, you’re buying stuff for your house, playing classic NES games, design- ing T-shirts, writing letters.... OK, | know it sounds super lame, but trust me—it’s a blast. If you’ve got friends playing too, you can visit their towns and suddenly there’s even more you can do. For example, | went to Jeanne’s town and wrote a message on her bulletin board that she can’t erase (“Kneel Before Zod!”). Then | made friends with all her townspeople, running errands for them so they’d wonder where the hell | went after | left. Along the way, | picked all the fruit | could stuff in my pockets to sell back in my town for some big coin. And finally, | wrote letters to her neighbors (told Robin she “smelled like a mon- key’s ass”) and to Jeanne (“I like this town.... I’m going to chop down all your trees”). When it was all over, | kicked back in my house and played some Donkey Kong. Now that’s, life! AC’s not without prob- lems—the graphics are blocky and the interface isn’t streamlined —but this is an addictive game | know I’ll be playing for months to come. Chris One day, a super-cute game 2 called Animal Crossing was born and blew gamers away with its novel Hello Kitty-meets-The Sims concept. Girls reveled in play- ing “house” with their characters and designing their clothes. Boys,didn’t know what to think.at.first, until one visited his buddy’s town and saw that his pal had a cool space shuttle and he didn’t, thus sparking a fierce competition. But the road to rewards was wrought with potholes, like a poor item interface for buying/selling, un-bypassable dialogue diarrhea, and for many, the lack of ayclear “point.” Yes, AC is an acquired taste. But for the right person, it’s like being addicted to sugar but never getting sick. Jeanne he game 2 agtth N6g ucaltiee graphites, sub: par sound and really no point to it...| love it. You’ll spend months puttering around your town, planting trees, collecting bugs, and paying off your mortgage (seri- ously). Sounds. stupid, | know. But once you start playing, you won’t be able to stop. Get a couple friends into the game and start travelling between each other’s towns. You’ll be delighted as you watch your villages grow and their inhabitants interact with each other. The other EGM-ers think Jeanne, CJ and | have gone insane when they hear us getting excited over something like finding a new type of fish, but that’s what AC does to you. Greg VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY Unlimited Ammo. Because Reloading Takes Too Long. Exact your deadly revenge with precision and grace. Unlockable secret movies and action figures. Dramatic movie-quality cut-scenes. Super-powered special weapons. Destructible environments. Nightmarish boss battles. Disposable enemies. ots = = WE) a @o = = Ge S o > = S fe) in oc vw) x i o ga.com, The ratings ic HATOW 2002. www. J0 are registered trader BLOOD VIOLENCE ie (@. { ee ‘© Sty PlayStationse Py Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Nintendo Players: 1 Aiso On: None Featured In: EGM #158 Best Feature: Gameplay variety and control Worst Feature: Lazy, awkward camera Web Site: www.supermariosunshine.com e’s finally back. Six long years we’ve waited since Mario’s last proper adven- ture, Mario 64. We’ve passed the time replaying his old hits on the GBA (Mario Advance 1 and 2), different console party games (Mario Parties), sports games (Golf and Tennis) and spinoffs (Paper Mario); we even gave his brother a shot in Luigi’s Mansion. But all the while we were still wait- ing for another true Mario game, and now that it’s finally here, we’re happy to say it’s every- thing we’ve been waiting for. Super Mario Sunshine is awesome. It doesn’t redefine the genre the way Mario 64 did, but it is a fully realized and worthy sequel to that game, and reason enough by itself to own a GameCube. The goal of the game is to collect Shine sprites—little sun-shaped icons that have been lost or hidden throughout Sunshine’s Co-starring in Sunshine is F.L.0.0.D., the Flash Liquidizer OverdOusing Device. Besides giving advice on what to do next (it talks), it has dif- ferent abilities depending on which nozzle is attached: For what seems like such a kid-friendly game, parts of Sunshine are surprisingly difficult, like the fun little section above. seven worlds and the one central hub that connects them all. Sometimes earning a Shine is only a matter of completing a simple task: beating a boss, collecting coins, or getting from one place to another intact. Other times it’s a bit more complicated—and more inter- esting. Levels challenge you with unique little puzzles: How can you get those giant sleeping turtles off the beach so the flowers can grow MARIO’S PARTNER IN SHINE The standard SPRAY NOZZLE is good for hosing down enemies, clearing away % goop, or anytime ~~» you need to pre- ™= cisely aim a blast »\ of agua. It's the ‘@, default nozzle and mi), the one you'll use =| most often. back? Which way should you roll that huge melon to get it down the mountain, past the bad guys, and to the fruit-smoothie shop in- tact? How the hell are you supposed to get all the way up to the tippy-top of that giant wind- mill? Plus, levels change depending on which Shine you're after. The same island village might be sunny and pristine for one Shine, then dark and coated with goop the next. All this variety does a great job of keeping Mario fresh and exciting. The method of get- ting each Shine is almost always different than the last, and there’s always a choice of which Shine to go after next—if you’re tired of one world, head to another instead. Graphically, Sunshine’s tropical theme makes for bright and colorful environments, even by Mario standards. You’ll dive coral reefs, climb palm trees, and explore beaches at sunset, just to name a few. While it may not be as eclectic a group of locales as past Mario games (i.e., no ice world, lava world, desert, etc.), there’s still a great variety. But unfortunately everything is not bright and sunny in Mario’s new game. One big Cont. on page 200 The ROCKET NOZZLE doesn't come in handy _. too often, but when you need — to get up really _ high, really fast, it's literal- ly the only way to fly. (Sidebar -.. cont. on next 7. page.) Bes YI Seek the Light 7 Embrace the Dack Enter the Enclave and experience hardcore close quarter combat at tts bloodiest ina mesmerizing visual adventure _ | oe : www.conspiracygames.« MATURE Blood Violence CONTENT RATED ESRB me XBOX : 4 {3 ENTERTAINMENT é WawEons piecing a i “©2002 Vivendi: Universal Games. All rights resetved: ©2002 Conspiracy Entertainment Corp. ‘©2002 Starbreeze Stadios ABAicensed hy Swing! Entertainment Media AG. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Interaéti +8 oe . aq at . * 3 z = : Sees = < zs . ‘ ¥ a ft “ a Digitat Software Association. Microsoft, Xbox, and the Xbox Jogo are either registered trademarks or traclemarks of Mi¢rasoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries and are used under license fem Microsalt eth I Pod ST COLLECTIBLES In addition to the Shine sprites you’re after in each level, you'll find other items to help you on your way. Spray water around or kill enemies to find stuff like: Different fruits (bananas, melons, etc.) will beckon Yoshi to hatch from his egg or refill his stomach with juice when he gets low. Most times you'll refill your waterpack in the ocean or river, but these water bot- tle power-ups will do the trick as well. For some Shines you'll have to find eight red coins (often within a time limit), usually placed in nasty, hard-to-reach places. Collect 100 normal coins in any level to reveal a Shine. Each coin also heals one tick of health, so save them for when you're hurt. Complete minor tasks or search nooks and crannies for hidden blue coins. Every 10 you earn can be traded for one Shine. f= J — Sunshine i ) Cont. from page 198 problem all three of our reviewers have is with the game’s camera. It helps that you see a silhouette of Mario whenever he’s behind a solid object, but it’s just not enough. You spend way too much time doing the work the game should do itself, adjusting your view with the C-stick (zoom in, out and around) and Y button (for a limited first-person view). But is this flaw fatal? Luckily, the answer is no. The camera is usually bearable once you get used to adjusting it, and Mario’s good qualities—the wide variety of gameplay and elegant controls — overpower this one annoy- ing drawback. So whether you’ve loved Mario since day one or never picked up one of his games before, it doesn’t matter. This is one of the best, most clever and simply enjoyable plat- form-action titles ever made. Don’t miss it. Ey PRR Yoshi won't come out of his egg unless you bring him the certain kind of fruit he’s thinking of (above). You can’t use your waterpack while rid- ing your dino buddy, but the stream of juice he spits can uncover new parts of levels or turn ene- mies into platforms that you can jump on. MORE NOZZLES This JET NOZ- ZLE is easily the coolest attachment-it lets you bust through certain doors and skim across water at turbo speed. It’s also great for getting around quickly. Electronic Gaming Monthly - 200 - 7, You grow so dependent on the HOVER NOZZLE to extend your jumps and land safely, you'll really miss it during the few sections of the game where it’s taken away. egm.gamers.com Mario can butt-stomp his way into underground tunnels (left) and use them as shortcuts to vari- ous parts of the levels. Certain areas (below) are horribly dull graphically, but you'll need all your old-school platforming skills to make it through (usually you won't have your waterpack either). Hunting ghosts, surfing squid, spinning slots, riding roller coasters, brushing a giant eel’s teeth—the beauty of Sunshine is in all its unique (and often quite bizarre) little missions, and the sheer variety of gameplay used to achieve them. (The list of inge- nious uses for Mario’s water pack alone is more than most other games achieve.) Of course, Sunshine has the Mario staples you’d expect as well—jumping, climbing, swimming, etc. In fact, parts of the game pay direct homage to the old days: You hop through no-frills obstacle courses as a remixed version of the classic Mario theme plays in the background. Although they look embarrassingly plain, these sec- tions are retro gaming with a point: a return to the simple joys of straight platform gameplay, where steady nerves, quick thinking and quicker reflexes are necessities. Luckily, Sunshine also recalls previ- ous Mario adventures in its solid, intuitive controls. All the moves in the plumber’s gigantic arsenal become effortless. after just a few levels, and yet you'll be discovering new-and-improved methods even after “finishing” the game. (There are plenty of extra secrets and optional areas to find), Only one problem keeps | you from becoming one with Mario as you play—the camera. You spend way too much time adjusting it in Sunshine’s activity- -packed levels, often unable to get the angle you really need. It’s the one flaw in an otherwise ienienahanis sali Mark Super Mario Sunshine i is 100 percent pure, ‘unadul- terated fun. The moment you start playing, every- thing just clicks —the same way it did with Mario 64— and you immediately know you’re in for a hell of a ride. Sunshine improves upon 64 in just. about every way, with better controls, more moves, larger (much larger) worlds anda multitude of secrets to keep even hardcore players busy for weeks. SMS is a lot harder than | expected it to be, too, which is refreshing. Of course, it’s not perfect—the camera can be really annoying sometimes, and | miss the sheer variety of Mario 64’s levels—but overall, it’s pretty darn close and an absolute blast to play. John R. The ae major r gameplay upgrade you'll find in Sunshine is the waterpack Mario carries around. But it adds an entirely new dimension to the game—this isn’t just another Mario 64. Now you need to think of even more creative ways to finish levels and defeat bosses. It forces you to look at every situation in a completely different way from all the Previous games in the series. | have to admit, | wasn’t too into it at first, but after a while | found myself understanding what the game was expecting from me and enjoying the whole experience a lot. Yes, the camera is still a little screwy (a throwback to the N64 game), but not to a point that SMS is unplayable. Greg VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY L u i 9 ed it then, you'll love it even more now. _ tris Worle t fi aut iby * The most popular videogame ever created is back with a new look and variations. ¢ Lush 3D worlds evolve and animate as a reward for clearing lines and reaching goals. See what each world is meant to look like. = ¢ Exciting challenges await you with 6 variations of | ¢ Enjoy Tetris Worlds together when up to four people ™ Tetris in Story Mode and Arcade Mode, including the all : | play to see who is the best. UY WEILL £7 UO new Hot-Line Tetris, Cascade Tetris and Fusion Tetris. (Two players only on Game Boy” Advance) Deceptively simple, completely addictive. PlayStation.e TETRIS GAME www.tetris.com e 2 <2 ae = 2 = ee oe wi ei eo =} | ® y el 46" 499 Sega Wow Entertainment 1-2 None EGM #158 Avery unique GT mode Difficulty balance is a little skewed www.sega.com ega tried doing a GT game once before (on the Dreamcast) with mixed results, but they got it right this time with Sega GT 2002. And if you’re only expecting a Gran Turismo wannabe on the Xbox, you’re going to be pleasantly surprised. Sega GT does feature a bunch of licensed cars that you can buy, sell and upgrade as you see fit (depending on how much money you win, of course), but the event setup is really unique (see sidebar). On the arcade side of the game, you’|l find not only a single-race mode, but Chronicle mode. Chronicle lets you choose one classic car (usually a Japanese one—another unique aspect of Sega GT) and race through four decades of competition. Start out facing off against vehicles from the early ’70s and work your way up through the decades. It’s a neat feature that adds a little originality to a genre that’s been getting a tad stale as of late. fins 3 r7yTR ie (223 ro. i neo hAR ATK iy? Bm gameorc car riectronic Gamit iS MONTY - ~ 69m. Samers.con iar 1/2 LAP TIME ya CAMARO 728 Like PS2’s Gran Turismo 3, Sega GT 2002 features a collection of license tests that you have to pass in order to progress. But SGTs setup is pretty original. You need to earn the right to take each test by finishing in the top three for every race on a given tier (see screenshot). It’s much more difficult than it sounds, as the competition ramps up swiftly between tiers. In the meantime, you can compete in Event races. These are usually limited by make, power or drive train, just like most of the races in GT3. me Mee et | yy el yesteryear’s Japanese and American cars. Below: Win trophies, take snapshots of your victories, and buy lots of cool junk at the store. Then dis- play it in your garage to give it that lived-in look. An ultimately useless, but very cool, feature. CAMARO Z28 Samy repemarnenis 4 LICENSE Finally, Xbox gamers don’t have to envy PS2 owners for Gran Turismo 3. Well...OK, maybe they still have to envy those smug jerks a little. But Sega GT is one sweet game and exactly what racing fans on this sys- tem have been aching for since they got done with Project Gotham Racing. It’s got the wide selection of cars (from Chevy to Mitsubishi), detailed setup options and, as you’d expect from a Sega game, some excellent handling. Some gamers might find these cars a little “floaty” at first, but buying the right suspension parts will fix that right up. In fact, video-racing vets in particular will notice that brute horsepower is not the way to win in Sega GT. Take my advice: Concentrate on learning each course and buying a light, nimble car. You’ll be way more com- petitive. That said, more casual gamers will definite- ly be turned off by the pace of the game. Often | found myself running up against a wall, having to go back and rerace a bunch of different events in the hopes of earning enough money to progress in GT mode. It’s a bit of a buzzkill and Sega GIs biggest problem. But if you’re like me, the extensive options and really cool collecting aspects (you actually dis- play trophies, pictures of your cars and other trinkets in your home and garage) will probably be enough of a hook to keep you coming back for more. Or maybe I’m just getting old and longing for home owner- ship.... | dunno. Greg If you’re going to cop Gran Turismo’s chops, you bet- ter be ready to go all the way. Luckily, Sega decided to pull out the stops with this one. SGTs handling feels loose and sluggish at first, but once you start buying nicer cars and get to know how their weight distributes around corners, Sega GI’s gameplay sucks you into the zone and keeps you there. The more hardcore under-the-hood tweaking (e.g., gear ratios and camber adjustments) has been stream- lined So even non-auto buffs like me can make edu- cated choices. My only complaint for this otherwise great racer is SGI’s aggressive A.|. opponents who frequently try to run you off the road. Jerks. @he I’m a nostalgic sap, so for me, SGT is all about the Chronicle mode. | could race RX35 and 2402s ’til long after they’d have rusted out in real life and still not want to hang up my keys. Even beyond the throw- backs, though, SGT is the game you have to buy if you’re starving for a new Gran Turismo. |t borrows from the best of Sony’s series, but its own unique GT mode, aggressive A.|. and simplified upgrade system make SGT feel like a very different game. Some mods are unrealistically potent or ineffective, and you can’t make any poor decisions when trading in reward points, but spend some time gettin’ to know SGI's idiosyncrasies and you'll have a blast. Jonathan VISUALS — SOUND epee ac ea INGENUITY REPLAY Bound by ~ family-blood, © © He:must retum to the castle. 2 Tortured by. his dark fate, He must recover! = | — = 2 Dracula’s ‘lostiréli 44,-* oe eae ® en A ei tila ran Ge ai i va or PA the land: 1% Nile, — ” \e — ~ &* oo *- - Le ae. a | yr a ig ogo Sa jill Z = «Bile lc MP ATE FN a MES .< Developer: Microsoft Game Studios Players: 1-4 (2-8 Network, 2-4 Online) Also On: None Featured In: EGM #158 Fancy graphics Cheap computer tactics www.nflfever2003.com Best Feature: Worst Feature: Web Site: Fever has its moments (I’ll get to those) but too often relies on cheating to keep the playing field level (so to speak). Imagine this scenario: You’re two yards away from the end zone with a fresh set of downs. You play it safe by running straight up the gut for what seems like a sure touchdown. As you sprint for a big hole, a defensive lineman five feet away instant- ly releases from his block and drills your ass to the ground like he was shot out of a cannon. The maneu- ver is not only cheap but goes completely against the laws of physics. Even more frustrating are the sneaky tactics of the defensive backs. Typically, against the pass, they proceed ahead of their man (which is weird) and then interfere by slowing down in the run- ning path or worse yet, breaking to the ball without even looking back for it. Sometimes they seem to know the routes better than the receivers them- selves. Tactics like these will piss off hardcore play- ers, AIC On the flip side, ssa ae crs them. 8 Agtine “ae is OK, eal evi broadband connection, we experienced a “Tittle lag in the player switching. Dean 2200 Although Fever may give hardcore balers We Dan “Livid” Leahy a nasty rash, it’s candy to less-demand- ing sportsters like myself. It’s not nearly as deep fea- tures-wise as veterans like Madden or NFL 2K3, but Fever does have its good points. A thumbs-up for the easy-to-follow playbooks (which show routes super- imposed over the actual playfield) and the user- friendly controls. It is this exact combination that helps me dominate Dean “Harried” Hager over the relatively smooth Xbox Live network. Does Fever have the legs to hang with the big bo pe. But its pick-up-and-play simplicity makes it the per- fect bet for sn ea QBs. Milkman Year two Pr NEL Fever ties us this exciting innova- tion: Play 5-, 10- or 15-minute quarters in Franchise mode! Last year you could only play five. Isn’t that tight? [end sarcasm] I had hoped for a lot more, but it seems like the push to get it online was all Fever’s develop flashy overall style and sone | basic. engine put Feve oa ing. cusp of eerie . Seonenenenoens 2 PP DOIN gamers Tua enjoy Fevers football-lite. style and high-scoring affairs. | don’t. Dan L. INGENUITY REPLAY VISUALS SOUND ying Monthly nic Gar 204 - eg - - Oo H > + | Ad Publisher: GK ~ Capcom f | Developer: _ Crawfish Players: 1 (4-2 Linked) = Also Try: _ | SSF Il Turbo Revival Best Feature: Arcade-quali- | ... mepla } Featured In: Cet - . | EGM #156 Worst Feature; Poor use of Wich Site: GBA button layout natasha www.capcom.com It’s seriously time to release some proprietary hard- ware for these portable Street Fighter games. Here I’ve got my favorite SF title of all time with new char- acters, impressive graphics and animation for a handheld, and all three “-isms” faithfully repro- duced, but also a control scheme that makes me wish l’d never been cursed with human digits. I actu- ally taped my hands to the GBA at one point, leav- ing my fingers slightly freer to enter the neces- sary access codes that call up a medium punch. |’m not sure there is a solution to mapping six totally essential attacks to four buttons, and the developers really tried to make things easier by incorporating “simple” combos and plenty of time for multibutton- command entry. But to really appreciate this game’s combo system and playing styles, you’ve got to have fast access to every attack. It’s unfortunate —SFA3’s otherwise a fantastic port, so casual gamers and handheld owners can probably enjoy its simple plea- sures in this form. Anyone expecting to reliably pull off a 20-hitter with Adon: Forget it. Jonathan INGENUITY REPLAY “VISUALS — SOUND Publisher: Sve Activision Developer: Digital Eclipse Players: 1 Supports: None Pronounced: _ “Triple X” Web Site: - www.activision.com EVERYONE Best Feature: Big levels are a decent challenge Worst Feature: Gameplay offers nothing new i i It’s no secret that most movie-based video games turn out to be total crap. After the horror that was Attack of the Clones, | thought for sure | was about to be subjected to another round of fully licensed hand- held garbage with xXx. Fortunately, this was not the case. While xXx does nothing to expand on the age- old genre of big-guy-with-big-guns action games, it does provide a solid five or six hours of decent platforming fun. The side-scrolling levels—which make up about 75 percent of the game—are fairly generic in concept (lots of climbing, jumping and shooting while looking for key cards and the like), yet somehow | found myself eager to press on. Maybe it was the vast, almost maze-like stages, or maybe it was just my desire to get 100-percent kills on every level (not hard at all, mind you—just addictive in that special obsessive-compulsive kind of way). The other three levels—all Road Rash-esque motorcycle chas- es—are cool-looking, but not very exciting. In all, xxx is too short to be worth a purchase, but it’s definite- ly good for a one-day rental. John R. VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY REPLA HE WAS UNDEFEATED. HOW WILL YOU CARRY ON HIS LEGACY? BRUCE LEE QUEST OF THE DRAGON BRUCE LEE QUIST OF THE DRAGON For the first time ever, you can fight as the one and only Bruce Lee. In Quest of the Dragon, motion capture technology authentically recreates more than. one hundred. of Bruce’s Jeet Kune Do moves. Designed exclusively for Xbox, it’s an action-packed fighting game where you'll battle hordes of thugs in an epic struggle for survival. Get ready for a fight of legendary proportion. Suggestive Themes 4 UNIVERSAL Violence \ NS , UNIVERSALINTERACTIVE.COM INTERACTIVE RONLN Bruce Lee: Quest of the Dragon © 2002 Universal Interactive, Inc. Bruce Lee and the Bruce Lee likeness are trademarks and copyrights of Concord Moon, LLP. Licensed by Universal Studios Licensing, Inc. All rights reserved. Microsoft, Xbox and the Xbox logos are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries and are used under license from Microsoft. Konami Konami CET 1 EGM #155 Castlevania: Circle of the Moon Deep, engaging gameplay (that you can actually see now!) Boss fights could be more varied and challenging www.konami.com ast year, Konami’s Castlevania: Circle of the Moon raised the bar for handheld side-scrollers with its addictive action, deep gameplay and amazing playability, then went on to earn EGM’s coveted Handheld Game of the Year award. This year, the series draws further inspiration from its PlayStation 1 forefather, Symphony of the Night, to bring an even bigger, better vampire-hunting adven- ture in the form of Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance. HoD takes place in 1748, almost a century before the last game, and stars Juste Belmont, a direct descendent of the original whip-totin’ badass, Simon. Improvements abound in Harmony, but the most obvious come in the graphics department. Dissonance features big, colorful visuals with great ani- mation and gorgeous backgrounds. Gameplay has been refined as well, with an entirely new magic system (see sidebar) and of course, a massive new Castle loaded with hidden rooms and other secrets to discover. Vampires, skeletons and phantoms aren't the only hideous creatures wandering the castle. All the col- lectible furniture lying about could mean only one thing: Martha Stewart was here. Run for your lives! Harmony of Dissonance ditches the card-based magic system of its prede- cessor for an all-new fusion system that involves attaching elemental spell- books to your sub-weapons for a wide variety of killer attacks and moves. With six minor weapons and five unique spell books, Juste has an arsenal of 30 differ- ent incantations to choose from. Of course, spells use up MP (Magic Power), so you'll need to be careful about when and where you use them. But if you find yourself in a pinch, there’s no better way f ‘i 206 i. *$ . . : le eallieSas } A anny ee ap, a} jt Bn gee a ree See RN NER RIO IN IIH NINO NTI RINNE ID Once you finish the main game, you'll unlock Boss Rush mode, which pits you against each of the game's cool-looking (but ultimately wimpy) boss- es one after another in a survival contest. If you're old enough to remember the classic “Konami code*,” try inputting it at the Konami logo before playing this mode for a sweet bonus. Harmony of Dissonance has the same feverishly addictive qualities that made the last two 2D Castlevania games—Symphony of the Night and Circle of the Moon—such an absolute joy to play. The perfect mix of action and exploration keeps you con- stantly coming back for more in hopes of opening up more of the castle map and beefing up your charac- ter. It’s so addictive, in fact, that | couldn’t put it down. Several nights in a row | found myself playing until two or three in the morning, continually promis- ing myself that I’d go to bed after finishing “just one more area.” It doesn’t hurt that the graphics are amazing, totally destroying those of last year’s Circle of the Moon (without any need for an industrial-light- ing solution to see the screen, mind you). And the gameplay is extraordinarily tight, with a wide variety of well-designed levels to explore, a ton of equip- ment and items to find, cool ability-enhancing Relics and more. Of course, all is not perfect: Boss battles are way too easy (only the last boss poses any real challenge— quite out of character for a Castlevania game), and the music took quite a hit from the incredible tunes of the last game. But on the whole, this is one superb game. If you’re a fan of the Castlevania series (or side-scrollers in general), you would be doing yourself a great disservice by not picking up Harmony as soon as possible. It’s one of the best GBA games so far. John R. Circle of the Moon was a really good game, but Harmony of Dissonance is great. Just about every- thing | didn’t like about the first GBA vampire-slaying adventure has been fixed here. An easy-to-use magic system replaces the overly intricate.card system from the last game. Juste Belmont controls really well and has a limp whip (quit giggling!). | could go on and on, but | think the part that convinced me of HoD’s excel- lence was that | started playing it and didn’t stop until | beat it. Well, except to eat and sleep (Shoe made me work a little once in a while, too). | haven’t been this into a Castlevania since Symphony of the Night. That’s saying a lot. Greg TTI Wow, and | thought Circle of the Moon was good. HoD utterly outclasses it (and every other GBA game to date). Konami condensed everything that’s so great about Symphony of the Night into a hand- held game-—the labyrinthine castle, copious items and stylish graphics. Juste’s gameplay perfectly com- bines traditional Belmont whipping with Alucard’s magical acrobatics. It’s a thrilling, engrossing adven- ture that sucks you back in for more just when you thought it was over. My only gripes concern the low- fi music and overly easy bosses, but neither of these issues really impacts the game’s greatness. Overall, it’s a Spectacular effort. Shane SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY THE ESRB VIDEO & COMPUTER GAME RATINGS Find out whether a computer or video game is right for your home. Learn more about the Entertainment Software Review Board rating system and how games get rated on www.esrb.org. EARLY CHILDHOOD =< pel a =s Re BY MATURE es Re BY ADULTS ONLY ® CONTENT RATED BY ESRB RATING PENDING ® Rr Visit www.esrb.org or call 1-800-771-3772 for more info CONTENT RATED BY ESRB This message is brought to you by the Editors of: GARIN PlayStation SS MOMMTLY EARLY CHILDHOOD Titles rated “Early Childhood (EC)” have content that may be suitable for children ages three and older and do not contain any material that parents would find inappropriate. EVERYONE Titles rated “Everyone (E)” have content that may be suitable for persons ages six and older. These titles will appeal to people of many ages and tastes. They may contain minimal violence, some comic mischief (for example, slapstick comedy), or some crude language. TEEN Titles rated “Teen (T)” have content that may be Suitable for persons ages 13 and older. Titles in this category may contain violent content, mild or strong language, and/or suggestive themes. MATURE Titles rated “Mature (M)” have content that may be suitable for persons ages 17 and older. These products may include more intense violence or lan- guage than products in the Teen category. In addition, these titles may also include mature sexual themes. ADULTS ONLY Titles rated “Adults Only (AO)” have content suitable only for adults. These products may include graphic depictions of sex and/or violence. Adults Only products are not intended to be sold or rented to persons under the age of 18. RATING PENDING Product has been submitted to the ESRB and is awaiting final rating. 4) ZIFF DAVIS MEDIA GAME GROUP it's okay to judge a book by its covers. Xbox Nation #4 On Sale 09/24/2002 DRAGOON poeenpeyareerany pci re | HAHUTOCHOJN * METAL GEAR SOLID ON X Xbox Nation: America’s only independent Xbox Magazine XBOX NATION |NDEPENDENT XBOX MAGAZINE Turning Tricks aa ~