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3) REVIEWS!
OURIERIMIES|PUMIGTARVGTO THE TEST|
BSTRATEG!
ZIFF DAVIS MEDIA
December 2002 $4.99/$6.50 Canada 12
REVIEWED:
# Tony Hawk 4
= NBA 2K3
TimeSplitters 2
= Phantasy Star Online (GC)
PREVIEWED:
= Lord of the Rings # Minority Report = Rygar 14024°06960 ‘8 Resident Evil 0 EGM.GAMERS.COM
PlayStation.c
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Hi Mi ‘i iN
| Complex, character-based story set in a | ao & o } Transform voursel * « . wy! q i 1 “y ie rd unique world that combines sci-fi and fantasy 77 ae : _from the Ble
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Real time party-based combat where you control a7 — | | ‘poisons, cast a variety of characters, from spellcasters to assassins [| meteor storm or devour your enemy’
Blood | gd | | #e volition
Violence ww
HG inc, Surnmoner, Voltion, THO and their respective logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of THO Inc. All nights reserved. “PlayStation” t ; www.thq .com
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TEEN
Godziia®) Destroy All Monsters Melee © 2002 Infogrames, inc. All righls Reserved. The Alari tademark and logo are the property of Infogrames. Developed by Pipeworks, Gigan, Godzilla®@, King Ghidorah, Mechagodzi#a, Megalen, Rodan and the character designs are trademarks of Toho __ Co. Lid. © 2002 johe Co. Lid All rights reserved. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. The Ratings icon is 2 trademark cf the inigiactive Digual Software Associalion All other trademarks and Wade names are fhe oe thelr fespective owners. LICENSED BY NINTENDO. Ninteade, Nintendo GameCube and the Official Seal are trademarks of Nintendo. ©
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Introducing the Network Adaptor for PlayStation 2. Reach out and smoke someone.
LIVE
IN YOUR WSXRLD.
PLAY IN OURS:
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
* Mail-in offer for a FREE copy of Twisted Metal:Black® ONLINE
* 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
* All this for just $39.99 (SRP)
WHAT YOU NEED TO CONNECT: © PlayStation 2 (duh)
* Network Adaptor (obviously)
* Memory card (SMB 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 Service, EarthLink, SBC Yahoo! Dial and Sympatico. Check with your ISP for details.
These are just a few of the games with online features available this year:
a 4
SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs _
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. NFL GameDay 2003 ©2002 NFL Properties LLC. Team names and logos are trademarks of the teams indicated. All other (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 PLAYERS INC. All other games featured herein are trademarked and copyrighted properties of their respective publishers and/or licensors.
Madden NFL’ 2003
Tribes Aerial Assault
Orie
BROADBAND AND DIAL-UP
Look for this icon indicating PS2 games with online capability
PRODUCTS RANGE FROM RATING PENDING TO MATURE
CONTENT RATED BY
CONTENT RATED BY ESRB
Blood Violence
a
©2002 New Line Productions, Inc. The Lord of The Rings and the characters, names, and places therein, TM The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Tolkien Enterprises under license to New Line Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Electronié Arts, EA GAMES and the EA GAMES logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. “PlayStation” and the “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. TM, ® and Game Boy Advance are trademarks of Nintendo. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. EA GAMES™ is an Electronic Arts™ brand.
A
RINGS”
re ae
Cd
Sight as Aragorn, Legolas or Gimli, cach with their
Se ) mee >
aoe
ood
Battle sauron’s evil minions, including the Cave Erol, Ringwraiths, and Uruk-Gai, from the tines of Moria to the Walls of Belm's Deep.
Efvroughout your epic journey, enjoy exclusive actor interviews, scenes from the movie The Two Towers, and
i the original score from The Fellowship of the Ring.
. : s | | PlayStation-2 GAME BOY ADVANCE IN STORES NOVEMBER 2002
le JOIN THE ADVENTURE AT lordoftherings.ea.com eagames.com
A ‘=
CONTENTS
116 114 228 246 202 202 114 270
228 250 117
202 228 202 142 234
152, 193 114
XIII ATV Offroad Fury 2
Big Air Freestyle
Blinx: The Time Sweeper BloodRayne
Burnout 2: Point of Impact Capcom Fighting All Stars Contra Advance:
The Alien Wars EX Cubivore
Deathrow
Def Jam Vendetta Defender
Die Hard: Vendetta DDRMax
Fatal Frame
Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Haven: Fall of the King
204, 228, 272 Harry Potter and the
204 250 204
Chamber of Secrets Hitman 2
House of the Dead III, The Legaia 2: Duel Saga
210, 250, 272 Lord of the Rings:
The Fellowship of the Ring, The
104, 106 The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The
272 Lunar Legend
236, 252 Medal of Honor: Frontline
130 Minority Report
204 NASCAR: Dirt to Daytona
204, 236, 250 NBA 2K3
212, 258 NBA Live 2003
212 NBA ShootOut 2003
212 NHL 2003
143 NHL 2K3
238 Phantasy Star Online Episode | & Il
258 Quantum Redshift
218 RAD: Robot Alchemic Drive
214 Ratchet & Clank
216 Red Faction 2
oi Reign of Fire
126 Resident Evil @
258 Rocky
112 Rygar: The Legendary Adventure
258 Serious Sam
260 Shenmue I!
220 Shinobi
218 Shox
218 Silent Scope 3
100 Sims, The
118 Skies of Arcadia: Legend
240 Sonic Mega Collection
129 StarCraft: Ghost
115 Star Ocean 3: Till the End of Time
242 Star Wars: The Clone Wars
270 Star Wars Jedi Knight Il: Jedi Outcast
143 Sudeki
218 Suikoden III
236 Sum of All Fears, The
218 Superman: Shadow of Apokolips
222, 236, 270 TimeSplitters 2
268 Toe Jam and Earl III: Mission to Earth
270 Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon
136-137 Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell
225, 272 Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4
116 Treasure Planet
142 True Fantasy Live Online
236 Ty the Tasmanian Tiger
138 Unreal Championship
116 War of the Monsters
272 Yoshi’s Island:
Super Mario Advance 3
December 2002 Issue 161
12d 20 Press Start 36
Meet the revamped Joanna Dark from Perfect Dark Zero for Xbox. (That’s right— Xbox.) Plus the latest on a crop of new Final Fantasy games and our guide to the best Home Theater Setups.
&) Gossip 12
—T2 OX DBD as Previews 98
PS2 gamers can look forward to mingling with The Sims, swinging the ’ole diskarmor with Rygar and controlling the heroic chaps from The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. GameCubers get serious with Resident Evil @ and Minority Report. Finally, Xbox owners visit the depths of Splinter Cell.
Review Crew 192
The holiday gaming flood rushed in, bombarding the Crew with the likes of Tony Hawk 4, PSO Episode 1&ll, NBA 2K3, TimeSplitters 2 and a little game called GTA: Vice City.
c> Tricks 214
Playing fair got ya down? Cheat your way through Sonic Mega
Welcome to Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. Rockstar’s follow-up to GTA3 is here, and we’ve got the exclusive first review, some helpful strategies for hitting the mean streets and a shocking behind-the- scenes look at the game’s creation. It all begins on page 152.
ia
Square drops the RPG mother- lode with new versions of Final Fantasy for GBA and GC, plus a real sequel to FFX on page 36.
Gaming was born 30
an Collection and Ty the Tasmanian vtensiictil Tiger, or check out the mini-games it be like in Yoshi’s Island. Plus a special in the year Super Mario Sunshine glitch. 2032? Find cuton = @ The Final Word +292 page 178.
EA’s wizkid enchants six consoles this fall. Catch up with Harry Potter on page 54.
E- -BOCExE2 Be:
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. For subscription service questions, address changes, or to order, please contact us at: Web: http://service.egmmag.com (for customer service) or http://subscribe.egmmag.com (to order); Phone: U.S. and Canada (800) 779-1174 or (850) 682-7624, elsewhere (303) 604-7445; Mail: Electronic Gaming Monthly, P.O. Box 55721, Boulder, CO 80322-5721 (please include your mailing label with any correspondence as it contains information that will expedite processing); Fax: U.S. and Canada (850) 683-4094, elsewhere (303) 604-0518; E-mail (please type your full name and the address at which you subscribe; do not send attachments): subhelp@egmmag.com. The editors and the publisher are not responsible for unsolicited materials. Without limiting the rights under copyrights reserved herein, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in, or introduced into a retrieval system, 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 come from the land of the ice and snow, from the midnight sun where the hot springs blow.
Printed in the U.S.A.
Audit Bureau of Groulations
Back
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intendo GameCube”
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This-t
NINTENDO
GAME GUBE...
EDITORIAL
Parad
f any game understood that players sometimes
just wanna kick back, jack a car, drive it
through a strip mall, launch it off a parkin garage, land on a firetruck and then steal the ambulance that comes to clean up the carnage, it was last year’s PlayStation 2 super-hit Grand Theft Auto ///, which packed an amazing amount of gameplay freedom into a superbly scripted, interactive-gangster-flick plot. Gamers loved it.
Funny thing: Many, many, many news outlets loved it, too—for exactly the same reasons. A game that lets you back over old ladies and gets banned in Australia sells papers and grabs ratings on the nightly news. “Woe is the nation’s youth, and all that—never mind that the game in the spotlight is ae and on a console whose average owner Is at least 25. Now, we have Grand Theft Auto I/I/I’s follow-up,
coverstar GIA: Vice City, which ramps up every- thing we loved about the last game and hurls it
Contributors
ithan Dual
We 2 still trust Jonathan ith a few previews
andr s each month, despite the fact that
he left a at EGM to work ina p. ight: a paper-tube facto
5 of CNET, athroom Stalls. Now, he’s sunk to a regular EGM freelancer.
ie Kin How do we deal with those who dare leave EGM like J ? Damn them toa ing on CNN Headline News, Thursdays at 4:45 PST to talk about games! Haha
No longer f tor in Chief of GameNOW,
has more » for the truly important things
in life: football and football video games. What? Oh, right. And his wife and kids.
zh we crushed Demian’s old employer celebrity-obsessed game magazine /ncite between our toes like sO much cottage
cheese, we don’t believe in holding grudges.
This NY-based freelance writer has covered
trends in home theater and video games for
the past ‘al years. He currently writes for pun and Newsweek.
BI i: VOW
By Crispin Boyer
to a sun-soaked, acid-washed spittin’ image of 19805 Miami. How much better is this sequel than GTA3? Burn rubber to page 193 for the world’s first review and find out. How much more iffy publicity
| Vice City get than the last game? It’s too early
to say, but we figure more than a few newsfolks eyed Vice City’s Oct. 29 release date and went,
Cha-ching—easy story!” It doesn’t surprise GIA publisher Rockstar Games. “Do | expect the negative press? Sure,” says Terry Donovan, Rockstar’s chief operating officer. “Am | worried about it? No. It’s not something I’m particularly excited about, but it’s not something | particularly care about, either.”
You shouldn’t, either. So when you see the inevitable stories about the sins of Vice City, ignore them. They’re old news. Just keep your hands on the wheel and eyes on the road. Say,
that a parking garage up ahead?
—Crispin Boyer, Features Editor
John Davison , Joe Rybicki, C is Baker, Gary Steinman and Todd Zuniga: f you’re in troub and you can find them, then maybe you can hire the OPM team. Baaaaaaa ba ba-ba-baa!
If you’re ever around Ethan Einhorn or Phil Theobald and they aren’t too busy doin reviews for EGM, ask them, “Game heat and they’ll totally go, “GameNOW”
Ev amoon: ex-Green Beret with a heart of gold. Greg Orlando: part man, part machine, all ies Together they’re out to m XBN and clean up the streets—perma
Yo, man. Sucks cuz Miguel is hella busy now kin’ it for GameNOW, EGM’s fresh sista
magazine. At st he bailed be
affected our writi Word.
i
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Gamers.com, Christian enjoys pina coladas and etting caug t in the rain. He’s not much in
and intensity of doing game guides for Prima? Two: heel jet planes for t Navy On do
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CRAZY, SEXY. COOL
AND JACK BLACK AIN'T BAD EITHER! A PINCH OF COOL, A BIT OF CRUDE, SHAKE REALLY WELL AND YOU'VE GOT YOURSELF ‘ORANGE oe |
JACK BLACK IS INSANE” RICHARD REID, NORTHWEST CABLE NEWS
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WITH AN EQUAL SHARE OF WIT AND HEART.” ANDREW JOHNSTON, US WEEKLY
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SOUNDTRACK AVAILABLE ON COLUMBI IA/SONY MUSIC SOUNDTRAX EM & COPYRIGHT © 2600 BY PARAM PICTURES AL RIGHTS RESERVE,
BUY IT ON VHS AT A GREAT LOW PRICE NOVEMBER (27H.
PG 413 [PARENTS STRONGLY CAUTIONED & [Some Materiat May Be 2 inappropriate for Chiidren Under 13 [ FOR DRUG CONTENT, LANGUAGE AND SEXUALITY le
} For more information on fiirn ratings, MUSIC TELEVISION” go to www. fimratings.com www.paramount.com/homevideo Availability, date and art subject io change without notice. TM & Copyright © 2002 by Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.
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Keep your thumbs happy. Play video games. Get them at EBgames.com.
_ rr a © EB Games Online, inc. 2002. All rights reserved.
AND YOU WILL KNOW US BY OUR GAMES
Sega, the Sega logo, and Sega Sports are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Sega Corporation. © SEGA SD 1. The NBA and individual NBA member team identifications used on or in this product are trademarks, copyrighted Properties, Inc. and the respective NBA member teams and may not be used, in whole or in part, without the prior written es, Inc. All nants reserved. Made and printed in the USA. “PlayStation” and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks
tendo GameCube logo are trademarks of Nintendo. Microsoft, Xbox and the Xbox logos are either registered trademarks or other countries and are used under license from Microsoft. ESPN is a trademark of ESPN, Inc. ESPN branded elements © Disney.
Pane
Develop the
y iv STE EN - a iy ' It's time to play with the big boys.
DRIVE AND ' O1l584 ON THESE PLATFORMS | GAMECUBE. | = xcox! | | segasports.com
DROP IN
roTHE ULTIMATE
KATEBOARDING CHALLENGE!
YOUR CAREER WHAT YOU
MAKE OF IT...
14 of the world's top pros challenge you to prove your skills.
Featuring songs by N.W.A., Offspring, and System of a Down. Official Strategy Guide available from Brady Games.
* Online play exclusive to PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system.
Blood
C - M : h : f © 1999-2002 Activision, Inc. and its affiliates. Published and distributed by Activision Publishing, inc. Activision is a registered trademark and Activision 02, Pro Skater and Sports Revolution are trademarks of
OMIC ISCNIE Activision, Inc. and its affiliates. All rights reserved. Tony Hawk is a trademark of Tony Hawk. PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube versions developed by Neversoft Entertainment, Inc. PlayStation and Game Boy
M . . Advance versions developed by Vicarious Visions Inc. "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Microsoft, Xbox and the Xbox logos are either registered lild Lyrl CS 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. The ratings icon
S ti Th is a registered trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. All other trademarks and trade names are the property of their respective owners.
CONTENT RATED BY UQgES IVE EMES
ESRB —
PlayStation® 2 computer entertainment system screenshots shown.
“Groundbreaking and brilliant..." "Neversoft has another masterpiece on its hands."
-Official PlayStation Magazine (#60)
1365 xX 7° Skitchin-
Tons of new goals in the All new tricks - skitch behind New multiplayer and online modes
deepest career mode to date. cars, skate on moving objects, including Score sg eg and and transfer over spines. Capture the Flag —
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater™4 is the ultimate challenge. Pros obiilicnae: you . mae your mark in huge free-roaming levels, taking on 190 progressively harder goals with no | time limits to hold you back. Decide when you're ready to take on your Pro Challenge and move into the pro ranks, where it's a whole new panne | Build your _ earn respect, and show that you've got what it takes to Be Pro...
a xSox | MENTENBDO [o = — 2» : ® : GAMECUBE. = : - | , 2 of SION
Compatible with Playstation® game console and compatible with Playstation® 2 computer entertainment system
Vicarious” Visions
activisionO2.com
Congratulations, Phillip Roncoroni!
You win an InterAct GameShark for PlayStation 2, PlayStation, Dreamcast, Game Boy Advance or Game Boy Color. Hopefully, you'll put your GameShark to good use. Try entering the “no monthly fee” code for added
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MISSING AN ISSUE? SUBSCRIPTION DELAYED? Then don’t bug us! We’re all huddled together in an adobe hut
south of the equator making this mag every month. Talk to the subscription folks who get paid to deal with people like you! Phone toll-free: (800) 779-1174 Web site: http: //service.egmmag.com Snail mail: P.O. Box 55722; Boulder, CO 80322-5722
LETTER OF THE MONTH
Hacker's Delight
Is there any logical reason at all that can explain Sega’s monthly fee of $8.95 a month for Phantasy Star Online Episode | and I/ for GameCube, considering: a) The Japanese (JP) fee is roughly $12 for three months b) The PSO servers don’t even save our character data and, as the past has shown, have had horrible security concerning hacking. | have nothing against online fees. | bought PSOv2 for Dreamcast, and had multiple Hunter’s Licenses during the time that | played it. But a 2.25X rate hike over the JP version for even worse service is just inexcusable. Phillip Roncoroni goodcow@bellatlantic.net
Your points are valid, Phil, but they fail to see the whole picture. To get a better understanding of Sega’s pricing policy, we asked Rich Briggs (senior product manager at SOA) to clarify. Rich says,“The higher monthly fee is necessary given the
increased customer service and online network costs in the US. Japan, being a smaller geographic area than the U.S., has lower costs associated with its online infra- structure. Japan also tends to have less extensive customer service issues than the U.S. With respect to security, U.S. hackers were the pri- mary cause of most of the problems with the Dreamcast versions of PSO. There were not nearly as many problems with Japanese hackers, and Sonic Team was constantly forced to update the servers to counteract various U.S.-spawned issues. Therefore, there are added security costs for running the servers in the U.S., since the securi- ty has been improved dramatically over the DC version. So, in fact, the higher fee will actually lead to bet- ter customer service, better online maintenance and better security than the DC version, all of which are necessary given the reasons listed above. Finally, the monthly fee brings with it access to new down- loadable quests, items and events.”
we’re not sure if a boat counts as an appliance). Even poor Fox McCloud has to carry a stick around. Why, if Samus didn’t already have a Swiss Army all-in-one laser/grappling hook/electric toothbrush attached to her arm, we’re sure Nintendo would give her something heavy to carry— like a refrigerator. So what does this mean? We have no idea.
Pop S.T.A.B.S.
| heard that J-pop superstar Ayumi Hamasaki is the spokesperson for Capcom’s Resident Evil Zero. | also heard that Capcom will model Rebecca Chambers after her. | need to know if this is true. If it is, ’ll buy the game even though | don’t have a GameCube! I’m a big fan of J-pop stars like BoA and Utada Hikaru, but Ayumi is my favorite! Please let me know! Timothy Springer bunnyofdoom4o007@yahoo.com
We’re impressed by your dedication to Miss Hamasaki (you know, buying
ing about with Mickey and Sora, you can still look forward to Final
Heartless Bastards
Can’t y’all make a Kingdom Hearts for GameCube? Afrrrothunder2k2@aol.com
Well, Afropuff, it’s not really up to us. You’d have to talk to Square about that one, but since you’re probably not in a position to do so, we went ahead and asked (Kingdom Hearts director) Tetsuya Nomura for you. He told us, “Personally, I like the GameCube. | think it’s a great system. However, when Kingdom Hearts was first announced, many people reacted as if we made the wrong decision by developing it for the PS2 and not the GameCube. | think that actually made me not want to pursue it.” So, unfortunate- ly, that sounds like a big fat “no” to GameCube owners. Still, it’s not all bad news. While you won’t be pranc-
Fantasy Crystal Chronicles, which will most likely make it to GameCube in 2003, and that’s a game that won’t be on the PS2.
Power Tools
I’ve started noticing something weird with Nintendo. It started with Luigi’s Mansion. Nintendo’s always adding some kind of gadget to their charac- ters. First it was Luigi and his vacuum cleaner, now Mario and his water pack, and even Link with his new ship. | don’t really have a problem with this. I’m just bored.
Bpeti3@msn.com
Thanks for writing in, B-pet. We too have noticed Nintendo’s penchant for equipping their characters with the latest in home appliances (although
20
In your poll for the Samus thing in the last issue, you Said 78% for Metroid Prime and 32% for Metroid Fusion. As this equals 110%, | am assuming it was a mistake? What were the real numbers? lonicCricket@ msn.com
As you’ve proven, 78 plus 32 does in fact equal 110. Which is pre- cisely the num- ber we wanted to convey. We’re so totally busted! Ha ha!
A Hamasaki is notorious for its ability to blend in with its surroundings.
the game even though you don’t own a GameCube), but we don’t suggest putting a pre-order down just yet. If the rumor is true, the advertise- ments and commercials will almost certainly only run in Japan. Capcom did something similar with popular bikini model Otoha for their Devil May Cry campaign. As for whether Capcom is going to redesign Rebecca in the likeness of the popular singer, we doubt that will happen. After all, by the time you read this, the game will already be out in Japan, giving Capcom not a lot of time to perform such digital surgery. Further evi- dence against the Ayumi/Rebecca
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King of the Couch (TX) PS2 kingofthecouch.com
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LETTERS
You can write |
50 peas Street, 12th Floor San Francisco, CA 94105 E-mail: EGM@ziffdavis.com
Please note: We reserve the right to edit any correspondence for clarity or space purposes. If
you don’t want your name, city/state or e-mail address printed, tell us so (but please include your mailing address and system preference for Letter of the Month prize consideration).
theory is that the character model of Rebecca that’s currently featured on the Japanese demo disc of Resident Evil Zero is the same one we’ve been looking at for the past couple of years. So unless Capcom’s got something up their sleeve, we expect Rebecca to look like the same ol’ girl we’ve known all along.
In issue 160 On page 35, you preview MechAssault. Assuming that the game takes place in the Battletech universe, the largest mechs in the game wouldn’t exceed 100 tons. Your preview states that you would be pilot- ing “an 800-ton war machine.” While | would love to be the first person on the field with such a behemoth (by the way, that would kick major ass—you know how many LBX’s you could load on that bastard?), in this (MechWarrior) universe it’s just not possible. Maybe there is a chance you guys were think- ing of saying eight 100-ton mechs? Or maybe | just should let you make your own excuses. Greg Lund, WA robotechmechie@earthlink.net
Greg, you sure ask the tough questions! Since 800 tons equals around 2,143,383 pounds and a 100-ton mech would weigh “only” 267,922 pounds, we’d wager that a mech would more likely weigh the latter than the former. But at the same time, the last time we tried to put a MechWarrior on our Costco digital bathroom scale, it broke. So what the true weight of one of these gargantuan beasts is, we’ll never know! Then again, we can think of lots of better things you could be doing with your time than asking us crazy questions like this.
Post
This month we asked our readers .
Todd Zuniga is an idiot. | just read his “25 Reasons You'll Love Vice City,” and his com- ment #4 is full of mistakes. Lawrence Taylor was not a defensive end; he was a line- backer—and Martin Scorcese didn’t direct Any Given Sunday; Oliver Stone did. Those are two examples of sacrilege in one sen- tence. Tell Todd that if he wants to make cutesy off-hand pop-culture references, he should make sure they aren’t stupid. ibkis@hotmail.com
Thanks, Ibkis, for saying the things we’d like to say, but can’t, because if we do, Todd will cry. And there’s nothing worse than seeing a grown man cry. Actually...it’s not that bad. So, on second thought, we’re going to make Mr. Zuniga pay dearly for his folly. We’re going to tie him to a chair and make him listen to his own poetry! That’ll teach him!
(Continued on page 24)
“If you ever...EVER...get my position wrong again, Zuniga, | am gonna make you eat your damn foot-shoe, laces and all. YOU HEAR ME? I'M CALLIN’ YOU OUT, BOY!”
“They all sound like lame
ideas conceived by image
consultants. Bubsy comes” _to mind. The Bobcat uae -
_tons-o-tude”
é
GUARANA
High Caffeine Guarana Beverage
BAWLS* Guarana. So much caffeine it’s scary. é www.bawls.com
LETTERS
ORAM LN NONE RLEETE RT ON NONE NTCN CN ONONNN CCCRNONT ENC N NON SIEN Nees
(Continued from page 22)
| think you would have to be pretty des- perate if you wanted to buy Dead or Alive: Xtreme Beach Volleyball for Xbox. It is nothing more than playing Barbie— you get to dress the girls up and every- thing! They should rename it Barbies Go to the Beach. | bet people wouldn’t even notice the difference. Are you editors honestly excited about this game? And if you are, ask your new managing editor Jennifer Tsao what she thinks about it. | do have to hand it to Tecmo though. | bet sales for this game will be freaking high. Who knows. Maybe this game will give Microsoft some extra “bounce” in its step this holiday season. JerCat86@go.com
That’s a pretty cold-ass attitude to
SONLESIRRN ANNES OAS ONL NEE SSO NE SOSNEEESIDOEONS LDL
‘Am | the first
person who has__ noticed that the tattooonthe new guy from Resident Evil Zero Says, —
com
Maybe you are, maybe yer not! _ : Who's to ~
Letter Art of the Month WINNER
Dale Davis ¢ “DwAE,E FL
al f AG Pad. Bow 3%:
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Dale Davis from Davie, Florida, seems to have a monopoly on the letter “D,” but we won't hold that against him. Not when his truly bizarre drawing of Knuckles, fighting for his life amongst a tangle of weeds and unidentifiable stuff, held us in
Sikpuppy13@aol_
PRLENE SOREL ORIN SEL SDERNOBR BSESEILESODSSESEERIISEI EDP LES REN OSORLOO SNES CER NENA SDE EEOS ALLL ENTE
take with a game that isn’t even out yet, boss. You’d hold a grudge against DOAXBV just because all the characters are girls and you get to dress them up? Well, we think it’s an idea whose time has come, baby! Then again, maybe the game just might actually be good. You ever think about that, hotshot? But in the spirit of objectivity, we asked our managing editor what she thinks. Jennifer Tsao says, “Me, I’m not too into the DOA series,” but suggests you give the game a spin “If big breasted chicks bouncing around on the beach in a variety of skimpy out- fits is your thing. But it’s not mine.”
Point Blank
| purposely skipped The House of the Dead I! on Dreamcast just because
> Hy
awe for over five minutes. But that’s okay. You win, Dale! alli"
Get creative with your postal supplies. Slather your “art” over a standard #10 envelope (the long, business type) and then send it to this art-loving mailing address real quick. (Don't forget the stamp!) |
EGM Letter Art, 50 Beale St., 12th Hoor
San Francisco, CA 94105 (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, all entries are subjected to a battery of tests to — determine durability and flavor. Those entries able to withstand | being run through a car wash (two times) will be entered to win our — Letter Art of the Month award. From there on out, it's all based on
| “Almost Sharkworthy
Are GTA3's main man and Solid Snake just
flights of fancy, menstrual cycles and falling stars. Make a wish!
hanging out, or is this "yey _ some weird neo-samu- | | rai seppuku ritual we 4 don’t know about? | Ve Don't tell us! We don’t |: fo Jit wanna know! fa
Savi Tipe Oakes, CA
The nice thing about the Letter of the Month and Letter Art of the Month contests is that no purchase is necessary. One great way to share the contents of EGM with your friends is through the long lost art of storytelling, where the tribal chief would tell the young cubs, "Yo, check it. I'm a tell you how it used to be...back in the day.” But if the rigors of tradition are too much for you, you can always find official contest rules on our extra-official web site: www.egm.gamers.com.
Gaming Monthly - 24- egm.gamers.com
QUESTION
4 = = video-gaming moment { = 4
Defeating level 51 on Super Smash Bros.
Melee with Link. My thumb throbs just
thinking about it! BURNINGRED601@aol.com
My favorite gaming moment would be when Albert Wesker in Resident Evil Code: Veronica X started to beat Chris Redfield silly at the end of the game. bioject_@hotmail.com
The moment you arrive at the moon in
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (N64)
is perfectly surreal. blake7521@hotmail.com
The end of Metal Gear Solid. The whole story built up to one helluva closing. Master Miller is Liquid, and all the work was for naught—| feel like such a tool! mattmach75@yahoo.com
The bathtub scene in Eternal Darkness scared the heck out of me. Twice. floy6200@students.rowan.edu
When | unlocked Sonic and Tails in Super Smash Bros. Melee. pokemon_sux58@hotmail.com
My favorite gaming moment has to be in Fear Effect when Glas got his arm cut off. As if that wasn’t enough of a shocker you then proceed to play the rest of the game with only one arm. (Great frickin’ idea!) This game was also the first one that | personally ever heard a swear word in. Sincerely, Alesia42 alesia42@adelphia.net
My most favorite gaming moment was when | beat Halo on Legendary mode. The end sequence took me about 30 tries, but finally | beat it with one second to spare.
logansmailbox@yahoo.com
Next Month’s Question of the Moment: Where do you think games will be 30 years from new?
Send your brief, coherent responses to: EGM@ziff- davis.com with the subject heading:
30 years is a long time!
psi en Ban Mfr ABM OB iin te +3 pe PR ile
peeryre
dy Slam Challenge
=
sical nterviews
—— A«\aim’
GAMECUBE... acclaim.com
Or call 1-800-771-3772 Legends of Wrestling™ 2 and Acclaim ® & © 2002 Acclaim Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Developed by Acclaim Studios Salt Lake City. All Rights Reserved. for more info “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.
Visit www.esrb.org
CONTENT RATED BY ESRB
You don’t play with Voden05, Voden05
plays with you.
www.xbox.com/live
LETTERS
Sega did not have the balls to release an offi- cial light gun for the game. And for those types of games, | refuse to use a game-pad controller or any third-party light guns unless it’s made by Namco. Now, | understand Sega wanted to avoid any negative media coverage since the game came out right around the rash of unfortunate high-school shootings. But there is no reason that in 2002 they can’t release a light gun for The House of the Dead /// like they did with the classic Virtua Cop 1 & 2 on Sega Saturn.
ninjascroll@earthlink.net
Yo, ninja. We know how you feel about the 3rd-party light gun thing. We like the first- party stuff ourselves, but beggars can’t be choosers. But if you want to know our hon- est opinion, we think that House of the Dead III controls even better with the regu- lar Xbox pad. Since the game auto-reloads the pumps, all you need to do is whale on the shoot-button. It’s less carpal-tunnel- syndrome inducing than yanking a trigger for hours on end. Trust us on this one.
Balls of Steel
| just want to say kudos to Capcom for having the juevos to take a huge risk on that mon- strosity of a controller for their upcoming title, Steel Battalion. You could argue that they are pioneers for bringing the arcade
experience home. | wondered if you folks think this is going
Lint from the pocket of the pants of the mind of the crew at EGM...
You’ve done it before. So what ever happened to EGM 3D?
SuperC182 @aol.com
There was an accident involv- ing the flimsy 3D glasses, a badger and a roll of masking tape. It got ugly. Real ugly.
to be a new trend or just a fluke. Thanks! Jake E-mail address withheld by request
Capcom is indeed taking a big chance bringing over the boutique-est of boutique games in Steel Battalion, a game that will put buyers back about $200 bones this December. But in all honesty, they kind of had to do it. Since the Xbox sells less than a handful of units in Japan every month (Japanese gamers could care less about the Xbox), that means that Capcom is selling even fewer boxes of the game/controller set (you have to buy the set; the game doesn’t work with the regular controller). Unless millions of gamers start buying the
eras
The Steel Battalion controller is so freakin’ big we can’t fit the whole thing in this box. In fact, it’s so freakin’ big in real life we can’t fit the whole thing in our house, either. Dang!
t
National Football League.
other countries. Other products and stered trademark of the NFL players.
AYER
Arately. Officially licensed product of P
trademarks of, tage
" ONLINE ENABLED >
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 - Someone should’ve used the bump-n-run
4 - Use Hot Routes to exploit the defense
5 - Player physiques from L to XXXXXL
6 - Tougher Al anticipates your moves
7 - Where you sweat — they sweat
8 - Helmets that reflect the playing environment
9 - Unique player faces
10 - NFL newbies, the Houston Texans
11 - Shirtless guy with a painted face being loud
12 - Take your game into the ultimate broadband arena by playing online with
13 - Create killer plays and use them to shock the nation on
14 - Opti-Match links up players of equal rank
15 - Trash-talk faceless foes with an communicator
16 - Download updated player rosters on
EVERYONE
CONTENT RATED BY ais ESRB
www.nflfever2003.com
Your high score
is my low
Score.
—Voden05
www.xbox.com/live
NS
LETTERS
game, regardless of the price, Capcom’s going to be losing money on the effort. But we’re sure that any gamer who goes through the effort of picking one up will be fortunate to experience one of the most engrossing games ever made. If you want to know what it feels like to pilot a huge mech, you can’t do much better than
Steel Battalion.
Jennifer Tsao is a hottie. Is she single? Orayus@aol.com
Geez. You know...if the men on this staff (you know who you are) got as much fan mail from female readers — of legal age—as the ladies on staff get from the male equiv- alent, there would be a lot less fighting. Anyway, Jennifer is very flattered by your interest, but she does in fact have a boyfriend. Guess that means you can give the car keys back to dad.
| What?
As | was eagerly busting through one of the fattest EGM’s of the new millennium (EGM #160), | came upon pg. 55. Then | saw it...that gloriously evil little illustration of “Mario” and Mom. | stared in blank fascination for a moment, then went into hysterical convul- sions of laughter that didn’t stop until | was on the floor and hurting. My girlfriend stared at me like | was a freak having a seizure, and | was just lying there helpless, unable to reveal that way back in grade six, | was that boy. Ooooh, EGM, you are soooo evil—| love it. | haven’t been so moved since you drove me to madness, trying to beat a defenseless Street Fighter // arcade machine into oblivion attempting to reach “Sheng Long” back in the day.
Lincoln Irwin Lotharg@shaw.ca
You have a girlfriend?
rn Ne p MA
Hey EGM! I’ve been a Final Fantasy fangir| since moogles could breakdance, so l’ve been dying to get Kingdom Hearts. However, | read your review of KH in your last issue and | noticed that all three reviewers found the dif- ficulty level much steeper than they’d expect- ed. That scares me ina way. Is Kingdom
Hearts so hard that the average gamer will have trouble beating it, or is it just too hard for most young children? | really don’t want to be tortured by a boss that won’t let me progress through the wonderfully delicious, delicious storyline! Victoria twiiitch@hotmail.com
Vicky (may we call you that?), as much as we'd like to say that Kingdom Hearts really isn’t that hard, it is. The Disney element is just a ruse to lure you into Square’s care- fully designed trap—a trap that will have you throwing your controllers and crying yourself to sleep. Seriously, though, Kingdom Hearts is very difficult stuff.
Hi, I'm Sephiroth! I'm one of the final bosses you'll meet in Kingdom Hearts. | will make your puny life even more miserable than it already is. Cross my path at your own risk. Giggle!
> Instance
| just read that Microsoft bought Rare. So are all the Rare games that don’t have Nintendo- licensed characters going to be Xbox exclu- sive? Also, where does this put Perfect Dark Zero’s release?
Matt mpapcun22@twmi.rr.com
Matt, you have just asked the question that thousands of gamers are wondering, and the fact of the matter is no one knows what Rare is really working on now. Never the most prolific of developers (read: they take their sweet time), Rare definitely has Kameo in the cooker, and they’ve confirmed that any- thing they were working on for the GameCube (that doesn’t involve Nintendo licenses) is now being developed for Xbox. PDZ is definitely on the menu, but we don’t know when it’s coming.
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All else has failed. The lines between good and evil have been drawn: There's you and there's everybody else. Your weapon is a 40-foot-tall walking death machine. Your mission is destruction. Tanks, helicopters, buildings, the planet itself. Welcome to war in the 3lst century, where peace is one of those things you read about.
For added destruction play online with Xbo
This is epic devastation taken to a whole new level and
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’S ABOUT AS CLOSE “GOING PRO” AS A GAMER CAN GET.
Xbox Live™ is the world’s only no-holds-barred, high-speed, ultimate gaming arena. Jump from game to game and play thousands of other players using one Gamertag. You can’t do
that anywhere else.
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The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be trademarks of their res
YOU AIN'T GONNA RULE THE ULTIMATE ARENA WITH A NAME LIKE BUNNY23
a Use your unique Gamertag to build your rep across all games. After all, you'll need it to grow your legend in this arena.
THOSE VOICES IN YOUR HEAD ARE VOICES IN YOUR HEADSET
: With the hands-free Xbox Communicator, you can talk trash, call plays, disguise your voice, and even mute the sucker that won’t shut up.
DOES RUINING SOMEONE’S DAY MAKE YOU DO THE DANCE OF JOY?
2 Well, for $49.99* you can dance the dance all you want with Xbox Live. This is the arena where dreams are crushed.
USE OPTIMATCH™ AND QUICKMATCH TO SEE HOW YOU STACK UP
Quickly find opponents on your skill level, so you won’t waste your time with rookies or get schooled by grizzled veterans.
DOWNLOAD NEW CONTENT, SO THE GAME NEVER ENDS
S Get different weapons, new characters, additional levels, and more with downloadable content that will extend your game like never before.
$49.99* INCLUDES: 4S 99° 1 YEAR OF XBOX L/VE SERVICE XBOX COMMUNICATOR HEADSET
WHACKED! AND MOTOGP ONLINE GAMES*
www.xbox.com/live
* Manufacturer's suggested retail price.
ak ae”
*
I ALONE HAVE THE FIFTH FREEDOM.
THE RIGHT TO SPY, STEAL, DESTROY AND ASSASSINATE,
TO ENSURE THAT AMERICAN FREEDOMS ARE PROTECTED.
IF CAPTURED. MY GOVERNMENT WILL DISAVOW ANY KNOWLEDGE OF MY EXISTENCE<
I AM SAM FISHER.
1 AM A SPLINTER CELE;
AOA LORS
SPFREALTA acrrer REDE? Ieee
You make the rules in the high stakes game of covert espionage. Work alone, outside the boundaries oi the law, to thwart cyberterrorist attacks against the United States. With thermal goggles, tiber optic cameras, prototype guns and other dirty tricks, you redeiine justice and punishment. Rappel, split jump, glide along ziplines, force iniormation irom your enemies, even use them as human shields. and remember ~ a dead Witness is not really a witness.
Visit www.esrb.ord
or call 1-800-771-3772 for more info.
Ubi Soft
www.ubi.com ROM
© 2002 Ubi Soft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. Ubi Soft Entertainment and the Ubi Soft logo are registered trademarks of Ubi Soft Entertainment. Splinter Cell is a trademark of Ubi Soft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. 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.
1 rent ereepeperneng bee fice
www.esplintercell.com
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TACTICAL ARTS SYSTEM
- @ UNIQUE Dattle system never before seen in the APG genre.
GPECILFERTURES i“ ast ia sti“(‘“ ‘é‘COCC*”'d Call on elemental forces to battle enemies, heal injured friends, and destroy barriers. — Utilize special attack combos and combine weapons and items to create new and more POWerful weapons. Add hours of gameplay with multiple side-missions and mini games.
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LEENA SEEN BORED ARLE ENROL LORIN! LOSE ESLELEL BLE LESEDD EOL ESEAT:
RPG powerhouse Square prepares a bevy of ' for PS2, Game Boy Advance and even (yes!) GameCube
aving gorged ourselves on their excel- lent Kingdom Hearts, we decided it’s time to look ahead at Square’s next wave of RPGs, if only to start thinking of excuses for all the hours of school and work we'll be missing. With four Final Fantasy titles due out over the next 12 months (that means at least four new spiky-haired, angsty teenage anti-heroes), Square has something planned for every system out there. Well, every system except one (sorry, Xbox own- ers). Here’s what’s on deck.
‘ = » ae J x q L ono oe o De WPIBPHIPISIaS A S BeeGal Leaee 4
The most intriguing of Square’s ’03 games is undoubtedly this mysterious side story to Final Fantasy X, currently known as FFX-2 (the Official title is still under wraps). X-2 was originally planned as two separate spin-off titles (one starring FFX’s bubbly thief Rikku, the other focusing on summoner Yuna), but now they’ve been combined into one game, possibly including a third main character. The big image you see here comes from a teaser poster on sale at the recent Tokyo Game Show; it shows a sexy, gun-totin’ Yuna with silhouettes of two other characters in the background. What’s it all mean? Our guess is, X-2 will chronicle Yuna and Rikku’s journey to rescue Tidus (yep, he’s alive—see the “FFX: Another Story” bit on the next page) from whatever faraway, ethereal prison he’s being held in. Although a U.S. release hasn’t been announced yet, you can bet your last Gil we’ll see it in stores here before next Christmas.
The battles look familiar, but FFX-2 promises a new emphasis on action-check out the run-and-jump cliff sequence, and Yuna pulling herself up onto a ledge.
- 36
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FFX: ANOTHER STORY
Back in January of this year, Square released Final Fantasy X International— basically the U.S. version of FFX with a few bonus additions—in Japan. One
of these extras is a special five-minute video called “FFX: Another Story,” which takes place two years after the events of the game and shows a super-grainy video of our hero Tidus (left) alive but imprisoned. Is it an epi- logue to FFX? Or a prologue to FFX-2? Hmm...
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Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles
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Square and Nintendo: together again.
It’s enough to make a grown man cry.
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Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicies (GC)
The first GameCube game to emerge from Square and Nintendo’s rekindled romance marks the birth of a new Final Fantasy series called Crystal Chronicles. Though it shares the Fantasy name, CC Is an all-new quest that has nothing to do with any of the main FFs. According to Director Akitoshi Kawazu, Chronicles will be a real-time action-RPG with connectivity elements that will allow up to four people to play together using GBAs as controllers. Interestingly enough, Nintendo, not Square, will be publishing this game in both Japan and the United States when it releases sometime in 2003.
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance (GBA)
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance was shown in playable form for the first time at the Tokyo Game Show, and from what we’ve seen so far, it looks like fans of the PS1 version of Tactics will definitely be pleased. The story involves three modern-day kids who find a book called (what else?) Final Fantasy, which sucks them and their town into a mysterious world based on the FF games. Once there, the classic FFT formula kicks in: turn-based strategy battles, Jobs and Abilities to master, and a new system that allows you to create and shape the world you’re in on the fly. Sounds groovy. Expect a U.S. release sometime next summer.
Unlimited Saga (PS2)
The latest entry in Square’s long-running Saga series of RPGs hits Japan this December.
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Although it looks like the old PS1 FF Tactics, FFT Advance is an all-new game.
Unlimited Saga
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Saga has an interesting style and colorful graphics, but the playable version at the Tokyo Game Show had players moaning.
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Wanna play Final Fantasy | & Il with revamped graphics and new CG cut-scenes? Start begging Square.
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Showcasing a new graphics technology that allows developers to display cartoon-like char- acters without using polygons or conventional 2D sprites, Unlimited Saga definitely has a unique visual appeal. Unfortunately, the playable demo we tried at the Tokyo Game Show was all too brief, focusing on the game’s boring battle system. If previous Saga games are anything to go by, Unlimited will likely appeal more to hardcore gamers than anyone else. A U.S. release is undecided, but likely.
Final Fantasy lall (PS1)
Continuing their trend of re-releasing classic FF games on current platforms, Square is bringing out Final Fantasy /&// in Japan for the PlayStation. It’s'a graphically enhanced port of the first two games in the series, with new CG cutscenes and bonus features, but sadly, this compilation has very little chance of making it
Final Fantasy XI
to the United States because of the current PS1 market (which is pretty much dead, bless its soul). But that shouldn’t stop you from heading to squaresoft.com and demanding that they bring this baby over here ASAP.
Final Fantasy Xi (PS2, PC)
Square’s first massively multiplayer online RPG is off and running in Japan, but its U.S. release is still up in the air, as the company searches for a publisher willing to handle the massive server computers required for the game to run online. According to Square, talks with several major publishers have been heating up lately, and an announcement may not be too far off. Of course, Sony will have to release the PS2 hard drive in order for the game to be playable. At the very least, a PC version will be arriving here in the near future.
—John Ricciardi
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Sure, you can talk to 35-year-olds who live in their parents’ basements everyday. But talking to 35- year-olds who live in their parents’ basements and look like hot elven chicks? For that, you need FFXI.
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Microsoit
The rumors have been flying for months: Insiders claimed Rare, the developer behind such mammoth games as GoldenEye 007, Banjo-Kazooie and Donkey
Kong 64, would be jumping ship from the S.S. Nintendo to develop for other plat-
forms. But when? And what games, for what con- soles? All these questions were put to rest last month when Microsoft announced they’d collect- ed all the Jiggies, Mumbo tokens, bananas and wayward Tribals they could to purchase the U.K.-based developer in a $375 million deal. This means that from now on Rare will be building games exclusively for Xbox. Even better news for Xbox owners is the fact that all of the company’s game franchises (except those that Nintendo owns, like Donkey Kong and Star Fox) are along for the ride, including Banjo-Kazooie, Perfect Dark, and Conker. Rare’s first Xbox game will be the shape-shifting adventure Kameo: Elements of Power (originally announced a year and a half ago as a GameCube exclusive), coming spring 2003. A total of five Rare titles are scheduled to hit Xbox in the next two years, including a racing title (hmm—can you say “character-based kart racer”?) and a platform game (we know of one musical bear and his kazoo-blowin’ buddy that haven’t seen much action lately). But as any Nintendo fan’ll tell ya, just because you hear a release date for a Rare title doesn’t mean you should believe it. Rare’s co-founder Tim Stamper claims this new deal with Microsoft could signal a change in this department as well. “We aim to produce games to a quality and not to a deadline,” says Stamper. “{But] we do feel that with all the support we have on Xbox [from Microsoft], it will enable us to deliver games on a more timely basis.” Hmm, we shall see...
The dynamic duo, Banjo and Kazooie.
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38
When you go buy an Xbox Live Starter Kit on Nov. 15, you’ll get two sample games to try out: MotoGP: Online Demo and a “lite” version of Whacked! This Whacked! contains a smattering of the party game’s stages, characters and modes, while MotoGP is a ’Net-enabled demo of THQ’s motorcycle racer with three tracks open: Jerez, Mugello and Sachsenring. Owners of the full Moto can use the demo to unlock online play for all its tracks.
| Rani |
Capcom's new Mega Man (GC).
EGM went to the Tokyo Game Show, and all they brought back were these lousy news bits:
@ Tecmo surprised...well, no one, really, by quietly announcing that the next game in its Dead or Alive fighting series— known for now as | —will be Xbox exclusive. DoA mastermind ‘iid Tomonobu Itagaki wouldn’t reveal anything about Cronus when we met with him, stating only, “It will defy your expectations.” @ Meanwhile, Capcom is working on for the Game Boy Advance, which looks very similar to (you guessed it) the quintessential strate- gy-RPG Final Fantasy Tactics, but in a medieval Japanese setting. Announced but not actually at the show was | light-gun game for the PS2—but given that the last RE-themed Survivor didn’t make it to the States, chances this one will make it over are doubtful. Elsewhere at Capcom, Street Fighter EX developer Arika is working on a new e (above), set in the same universe as the Battle Network GBA games, and featuring cartoony, cel-shaded 3D graphics with clas- sic 2D gameplay. A U.S. release date is pending. @ Microsoft was very proud of the upcoming Xbox ver- sion of which will include Xbox Live support. It’s the first U.S. online fighting game— and it’s about time! In other Xbox online news, for the Xbox will include Episodes | and II, just like the GameCube release.
short video-of the new Kameo, repr enti just two-and-a-half-weeks’ worth of wor
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Violence CONTENT RATED BY ESRB _
©2002 IREM SOFTWARE ENGINEERING INC. Al Rights Flanorved IREM SOFTWARE ENGINE ERING wa the \REM SOFTWARE ENGINEERING jogo are registered trademarks of IREM SOFTWARE ENGI Published by Metro3D, Inc. Metro3D and the Metro3D logo are trademarks of Mero, Inc. aor and the "PS" daigs fogo are regetered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. The
Nintendo's e-Reader gizmo launches
Nintendo’s habit of releasing goofy, gim- micky add-ons (as anyone who owns a Game Boy Camera, Nintendo 64 Transfer Pak or R.O.B. robot can attest to) proudly marches onward with the e-Reader, a miniature card scanner available now that plugs into your Game Boy Advance. When you swipe special- ly designed e-cards through the device, it extracts the encoded information and dumps it into your GBA. Single cards don’t hold much—the stats of a particular Pokémon (from the Trading Card Game) ora Game & Watch handheld classic—but a whole series
& of cards,
scanned in Succession, can unlock larger good- ies, like entire 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System games (spread out on five
cards for only $5). The e-Reader’s final func- tion allows you to unlock secrets in GameCube titles like Animal Crossing; just hook up your GBA (with e-Reader attached) to your GC via the system-link cable and scan special cards. It takes a monstrous tan-
A look at the e-Reader launch titles
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gle of cords, but Crossing nuts will leap at the chance to unlock new songs, clothing, furniture and other worth- while goodies. For such a limited accesso- ry, $39.99 is a bit pricey, and swiping cards up to 10 times (for those old 8-bit games) can get tedious. But in the end, if you’re real- ly into Pokémon, Animal Crossing or retro gaming, the e-Reader is likely worth your time and money.
THE-OOUIAOO
This might be the e-Reader’s first killer app—a classic NES racer with simple-yet- addictive gameplay. It’s the kind of game you can pick up and play again and again in Short, rewarding bursts. Also, since you can design your own unique courses, you'll never run out of new tracks. A definite must-buy.
You might not have played this obscure NES oldie, but it’s actually quite fun. It’s a blatant rip-off of Atari’s arcade classic Joust, but here, instead of knocking riders from ostriches, you’re pop- ping their balloons. If you tire of the normal game, you can also fiddle with the bonus side-scrolling mini-game.
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If there’s one e-Reader game to skip, this is it. In 1985, this bare-bones tennis title might have cut it, but nowa- days it’s a bore. The matches drag on forever, the comput- er A.l. is nonexistent and the options are scarce. Even ref- eree Mario seems bored. Pick it up only if you must have every e-Card title.
Crossing
Animal
It’s certainly no Pokémon Pinball, but for $5, it’s not a bad deal. The graphics are lame, but the gameplay’s solid. There are plenty of tar- gets, lights and doodads to flip your balls up against, so it’s fine for killing time. Get good enough and you can make it to a cool bonus level Starring Mario.
Mario’s darkest hour resur- faces on your GBA. In this game, Nintendo’s beloved plumber has kidnapped
Donkey Kong and it’s your job as DK Jr. to save your daddy. Time-tested plat- forming gameplay, catchy tunes and good graphics (for 1985) make it worth your swiping effort.
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you'll unlock a special Pokémon GBA mini-
game
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sign Limited. All rights reserved. Published by Eidos Interactive. inc. Eidos, Eidos interactive, and the Eidos interactive logc are all registered trademarks of Eidos tnt ureter Boanse from Micsosolt. TM, © and the Nintendo GameCube logo are trademarks
CONTENT RATED BY ESRB
2002 Free Radical Design Limited. TimeSplitiers 2, Free Radical Design and associated logos are trademarks of Free Radical De PlayStation” and the “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment inc. Microsoft, Xbox, and the Xbox togos are ether registered wademarks oF trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries and are used 1 stered trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. All other titles, trademarks, characters, and registrations are property of thei respective owners. Al rights reserved.
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of Nintendo, ©2002 Nintendo. The ratings icon is a reg
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If you’re a PS2 owner and a fan of plat- form games, we bet
Sly Cooper and the
Thievius Raccoonus has stolen more than a
few hours of your time. We sat down with
producer Brian Fleming and programmer
Bruce Oberg from developer Sucker Punch
to get the skinny on thieving moves left on
the cutting-room floor.
EGM: How close does the final Sly come to your original design ideas?
Brian Fleming: In the abstract, it’s almost exactly what we wanted. We wanted a char- acter-based action game that was fast and fun to play, and at that level, it’s exactly what we’d hoped for. At the next level of detail, things start to diverge. We’d imagined a particular kind of sequence—which I’m not going to talk about because someday it might show up in a game—and we were like, “Oh yeah, that’s definitely going to be, say, 25 percent of the gameplay.” Well, it didn’t end up in the game because we haven't fig- ured out how to make it work yet. But for the most part, it’s pretty true. If | had the original pitch document, you’d be pretty sur- prised at how similar it is.
EGM: Other than that 25 percent, was there anything else you wanted to put in the game but weren’t able to?
Bruce Oberg: One of the things we cut was a transporter power-up. You’d hit the button and a little whirlwind would sit there. Then you could go somewhere else and come back, to make it easier to navigate around the world—kind of like the set warp points
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in some of the Rare titles [Banjo-Kazooie or Donkey Kong 64, for example]. To navigate around, we thought it’d be cool to mark the places you wanted to come back to. It creat- ed bugs, but it didn’t end up being a prob- lem that needed to be solved.
BF: Another feature we had was something called Rewind, which let you move to any checkpoint in a level. It was kind of compli- cated, and it didn’t end up working, either. Really early on we had something called the Slurp Gun, and you were going to be able to power-up your cane and turn it into a one- item vacuum cleaner that would pick some- thing up and move it. That was one of those
Take a closer look
ghis: Sly Cooper
Overali-wearing octopus guy, meet the sharp end of Sly Cooper's cane.
things where we actually built real game lev- els that required this power-up, but ended up discarding those. The problem was we came up with all these great ideas of using the Slurp Gun, but they all ended up being really puzzle-y, and we just weren’t going in that direction with this game.
EGM: In all the levels, there’s always
something right in front of you to whack
or interact with. Does that come from a
particular design philosophy?
BF: It’s very intentional. | don’t know if I’d
brand it as a philosophy; it’s more of a goal (continued on page 44)
Sly has incredibly detailed backgrounds, but in
your rush to recover the Thievius Raccoonus, you may have missed a few things. “There are some textures in the second world in Muggshot’s level
that are actually the box covers from Rocket:
Robot on Wheels [Sucker Punch’s Nintendo 64 game],” Fleming tells us. “They’re torn-down signs. And all the graffiti in that area is actually the initials of the people who worked on Sly, spray-painted on the walls.”
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(continued from page 42)
or a habit. The way we would describe it is, we had a very specific idea about the pacing of the game, whether it’s little things to do, like breaking things, or larger stuff. There were sequences that we prototyped and tried—a lot of sequences—that involved Stealth, but the pace was unacceptably slow for us. You were required to hide and stay hidden for what we consider to be too long. A lot of games have done stealth and we feel like one of the things we tried to con- stantly pay attention to was keeping the player moving and interacting. It was a pret- ty pervasive thing, to keep the pacing up.
EGM: Which of the levels are you most proud of, and why?
That’s a good question, and | have to say, that’s a new question!
Yeah, that’s one we have not heard before.
ll tell ya—there’s a very easy answer for me on that. | am incredibly proud—and this is going to sound dorky—of the first two levels of the game. The Paris level on top of the building...we didn’t want to start with a movie, we wanted to start with action. We wanted the perception that it’s a dangerous mission, but not [too dangerous] because we wanted people to be successful.
Then the next level is important more for historical reasons, because it was the first really good example of the game we were building that we were able to construct. It has a good combination of the stealth ele- ments with enemies and environmental dan- ger. It’s got the whole package, and it’s the first one that really worked. As a result, it defined a lot of the gameplay.
It’s a hard question because so many people have put in so much on so many of the levels. An honorable mention has to go to the Bentley level, where he’s in cyberspace —it
Beat the game and you’re treated to a very anime-esque version of Sly
Cooper’s opening cinema. That movie is actually the intro of the Japanese version, where all the cut-scenes feature this new style. Likewise, players in | Japan will be treated with the American intro upon finishing the game.
Isthata
| fountain of ©
water or
drool?
looks completely different from anything else in the game and it’s a really cool turn. | didn’t work on it myself, but | was really proud that we were able to do that.
Yeah—make a geeky ’80s game. [laughs]
: I’d say my favorite level is the library—the first barrel level you play. It’s super fun; a lot of people enjoy it on many different levels, it’s dangerous but it’s kind of cool, it’s got the Stealth going. That’s one of the first levels where we got some of our custom camera work working. Like where it’s the Batman view and the camera’s over your shoulder looking down on the bad guy from above. Or where there’s light coming through all the windows and we’re casting shadows on everything that’s moving back and forth. A lot of the lighting was worked out on that level. It’s got tons of technical stuff going on that maybe you won't notice.
EGM: One of the criticisms of the game is that it’s too short, that someone can finish it in eight to 10 hours. What’s your response to that?
I’m not going to tell you that this is the longest game ever, but | do think it’s got a good balance. The person who [finishes it] in eight hours is at the far short end of the spectrum. They’ve gotta be a good gamer, very experi- enced, play a ton of games. Do | think that’s an acceptable time? Yes. Do | wish it was a bit longer? Sure. But we think there’s enough “good stuff” and reward for opening all the safes and completing the Thief Sprints to keep people playing to 100 percent.
EGM: The ending for the game leaves things wide open for a sequel. Have you started thinking about that at all?
We really haven’t. Most of the people here are on a much-deserved vacation. Those of us that are here are working on the international versions of the game. So our heads are very firmly on the one game right now. #4
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SAVING*THE HUMAN ANGE Only Defender gives you the"?oWer do save the human race. ftom the ‘ onslaughtof an alien invasion. Now the timeless ction videogame returns, - all-new and if full*3D, with non-stof space combat, strategic gameplay, “special ‘weapons, and a ship designed to be an alien's worst nightmare. "YOU ARE THE LAST LINE OF-DEFENSE. YOU ARE THE DEFENDER. ” a ‘ : 9 :
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\ , LLC. All Rights Reserv he vay logos are registered trademarks of Midway Amusement Games, LLC. Used by permission. Developed by California Seven Studios.-Inc. Distributed under license by. Midway-Home Entertainment Inc. ™, ®, Game Boy Advance and the Nintendo GameCube logo dre trademarks of Nintendo, “PlayStation and the ‘PS’ Family logo are registered trade- marks 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.
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Strong Language
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Say hello to Melice, evil’s 90-pound Mightmare. As Malice, you ‘Ii take on the evil Fire God
and his hell-bent minions, wield apocalyptic weaponry and ain mind-bending puzzles in a twisted
netherworld. CUTE If ONLY SKIN DEEP.
ic. All rights reserved. Sierra and the Sierra logo are trademarks of Sierra Entertainment, Inc. Malice © 2002 Argonaut Software Ltd. Malice, Argonaut and the Argonaut
aut Software Ltd. Developed by Argonaut Software Ltd. “PlayStation” and the “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
legos are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries and are used under license from Microsoft. © 2002 by Prima Games. a division of Random House, Inc., registered in the United States and other countries. *Free Mini Hint Book included in the first 375,000 games.
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emarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. © 2002 Rockstar Games, Inc. Rockstar Games, the Rockstar Games logo,Rockstar
“PlayStation” and the “PS” Family logo are registered trad n tocks : -Two Interactive Software, Inc. Rockstar Games and Rockstar North are subsidiaries of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. / uidelines for M rated games in the marketing of this
North and the Rockstar North logo are trademarks of Take- ( J \ other marks and trademarks are properties of their respective owners. All Rights Reserved. Note: Rockstar will be following IDSA g f in game. This game contains violent language and behavior and may not be appropriate for persons under the age of 17. It is a comic interpretation of ——— activity and the story, names and incidents portrayed herein are fictitious. No identification or similarity to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events is intended or should be inferred. Any resemblance 's coincidental. The makers and publishers of this videogame do not in any way endorse, condone or encourage this kind of behavior.
Illustrations by Jeremy “Norm” Scott
EA’s iconic wizard, , explores the Chamber of Secrets on six consoles
MAGIC IN A BOX: This version of Chamber of Secrets sports the prettiest visuals of the three, so Xbox owners can glow green with pride. The Quidditch looks simply stunning, and it’s the closest thing to Zelda available on
ii
What to play if you're:
Very Potter: If you’ve ever slept on a Harry Potter pillow or uttered the word “Flippendo!” in public, you’re probably stoked to try as many Chamber of Secrets games as possible. We recom- mend dabbling in five of them to get the ultimate experience.
Fairly Potter: You’ve read the books or seen the movie, but you’ve yet to go off the mysti- cal deep end. Picking up the GameCube and Game Boy Advance versions will give you
a tidy, rewarding Potter one-two punch.
Nary Potter: If you’re a bona fide Harry hater, you’re really only hurting yourself. Pottermania isn’t some flash in the pan—the source material Is really just that amazing. Quit chugging the Hatorade and pop Harry into your Xbox. It’ll kill some time until Halo 2.
EGM: EGM:
ale nit
HIGH ON POTTER: The
PlayStation 2 version lacks the
GBA link-up of its GC cousin and has
a slightly darker look, but it offers an exclusive feature: the ability to freely fly around the entire Hogwarts campus
on a broomstick.
each of the games. A serious Potter fan can and should play all of them.
EGM: Do Hermione and Ron feature more prominently in the game? Did you consider letting the player control them?
wii: No, the experience is to “be Harry Potter.” You are the Boy Who Lived. It would have to be a “be Hermoine” or “be
Ron” game in order to play as them. We do stress the theme of “Friendship, Loyalty and Courage,” so Harry does interact with them a great deal. They help lead Harry in the right direction. EGM: How did you work with Warner Bros. to create a cohesive visual style with the film?
«/\.: We do lots of movie-set visits. We meet regularly with David Heyman, the film’s producer, and we’ve had meetings with Chris Columbus, the director. We’ve been working hand and glove with WB to make it look right. Certainly, we have our own take on things. For example, our Diagon Alley (continued on page 56)
Electronic Gaming Monthly - 35 - egm.gamers.com
Welcome Back, Potter (continued)
Magical things happen when you link the GameCube version of Chamber to your Game Boy Advance. First, your GameCube starts belching out crisp $100 bills, and then your GBA turns into a mon- goose. Naw, not really. In reality, if you link the GC to your GBA (with the handy GC/GBA link cable, sold separately) with no cartridge in the GBA, you can download a simple slid- ing-puzzle game using Potter artwork. That’s kinda cool (for a total freebie), but if you hook it up with the GBA version of Chamber inserted, you’ll unleash some special exclu-
sive content. In the GBA game, Harry can now
visit the Forbidden Forest, a misty grove
_THELEGEND OF
bes
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teeming with Guytrash. No, a “Guytrash” ain’t some trailer-park redneck in a wifebeat- er—it’s an evil undead hound that Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling created for the game. These beasts haven’t even appeared in any of the books yet, but we’re not so sure we dig the name J.K. cooked up for them.
If you successfully complete the Forbidden Forest, you'll find an item that unlocks a new area in the GC game—the Wizarding Bank, Gringotts. Here, Harry can chat up some gob- lins and find special rare wizard cards while examining his giant pile of money. This loca- tion cannot be accessed in either the Xbox or PS2 versions of the game, so GameCube owners can point and laugh at those less fortunate than themselves.
One word you won’t hear in any of this year’s Harry Potter games is “muggle,” a term that’s used extensively in the books to describe people who cannot use magic. Why was it removed? The problem stems from a lawsuit filed by Nancy Stouffer, the author of The Legend of Rah and the Muggles, an early ’80s fantasy novel. Her cockamamie lawsuit was recently thrown out, but it was too late for “muggles” to make it back into the game.
Yep, that’s Gringotts Bank in the distance. The secret to getting inside lies in connecting your GBA and GC together via a link cable. Here, Harry casts “Crossmarketo Supremo!”
If EA upgrades Quidditch this much every year, we'll have an EA Sports online version in
no time flat!
Gh
Going to magic school isn’t only about Studying dusty old books and wearing Silly hats. In fact, these kids are totally into their physical activities. The most popular sport among witch- es and wizards combines elements of rugby, soccer and, well, flying around on a broomstick to create a chaotic good time. Every one of this year’s Harry Potter titles offers a playable form of Quidditch, but it’s the next- generation titles that best capture the game’s heart-pounding excitement.
Here’s a quick refresher course: Each Quidditch team consists of
seven broomstick-mounted players who zip about trying to score points by landing a ball in the opponent’s goal. Of course, that’s too simple, so some other balls, called Bludgers, fly around with a mind of their own, knocking players from their brooms. To make it even more absurd, another ball, known as the Snitch, randomly appears in the air. If a team catches this wily winged bauble, they’re rewarded mega points. That’s where you come in—Harry is his team’s Seeker, charged with the task of Snagging the Snitch.
Give
The number of Harry Potter books sold worldwide passed that all-important benchmark in June of 2001. Chances of out- selling the Bible (6 billion in print) still undetermined.
What does the future hold for young Harry? Only creator J.K. Rowling knows for sure. In 2003, we should (hopefully) get the fifth book, but the third movie won't arrive until 2004.
The future of the Harry Potter empire doesn’t seem quite as definite as it dida year ago. The fifth book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, was originally expected to come out during the summer of 2002, but the publisher has now pushed the release back to “sometime in 2003.” Details on the tome remain shrouded in magical mystery, but we did score a few good clues on possible plot points. “I expect an all-out battle between the forces of good and evil,” claims EA’s Guy Miller. “You have to think about what the Order of the Phoenix means—the phoenix is a loyal bird, so it’s all about loyalty and choosing sides.”
Likewise, the future of the film series is a little shaky. Warner Bros. announced that there won’t be a movie based on the third book, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, until at least the summer of 2004. This delay will directly affect EA’s games, since they will have to wait until then to release a third adventure for
Harry, but that doesn’t mean another game based on the books can’t come out. “Harry Potter Online is not dead,” says Miller. “The idea behind it is for you to play along with others as a student at Hogwarts. Harry is there, and he’s in the background, but you’re just a student.” EA’s mum on the topic of what platform this online Hogwarts adventure might end up on, but we speculate that a multi- tiered assault on Xbox, PS2, GameCube and PC is likely.
Also, Miller and his team are already working on the game based on Prisoner of Azkaban, even though it’s still a year-and- a-half away. It’s his favorite book of the series So far, so he’s excited about imple- menting features like the Marauder’s Map and Harry’s escapades to Hogsmead. “The tough thing about the third book is that there’s no boss at the end, whereas the first two both have great bosses,” remarks Miller. “We’re going to have to be a bit more creative with the climax.”
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Achieve total in-game immersion With our guide
to building a sonic-booming
e call ‘em “video” games, but nowadays, that’s only half the tale. A growing pile of games is being coded with room-rumbling audio effects that are more than just extra bells and whistles. We’re talking about hearing that zombie as he
shuffles out of the shadows behind you, or the
bullet that whizzes just inches from your right ear, or the roar of a TIE fighter’s engine as it zeroes in On your Six.
More to the point, we’re talking about the boom in console games that use surround sound to immerse you in their worlds. Cool, eh? But there’s a catch: To experience these boffo effects, you need boffo gear—that tiny, tinny speaker on your boob tube ain’t gonna do it. So listen up as we give you the ins and outs of today’s ear- rattling game-audio technology, and recommend rigs that'll deliver the Surround-sound goods in your price range.
Battle of the formats: Dolby vs. DTS Ancient cave paintings show us that games from the good ol’ days offered what’s called mono, or one-channel, sound. It didn’t matter if you had one speaker or a dozen; they’d all pump out the same signal. It was the equivalent of hearing Halo on grampa’s transistor radio. Then along came consoles that supported stereo sound, a two-channel format that offers a clear distinction in what you hear from the left and right speakers. It worked just fine for the side-scrolling platform games on the Genesis and Super NES. After all, 2D graphics only need 2D sound, right? Meanwhile, Dolby Laboratories introduced Surround sound to movie theaters —and eventually brought the technology to the
Look for the Logos
Games with surround sound will feature one of these logos on the back of the box, usually in the lower right corner.
home with VHS and
laserdisc—in the form of Dolby
Surround. Dolby Surround added more dimension to conventional stereo by providing three sources of sound in the front (left, center and right) and one in the rear, all decoded from an ordinary, two-channel analog stereo source. Dolby Surround is the most supported surround-sound format in games today—you just need a Stereo receiver that can decode Dolby Pro Logic, along with four speakers, to hear it.
Dolby’s most recent advancement is Pro Logic Il, which one-ups Dolby Surround by Splitting the rear signal into left and right channels. That makes five sound signals in all from a conventional two-channel analog
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Source, resulting in a richer, more 3D-sounding experience that doesn’t require you to jack in with a special digital cable (and we’ll tell you why that’s so important in a sec). Pro Logic Il is becoming an increasingly popular surround-sound format for games. It’s also backwards compatible, so you can hear Dolby Surround- encoded effects just fine on a Pro Logic ll- enabled stereo system.
But Dolby’s cock-of-the-walk surround- sound format is Dolby Digital, a.k.a. Dolby 5.1, which provides six channels of digital surround sound. You get front-left, front- right and front-center channels for the clear positioning of dialogue and effects, while discrete rear-left and rear-right channels immerse you in more precise ambient,
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icrosoft. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association.
Got the Hookups
Analog connections are the red-and-white stereo jacks that sprout from all consoles. An analog cable is all you need to hear Dolby Surround and Pro Logic II effects. For Dolby Digital and DTS, you gotta buy an optical-digital cable. Coaxial is another kind of digital connection found on many receivers. It’s handy for jacking in MP3 players.
Analog
| Optical-digital
| Coaxial
positional sounds than those you’d hear from Pro Logic Il. The sixth channel uses a subwoofer to pump out low-frequency bass effects when, say, the Death Star goes kablooey, or the blond guy in Dumb and Dumber chugs Turbo-Lax. Nearly every Xbox title supports Dolby Digital. Of course, you need speakers to handle all those channels, and that’s where the term “5.1” comes in. The “5” refers to the five main speakers wy center, right, rear-left and rear-right) in your home-theater setup, while “.1 denotes the subwoofer.
Dolby Labs isn’t the only company making noise when it comes to surround-sound formats; Digital Theater Systems (DTS),
a competing 5.1 format that first shook audiences in 1993’s Jurassic Park, is becoming more and more popular on DVDs. Many newer DVD flicks, in fact, contain both a Dolby Digital audio track and a DTS audio track. Because it can reproduce higher and lower frequencies of sound, DTS is often considered a richer audio experience by snooty audiophiles. Its use in games, however, is limited. Last year, Electronic Arts began a partnership with DTS to bring multi-channel digital audio to several PlayStation 2 titles, including SSX Tricky and NHL 2002. Activision recently jumped on the DTS wagon with Street Hoops.
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Great, now what do I need if | want to hear it all? The ingredients list for your surround-sound system is short and sweet: You need a source (in this case, your game system and a game encoded with surround sound), a receiver to decode the signal, and speakers to pump the signal out to. The most important component is your receiver—you’ll need to make sure the One you buy can decode the surround-sound format you favor. Fortunately, most receivers these days support Pro Logic II (and thus Dolby Surround) and Dolby Digital. Many receivers support DTS, too, though that’s a little less common.
Surround-sound speaker setups come in all shapes and sizes, and higher-quality, individually sold speakers can cost a bundle. The good news: Gamers who are lean on funds can turn to “home theater-in-a-box” systems. These all-in-one surround-sound solutions pack a receiver and 5.1 Speaker setup in one tidy package, often for less-than-budget-nuking prices. Oh, and if you’re going to play Dolby Digital- or DTS-enabled games or movies, you’ll need to connect your console to your receiver via a Separately sold optical-digital cable. For
Dolby Surround and Pro Logic Il-enabled games,
you need only the regular red-and-white cables that came with your system (see “Got the Hookups” above for more info).
Electronic Gaming Monthly 60 - egm.gamers.com
Dolby Digital all the way, baby! — | The Xbox was designed with the | 5.4 format in mind, and nearly
fe every Xbox game supports it.
Medal of Honor: Frontline”
So, which box rocks the block? Microsoft’s Xbox is by far the spunkiest console in the surround-sound department. It was designed from day one to pump out Dolby Digital audio during gameplay, so nearly every Xbox game offers 5.1 surround sound. Just be sure to buy the optional Advanced A/V Pack and an optical-digital cable to hook your Xbox to your Dolby Digital-compatible receiver.
The PS2, on the other hand, lacks built-in Dolby Digital support. Because Dolby 5.1 takes a load of processing power, no PS2 title packs in-game Dolby Digital effects (although you’ll hear them in some cinemas). A few games do offer DTS 5.1 sound, but they’re outnumbered by PS2 titles with the inferior but still nifty Dolby Surround. DVD movies with Dolby Digital and DTS play just fine on the PS2, though again, you’ll need to buy the separate A/V adapter and optical-digital cable.
The GameCube is the lowest on the Surround-sound ladder, mainly because it lacks an optional optical-digital jack and is therefore cut off from the digital-only Dolby Digital and DTS formats. That’s why Pro Logic Il, which doesn’t require a special connection, is so crucial to Cube owners. It doesn’t offer quite the degree of rear-channel separation that Dolby Digital boasts, but it’s close. You'll think so the first time you hear that TIE fighter scream up behind you in Rogue Leader.
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surround-Sound Buyer's Guide
AN , LUCASFILM
We’ve all seen the THX logo crackle to life before a flick’s opening credits, but what does it mean? THX isn’t a surround-sound format like Dolby Digital or DTS. It’s actually a certification process for movies and audio gear. Lucasfilm established the standard to ensure that what you’re hearing sounds as close as possible to what the movie’s director intended.
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SOUND SYSTEM
Now that you’re ready to hear everything, here’s a selection of super surround-sound systems for every budget
-y Surround on the cheap
6 Why play games in stone-age stereo when these home theater-in-a-box setups (and one game-specific kit) are so dang affordable?
V
< InterAct DSS-900 5.1 THX-certified Speaker System ° $150
This mini-surround system is tailor-made for console gaming. It offers true 5.1 Dolby Digital sound for Xbox owners and a Pro Logic mode for the many PS2 and GameCube games with Dolby Surround. And, of course, it comes with a 5.1 array of speakers that are small but get the job done.
Pioneer HTP-220-S/K
Home Theater in a Box ° $475
With 100 watts pumped to each of its five main channels, this home theater-in-a-box system packs a lot of power. Even better, the receiver supports Dolby Digital, Pro Logic Il and DTS, so it’s compatible with every surround-sound format in today’s games.
Vv
The junior-executive systems
$$) Now that you’re serious about surround sound, you’re ready to rise above the all-in-
one deals. Match one of the receivers below with a set of Harmon Kardon 5.1 speakers for a rig that’ll scare the neighbors.
A Sony STR-DE685 Receiver * $300 This sucker decodes 32-bit Dolby Digital, Dolby Pro Logic Il and DTS, pumps 100 watts of total power, and features Sony’s Digital-Cinema Sound System. An assortment of modes lets you tweak any type of surround soundtrack, tailoring it to your preferred level of ambience. You also get nine inputs for 5.1-channel sources, such as games, DVD-Audio or Super Audio CD. And the
price really can’t be beat.
A JVC RX-8020VBK Receiver * S400
This could easily be considered the ultimate gamers’ receiver. In addition to supporting all the surround-sound formats, it includes five separate amps and a front-mounted USB input for cranking MP3 files from a player or PC. A 7.1 pre-amp lets you add a couple of extra speakers, for a true 360-degree surround field. Add the digital-acoustics processor with seven preset sound fields and you can re-create a concert in your living room, or make it sound like you’re really storming the beaches of Normandy in Medal of Honor: Frontline.
Electronic Gaming Monthly - 61- egm.gamers.com
JVC DS-TP570DVD
Home Theater in a Box * $500
This easily installed all-in-one system (which includes a sleek DVD player) will turn your living room into a mini-theater without taking up more than a modicum of space. Dolby Digital, DTS or Dolby Pro Logic II playback will fill a room via five Shielded mini-cube satellites and an 8-inch powered subwoofer. And the system is small enough to make the move to a bedroom or den if your home-theater interests grow to a larger system.
Harman Kardon HKTS 5
Home Theater Loudspeaker
System * $450
A Ideal for more moderate-sized living rooms, this 5.1 speaker system comes with four high-output, 3-inch woofer satellites, a dual-woofer center channel and a magnetically shielded subwoofer. The small satellites provide accurate sound dispersion over a wide listening area, operating in conjunction with an elliptical waveguide while allowing for inconspicuous installation on
walls or atop a shelf.
Tired of the neighbors pounding on the walls whenever you crank Mario Sunshine to 11? Dolby has developed a new technology, called
Dolby Headphone, that including Dolby Digital just need a compatible
the Dolby Headphone logo). The idea is catching on. Pioneer, in fact, just released an Xbox-branded headphone system in Japan (about $500, right). No word on when it will come stateside.
reproduces multi-speaker surround sound — 5.1—in a pair of ordinary headphones. You receiver and products that support it (look for
Surround-Sound | Rigs for the Filthy Rich
If you’re reading this while sitting on the solid-gold can in your private jet, these super systems are for you, Richie Rich. And us
re)
A
blue-collar types can still dream....
Rotel RSX-1065 Receiver /Amplifier « $2,000
Big sound needs a powerful
amplifier, and if you can afford this one, you probably have a room that can handle it. This unit incorporates a five-channel amp and support for every surround- sound format. Though rated at 100 watts per channel, it’s been measured to handle 200 watts per channel independently, so you know this dynamo will do more than just fill a room with ambient noises. Set some cash aside for the inevitable disturbing-the-peace violations.
|
JVC RX-DP10VBK Audio/Video Control Receiver * $1,500
JVC’s top-of-the-heap receiver,
this THX Ultra-certified system incorporates dual heat sinks to
reduce audio interference, wh improving clarity and channel
| suyers Guide (continued)
Polk Audio Floorstanding-based Speaker System ¢ RTi150 fronts (S890 each); CSigo center ($480); FXi50 surrounds ($300 each); PSW404 subwoofer ($480). Total price: $3,340 Bigger can be better, and this 5.1 array of speakers will leave an impression with anyone who sees—and then hears—them. The intimidating front towers will give your system that monolith look, while the real-wood construction and poly-composite dynamic-balance drivers provide superior
ile performance. In fact, the assembled system delivers sound you simply
V
can’t rival, short of actually digitizing yourself into a game.
separation with seven independent
120-watt amps. With dual 24-bit
Motorola digital-signal proces to control Dolby Digital, DTS a
Dolby Pro Logic, you'll get sound
that not only rivals that of a hi tech movie theater—it might actually surpass it.
wn Ss Re
° Be sure the room you're using for surround-
* Your center speaker (1) should go directly above
¢ The front-left and front-right speakers (2)
sors nd
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Essential tips for setting up a 5.1 speaker system
* The rear speakers (3) should be behind your seating position (but not too far behind), and should be the same distance apart as the front speakers. Position them about 2 feet above your ear.
sound gaming is larger than 10 feet by 10 feet.
or below the TV. Don’t be afraid of resting it on your set —home-theater speakers are magnetically shielded and won’t hurt your TV.
* The subwoofer (4) can go | anywhere except behind your seating position. It can be as far
_ ff to the side as necessary. fe —
. —Peter Suciu
should be of equal distance from your TV set. The greater the distance, the wider your sound field. .
eom gamers.com
Death is my business and business is good.
Blood Strong Sexual Content
: ; PC : aye —_Violence 30x CD PlayStatione
©2002 IO Interactive. Hitman 2: Silent Assassin is a trademark of Eidos Interactive. Eidos, Eidos Interactive, and the Eidos Interactive logo are registered trademarks of Eidos Interactive, Inc. All rights reserved the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Microsoft, Xbox, and the Xbox Logos are a registered trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association
either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United State
and/or other countn
®
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hitman2.com
10 Interactive and the IO Interactive logo are trademarks of IO Interactive. "PlayStation" and 1 are used under lice
se from Microsoft. The ratings icon is
The one dance where you want to send your date home in tears.
RATING PENDING
Visit www.esrb.org or
© 2002 Electronic Arts inc. Electronic Arts, EA SPORTS, the EA SPORTS jogo 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. The “Officially Licensed Collegiate Products” label is the exclusive property of The Collegiate Licensing Company. The “Collegiate Licensed Product" label is the property of the Independent Labeling Group. All names, logos, team icons, and mascots associated with the NCAA, universities, and conferences are the exclusive property of the respective institutions. NCAA, the NCAA logo, and March Madness are trademarks or registered trademarks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. “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.
call 1-800-771-3772
for Rating Information.
seater
162 top schools. 120 fight songs. 49 mascots. 1 winner.
SPORTS
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EVERYONE fm I Visit www.esrb.org or
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ete ‘coin i 4
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Only on PS2 and XBOX.
clive owners. £
YOU HAVE THE RIGHT
TO EXPRESS YOURSELF WITH THE RIGHT ANALOG.
The right to freely express yourself in 360 degrees. EA SPORTS” FREESTYLE CONTROL. The right to use both hands, to crossover, to stutter step, to spin. To confuse defenders with behind-the-back, through-the-legs, one-handed-palming, backing-down-in-the-paint, fade-away, ball-handling skills. Cuz you'll never make it in the NBA playing with only one hand.
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Put together fiendish combinations of 100 new moves and exploit the D. If you cannot afford room for a jumper, room will be provided for you with a little stutter-step fade-away action. Crowded lanes beg to be taken apart with your patented brand of hole-picking-360-spinning-crossover artistry. String ‘em out, spin ‘em ‘round, leave ‘em crying and finish big.
be
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YOU HAVE THE RIGHT
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The right te form a well regulated-fast-moving-big-balling defensive force. The right to reach into personal space. To perform b-ball blocks like an eight-armed hoop octopus. To borrow without consent, anywhere, any time. To turn hands into brick
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Celebrities are normal people, too—just incredibly rich ones. You like games; they like games. Each issue, we'll talk to a dif- ferent celebrity who plays games, is involved in their creation, or is lucky enough to be in one.
This month, we caught up with No Doubt’s frontwoman, Gwen Stefani, who provides the voice of the heroine in Sierra’s character-based action-adventure title Malice (pictured below), available early next year for PS2 and Xbox. No Doubters Tony, Adrian and Tom play cronies in Malice, and the band also pro- vides some of the game’s tunes.
Gwen Stefani: Intellivision is where it’s at. | have to go old school. Frogger, Ms. Pac-Man...you name it.
GS: Ha, maybe. Either way, it’s an exciting collaboration. We see it as a great way to put our music out there for the public. Video games are the future.
In perhaps the vaguest game announcement ever made, Sega revealed that they’re working on a game with author Michael Crichton (Jurassic Park, The Andromeda Strain). All we know about the yet-to-be-named title is that it comes out in 2004 and is “based on an original concept” from the author. Cross your fingers for Runaway: The Video Game. (Ya remember Runaway, don’t you? The 1984 Crichton-directed movie starring Magnum P.I.?)
Se ea ee nae SASREABDABAREDODES Le EE OEEEEDEEF EEE SEESSD theese eEE, boos tet
GS: It’s weird. Everyone says Malice and | are so much alike. Hearing that is flattering, but
also kind of strange. Picture what it’d be like
if it happened to you.
GS: | see your point...the lead character is female.
GS: Yeah...that Malice girl is bound to Stir up controversy. The game’s set ina provide voices and tunes for Sierra’s Malice.
pent-up aggression.
they say about too much of a good thing. GS: Not really. I’ve never even been ina fight. | relieve aggression through my music.
GS: [sighs] No. GS: Not as disturbing as how many hours people will probably clock into this game. GS: It’ll interest females. Ask yourself why The dedication is amazing. You know what the only other games featuring girls are
Stereotypical stuff like Tomb Raider. I’m curious myself to see how many ladies want to give it a try.
GS: Something like that. Playing the charac- ter of Malice was really exciting for me. Who knows? Maybe it’ll kickstart my career! sie
Electronic Gaming Monthly - 68 - egm.gamers.com
actually in the game. Now you can make the roar of the crowd,
the rumble of formula racers and the thunder of combat a unique reality.
If you’re looking for LIFE-LIKE Gaming Excite GAME ZONE SURROUND SOUND SPEAKER S' PULSATING HEADPHONES will make your ga
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Designed for:
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cine Be B softwarc@® Fmallend a2q77757 MEDER ® KINYO Where Sound Dreams Come True # www.kinyo.com |
All other trademarks and/or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners
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5. Ex-Konami sports license
8. Wield plasma grenades in Halo
g. Evil Dead (PS2) star
11. Final Fantasy frequent
12. “On, Off” in binary
13. Combo-crazy fighter, for short
14. Manufactured the Eighty-Eight in ’86
15. Wizard of Kid Icarus (NES)
18. Limits traction in RC Pro-Am (NES)
19. You're usually “on the _” in Grand Theft Auto I//|
20. Ran with the QB in NFL 2K3?
23. Skip a turn
25. Piles of this game got buried in the desert
26. You work for these guys in Grand Theft Auto III
27. Oddworld’s Munch only has one
30. What “A,” “V” and “X” are in Street Fighter Alpha 3
33- (46N) _ s’ihsoY
36. SOCOM (PS2) star
38. -Sea Battle (Atari)
40. Street Fighter I// relative newbie
41. What you listened to Stryper on in the 80s (c’mon, admit it)
42. Strategy-game controllable
43. Card game turned video game
44. Shoe, Che and JenareA___s
45. Step up from dial-up for online gaming
46. Like Ghosts ’n’ Goblins’ Arthur after
ae ae
ee
‘| | Zz
ae ai
an
YL e eto ee a
one hit 47. Metal Gears Petrovich’s prefix
DOWN
a. Rayman 3:_ Havoc
2. Stats? (abbrv.)
3. _-shading
4. Signal a touchback in football games
5. Batman Riddler’s “real-life” alias
6. Brake
7. He’s the guy who created Sega’s Sonic
the Hedgehog
8. McRae of rally-racing games
1o. He holds Princess Daphne captive in Dragon’s Lair
11. Talks like a Harvest Moon cow?
16. Emerging ’8os clothing brand
17. 80s outgrowths _ Tag and _-disc
21. Q-Bert’s Coily is made of em
22. There are 1,024 of these ina MB
24. Sony’s masked raccoon Cooper
28. 1980s movie-turned-NES game
29. Were both jackets and pants in the 80s
31. Dreamcast shooter Mars _
32. Do this to play arcade driving sims
34. Grand Theft Auto /// gang member, for one
35. Popular PS1 Castlevania acronym
36. Sega Saturn platformer flop
37. The NES is _ as Back to the Future
39. They made Samus what she is today
42. PS2 keyboard port
710
When we weren’t looking, a new Xbox game managed to “sneak” its way past us (OK, bad pun...but can you blame us?). Sneakers, Microsoft’s cartoony mouse battler (and one of the titles that accompa- nied the Xbox launch in Japan), is now available exclusively at Toys “R” Us. If you were Microsoft, would you release a game you thought was any good to only one chain of stores? Didn’t think so.
It’s time to pull out the game and pop in the anime.
Arriving in stores Nov. 19 is Z.0.E: Dolores, i- Volume
One, the first DVD of the
anime TV show based on Konami’s PS2 mech-battling game. Can’t wait ’til then to get your giant-robot fix? On shelves right now is Z.0.E: Idolo, the animated movie that kicks the story off. AD Vision is handling the publishing duties for both titles.
Novernber 2002 Su/M/T /WITh) F ise Stes 4 1 ( |
ie ee cs Sa
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Quartermann vom
Welcome, pilgrims, to another edition of Quartermann’s monthly gossip column. Yours truly has a full slab of juicy rumors this month, so make room on your plate next to that Thanksgiving turkey, stuffing, figgy pudding and pumpkin pie (mmm...The Q is getting hungry). | guarantee, this is one feast that won’t make you fall asleep in front of the tube.
Now that Rare’s gone all green (see the full story on pg. 38) and moved to Microsoftland, Nintendo’s left to reclaim the Donkey Kong series. |n the works now at Nintendo’s EAD development group in Japan is a completely new ape—err, GameCube title —tentatively
ae ‘PAN _ called Donkey Kong Next. DK Next will be among a eee titles set to ring in a new era of Kong-ness, including Donkey Kong Plus, the GC/GBA/which-is-it?-title shown at last May’s Electronic Entertainment Expo. (DK Plus is a remake of 1994’s Game Boy Kong, with new levels and a create-your-own-stages mode, playable on either GC or GBA.) Perhaps most exciting of all, The Q hears that the new GC game will feature a redesigned DK, sporting something more like a 3D version of the old arcade artwork than Rare’s take on the character, As long as we’re not gonna be subjected to the DK Rap anymore, you can count me in. Speaking of Rare, a company called Zoonami (founded by former Rare/Nintendo staffer Martin Hollis) is working on a new title that The Q’s getting amped about. I’ve been sworn to secrecy on details for now, but the new title is code-named Game Zero. And trust me—this game ain’t no “zero.” More to come, folks...
Video-game vixen Lara Croft’s return to video gamedom after a three-year hiatus is still scheduled to take place before the end of this year—but your friendly neighborhood rumor-slinger
has heard we might have to wait a lil’ bit longer. Tomb Raider 6 (a.k.a. Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness) is close to miss- ing its December 2002 release date and may instead slip to 2003. Will Lara be pushed out the door partially dressed, or-will the team be given more time to stitch up a few loose ends? You'll know the answer if you see AOD on shelves before the end of the year. One of the issues that’s still a sticking point, The Q hears, is tying together the three separate areas of AOD’s
Doom is finally headed to the silver screen. Er...maybe. Many previous attempts to make the world-famous first-person shooter into a movie have fizzled, but according to the deal struck between developer id Software and Warner Bros., the movie must begin shooting by the end of 2003 or the rights revert back to id. The good news: the film version is rumored to be based on Doom III. The bad: they’re shooting for a PG-13 rating (yikes).
gameplay in a way that isn’t jarring. What are they? Glad you asked. You’ve got your usual Jomb Raider stuff, some bits with Solid Snake-style stealth, and areas in which you switch between Lara and her sidekick boy- toy, Kurtis. Either way, the new game’s bound to be out before the next movie...
l’ve got a triumvirate of little tidbits this month, so bear with me here as we count ’em down.... After Phantasy Star Online makes its Xbox and GC debut in the United States, we should hear the first word on Sonic Team’s next project. And guess what? It’ll be the team’s first game for PlayStation 2— and it might not be a new Sonic. More as | get it, folks... Sony’s put the ax down on any more Mork of Kri (originally planned as a trilogy) due to the first game’s lagging sales. | guess it’s true—all dogs go to heaven, but not all great games get sequels. Funny how that works.... And (as.if the almighty Q-ster hasn’t heard this one hundreds of times before) rumor-has it that Nintendo’s working on a next-generation Game Boy Advance! Backlit? Who knows, but | have heard one thing: It'll incorporate cellular phone technology for online gaming on the go.
‘he Hot Q: Nintendo Goes Third pigs This one’s almost too far-fetched for even The Q- Mann to report, but since it’s currently making the rounds, I’ll pass it along anyway...here goes: Sega did it, and now the Quartermeister has heard that Nintendo may be considering a similar move. This particularly hot rumor comes in the wake of Rare’s
and Left Field’s departures from the company’s nurturing wing. Current speculation has other second-party developers cashing out in a similar manner once their current slates of projects are done. Will Nintendo go through with it and leave the hardware biz? If it does happen, chances are good that Game Boy would continue on unaffected. Can you imagine Mario on anything other than a Nintendo system? | dunno if | want to....
And that, my minions, is the last of this month’s Q-rumor injec- tion. If you want to write this ol’ weathered seadog, point your e- mails to quartermann@ziffdavis.com. Alas, | cannot respond to you all (especially with all the Metroid | need to be playin’!). But I leave today with a hearty farewell and hope you enjoyed the brew of rumors. Until next time...peace out.
—The Q
12 - ex
THE WIND CHANGES.
LIVE IN YOUR WXRLD. PLAY IN OURS”
NG =,
‘HE HEARS You YOU'RE
FE
os
AR SQUEALS,
Violence, Blood and Gore
Mild Language Mild Violence : ——->
CONTENT RATED BY ©
Game and Software © 2002 THQ Inc. © 2002 BattleBots® Inc. All rights reserved. BattleBots and related logos, characters, names, and distinctive likenesses thereof are the exclusive Licensed Property of BattleBots Inc. and used under exclusive license. All Rights Reserved. Developed by Warthog. Warthog and its logo are trademarks of Warthog. THQ and its logo are registered trademarks of THQ Inc. All rights reserved. "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.™, ® and the Nintendo
GameCube logo are trademarks of Nintendo.
PlayStation.
Choose From a Variety of BattleBotss Seen on the Show Build Your Own BattleBot
6 BATTLEBOTS
PRODUCT 2 ® Kick Bot!
www. batt lebots.com
www.thg.com
KONAMI
I1P-02 Hit Rate
Animated Blood
Violence
= E BOY ADVANCE PlayStation.e
CONTRA SHATTERED SOLDIER™ and CONTRA ADVANCE THE ALIEN WARS: EX™ are trademarks of KONAMI CORPORATION. KONAMI@ is a registered trademark of KONAMI CORPORATION. © 1987 2002 KONAMI & KONAMI
NMI FOKYO ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, “PlayStation” and the.PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. TM, ®, and Game Boy Advance are trademarks of Nintendo. The ratings icon is a trademat ‘of the Interactive Digital Software Association,
a
ae
NINTENDO » GAMECUBE.
HAT OO THE 6
You're Jango Fett, the most ruthless bounty hunter the
a
te
alaxy has ever seen. They made you the genetic tempiate
sara
of the clone army for a reason: you're fast, you're lethal and nothing comes between you and your prey.
Fly, fight and tear your wa levels on
sce
“igen
Six unique worlds that make up t underbelly
wanted that in the end, there's no place to hide.
YS MOST DANGEROUS FUGITIVES SEE WHEN THEY HAVE NIGHTMARES?
~TAR.WARS
WWW.STARWARSBOUNTYHUNTER COM
iciai Star Wars Web Site www.siarwars.cem
1 Matiden NFL 2003
EA Sports 95 9.5 9.0 : DanL Dean Jonathan 2 Super Mario Sunshine n Nintendo 95 9.5 9.5 iA g GregS JohnR Mark ™ - 3 SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Sony CEA 95 9.0 9.5 —l= Gee Che Crispin Mark Qe 4 NCAA Foothall 2003 EA Sports 5 Madden NFL 2003 EA Sports 6 Grand Theft Auto Ill Rockstar
Yu-Gi-Oh! Dark Duel Stories
1 Konami
8 Deatt to Rights »<
9 Gran Turismo 3 A-spec Sony CEA
10 Medal of Honor: Frontline
2) Yr CEG (y tam cam =e
Ps CS
are
EA Games : Rasarcieat
Tl Super Mario Advance 2 came soy gai Zs Nintentio ADZANCE S ~ 4
12 Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny =o ME Capcom
13 Dragon Bal y GAME BOY La»
VW
14 NFL 2K3
Sega Sports Sates 15 Street Hoops Ng AM Activision 02
I 16 Yu-Gi-Oh! Forbidden Memories - S
18 lil 2h SB Sega Sports < Rea 19 NBA Street EA Sports Big
20 Halo
Microsoft
Source: NPD TRSTS Video Games Service. Call Kristin Barnett-von Korff at (516) 625-2481 for questions regarding this list.
Lat! + 4 A ¥ i
1 Stuntman — Atari
2 NCAA Foothall 2003
EA Sports eS
3 Medal of Honor: Frontline , (ieee EA Games o> ‘a A TestDrive — -— Atari
0 Matiden NFL 2003
EA Sports
a [= : — — ’ At — —— me 0 Y ce a, 1 ae Ly wag ;
* 4 «fi 7 as eo ae
=rS
aT = EA Sports Big 8 Grand Theft Auto li — -— Rockstar
9 NCAA Football 2003 EA Sports
10 Men in Black Il: Alien Escape — -—
Source: Blockbuster Video, August 2002
TOP 10 BEST-SELLING GAMES IN JAPAN 1 Dynasty Warriors 3: Mousho-ten Koel |
— a
| bet you wish you were on Summer vacation right now—swimming, riding your bike around a seaside trail, catching bugs, making those bugs fight each other ina lil’
D3 Publisher
3 Auto Modellista — Capcom
4 Super Mario Sunshine =.
2 Project Minerva —_
Nintendo ring.... Hey! That’s = exactly what you 5 My Summer Vacation 2 par do in Sony’s My Sony Summer Vacation
2, which is still in the Top 10 even though it came out in July. A lotta people must wish they were still on
6 Powerful Pro Baseball 9 — -.
1 Gundam: Lost War Chronicle
— Bandai wi
8 Ape Escape ? vacation too, eh? Sony —
9 Groove Adventure Rave — Konami
ity —— a
ce a = =
Summer Vacation
10 Ever 17: The Out of infin
Source: Weekly Famitsu, week ending 9/1/02
Electronic Gaming Monthly - 80 - egm.gamers.com
R T
35 RT
PRE STA
Coming Soon November
Altered Beast: Guardian of the Realms (Action) ATV Offroad Fury 2 (Racing)
Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance (RPG) GC Batman: Dark Tomorrow (Action) 16 BMX XXX (Sports)
Contra Advance (Shooter)
Contra: Shattered Soldier (Shooter) Crimson Sea (Action)
Cubivore (Misc.) Gi DDR MAX: Dance Dance Revolution (Music) PS2 Defender (Action) PS2, GC
Disney Sports Basketball (Sports)
Disney Sports Football (Sports) GC Disney Sports Skateboarding (Sports)
Disney Sports Soccer (Sports) GC Disney’s PK: Out of the Shadows (Action) PS2, GC Dragon Ball Z (Action) GBC Dr. Muto (Action) PS2, GC, Evolution Worlds (RPG) GC FIFA Soccer 2003 (Sports) PS2, GC Fire Blade (Action) | Harry Potter: Chamber (Adv.) PS2, GC,
Haven: Call of the King (Adventure) PS2 Hunter: The Reckoning (Action) GC James Bond 007: NightFire (Shooter) PS2, GC, Justice League: Injustice for All (Action)
Kakuto Chojin (Fighting)
PS2
Legends of Wrestling 2 (Action) PS2, GC, Lunar Legend (RPG) Mace Griffin: Bounty Hunter (Action) PS2,
MechAssault (Action)
Medal of Honor: Frontline (Shooter) GC, Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance (Action) Metroid Fusion (Action)
Metroid Prime (Shooter)
Minority Report (Action) PS2, Gi Monster Rancher Advance 2 (Misc.)
Mortal Kombat: DA (Fighting) PS2, GC,
MX Superfly (Sports)
NASCAR: Dirt to Daytona (Racing) PS2, GC NHL 2K3 (Sports) PS2, GC, Phantasy Star Collection (RPG)
RAD: Robot Alchemic Drive (Action) PS2 Ratchet & Clank (Action) PS2 Red Faction II (Shooter) PS2
Resident Evil @ (Action) GC Revenge of Shinobi (Action)
gf
pi Tae i
a Duamnbclleyball
tial Metroid Prime
Rocky (Sports) PS2, GC Rygar: The Legendary Adventure (Action) Shinobi (Action)
Sonic Mega Collection (Action)
Spyro: Enter the Dragonfly (Action)
Star Wars: Bounty Hunter (Action)
Star Wars: Jedi Knight Il (Shooter)
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Action) Street Hoops (Sports) GC Suikoden III (RPG)
Superman: Shadow of Apokolips (Action) Superman: The Man of Steel (Action)
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2003 (Sports) PS2, GC, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon (Action) Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell (Action) Tony Hawk 4 (Sports) PS2, GC, Total Immersion Racing (Racing) Treasure Planet (Action)
Unreal Championship (Shooter) Vexx (Action) PS2, Gi Wreckless: The Yakuza Missions (Action) WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth (Action) Xbox Live Starter Kit (Hardware)
December
DOA Xtreme Beach Volleyball (Sports) Kirby: Nightmare in Dreamland (Action) Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (Adv.) Motor Trend Lotus Challenge (Racing) NCAA College Basketball (Sports) Shenmue II (Adventure)
Steel Battalion (Action)
Street Fighter Alpha 3 (Fighting) Super Bust-A-Move 2 (Puzzle) Gt Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness (Action) Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon (Action)
PS2, PS2,
PS2 PS2
PS2, GC,
Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach
IMPORT CALENDAR
Import Pick of the Month: Someone must be playing fishing games because companies keep on making them. But if you're still one of the unconverted, per- haps Sony’s Space Fishermen (PS2) will change your mind. Featuring cartoony graphics, crazy character designs and a totally unique premise (fishing...in space...yes, really), reeling in the big ’uns takes on a whole new meaning.
PlayStation 2
10/24 Space Fishermen, Sony CEI (Action)
10/24 Taiko no Tatsujin, Namco (Music)
10/31 Ultraman Fighting Evolution 2,
Banpresto (Fighting)
Technic Beat, Arika (Music/Puzzle)
Lupin the 3rd, Banpresto (Action)
Dark Chronicle, Sony CEI (RPG)
Star Ocean 3: Till the End of Time,
Enix (RPG)
Tales of Destiny 2, Namco (RPG)
Point Blank Collection Plus Time
Crisis, Namco (Shooting)
12/19 Unlimited Saga, Square (RPG)
12/19 XI (Sai) Go, Sony CEI (Puzzle)
14/7
11/23 11/28 11/28
11/28 12/12
Game Boy Advance
10/25 Kirby, Nintendo (Action)
11/21 Pokémon Ruby, Nintendo (RPG)
11/21 Pokémon Sapphire, Nintendo (RPG)
12/6 Kururin Paradise, Nintendo (Puzzle)
12/13 Klonoa Heroes: Legend of the Star
Medal, Namco (RPG)
GameCube
11/28 Eternal Arcadia Legend, Sega (RPG)
Nov. Bio Hazard g, Capcom (Survival Horror)
Dec. Mr. Driller Drill Land, Namco (Puzzle)
*Schedule subject to change without notice. Consult your local import-game store for the latest release info. Come for the food, stay for the pie.
FREEFORMER™” ENGINE MOVES SEAMLESSLY
BETWEEN RACING, SHOOTING, FLYING, GLIDING, BOATING AND
DOG-FIGHTING GAMEPLAY 1N A SEEMINGLY BOUNDLESS UNIVERSE!
HAVEN: CALL OF THE KING DELIVERS AN EPIC EXPERIENCE OF MULTIPLE GAMEPLAY STYLES SEAMLESSLY BLENDED TOGETHER IN A MASSIVE UNIVERSE: YOU MUST FIGHT TO SAVE YOUR PEOPLE FROM AN ANCIENT EVIL AND DRAW UPON EVERYTHING YOU'VE EVER LEARNED TO FIND THE HERO WITHIN AND ANSWER THE CALL OF THE KING TO FREE YOUR PEOPLE FROM THE TYRANNY OF ENSLAVEMENT:
Mild Violence
GQiarKks o
—!i!M=cnNm 17 GETS REAL.
ahs oe
preteen
Coming 2003 Fall 2002
GAMEBOYADVANCE = PlayStation.c
, LiL, 8
usement
HO are recist s of Nintends. *
wamelue ie af trademark:
nf fhe infers
HAVEN.NNIDWAY.COM
_ With 350 new cards, the Ons/aught™ expansion is the perfect entry into the Magic: The Gathering: Online game. And the new Morph mechanic allows you to keep a poker face as your opponents lose their heads. That's because you play Morph cards face down. So they won't know what's lurking underneath, except that it's going to be one nasty surprise.
All trademarks are property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. ©2002 Wizards.
IN, DUBIOUS HONOR oF THE HSU AND CHAN Comic Boox, SU +"¢ VAN COMING TO You IN SANVARY
GAME DESIGNERS STAR In...
FRom SLAVE LABOR GRAPHICS g - AND, WELL, ME, EGM HAS q RELENTED 1g my INCESSANT BEGGING AND (5 PRESENTING THIS VERY SPECIAL FoUR-PAGE HSU AND CHAN ADVENTURE, A FEAT NEVER To BE REPEATED!
AT LEAST, MoT Tk THe EDITORS STOP ROCKING BACK AND FoRTH AND CHANTING, “WHAT HAVE
WE Done. iad
READ AND ENSoY!
HELLO, VIDEO GAMERS,
THATS ME, HSU TANAKA,
| THE TALL ONE's MY BROTHER
CHAN, THE SHORT ONE's
GILA MOBSTER aye — K, THAT's
FRANKIE.
You May BE WONDERING WHAT WE'RE ALL DONG IN A PARKED CAR IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, CARRYING CNOUGH FiRE POWER
LOOKING BACK, THOUGH, \T BECOMES CLEAR THar Ai. OF Tans.
GREEN GIL,
WE HE HAS ISSUES. ON OS To CONQUER ONE OF THE LESSER Q\etitle) Pee
NATIONS OF EUROPE wiTHoOUT So MUCH AS A 4 DAY AGO PAVED IT?
“SACRE BLEU” OF PROTEST... t's Eg vod
- AND EVEN IF You AREN'T, (T stems LOOK AT These chess eee
LIKELY THAT THE COPS WOULD BE, So r'vE SALES FIGDRES, Lors To DO,
CHARGED CHAN WITH IHE DLT OF COPMUNG CHAN! GTA INTELL! GENT
UP WrTd A DECENT EXPLANATION WHILE COULDN'T HAVE STORYLINE...
SOLD BETTER
1F THEY'D HIDDEN NAKED POKEMON AN. IT!
THE REAL SToRY 1S ABIT MoRE
HSU, ALL I'M WOULD IT BE too
P SA’ \S THAT on™ pni2 CAVES POPULARITY oo es Mater irs NOT "PART, AND UNEED NOT | | VATE TO FON A Cn OBVIOUSLY HAS EVERGTHING . DEEP IN THER souLs, SPECIFICALLY THE REPuND Gov THAT OUR LESSON ABOUT
To DO with (TS - CONTEN j SEcKS In THE ONE- GAME -TO-LiFE SUBJECT MATTER! eee eee a | p To. FouR-Yeaes-Ou Co Aenors Natt 1S MERELY ONLOCKING THE DOORS tO FANTASIES CARRIED DEEP WITHIN THe SUBCONSCIOUS OF THE PUBLIC!
THEN HOW Do Gov EXPLAIN THE MEDIOcRE SALES FoR GTA 1 AND 27? : tf EVER | SA S ‘ No, m™ PSRCHIC ALiENS ONE! 7 nei os see SOMETHING, j ‘ FRIEND AND DON'T BotHER me. A a. Now, rm PLOTTING. ”
St12, You COULON'T FIND] |. : Pa CHAN-- \NHAT Do You SUPPOSE 7 4A oe ee ee f THE ODOS ARE THar rue JUST DONE DOES Not ImmeDIATELY | ee eee : Log SOMETHING REMARKABLY STUPID? FRANKLIN. WHEN 1 ASSURED STRIKE ME AS THE ; LMEAN, THIS ALLEY IS 3Usr] | Ft, ee Hie THAT HE AND A FEW OF UPSCALE.. OPENt- AiR THe Sagt OF PLACE “ou'D ee ? : ae BESIDES STEPPING
HIS ASSOUATES WOULD BE EATERY Souk FRIEND Gr eS . —g { tak! oe DEAD GUY, IN ATTENDANCE, OFFICER CARL DESCRIBED. DEAD Bo . ms b SO MEAN? AGREED To MEET ME AND . ¥ TELL EVERYTHING HE KNEW ABOUT THE Crry's ORGANIZED-
CRIME OPERATIONS.
HE WAS opdid INSISTENT ABOUT THe
82
COMIC MISCHIEF VIOLENCE
CONTENT RATED BY ESRB
tendo. © 2001 Nintendo.
in
“
ie ln
IS NOVEMBER
NiINTENDSG
i
ial Seal are trademarks of N
STOSEN M
ic
N
> GAMECUBE
asin
intendo, Nintendo GameCube and the Off
N
A VIACOM COMPANY
O-OF FIcEeR
THOSE GUNS?
ALL RIGHT, COME ON THEN, FELLOWS, LET'S HAVE A
HAND HERE!
WITH THE
BODY. THEY DON’
PUT THEMSELVES \
IN TRUNKS, Yoo KNOW,
NOT NEARLY OFTEN ENOUGH,
ANY Ag,
‘CAUSE \ CAME IN A CAB, IF You MUST KNOW
Wi HER) WAT!
WHY ARE You
USING OUR TRUNK?
bas KER, LOOK AT \HE, SUNK IN HERE!
WHAT D1D You Do, MUG HARPO MARK?
WELL, THE PLAN 5
AH. ACTUALY. \"D GUESSED THAT, SO ‘Tt WAS SORT OF RHETORICAL.
WHAT (| MEANT WAS, “\WOULD You MIND NOT SHOOTING
SORRY, FELLAS, 'D Like fo, BuT THAT'D LEDVE co
CARL?! TO SHOOT LOU BotH. MANY LOOSE ENDS. i“ - “6 Just CLose | ARE ‘ov YoUR EXES, DOING Witt ANID THINK OF CHRISTMAS.
UM, NOT AT ALL TO TAKE
AWAY FROM OUR GRATITUDE IN THE CORRENT SITUATION, FRIEND, BUT WHO ARE You?
YOU CAN CALL ME FRANKIE.
\ WOULDN'T WORRY
ABOUT TRYING TO
GET REAL FAMILIAR
SUST NOW, AS [{ Stet
HANEN'T DECIDED
WHETHER OR NOT To Kite QA,
DISAPPOINTING, But 1 FOLLOW YouR LOGIC,
You'RE A HIRED THUG, THEN?
\ PREFER "EXTRA LITIGIOUS OPERATIONS ENGINEER ”
GRAB HIS ARMS, WOULD 8A?
IN TRUTH, UP UNTIL THIS MOMENT, WE HAD CONSIDERED THE PROBABILITY OF CARTING DEAD EVILDOERS AROUND IN OUR CAR VERY LOW, AND ALLOTED TRONK
SPAce ACCORDINGLY.
WELL, NO HARM DONE; HE Fits EASY ENOUGH.
NOW, WAIT HERE A SECOND, | TAVE A CALL To MAKE.
YooR FRIEND HERE, HE
WAS PLANNING ON FRAMING
YOO TWO FoR HIS BOTCHED DRUG DEAL.
NOT ESPECIALLY
WHY WERE You TwO OUT HERE?
Sit LATE AND
SMELLY FOR A MIDNIGHT STROLL,
84
By Jeremy “Norm” Scott
Now, HOw po Va SUPPOSE...
_.. THAT HAPPENED?
1 KNEW THERE WAS SOMETHING WEIRD ABOUT
AY, NO, S\R.
WE ARE, \M FACT, NAMELESS
PosTHUMOLSLY, OF COURSE. nT DRIFTERS
REAL fig * CoP iu, La UNRELIABLE
Qov Wo WERENT Nw \ TAKE \T?
AW, WELL, ODD THOUGH IT MAY SEEM, WE'RE ON A SORT OF FACT-FINDING MiISStom FOR A CRIME-THEMED
\IDEO GAME.
HER, OM... THIS GUY'S SORTA GETTING DEAD GY STUFF ON ME.
\S THERE ANY WAY 4oO AVO\D THAT?
QEAH, YOU ARRIVE EARLY AND GRAS
THE CLEAN END BEFORE ANYBODY ELSE.
REMEMBER THAT FOR NEXT TIME. AWRIGHT, INTO THE TRONK:
THE 8085 Saus \ DON'T HAVE To KILL You YET.
\F WE HAD KNOWN THAT
WAS WHAT Gou
WERE CALLING
ABOUT, WE WOULD
HAVE SNUCK OFF !
‘em DO. Took Me FouR TRIES BEFORE | FIGURED OUT NOT To SAY ANYTHING,
Now LET'S GO.
SM
s com
ing for you less
1.800.2 JOIN IN verizonwire
Onwireless
veri7c We never stop work
etl | ZAGAT T
Introducing Get It Now™ only from Verizon Wireless. Now you can download games and other cool stuff right to your wireless phone. Get Games. Get Tones. Get Mail. Get Pix. Get Fun. Get Going. Get it?
CRONIN ry oe —
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FIRST ON ODOR ITINERARY WE NEED TO DRoP BY MY PAL NICK'S, HE CAN HELP US wit THE GUY IN
THE “TRONK.
“Bost Homan RELOCATION AND PROCESSING,
Gov ONcCoOUTH ROFEIAN,
GET IN THE CAR.
wo WHAT BRINGS
You HERE TONIGHT AND WHORE
YOUR Two FRIENDS?
WHEN WE ARR NED ON THE SCENE, WE FOOND TAAT THE Twins WERE ALL FRANKIE HAD DESCRIBED AND MORE - THER WERE
DEAD.
THIS DOES TAKE THEM DOWN A NOTCH OR Two
ON THE
ATTRACTIVE-O-METER.
La
FIGARO. ; *. LIMOS FIGARO e 1S WIS NAME.
HES A maniac, BLT A DARNED SKILLED ONE.
HE LIVES TO KILL. WOMEN, CHILDREN, 1T DOESN'T MATTER To Him. HE HAS COLD, HARO EYES anp A HOLLOW, EMOTIONLESS VOICE.
WE'RE VIDEO Game DES-:
NICK'S PLACE WAS LOW on
| GLAMOUR, BUT HAD OTHER
QUALITIES To RECOMMEND NT, ASSUMING You WERE AN ENTIMOLOGIST OR BACTERIAL SPECIALIST. \T WAS AS 1F SOMEONE HAD TAKEN A HELL'S KITCHEN ONE-BEDROOM AND WHACKED IT WITH THE UGLY
STicK THIRTY OR FORTY
\ RATHER AM, ALL TOLD.
UNLIKE THOSE LAST Two, THE Twins WERE NOT SMALL- TWMERS, AND WASN'T SENT TO Kite THEM.
/
Cc At Y i % y
x Z
CARCOMSTANCES, iT WOULD TAKE AM ARMY TO BRING Downs
TE THINS.
AW... WELL, MABE NOT THAT LAST
PART.
FS an aE
ANRIRAY WERE
GONNA NEED
SOME ACLP ON THIS ONE.
THE GOY ™M CALLING 1S Trt BEST.
THAT'S Your SPEGALIST's, KNocK?
A LUrtTLe obD, Bot HES
RUTHLESS, AND
HE GETS RESULTS!
FRANKIE!
Mi AMIGa!
BEEN A LONGTIME! COME. IN! COME IN!
Rov SAID HE WAS GONNA HELP WT THE GUY IN THE TRONK.
NW A MANNER OF SPEAKING.
HELL BE KEEPING HIM COMPANY.
NICK WAS CARL S AccomPLce ~
THEY WERE NNA TAKE Tne DRUG
MoONEN AND SK\P TOWN,
You WAVE WEIRD FRIENDS, FRANKIE.
QEay, THAT'S WHAT HAS ME TROUBLED.
LOOK LIKE THERE WAS MOCK OF A
STRUGGLE.
PLEASE! GYooRSELNES AT riome!
MAKE
HAVE A SEAT!
NEXT STOP WE GOTTA MIAKE (S AT THE TWINS’ — THEY'RE A PAR OF STONNINGLY BEAUTIFUL
a WWHAO ARE CRIMINAL POVCHOPATHS. WEY, THEN RE GIRLS, BiG SORPRISE. You'RE. NOT GONNA KIL THEM, RIGHT ?
LF \ TOLD You, WHERE WOULD THE SUSPENSE BE?
NOW GRAB WIS LEGS,
AND MIND THE SQUISHY PARTS.
O*AY, FELLAS, NEXT STOP \S THE Bods’ PLACE \ GOT A CALL To MaKe.
WHY WAS \ SENT
OUT To TAKE CARE
OF Two SMALL” IME RS WHEN THE Tanns ARE BEING
KnrLrEed BY A MASTER ASSASSIN”
OM... ECE CiENC? 2? COINCIDENCE ? Yoo TELL ME, You'Re THE
HOMICIDAL SOcioPATH : = — -. = <i
To YouR BOSS AGAIN?
NO. MY GUESS |S Twat THE BOSS 1S ALREADY DEAD.
THERE'S ONLY ONE ASSASSIN IN OUR ORGANI LATION BRUTAL AND CRAFTY ENOUGH To HAVE DONE THIS...
GUESS HOw MUCH ( DON'T WANT To WEAR THE EXPLANATION FOR THis,
OH, SURE, LiKe Youve NEVER MOoONLIGRTED IN QourR LIFE...
.. When global catastrophe strikes and the world is in peril, the call goes out’ for the Justice ,
League, the greatest: super heroes of all time. Fighting ‘for truth, justice and freedom,
‘Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkgirl and Martian
* Manhunter have banded together to fight for the common good against the Injustice League
in an all-new action adventure title for.the Game Boy® Advance. Featuring 12 levels of
- non-stop action, gamers will overcome dangerous obstacles, an onslaught of — and discover power-ups.on the path to victory! 7
GAME, PREVIEW AT: “www. JUSTICELEAGUE. —: com
Justice League: Injustice For All video game ©2002 DC Comics and Midway Home Entertainment Inc. MIDWAY and the MIDWAY LOGO are registered trademarks of Midway Amusement Games, LLC. All rights reserved. ue under license by Midway Home Entertainment, Inc. TM. ® ane Game. Boy Advance are trademarks of Nintendo. *
C Bullet Logo, JUSTICE LEAGUE*and all related chatacters and elements are trademarks of and © DC
ics. WBIE LOGO: ™ & © Warner Bros. (s02)
GENTLEMEN, WE HAVE A SCHEDULE To KEEP! Pick OP AS MANY WEAPONS AS YOu CAN CARRY, AND TAKE ov TWO CHARMING HOSTS ON THE FLOOR TO THE TRUNK!
\ CALL THE CLEAN END!
You LEARN Fast! UNFORTONATEL®, You STILL MUST TAKE THE MESSY PARTS, OR | SHOOT YOU.
SOB WELL DONE, LADS: WHO'S (8) 4 FOR A DRINK?
WELL, | BELIEVE I've LEARNER Quite ENOUGH
ABOUT THE CRIMINAL UNDERWORLD FOR AN
THis BRINGS US MoRE OR LESS FULL-CIRCLE. OH, | LEFT OOT THE ARGUMENT ABOUT WHO HAD To HOLD THE SPARE TIRE ON THe1a LAP DUE TO DIMINISHED TRUNK SPACE, AND THE NUMER- OUS BATHROOM STOPS, BOT THe ESSENTIALS ARE THERE.
FAIR ENOUGH -- WITH EVERYONE DEAD, | SUPPOSE THERE'S NO REASON To KILL QOD — "LEASTWAYS, THERE'S NO MORE Room IN THE TRUNK, SPACIOUS THOUGH IT 1S. WE'RE GOING To HAVE To PROP FIGARO HERE UP IN THE PASSENGER SIDE AND PRETEND WE'RE CARPOOLING.
STitr, THE NIGHT WAS Nort REWARDS!
WITHOUT ITS
EVENING,
AGREED. NEXT TIME, WE JUST RENT “SCARFACE.”
\WE HAVE LEARNED THAT VAOLENCE BEGETS NIOLENCE AND, IN THE END, CRIME DOES NOT AND CANNOT PARQ, ExcEPT IN PAIN AND/OR DEATH.
WITH THESE TRUTHS
AFFIRMED, It IS WITH
GLAD HEARTS AND LIGHT
SPIRITS THAT WE CAN
WELCOME THE GLORY
OF ALL NEW DAYS To COME |!
HSU AND CHAN’S OFFICIAL WEB SITE - www.ape-law.com/evilmonkey
BUY HSU AND CHAN JUNK! - www.cafeshops.com/hsuandchan
WHERE WAS THIS ALL GOING To END? WoULD \ EVEN BE AL'VE TO SEE THE RISING OF HE NEW DAY'S SON“
HaD 1 SPENT MY LAST
DAY WITHOUT KNOWING \t? SHOULD JF ON THE WHOLE, HAVE PLAYED LESS DONKE? KONG?
WHEN “OU GET HOME, REPORT RoUk CAR STOLEN In) THE NIGHT -- ITLL BE BY
THE LAKEFRONT.
WERE, NOW, WE PART WAYS. | WOOLD SHAKE YOUR HAND, BUT (IT APPEARS To BE WELL-CovERED IN CORPSE Yuck.
EVEN THOUGH WE'RE STRANDED AY A MA3OR nee.
\
so on OUR CLOTHES, AND OOR CAR BotH STOLEN
AND FULL OF
CORPSES?
1 MEANT LATER ON. WALK FASTER, CHAN.
IT 1S TIMES LIKE THESE THAT | LOOK BACK LPoN MY LIFE WATH A MIKTORE OF WONDER AND REGRET...
HANG ON, | SPACED OUT, THERE.
SOMETHING'S HAPPENING.
HEY, Vicleo Gamers!
ARE Sou READY FoR MoRE
ACTION, ADVENTURE, AND
WEART-SToPPING DRAMA FROM HSU AND CHAN 7
CRIPES, You'D BETTER BE, BECAUSE HSU AND CHAN ARE GETTING THEIR OWN
WE KID You NoT!
PRON THE EVER LOW PAGES OF ELECTRONIC Gating Mommy.
ON SALE SANUARQ 2003! TerL FouR LOCAL Comic SHOP To ORDER A BATDILLION COPIES,
OR BUY ONLINE FROM SLAVE LABOR GRAPHICS AT
www.slavelabor.com
God BLESS You!
‘Ajoyesedas pos uonduosans ar] KOgX “SisUMO SANIOdSE)
few ujesay pauoqualy syonpoid pue saieduios jeNyoR jo SoweU oy] "YOSOIDy WoL] BsuEd!| JaPUN Pasn aie Pub SoLyUNOD JayyO .* “a | JO/PUR SO}RIS Pel oly Ui UONEIOdIO9 YoOsO: wl nib p
figs saya ase soBo} xogY ayy pue ‘oBo] enr7 ey) ‘@Ar7 KOgX ‘KOgX ‘YOSOIDHAy ‘periasal siyHu fIy ‘uORBICdIOD YOSOIOIY Z00ZO is ag
ast
bal
ee
” . ey, ag” el aft ' Se Sa i _ ~~ . Waa
Fema i im
eae a EE
| : SEGA is a registered trademark of SEGA CORPORATION. SEGA and Shinobi are registered trademarks or trademarks of Sega Corporation and its affiliates. ©2002 SEGA CORPORATION. Original Game ©OVERWORKS/SEGA, 2002. Aji Rights Reserved. www.sega.com
oeUAe mere:
— | "die 1. . Blood dG He ~ PlayStation.c “Violence
CONTENT RATED BY
eto Pa a Rea
PR ES ai AoE REPS ORE REN OP oR e eo eee
= ee
WAR)
on ee otate
roe :
Bienen
Violence, Suggestive Themes
&
activision.come d | MARVEL, %Men, and alt Marvel characters: TM
ar ~-] Publishing, Inc. Activision is ar
osoft.
ones
SG ote
Die seats iv
EACH X-MEN HAS EXPLOSIVE AND UNIQUE SUPERHERO POWERS TO TAHE ON OTHER X-MEN—IT'S THE MOST INTENSE FIGHTING YOU'VE EVER EXPERIENCED.
BATTLE THROUGH EXPANSIVE 3-D LEVELS THAT RECREATE EPIC ComIc AND FILM SUPERHERO BATTLES.
INCREDIBLE COMBINATIONS AND SMOOTH ANIMATION BRING 2+ DIFFERENT X-MEN MUTANTS TO LIFE.
DIMEensxron
AVAILABLE LATE OCTOBER 2002
THE HOLLYWOOD
EYEWITNESS fae
www.looneytunes-games.com : La Gaal \ Hills Estate.
Mild Violence | : i | Violence a i ae NS - Wes
ig
wues Bugs seeks anger ? y . ym management!
MOVIE SET IN
SHAMBLES AFTER BUGS HAS MELTDOWN.
INFOGRAMES
Microsoft, Xbox, and the Xbox logos are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries and are used under license from Microsoft.
© 2002 Infogrames Interactive, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Manufactured and marketed by Infogrames, Inc., New York, NY. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
LOONEY TUNES, characters, names and all related indicia are trademarks of and © Warner Bros. WBIE LOGO: TM & © Warner Bros. (s02)
TO MAKE IT TO THE TOP ALL YOU NEED IS TALENT, FAITH AND AN ENDLESS SUPPLY OF TNT.
Legendary director, Yosemite Sam, is casting the lead for his new feature film. Whoever lands the role is sure to become an instant Hollywood icon. But there can be only one. Who will it be? Daffy Duck? Bugs Bunny? Taz? Sylvester? Praised for “great graphics, a wacky sense of humor and some frantic multiplayer fun,” by XBM, Loons is
a no-holds-barred, no-rules, anything-goes, free-for-all struggle for stardom. Welcome to the dark side of Hollywood.
_OONS
THE FIGHT FOR FAME
TO SURVIVE, YOU MUST. aa TO SAVE HUMANKIND, YOU A WARRIOR. = MUST CHANGE INTO A HERO.
CHANGE INTO
meAiactiv.
J
Vicious . CYCLE
-www.robotechgame.com
© 1985-2002; Harmony Gold USA, inc. All Rights Reserved. ROBOTECH and assoclated names, logos and all vélatcr indict are trademarks of pation Gold USA, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Videogame © 2002 TDK Mediactive, Inc. All Rights Reserved. PUBLISHED AND DISTRIBUTED BY TDK MEDIACTIVE, INC. Developed by Vicious Cycle Software, Inc. Some’ elements © 2002 Vicious Cycle Software, 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. and/or other countries and-are used under license from -Microsoft. The dea tl iconisa err: trademark of the Interactive — Software Association. All other trademarks and trade names are the pepper of their ven owners.
CHANGE OR DIE.
maa sa
Violence
NENTERDS GAMECUBE
x
xB0x
PlayStation 2 100-102 The Sims 104,106 The Lord of the Rings:
The Two Towers
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
112-113 Rygar: The Legendary Adventure 114 ATV Offroad Fury 2 Capcom Fighting All Stars Haven: Call of the King
115 Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon
Star Ocean: Till the End of Time 116 Treasure Planet XIII
War of the Monsters 117 Def Jam Vendetta GameCube 118 Skies of Arcadia Legends 126,128 Resident Evil @
Resident Evil 0
StarCraft: Ghost Minority Report
129 130
Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell
136-137
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell
138,140 Unreal Championship 142 Fatal Frame
True Fantasy Live Online 143 NHL 2K3
Sudeki
WARNING: Previews marked with international symbols may or may not be released in the U.S. They are designed to run on Japanese or European PAL systems. Import at your own risk.
is the season for turkey dinners, Spending time with your family and Starting all your holiday shopping. It’s also around this time every year that we Start hearing about game delays. And this year there are some pretty major titles being pushed to early 2003 and beyond.
The first piece of bad news has bro- ken Xbox-owning hearts across the country. Sega’s Panzer Dragoon Orta won't see a release until January. Why, you ask? Sega assures us that develop- er Smilebit simply needs more time to get this gorgeous shooter to run per- fectly and add as many cool new fea- tures as possible. Trust us: Some of the stuff you'll be able to unlock in Orta will blow your mind.
One of the biggest titles to slide is Sony’s Getaway. The first shots of this GTA3-like game came out before the PS2 was even released, and over two years later, it’s still not in our hands. Hopefully the release date won't slip again (it’s now January 2003).
Then there’s Eidos’ Tomb Raider, which probably won’t be making its PS2 launch this month. That’s not too sur- prising considering this game’s sup- posed to revitalize the ailing franchise. You can bet developer Core is going to
1. Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell 2. Resident Evil 0
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers The Sims StarCraft: Ghost
Visitors to Gamers.com tell us which game delays
they’re the most disappointed about.
et
Panzer Dragoon Orta
A MARLINS ENN BRIE EDN OLDEEE SASS ELIE ED LLEBELDNAOBAEDE'
: anh s
754 iia Hygiene Ypoa | Comfort Bladder Fun Room
If you thought running your real life was
tough, try living a virtual life in The Sims on
PS2. We break down this living simulator on
page 100.
Energy Social
work on it as long as possible before releasing it to the cynical public.
Personally, I’m most disappointed that Capcom’s Auto Modellista has been delayed from November 2002 until March 2003. This is the title that will get PS2 racing fans off their butts and into Stores to buy online adapters. It’s just an incredible-looking game.
Finally, EA Games has delayed The Sims (previewed on page 100) until January because they’re afraid the game might get lost in the holiday shuffle. In other words, they know G/JA: Vice City will own this retail holiday season, and they don’t want to compete with that. Who can blame ’em? #
— Previews Editor Greg Sewart
Xbox, November 2002 GC, November 2002 PS2, November 2002 PS2, January 2003 PS2, GC, Xbox, 2003
10%
Brute Force
14% (Xbox)
Auto Modellista (PS2)
16% The Sims (PS2)
rt The Getaway (PS2)
(Source: Gamers.com poll, 9/02)
; ; ; | ; 3
Ww
EVERYONE
N |
Game Boy® Advance connectivity
PREVIEW
| EA Games | Maxis/Edge of Reality ig: | Simulation = 95% | January 2003 | None | www.thesims.com | The best-selling PC game of all time finally hits the PS2.
Maxis decided to leave online support to The Sims Online for the PC.
: Fierce two-player competitions will have you dancing on your opponent's grave — literally.
Uniock the Goodness
Knowing that cool unlock- able items are a nice bonus in any console game, Maxis has added lots of fun little treasures to the PS2 version of The Sims. Completing tasks earns you goodies, so from | the strip-poker table (pic- : tured above) to a bug zap- per, treadmill or teppan yaki table (for Japanese- food fans), your Sim’s acquisitive urges are sure to be satisfied. Various new costumes, hair styles and clothing can also be unlocked in the single- player game. They then become available in the open-ended Classic mode.
if any of these “Motive” monitors gets too far in the red, you'll be looking at one unhappy Sim.
___ MOTIVES
Comfort
for Mom so she'll lend you the $800 you need to
get a place of your own. Easy, right? Controller in hand, you direct your character to the stove, tell him to whip up a nice meal and wait for the cash to roll in. But seconds later, there’s smoke billowing up from the range. Flames engulf the kitchen. Your guy
Te: objective sounds simple enough: Cook dinner
throws his arms up in despair and flees. The smoke alarm blares as a firefighter storms in, dousing the place with water. Worst of all, Mom’s pissed and won’t even think about lending him money now. That’s when you realize you probably should have had your character learn to cook before asking him to go all “Iron Chef.”
Welcome to The Sims, where the successes—and failures—of countless little individuals on your TV Screen depend on how well you micromanage their behavior. This best-selling of all PC games hits PS2 early next year, and while it may be a firmly estab- lished entity on the PC, The Sims needed some tweaks to truly appeal to a console audience. Developer Maxis has added an all-new 3D graphics engine, PS2-exclusive unlockable items, and a radical
100
Hygiene
Bladder
Energy Social
Fun Room
change in gameplay design.
The basics will be familiar to anyone who has played the game on PC. You start by creating your own character (or Sim), and that’s where your first important decisions are made. Will you be a tall, dark, handsome—and obsessively neat—Virgo? Ora blonde-haired, blue-eyed party girl with a penchant
for lazing about on the couch? Your Sim’s looks and personality traits are completely up to you. Next, in the game world, you direct your character’s behavior to make sure all needs are provided for. Success in the game depends on your Sim’s motives. Hunger, hygiene and fun are among every Sim’s eight primary motives, and your job is to tend to those desires and keep your Sim fed, bathed, entertained and generally out of trouble.
This is not necessarily an easy task (as evidenced by the aforementioned kitchen fire), but Maxis has made Sure new players won’t be overwhelmed by the game. Goals start out simple—fixing Mom’s TV, for exam- ple—then grow more difficult as players become famil- iar with the game mechanics. The idea is to get you playing right away, without a lengthy tutorial.
Interior decorating (above left) is just one of the aspects of building a life for your Sim.
“That was definitely the goal,” says Design Director Michael Perry, who worked on the original game and now heads design for the PS2 team at Maxis. “The Sims is a really big game...so introducing it to players a little bit at a time by giving them specific goals was really our objective.” You’ll also get lots of tips, with in-game Sims often suggesting a better solution to the problems you might face.
But even if you don’t figure out what to do right away, fear not. “It’s still The Sims,” continues Perry. “If you
GET A GRIP
On-screen guides will remind you which buttons you need to press, but the same general rules apply: X to select, Triangle to cancel, Analog stick to rotate the camera and L1 and R1 to change speed.
don’t take care of your Sims, they’re going to try to solve their own problems.” Sims’ self-directed efforts can often lead to humorous results, like when your lonely Sim tries to give a backrub to an unsuspecting, and unreceptive, lady friend. Or when your bladder- challenged Sim decides to relieve himself, well, wher- ever he is at that particular moment. “They may not do it the right way,” Perry chuckles, “but they'll try.” Controls are simple and intuitive, and have all been adapted for the PS2 controller—no USB mouse
DON’T FEAR THE REAPER
Layin’ the Smack Down, Sims-sty
In the single-player mode of The Sims, each level you beat will champions the ultimate bragging rights. You’ll also be able to unlock split-screen two-player challenges. You’ll compete in take your memory card to a friend’s place and export your Sims appointed tasks, such as acting as a con artist to convince peo- to their PS2. So if you’re playing against a buddy, according to ple to give you money, or impersonating a bum and begging for Sinjin Bain, COO at Maxis, “You can load up your favorite Sim food. Players’ wins and losses will be recorded, too, giving and come in and kick his ass.”
tes
; win i, e :
: ase th * >
j ' << ;
= 2 i, oa sii iar 2 <= he - ae a Wem al a! ‘ f] - == Ps Xe 4
tee “ m
In this challenge, players have to get other Scores and other stats are displayed in the blue Red is defeated (note the tombstone marking Sims to give them free food. Both players oper- — corners of the screen. With four minutes to go, her unfortunate demise by starvation). Yellow ate on the same turf, so resources are limited. Yellow is pulling ahead 22 to 14. celebrates by dancing with the Grim Reaper.
5 i 4 : . ks : |
101 -
rp J ce
PREVIEW
Sect ete eeeceen accent eeenteteercetenentrs
PARDON MY SIMLISH
For each new version of The Sims, developer Maxis creates new vocal tracks in Simlish, the incomprehensible pseu- do-language spoken in the game. The recording sessions work the same way as animated movies. “We do the animations while stand-up comics watch on a screen and act out the voices,” explains Maxis COO Sinjin Bain. “But Ill leave it to your interpretation as to what they’re actually saying.”
A NEW LOOK
Maxis tapped Texas-based developer Edge of Reality to create a new 3D graphic environ- ment for The Sims on PS2. The most important distinction is that you’ll now be able to rotate the camera and watch your Sims go about their lives from any angle you desire.
,
Cs Worried about expressing your indi-
oe —- a viduality? Don’t-the Create-A-Sim { & ACCEPT (A BACK mode gives you hundreds of thou-
= = pallies sands of ways to show just how
ll special you are-or wish you were. or keyboard necessary. Mapping out what your Sim needs to do is straightforward; just click on the bed and tell him to take a nap if he’s tired. If he’s feeling
seven progressively bigger houses, making new friends and learning more skills along the way. Eventually, you get to a mansion at the end of the
“For the first time ever, you can actually win The Sims.”
—- Maxis Design Director Michael Perry
neighborhood, effectively “beating” what was a completely open-ended, limitless environment in the PC version. “For the first time ever,” notes Perry, “you can actually win The Sims.”
A seven-level single-player game might seem a bit Short, but there’s icing and then some. Each time you complete a level, you’ll unlock two-player competitive areas, and finishing Get A Life unlocks the original, open-ended Sims game of yore. Budding chefs and console control freaks, get ready.
lonely, click on his best friend and ask him drop by for a visit. Maxis had no reason to stray far from the formula that worked so well on the PC. “The Sims is a really special game,” Perry says. “We wanted to build on top of that.”
How did they do that? Primarily through an inno- vative, level-based, single-player game architec- ture called Get A Life. You start in a small house (living with Mom—a situation you’ll obviously need to change, pronto). As you complete goals
within each level, you’ll work your way through —Jennifer Tsao
m Tt?) 4 eeyerersr eer " AMET ee
ound
« = eA hg Soe sae foal
The icon above a Sim's head indicates well-being. A green plus sign means the Sim above likes what she’s hearing.
Certain characters, like Bella Goth (above) in her signature red dress, come from the original game on PC.
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PREVIEW
MAMAN MNARNSNEE NSCS EN SANA RETA TTIE RENTER RENAN RCN ANN ENS RRINO NREL RNC O NINN ELAM NLR NAOS ON NRBRICEP ESE
EA Games
Stormfront Studios
1
eee Action
95%
Oct. 22, 2002
None (for now) lordoftherings.ea.com Perfectly captures
the movie's breathtaking battles
No multiplayer mode
When Gimli asks
Frodo to help him braid his beard
Race: Human Weapon of Choice: Sword Style: Well-bal- anced range and melee attacks Personality: Loyal, brave and heroic
Sati
f you walk into your local game retailer this fall and ask for The Lord of the Rings, the surly know-it-all behind the counter will probably Sneer and shoot back, “Which one?” Cringing with embarrassment and confusion, you might head home with some junky, off-brand Frodo substitute. The lords of marketing have conspired to confuse you, but we’ll set you straight. This game, EA’s The Two Towers, is the only title based on New Line Cinema’s blockbuster film series. Any other Tolkien- inspired titles you see on the shelves are based solely on the books, not the movies. (To see how those other LotR games fared, check out this month’s Review Crew. It ain’t pretty.) So if you’re looking to relive the epic grandeur of the big-
CHOOSE YOUR FELLOW
LEGOLAS
Race: Elf
Weapon of
Choice: Bow Fighting Style: Best at sniping from long dis- tances Personality: Quiet, reserved and prissy
The Lord of the Rings: The Two lowers
LONI ARN SNOT NSIEEENSE secession naniuinrceteinei
: Each character has his own unique strengths. Legolas here has the best long-distance —
attack, highest agility and the prettiest hair.
screen flicks, look to The Two Towers.
Surprisingly, EA decided not to go the obvious fantasy-RPG route with this game. Though chatting up townsfolk in the pub and collecting copper pieces to buy a leather gauntlet might please die- hard fanboys, EA aimed to craft a game that any- one could pick up and enjoy. With that in mind, they extracted the single coolest element of the movie—the giant battles—and made an action game that places you in the thick of them. Since the peace-loving hobbits don’t see much combat in the movies, in The Two Towers, you control the more badass members of the Fellowship: Aragorn the Ranger, Legolas the Elf and Gimli the Dwarf.
Though it’s called The Two Towers, the title of the
GIMLI
Race: Dwarf Weapon of
Choice: Ax Fighting Style: Up- close and personal head-bashing Personality: Grumpy, dumpy and short
Monthiy - 104 - egm.gamers.com
THE ONLY THING THAT
CAN STOP THF RACF IS
WEATHER
LAP £8 OF Fe |
46™» MEA TEe I a
Experience the thrills, spills and sub-arctic chills of authentic snowmobile action. Careen along snow-packed trails in blinding blizzards. Bust big, frosty air with over 30 different tricks. And pray for endless winter storm fronts. It’s Whiteout. And it’s got racing down cold.
Ea 2 PlayStation.c 65 Ze : ROM KONAMI ®
“PlayStation” and the “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment inc. Microsoft, Xbox, and the Xbox fogos are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation
in the United States and/or other countries. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. KONAMI® is a registered trademark of KONAMI CORPORATION. © 2002 KONAMI CORPORATION. All rights reserved.
TEEN
® CONTENT RATED BY ESRB
a
PREVIEW
Amid the chaos of war, Aragorn keeps his cool by singing “Lord of the Rings” to the tune of Ozzy’s “Bark at the Moon.” Try it!
second movie in New Line’s trilogy, the game actually encompasses all of the coolest battles from The Fellowship of the Ring, the first movie. That means you'll be protecting the hobbits from Ringwraiths at Weathertop, crackin’ skulls in the Mines of Moria and battling the Cave Troll in Balin’s Tomb before you even Start in on the new stuff. In fact, the very first level of the game takes you back in the timeline even further than you’d expect. We don’t want to spoil it, but trust us, it’s incredibly cool. By the game’s end, you’re defending Helm’s Deep from Saruman’s army of 10,000 Uruk-Hai, which is every bit as dramatic and impressive as you’d imagine.
The gameplay offers a new evolution in the time- tested hack ‘n’ slash genre. At the outset of every level, you must choose your character, and each option offers different melee and projectile weapons, fighting styles and special moves. You'll need to master their unique strings of combo attacks in order to deliver massive damage to your foes. The game will grade each move and combo that you perform, so at the end of the level, you’re awarded experience based on how expertly you fought. You can then spend these points on new attacks and upgraded weapons. Players who want
to mix it up can alternate between using Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli. Or, if you have a favorite charac- ter, you can choose to use him exclusively. Dedicated gamers who max out all three heroes will unlock a hidden level and secret character.
Visually, the game perfectly matches the grand vision of the film, and all of the characters and loca- tions look exactly like their cinematic counterparts. Some of the stages use very subtle lighting, so the screens you see here might look a little dark. In motion, however, these levels fill with legions of smoothly animated creatures and flickering torches—and the result looks great. An appropriate- ly spectacular soundtrack complements the graph- ics. All of the background music hails directly from the film’s epic, Academy Award-winning score, and all of the main actors have recorded new dialogue exclusively for the game.
To boost Jowers’ replay, developer Stormfront has included an inventive new section of extras that can be unlocked through repeated play. Savvy players can dis- cover behind-the-scenes featurettes on the making of the game, interviews with the actors from the film and exclusive clips from the second movie. si
— Shane Bettenhausen
- 106
BILBO’S BALLAD
If you ever need a little LotR-related pick-me-up, track down a copy of the hit single by Leonard
Nimoy (yep, Mr. Spock himself), “The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins.” Better yet, track down the music video on the Internet. Your life will be irrevoca- bly altered by the experience, guaranteed.
SPOILER ALERT
Hide Your Eyes!
If you’re trying to remain a Two Towers virgin until the movie’s December release, you might want to leave this game on the shelf for now— between every level, you’ll be assaulted by fairly sizable snippets of the flick. Of course, if you’ve read the books, you won’t be sur- prised by the events and might enjoy this sneak preview. It’s your call.
Inthe cockpit of Fireblade there is one goal: use whatever means available to annihilate the terrorist cells flaming up around the globe. Battle through 18 Missions in 4 campaigns at the helm of the carrier chopper or the Vendetta attack copter and unleash a barrage of hi-tech deadly weapons. Go turbo, or remain undetected from enemies in stealth mode. To win the war, you've got to end the war. Attack and destroy!
Blood an Witness the explosive action of Fire Blade firsthand at:
PlayStationee —_fireblade.midway.com
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RINTENDO GAMECUBE
Fireblade © 2002 Midway Home Entertainment Inc. All rights reserved. MIDWAY and the Midway Logo are registered trademarks of Midway Amusement Games, LLC. Used by permission. Fireblade is a trademark of Midway Home Entertainment Inc. Midway claims no Copyright to the U.S. government footage of helicopters. “PlayStation” and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. “PlayStation” and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. TM, ® and the Nintendo GameCube logo are trademarks of Nintendo. 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.“
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IAFFIG SCENARIOS EVER DEVELOPED. MUSCLES TENSING AS YOU TRY TO MAINTAIN CONTROL THROUGH 30 OPEN DRIVER WILL SURVIVE THE POINT OF IMPACT. OR THE LAST THING TO GO THROUGH YOUR MIND WILL BE YOUR ASS.
VER SEEN IN A GAME. E PICKED YOUR CAR FROM AN AUTOMOTIVE ARSENAL OF 14 ALL-NEW VEHICLES. HOPEFULLY, CAR ANE
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EVERYONE Copyright 1998 - 2002 Criterion Software Limited, Burnout isa registered trademark of Criterion Software Developed by Criterion Games. www.criteriongames.com. Acclaim ® & © 2002 Acclaim Entertainment, Inc. All Rights
Reserved. “PlayStation” and the "PS* Family-logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment inc
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© 2001-2002 Bunkasha Publishing Co., Ltd. Portions © 2002 Activision Publishing, Inc. PlayStation"2 game engine © 2002 Traveller's Tales. Published and distributed by Activision Publishing, inc. Activision is a registered trademark, and-Wr The Yakuza Missions are trademarks of Activision, inc. a 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 10 trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All rights reserved. TM, ® and the Nintendo GameCube logo are trademarks of Nintendo. © 2001 Nintendo. Microsoft, Xbox, and the Xbox logos are either registered trademarks or trademari Corporation in the U.S. and/or 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 property of their respective ow
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“...smash into pretty much anything you see...get that euphoric feeling that comes rarely in life.”
—!
PREVIEW
ENNIO NTO TINS
Publisher: Tecmo Developer: Tecmo Players: 1
Action
90%
November 2002 None www.tecmoinc.com It's the closest thing
to a good 3D Castlevania that you'll play anytime soon.
People might over-
look Rygar in favor of Shinobi.
Catching a Diskarmor,
thrown full force, in the teeth.
Rygar makes like Klonoa, jumping from one floating swing-target to another. How those targets end up all over the world of Argus remains a mystery, but we think the Com- munists are responsible.
“The Nickariner akes any . enemy a projectile.
Ry9ar:
The Legendary Adventure
LRP PERLE EAEEALONRERAEIE OEEPPERARE
he name Rygar is probably unfamiliar to most gamers. Originally appearing in 1986 in an arcade game, and then in 1987 in a Nintendo Entertainment System episode, Rygar Is an action hero cast in the same mold as the Simon Belmonts and Samus Arans of the day—he’s just not as famous. Now, with Shinobi, Ninja Gaiden and other old-school heroes making a comeback, the time seems ripe for Rygar to do the same. “Rygar [for PS2] orig- inally started out as a brand-new action game with a com- pletely different character,” says producer Satoshi Kanematsu. “But the more we thought about it, the more it made sense to bring Rygar out of retirement and make a new game in the land of Argus.”
So, with Tecmo’s Grecian hero back in the saddle, what’s new in the land that time forgot? Well, in classic gaming Style, Rygar must save Princess Harmonia from the barbaric Titans (monsters based on characters from Greek
PON RRA A API IRER ARR ORO PEARY
Rygar has the ability to summon various allies from the netherworld. Wanna bet this three-headed pooch is gonna go fetch a bone?
Here we find our hero, Rygar, showing the Sphinx the best way to do morning stretches and exercises. Rygar's so nice!
mythology, such as the Cyclops) who swiped her and tore up the kingdom in the process. Situations like this are enough to make a guy go batty. But not Rygar!
Rygar is free to roam about this lavishly detailed world filled with ancient ruins and impressive islands in the sky, searching for items while monsters attack him from all angles. With the help of his trusty Diskarmor (see sidebar), Rygar can mutilate, dismember and decapitate nearly any enemy he comes across. When he’s not using it to kick ass, the disc also comes in handy for leveling the local scenery. Giant statues, pillars and buildings of all shapes and sizes come crumbling down when hit enough times. What’s the point? Secret treasures, power-ups and artifacts lie in wait, and the only way to find them is to up-end the structures that hide them.
As you’re roaming around Argus, getting into fights and hunting for treasure, you'll
WHAT?
IT'S JUST A NAME
Rygar: The Legendary Adventure pays homage to the original arcade-game title: Legendary Warrior ay And did you know that Rygar’s name in Japan is actually Zane? Kind of like Billy Zane (that dude who went berzerk in Titanic), minus the Billy. What a fun fact!
SAY
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PREVIEW
DISKARMOR DISSERTATION
The Diskarmor is Rygar’s
bread-and-butter. He lives
and dies by it, and for good
reason —it’s ultra versatile.
Rapid button-presses
result in fast but weak attacks, giving less experienced players a chance at success, but requiring them to do a lot more work than necessary.
Advanced players will learn to grab ene- mies with the Diskarmor’s spikes, and then, using the left analog stick, swing the impaled monsters around, slamming them into other creatures before finally crushing them on the ground. Damn straight.
Each Diskarmor has its own specialty moves. The Dark Diskarmor has a lethal attack called the “Crushing Viper,” while the
want to pay attention to your combo meter. For example: If you strike an enemy five times before it dies, you’ll get a five-hit combo. Chain combos from one enemy to another and you’ll soon start racking up crazy points. Kanematsu tells us that the highest anyone at Tecmo has gotten on the combo meter is in the 900s, so you now have an Official goal to beat. Thankfully, though, Rygar isn’t com- pletely alone, so he doesn’t need to defeat all
Holy Diskarmor dishes up the “Winter Gale.” Mastering these moves makes life easier in the areas where enemies swarm you from all sides—it also makes boss fights mercifully shorter. All told, each Diskarmor has up to 10 unique moves, giving you plenty of attacks to discover.
Of course, the circular Diskarmors double nicely as shields, and, with a simple press of the L1 button, Rygar blocks any attacks that come at him from the front. And as if there wasn’t enough to do with Rygar’s all-in- wonder tool, various icons strewn about the world of Argus (called lift-targets, swing-tar- gets and hook-targets) allow our hero to access hard-to-reach areas with the greatest of ease. Makes you wanna rush right out to Wal-Mart and buy one, doesn’t it?
the monsters himself. Should the going get rough, he can call upon the aid of various demons to savage the opposition in battle. Though your action-game cravings are likely to be sated with the loads of cool titles com- ing out this holiday season, we highly recom- mend a trip to Argus. It’s a beautiful place to visit, and Rygar is an accommodating host whose time has most certainly come. se —James “Milkman” Mielke
Disney T SQUARESOFT
LET'S CUSTOMIZE
Even if you’ve found all the Diskarmors in the game, you can still improve their performance by finding : ; rare artifacts known as mystic stones. Hidden | Attatk 6 {Defense * € z throughout the kingdom of Argus are a few dozen of hid Se these rocks. Some can be placed on any Diskarmor, (rtemis while others will work only on certain models. Each hiimcimnm stone brings a different benefit; one might raise entne SATE your attack power while another replenishes your health for each enemy defeated. But they’re not easy to find, so you definitely have to earn them.
" Choose mystic stone ¢o plates ~
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PREVIEW GALLERY
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Offroad Fury 2
Sony CEA ¢ November 2002 ¢ Also On: None — The first Offroad Fury was an awesome game, which is why it’s no sur- prise that ATV 2 plays exactly the same. Naturally, though, you'll get more tracks, more ATVs and a deeper create-a- rider mode. The best addition? Online play. Now you can hook up to the ’Net and prove how good you are against players around the world.
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Capcom Fight- ing All Stars
Capcom ¢ 2003 ¢ Also On:
Arcade — They pummeled Marvel’s superheroes. They decimated the cast from SNK. Who’s left for Capcom to beat up on? Why, them- Selves of course! Famous fighters like Ryu and Charlie go up against other Capcom celebrities such as Strider Hiryu and Mike Haggar (from Final Fight). Plus, three all-new char- acters will debut in this upcoming 3D (graphics and gameplay) brawler.
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Midway ¢ November 2002 « Also On: GC, Xbox — Take the sprawl- ing platformer playgrounds of /ak & Daxter, place Zelda-style puz- zle-filled dungeons here and there, add a corn-rowed red-haired hero and you’ll have something close to this upcoming action/adventure from Midway.
The cool part about Haven, besides your multi-purpose yo-yo- like weapon, is that you can go to anyplace you can see (and you can see quite a lot, just check the big screen to the right) —including other planets in the sky.
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon
Ubi Soft * December 2002 ° Also on: Xbox — In this tactical first-person shooter, you lead a squad of dogfaces into battle. Send commands to each soldier, switch between team members and let the computer handle your other teammates as they provide cover fire. It’s up to you, soldier, to go into the Russian territories and defuse a potential powder keg: It’s happy hour in Kras- noyarsk and they’re running out of vodka. If the Russian country- side is too cold for your tastes, try some desert missions. Just pick your troops, arm them to the teeth and send them out into the field. While the PS2 version lacks the Xbox version’s online compo- nent, you can still go the split- screen route.
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Till the End of Time
Enix ¢ February 2003 @ Also On: None — This futuristic RPG may start on a resort, but it all goes downhill when the hero’s parents go missing and are presumed dead. He takes up arms on a quest to find them—or their killer. This interesting storyline is com- plemented by a versatile battle system that offers more control and action than RPG players are used to—you’ll manually run and attack enemies with your party members, trying to score combo hits.
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PREVIEW GALLERY
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PREVIEW GALLERY
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Treasure Planet
Sony CEA ¢ November 2002 ¢ as pirate-wannabe Jim Hawkins Also On: None — Avast ye, as he searches for the lost trea- mateys! To coincide with the sure of Captain Flint. In addition release of Disney’s latest flick to your usual run-’n’-jump game- comes this platforming adven- play, thar be plenty 0’ sailboardin’ ture. Follow the plot of the movie across intergalactic landscapes.
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Ubi Soft ¢ Spring 2003 « Also on: Xbox,
GC — The deluge of first-person shooters this holiday season (TimeSplitters 2, Turok: Evolution, Medal of Honor, Ghost Recon) means future games in the genre will have to work harder to grab gamers’ attention. Developer Ubi Soft hopes to have something special with X///. Based on a popular French comic book, the game uses stylish, cartoony graphics, with bubble-lettered words like “BOOM” and “NOOO” that pop up after win- dow smashing or bad-guy bustin’, creating a graphic-novel look. The multiplayer side of X/// will include teamplay and possibly some online support.
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Sony CEA e January 2003 ¢ Also On: None — War of the Monsters, from developer Incog Inc. (Twisted Metal: Black), is a 3D fighting-game spoof on cheesy giant-monster movies like Godzilla. Up to four players can battle it out in large cities using characters like Japanese-style robots, giant monsters (duh) and Strange alien beings.
The part that impresses us most is the sheer interactivity with the environments. Want to take down your opponent quick- ly? Grab that building and skewer him with it. Or just throw him up against it for some extra damage. Or maybe grab that passing train and use it as a projectile. Everything you see can be used or destroyed. And the whole thing’s got that campy, Mars Attacks sci-fi look and feel to it.
116
PREVIEW GALLERY
am Vendetta
EA Big © 2003 @ Also On: None — EA and Def Jam Records are thinking something, and it goes a little bit like this: professional wrestling plus hip-hop equals millions of happy punks. To that end, they’re hooking up to produce Def Jam Vendetta.
You can imagine the premise, which boils down to beating the collective ass of the Def Jam roster for cash, women, power and fame. The list of artists is exhaustive, including Ghostface Killa, NORE(aga), Method Man, Christina Milian, Ludacris, DMX, WC, Capone, Keith Murray, Scarface and the venerable Funkmaster Flex. You’ll take the role of a no-name buster off the street and work your way through the underground-fighting circuits. The Def Jam artists play the roles of boss characters. Sketchy about the fact that it’s a wrestling game? Well, the team that made SSX is behind this one, so there must be something to it.
‘D6 NEp T SQUARESOFT
PREVIEW
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Sega Overworks Players: Ce kc
% Done: 15%
January 2003 Dreamcast (kinda) wwW.sega.com An overlooked RPG
classic is getting retrofitted.
The battles can get
harsh-too many, too slow.
This game took 45
hours to complete on DC, and they've added stuff. We want our lives back!
As mentioned, Skies appeared on Sega’s ailing Dreamcast and sailed to the top of the charts, but developer Overworks isn’t content to rest on those laurels. For starters, they sped up the somewhat sluggish battle system with new menu shortcuts. Plus, new events and char- acters like Piastre (pic- tured) will reveal more of the game’s history and tie it to a projected sequel.
Legends ©
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hen Skies of Arcadia appeared on the Sega Dreamcast, only the hardest of the hardcore Saw it coming. The game hit the system quiet- ly, but ended up being one of the DC’s most beloved RPGs. Skies refined a classic concept—a large cast of characters struggling against an evil empire—and cloaked it in smooth, stylish visuals and a soaring musical score. Now the game is back on the GameCube with a slew of additions (see sidebar) and is poised to give RPG-starved gamers the type of experience they deserve.
The story starts off simply enough; you’re cast as Vyse, a dashing young pirate. While on a treasure run, you rescue a mysterious girl being pursued by a huge battleship, and all the trouble in the world follows you home.
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Above: Check out the tension in this shot. You think Ai and Fina are gonna just let ol’ triple-tail have their man?
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Left: “Every time | try to talk to someone it’s ‘sorry this’ and ‘forgive me that’ and ‘I'm not worthy.’”
Fortunately, our hero has two fine females to help him out. The mischievous Aika and the wan Fina are by Vyse’s side at all times. Like many RPG heroes, Vyse is a player. Unlike many, though, you can actu- ally see why the girls like him—he’s whine-free and has his own flying ship. Good thing for the ride, too, as the game’s world is made up of floating istands—hence the title. In the skies, you’ll encounter other pirates and run afoul of the malevolent agents of the empire.
Skies features two fighting styles. On foot, you’ll grapple with enemies in the usual turn-based way, fighting them off in hand-to-hand combat. Special moves and dazzling spells are at your disposal, in addition to the melee attacks you’d expect. While in transit, you’ll be presented with ship-to-ship battles that require you to plan ahead to launch devastating attacks. They look sweet, but book some free time—you’ll be staring at circling ships til you nod off.
A proven success on its native platform, Skies Should rope in a whole new group of fans on the GameCube.
— Christian Nutt
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heavily guarded front gate by creating an entrance of their own in Sopot’s military compound.
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The Red Faction customized Aesir is a maneuverable air assault vehicle equipped with optical zoom which allows for precise hits on enemy targets.
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Technology, Yoiition
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Blood and Gore Violence
2002 THG inc. Red Faction®
For more up-to-the-minute coverage of the conflict, go to www.redfaction2.com
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BREAKDOWN
D’ETAT
_ overthrow the Dictator Sopot.
Public Information | . ~~ | Building 6:05am le i | - __. » | Commonwealth Elite — ee : Guards attempt to
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i, Sega is registered in the &S. Patent and Trademark Office. Sega, the Sega logo, ar Sega Corporation. © SEGA'CORPORATION, 2001. All Rights Reserved. wwwsegae the National Hockey League. All NHL logos and marks and team logos and marks de i teams and may note reprediiags without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprise: 00 Offici i duct of
fegistered trademarks or trad NHL Shield are registered trade’ the property of the NHL and the Fes rights reserved. © NHEPA. NHL e NHLPA logo are trademarks of th
& NHLPA. NHLPA, National Hockey League Players’ Association and th @et license by Sega of America, Inc. "PlayStation" and the “PS Family | registered trademarks of Sony er Ent Inc.™, @ agdtie Nintendo GameCube logo are trademarks of Nintendo. Microsoft, 3 and the Xbox fogos are either ré
Wiicrosoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or in other countries and are used under license from Microsoft ESP. ndedelements © Disney. Screenshots taken from PlayStation 2.
So get tough or you'll be eating ice.
SeqGrMm
segasports.com
PREVIEW
Survival-Horror 80%
November 2002 None www.capcom.com
Two simultaneously
playable characters shake up the RE
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Behold, the first second- person shooter on contem- porary consoles! Yup, in RE@ you can control both Rebecca and Billy at the same time, for twice the firepower in those tough- to-breach places. You may need an additional pros- thetic hand to play this with ease, but you can move and aim your side- kick with the C-stick while you plug the undead with your selected character. Results are killer: Not only can you double up on zom- bie damage, but you’ve also got two moving tar- gets to distract formerly banded bad guys.
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ou found Bravo Team diary. Pick up Bravo Team diary? You picked up the Bravo Team Diary.
July 23, 1998
9:23 p.m.
It’s been an hour since our chopper’s engine failure and crash landing in Raccoon Forest. We’d been sent to investigate two bizarre murders in the sub- urbs of Raccoon City, but right now, it’s looking like we might be a little late....
We saw an overturned military police vehicle with several dead guards. Young fox/S.T.A.R.S. member Rebecca Chambers found a file that said they were transporting a criminal named Billy Coen. The cap-
_ When treatene ly ‘Rebecca follows one
imple rule: Go for
tain thinks he killed the guards and fled into the woods, but if you ask me, whatever killed those men ain’t human.
10:05 p.m. The captain had us split up to search for Coen, but | wasn't stayin’ out in those freakin’ woods alone. | fol- lowed Rebecca to an abandoned train. She got on and | was happy to follow her to shelter. Big mistake. The place was lousy with what looked like walking dead men; I’d never seen anything like it. Rebecca went ona rampage, taking down the zombies with a mere hand- gun. She was going so wild | was afraid to help or show myself—I thought she’d shoot me, too!
(continued on page 128)
You’ ll find old RE ientines (like the REI m mansion, left) wer new enemies (mutant slugs, Four, and the ” rey in 0.
126
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fxm me Mea Good only at Best Buy retail stores in the USA. Not good in
= combination with other coupons or offers. Limit one coupon per title or accessory per customer. Not valid on prior purchases. Valid on in-
stock items only; no rainchecks. No dealers. Coupon must be
presented at time of purchase. No copies. Coupon value is 1/100
of one cent. Good through 2/1/03. 74810823 i i any video game title or Cashier Instructions: Scan coupon UPC. Scan qualifying
accessory 519.99 and Up Select “Yes” to apply package pricing. Write “VOID” on the I , J LY © 2002 Best Buy coupon and place in the register coupon media file.
product UPC. Scan all other product(s) being sold. Press “Total.” _— - ss A dL LL UU UCU CUCU Ce
PlayStation.e
OREATY pays
PlayStation.2
GREATEST HITS
hh ev Yn
AFESY Hee:
Memory Sarduea :
Fey Plage Stetianne®E
AV Off Road Fury
Gran Turismo 3 A-Spec
© 2002 Best Buy
>, and everything to play them on. TurnOQntheFun
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PREVIEW
(continued from page 126)
10:40 p.m.
Caught my breath for the first time since | boarded the train, just in time to hear Rebecca talking to someone in the next room. It was Billy! Why she agreed to work with him |’ll never understand, but they actually make quite a team. He gave her a radio to keep in contact, which is handy. | was fol- lowing Billy when | heard Rebecca call out for help on her radio. | knew | shouldn’t have left her unsu- pervised in that room full of those parasitic jelly- fish things! She escaped relatively unharmed —just put together a green and red herb mixture (she’s Skilled like that; Billy can’t handle that pharmaceu- tical stuff) and was back to her old self in no time.
11:30 p.m.
The train’s moving! Rebecca and Billy went up to the roof to find out why, and | guess something spooked Rebecca—Sshe fell through a hole in the roof and got locked in the galley. But that Billy, he’s all right after all. The guy found a dumbwaiter that fed Rebecca’s location and sent her down some supplies to help her get out. | was a little tied up with some strangely familiar-looking attack dogs...
12:12 a.m. Had some impure thoughts when Rebecca picked up that shotgun. Good thing this diary’s private.
12:45 a.m. Billy found a briefcase that would only open after Rebecca stuck these two medallions on it. It was the most bizarre locking mechanism I’ve ever seen. I’m glad | didn’t have to figure it out; I’d still be wrestling with the damn thing.
The card inside seemed like our ticket to free- dom, but just as we used it to unlock the train’s
acs
You can control both players at once or let the A.I. handle your partner.
outer door, we heard voices. There were soldiers on the train talking to some scientist about containing a T-virus. | could have sworn one of the voices was a fellow S.T.A.R.S. member, a shady character I’ve never liked. Then, out of nowhere, a pack of those tiny parasites I’ve been seeing all over the train Sprung out and devoured the soldiers. No one wanted to go outside after that.
1:20 a.m. Got bored and took some snapshots—some keep- ers for the S.T.A.R.S. Christmas card this year.
2:00 a.m.
I’m beat, and things are getting kinda crazy. Billy’s running around with this grappling hook he found and making Molotov cocktails out of empty wine bottles. Seriously. Meanwhile, ol’ empty-chamber Chambers dispatched some huge mutant scorpion with a shotgun. The bug nearly tore the roof off the train. I’m settling in for the night...found a nice quiet corner...zombies gently moaning...lulling me to sleep...nibbling my...leg...? si
—Jonathan Dudlak
128
§
lero Tolerance
Jill Valentine’s huge Backpack O’ Storage can’t save you here. Now that you Can swap items between your dynamic duo, Capcom has tight- ened down on inventory slots, forcing you to leave all the unnecessary junk behind. You can always pick up a dropped item later; it’s not going any- where. But if you think you’ll just be able to lug along that two-slot shot- gun and standard pistol, plus ammo for each, and still have the space for the inevitable emblem or valve handle, think again, Johnny Pack Mule.
Inventory full? You can finally drop items anywhere in REO.
STEERS ESSER RAS Ay ly PETAR SAS EARS PASTS TTS ERLEPIR PG LESARENALS
a
RIGHT TURN LEFT TURN STOP RESTART
AFFIX OWN JETPACK BEFORE ASSISTING OTHERS
PLEASE DO NOT REMOVE THIS FOLDER FROM JETPACK |
FALLING TO YOUR DEATH IN CASE OF MISSILE LOCK
THROW:
FUTILE FLAPPING CANNONBALL PRAYER
ENTERING TRANSPORT FLARE GRENADE
DO NOT THROW:
SPITBALL TANTRUM
(4) KISS ASS
GOODBYE
ATTENTION: IF YOU CANNOT PERFORM THESE FUNCTIONS, PROCEED DIRECTLY * TO TRIBES.SIERRA.COM FOR A TRIBES VIDEO FEATURING “DOWNFALL.”
* DON’T FLY ALONE. PLAY WITH UP TO 16 PEOPLE OVER al PlayStation.2 MODEM OR BROADBAND USING SONY’S NETWORK , sen ADAPTER. SHARE THE PAIN.
e JETPACKS LET YOU TAKE THE CARNAGE AIRBORNE. THE FORECAST CALLS FOR RAIN—OF BLOOD.
° CATCH BIG AIR—AND CATCH THEM UNAWARE— WITH EXTREME SKIING, JETPACK-STYLE.
© CAN'T GET IT UP WITH YOUR JETPACK? JUMP IN A FIGHTER, BOMBER, ARMED TRANSPORT OR GRAVBIKE.
TEEN
Violence = == 3 ; Exclusively for the PlayStation®2 ‘ > PlayStation.e
computer entertainment system.
CONTENT RATED BY ESRB
PREVIEW
Blizzard Nihilistic Software IZ — Action — 40% Fall 2003 PS2, Xbox _ www.blizzard.com
| | StarCraft is alive and well on consoles, in a 3D adventure that will make Solid Snake sweat. cyt Aa) PC owners are S.O.L. This game is for consoles only. | "8 Getting chewed to pieces by a Zergling rush. Ouch.
Blizzard VP Bill Roper had a few words to share about the decision to bring StarCraft: Ghost to consoles, considering that all of Blizzard’s recent hits (StarCraft, Diablo Il, WarCraft II!) were developed for PCs. Bill told us, “We have always felt that games should be designed with their target platform firmly in mind. The design for StarCraft: Ghost is specifically aimed at the console in many ways—from gameplay to control scheme to meeting the expectations of console gamers. We have no intentions to bring the title to the PC, just as, when we created WarCraft II], it was for the PC and was not brought to the consoles.”
e love stealth-action games like no one’s business. Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance, Splinter Cell, heck, even Tenchu 3 all set our pants on fire. But it is a competitive genre, and it takes a pretty big deal to make us notice something new. Enter the new big deal— StarCraft: Ghost. Set in the wildly popular (on PC) StarCraft universe, Ghost steps out of the 2D shadow of its real-time-strategy predecessor and into the 3D spotlight as an action game based on Nova, a female member of StarCraft’s elite, Super-powered Terran stealth team: the Ghosts. Mission objectives are issued Halo-style, with an overall goal per level, and each requires Nova to fulfill various mini-quests along the way, all while
making the most of her unique Ghostly abilities (see
sidebar). And as much as sneaking around is a part of any Ghost’s daily diet, there will be times when it’s necessary to pick up arms (like a Gauss rifle or a flamethrower) and mow down her alien enemies — the buglike Zerg and the technologically advanced Protoss—as well as some naughty Terran rogues. Nova can also access quick-combat vehicles (like the Harley-Davidson-esque Vulture) in order to get across dangerously open fields as fast as possible, or a small walking tank (the Goliath) to combat enemy Protoss dragoons. And if that wasn’t enough
Cloak mode does - wonders for Slipping by |
rran marines.
129
to distance her from the competition, who else besides Nova can radio Terran HQ to send ina
fleet of siege tanks or battlecruisers to level enemy bases? Solid Snake only wishes he had that kind
of backup. —James “Milkman” Mielke
“Ghost reporting...”
The Ghost unit has many abilities and skills. We dissect a few of the things that Nova can do...and walking through walls isn’t one of them. Casper she ain't!
This is Nova’s bread-and-butter move. Rendering her invisible will keep you out of harm’s way, unless the enemy has a detection unit (observer, overlord, etc.).
This skill allows the ghost to stop mechanical units in their tracks. The downside is that this move is ineffective against the Zerg organic units.
Pretty self-explanatory, but impressive | nonetheless. When you absolutely,
_ positively have to wipe everything out, calling in a nuke is the only way to go.
Upgrading Nova’s peepers so she can see things from farther away helps her snipe, nuke and prepare for battle better. Binoculars are for suckas.
Optical Implants
PREVIEW
Activision Treyarch
1
Action
85%
November 2002 PS2, Xbox
www.activision.com
won ۩Ultra-smooth
jetpack combat
The B No jumping-across- magnetic-cars level
yl e = The hero's hushed-
up drug habit. Just say no, kids!
~ CRUISE CONTROL
Since Tom Cruise won’t let anyone use his image ina video game, the develop- ers decided to completely rework the character. “Our Anderton is a serious tough guy,” explains pro- ducer Offerman. “Our hero needed to be perceived as supremely confident, capable and a leader.” That meant making him a good six inches taller than Cruise, and giving hima bad-ass blonde crew cut and a serious look.
Minority
his past Summer, everyone who ran to see Minority Report witnessed one of the most thought-provoking summer blockbusters ever made. In fact, the plot twists and logic conundrums had a carload of us EGMers arguing the whole way home from the theater. Converting such a complex, multi-layered flick into an action game might seem like a difficult task, but Activision recruited the right team for the job: Treyarch, the guys behind this year’s biggest movie-to-game smash, Spider-Man.
Ultimately, they decided that the best way to handle the gargantuan plot was to take some liber- ties with it. “The story follows the basic arc of the film, but we diverge on a few points,” explains pro- ducer Alex Offerman. “The villain in the movie did- n’t really lend himself to a video game plot, so instead we’ve created a nefarious corporation that is trying to subvert PreCrime.” And the storyline’s not the only thing that’s been reworked—check out the character in these screenshots. “It was impor- tant to the licensor that the hero look unmistakably not like Tom Cruise [who never allows use of his likeness],” says Offerman, “so we made him older, with blonde hair and brown eyes.” Acquainted with the new Anderton? Good. Now get ready to run, because you’ve been accused of a murder you have yet to commit.
The game chronicles John’s quest to clear his name, and that journey leads him across more than 15 levels peopled by PreCrime officers determined to bring you to justice. Luckily, this John Anderton gets a lot more physical than Tom Cruise’s version. You’ve got a brutal arsenal of punches, kicks, combos and grapples at your disposal. Treyarch developed a new collision system that allows you to knock enemies down Stair- wells, over railings and even
130
Ee a =, " a
Kicking thugs in a disco might remind you of Dead to Rights, but luckily, MR's hero has mad moves.
through breakable objects—all with realistic “rag- doll” physics. If fisticuffs aren’t cutting it, you can grab the weapons dropped by the cops, including a full lineup of conventional guns, vomit-inducing Sick Sticks and those neat concussion-grenade launchers from the movie. Several stages also allow you to rocket around using a jetpack, just like in the film.
One part of the flick that didn’t make it into the game, however, is the scene in which Anderton leaps across the magnetic cars. “We had plans for the car- jumping/Frogger level,” says Offerman, “but ulti- mately, we had to pick and choose, and we felt that the jetpack sequence would offer a really cool game- play mode with more replayability value.” As much as we wanted to hop across futuristic Lexuses, he’s actually right—the jetpack adds a great dimension to the gameplay, making it a worthy tradeoff. #¥
— Shane Bettenhausen
Treyarch estimates that average players will need at least 20 hours to complete the game, and they promise some cool unlockables for replaying the harder difficulty settings.
Violence
DISPOSAL
Evil must be exterminated. But first it must be found.
© 2002 Nintendo. ™, ® and the Nintendo GameCube logo are trademarks of Nintendo. © 2002 Nintendo. www.metroid.com
Neither could they.
1944: The Long Road to Berlin
Jun. 6: D-Day _ Dec. 16: The Battle of the Bulge | Since dropping behind enemy lines 3,000 ft. above During the worst blizzard in war history, | Normandy, France, your efforts have pushed the | Hitler’s greatest gamble begins on a 90 mile _ Nazis deep into the Ardennes forest. loosely held Allied front.
Violence
CONTENT RATED BY ESRB
Can you see the 300,000 Nazis, 600 Panzer
tanks and 29 batteries of artillery in this picture?
Dec. 24: The Ardennes Forest Hold the Allied line until a break in the
weather allows American and British forces
to begin bombing again.
3 \
_ Inc. All other trademarks are the property of f
nic Arts in the U.S. and/or other countri
s of Electro
ema
red trad
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ote
regis
ie “Powered by GameSpy” desig
GameSpy and t
rights reserved
Jan. 12, 1945: Nazi Berlin Strike the heart of the Axis war machine. Join the fight. Play Medal of Honor Allied Assault™
Spearhead. 15 new weapons. Multi-player action. Help crush the Nazis once and for all. moh.ea.com
Medal of Honor Allied Assault" Spearhead. You Don’t Play. You Volunteer.”
on o \é" TpelA). OTF &
eagames.com
EVERY NATION HAS ITS FLAG.
NASCAR® Dirt to DAYTONA® is a white-knuckle thrill ride that rips through four different intense
NASCAR® series. Slide around dirt tracks on the edge of your seat, pull a few G’s in a Modified, trade paint with other trucks and discover just how far 750 horses and a steering wheel can take you in the NASCAR® Cup Series. So strap on your helmet for the ultimate racing experience. And remember to
salute the flag on your way to victory.
(CGS
INFOGRAMES
PlayStation.e
CONTENT RATED BY ESRE
© 2002 Infogrames, Inc. All Rights Reserved. NASCAR @ is a registered trademark of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc.; TM, ®, and the Nintendo, GameCube logo are trademarks of Nintendo. “PlayStation” and the “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. CAT and Caterpillar are registered trademarks of Caterpillar Inc. © Caterpillar 2000 The trademarks of “Bill Davis Racing” and the number 22 are licensed under the permission of Caterpillar. Ward Burton's likeness and signature are licensed under permission of TSII. Winston-Salem, NC; John Andretti ~ Officially licensed by Petty Marketing Company, L.L.C. “the General Mills Trademarks used under license.” DAYTONA @® is used under license from International Speedway Corporation.
EVERYONE
AA
ee Sn eT Te INFOGRAMES este
PREVIEW
| } | j } |
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sti Sipe lste nt esr ease 7 es
_ Realistic lights and
WH Ubi Soft
Ubi Soft Montreal 1
Stealth-Action 95%
November 2002
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The good news is that Splinter Cell is Xbox Live- compatible, meaning you'll be able to download new content to extend your covert tour of duty. The bad news is that Ubi Soft won’t have the goods ready until at least spring of 2003. The developers are still up in the air about what exactly will make the online cut next year, but they’ve hinted at new lev- els, weapons, gadgets and bosses. You'll snag the extra goodies off Micro- soft’s Xbox Live network, then store them away safe- ly on your Xbox hard drive. Unfortunately, SC won’t have a true head-to-head deathmatch mode. Ima- gine the possibilities, eh?
PS2, GC (next year)
www.splintercell.com
Tom Clancy
y Te pa di iets
arlier this year, Tom Clancy’s overactive para- noia destroyed Baltimore in the summer block- buster The Sum of All Fears. Now, he’s sending gamers out to Azerbaijan to fight terrorists in Splinter Cell, a stealth-action game that rivals big- budget Hollywood flicks in terms of scope and pro- duction. But don’t look for big names like Morgan Freeman or Ben Affleck to pop up in this latest adventure. The buzz around Splinter Cell has less to do with movie stars and everything to do with how incredibly sweet the game looks—although it’s practically impossible to check out these Splinter Cell screens and not think about a certain other Sneaking, peeking, kill-from-the-shadows action title by the name of Metal Gear Solid 2. Both games
sheet Hs interrogate &
OEE OETA N BEE RR RTECS Nea Ne osnenbnnare Ae neeLANEe
“Sunshine on my shoulder, _ makes me happy. Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry.”
put you in the rubber jumpsuit of a seasoned covert operative and send you off to hostile reaches of the world, alone and packing all sorts of heat. But whereas MGS2 told a sprawling meta-tale of shadow governments and super vil- lains, Splinter Cell sticks to real-life locales and probable geopolitical tensions. This is, after all, a Tom Clancy game.
Though Splinter Cell looks uncomfortably similar to MGS2 on the surface, the game plays and feels completely fresh, thanks to its many genre innovations. Armed with an almost-done copy of the game this month, we give you five reasons why Splinter Cell is one mission worth taking this holiday season.
Reason #4: Splinter Cell’s story unfolds like a Tom Clancy novel. The game stars Sam Fisher, a lone, middle-aged operative—someone referred to as
a “splinter cell” —who functions under the watchful eye of the National Security Agency’s Third Echelon black-ops division. Fisher may not sport a rugged mullet or have a manly, perverse codename like Solid Snake, but he embodies the same quiet, cutthroat efficiency we love in our action heroes, and he’s even got a touch of down-to-earth humility that’s rare among the breed. His first sortie takes him out to Eastern Europe, where
he investigates the disappearance of two fellow agents. Typical ofa Clancy George Clooney, eat yer sexy, novel, the action in Splinter Cell spans four different countries. stubbly-faced heart out.
Reason #2: Not only are Splinter Cell’s graphics awesome to behold, they’re also an integral part of the gameplay. Notice the complex network of light sources and shadows in these screenshots— admire how they fall, elongate, warp and curve naturally around objects, people and back- grounds. These real-time shadows provide plenty of ambience for the already detailed and cluttered environments. More importantly, though, shadows can betray your hiding spot just as easily as they can help you
# spot enemies around well-lit corners. Keep your eye on the “light meter” You'll never tire of seeing your own = that tells you with scientific certainty how concealed you really are. Like shadow in the pale moonlight. some high-tech ninja, you’ll learn to use the cover of darkness.
Reason #3: You like toys? Splinter Cell’s collection of experimental gadgets makes The Sharper Image look like the poor man’s Sears catalog. On the stealth tip, Fisher’s equipped with an assortment of infrared and thermal gog- gles, as well as fiber-optic and deployable reconnaissance cameras. In other words, you’ve got plenty of ways to set up shop and spy on tango while you lay low in the dark. Fisher’s standard weapons come in the cold-steel form of an F2000 assault rifle or the lightweight 5.7mm pistol, both of which feature handy noise suppressors. Finally, Fisher never leaves home without his land- : warrior PDA Palm device, excellent for all his espionage needs. Ultimately, it’s Trust us, www.peeping-toms.com up to you to decide when and how you use your gadgets. has nothing on Splinter Cell.
REE es ER SRP 0 EE EAT ML OS TTR TT TERR PS TE EPP EO ORS BG TS BELT EEG EEA ELST ETE SE TE NE DEED ERE TST EIT RR AE DS SE LE AN SEITE ETL
Reason #4: Splinter Cell teaches the stealth-action genre new tricks. Sam Fisher might be graying around the temples, but he’s got a few moves even ol’ Snake could benefit from. The name of the game is stealth and Fisher has plenty of ways to stalk his prey; moving around while crouching helps you stay silent and out of sight (the slower you move, the quieter you are). And, unlike in MGS2, jumping is an important part of Splinter Cell. For instance, Fisher can double-jump off walls to reach a higher ledge, then shimmy across to an opening and pull himself up. In the right place, at the Fisher can hang, shimmy and wrap right time, he can even bust out a Jet Li-style split jump to climb up narrow his legs around poles galore. hallways, in position to pounce on unsuspecting guards below.
Reason #5: Last but not least, Splinter Cell has intelligent enemies. No, that doesn’t mean they’re interested in discussing the finer points of Derrida’s essays in Responses to Questions on the Avant-Garde, but they are enthusiastic about shooting you in the face. Like you, guards rely on sight and sound to do their job. Shoot out the lights, turn on the infrared goggles and watch them creep around in the dark with their hands out in front of them, listening for your every step. Even though guards walk their pre-scripted routes, they’re unpredictable —charging in or falling back based on your actions—once alerted. This makes for good replay value, In pitch blackness, you're invisible and we like that. —Che Chou _ to guards and cameras.
187 - egm.gamer
TOM CLANCY
Although he started out as an insurance broker in Maryland, Tom Clancy has become the most popular military novelist of our time. Just look at his smug mug. Nothing but peace in his heart.
PERSPECTIVE
The Camera Loves You
One of the biggest differ- ences between Splinter Cell and MGSz2 is the way the two games handle camera control. In MGSz2, unless you’re in first-person view, camera angles are fixed, preset for maximum cine- matic or gameplay effect, so you never have to fuss with them. It works, but you never feel like you have total control. The camera in Splinter Cell, controlled with the right analog stick, can rotate 360 degrees, giving you the freedom to do stuff like walk in one direction while looking in and facing another. The best part is that the whole system feels incredibly intuitive and natural.
PREVIEW
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| Atari | Digital Extremes 1-4 (2-16 online
First-person shooter | 95%
| Nov. 15, 2002
1 None
| www.atari.com
)) A fast-paced adrena- line rush, and one of the prettiest Xbox games so far.
_ Without a broadband connection, you'll be missing out on half the fun.
© Getting fragged just inches from the endzone in Bombing Run.
Use the handy-dandy new sidestep move
1 1 5) toavoid getting barbequed by your oppo- nents. Plus, it looks really cool.
“é
e’s in the open...all alone for the shot. He’s combo moves akin to assisting on a shot in hockey going...going...BLAM! He’s dead!” Forget every- or basketball. Take the Link Gun, for example: thing you thought you knew about first-person Shoot one of your teammates with a steady stream
Above: See, kids? Now you know why shooters, because developer Digital Extremes has from this weapon and his Link Gun dishes out a mom always warned you not to play created a new spin on the genre with Unreal more powerful shot. And, if you’re good enough, the around power lines. Championship. The result—the most sinister futuris- members of your squad will improve over time.
tic sports game we’ve ever seen— might be the best Want to see how your draft picks are doing? Just reason we’ve come across to sign up for Microsoft’s check out the stats for each character; they’re each
Online service. graded in different categories, including accuracy, Retooled and ready for the Xbox Live launch, this | aggressiveness, agility and tactics.
follow-up to Unreal Tournament (PS2, Dreamcast, The game itself consists of five different play types.
PC) sets itself apart from your traditional gun-toting | You’ve got your traditional first-person shooter
first-person shooter. How, you ask? First, you can modes—Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch and Capture
form teams from a variety of computer-controlled The Flag—and two new ones, Double Domination
characters. With your teammates, you can pull off and Bombing run. (Check out the program sidebar for
DOUBLE DOMINATION: Each map has four con- trol points. Your team
BOMBING RUN: Your job is to grab the bomb at the center of
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Two new events were added : Zs SM seconds in order to <2 #& when necessary (when | for this year’s contest: Double score. The fun part is the tension of knowing you’re playing with bots, you can tell them to Domination and Bombing Run. the positions you’re trying to hold will get pass the bomb). The best way to describe it: The rules are as follows: swarmed at any moment. rugby with guns, but much more violent.
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If that isn’t enough variety for you, there are plenty of ways to alter each match by using Mutators, tweaks and options that add new twists to the game. James Schmalz, creator of Unreal, says to expect about 12 Mutators in UC, ranging from Vampire (killing enemies allows you to regain health) to Big Head (the bigger your lead in number of kills, the bigger your head gets). Schmalz’s favorite? Insta-Gib. “These matches get so insane,” he says, “because everyone is armed with a super- charged rifle that’ll kill anybody with one shot.” Kill? That’s the under- statement of the year; one shot and bodies disintegrate into bloody chunks. But the twist we found most interesting is the Species Mutator, which gives each of the six different races Juggernaut, Mercenary, Egyptian, Nightmare, Alien and Robot) species-specific traits. The aptly named Juggernauts, for example, are slower but more heavily armored, while the Aliens can move faster and jump farther, but are more sus- ceptible to damage.
Along with these gameplay adjustments come totally new control mechanics. You can double-jump and quick step (double-tap in any direction to leap out of harm’s way). There’s also a new gauge to worry about: adrenaline. As you mop up the competition, this meter rises, eventually allowing you to perform Street Fighter-style controller move- ments for bonus powers like invisibility or berserker rage (where you
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Above: This mad-hatter lookin’ dude seems like he'd be more at home ina game like Twisted Metal: Black (PS2). We can't think of a better reason to frag his ass back to the stone age.
deal out more damage for a short period of time).
Everything else about Championship has been designed to ensure that the action maintains a breakneck pace. All the weapons are Strate- gically placed throughout each level, maps incorporate plenty of ambush spots and, most importantly, A.I.-controlled bots can join the fight in multiplayer (if only Halo could do that!). So, whether you’re alone and broadband-less, or you’re looking for some competition with your buddies in split-screen play, you can always pop in a few bots to ensure a Suitably chaotic, bloody battle.
With that said, let’s be brutally honest: Playing Unreal offline is like watching Porky’s on network TV. Sure, you can do it, but with all the good stuff cut out, it’s hardly ideal. Championship demonstrates all the strengths of Xbox Live. Take the voice communication, for example. If you’re anything like us, you’ll likely use it for talking smack, but it also comes in handy for coordinating movement in team-based matches. (Pre-pubescent readers take note: There’s in-game support for various filters that will mask your squeaky voice.) And the other fringe benefit of broadband gaming—downloadable content —will be available short- ly after UC comes out. Schmalz says that when Digital Extremes sent the game to Microsoft for certification, they also sent the first upgrade pack with three additional maps.
— Darren Gladstone
UNREALITY CHECK
Lock and Load
You’ve got a crazy arsenal to choose from in Unreal Championship. But are all your weapons of the fantasy variety? We’ve searched high and low for real-world comparisons, and these are the best we could come up with. Prepare yourself for
the next arms race.
STORM 2100:
Like the Link Gun in the game, the Storm 2100 water gun has two fire modes: a steady stream for those distant ene-
range shots. Another similari-
ty? You'll have to change your shorts if either hits you.
mies, or a quick blast for short-
RUBBER-BAND GATTLING GUN: Got $400 to blow on the most asinine rubber-band gun on the planet? Probably the closest thing you'll get to UCs mini-gun without getting arrested, this monstrosity can fire off 144 rub- ber bands as fast as you can turn the crank!
STAR WARS
BATTLE DROID BLASTER:
This time-honored classic almost resembles the standard- issue rifle in Unreal Championship. The Star Wars blaster, however, makes only annoying whining sounds, and runs off a couple AA batteries.
EVERYONE
cueki tiie PlayStation.c an é
GAMECUBE. XBOX www.thg.com
© 2002 THQ Inc. Ricky Carmichael used under exclusive license by THQ Inc. THQ, the THQ logo and the MX Superfly logo are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of THQ Inc. All other trademarks and logos are property of their respective owners. All rights reserved. “PlayStation” and the “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. TM, ® and the Nintendo Gamecube logo are trademarks of Nintendo. Microsoft, Xbox and the Xbox logos are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries and are used under license from Microsoft.
CONTENT RATED BY ESRB ®
PREVIEW GALLERY
RONMENT ONION TC I III ISICON EIEIO SILENT IKRCI NINN IIOIONIODSRORIESIRIASROEEARENESIEOHISoSRSOSEOSasoONOSESEGORDESEaSeSEenedaneEoonooseonaesnseonaedneaoanatonssoneeneasoeneeecescneenoceccesconeanconeeens
Fatal Frame
Tecmo ¢ October 2002 ¢ Also On: PS2 — One of the most unnerving games we’ve ever played is bringing its unique brand of survival-horror to the Xbox. Defeat ghostly appari- tions by taking their picture (no, really) as you search for your missing brother in this most haunted of houses. Special camera attachments and more- powerful film improve your chances of making it out alive in this game, which is reportedly based on a true story.
Microsoft * 2003 « Also On: None — Get used to seeing the term MMORPG —it stands for massively multiplayer online RPG— because quite a few of them are headed to consoles in 2003. In an MMORPG, you create a custom character that interacts with hundreds or thousands of other players online.
True Fantasy, a joint effort between Microsoft and Dark Cloud developer Level-5, is one of the first MMORPG’s for Xbox Live. It won’t be mission-based like Phantasy Star Online, in which you assemble a party of four and take on linear levels one at a time. Instead, True Fantasy will put you in a completely open world in which you choose what to do and where to go. If you feel like gath- ering a group of friends to go slay a dragon, do it. If you’re more of a loner, you can leave those jokers behind. Or, if you enjoy the sim- pler things in life, you can just go fishing.
PREVIEW GALLERY
Sega Sports * November 2002 ¢ Also On: PS2, GC — Even though this game is coming to all three major consoles, the only way to play hockey online in 2002 will be on the Xbox version of NHL 2K3. And even better, the game is shaping up to be one of the most versatile, solid-playing hockey titles we’ve ever dropped the gloves with. Honest! When we fired this baby up, it was impressive just how much control we had over our players, whether we were pinning the puck on the boards or on a breakaway.
Microsoft * 2003 ¢ Also On: None — The first thing you’ll notice about this RPG is its graphics. It’s an impressive-looking game, especially in terms of the size and scope of the areas you’ll be traversing. Microsoft’s being pretty stingy on details about Sudeki, but we can tell you that your party will consist of four characters—a sorceress, a swordsman, a gunslinger and a shape-shifter — and that in addition to their individual spells and attacks, they’ll be able to combine and perform team-based moves against their foes.
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is spawned from another dimension are trying to make the Milky Way galaxy their personal trashcan. As attempts to defend the solar system fail, the fate of the Earth (that's US people!) and even the universe rests with one man.
YOU are Sam 'Serious' Stone, a legend in our time. Sam is our only hope against these mischievous miscreants and their evil leader, the one we call ‘MENTAL’.
The only way to get Mental and save us all, is to use an ancient artifact called the ‘Time Lock’, to teleport back in time.
Don't ask us how or why this is happening. All we can tell you is, this is serious...
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Serious Sam, the Serious Sam logo, Croteam and the Croteam logo are trademarks of Croteam, Ltd. Gotham Games and the Gotham Games logo are trademarks of Take-Two Interactive, Inc. All trademarks and trade names are properties of their respective owners. Microsoft, Xbox and the Xbox logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries. © 2002 Take-Two Interactive, Inc. All rights reserved.
The evil Nobunaga’s demon warriors wreak
BEST PS2 ADVENTURE GAME E3 2002 - IGN
havoc across feudal Japan. A noble young warrior, Jubei, returns home to find his once- vibrant village laid to waste by Nobunaga’s
monstrous minions. Fueled by vengeance,
Jubei embarks on an epic quest; one which
will reveal his ultimate destiny.
On this magical journey, you must earn the
respect of confidants to help»the valiant
Jubei battle demons, hideous bosses, and
overcome ingenious puzzles. Only then
will you defeat the pillaging hordes.
MATURE Violence
Blood and Gore CAPCOM ° tee | capcom.com PlayStationee
©CAPCOM CO., LTD. 2002 ©CAPCOM U.S.A., INC. 2002. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. CAPCOM and the CAPCOM logo are registered trademarks of CAPCOM CO., LTD. ONIMUSHA is a trademark of CAPCOM CO., LTD. Character Yagyu Jubei by ©Yusaku Matsuda Office Saku. Characters: OCROWD/OCAPCOM CO. LTD. 2002. “PlayStation” and the “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. The ratings icon is a registered trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association.
CONTENT RATED BY
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Re ign Of Fira © 2002 Copyaght B&B Company Copyright ¢ to) 2002 BAM! Entertaingent Inc. BAM! Entertainment, BAMI and the associated logue are trademarks: of BAM! Entertainment, Ine.
Spyak ass Entertainment Group, LP. TM, ®, Game Boy Advance and the Nintendo GameCube logo. © 2001 Nintendo. Licensed for play on the PlayStation 2 computer eritertainment systems with a nily logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Mic rosoft, Xbox and the Xbox logos are either registered
nse from Microsoft: The ratings icon is a registered trademark of the Interac tive Digital
NTSC SU/C ‘designation only “PlayStation” and the "PS" Fa trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the US. and/or other countries and_are used under lice sociation. All other tre sipetbi ks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners
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BD NATURAL BREATH.
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AS A DRAGONFIGHTER IN 16 MISSIONS LOADED WITH CHAOTIC ACTION, DESTRUCTION AND EXPLOSIONS.
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Electronic Gaming Monthly - 152 - egm.gamers.com
You might just learn somethin’)
is devoted to Grand Theft Auto: Vice City in publisher Rockstar Games’ New York City office building. And we don’t mean the game’s staff is laying claim to this space. We’re talking about the actual game itself. This most-wanted follow-up to last year’s GTA3 is sitting in a sparse room, hooked to a modest-size Wega TV perched on a table in front of a white couch and a few chairs. The rest of the sixth floor is empty, just vacant offices, acres of hardwood floor and airy space echoing rush-hour honks from Broadway and the roaring vehicles peeling virtual rubber on the Wega. The game even has its own bathroom. Vice City’s penthouse treatment isn’t some intentional attempt by Rockstar to gussy up their star franchise for our visit as the first outsiders to take this PlayStation 2-exclusive title for a spin.
q n entire floor, six stories above a bustling strip of Broadway,
The real story behind Grand Theft _.
Auto: Vice City, the unstoppable, acid-
washetl, glowing-neon Sequel we bet our para- Chute pants you're playing right now (so Kindly tear yourself away from the game and read this freakin’ cover story.
by Crispin Boyer
The company is simply in the process of moving a few blocks to new digs, and all of the sixth floor’s furniture is in transit. But hey, if any game deserves its own downtown pad, Vice City is it.- It’s only the sequel to one of the most stupendous-selling games of all time (7 million PS2 owners served and counting). It’s only the game that, when it reached stores on Oct. 29, had already pre-sold several million copies (did you get yours? We did—read the first review anywhere, on page 193). And it’s only the next chapter in a series that redefined what you could do in video games (i.e., it lets you do just about anything).
We figure Vice City needs the room. “I used to say this game is double everything that was in GTA3,” says Terry Donovan, Rockstar’s chief operating officer. “Now I’m playing it through for the first time and starting to feel that’s an [understatement].”
Maybe Vice City should get the whole damn building.
Electronic Gaming Monthly - 153 - egm.gamers.com
Electronic Gaming Monthly -
REVVING UP
Ask Donovan to put his finger on the instant GTA3 became thermonuclear hot, and he’I| disappoint you. Turns out there was no magic moment. “We were like, ‘OK, we failed to meet consumer demand for the game this week, but we never knew by how much,’” Donovan says, “so we did our best to fill the stores the next week or the next month, and then failed to meet it again. It was very grad- ual. Now, six months later, when we were still selling 100,000 copies a week, we were like, ‘All right, this thing has done quite well.’” GTA3 wasn’t just dominating the sales charts. Everybody— gamers, non-gamers, probably even your mom—was talking about this game. It was on the Daily Show (just the mention of its name roused shrieking applause). New York radio wise guys Opie and Anthony hyped it every day for a month on their show. And, of course, it made the nightly news for its felonious, free-form gameplay. Never mind that it was M-rated. “What we handed to the world was an adult tool kit,” Donovan says of the remarkably nonlinear GTA3. “We said, ‘Here’s a load of freedom with some methodology of getting through it, and now go inject your personality into it.’ That’s why it was so successful. And it was humbling because it confirmed our hopes that we could do something interesting
-egm.gamers.com
Aim high: You get the nimble little Sparrow chopper fairly early in the game. It’s easier to fly than the
_ later models, but you can’t soar as high or as fast.
as a company and it could hit that scale.”
GTA3 had become a phenomenon of Pokémon proportions—for grown-ups, any- way. Suddenly, Rockstar and the game’s developers, U.K.-based DMA Design (since re- named Rockstar North), had the tricky task of quickly following up their lightning-in-a-bottle hit without getting burned (see Eidos’ Tomb Raider series). But Donovan insists that, somewhere deep within Rockstar’s urban fortress, lies a master plan for the entire GIA series, and G/A3’s runaway success didn’t fid- dle with that plan. The follow-up was always intended to be Vice City, not GTA4, which is a separate project we'll get to play...someday. (“Sorry,” Donovan says, “but I’m not going to discuss that now.”) And Vice City, he says, was always intended to debut a year after the first game. “It was really in development before G7A3 hit the shelves,” he tells us.
And so, although it would’ve been easy enough—and even smart from a business standpoint—to churn out a quickie sequel with a few new cars and a fresh coat of Day- Glo paint, Vice City does not represent the easy road for Rockstar. “GTA3 has sold a stu- pid amount of games and is well on its way to becoming the best-selling game of all time,” Donovan says. “That’s a good vibe, but the sense of, ‘We have a huge hit so we can get by with whatever we want’ exists nowhere in
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Unless you stop for every red light and politely give pedestrians the right of way in Vice City, there’s not much you can do in the game that you’ll get away with in real life, except one thing: rocking out. Rockstar has cooked up a deal with Sony’s Epic Records to release Vice City’s more than 80 songs in the mutha of all ’80s compilations. The cool part: This seven-album assortment hit stores the same day as the game.
this company. Vice City is leaps and bounds above the last game. We wouldn’t do any- thing else. This is not a cash-in.... This is the most explored franchise in terms of gameplay in the last however many years.”
Peel back the game’s ’80s Miami veneer, and Vice City might not seem so different from GTA3. It has potty-mouthed characters who send you on morally questionable missions in the worst parts of town, just like G7A3. It has big-deal stars—including Goodfella’s Ray Liotta and Dennis Hopper—providing voices for the characters, just like GTA3. Vice City has street gangs, insane-stunt opportunities, panicking pedestrians, sweeping urban vis- tas, brutal weapons and plenty of autos to jack, jump and mangle, just like G7A3. All the fun stuff is there, and if it’s not exactly new, “we actually have improved all of it,” says Rockstar President Sam Houser. “From the cars to the pedestrians on the street to how the city is laid out. Everything.” Rockstar North pumped up the obligatory numbers, too: You'll find 10 more weapons, more than twice as many vehicles, at least four times as many tunes (see below) and a city that’s twice the size.
That’s all the stuff you expect from a sequel. Now, for the additions gamers were
Home is where you hang your gun:
Acquiring proper- ty-from strip Clubs to your own pad-is a big part of life in Vice Ctiy.
begging for: motorcycles, internal environ- ments, more boats, helicopters, airplanes (that fly for real this time, unlike GTA3’s bust- ed-wing Dodo plane), better aiming control, the ability to shoot out tires—it’s all in Vice City. About the only thing that didn’t get a major tweak was the multi-section nature of the town. The developers were toying with the idea of making the entire metropolis com- pletely open from the game’s outset, but in the end they decided to section it off into areas that unlock as you play deeper into the game, just like in GTA3. “We decided the experience is more fun and rewarding if everything isn’t open at once,” says Jenefer Gross, Rockstar’s director of marketing.
Vice City’s mightiest improvements and additions, however, are harder to quantify. “It’s more a shift in immersion and the level of detail in the world,” Donovan says, “plus a richer, fuller, sexier storyline that will carry you on the way the previous game only hint- ed at. It’s a different intensity of feeling you'll notice within the first half-hour.”
During our first 30 minutes, we found a city that’s seemingly more alive, more real and certainly prettier than GTA3’s grimy Liberty City. Vice City is awash with neon, but it’s got a seedy underbelly, and you don’t need to scratch deep to uncover it. We found it as soon as the main character, Tommy Vercetti,
Each album lifts tunes from one of Vice City’s seven music radio sta- tions. “The music is from every label on Earth,” says Rockstar’s Terry Donovan. Here’s a breakdown of the radio networks (plus two talk sta- tions, which obviously won’t have albums). If you like the station’s vibe, buy (don’t steal) its corresponding album, pop it into your car’s CD play- er and crank it (while obeying the rules of the road, of course).
Call-in talk shows covering hot- button issues
VCPR— Vice City Public Radio, local talk for intellectuals
Wave 103— New wave from Flash FM- boys ihe wear more nennoup Generation,” hosted by si -_ i of _— mnie (Notab ent: gain’ Ss fuera ener Caele
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clinically depressed, hosted by Fernando Martinez of GTA3’s Fernando’s New pennies
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V-Rock— Rebel rock and heavy Wildstyle— Hip-hop and Fever 105—Soultunes Espantoso— jeu/kiaie atjoe nite by G TA3 talk-radio electronic rap pracns for lovers (Notable complete with Commercials isles Lazlow ( (Notable tal- (Notable talent: Run DMC, talent: Kool and the en Espanol (Notable talent
t: Twisted Sister, Quiet Riot) Herbie Hanc Gang, Rick James) Lonnie Liston Smith)
Electronic Gaming Monthly - 15
6 - egm.gamers.com
STEVEN SPIELBERG S FUTURISTIC THRILLER EXPLODES ONTO ALL NEXT GEN GAMING SYSTEMS.
FALL 2002
Relive the movie experience in an all-new adventure Take on human and robotic enemies with hand-to-hand = - |mmerse yourself in over 40 levels of non-stop action/adventure as Precrime’s Top Cop John Anderton. combat moves and an explosive arsenal of weapons. with futuristic weapons and devices straight out of the movie.
S$ «et Ae GAME BOY ADVANCE | XBOX TEEN oe = ot VIOLENCE eK : i 2 CONTENT RATED BY zs : : as : Acli i ISION a Minority Report TM & © 2002 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation and Dreamworks LLP. All rights reserved. Fox Interactive and their associated logos are feadoneris of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. Published activision.com
and distributed by Activision Publishing, Inc. under license. Activision is a registered trademark of Activision, 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, 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. Licensed by Nintendo. Nintendo, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo GameCube and the Official Seal are trademarks of Nintendo. © 2001 Nintendo. Ail rights reserved. 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.
opened his mouth and out poured the sand- paper voice of Ray Liotta, the maestro of Scuzzball. Suddenly, we knew this Vercetti guy—who’d just flown south from Liberty City after a 15-year stretch in the big house —was one badass you wouldn’t want to mess with, and a recent drug deal gone bad hasn’t light- ened his mood. Over the next half hour, we met more principle characters than you'll see in most Hollywood films, survived a close encounter with a gang of thugs and useda hammer to “persuade” a couple of civvies to play by our rules.
HAVE IT YOUR WAY
Ultimately, it is Vice City’s story, settings and characters that make the game so much more immersive than GJA3, and that’s not really something you can say about the plot in most sequels. The game’s script is roughly 600 pages longer than G7A3’s. Most of the extra dialogue comes through in cut-scenes, of which Vice City packs more than an hour-and- a-half. “But in a 100-hour game it won’t feel like you’re watching instead of playing,” says Dan Houser, Rockstar’s VP of creative devel- opment. “We keep them short enough to give you a bit of information, a bit of character, tell you what you need to do, then kick you into the game. But because there’s more talking, you’re kicked into the game with more moti-
THREE OF A KIND
Vice City’s sun-baked scenario comes to life with richer characters, dynamic environments —and other stuff that’s hard to tally in a handy chart. But hey, sometimes it’s just fun to crunch numbers. So, let’s see
GRAND THEFT AUTO Ill
GRAND THEFT AUTO: VICE CITY
THE PLOT: Asmall-time hoodlum f cane A Liberty City mobster liv- fo~s scores a lucky jailbreak, wh inginthe ’8o0s packs his i%/;. rises through the ranks of the mob, bags for sunny Vice City, where he then double crosses just about every gang plans to expand the “family business” and faction in grimy Liberty City. run his own drug empire. THE HERO: He has NO Name (orevena Tommy Vercetti: A ruthless, EX voice), but the main dude’s car- well-connected crook clad in jacking skills make him a power- acid-washed denim. He dreams player in the crime underworld. } 4 | of money, power and women. NOTABLE TALENT: Michael Madsen, Joe Pantoliano Ray Liotta, Dennis Hopper, Ms. Cleo NO. OF WEAPONS: 25, including shotguns, « |) 3 | More than 30, including = [ Be knives, rocket launchers, |* — 3 | all the old favorites plus a ee grenades, molotov cock- katana, Tommy’s own _ ie tails, sniper rifles and a karate-kicking feet, a : flame thrower machete and a chainsaw ee NO. OF VEHICLES: 120, including bikes and helicopters NO. OF SONGS: 20, including a few hits from the ’80s Over 0 —every ’80s song worth hearing TYPICAL MISSION: The hero uses a sniper rifle to cover his Early on, Tommy and his occasional part-
partner, a fellow badass named 8ball, who infiltrates a cargo ship and plants
explosive charges. gest you don’t stop to fight.
Electronic Gaming Monthly - 158 - egm.gamers.com
ner in crime, Lance Vance, escape on foot from a gang of bat-wielding thugs.
vation, more of a sense of the personalities you’re dealing with and more understanding of who you’re going to beat up, see or interact with later on.”
The missions themselves are highly sophisticated and less linear this time, too. “Last time you had choices,” Dan Houser says, “but when it was finished, you ended up in the same place. We liked that model, but we wanted to do something different this time.” It all adds up to a story, main character and overall experience that'll wind up differently for everyone— gamers; non- gamers; again, your mom—who plays it, especially once players begin amassing an
music,” says Rockstar’s Terry Donovan on why Vice City is set in the ‘80s. “Never have style and substance lived so symbiotically.”
how the sequel stacks up to GTA3 and, for the hell of it, Brian De Palma’s Scarface, the seminal ’80s drug-lord flick that Rockstar claims inspired much of the game.
Aself-made Cuban emi- grant shoots to the top of a drug cartel based in early-’80s Miami. He’s ultimately undone by his own larger-than-life self image.
Tony Montama: A blood- thirsty Cuban refugee who will stop at nothing to become Miami’s cocaine kingpin.
Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer 100 pages
51, including uzis, shot- guns, a chainsaw, knives, a car bomb, choking straps | and Tony’s grenade- launching “tittle friend”
21, including helicopters and a gondola 10, two of which were even in GTA3
A guy in an $800 suit sends Tony to pick up some coke. Things go awry and a bunch of rival drug dudes wind up in the morgue. Sound like any game you know?’
We sug-
Presenting Evolution Skateboarding—a heaping helping of pure skating goodness. Pull off 70 of the gnarliest tricks. Carve, grind and soar through eight wicked worlds that change for each of your eight pro riders. Conquer 30 trick-based missions in Challenge Mode. And then use your skating skills against powerful
boss characters, including a two-ton semi. Open wide. This promises to be tasty.
MISSIONS VARY BY SKATER
BATTLE BOSS CHARACTERS
UNLOCK HIDDEN SKATERS
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KONAMI
Blood
Mild Lyrics
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HENTERDS CUBE
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“PlayStation” and the “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. TM, ®, The Nintendo Game Cube logo are trademarks of Nintendo. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. King of, LLC © 2002. KONAMI@ is a registered trademark of KONAMI CORPORATION. © 2002 KONAMI. All rights reserved.
Insert Grey Poupon joke here: Vice City's bikes are built for two, so you can take someone along when it’s time to shoot up the town.
empire of real estate, strip clubs and...well, we don’t want to give too much away. After all, you’re playing the game and will find out soon enough. Let’s just say ol’ Tommy Vercetti, at some point, really begins to embrace the drug-kingpin lifestyle.
Or not. The beautiful thing about Vice City is, just like GTA3, you can simply putz around town or go on bonus missions or do...whatev- er you want, really. We spent most of our first half hour launching our car from the roof of a parking garage and diving out the door in midair (another new move). “From one day to the next, your favorite bit in the game will change,” Sam Houser says. “I know for me, my current thing is to get on a motorbike, the Vespa, and go on a drive-by. But then you get a Harley or a dirt bike—called the Sanchez; ’ll leave it to you to figure that out—and just do these insane stunt jumps. | can’t think of anything better than that right now.”
Sure, Vice City still has some things you can’t do. Gamers filled Rockstar’s mailbox with thousands of suggestions for the sequel, including oddball requests like the inclusion of animals and children. “Why?” asks Dan Houser. “[Those things are] not fun; they’re not funny. We’re trying to depict the same kind of stuff you find in similar relevant gangster movies and TV shows and popular culture.” In other words, if some- thing doesn’t fit in Vice City’s world, it swims with the fishes. And, no, you can’t swim in Vice City. “I’d like the issue of swim- ming to go away,” Donovan says of the ’Net message-board rumor that bugged him most. “We never said you can swim, and | don’t know who the f*** made it up. A gang- ster who swims? Please. Guns and water— not a good match. There’s only one game that has an underwater breast stroke in it, and we ain’t it.”
Electronic Gaming Monthly - - (Pssst—he’s talking about Tomb Raider, by the way.)
utthink. outrun and int foes who learn
DIGITAL MAYHEM ®
HUNT OR BE HUNTED
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Sit PlayStation.c — = ‘the feeling of living a movie—
MATURE | RLH Run Like Hell™ © 2002 Interplay Entertainment Corp. All Rights Reserved. RLH oa the edge- -of- -your- -seat tension Blood and Gore Run Like Hell™ the ALH logo, Digital Mayhem, the Digital Mayhem logo, Interplay. to the voice talent of top actors.
and the Interplay logo are trademarks of Interplay Entertainment Corp. 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. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. All other trademarks and trade names are the property of their respective owners.
ips
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elcome to our
lovely metropolis.
Here you'll find beautiful beaches, blue waters, a bustling nightlife and one of the most modern downtown areas in America. And for those of you with some real ambition, opportuni- ties abound.
But Vice City isn’t all fun and games. It’s a dangerous world out there for the enterprising young man trying to make a name for himself in the underworld. Sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll are just part of the deal. Luckily, you’ve got this wonderful primer to get you started.
Getting beat down and taking a trip to the hospital totally sucks. There you are, leaving the emer- gency room with no weapons, no ride and a lighter wallet. But if you’re anywhere near the slums, you’re in luck.
Look around. Chances are, you’ll see a group of Haitians and Cubans fighting each other. Stand back and watch the carnage. When the smoke clears, you’ll find a bunch of guns and money lying among the bodies. And if you wanna have even more fun, steal the ambulance when the paramedics show up.
TRATEGY GUIDE ff
Electronic Gaming Monthly -
While you can exercise your right to bear arms almost anywhere in Vice City, there are places where firepower is frowned upon. So if you ever find yourself headed to the Leaf Links Golf Course or the Escobar International Airport, be sure to take along a meat cleaver, baseball bat, hammer or whatever. Because the second you step through those metal detectors, you'll be stripped of all fir- ing weapons. Consider yourself warned.
Just about any weapon is available in Vice City, but before you head into a fight with guns blazing, you need to be aware of your limitations. Know that aiming and firing a shotgun, assault rifle or sniper rifle glues you to the spot. Get out of the line of fire before letting loose with any of those. Handguns and submachine guns can be fired while you’re running around, but they’re less powerful.
-egm.gamers.com
A way to make a bit of extra money on the streets of Vice City is to pull off some stunts. Keep your eyes peeled for ramps all over town. Jumping off them will earn you a cash bonus (provided you land on your wheels), and throwing in some flips and rotations will earn you even more. Here are a few other tricks you can pull off:
If you can pop any four- wheeled vehicle up on two wheels and keep it that way for a bit, you’ll get an extra bonus for your troubles.
On any bike, pull back as you accelerate. Vespas and heavier bikes don’t easily do wheelies, though, so you'll have to work at it.
OK, these are cool. First, get your bike up to full speed. Now, lean forward (by holding up) and slam on the brakes. If you did it right, your rear wheel will leave the ground. The longer you can keep it up (the rear wheel, you sicko!), the more money you’ll make.
HERE IN MY CAR
While in Vice City, you'll feel safest of all in cars...or planes or bikes or whatever. With that in mind, here’s a quick look at five modes of transportation you'll find in the game and how we feel about them. Although handling should be a prime con- cern when deciding which set of wheels to steal, you also need to keep in mind that there are lots of bullets flying around the mean streets of Vice City, so armor is a big aspect of choosing a vehicle as well. You don’t want something that'll blow up quick.
RANCHER: Only boost this squirrel- crushin’, deer-smackin’ drivin’ machine if you’re absolutely desperate for a ride, and even then you might want to reconsider.
PCJ-600: As bikes go, you can’t do much better than this. The 600 is a light, fast rac- ing bike that’s easy to do tricks on and is blazing fast, but bad on the turns.
HERMES: This big ol’ boat may not be fast, but she’s pretty tough. That’s why the Cuban gangbangers in Vice City rely on it when they need to get anywhere.
Electronic Gaming Monthly - 163 - egm.gamers.com
Use your ride as a weapon. If you’re heading into a fight where you’re outnumbered, drive through the crowd with your car. You’ll take out a group of enemies at once. And if they happen to set your vehicle on fire, dive out and let it blow up in the middle of them. There’s a few more you don’t have to worry about.
You may think you’re a badass, but fighting wave after wave of enemies is a sure way to get dead. So if you see a car-full of baddies coming your way, don’t stand back and wait for them to exit their ride. Instead, plug away at the grill and hood area of the car as they approach. If you get off enough shots, you’ll set off an explosion and send all of your adversaries to an early grave.
SPEEDER: A fast boat is necessary in VC. This quick, nimble boat is really touchy on waves, but if you can master the steering, you'll be untouchable in the water.
INFERNUS: One of the coolest cars in VC. The upside? You can outrun just about anything. The downside? These cars blow up as easily as a Pinto doused in gasoline.
This might sound crazy, but it works. If you’re going into So, where exactly do you get one of those boss helicopters? That’s a firefight where you know any car will get shot up to the easy! When you finally unlock the western half of the city (a few mis- point of exploding almost immediately, take a motor- sions into the game), head north to the downtown area. Explore the cycle instead. It’s a much smaller target, you can still eastern shore a little until you find the police station (a word of advice: run down your enemies like dogs and —best of all—bul- make sure your wanted level is at zero). Search the outside of the build- lets can’t hit you while you’re riding. Just be careful, ing for a staircase. Take it to the roof, where there’s a helipad. Most of though. If you come to a stop on a bike while there’s a the time, you'll find a police chopper just sitting there for the taking. cop around, he can knock you to the ground and bust you Take ’er for a whirl! more easily than he can drag you out of a car.
And for some real fun, try landing your chopper on a boat.
GRAND THEFT AUTO VICE CITY 0.5.7 - GRAND THEFT AUTO VICE CITY 0.5.7 - VOLUME 7 : RADIO ESPANTOSO GRAND THEFT AUTO VICK CITY 0.8.T- VOLUME 2 : WAVE 103
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You'll find seven radio stations on the air in Vice City. But listening to As a special bonus, putting any of the discs in your computer’s CD the radio can be annoying. (Who wants to wait through commercials to _drive will reveal a secret code that you can use at www.vicecity.com to hear their favorite songs?) Which is why you should go out and buy unlock various goodies in the game. And don’t bother asking us what these soundtrack CDs (www.vicecityradio.com). those goodies are. You’ll have to find out for yourself.
Electronic Gaming Monthly - 164 - egm.gamers.com
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Just been in a firefight? Cops took turns beating you down? Involved in a 12-car pileup? No problem. Just learn where the various hos- pitals are situated in Vice City. In front of each, you'll find a free health power-up. And in a pinch, you can stop in at one of your hideouts and save the game fora quick health boost.
RIGHT TO BEAR
While the VC arsenal puts the one in GTA3 to
shame, there’s one catch: You can carry only
one of each type of weapon at any one time.
The categories are as follows:
1. BRASS KNUCKLES — pretty self-explanatory
2. TOOLS — knives, bats and chainsaws
3. THROWING WEAPONS ~ grenades or Molotov cocktails
4. HANDGUNS ~ single-shot, light guns
5. SUBMACHINE GUNS — A high fire-rate, but a very inaccurate weapon
6. SHOTGUNS — Heavy weapons that can usually kill in one shot at close range
7- ASSAULT RIFLES ~ Automatic fire, but aimed through a scope (so no movement during fire)
8. HEAVY WEAPONS — Flame throwers and rocket launchers #¥%
GTA3 veterans know that the best way to get the cops off your case is to take your car to a Pay ’N’ Spray. But it ain’t that simple in Vice City. If the fuzz is chasing you, ducking into a PNS is still the best way to get them off your tail—but you’re not home free yet, because your wanted level doesn’t immediately go down. The stars will remain flashing for a bit, which means you’re on probation. Do anything wrong at all (hit a cop car, run over a civilian, shoot someone, etc.) while those stars are still flashing and your wanted level will go right back to where it was. So behave yourself!
Electronic Gaming Monthly - 166 - egm.gamers.com
How does it feel to make a thousand leisure suits stand up and cheer? Slide your skinny ass into Rocky Balboa’s boxing shorts and find out as you face 20 vicious opponents in a relentless quest for the title. But don’t plan on coming out unscathed. In this multi-mode slugfest, the blood spurting damage is just plain brutal.
™
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: Y v www.rocky-the-game.com \\G\' Battle the greats in Movie Mode Brutal real-time damage
GAME BOY ADVANCE
Violence
GAMEGLBE.
© 2002 Rage Games Limited except “Rocky” - “Rocky V" (c) 1976-2002 United Artists Corporation. ROCKY TM United Artists Corporation. © 2002 UbiSoft, Inc. UbiSoft and the UbiSoft Entertainment logo are registered trademarks of UbiSoft, Inc. All rights reserved. “PlayStation” and the “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Microsoft, Xbox, and the Xbox logos are either register trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries and are used under license from Microsoft. 1M, ®, GameBoy Advance and the Nintendo GameCube logo are trademarks of Nintendo. All rights reserved. The ratings icon is a registered trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. All other trademarks are the properties of their respective owners.
Meet Zapper™, a little cricket with a big attitude and a pair of high voltage antennae he’s not afraid to use, as he zaps his way through
twisted worlds filled..with non-stop. action.
www.onewickedcricket.com
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Visit www.esrb.org : | | \"¢ or call 1-800-771-3772 PlayStation.
for more info.
CONTENT RATED BY ESRB
The names of all World Wrestling Entertainment™ televised and live programming, talent names, images, likenesses, slogans and wrestling moves and all World Wrestling Entertainment™ logos are trademarks which are the exclusive property of Co. and its logo are trademarks of Yuke's Co.,Ltd. JAKKS Pacific and the JAKKS Pacific logo are trademarks of JAKKS Pacific, Inc. THQ and the THQ logo are registered trademarks of THQ Inc. All Rights Reserved. "PlayStation" and the"PS"Familylogo
World Wrestling www.thq.com Vi Ff Entertainment”
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc.© 2002 World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Game and Software © 2002 THOQ/JAKKS Pacific LLC. Used under exclusive license by THQ/JAKKS Pacific, LLC. Developed by Yuke's Co.,Ltd. Yuke's are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
MATURE
®
Blood and Gore
Partial Nudity
Violence CONTENT RATED BY
SRB
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e. OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE
METAL GEAR SOLID
SUBSTANCE
350+ VR MISSIONS 150+ ALTERNATIVE MISSIONS 5 SNAKE TALES EUROPEAN EXTREME MODE CASTING THEATER BOSS SURVIVAL MODE HIDDEN PLAYABLE CHARACTERS ENTIRE SONS OF LIBERTY™ GAME! MERYL RETURNS!
NOW AVAILABLE FOR XBOX"
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KONAMI
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METAL GEAR®, METAL GEAR SOLID®, SONS OF LIBERTY™ and SUBSTANCE™ are either registered trademarks or trademarks of KONAM| COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT JAPAN, INC. © 1987 2002 KONAMI COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT JAPAN. KONAMI@ is a registered trademark of KONAMI 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 and are used under license from Microsoft. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association.
www.koeigames.com
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Heart-pounding, Cinematic-quality, real-time graphics. Feel the rush as you decimate swarming enemy masses! visual and sound effects of these tremendous es push Xbox™ to the limit!
ight for your life as you are surrounded by the hoards! Ds id improved “Group Control Engine” puts more than 1,000 enemies in your sights at once!
"Liquid" aliens change shape as they attack! Watch as these enemies of unknown origin morph before your very eyes!
Complete immersion in battle! A special sonar enemy detection system and Dolby Digital 5.1ch Surround sound bring excitement from all angles!
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s no wonder Ratchet & Clank have itchy trigger bombing, exploding or obliterating
your enemies. So go ahead, blow it up. Blow it all up. Because nobody likes a nice clean town.
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EGM celebrates the 30th anniversary of video games With a time-tripping look back at the console that Started it all and a peek ahead at the super system . youll play 30 years in the future 7 _~
BY (RISPIN OVER
Way's iT BROWN?
An aluminum chassis with a cardboard top and bottom, Baer's prototype wasn't much to look at, and he knew it. “It looked like something out of the lab, which it was,” he tells us. “We wanted to make it look halfway human, more like a consumer product, so | went to the store and bought some wood-grain wallpaper to dress it up a bit.”
hree decades ago, Elvis was still alive and Final Fantasy VII’s Aeris hadn’t died. Hedgehogs traveled at sensible speeds. Turtles didn’t fly. Video games did not exist. But then a guy named Ralph Baer had a crazy idea. “| thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be nice if we could do something else with a TV set by turning to channel 3 or 4 on the stu- pid thing?” says Baer, who'd been kicking around yssey inventor Ralph nal | the notion of home video games since the ’50s. In 1966, while working for defense contractor Sanders Associates, he drew up schematics and set his plan in motion. Three years later, he had a final prototype to shop around. Magnavox bit, and Baer’s “Brown Box” prototype was mass-produced as the Odyssey, the world’s first video-game con- sole. It hit stores in May 1972 and sold about 100,000 units.
Today, 1972 resonates as video games’ T-minus zero, the year the industry achieved liftoff (entrepreneurial engineer Nolan Bushnell formed Atari that same year). In the 30 years since, games have rocketed into the stratosphere, evolving into a multi-billion-dollar industry and a phenomenon unique to our generation. Our folks can lay claim to rock ’n’ roll, but games are our thing. So help us cele- brate everything our hobby has become by deconstructing the origi-
Od
SUNK WORKS
The whole Odyssey project was a dark secret at Sanders, where Baer worked. “We didn’t show off our project at all,” he says, “and really, why should we? Sanders was a big compa- ny at the time, making mili- tary electronics. People would have thought, ‘What the hell
CONTROL FREAK
Baer actually settled on a design for the world’s first home-game controller on an earlier Odyssey prototype, then moved it to the Brown Box. The controller had two knobs-one for horizontal movement of on- screen objects, and the other for vertical motion. After Baer and his staff of engi- neers play-tested the Odyssey’'s ping-pong game, they added a third knob, called the
nal prototype that started it all, Ralph Baer’s Brown Box (right). And when you’re done waxing nostalgic, flip the page for our best guess at the console of the future, based on input from game-biz hotshots.
was [a game system] doing there?’ But it was just one of my things. | took advantage of
English knob, for applying spin to the ball. “It effectively meant you had to have three hands,” he says, “or be very clever
my position and made it hap-
pen. It was an embarrassment for the company until it start- ed making money.”
with your fingers. There certainly wasn’t a good human factor to the design. The con- troller was much too big. Compared to what we have today, it was ridiculous.”
Will their predictions come true? Who knows—if the last 30 years are any indication, our No. 1 pastime’s still full of surprises.
2.6 million years B.C. Early humans stop wielding primi- tive clubs and blunt bones in exchange for stone tools — the first power-up.
yoo A.D. Ninjas begin sneaking around Japan, unaware that more than two thou- sand years later, they'll make token, historically questionable appearances in scores of video games.
1765 Abigail Adams becomes the first presidential daughter. Villains take note and plot a rash of first-daughter kidnap- pings for late ’80s video games.
THROUGH THE VEARS...
From the first final boss to Sega's final hardware flop, we track the milestone
1050 B.C. > David beats Goliath in the first recorded boss battle.
1889 The
Japanese playing-
card company
Marufuku is formed
in Japan. Its name
changes to Nintendo in 1951. A
Electronic Gaming Monthly - 118 - egm.gamers.com
Quick DRaw
Not only did Baer invent the original game console, but
he also devised the very first light gun. His test units
were toy rifles and pistols. “There was plenty of room
inside the toy guns, in the handle and behind the
barrel and such, to put in a few transistors and other parts.” The final Odyssey
5 light rifle was
% sold separately.
—”
THe Drown Box: Gaming's Last CONSOLE
Baer’s box was actually the final evolution of seven units. He and Sanders engineer Bob Tremblay built the first in 1966; the final box was completed in ’69. Features were added at every stage. Some ideas, such as a golf-tee controller and game that Baer tested with one of his wife’s putters, fell by the wayside.
THROW THE SWITCH
The Odyssey didn’t play actual cartridges. Instead, it had a selection of 12 built-in titles (such as ping-pong, handball and hockey) that players could choose by plugging in car- tridge-like cards that tripped jumpers within the system and chose the appropriate game. For the Brown Box prototype, Baer simply used index cards for each game to remind him which way to set the jumpers.
THe Final DESIGN
Although its innards are identi- cal to Baer’s prototype, the final Odyssey unit—which sold for $100—certainly looked nicer. “We were happy with Magnavox’s design,” Baer says. “The only thing we didn’t like was the price. It was that high partly because they spent a lot of money on plastic.”
UNDER THE Hoop
The Brown Box had about 4o transistors (by compari- son, the Xbox CPU packs 22 million). And see those C- cell batteries? The Odyssey required no external juice. “It may surprise you today,” Baer says, “but many of
the early home games were battery-powered.”
1896 The first Olympic Games host the triple jump, a move credited with saving millions of lives in platform games.
1910 The term “joy- stick” comes into usage to describe the controls on “motorcoaches” and “aeroplanes.”
4920 Women granted right to vote in U.S., opening the door for numerous Barbie games and cake-baking simulators.
1947 Tokyo Telecommunications Laboratory opens in Japan and manufactures rice cook- ers and transistor radios. Eleven years later, it changes its name to Sony.
1952 Sega, short for Service Games, opens shop in Japan and supplies coin-op machines to U.S. soldiers stationed around the country. (
‘
a
1952 Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto
1963 Silicone breast implants introduced. See Lara Croft, Virtua Fighter’s Sarah Bryant and every game from Dead or Alive creator Tomonobu Itagaki.
1972 Magnavox releases the Odyssey.
1973 Dungeons & Dragons invented, laying the groundwork for all video-game RPGs.
is born. > sy . B 1975 Bill Gates starts Microsoft. py %
Electronic Gaming Monthly - 119 - egm.gamers.com
0) Venps Later
Vipeo Games 229
EGM unveils the system of tomorrow, today
hen we solicited industry experts and our readers for help designing the console of 2032, some responses scared us. “The question is, will the Earth still be here in 30 years?” said Tecmo President Tomonobu Itagaki. And some responses...well, really scared us. “We’ll have the XXXbox—the lonely gamer’s dream come true,” predicted reader Zak Knight of Oklahoma City, Okla. “I don’t recommend sharing it with your friends.” Uh, ewww.
But most folks dragged their minds from the gutter and gave us ideas we could work with. We pulled all their predictions together, added a few of our own and sent all the raw data to Midway 3D artist Charles Ernst. The end result is the console prototype you see here. We’re calling our system the TriaD because of its three compo- nents (headset, base and controllers), its 3D stereoscopic eyewear (as in Tri-Dimensional—get it?) and our belief that hardware makers will never get tired of capitalizing letters within console names. Eyeball the TriaD closely and memorize every detail. Barring the end of the world or some debilitating preoccupation with porno titles, we all might be gaming on this thing in the year 2032...
Tue dcapstr
Mind Games
“The system will need a sensor that reads your brainwaves,” says Resident Evil 0 producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi. It'll let you issue simple thought commands or, say, allow game enemies to sense your fear.
‘peau Up
Real-time chat and voice recogni- tion are hot new technologies today, but in 2032 they'll be stan- dard features on any console.
Dogy Vigruat Copec’
The earpads stimulate the bones in your inner ear, generating a sphere of surround sound.
Atari releases the Video Computer System (aka, the Atari 2600). V
> Activision sends iron- on patches to gamers who meet high- “« score challenges to commemorate their tri- umphs, marking the first time a publisher connects with gamers through a geeky game ™ tchotchke.
Sir-Tech Software releases the RPG Wizardry for the Apple II. The computer game becomes hugely popular in Japan and influences the developers of the first con- sole RPGs.
“Visuals will be cast directly onto the retina,” Says Castlevania producer Koji Igarashi. The TriaD’s wireless eyewear, which comes in two pieces that clip on each ear, makes it happen. Gamers will see the game world in true 3D...as long as their eyes haven’t been fried by U/V radiation from the ozone hole.
SMELL-O-VISION
“Reality-visuals, sound and smells-and virtual reality will fuse and commonly exist as the entertainment of the future,” says Meta/ Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima. The head- set will handle the visuals. That leaves the TriaD to pump out the smells. The unit features an odor generator fueled by tiny replaceable cartridges that will pump out any kinda stink a game calls for. We really will smell what The Rock is cooking-as he pummels us with his walker.
THE CONSOLE Base
The TriaD’s base unit will accommodate up to four players who jack in via the wireless headsets and controllers (those four blue lights show how many players are connected). But what if your pals perish in the Neutron War of 2029? The TriaD also has a high-speed wireless Web connection, so you can play online with Strangers. Or just pick a solo game. “The Internet will broaden gaming into more social realms,” says Naughty Dog co-founder Jason Rubin, “but one-player games will still be popular.”
Atari and the entire indus- try suffer a . financial crash, mainly due to an overabundance of lousy games. >
Coleco releases an adapter that allows the ColecoVision sys- tem to play Atari 2600 titles. It’s the first cross-console adapter. Atari sues and loses. V
Nintendo releases the Nintendo Entertainment System and revitalizes console gaming. In Moscow, Alexey Pajitnov creates Tetris.
o ae @ cc @ 4 = > —) o = S 3 cS — — 7) =
Electronic Gaming Monthly - 180 - egm.gamers.com
CANDID CAMERA
“In 30 years...games will be unique and personal to the player, enabling peo- I ( ple to express their own individuality,” says Peter Molyneux, managing direc- Ht ONTROLLERS tor of Lionhead Studios and creator of such god-games as Populous and Black Many readers predicted consoles will hook into
& White. It all starts with the 360-degree panoramic camera built into the
TriaD's top. It'll capture your appearance for modeling your in-game character ; a , and let you digitize myriad personal touches-everything from custom weapons But Castlevania producer Koji Igarashi to your ex-wife’s mothballed ‘NSync posters for virtual target practice. warns that “people wouldn’t use their ey «
hands anymore, players would become lazy and games would become more controversial. So the game industry would make sure hand controllers would still be used.” We figure today’s dual-stick joypad will eventually split into two separate
wireless controllers, one for each hand.
Quick GANGE
See the tiny screen under your thumb? It’s a touch-sensitive video pad that displays varying button and control-pad layouts. “Your control will change depending on the game,” says reader Alex Jokela of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
your noggin and require mere thought input.
DANCE LIKE A BUTTERFLY
Each hand unit has built-in internal gyros that relay their position in 3D space to the TriaD base. So when you move your arms or take aim in real life, you do it in the game. Just be careful you don’t knock over your priceless collection of Final Fantasy XXXVII figurines when you flail around.
Feet THE QURN “Tactile gadgets will be part of the scene,” says Odyssey creator Ralph Baer, “so when you get hit, you get Ait.” In the TriaD’s case, feedback is limited to stimulating the muscles on the back of your arms. The feedback pad will even change temperature: When Ryu hits you with a fireball in Capcom vs. Sega vs. Namco vs. SNK: Turbo Championship Edition, you'll feel the heat.
PLAYING WITH POWER
Game designer Mark Cerny predicts that by 2032, “[Visuals] will be whatever the creators want them to be.” Seamus Blackley, the man who spearheaded the Xbox project at Microsoft, agrees. ‘The console will be able to replicate the experience of watching other media, such as movies. There will be no difference in the imagery.”
WHERE'S THE DVD Trays Wuo's Maxine THis THING?
Good question. There ain’t one. “Games will even- You're crazy if you think we're naming tually be distributed electronically,” says Mark TriaD’s manufacturer, lest we be labeled Cerny, co-designer of Crash Bandicoot, Ratchet biased for picking one hardware company and Clank, the classic coin-op Marble Madness and over another. Let's just say it’s the prod- too many other games to list. That means all you uct of a joint venture between Nintendo, have to do is pick the game you want to play from Sony, Microsoft and Ralston-Purina,
a menu, authorize payment and zap! It's down- which becomes the world’s largest com- loaded wirelessly into the TriaD faster than it takes pany after opening its Soylent Green
to rehydrate your burrito meal pill. And the really foods division in 2022. Oh, and TriaD cool part? “Games won't be static items that come “will be backwards-compatible with every in a box,” Cerny says. “They will be open, flexible system ever made,” says reader Bobby things, where the scenarios can change every day.” Armstrong of Milwaukee, Wis.
1989 Nintendo 1990 Capcom 4991 Nintendo signs a deal with 1993 Senators Joe Lieberman releases the Game staff in Japan Sony to develop a CD add-on to and Herbert Kohl investigate Boy and dominates become addict- Super NES, called the PlayStation. video-game violence, thanks to the handheld market ed to a new By summer, the two companies the gory Mortal Kombat and until the end of time. fighting game part ways. Night Trap. Security is beefed up Meanwhile, a world- they’re devel- around the Senate offices due to record-holding game oping internal- fatality threats. >
guru and arcade ly, staying up 4992 John Carmack and id
manager named all night to play Software release Wolfenstein 3D.
Steve Harris starts a the two-player It lays the first-person-shooter 1994 Nintendo claims its secret Project Reality magazine called mode. That groundwork for blockbuster 3D system will pump out movie-quality effects. It’s Electronic Gaming game is Street titles like Doom, GoldenEye 007 released two years later as the Nintendo 64, prov- Monthly. Fighter Il. and Halo. ing Nintendo hadn’t been to the movies since 1930.
Electronic Gaming Monthly - 181- egm.gamers.com
LATER
20 Vcars
THe Games oF 2029
ee them now. Play them (much) later
IN THE GAME
The TriaD’s camera will let you map your face onto in-game characters, so that’s really you in the dating sim below. Nice sideburns, cyberstud. Oh, and just ‘cause the TriaD uses 3D eyewear doesn’t mean all games will be in first person. In third-person titles, your eyes will be the camera.
ee
n 30 years, games will be as mainstream as movies or TV,” says Lionhead’s Peter Molyneux. Great, but what will we actually be playing? We’ve mocked up a duo of TriaD games for a double dose of stereoscopic fun from the future. (And, no, that isn’t some old Sega CD time-travel game below. It’s just a mock-up, smartass).
SNIFF, SNIFF... Remember, the TriaD has an odor genera- tor. Better use a deodorant power-up.
Hot Date The virtual-reality nature of the TriaD means simulation games will become a blockbuster genre. “Especially dating sims," says reader Jose Quezada of Chula Vista, Calif.
ITS THINKING Baddies like this RPG bug boss will seem so lifelike and unpredictable, you'd swear
GIVE THE ORDER “Voice recognition will be coupled with
The Zing turned eye tracking," says Odyssey creator
on and opened
Ralph Baer. “You can look at someone, you were fighting villains raised from up. Its LCD yell a command, and he'll do what you birth and taught to kill. “Developers will control pads say.” In this case, we're looking at our teach game characters to walk, rather can change party members and shouting, ‘Hey, than playing back canned sequences,” depending on save our ass!" says Naughty Dog’s Jason Rubin. the game.
THE SANDHELD OF 2022
“Handhelds will be extremely advanced,” says Kingdom Hearts Director Tetsuya Nomura. “They will pack the power of at least a PS3.” They’ll also be smaller than ever. Our mock-up, called the Zing, is
The Zing , i the size of a pager. When activated, its control pad am and fabric high-definition screen spring open. position. J
1995 Sega releases the Saturn. Sony releases the PlayStation. One dies
1999 Tony Hawk pulls off his first 900. Gamers
2001 Sega bows out of
2002 Square and Nintendo kiss and make up, bathe together
and the other thrives. try it later that year on
the PlayStation.
1996 Square and Nintendo have a falling out; Square jumps to the PS1. 2000 Sony launches the PS2 in America. EBay prices for the limited- release unit soar above $1,000, making the back- of-a-van rate of $500 seem like a real deal.
1998 Pokémon hits the U.S., kicking
off the biggest gaming phenomenon
since Super Mario Bros. Al Gore later claims to have invented Pokémon.
the hard- ware biz. Microsoft releases a Halo TV adapter, the Xbox. Three days later, Nintendo’s GameCube debuts.
in zillion-dollar bills.
2032 Gamers everywhere strap on the TriaD, game system of the future. While they’re preoc- cupied with Tomb
Raider 69, mutant rats > crawl from the sewers and enslave mankind. @
Electronic Gaming Monthly - 182 - egm.gamers.com
“YOU BUILD THE TRUCKS. GOD BUILDS THE TRACKS. ~ Get revved up for the most insane off-road racing game to hit Nintendo - GameCube. 4x4 EVO 2. With more than 40 upgradeable vehicles and _over 30 treacherous tracks, you're either in the lead, or you're eating dirt.
New Vehicle Repay cneeso eK Oem) eRe
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$30,000 ss We BB ik ee De Vonicle Ram 1800 Reg Cab Press Start to contines
ear = TERMINAL Esne = _ ie
xd Ev02, the 4nd Evo? sa Terminal Reali ty an Black Label Games Logo
i righ ; reservet T ®, and the Nintendo GameCube fogo at are @ tradem rks of Nintendo. Black Label Games. the ‘Vivendi Universal a Games, and: the Vivendi Universal Games Logo: are trademarks of Vivendi Ur versal. Games, tac. in the U-S. and/or other countries.
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I WILL; HUNT YOU DOWN. YOU CANNOT’ MIDE.
THERE®LS NOTHING)I CANNOT. SEE OR HEAR.
THERE IS NO PLACE MY BULLET CANNOT GQ»
t WIhk oN FST OP. YU, NTIL MY “TOB JIS DONE.
EL ite S SRO. 1c ACTION
x ‘ ae 3 : : Your mMisslon*® execute ack Ryan s orders as you rescue hostages, plant surveillance, defuse bombs, and uncover the deadliest threat to peace the
: i < $ ova . world has ever. known. Base on Paramount s hit movie and Tom Glancy’
best-selling novel, this is your chance to create your own ending to The Sum otf All Fears saga.
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© 29062 Paramount Pict
1} i 3 s. All Rights Reserved.
Software © @002 Ubi Soft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. Red Storm and Red Storm Entertainment are trademarks of Red Storm Entertainment, Inc. Red Storm Entertainment, Inc. is a Ubi Soft Entertainment company.
Tom Clancy's The Sum of All Fears is a trademark of Jack Ryan Enterprises, Lid. under license to Ubi Soft Entertainment. Ubi Soft Entertainment and the L §
Soft Entertainment,
i Soft logo are registered trademarks of Ubi
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The last thing Cliff Hagler did.
The last thing Sid Sosa did.
The last thing Tracy Gagne did The last thing Caleb Wine The last thing Matt Celenza did.
The last thing Joe Marquis did.
MATURE Blood and Gore
xeO0x Violence ARVEESS ot 4
CONTENT RATED BY oro acecneneentngans LOA i ‘ L 1
ESRB - : :
ONLINE ENAEESS
Unreal® Championship ©2002 Epic Games, Inc. Raleigh, N.C. USA. Unreal and the Unreal logo are registered trademarks of Epic Games, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Unreal Championship was Created by Digital Extremes in collaboration with Epic Games Inc. Manufactured and marketed by Infogrames, Inc., New York, under license from Epic Games, Inc. The Atari trademark and logo are the property of Infogrames. All other trademarks are thé property of their respective owners. Microsoft, Xbox, and the Xbox logos are either scgehea trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries and are used under license from Microsoft.
The last thing Eric Palone did. The last thing Ed Stevenson did. The last thing Sara Borden did. The last thing Matt Bright did.
The last thing Greg Perlot did. The last thing Brad Isa did. The last thing Tanya Manley did. The last thing Greg Park did.
~The last thing Brian Salmon did. ;
It’s simple. You miss, you die. Now that may be harsh, but that’s the reality of Unreal Championship. If you’re scared, walk away. But if you’re up for the challenge of the most ruthless game ever played, prepare for battle. But aim
wisely. Otherwise it might be the last
thing you ever do.
www eunrealchampionship.com
Review ©
LOLA OEE OLE PI LER IIIT IEE PEEL LOL RTE ELLE NEO RLE NL ES PELL EERIE PEL ELLE LES LLL LE LE ERLE IED BILE ESL ARLLIEE ALOE PE ALIE BEES
Our Philosophy
EGM rates games based on how they com- pare with other titles on the same system. The highest score we'll give a game is a 10. When a game receives a 10, you can rest
assured it’s one of the best games ever
made—a revolutionary title that truly stands above everything else in its genre for its time.
Platinum Awards go to games that get all 10s, the best and rarest review a game can get.
7 vimTM *
C e ouNMy 2009, SHOLIOR
Introduction
Welcome to EGM’s biggest review section ever, bursting at the seams at 32 pages, with a whopping 59 games reviewed. We’d lay some cliché on you right now about how “it’s a good time to be a gamer” but you already know all that. What’s important is that heading into the second year for newcomers GC and Xbox,
The Crew » Shane Bettenhausen
Associate Editor
Reviewing 16 games in one month (including 40 hours spent on PSO in
fs
ie
ls Si
1 out. Here he’s seen catching some ;* much-needed Zs on someone else’s Ma embroidered Harry Potter pillow. Favorite Genres: Action, Fighting, RPG
Current Faves: PSO Ep. /&I/l, Harry Potter
Dan “Shoe” Hsu
_ Editor in Chief
| Tony Hawk 4’s release means
i) Shoe’s: 1) Non-THPS productivity drops 50% 2) Chances of getting
' carpal tunnel shoots up 50%
| 3) Sense of reality goes bye-bye as he tries the tricks in real life.
Favorite Genres: Everything Current Faves; PSO Episode I&Il, Tony Hawk 4
James “Milkman” Mielke Web Content Editor
Milky took a well-deserved vacation in Tokyo this month disguised as a can of delicious Nachan!™ orange drink. The disguise worked well— until the ladies asked him to dance. i It wasn’t long before the jig was up!
Favorite Genres: Action, Fighting, Role-playing Current Faves: Rygar, Steel Battalion, DOAXBV
Gold Awards go to games whose average score equals 9.0 or higher.
one week!) left Shane plumb tuckered
£ an by rr i ye} oe RA mtinia? Electronic Gaming Monthly
At the other end of the spectrum sits the low- est score a game can receive: ao.o. 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?
A Games that average at H least an 8.0 (but lower ik H than 9.0) receive
En ~Silver Awards.
we’re finally starting to see a healthy stream of third-party releases for both consoles this hol- iday season. Unfortunately, a few important titles like Steel Battalion (Xbox), Metroid Prime (GC), Resident Evil @ (GC) and Metroid Fusion (GBA) missed our reviews deadline this month, so be sure to look for ’em next issue.
i Crispin Boyer
Features Editor
_ Vice City APB.... Be on the lookout » for a white male, age 31, red hair,
. avoiding pedestrians and never
— _ in the wrong town. Shoot on sight. Favorite Genres: Action, Adventure Current Faves: GTA: Vice City, Tony Hawk 4
Chris Johnston
_ News Editor
¥ Two months later and Chris is still
_ playing Animal Crossing. He walks | around asking if anyone has any errands he can run, and all he talks about is catching fish on his lunch hour and visiting faraway islands. Favorite Genres: Action, Adventure
Current Faves: Animal Crossing, Sly Cooper
Greg Sewart
Previews Editor
to his dismay, that being stuck in a hospital bed surrounded by cute nurses isn’t nearly as much fun as o the porn industry lead him to
_ believe. Poor guy.
Favorite fenres: Racing, RPG, Action
Current Faves: GTA: Vice City, NASCAR 2003
- 192 - egm.gamers.co
* last seen on Ocean Drive. Wanted for
exceeding speed limits. He’s clearly
.. This month Sewart discovered, much
GTA: Vice City pg. 193
Are you even surprised that Vice City pulled down top honors this month? When we finally got our hands on VC, we knew almost immediately that this game does, indeed, live up to the hype. It’s like Grand Theft Auto Iii on steroids and dressed in pink leg- warmers. It’s awesome, amazing and any other adjective you can think of. Why are you even reading this, anyway? The GTA: Vice City review starts right on the next page. You can see it right now! See the Platinum Award? See the score of 10? It’s all there, all for you. Stop reading this.
Go away! It’s over.
Reviews Editor
Don’t hate, celebrate. This month,
_ Che’s band, Ee, celebrated the release of their full-length album For 100 We Try Harder. \t’s got a little country, a little rock ’n’ roll—some-
§ thing for all the kids to enjoy.
Favorite Genres: Action, Fighting, Giant Robots Current Faves: SOCOM, Burnout 2, GTA: VC
" Mark MacDonald
-, Executive Editor
On his last trip to Japan, Mark dis- = covered his new favorite arcade
"game, where you insult and beat the crap out of a giant puppet attached to the machine. At least that’s how he played it.
Favorite Genres: Action, Adventure, RPG Current Faves: PSO Ep. 1&ll, Yoshi’s Island
Jennifer Tsao , Managing Editor
; This month, Jennifer visited Alcatraz fm for some Tony Hawk q research. She discovered that when you grind the prison bars in real life, the park rangers actually toss you off the island. Bummer.
Favorite Genres: Action sports, Adventure Current Faves: Tony Hawk 4, Animal Crossing
Publisher: Rockstar eof
Developer: Rockstar North
Players: 1
Also On: None
Featured in: ‘This issue
Best Feature: Everything you loved about GTA3 and more
Worst Feature: Targeting is still a bit touchy Web Site: www.vicecity.com
ice City, the biggest title to hit consoles
since...well, Grand Theft Auto //I, has
rightfully earned its rockstar status, prompting us to drop our review format and give our crew the space to really sound off on this crime-spree masterpiece. If you’re not sure what all the hubbub is about, turn back to page 152. Our Vice City feature will pump you up, while our survival guide is more handy than a prostitute working the ol’ health “bar.” Ahem.
Fill this thieving bastard fulla lead. Then pull a wheelie over his corpse. It's the only way to teach him a lesson, after all.
It might seem like a minor bonus, but licensing authentic ’8o0s tunes for Vice City was a stroke of pure genius. Think about it: You spend almost all your time touring Vice City in a car, on a bike or in a plane, so keeping you entertained with great music is key. Plus, there’s something fulfilling and surreal about humming along to Cutting Crew’s “I Just Died (In Your Arms)” while crushing helpless victims under the wheels of your car.
- 193
Left: Lance Vance (the Tubbs to your Crockett) is there to help you out, but tends to get into trou- ble more than anything. So instead of just cover- ing your own ass, you gotta cover his as well. Below: Diaz doesn’t trust the Haitians, so cover him with your sniper rifle.
Here come the Cubans, keep close to Diaz. Watch over the deal making Diaz and Lance are safe.
This is gonna sound pretty shallow, but one of the major things that really makes VC an awesome game is the incredible tunes. Music was a huge part of my life as a kid in the ’80s—I used to spend hours and hours just listening to the radio—so in Vice City, | often found myself just jumping in a car and cruisin’ around town, singing along to songs from my youth. Of course, the game itself ain’t too shabby, either.
As big as GTA3 is, Vice City dwarfs it in almost every way. The city is absolutely huge and so full of back alleys and interesting locations that just touring around is fun enough. And with so many different styles of vehicles and bikes, it’s neat to find out what each set of wheels is capable of—especially while learning how to do tricks on a motorcycle or piloting a helicopter. Trust me, flying over Vice City for the first time and realizing its sheer size is humbling.
But the best part of the game is easily the new, more interesting missions. Even though GJA3 was fun, its missions were usually just small variations on a few different themes. By the end of it you could tell you were just doing the same things over and over again. Well, no more! The missions you’ll play in Vice City are almost always fresh. Be it flying over the city distributing porn flyers, smashing windows in a local mall or delivering cocaine to a drug lord, you’ll never get bored in this town. Take my favorite mission, for example: My buddy Lance and | were charged with protecting a drug dealer who sus- pected an ambush from a group of buyers. Sure enough, right after my compadre and | positioned ourselves on overlooking fire escapes, the dealer got swarmed. | took a few punks out with my sniper rifle as they exited their cars. Then as another van pulled up, | plugged the radiator a few times and blew it sky high before the slime inside could even open the doors. But it wasn’t over. Two guys on dirt bikes came out of nowhere and made off with the cash. The ensuing chase played like a scene straight out of an action-packed gangster flick.
To be honest, however, when | first heard that the main character of Vice City would not be the name- less, voiceless type of hero from the previous title, | worried that it’d make the game harder to get into since my character wasn’t really “me” anymore. But the story is so well conceived and superbly acted by people like Ray Liotta, Dennis Hopper and Miss Cleo (yay!), you get totally drawn into the plot.
What is the plot, you ask? Well, I’m not spoiling it for anyone who hasn't played the game yet (all four of you), but suffice to say, you won’t always be some lowly mob pissant. In fact, the thing that puts VC over the top is your ability to buy property later in the game, growing your assets along with your reputa- tion. It’s not a huge deal, but it keeps Vice from being just a simple update to GJA3. Greg S
VISUALS REPLAY
SOUND INGENUITY
io 10 a 8
es
“You're motorin’, what's your price for flight? In finding mister right? You'll be alright tonight...”
BULLET BALLET
ages “| al ee
MATURE
his personal seaman gimp listens on.
=
To survive on the streets of Vice City, wise guys like you need to show up at business meetings packing heavy. And while the town’s sporting- goods store, Ammu-Nation, carries a variety of...well, firearms for the sportsman, some of the more exotic weapons need to be pried from the cold, dead fingers of your enemies. We found the best hand cannon to be the ol’ 12- gauge shotgun. At close range, it can dropa group of fools with one shot, and at medium- to-long range, two rounds is all it takes.
194
Below: Tommy chats with Cortez about his future as
nd Theft Auto: Vice City (cont)
After 15 years in the can, main man Tommy Vercetti is sent down to sunny Vice City to chill out and lay low. Your very first mission is nothing more than to attend a yacht party where you're introduced to Vice City’s major movers and shak- ers. You'll see ‘em again throughout the game.
Game tapes. Blondie. “Miami Vice.” Egyptian Lover. These are pop-cultural milestones that bring me back to a time of innocence—a time when the only worries | had in life were whether I’d pass my sixth-grade alge- bra test, or if baby girl Kim Eberenz was going to pass back a note | secretly delivered during class. Really, who knew that the coked-up, mobbed-up ’80s would culminate in an orgy of fun and violence otherwise known as GTA: Vice City? Not me, amigo. Not me.
Yet for all those who grew up worshipping the sock- less, ball-busting antics of Crockett and Tubbs, Vice City isn’t just the ultimate flashback—it’s the ulti- mate payback. Picking up conceptually where G7A3 left off, Vice City lets you play a mug’s game against the sonic backdrop of cold-war Reaganomics. In fact, if there’s ever an award given for “Best Music in a Video Game,” Vice City would win totally uncontested. What | love so much about this game is that it co-opts pop music and moments that so deeply resonate with gamers of my generation and gives them new context and life to the game. Thanks in no small part to the ambitious collection of 80s mega-hits, everything is at once new and strangely familiar when you play Vice City. In this case, however, familiarity isn’t just simple nostalgia; in terms of look and feel, it’s almost déja vu.
Hardened G7A3 criminals expecting a huge leap in visuals will probably be disappointed. With its bigger environments, more detailed textures on objects, huge transparent bodies of water and scorching reflec- tions, the graphical improvements in Vice City are subtle but effective. At a glance, however, this game does resemble G/A3—if only visually. Where this pre- quel really comes into its own is in the narrative department; whereas | could care less about the nameless, faceless hero in GTA3, Tommy Vercetti— Vice City’s very own Scarface—has a name, an attitude and plenty of character. | actually found myself wanti- ng to play the next mission just to discover what would happen to ol’ Tommy in his struggle to go from small- time crook to big-time crime lord.
Of course, those of you who play GIA for its chaot- ic, organic game design will also find plenty of anarchy in Vice City. With new vehicles like motorcycles, scoot- ers, speedboats and helicopters, you can literally spend weeks exploring every crevice of every crack alley, killing, looting, jacking or buying up anything in your path. And the beauty of it is, no day spent in Vice City ever unfolds the same way twice.
My occasional:gripes with the game have mostly to do with the controls when you’re on foot. The auto-tar- geting system, although slightly improved, still feels unreliable when you're in a pinch (which is most of the time). Plus, aiming in first-person view is touchy and often frustrating. Minor complaints, to be sure, for a game that can seemingly do no wrong. A peerless, one-of-a-kind gaming experience. Che
VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY
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Controller
Programmable Allows Up To 12 Difficult
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Features Turbo Function For AutoFire Capability
Full Color Game Screen Allows You To Play Games, Home Videos & DVD's Anywhere!
Remote, Multitap Horizontal Stand
Wireless Control, 4 Player Multitap, Organize PS 2 Games and DVD's with Style!
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JaystanOn 2s a Fegistered trademark of sony Computer Entertainment. lus, ihese st S245 343 prodiiced by inter and are not manitactired) sponsored, endorsed or distrib Computer Entert,
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (cont.)
Whether this scene reminds you of Miami Vice or a John Woo movie, the recipe remains the same: Get yourself to a tropical climate, hop behind the wheel of a cigarette boat and brace yourself as the bul- lets start flying. Add a dash of helicopter for an hud extra touch of flavor. Serves approximately 10.
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BRBBG 40
It’s an understatement to say that the general media, the uninformed consumer and the political vampire just don’t get it. They’ll harp on the fact that Grand Theft Auto (any version) glorifies violence, the killing of cops, transgressions with hookers and all sorts of other filthy sins. What they fail to realize is that the series (as of GTA3) succeeds because of its gameplay. The violence may be the sugarcoated crunch that lures the masses, but it’s the guts of the game that makes them stay.
Vice City’s raven-haired protagonist/antagonist is a macho Super Mario for the 18-and-over crowd. And, as with most Mario titles (especially Mario Sunshine), casual gamers can enjoy playing around (steal a few cars, finish a few jobs, rub out a few mob bosses) without ever having to finish the game. But for more dedicated players, Vice City’s depth will provide months of entertainment. And instead of relying on s*** jokes or the overt use of bodily fluids (hi, Conker) to qualify as a Mature-rated game, Vice City’s deeply
“ or eager 5 sor = rooted plot, unparalleled voice-acting and bulletproof Whatta you lookin’ at, punk? You starin’ at my script are the ingredients Rockstar uses to shape this
freakin’ floral print shirt? Really? Damn. That makes violent but compelling world.
you the third person today to do that.” Yet for all its Hollywood approach, Vice City is still a game, and without great gameplay, the whole kit n’ kaboodle would fall apart at the seams. Vice City I G ET AR 0 U N i gels, the ace up its sleeve being the open-ended manner in which you can take on almost any mis- sion. Example: Early on in the game, | was instruct- ed to “take care of” a certain property owner who could be found on the driving range at a nearby golf course. The first time | went to show him the busi- ness end of a golf club, | was bum-rushed by his bodyguards while he sped away in a golf cart. | was able to snuff the guards, but eliminating my target was too hard to do in the time allowed. So when | retried the mission, | drove back to the location, and before | did anything else, | pushed all the other golf carts into the nearby lake. | then ran over all his hired help before chasing after my mark. This time, homey was breaking for the border on foot, enabling me to run his ass over with my golf cart. Mission accomplished. It’s this organic style of gameplay
It was no secret that for all of GTA3’s that makes Vice City so much fun, because no mat- brilliance, its lack of motorcycles was ter how difficult things get, you always know there’s
sos sae another way to accomplish your tasks. significant. Rockstar noted that, at If Rockstar had simply crapped out a quickie sequel
the time, they just couldn’t get the to cash in on the success of G7A3, it would not only handling right, so they opted not to have been forgivable, butyprobably pretty good as half-ass it. Vice City fixes that right well. But with an improved targeting system, better up by adding a ton of rice rockets, graphics, a wider variety of vehicles to commandeer,
: a dope ’80s soundtrack, near-perfect controls and = aE (Vespa ie ae almost twice as much of everything (real estate, mis- sclbgdbohwars. dage souue ophemcnir nes aes" sions, etc.), Rockstar has improved upon the attention to detail is excellent, with groundbreaking work of. GTA3 | J created an
a wheelies, stoppies and the burning of instant classic in Vice City. Milkman : = : rubber all expertly handled. Watch as Unlike the bathtubs-with-motors that GTA3 tried VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY
to pass off as boats, Vice City's swift and sexy the socgiy character leans into each turn like a pro, too. wet-ones would do Crockett and Tubbs proud.
TEMT RATED BY |
é 0 0 £1
196 -
Your favorite Disney characters go nose-to-beak in the world’s hottest sports. Join Donald, Mickey, Minnie and Goofy as they compete in the excitement of pick-up-and-play action in six new Disney Sports games. Be prepared to ruffle a few feathers.
C Disney Sporis
GAMECUBE.
PRODUCTS RANGE FROM we :
vs PENDING to EVERYONE 6 GRE T $ 7 6 CR T S. 0-E GAME BOY ADVANCE FOOTBALL - SKATEBOARDING - SOCCER
CONTENT ee ES
NINTENDO BASKETBALL - SNOWBOARDING - MOTOCROSS
=S
© Disney KONAMI” is a registered trademark of KONAM! CORPORATION. © 2002 KONAMI CORPORATION. All rights reserved. TM. ©, Game Boy Advance and the Nintendo Game Cube logo are trademarks of Nintendo. The ratings icon is a trademark of the interactive Digital Software Association.
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Where Episode Il ends, your battle begins. Defend the Republic on the ground and in the air across the battlefields of six different worlds. Battle through four multiplayer modes, including team-based strategy, deathmatch, king-of-the-hill and co-op endurance. Or lead your clone
troopers to victory in an epic single-player campaign as Mace Windu, Anakin
Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Your directive: crush the Separatist armies! PlayStation-2
NINT
_ STAR. WARS
www.swclonewars.com
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-. 90 BRUTAL. SO. EV. SO DEASLY Se _ A NEW LEVEL OF INTENSE COMPETITION HAS ARISEN AS TWO POWERFUL SORCERERS HAVE S
Blood and Gore
Violence oe | NINTENDO GAMEGUBE.
Mortal Kombat: Deadly lace © 2002 Midway iheay Riamemat Gomes, ue Airghs reserved MORTAL KOMBAT DEADLY ALLIANCE the dhogon ls, NEDA she Midvey logos ond all hocedter rignes are trademarks of Maducy “Sues Sornes, LEC Used by peimsision: Distibuted ‘nee’ ase by Midway Haire Enesteoies mt aed
Geme Boy Advance ond the Nintendo GonseCube loge are trademarks of Ninteralo. “PlayStatiot' ond the “PS Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Corhguter Eatertcnment inc, Microsoft Xbox, ond the Khox logos are sthee registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Cocporation in the US. end/or other countie cui skckincvkinie tanga ee. «ee | fe : :
Ewe a ee tsa Tt kk Bete LIBADLY ALLIANCE 4 . Oy 7
= —_
RATING PENDING - NINTENDO Visit www.esrb.< call 1-800-77 2 | for Rating In ation.
CONTENT RATED BY ESR
Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance © 2002 Midway Amusem zesiorhe by fc plain ye pay under license By y Midway
Xbox logos are ether
regiet
sro
AN ALL=NEW, LETHAL FIGHTING ‘SYSTEM. THREE UNIQUE FIGHTING STYLES PER WARRIOR, INCLUDING HAND-TO-HAND AND DEADLY WEAPON COMBAT. OVER 20 NEW AND CLASSIC WARRIORS. =
“heals REALISTIC EFFECTS AND BRUTAL NEU»
music uldeo.
*
, | MATURE
Publisher: Majesco ee Developer: Terminal Reality
Players: 1
Also On: GC, Xbox
FeaturediIn: EGM #159
Best Feature: Fun, non-stop combat
Worst Feature: Aimless wandering
Web Site: www.bloodrayne.com
The world may not need another scantily clad anti- heroine heating up the scene, but don’t let that sour you too much on BloodRayne. This here is a balls- out action game, every minute of which is packed to the gills with maddeningly fast combat. The controls are such that you’ll be able to execute a mad flurry of melee attacks one second, and unload a clip on mul- tiple targets the next. And make no mistake—the ability to do this is deathly important considering how intense the battles can get. Your vampiric abili- ties make the ensuing bloodbath all the more thrilling as they allow you to feed on enemies (and shield yourself with their bodies in the process), divine the locations of mission objectives and slow down time, just to mention a few. But the one short- coming is the fact that hand-to-hand combat, BloodRayne’s meat and potatoes, lacks impact. It’s less like you’re hitting live enemies and more like slashing at thin air with adjacent enemies. sponta- ile ig emo ft (Oh yeah,
t really ng when
But just on the strength of nic me nastic cae alone, BloodRayne inspires Loves visits. Miguel
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Any game casting ft me asa a busty, pun netotine half. vam-
pire earns some points straight off. BloodRayne may not be subtle, but the game’s hyper-kinetic experi- ence actually works well with its varied arsenal of
ryline, and the controls are pretty easy to pick up, fut on more than one Occasion | wished a a better combo
npires through aout ike se right? Quibbles aside, give this game a chance and you’ || a come to the
By all fish, | should have hated ‘Bacatauee, With
mediocre graphics, blatant clipping issues and a hor- rible camera that won’t allow you to look sideways
:
without turning the entire character, there’s quite a |
pon when your ammo | pleasant surprise.
VISUALS SOUND
Chris B. INGENUITY REPLAY
bit to hate,.And % | liked it. In it dev after the rather |
EDITORS CHOICE AWARD
Burnout 2:
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Acclaim
Publisher:
Developer: Criterion
Players: 1-2
Also On: None, yet
CoolerThan: Ridge Racer
Best Feature: Fast, addictive gameplay Worst Feature: Generic, fake cars
Web Site: www.burnout2.com
Last year, Burnout skidded its way to sleeper hit sta- tus by combining tight gameplay with a neat premise—high-speed street racing with jaw-drop- ping car crashes. It wasn’t perfect, but it showed a ton of promise. Burnout 2 delivers on that promise in every possible way. First, the scope of the game has massively increased. More cars, tracks and modes add much-needed meat to the bare-bones Burnout formula. The addition of multiple championship cir- cuits (including one dedicated to tricked-out The Fast and the Furious-style street rods) extends the game’s length considerably. Plus, you’ll never have to race two standard grand-prix cups in a row; one-on-one auto duels and pursuit stages (where you’re the cop) break up the action. Also, a gradual difficulty curve ramps up smoothly as you progress. Graphically, Burnout 2 laps its predecessor with unbelievably fast motion, detailed environments and some neat spe- cial effects. The cars look amazing, especially when cocheting off each other at high speeds, but f any real licensed vehicles hurts the game. Zooming through oncoming traffic in a nameless, faceless “Sports” car just isn’t_as.thrilling as say, doin’ the same thing in a Porsche. As it stands, this game isn’t quite a Gran Turismo killer, but it’s fully poised to steal away Ridge Racer’s throne as the most fun arcade-style racer available.
| have z a — af a — spot for the ater Burnout SO seeing that this sequel fixes many of the issues | had with the first game warrants a hearty thumbs up. The biggest improvement is, without a doubt, the fact that you can hurtle gions at warp speed for nearly the entire like a loony i is actively encouraged, but you have to be extremely careful to keep out of the spectacular acci- dents. To help this, near misses (which fill up your speed-boost meter) are now much easier to pull off, as you no longer have to get-within a hairsbreadth of other traffic to score high-speed boosts. It makes conga a lot more fun this time! John D.
The: more 1 clay. Boraset 2 2, “the more ‘| aboreciate all
the little touches that make this one of the best arcade racers ever. Not only do you have plenty of gameplay incentives to drive like a maniac through rush-hour traffic, the game also rewards you with beautiful, flinch-inducing car crashes when you get too greedy. And as you take to the streets, no two ‘will unfold the same way; computer drivers landers often make human: ‘like mistakes,
racing game. Go buy it right now.
VISUALS
Che REPLAY
SOUND INGENUITY
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Publisher: ==> - == Konami
Developer: Konami Players: 1-2
Also On: None
Featured In: EGM #157
Web Site: www.konami.com
. By 8 Mt Fy 5 °
UME 3300KS SHOLIOT
EVERYONE
Best Feature: Huge song list (71 total tunes) Worst Feature: Still missing the arcade’s best songs
Last spring’s PS1 Konamix was a good warm-up for the release of Max, the biggest and arguably best install- ment of Dance Dance Revolution to hit the States yet. The tried-and-true music gameplay’s been retooled a bit for Max, keeping it fresh enough to make fans who were ready to retire their dancing shoes think twice. The new Freeze steps (where you hold your foot down in one direction for multiple beats) are a great addition to the high-steppin’ action. And even the most hardened DDR veteran will find challenge in the new Oni difficulty, where you’ve gotta complete a non- Stop collection of songs nearly flawlessly. But even with these welcomed additions, this is pretty much the same game as others before it—only bigger. The song list’s absolutely huge this time around, but some tunes are forgettable, and it’s still without some of the best ditties from the arcade games. If you’re new to DDR, there’s never been a better time to get addict- ed — Max makes it easy since there’s So much to. dance to. Just don’t try Oni mode unless you’ve got a good,
accurate dance pad. Chris INGENUITY REPLAY
VISUALS
SOUND
d 8
__| Publisher: | | Midway Developer: 7 Studios Players: 1-2 Also On: GC, Xbox Favorite Power-Up: Hyperspace Web Site: www.midway.com
aS vO” EVERVONE 4
Best Feature: Good blend of different play styles
Worst Feature: Blocky graphics
If | had a quarter for every Defender game | played back in ‘83, I’d have enough money to buy this new 3D update. Rather than attempt to merely recycle the gameplay of the arcade classic, the new version plays like a hopped-up hybrid of the original Defender, Rogue Leader (GC) and a real-time strategy game. The premise—save colonists from receiving alien probes and fight back the evil hordes—is the same as its predecessor, but Defender intelligently blends the three gameplay styles together in a way that works. There are a variety of ships to upgrade, ground forces to create and troops to deploy. Another nice little touch: audio samples from the original game that will get old-timers big time nostalgia. Where the old Defender was fast,and fre- re this version is een less” manic and has a
ook. chunky by S Sta’ ve liked to see the RTS elements Be ocraele into multiplayer, but ulti- mately, Defender is fun and easy to play. Darren
VISUALS SOUND
1
INGENUITY REPLAY
I ]
4
Behind these walls exists the most technologically advanced studio ever created for the game industry. They call themselves JoyRide Studios. They've developed the resources to take the hottest game characters and vehicles from every platform and transform them into reality.
Using super computers calculating trillions of 3-D details per second, each collectible is articulated to the finest detail...a detail never seen before in the 2-D world of your television.
They didn’t stop there. Through their advances in game play capture, JoyRide was able to unlock the most coveted tips, tricks, and secret codes for each game and will include this intelligence with every collectible figure and vehicle sold.
Come experience the next level in collecting...
JoyRide calls it Reality!
4
pont
Available at these and many other fine
Sega, Nintendo, EA and the game properties under each are retailers for a limited time: registered trademarks used under license. EA SPORTS, EA SPORTS BIG and associated logos are trademarks or registered nee trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other oN & 5S GAMES countries. EA SPORTS BIG™ is an Electronic Arts™ brand. © 2002 Racing Champions Ertl.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Publisher: EA Games Developer: EA UK/Eurocom Players:
1
Also On:
Every other system
Featured In: EGM #159
Web Site: hpgames.ea.com
es
EVERYONE
Best Feature: Free-flying around Hogwarts
Worst Feature: Dark and murky graphics
Just like its GameCube cousin, the PS2 version of Harry’s second adventure craftily sticks the bespecta- cled wizkid into a wondrous Zelda-style adventure that isn’t just for kids. It offers the same captivating story- line, killer soundtrack and fun (if a wee bit derivative) gameplay as the GC Secrets (see that review for all the details). It’s incredible how accurately this game cap- tures the look of the movies and the spirit of the books. Of course, fans of Harry Potter will happily devour the game, but if they have a stableful of consoles, I’d say go with the ‘Cube’s Chamber of Secrets. A few key differences make the PS2 version a tiny bit less recom- mendable. For starters, the graphics..look, noticeably darker; muted colors and heavy shadows make it a chore to explore Hogwart’s catacombs.. Also, the touchy camera controls tend to make lining up the right angles for jumps and spells a real pain. This Potter also lacks the Gringotts Bank area exclusive to the GC, but it makes up for it with the PS2-only free-flight feature. You can hop on Harry’s broom and zoom around the entirety of the Hogwarts campus. Shane INGENUITY REPLAY
VISUALS SOUND
] ] a
_— 2
s Publisher: Eidos Developer:
-| 10 Interactive run | Players:
i 4
Also On:
Xbox
Also Watch:
The Professional Web Site: www.bam4fun.com
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Best Feature: Genuinely tense atmosphere
Worst Feature: Objectives sometimes unclear
This is almost certainly the best game to come from Eidos since Jomb Raider 2. A solid blend of Metal Gear Solid-style sneaking and Max Payne blasting, it's a lot more compelling than you’re probably expecting it to be. | was utterly addicted the moment | started playing Hitman 2. So much so that I’m now itching to track down a copy of the first game on the PC, just so | can get a peek at the back- Story. Structurally, Hitman 2 is a fairly simple mis- sion-based affair where the ultimate goal is (duh) to kill someone. Information is fed to you constantly from your advisors, and at times there are some truly inspired moments of narrative driving, the.gameplay where you frantically search for your prey as new ‘regarding his appearance is fed to you over the radio. 7 he tension is pretty high throughout, and the pacing moves nicely as you go from all-out blasting to sneaking, sniping and throat slitting. It also boasts some gorgeous visuals and a suitably dramatic soundtrack to keep the tension nice and tight. Don’t overlook this one—it’s a keeper. John D.
REPLAY
VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY
Legaia 2: Duel Saga
Publisher: — fF Fresh Games/Eidos Developer: SCE/Prokion Players:
ve
om § Also On:
None
Featured In: EGM #159
Web Site: www.playfresh.com
Best Feature: Good-look- ing, solid-playing RPG Worst Feature: Boring story and tedious battles
Legaia 2’s timing is unfortunate. A few months ago, it would’ve been easy to recommend this game as a Solid diversion for RPG fans looking to pass the time while waiting for fall’s big guns. But now—surrounded by games like Kingdom Hearts, Suikoden ///, Grandia Xtreme and even Wild Arms 3—Legaia 2 fails to stand out. Duel Saga is very similar to the first Legaia in that it’s a decent, by-the-books RPG with an interesting moves-based battle system (think Street Fighter-style commands) and a lengthy quest. Unfortunately, the novelty of the battle system wears thin pretty quickly, and before you know it, you'll be wishing you could just skip fighting altogether. The boring story.and lame characters don’t help, either (just wait’ll you hear the voices—yikes). Gameplay-wise, Legaia 2 doesn’t offer anything new or unique, though it does borrow some cool ideas from other RPGs (cooking, combining items, etc.). The dungeons are solid, too, and there’s a good amount of side-quests and optional stuff for RPG fanatics. My advice: Wait for the next RPG dry spell,
then pick it up cheap. John R. SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY
I i 4 2
VISUALS
NASCAR: Dirt to Daytona
] Publisher: ga Infogrames m= Developer: Monster Games iq Players:
a
Best Feature: Four distinct NASCAR divisions to run Worst Feature: Too few licensed drivers
Not as good as: Thunder 2003
Web Site: us.infogrames.com
For those of you wondering: Yes, this is NASCAR Heat 2. What’s with the weird title? Well, the coolest new feature in Heat is a career mode that spans four NASCAR series (the weekly dirt-racing series, modi- fieds, Craftsman trucks and Winston Cup). Dirt to Daytona, get it? You'll start your climb to the top in the bullrings of the East Coast and slowly work your way up to racing with the likes of Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Jeff Gordon. Anyone who’s played World of Outlaws will appreciate the grassroots feel this setup gives to DID. It complements the smooth gameplay wonderfully. All four different types of cars have unique.handling, and are a pleasure to control. And setup options? More than you could want. In fact, | think there might be too many, This feels.kind of like a PC game rather than a console affair. It looks like a PC game, too—an older one. The presentation is what hurts Ithis game the most. That and the lack of enough licensed drivers to fill out the field. DTD is a huge improvement over last year’s Heat, but still not good enough to quiet EA’s Thunder. Greg Ss.
VISUALS SOUND’ INGENUITY REPLAY
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NBA 2K3
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fav Publisher: Sega Sports _—- Developer: Visual Concepts Players: 1-2 (2-8 online) Also On: GC, Xbox Featured In: EGM #159 Best Feature: Online ballin’
Worst Feature: Street-ish dribble move Web Site: www.segasports.com
There’s little doubt that this is the signature fran- chise for Sega Sports. NFL 2K3 may receive the fan- fare and marketing muscle, but NBA 2K3 receives consistent praise from its ever-growing fan base. | have little doubt, given this year’s release, that its fan base is primed to grow exponentially larger. NBA 2K3 is a world better than 2K2, without being radi- cally different. Online play, a much-improved Franchise mode and the integration of the ESPN license dot the i’s in an already great series. On the gameplay side, I’m happy to report that big men matter more. The developers went to great lengths to replicate the true low-post game of the NBA. Hulking power forwards aren’t limited to dunks anymore. Now, you have a number of ways to get your shwerve on. Shimmy baseline, reverse pivot, drop-step fade- away, or just stick an elbow in your defender’s craw and turn for the baby hook—the arsenal of offense is delighful. But it also causes problems on the-defen- sive side of the ball. Blocked shots are better this year, but players can still adjust midair or draw the foul even when overmatched. Also, try guarding a guy who has moves that look like they’re ripped right from theless realistic NBA Street. Sorry, but there are a few dribble-drive moves in 2K3 that I’ve never seen in any real NBA game. Quibbles aside, 2K3 is one of the best sports games of the year. Dan L.
| ida’ t he skateboarding intl | sieved Tony Hewwi, and | didn’t like basketball until | played NBA 2k. It’s really something when games can shape your tastes, but that’s exactly what happened to me with NBA 2K3. This is the greatest basketball game I’ve ever played. From the bright look, to the bigger-than-life ballers, to the free-throw meter, to the..fade-away jumpshot, this game will have you talkin’ smack and gettin’ dunkadelic. The developers should forget the football war and concentrate on sticking it to the competition with their NBAvseries. NBA 2K3 is the basketball equivalent of Madden. Nothing else
comes Close. Todd
NBA 2K3 definitely maintains the standards set by the series: sharp graphics, pick-up-and-playabil- ity and a wealth of gameplay modes. But, despite the addition of new facial animations and dunks, the few real improvements (like boxing..opponents..out of rebound range and_a brutal low-post game) lack the “wow” factor of previous games. 2K3 seems.to favor Pat Riley-style, defense-first gameplay—and that, in my mind, equals “slow.” The only way to keep my offense up-tempo is with a deft passing game, but with every player tossing the ball around like it’s Nerf football, | never feel inclined to run one. This year, |’l| be playing Live 2003 instead. Mikman
VISUALS SOUND’ INGENUITY REPLAY
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“Spyro: Enter the Dragonily” interactive game © 2002 Universal Interactive, inc:. Spyro the Dragon and related characters are TM and © Universal Interactive, inc. All rights reserved. TM, ® and the Nintendo GameCube logo are trademarks of Nintendo, “PlayStation” and the “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
There goes the neighborhood. Spyro: Enter The Dragonfly. With all new breath weapons: fire, ice, electricity and bubbles, someone better slap a warning
label on that dragon.
www.spyrothedragon.com
You'll need a car, a very fast car, tick a V12 Vanquish with tons of gadgets,
Violence Suggestive Themes
_ CONTENT RATED BY : RINTENDOA
PlayStatione
NIGHTFIREdnteractivé Game {ail object code. all other software components and certain audio visual components-only) ©2002 Electronic Arts Inc. Electronic Arts, EA GAMBS-ard the EA GAMES iogo are trademarks ortégistered trademarks “LOgOs and all other James Bond related trademarks TM Danjaq, LLC. James Band. 007, James-Bend Gun and tris Logos and all other James Bond related properties ©1962-2002 Danjaq, LLC. and United.Artists Corporation. NIGHTFIRE is-a Computer Entertainment Inc. Microsoft, Xbox and the Xbox logos are the trademarks-of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries and.are uSed under license from Microsoft. TM, @.and-thé Nintendo GameCube logo are.trademarks
wan one
enough gadgets, tock to help you blow up a space station, or jump out of a plane and tick stop a secret military force, before breaking into Mayhew’s estate,
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or, engineering a rooftop escape from Phoenix International’s Tokyo ~~ Office tock then exiting a burning gondola tick in the alps all in time to rendezvous tock with secret agents Zoe and tick Dominique
Sixty seconds of Bond’s world.
but don’t pat yourself on the back tock too much It’s more than most people because tick that was only one minute, and there do their entire life. are — 1 1,400 left | in the day tock. _
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MGM IN INTI ERACTIVE eagames.com
of Electronie-Afts Inc. in the U.Swand/or other ca es. All righ sreserved. NIGHTFIRE Inieractive Gi e from A audiovisue ) 002 Danjag, LLC, and United Artists Corporation. JAMES BOND, 007, James Bond Gun and Iris _ trademark of Danjaq, LLC,-and United Artists-Corporation. Aston Martin Vi2°Vanquish used under license from Limited, Ford Motor Company. ‘ “PlayStation” and the “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony of Nintendo. All othemtrademarks are the-p operty of theimréspective owners. EA GAM is an Ele
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Black Label Games Surreal
1
: Xbox
edin: EGM #154
Middle-earth atmosphere Simple boss fights www.lotr.com
Best Feature:
Uinh Cle, web Site:
ith a license to adapt the actual works of J.R.R. Tolkien into video games—not the movie based on his books, which EA pos- sesses— Black Label Games’ vision of The Fellowship of the Ring distinctively differentiates itself from that of New Line Cinema. But there’s more than one way to interpret Middle-earth. Surreal’s realization of Tolkien’s world of Hobbits, Rangers, Elves, Dwarves and Wizards is just as valid as Peter Jackson’s—and in many ways just as beautiful, with excellent sound effects and voice acting to complement the lush visuals. Excepting a few notable, mostly excusable lib- erties, Fellowship reflects what occurs in the book about as well as an action-game adapta- tion can. Depending on the part of the story, you assume the role of stealthy Frodo (he can wear the Ring to disappear—but only until it “cor- rupts” and kills him), master swordsman/archer Aragorn or Gandalf with his many spells. Surreal
. 2
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Throughout the
game, A.|.-contr members often accompany and assist your char- acters. Here, Gimli joins Gandalf in Moria.
has also made sure to include certain less- important events and characters to please the hardcore fans (See sidebar), and those only familiar with the film will likely notice some sub- tle differences in plot progression (Frodo rides the horse of Glorfindel the Elf to Rivendell, for instance—hottie Arwen doesn’t save him).
With about eight hours of play and no unlock- ables to make a second go-through a different experience, you'll probably spend more time reading the book. Then again, Fellowship might be just enough to hold Tolkienites over until they can play EA’s The Two Towers.
| One of the selling points of Fellowship is its attention to minor characters and events | seen in the book but not the movie. Here are a few.
Frodo battles the Barrow-wight
210
olled Fellowship
a AC A SSE
In order to add action to spots where it was oth- erwise rather light in the book, Surreal has taken some acceptable liberties, like ghosts that pursue you in the Barrow-downs, multiple encounters with hostile Wargs (there's only one in the book) and mountain troll battles (below). Stay back!
As a fan of Middle-earth and its inhabitants ever since the ’70s Hobbit cartoon, I’ve been waiting for a con- sole game based on The Lord of the Rings—one that didn’t stink like Gollum’s feces (see Interplay’s awful 1994 Super Nintendo release). Finally, that game has arrived. It’s not perfect—and | do have a few serious issues with it (no save prompts, simple boss fights and average combat, to name a few) — but Fellowship should please most Tolkien fans with realistic expectations. |t’s not the spot-on adaptation Black Label seems to be tooting its Horn of Gondor about. For every inclusion of a Tom Bombadil (who sings his song—joy!), there are Spiders and Mountain Trolls to defeat (both appeared in The Hobbit, not The Lord of the Rings) or even made-up plot points, like Aragorn’s climactic confrontation with a dragon-mounted Nazgul (what the...?!). In most cases, | enjoyed levels where Surreal placed something you wouldn’t imme- diately figure there to be any sort of gameplay use for—like»Frodo’ssuspenseful escape fromthe Black Riders. At the same time, though, | couldn’t help but notice a few omissions that would have made for some killer levels, like surviving the mountain Caradhras or escaping the Nine on horseback (we get a nice CG movie as a compromise). Still, just being able to trek through this fantastic, lush rendering of Middle-earth and some well-designed tevels pleases this Tolkien fanatic to no end. Chris B.
As a fan of the LOTR books, | had high hopes for this game. | was excited to see how the developer would handle characters like Tom Bombadil and Gandalf’s fight with the Balrog. Now that I’ve played it, | have to Say...it’s OK,-+-guess. | like how closely.the.game fol- lows the books, but it’s got weird pacing, You spend too much time tost in some of the confusing levels and fighting with messy battle controls, while impor- tant parts of the story—like the Nazgul hunting Frodo in Bree—seem like non-events in the grand scheme of things, But true fans of the books will look past the problems and enjoy this game. Anyone else should just avoid this one.
piece of crap, | got the feeling its makers were like, “OK, let’s zip players through the book as quickly and with as few frills as possible. Who cares if the Balrog’s a big, dumb.puss. Don’t worry if.Gandalf’s “death” has the emotional intensity of a guy ordering at a drive-thru. Oh yeah, we gotta cram in Tom.Bombadil, cause he’s not in the movie.” They’ve churned out a blah adventure that just goes through the Middle- earth motions. Levels boil down to linear treks over dull terrain while, brain-dead enemies step up to get hacked down. At least the Xbox version has sub-
quests to spruce up the mess. Crispin
INGENUITY REPL
a ' really
' dig the trees...
and you'll love the scenery too because the babes from the million-selling fighting game, Dead or Alive®3 are back! This time, they‘re setting aside their fighting gear for some fun- in-the-sun swimwear and turning up the heat in Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball. This is no ordinary volleyball game - this is volleyball to the extreme with great gameplay and mind-blowing realism. You'll be able to feel the sand between your toes and the gentle. ocean breeze as you compete in the most outrageous beach volleyball game yet! Points — earned on the court-allow you fo customize — . your babe off of it, with over 100 different a swimsuits and accessories to choose from. But when the day is done, the fun has just te © begun! This first ever “Sports Fantasy Simulation” 5 _ boasts a variety of different nightlife activities ‘to choose from. Whatever your pleasure, \. Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball promises extreme action and a whole lotta satisfaction!
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pol, g* al Visit wwesrb.org a or call 1-800-771-3772 ESE
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Tecmo, tne. ‘PAB #5559 2121-8 Hawtbane BNd., Torrance, CA. 90503 p (910) 944. “SDDS £1310) 944- dda Dead or Alive Xtremme each VolleyBak™ and Dead or Alves? Tecmo, LTO. 1996, 3997. 1908, 1999, 2006. 2601, 2002, eciio® and the Tecmo logo are registered trademarks of Tecaiet LD. Hn te es an OR Bt eo SS ee ene ee a US. vies inoaen DUNG GAG Bre teed UNA Weta fret —
Publisher: —= -=—=> 989 Sports Developer:
989 Sports
Players:
1-8 (2-8 online)
sgn Also On:
PS1
Supports:
Multi-tap
Web Site: www.g989gsports.com
Best Feature: Career mode Worst Feature:
Lack of special moves
With NBA 2K3 continuing its rule and NBA Live uti- lizing the fun-and-gun to excite its audience, ShootOut comes off as merely average. The best reason to play this game is for its Career mode that gives you the chance to work a created player through basketball’s new minor leagues and into the NBA. If you’re a guard averaging a double-dou- ble you’ll be playing in The Show in no time, but if you’re a one-dimensional schlub you’ll end up crunching numbers as an investment banker (though that part isn’t in the game). Even if you do make the pros, you ‘ll find that adjusting to the gameplay is about as difficult as dunking on Shaq. My biggest gripe is that the special moves are ineffective to the point of being useless, and you can rack up over 20 blocked shots a game, which is absolutely ridiculous. Defense is as fun as a game of shuffleboard and the rim physics need lots of work. Stick with NBA 2K3_ this year. ShootOut needs at least another year of seasoning to work out all its kinks. Todd
SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY
1 J a 4
VISUALS
Reign of Fire
Publisher: Bam Developer: Kuju Players:
1
Also On: GC, Xbox, GBA
Featured in:
EGM #158
Web Site: www.bama4fun.com
aS
Best Feature: Inspired dragon stages
Worst Feature: Unbalanced difficulty level
Reign of Fire is a game that makes a great first impression, but behind the flash, there’s little to keep you truckin’ for the long haul. You play as either the flying, fire-breathing dragons or the humans, driving vehicles Twisted-Metal style in attack and escort missions. As exciting as blasting dragons can be, | found myself grudgingly switching between the advanced (can’t turn quick enough) and simple (sacrificing speed for aiming mobility) control styles depending on the situation. Likewise, as a dragon you have cool attacks like clutching a fuel truck and dropping it like a bomb on a human base, but you'll tear, your hair out as you drop to the ground while attempting to hover. Even worse is Fire’s spo- radic difficulty. You'll spend a dozen attempts on one level and breeze through the next on your first try (although the last dragon’s a real doozy). This game is inspired in parts, but it can’t hold itself up against the weight of its failings. If the premise sounds good, rent Fire and play the good stuff; just be prepared for the frustrations that come along with them. G. Ford
VISUALS SOUND
INGENUITY REPLAY
F © EDITORS CHOICE AWARD @
NBA Live 2003
@ GUUMY 191089 SuOLIC?
Publisher:
EA Sports rs Developer: EA Canada Players: 1-8 (2-8 Online) Also On: PS1, GC, Xbox Featured in: EGM #159 Best Feature: Fast breaks
Worst Feature: Stripped-down online play Web Site: www.easports.com
| used to eye the NBA Live CD like a kid staring down a plate of asparagus: | knew it wasn’t gonna taste good, and just wanted to be done with it all as quick- ly as possible. Luckily, things change—not aspara- gus, which | still loathe, but NBA Live, which now looks and plays like | always hoped the PS2 version would. Graphically, it’s sweet to the core, and though it’s less fluid than its 2K3 competition, Live is bright and vibrant, featuring enough details to please any NBA aficionado. Gameplay-wise, Live sets a bold new course that puts this franchise back on the map. Free-flowing, fast and fun, this is the Live we loved long ago. EA has put an array of offensive moves on the right analog stick (freestyle control), which makes for seamless, up-close con- trol and the ability to string together quick combos. On defense, monster blocked-shots and a cool charge button offer some counter-measures to the offensive game. It’s still nearly impossible to guard guys one-on-one, but smart positioning and quick twitch skills.can occasionally bail you out. Online play is fun enough, even if it is stripped to 30 frames per second (read: not as smooth) and not as deep as 2K3’s play. The off-the-ball movement also needs more work, but that’s a short list of complaints for a game | wasn’t expecting much from. If you’re a hoop head, ‘atts Live 2003 a shot. Dan L.
NORDIN ONION HIN ROROONIII
Laaty year’s ‘Live fed athe EA Seanes rail a teeth-jar- ring Spalding burger. The game was a mess, and any- one with basketball in their veins discovered that NBA 2K2 was Setting the PS2 hoops pace. But this year, Live has made serious strides,..and. while it’s still the Scottie Pippen to 2K3’s Jordan, it’s now, at the very least, fun. My main gripe with Live is that it’s just too fast—it’s the NHL of NBA games, it’s basketball in hyperdrive, so when you finally bust out into a fast break (one of the game’s strong points), it’s just another race up the court. Even with the problems, the game’s premiere innovation, the right cahib Stick, will have yen elling, ‘Todd Gamers aesthonnvils ash to give there, to _ Sports, since it’s the quality of their 2K titles that forced EA to respond with some of their best sports games in years. Take Live 2003. If you ignore the solid character models, shiny hardwood floors and beautiful arenas, chances are, you'll still be wowed by the up-tempo gameplay and high-flying theatrics that capture the intensity of today’s NBA. But it’s the innovative use of the right analog stick that seals the deal. It controls everything from poking the rock away from the ball carrier to rapid-fire swats and block shots. It took a while, but this year
Live is back on top. Milkman VISUALS SOUND’ INGENUITY REPLAY
i+ 212
NHL 2003
Publisher: EA Sports m— Fo Developer: EA Canada
Players: 1-2 (1-8 w/ Multi-tap)
Also On: GC, Xbox
Where’s: Don Cherry?
Best Feature: Cool new dekes Worst Feature: Too much loading during games Web Site: www.easports.com
Anyone who abused the turbo button in last year’s NHL has a rude awakening in store. EA tweaked NHL 2003 so that it feels more like real hockey, which means your forward isn’t gonna power around the defense just because you’re holding down the circle button. Now, you actually need to set up your plays and move at a more realistic speed. Likewise, defensemen who relied far too often on the big-hit button will need to learn to hook, poke-check and block shots, cause that triangle button ain’t nearly as powerful or accurate as it was last year. You'll also find that the goalies have ditched the puck-magnets hidden in their trappers—they’ll give up a lot more rebounds this time around. Add in the new dekes (controlled by the right analog stick) and you’ve got a better-playing, all-around more realistic game than 2002 with a level of control that puts all past EA NHL games to shame. Now, to the problems: What’s with all the loading? EA’s NHL series has always been great about presentation, making you feel like you’re watching an actual broadcast. But in 2003, every time the camera cuts to.a new angle, there’s a slight stut- ter as the game loads. It’s pretty distracting. And what’s with the lack of online play? | know hockey isn’t the most popular sport in the United States, but the fans are pretty hardcore. Besides, | have no decent opponents around here. Greg S.
It’s S interesting Phat EAs Gariadlary stron has tethered
an NHL product best described as “hockey-lite.” You’d think that, if anything, our friends north of the border would produce a sim-heavy, true-to-the- sport, teeth-gnashing grinder of a hockey game. Instead, NHL is an up-and-down affair full of visual panache and kooky camera cuts, Breakaway cams and background commentaries are great, but I’d trade those for true board play and a realistic check- ing model. New deke system and spectacular goalie saves aside, NHL plays very similar to last year’s title. It’s gotten a bit stale for me, but if you dig EA hockey, NHL sia is sure to pa Dan L
the sarily ¢ gamers = wher liked last year’s “NHL were
Canadian apologists. The rest of us played 10 games, set the controller down and never looked back. NHL 2002 was bogged down with choppy animation, and the goalies were made of super glue. This year NHL 2003 is fast, frenzied, wide-open hockey. Unlike real hockey, though, you can’t play defense—even average skaters can burst past you and get a decent shot on goal. But even then, the goalies are inhu- manly acrobatic. They’ll deny any number of break- away opportunities to keep the score close. Maybe ’ll love the soon-to-be-released NHL 2K3, but for now, | only like NHL 2003. Todd VISUALS REPLAY
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8 7 u 6
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
EVERYONE eis
CONTENT RATED BY ce ES | ASL ESRB www.nba.com me
©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.
EDITORS’ CHOICE AWARD @
@ EDITORS CHOICE AWARD @
Fe
Publisher: Sony CEA Pe Developer: Insomniac Games
Players: 1
Also On: None
Featured In: EGM#159
Best Feature: Worst Feature: Web Site:
Eye-popping graphics Ratchet’s a pretty boring character Wwww.scea.com
f we could somehow re-work Ratchet &
Clank into the ideal action/platform game,
the first thing we’d do is ax the main charac- ter, Ratchet. His vanilla look and “I don’t want to get involved” act just ain’t workin’. Thankfully, facing the camera for nearly the whole game is the guy we really like: Clank. The little robot buddy sits quietly strapped to Ratchet’s back as you run through the game’s huge levels, bustin’ out propellers or rocket boosts to enhance your leaps over obstacles, and bashing enemies with the nearly dozen different weapons you’ve purchased with bolts, the remnants of deceased bad guys. But without Clank’s deadpan comments and level- headed naivete, saving the universe from tyrannical world-destroyer Drek just wouldn’t be as: fun. Maybe we’re too hard on old Ratchet, though. Without him, we wouldn’t be able to blast our way through the game’s 18 worlds. Plus, who'd pilot the ship? Yeah, he ain’t so bad.
Ratchet & Clank
PERFECT WEAPONS
By the end of the game, the question won’t be how you’ll do away with a foe, but, “Which gun is the most fun?” Some guns may go neglected, but our advice is to keep the following weapons a trigger-finger’s length away.
Morph-o-ray: Turns ene- mies into the harmless chickens they really are.
Walloper: Never under- estimate the destructive power of a big, robotic fist to the gearbox.
Visibomb Gun: You control this missile’s path, leading it directly to the enemy’s left ventricle.
Drone Device: Protect your- self with a circle of robots that enjoy being cannon fodder.
Enemy in your path? No problem-Ratchet can blast them six ways to Sunday using a variety of different weapons. These armaments of doom (like the Pyrocitor below) can be bought at any Gadge- tron vendor (located at the start of each level).
Despite starring a lead character that looks like he fell off the character-design reject truck (I’m lookin’ at you, Ratchet!), R&C delivers a long, satisfying expe- rience with a good mix of platforming and explo- ration-style gameplay. Sure, the game throws a lot of item-fetching errands at you (especially during the last half—did | mention it’s long?), but there’s so much variety, it never seems to get old. Particularly memorable moments include playing as Clank and controlling a miniature-robot army, and the awesome (but disappointingly short) section in which Clank grows to city-smashing size. Graphically, R&C is gor- geous, Set in large, lavish cityscapes tightly designed to propel the game forward and keep you from back- tracking too much. It’s great to have a dozen-plus weapons and gadgets providing incentives to find new ways of wasting your enemies, but not having the cash to buy the right gun for thejob ain’t.so nice. Typically, this leads to tedious cash-hunting quests, but thankfully, it doesn’t happen too often. Your most- used weapons are always just a button and a direc- tional press away, thanks to the extremely handy Quick Select menu—something other games have tried but haven’t implemented nearly as well. Ratchet may not be the best character ever put into 3D, but you can’t go wrong with his game. Chris
R&C easily finishes near the top of the crowded 2002 mascot class. It looks solid, plays great and features some hilarious dialogue (Clank’s deadpan delivery is pure comedy throughout). The game’s RPG-like inven- tory system offers, tangible rewards for collecting thousands of doodads. And unlike Sony’s other holi- day hopper, Sly Cooper, R&C delivers a massive, rewarding quest that you'll be hard-pressed to polish off in a weekend. At times, the game can seem a bit familiar —like Jak. & Daxter...in space...with guns...but since it’s partially built on J&D's engine, that’s not entirely unexpected.
SDONIINERERAN EEA OOSUNUARAIONODONMODREDOLESEANIELAROBOOIOEDN OSHS OHNO RRMMRRIODRMINIRNRRORRRRRBOOEEOCRROESHAROEHSEA
gets, R&C has a few key characteristics in common with Insomniac’s former cash cow, Spyro the Dragon—namely, the pacing and the focus on explo- ration. Sure, you’ve got swarms of creative enemies and scads of firepower at your disposal, but it’s up to you to dispatch the baddies and_make, your way through the enormous levels as you see fit. Want to rush in, guns a-blazin’? Giddyup, cowboy. Or maybe you’d prefer to inch along and snipe away from a safe distance. That’s fine, too. Either way, the option to define your own style is what makes the whole Ratchet & Clank experience both oddly relaxing and uniquely thrilling. A fantastic choice for hardcore and casual gamers alike. Gary S.
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9 i! 6 bi
-Fniter Champs Sports All-Star Game Sweepstakes. ~~ Wisit Your local Champs Sports store of tog on to champssports.com
SRE ES NN DIE NS IST TS OYTO ANNI OER OE 8 BOTY LOY NE OIL PLY LUCE SENS Ot OMS IORI S SATIS
SOR COMME ES SRE TS BR OM NI Ha cine ape nn DOE A OD ae Baas es Rb DODO O ee
other forms of inteliectual property of NBA Properties, Inc. and tho respective NBA momber teams and may not be used. in whole or in part, without the prior re either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. “PlayStation” and the “PS° Family logo are his a registered trademark of KONAMI CORPORATION. © 2002 KONAMI. All rights reserved. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Sweepstakes runs
S: territories and possessions), 13 or older as of entry date and is subject to the official rules at participating Champs Sports locations and at
THQ Volition 1-2 (1-4 w/ Multi-tap) None EGM #160 Action, action, action! ture: Action, action, (whew) action. www.thq.com
f you put Red Faction and Red Faction |!
Side by side, you’d barely be able to tell
they’re from the same series. This sequel is crisp, clean and bright where the original was muddy and dark; it’s packed with action where the original was slow and methodical; and it’s somewhat light-hearted where the Original was serious and moody.
Playing Red Faction //, you might find your- self having to pause the game often just to breathe; the action is intense from the first moment. As Alias, a bioengineered soldier in the service of a questionable dictator, you’re thrown into a heated assault on a revolution- ary outpost as the game begins. But then, you and your supersoldier compatriots apparently have a pretty serious change of heart and set out to assassinate your former leader. That’s not all, though, as some of your friends have another change of heart and...well, we don’t want to spoil too much for you, but suffice to say the game has enough plot twists to keep you scratching your head and questioning even the most seemingly benign ally.
This convoluted story is supported by the Red Faction trademarks we’ve come to expect: fully destructible environments (well, sort of) courtesy of the Geo-Mod engine, and a nice selection of bad-ass vehicles. The environments are significantly more organic than in the original (which was set almost exclusively indoors and in caves), the weapon Selection is even more hi-tech and
MATURE |
Like the original game, Red Faction II has an impressive assortment of vehi- cles with which you can rain down wholesale destruction upon thine enemies. Here we see a tank seg- ment, one of several “on-rails” por- tions, where another character is piloting and you’re just blasting away. You’ll also hop into a gunship, a sub- marine, a monstrous—and mon- strously armed—mech (oh my, yes), and more. These vehicular excursions are a nice break from the standard first-person shooter action, and may just be the most entertaining portions of the game. Think about it for a minute: Massive weaponry plus Geo- Mod technology equals lots of chances to break stuff. And who doesn’t love breaking stuff?
powerful, and there’s a ton of fairly solid voiceover to add to the sensory assault.
Does this make it a better game than the Original? Ultimately, you’ll have to decide for yourself, because one thing’s certain: Red Faction Il is anything but a rehash.
216
2 es Nene
At any point you can bring up these groovy night- vision-goggles (which, as you might imagine, let you see in the dark). Trouble is, they're so grainy that in truly dark environments it's hard to make out details, so you'll do a lot of switching back and forth if you're hunting for something specific.
My brain hurts. It’s a good thing I’m not epileptic, because with all the muzzle flashes and explosions Red Faction // hurls up on the screen, I’d be a goner. Dozens of enemies surround you at once—some- times seemingly limitless waves of them—and it’s all you can do to figure out which one to kill first. You will die often in this game—much more so than in the original. The trouble is, the dying is not as much a result of the faster, smarter enemies as it is a result of some unfortunate design choices: For one thing, it takes forever to reload the majority of your weapons. (It’s not, in my opinion, a particularly good idea to increase the load time when you’re also increasing the number of enemies who are shooting at you.) For another thing, most of your foes seem all but immor- tal; it takes dozens of rounds (or the ability to pull off multiple head shots amidst all the chaos) to bring down the majority of enemies. If the developers want- ed to offer an arcadey, fast-action experience, why not make these massive waves of enemies a bit easier to mow down? Still, Faction Il is a really good game. The brighter, more varied environments range from nice-looking to simply beautiful (especially the almost mediterranean-looking, sun-washed street segments), the story is long and interesting, and the multiplayer options are pretty extensive. (Oddly, though, the level design of the multiplayer arenas is pretty bland.) | just liked the original more. Joe
embarrassing one-liners, but that’s a minor inconve- nience in an otherwise enthusiastically violent romp. The game’s tremendous strengths include chunky, disgustingly cool weapons, and large, well-designed levels that cram in the action, then spin off into on- rails flying and tank destruction zones. Plus, the fab- ulous multiplayer mode includes A.1.-bot creation. However, blowing up scenery can be frustrating; you can blast massive holes in concrete at designated positions, but other times rotting pieces of wood stockades can’t be destroyed. Still, one of the tightest
combination of narrative, action and (at the time) cool visuals, | had high hopes for the sequel. Sadly, Faction 2’s Story mode isn’t nearly as engaging as its prede- cessor. That’s not necessarily to say.the game isn’t fun; there are a ton of enemies, vehicles and environ- ments to destroy, and you’ve got a wild roster of weapons to do it with. But somehow, the game just doesn’t feel “live.” Since every major event in RF2 is pre-scripted, it feels like you’re on an ultra-violent rollercoaster ride—just sit back and go trigger- happy. The slew of multiplayer options is nice, but why isn’t this sucker online? Grrrr. Che
VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY
tall, fully armore if itn the apocalyptic: Volgara invasion from rampaging ‘Through Dur cities, if that means youNnave to kane down a few buildings and crasisome: petestrians) Well) Such is the: lila of victory: We didnt: dy it venutt J 23) i ld ld wort ad hey, noting e4 ever rise a.
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© 2002 SANDLOT/BONES/ENIX. ENIX is a registered trademark of Enix Corporation. “PlayStation” and the “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. All Rights Reserved.
Publisher: Enix Developer: Enix Players: 1-2
Also On: None Narrative Flakiness: Off the meter
Web Site: www.enix.com
Ba Sess ] © OUVMY 1391009 SuOLid) @
f J
Best Feature: Unique control scheme
Worst Feature: Translation and voice-acting
RAD buries every cookie-cutter mech game in exis- tence under 10,000 tons of rubble. The game’s approach to controlling a giant, transforming robot is probably the freshest ever conceived. Forget the way you move in Jomb Raider, Armored Core or other action games; in RAD, you directly control each of your robot’s limbs (left and right analog for your two arms, L1 and R1 for your legs), giving the game an incredibly immersive feel. Since you’re actually remote-controlling your mech, there’s a good bit of micromanagement involved in keeping your human character alive amidst the chaos of your robot doing battle. But this just helps the gameplay stay pro- foundly insane and kinetic. It all boils down to the fol- lowing: Combat in RAD just never gets old. What does get old, however, is the glut of lame cut-scenes that put the brakes on the action. You suffer through these poorly translated, horribly voice-acted cinemas in almost every mission. But don’t let this deter you from checking out RAD. It’s definitely the coolest mech experience in a long, long time. Miguel
INGENUITY REPLAY
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iS! Publisher: Konami Developer: Konami CET Where’s: Light-gun support? Players: 1 Also On: None
Web Site: www.konami.com
ars
Best Feature: Two games = twice the sniping action
Worst Feature: It’s still over too quickly
They might as well call this one Silent Scope 2002, since a new version for the PS2 comes out every year. Konami must just have them lying around— they’ve crammed two complete games onto this disc. Both SS EX and SS3 offer the best visuals and gameplay of the series so far, including several cre- ative new mission types, but that doesn’t make this combo of both games for the PS2 worth buying. The main problem lies in the game’s brevity: Even if you play through both titles multiple times to see all of the branching missions, you can still blow through it in a day or two. Of course, this type of game isn’t typically long or deep; it’s the visceral thrill of blast- ing away at your TV with a light gun that keeps you coming back, Oh wait, did | say light gun? My bad. Silent Scope 3 (like its predecessors) does not support any type of gun peripheral. Don’t ask me; Konami must have some secret reason why it refus- es to include that seemingly essential feature in these games. Unless you’re a serious sniper fanboy, consider this one merely a rental. Shane
INGENUITY REPLAY
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ee ee ec
sss Publisher: —= -—=> EA Sports Big Developer: EA UK aa | Players:
| 1-2 (1-4 w/ Multi-tap) 1 Also On:
“) GameCube
Also Try: Really old arcade racers
Web Site: easportsbig.com
CONTENT RATEO AY
Best Feature: Quick and simple gameplay Worst Feature: Expensive for what it is
If you’re expecting to see a driving game given the EA Big makeover, with hip music and celeb voices, then you're going to be a bit disappointed with Shox. This is more like rally racing for the masses; it takes ele- ments from the fastest-growing motor sport in the world and simplifies them drastically. There are plen- ty of cool licensed cars, lots of mud, dust and other Suitably loose surfaces, and a broad selection of tracks. When it comes to gameplay, though, it reminded me of old 2D arcade games like Super Sprint more than anything. Think tiny, narrow courses and an extremely tight pack of cars nipping through corners. with hyperrealistic bouncy physics. This isn’t pretending to be a simulation; it’s pure dri- ving fun, complete with in-race objectives called Shox Zones that afford you cool bonuses if complet- ed. To spice things up, you can also gamble your vehicles on races, something | wouldn’t advise until you get really good! Overall, it’s old-fashioned, unpretentious fun, but fun that might be better suit- ed to something that wasn’t full price. John D.
INGENUITY REPLAY
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Publisher: —= -=—= Konami Developer: = Konami CET | Players: me puch ike tam y Also On: eee — ee so Best Feature: Creatively Dig Out: Your structured plot Suikoden II save file Worst Feature: Starts off Web Site: rather dull www.konami.com
This third iteration of Suikoden takes some gutsy chances with the series’ established formula. As in the previous games, you’re still amassing an army of 108 heroes to thwart evil. This time, however, the quest happens concurrently among three totally dif- ferent main characters. It’s a cool concept, as you witness events from multiple vantage points. The gimmick starts to wear thin, though, as these char- acters visit the same locales, talk to the same towns- folk and battle the same wild critters. Thankfully, the plodding introduction eventually ends, giving way to a faster, more engaging gameplay pace. Once you’re designing your castle, customizing your battle par- ties and pursuing optional side quests, the fun blos- soms. Visually, the average graphics don’t impress. The people look kinda neat, but the obviously FFX- inspired field and dungeon backgrounds seem blocky and primitive compared to last fall’s Square effort. Overall, It won’t blow you away, but RPG fans who can see beyond the drab look and slow intro will
find a rewarding epic. Shane INGENUITY REPLAY
li 2
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a ]
ARR ARR ONS
Superman: Shadow of Anokolips
Publisher: Atari So
Developer: Infogrames Sheffield House Players: 1
Also On: None
Featuredin: EGM #160
Also Try: Batman: Vengeance, Spider-Man
Best Feature: Worst Feature: Web Site:
Feels like you’re “playing the show” Somewhat repetitive www.atari.com
The last Superman game was among the most infa- mous hunks of gaming Kryptonite ever to hit a con- sole. Thankfully, Apokolips has more in common with Ubi Soft’s Batman: Vengeance—in both strengths and weaknesses. Just as Vengeance perfectly captures the atmosphere of its source material, so too does Apokolips. Though the dialogue is weakened by a few too many superhero clichés (“Take this!” sounds goofy even coming from Superman), hearing it spoken by the TV show’s actual actors helps compensate for the spotty script. More importantly, the game just plain looks like its cartoon counterpart, with colorful graphics that really bring Metropolis to life. But the best part is that all of Superman’s powers are available, and are actually useful, depending on your situation (though X-ray vision’s use is disap- pointingly limited—apparently, Metropolis is almost entirely lined in lead). All these powers equal a lot of gameplay variety; one minute | was melting Darkseid’s Inter-Bots with heat vision, and the next | was using my super strength to toss a tank into harm’s way and watching it tumble about, thanks to Apokolips’ excel-
lent physics engine. It’s just too bad that all this poten-
tial is wasted ona lackluster game design that’s full of repetitive enemies, tedious item-fetching errands and so-so boss fights. Still, Apokolips’ graphical beauty and authenticity make it worthwhile. Chris B.
Goat Casnars enGah4 a 5 SUnanrat's edits > that’ S actuals
ly playable! As a fan of the cartoon series (and, I’ve been told, a huge dork), I’m glad that Infogrames did their homework on capturing the look and feel of the TV show. Fans will approve of Apokalips’ cool, car- toony style, and the full complement of Superman’ S trademark moves. The only thing that got my Superman Underoos in a twist was the fact that the game is artificially difficult. |n one mission, a dam is about to burst and I’m supposed to spend half an hour looking for a couple of hidden civilians? I’m Superman, dammit! Minor quibbles aside, Apokolips is a fun little
weekend distraction. Darren
p m ae hie 6 Sit t of a way fi oe pate Apeleses| isa far cry
from the horrifying Nintendo 64 Superman game of yore. This time around, the Man of Steel’s powers have been faithfully re-created, so you’ll actually have a good time flying around, futzing with, heat vision, super breathing, and all that Kryptonian jazz. The character himself is as well-realized (and playable) as Spider-Man in his game, and that’s definitely a good thing. My biggest gripe is with Apokolips’ level design, which usually involves beating up the same enemies over and over again. As you can imagine, it gets old quick—not even Superman’s rad powers can
alleviate the tedium. Miguel VISUALS SOUND’ INGENUITY REPLAY
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Blood (<= } UD BACK | ecccence ; ; Violence ell Sy G s Whiind GE yy
saree or Use of Alcohol MINIENDS >IC)X
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 & 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. Black Isle Studios, the Black Isle Studios logo and the Interplay logo are trademarks of Interplay Entertainment Corp. Snowblind Studios and the Snowblind Studios logo are trademarks of Snowblind Studios. High Voltage Software and the High Voltage Software logo are trademarks of High Voltage Software, Inc. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. 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. TM, © and the Nintendo GameCube logo are trademarks of Nintendo. © 2001 Nintendo. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners. Screen shots are from the Xbox™ video game system.
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Publisher: Sega So Developer: Overworks
Players: 1
Also On: None
Featured In: EGM #157
Best Feature: Razor-sharp controls Worst Feature: Tiresome level design Web Site: www.sega.com
ega’s age-old ninja series jumps back from" a = “s | a
retirement to ensnare anew legion of fans "a ~ = x FF: in |
with its slashing swords, flying shuriken Hotsuma's dash pulls a fast one on his foes- and sizzling ninja magic. Old-school Shinobi eviscerate them as they swing at your shadows. vets hoping to control their old pal Joe Mushashi (star of all previous installments) might be taken aback—the hero here is Hotsuma, the only surviving member of the Oboro Clan. Don’t worry, though; he’s even cooler than ol’ Joe. Hotsuma can run on walls, dash around at lightning speed and wipe out a whole gaggle of foes at one time with his “Tate” (pronounced tah-tay) attack. In this age of adventure and stealth games, Shinobi surprises with pure, unadulterated action. No sneaking around corners or solving silly puzzles to slow down the pace. Here, you venture through 16 levels of jumping, dodging and extremely bloody killing. Each stage con- cludes with a tough boss character (usually one of your undead former friends), and slay- ing him requires some Serious ninjitsu skills. It’s classic, white-knuckle gameplay, and it’s hellishly hard. The difficulty level escalates early on, reaching insane levels by the game’s end. Sadly, the challenge isn’t entirely fair. All three reviewers found the sluggish camera system to be a real pain in the heat of action, and many levels dish out one-hit deaths too frequently. Perseverance and patience pay off, though, as the game includes some juicy unlockable goodies (including secret playable characters) for players who collect all of the hidden tokens scattered throughout the levels.
TATE SYSTEM / RHYMES WITH “LATTE”
After a few rounds of slashing fools and tossing throwing stars, you’Il realize that the secret goal of Shinobi is to perfect “Tate” attacks. As you play through the game, a series of icons will appear in the upper-right corner of the screen, each represent- ing one of the current enemies in the area. The goal is to kill all of them in succession, within a short span of time. If executed properly, you’ll see a grisly cut-scene of Hotsuma dis- membering the whole group simulta- neously. This method even works on bosses—time it right and you can end the fight with one attack.
220 «
You can approach every boss encounter in Shinobi from one of two angles: either wear them down with normal attacks or go for the dramatic Tate kill. We recommend the latter-pulling off a Tate strike will save you a bunch of time and impress the hell out of anyone watching.
Thinking back on the 15 hours | spent with Shinobi, a flood of wildly contrasting memories fills my head. The good times surface first, like all those times | pulled off a perfect Tate attack to slaughter a screen- full of enemies in an exploding orgy of blood. (Take that, damned ninja dogs! Now you're just a pile of bloody limbs!) The perfect, razor-sharp controls made manipulating Hotsuma a treat. And | never tired of watching the silky-smooth animation of his scarf and dashing shadow— everything he does just looks phe- nomenally cool. Finally, | wax nostalgic about the tense, nerve-wracking boss encounters that populate Shinobi. Each of the 16 stages ends with a dramatic, unique boss fight that offers an unbelievable chal- lenge. Thinking about the bosses, however, reminds me of the game’s nagging problems, which combine to kick it down a few notches. This adventure will probably be too hard for most gamers. Shinobi games have a history of harrowing difficulty, but between the lack of mid-level checkpoints and the countless one- hit falling deaths, you'll be replaying these stages over and over. Also, the levels tend. to get awfully repetitive, recycling the same simple layouts as you face waves of identical enemies. Finally, the clunky camera system left me frustrated and annoyed. Thankfully, none of these problems completely spoil the fun, So Shinobi stitt succeeds at delivering vis- ceral, rewarding ninja action. Shane
I’m a fan of classic game franchises making a come- back, so the return of Shinobi is a welcome one. Hotsuma is the supermodel of video-game action heroes—lean, stylish and mean—and he fights as good as he looks, Unleashing his bag of lethal ninja moves is a Snap once you’ve acclimated to the con- trols. But the game stumbles in its lackluster level design and repetitive combat (run down hallway, enter big room, fight bad guys, repeat). Combine the highly demanding camera system with the fact that the second half of the game is intensely hard, and I'd recommend that only the most dedicated
month, be warned: This game is hellaciously hard. So much so that | can’t even think of the words to describe how difficult Shinobi becomes halfway through. Don’t get me wrong—the game is a thrilling little slash-and-dash affair that employs an innovative (and skillful) combo system, but it’s hard to feel like a bad-ass ninja when you’re constantly plunging down bottomless pits to your death. I’d like to sit down with whoever designed the later levels (especially the ones without floors), and give them a piece of my mind (or a piece of my fist). Casual and easily frus- trated gamers need not apply. Che
VISUALS SOUND
INGENUITY REPLAY
1
Chris has swormto protest Rar people
Chris, the silver maiden, needs to conclude a peace agreement with the grassland barbarians of the six clans. But ts there something she doesn’t know about the treaty
S itp | - Unleash the power of three on
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The fates of three opposing heroes are forever altered in a battle that will determine the destiny Of the entire land. Uncover the 108 Stars of Destiny, create a homeland castle town, discover the secrets of the 27 True Runes, and save the world from destruction.
Mild Violence
Suggestive Themes
CONTENT RATED BY ®
PlayStation.c KONAMI
SUIKODEN® is a registered trademark of KONAMI COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT TOKYO, inc. ©1995, 2002 KONAMI COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT TOKYO. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. “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.
@ EDITORS' CHOICE AWARD @
EDITORS’ CHOICE AWARD @ a T4
QUYMY J910H9,SHOLIOI
Publisher: Eidos a Developer: Free Radical Design
Players: 1-4 (1-16 system link)
Also On: Xbox, GameCube
Featured in: EGM #159
Best Feature: Great multiplayer action Worst Feature: Uneven level design and story Web Site: www.timesplittersgame.com
e had high expectations for the original
TimeSplitters, the game hyped as the
next big thing from the folks who brought us GoldenEye on the Nintendo 64. Well, despite a great multiplayer mode, 7S1 certainly had its share of problems, not the least of which was an aimless, uninspired sin- gle-player experience. Much was promised for the sequel, and while TimeSplitters 2 builds nicely upon the original’s infinitely compelling multiplayer experience, the single-player cam- paign left us wondering, “Why is this thing just not as good as GoldenEye?”
Much like the original, the premise of 7S2 involves moving through different time peri- ods to complete various missions. Gameplay is varied, and different levels play to different
Timesolitters 2
strengths—some require sniping and stealth, while others play more like a straightforward shoot-’em-up. There are loads of mission goals and objectives, especially on Expert mode; the only problem is that many of them are simply not interesting, exciting or dynam- ic. Likewise, the time-travelling facet of the game makes for visual variety, but should have been incorporated into the storyline more elegantly. As it is, you simply return to a generic “hub” screen after you finish a level, where the next mission has been unlocked for your further conquests. Those searching for a single-player campaign that lives up to the standard set by GoldenEye (or, gasp, Halo), however, will be sorely disappointed.
While 7S2’s narrative may be somewhat primitive, its technology is anything but: Player models and environments look incredi- bly sharp and race by at a deliciously smooth clip, resulting in one of the finest graphics engines we’ve seen on the console to date. Not only is 7S2 slick to the eye, but its cheeky stylings—think Ray Harryhausen meets The Jetsons—provide for a visually compelling
WHY BUY A PALM PILOT WHEN YOU CAN JUST SPLIT TIME?
TimeSplitters 2’s environments range from a gangster-infested 1920s Chicago to an Aztec jungle, from Cold War-era Soviet military installations to Neo-Tokyo 2019. There’s even a Robot Factory in cold space. How does it all fit together? Well...uh...it doesn’t. But it does make for an entertaining ride, not to mention plenty of scenic variety.
BEFORE THE MANSION. BEFORE) THE DISASTER.
| _ Fight for survival in this action-packed thriller with an all-new story line!
4 : aia ; ig : | WG 3 _ Use more strategy as you switch between Repecca _ and Billy for collaborative gameplay.
introducing a new playable character, nightmarish beasts and non-stop terror.
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MATURE
Blood and Gore NINTENDO Violence GAME CUBE...
CONTENT RATED BY ESRB
© CAPCOM G0., LTD. 2002 © CAPCOM U.S.A., INC. 2002. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. CAPCOM and the CAPCOM LOGO are registered trademarks of CAPCOM CO., LTD. RESIDENT EVIL is a registered trademark of CAPCOM CO., LTD: The
ratings icon I§ a registered trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. LICENSED BY NINTENDO. Nintendo, Nintendo GameCube and the Official Seal are trademarks of Nintendo. © 2001 Nintendo.
Check out these shots from the opening level of TimeSplitters 2. From the dam to the guards to the snow-capped mountains to the “Baaaa-daaaaaaa-daaa-daa” music you can’t hear in these screens, it’s an amusing (if somewhat prolonged) homage to Rare’s
classic. Is it live or is it GoldenEye?
ride. Barring bits of occasional slowdown when the action heats up, this game is a defi- nite graphical feast.
A vast and expansive multiplayer mode is where 7S2 truly excels. With over 80 playable characters to do battle against (along with massively customizable multiplayer options), Free Radical has crammed in a ton of modes and mini-games for you to experiment and tin- ker with. Also making a welcome return is the Mapmaker, a utility that lets you create your own multiplayer or story-based maps (replete with basic mission objectives). Ways to play multiplayer with your friends include linking up to four PS2’s together for a 16-player network game, four-player splitscreen or playing through the story in co-op mode. To be honest, though, we’d trade in all of this linking and splitscreening just to play 7S2 online. Alas...
Timesplitters 2's impressive visuals are highlight- ed by gorgeous lighting effects. Your radar is used like a weapon, so no shooting while you navigate.
224
The enemies in Timesplitters 2 are nothing if not varied. Just when you get sick of shooting mon- keys and Nazis, for instance, hordes of zombies show up out of nowhere. For you to shoot. In their undead heads.
Deathmatch
junkies should not hesitate; TimeSplitters 2 is multiplayer gold. Especially for those with an ideal setup—namely, several PS2’s, several televisions and several copies of the game— TS2’s addictive, unadulterated multiplayer mayhem is nearly worth the price of admission alone. That said, however, the game certainly has its flaws. Its short- comings have mostly to do with its meandering story- line and level design; far too often | was left wonder- ing where the hell | was and why the hell | was there. A typical mission might involve sniping, detonating explosives, disabling cameras, killing zombies and Stealing time crystals, but in the end, many of these objectives simply feel forced and disconnected. While the farcical tone and goofy sensibilities give these non-sequiturs some context, the game design doesn’t feel as tight as it should; objectives are annoyingly cryptic, often making it seem. like work just to get through a level. With Free Radical’siteam of ex-Rare developers—along with the game’s blatant nods toward said predecessorit’s entirely fair to hold 7S2 up to Goldenfye:standards. From a single- player, story-based perspective, the game simply lacks the magic of recent shooter classics. [EVa@n
If you’re looking for a fast-paced, arcade-style shooter, you can’t get much better than 7S2. This package is stuffed to the. brim with appealing features, including a wonderfully varied, story mode, deep multiplayer games and a surprisingly powerful level editor. The first game was atiits best when played in a group, and that’s true here, too. Being able to link systems together for 16-player LAN parties is a total blastwAll said, TS2 is more—a lot more—of the,same, and that’s a good thing. This is, without a doubt, the best first-person shooter you'll find on the PS2. Buy itnow. [than
It’s fast, it’s frenzied, it’s full of monkeys! It’s TimeSplitters 2, and if you have a first-person shoot- er bone in your body, you owe it to yourself to nab this little number. No, the Story mode isn’t on par with the greats.in this category, but there’s so much more that the game has to offer. The Challengéymode alone will keep you addicted for days, blasting the heads off zombies or throwing bricks through win- dows—and that’s not even mentioning the surpris- ingly powerful Mapmaker tool (you can now create entire story- based levels};the themed Arcade League mode, the 126 characters or the crapload of extras.
Simply put, it rocks. joe VISUALS
ait
he
Publisher: Activision 02 Developer: Neversoft
Players: 1-2 (2-8 Online or LAN) Also On: GC, Xbox
Featured In: EGM #159
Enormous levels with tons of hidden nooks and crannies
Worst Feature: Halfway through, the difficulty goes vertical
www.activisionO2.com
Best Feature:
Web Site:
hese days, everyone knows that skate-
boarding is not a crime. What they don’t
know is whether they should buy a new Tony Hawk game every year. We understand the skepticism, but before you dismiss Tony’s yearly update, take a look at what you’d be missing out on in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4.
Lots of hardcore Tony Hawk fans fell asleep halfway through Hawk 3—beating the same challenges over and over quickly became a bore. With THPS4, sleep will be the last thing on your mind. After beating 176 goals with any character of your choice, you unlock 14 skater-specific challenges. With Bam Margera you'll
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4
First off, the new levels are hella big. Even expert players will spend their first few runs just learning the lay of the land; rookies should probably pick a safe corner to thrash around in ’til they get more comfortable. The massive Alcatraz stage, for instance, feels like it contains enough square footage to fit six or seven levels of an earlier Jony Hawk game. Whatever your skill level, it’s going to take even longer before you master some of the new THPSzg levels.
Next, you’re probably going to notice the goals. Gone is the laundry-list of crap that has to be completed within a tidy two- minute period. THPS4 makes you work a lit- tle harder by giving you more freedom. Every level is effectively a free skate until you
LOCALS ONLY
225.
Nosegrind
PS$2 WS. XBOX VS. GAMECUBE
Saez ibute Whatever your platform of choice, Tony Hawk will be there, stylin’ and profilin’. With the exception of minor graphical differences, all three console versions contain the same levels, unlockables and secret characters. THPS4, however, is only online for the PS2—although the Xbox version (pictured above) will support 8-player networked play with all the same multiplayer modes as the PS2 version. Other than that, it’s really just a matter of which controller you feel works best for Tony Hawk.
cruise through Alcatraz in a shopping cart. With Bob Burnquist you'll conquer a huge loop with a big chunk cut out of the middle. Although some pro-challenges have a four-minute time limit, you'll work for hours trying to beat them. Every skater, of course, can perform special moves that will help you rack up the points.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 (cont.)
BUILD IT, AND THEY WILL COME
Pinger % Start
Like its predecessor, Tony Hawk 4 offers online play. This time, you can hit the virtual skate parks with up to seven other players in free-for-all or team-based matches. Classic multiplayer modes like Graffiti and Trick Attack return alongside a few newbies like Goal Attack (race to complete level objectives) and Capture the Flag. And now, players who use the Create-A-Park mode can share their creations online, so when you're tired of the in-game levels, you can go online to explore a potentially endless supply of new parks.
Speak to a local and accept a challenge (that’s also when you get a time limit). So you can spend as long as you want exploring the chemically-polluted water and industrial wasteland of the Shipyard before you skate up to the foreman and do him a favor by tag- ging 21 freight containers in under two min- utes. Completing eight challenges unlocks newer levels for you to explore.
THPS4’s other features include new moves, like the useful spine transfer and vert recov- ery techniques, as well as a friendly goal structure that teaches you the basics of what you need to know in order to land high scores and beat tougher challenges in the later levels. But Tony @ is still basically the same Jony Hawk that made us all proud back on the PS1. Maybe it’s not an underground movement, and maybe it’s taken extreme to the mainstream, but skateboarding is nota crime, and neither is THPS4.
Got a need for skateboarding speed? Now you can “skitch” on the back of moving vehicles to get that extra boost your own two feet can't provide.
ra a” LS ae PA Phen taal tert. tates 8 af Co) {om a eS we A lapels
226
Tony Hawk 4 wouldn't be complete without a rich soundtrack. While you're tearin’ it up the game you'll hear old-school hip-hop like Run DMC’s “My Adidas” and the Sex Pistols punk anthem “Anarchy in the U.K.”.
ABI K2
OTe Manual + Primo 5:
As | ran through the first level in THPS4, | was wracked with conflicting emotions. Sure, the tricks and combos were as fun as ever, with the spine transfer and recovery moves adding new flexibility to the game. Plus, Jony 4 clearly raises the bar on level design for an action-sports title. But was | ready to commit to another Jony Hawk? |’m not one of those people who can beat all the high-score challenges in my first or second try, so | knew it was going to take some sore and calloused thumbs to make my way through this game. But it wasn’t long before | realized it would be well worth the effort. The game eases you into things, with every level offering a few simple goals any idiot can finish off fast. These set the stage for the bigger challenges, and | found that | liked the variety and novelty of the goals—from tagging all the buses in London to stopping the monkey from escaping the Zoo. The difficulty ratchets up pretty quickly, and | found myself trying certain combos 20 or 30 times before forcing myself. to put down the controller and walk away, giving Tony Hawk and my hands a much- needed break. But if you like this kind of game, isn’t this just the sort of challenge that results in ulti- mate elation when sailed ann nail it? _ Jennifer
I’m the world’s nies THPS3 fan—and | had very low expectations for 4. What else can they do to this already-refined series? Well, as | predicted, the near- perfect gameplay has stayed relatively intact, with a few tweaks that make high-scoring combos:easier to achieve (now, any Joe Schmoe can look like a fancy- pants pro skater with some simple button presses). But what I didn’t anticipate was getting hooked to Tony yet again. The new levels, a greater variety of mini-game-like objectives and a better “unlock new stuff” system (no more having to beat the gam:
times just to open Dick— Officer Dick, that is) means ll be Hley ing for weeks to come. ‘Shoe
The | more | — Sanky 4, ia more | a drawing comparisons between it and Grand Theft Auto //l. Let me explain. First off, the game’s goals are so diverse, you can’t help but come back for more, if only to see what outrageous challenges await you next. Whether it’s driving a shopping cart around Alcatraz as Bam Margera or mastering a topless loop with Bob Burnguist, each-challenge offers something unique. Second, Tony 4 completely immerses you in skate culture, the same way GTA3 made you feel like you were inside an episode of The Sopranos. Lastly, the Career mode gives you a ton of freedom, allowing you to putz around all you want. Plus, the online stuff is smokin’. Skaters and gamers are going to love this. It’s one of those rare
must-own titles. Todd INGENUITY REPLAY
VISUALS SOUND
ete: tw
avi
Play solo or as a team with a dynamically splitting screen
gainst insane earth ggasi == 735 :
Humor is your secret weapon a
Over 70 power-ups that unleash special attacks
‘STEP_BACK Y'ALL
Earth: a planet in desperate need of Funkification. Your mission: explore sprawling environments, master the art of Funk-Fu fighting, collect gift-wrapped power- ups, defeat the dreaded Anti-Funk and generally get down with your bad self in an off the wall adventure unlike anything you've experienced before. Feel the funk, baby!
eso.
PRODUCTIONS, INC.
sae
*
COMIC MISCHIEF MILD LANGUAGE
CONTENT RATED BY
VISUAL CONCERTS ESRB
SEGA is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark office. Sega and thé’Sega Logo are registered trademarks of Sega Corporation. ToeJam & Earl is a trademark of ToeJam & Earl Productions, Inc. © 2002 SEGA CORPORATION/VISUAL CONCEPTS. All Rights Reserved. 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.
Big Air Freestyle
Publisher: Infogrames il: A | Developer:
| Paradigm
crazy. Players:
i 1-2
fF Also On:
_ None
Supports:
Lots of yawning
| Web Site: www.infogrames.com
CONTENT RATED BY
Best Feature: Over 30 freestyle tricks! Worst Feature: Over 30 freestyle tricks!
At first, Big Air Freestyle looks like your average action-sports game, with average-looking arenas, average tricks and an average selection of riders and motorbikes. But deeper inspection reveals an unset- tling reality: It’s also somewhat broken and not much fun. The racing mode is competent but dull. Players work their way through the season, racing on long, winding tracks in environments that give you no visu- al sense of where you are; were it not for a Brazilian flag, you’d really have no clue that you were riding in Sao Paulo. But shouldn’t a game called Big Air Freestyle take off, literally and figuratively, in its Trick mode? Not,with such a limited system, There just aren’t very many tricks to do, and too often you'll find yourself resorting to the same high-scorers, adding on an endless loop of boring barrel rolls and back flips. Plus, scoring is inconsistent; sometimes you’ll earn zero points for tricks that have clearly reg- istered on screen. Unlocking new tracks is tedious chore—and even then, the tracks all look too similar. At least they got the soundtrack right. Jennifer
SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY
4 ‘ate a
VISUALS
Publisher: Sierra Developer: Bits Studios Players:
1
Also On: None
Try instead:
Best Fuatinic Handel’ Ss
“Messiah” during Hero Time | TimeSplitters 2 Worst Feature: This gameis | Web Site:
just sloppy all around | Www-.sierra.com
Playing DHV makes me feel like Hans Gruber at the end of the first Die Hard film: falling backward toward the pavement, flailing and screaming. Set as some far-off sequel to the films, Vendetta has the dialogue and pacing of a summer action movie. The way the game actually handles, though, is strictly direct-to-video (game). The first warning sign is the control scheme. Try to move up and down slightly and your aim automatically snaps back to the center. Basically, it’s crafted for first-person-shooter new- bies—you’ll need to toggle the auto-aim function in order to actually target the bad guys. Another issue is the graphics; at times, they’re downright asinine. Taking potshots out a window, | actually put bullet holes in the clouds. But Vendetta does have one sav- ing grace: Hero Time. You’ve seen this sort of hokey, slow-motion action in Max Payne and Dead to Rights, but Die Hard does it with style (Handel’s “Messiah” plays during the sequences). And Mom: consider yourself warned, ’cause the game’s got more swear- ing than a strip bar during Fleet Week. Darren INGENUITY REPLAY
VISUALS SOUND
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Publisher: Atlus Developer: Saru Brunei Players: 4
Also On: None Featuredin: EGM #160
Sest Feature: Great sense of humor Worst Feature: Atari 2600-quality graphics Web Site: www.atlus.com
It’s hip to be square—or so Atlus would have us believe. Why else would the company bring Nintendo’s obscure kill-or-be-killed Animal Leader to the United States under the more creative title Cubivore? With a premise like no other game | can recall, Cubivore forces you through a linear path of outdoorsy arenas, where your main goal is to eat every animal in sight, growing bigger and stronger along the way. It’s a cool idea—and more complex than it sounds, since the color of the animals you eat determines what abilities you acquire. Although you Start out as little more than a simple block, hopping along in search of equally pathetic creatures to devour, the game quickly becomes addictive as the fruits of your labor appear in the form of physical upgrades. Every mutation you get encourages you to travel even farther, breeding along the way to spawn more-powerful offspring to continue your quest. The excellent writing you’re treated to between levels is full of rich, poetic humor and sly, urban puns. But far less excellent are the blocky graphics—the visuals are on a par with the first 3D games ever made on the Super Nintendo. The camera is also something of a failure, Since it’s totally incapable of keeping up with the action when things get hectic, Overall, this is a worthwhile game, but only if you appreciate the
quirky and bizarre. Mikman
| ‘ust earinet anderatand wine: a game ewauld ever fant bad on purpose. | know this was originally a Nintendo 64 game, but come on—Cubivore’s visuals are immeasurably awful. Uppity gamers might defend the blocky style as some sort of symbolic, postmod- ern statement—I say the game just looks like crap. Getting past the butt-ugly exterior is tough, but | will say that | found Cubivore’s unique gameplay oddly enjoyable. The simple concept of eating other critters in order to get mine to evolve became addictive —| wanted to see just how big (and weird) my animals could become. It’s nothing I'd tell someone to buy, but it’s susie a freakish, funy rental. _ Shane
This is ihe last game * Hesires) wont ever come to the U.S., but | have to admit I’m glad it did. Cubivore is an acquired taste to be sure, but its weird graphical style and even stranger story give it a certain charm. Even the music’s simple, ambient approach is some- how fitting. As much as | enjoy the minimalist approach to the graphics, however, | wish there was a bit more detail. The world you roam, with its plain textures and Duplo-block look, gets monotonous after five minutes, and most of the animals you run into, despite a few cool variations, all look the same. If weird Japanese games are your bag, then by all means chow down on Cubivore. Chris
VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY
} ok 2 |S
228
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Publisher: EA Games
Developer: EA UK / Eurocom Players: 1
Aiso On: Everything in the world Featured In: Earlier this issue
Best Feature: Faithfully recreates Harry’s world Worst Feature: Lacks PS2 version's free-flight Web Site: hpgames.ea.com
Whether you’re a serious Potter-maniac or a too-cool- for-magic-school Harry skeptic, do yourself a favor and give EA’s first next-gen trip to Hogwarts a chance. It does a remarkable job of recreating the complex Harry Potter world in an adventure game that transforms J.K. Rowling’s book into a fun, engaging gameplay expe- rience. Secrets is a rare case of a game actually doing justice to its source material. By day, you attend class- room challenges, participate in Quidditch matches and go on scripted quests; by night, you’re free to explore the mammoth school grounds on your own. A ton of effort went into making the graphics match the movie’s sets, and the results are breathtaking. The excellent background music and voice acting (albeit not from the movie actors) also blew me away, espe- cially since they were recorded just for this game. The overall production quality of Secrets is practically unri- valed. Even the controls are simple and intuitive, a bla- tant lifting of the Nintendo 64 Zelda games’ masterful setup that works great for all the dueling, spell casting and boss fighting Harry must do. My complaints have to do with the game’s prescripted nature, meaning that once you finish it, there’s not much reason to replay this sucker. Also, the GameCube Secrets lacks the fly-anywhere freedom of its PS2 counterpart. At least the inclusion of special GBA-to-GC-link features helps to balance out that omission. Shane
Secrets v won t take panies the Howse Cup for being par- ticularly groundbreaking, but EA’s latest Potter effort gets points for transforming author J.K. Rowling’s excellent story into a solid, well-paced adventure- Style game. Best of all, Secrets does this without padding it with gameplay that doesn’t fit the core story. Fans will also appreciate the attention to detail when it comes to the game’s environments — Diagon Alley’s lay- out matches that of the movie, the Quidditch games feel as frenetic as they should, and Hogwarts is...well, Hogwarts. Obviously Potter-ignorant muggles need not apply, but would-be wizards (or witches) looking for a lil ns this yea should ane Secrets a try. Chris
ify youre a =n af the Boo- wound Tharany marilla that
J.K Rowling reared, every Potter product in your path is fair game. Fortunately, the books lend them- selves well to games, and Secrets is a good exam- ple of this. Its linear story progression is comple- mented nicely by a “go anywhere” rendition of Hogwarts, which allows you to take in all the cool little details built in for legitimacy’s sake. Although the gameplay itself is rather skimpy, with lots of shallow exploration, puzzle-solving, and reoccur- ring (but thankfully well-realized) mini-games, Secrets balances authenticity and playability so well you can’t help but get suckedin. Miguel
VISUALS SOUND’ INGENUITY | REPLAY
9 3d
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-ICP's seminar from the Gathering of the Ss ugoalts 2002 Hit up www.insaneclownposse.com for more information
Violence
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©2002-Krome Studios Pty Ltd. All rights reserved. TY the Tasmanian Tiger and the Krome Studios logo are trademarks of Krome Studios Pty Ltd. 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 countries. “PlayStation” and the “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Microsoft, Xbox and the Xbox logos are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S, and/or other countries and-aré used under license from. Microsoft. TM, ® and the Nintendo GameCube logo are trademarks of Nintendo, ©2001 Nintendo. Ail other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. EA GAMES" is an Electronic Arts™ brand,
Cri-key! You’re TY the Tasmanian Tiger: The last of a rare breed out to explore the untamed and uncharted Australian wilderness in search of your lost family. Along the way you'll encounter some fearsome foes sent out by the evil Boss Cass to spoil your adventure. But no worries, you've got a heap of hi-tech boomerangs, plenty of mates and a set of chompers to help you tame the dodgy Outback. Good luck, it should be a ripper good time! www.TY.ea.com
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Mild Violence
YOU'VE BEEN READY FOR THIS GAME SINCE YOU WERE A LITTLE KID.
An intense new game, only for Xbox . IT’S AS CLOSE AS YOU’LL COME TO BEING HIM.
Publisher: Atari Developer: Pipeworks Players: 1-4
Aiso On: None Featured in: EGM #159
Best Feature: Each city blows up real good Worst Feature: Clumsy, button—mashing controls Web Site: www.atari.com
itizens alert! The Vortakk have gathered
the biggest monsters in the universe, in
the world’s most famous cities, for a nasty rumble. Why? Hell, we have no idea. Does it really matter? All you need to know is that Godzilla and the rest of his rubber buddies are in attendance for the biggest battle royale to hit the video-game scene in years.
To their credit, Pipeworks has put together a decent fighting game that Godzilla fans in par- ticular will enjoy. With its mushy controls and slower pace, Godzilla feels less like Tekken and more like Wrestlemania X8. Electric fences replace ringside ropes and turnbuckles, while a limited but lethal palette of punch, kick and throw attacks make this a perfect brawler for gamers who love to jam on the buttons and hope for the best.
Just be warned: Virtua Fighter 4 this ain’t. So if you’re a gamer who craves a fighting game loaded with technique, finesse and
GODZILIAS2Z000 I Me %
Mul ye
Gigan shows Godzilla the cruel reality of screwing up your steps during advanced tango lessons.
depth, then you’d best get the hell out of here. But if you’re a Godzilla fan (and a less- demanding gamer) with an appetite for destruction, you’ve come to the right place.
ARPED SPEED
al preferences.
Meet the leader of the Vortakk. (The Vortakk are the alien super-race responsible for drag- ging big rubber monsters all over your stupid metropolitan cities.) Here we find Big Vortakk sitting at his control panel, which is con- structed from the finest papier mache. Ha! Your puny human minds cannot begin to com- prehend his diabolically alien habits and sexu-
Four-player games (left) are complete and utter chaos. Taking advantage of the surroundings to block fire breath, laser rays and rockets’ red glare is key to any monster's survival. Of course, if you're not interested in self-preservation, you can always just pick buildings up and throw ‘em.
Like any healthy, growing American boy, | was raised on a steady diet of Fritos, Tang, and Godzilla movies. So with Destroy All Monsters Melee, my hopes were understandably high. Thankfully, the game does not disappoint. OK, so the controls are pretty much lim- ited to the button-mashing brand of gameplay, and the collision-detection and cheap computer tactics make me want to say bad words. All right, so the camera stinks too; walking behind buildings often obscures your view of the action, and then to make matters worse, cheap A.|. opponents take advantage of your confusion and rack up the hits. But | can live with all that. Why? Because | don’t play Destroy All Monsters expecting gaming genius. This title caters to my Godzilla-loving desires, and that is something it does well. Who can deny the guilty pleasure of trashing huge cities while duking it out with three of your friends? The environments are impressive and look as good razed to the ground as they do fully erect. The selection of monsters (including Mechagodzilla and King Gihidora) will sat- isfy Godzilla fans, too, even if Minya (Baby Godzilla) and Jet Jaguar are missing. Basically, | look at this game like it’s the ultimate Godzilla souvenir. Yeah, it’s a pretty shallow experience, but when was
Godzilla ever anything else? Milkman
Destroy All Monsters Melee succeeds as a Straight- up, no-frills brawler, and (like most in the genre) it’s best played with a group of friends. The single-play- er Adventure mode, with its monotonous one-on- one matches, just serves as a means to unlock more big, bad, rubber characters and arenas for the much more enjoyable multiplayer games. Why not mix up the objectives a little a la Super Smash Bros, Melee? The visuals are impressive, the gameplay is fast and the controls are responsive, but more often than not the camera obscures precious items or paths from your view during the heat of battle. This game is the perfect rental for a weekend spent indoor with friends. Chris
Destroy All Monsters Melee is asuccess because it con- vincingly gets you inside the scales of its monsters, each with its own set of moves and powers. While slow- er than certain other brawlers (these guys are a little bigger than Pikachu and Kirby, after all), Melee is very satisfying, especially after finishing a battle and check- ing out the once-proud, now ravaged city. And it’s hard to top pummeling an opponent with a building you just ripped from its foundation. Frustrations? The camera occasionally wigs out, the city-limit force fields could be more prominent and sometimes you'll get turned around and can’t right yourself until you take a beating. Otherwise, these beasties are all right. Fans of monster movies and brawlers should have a blast with
this one. G.Ford 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.
hoe
UNGRAVE is,atradétfarl’f Bi e@igital Software’As
BLOOD
: aa a A y PlayStation.e mae e
~ Medal of Honor: Frontline
Publisher: _ EA Games | Developer: Dreamworks Players:
14
| Also On:
_ PS2, Xbox
Aiso Watch: Band of Brothers Web Site:
| moh.ea.com
Best Feature: Cool atmos- phere brings WWII to life Worst Feature: Not enough combat
Like its Xbox and PS2 comrades, GameCube Frontline offers one helluva WWII first-person shooting experi- ence. You’re virtually transplanted into the thick of battle through a combination of realistic graphics, a sweeping orchestral score and tight control. It’s like being in the craziest, most intense parts of Saving Private Ryan or Band of Brothers...most of the time. Sadly, due to some poorly paced mission goals, | repeatedly missed required mission objec- tives, forcing me to backtrack. Many of them simply aren’t obvious, so | made a habit of constantly refer- ring back to my checklist. Something tells me that’s not what actual WWII soldiers did in the heat of com- bat. Also, the game’s family-friendly, whitewashed Teen rating siphons out a lot of the potentially gritty realism. It wouldn’t necessarily have to be a gory massacre, but as it stands in the world of Frontline, war is merely Heck. Despite my grumblings, | still enjoyed Frontline enough to recommend it to fans of the genre, but let’s hope for some tweaks in the
inevitable sequel. Shane INGENUITY REPLAY
VISUALS
SOUND
es, "ih pike idle ae = a4
ey Publisher:
' SegaSports — A a Developer: Visual Concepts Players: | 1-4 met Also On: a. L Ce =PS2, Xbox Best Feature: Brilliant rim Cover Athlete:
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physics Bad Boy Iverson Worst Feature: Right-ana- | Web Site: log-stick passing | www.segasports.com
If you’re going to buy a basketball game this year, there’s little doubt that it should be NBA 2K3. With this new incarnation, Sega Sports has created the Madden of basketball games. Seriously. While Live has made great strides this year, 2K3 is so far ahead of the curve, it’s astounding. Its biggest boast? Rim physics and a trend-setting Franchise mode. The rim physics here are enough to make grown hoops fans weep. If you fire a shot from the outside, it may hit the rim, pop up and then find twine. Doesn’t sound like that big of a deal, but it’s never been achieved in another basketball game, and it offers up plenty of drama—especially for last-second. shots—and adds a lot to the rebounding experience. The Franchise mode, which borrows from NFL 2K3, is brilliant and immersive. If you hire the right coach for the job, your players will improve quickly. If you hire the local high-school janitor, you’re going to get sloppy results on the court (unless that janitor is Larry Bird). There’s no reason to look elsewhere this basketball season—while NBA Live 2003 is playing catch-up, NBA 2K3 is perfecting its game. Todd INGENUITY REPLAY
VISUALS SOUND
oh ee
Tom Clancy’s |
The Sum of all Fears
Publisher: ubisot Developer:
Red Storm
Players:
1
Also On:
PS2
| Wait For:
| Ghost Recon
Web Site: www.ubi.com
CONTENT RATED BY |
Best Feature: Easy to pick- up and play, resulting in... Worst Feature: Gameplay that’s too shallow to last
Maybe they should’ve called this Rainbow Six Lite or Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon for Dummies. Don’t get me wrong; Sum of All Fears gives a good taste of squad- based combat—but it’s just a small taste. As opposed to Ghost Recon or SOCOM (PS2), this streamlined version of modern warfare throws you Straight into the action with all the gear you need and some A.|.-controlled soldiers to watch your back. That’s great if you just want to turn on the game and open fire, but ultimately it feels like you’re not fully in control. First, you’re always worried about your squadmates (they’re not too bright), while the envi- ronments are reasonably varied and open, you’re coerced into following a predetermined course. You're not locked on rails, but the game quickly devolves into a simple matter of following a line on the tactical map and preparing for your next firefight. The biggest omission, though, is the lack of any mul- tiplayer modes. Fears is decent if you’re home alone and craving military action on the GameCube, but in
the end, shortlived. Darren VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY
] 6 6.6hCltC‘(s
he TimeSnlitters 2
Publisher: | Eidos Developer:
Free Radical Players:
1-4
Also On:
| PS2, Xbox Featured In: EGM #159
Web Site: www.eidos.com
Best Feature: Great multi- player action
Worst Feature: Uneven level design and story
It’s fair to say that console first-person shooters were merely a blip on the radar until Rare’s seminal GoldenEye hit the Nintendo 64 in 1997. And while TimeSplitters 2 does little to evolve the single-player action experience in the way its ancestor managed to do years ago, it manages to provide the same frenet- ic, addictive and highly compelling multiplayer action. The GC version of Free Radical’s decidedly zany fragfest is essentially a carbon copy of its PS2 counterpart (see our full review on page 222), mean- ing that while it’s clearly fun in multiplayer, it also suf- fers from the same lackluster storyline and minor (though irksome) animation hiccups as well. The con- trols feel slightly awkward on the GC controller, and the lack of a jump button seems oddly misplaced, considering the game’s over-the-top arcadey nature. The GC version also lacks the system-link feature of its Xbox and PS2 cousins, meaning that you’re limited to playing four-player split-screen mode. Still, 7S2 isa great multiplayer romp that will keep you and your friends glued to the set for months to come. Evan
VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY
electronic Gaming Month 236 «©
Ty the Tasmanian Tiger
Publisher: EA Games
Developer: Kromes
Players: 1
Also On: PS2, Xbox
Also Try: Vegemite sandwiches
Best Feature: Awesome character designs Worst Feature: Motion-sickness-inducing camera Web Site: Wwww.eagames.com
In a year filled with so many top-notch, innovative plat- formers, if you’re dishing up the “same ol’ game,” you might as well not show up to the party. In that respect, Ty is a victim of the worst timing imaginable. This is an average platformer that might’ve been considered decent if had been released a year ago. But now, the Tasmanian Tiger couldn’t hope to hit the bar set by more recent titles, even using his most powerful Rang (that’s “boomerang” for the uninitiated). Ty pushes many of the same buttons that’ve made similar titles great in the past, but it doesn’t do it as well and does- n’t offer anything new or better over other recent releases like Sly Cooper, Mario Sunshine, Ratchet & Clank, etc. The gameplay here is extremely reminiscent of the fetch-questing that’s been used and overused many times before, with multiple kinds of items to keep track of and tasks to complete. And while that by itself isn’t necessarily bad, everything’s made annoying by the motion-sickness-inducing camera that swings around way too fast and is zoomed in way too close on the Tasmanian star (even on the farthest setting). Aside from the camera issues, the Aussie-style visuals and presentation in Ty are a treat. But it’s disappointing that the awesome character designs don’t animate well—Ty runs like he’s got no knees, and the rest of the characters are just as stiff. Unlike a boomerang, | won’t be coming back to this.
Imagine casting Crash Bandicoot as the Crocodile
Hunter and you’ve got the idea behind this boomerang slingin’ action game for tha ankle bite- ahs (kids down unda, that is). Along with passable graphics and entertaining mini-games, plenty of lost lagoons to explore, items to collect and boomerang power-ups are stuffed into Jy. One big problem, though: the controls. | mean, cri-key! Cranking the stick to stay above quicksand, | got a blister! | had to grab for a couple tinnies (beers) to keep from smash- ing the controllah. Ultimately, there are so many first- rate platformers (like Sly Cooper) coming out now
to find that the tunes on the disc are all shoddy remix- es performed by a second-rate cover band? Ty the Tasmanian Tiger is guaranteed to give you that same feeling. Classic platforming elements from Banjo- Kazooie, Crash Bandicoot and even Nights: Into Dreams (Sega Saturn) make their way into this luke- warm melting pot, but nothing innovative has been tossed into the mix. The character is bland, the envi- ronments are stale and the fetch missions are tedious. You won’t find anything that’s truly bad here, but there’s absolutely no reason to go out of your way to try it. Rent it if you’re curious. Ethan
VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY
6 1 4 63
¢« The most popular videogame ever created is back with a new look and variations.
e Exciting challenges await you with 6 variations of Tetris in Story Mode and Arcade Mode, including the all new Hot-Line Tetris, Cascade Tetris and Fusion Tetris.
¢ Lush 3D worlds evolve and animate as a reward for clearing lines and reaching goals. See what each world is meant to look like.
¢ Enjoy Tetris Worlds together when up to four people
play to see who is the best. (Two players only on Game Boy* Advance)
EVERYONE
CONTENT RATED BY Fe
:
www.thg.com
Tetris is back.
lf you loved it then, you'll love it even more now.
Deceptively simple, completely addictive.
AUTHENTIC
aay
TETRIS GAME
www.tetris.com
PlayStation.e
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Sega
Sonic Team
1-4
Xbox
EGM #159
Unbelievably addictive
Big monetary investment for maximum fun
Web Site: www.sega.com
f you’re looking to destroy your social life,
you’ve come to the right place. Ask anyone
who sacrificed a few months to the Dream- cast version two years back; once you enter the world of Phantasy Star Online there’s no turning back. Here are the basics: It’s not a massive multiplayer RPG like EverQuest. Instead, you hang out in lobbies with a few dozen folks and then form an adventuring party with three other people. And it’s not your average fantasy fodder—PSO’s world is sleek and futuristic, and the gameplay is combo- based action, not slow, menu-driven tedium. Before venturing online, you must customize your character from 12 classes (three of them are new to this version). You can then use your
“Rs
Now that PSO is on a system that actually sells, a flood of new players will be going online for the first time. Don’t fret if you’re a Ragol virgin. Here are some handy sugges- | tions that will make your virtual life easier.
.E: If you’re a Hunter or Ranger, it’s your job to get physical on the porilne Forces (spell casters) should be more concerned about keeping everyone healed and supported with stat-raising spells.
If you’re going to venture online, we heartily suggest that you invest in a keyboard. Sega promises that they'll have one available at launch, and it’s an absolute must for the online experi- ence. Plus, the keyboard allows you to do crazy animations (like dancing or riding in flying chairs) by inputting dif-
ferent keystrokes in the online lobby. |
character in Episode | (the entire original DC game) or leap directly into Episode //. Feel free to jump around between the two at any time; your experience, equipment and money are carried over to whichever mode you choose. In addition to questing online, you can also level up by playing solo or by teaming up with some pals in the new split-screen mode.
The bad news is, to get the most out of PSO, you must spend more money. You’ll need a modem or broadband adapter ($39.99) anda Hunter’s License subscription from Sega to play online ($8.95/month, cred card needed.)
r: Use those pop-up windows when you’re lost, in trouble or just need everyone to wait for your slow ass. Design your own icons for extra flair.
E: Whenever you’re in danger of dying or about to fight a boss, be sure to drop a a bleioe warp hole. That way, if you die, you can get back to that spot quickly.
L LIGHT: Never carry money down to Ragol. Always put all of it in the bank so that hie’y n you ile eee re not left destitute.
Episode II truly is a whole new chapter in the PSO universe. It has a new plot, a redesigned Pioneer 2 "town" area, four new levels (each with sub-stages) and four new bosses. Overall, Ep Ilis considerably tougher than Ep /, so novice players should tackle the classic stages first.
| had to tear myself away from my GameCube to spread the gospel on how phenomenal PSO /&// is. | understand that it’s a big investment to shell out for the game, keyboard, online adapter and $9-a- month subscription, but the experience of playing PSO online (in my best MasterCard-commercial voice) is indeed priceless. In the 40 hours | spent playing PSO for review, | finished every stage from both episodes on the default setting, but have real- ly yet to scratch the surface of what the game has to offer. With four exponentially tougher difficulty lev- els, downloadable quests and the intangible glee you get playing with real people online, you’ll easi- ly squeeze 150 hours of awesome gameplay out of it. Still need convincing? Graphically, PSO is among the finest looking games on the system. The new Stages look positively gorgeous—even the old Dreamcast levels manage to impress. The expanded soundtrack boasts a ton of new music (including some killer remixes of old tunes from the Genesis Phantasy Star games for the old-timers). The addi- tion of split-screen multiplayer isn’t a viable substi- tute for the online experience, but it’s a great way to level up your character with three other buddies in the living room. It’s possible that the upcoming Xbox version could be even better (with the addi- tion of voice chat), but regardless, this game is a masterpiece. See you online. ‘Shane
LANAI AMORA IIIA INANE M I OLA LOOM AIIT
Stay away ‘from this game. Sure, it appears inno-
cent enough. You might even think it looks repeti- tive and mindless (it is). But if you dare to play it, PSO will, ever so slowly, sink its addictive claws into your brain, never to let go, even after you’ve beaten it once. Or twice. Or more.... The hook is the pacing: PSO drip-feeds you just enough experience points and rare items that you’ll be back again and again to get more and more. And since this disc has two full games, don’t think you'll be able to kick this habit easily. Split-screen, however, isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Bad camera angles + tiny screens = massive frustration. shoe
seooonannanUREONeey oRRERERUDU RUE Homann ON RN RUNRO ee RIAN REI PROTA IRIE
| diouahit hs was over my y PSO addicts was wrong. Episode | & II’s gorgeous new levels, added items and enemies (including cool mini- and big bosses), com- bined with the variety of ways to build up and cus- tomize your character that always made PSO so addic- tive, pulled me back in. But that’s playing online; offline the single player game is repetitive and split- screen Is practically ruined by the horrible camera and tiny views. If you can cover the cost of the game, sub- scription fee ($9 a month? Ouch!), keyboard and net- work adapter (with few other online GC titles on the horizon), it’s a must play. If you can’t afford to go online, change my score to a 7. Mark
VISUALS = SOUND REPLAY
INGENUITY
DEFEAT
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EVERYONE
Violence
CONTENT RATED BY ESRB
Sega
Sonic Team,
Traveller’s Tales
1-2
Sega Genesis
EGM #159
12 games for the price of one
A couple of those 12 really suck www.sega.com
f your Sonic memories begin with Sonic
Adventure 2, here’s a quick rundown of the
main games included in Mega Collection. (Keep in mind there are five more titles you can unlock as you spend time with these games.)
Sonic the Hedgehog: The first game in this
series took Sega from a struggling system man-
ufacturer to a legitimate contender, and for good reason. Sonic rivaled Nintendo’s Super Mario World in graphics, though this platformer was more about running through each level as fast as you could than about meticulous explo- ration. Still, it played like a dream.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2: The sequel was a lot like the first game, except it was faster, longer and included a second hero by the name of | Tails (a two-tailed fox that could fly for small distances). It also introduced a versus mode to the series, not to mention Sega’s infamous (and stupid) “Blast Processing” marketing cam- paign. How was it? Slightly better or slightly worse than the first game, depending on whom you ask, but still great.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3: This installment enjoyed an entirely new look and introduced a new nemesis for the blue blur: an echidna by the name of Knuckles. Tails continued to tag along and even helped out once ina while by carrying Sonic through the air. The new look and new powers made Sonic 3 the
EVERYONE
In Sonics 1-3 and Knuckles, almost every boss is some contraption piloted by Dr. Eggman (aka Dr. Robotnik back in the day). Hit the weak spot!
best game in the series at the time.
Sonic & Knuckles: A new adventure, similar to Sonic 3, where you could play as the game’s namesakes. What’s more, by physically attach- ing S&K to any of the previous three car- tridges, you could modify them to play new characters and bonus stages. With two com- pletely different heroes to play as, S&K was a refreshing change of pace for the series.
Sonic 3D Blast: A lame spin-off game where you ran around in a pseudo-3D world. Slow, and ugly with clunky controls. Bleh.
Sonic Spinball: It’s Sonic! It’s pinball! It’s terri- ble! What was Sega thinking? Spinball looked and played like crap.
Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine: Basically Puyo Puyo—a color-matching puzzle game most recently re-released on the GBA—featur- ing Sonic characters. Bean Machine was an excellent multiplayer game that was easy to pick up and very addictive.
Wi ein. cornes
a
Left: The loop-de-loop has been a Sonic mainstay ever since the very first game (except for the gim- micky games like Spinbalf and Mean Bean Machine). Below: Sonic’s bonus levels have always been pretty creative, especially considering these games came out in the early "90s.
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Following up Sonic Adventure 2 with this great compi- lation, and thus introducing the latest batch of Sonic fans on the GameCube to the blue hedgehog’s true roots, is a brilliant move on Sega’s part. It doesn’t hurt that you’re getting a grand total of 12 games for the price of one, and most of them top-quality titles at that. While there are a couple stinkers in the group — namely Sonic 3D Blast and Sonic Spinball— generally speaking, these are some of the best games Sega’s Genesis console ever had to offer. And, as you'd expect, they play perfectly on the GameCube—no weird slowdown or graphics glitches to be found in Sonic Mega Collection. Well, none other than what was present in the original games, anyway. If | have one complaint, it’s that the collection omits Sonic CD (Sega CD). When you consider that it’s held as one of, if not the best game in the series, it’s disappointing to see it get the shaft. I’d also like to have seen a few more extras on the disc: more videos, a lengthy histo- ry lesson on Sonic and his origins...hell, anything, really. | mean, when they brought out a Sonic compi- lation on the Saturn years ago, it was overflowing with cool extras. Still, for more recent fans, Mega Collection offers up enough insight on the origins of characters like Eggman, Tails and Knuckles for an eye- Opening experience. Plus, all the unlockable extra games will keep you coming back. This is a disc no Sonic fan, new or old, should be without.
to the following conclusion: Mario games have aged much more gracefully than the Sonic series. But that’s all subjective, really, and beside the point—Mega Collection is a smooth anthology that faithfully recre- ates each game contained within. The music is the same artful machine noise that was the Sega Genesis audio, the graphics still seem as fast and smooth as they did way back when and all the old tricks still work. The downside, of course, is that only about half of the games here are really worth playing. And what’s up with putting Sonic 3D Blast in there instead of Sonic CD?! Miguel
For gamers weaned on the more recent 3D Sonic titles, Collection’s worth picking up just to see the blue hog’s roots. Forget all the exploration and fetch- quest gameplay of Sonic Adventure 2—the games here are all about jamming, as fast as you can, from point A to point B. The titles in the pack vary widely from great (Sonics 1-3, Bean Machine) to average (Knuckles), to “why bother?” (Spinball, 3D Blast), but if you haven’t played them before, you need to. It’s too bad Collection doesn’t offer much for the Sonic loyalist in the way of extras; a couple illustrations, comic-book covers and lame videos just don’t cut it. Good, but could’ve been so much more. Chris
SOUND INGENUITY REPLA
VISUALS
RPORATION. fe ny rks of Nintendo.
Cube logo
= c4 = 2 S © 2 S
tendo Game
FROGGER FUN IS GROWING BY LEAPS AND BOUNDS, WITH AMAZING NEW ADVENTURES THAT MIX CLASSIC FROGGER GAMEPLAY WITH FROGGERIFIC NEW FEATURES!
JUMP INTO WILD TILE-BASED PLATFORM ACTION
‘ WITH FROGGER BEYOND™ ON THE XBOX, NINTENDO*® GAMECUBE™ AND PC. UNLOCK
GAMEPLAY AREAS, COLLECT POWER-UPS AND MORE.
FROGGER’'S ADVENTURES 2 THE LOST WAND™ BRINGS ARCADE-STYLE INTENSITY ON GAME BOY® ADVANCE, AND MULTI-PLAYER MINI GAMES WITH UP TO 3 FRIENDS. BUT WATCH OUT- ONCE YOU HOP, YOU JUST CAN'T STOP!
GAME BOY ADVANCE
EVERYONE
LucasArts
Pandemic
1-4
PS2
EGM #155
Lively battles
Jarring, choppy movement www.lucasarts.com
lone Wars is part of a specific breed of
Star Wars game. You know, the ones like
Rogue Leader for the GameCube that focus on the tense battlefield drama and allow you access to a Sick roster of space-age muni- tions. It’s definitely a recipe for success, and Clone Wars doesn’t necessarily do wrong by the concept—it just doesn’t quite live up to its predecessors’ reputation. Maybe it’s the vehi- cles—Republic gunships and fighter tanks aren’t anywhere near as cool as X-Wings and AT-Als. Or perhaps we’ve just been spoiled by how amazing Rogue Leader looked. It’s been more than a year, after all, so it’s natural to expect this one to look and run at least as good. It does neither.
But enough about what it ain’t. Clone Wars Starts out right at the end of Episode // and con- tinues the legendary war after which it was named. In practical terms, this amounts to a whole lot of ground-based combat, very reminis- cent of Rogue Leader's interpretation of the Battle of Hoth. At its best, it draws you in with tight event scripting and explosive (not to men- tion densely-populated) skirmishes. At its worst, it gives you lame non-combat missions (like the terrible STAAP race), which will tempt you to stop playing entirely. Were it not for some cool multiplayer games (like the neato real-time, Strategy-inspired Conquest mode), Clone Wars would really feel a bit skimpy. That said, our three reviewers did differ a bit on how they felt about this game; take a look:
It’s not all tanks and spaceships-here Anakin rides a giant lizard on the Wookie homeworld.
JAA
fiwek = Ditend
See that sexy hunk of metal in the pic? Well, you’d better learn to like it since that’s where you spend the majority of your time in Clone Wars. You also pilot a flying gunship, as well as a couple of stints on foot, speeder-bike and even on the back of a giant lizard. But unfor- tunately, these other (arguably cooler) vehicles don’t get as much face time as they deserve since you’re stuck in that damn tank. What about those on-foot sequences, you ask? Can you say “slow as molasses”?
The gunship-flying sequences are definitely the highlight of Clone Wars; the hit-and-run and escort missions recall some of Rogue Leader's more exciting stages. But the screens don’t tell the whole story. Sketchy technical issues under- mine what Clone Wars could have been.
| was really prepared to be totally into this game. | dreamt about a Rogue Leader-style set up, where I’d be able to walk around my hangar at the start of each level, struggling to decide which of the half-dozen cool ships | should take on a particular mission. Sadly, this game is script-city; you never have any choice what to drive, which makes the proceedings feel really rigid. I’m not real into these new-school vehicles to begin with, either, which prevents me from overlooking the fact that this is a pretty basic vehicular shooter. So was Rogue Leader, in the end, but that game had X-Wings, TIE Fighters, and the Millennium Falcon. Stuff like that can make you for- give a lot. And while I’m making Rogue Leader com- parisons, | may as well mention that it looks and runs a good deal better than Clone Wars, despite being more than a year older. That just seems silly to me. To its credit, the game is well-paced most of the time, and it does a lot (such as radio chatter, shifting objec- tives, A.I.-controlled allies duking it out with enemies, etc.) to make the battlefields feel alive. It also has a pretty hearty multiplayer component, the crown jewel of which is the surprisingly strategic Conquest mode. In the end, you’ll enjoy this if you’re weird into Star Wars (like my little buddy Darren down there). Otherwise, it’s a decidedly ho-hum game, with a few fleeting moments of intensity. Miguel
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LucasArts has definitely tapped into something, if not the force. Sure, Clone Wars has your requisite Star Wars license so some dorks will instantly drool no matter what, but this is one of the better Star Wars games out there. | could focus on the single-player campaign, which is nice and varied, with a number of play styles and vehicles to control. However, the sheer brilliance of the different multiplayer matches makes it worth the price of admission. Take Conquest mode, for example, where you acquire bases, build turrets and generate troops to command. Pick this one up for the single-player game but stick around to kick your buddy’s asteroids.
Wars universe, you could do worse than Clone Wars. Flying through gorgeous desert planets, blasting ene- mies in their red-rock canyon hideouts, escorting con- voys to a hidden Jedi sanctuary.... The missions are dripping with Midochlorians. Zooming through trash heaps of scrap metal immediately evokes. memories of that most famous trash compactor of all, and the music is unmistakably appropriate. Clone Wars per- fectly recreates the world we know so well, but it’s bogged down by choppy graphics and repetitive and uninspired (outside of the entertaining multiplayer
modes) shoot-em-up gameplay. Jennifer VISUALS SOUND REPLAY
INGENUITY
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Microsoft, Quantum Redshift, Xbox, and the Xbox logos are either registered trademarks: ompany names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective owners:
Fight zombies, vampires and ghouls on your own as Attack 20 types of creatures in swarms of up to 30 Slay in brutal single- and multi-player action 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, with up to 4 players on a single screen. from swords to axes and flamethrowers. gothic church, cemetery and torture chamber.
NINTEROO GAME CUBE.
Blood and Gore
FTWARE
Violence
MA Y H E M
S
Hunter: The Reckoning © 2002 Interplay Entertainment Corp. All rights reserved. AtlasTech Game Engine trademark 2000 High Voltage Software, Inc. All rights reserved. Developed for Interplay Entertainment Corp. by High Voltage Software, Inc., under license from White Wolf Publishing, Inc. Hunter The Reckoning is a registered trademark of White Wolf Publishing, Inc. Interplay, the Interplay logo, Digital Mayhem and the Digital Mayhem logo are trademarks of Interplay Entertainment Corp. 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. The ratings icon is a registered trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. All other copyrights and trademarks are property of their respective owners. TM, ®, and the Nintendo GameCube logo are trademarks of Nintendo.
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Clever time-manipulation mechanic Shoddy camera and auto-aiming www.xbox.com
he first thing you should know about Blinx
is that it’s probably not the kind of plat-
former you were expecting. Anyone com- ing in hoping for Mario (or Sonic) in a cat suit is going to be confused and potentially disap- pointed. But if you can get over the fact that Blinx isn’t your standard character-based action game, you'll find that there’s a lot to like about this ordinary little pussy’s not-so-ordi- nary first adventure.
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REWIND
Good for undoing dam- age done to the environ- ment (for example, restoring the broken bridge above, so you can get across). Definitely one of the cooler time controls, but not used nearly enough through- out the game.
FAST-FORWARD
In theory, doubling your speed is a good thing, right? But with levels this small and fragment- ed, it’s actually rarely helpful. Use it to get to the goal quicker before time runs out or to acti- vate these special springboards (above).
EVERYONE
CONTENT RATED GY
=~
Even though Blinx is a platform game at heart, its gameplay relies more on puzzle solv- ing and strategy than pure exploration. Each of the game’s 24 levels (40 if you count boss stages) features a set number of enemies that need to be defeated within 10 minutes in order to open up the exit goal and proceed to the next area. The levels themselves are relatively Small compared to most modern-day platform- ers, but they’re filled with obstacles that require effective use of your five time powers (see sidebar) to get through before the timer hits zero. Since the resources on each stage are limited, backtracking to earlier levels to stock up on extra lives and time crystals becomes a necessity, which may be a turnoff to the more impatient players out there.
As far as gameplay is concerned, Blinx is
PAUSE Stock up on these babies, cause they’re gonna come in handy. Whenever things get too hectic, just hit the Pause button and go to work. Great against bosses and good for getting past dangerous obsta- cles (like this one).
RECORD
Another cool function that unfortunately isn’t needed very often. You’ll use it a few times to hit two switches at once or to propel yourself sky- ward on a see-saw, but that’s about it. Fun and totally innovative, but not very practical.
pretty solid overall. Exploring levels and beat- ing the clock can become quite addictive, especially when you reach the later, more challenging areas. A few things hold it back from achieving greatness, though. For Starters, the camera doesn’t adapt well in crowded areas. Trying to avoid three enemies at once in a tight room with deadly spikes or gaps becomes an exercise in frustration because of your erratic view. Couple this with the fact that the game’s auto-aim feature tends to aim at whatever it fancies—even if it’s in the opposite direction of where you’re facing—and you have a recipe for disaster (and broken controllers). The prize system is kind of insulting, too. The “prizes” you get for collecting hidden Cat Medals throughout the game are ridiculously lame (see the screen
a a aap HUH
Bint
SLOW-MOTION This here is the second | most useful time control | in the game. It’s great for getting through fast- moving danger zones or enemy-filled areas with- out a scratch, but the only time you'll really need it is when you’re out of or low on Pauses.
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| oe Op Cine GAMEZONE, Editors’ Choice > ~ ADRENALINE VAULT, Seal of Excellence TEAM XBOX, Editors’. Chéice GAMEOVER, Gamer’s Choice award = GAME INDUSTRY NEWS, 5 gems INVISIBLE DREAM, 797% rating XBOX EVOLVED; “Gold Medal @ 7 = = —s GAMESPOT, Game-of-the-month GAME RANKINGS, 96% score THE ARMCHAIR Empire, 10/10" = ———s GDX Box; GD Drool award NEXT LEVEL GAMING, 5 ol 6 UGO, A~ score me ~~ XBOX MANIAGS. Editors’ Choice GAMINGWORLDX, 7.0) score GAME VORTEX,9 of 10> -— GAME CHRONICLES, Editors’ Choice GAMING TARGET, 7.() score
Blood Violence
eniMax Media company _
© 2002 Bethesda Softworks LLC, a ZeniMax Media company. The Elder Scrolls, Morrowind, Bethesda Softworks and: its foie Pe egistered trademark: and the Xbox logos are enher registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or in- omer countries and are used und:
below), making you wonder why you even bothered to go out of your way to get them in the first place.
Visually speaking, Blinx is surprisingly pretty. Each of the eight themed worlds is bent out of Shape in strange and interesting ways (because of the glitches in time that Blinx is out to clean up, you see), making for some unique-looking environments. Granted, the character designs are just a notch above road- kill on the appeal meter, but surrounded by scenery like this, even a generic cat with a vac- uum manages to somehow look all right. Audio isn’t bad either, with catchy, upbeat tunes that fit each area well. Of course, the fictional lan- guage that Blinx and company speak sounds like a nightmarish cross between Jar-Jar Binks and Elmo, but fortunately, you don’t have to listen to it often.
Allin all, the good stuff in Blinx definitely outweighs the bad, and while it may not be the “must-buy” Microsoft was hoping for, it’s defi- nitely worth checking out. They’ve got some rough edges to iron out, but the future poten- tial for this little kitty is definitely high.
Work your ass off to find well-hidden Cat Medals in each stage, only to be rewarded with stupid 5- second cutscenes like this. Why, God, why?
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OK, so Blinx has a snow world or two-it’s st totally unlike your average mascot platformer.
Welcome. We've got many \ new items instock. <4 dices Total iRM TANCE Balance _
When the going gets tough, the tough go...shopping? Each world has a shop managed by a foxy feline who sells a wide variety of goods that’ll make your adventure easier —if you’ve got the dough. You can buy different types of vacuums, upgrades to give you more lives and let you hold more time pieces, new clothes and so on. Of course, some of these things are more useful than others. A few grand fora better Time-Sweeper seems like a rea- sonable investment, but 30,000 gold for a Zebra suit? Is he a cat or a pimp?
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Blinx’s bosses are daunting but ultimately disap- pointing. Instead of fighting eight individual boss- es, you have four who each show up twice along the way. Granted, they show up in new environ- ments and situations, and have new (or altered) attack patterns, but it still feels rehashed.
A RT TAahS
My first hour with Blinx was one of confusion. | was expecting something more along the lines of Mario or Jak & Daxter, but what | got was completely different. Fortunately, this turned out to be a good thing, as Blinx’s strategy/puzzle-oriented gameplay ended up really hooking me. The whole time-control concept definitely adds a unique twist to the overall play expe- rience; | just wish you were forced to use some of the cooler powers (namely Rewind and Record) more often. Boss battles are especially dull, since you basi- cally end up using Pause every single time—what fun is that? Still, the regular levels are the heart and soul of the game, and they’re done well. The first few worlds are pretty easy, but once you start getting to the tough parts, you really start to appreciate the thought that went into each level’s overall design. They force you to think about your every move in order to make it to the goal in time, which adds an extra layer of tension not usually found in games like this. You’ll have to backtrack often to restock your items, but it’s not as bad as it might sound. Sadly, a crummy camera and a faulty auto-aiming system put a damper on things, making some of the later levels a lot more frustrating than they need to be. This, com- bined with the lack of any real bonus features (no extra modes, very few cinemas, “prizes” so uninten- tionally lame they are laughable, etc.), gives Blinx a
slightly rushed feel. John R
When did vacuuming games become a genre? |’m
looking to escape household drudgery when | turn on my console, not relive it. Although, | will admit, vacu- uming is more fun when you’re a time-travelling cat on a mission to save the world. The heart of Blinx is clearly its time-altering effects, which add a new dimension to puzzle solving; unfortunately the “kill the baddies before time expires, then repeat” level design won’t hold anyone’s interest for long. And when you do finish a level, you don’t even get to see the story advance. Note to developers: If your main character is a wacky time-travelling, vacuuming cat,
you’ve got to milk the wacky angle! Demian
One piece of advice before you play Blinx: Don’t
expect a Mario clone ’cause you will be disappointed. Blinx is an addictive, hardcore action-puzzler unlike any in recent memory. After the first handful of easy stages, the difficulty blasts off and the levels turn into frantic races where you’ve gotta budget time crystals and trash just right. Each new area takes a bit of trial and error, but once you’ve got it down, the game is extremely satisfying. It’s not without prob- lems: doorways frequently block the camera’s view, and targeting (especially with bombs) is frustratingly hit or miss. Those issues aside, the unique style and play mechanics make Blinx stand out. Chris
VISUALS SOUND amend
INGENUITY REPL
Violence
© CAPCOM CO., LTD. 1998, 2002 © CAPCOM U.S.A., INC. 1998, 2002. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. CAPCOM and the CAPCOM LOGO are registered trademarks of CAPCOM CO., LTD. STREET FIGHTER is a registered trademark of CAPCOM CO., LTD. STREET FIGHTER ALPHA 3 is a trademark of CAPCOM CO., LTD. Nintendo, Game Boy, and Game Boy Advance are trademarks of Nintendo. The ratings icon is a registered trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association.
Street Fighter® Alpha 3 scores a triple K.0! It's the most accurate translation-of an arcade game to grace the circuits of the Game Boy” Advance video game system... featuring-all.new enhanced modes of play — including 3 fighting styles for-every character.
Mayhe nobody's perfect. But as of C/NP@OIT
today, at least one fighting game is. : “| €apCom.com
Publisher:
Ubi Soft ye Developer: Southend Interactive Players:
1-4 (2-32 Network with 8 Xboxes)
Also On:
None
Web Site: www.ubi.com
at ts
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a r oo
MATURE |
Worst Feature: Being blind- sided by rivals. Repeatedly
More Worst Features: No online play
Being British, | can spot a European-developed game a kilometer away—especially when it involves a futuristic version of rugby coupled with awkward, over-the-top expletives in obnoxious American accents. So what’s Deathrow like? Watch Blade Runner, play Blitz Ball from Final Fantasy X and then mash everything together in a four-on-four passing game ruined by unnecessary roughness and a steep learning curve. Your brain will be shrieking to be let out of your skull as you learn to pass and become annoyed by the rudimentary fighting system. But then you’ll understand the passing game and start an almost-entertaining career collecting and unlock- ing groups of motley fools and cyber-arenas. While there’s no real gore here, there’s enough swearing to make the rejects from Conker’s Bad Fur Day take Bible classes. |t feels completely out of place in this shiny, well-rendered world that’s desperately trying to be gritty. This is a well-put-together mini- game masquerading as sports entertainment. Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe, this ain't. David H
INGENUITY REPLAY
VISUALS
SOUND
le NBA 2K3
= 22108 & Ne
. Meee Publisher:
m Sega Sports
m Developer:
_ Visual Concepts
Players:
| 1-4 (2-8 Online)
jy | Also On:
an PS2, GC Better Than:
Inside Drive
Web Site:
www.segasports.com
x
Best Feature: Nowe low-post loveliness
Worst Feature: Crazy-ass dribble moves
Got the basketball jones? Xbox owners who shy away from Inside Drive’s rehash or Live’s arcade-friendly set-up should try NBA 2K3. It’s easily the best all- around basketball game on the market this year, and, as far as online play goes, it’s the only game in town (neither Live nor /nside Drive will be hitting the Xbox Live circuit this year). Whether you’re dominat- ing friends coast-to-coast or just putting the CPU through its paces in Franchise mode, NBA 2K3 pre- sents a superbly realistic gameplay experience. An all-new low-post game gives your big men the free- dom they deserve. Now they can score with a myriad of moves, including reverse pivots and turnaround fadeaways. Throwing daggers in from 20 feet is effec- tive, too, as Visual Concepts has put an emphasis on creating space for outside shots. Xbox-specific high- light effects are a tasty visual treat; all in all, 2K3 Stacks up nicely in the graphics department. Hoop perfection? Not just yet. Anemic fast breaks and too many unrealistic dribble moves mar the fun (ever so slightly). This one’s a must-buy winner. [Jan LL.
INGENUITY REPLAY
VISUALS SOUND
For a game supposedly not based on Peter Jackson
a The Lord of the Rings: The ca Fellowship of the Ring Pek a am ‘getters; ” ee »
Black Label Games
Publisher:
Developer: WXP Inc.
Players: 1
Also On: PS2, GC
Featured In: EGM #152
Best Feature: Rich atmosphere Worst Feature: Tedious gameplay Web Site: www.lotr.com
Unlike the fantastic time | had watching the movie version of Fellowship of the Ring, the first time | curled up with the Xbox game, | actually fell asleep on the couch playing it. Not a good start, but | real- ized why this happened. Despite having the urgent quest of delivering Sauron’s Ring into the hellish pits of Mount Doom on your mind, you somehow have the time to help all kinds of idiotic villagers with menial tasks like finding seeds, herding pigs, throw- ing rocks at weather vanes and collecting “herbs” for an old man sitting on a bench. The reason you must do this is to raise your Purity meter. Using the Ring lowers your purity, and when it drops all the way down, it’s game over. The problem is that you can’t raise the Purity meter later in the game, so if you waste it early on, you have no way of replenishing it. Chores aside, the game picks up when you get to play as Aragorn and Gandalf. The downside is that the mediocre combat mechanics and brainless ene- mies do not make compelling battles. Okay, so not everything’s bad. The graphics are decent, and the developers put in a lot of work making them (the game looks like the bastard child of Shrek and Herdy Gerdy). But after a while, everything begins to look the same, which makes it easy to get lost. A compass would have helped. Overall a well-inten- tioned effort, but it’s just not eee Milkman
eoeoeegoooTSOo0
The Fellowship of the Ring 1 may ‘be the slowest- to-
get-going book in Tolkien’s Rings trilogy, but it still packs enough thrills—orc-infested dungeons, hob- bit-gnoshing trees—to make for a game so fun it’ll put hair on your feet. So who knows how Universal conjured up something this uniformly dull. When the game isn’t sending you on boring fetch-the-item quests, it’s forcing you to march through blah levels and engage mindless bad guys in clunky hack-’n’ slash combat (only Gandalf’s spells are halfway fun to tinker with). Things really fall apart at the end, with a lousy final boss and cutscenes that had me asking, “What the hell just happened?” @rispin
iLO RANEY
ROAR NIT
>
S movie, Fellowship’s characters sure look and sound like Universal’s trying to trick LOTR fans into thinking it is. That shady tactic is awfully lame, in my opinion. This game is a rushed, slapdash effort intended to prey on unsuspecting consumers. Interested in dim, murky visuals, floaty jumping, clunky combat and horribly designed environments? Didn’t think so. Also, playing through this “extremely faithful” trans- lation of the book reminds me why the film cut cer- tain characters and events. The pacing here is slow and padded, and Tom Bombadil’s singing makes me
wanna die. Twice. Shane VISUALS REPLAY
2
SOUND INGENUITY
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The House of the Dead Ill
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Wow Entertainment
Players: 1-2
Also On: None
Featuredin: EGM #159
Best Feature: Fun as hell in two-player mode Worst Feature: Not enough interactive elements Web Site: www.sega.com
Once again, we enter The House of the Dead and find that since its first appearance in arcades many years ago, little has changed as far as the basic setup: Zombies appear in predetermined places, and it’s your job to blast them to bits before they punch you in the neck. Wow has made a few tweaks and enhancements for Dead ///: The wimpy pistols from the previous games are gone in lieu of 12-gauge pump-action shotguns, bumping the game up a few notches on the badass meter. Auto-reloading is in effect and, happily, those retarded “bystanders” who need rescuing every ten feet are gone. Instead, you Save your partner every now and then, with a chance at earning an extra life-bar torch. The rest of the game maintains the status quo: endless waves of zombies assaulting you, bosses with tiny weak spots, multiple paths to explore, a nefarious master- mind behind it all, and, as always, plenty of corned- beef-hash and guts a-flyin’. My problem with Dead /// is that fora game as scripted as this (it’s on rails, not free roaming), the number of interactive elements are painfully few. Why I’m able to blow { cific barrels and boxes, and not any win background object | please, i s b
a light gun). Plus, onc of the ae /l is included and it’s arcade perfect. Milkman
A rapid- fire shotgun with automatic reload—it does-
n’t get any better than that if all you want to do is bust zombie heads. And to me, my friends, that sounds like a grand ol’ time. HOTD /// continues the popular gun series with sharp, bloo aphics and the shotgun as your weapon of cho a tough one, especially if you go at i when you beat it, what else is there te House of the Dead II opens up. I’m dow Even so, this is a game that can be cor | weekend. Oh, and the using the controller works fine. If you’re a fan of gun games, there’s a lot to like here. Just be aware it won’t last forever. @ Ford Hospitality in House of the Dead is best served from the barrel of a light gun. Sega’s gone whole hog here with the extras (including an unlockable House of the Dead II), graphics, and animations; beautifully ugly undead scum recoil when shot and twitch magnif- icently before they return to the Great Beyond. There’s a good and varied crop of creeps to slaugh- ter, but, sadly, using the Xbox controller with its imprecise analog stick to blast said creeps is more chore than it is pleasure. House of the Dead I] truly demands to be played with a light gun, ‘no matter what Milkman says. Without it, it’s more lifeless than
a mortician’s jamboree. Greg 0. VISUALS REPLAY
PEPSI DIDI NOC PTET TTR ET REDO, aay
SOUND
INGENUITY
4
we oo INE : eae eee S dancuebed.: Stacie stones into ee sketeniest: place _ Bloed ees 2 See Vin SS mee OR earth where’ two at a time, they take part ina ritualistic —. Suggestive Themes [Rist cscs = - pannel: fest. ‘Phere are no rules, no weapons and no lame magical — ; powers. ‘And with the. most realistic graphics ever seen — it —
Violence “may. ‘very. well be: the video Gaine your. mpERSE was Bcc about.
©2002 Miciosott Capen All rights paeed: Shhicmasclt Meek th Xbox: ius nd Kakuto Ch jin are epithet registered trademarks or rrademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States: andor oe other eouriniee: Other Oa et aud g Soma names # mentioned hereit may be trademarks of their respective owners: pes a ee ee BS eee ee = ee eee re
EA Games | nl” ; EALA ft
1-4
PS2, GC
EGM #159
Amazing sound
Tacked-on multiplayer mode moh.ea.com
inally Xbox owners will get a chance to
check out what all those PS2 gamers have
been so excited about for the past few months. Medal of Honor has always been a great series, and Frontline brings it to a new level with beautiful graphics, gorgeous sound and some great missions.
The game has you doing everything from storming the beaches of Normandy to infiltrat- ing a castle housing POWs that doubles as a recreational center for Nazi officers. And trust us—you ain’t had fun until you’ve popped a Nazi general in his bath towel.
’
Getting caught staring the bombed-out European landscape is a good way to come down with a bad case of death. Mind that tank across the bridge!
The only major improvement from the PS2 version of Frontline is the inclu- sion of a multiplayer mode. Don’t get excited, though — it isn’t that great. It’s just a stripped-down, basic death- match set in pieces of the single-player maps (which, you'll quickly discover, were obviously not designed with this sort of thing in mind). It feels more like a rushed afterthought than a major feature. So before all you Xbox owners go gloating to your PlayStation-playin’ friends, think twice. (And pop in Halo instead when you want a deathmatch.)
W i
Below: As any soldier will tell you, the best way to get the advantage over your foe (in deathmatch or otherwise) is to find the high ground. Of course, if your enemy has you in his sights like in this pic- ture, you're pretty much screwed no matter what. Aich, Mein Liben!
| oy e % Sn a
| can’t believe how great this game sounds. Getting blown out of the Higgins boat in the first level and making my way up the beach, | was amazed at the deep rumble of exploding shells and the high whine of bullets whizzing by my head. Hot damn! Of course, most of the missions in Frontline are more stealthy affairs that have you sneaking up on Nazis or picking them off with your sniper rifle. But even then, the great sound effects and music add so much to the game it’s incredible. Plus it’s really satisfying to take out someone just as they start to cry for help. Sneaking around these huge, well-designed levels is easy, too, with the great control and variety of weapons keeping you safe. One thing | don’t get, though, is why American soldiers moved so slowly during WWII. (By which | mean, | wish you could run.) | also wish you could reload weapons faster. In fact, the amount of time it takes to reload your guns is one of the reasons the multiplayer mode in Frontline is so broken. You just end up circling one another as you frantically try to insert a new clip into your gun. It usu- ally ends up that the guy who gets the reloading done first wins every time. So just avoid deathmatch alto- gether—the levels don’t lend themselves to it any- way—and concentrate on sneaking through the European countryside solo. Nothing’s quite as satisfy- ing as sneaking up ona troop of Nazis and filling them | with lead. What a wholesome experience! Greg S.
Simply put, Frontline is good, but not great. A new, painfully limited multiplayer mode (deathmatch only) represents the only change over the PS2 version. EA should have tweaked the game’s uneven, frustrating levels. Sure these chaotic stages look.amazing, but annoying mission objectives erode a big chunk of the fun. Playing through levels often led me astray, and I’d miss some required task that wasn’t obvious. “D’oh, | missed that tank hidden in the barn!” and “Climb to the top of what church?” probably aren’t things a real WWI! soldier would have muttered. Still, the immaculate presentation makes it worthwhile,
especially if you’re a war buff. Shane
When it comes to groundbreaking gameplay and Xbox-straining visuals, Frontline doesn’t go beyond the call of duty. The missions here are mostly linear trips through non-interactive environments (you can’t even shoot out lights) filled with scripted sequences. But you don’t really care when you’re in the thick of it. Playing Frontline is like diving into the most intense war movie ever, with soaring music, chaotic battles, thundering explosions and moments that’ll just make you sweat (can you reload faster than that Nazi three feet away?). The presentation makes up for the occasional lame areas, sluggish control and
tacked-on multiplayer. Crispin INGENUITY REPLA
VISUALS
SOUND
5
Red esempespepetota
INTRODUCING THE ; ren BEST LIGHT EVER MADE
FLOOD LIGHT
STOP CRAWLING AROUND IN THE DARK, DAMP EARTH WITH THE WORMS. COME OUT WHERE YOU
CAN SEE. COME TO THE LIGHT. 3 THE FLOOD LIGHT.
FOR GAME BOY ADVANCE™. LIKE YOU DIDN'T ALREADY KNOW THAT...
FLOOD LIGHT...THE UNFAIR ADVANTAGE.
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‘ : : You're one of the most hiehly-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 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.
WWW.GOTHAMGAMES.COM/CONFLICT
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CMA CONFLICT: AS NO DIPLOMATS. 1 DESERTISTORIN. Sienna
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Blood Violence
; GAMES 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 logo 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.
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inment inc.
are registered
Quantum Redshift
Publisher: Microsoft
Developer: Curly Monsters
Players: 1-4
Also On: None
Featured in: EGM #155
Best Feature: Fast and Furious-style racing
Worst Feature: Fast and Furious-caliber voice acting Web Site: www.xbox.com
It’s a hundred years from now, and kick-ass rocket- propelled hovercrafts race around to a thumpin’ tech- no beat. God help us if house music is still the status quo in 2102, but | can cope with the audio cheese of Quantum Redshift because its lush, detailed graph- ics are polished to shine on the Xbox. The game also offers a variety of bee-yoo-tee-ful terrains to speed across, a fleet of vehicles that each handle different- ly, and silky-smooth controls you can figure out in seconds. Spells out a pretty good racer, right? Sure—if only we hadn’t seen it all before. Rather than adding anything new or revolutionary to the gameplay, Quantum dishes up little bits of cliché from here and there: WipeOut racing, a few SSX-wor- thy tracks with hidden shortcuts, and a fighting game-like storyline that pits you against rivals in order to unlock new vehicles and levels. Speaking of the tracks, | was expecting some vertigo-inducing loop-de-loops, but what | got instead were more con- ventional on- and off-road races —kind of like a futur- istic version of Rallisport Challenge. Still, the speed ramps up decently later on, making Quantum a fun, if uninspired, racer. Xbox speed junkies jonesing for a fix may dig it, but be warned: Quantum may induce high-velocity flashbacks. Ultimately, there’s nothing really wrong with the game, but it feels generic. With better games out there, ay Settle? Darren
Yes, Quantum looks ike: an wultra- modern WipeOut,
and controls like a decently realized racing game, but it’s missing one key element: A passionate, hyper- speed soul. Sadly, this void is perceptible pretty much everywhere you look. Exhibit A: Weapons. There are too few, and those that are included have boring, uninspired effects. Exhibit B: Tracks. Their designs are on the “safe” side, which isn’t conducive to the sort of light-speed insanity you’d expect. There’s more, but you get the picture. Quantum is definitely an impressive-looking game, but unless you’ve never played anything like it before, the veneer will tarnish pretty geeky Miguel
Quantum deac plenty riht, with heautitidl waniiics, tight controls, upgradable vehicles and an efficient weapons and countermeasure system. But while it handles the technical aspects admirably (all but the music, which does nothing for me), Quantum lacks the white-knuckle, sweat-inducing, warp-speed intensity that the futuristic-racing genre thrives on. The thrill of having a rival in each race, offering added incentive to hunt down that particular driver, is all but negated by the bland character designs and uninspired story cut-scenes. There’s certainly some fun to be had with Quantum, but after figuring out its game, you'll soon be moving on. G.Ford
VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY —
5 | 3
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Rocky
ROCKY IV
Ubi Soft
Publisher:
Developer: Rage Players: 1-2
Also On: PS2, GC Featured in: EGM #159
Best Feature: Worst Feature: Web Site:
Twelve years after his last match, you’d think the Italian Stallion would be too washed up to Star in video games or ice tea commercials. You’re wrong, Rock, wrong! Don’t overlook this game just because you think it’s ridiculous; those who do bother to try out Rocky will find a very good-looking, fun boxing title loaded with satisfying arcade action. The entire experience depends on mastering variations and combos using four basic punches, so the learning curve is gradual, making Rocky easy to get into. But once you master it...oh baby! Crispin and | were hav- ing a blast in the multiplayer modes with super-close fights that usually came down to a decision. The sin- gle-player part’s no slouch either, giving you the chance to go up against all the big names from the movies: Apollo Creed, Clubber Lang, lvan Drago and Tommy Gunn. Plus the dialogue and sound effects in all the cinemas leading up to and after the champi- onship matches are lifted directly from the films—
You get to fight Mr. T! Hulk Hogan’s nowhere to be found www.ubi.com
even the bad ones. It’s a nice touch that adds a bit of |
authenticity to the game. The bouts in between the big guys are with boxers created specifically for the game, some of which are cool, most of which aren’t. That, along with a somewhat erratic difficulty level (struggle like crazy in one fight, breeze through the next), is what keeps Rocky from scoring higher. But trust me; the champ’s still got it. Greg Ss.
Hokey, ugly (what’s with Rock’s gigantic noggin?) and about 15 years too late, Rocky seems like the ulti- mate game-licensing goof. But give this challenger a shot and you'll find it has a certain something —if not quite the eye of the tiger. The gameplay, while fun and easy to get into, jabs deeper than Ready 2 Rumble’s. And you'll need serious stick-and-move skills once you reach the halfway point, where oppo- nents really start to bring it. Fortunately, the training minigames not only build up Rock’s stats, they actu- ally make you a better player. So even as the later boxers knocked me to the mat over and over, | could- n’t resist coming back for a rematch. Crispin The delectable notion that one can eat lightning and crap thunder has been given video-game life for Rocky, a remarkably fun and smooth arcade boxfest. Developer Rage has perfectly captured the feel, if not necessarily the look, of the boxing contained in the films—that is to say, there’s tons of brawling and almost zero pugilism. Expect haymakers galore, devastating uppercuts, blood sprays and hyper- exaggerated knockouts sans pesky defense. The mix of arcade-style boxing and nostalgia solidifies Rocky, and the game succeeds despite being a button- masher’s wet dream with some uninspired graphics.
Fun but easily forgettable. Greg O. VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY sctronic Gaming Monthly - 238 - egm.gamers.coi
EDITORS’ CHOICE AW
‘ORS CHOICE AWARD
NBA Live 2003 [7
Publisher: EA Sports Developer:
EA Canada Players:
1-2
Also On:
PS2, GC
Cover Athlete: Jason Kidd
Web Site: www.easports.com
CONTENT RATED BY
Best Features neat con- trol moves Worst Feature: Can’t block dunks or layups
At last, an NBA Live game | can learn to love, or at least like. Much like the PS2 version, this year’s Live for the Xbox is much improved. It’s what | thought Live would be when it jumped to the next-gen con- soles: pure run ‘n’ gun madness with stellar visuals and over-the-top gameplay moments. This game wants you to push the ball up the floor, and I’m only too happy to oblige. After some of the plodding, albeit realistic, play of NBA 2K3, it’s nice to pop Live in for some up-tempo fun. Granted, the action is, by and large, not for simulation fans; there are dunks galore and it’s impossible to stop a layup or slam
tton rand some of the b nre are welcome a mixed bag, with sticky it. Players bounce arot listically, but it’s not into recommend NBA 2K3, but. Live loo on the upswing.
| still v like it’s back Dan L. INGENUITY REPLAY
VISUALS
SOUND
Publisher:
Gotham een Developer: Croteam
Players:
1-4 (2-16 LAN) Also On:
None
Supports:
System link
Web Site: gothamgames.com
MATURE
Best Feature: Entertaining multiplayer
Worst Feature: Tired-ass gameplay
Instead of trying to compete with inventive, genre- redefining games like Halo and Half-Life, the devel- opers of Serious Sam decided to kick it old-school and hearken back to the bygone glory days of first- person shooting. | guess they succeeded in some odd way, if you can call a game that feels like a fan- made Doom II mod a success. There’s a reason games aren’t like this anymore—simply shooting stupid enemies with big guns over and over isn’t compelling at all. | was lulled into a comatose state after playing about six stages of Serious Sam; mak- ing it through another 10 had me flatlining. | am will- ing to believe that there are gamers out there who will dig the Doom throwback gameplay, but no one should have to put up with these visuals. Cl nk, jar- ring movement and pixelated textures plas every level. The music, sound effects al sound like amateurs recorded them at sc mic night. A passable multiplayer (co- -opa match) mode serves as the game’s only saving grace, but doesn’t justify the $50 price tag. Shane
INGENUITY REPLAY
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EGM #158
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Not enough excitement www.xbox.com
id you ever play the original Shenmue?” “The original Shenmue?” “Yes, the adventure game for the Sega Dreamcast called Shenmue. Did you play it?” “No, I’m sorry, | didn’t play Shenmue. Not very many people did—it didn’t sell very well.” “Do you know anyone who did play Shenmue?” “Shenmue? Hmmm. If you want to know about Shenmue you should talk to Mark.” “Do you know where | can find Mark?” “He’s right there, in the next paragraph.”
“Hi, can | help you?” “Are you Mark?”
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“Yes, | am Mark”
“Did you ever play the original Shenmue?”
“The original Shenmue?”
“Yes, the adventure game for the Sega Dreamcast called Shenmue. Did you play it?”
“Yes, | did play Shenmue. And | just recently played Shenmue // for the Xbox.”
“What do you think of Shenmue II?”
“Well...| have a sort of love/hate thing for it to be honest.”
“Love/hate thing? What do you mean?” “Well, for starters, the conversation we just had, and the one you had before that...that kind
of repetitive and awkward exchange fills the majority of time you spend playing Shenmue /!.”
“Awkward and repetitive exchanges fill the major—”
“See? You’re doing it again. The player spends most of the game walking around just talking to people, asking questions over and over. It gets old, quick. And for a game that relies so much on conversation, the voice acting is often laugh- ably bad, with stiff, artificial dialogue to work
population. (You could easi-
ly run into this many people in just the first few minutes of the game). They all look and sound different, and each might be able to help you with different information.
After a relaxing morning of book-stack
». 960 - eom.camers.com
if you want to buy food, drinks, maps or toys, or just have a place to sleep at night, you’ll need some dough. Shenmue I/ includes plenty of ways to bring home the bacon. Here’s a sample:
That’s right, you carry stacks of books out so they can be cleaned. Let me repeat that: You carry stacks of books. Excited? Good, ’cause you have to do it three or four days in a row. Guhhh.
OK, this one is kinda fun, even if it is just jamming like crazy on a button. (Careful not to start too early though.) Winner takes all, loser takes a fall, now we'll take it over the top!
carryin’, there’s nothing like heading down to the docks and carrying crates
all afternoon. Almost as fun as carry-
ing crates in real life.
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Whacked! — Game Show (2002) A wild, multi-player, free-for-all combat g fe VIOLENCE characters plus one sick and twisted host in 13 diverse environments with 30+ weapons and power-ups.
Whacked! — Game Show VE corset 3 VIOLENCE (Now online)
Mature Sexual Themes . v7 | Violence | a . | foi ANI
Strong Language = i gop a "4 CONTENT RATED BY eS am papain S752 IS) Lae te ‘
Besides mini-games, action comes in two varieties in Shenmue IF fai ti the correct direction or buttons as commands appear on screen, or beating the crap outta someone. Shenmue’s fighting system contains quite a deep roster of different moves, but unfortunately you can just mash on the buttons and do just fine.
with in the first place.”
“What about the gameplay?”
“Well, like | said, really the bulk of this game is just looking for, or talking to, people. There are very few real puzzles. Some short action interludes (timed button-press sequences and mini-games) do show up from time to time, especially in the second half of the game. Some of the mini-games, like the gambling, arm- wrestling and street-fighting ones, plus the clas- sic Sega arcade games like AfterBurner //, pro- vide nice distractions for the player. But just as often you’re forced to carry books or dust temple walls, or do other tedious and boring tasks no one wants to do in real-life, much less in a game they paid money for.”
“So what’s the love part of your love/hate for Shenmue I/?”
“Mostly it’s the sheer ambition and scope of this game. It simulates a living, breathing reality in a more detailed and convincing way than just about any game before it. You can explore blocks and blocks and blocks of cities, filled with literally hundreds of people, each of whom look and sound different, almost all of them with unique things to say depending on what you’re currently
looking for. Even the number of different ways you can earn a living (through various forms of gambling, different part-time jobs or selling items at pawnshops) is staggering, as is the variety of optional areas. You can tell this game was a humongous labor of love for its creators.
“But this brings me back to the problems with Shenmue I/. Take one instance where you’re searching for keys in a room packed with antiques. OK, it’s impressive that there’s 50 dif- ferent antiques for your character to pick up and look at, including different vocal responses for many of them—but you’re still searching through 50 antiques, in a painful process that can take up to an hour. It seems that, in their intense pursuit of realism, the developers didn’t always concern themselves with what was actu- ally fun. Imagine a Tomb Raider game where you tie Lara’s shoes, pack her suitcase, call a taxi, buy an airplane ticket, board a jet, wait through a 14-hour flight, go through customs and ask directions to the local Mayan ruins, all before you fire a shot, and you start to get an idea about Shenmue /!. |s it realistic? Yes. Impressive? Most definitely. But fun? Well, not necessarily...”
No, we didn’t forget to add color to this screenshot—you can cycle between various graphical filters (like black and white, washed-out color, old-Western brown, etc.) by tapping the white button.
Thank the maker. If the game knows you are waiting for a certain time, it'll let you fast forward in time. Putting the controller
down and having a sandwich to pass hours
on the game clock is no longer necessary.
Lots of people will personally escort you where you want to go, so you don’t have to worry so much about confusing directions.
Compared to the original Shenmue, getting the info you need in the sequel is much, much easier. Most every- body knows a little something. At any time you can take a “photo” of what’s happening on-screen and save it to the Xbox’s hard drive.
Play any mini-games you fancy (and there are a LOT of them in Shenmue If 'til your thumbs bleed in this dedicated menu off of the title screen. To be honest, once we'd unlocked most of these by playing them in the regular game, we had more fun here than trudging through the main quest.
As any detective will tell you, their job isn’t like what you see on TV—maybe a few brief moments of excite- ment, but the vast majority of their time is spent dig- ging for info and waiting around. Well, Shenmue // is the most realistic detective game ever. In your search for your father’s killer, you spend most of the game
wandering the streets, interviewing people. That alone is a problem, since talking for hours isn’t much fun, but it’s compounded by stilted voice acting anda confusing, dull storyline. Thankfully, short action sequences pop up now and then, but in terms of gameplay, they’re prehistoric—timed button-presses, simple mini-games and the odd button-mashing fist- fight. Still, the rest of the game drags so slowly, even simple diversions become exciting. (You know something’s wrong when your biggest thrill in hours comes from balancing your way across a wooden plank). Despite all this, | know some people will enjoy Shenmue I! (besides the Sega fanboys already writing me hate mail for giving it “only” a 6.5) because of its ambitious size and scope. Only Morrowind can match Shenmue II’s gigantic world, complete with day/night and weather cycles, and packed with a ridiculously huge variety of people and places, all unique and detailed down to the tiny flowers on a gangster thug’s tropical print shirt. As a simulation you experience, Shenmue I/ deserves high praise. As a game you play,
it’s barely passable. Mark
The scale of what’s offered in Shenmue // is impressive: huge, urban environments, an involved storyline and hundreds of people to interact with. But in spite of the game’s breadth, numerous ailments derail the experi- ence. When I wasn’t being mugged by the Bad Voice- Actors Brigade or rendered comatose by the game’s tepid pace, | was struggling with the enormous chore of just moving around, thanks to the clunky, imprecise, sub-Resident Evil controls. What saved the game was my odd desire to find out what happens next, and the occasional bout of kung-fu fightin’. Milkman
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| really loved the first Shenmue. But while Shenmue // is better in almost every way—a deeper plot, bigger cities to explore and a wider range of characters—| just found it less engaging than the last game. It’s hard to get excited when you’re wandering around lost half the time. | will say, though, that I’m a real fan of the story this time around. Ryo was a big fish in a small pond back in Shenmue /. Here, he finds out that he still has a lot to learn: He’s not the toughest hombre out there, or the most skilled martial artist, and life in the big city can totally chew up a country bumpkin like him. Overall, a very cool game that’ll
only appeal to a select crowd. Greg S. VISUALS INGENUITY REPLAY
SOUND
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Command the Ghosts, an elite har y-trained Green Berets, in a deadly, realistic campaign waged on the war-torn battlefields ‘of tomorrow's headlines. Use cutting-edge gear and guns to lay waste to the enemy, or your multiplayer opponents. A total battlefield experience that only T y and the makers of Rainbow Six can deliver.
9 QU,
Blood and Gore
Ubi Soft
EntrEerRratweMEnTt
Violence
NINTER OS
www.ubi.com | 2
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© 2002 Red Storm Entertainment, Inc. Red Storm and Red Storm Entertainment are trademarks of Red Storm Entertainment. Inc. Red Storm Entertainment, Inc. is a Ubi Soft Entertainment company. AH Rights Reserved. Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon is a trademark of Rubicon, Inc. under license to Ubi Soft Entertainment. Desert Siege is a trademark of Red Storm Entertainment, Inc. The Nintendo GameCube logo is a trademark of Nintendo. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Xbox and the Xbox demarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or in other countries and are used under Jicense from Microsoft, “PlayStation” and the “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
tra
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To give you a small glimpse into the type of racy humor you'll sometimes find in Mission to Earth, many jokes revolve around the cheerleader’s pom- poms (left), and ToeJam’s third leg (below). Apparently the game's old subtitle, A// Funked Up, was a little too much.
Back in ye olde Genesis days, | was way hooked on the original Toe/am & Earl, so when Sega announced that this new 7/&E title promised to play just like my old favorite, | was understandably stoked. Well, Sega was right — Mission to Earth is a lot like the first game.
Publisher: Sega From the “explore the labyrinthine level, complete the Developer: Visual Concepts mission and find the elevator” gameplay to the non- Plavers: an ™ sensical characters (an old manina carrot suit? Nine Also On: N ; : : years later, it still doesn’t make sense), it’s 16-bit nos- at itis Since we haven’t seen T/&E for awhile, ——talgia all the way. Of course, it is the 21st century now, Featured In: EGM #155 we figured you might want a little and the once-innovative level design and simple mis-
Best Feature: Old-school gameplay Worst Feature: Levels get kinda repetitive
reminder about the games that made sions aren’t as fresh as they once were. After several us so anxious for this sequel: _ Stages it begins to feel as though you’re doing the
arene tpnetpeerm nats testrnssPesSrestyAtenye Netty asm STensIe ATA
_ dynamic split-screen multiplayer mode, game—it’s huge, creative, and manages to be quite collect. Levels still consist of relatively simple, this game was rappin’ cool long before =| ~~ amusing in a lot of different areas. The rhythm ele- maze-like paths that mysteriously hover over a PaRappa kicked and punched his way ments that occasionally crop up (simple mini-games bottomless void, and collecting items like into hip-hop gaming lore. _ where you tap buttons along to the beat) are a natur-
keys, presents and, ultimately, the 12 lost al fit to the classic gameplay, and the variety of
: insane power-ups (or “presents”) are even more Albums of Funk (don’t ask) grant you access to out of hand than in the old 16-bit versions. Still, | new stages or power-ups.
have to say that some of the content in T/&E 3 is pret- It’s nice to see that Sega isn’t afraid to revi-
ty lame, and, depending on who you are, potentially pelfow tte} k f hi — offensive. You'll still have fun if you can remain obliv- dulze tS ES5eT- eae TaNCMiSes (NOW WHEIES = | ious to this stuff, but otherwise, it may totally creep Alex Kidd?) and bring back some old-school _ you out. Miguel play mechanics. Perhaps if there’s a Joe/am & a-nation => sir aus Earl IV, we’ll see some online play.
Web Site: www.tjande.com same thing over and over again. Equally tiring are
- some additions that attempt to add more “funk” to
eT RES RRS a a MEE | the proceedings. Most of the characters speak, but
: _ their dialog begins repeating itself early on—even the
owadays, sequels to popular titles get | funny stuff gets old fast. The new playable character,
cranked out at a fairly fast pace. If a game | Latisha, is stereotypical and unnecessary (the game is
sells well, you can usually expect to play _ ToeJam & Earl, remember?), and the gospel choir that
the next chapter within a couple years. But in | introduces each level borders on offensive. But
; ; despite the slightly questionable content, Mission to
ToeJam & Earl’s case, it took Sega nearly 10 | Earth is a hoot, especially with two players.
years to send the hip-hoppin’ aliens back into | Whether you’re playing co-op or against one another,
living rooms across America. | i > having someone to share all the freaky weirdness and
— a a | humor with adds a lot. Just don’t expect a grand,
The new 7J&E adventure is very similar in | sweeping quest. This is an updated Genesis game,
design to the original, except that now, it’s in _ Toejam & Earl—1991 and as a big fan, that’s all | wanted. Phil
gorgeous, eye-popping 3D. There are no aa Its oiled pa of ii oo | i
expansive worlds to roam or pointless items to | or ce eee j OK, | can't say that Mission to Earth isn’t a good |
_ Whoa, total Sega Genesis T/&E deja vu. Mission to _ Earth resurrects the same blend of wacky stages, funky music and cornball humor that made the origi-
cis SRA aes es if, oe aps oo _ nal such a cult hit. Like the old games, you wander
: : / around opening presents...and oddly, it’s still fun. The TJ&E in Panic on Funkotron—1993 _ graphics look a lot sweeter, the humans you meet are _ After the success of the original T/&E, | even zanier and the new character adds a lot of sass Sega moved the gameplay of the _ to the package. It’s not going to change your life, sequel from a mostly top-down per- but it will definitely make you smile. A word of cau-
| . al / tion: Maybe it’s the overly dope ebonics or the unset- | spective to that ofa side scroller. tling gospel-revival cinemas, but | discovered that the Despite its many ties to the original best way to enjoy 7/&£3 was in one-hour chunks—
(bizarre human enemies, a variety of | perfect for stoners and binge drinkers. Shane _ power-up presents and a two-player
mode), Panic on Funkotron just wasn’t _ as fun as its predecessor.
a tRNA SEES SCE TRA SS ASS PEGE RESEDTE SEED PEENSTRETOA ST ADEE SHE STO REYOD He PPSED RST LSE CD TDAION ADPAST ALERTS ODETTE POL BORE EESTI
VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY
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TAR.WARS"}ED] OUTCAST”
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Jedi. Outcast. Rebel. Mercenary. You have one lightsaber and eight Jedi Force powers, including Jedi Mind Tricks, Force Lightning and Force | aripe With a devastating arsenal of weapons like disruptor rifles, thermal detonators, trip mines and a Wookiee bowcaster you must battle a hoard of new enemies. Fight in single mode or go lightsaber agai st lightsaber in split-screen multiplayer Jedi arena — or die trying. Learn more at jedioutcast.com
soateones NINTENDO sensei « GAMEGUBE..
CONTENT RATED BY ESRB
Publisher: Ubi Soft
Developer: Red Storm Entertainment Players: 1-2 (2-16 online or networked) Also On: PS2
Featured in: EGM #160
Best Feature: Strategic multiplayer action Worst Feature: Spotty enemy A.l.
Web Site: www.ghostrecon.com
In the online console war, Sony fired off the first vol- ley with their excellent SOCOM: U.S. Navy Seals on the PS2. Now Ghost Recon, a tactical shooter bearing the same realistic squad-based action as SOCOM, is heading up the Xbox counterstrike. Like many first- person shooters, Ghost offers drastically differing experiences whether you play it alone, with a friend or online. All those who play offline will ultimately be disappointed with Ghost’s single-player mode. What hurts this part of the game is the predictable A.l. When every mission boils down to trial and error, it simply isn’t challenging or dynamic. Fortunately, multiplayer saves the day. Teamwork is the name of the game, and Ghost’s methodical firefights lend
themselves perfectly to co-op play with friends in | split screen or online. Where Ghost really shines is | when you take on 15 other roughnecks online in |
deathmatch, king of the hill or team survival mode. With the voice chat capability, you soon realize that, -hit-kill competition, to communica stay alive. Between its war-torn backdrops and audio effects, Ghost travels great lengths to establish ambience. Stake out a mountain cave and you ‘ll hear swirls of wind, chirps of wildlife and the crisp “pop- pop” of small-arms fire. The sound effects in Ghost give the game a ton of cool, memorable moments. An impressive kickoff for Xbox Live. Che
With Ghost Recon, Ubi Soft has transplanted the facti- cal, team-based action of Rainbow Six into a vast out- door arena, and the result is Xbox Live’s first nearly killer app. | say “nearly” because of the overly complex game-setup. menus, super-sensitive aiming and the fact that you can’t see your gun onscreen. “The core gameplay still succeeds, however, and. the tense, nerve-wracking. battles will keep you coming back for more. It’s great to hear firsthand, “Is that a sway- ing tree or an enemy sniper? Arrgggh!” While it lacks the pick-up-and-play ease of SOCOM, Ghost Recon succeeds in providing a thrilling, realistic squad-based shooter for armchair commandos. Shane
PARE LO RTE,
RRR ONIUOUR:
=
“Alpha and Bravo Teams, this is Shoe. Bravo, I’ll issue orders after | get used to this clumsy waypoint interface. Alpha, let’s move out. Hmm...the scenery here is very blah. | thought this was Xbox-controlled territory? But jit sure sounds nice. out here. The
for me, “will a? P m the Commanding Gamer. you guys are doing too much on your own. Oh well. Our sorties are still intense, exciting and hella fun. I’m gonna tell people to enlist.” Shoe
VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY
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"Star Wars Jetii Knight i: Jedi Outcast
Publisher:
LucasArts Developer: Raven Players: 1-2 Also On: GameCube Featured in: EGM #160 Best Feature: Cool variety of Force Powers Worst Feature: No 4-player or online deathmatches Web Site: www.lucasarts.com
Finally, a good Star Wars game that doesn’t have Rogue in the title. It’s easy to see why this game gar- nered praise on the PC —Outcast’s far deeper than most first-person shooters. At first, it seems like it’s just Quake /// with a fresh coating of Death Star paint, but once you get your lightsaber, everything changes. Not only do you get to spin around slicing up Imperial scum, but you also amass an inventive arsenal of Force Powers. Running at super speed, hurling Stormtroopers off cliffs at will or wreaking havoc with Jedi mind tricks beats firing a boring old blaster any day. The game’s plenty long and often difficult due to some tricky puzzles and one-hit deaths. Generally, I’m opposed to the “save-anywhere” concept. Here, how- ever, it’s a necessity. From a visual standpoint, the game looks all right. The action moves quickly, and the levels certainly look like classic Star Wars environ- ments, but compared to the beauty of Halo, Outcast is nothing special. The hyper-nerdy look of the hero, Kyle Katarn, doesn’t help raise the game’s coolness factor either. He looks more like a history. proteseor than a a slew of options. Here, you can customize your char- acter (Lando Calrissian with Force Lighting? Aww yeah) and battle a friend...but only one friend. Why no four-player mode? Or better yet, online play? Still, Star Wars fans should seek this out. Shane
no
SORDIORECHOORIROMNONRINIOT
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What we have here is a game that makes great use se of
its license. Outcast takes an otherwise serviceable FPS to a higher level with its use of lightsabers (in a third-person view) and Force Powers, which grow stronger as you advance | in the game, Good level vari-
: a painfu ‘Get the fae of them, and jou dig some solid action, not to mention enjoyable multiplayer modes.
Star Wars fan or not, Jed’’s a keeper.
Raven Software went with a “toss everything into a pot and stir” strategy while developing Outcast, and the end result is a surprisingly strong brew. Part first- person shooter, part third-person adventure, the game gives players a giant world to explore and an overwhelming number of skills to master. The title’s biggest strength is that it envelops you in the Star niverse: While playing, you really feel like you're a badass Jedi. But the downside is that the game is nearly impossible to beat without having a walk-through strategy in hand (m many of the puzzles are beyond obscure). Still, this is a worthy addition to any Star Wars fan’s game library. Ethan
VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY
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TimeSplitters 2
Publisher: Eidos AK “ey Developer:
| Free Radical Design aie Players: 1-4 (2-16 LAN) Also On: ; PS2, GameCube
Featured In: EGM #159
Web Site: www.eidos.com
© EDITORS CHOICE AWARD @ @ GUUMY 331089, S¥0LI03
Gueme 20H. SHOLIOR
nae ist
Best Feature: Great multi- player action
Worst Feature: Uneven level design and story
Halo set the bar for first-person shooters on the Xbox, and really screwed things up for everyone else. As it is, TS2 doesn’t even come close to matching the sheer gaming bliss that was Bungie’s masterpiece. It does, however, provide a healthy dose of multiplayer goodness for those sick of playing “Battle Creek” for the six-billionth time. While the single-player expe- rience is just as average as that of its PS2 counterpart (see our full review on page 222), it’s significantly more playable in two-player cooperative mode, thanks to the Xbox’s superior horsepower. There appear to be fewer technical compromises, meaning you can actu- ally see wha yappening on your | the screen.
first- oe shooter. friendly. foe te ~ makin: the finest rendition of 7S2 available.
VISUALS SOUND
INGENUITY REPLAY
Konami Developer: Konami CET Players:
= 1-2 Linked @ Also On; Super Nintendo
re: New side- | Supports: scrolling levels _ EGM #157 Web Site:
Worst Feature: Very, very difficult www.konami.com i
If you’re old enough to remember digesting Contra III: Alien Wars on the Super Nintendo over several weeks of gaming bliss, you’re gonna be a little miffed at our new friend here. True, EX runs like a dream on the GBA, bucking any slowdown problems plaguing its SNES granddaddy. The overhead-view levels that would have been hell to navigate on a tiny screen have been smartly replaced by new side-scrolling stages. And big, colorful graphics have no problems popping right out of even this hardware’s wretched excuse for a screen. But some of the original (and best) Alien Wars features got dropped off of EX’s bottom line. You can no longer hold and switch between two power-ups (picking up new guns will drop your older weapon). Oh, and super bombs? Kiss ’em goodbye. Plus, with the GBA’s teeny screen, you’ve got even less room to maneuver when it comes to avoiding enemies and bul- lets. The result is a game that’s frustratingly difficult. For Contra virgins, EX is a solid, if not daunting introduction; nostalgic Alien Wars fans are better left
living in the past. jon
VISUALS SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY
oe.
™
www.koeigames.com
Mind shall apna the Sort!
e player's decisions make the story! Multiple story branches and endings allow the player to create their own Three Kingdoms Saga! Will ape: Stay true to history, or create an entirely
new “What If" world?
hoose to follow the campaigns of one. of three charismatic leaders, Liu Bei, Cao Cao or Sun Ce.
BS Le : AVAILABLE NOW!
The mega-hit Tactical Action game is coming to Xbox™!
AVAILABLE NOW! (0'iorce
KOEI Co., Ltd. All rights reserved. “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 <KEICIxX from Microsoft. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association.
Dynasty Tactics and Dynasty Warriors 3 are trademarks of KOE! Corporation and KOEI Co., Ltd. ©2002 Dt
CONTENT RATED BY
FANCIES |
| EA Games Fl} Developer: © EAUK fm Players: _ 1 Be Twice as good as: i The 1st HP for GBA Best Feature: Solid action- | Supports: RPG gameplay GBA-to-GC link cable Worst Feature: Mediocre | Web Site: Quidditch | hpgames.ea.com
Last year’s Harry Potter GBA title was a lackluster rush- job, but this time, they got it right. Potter fans should assuredly pick it up, along with its link-enabled GameCube cousin. Chamber of Secrets GBA is a quali- ty 3D action-RPG in the vein of games like Zelda and Landstalker (you old-timers might remember that Sega Genesis classic.) Visually, it’s among the best games available on the GBA, with superb animation and attractive environs. The angled viewpoint allows for some neat graphic effects, such as foreground and background objects that scroll by at different speeds, which creates a surprising sense of depth. The viewing angle could have led to gameplay problems, but responsive controls make the platform jumping less harrowing. The game’s story closely follows the book— you attend classes, learn various spells and explore the catacombs of Hogwarts. Nearly every aspect of the game impresses, except for the airborne Quidditch matches—they look all right, but the stripped-down, unforgiving gameplay doesn’t cut it. Overall, Harry’s GBA report card shows a solid A-. Shane
INGENUITY REPLAY
VISUALS SOUND
| Publisher: © | Ubi Soft | Developer: Game Arts | Players: E mmm Lunar Fans Will Dig: | The new translation
< ILUNA ONS
Best Feature: Vibrant, pret- | Does not include: ty graphics Puppets or jewelry Worst Feature; Simplistic Web Site:
battle system www.ubi.com
You’d think at the third ae 2 of the same story (Lunar’s already been out on the Sega CD and PS1), a game would start to get old. Not so with this tale of a young country bumpkin’s quest to become a Dragonmaster and save his girlfriend. Whether you’re new to the series or know the first two games inside out, Lunar Legend is definitely worth a play. This is one of the prettiest, most involving RPGs to hit the GBA. Honestly, the story will keep you going even if youre not all that into the gameplay. The cast of char- acters is interesting and diverse. You’ll be able to relate to all of them—from the free-spirited, greedy Ramus to the innocent Luna, to the boastful Nash. And the love story that’s intertwined with the main plot never comes off as sappy. If | have one complaint, though, it’s the simplistic, turn-based battle system employed in Legend. There’s nothing particularly wrong with it, but | would have loved to see the more intricate fights from the older console versions of the game. Still, everything else in Lunar is so exceptional that it remains a story worth playing. Greg S.
VISUALS INGENUITY REPLAY
SOUND
Electronic
| Publisher: GAM _ Black | Label Games Developer: _ Pocket Studios os Players: 1
| Also look for: _ EA’s Two Towers GBA
EVERYONE
Best Feature: Retells a
story everybody loves | Web Site: Worst Feature: Slow-paced, | www.lordofther- plodding gameplay | ings.com
If you’re stuck on an unbearably long trip and you real- ly want to relive the story of The Fellowship of the Ring, your best bet would probably be to bring the book. But maybe your GBA gets lonely if you don’t play with it for at least a few hours every trip. Your next best bet would be this game. It faithfully tells the tale of Frodo and his buddies, offering pretty graphics that bring Tolkien’s Middle-earth to life on the GBA. Your adventures through the Shire and beyond might seem a bit tedious at times, aimlessly wandering in and out of countless houses and fields looking for items or quests, but the elves and Ringwraiths definitely look cool. You’ll also battle orcs and other wild beasties in standard, turn-based-RPG style, which might appeal to you if you like that kind of strategizing—but you might just find that the menu-driven fights draw you out of the fantasy world. Dramatic cutscenes, music and plenty of comfortingly familiar Tolkienesque dia- logue throughout successfully round out the atmos- phere. It ain’t particularly exciting, but it ain’t exactly bad, either. Try itifyou must. J@nnifer INGENUITY REPLAY
VISUALS = SOUND ©
Publisher: brevet | Activision 02
| Developer:
_ Vicarious Visions layers:
i 4
1! Coolest New Trick: Froggy Grind
| Also Try:
, Bagel Bites
Web Site: activisionO2.com
Best Feature: Take-it-with- you extreme sports
Worst Feature: Top-down perspective obscures view
Most of the big changes for THPS4 have been incorpo- rated into this highly competent GBA version. Levels are wide-open free-skate until you pick a goal from one of the people hanging around the park, at which point you get a specific task and a time limit. Fun and useful new moves like the Spine Transfer and Recovery also made the handheld leap. Goal challenges are an inter- esting mix of new and old. Classics, like finding the hid- den tape or S-K-A-T-E, will be familiar to anyone who’s played Tony Hawk. But now you'll also have to com- plete high-scoring combos and collect hidden pack- ages. Unfortunately, some of the aspects that are espe- cially cool about THPS4 on non-handhelds—namely the gorgeous graphics, gigantic levels and awesome level design—couldn’t, intrinsically, make it to GBA. These levels are still bigger and better than on previous versions, though, so you’ll have plenty of fun getting to know their layouts and secret corners. For what it is, it’s an enjoyable game that’|| tide you over on the long car ride to your aunt and uncle’s house, where you can, once you arrive, enjoy the real THPS4. Jennifer INGENUITY REPLAY
VISUALS SOUND
= f-
3aming Monthly - 272 -egm.gam
_ VISUALS
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Players: 1 (2-4 Linked)
Also On: Super Nintendo
Featured in: EGM #159
Best Feature: Amazingly tight gameplay Worst Feature: Baby Mario’s annoying whining Web Site: www.nintendo.com
Let’s get this out of the way first for you impatient types: If you own a Game Boy Advance, you need to own this game. It’s as simple as that. Just like Super Mario World before it, Yoshi’s Island is an absolute masterpiece of a platformer, with 50+ levels of rock- solid gameplay that’ll keep you glued to your GBA for weeks. Each stage is intricately designed, with multiple paths, tons of secrets and a wide variety of enemies and obstacles in your way. Not only that, but the overall package is astoundingly beautiful to boot. In all honesty, | think Y/ is still the most visually stun- ning 2D game ever made, despite the fact that it’s over 7 years old (it originated on the Super Nintendo back in’95). The trippy, colorful graphics add tons of atmosphere to the stages, making it that much more fun to explore every last nook of each area (which you'll need to do if you want to get perfect scores and unlock bonus stuff). The tension level is high, too— the first time you drop Baby Mario and hear him start wailing as you scramble to get him back before time runs out, you'll know exactly what | mean. The mini- games and various vehicles Yoshi can transform into are just icing on an already delicious. cake. But the best part of this flawless conversion? They added new levels! Six new levels may not seem like a lot to the average Joe, but to an old-school Yoshi fan, it’s like a
dream come true. John R.
Man, it’s ¢ easy tot reminisce > about simpler times after
playing a Super Nintendo classic like Yoshi’s Island, one of the freshest, most lovingly crafted side- scrollers that still plays well to this day. The game’s funky mechanics will take a minute before they become second nature, but it won’t be long before you’re screwing around with all of Yoshi’s alternate forms, consuming and excreting various creatures, and fighting the temptation to let that lame baby Mario float far, far away. And if you’re worried about Yoshi's preschool aesthetics, fret not—its visual style, while primitive, is charming and quickly grows on you. This is one of the best Mario games ever made. Miguel
Nintendo’s famous plumber may take a back seat (lit-
erally) to Yoshi in this classic platformer, but /sland bears all the trademarks of a great Mario game: colorful graphics, spot-on controls and dozens of wildly different levels, all packed with enemies and obstacles that explore every gameplay possibility. Take Yoshi’s egg-toss move, for instance; by throwing or ricocheting them off walls, you can attack enemies, grab items, trigger switches and unlock secrets. An ingenious play mechanic, and that’s only one of many. In terms of difficulty, /sland is simple fun for casual players, but has devilishly tough challenges and cool secrets for those who want to delve deeper. Mark
SOUND INGENUITY REPLAY
ee ot A. a aes
TPL edhea caverta,
Violence
CONTENT RATED BY
r “RON-SIOP ROCK-SOLID ACTION ESRB
“Ss a ee —————
“The Scorpion'King: Rise of the axkeigan’ interaglive game © 2002 Universal If iq
SCO! >ion King and related characters are TM and © of Universal Studios. Licensed by Universal Stusos Licensing LLLP. ANl rights reserved. Anote to parents: The Scorpion King i is ral PG-13. Brut www.
arcing movie ratings in making viewing choices for children. “PlayStation” and the "PS" family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer p0.ai@ trademarks of Nintendo. TIN OnE es ah te rai ON Ae.
q
By David S J Hodgson
To finish our fun in the sun, here’s the Super Mario Sunshine glitch you’ve been waiting for. Plus, classic Sonic goodies, a crammed Series of mini-guides, and a cheap laugh at Vanilla Ice. Yes, indeedy.
re So you think you’ve seen it all in Super Mario Sunshine, eh? Not so fast there, Mr. 120 shines. There’s one big glitch we bet you never noticed (it’s the freaky bug we were hint- ing at last month, in case you were wondering). Head to the fruit vendor selling Durians (4), and locate the wall scaffold. Walk into that wall. It’s easier if you slide from a narrow angle. You eventually fall through it into blue darkness! If you hover, or double jump, you can actually jump back into an underground pipe—or better yet, run into the ocean (2)! Natural game physics
For all of you who saw the movie, plus Blade comic
fanatics everywhere, here are some codes to siphon the fun right out of the game. Hold L1 at the main menu. To unlock all the missions, tap D, U, L, L, Cir, R, D, Squ. Need every weapon? Iry Sau, Cir, D, L, Cir, Cir, Tri. For the Daywalker Difficulty level, tap L, Cir, U, D, Squ, Cir, X. Tap fol- lowing codes while holding L1 at
Tricks of the Trade
Top 5 Tricks of the Month Super Mario Sunshine - Sleeping With the Fishes!
go loopy, and you can run about the ocean floor! If you jump and break the surface of the ground or ocean, everything returns to normal. You can bring Yoshi along (3), and immediately run up to the island with the orange juice and green pipe without the tedious boat journey! Insane!
a paused game. For infinite
health, tap Tri, Squ, Tri, Squ, Tri, Cir, Tri, Cir. Infinite Rage (a) is L, D,L, D, R, U, R, U. For invincible escorts, tap Squ, Cir, Tri, X, Squ,
Tricks in Partnership with Prima Games
Tricks, strategies and amusing game antics
from Star Wars: Clone
Wars, Tribes: Aerial
Assault and Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring are taken from their respective Official Prima Strategy Guides, all on sale now!
Le = até ti - Hacks, Slashing, and Daywalker Wandering! y | a = ere y= Bae 5 ; ~ oe PP A he :
Cir, Tri, X. Infinite Ammo (2) is
L, Cir, R, Sau, U, fri, D, X. Remember, “L” and “R” are “left” and “right” on the d-pad.
3 | Turok: Evolution - More PE.1.A.-unfriendily Killin’ Codes!
We caused a Jurok ruckus last issue by revealing some juicy codes. This month, we’re back for more gruesome lizard decapi- tation adventures in the land
zareah
of pop-up plant scenery, with
Pas
more codes to be typed at the cheat menu. Master code is FMNEB. All weapons is TEXAS. Invincibility is EMERPUS, unlim- ited ammo is MADMAN, invisi-
bility is SLLEWGH, and level select is SELLOUT. But you knew all that. You want the Big Head code (1). No, really, you do. It’s HEID (or HEIDS). Type ZOO to bludgeon all wildlife to death with a Warclub. How quaint. Finally, HUNTER and hit- ting the R2 button (PS2 only) allows you to kill foes on the Menu screen using crosshairs (2). Why? Because we weren’t seeing enough dead lizards during the game. Splitch!
214 - eg
bh
Source: Gamers.com poll 9/02
Turning Tricks (Semi-finals)
Vote for your favorite Tricks over at Gamers.com. In this first semi-final match-up, we asked which you prefer: the “hidden item” or the “play game multiple times for different ending” trick. The results may surprise you. If you’re easily surprised.
The “stuff hid- den where you'd never think to look” out-of- the-way item
The “play through
0 the game 14 times for an extra end-
0 ing screen” game
reward
Roger, roger!
Ready to shout more than just curse words into your headset? Here’s a set of less obvious orders to bark during gameplay. “Bravo open door!” and “Bravo close door!” opens and closes doors (point your crosshairs). “Hands up, get down!” is used to crap the pants of a waiting guard. “Bravo dif- fuse bomb!” (point at bomb). “Team low profile!” gets your team creeping. “Breech, Bang, Clear!” lets your squad enter a room and toss in a flashbang.
Test Drive “Special” G4 Car!
G4TV. Why play games when you can watch a preened and pam- pered host read off a script about games? This cable channel’s gonna be big, baby—BIG! (Seriously, though, we kid because we love.) Anyway, set a record in the San Fran Drag race, then enter PLWCBF (PS2) or KQXYKGVY (Xbox) as your name. Booyakka! A custom-decal G4 ride! Now where are my Pringles?
et
Te
I
HE
new quest
and full offline
iwitiplayer mode.
Biggest Phantasy Star yet - new ge Real-time combat against new, more characters and new quests! Battle Mode are at your finger tips powerful monsters : The Phantasy Star Universe is also coming OC [poey — \ soon on Game Boy® sURROU (I Advance & PC
SATE SSO SEGA is registered in the U.S. Patent and Tademark office. SEGA, Phantasy Star and Phantasy Star Online Episode | & Il are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Seya Corporation. © SEGA / SONICTEAM, 2002. Dolby, Pro Logic and the double-D
symbol are trademarks of Dolby Laboratories. ™, @, Game Boy Advance and the Nintendo GameCube logo are trademarks of Nintendo. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. Game Boy Advance game co-published by THO Inc. THO and the THO logo are registered trademarks of THO Inc. All Rights Reserved. www.sega.com
~~.) CONTENT RATED BY ESRB
TRICKS
The Options screen in this combat-vehicie eeev edie holds the a to unlocking see accessed after ee are completed. Or, you can just cheat. Darth Sidious would be proud.
Time for a spot of unlocking,
courtesy of the game bonuses _ that are granted once a certain number of Bonus Objectives — are completed. The following — list shows the bonuses, and the
points needed: Raxus Duel Map:
5. Thule Moon Control Zone: 10. Rhen Var Conquest: 15.
_ Geonosis Academy (4): 20. Unit _ Viewer (2): 25. “Making of” Video: 30. CD Player: 35. Sketch Book (3): 40. Yoda in Geonosis
_ Academy(@): 45. The Force-
Tear Prorwarine owe rere
based frivolity doesn’t end there! There’s some of these __ new-fangled “cheat codes” _
available by typing at the
options screen. These only work
_ for the GameCube version. For all a4 Multiplayer missions,
input “fragfiesta”. To unlock all
the game cinemas, where Anakin can be seen pouting in _all his bug-eyed glory (), try “cinema”. Are you embarrass-
ingly inept at the Campaign
_ mode, and need your three
scooby-Doo!
We wouki've gotten away with it too, if it wasn't for these pesky codes!
Set the internal clock to the dates below for more cosmic weirdness (in the front yard and the mystic playground) than a back-of-the-van toke with Shaggy. On December 31 and January 4, you'll get New Year’s fireworks. On February 14, all the Scooby Snacks give out hearts (a) when snacked on.
1 .
On March 17, there’s green fountain water and smoke
from the chimneys, due to St. Patrick’s Day. Things go crazy on July 4, with smoke, red, white and blue fountain water, and fireworks (2)! On October 33, check the plastic bats on the courtyard door. On December 25, there’s snow (3)! Jinkies! For
ir
Bonus Objectives handedto © you? Then input “yub_yub”. Feel the need to watch still images of all those responsible for the game? Then “saycheese” is your code. This next one’s a doozy; for Unlimited Ammo (6), try | “chosen1”. And finally, as if Mace, Anakin, Obi-Wan, Yoda and some random Jedi guy weren’t enough, there’s a Battle Droid you can play as in the |
_ Geonosis Academy. Input “rogerroger”.
all power-ups (PlayStation 2 only), pause during play, hold Lat+L2+Rat+Re2 and tap Cir, Squ, Cir, Squ, Cir, Squ, Squ, Squ, Cir, Cir, Squ, Cir, Cir, Cir. For all cine- mas, tap Squ Squ, Squ, Cir, Cir, Cir, Squ, Cir, Squ. For all the credits, tap Squ, Cir, Cir, Squ, Cir, Squ. Alas, no Scrappy-Doo explosion code. Zoinks!
i mle | ee
wn”
GREATEST HITS REVISITED
Devil May Cry
Taunt an enemy by pressing R2 and any direction. Charge your weapons by holding Squ or X while aiming.
BEGINNER
NOVICE
EXPERT
se!
SILENT SCOPES INTENSE SMPING ACTION RETURNS FOR A CRO ROUND WITH AN AL-AEW GAME OR THE PlaySTAnON®2 COMPUTER ENTERTANMENT SYSTEM! AS THE WORLD'S BEST SHARP-SHOOTE, PREVENT A TERRORIST ORGAMZATION FROM USING CLONING TECHNOLOGY FOR GLOBAL DOMINATION. FEATURING EXPANSIVE LEVELS, DUABOUGAL BOSSES, AND NEW 30 SOUND TECHNOLOGY TO FIND AND TARGET OPPONENTS, IT'S TIME TO SHENGE THE ENEMY THREAL AS A BONUS, SHENT SCOPE d ALSO DELVERS TWIGE THE GAME PLAY BY INCLUDING THE AIT ARCADE GAME, SuewT Scope EX!
PlayStation.e
SILENT SCOPE®/SILENT SCOPE 3@ are registered trademarks of KONAMI CORPORATION. ©1999, 2002 KONAMI & KONAMI COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT TOKYO ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. “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.
TRICKS
What’s this boss all about? Massive Constitution Long-Range Coward Hand-to-hand Mad
Berserker
_ Magically Empowered Flying/Teleporting Ability Ludicrously Imposing Eye-Poppingly Speedy Surprisingly Feeble Throbbing “Weak Spot” Joypad Hammering You’re Unfairly Weakened Doesn’t Really Die Minion of Big Boss Complete Anticlimax
Bling-Bling After Battle
le
ctronic Gaming Monthly - 278 - egm.gamers.com
Who needs nine lives when you can control time?
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Rewind time to Hit fast-forward to Slam on pause to take cc . gs ne ee throw the world in tackle challenges that free shots at frozen : one seem like they’re stuck reverse and uncover requi enemies or grab crys- e th in mud as you and “The secret areas. Ol tals without any hassle. ‘e rime Sweeper™”
MILD VIOLENCE
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© 2002 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft, Blinx, The Time Sweeper, 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.
NFL Blitz 20-0:
Attack of the Tired
L2, R2, and X Juke, Turbo, and Hurdle) change the helmet icons. The numbers below show the number of times each button is pressed. Then press the D-pad.
Extra time
o-o-1 Right
Big feet
0-2-5 Left
Power loader 0-2-5 Right Chimp mode (above) 0-2-5 Up
Chrome ball 0-3-0 Down Classic ball 0-3-0 Left
Faster running 0-3-2 Left Central Park 0-3-3 Right Arctic Station 0-3-4 Down Training Grounds 0-3-5 Up
Super Blitzing 0-5-4 Up Tournament mode 1-1-1 Down
Super field goals 1-2-3 Left
Clear weather 1-2-3 Right
No punting
1-4-1 Up
i ln 1 bl hed
Huge heads (above) 1-4-5 Left
Big heads
2-0-0 Right Big-head teams 2-0-3 Right
Robotech: Battlecry
Even the odds and save the planet with these killer coiles
BACK x SON RM
So you bought Robotech and you’re well on your way to
breaking your fourth controller?
Yep, this is a tough game. No worries, though. These codes will help you turn the tide in the struggle between good and evil. Those damned, dirty Zentraedi don’t stand a chance against you.
Master Code:
In the PlayStation 2 version, go to the “New Game” screen, not the Main Menu (a). While hold- ing down the trigger buttons, press left, up, down, X, right, triangle, start. On the Xbox, with the trigger buttons held down, press left, up, down, A,
right, B, start. If you did the
code right, you’ll be taken to an input screen (2). Note: You can
enter more than one of these passwords, but you’ll need to perform the master code again to get back to the password screen.
SPACEFOLD: The gunpod power
will refresh faster. MARSBASE: Your missiles will reload faster.
MIRIYA: Both guns and mis- siles will reload faster. BACKSTABBER: Enemies will explode after one shot from the gunpod. Missiles still do regular damage.
SNIPER: One-shot kills in
|) When the fate of the world hangs in the balance, we say it’s OK to cheat a little. The _ Zentraedi never fight fair anyway.
Sniper mode. MISSMACROSS: Unlocks all those sweet paint schemes for your Veritech fighter (3). Now you can look just like your favorite Robotech hero! WEWILLWIN: Unlocks every level in the game. WHERESMAAX: Unlocks every Veritech model, including the different types of armor and the Female Battle Suit (4), and earns every medal (5). SUPERMECH: Invincibility MULTIMAYHEM: Unlocks all multiplayer levels.
FLIPSIDE (PS2 only): Flips the entire game upside down (6). What’s the point, you ask? We really don’t know.
The Multiplayer King-o-Cheese “Wait, then frag” Battle Tactic!
Are you about to embark on an epic struggle to find actual friends, coax them into playing video games, and then challenge them to a multiplayer deathmatch like those in Agent Under Fire, Goldeneye or Halo? Then you'll want to piss them off as much as possible by employing the following cheap tactic to ensure a win!
@ 3
ONE TACTIC: MANY GAMES!
This trick can be used in any three- or four-player match (or online game). Focus on player two—
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that’s you. Players one and three have spotted each other (a) and engaged ina vicious firefight (2). Once
you’ve seen 1P and 2P are low on health, step up and finish both (3) for two quick kills! Darn sneaky!
Pull off
EVERYONE
®
Mild Lyrics Mild Violence
CONTENT RATED BY
© 2002 Activision, Inc. and its affiliates. Published and distributed by Activision Publishing, Inc. Activision and Pro Surfer are
SURFING 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.
PlayStations
A 4 ME
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big air and fantasy tricks like Rodeo
Flip, Knack Knack and Hangman that let
you take surfing to a whole new level. Surf in a constantly changing wave environment—you’ll never see the same wave twice.
oss ato aes TATTOO INN SANS ETAT ETRE LRH SEIU Se OHO i
|
> <—la> & etareas a
~
registered trademarks and Activision 02 and Sports Revolution are trademarks 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 or trademarks of M Advance and the Nintendo GameCube logo are trademarks of Nintendo. The ratings icon is a registered trademark of the Inte
icrosoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or in other countries and are used under license from Microsoft. TM, ®, Game Boy ractive Digital Software Association. All other trademarks and trade names are the property of their respective owners.
WORLD TITLES, NEVER.
Visit 15 of the most popular surf spots from around the globe.
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ZIKELLY:SLATER’S). IPRO|SURFER:
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screenshots shown.
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NESSES
——
ACTIVISIONO2.COM
TRICKS
A bounty of classic tricks and codes just in time for the new GameCube compilation disc
The next time someone asks you to toss that pile of 10-year-old EGMs, mention how useful the old trick sections are for classic game re-releas- es like Mega Collection here. But then, when we reprint tricks like this, it kinda screws up your argument, don’t it? Remember to recycle!
sonic the Hedgehog
Level Select
At the title screen, press UP, DOWN, LEFT, RIGHT. You'll hear a chime if you’ve entered the code correctly. Next, hold B and press START to enter the level select and sound text screen (a).
Control Mode
At the title screen, push UP, X, DOWN, X, LEFT, X, RIGHT. You’ll hear a chime if you’ve entered the code correctly.
Begin your game as usual, and press START to pause it. While paused, press B to reset the game, hold down A to play in slow-motion (pressing X will let you jump while in slo-mo) and press X to advance the game one frame at a time.
Debug Mode Before entering the Debug mode, enter the code for Control mode. Once that
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Level Select
From the title screen, enter the Options screen. Go to the Sound Test option and play the following sounds in this order: 19, 65, 09, 17. When all four sounds have been played, hold down the X button and press START to return to the title screen. Once Sonic and Tails appear on the screen, hold down B and press START to enter the Stage Select screen (3).
Debug Mode
After entering the Level Select code, go to the Sound Test option on the Stage Select screen and play the following songs in this order: 01, 09, 09, 02, 01, 01, 02, 04. When you begin
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code has been entered, quickly press UP, X, DOWN, X, LEFT, X, RIGHT, X. Then, hold down B and press START to begin the game. During gameplay, press A to enter Debug mode.
If Sonic changes into a ring, you'll know that you’ve correctly entered the code. Use the D-Pad to move Sonic around, even through walls. Press B to change Sonic into a different item and press X to place the current item on the screen. You can use this to place a ton of rings or enemies on the screen (2).
Press A to change Sonic back to normal, but beware of any obstacles you may have placed on the screen. You'll also notice that the score and time (and vari- ous other graphics) are distorted while you’re in Debug mode. Don’t worry about that—it doesn’t affect the gameplay.
playing song o4, a chime will tell you that the code has been entered correctly. Highlight the stage you wish to go to, hold down B and press START to enter it.
Now that you’re in Debug mode, press A to change Sonic into a ring. The B button changes him into different objects, and the X button places the object on the screen. When you’re done messing around, press A to change back into Sonic. Like the Debug mode in the original Sonic, the score and time will be messed up (4), but it won’t affect the gameplay.
Also during the Debug mode, press START
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to pause the game. Holding down A while paused causes the game to run in slow- motion, X makes everything move frame by frame and B resets the game.
Become Super Sonic
First, enter the Level Select code and go to the Level Select screen. Go to the Sound Test option and play the following songs: 04, 01, 02, 06. You'll hear a brief tune when you finish playing all the songs. Then, highlight the stage you want to start on and press START to begin. Now, simply col- lect 50 rings. When you jump while holding 50 rings, you’ll transform into Super Sonic (5). Trust us, it was exciting back in ‘92.
VIOLENCE
v 2 CONTENT RATED BY A VIACOM COMPANY ESRB
Microsoft, Xbox, and the Xbox logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries.
TRICKS
Sonic Mega Collection (cont.)
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Sonic the Hedgehog 3
Level Select and Sound Test
Press UP, UP, DOWN, DOWN, UP, UP, UP, UP after you hear the word “Sega” and the screen fades to black, but before the title screen (you must enter this code very quickly —it may take a few tries to get it right). A ringing sound will let you know if you've entered the code quickly enough. At the title screen, press UP, and a hidden option will appear that will take you to the Level Select and Sound Test screen (a).
Debug Mode
Enter the Level Select code and highlight the stage you wish to play. Hold the B button and press START to begin the level. You will now be in the Debug mode. Press A to change Sonic into a ring, B to change what item Sonic is and X to place an object on screen. Pressing A again changes Sonic back to normal. If you pause the game, holding down the A but- ton makes the game run in slow-motion, X moves everything one frame at a time and the B button takes you back to the Level Select screen. As is the standard with Sonic’s Debug modes, just ignore the
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screwed-up score and time displays.
Become Super Sonic
Enter the Debug Mode code, enter any stage and press A to change Sonic into a ring. Then, press B once, and Sonic will change into a monitor. Hit the X button to place a monitor on the screen, then press A again to change back into Sonic. Simply jump on the monitor, and you’ll change into Super Sonic (2).
Hidden Special Stage
Enter the Level Select code and go to the Sound Test. Play the sounds in this order: 01, 03, 05, 07. Then, highlight Special Stage 2, hold down the B button and press START and presto (3)!
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sonic & Knuckles
Level Select
Begin the game as you normally would. In the first stage (Mushroom Hill Zone, Act 1), play until you reach one of the pulley machines that Sonic must hang from and pull down on to reach higher areas (4). While hanging from a machine, press LEFT, LEFT, LEFT, RIGHT, RIGHT, RIGHT, UP, UP, UP. You’ll hear a chime if you’ve done it correctly. Press START to pause the game and press B to return to the title screen. At the title screen, select which character you wish to play as (either Sonic or Knuckles), hold down the B button and press START. You will then be taken to the Level Select screen (5).
Certain stages require a Specific character to play as, so if you need to exit the level, just pause the game and press B. You'll return to the title screen where you can repeat the process to return to the Level Select screen.
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© 2002 THA Inc. © Viacom International Inc. All rights reserved. Nickelodeon, SpongeBob SquarePants and all related titles, logos and characters are trademarks of Viacom International Inc. Created by Stephen Hillenburg. Exclusively published by THQ Inc. THQ and the THQ logo are trademarks and/or registered trademark of THQ Inc. All rights reserved. ™, ®, and the Nintendo GameCube logo are trademarks of Nintendo."PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
*
EVERYONE
®
www.nick.com *
Relieve stress in our monster hunting excursions
com - TERACTIV CONTENT RATED BY : F . eens ye
Lordi of the Rings: Bosses
Aree VaMe
in
_ Strategies for the Toughest Dark Denizer
First off is thes selene way to equip Frodo before has journeys alone to Amon Hen. i there’s a frenzied Balrog battle plan, and finally the last boss of the Xbox and PS2 games. Note the battle differences, and that this is the Universal game, not the EA one.
Game: Lord of the Rings
Boss Abilities: 4 . | a
Plan of Assault:
As the party hits the shore heading toward Rauros, a horde of Orcs charges forward to block the path. Sneak around the south side of the trees to avoid this battle (a). Otherwise, be ready for a tough fight. Your frontline fighters should go into battle with no less than 15 health points. After the bat- tle, give all of ANN ales ar Z flea: your equip- a . Nhe d ment to Frodo. He needs
Sting, a Small
Shield, a Small
Helmet, Boots
and Bilbo’s
Mithril Coat.
Fill his invento- §
ry with your
best healing 4% items including NC ran the Rune, and [$i /eaeeMaagi aes onward ho (2)! '.%
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Boss Abilities:
Plan of Assault: As the Nazgul lands, you control Aragorn. The fell beast attacks with fire, razor-sharp teeth and a powerful tail that lashes out in all direc- tions. Keep moving to avoid the fireballs, then charge in and strike the beast from close range. Eventually, the Ringwraith dismounts. They attack with a sword and breath that engulfs Aragorn (5). Be aggressive and stay on top of the Ringwraith, § pummeling it
(6) with
sword strikes
from every
angle.
Soon, the
Ringwraith -
flies off and
is shot by
Legolas.
boss #2: Balrog --=| | Game: Fellowship of the Ring : Boss | ha Abilities: "24 | 4 ME a glee
Plan of Assault: When Gandalf locates the bridge that will take the Fellowship out of Moria, he tells the others to leave while he faces the fiery beast. Race across the bridge, avoiding the blasts (3); each one knocks Gandalf back, so dodge them to get close to the Balrog. Use Lightning or Staff Slam; any- thing but Fiery Blast, which makes the mon- ster stronger.
When the
Balrog is 3
stunned, use
Clamdring to
strike the
beast while it
is silent @).
Repeat this,
and the Balrog eventually falls, unfortu- nately taking Gandalf with it!
‘ pos » if Nazou 7a ‘Andulin . Game: Fellowship the a
Boss | Ch Abilities: |" ME HT SF : i
Plan of Assault: This one starts just like the Xbox version: The fell beast attacks with fire, razor-sharp teeth and a powerful. tail that lashes out in all directions. Keep moving to avoid the fireballs, then charge in and strike the beast from close range. Eventually, the beast weakens (7) and takes off to fight from the air. Climb to the top of the staircase and watch the winged Nazgul as it 1
circles. Shoot
arrows at the
beast each
time it rounds
the staircase,
weakening it,
but be careful
of the fire-
balls. Finally,
it’ll fly up (8)
and die.
by Full Sail Student Brian Germain”
Real World Education
Game Design Computer Animation Digital Media
Film
Audio
Show Production
www.fullsail.com
3300 University Boulevard Winter Park, FL 32792
©2001 Full Sail, Inc. All rights reserved. The terms “Full Sail,” “Full Sail Real World Education,” and the Full Sail logo are either registered service marks or service marks of Full Sail, Inc.
PlayStation.c ©
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If you bought all these games, Poystaton? it would cost about | 18)
OSWENT’?, Cra ay
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PlayStation.c «ft
WHY NOT TRY THEM
ALL FIRST IN THIS
MONTH’S ISSUE FOR LESS THAN
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PLUS VIDEO CLIPS OF: RATCHET & CLANK » CONTRA: SHATTERED SOLDIER » .hack » TONY HAWK'S PRO SKATER 4 » TOMB RAIDER: ANGEL OF DARKNESS
‘L171 RATINGS © 16 PAGES OF TIPS |
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AND THE THIEVIUS CRY 2* LORD OF THE RINGS: WORK ADAPTER » TIME-
RACCOONUS » NEED FOR FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING - SPLITTERS 2 > CAPCOM
SPEED: HOT PURSUIT 2 = LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FIGHTING ALL-STARS * RUN NOVEMBER ISSUE ON ROBOTECH: BATTLECRY -= TWO TOWERS * CONTRA: LIKE HELL » ANIMATRIX =
PlayStation REVIEWED: SLY COOPER PREVIEWED: DEVIL MAY NEWS ABOUT: PS2 NET- MAGAZINE
SALE NOW - GRAND NHL HITZ 20-03 > NASCAR SHATTERED SOUL » METAL SUPERHERO GAMES » JAMES THEFT AUTO: VICE CITY THUNDER 2003 » MADDEN GEAR SOLID 2: SUBSTANCE» BOND 007: NIGHTFIRE » RISE ¢ KINGDOM HEARTS »* NFL 2003 » GUNDAM BATTLE RETURN TO CASTLE TO HONOR *» SOCOM * STAR DRAGON BALL Z ASSAULT 2 » SUMMONER 2 WOLFENSTEIN * SHINOBI WARS: BOUNTY HUNTER
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Tries: Aerial Assault "j=
Comprehenisve Strategy on Tribes’ Signature Weapon: The Spinfusor
Doom? The Plasma Cannon. Quake? The Rocket Launcher. But what’s the best weapon to use when fragging through Tribes: Aerial Assault? The Spinfusor. Aside from sounding like an early ’80s
German synth band, this beast rocks in almost every way. Here’s why:
It looks damn cool, it deals dam- age quickly, and it causes splash damage. In fact, this splash dam- age makes the Spinfusor ideal for shooting at enemies on the ground or up against terrain (a). What’s more, these are great weapons for hitting an airborne enemy (2), especially if you’re locked on (usualy at medium or short range). A great plan is to wait until your target is coming down, then send a disk to hit the ground where he lands (3). Need more insane Spinfusor fun? Then you can “disk jump” by firing
a disk at the ground right after jumping, but right before starting to Jump Jet. This inflicts damage, but is useful to gain extra height in an escape situation. However, the Spinfusor does have its draw- backs. Against close range ene-
mies, the sluggish reload time and Spinfusor’s splash damage make it inferior to the Plasma Rifle, unless you make the most of your Jump Jets and cover. It’s better against light-armored foes, but bad against heavy armor and stationary objects (like base turrets). If possible, pull out the Plasma Rifle, Grenade Launcher or Fusion Mortar to deal with heavier targets. When you become proficient with the Spinfusor, you'll notice some amusing facts, like that the Spinfusor knocks your target around when you score a hit (q). If you like to deal damage and jostle your enemy (thus annoying the hell out of them, especially Snipers), then the Spinfusor is definitely your weapon. This piece of kit is very versatile and
can be used in most combat situa- tions (5). Even when you’re using it in a role it wasn’t designed for, you can pull off a frag; the truest testa- ment to the weapon’s broad range of applications. One final piece of advice: The Spinfusor is easier to score hits with when you’re above your enemies and looking down on them, so always jet when firing.
STORE NEAR YOU!
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Join Shoe and the rest of the Game Group editors as they invade your screen with the latest game news and releases that will jumpstart your weekend!
Tune in every Thursday 7:45 pm ET/ 4:45 pm PT to HOTWIRED's Big Video Game Hunting hosted by Renay San Miguel on CNN Headline News.
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ZIFF DAVIS
MEDIA
GAME G
FINAL WORD
Video Games: 30 Years Ago and 30 Years From Now
James Mielke
Greg Sewart
Shane Bettenhausen
Mark MacDonald
Pong (duh)
James: Man, the fact that | was alive 30 years ago is enough to make me cry. But | remember my first video game. It was a
you guys read our article on future gaming? It’s only, like, 40 or So pages back in the mag.
Chris: | think in 30 more years, the world will once again warm up to the idea of wood-paneled consoles (that was abandoned way too quickly if you ask me); all the major platform makers will merge to form Voltron, a robot- shaped superconsole; and Nintendo will just be introducing a backlit Game Boy Advance. | wish | had a time machine.... Shane: Gaming has changed so much in the past 15 years, let alone 30.
“No, not aliens—mutant rats.”
Radio Shack version of Pong (looked like a phone), with a second paddle on the side for hot two-player action. I’d like to think that, in the future, all this video-game crap would be like it is in the movie Jron. But that would require actually leaving the house. Since everything is geared towards keeping your ass Sat in front of the TV, | think
Virtuoso
we’ll have microscopic implants that will bring us into virtual worlds that look like Phantasy Star Online, but with better graphics. Word.
Greg: The fact you were alive 30 years ago is enough to make me cry, too. This Staff is like one big mid-life crisis. Consoles 30 years from now will be like that pre-crime machine from Minority Report. | don’t think things will be beamed directly into our brains, and | think we’ll still be using screens, but controllers will be a thing of the past. Of course, none of this talk matters since the aliens will have taken over by then anyway.
Crispin: Not aliens— mutant rats. Didn’t
Seriously, if | took a game from today and traveled back to 1986 using C)’s time machine, the spectacular visuals from even a bad game of today would cause mass hysteria and rioting in the Streets. It’d be like that old movie The Gods Must Be Crazy—one copy of Virtuoso for the 3Do would end up creating a new religion or something. But back to the subject at hand, it’s hard to fathom what gaming in 2032 will be like, but | hope that companies like Nintendo, Sega, Konami and Capcom will still be producing quality games. Or better yet, we’ll still have those old standbys plus a new legion of developers just as amazing. Crispin: Hellloooo? Is anybody listening to me? Everybody flip back to page 178 and you’ll find a whole story on this Stuff. Honest.
Who knows? :
In actuality this is a picture of some NASA guy doing some boring NASA stuff (probably moving virtual space lumber or something), but we like to imagine it’s a gamer in the year 2032, strangling Koopa and fondling Princess Peach in Super Mario X: The Revenge.
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Jennifer:
I’m also hoping for an expanded audience for gaming that includes men and women of all ages—for real, like other entertainment forms such as movies or TV. Because bigger, more diverse audiences mean a better variety of games. Heck, 30 years from now I’d love to see people go out on Friday and Saturday nights to “video game theaters” to partake in their own personalized, totally immersive movies/games, whose outcomes they control. Or better yet, we’d have those theaters in our homes.
= ~
The Holodeck #-~,
Shane: Hmm...in 30 years the Olsen twins will be how old? 46? Wonder what their games will be like then....
Mark: | just hope games don’t turn out like that Holodeck in Star Trek: The Next Generation, ’cause then you’d have to listen to all these annoying people saying, “Man, this is just like that Holodeck on Star Trek: The Next Generation!” Plus, | think it usually went crazy and tried to kill people.
PlayStation.
Sony Computer Entertainment America Takes No Responsibility For This Offer.
“Limit 1 coupon per customer. Good at Best Buy stores only. Not good in combination with other coup 1 500-771 ree or offers. Not valid on prior purchases. Valid on in-stock items only: 1
value is 1/100 of
Violence Blood and Gore
Advertiser Index
Acclaim Entertainment www.acclaim.com
25, 108-109
Activision 18-19, 92-93, 110-111, 157, 281 www.activision.com
Advanced Cybertech 286 www.xicat.com Bam Entertainment www.bam4fun.com Best Buy 127 www.bestbuy.com
Bethesda Softworks 247 www.elderscrolls.com
Blockbuster Entertainment 165 www.blockbuster.com Capcom U.S.A., Inc. www.capcom.com 249, 293, 298 CompUsa 143, 266-267 http: / /gamefixx.compusa.com
DC Shoes, Inc. 43 www.dcshoes.com Eidos Interactive, Inc. www.eidos.com
150-151
148-149, 223
12a-C, 34-35 41, 63, 71
Electronic Arts 10-11, 64-65, 66-67, 132-133 208-209, 230-231, 296-297
Wwww.ea.com Electronics Boutique/Ebworld www.ebgames.com 14-15 Enix America 217 www.enix.com Full Sail Real World 287 www.fullsail.com Game Music Online 57 www.gamemusic.com Grip Action 289 www.gripaction.com Hobarama Corp. www.bawls.com Infogrames, Inc. 6-7, 50-51, 94-95, 134-135 168-169, 190-191, 232-233 www.infogrames.net Intec, Inc. www.inteclink.com JoyRide Studios. 203 www.joyridestudios.com Kinyo 69 www. kinyo.com Koei Corporation www.koeigames.com Konami America 76-77, 105, 159, 172-173 www.konami.com 197, 215, 221, 241, 277 LucasArts Entertainment 78-79, 198-199 www.lucasarts.com 269
22-23
155, 195, 263
174-175, 271
ANSWERS TO é ‘
CROSSWORD
PUZZLE
on page 70
Majesco Sales, Inc. 59 www.majescosales.com
Metropolis Digital - Metro 3D 39 www.metro3d.com
Microsoft 26, 27, 28-29, 30-31, 89, 139
Wwww.xbox.com 213, 243, 251, 261, 279
Midway Home Entertainment 21, 46-47, 80a-c www.midway.com 87, 107, 200a-b, 200-201 Nintendo of America 131, 239
www.nintendo.com
Paramount Communications (Pictures) 13
www.paramount.com
Pepsi-Cola Company 45, 205 WwwW.pepsico.com
Psychopathic Records 229 www.insaneclownposse.com
Radica USA, Ltd 253 www.gamesterusa.com
Sega Of America Dreamcast 16-17, 90-91
124-125, 184-185, 188-189, 227, 235, 275 www.sega.com
Simon & Schuster 83, 283 www.ssinteractive.com Sony Computer Entertainment 8-9, 73
www.scea.com Square EA www.kingdomhearts.com Take 2 Interactive Software - Rockstar Games 52-53, 146-147, 254-255 www.take2games.com TDK Mediactive www.tdk-mediactive.com Tecmo Inc. www.tecmoinc.com THQ 2-5, 74-75, 120-121, 122-123, 141, www.thq.com 170-171, 237, 259, 285 Ubi Soft Entertainment 32-33, 167, 186- www.ubisoft.com 187, 264-265 Verizon Wireless 85 www.verizon.com Vivendi Universal Games Inc. - Sierra Entertainment 48-49, 128a-b www.sierra.com Vivendi Universal Games Inc. - Universal 99, 144-145, 183, 206-207, 273 www.universalinteractive.com Vivendi Universal Games Inc. - PPG www.interplay.com 161, 219, 244-245
176a-b, 176-177 143, 115, 117, 149
96-97
211, 256-257
Warner Bros. 103 www.warnerhomevideo.com Wizards of the Coast 81
www.wizards.com
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Chairman and Chief Executive Officer .......... Robert F. Callahan Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer . .Bart W. Catalane
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NEXT MONTH
January 2003 (issue —
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GAMING,
——[IMON THLY,
1 Metroid Primetime
Judgment day for the new Metroid games finally arrives next month. Will the sequels to our No. 1 game of all time live up to our expectations? The truth shall be revealed next issue. We'll also reveal the season’s
Reviewed Next Month:
e Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell (Xbox) e Resident Evil 6 (GC)
e Steel Battalion (Xbox)
e The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (P$2)
e Contra: Shattered Soldier (PS$2)
mT fhe sie ieee coolest gaming-related gift ideas in a ’ ata | ha our Holiday Buyer’s Guide. This Previewed Next Month: hes year, you can give your loved ones e EverQuest Online Adventures 1? the kind of presents you’ll want to (PS2) ewe: borrow. We’ve been checking our list : eros to see who’s naughty and nice, and e True Grime:
Seanbaby falls squarely in the first camp. Indulge in his 10 Naughtiest Console Games feature. Also, since you'll still be cruisin’ the streets of GTA: Vice City, we’|| have some new Strategies and secrets to share.
Streets of L.A. (PS2, GC, Xbox)
e Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness (PS2)
e Final Fantasy X-2 (PS2)
All editorial content is subject to change.
COMmPrPurenr
Metroid Fusion
PlayStation
Dec. 2002
@ x “iit roothas consult OPM’s hol- e Unreal strategy guide, and ree sna ambitious follow-up, Cont iday buyer’s guide. Championship get a free NightFire ceMine Site Age of Mythology, is e Contra: Plus, get the verdict poster to boot. Plus, Reviews finally here. CGW got Shattered on GIA: Vice City. ° Zelda GBA you'll get original ; its grubby mitts on it Soldier _ patterns for your e Icewind Dale Il for an exclusive ; Animal Crossing e Space Horse hands-on report, with ‘ Lg ar wardrobe, the ' everything you need secrets and tips you e Mafia to know about the e Ty the Tas- need for Castle- e The Sims: single- and multi- manian Tiger sa mie ee ae Unleashed player ewe Don’t P . , - a | ‘Clank and tons o 2 anger the gods—rea ° ea GTA: Vice City codes and tricks! 7 bie Total this issue! Lhasa | eMechWarrior 4: io 8 SY PSE Videos Clan Pack ey ° 4 new The e Divine Divinity egentary ; Adventure sree , ae ® ¢ WWE Smack- Silla. —, ‘angie ae Down! Shut Shinobi Ratchet & Clank 007: NightFire e Xill ace = Mythology | ~~ Your Mouth
MAGAZINE
SHINOBI
OPM peeks under
and in-depth review. Also: Don’t buy a single gift until you
Dec. 2002
e Ratchet & Clank e Shenmue ll
BOND 00): NIGHTFIRE
On sale Nov. 5 the kimono of Sega’s On sale Nov. 12 On sale Oct. 29
= stylish ninja super- » Bhi Bond is back—and _._ Strategy fans: listen Demo Disc star to bring you a : as bes Time better than ever. es “"$-~- up! Ensemble Studios Playables hard-hitting teature on Even better than 7 made two of the best
GoldenEye. Check out GameNow’s review and massive
GAMING
Dec. 2002
WORLD AGE OF MYTHOLOGY
RTS games ever with the Age of Empires Series, and now the
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