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the most powerful substance ever created can a chosen few can control it.

from it.

In the future, control time and physics. Only

But only one can save

a », One of 3 forms you can instantly morph into. } With heavy firepower, you can; + Smash Halcol¥(e] aime) es-1 (el (x + Launch long-range attacks with guns, grenades and boomerang shots * Juggle and throw enemies for the

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II trademarks and copyrights are used with permission of Major League Baseball Properties, Inc. Visit theofficial web site at MLB.com. ©MLBPA, Official Licensee - Major League Baseball Players Association.

Major League Ba vice on the Wel ww.bigleaguers.com. 989 Sports and the 989 Sports logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. ©2003 Sony Computer Entertainment America inc.

Visit the Players C

T= NINTENDO Le INN, |e] =|

Sega is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. SEGA, the SEGA logo, Sonic Adventure and Sonic The Hedgehog are either registered trademarks or trademarks of SEGA CORPORATION. Original Game @SEGA @SONICTEAM/SEG

MISSION MODE

SEGA ie SS

tie tombraider.com

~ Stealth and hand-to-hand attacks hel remove anyone in your path.

The gritty urban underbelly of Europe offers whole new environments.

A bloody crim e

pursuit of good bec

: arrayed again Player/character Kurtis Trent brings his own distinct gameplay mechanics. to learna feretiat

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PC Po cone =EIDOS

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© 2003 Gore Design Limited. Lara Croft, Tomb Raider and Core are registered trademarks of Core Design Ltd. Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness, the Tomb Raider logo and the Core Design logo are trademarks of Core Design Ltd, Eidos Interactive and the

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contents

issue 167 - sune 2003

BIOS

All you’ll ever wanna know about the crazy kooks who put this mag together.

LETTERS

ri}

You write in, and we respond with bitter sarcasm.

PRESS START

32

34

38

40

42

54

DELAY OF GAME

Find out why we all have to wait a bit longer for Halo 2, F-Zero, and others. NINTENDO SECRETS

Mario's creator talks shop.

GRUDGE MATCH

Zelda's Old vs. Young Link.

DEAD OR ALIVE

We reveal the future of Tecmo’s busty franchise.

AFTERTHOUGHTS

Finishing Zelda just brought up more questions—like, is Tingle gay? INSTANT EXPERT

Learn how you can play Japanese games on your domestic consoles. BRUTE FORCE

Give an alligator a stogie and he just won't shut up about his game. WEIRD SCIENCE

When gaming geeks go way too far. EGM INTERNATIONAL

Two words: nose hairs.

CELEBRITY INTERVIEW

ICP chats about Backyard Wrestling. TOP 10 PDA GAMES

Portable gaming minus a GBA. COMPUTER GAMING WORLD

Why The Sims is better offline. DOWNLOAD

More Sam Fisher for Xbox owners. THE RUMOR MILL

The Q dishes some Mario Kart dirt. THE HOT 5

Accloser look at your favorites. COMING SOON

A quick peek at this summer's lineup.

ENTER THE 143 Miche Win a PS2, GameCube, Xbox, and more. Like, whoa.

2003 PREVIEWS SPECIAL

66 FOR YOUR EYES ONLY The EGM spies broke out in full force this month to provide you with details on more than 60 new titles, including X-Men: Legends, Medal of Honor: Rising Sun, Ratchet & Clank 2, SOCOM 2, and Syphon Filter (PS2).

REVIEW CREW 111 Midnight Club I! 112 Batman Dark Tomorrow 112 Marvel vs. Capcom 2 113 Lost Kingdoms Il 114 Dragon Ball Z: Ultimate Battle 22 114 Star Wars: The Clone Wars 116 Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow 120 Choplifter: Crisis Shield 120 Mega Man Network Transmission 121 Magic Pengel: The Quest for Color 122 Sonic Adventure DX: Director’s Cut 124 Burnout 2: Point of Impact 124 Motor Trend Presents

Lotus Challenge 126 Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell (GC) 127 .hack Part 2: Mutation 127 Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell (GBA) 130 Conflict: Desert Storm 131 Auto Modellista 131 Inside Pitch 2003 132 Wario Ware, Inc: Mega Microgame$ 133. Mega Man Battle Network 3:

Blue & White

TRICKS OF THE TRADE 136 Grand Theft Auto: Vice City 136 Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven 136 Colin McRae Rally 3

136 ATV Quad Power Racing 2 136 Tao Feng; Fist of the Lotus 137 Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire

138 The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

GAME OVER

142 REST OF THE CRAP Seanbaby tells you, as only he can, what games not to buy.

143 ENTER THE MATRIX CONTEST/ CROSSWORD

146 HSU & CHAN

TOP 10 PDA GAMES Who said these little devices were all work and no play?

CELEBRITY INTERVIEW Insane Clown Posse’s Violent J raps to us about his upcoming brawler.

SPECIAL INSERT

101 CELL-PHONE GAMING REPORT

What to play now, and what you'll be playing later.

WEIRD SCIENCE Is this a giant Game Boy or a tiny man? Find out inside.

Welcome to the new Electronic Gaming Monthly.

If you’re a regular around these parts, you’ll notice a few changes. OK, maybe a lot of changes. Well,

§ actually, we’ve redone almost the 7 4 entire freakin’ magazine. We've 3 ; y A , fam listened to your feedback over the . aes : 4 ji y years, and we’ve incorporated your ? = Z ‘ 3 | yee suggestions to create the best COVE R 1 (6) RY: i ; j F \ b iteration of EGM yet. Did we hit the ef \

mark? Let us know by emailing

‘ - r egm@ziffdavis.com, but know that ES j 3 iN ) after all the blood and sweat we've ae ; i poured into this redesign (not to : x sf f \ #7) mention how many editors and

designers died in the process),

: ‘ : : , {\ ') we're gonna burst into a pathetic, ats H Pegs ee, uncontrollable flood of tears if you >: j : y < Ve send any hate our way.

: J ; a | We tweaked Press Start (news

and other stuff) and Previews to

Our world-exclusive look at y OO eee Star Wars Rogue Squadron Ill: : : NMR) Review Grew has gone through * ‘ ‘ ee? | a radical facelift. Don’t worry, Rebel Strike proves that 2 A i 4 though; the Crew is still tell- e- there’s still much to u d it-is tough (check out our new cary ¥ F =™, 4 Shame of the Month “award”—it’s encounter ina ‘ fa PD bound to get us in quite a bit of ‘ galaxy far, ; trouble with the game companies). 2 3, a . And your other favorite sections, far away. i : aw ee: from the gossip king Quartermann

to the hilarious Hsu and Chan cartoon, are still around. We hope you enjoy the mag. —Dan “Shoe” Hsu Editor-in-Chief

ELECTRONIGIBAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com e 1!

DAN “SHOE” HSU Editor-in-Chief

‘M The EGM redesign took way too long because Shoe has multiplayer fever. The Japanese versions of Nintendo Puzzle Collection and Soul Calibur Il have a way of killing productivity. & Now Playing: Sou! Calibur I, Splinter Cell ™ Fave Genres: Everything

MARK MACDONALD Executive Editor

™ Check out Mark's sweet new tats—one is for GameCube Splinter Cell, and the other is for GBA Splinter Cell. We bet you can guess which is for which.

® Now Playing: Splinter Cell (GC), Castlevania: Aria

‘1 Fave Genres: Action, Adventure, RPG

‘SHANE BETTENHAUSEN Reviews Editor © Galvanizing the

JOE FIELDER Previews Editor © Once this issue's secret-games story (pg. 66) was done, Joe stuck a candy cigar in his mouth and said, “! love it when a plan comes together,” just like The A-Team's George Peppard. © Now Playing: Zelda: Animal Crossing ‘© Fave Genres: Action, Shooters, Adventure

Review Crew section demanded long hours of back-breaking toil, making Shane very angry. Luckily, his Wario Ware-equipped GBA SP was there to ease his pain.

‘© Now Playing: Wario Ware, Castlevani

Fave Genres: Action

SHAWN ELLIOTT Associate Editor

JON DUDLAK Contributing Reviewer © Remember Jon? He used to work here until a barrage of irre- sistible Xbox and GameCube games forced him into early TL sion of unclaimed review games.

™ Fave Genres: Action, Fighting, Racing

the

12 © ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY © www.egmmag.com

JENNIFER TSAO Managing Editor

1 EGMs radical new look has changed Jennifer's life. Now she eats right, exer- cises, and loves GBA games! (OK, that last one is actually because of GBA SP, but it sounded good.)

™ Fave Genres: Action Sports, Adventure, RPG

DEMIAN LINN Editor-at-Large

‘@ Now Playing Midnight Club II, Soul Calibur Il

GREG FORD Contributing Reviewer © After playing games this month that ran the gamut from crap (Batman) to excellent (Burnout 2), Ford needed a few hours of mediocrity (Choplifter) to screw his head back on straight.

™ Fave Genres: Action, Adventure, Sports

CRISPIN BOYER Features Editor

TH The game gizmos on page 44’s Weird Science story inspired Cris to create his own useless inventions, starting with the world’s largest Betamax player and the edible sombrero. 1 Now Playing: Zelda: WW, Choplifter

& Fave Genres: Adventure, RPG

PAUL BYRNES Associate Editor

™ Beyond time and mortality, his pure soul repels foul demons. His ancestors’ power resides in his war- rior's heart. Paul was badly wounded by this deadline, but the soooul still Byrnes!

‘NW Now Playing: Soul Calibur Il, Zelda: WW ‘© Fave Genres: Action, Adventure, Puzzle

JOHN RICCIARDI Contributing Reviewer UCC URSCUCLT has grown soft lo these many moons he has been away from EGM. We thought it best to ease him back into the groove with a coupla GBA reviews. © Now Playing: Zelda. WW, Castlevania: Aria, Soul Calibur I

™ Fave Genres: Action, RPGs, Sports

CHRIS JOHNSTON News Editor

@ After hours of play- ing Wario Ware on GBA, all CJ can do is shake hands with col- lies (which makes him giggle with glee) and stick his finger up his nose (Which makes us recoil in horror).

™ Now Playing: Wario Ware, Zelda: WW

‘1 Fave Genres: Action, Adventure, Puzzle

BRYAN INTIHAR Associate Editor

Now Playing: Zelda: WW, Soul Calibur I ‘Fave Genres: Action, Adventure, Sports

GREG SEWART Contributing Reviewer © Like Dudlak and Ricciardi, Greg's a for- mer EGMer who just lost it, told us he was going out for a pack of smokes, and never came back. Or maybe the U.S. just deported his Canadian ass.

‘© Now Playing: Auto Modellista, Amplitude ‘© Fave Genres: RPG, Racing, Sports

ZIFF DAVIS

Editor-in-Chief Dan “Shoe” Hsu Executive Editor Mark MacDonald Managing Editor Jennifer Tsao Features Editor Crispin Boyer

News Editor Chris “CJ” Johnston Reviews Editor Shane Bettenhausen Previews Ecitor Joe Fielder Editor-at-Large Demian Linn Associate Editor/Production Designer Paul Byrnes Associate Editor Bryan Intihar ‘Associate Editor Shawn Elliott

Tricks Editor David Hodgson International Editor John Ricciardi Japanese Correspondent Yutaka Ohbuchi

DESIGN Art Director Monique Martinez Associate Art Director Stefan Belavy

CONTRIBUTORS.

Marla Aufmuth, Chris Baker, John Brandon, Che Chou, Robert Coffey, Ethan Einhorn, Charles Ernst, Casey Loe, Miguel Lopez, Paul Mayall, Greg Orlando, Andrew Pfister, Nik Schulz, Norm Scott, Seanbaby, Scott Steinberg, Gary Steinman, Phil Theobald, Todd Zuniga

Founder Steve Harris,

Senior Vice President Dale Strang Egitorial Director John Davison Creative Director Simon Cox Business Director Cathy Bendoff

COPY DESK Copy Chief Kristen Salvatore Copy Editors Tom Edwards, Greg Ford

PRODUCTION

Senior Production Manager Anne Marie Miguel Production Manager Monica Brent

Assistant Production Manager Teresa Newson

Art Production Manager Michele Kellogg-Manousos

CIRCULATION Group Circulation Director Tracy Schultz

Single Copy Sales Director Bob Kerekes

Senior Newsstand Sales Manager Don Galen Internet and Partnership Marketing Dir. Chris Wilkes

SALES AND MARKETING Group Publisher Lee Uniacke 415-357-4910, fax: 415-547-8777 Group Associate Publisher Stan Taigen 415-357-4915, fax: 415-547-8777 Bay Area

District Sales Representative Mary Gray 415-547-8782, fax: 415-547-8777 Account Executive Aaron Gallion 415-357-4925, fax: 415-547-8777 ‘Southwest

District Sales Manager Julie Knapp 310-379-4313, fax: 310-379-4312 Account Executive Emily Olman 415-547-8781, fax: 415-547-8777 Midwest

Regional Sales Manager Mare Callison 630-810-4095, fax: 630-810-4099 Account Executive Candace Droz 415-357-4920, fax: 415-547-8777 East

Regional Sales Manager lan Sinclair 203-255-5795, fax: 203-255-4560 Account Executive Mary Letson 415-357-5226, fax: 415-547-8777 Key Accounts ~ West

Regional Sales Manager Marci Yamaguchi 415-357-4944, fax: 415-547-8777 Account Executive Amy Mishra 415-547-8780, fax: 415-547-8777 Online

Online Sales Bill Young

415-547-8453, fax: 415-547-8777

Marketing Director Rey Ledda 415-547-8775

Marketing Coordinator Wayne Shiu 415-547-8248

Senior Advertising Coordinator Tipler Ubbelohde 415-357-4930 Senior Sales Assistant Kristeen Laut 415-547-8778

Sales Assistant Amanda Nelson 415-547-8783

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Robert F. Callahan Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer Bart W, Catalane Senior Executive Vice President (Publishing Operations) Tom McGrade Executive Vice President Stephen D. Moylan Executive Vice President and Editorial Director

(Editor-in-Chief, PC Magazine) Michael J. Miller Executive Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary Gregory Barton

Senior Vice President (Technology & Sales Operations) Jasmine Alexander Senior Vice President (Finance) Derek Irwin

Senior Vice President (Circulation) Charles Mast

Senior Vice President (Publishing Director, Baseline) Sloan Seymour Senior Vice President (Game Group) Dale Strang

Senior Vice President (Internet) Jason Young

Vice President (Corporate Sales) Ken Beach Vice President (Publisher, PC Magazine) Tim Castelli

Vice President (Integrated Media) Charles Lee

Vice President (Corporate Communications) Aimee D. Levine Vice President (Editor-in-Chief, Internet) Jim Louderback

Vice President (Editor-in-Chief, eWEEK) Eric Lundquist

Vice President (Editorial Development) Bill Machrone

Vice President (Controller) David Mullen

Vice President (Human Resources) Beth Repeta

Vice President (Editor-in-Chief, Baseline) Tom Steinert-Threlkeld Vice President (Internet Audience Development) Stephen Sutton Vice President (Publisher, CIO Insight) Stephen Veith

Senior Director, Manufacturing Carlos Lugo Director, international Christin Lawson

(Contact anyone on this masthead via e-mail using firstname_tastname@ziffdavis.com) 1-800-779-1174 (US. and Canada only) http://service. egmmag.com

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FOR STICKERS, POSTERS AND INFO SEND $2.00 (U.S, CURRENCY ONLY) TO DC STICKERS. 770 SYCAMORE AVENUE #.Ja71, VISTA. CA 9208, OFFER VALID Iti USA ONLY,

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MARVEL | ACTIVISION.

activision.com

Screenshots taken from PlayStation’2 computer entertainment system, Xbox" video game system and Nintendo GameCube” gameplay. 2 Motion Picture Elements: © 2003 20th Century Fox Film Corporation. All rights reserved, MARVEL, XMEN, Wolverine and all Marvel characters and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks of Marvel Characters, tnc., and are used,

wilh permission, Copyright © 2003. All rights reserved, www.marvel.com, Game code ( 2003 Activision, Inc. and its affiliates, Published and distributed by Activision Publishing, inc, 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 NISC 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. TM, ©, Game Boy Advance and the Nintendo GameCube Jogo are trademarks of Nintendo, () 2001 Nintendo. 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,

“GAME OF THE YEAR.”

Xbox Game of the Year (IGN, Gamespy)

“Don’t hesitate to buy this

A ’ amazing game.” : Electronic Gaming Monthly ~ Editor’s Choice Gold Award

XBox! SCREEN SHOWN.

“A spectacular-looking, Pavavetore crammed black-op experience.”

Electronic Gaming Monthly

‘> PLaySTATION 2° COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM SCREEN SHOWN.

Use the Nintendo GameCube™ Game Boy“ Advance cable and access new gadgets and levels.

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SUHDRAY 15

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wwwSRSEAMeE.coM

Nonstop In your Gamers’ Choice Awards (EGM #165), you gave Gitaroo Man the “Best Game None of You Heartless Bastards Bought” award. You guys made it sound awesome, so when | went to the store and saw it on the shelf, | thought, “EGM said it rocked, so what the hey.” Plus, it was only $20. Man, you couldn't have been more...right! This game is amazing! Strap me in a woofer-jet and send me to Planet Gitaroo, ‘cause | can't stop rockin’. It's a shame that no one cares, though; this game seriously deserves more admiration! —Andrew Paris

We've decided to give Gitaroo Man another award, for the game News Editor Chris Johnston Most Wishes He Gave an 8 Instead of a 7. He’s flogging himself in public right now, again.

Unable to My boyfriend has a problem. Each month, he buys new videogames. And each month games go unplayed. In January alone he bought five games. Five! Only one of which he has beaten. He purchased Stee/ Battalion in December and to date has only beaten the first mission! Is this a sign of a lack of commitment? | mean, if he can’t stick it out with Samus long enough to get the plasma beam in Metroid Prime, how am | supposed to believe he'll stick with me long enough to put a ring on my finger? Dr. Ruth isn’t equipped for questions like this.

—Susan Dirs Moses

We feel like we’re missing half of the story here. Is your male pal neglecting his gaming duty because he’s spending time with you, attending cinematic events such as Chicago and accompanying you on shopping expeditions? If so, while EGM does not necessarily approve of this union, you’ve got him right where you want him,

Plushy Envy

letter

presumably. If not, then drop that non- game-finishing no-account. He needs to get his life together. (Though with Steel Battalion, cut him a little slack—that game is hard.)

can proceed to beat you like naughty circus monkeys? —Joshua “Mr. Whompass” Brader

Hold everything. You have a family pig?

Indiana Jones dressed as a Nazi to infiltrate a base in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Indy does dress as a Nazi, but not until The Last Crusade. \'m not really angry, just disappointed. Let me know when you plan

cT3

—VJoshua “Mr. Whompass” Brader

Animal

Hey, | just got Xbox Live, and | feel like | need to whip you like the family pig. How ‘bout you send me your gamertags so |

| was wondering where Chris Johnston got that Animal Crossing plush toy seen in his EGM #165 Review Crew picture. Are any other characters available? | think my

girlfriend would flip over ’em.

—Rudy Carreno

CJ's got two Animal Crossing plushies, if the world must know. One was carted over from Japan via the obliging Mark MacDonald (he’s such an enabler), and the K. K. Slider plushy is from an Animal Crossing swap meet in San Francisco. That’s right, an Animal Crossing swap meet—wanna fight? Never fear, though. You can order 10 different AC plushies from www.ufocatcher.com. And the part about you actually buying them for yourself and not this mysterious “girlfriend”? It’s in the vault.

20 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com

The K Word | did some research, and | found out that in Mortal Kombat manuals, all the words that are supposed to start with a C start with a K\ Isn't that weird?

—Lucas Weesen

Weird, yes. Idiotic, also yes. But not at all surprising.

Not to be all anal or anything, but you guys are supposed to be professionals, right? And yet, frankly, your attention to detail makes me ill. A magazine cover is supposed to reflect the content and quality of said magazine, but the first thing | noticed when | picked up EGM #165 was the cover line “2 games enter, 1 game leave.” Fire your editor. | might have let this fly, but on further inspection of the issue, | found another more blasphemous error. On page 130, you claimed that

to put out a quality magazine, K? —DrtyMrshmlow@aol.com

Uh, no. “Two men enter, one man leave”

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Tennessee {i \orce My boyfriend is a camera operator for a blimp company that provides aerial coverage for sporting events and other commercial ventures. While flying over Chattanooga, TN, he snapped this picture, proving that the “Legend of Zelda” may be more than a legend—the Triforce really exists!

Thank you in advance for printing the picture that will give millions of gamers around the world hope...hope that a green tunic-wearing hero will make a valiant return and defeat evil once and for all!

—Teresa M.

Link’s gonna be so pissed when he finally finds the Triforce and it turns out to be an office park in Chattanooga.

is a classic line from Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, so that’s where that came from. As for the Raiders thing: You’re wrong; we’re right. The movie’s on TBS only like every other day—check it out sometime.

and Switch

First of all, | would like to let you know that Ben Lincoln’s gripe about receiving an obviously used game as new [Letters, EGM #166] is not uncommon. Having worked for a number of videogame and music stores, | know first-hand that stores sometimes repackage a used disc that is in good condition as new. This is not a rampant problem, and | have only seen this at smaller businesses, never at a larger chain like Electronics Boutique.

As you suggested, however, Electronics Boutique and other stores do reshrinkwrap their returned games if the return is due to dissatisfaction with the game, and not a defective disc. This is probably the situation in Ben Lincoin’s case. Still, I’ve never had a problem getting a brand new disc if requested.

This policy is the tradeoff we get from

6

” —Jason Schlein

WAKEBOARDING

UNLEASHED:|SHAUN MURRA

Water moves. Screenshots don't For the real experience, check out

EVERYONE

Comic Mischief - PlayStation.e JPL cameBoraovence

xe0x AcTIvISIONo2.cOM

© 2008 Activision, Inc. and its affiliates. Published and distributed by Activision Publishing, In. Activision isa registered trademark and Activision 02, Sports Revolution and Wakeboarding Unleashed are trademarks of Activision, In. and its affiliates ll rights reserved. Shaun Murray isa trademark of Shaun Murray. Developed by Shata Games, LLC. Microsoft, Xbox and the Xbox logos are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation inthe US, and/or other countries. llrightsreserved. TM, @, Game Boy Advance and the Nintendo GameCube logo are trademarks of Nintendo, © 2001 Nintendo. Ail rights reserved. Licensed for play onthe PiayStation®2 computer entertainment systems with the NTSC UIC designation only. “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, All oer tradamarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners.

merio

We said you couldn’t handle the realistic Mario, but you still wanted him. At least a few of you did, because our Give Mario a Makeover contest entries (EGM #163) didn’t exactly flood in. Maybe you thought we were joking? Or maybe it was just a dumb idea to begin with. Anyway, any excuse for more cosplay is a good excuse, and the winner is: Ron Jeremy as Mario in Super Hornio Brothers! Oh wait, he didn’t actually enter the contest, so he’s disqualified. And the real winner is: Spencer

and Shaun Cheveallier! The three-page letter you sent was quite

disturbing, but that’s between you, us, and the lawyers. A Kakuto Chojin-+themed first- aid kit is on its way!

Scary: Ron Jeremy, we salute you, but we'd rather not shake your hand.

ee

” —Faz Bye

such lenient return policies—does Sam Goody or other larger music chains allow us to return a CD for another because we don’t like the music? Not likely. | know for a fact that smaller used music stores and most videogame chains often do allow this. So we have to make a decision: Do we want to be able to return a game for reasons such as dissatisfaction with the gameplay, or would we like to receive a brand-new, sealed game every time? Personally, | prefer the ability to return a horrible game. Otherwise I'd still own Simpsons: Road Rage.

—Jason Schlein

Tight | recently got the new Pokémon Ruby game for GBA. It’s the usual Pokémon, but

one standout thing kind of...stood out. | found that | could ‘talk’ to people using some pre-selected words.

A ‘cool’ kid asked me about a ‘cool’ phrase, so | looked around the list and found the word combination of ‘tight rear.’ The kid thought it was awesome (understandably), and so did the townsfolk. Later, a young boy was talking about how he owned the official ‘tight rear’ dolls, ‘tight rear’ brand clothing, and the official ‘tight rear’ picture book. | thought, “Dang, who are these kids’

Siood on the (Virtual) Highway

| recently started driver’s ed. class. The teacher told us that kids who play racing videogames are usually better drivers

parents?!” as well as, “Hmm, what if more games had this great feature?” Imagine Halo grunts squealing ‘tired chipmunks!’ or fighting Ze/da’s Ganon in

a venue you've renamed ‘The Hall of the Amish.’ Just thinking about it makes my rear tight.

—ganondorf_22

That’s...disturbing. You know you can get more catch-phrase-creating thrills from GameCube’s Animal Crossing, right? And you don’t even have to

2. Thanks, EGM

than the ones who don’t, because they learn to look ahead and read the road, not just stare at the trunk of the car in front. |

thought | should pass this information along to you guys, and to all other gamers that are around my age—try telling your parents that when you are playing Gran Turismo 3 you are actually doing homework. It worked on my step-mom! My

parents go halves with me on all the racing games | want to

24 © ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com

choose options from a menu, but can make up whatever you want. Maybe we shouldn’t have mentioned it....

You Don’t

Despite ESRB President Patricia Vance’s response to Lewis Medeiros (Letters, EGM #164), | firmly believe the ESRB failed utterly in its job regarding the rating of BMX XXX. The message sent out by the game’s M rating (as opposed to an adults-only AO) is that publishers can pretty much do anything and still get a rating that won't hurt their games’ availability and sales.

But without any legal enforcement, ESRB ratings are a joke anyway. The state of Michigan’s crackdown on retailers selling games to underage buyers is welcome news, evidence that at least

buy now! Can’t wait for Auto Modellista and Midnight Club

—Faz Bye

Hey speedy, don’t forget to add Stuntman (PS2) to your list of driver’s-edutainment titles. Where else will you learn the proper technique for riding on two wheels, or the minimum safe speed for dodging falling buildings? Your parents might

lille

"our or’ THE WATER!

e Anepic role-playing eine on sea and land % (ey 4 <=

° Gorgeous graphics Bib eralisticgteatlier eftects

- , a BE a

° Open-ended gameplay set in exotic os Res : ea ee :

° Exciting hich seas battles and thrilling aaa

ae as: hg fiigpiced by the feature film coming July 9th

sey

call 1-800-771-3772 for Rating Information.

1¢ COMPANY

a ZeniMax Media company

a Q@ereLba™ = © 2003 Bethesda Softworks LLC, a ZeniMax Media company. Bethesda Softworks and ZeniMax are registered trademarks or trademarks of ZeniMax Media Inc. Microsoft, Xbox and the Xbox Logos are either __Tegistered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or in other countries and are used under license from Microsoft. Audio/Visual elements © Disney. Other product and company names

¥ referenced herein may be trademarks of their respective owners. All Rights.Reserved.

sputtering

ee

” —Nailo Jiria

some government officials are treating the ESRB as law rather than a suggestion. | don’t feel Mature-rated games are in any danger if the government becomes more active in

enforcing ESRB ratings; it will merely help keep game sales limited to the gamers old enough to purchase them legally in the first place.

—Aaron Marshall

Illicit Animal I've found a great reason to play a mediocre game, Animal Crossing. | know there's like a million people who want me dead for that last line, but running to get Mitzi’s Game Boy over and over gets old fast. Nowadays, the only thing that makes me break Animal Crossing out is the built-in NES games, which remind me of the good ol’ days. Anyway, special thanks to Datel for the brand new Action Replay for GameCube; more accurately, the code for Animal Crossing that has given me, among other games, The Legend of Zelda and Super Mario Bros.!

—Jeff Daniel

To that one guy who keeps e-mailing us, demanding to know how to unlock Punch-Out in AC—you can stop now.

26 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com

Insert

(insert gripe about game review here) (insert 1337-speak here)

(insert non-game related musing here) (insert emotional response to videogame violence here)

One Man’s Dream

| prayed for Knight Rider to be brought back on television, and it looks like my prayers were answered thanks to reruns on the Sci-Fi Channel. So I'm pretty happy about that, but my lifelong dream is to be Michael Knight, the man behind the wheel of KITT. To make a long story short, | (and I'm pretty sure I’m not alone on this either) would like to see a Knight Rider game that could make anyone drool.

—Pedro Perez

Nice pen name, Hasselhoff, but we know it’s you. The original Knight Rider for NES is all you get. Now go make another bikini show, but this time, keep your shirt on.

(insert gripe about spurious Q-Mann gossip here) (insert “put this in your mag if you dare” comment here) (insert something about April Fool's here) (insert comment about how hot polygonal chick X is here) (insert mindless drivel here) (insert rant here)

—Simon Au

(insert informational response here) (insert soul-destroying put-down here)

Blood

Strong Sexual Content Violence

E€IDOS

hitman2.com

lo-Interactive |

Hitman 2: © 2002 10 Interactive A/S. Developed by IO Interactive A/S. Hitman 2: Silent Assassin is a trademark of Eidos Interactive. 10 Interactive and the I0 Interactive logo are trademarks of IO Interactive A/S. TM, ® and Nintendo GameCube logo are trademarks of Nintendo.

2001 Nintendo. The ratings icon is a registered trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. All other titles, trademarks, characters, and regis:

rations are property of their respective owners. All rights reserved. EGM Gold Award was received in the December 2002 issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly for Hitman 2 on PS2. Electronic Gaming Monthly Gold Editors’ Choice Award Logo is a trademark of Ziff Davis Publishing Holdings Inc. Used under license.

ONLINE

Take it to the street and experience the rush of the first cell-shaded online racer for the PlayStation°2 computer entertainment system. Build the ultimate dream car and F=0) head-to-head against eight online players in your tricked-out, world-class ride. Feel the pulse of the street as you add sonic screen effects and digital music to your own instant replay footage. Racing fans get set and Go! Auto Modellista.

»&&Y

ormuwuiml.e.

EVERYONE Visit www.esrb.org or call 1-800-771-3772 ® CAPCOM CO.,LTD. 2002. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. « CAPCOM U.S.A., INC. 2002, 2003, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. CAPCOM and the CAPCOM LOGO are registered trademarks of CAP-

— for rating information COM CO., LTD. “auto modellista” is a trademark of CAPCOM CO., LTD. “PlayStation’and the "PS" Family logo and DUALSHOCK are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Online plays requires internet connection and Network Adaptor for PlayStation 2 (sold separately). The online icon is a trademark of Sony Computer

Race and chat with up to 8 OPPONENTS ONLINE

Edit your own INSTANT REPLAY Add music and screen effects...

»—

a a fl

Race REAL CARS from { Honda, Toyota, Mazda, B Nissan and more...

CUSTOMIZE your tires, suspension, turbine kit, transmission and more.

Entertainment America Inc. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. ALL MANUFACTURERS, CARS, CAR PARTS, NAMES, BRANDS. AND ASSOCIATED IMAGERY FEATURED IN THIS GAME ARE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS INCLUDING TRADEMARKS AND/OR COPYRIGHTED MATERIALS OF THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Following the events of the blockbuster Universal Pictures film, troubled scientist Dr. Bruce Banner and his enraged alter ego, The Hulk, battle The Leader - a terrifying villain intent on unleashing a relentless army of gamma creatures on the world.

45 devastating attacks to 25 fully destructible and Battle notorious classic Qutsmart your enemies as dispose of your enemies. interactive environments - villains and massive new Dr. Bruce Banner, using if you can see it, you can foes. Fight up to 10 stealth and disguise.

smash it. enemies at once.

PRE-ORDER ; YOUR COPY IN STORES

TODAY

SEE THE MOVIE ONLY IN

THEATERS

OS.20:.03

UNIVERSAL

Violenc

Eas PlayStation.e 2,

"THE HULK" interactive game © 2003 Universal Interactive, Inc. Marvel, THE INCREDIBLE HULK and All Related Comic Book Characters: TM & © 2003 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. www.marvel.com “THE HULK" movie © 2003 Universal Studios. All rights reserved. Published and distributed by Universal Interactive, Inc. Vivendi Universal Games and the Vivendi Universal Games logo are trademarks of Vivendi Universal Games, Inc. "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Microsoft, Xbox and the Xbox logos are trademarks of Microso!t Corporation in the United States and/or in other countries and are used under license from Microsolt. TM, ® and the Nintendo GameCube logo are trademarks of Nintendo. The ratings icon is a registered trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective holders.

WWW.THEHULK.COM WWW.HULKGAMES.COM WWW.MARVEL.COM

gaming news, interviews, sadomasochistic pong, and other stuff

A status report on the games you're waiting (a bit longer) for

om Petty once sang, “The waiting is the hardest part,” and no one knows that better than gamers. Think back to the last time you wait- ed for a big game that got delayed. Was it the great Christmas of '02, when The Getaway and Dead or Alive: Xtreme Beach Volleybalf both slipped into the New Year? Or maybe it was Gran Turismo 3, which was originally planned as a PS2 launch title but did- n’t come out until eight months later? Or was it Rare’s...well, any game Rare’s ever made (Perfect Dark, Gonker’s Bad Fur Day, Starfox Adventures, etc.)? Believe it or not, these delays can be a good thing, since they some- times give developers extra time to polish and balance their game in the crucial final stages of production. Other times, though, delays are a clear signal that something has gone hor- 4, ribly, horribly wrong. In those cases, usually the creators are taking a few weeks to salvage what they can, get it out the door, and cut their losses. So which is it for highly anticipated but recently delayed games like Halo 2, Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness, F-Zero, and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic—are they being polished to a shine or slapped with a Band-Aid and kicked out the door? And can we really believe these new release dates? EGM investigates.

32 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com

HA

i=

This follow-up to the hit sci-fi first-person shooter is by far the most important game in the history of Xbox, and Microsoft and developer Bungie know it. So it’s no surprise that everyone involved wants to take the time to get it right. “We're sorry to disappoint [Halo fans]—but making this game as good as we possi- bly can is our paramount concern,” reads an announcement on Bungie's website. “Our ultimate goal is to make Halo 2a great game; when the game comes out next year, we think you'll agree we made the right choice [on the delay].”

One concern: Microsoft claims Halo 2 will be out early next year, but Bungie will only say 2004. Both parties even tried to convince us they never “officially announced” the 2003 date (they did, and we have the press releases to prove it). But lest we forget, Bungie delivered the first Ha/o under the unbreakable deadline of the Xbox system launch. And we hear that game turned out pretty good

dhe

TOMB rieg

Nelaateys

DARKNESS

Original release dates: lovember 2002, i jecember 2002, ‘February 2003, eh 2003 Ps to: April ae

Successfully changing an established formula takes time, and, as Development Director Adrian Smith told us back in late January, this ain’t the same old Tomb Raider. “Angel of Darkness offers significantly different gameplay from the other games in the series. We are simply making sure all of the bits work well together. At this point in the development process, we are not working on design or adding any new game mechanics, but rather polishing the game.”

It’s entirely possible that the new Raider will make its April release date and be in stores by the time you read this. But two things make us wonder: 1) We didn’t receive a review copy in time for this issue, as we usually would have for an April release. This could mean publisher Eidos isn’t confident enough to want reviews out before the game itself hits shelves, or it could mean another delay (rumors of yet another delay are afoot as we speak); and 2) Eidos refused to comment for this story.

i

=a

Nintendo and developer Amusement Vision (a division of Sega) say the extra time will be spent tweaking the controls and adding new ships and tracks to this fast-as-lightning futuristic hover racer.

A playable version of F-Zero on display in Japan early this year looked surprisingly complete, despite claims it was only 40 percent done. The basic game was already in place, including whole tracks and plenty of different characters. Given that fact, as well as Nintendo's recent reputation for sticking to (or close to) its promised release dates, we believe F-Zero will be racing into stores come August. Besides, the Cube’s upcoming release calendar is starting to look pretty bare, so Nintendo will need all the big guns it can muster.

Ever try to create an RPG, much less one based in the Star Wars universe? It’s tough work. “On a game of this size,” says Producer Mike Gallo, “wrapping up all of the final little bits, like bug testing, play balancing, user-interface tweaks, optimization, etc., takes a lot longer than anyone could imagine. If something isn’t working, we can’t just cut it from the game.”

LucasArts feels “very confident” that this is the final delay. More important, we're very optimistic about the quality of the game itself, given developer BioWare’s track record of excellent RPGs on the PC, like Ba/dur’s Gate and Neverwinter Nights. Plus, we have word that George Lucas himself is personally not very involved, which, after Episode II, is happy news indeed. r% —Mark MacDonald and Chris Johnston

ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com ¢ 33

SHOCKING NINTENDO

SECRETS

Marto’s pappy spills the beans

It’s not often we get a little time with Shigeru Miyamoto, the man behind Nintendo’s biggest hits. So, when we cornered him at this February’s D.I.C.E. Summit (a conference for game developers), we asked about the games on every Nintendo fan’s mind. Here’s the lowdown...

«On the next Zelda GBA game “(Capcom] actually went into planning on this right after finishing [Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages for Game Boy Color]. It will probably be something close to the graphics of Four Swords and will use the same style of camera we've had through- out the Zelda series. | think we'll be able to launch it within about a year or so.

«On Animal Crossing 2

“Our first goal right now is to actually take the elements that were added to the U.S. version [e-Reader connectivity, revised interface, and new furniture] and put that

into a version to rerelease in Japan. So, there won't be an immediate sequel com- ing to the U.S.”

«On a Metroid Prime sequel

“It's true that [Retro Studios] is working on a sequel. We've got the entire team together and they're going to continue on. At this point, we can’t discuss what the content of that game will be.”

«On Mario Kart online

“Right now, Mario Kart isn’t going to be the type of game you'll be able to play over a network, competing against people far away.”

...0n Pokémon for GameCube

“We are going to be releasing a Pokémon game for GC this year. It’s like [the Nintendo 64 Pokémon Stadium games] in style, but it will be separated from the GBA games more than the N64 versions were from the GB games.”

news bits:

34 © ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com

OLD LINK

Old Link landed on his feet as a GameCube-exclusive character in Soul Calibur 2, but you know he’s still pissed at young, cute Link for usurping the starring role in Zelda: The Wind Waker. Let’s get it on!

FIRST IMPRESSION Doe-eyed little brother

Legolas in stretch pants

ON FURTHER REFLECTION

Nice booties, Captain Fancy Badass Elf kid who knows his way

around a dinghy

HYPOTHETICAL PLAYGROUND NICKNAME Elfy McLongshanks

Li'l Scrappy

A HIT WITH THE LADIES?

The ren faire ladies... maybe

Works that puppy-dog appeal

Heihachi, Spawn, and presumably fellow Lycra fan Michael Flatley, a man constantly trying to prove he isn'ta fairy

Bird-girl Medli, wood spirit Makar, and Tingle, a man who desperately wishes he were a fairy

ON A QUEST TO FIND

An even tighter pair of pants His sister

Jock itch, shrinkage Ganondorf

LAST MAN STANDING: Young Link Pint-sized young Link’s flailing windmill attack

catches old Link square in the crotchal area.

PER OLTCRV ELT (Eon et IE

| TE OE ES a a

viata.

ee ee eee

AMP FEST T AS.

Own it on DVD and video June 3rd

2 MESSE SETS) $a DST RPE Ki LE

Parents Strongly Cautioned: Some Material Not Suitable for Viewers Under 17.

Continue the experience with the soundtrack CD.

a aa ee ia

VI

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i Pood

j | VILLAGE ROADSHOW PICTURES = fichdscs. «= WwW.theanimatrix.com www.thematrix.com www.warnervideo.com

a a eee

DEADORALIVE / | ON 4 |

Tit-bits on upcoming sequels to one of the breast fighting games ever

eam Ninja is the perfect name

for the group at Tecmo respon-

sible for the Dead or Alive series (and not just because it’s develop- ing Ninja Gaiden for Xbox). After all, the secretive studio likes to work in the dark, releasing enticing screen shots but withholding gameplay details until the last possible moment. That’s why no one knew how its last game, Dead or Alive: Xtreme Beach Volleyball, would play until it was out in stores, and why Ninja Gaiden will likely be no different. “People say that Team Ninja is the Area 51 of the game industry,” says Studio Head Tomonobu Itagaki. “We intentionally don’t give away much info before a game’s release. If you give away too much, it spoils the surprise when people first try the game.”

So it wasn’t much of a shock when, during our recent sit-down at Tecmo’s Tokyo offices, Itagaki was evasive about details on the future of the DOA franchise.

He did, however, reveal that plenty of projects are already in the works, includ- ing a possible follow-up to Beach Volleyball (a straight sequel or maybe a new sport), Dead or Alive 4 (which the team is working on right now), and a mysterious new titty...er, title known only as Dead or Alive: Code Cronos. All the other questions—like, when will we see DOA4.and what the hell is Code Cronos, anyway—were met with “I can’t com- ment” or “I won’t say.” You know how ninjas are with their secrets.

Only once, while discussing Xtreme Beach Volleyball, did \tagaki break his vow of silence. “No one seems to have beaten the game to its core,” he told us. “There's still lots of stuff to explore. There are several things [in the game] we haven't revealed to anyone. One of them is a feature called ‘God Hand.” And what, exactly, is that? Itagaki smiles. “I can’t tell you [laughs].”

—Mark MacDonald

We got so arappel up in these shots ‘of Ninja Gaiden and the DOA gals that wee ee space for any pics of Mr. Itagaki. We think he’ll understand. ms

36 ¢ ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com

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eS www.xbox.com/insidepitch2003 Coa

is ATOR TORGUE EASTER"

2S <<=(=) as 1V-€ ONLINE ERRECED

AFTERTHOUGHTS: ‘THE WIND WAKER

We go hog-wild on Nintendo's latest

higeru Miyamoto needs no

introduction, but we'll give

him one anyway: As the cre- ator of The Legend of Zelda, as well as Mario, Donkey Kong, and a host of other now-famous Nintendo franchis- es, Miyamoto is the videogame indus- try’s most famous designer. Eiji Aonuma is another matter—you may have never heard of him before, but as director of the last two Nintendo 64 Zeldas and, most recently, GameCube’s The Wind Waker, he’s been the main man behind Link ever since the series made the leap into 3D.

For Afterthoughts this month, we sit down with both men and talk everything Zelda: why the new game blows so much (the wind, that is), its cartoony new look, and the possibility of seeing another Zelda for the Cube.

EGM: So what's with all the wind-wak- ing and breaking and what not?

This time we decided to set the game on an ocean. We got to talking about how you would travel; obviously, the best option is a sailboat. So that’s how we ended up with a game where the wind was blowing constantly through the land—to let the player sail around.

Actually, for a long time we've wanted to be able to express wind in games. Sometimes we've had windy stages in the Super Mario games, but it wasn't until GameCube and some of the visual styles we can represent with it that we were able to finally really show wind blowing in a videogame.

EGM: We love how a second player can play via a Game Boy Advance/GC link cable—where’d that idea come from?

In the early stages of the development, Mr. Miyamoto asked us one question: “The Zelda games so far have all been single player; isn’t it possible to involve another person who could cooperate with the player to solve riddles together?” | had already been thinking about using some type of online manual, where hints and supplemen- tal information would be provided to players online. So, we realized we could [combine the two ideas] by involving another person on a linked Game Boy Advance.

EGM: Speaking of the GBA link-up, what's the deal with that guy Tingle? Is he gay?

[Laughs] He’s not really gay. He’s just a 35-year-old man who, for whatever reason, seems to think he’s a fairy. On our team, we have a lot of guys over 30 who still seem to think that they're children [laughs].

EGM: How come the stealth gameplay is limited to the Forsaken Fortress near the start of the game?

We included these stealth sections because we wanted show Link’s growth in power over the course of the game. There were similar stealth sections in Ocarina of

challenge

Ten hours. Director Eiji Aonuma told us that’s the fastest any Nintendo tester was able to complete the new Ze/da, start to finish. Think you can do better? Prove it! Videotape yourself playing through The Wind Waker in

under 10 hours (anything over will not be accepted), write down your name, completion time, phone number, and mailing address on a self-addressed stamped envelope, then take your tape and letter and bury them in your backyard. It'll make you feel better about all those countless hours you wasted playing The Wind Waker over and over. Maybe.

98 © ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY » www.egmmag.com

4

7@&

The Wind Waker is packed with memorable characters—the cute |i’! Korok tree spirits, Tetra, the spunky pirate girl (with a secret!), Tingle with his bizarre sayings and hypnot- ic gyrations—the list goes on and on. We asked Eiji Aonuma for his favorite. “The talking ship who guides Link throughout the game [King of Red Lions]—! made up his dialogue myself, He also implies the image of Link’s own father, ina sense. Since | myself became a father during the development of The Wind Waker, [the ship] has become something like an alter ego for me.”

As for his favorite dungeons, Aonuma picked the same ones we would. “I like the Earth and Wind Temples that Link visits in the latter half of the story. | think the back- ground music goes very well with the look of the dungeons.”

Link proves “tickling the piglet” doesn’t have to be a euphemism for something dirty.

Time and Majora’s Mask {for the Nintendo 64]. But in The Wind Waker, these sections are highlighted so the player can watch Link’s attitude change once he has the power to fight against the enemies—the same enemies he had to hide from before.

EGM: Many people have mentioned how The Wind Waker feels a lot like those Nintendo 64 Zeldas....

[That's] because we believe the system we developed [for Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask) is the best system for Zelda games. So there aren't many things we felt we needed to modify in terms of the basics. You may feel that changes in the gameplay are not very noticeable in comparison with the changes in the graphics. However, we have implemented a number of improve- ments in the details of the game elements.

EGM: Another thing we hear a lot is that the game doesn’t have enough dungeons. We heard two were cut?

The reason we ended up pulling those is, as we were looking at the overall scale of the adventure, it had gotten really big. At that point we thought it had gotten too big for all ages to play, And that was the idea— we wanted anyone, kids to adults, experts to new gamers, to be able to play through the game to completion.

”

EGM: Do you get anything for making figurines out of every character in the game with the DX camera?

There is actually a final figure that you can only get after first getting all the other figures. It's a very good one and that’s the only way to get it.

EGM: N64 got two Zelda games—will you continue the tradition and bring a second to the Cube?

Having finished the Japanese version [and then the English version] of The Wind Waker, and [considering] all the time I've spent at the office, it’s difficult for me to even think about the possibility [laughs]. But whenever we make a game, there are things we wanted to incorporate that we couldn't, or things we wanted to do differ- ently but didn't have time. And that was def- initely the case with this game.

EGM: Will the next Zelda use the same cartoon art style?

Well, [The Wind Waker} only features Link as a child. If we were to make a Zelda game where Link appears as an adult again, we'd probably have to rethink the graphical style. But since we haven't gotten to the stage of coming up with ideas, we can’t really determine whether or not the style will stay the same. —Mark MacDonald

—Nintendo mastermind Shigeru Miyamoto

An idea that began as an online help manual ended up as your excitable (but not gay!) helper Tingle. Collect figurines for every character and monster in the game (right) to earn a special, secret statue.

ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY ¢ www.egmmag.com ¢ 39

ALL THE HOTTEST NEWS... FROM 10 YEARS AGO

* * ‘© Hardcore gamers know they play all the cool stuff—such as nose-hair fighter Bobobobo (see page 48)—only in Japan.

INSTANT EXPERT: GAMING

Japan-gaming genius in 30 seconds, or it’s free

Game of the Month:

Hardware Fast Facts Software Fast Facts Star Fox (Super NES) To play Japanese games on your GameCube or PlayStation 2 @ Unless you live in a city with a big Asian population, you'll Before Fox McCloud went on any (don’t worry about Xbox, which has no worthy imports), you'll need probably need to go online to find an import store. National GameCube Adventures, he and his to purchase a modified system, buy and install a mod chip yourself Console Support (www.ncsx.com) is one option. warbly voiced wingmen tangled with (which involves soldering a few wires), or hire a retailer to install a Andross’ forces in the original 3D chip for you. Modified systems cost an extra $100-$200. i Import games will typically cost you around $10 more shooter, made possible by SNES’s

than domestic titles. polygon-processing Super FX chip. i The Magic series of chips is your best bet for PS2, and the newest version (3.6) sells for around $55 at www.modchip- Most import stores don't keep a lot of titles in stock, so you'll sbox.com. Different PS2 versions require different chips, so make need to preorder to guarantee a copy. Check National Console sure you order the right one. Online retail sources include Support for upcoming import releases.

www.modchip.com, www.chipzone.com, and

www.gamegizmo.com. You can also call ModChip at 7A TA (Translation: “The Catch”)

1-888-MODCHIP (1-888-663-2447). Oddly, most—but not all—Japanese games are in some sort of

bizarre foreign language. If you don’t speak Japanese, you can

@ GameCube players can skip messy mods by using — muddle your way through complex titles with a FAQ from

a boot disc—such as the $29 Freeloader, available www.gamefags.com. Guides for major import titles are usually eure AGGIES, bab at www.modchip.com. You just load the disc up and ~—_up within a week or two. CEPT THE RAT > ‘switch to the import game you wanna play. —Casey Loe BEPORE TE REACHES LaRInt

TOADS

Mario Goes All Hollywood Super Mario Bros. The Movie opened, starring Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo as the famous sib- lings, and Dennis Hopper as King

Koopa. The film cost a reported $42 million but made less than half that amount at the box office, probably due to the fact it bored adults and gave children nightmares. On a scale of one to 10, it was crap.

40 © ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com

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PlayStation aia p* f ine ¥ SQUARESOFT* \ SQUARE ENIX U.S.A., INC.

www.playontine,com

©2008 SQUARE ENIX CO., LTO, Al Rights Reserved, ILLUSTRATION: é ©1987, 1988 YOSHITAKA AMANO. FINAL FANTASY and the Violence SQUARESOFT logo are registered trademarks of Square Enix Co., Ltd. FINAL FANTASY ORIGINS is a trademark of Square Enix Co., Ltd PlayStation and the PlayStation logos are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association.

We share a cigar with Brute Force's scaly star

s the May release of Microsoft’s Brute Force

approaches, we realized we still had questions

about this sci-fi squad-based shooter. So, we went straight to the man-alligator-thing’s mouth, where we found a freshly lit Cohiba, a lot of teeth, and these answers:

EGM: Can you introduce yourself?

I'm Brutus, but people just call me “B” or “lizard-man.” EGM: In Brute Force, players control a four-character team, correct? Where’s the rest of your squad?

Well, there’s Tex. He’s the big white guy with the crew cut. Like our producer's always saying, “he does all his talking with the biggest guns he can find,” so he doesn't do interviews. ... That's for your safety. The redhead is Hawk, our scout. Stealth is her special- ty. She could be here right now and you'd never know it. | swear she would sneak away during fights to grab a smoke or...you know [makes drinking motion with hand], but | can’t prove it.

EGM: ...that’s only two....

Oh yeah, Flint. She’s our android sniper. Every futuristic commando squad needs one of those, right?

EGM: How was it being the only alien in the cast?

Well, | gotta be honest, it was tough. You get a lot of looks. Course | can sprint on all fours, heal myself, see in the dark, stuff like that, so sometimes | had an edge. And when we worked on the Deathmatch mode—you can play as all the dif- ferent aliens and enemies you've beaten in the main game there, so | didn’t feel so alone.

EGM: Speaking of multiplayer, we hear that’s a big part of this game.

[Whistles] Hell yeah, and let me tell ya, it wasn’t easy. In the main campaign, you can play co-op with up to four players, either on the same Xbox or four LAN- linked systems. Anyone can plug in a controller at any time and join in without interrupting the game. It's insane, just insane. And with less than four players, anybody can switch to spare squad mem- bers. Then you've got Deathmatch with either 2 to 4 players on the same box, or 2 to 16 over a LAN like in Halo. It’s nuts.

EGM: Sounds like a lot of work.

It was. Plus, | had to learn how to handle 30 weapons for the game—30. And the enemies...they were doing something new every take. They have leaders, coordinate movements, cover each other—our squad really had to cooperate to do our best work, which is great. But talk about long hours. | was working so much, my wife laid eggs back in March and | had to miss it.

EGM: How did you land the role?

My agent told me Microsoft was looking for a half-man, half-something, so | show up and they just flip out. | have this bit where | do Hamlet's grave speech and then bite the head off a live pig, but | didn’t even audition. They gave me the job on the spot. EGM: Did you have to prepare much?

We played lots of Halo—this game shares a lot of its con- trols, so they had us do that. Jumping, crouching, reloading, switch- ing weapons, throwing grenades—all that stuff is set up just like in Halo. About the only major control difference in Brute Force is using the D-pad to give your teammates orders. Developer Bungie even lent us Halo’s lead tester to help polish the controls.

EGM: What do you have to say to critics who think your character looks ridiculous? Like a kid’s drawi—

This interview is over. [Snaps teeth]

—Paul Byrnes and Mark MacDonald

42 © ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com

Brutus beat out other hopefuls, including Lizard Man [Soul Calibur} and Reptile [Mortal Kombat), tor his star- ring role in Brute Force.

Next on UPN: The New A-Team—Brutus and the rest of the Force, and some splitscreen co-op action.

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WEIRD SCIENCE

Five experiments in gaming geekery

ome people say the first electronic game was Spacewar, built G in 1961 by MIT grad students programming on a room-sized microcomputer. Some say it was Tennis for Two, made in 1958 on an oscilloscope by physicist Willy Higinbotham. All we know is that games were created by over-educated nerds with way too much free time. And it’s nice to know that in this age of multimillion- dollar titles created by vast teams of specialists, plenty of amateur eggheads worldwide still tinker with new types of electronic entertain- ment. These following five exam- ples of mad gaming science might not change the world, but they'll make you think...and they might scare you.

program at the University of California in, San Diego,

decided to use his engineering skills to make‘a big state-

ment on the United States’ super-sized SUV mentality. He combined a Pentium 200 PC and a flat-panel monitor to

create the —a fully functional, 3-foot-tall Game

Boy that plays real, really big cartridges such as Super Mario Land and Link’s Awakening. Total weight of the Game Man: just over 100 pounds with the cartridge. It’s/still easier to get your i

hands around thant the original Xbox jaypad.

ONS

Many players leave the machine with shaking and bruised hands, but they come back for more.

—PainStation inventor Tilman Reiff (left) playing with co-inventer Volker Morawe

Think you’re hardcore? Step up*from the Dual Shogk A) @ game that tortures you with blasts of heat, electric shiocks, is and physical blows. Only hipster German artists cotild come

up with something this scary. Tilman Reiff and Volker seo

Morawe; two mad geniuses studying at the Academy of use ' ‘ ; ; INVADERS

Media Ads ip Cologne, havetlesigned an S8M version oF Pqag You likely know that the arcade classic Space Invaders

called the . It’s adishwashet-sized brushed-steel ae

, ar blipped into existence in 1978. But we guarantee you two-player cabinet that employs a Mac Power PC and various » é ¥ P ‘ Fs E - a don’t know that’s also the year French philosopher instruments Of agony, including 4 small whip and a heat pad. _ a

Miche! Foucault wrote his incomprehensible essay “What Is an Author ho cares? Alison Craighead and Jon Thomson, two British artists, have created the Web game Trigger Happy (www.triggerhappy.org), a Space Invaders knock-off in which players fire at phrases from the essay instead of rows of aliens. Level 1’s foes: “The coming into being of the notion of ‘author’ constitutes the privileged moment of individualization....” Uh...OK. “It's quite cathartic to be able to systematically destroy paragraphs of theoretical text,” says designer Thomson. We'll stick with the aliens, thanks.

“ff you Jose concentration, it willbe yery painful,” says Reiff. “If you ? play well, You'll be rewarded by your opponent’s suffering.” An‘onscreen disclaimer warns first'timers ofthe game’s dangers? “If you continue beyond that, ‘you get your first > whip slashyelecttic shock, or heat burst,» Reiff sayss“If you keep on playing, everything » that will happen iS your own fault.”

Hertz donut: Play poorly and the PainStation will make you pay—by thwacking your digits ‘with a wire and even burning your palm. Pong never hurt so good. @ Eat hot laser death, verbs!

ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com » 45

by Full Sail Student Brian Germain

= &

Real World Education

Game Design

Computer Animation

Digital Media Film

PANT Le [C0)

Show Production

www. fullsail.com

3300 University Boulevard Winter Park, FL 32792

(©) press start

GEEKONOMICS 10

Chainmail: $50. Castle: $2,000. Impressing a 28th-level elf maiden: Priceless. Ed Castronova noticed that EverQuest players were meeting up in online auction sites and actually paying real money for virtual plat- inum and goods. Being a professor of eco- nomics, he crunched the numbers and came up with the “exchange rate” between our economy and EverQuest's black market. The result: a 68-page treatise called “Virtual Worlds: A First-Hand Account of Market and Society on the Cyberian Frontier.” The paper revealed that EverQuest gross nation- al product is slightly lower than Russia's, and that the average hourly wage is $3.42. Beats working at the mall.

Three physics students at Vrije University in the Netherlands were fiddling with acousto-optic deflectors—devices used to fine-tune laser beams—when they programmed them to arrange microscopic glass beads into

an actual functioning Tetris game. It worked, and they can play this

MicroTetris with a standard PC keyboard—all that’s missing is

the Russky folk music. The

entire game screen is less than

a thousandth of a millimeter

square, making it the smallest

videogame ever (yes, the

Guinness Book has been noti-

fied). “You can imagine why we

chose Tetris for our demonstra-

tion,” says Joost van Mameren,

one of the tinkering students,

“and not Need for Speed.”

@ “Really, really, small” doesn’t begin to describe the micro size of MicroTetris. Get this: 100 of the teeny games can fit on the period at the end of this sentence.

gaming for the good of mankind

Eggheads aren’t just toying with games for fun—some hope their work can change the world. A Pentagon-sponsored group called the Highlands Forum is studying social patterns in massively multiplayer online-role-playing games such as EverQuest to learn more about how terrorist networks func- tion. Finally, we can rest easy at night knowing that a bunch of EverQuest dorks are hot on Osama Bin Laden’s trail. Meanwhile, scholars from the gaming world, academia, and government think-tanks recently met at MIT to discuss the educational potential of games. Imagine a world where fun instructional games replace mind-numbing textbooks and lec- tures...or at the very least cut down on deadly chalk dust.

—Chris Baker © Deep inside the Pentagon: Level 53 gnomes.

ye S111

COMING SOON TO PLAYSTATIONSS COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM

5G PlayStation.2

ah THE SAGA CONTINUES...

www.dothack.com Sadamoto « Ito * Mashimo

Mature Sexual Themes

Mild Language

ay PlayStation.

EGM INTERNATIONAL

What those damn foretgners are up to now

ULTRA FIST

Japan is now officially insane—yes,

the entire country

Well, Hudson Soft has gone and made a PlayStation 2 game about nose hair. Inspired by acomic in Shonen Jump (a popular manga magazine, now available in the United States), Bobobobo Bobobo: Gagglefest has you playing as hirsute hero Bobobo, battling shaver-wield- ing Hair Hunters with your whip-like superlong nose hairs. Launch Nostril-Hair Ultra Fist Attacks and devastating Armpit Hair Bombs via the analog sticks, and expect to hear Bobobo’s signature non-sequitur catchphrases—such as “The outbreak of the Mayonnaise War!”—guar- anteeing that your brain explodes. And there's a guy in the game with poo for a head, but that's hardly surprising. Also not surprising: Gagglefest won't be released here. Ever.

FOR EUROPE France still threatens to veto

European gamers are used to getting the short end of the stick. Publishers generally don't release games in Europe until months after they come out in the United States, and even then, most European countries do not offer the selection of fine snack foods and delicious beverages that we're able to partake of while playing games. But for once, we're jealous: The European version of Metroid Prime, just out across the pond, includes a bevy of spiffy extras we didn’t get, including new voicework, faster saving and load times, graphical tweaks, and tougher enemies and bosses (even harder than our Hard mode). Hey Italy: Voi bastardi fortunati!

Url previews:

BACKSIDE BOARDSLIDEJFROM

overheard

48 © ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com

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for Rating Information.

NINTENDO GAMECUBE.

oe

‘Insane Clown Posse’s Shaggy 2 Dope (left) and Violent J (right), shortly after piling out of their Geo Metro clown car.

CELEBRITY GAMER:

THE

DOWN WITH

Insane Clown Posse talks Backyard Wrestling

he Insane Clown Posse isn’t

known for tact—lucky for ICP

founding member Violent J, the job of pitchman for Eidos’ Backyard Wrestling (coming to PS2 and Xbox this summer) requires very little diplomacy. But J and bandmate Shaggy 2 Dope do have this bullet point on their resume: When not inciting riots or bustin’ funky rap-rock rhymes, the mayhem-prone musicians served as punching bags for professional WWE, WCW, and ECW league wrestlers.

We climbed into the ring with Violent Jin hopes of drop-kicking a few secrets out of the jovial jobber, but mostly we just got swears.

EGM: So you call your fans “Juggalos.” Whazzat?

That's an underdog. Whatever the situation. ..rich, poor, black, white. If you get the raw end of the deal all the time, you're a Juggalo.

EGM: They won’t mind this Backyard Wrestling cash-in?

Naw. Man, we run our own promotion called Juggalo Championsh*t (with a “t") Wrestling. The Eidos rep that approached us about it was a fan, so we just took two great ideas and turned ’em into one—JCW meets Backyard Wrestling.

EGM: Yes indeed, the lucrative joys of selling out....

F*** yeah. We love wrestling. We've been to the big three—WWE, WCW, and ECW. We completed our f***in’ childhood dreams and we f***in’ made it somehow. That was the s***. And now we got a videogame? I'm with that to the fullest.

EGM: And just what qualifies you to enter the virtual arena, Mr. Clown? We're old-school. See, I'm 30 f***in’ years old. | remember Pong. | had that Atari 2600. Them rich kids had that Atari 4800 [Editor's note: They must've been really

50 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com

rich—there was no Atari 4800), but nobody ever had no cartridges for that. | grew up in the industry as a fan. That’s why it means so much to play ourselves in a fin’ videogame.

EGM: Which game are you feelin’ the most these days? Let us take a guess...you’re a Grand Theft Auto kinda guy, eh?

Tony Hawk 4. Grand Theft Auto was the s***, but not so much now. Now | go into Wal-Mart and see it and it ain’t funny or fresh no more. When it was bangin’ the door in it was cool, but it don’t flip wigs no more.

EGM: So tell us why ICP and Backyard Wrestling will bring the pain.

Because we're the underdogs. People look at the game like it's wrong, but it’s all to the good. F*** Bill O'Reilly and bitches who be pointin’ fingers. Everybody backyard wrestled as a kid. We ain't reinventing the wheel here. éh

ICP Lesson #571: Never ask Shaggy 2 Dope or Violent J to get you a chair.

ms

You might think of the Backyard Wrestling mail-order video series as the equivalent of Dorks Gone Wild, but at least Eidos’ upcoming game ver- sion (PS2, Xbox) has guilty-pleasure potential. The biggest news since our preview back in EGM #164 is the addition of weapons to the game’s aerial attacks. Not only can you hurl an opponent into a surly crowd mem- ber to stun him before you perform a huge drop move from the garage roof, but you can also leap down onto him while holding, say, a fluorescent light bulb tube. As if that weren’t painful enough, now you can also make an enemy kneel while you grind objects like a cheese grater or barbed-wire- covered brick over his face. Fun!

PlayStation.e

INTERACTIVE

“THE HULK” interactive game © 2003 Universal Interactive, Inc. Marvel, THE INCREDIBLE HULK and All Related Comic Book Characters: TM & © 2003 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. www.marvel.com “THE HULK” movie © 2003 Universal Studios. All rights reserved. Published and distributed by Universal Interactive, Inc. Vivendi Universal Games and the Vivendi Universal Games logo are trademarks of Vivendi Universal Games, Inc. Microsoft, Xbox, and the Xbox logo are either registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries and are used under license from Microsoft. “PlayStation” and the “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. TM, ® and the GameCube logo are trademarks of Nintendo.

» Y “al . ¢ = 4 fad 7 — ae BLOOD and GORE i i ‘ | 7 VIVENDI VIOLENCE. . PlayStation.c <> | 2

“Mace Griffin Bounty Hunter’ interactive game © 2003 Vivendi Universal Games, Inc. All rights reserved. Mace Griffin, Mace Griffin Bounty Hunter, Vivendi Universal Games, the Vivendi Universal Games logo, Black Label Games, and the Black Label Games logo are trademarks of Vivendi Universal Games, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. 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. “PlayStation” and the “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

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intendo’s Game Boy Advance—which has sold 12 million units in the United States alone and recently relaunched with an internal light—may seem like the only on-the-go gaming device you’ll ever need. But hey, you have more than one pocket, right? So let’s check out the two best personal digi- tal assistants (PDAs) on the market, the Sony Clié NX70V Palm OS sys- tem and the Dell Axim Pocket PC, to see if they’re worth stuffing into your drawers.

= Wait...Palm 0S? = Pocket PC? What’s the difference? At first glance, not \ much. Both types of devices have a wee screen, let you track your schedule and do

: —aa other busywork, and play some of the same games,

Sony’s $600 Clié NX70V is a state-of-the-art, Palm OS PDA loaded with a built-in digi- tal camera, MP3 player, voice recorder, and more.

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1, ARGENTUM (monkeystone.com) Real-time strategy with a rocking sound- track and lasers aplenty.

2. EVERQUEST PPC (eqpocket.station.sony.com) A stripped-down, single-player version of the PS2 online RPG...

PDAs are the brainy alternative to the GBA, but are the games any good?

3. AGE OF EMPIRES (ziosoft.com) ...and a stripped- down version of the Microsoft PC strategy franchise.

such as the intensely addictive Bejeweled (available at www.astraware.com). But Palm OS and Pocket PC are two different operat- ing systems that run on dedicated hand- helds from various manufacturers. In gener- al, Pocket PCs are faster, more expandable, and easier to use, while Palm systems are cheaper and have more available software.

And | can do more than play games on these gizmos? Yep. PDA users have access to a seemingly

Dell’s Axim Pocket PC costs between $250 and $350,

] depending on how souped-up

” the model is.

warning: You need a full-size PC to interface with your PDA and download software to it.

But are PDA games really as good as GBA titles?

Although PDA devices are perkier (and prici- er) pieces of hardware, the games show tech stats aren't everything. Most PDA titles are fun little diversions that don't come close to topping the quality of GBA hits like Metroid Fusion or Golden Sun. But the GBA can't match PDAs when it comes to all-out

limitless library of productivity software. Connect a wireless modem and you can surf the Web on your microscopic screen. Or download entire novels or Hollywood flicks compressed for PDA viewing. And most handhelds double as an MP3 player. One

effects and animation.

4. SNAILS (snailsgame.com) Colorful Worms-style turn- based combat with great sound

versatility (plus the ability to emulate other game systems, including classic arcade games). If you’re hell-bent on buying a Palm OS or Pocket PC handheld, nab the games below (which cost between $15-$30) first. —John Brandon

5. REALMS (simusoft.com) Looks like Asteroids, plays like Asteroids, except with an exploration twist.

ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com ¢ 51

Url previews:

TASTE THE

Microsoft asks, what’s your

favorite color?

Microsoft recently jumped on the multicolored-controller bandwagon, holding a poll on xbox.com to figure out which color gamers wanted most. The winning color or colors (at press time, Microsoft hadn’t decided if it'll be one or more) will be announced in May and then released to stores in October. So, the question must be asked: What does your color choice say about you?

You've got green blood coursing through your veins and consider yourself a hard- core Xbox fan. You've thought about get- ting a tattoo that says “All other consoles are inferior to the power of X,” but so

many words would probably hurt. (There is no truth to the rumor that the green

controller is an aphrodisiac, incidentally.)

You didn’t know what color to choose, but you still wanted to be “cool,” so you got the clear one. Hang your head in shame,

you indecisive schmo. Remember what Mr. T says: “Be somebody, or be some- body's fool.”

Violent games are your forte. The more blood the better, as long as you're the one causing it to spill. After every Halo death- match, you like to loudly claim victory over your fallen foes with a heartfelt “Eat that, bitches!” Subtle, you ain’t.

You're a blue-blooded Sega fanboy who bought the Xbox for the likes of Panzer

Dragoon Orta and Jet Set Radio Future.

You keep a cool head during Halo death- matches and boast about your winnings only by saying “Good game, all.”

Your predilection for the flamboyant is what led you to this radical color choice. In fact, we're going to guess you have multiple body piercings, tattoos, and orange-dyed spiky hair. Freak.

52 © ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com

TOP 10 BEST-SELLING GAMES OF FEBRUARY 2003

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Grand Theft Auto: Vice City PS2, Rockstar

The Sims

PS2, EA Games

Ye ih! The Duelists of the Roses PS2, Konami

Devil May Cry 2

PS2, Capcom

Xenosaga: Episode 1 PS2, Namco

Yu-Gi-Oh! Dungeon Dice Monsters GBA, Konami

-hack://Infection PS2, Bandai

ATV Off Road Fury 2 PS2, Sony CEA

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai PS2, Infogrames

Source: NPD TRSTS Video Games Service. Call Dora Radwick at (516) 625-6190 for qi

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TOP 10 GAME RENTALS ins

FOR THE WEEK ENDING 3/16/03

Yu-Gi-Oh! The Duelists of the Roses PS2, Konami

All-Star Baseball 2004 PS2, Acclaim Sports

Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers PS2, EA Games

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai PS2, Infogrames

Conflict: Desert Storm PS2, Gotham Games

High Heat Baseball 2004 PS2, 3D0

Socol Navy SEALs PS2, Sony CEA

The Sims PS2, EA Games

The Getaway PS2, Sony CEA

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me

Just when you thought Acclaim’s controversial-for- the-helluvit BMX XXX was but a distant memory, it pops a wheelie and rides right back into the news. Pro BMX biker and game spokesman Dave Mirra filed a lawsuit against Acclaim in February, claiming they used his name and likeness to promote the salacious XXX after the two sides had signed an agreement

last July to remove him from anything and every- thing having to do with the title (Mirra is featured in the company’s other nonpornographic, nonsucktastic BMX games). The suit has 11 claims, including dam- age to Mirra’s business reputation. Hmm, could Acclaim sue itself since BMX XXX didn’t do its own rep any favors?

SEVEN SAMURAI BECOMES GAME

Akira Kurosawa’s three-hour epic film, Seven Samurai, about a group of samurai defending a village of farmers from marauding bandits, is about to become a videogame. Sammy Studios will publish the title once Japanese devel- oper Dimps (Dragon Ball Z: Budokai) finishes toiling away on the third-person action game. We gotta wonder—will the game be in black-and-white like the movie?

GET YOUR CLASSIC GAME ON

Believe it or not, videogames are over 30 years old. And if a summer weekend spent wal- lowing in that classic-gaming aura sounds like the perfect way to help you get in touch with your inner child, you should consider checking out the Classic Gaming Expo. Aug. 9-10 at Jackie Gaughan’s Plaza Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, NV. There, you'll find plenty of dealers hawking games of the distant past, a museum of rare gaming arti- facts, presentations from classic-game programmers, and more (check www.cgexpo.com for details). Note: Q-Bert recently broke his hip and cannot attend. @!#7@!

SOUTH PARK: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASO RESPECT MY AUTHOR-I-TAH!

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SPECIAL ih TURES

You've read the manga in Newtype USSG.»

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‘Maybe this isn't the best time to mension it, but this service is not free.

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ONLINE

Maybe being PC-only is good

Yeah, we’re interested in the occa- sional PC game—especially those that might eventually come to the con- soles—and we bet many of you are, too. But since we're still bound by court order from openly discussing PC titles (due to an ugly misunderstand- ing over Daikatana), we asked our pals at Computer Gaming World to update us each month, starting this issue with The Sims Online....

Will Wright has one of the biggest brains in the gaming industry, and it only occasional- ly leaks out of his ears. You've got to listen to what the man behind The Sims—the biggest-selling PC game of all time—has to say. And what he had to say when The

Coming to DVD 6.10.03

Uolume One available as a single disc ora Collecton's Edition with a Custom Ort Box and €xclusive T-shirt.

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can hear dialogue like this? Sign me up!

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BestBuy.com

SEPNCOAST

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If | pay $10 a month to play Sims Online, |

Sims Online won the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences award for Best Massively Multiplayer Game of 2003 came as no surprise to those who've played it: “I'm so very sorry.”

Like an infected sore (but the good kind), The Sims and its bazillionty add-on packs grew so big, it exploded and infect- ed consoles with similarly addictive game- play. But sadly, someone forgot to inject the virus into The Sims Online. The result is a tedious chat-room experience broken up by moments of near-entertainment. Imagine standing around the office water cooler talking about the weather, and occasionally, Bob from Accounts Payable wets himself—such is the current online experience. Unfortunately, leaving the responsibility of re-creating the inspired weirdness of the original PC and console versions of the game solely in the players’ hands has resulted in little more than houses dedicated to skill improvement and peppered with small talk, hardly justifying the $10 monthly expense.

While Maxis is committed to making the game better in the long run—adding gam- bling, the ability to open stores and sell things, etc.—for now, you're better off sticking with the consoles for your Sims fix. And oh, in case you’re wondering, Maxis has no plans to bring The Sims Online to consoles...yet. —Robert Coffey

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Tombstone “Ultimate Summer Job” Game

OFFICIAL RULES NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. 1. HOW TO OBTAIN A GAME MESSAGE: Beginning on or about May 6, 2003, game messages will be available inside specially-marked packages of Tombstone 12" pizzas. To receive a game message by mail, send a self-addressed, stamped #10 envelope to: Tombstone “Ultimate Summer Job” Game, P.O. Box 5190, Ellenton, FL 34222-5001. Requests must be received by October 10, 2003. Residents of VT only need not affix postage to self- addressed envelope. Limit one request per outer envelope, mailed separately. 2. HOW TO PLAY: Open packaging and look on the back of the pizza label for game message. If your game message says, “Congratulations” and the name of a prize, you're a winner of that prize, subject to verification 3. PRIZE CLAIMS: To claim a prize, sign your initials in ink across the face of your original game message. Mail original game message (entire pizza label) in a stamped envelope, together with a piece of 3" x 5" paper on which you have printed your complete name, address (including zip code), daytime and evening telephone numbers and age to: Tombstone “Ultimate Summer Job” Game Claim, P.O. Box 5443, Ellenton, FL 34222-5004. Grand Prize claims must be sent via Registered Mail, return receipt requested. First Prize claims may be sent via First Class mail. First Prize claims must also indicate winner's preferred gaming system AND a ranking (from 1 - 4) of available games on the form provided with the winning message. If winner's 1st-choice game selection is not available, the 2nd choice game selection will be awarded, and so forth. All games are subject to availability. If no game choice/ranking is indicated in the game claim, the game awarded is at Sponsor's discretion. All claims must be received by October 31, 2003. All prize claims are subject to verification. All claims submitted become the sole property of Kraft Foods North America, Inc. (Sponsor). Any claim received that is tampered with, illegible, mutilated, reproduced, contains printing or other errors, obtained where prohibited or not obtained legitimately, will be null and void. Sponsor and affiliated companies are not responsible for printing, distribution or production errors or for lost, late or misdirected mail. 4. PRIZES, APPROXIMATE RETAIL VALUES (ARVs)/ODDS OF WINNING: (1) Grand Prize - Trip for 2 to Los Angeles, CA where winner will spend 5 days playing video games at the Activision Studios and receive $10,000 awarded in the form of a check. Trip consists of roundtrip, coach class air transportation for two from major airport nearest winner's residence to Los Angeles, CA; 6 days/5 nights hotel accommodations (single room, double occupancy); roundtrip ground transfers between airport/hotel and hotel/Activision Studios; and $500 spending money. ARV: $15,800/ODDS: 1:10,559,146. (1,000) First Prizes - Activision Prize Pack including one Activision game, a tech deck, a t-shirt (adult large), a hat, and a Coupon good for one free Tombstone Original pizza (up to $4.69). ARV: $100/ODDS: 1:10,559. Total approximate retail value of all prizes: $115,800. Travel is subject to availability. Winner and guest must be available to travel on same itinerary, and travel must be completed by October 31, 2004 or prize will be forfeited. Trip dates are subject to approval by Sponsor and Activision Studios. Prizes consists of only those items specifically listed as part of the prizes. Unclaimed prizes will not be awarded. No substitutions, cash equivalents or transfers of prizes permitted, unless prizes are unavailable, in which case prizes of equal or greater value will be substituted. *Grand Prize winner will not be employed or offered any type of employment by Activision, whether as an employee, independent contractor, temporary worker, intern or otherwise, and the Grand Prize shall not constitute or he construed as any such employment or offer of employment by Activision. 5. GENERAL RULES: Open to residents of the U.S., 16 years of age and older, except employees of Kraft Foods North America, Inc. (Sponsor), Promotions.com Inc., Activision Publishing, Inc., their respective parents, affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising and promotion agencies, independent contractors, employees of prize suppliers, individuals engaged in the development/production/distribution of materials for the game, game piece printers, persons living in the same households, whether related or not, and the families (spouse, parents, children and siblings) of each. This game is void where prohibited or restricted. All federal, state and local laws apply. All taxes are the sole responsibility of winners. Winners will be notified by mail. Potential Grand Prize winner (and his/her parent/legal guardian, if winner is a minor) must sign any required Affidavit of Eligibility, a Liability Release and a Publicity Release within 14 days of attempted delivery or prize will be forfeited. Grand Prize winner's guest must also sign a Liability Release and Publicity Release prior to travel. If winner is a minor, winner must be accompanied on trip by a parent or legal guardian. If any prize/prize notification is returned as undeliverable, if the required documents are not returned in a timely manner, or in the event of non-compliance with any other requirements, the prize will be forfeited in its entirety. By entering, participants (and their parents/legal guardians, if participants are minors) agree to abide by and be bound by these Official Rules and the decisions of Promotions.com Inc., an independent judging organization, whose decisions are final in all matters. If due to a printing or other error, more prizes are claimed than intended to be awarded according to Rule 4, remaining prizes will be awarded in a random drawing from among all excess prize claims received. In no event will Sponsor be liable for more than the stated number of prizes in Rule 4. Acceptance of prize offered constitutes permission to use winners’ names, addresses (city and state) and/or likenesses for advertising, promotion, or trade purposes without further compensation, unless prohibited by law. 6. WAIVER: By entering this promotion, participant waives all rights to claim punitive, incidental and consequential damages, attorneys’ fees or any damages other than actual out-of- pocket costs incurred to enter. 7. WINNERS’ LIST: For the names of winners available after December 1, 2003, send a self-addressed, stamped, #10 envelope to: Tombstone “Ultimate Summer Job” Game, P.0. Box 5449, Ellenton, FL 34222-5004 for receipt by October 31, 2003. SPONSOR: Kraft Foods North America, Inc., Northfield, IL 60093.

press start

DOWNLOAD

More Splinter Cell, Zelda, and Pikachu love

f you want to make Splinter Cell tough guy Sam Fisher look more like Rushmore

wimp Max Fischer, then hop onto Xbox Live to download the new Kola Cell scenario (available now). This self- contained level will seriously test gamers looking to get their special- ops on. Kola Cell has an overabun- dance of tricky situations and highly attentive guards (some equipped with night-vision goggles and automatic weapons). It also has a noticeable shortage of check/save points and

medical kits—perfect for hardcore, masochistic players, of which there seem to be plenty. “We're on track to have over 100,000 downloads in the first month,” says a rep from publish- er/developer Ubi Soft. The completion of Kola Cell or the Splinter Cell main game doesn’t mean mission-over for fans, either. “Splinter Cell fans are pretty ravenous—they just can’t get enough,” says Ubi Soft. “Based on the popularity of Kola Cell, we think you can expect to see some additional downloadable content down the lin

must-hit websites

www.modernhu- morist.com/ mh/0206/rkelly Follow the magi- cal love of a dog for his favorite Pikachu doll in this short film. Warning: Viewing this video in the presence of young children or immature adults may elicit a “What is that dog doing to Pikachu?” Correct answer: “They’re just happy.”

www.zelda.com

You'll find gor-

geous Wind Waker

wallpaper for your

PC’s desktop, a Zelda screen saver, even a way to have the flamboyant, fairy- wannabe Tingle send text mes- ‘sages to your cell phone. And if you accidentally enter ina friend’s number instead...well, that would just be terrible.

www.junkma-

chine.com/

nintendo

Got an old

Nintendo lying around? This site shows you how to gut the retro 8-bit system and turn it into a state-of-the-art PC (with an attitude!). If you’re not handy with a soldering iron, pre- made NES PCs start at $800 from dankeller.org/nintendo.

www.asciima-

tion.co.nz

Forget the slick

graphics of our

cover game for a minute and enjoy an exciting rendition of the original Star Wars in beautiful, pure Asciimation (graphics created using regular text characters). A silly novelty? Perhaps. But it’s still better than Episode Il.

gamers.com

Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) coverage

Head to www.gamers.com for

all the latest news, impressions, movies, and screens

of E3’s big >. games. The & action begins ( - ‘% with preshow a coverage the

week of May 5 and goes into full swing with the first press conferences starting May 12. If you miss it, you’d better be dead, or in jail. And if you’re in jail—break out.

Oh Lord—more Rogue Squadron Ill screenshots In case you > didn’t get

enough of

the latest

Star Wars

game in this

issue of EGM, hit our site at www.egmmag.com and check out even more screenshots from this highly anticipated title.

The interviews we didn’t have room to print Also online at www.egmmag.com, interviews with the creators of Brute Force, Baldur’s Gate Il, and the new Spy Hunter. Read it! Read it all! No dessert until you finish every last word!

You could

_ GET PAID $10,000

to play at

Pick up specially marked packages of TOMBSTONE® Pizza for your chance to win,

Tour the studios, meet the designers, and get paid to play the newest games.

www.ultimatesummerjob.com What ONC URU Men G fonVOuls TOMBSTONE: 2a

No Purchase Necessary. See Official Rules on adjacent page. *Winner will not actually be employed by or offered any type of employment by Activision. ©2003 Kraft Pizza Company ©2003 Activision Inc. and its affiliates. Activision is a registered trademark and Activision 02 is a trademark of Activision and its affiliates

THE RUMOR MILL

Succulent gaming gossip

q-mann

Linkin’ Up Your Mario Karts While the rumor of an online Cube Mario Kart has been somewhat debunked by Nintendo (see page

34 for more from Miyamoto on the subject), another rumor quickly

took its place—that Kart will have

LAN play. For the uninitiated, that means we may be able to link nearby GameCubes directly, so four (or more?) players can race against each other on separate televisions and not have to share a splitscreen. Well, | guess if we can't have online play, that’s the next best alternative (grumble grumble).

Microsoft Canning Second-Party Titles? This one’s a small rumor, but since | heard it, | figured | should pass it along in case you're interested. Seems that after many second-party flops (Fuzion Frenzy, anyone?), Microsoft's decided to play fireman and ax any titles that ain't lookin’ so hot. A recent casualty to said new policy may be Tork, a 3D plat- former devel-

58 © ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com

former Rayman team members that was shown at last year’s E3. Dang...that one looked interesting, too.

The Animals Keep on Truckin’ Even though Mr. Miyamoto says an update to the first Animal Crossing is coming to Japan before a sequel (see page 34) is released, The Q’s sources tell a lengthier story—one that includes Animal Crossing 2 in Japan before 2004. Improvements will reportedly include more variety to each newly created town, online connectivity, and a co-op mode.

Rygar Sequel a Go-Project Last year’s revival of the 8-bit clas- sic Rygar was apparently suc- cessful enough to green-light

ey Bey another adven- : ture for our shield-slinging hero.

Word has it Tecmo is working on a sequel, but story details and the tar- get release date are still TBA..

Team Ninja,

Dropping Bombs ..and speaking of Tecmo, Tomonobu Itagaki, illustrious

leader of the company’s Team Ninja development group (Dead or Alive, Ninja Gaiden), is rumored to have a bombshell of an announcement planned for E3, the annual game-indus- try expo (some of you reading this might be there...right now). Based on the splashes the Team's games have made at E3s past, The Q is already salivating. |s DOA: Xtreme Oil Wrestling too much to ask?

Factor 5’s Thornado

in Deep Freeze

Whatever happened to Rogue Squadron 3 developer Factor 5’s other game, Thornado (a non-Star Wars-themed shooter)? Well, that's a good question, son—glad you asked. Factor 5 President Julian Eggebrecht says, “It’s on ice—very deeply frozen and dense ice. Sometimes ice melts, but it will take a real heat wave.” At least its character-rendering technology is featured in Rogue Squadron 3 (that game on our cover), so it wasn’t a total wash. As my good friend Paul Harvey would say, and now you know...the rest of the story.

bits of q

' Pokémon Puzzle League ,

The FutureyOf illegal"Street Racing

MDRUGHT. CLUB he glos P DZ I, m4 fae

The Midnight Club is now open to motorbikes Take advantage of the speed and control.

Meet the world's most notorious drivers on Choose from the latest performance enhanced vehicles There are no rules - drive anywhere in the city. Find the streets of LA, Paris, and Tokyo. and compete to make a name for yourself. the fastest route to win.

“Midnight Club 2 is the first PlayStation®2 game to really get my heart racing.” ® ® & & @® S/S - OPM Magazine April 2003

Violence ; : : . Of i Mild Lyrics H PC] i PlayStation.2 : |B] : H i H :

WWW.ROCKSTARGAMES.COM/MIONIGHTCLUB2

THE HOT FIVE

Because we care about caring about the games you care about

XBOX

HALO 2

@ PUBLISHER: Microsoft @ GEWRE: First-person shooter @ RELEASE DATE: Early 2004

Everyone wants more Halo, right?

Well, put up your feet and sit a while, because it was just delayed until early next year. At least you'll be able to act out your darkest Master Chief/Cortana fantasies with the styl- ish Halo action figures shipping this fall. Keep it clean, now.

1 PUBLISHER: Microsoft @ GENRE: First-person shooter @ RELEASE DATE: Before 2007. We hope.

Lots of you are already lusting after Joanna Dark’s upcoming Xbox outing, despite an utter lack of screenshots, plot details, or...well, any info whatsoever about the game. Hopefully, we'll see something more in the coming months than this cute character design.

60 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY © www.egmmag.com

PLAYSTATION 2

I GENRE: RPG

FINAL FANTASY X-2

@ PUBLISHER: Square Enix U.S.A.

I RELEASE DATE: November 2003

Hopes are running high for X-2, Square’s first-ever FF sequel to continue the plot of its predecessor. We finally got to spend some quality time with the Japanese version, and we're quite impressed (if a tad shocked) by what we saw. Here are three things

you should know in advance about FFX-2:

IT’S CUTE

From the outrageous Charlie’s Angels-meets—Josie and the Pussycats Opening cinema to the glitzy Dress Up system, nearly every aspect of the game exudes a carefree, cuddly, and ultimately cute vibe that’s guaranteed to

| eke a smile out of even the most mis-

anthropic RPG fanboy.

IT’S SPEEDY

You'll be amazed by how much the new battle system changes the flow of the game—the girls move with lighting speed, monsters don’t wait for you to “take your turn” before attacking, and the load times before and after encoun- ters are pleasantly brief. Combat can be over in as little as 20 seconds.

IT’S WIDE OPEN

The mission-based gameplay allows you to choose your own path through the game, so you can take the adventure at your own pace. It’s the first Final Fantasy to offer multiple endings (at least five), depending on your route through the game. For example, that optional girl-on-girl massage mission may lead to a “happy ending.”

JAM ON

October 03 nbajam.com

(©) press start

COMING SOON

Want to know what games are coming out next? Sure, you do

Action—Movie-licensed games are always a crapshoot, but developer Genki worked on the port of Virtua Fighter 3tb (DC), so there’s some hope for this one.

MMAY 2003

-hack Part 2: Mutation (PS2) RPG—The second chapter in Bandai’s popular RPG series is heading out soon.

Bloody Roar (Xbox) Fighting—People who turn into animals are just bound to hit each other.

Brute Force (Xbox)

Action—This year’s most eagerly awaited Xbox game starring a lizard-man who runs like a dog.

Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow (GBA) Action—Konami feeds your constant need for Castlevania games and new titles for your GBA at the same time.

E.T.; Return to the Green Planet (PS2) Action—Everyone likes to rag on E.T. for Atari 2600, but we remember worse. The

system had that damn Kool-Aid Man game,

for Chrissakes.

Enter the Matrix (PS2, Xbox, GC) Action—We can’t describe Enter the

PS2: XBOX, GC STREET RACIN

SYNDICA

RELEASE DATE: June

Racing—Bet your car, cash, or girl- friend in this high-stakes racing game. Finally—objectification of women as a gameplay element!

Matrix to you. You have to experience it for yourself, Like, whoa.

Group S Challenge (Xbox) Racing—Another sharp-looking racing game with a name that makes you wonder what the hell it is.

The Hulk (PS2, Xbox, GC) Action—Hopefully, this game won't look like ass, like that stupid Super Bow! half- time commercial.

Indiana Jones and

the Emperor’s Tomb (PS2)

Action—The Xbox /ndy adventure has already shipped. Now it's the PS2’s turn to nab the fortune, glory, and that persistent sweaty-hat smell.

Lost Kingdoms II (GC)

RPG—The sequel to the first RPG for GameCube is coming soon...but are GC owners still starved for RPGs?

Magic Pengel: The Quest for Color (PS2) Monster-Breeding—Can you defeat the “Doodle King”? Because you're going to feel pretty friggin’ pathetic if you can’t.

Mega Man Battle Network 3 (GBA) Action—Use chips to fight enemies in this “Mega Man meets Pokémon in a dark alley” GBA game.

Mega Man Battle Network: Transmission (GC)

Action—Is Transmission the hardest game ever or has EGMs Shane Bettenhausen simply lost all of his Mega Man skills?

MLB Inside Pitch (Xbox) Sports—Microsoft's first baseball game for Xbox arrives somewhat late in the season (the baseball videogame season, at least)

62 © ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com

NBA Street Vol. 2 (PS2, Xbox, GC) Sports—Last month’s Game of the Month (it tied with Splinter Cel) finally arrives.

Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Operation Resurrection (PS2)

Action—The improved port of last year’s PC shooter looks pretty hot on PS2...

Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Tides of War (Xbox)

Action—...but it looks even better on the Xbox, what with the online multiplayer.

Smash Cars (PS2) Action—What's it about? You're kidding. The title is the only description you need.

Space Channel 5: Ulala’s Cosmic Attack (GBA)

Rhythm-Action—Dance, move, get funky to the groove on your way to work, class, and home with the portable SC5.

Wario Ware, Inc.: Mega Microgame$ (GBA)

Action—We’ve already covered this one elsewhere (See page 132), so let's just say that this is the early front-runner for worst game name of the year.

JUNE 2003

Aliens vs. Predator: Extinction

(PS2, Xbox)

Strategy—tThe Aliens vs. Predator 2 first- person shooter for PC isn't being ported to consoles, and we're getting a strategy game instead?!? Game over, man!

Charlie’s Angels (PS2, GC) Action—We've yet to see this movie-based game, so we don't know if the fighting, dancing, and midriff-baring elements are equally represented.

Be “en.

Action—We’re wary of any game that has “radical” in the title, even within an acronym, but the jury's Still out on this third-person action- adventure game.

Dragon Ball Z: Legacy of Goku 2 (GBA) RPG—Dragon Ball Z games haven’t been too good so far, but they sell like hotcakes. You read the Review section, right?

Dinotopia (Xbox, GC)

Action—tt’s hard to imagine a game based on a world where humans and dinosaurs live in harmony. We like it more when dinos eat people. Like lawyers.

Donkey Kong Country (GBA) Action—The best-selling Super NES side- scroller is being ported to GBA. Can the others in the series be far behind?

F-Zero GC (GC)

Racing—What’s new in the next game in the mother of all futuristic racing-games series? More and faster. What else?

Freedom: The Battle for Liberty Island (PS2, Xbox)

Action—Command up to 12 recruits in this squad-based shooter based on the Hitman 2game engine.

RELEASE DATE: June

Action—You're a robot who was made for danc- ing—and shooting—all, all, all, all night long. Sound silly? Sure, but it’s being made by Shinji Mikami’s team at

Capcom, by many of the same folks responsible for the awesome GC Resident Evil games. So we’re trying to keep, y'know, an open mind- about it.

Freestyle Metal X (Xbox, GC) Sports—This Tony Hawk with motorcycles title sports a heavy-metal soundtrack and three incredibly ugly covers. Blerf.

G1 Jockey 3 (PS2)

Racing—At first glance, you might think this is a SOCOM meets horse-racing game. Sadly, no. It’s “G1,” not “GI.”

Mace Griffin: Bounty Hunter

(PS2, Xbox, GC)

Action—We've been waiting on this since it was first announced for Dreamcast, and it’s looking more than a little dated now.

Midtown Madness 3 (Xbox) Racing—Race on or offline in meticulously Te-created Washington, D.C. and Paris.

Outlaw Volleyball (Xbox)

Sports—For those of you who didn’t have your volleyball and girls-in-bikinis needs fulfilled by Dead or Alive: Xtreme Beach Volleyball, here comes Outlaw.

The Pirates of the Caribbean (GBA) Action—This GBA game is named after the Disney movie (is it “Arrr’-rated?) named after the Disney ride.

Rally Championship (GC) Racing—There are so many games with “rally” and “championship” in the title...frankly, we get them mixed up sometimes.

Resident Evil: Dead Aim (PS2) Action—The latest light-gun game in the Resident Evil: Survivor series looks much, much better than the earlier ones. That's not saying much, but it’s something.

Rock ’N Roll Racing (GBA) Racing—For those about to rawk, we salute you!

pigtease

Action—This spaghetti western-style third-person shooting game look pret- ty good, assuming Capcom can fix the camera and doesn’t delay the damn thing for the 20th time.

Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix (Xbox) Action—A first-person shooter just how you like it: bloody. And with a random mission generator and Xbox Live support, too.

Sonic Adventure DX: Director’s Cut (GC) Action—tt’s really odd that Sonic Adventure 2.was ported to GC first, but better late than never, we guess.

Sonic Pinball Party (GBA)

Pinball—When you think of Sonic, you immediately start jonesing for great old pin- ball games like Star Trek: The Next Generation and Pinbot, right? Yes? No?

Splashdown 2: Rides Gone Wild (PS2) Racing—A three-tiered linking system enables expert wave riders to execute more than 75 possible stunts in this sequel’s exotic, theme-park-like tracks.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (Xbox)

RPG—Do we dare to dream that this eager- ly anticipated Star Wars RPG will be out by June? Yes. We dare.

Unlimited SaGa (PS2)

RPG—The last two SaGa RPGs from Square were met with decidedly mixed reactions. This one looks equally weird, but here’s hoping it’s better.

Wakeboarding Unleashed Featuring Shawn Murray (PS2, Xbox) Sports—Based on the last time we played this game, it seems like it could be either A) wet or B) wild. Or some combination.

Wario World (GC)

Action—What more can be said about this game that wasn't said in our last issue? Nothing, we tell you. Noth-ing.

JULY 2003

1080 Snowboarding: White Avalanche (Gc)

Sports—The long-awaited follow-up to Nintendo's popular N64 snowboarding game can't come soon enough for us. Hot tip: Don’t eat the yellow snow.

Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits (PS2) RPG—Sony just announced this, and it’s being released already!? Someone’s good at keeping secrets. So, what's next? The PS3 in August?

Armored Core 3: Silent Line (PS2) Action—The latest game in Agetec’s giant- robot shooting series is probably more like a PC add-on pack than a true sequel, but we hear the lumbering mechs will be more sprightly now, which is nice.

Downhill Domination (GC)

Racing—tt’s great that Incog is working on new games instead of constantly creating sequels, but we want Warhawk IN

DroneZ (Xbox)

Action—For those begging for a modern update of Deadly Discs of Tron, catch this sucker. Or spend more time outdoors.

Freaky Flyers (PS2, Xbox, GC) Action—There’s been a temporary lull in the world of kart-racers, and Midway hopes to fill it with this, er, flying game. Too bad it's not four-player.

Fugitive Hunter (PS2)

Action—In this bounty-hunting game, you take down criminals in both first-person shooting and third-person fighting modes.

Ice Nine (PS2)

Action—This stealthy first-person shooter, loosely based on the recent film The Recruit, has nothing to do with Kurt Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle. Unfortunately.

allt

Action—We have a sneaking suspi- cion that this ambitious action-RPG isn’t going to come out this soon.

Platform— Apparently out- raged by the inclu- sion of the monkey butler in The Sims, the lesser primates are poised to rise again. Monkeys make every game

) better, right?

K-1 World Grand Prix (PS2) Fighting—Don't get too excited—it’s a kickboxing game, not a follow-up to Activision's Grand Prix for Atari 2600.

Mario Golf (GC)

Sports—We're hoping to hear Camelot, developer of N64’s Mario Golf, is working on the GameCube update, but Nintendo is being typically coy.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms VIII (PS2)

Strategy—tt’s been years and years, but the romance still burns. At least we'll always have Beijing.

Shrek: Reekin’ Havoc (GBA) Action—We’re looking forward to the next Shrek animated film much more than we are another craptacular licensed game.

Starsky & Hutch (PS2, Xbox)

Action—It makes sense that a title based on a buddy-cop TV series features co-op gameplay (one drives, one shoots).

Terminator 3 (PS2, Xbox, GC) Action—Have you seen the trailer for this film yet? Whoo boy, Arnold, are you sure you need to come back? Wouldn’t you rather just stay at home and putter?

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Island Thunder (Xbox)

Action—Considering how well the Xbox version of Ghost Recon sold, it’s little sur- prise that Ubi Soft is bringing this PC add- on pack to the system, too.

Warship Gunner (PS2)

Simulation—Only Koei has the intestinal fortitude to release a naval battleship sim- ulation game in the US.

ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com * 63

12) « ° 3

am

Violence

~ of authentic and xperimental weapons.

PlayStation.e

Face squad-based multipla against up to 15 others via _and intense split-screen

Screenshots taken from Xbox leo game syster_and PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system gameplay. 5

© 2001-2003 id Software, thos Allights reserved, Publishiedund distributed by Activision Publishing, Inc, under license.. Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Operation Resurrection, Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Tides of War, Return to Castle Wolfenstein, the Réturn to Castle Wolfenstein logo, the id. Software name and the id logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Id Software, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Activision is a registered trademark of Activision, Inc. and its affiliates, Licensed for play on the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment systems with the NTSC U/C designation only. "PlayStation® andthe "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox Live, the Live logo and the Xbox logos are either registered trademarks of trademarks of Microsoft 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. Alll other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners.

@ Feature

— LA! @w a ._N ww 4 v a Lo]

OUR YES NLY

We sent our spies out with a singular goal in mind: Dig up info on games that have never been seen before. Beyond uncovering the first intel on the red hot Star Wars Rogue Squadron Ill: Rebel Strike (see page 90), they’ve sent back details on more than 60 other ultrasecret games....

66 © ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com

ms by Nik Schulz

Mustratior

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GAME DOSSIER

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page 86

BASIC INTEL: While we've heartily enjoyed Konami’s annual Game Boy Advance raids on Dracula's homestead, it’s no secret that Castlevania fans have been eagerly awaiting a full-sized fol- low-up te Symphony of the Night, the PS1 cult classic widely regarded as the series’ finest moment. At long last, the wait is over—the heroic Belmont clan will once again square off against Viad in his infernal castle, this time on PlayStation 2. Konami has reassembled the key members of the Symphony team for this project, hoping to infuse this new game with the same gothic grandeur, haunting music, and stellar gameplay

5 that legendary adventure had. Oh, and the title isn’t going to be a , simply Castlevania. “We're working on choosing a subtitle,”

3 Producer Koji Igarashi explains, “but we're running out of ideas for musical references.” Is Jitterbug of the Damned already taken?

SPECIALIST DATA:

First off, this new Castlevania isn’t a side-scrolling hybrid like Konami's recent Contra: Shattered Soldier, as many gamers expected it to be. “When you try to simply deliver the 2D expe- rience in 3D, it doesn’t translate well,” Igarashi says, “so the challenge for us is to make Castlevania fun as a true 3D game.” Expect a completely reimagined, combo-laden combat system; the return of classic subweapons like holy water, crosses, and daggers; and an even stronger emphasis on exploration—just don’t expect survival horror. “In horror games, it's not fun to fight enemies,” Igarashi explains. “In action games, you're a true hero. A Belmont doesn’t run from zombies—he fights them.”

This new chapter turns back the clock to the 11th century, making this chronologically the first battle between the Belmonts and Drac. Your (overly?) stylish hero sports both a whip and a sword, not unlike the vampire hunter in Konami's clumsy Nintendo 64 Castlevanias. But Igarashi makes it clear that the similarities will end there. “Please forget about those games!” he says, adding that he had nothing to do with those disappointments. “I know that | have lots of Castlevania fans out there, so each and every game | make must be the best one yet. Don't worry—t will deliver something that will make fans happy.”

feature

BASIC INTEL:

The evil Nobunaga Oda returns for one final invasion, but fortunately, the sword-wielding, soul-sucking Samanosuke—the hero from the original Onimusha—is also back to stop him. No longer set entirely in feudal Japan, Oni 3 also takes place in...modern-day Paris? Looks like Capcom is involving France in a war whether they vote for it or not. Since Samanosuke can’t be in two places at once, Frenchman Jacques Blanc arrives on the ‘scene, packin’ handguns and a whip-like sword. The two tough guys work separately and side by side in both time periods to strike down Nobunaga once and for all.

PLAYSTATION 2

PUBLISHER: Capcom: DEVELOPER: Capcom _ °RELEASF DATE: Spring 2004

SPECIALIST DATA:

Capcom modeled the Jacques character after French actor Jean Reno (The Professional, Godzilla), who is quite the celebrity in Japan and Europe. Producer Keiji Inafune says gameplay will be split evenly between the two main characters, and that, with the original Onimusha team back in control of the development reins, the gameplay will be more action-oriented than the last game. Oni 3 also delivers the one feature fans have been asking for: full 3-D environments. But all good things must come to an end, as Inafune-san has con- firmed that this indeed is the franchise's swan song.

SYPHON FILTER: THE OMEGA STRAIN

PUBLISHER: Sony CEA \® DEVELOPER: Eidetic

BASIC INTEL:

The Syphon Filter virus is breaking out across the world and our hero Gabe Logan can’t possibly stop it all by himself. Fortunately, you can help the cause by joining his recently rebuilt agency and traveling the globe to stem the infection and find a cure. Gabe has saved the world three times already—can you fill his shoes? Or, an even-better question: Will you run as ridiculously as he did in the previous games?

SPECIALIST DATA: The Omega Strain continues the Syphon Filter tradi- tion of stealth gameplay and all-out guns-blazing

68 ¢ ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com

RELEASE DATE: Early 2004

action, with huge levels, branching missions, and more than 100 weapons and gadgets to use (but you can only carry four at a time). The kicker, though, is the online component; you can join up to three other players and tackle all 17 single-player missions cooperatively, drastically changing your mission approach. And you'll finally have another use for that dusty SOCOM headset, since The Omega Strain sup- ports online chat.

For the little girl in you who misses playing with Barbies, Syphon Filter even includes a customization feature, so you can dress your warrior in myriad fatigues, gloves, handbags, and pumps.

Will Syphon Filter get “bulletitime” like Max Payne and Dead to Rights?

BETTER SERAPS|THAN A $300%2ROM\DRESS.

ot &

My ae SAS Wega?

CMe

)) f*Z Feature

PLAYSTATION 2, XBOX, GAMECUBE, GAME BOY ADVANCE

LORD OF THE RINGS: RETURN OF THE KING

1 PUBLISHER: EA Games @ DEVELOPER: EA Games @ RELEASE DATE: November 2003

BASIC INTEL:

Uh, you mean you didn’t play the last Rings game, The Two Towers? Huh. Well, we guess there must be one of you out there. Anyway, like the previous game, Return of the King is an action/beat-em-up based on the blockbuster film trilogy.

SPECIALIST DATA:

“| don’t think there’s an area we haven't improved [over The Two Towers],” says EA’s Neil Young. “We have six playable characters (Gandalf, Frodo, and Sam are new), plus at least two hidden characters and multiple paths [through] the game. Sword control is now on the right analog stick, and [now you can] swing on ropes, jump over gaps, kick boulders, throw objects, etc. Finally, as if that wasn’t enough, we've added two-player co-op play.”

70 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com

IH PLAYSTATION 2, XBOX, GAMECUBE

THE SUFFERING

1 PUBLISHER: Midway @ DEVELOPER: Surreal Software ™ RELEASE DATE: October 2003

BASIC INT!

In this upcoming horror-adventure game, you play a convict sentenced to walk the green mile of a dilapidated, post-WWil-era prison. But the corroded pipes and decaying walls are the least of this particular institution’s problems. While you ruminate on the murders of your wife and son, horrible things begin to happen—. mysterious decapitations, eviscerations, and even some good ol’ fashion gougings. Suddenly, prisoners and guards alike start getting murdered by half-seen assailants. Then the door to your cell swings open...

SPECIALIST DATA:

Your job, like it or not, is to figure out what’s happening and why. As you roam the prison, you'll meet monsters based on various methods of execution. Sometimes, you'll only see them dash into the darkness; others, you’ll fight them with weapons like tommy guns, stun grenades, or a prison-yard shiv. Since you don’t know whether your character is guilty (did you murder your kin?), you can play as either a model prisoner or someone who could use a week in The Box, and the story changes depending on your actions. Slashing the throat of a helpful guard? Probably evil. But aiding him could mean a commuted sentence. Expect gallons of blood, plenty of shocks, and enough cussing to scorch your virgin ears.

This isn’t the place for the scared, weak- hearted, or nervous.

lll Su. y

PLAYSTATION 2

> ONIMUSHA. , BURAIDEN.,

PUBLISHER: Capcom '® DEVELOPER: Capcom me DATE: Spring 2004 sl

BASIC INTEL:

Think of Buraiden as Super Onimusha Bros. Melee. One to four players choose from a cast of past Oni characters—including main heroes (Samanosuke from Onimusha, Jubei from Oni 2, and, we're guessing, Jacques from Onimusha 3), sup- porting cast members, and various enemies—and then fight in multitiered environ- ments set in feudal Japan. Hack opponents to suck in their soul power and unleash special attacks.

SPECIALIST DATA:

Producer Keiji Inafune assures us Buraiden won't be one of those fighting games only worth playing against friends. “As you win battles, your character will get stronger,” he says. “[You’ll get] better armor and weapons, [and] gain new special abilities.” And if you’re playing as an enemy demon, you might even mutate into a bigger creature.

The Human Anatomy

as deconstructed by Tao Feng

Fic. 1. — Considerable Pain

The process of deconstructing the anatomy begins with bruising at the point of contact, leading to bloody contusions and cerebral hemorrhage.

Fic. 2.— Physical Disability

The deconstruction nears completion as limbs weaken and break from continuous physical abuse, Sinally rendering the enemy useless.

FIG. 3.— Environmental Destruction Opponents are often hurled into walls and glass situated nearby, resulting in injuries of variable depth and size.

oF Wists Eee ape Weer

ies The Pain ts Real

Blood Micresoft

gamexstudios- www-xbox.com/taofeng

©2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved, Microsoft, Fist of the Lotus,Tao Feng, Xbox, and the Xbox logos are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Interactive Entertainment Ratings Board. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.

feature

PLAYSTATION 2, XBOX, GAMECUBE

ESPIONAGE

se ve ll PUBLISHER: Midway @ DEVELOPER: Midway @® RELEASE DATE: November 2003 ~ | = BASIC INTEL: Nifty guns are just one part of this upcoming Metal Gear Solid-style action-adventure. You $ play as a secret agent who packs telepathic powers as well as lead-slinging heat. 4 I SPECIALIST DATA:

Forget your pistol—your mind is your greatest weapon. Imagine using telekinesis to lift your enemies high into the air, then pyrokinesis to burn them to a crisp. Wanna know what's behind that locked door? Leave your body to catch a glimpse via your remote viewing

He’s a fire starter. Twisted fire starter. : power. Or use mind control to set terrorist forces against each other. Nice work, Braniac.

\ 1B Wrath is like it War of the Monsters and The FR I BEAD: Unholy War (remember that one?!?) pounded out is @) a brighly-colored baby. 3

2/10 oy

PLAYSTATION 2, XBOX

WRATH

PUBLISHER: LucasArts DEVELOPER: The Collective { RELEASE DATE: Fall 2003 BASIC INTEL:

In this peculiar strategy/fighting hybrid, you take turns moving the armies of four j elemental realms, then settle your disputes in duels using giant Clash of the Titans-style beasts.

SPECIALIST DATA:

The terrain, your adversary’s rank, and the scope of the territory you control all impact your odds. We gotta wonder if strategists will shy from Wrath’s spastic slugfests or if fighters will take to its slower-paced plotting. Such a genre-bender.

PLAYSTATION 2

FULL THROTTLE 2

@ PUBLISHER: LucasArts i DEVELOPER: LucasArts @ RELEASE DATE: Fall 200:

Ben the biker has fists for fighting, So expect to do plenty of it.

BASIC INTEL: Slap on your leathers and grease down your hair—Ben the biker outlaw is back in this follow-up to the classic PC action-adventure.

SPECIALIST DATA: Throttle 2 stays on familiar turf—the wide-open road—complete with renegade biker gangs, testosterone-charged motorcycles, and plain old rock ’n’ roll. Expect plenty of fighting, bike combat, and puzzles, although the latter probably won't be the kind of LucasArts brain benders seen in Escape from Monkey Island (PS2): In % “ i f , Throttle 2, there are quicker ways to unlock a door than finding the key (re re f iron). Different biker gangs (Rockabilly, Samurai, and more) will have their own musical styles, and look for big-name bands to be added to the soundtrack any day. We only worry that the trademark Tim Schafer humor from the first game will ee e be missing, since Schafer left LucasArts to work on Psychonauts (Xbox).

72 © ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY © [IIWAiye tc

1 PLAYSTATION 2

CHAOS LEGION

™ PUBLISHER: Capcom ™ DEVELOPER: Capcom '@ RELEASE DATE: Fall 2003

In Capcom’s latest adventure game, you'll get inte large battles .

against over- whelming num- bers of enemies, but you’ll have unique, upgrad- able sidekicks fighting along- side you.

XBOX

OTOGI: MYTH OF DEMONS

PUBLISHER: Sega DEVELOPER: From Software RELEASE DATE: Fall 2003

In this action-RPG based on Japanese folklore, you play as an undead samurai charged with destroying an army of mytho- logical demons that has sprung to life. It’s fact versus fiction.

1 WE'RE GUESSING PLAYSTATION 2

FATAL FRAME 2

New lead characters? A new setting? It seems the only thing that’s

the same in this

follow-up to last

year’s weirdie

horror game is,

you still take

pictures of

ghosts in order

to stay alive.

PLAYSTATION 2, XBOX

GLADIATOR: SWORD OF VENGEANCE

PUBLISHER: Acclaim DEVELOPER: Acclaim Studios Manchester li RELEASE DATE: Fall 2003

Guide your decidedly patri- otic slave-who- becomes-warrior on his action- packed quest to save Rome from a despotic Emperor.

PLAYSTATION 2

VIRTUAL ON: MARZ

PUBLISHER: Sega DEVELOPER: Hitmaker RELEASE DATE: Fall 2003

More than 40 giant robots fight one-on-one in this third VO console press game. And, using the DualShock 2, you'll finally have twin-stick controller sup- port, like the arcade version.

PLAYSTATION 2

RISE TO HONOR

Jet Li stars in this Hong Kong-style action game that tells the

story ofa mob |

bodyguard’s

quest to fulfill

his boss’

dying wish.

Expect to kick |

and punch lots |

of things.

PLAYSTATION 2, XBOX

X-FILES: RESIST OR SERVE

PUBLISHER: Sierra DEVELOPER: Black Ops RELEASE DATE: Summer 2003

Fight ghosts, the undead, and/or aliens in this sur- vival-horror game starring Scully, Mulder, and various other X-Files regulars. Then, leave the show and pursue a movie career.

™ PLAYSTATION 2, XBOX

ALIAS

Take on the role of double agent Sydney Bristow as she beats her

EAC)

vengeance in

this third-person

action game.

Just don’t be too

distracted by

your character’s

curlicue lips.

PLAYSTATION 2

MAXIMO V THE ARMY OF ZIN

™ PUBLISHER: Capcom ®™ DEVELOPER: Capcom ©. RELEASE DATE: Fall 2003

Maximo returns with his poke- yer-eye-out sharp graphics and hardcore action gameplay to combat the quite monstrous Army of Zin.

PLAYSTATION 2, XBOX, GAMECUBE

BATMAN: RISE OF SIN-TZU

PUBLISHER: Ubi Soft DEVELOPER: Ubi Soft RELEASE DATE: October 2003

Who are you?! You're Batman—and friends—in this Final Fight-style beat-em-up that pits you against baddies Clayface, Scarecrow, Bane, and the newly created Sin-Tzu.

™ PLAYSTATION 2

KYA

‘© PUBLISHER: Atari ™ DEVELOPER: Eden Studios © RELEASE DATE: Winter 2003

Girl searches for lost brother. Girl runs, jumps, and boomerangs.

Girl saves tribe

of natives. Girl

liberates fan-

tastical world.

Girl finds [

brother.

Peasants

rejoice.

PLAYSTATION 2, XBOX, GAMECUBE

FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE

PUBLISHER: 3D0 DEVELOPER: 3D0 RELEASE DATE: Fall 2003

There is no dark side to 3D0’s ae | Four Horsemen —it’s all dark. Stop Famine, War, Pestilence, and Death in this Devil May Cry- style adventure.

ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com ¢ 73

PLAYSTATION 2, XBOX, GAMECUBE

BASIC INTEL:

In their campaign to give gamers one less xX eek @ L EG E N D S reason to fear and hate them, Professor X’s || Children of the Atom are turning to the previously @ untapped RPG genre. “A simpler genre,” says

PUBLISHER: Activision ™ DEVELOPER: Raven Software i RELEASE DATE: Winter 2003

GSO Soldier

BASIC INTEL:

The original Dark Alliance's success proved that Magic Missiles and +2 Girdles of Femininity aren’t just for 20-sided-die-toting Dungeons & Dragons nerds anymore. Stuff hack-n-slash combat, awesome graphics, and two-player action into an RPG and you'll lure in videogame nerds as well. This sequel goes for the critical hit with 40 new levels, five playable characters, and an improved combat system.

SPECIALIST DATA:

As great as the first Alliance was, even fans agree that the never-ending hack- a-thon fighting got old. Not so this time, according to Lead Designer Dave Maldonado. “Different encounters [will] feel different from one another,” he says, “not just be composed of different-looking monsters. The player must change tactics to succeed, providing a reprieve from constant button mashing.” Thank Lolth, Demon Queen of Spiders. Or something.

74 © ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com

Project Lead Pat Lipo, “would demand that the [X-

Men's] various mutant abilities be glossed over and simplified into a basic weapon or fancy method of damaging your opponent. X-Men: Legends, however, takes advantage of the depth allowed within an RPG and encourages gamers to use these mutant powers to unique effect, solving puzzles and combining them in interesting ways.”

SPECIALIST DATA:

Legends’ ensemble is packed with X-Men past and present. Each character has upgradable traits and talents and, with training in the Danger Room, can be tailored to fit your preferences. “One player may end up with a completely different version of Nightcrawler than his friend has,” Lipo explains. And on top of improving individual mutants, you'll need to coordinate them as a group. “Team combos are a big part of the game,” says Lipo, “allowing various pairings of characters to combine their powers for spectacular results. There are also times when your choice of team members in a given situa- tion will yield unexpected surprises.” Nuff said.

BASIC INTEL:

In Falloufs postnuclear-holocaust world, the wretched remnants of humanity are besieged by Hulk-esque mutants, radioactive monstrosities, and leather-clad bandits of the Mad Max variety. As a member of the military survivalist organization Brotherhood of Steel, you’ll eradicate these irradiated horrors to make the wasteland safe for humankind in an action-RPG similar to Ba/dur's Gate.

SPECIALIST DATA:

Brotherhood of Stee! borrows the grimly humorous mood of the excellent Fallout PC games, but trades straight-up role-playing for lots of visceral combat. Develop your skills in heavy weapons, stealth kills, explosives, sniping, or hand-to-hand combat. More than 50 melee, ranged, and explosive weapons provide plenty of ways to exter- minate undesirables. Hey, post-nuke life is tough—survival takes guts. And bullets.

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Hidden characters, extra weapons and

undiscove!

red worlds are all at your

fingertips. Cut out the cards, slip them into the game’s case for a quick trick.

When you get the itch, punch in these codes and

really get into the game.

YOUR WINNING TEAM

1. Tex is your : biggest hitter, the @ one most able to deal damage and take a hit. He's the guy to go to when you have a lot of ene- mies in your path and no clear way around them. Tex can charge ahead and hand out equal portions of pain and suf- fering. Use him to muscle your way through the most difficult portions of the game.

2. Brutus is your best all-around Operative. His Spirit of Vengar allows him to pick up enemy con- facts where your other Operatives see only scenery. He's your most well-rounded character, and if you're in a situation that doesn't call for the specialty of one of the others, he's the guy to be in charge of.

3. Hawk is an excellent scout,

's in this mode that she is the most lethal. In Stealth mode, Hawk can kill foes almost instant- ly and silently. She's your choice

ee

when you have a couple of well: profected enemies guarding a choke point or a few nasties behind a lot of cover.

4. Flint's function is as the team's sniper. Because of her observa- tional skills and her ability with the sniper rifle Flint is a good sec- ond choice if you aren't in the mood to use Brutus. She's who you want spotting terrain for you before you charge in with Tex or Brutus.

GET INTO THE GAME.COM

GRAND THEFT AUTO: VIE GITY

E 1 I 1 1 t f 1 t 1 ij i] { 1 t i i] I 1 I 1 1 I t { Hy 1 1 t I J i { 1 i ! : i 1 1 t fs 1 1 ! i : |

Run for Safety! With a giant boulder threat- ening to smash the town of Vale, time is of the essence! Follow your mother's command and head to the main square in the southern part of town. Your path there is determined by the smaller boulders that crash down from the mountain and block your path! If the road you're taking is blocked, look for another one.

Boss Battle: The Three Thieves!

Freeing the worker prompts the thieves to storm the attic to try to protect their stolen booty. Regardless of their excuses and information about the probable status of Master Hammet in Lunpa, don't let them get away!

Take on Thief 1 and 2 and the head Bandit, and subdue them until backup arrives.

GAME BOY ADVANCE

The Hidden Door The second puzzle requires you to examine each of the three rooms on the other side of the second pool. The middle room holds a treasure chest containing a Small Jewel. Take the Small Jewel to the room on the right and insert into the minotaur. This opens a door in the room to the left.

BUY ht 2) ym

SPECIAL ATTACK.

PLAYSTATION 2

STAR OCEAN 3: TILL THE END OF TIME

PUBLISHER: Square Enix USA mi DEVELOPER: Tri-Ace i RELEASE DATE: Fall 2003

BASIC INTEL:

The newly amalgamated Square Enix USA unleashes its combined RPG power with this spacefaring sequel to the PS1 hit, Star Ocean: The Second Story. Going further into the sci-fi-meets-fantasy realm than even Xenosaga, this epic quest might be the laurel of peace that finally brings Final Fantasy and Star Trek freaks together.

SPECIALIST DATA:

Don’t worry if you’re not familiar with the Star Ocean series (hell, the first game never even came out here), ‘cause this one takes place in the distant future and has little to do with its forerunners. Just expect a gargantuan planet-hopping quest, a complex skill-based battle system, and lovely visuals.

‘MI PLAYSTATION 2

DRAG-ON DRAGOON

§@ PUBLISHER: Square Enix USA ® DEVELOPER: Cavia i RELEASE DATE: Fall 2003 BASIC INTEL:

Square says the game’s name is subject to change, as “dragging on” isn’t the kind of concept you want tied to your exciting action-RPG—especially when it’s packed with three types of combat: midair dragon-back blasting, bombing runs, and ground-level swordplay.

SPECIALIST DATA:

On the surface, you might mistake Drag-on for a sequel to Sega’s seminal Saturn RPG Panzer Dragoon Saga. Well, it's not. But it does feature a similarly bold visual style, a complex dragon-upgrading system, and shooting sequences. You control Kaim, a valiant young prince with quite the heroic agenda: He must battle an evil empire to avenge his parents’ death, rescue his sister, and regain the ability to speak. (Maybe that last one isn’t so heroic, after all.)

BASIC INTEL:

Now that you’ve caught up on the last seven years of Arc games with the Arc the Lad Collection (PS1), you're finally ready for this all-new fourth chapter in the strategy-RPG series.

SPECIALIST DATA:

Actually, even if you missed the old games, don’t fre-—part four hails from a dif- ferent developer, so it has a unique feel, a fresh story; and completely new charac- ters. And unlike the previous PS1 relics, this one doesn’t belong in a museum— sharp visuals and faster tactical battles could breathe fresh life into the franchise.

PLAYSTATION 2

DISGAEA: THE HOUR OF DARKNESS

PUBLISHER: Atlus @ DEVELOPER: Nippon Ichi @ RELEASE DATE: August 2003

BASIC INTEL:

Borrowing equal parts from Squaresoft’s strategy-RPG Final Fantasy Tactics and film director Tim Burton’s twisted psyche, Disgaea places you in the role of a demonic child who must defend his family against encroaching forces from both heaven and hell, with the help of his...devil penguin. Hey, don’t look at us. We don’t write this stuff—we just pass it along to you.

SPECIALIST DATA:

Tactical battles in the vein of Atlus’ Tactics Ogre and the aforementioned FFT form Disgaea's core gameplay. Don’t expect a standard strategy-RPG, though—the whimsical plot, bizarre graphics, and crazy minigames (including one in which you submit bills to the Black Congress, a senate of diabolical lawmakers) combine to make Disgaea a truly offbeat experience.

ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY » www.egmmag.com * 75

A) e@ Feature

OF HONOR.

ISING SUN.

DEVELOPER: EA LA hee

- PUBLISHER: EA Games

BASIC INTEL:

Electronic Arts swears Rising Sun isn’t just last year’s Frontline with a new coat of Japanese war paint. For one, players will need to adapt to guerrilla-war tactics— stalking Japanese soldiers in the green hell of island jungle terrain will be a world apart from marching through the shell-ravaged city blocks of the Western Front. And while these screens don’t look so hot right now, EA promises it'll outshine previous MOH games when it’s done. Also worth noting: You'll play as Marine Corporal Joseph Griffin in Rising Sun, but you'll act as his brother in the sequel.

PLAYSTATION 2

Matching Frontline’s D-Day invasion pound for explosive pound, Rising Sun has its momentous start at Pearl Harbor. You'll fire antiaircraft turrets, perforating the Zero-filled sky with hot flak, and then witness the fateful sinking of the Pacific Fleet from the safety of a PT boat. Other series firsts include splitscreen cooperative play and branching paths that add replayability to the tightly scripted skirmishes. And although we court-martialed the last Meda/s Nazis for being dimwits, the producers insist that once the new A.|. graduates from boot camp, they'll definitely induce post-traumatic stress disorder.

SOCOM2~~T*

PUBLISHER: Sony CEA ® DEVELOPER: Zipper Interactive

BASIC INTEL:

In the time it takes you to read this sentence, hun- dreds of Americans have been killed. Which isn’t so shocking, really, when you hear those hundreds were part of the more than 50,000 gamers out to kill each other online everyday in Sony's tactical shooter, SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs. And that’s not even counting everyone playing the squad-based single-player game offline. When a game is this popular (it’s already sold over 1 million copies), a sequel is inevitable.

SPECIALIST DATA:

SOCOM 2s gameplan is so simple, a drill instructor could’ve shouted it: “MAKE THE GOOD STUFF BETTER AND FIX THE BAD STUFF.” (He probably wouldn’t say “stuff,” but, hey, this is a family magazine.) The sin-

7

76 © ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY » www.egmmag.com

RELEASE DATE: November 2003

gle-player game promises new enemy vehicles (tanks and such), adjustable difficulty settings, and, most importantly, improved A.|. for both friends and enemies. The three original online game modes— deathmatch, bomb your opponent's base, and hostage rescue—are joined by two new ones that have you escorting innocents and breaching a forti- fied stronghold. Zipper’s also pulling out the big guns, literally: Rocket-propelled grenades and machinegun turrets should spice things up nicely. On the voice-communication front, SOCOM 2 will once again support the headset controller (even in the lob- bies while you wait for a game), but it won't come packed-in; you can use the set from the first game or buy one separately. Now, if they can just find a way to stop those damn cheaters...

at

Can you spot Waldo The Terrorist in this group of similar- looking screens?

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www.unrealchampionship.com Les Unreal® Championship ©2003 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. The Atari trademark and logo are the property of Infogrames. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. 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.

ONLINE ENABLED |

PLAYSTATION 2, XBOX, GAMECUBE

SPY HUNTER 2 ik

1 PUBLISHER: Midway @® DEVELOPER: Angel Studios ™ RELEASE DATE: Winter 2003

BASIC INTEL:

Crank the famous theme music and hit the road in your trademark sleek white sports car. The Nostra corporation's forces are back at it again, but your supercar’s arsenal can fix that quick-fast in a hurry. More bitchin’ than any Camaro, the Interceptor bristles with machine guns and missiles, plus the fan-favorites oil slicks and smoke screens. It can even turn into a speedboat or motorcycle, for getting to those hard-to-reach terrorists.

SPECIALIST DATA:

Spy Hunter 2 features upgradable weapons (plus new ones, like mines), arena-style boss battles, and multiple ways to complete objectives: You can lower a bridge by finding its power source and destroying the drawbridge mechanism, or just skip it and approach in boat form. The game's improved multiplayer comes in versus and cooperative flavors (where one player drives while the other handles the enemy blasting). Buckle up!

Hitman and Max Force ditched their old outfits to go thrifting.

78 © ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com

SALI oD AIATES AS

IH PLAYSTATION 2, XBOX

TEAMSAS.

@ PUBLISHER: Vivendi Universal (@ DEVELOPER: Dangerous Games il RELEASE DATE: Fall 2003

BASIC INTEL:

In this squad-based first-person shooter, you control four British commandos (team leader, scout, sniper, and heavy- weapons specialist) who must defeat a rogue group of Russian mercenaries before they use a stolen nuke to ignite World War Ill. As in Ghost Recon, you must coordinate your soldiers’ unique abilities in order to beat each level. Then, you'll get to assign your characters skill upgrades and new weapons such as chain guns, rocket launchers, sniper rifles, and the like.

SPECIALIST DATA:

Command A.I, teammates to lay down covering fire, hold position, or flank the enemy—or play through the entire campaign with up to three friends in splitscreen mode (alas, there’s no online play).

Although it was inspired by the experiences of highly decorated Special Air Service officer Andy McNab (who contributed weapons expertise and motion capture), Team SAS emphasizes action and fun over realism. Take the six- barreled minigun, for example. “It’s not exactly [standard] SAS issue,” says Dangerous Games’ Simon Gardner. “But if they can use one in Predator, then we can in Team SAS!”

PLAYSTATION 2, XBOX, GAMECUBE

WARC ~ 7°

F PUBLISHER: Midway ® DEVELOPER: VIS ® RELEASE DATE: Winter 2003

BASIC INTEL:

Hitman and Max Force (yes, those really are their names) form part of the elite N.A.R.C. squad charged with destroying the K.R.A.K. drug cartel (see previous note) and taking down its boss, Mr. Big (yep, that’s a bad-guy name from a bygone era).

SPECIALIST DATA:

About the only thing this drug-busting adventure borrows from its old arcade namesake is all the stupid names. The new NARC has more in common with Grand Theft Auto and State of Emergency, where busting crooks requires following clues and some good ol’ fashioned fisticuffs.

Stopping unrelated random crimes during your travels earns you the good-cop moniker, meaning folks will help you out in a jam. But go all The Shield on the general public and just see if you get invited to any policemen’s balls.

r - DANGER AROUND EVERY CURVE.

ALIAS

THE (AME

GO DEEP UNDERCOVER FALL 2003.

Visit wwesrb.org ALIASTHEGAME.COM or call 1-800-771-3772 , . Ime or) for more info. PlayStation. # Taschstone Televison a Aiaim www.acclaim.com

ESRB @ & © 2003 Acclaim Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved. “PlayStation” and the “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Microsfoft, 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. © 2003 Touchstone Television.

FREEDOM: DRAKE SOLDIERS OF LIBERTY PUBLISHER: Majesco

Remember the movie Ghosf? Well, Drake is nothing like that, since

Fight to liberate

the Big Apple this apparition from Commie kicks ass with a rule in this mixture of mar- squad-based tial arts, artillery, action/strategy and acrobatics game hybrid. (think Devil May Say it with us: Cry meets the

“Wolverines!” Batman cartoon).

XBOX TOM CLANCY'S GHOSTRECON : ISLAND THUNDER

PUBLISHER: Ubi Soft i DEVELOPER: Red Storm RELEASE DATE: Summer 2003

™@. PLAYSTATION 2, XBOX

BLOWOUT

™ PUBLISHER: Majesco © DEVELOPER: Kaos Kontrol © RELEASE DATE: Fall 2003

Silent-but-deadly gamers will go nuts for this Ghost Recon expan- sion. If you don’t own the original, don’t fret—it can be played (Xbox Live or single-player) on its own.

In space, no one can hear you scream, but they'll sure as hell hear

that big gun

you’re firing.

Clean out a

space station of

nasty aliens and

save the colo-

nized galaxy in

the process.

80 © ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com

ROADKILL

Twisted Metal meets Grand Theft Auto in this mis- sion-based post-

apocalyptic car- combat title.

No word on whether Mel Gibson is suing Midway for rip- ping off Mad Max so much.

XBOX

OPERATION FLASHPOINT: COLD WAR CRISIS

PUBLISHER: Codemasters @ DEVELOPER: Bohemia Interactive ll RELEASE DATE: Summer 2003

The Cold War’s not over until Codemasters says it’s over. Put down a rebel Soviet group in the name of glas- nost in this Ghost Recon ~style squad- based shooter.

weep OLS awaylfre

SOA rSwy LongaHlagy

40 Your

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3. Moocher stops.

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te

PLAYSTATION 2

RATCHET & CLANK 2

1 PUBLISHER: Sony CEA @ DEVELOPER: Insomniac Games @ RELEASE DATE: November 2003

BASIC INTEL:

No, we didn’t just modify screens of the original Ratchet—you're i

looking at Ratchet & Clank 2, due out just one year after the first ENS ‘ game. This time around, unlikely hero Ratchet and wisecracking- a

sidekick-robot Clank team up to save the universe from imminent

doom, although Sony won't say whether our heroes face a new

threat or if Chairman Drek has returned for another ass whuppin’.

SPECIALIST DATA:

Like the last game, Ratchet 2 borrows a cornucopia of elements Enemies, beware of Ratchet’s new toy: It'shoots flaming-hotJava. from other genres and sticks ‘em all under its action-platform umbrella, including exploration, racing, puzzle-solving, and role- playing. But just as you'd expect, developer Insomniac Games has cranked everything up a few notches for the sequel. (We've got our fingers crossed for more Giant Clank.) Our hero has changed a bit, too. Besides Ratchets spiffy new green spacesuit (which may be enough on its own to scare off would-be attackers), he’ll have more weapons and high-tech gadgets that you can power-up during your quest thanks to a new upgrade system. Taking the brunt of all that firepower is a cadre of new enemies who've found a fresh way to foil Ratchet's galaxy-saving plans: They've brought shields

| GAMECUBE

BILLY HATCHER /\ AND THE GIANT EGG ©

| PUBLISHER: Sega ™ DEVELOPER: Sonic Team ™i RELEASE DATE: Fall 2003 BASIC INTEL:

w If Billy weren't so

From the folks who brought you Sonic the Hedgehog ” » kind to eggs, we'd comes Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg (working title), fo ae , all te enfaying an a bright, cartoony platformer with an eggs-citing ie re 7 er ‘omelette for seven twist (sorry, it won’t happen again). You play as Billy, a : wD \ right about now.

a boy ina rooster suit (don’t laugh) who sets out to destroy an evil king threatening to steal the sun (hey! ‘ i c we said no laughing!) and send the world into dark- h re ‘ ee I (snirees] ACRE ness. You might be thinking, “Looks like a kids’ ma |e 3 Ses a . game,” and, well, it's definitely not gonna attract the Grand Theft Auto crowd. But it is being developed by Sonic Team, whose exceptional platforming pedigree means Billy deserves our attention.

SPECIALIST DATA:

These ain’t no run-of-the-mill grade As; each type of egg is supercharged with its own special power. Toss one type to break open walls and access new areas, another to take out enemies, and yet another to gain speed for longer jumps. Each egg also contains a magical creature you can hatch and attack with or enhance your own abilities. Raising your own types of eggs (remember raising Chaos in Sonic Adventure?) opens dozens (oops, it happened again) of other possibilities. High in cholesterol, sure, but possibly a guilty pleasure.

82 © ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com

«xB0Xx

BLOOD and GORE BLACKS VIVENDI L BEE tTr ‘GAM!

VIOLENCE

miwrcwog

“Mace Griffin Bounty Hunter” interactive game © 2008 Vivendi Universal Games, Inc. All rights reserved. Mace Griffin, Mace Griffin Bounty Hunter, Vivendi Universal Games, the Vivendi Universal Games logo, Black Label Games, and the Black Label Games logo are trademarks of Vivendi Universal Games, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. 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. “PlayStation” and the “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

Green ies a about this fledgling Betigals defend

PLAYSTATION 2, XBOX, GAMECUBE, PLAYSTATION (YES, EVEN ON THE PS1)

MADDEN

PUBLISHER: EA Sports im DEVELOPER: EA Tiburon

You know that—just like in’ Star eke this guy inthe red top is doomed. Doome we

PUBLISHER: Microsoft

NFL 200

RELEASE DATE: August 2003

DEVELOPER: Microsoft i RELEASE DATE: Winter 2003

BASIC INTEL:

Top-of-the-line boards, sweet-looking gear, hundreds of ski bunnies clamoring for a glimpse as you shred down the powder-covered mountain—these dreams become reality in Amped 2. As in the original, the goal is to use your boarding skills to make a name for yourself in the extreme-sports community. Tear it up on the world’s top mountains during photo and video shoots and you're sure to impress a bevy of snowboard sponsors.

84 © ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com

SPECIALIST DATA:

Amped 2s new “butter” combo system uses both nose and tail manuals to link tricks, and each park layout is designed to take advantage of this new fea- ture. Once your skills are up to snuff, strap on an Xbox Live headset to dish out insults to other board- ers online (up to eight players can be on the moun- tain at once) as you climb the worldwide rankings— and don’t forget to download additional courses, gear, music tracks, and single-player challenges.

BASIC INTEL:

Like a fine wine, this pigskin franchise only improves with age. Last year, Madden took yet another step in the direction of videogame greatness with the addition of online play (only for PS2). There was one small hiccup, though: Typing text messages to your gridiron adversary after you lit up the scoreboard with another touchdown pass was pretty annoying. This season, added voice chat through the SOCOM headset (again, just for PS2 players) lets you truly talk the talk as you try to walk the walk in online tournaments.

SPECIALIST DATA:

We've learned that the GameCube version will utilize the Game Boy Advance connectivity feature. EA, however, is currently tight-lipped about how it will enhance gameplay. All current versions (sorry, PS1 Owners) will be treated to a new Owner mode and something EA is calling Playmaker Control, but again, the company is being hush- hush on specifics. All we can ascertain about the latter is that it will attempt to give you a better chance of making the proper play after the snap of the ball. Of course, what would a football game be without Mr. Madden's inane ramblings and somewhat delusional on-the-field observations? Expect the same timeless football anec- dotes for which John is (in)famous.

~~ Jumps like this attract sponsors, hon- eys, and ambu- lance drivers in equal amounts.

Tl PLAYSTATION 2, XBOX

NFL 2K4

1 PUBLISHER: Sega Sports 1 DEVELOPER: Visual Concepts Ml RELEASE DATE: August 2003

Sega is dead set on avoiding another sales shellack- ing by EA’s

Madden series.

Anew play-call-

RS SC

additional player

animations, and

a Training Camp

mode should

really help.

PLAYSTATION 2, XBOX, GAMECUBE

NFL BLITZ PRO

PUBLISHER: Midway Sports DEVELOPER: Midway RELEASE DATE: September 2003

Blitz’s Madden-esque makeover includes full 11-on- 11 action, first- and-10 down markers, a more prevalent run- ning game, and online play (but only for PS2 broadband users).

Tl PLAYSTATION 2, XBOX, GAMECUBE

NBA BALLERS

Tl PUBLISHER: Midway Asylum ™ DEVELOPER: Midway Ti RELEASE DATE: November 2003

Best described as “MTV Cribs meets the NBA,” Ballers lets you

challenge NBA

superstars and

PS2 broadband

opponents to

1-on-1 pickup

games at their

not-so-humble

abodes.

PLAYSTATION 2, XBOX, GAMECUBE, PLAYSTATION

FIFA 2004

PUBLISHER: EA Sports DEVELOPER: EA Canada RELEASE DATE: Fall 2003

Besides online matchups (guess what? PS2 only), FIFA’s strongest kick is its com- prehensive Career mode. Start a team from scratch and lead it to the global soc- cer stage.

PLAYSTATION 2

NFL GAMEDAY 2004

PUBLISHER: 989 Sports DEVELOPER: 989 Sports RELEASE DATE: August 2003

A slew of additional online features like tournaments, buddy lists, message boards, and downloadable real-time weath- er could help raise GameDay from the grid- iron doldrums.

Hi PLAYSTATION 2, XBOX, GAMECUBE

NBA LIVE 2004

Tl PUBLISHER: EA Sports Ti DEVELOPER: EA Canada ™ RELEASE DATE: Fall 2003

Live readies a full-court press on Sega’s NBA 2K series with a

deeper

Dynasty mode,

arevamped

passing game,

and more

online options

for PS2

owners.

PLAYSTATION 2, XBOX

NHL 2K4

PUBLISHER: Sega Sports DEVELOPER: Visual Concepts/Kush Games RELEASE DATE: Winter 2003

NHL 2K4 hopes to take Sega’s hockey series to the videogame Stanley Cup level with plush visuals, improved com- mentary, and online goodies like download- able rosters.

Ti PLAYSTATION 2

DOWNHILL DOMINATION

Tl PUBLISHER: Sony CEA DEVELOPER: \ncog Inc Tl RELEASE DATE: July 2003

Twisted Metaf's creators have gone from developing aB movie-style

monster masher

(War of the

Monsters) to a

downhill moun-

tain-bike-racing

game. Expect a

robust multi-

player side.

Hl PLAYSTATION 2, XBOX, GAMECUBE

NCAA FOOTBALL 2004

ll PUBLISHER: EA Sports DEVELOPER: EA Tiburon Tl RELEASE DATE: August 2003

Already bordering on perfection, NCAA Football 2004 could become

an instant grid-

iron classic with

the addition of

online play to

the PS2 version.

There’s no bet-

ter way to prep

for pro ball.

PLAYSTATION 2

NCAA FINAL FOUR 2004

PUBLISHER: 989 Sports DEVELOPER: 989 Sports RELEASE DATE: November 2003

989 Sports’ college hoops title’s online scholarship means you can ‘

lead one of more than 300 Division I-A teams to the vir- tual promised land. The game also sports new a player models.

Tl PLAYSTATION 2, XBOX, GAMECUBE

NHLHITZ PRO

1 PUBLISHER: Midway Sports 1 DEVELOPER: Next Level Games 1 RELEASE DATE: September 2003

Midway sharpens its skates with new 5-on-5 game- play, line : ~ changes, and

refined stick-

handling con-

trols. PS2

owners with

broadband can

drop the puck

online.

PLAYSTATION 2, XBOX, GAMECUBE

TIGER WOODS PGA TOUR 2004

PUBLISHER: EA Sports m DEVELOPER: EA Sports RELEASE DATE: Fall 2003

On five new PGA courses, you'll attempt to earn more prize money than the game’s cover boy. The PS2 edition also has online play.

ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com * 85

XBOX

WWE RAW 2

PUBLISHER: THQ ti DEVELOPER: Anchor mi RELEASE DATE: Fall 2003

BASIC INTEL:

With their bulging biceps, busty broads, and oiled-up physiques, the true-to-life wrasslers in the first Raw helped the game look the part of an Xbox megahit. Too bad it lacked the finer points, like an in-depth Story mode, multiple arenas, and the laundry list of match types present in today’s popular wrestling games. Raw 2 attempts to fix those mistakes, which will hopefully make your ascent toward in-ring stardom more rewarding.

SPECIALIST DATA:

An innovative Season mode allows four human players to work together or compete head- to-head for various championship belts, and offers the soap opera—like atmosphere missing from the first game. Feel free to form alliances with your buds, and then at a later, crucial moment, to turn your back and cost them a title shot. Face or heel, it doesn’t matter—as long as you make the right moves in and out of the ring, you're sure to rise to the top of the McMahon empire. Add to the mix new match types like TLC (Tables, Ladders, and Chairs) and backstage brawls, along with a revamped Create-a-Superstar mode, and Raw 2is lookin’ fine like Trish Stratus. Our only gripe so far is that THQ didn’t hit the mat with online bouts. Guess that feature has to wait until Raw 3.

With the right moves, even little Rey Mysterio can take down this genetic freak.

the game boy advance

86 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com

GAMECUBE

WWE WRESTL

PUBLISHER: THQ tii DEVELOPER: Yukes i RELEASE DATE: Summer 2003

BASIC INTEL:

Since Xé failed to fully reach superstar status, THQ has a com- plete overhaul planned for the next WrestleMania, Changes

start with more realistic wrestlers (in both their outward appearances and in-ring attributes) and trickle down to the gameplay mechanics. For instance, expect a greater emphasis ‘on grappling and reversals, as in the N64 classic No Mercy (woo- hool), and less of the arcade, twitch-fest feel of the PS2's Smackdown! series.

SPECIALIST DATA:

XIXs simulation roots force you to learn a superstar’s true-to-life strengths and weaknesses, so, for example, prepare to master high- flyin’ Rey Mysterio's acrobatic maneuvers, because his punches are worthless against the big boys. And when you inflict enough damage on opponents, they'll now accurately reflect their agony by sporting bloody noses or limping across the mat. Also, X/X’s Story mode is not about winning the title (that’s in the Path of a Champion mode), but rather regaining your professional wrestling status. Defeat competitors at con- struction sites and shipping yards as well as the WWE headquarters, and Mr. McMahon will be forced to issue your reinstatement.

XIXs wrestlers look a lot less cartoony than last year’s models.

seems reminiscent of Half-Life. You kndWewttat? We liked Half-Life.

STARCRAFT: GHOST

ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY © www.egmmag.com * 87

REAL UFC FIGHTERS

ALL THE

REALISTIC MOVES

ALL THE REAL

MUSIC

Featuring: Stemm, Scars of Life . and more...

| — Te ee a Ee

2p sy | eo

| ae Anca } BAS RUTTEN milan MAS

www.tife.ty

co reson sn REAL FIGHTERS.

Utiewate Fightiog Championship, UFC ond the UFC Logo ore either tradeworks or registered trademerks of Zafta, ILC ia the US and other covatrles, ead ore ased wader license. @ 2003 TDK Medictive, la. AM Rights Reserved. PUBLISHED AND DISTRIBUTED BY TOK MEDIACTIVE, INC.

HAS A GAME.

meAinctve

REAL FIGHTING. Vans

The ratings Icom Fs 0 cegisteced trodemork of the lateractive Digital Software Association. Microsolt, Xbox aad the Xbox Logos are either registered trademarks of Micresoft Corporation la the U.S. and/or in other covtrles and are exed wader license from Microsoft.

el cover story

«+. TAKE DOWN AN AT-AT, SKYWALKER

STYLE?

SEE PG. 94

«BLOW UP THE DEATH STAR WITH A PAL?

SEE PG. 98

SEE PG. 92 «RESCUE LEIA FROM THE DEATH STAR?

«.-HAUL SUPER- SONIC ASS ON ASPEEDERBIKE? SEE PG. 93

SEE PG. 96 «.-FRY EWOKS WITH A SCOUT WALKER?

TOUR DE

FORCE

Rebel Strike—the laser-hot GameCube sequel to Rogue Leader—lets you relive all your geeked-out Star Wars fantasies. Even the one with Princess Leia tn her tin bikini

by Crispin Boyer

nd we thought Factor 5 President Julian Eggebrecht was yanking our lightsabers.... “If [this game] really had everything,”

Eggebrecht said in our November 2001 pre- view of his company’s acclaimed GameCube launch hit, Rogue Squadron Il: Rogue Leader, “you'd be able to crash- land on Hoth, climb out of your snowspeeder, and use your grappling hook to zip under an AT-AT and blow it up like Luke did in Empire Strikes Back. Maybe a future game will let you do that, but it'll take some convincing to get [co- developer and publisher] LucasArts to do another game with a Hoth level.”

Lightspeed forward to today, and it turns out Eggebrecht wasn't kidding. We're sitting in Factor 5’s San Raphael, CA, headquarters, watching Luke Skywalker dash up a grapple line, slice open the belly of a walking-tank AT-AT, and toss in an explosive thermal detonator before dropping back to the snowpacked surface of Hoth. Eggebrecht is showing us a level in Factor 5’s latest Rogue Squadron installment, Star Wars Rogue Squadron ill: Rebel Strike (a working title), due exclusively for GameCube this fall. And, unlike the Cube pre- quel Rogue Leader, this game really does have “every-

thing” —way more than the straight-up starship combat of the past Rogue Squadron games. This sequel lets you actu- ally climb out of your starship and do some up-close-and- personal damage in both outdoor and indoor Star Wars set- tings. Aside from the aforementioned man-vs.-AT-AT action on Hoth, Rebel Strike sends players on a rescue mission into the Death Star to save Princess Leia. It whips Luke through the backwoods of Endor on a whizzing speederbike. It has Jedi muppet Yoda teaching the ways of the Force on swampy Dagobah. In short, Rebel Strike lets players relive just about every scenario worth reliving from the classic Star Wars trilogy—everything shy of lightsaber duels with Darth Vader. “This game is really the ultimate fantasy fulfillment for Star Wars fans,” says Brett Tosti, Rebel Strike’s producer at LucasArts.

And, of course, Rebel Strike has another mission set on Hoth, the iceball planet that has served as a setting in almost every classic Star Wars game since the Atari 2600 days. “To quote the guys in the LucasArts meetings,” Eggebrecht says, “You want to go to Hoth again? Are you nuts?’ Which made us think, ‘OK, how many times can we go there?’ just out of pure nastiness.”

@ Not like dusting crops: Rebel Strike mixes three gameplay styles—third-person shooting, funky-vehicle driving, and traditional starfighter combat—in two campaigns.

ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com ¢ 91

“We can do one more Star Wars game with the same

energy we had for Rogue Leader.”

Do, or do not. There is no try

But before the company became hell-bent on returning to Hoth, Factor 5 had to decide if it could even stomach blast- ing back to George Lucas’ galaxy after four years of Star Wars-fueled flight-combat projects, starting with the original Rogue Squadron on Nintendo 64. “We were terribly sick of Star Wars after Rogue Leader,” says Eggebrecht. “So every- body sat down after a long vacation and asked, ‘What in the classic Star Wars universe would still even excite people?’”

star tours

It kicks

off right after the first Death Star shatters and ends with the forest battle at Return of the Jed?s finale. Betwixt, Rebel Strike's 13 mis- sions and seven bonus stages serve up a run- down of the Star Wars trilo- gy’s slickest action scenes, plus new stuff that happened “just off cam-

The Imperial Death Star may not have been the most well-crafted moon-sized battle station ever built by an evil galaxy-spanning dicta- torship (that exhaust-port thing... bad idea), but Factor 5 still rebuilt its stark innards, right down to the floor’s gleaming polish. “The Death Star movie set was made of about six interchangeable wall panels,” says Factor 5’s Julian Eggebrecht.

era.” The next five pages pack a few of these Force-powered flashbacks.

92 ¢ ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com

—Factor 5 President Julian Eggebrecht

The next logical step, according to Eggebrecht, was a flight game with more complex controls—something along the lines of the incredibly in-depth X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter series on PC, which is essentially a starfighter simulator. “But that meant changing the type of game,” he tells us. “That's not a positive thing. We really wanted simplicity and

technology developed for its stalled-in-development GameCube shooter, Thornado. With it, the team’s artists realized they could craft in-game versions of Luke, Han, Leia, Lando, Boba Fett, etc., that looked 100 percent faithful to the movie versions, just as the game’s ship models repro- duced every dent and decal of the big-screen originals.

“'M LUKE: SKY WALKER. I'M HERE TO RESCUE YOU!” |

The Death Star bonus mission

clever usage of all the features and control setup that we

already had.”

Factor 5 was also sitting on a powerful people-rendering

“When we realized we could get the film look with our

characters,” Eggebrecht says, “we watched the movies

again to see what scenes we wanted to do.” The must-do

“Well, we've modeled those same panels in the game.”

The result: You think you’re watching the flick when this stage starts with our heroes Han and Luke, bundled in stolen stormtroop- er armor, slapping cuffs on walk- ing-carpet compadre Chewbacca. You know the drill: The two, posing as Imperials, are taking Chewie to the detention center, where they

W

hope to free Princess Leia. “If you play this level like the movie,” says Factor 5’s Julian Eggebrecht, “then you should just walk the wookiee to the cell block. But of course, you can also start shooting stormtroop- ers from the beginning. It just makes the mission much harder.” Reach Leia and the four of you dive into the trash compactor, where you must solve a jumping

puzzle to escape. Once out, while guiding Leia back to the Falcon, you'll run into the famous Death Star chasm. “You'll have a grap- pling hook, like in the Zelda games,” Eggebrecht says. “You'll switch to a first-person view and have to aim the hook, then swing across. I’m talking big-time fantasy fulfillment here.”

And all that’s just a bonus level!

Luke to ‘ve got you right where | want you. No, really. Hey, wait up!

arios—Luke on a speederbike, Chewie in his stolen AT-

ST chicken walker on Endor, the rescue of Han in Jabba’s palace—coalesced quickly. Soon, Factor 5 had mapped out nearly every Star Wars trilogy battle that the previous games’ strictly ship-based gameplay couldn't re-create. “It gave us a jolt to discover we could do this new and wacky stuff along with the traditional starfighter combat,” says Eggebrecht. “We said, ‘Hey, we can do one more Star Wars game with the same energy we had for Rogue Leader

“We learned a lot from the old docu- mentation Industrial Light and Magic created for the Return of the Jed?s for- est scenes,” says Factor 5 Prez Julian Eggebrecht, “because they used effi- cient tricks back then that translate into videogame language nowadays.” That’s why Rebel Strike’s Endor mis- \ sions—especially the one that has Luke whizzing through the wilderness on his supersonic speederbike—look so out of this world. As you’d expect, the bike zips at blurring speeds through the dense forest while scout troopers close in and try to ram you into the foliage. You can either bump them back or blast them with the bike’s laser—but watch out for that tree! You'll even get to tangle with an enemy speederbike while on foot, using Luke’s trusty lightsaber. We think you know what to do.

Mind what you have learned

Although Rebel Strike is set during the same time as Rogue Leader (during the original movie trilogy), it doesn’t rehash any of that game's battles. You won't blow up the first or second Death Star again. You won't tangle AT-AT legs on Hoth with your snowspeeder’s tow cables. Instead, Rebel Strike re-creates the movie scenes Rogue Leader skipped and it adds in more of what happened between those scenes. (Oh, but get this: The entire Rogue Leader game is

Mae Ea -

@ Flip the view to first person and you can almost taste the bas geting stuok in your teeth.

actually included in Rebel Strike in cooperative multiplayer form. See page 98.)

The game jon after the Rebel Allian juked the original Death Star at the Battle of Yavin, the first film's finale. As soon as the signature Star

visual opposite of th Rogue Lea

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and Y-Wings rounding Yavin to assault the Death Star, you see an Imperial fleet cruis- ing in formation around the orange planet, en route to blasting the Rebel stragglers evacuating their base.

The game's first battle has you flying as Luke Skywalker above the Yavin moon base, holding off the attacking Imperial forces long enough for the Rebels to vamoose. Mid-mission, you’ll land Luke’s X-Wing, hop out with blaster in hand, and take on swarms of Imperial ground forces alongside your wingmate, Rebel ace Wedge Antilles. It’s the first of many new on-foot levels that are played from a third-person perspective and look similar to the hangar ship-selection scenes from Rogue Leader (those hangars, in fact, served as a prototype).

Although you're suddenly hoofing it rather than zipping around in a starfighter, the controls barely change. This is a lesson Factor 5 learned from playing the subpar Nintendo 64 launch title Shadows of the Empire; that game, like Rebel Strike, mixed

eet a teat stat, We're not dumping new ways to navigate onto players. It’s

action. “The two problems with Shadows Pi 45 were the pacing, which was so different ll d rf nn from level to aa and the control setups,” a integrate from 0 r ast game. —Factor 5’s Julian Eggebrecht says Eggebrecht. “For every single level, you had to learn new controls. But we're not dumping new ways to navigate onto play- ers. It’s all integrated from our last game.” Case in point: During flight levels, the analog stick steers your ship; in ground missions, it moves your character. The A button always fires your primary weapon, while the B button launches secondary attacks, such as proton torpedoes in flight mode and grenades during ground mis- sions. The Z button rolls your ship in flight

“THAT ARMOR’S TOO a) | STRONG FOR BLASTERS!” j

iv. Luke vs. the AT-ATs ss mrsearoun sist wh ty ron on, €: Taking down AT-ATs with snowspeeder tow cables is under an AT-AT will launch the hook and yank Luke up action then switches to dogfighting as Luke escorts the 0000 two years ago. Now, this Hoth level begins right to the lumbering vehicle’s underbelly. All that’s left is to _ last of the transports blasting off from the Rebel base. after Luke’s shot-down snowspeeder splashes into the cut open the hatch and whip in a thermal detonator. As you follow these shuttles above the clouds and into tundra. It’s just him and his blaster pistol against the Kaboom! The walker topples. orbit, you can turn tail and drop back into the atmos- full might of the Empire’s marching machines and As he darts across the battlefield, Luke will find tri- phere at any time to find the surface battle still raging. squads of snowtroopers. But, as you know, those pod-mounted cannons that make short work of the It's a neat effect in a level that shows all the gameplay unstoppable AT-ATs are indeed stoppable, thanks to snowtroopers attacking from all directions. Eventually, styles—on-foot combat, oddball-vehicle riding, and Luke’s grapple gun. Hitting the B button while you’re he’ll mount a tauntaun and ride to his X-Wing. The flight combat—this newest Rogue Squadron pumps out.

94 ¢ ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY ¢ www.egmmag.com

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and makes your character perform a dodging roll on the ground. Even the digital crosspad, which issues wingman commands in the air, has the same function on the ground Secondary characters, including Wedge, Han, Leia, and Chewie, cover your back, and you can tell them what to do by selecting an order with the digital pad.

The only buttons not used consistently are the shoulder triggers. They control craft speed in all vehicle missions, but

ar tours

OK, so maybe the developers haven’t actually told us you’ll be able to blast Ewoks in an Endor mission that has you, as Chewbacca, running amok in a stolen AT-ST walker. “No comment,” is all Factor 5’s Julian Eggebrecht will say. Call it wishful thinking on our part. You cer- tainly won't run low on Imperial targets, including scout troopers, speederbikes, enemy AT-STs, and even trees that com- bust big time when you blast them with your walker’s concussion missiles. It’s probably a good idea to avoid peppering the scattered Ewoks with “friendly fire,” seeing as they act as your wingmen in a sense; the little hairballs man catapults you can command to fire by issuing orders on the digital crosspad.

96 © ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com [ie

| 1 The revamped visuals even | ] model how light scatters in Pe) | the atmosphere. Wait'll you | see Tatooine’s twin suns set

in real time. Bring a date.

- 3 | der with —Rebel Strike Producer Brett Tosti

on the ground, the left trigger locks onto enemies to allow circle strafing and the right trigger makes you jump.

If it sounds simple. ..well, that’s the point. “We're trying to hit on all cylinders with the flight and ground missions, so fans won't go, ‘Oh my gosh—they changed too much!’” says Producer Tosti. “But we also wanted to include enough new stuff, so the cynics won't say it’s just Rogue Leader with better graphics.”

Adventure. He ent. Ha! Like its prequel, Rebel Strike has you zipping into the orange flightsuits of Luke Skywalker and Wedge Antilles (although you will play as Han, Leia, and even Chewie in some levels). The twist: Once you finish the first mission at Yavin base, you're asked to continue as either Luke or Wedge—each dude has his own single-player campaign. Pick Luke and you'll encounter more on-the-ground missions ripped from the movies, including a platform-heavy level over the sarlacc pit and landspeeder racing on Tatooine. Actual footage from the Star Wars trilogy, playing at near-DVD quality, will set up the action before and during levels.

Wedge’s campaign focuses on flight missions (he'll pilot

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everything from traditional B-Wings and A- Wings to an experimental folding-wing Imperial ship called the TIE Hunter); his plot packs more “between-the-scenes” original

ntent not taken from the movies. One far- flung level, for instance, has him crashing on Geonosis, the site of Episode Is final battle. Now, of course, it's 40 years later and the planet’s surface is littered with

“LET’S BLOW THI

THING AND GO HOME.”

The multiplayer modes

Never played the GameCube launch hit Rogue Leader? No biggie. Rebel Strike actually includes all of that game’s missions (even the bonus ones), from the opening trench run to the final flight into the second Death Star's core. The catch: They’re only available in a splitscreen two- player cooperative mode. But still, how cool is that?

It gets better. Multi-goal missions that had to be completed in sequence—one goal after the other—can now be tackled by two players simultaneously. In a later level, for instance, one player will fly an X-Wing and protect Rebel frigates while the second pilots a B-Wing

98 © ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com

ships. Wedge will also zip through the trenchlike surface of a Super Star Destroyer—a city-si: the last game—in a mission to blo’ enormous ship before the Empire can fit it with a cloaking device.

Rebel Strike will pack more bonus mis- sions than the last game. Once again, you'll

ederation droids and medals in the one-player craft missing from

up the ingly tough to nab this time. was so hard partly bet that many bonus level

A short time ago: One level takes you to Episode IPs Geonosis, 40 years later.

unlock these extra stages by earning mpaign (although you'll need to play the multiplayer modes to unlock everything). Factor 5 promises the medals won't be so madden- he last game use we didn’t have Princess Leia to the Millennium Falcon. Eggebrecht says. “We have way more now and don’t feel as rid

protective of them.”

These bonus levels are also longer and more complex than Rogue Leader's. One Han Solo bonus level, for example, has you running through the Rebel’s mazelike sub- terranean ice base on Hoth, escorting

You'll blast snowtroopers in the narrow cor- , then man the blaster cannon that

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@ Factor 5 is souping up the old game's visuals to match the sequel’s super look.

and takes on Star Destroyers. Missions that put you in larger ships, such as the Imperial Shuttle, let one person fly while the other mans the guns.

Rebel Strike’s multiplayer options don’t end with cooperative play. Factor 5 is promising Versus and Capture-the-Base splitscreen modes for at least two— and possibly four—players. These games will be set in environments you'll unlock by going through the single- player campaign. Although multiplayer doesn’t offer any of the new on-foot gameplay, you will be able to drive AT-ST walkers, plus fly all the starfighters available in

the normal game. “The type of craft you pick will give you a handicap or an edge,” says Producer Brett Tosti. “If ’'m a really good player and pick a TIE Fighter, which doesn’t have an R2 unit or recharging shields, I'll have a harder time against someone who uses an X-Wing.”

Factor 5 also plans to put more of the “wars” into Star Wars multiplayer by giving you wingmen and ground units. “Remember in Rogue Leader, while over Hoth, you could command some of the ground troops?” Tosti asks. “The multiplayer designers are making it so you can command a lot of different people.”

®

Animated Blood Mild Violence

Not a Jedi yet: Once Luke learns the Force, he can double jump and saber-block lasers, but that’s about it.

drops down from the Falcon's underbelly. Other bonus missions include possible gunnery action from the

kpit of an AT-AT on Hoth and a kamikaze A-Wing attack on a Super Star Destroyer, as seen in Return of the Jedis climactic space battle. “If you're really, real- ly good,” Eggebrecht says, “you can win that mission without committing suicide, or you can just do like in the movie and crash into the [Star Destroyer’s] bridge. Just making it to the bridge is hard enough.”

in motion is the future Unfortunately for non-GameCube owners, Factor 5 has no plans to port Rebel Strike to another system. The company has strong ties with Nintendo and even helped design the hardware, and the game itself was designed specifically for the Cube’s capabilities (which is why it looks so stellar). Recoding it for, say, Xbox would be “10 times harder for us than to just start another game from scratch,” Eggebrecht says.

The GameCube’s weak sales performance isn’t a major concern for Eggebrecht—yet. “I won't beat around the bush,” he tells us. “GameCube has a lot of problems right now.... But Nintendo 64 had problems back when we released Rogue Squadron, and that game did extremely well. So, | think going into this year, we're still safe on GameCube. Going into the future...we have to see how this Christmas pans out.”

Of course, the real question is whether Factor 5 will even be able to revisit Star Wars after pouring so much effort into Rebel Strike. But the team is already thinking about having another go at the galaxy, and it’s making predictions. “What would be cool is an online game where one full squadron of players—16 guys on one side—is attacking the Death Star,” Eggebrecht says. “That is, frankly, a bit over the top for this cur- rent generation of hardware. Maybe next round. We have to have a hook for our next game, right?”

This time, we don’t think he’s kidding.

7 Why are these guys going AWOL? To see more 2 Rebel Strike puananra a movie!—at www.egmmag.com.

100 © ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com

STAR...STRUCK

Five Wars-related things that'll never ever wind up in Rebel Strike

@ Anything from the Star Wars Holiday Special—This 1978 network variety show burned the following images into our retinas: Carrie Fisher crooning, a holographic Jefferson Starship rock show, Harrison Ford’s worst acting ever, and Chewbacca’s kid Lumpy. Even George Lucas denies its existence.

@ Obi-Wan’s voice—While LucasArts is free to rip any dia- logue clips it needs from the Star Wars flicks, all of Alec “Obi-Wan Kenobi” Guinness’ lines are off limits. The late actor's estate owns his voice rights. So when you hear “Use the Force, Luke” in the game, it’s actually coming from a soundalike wannabe Obi-Wan.

@ Darth Vader turning into a Buick- sized scorpion—You laugh, but said transformation has already happened once—in the oddball sidescroller Star Wars, which hit the Japanese version of the NES in 1987. Adding to the surreality: This encounter hap- pened in the Jawa’s sandcrawler.

B Luigi, Donkey Kong, Conker, or any other characters from Super Console Wars—This goofball videogame-ized re- telling of the Star Wars saga has Obi-Wan Shinobi teaching the ways of Force Feedback to Luigi Skywalker, long-lost brother of—wait for it—Darth Mario. See both parts of this award-winning short at www.discomedia.com.

That Binks ° fella—Honest to God, there’s no Jar Jar in this game,” says Factor 5’s Julian Eggebrecht. Well, that’s a shame. We had an extra proton tor- pedo and...uh, sometimes acci- dents happen.

¥ PHONES TO GAME ON

REVIEWS

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THE BIRTH OF WIRELESS GAMES

This has been a long time coming. Since Snake snuck onto Nokia phones in 1997, gamers have been staring into their fuzzy phone screens, mashing tiny keys, and hoping. When we start- ed Wireless Gaming Review in 2001, WAP games like DataClash and Gladiator were attracting gamers—but not many, and not for very long.

And then, the innovations of Japan and Korea came to the States. We got phones with color screens. Developers started getting paid for making wireless games. Last summer, as Sprint, Verizon, and AT&T rolled out mobile game services, gamers

This fall, Nokia promises its N-Gage handset will be everywhere. The first phone available in the United States that’s been designed from the ground up for games, the N-Gage “game deck” will launch with games from Sega, Taito, and Eidos. The best-looking launch title so far is THQ'’s Red Faction. Developed by John Romero and his team at Monkeystone, it features two vehicles and destructible environments. Speaking of new games, JAMDAT Mobile has promised 12 titles for Microsoft's Smartphone. The one we're really waiting —_— for? Neverwinter Nights, which looked amazing when we saw it in March. NEC’s new 515 phone runs NTT DoCoMo's DoJa programming lan-

102 WIRELESS GAMING REVIEW

THE LATEST IN WIRELESS GAMING

across the United States began to see the phone as a videogame platform worth watching

They were right. Although most of the newest U.S. phones support only Game Boy Color-level experiences, the mobile medium is improving with blinding speed. Great companies are making games for phones: publishers like THQ, Sega, JAMDAT, Sorrent, Airborne, and Tira, and developers like Nuvo, Centerscore, Monkeystone, Blue Heat, and Blue Lava. The handset folks—Motorola, Siemens, Samsung, and LG—are innovating on the hard- ware side. And everyone is waiting for Nokia’s N-Gage gaming deck. For now, most of the content available to mobile gamers in the United States is ported from other platforms—but that will change. Companies like Cybiko, West of Pluto, and First Star are all producing great games developed exclusively for the mobile platform

guage. If it catches on, hundreds of games written for Japanese DoJa will move quickly onto U.S. screens. Look for the 515 to ship on AT&T later this year with a pre-installed version of Dwango’s Star Diversion.

RED FACTION 4

This section, brought to you by Wireless Gaming Review and Ziff- Davis, will let you know what's best right now in mobile games. Our approach is simple: We're here to cover the best of the best. There's a lot of junk out there, and we don’t want you to buy any of it

We're so pumped to be talking with the hardest-core gamers in the world, and we're hoping you talk back Check out the next eight pages of this magazine. Check out wireless games like EverQuest: Hero’s Call, Splinter Cell, and John Romero’s new mobile first-person shooter. Check out the coolest phones. Then, let us know what you think.

Here's to the birth videogame platform.

MATTHEW BELLOWS PUBLISHER,

WIRELESS GAMING REVIEW MATTHEW@WGAMER.COM

of a new

PAY: fo) 0) al hy SUPPLEMENT

EDITOR: Jimmy Guterman CONTRIBUTORS: Cashman Andrus, Matthew Bellows, Avery Score, and Rosie Webb THANKS TO: our advertisers, our wives, Dale, the BOA, the Series A, Amy, Anne, and 1369

The Wireless Gaming Review supplement to Electronic Gaming Monthly and Computer Gaming World is published four times per year (March, June, September, and December). For advertising information, please contact

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TOP FIVE GAMES FOR YOUR

SPRINT

This space shooter based on the anime series lets you fight off hordes of alien ships using your gundam suit and, occasionally, a cool helper drone.

KI-TAI The best side-scrolling fighter on mobiles right now, Ki-Tai takes you through four levels of ninja-fighting ak- shun. Breakable objects and defeated enemies you have to fight again in Hell set this game apart.

JAMDAT BOWLING This influential, addictive bowl-a-rama is an acknowl- edged mobile classic. Its simple, enter- taining, meter-based gameplay never seems to get old.

TOP GUN Take on the role of Maverick or Iceman in this airborne shooter based on the 1986 film. You must defeat hordes of enemy fighters using a combination of machine guns and missiles.

SEGA MONKEY BALL Do you dream of shoving primates into little plastic globes and pushing them around obstacle courses? Sega Monkey Ball offers a healthy outlet for these impulses.

VERIZON

IGHT 3D In this cool action RPG, you must dispatch numerous opponents in a 3D fighting arena.

EVERQUEST: HERO’S CALL The successful MMORPG franchise comes to mobile in non-multiplayer form. The result is a solid single-player experience (see our review in this issue)

TOM CLANCY'S RAINBOW SIX: BROKEN WING A challenging strate- gic shooter based on Red Storm's pop- ular franchise, Rainbow Six tests your wits as well as your trigger finger.

SNOWBALL FIGHT Recapture the childhood pastime of hurling snowy projectiles at unsuspecting passersby.

FAMILY FEUD Compete against

players the world over in this mobile version of the TV game show classic.

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Mobile Tetris brings one great new feature to the series: Each falling piece casts a shadow showing where the piece would fall if you click the drop key...right...now.

TONY HAWK’S PRO SKATER 4

A huge hit on consoles and PCs alike, Tony Hawk is now doing his tricks on mobile. The action takes place in dif- ferent half-pipe environments, includ- ing one on the deck of a cruise ship. If you own the console version, you'll find some useful cheats here, too.

BEJEWELED You know this classic puzzle game: You swap gems until you make ‘em disappear. The mobile port is more addictive than the PC version because it’s always with you You can’t escape.

SNOOD In this PC shareware favorite, you launch a series of faces at the top of the screen and try to make them dis- appear. Clear the pieces at the top to unleash a rain of Snoods.

B-MAN A thinly veiled Bomberman clone, B-Man has you blasting your way through enemies and obstacles alike using bombs that detonate after a few seconds.

This two-on-two hockey game re-creates the excitement of our favorite game on ice, complete with an NHL license.

SIBERIAN STRIKE (NEXTEL) The first mobile shooter with cut-scenes, it’s also got a sense of humor—as you'd expect from a game that sends you to destroy the evil Stalinbot’s hallucinogenic vodka factory.

NAVAL FLEET (BUILT INTO THE SONY ERICSSON T68! HANDSET) If you've got a buddy with the same phone, this Bluetooth version of Battleship gives you a peek into the upcoming multiplayer mobile world.

BOULDER DASH-M.E. (MOPHUN) Take on the role of Rockford in this classic puzzler in which you dig your way through a series of caves, avoiding obstacles and seeking power-ups all the while. One even lets you rotate the stage, setting off a landslide of rocks and diamonds.

XFINITY (MOPHUN) A fast-paced side-scrolling shooter with a cool weapon-upgrade system, Xfinity is as challenging as it is rewarding.

The future of mobile games is all about multiplayer. Single-player games are fine on mobiles, but these are phones, connected devices: They're made for people to talk—and play—together. The next wave of games will let you play against other gamers, across the room and around

104 WIRELESS GAMING REVIEW

the world, in head-to-head competi- tions and persistent multiplayer worlds. SMS Chess, Botfighters, and Astronaut led the way first. In the next couple months, multiplayer games like JAMDAT’s Fudomyo, Tira’s Mobile Chess, and a two-player ver- sion of Sorrent’s Fox Sports On-Field

Live will all be available in the United States. The excitement about Nokia's N-Gage centers as much on its wire- less connectivity (through a Bluetooth connection) as its launch titles. In addition to real-time frag-fests in Monkeystone’s Red Faction, Taito’s Puzzle Bobble VS and Nokia's own

Kart Racing will support multiplayer. Within a year, expect to see mobile MMORPGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games). The ability for you to play anywhere, anytime, with anyone will totally change the idea of what makes a great mobile game.

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With Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell, Gameloft presents the most impres- sive console-to-mobile port we've seen. As in the console version, you're recruited by the National Security Agency to carry out secret missions. Unlike the console version, you're playing on a tiny little screen—but you'll still get sucked in

CONSIDERED EVERYTHING.

Through six levels and three difficul- ty settings, you've got to avoid mines, swing over pits, climb and jump over obstacles, dodge lasers, and sneak past guards. The mobile version isn’t as complex as the original, but Gameloft has packed the most important stuff into it. Your move- ment—whether crouching, swinging, or drawing your gun—is smooth and detailed.

Each mission takes between two and 20 minutes to complete on the easiest setting; harder levels give guards more body armor, let them call in alarms, and allow them to crouch as they fire at you.

It's one of those rare titles in which the developers considered everything.

IT’S ONE OF THOSE RARE TITLES IN WHICH THE DEVELOPERS

ABOUT OUR RATINGS: RATINGS REFLECT THE COOLNESS, QUALITY, AND PLAYABILITY OF THE GAME, RELATIVE TO OTHERS ON A COMPARABLE PLATFORM. WE'RE FOCUSING ON THE BEST OF THE BEST HERE. TO GET A WIDER PIC- TURE OF THE MOBILE-GAMES LANDSCAPE, VISIT WWW.WGAMER.COM/

PUYO PUYO

@ PLATFORM: Java HTTP://WWGAMER.COM/GAME-1215

@ PUBLISHER/DEVELOPER: Sega Mobile

Among the most blissful puzzle experiences ever created, Puyo Puyo combines elements of Sega's classic puzzle game Columns with the cute anime characters of the old RPG Madou Monogatari. Puyo’s premise is, at a glance, nothing special: You must arrange items in a particular

ecoree manner. But don’t think this is just % About another Tetris knockoff—Puyo pits

Help e you against six personable A.1

Exit opponents, adding a new dimen-

Play

106 WIRELESS GAMING REVIEW

sion to a familiar mechanic. The depth of this unique system will keep you feverishly tapping away at your phone, week after week. The only noticeable thing missing is sound; versions for other platforms have decent-quality MIDI background music, and it’s disappointing to play this version in complete silence. In the next version, let's hope Sega turns up the volume.

EVERQUEST: HERO'S CALL

@ PLATFORM: Verizon's Get It Now il PUBLISHER/DEVELOPER: Sony Online Entertainment

HTTP://WGAMER.COM/GAME-925

EverQuest, Sony's MMORPG behe- moth, is (for now) single-player only on mobile, but it’s a top-notch phone RPG. You start the game humbly, with a rusty knife and torn shirt, humiliated by the owner of the local tavern. Equipped with some torn fabric and the ability to give your opponents tetanus, you enter the first of 32 (!) dungeons. The game offers a series of

LEMONADE TYCOON

long, involving quests that provide almost 60 hours (!!) of gameplay. EverQuest includes a number of fea- tures not generally seen in a mobile game, such as a matching function that alerts you to the challenges you're about to face. If you remember Rogue or yearn for Edible Goo while you're away from your PC, EverQuest: Hero's Call is the fix you need.

LATFORM: Verizon's Get It Now i PUBLISHER: Hexacto il DEVELOPER: Airborne Entertainme

HTTP://WGAMER.COM/GAME-1145

Start small and focus on the funda- mentals: Lemonade Tycoon is a busi- ness sim for our uncertain times. Beginning with a tiny stand on a street corner, you buy supplies, mix up a batch of lemonade, and hustle your drinks. If your price is too high, the line is too long, or your recipe stinks, your customers will disappear and you'll be stuck with melted ice and spoiled lemons. The animations of

Available now

MORE MONKEY FUN!

264 A

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VISIT US AT E3 2003 BOOTH #2129

customers ambling by and issuing thought balloons are quite hypnotic (though you'll probably want to turn off the sound). As mobile games go, Ce IR this sim is quite deep. Not only must BReroy)

you set the right price and buy appro- priate supplies, you've also got weath- er, market awareness, demographics, and advertising issues to contend with if you want to get listed on LSX—the Lemonade Stock Exchange.

Lemonade tycoon)

Weeation

Suburbs

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Sega’s newest wireless games

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Sega is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Sega, the Sega logo, Sega Mobile and the Sega Mobile logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Sega Corporation © SEGA CORPORATION 2003.

63 WIRELESS

GAMING REVIEW TOP PHONES TO

AT&1 WIRELESS

@ BEST PHONE: MOTOROLA 1720 &@ HTTP://WGAMER.COM/PHONE-55

This phone isn’t perfect—the key- pad is a bit slow—but it offers a large screen, polyphonic sounds, and a slew of games. AT&T’s ver- sion runs Java games on a new GSM network.

Like Sprint's other Vision phones, the N400 sports a color screen, polyphonic ringtones, and high-speed data rates. Remember: Though most Vision games are available on all Vision color phones, some of the best run only on the N400. WWW.WGAMER.COM/PHONE-26

HOW TO GET GAMES: To find Sprint's game catalogue, choose Downloads, then Games, then Get New. The games are sorted into cate- gories, so start with What's New. Once you've found a title to try, click Buy It. The game will get added to your Vault (an online repository for your games) and to your bill. Once the game is in your Vault, you can download it to your phone. Watch out: Most Sprint games expire after 30 or 60 days, so play while you can. You can also access the catalogue and your Vault on the web at http://sprintpcs.com. WWW.WGAMER.COM/HOWTO/SPRINT

108 WIRELESS GAMING REVIEW

HOW TO GET GAMES: AT&T's game catalogue is browser-based and very simple to use, so start by clicking the mMode soft key. From there, navi- gate to Entertainment, and then to Games. Then, look through the cate-

CINGULAR

BEST PHONE: NOKIA 3650

With a huge color screen, a cam- era, and built-in cutting-edge soft- ware, the 3650 is by far the most powerful phone in this roundup, and Cingular is selling it at a bar- gain price. Lots of games have been published for this phone and its Europe-only predecessor, the 7650, though the 3650's funky keypad layout may make it tough to play some of them. WWW.WGAMER.COM/PHONE-52

HOW TO GET GAMES: The 3650 can run two differ- ent kinds of soft- ware: J2ME and Symbian. Cingular will soon launch phones with a J2ME download service, which you'll access through the phone's browser. Symbian games are bigger and usually need to be downloaded to your PC and then synched to your phone. Try our online store (www.handango.com/wgr/) for Symbian games. ‘WVWW.WGAMER.COM/HOWTOICINGULAR

gories (Editor's Pick, Action, Most Popular, etc.) to find what you'd like to play (like Tony Hawk). On the indi- vidual game page, click Buy and fol- low the instructions. WWW.WGAMER.COM/HOWTO/ATT

VERIZON

@ BEST PHONE: LGLX4400

One of the newest phones featuring Verizon’s Get It Now service, the LX4400 is fast, sta- ble, and shaping up to be a favorite of | game developers.

HOW TO GET

GAMES: From your phone’s Home screen, press the down arrow to get to the Get It Now menu. Click on the Shopping Cart icon, select Shop, and then select Get Games. Most games have several pricing options (such as free demo, monthly, and one-time purchase) that will be added directly to your bill. Choose your price and select Buy. In a minute or two, the game will download. Choose Play Now and you're set. WWW.WGAMER.COM/HOWTO/VERIZON

Wireless

@ BEST PHONE: SONYERICSSON T300

Sony Ericsson's T300 squeezes maximum game performance from its hardware with the Mophun game engine. The small- ish screen and low- powered processor mean the battery lasts almost forever. WWW.WGAMER.COM/PHONE-22

HOW TO GET GAMES: As we go to press this issue, T-Mobile hasn’t launched its own download service yet, though we expect it to be activat- ed soon. You can buy games for the 7300 via the Web, though.

Go to WWW.MOPHUNGAMES.COM for a broad selection and complete instructions. WW/W.WGAMER.COM/HOWTO/TMOBILE

Gaming Review Vv

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zl THE SYSTEM

Each reviewer assigns an overall grade to each game, on a scale from 0 to 10. When a game receives a 10, you can rest assured that it’s one of the best games ever made, a classic that will endure throughout the ages. Conversely, when a game gets a 0.0, it’s complete and utter crap and should be treated like a deadly biohazard. We utilize the entire scale, so a game that gets a 5.0 is average, not bad. The scores are now color-coded, so the brighter the reds, the better the game.

ESRB KEY e0-#arly Childhood: oa Games bearing « 2 this mark are suited for ams infants, tod- dlers, and SHAME OF ‘Seanbaby. THE MONTH E-tveryone: Wholesome fun go to go This honor is This dishonor goes for the whole Paar, go to games that games with an to games that bestowed upon to the worst game family, devoid

get all 10s, the average score of average at least the highest- each month that of hookers, ultimate review a 9.0 or higher. Top- an 8.0 (but are reviewed game gets unanimously head-shots, or game can get. quality stuff. lower than 9.0). each month. bad scores. heroin use. Tefoon:

Like PG-13 movies, Teen games feature

NTH | a

Whereas these games offer all the gore, sex,

drugs, and fun of R-rated fare,

AO-Aduits Only: Publishers need to wise up to this rat- ing. We haven't seen one since Neurodancer on the 300,

©) Konami's latest handheld, Castlevania, once again proves that GBA games don’t have to be uninspired ports or licensed swill. A truly excellent effort.

110 » ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY ¢ www.egmmag.com

Apparently, you’re not the only one with a wanton disregard for traffic laws.

PLAYSTATION 2

MIDNIGHT CLUB II

The eternal quest for street cred continues...

Rockstar screwed up royally this time— the title’s all wrong. It should be Visine™ Presents Midnight Club II, because after bombing through Paris’ narrow alleys at 180 mph, running over café tables, and then jumping clear across the Seine, you'll need to get the red out of those dry, unblink- ing eyes. | usually prefer my racing to be of the simulation variety rather than wacky arcade-style, but Midnight Club iis so much fun, my inner sim- driving geek sits down and shuts up.

As in the original, the object is to climb the ranks by challenging drivers, winning intense races, and earning faster cars. There are also cool special moves to unlock—and motorcycles. The cycles are quick but hard to handle, and they're a favorite tar- get in multiplayer games, as a little nudge will send you head-over-heels into oncoming traffic.

The sprawling cities—L.A., Paris, and Tokyo— are actually a little smaller than the first game’s in square-mile terms, but each has a clever network of underground tunnels and wild rooftop routes

super special

7

that significantly increases their overall size. Some of the later races get unbelievably difficult, though, requiring you to learn every shortcut (usually through trial and error) to even be competitive.

I've saved the best for last: This Club is online, too (assuming you've got a broadband connection). The range of multiplayer games and user-created race routes means near-limitless replay value and the chance to earn cred on a much larger street.

As Demian said, MC2 offers an unrelenting sense of speed and a total disregard for realistic physics. The motorcycles are a blast; their unique strengths and weaknesses are perfectly balanced against the cars’. Sadly, too-strong “glue” (comput- er opponents sticking close together) blights the single-player experience. If you fall behind early on, the A.. drivers kindly hang back, allowing you to catch up and take the checkered flag. However, wipe out late in the race and your long lead means zip—the herd streaks by and you finish dead last.

Ah, but the online options save the day! Create new courses by remixing checkpoints, play capture the flag, or zap competitors with power-downs like inverted steering and insta-stop. MC2’s excellent online racing provides near-endless replayability.

Demian pretty much nailed it on the single-player stuff— MC2is hardcore, high-speed craziness that appeals to gearheads like us as well as those who just crave a quick race. The gameplay dynamics change dramatically online thanks to entertaining and combative power-ups that promote strong rivalries between players. For pure entertainment, it’s significantly more fun than Auto Modellista (page 126) and consequently, infinitely more addic- tive. It also bests Capcom’s effort by boasting sub- lime control that mixes the visceral grip and feel you want from a sports-car game with the twitchy controls you want from an arcade experience. Overall, the best racer since Hot Pursuit 2.

PUBLISHER: Rockstar

DEVELOPER: Rockstar

PLAYERS: 1-2 (1-8 broadband online) ESRB: Teen

www.gamers.com/1273777

GAMECUBE (DD

BATMAN: DARK TOMORROW

This game's greatest villain is a horrible camera

Swany E THe Monte

How bad is Batman: Dark Tomorrow?

It’s not just regular bad. It's super bad. To start, its wonky controls and faulty camera actually make you long to play Resident Evil. The fixed camera angles often com- pletely shift your perspective as you move from one side of a room to the other—and the controls reverse with each shift. At best, this is disorienting. At worst, it’ll get you killed. I’ve tried, but | can’t think of a single worse camera in a game, ever.

That’s just the start. You beat bad guys less by skill than by capitalizing on cheap moves. Sadly, the enemies are keen to this fact, too. For instance, imagine Mr. Freeze blasting your feet with his freeze gun, then doing it again as soon as you break free, without giving you even a fraction of a sec- ond to run. Now, imagine him doing that eight times in a row. If that sounds fun to you...you’re wrong. DT is tedious from start to finish, and counts easily as the worst

licensed game since Superman for the N64.

Let's see, one point for the cool cinemas and one point for abundant

POPS

Saray

supervillains like the Joker, Poison

Ivy, and Killer Croc—but minus half a point because you can beat virtually all of them the same way. There’s just not much to like about this mess. Joe already pointed out the horrendous camera, but the often cryp- tic objectives and mediocre-at-best graph- ics also contribute to our shared misery. | got more satisfaction out of cleaning my bathroom on the day | started Dark Tomorrow than | did playing this early con- tender for the year’s worst game.

After that Batman and Robin flick, | thought tainting the Dark Knight’s image any further was an impossibility—and then Kemco releases this pile. It’s amazing that a decent story featuring a bunch of the Caped Crusader’s coolest villains could be so screwed up by clunky, repetitive game- play that it lacks even one redeeming qual- ity. | think this is the most unplayable game I've ever encountered. ..and I've played some real crap. This is like the Adam West of videogame Batmen— embarrassingly pathetic.

PUBLISHER: Kemco DEVELOPER: Kemco PLAYERS: 1 ESRB: Teen

www.gamers.com/1017419

SHAWN CHE

MIGUEL

GAMECUBE

No cuddly critters here—just menacing skeletons and flamboyant werewolves.

LOST KINGDOMS Il

A less embarrassing alternative to Yu-Gi-Oh!

Imagine Pokémon with a volup- tuous sorceress instead of a spunky kid and horrific monsters replacing the cutesy furballs, and you'd have Lost Kingdoms Il. Light on story (even for a 10-hour game), Lk2 instead emphasizes card collecting and tactical monster battles—which would be cool, if only those elements were robust enough to make the experi- ence worthwhile.

Amassing cards is relatively simple, but the game inexplicably encourages you to assemble them into themed decks—even though the enemy assortment in most areas demands a deck more like a Swiss Army Knife than a lightsaber. (You can test your decks in the vanilla Versus mode.) The combat is so-so; it’s tense and action- packed, but unforgiving summoning and attack systems drain most of the fun. Your magic points run out far too quickly, and unreliable hit detection wastes your pre- cious cards. Despite a promising concept, LK2’s flawed gameplay fails to entertain.

SWF RPG hottie seeks completist card collector for good times and mystic

5k ie

pleasures. Me: tarot-savvy summoner with a flair for combos. I’m into action, not drama (why tell stories when we could be gettin’ it on?). You: lookin’ for some unpre- dictable, magical thrills (just don’t expect our time together to make much sense). | can promise you, however, that when we do bump into uglies, we'll finish ’em in a nimble tango of quick wits and technical know-how. I’m no quickie (unlike Paul “Minuteman” Byrnes)—provided you're willing to explore my many secrets.

Paul’s a bitter, card-hating miser, ‘cause LK2 isn’t half-bad. It’s a fine adventure, just like its solid (yet strangely overrated) forerunner. The two games are quite similar—strategic combat is still the main focus, and success requires dedica- tion and planning. So if you aren’t willing to invest the effort, you'll find yourself defenseless and outta cards in no time. Improvements do exist, including notice- ably better graphics, phenomenal music, and an intense challenge. Yeah, it’s over too quickly, and the story’s pure non- sense, but it’s still recommended.

ied |

Tara Grimface pauses to pay respect to the first game’s legendary summoning babe.

5.0)6.0) 70

PUBLISHER: Activision DEVELOPER: From Software PLAYERS: 1-2

ESRB: Teen

www.gamers.com/1297558,

5 EPISODES, A POSTER AND COPIOUS DVD EXTRAS

ALSO AVAILABLE IN A SPECIAL

WITH AN EXCLUSIVE T-SHIRT AND A CUSTOM ART BOX

@ You won't have make-out sessions with Padmé on these grassy hills.

XBOX

STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS

More fun than a carton of death sticks

Feed me to the Sarlacc pit for heresy, but | actually prefer Clone Wars’ terrestrial take on dogfighting to the tradi- tional but tedious X-Wing loop-the-looping. From assault walkers to Wookiee pack ani- mals, impressive ground-based toys abound. Of these, half are such a pleasure to handle that even the ubiquitous escort assignments don’t feel like mundane baby- sitting gigs. Plus, slick visuals give the game cinematic grandeur. Too bad, then, that some of the other segments look and play like a hodgepodge of aborted Star Wars projects tossed aside in the final moments of the 32-bit era. Just when you're enjoying a tense tank fight, for instance, out pops Mace “lifelike-as-Legos” Windu. You've gotta move his hardly ani- mated ass across a battlefield while armies of clones and droids pause to stare curi- ously at his clunky movement. But kudos to the cool multiplayer modes in which Windu has the decency to stay in his damn seat. And the shallow but fun Live games put this prettier version of CW a few parsecs beyond its PS2 and Cube cousins.

a

cae abate

This visually enhanced CW comes to the Jedi Council table with an extensive single-player campaign, lots of cool vehicles, and massive environments. | agree with my fellow Padawan Shawn, however, that the piss-poor, tacked-on lightsaber fightin’ would make Episode I's Qui-Gon Jinn roll over in his grave. Luckily, trying to obliterate Shawn’s AT-XT Walker in the new online modes upped my enjoyment considerably. It’s not quite as good as Rogue Leader (GC), but it’s worth a look.

Here are some definitive CW moments: 1) When yappy wing-woman Luminara finally shut her advice-spewing Jedi pie hole. 2) When Obi-Wan got stuck on the side of a building during a speederbike chase. 3) Any of the 50-plus times | piloted a ship and blew up endless waves of boring foes. Yes, solo missions are a drag, but not all is wrong with the Force. Thank the midi- chlorians for the wonderful online modes that go beyond simply “kill ’em all and let George Lucas sort ’em out.” It’s a solid choice for avid Xbox Live players.

PUBLISHER: LucasArts DEVELOPER: Pandemic Studios PLAYERS: 1-4 (1-8 with Xbox Live) ESRB: Teen

www.gamers.com/1342230

CJ SHAWN SHOE

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WHY SURF THE NET, WHEN YOU CAN CONTROL IT.

Mega Man Battle Network 3: Blue version and White version are the biggest, most exciting Battle Network action-ro/e playing adventures yet! Join Mega Mega.EXE, his pa/ Lan and friends as they keep the net safe trom viruses, cyber criminals and a slough of other net-bhased menaces. Each version features different Mega Man styles, Battle Chip types, _ evervone

enemies, bosses and other surprises to discover and trade! Mild Violence

Cc APCOM GAME BOY ADVANCE www.capcom.com/megaman ESRE

© CAPCOM CO., LTD. 2003 © CAPCOM U.S.A., INC. 2003, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. CAPCOM and the CAPCOM LOGO are registered trademarks of CAPCOM CO., LTD. MEGA MAN BATTLE NETWORK is a trademark of CAPCOM CO.., LTD 2003. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, The ratings icon is a registered trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. Licensed by Nintendo. NINTENDO, GAME BOY, GAME BOY ADVANCE AND THE OFFICIAL SEAL ARE TRADEMARKS OF NINTENDO. © 2001 NINTENDO. All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders

‘5 Hero Soma Cruz gets all nasty and demonic when he equips the right souls.

GAME BOY ADVANCE

Three wonderful Castlevania GBA games in as many years...how do they do it? Deal with the devil? A legion of undead coders slaving away at night, perhaps? All | know is that Aria of Sorrow is the best GBA title to date—it perfectly blends the exploration-based gameplay of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (PS1) with a refreshing story (set in 2035 and packed with cool twists) and a fiendishly addictive new Pokémon-like power-up system. Well, you don’t gotta catch ’em all, but 110 of the game’s foes drop unique ability- bestowing orbs, or “souls,” you can equip (or trade with friends via link cable). Snatching these souls to customize your abilities makes this romp through Drac’s abode feel distinctly different and more rewarding than the previous GBA 'Vanias, Circle of the Moon and Harmony of Dissonance.

Beyond this excellent soul system, Aria still outclasses its forerunners—the eerily beautiful graphics look great, the equipment you pick up is creative (you can wield everything from handguns

116» ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com

: mame Of

ARIA OF SORROW |

GBA Castlevania lightning strikes thrice i

to swords made of lightning), and the music’s a big improvement over HOD’s janky tunes. Also, expect a sizable challenge this time around, as the regular enemies pack quite a punch and some of the bosses are hellishly nasty.

Don't listen when John “the Hater” knocks Aria for its length—he’s dead wrong. Getting the true ending took me just as long as achieving 200 per- cent in HOD, and there’s plenty of incentive to replay. Trust me. Buy this game.

For all the fuss over this being the first Castlevania game set in the future, you'd think Aria of Sorrow would have a few more guns, gadgets, and giant robots to fool around with. Aside from finding a handgun fairly late in the game, | can’t remember anything that really took advantage of the futuristic setting, which is disappointing. Still, Aria’s gameplay is top-notch, and for the seven or so hours it lasts, you'll have a hard time putting down your GBA. My only gripe is that it ends too

the secret to

soon. There’s plenty of stuff to keep you busy (two different ways to replay the game, a Boss Rush mode, over 100 enemy souls to collect, etc.), but the main quest this time around is a bit short.

Aria of Sorrow? More like Ode to Joy haven't been this glued to my GBA since Metroid Fusion. Another Castlevania in the same mold as the last two handheld adventures would have been welcome enough, but Konami really ups the ante in Aria with sharper graphics, great tunes, and the best animation I’ve ever seen on Nintendo's little system. Everything from the boss fights to the spacing between save and warp points is calibrat- ed for a challenging (but never too difficult) experi- ence. And the soul system? Brilliant. It adds mean- ing to combat and variety to gameplay, making this Castlevania that much more addictive. As far as length, though I'd always want more of a game this good, | agree with Shane: The quest, including soul collecting, is a fair size for a GBA adventure.

PUBLISHER: Konami DEVELOPER: Konami CE Tokyo PLAYERS: 1

ESRB: Teen

www.gamers.com/101981

JOHN AND KAREN WERE STONED AND HOOKED UP. AFTER SMOKED, THINGS NEVER WOULD HAVE GONE AS FAR AS THEY CAME DOWN, THEY REALIZED THAT IF THEY HADN'T THEY DID. THE CONSEQUENCES WILL LAST A LIFETIME. —

»

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STONED DECISIONS ARE STILL DECISIONS.

YOUR ACTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES, LONG AFTER YOU'VE SOBERED UP.

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MARCH 2003

The Warriors Return, and the Battle Rages On...

een

Play XTREME LEGENDS by itself or with Dynasty Warriors 3 to power up the original with new XL features. Memory Card data is fully compatible between both games.

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1 Mega Man valiantly battles the forces of the dastardly Dairy Queen.

GAMECUBE

MEGA MAN NETWORK TRANSMISSION

Prepare to suffer a mega-inferiority complex

When other pilots suck, Choplifter is there to rescue them.

| was really excited when | first booted up Network Transmission. Here it was, finally—a side-scrolling Mega Man in the style of the old games with the look and feel of the Battle Network GBA series. But despite great-looking cartoon graphics and heaps of old-school styling, N7 is just too damn hard to be fun. | mean, there’s chal- lenge and then there's losing count of how many tries it took to beat FireMan, the first-level boss. On top of that, the Battle Chip weapon system (borrowed from the GBA games) doesn’t fit an action game like this. Your battle chips are randomly select- ed, and you're completely screwed if you don’t have life-replenishment or projectile- weapon chips when you reach a boss. Mega Man does have his trusty buster weapon that never runs out (and doesn’t rely on chips), but in this game, that weapon is about as effective as trying to take out cars with spit wads. If you’re not a superhumanly skilled hardcore fan of the blue bomber, skip Transmission.

Man, oh man. Network

sas.o)es)5.5

Transmission kicked my ass three ways from Sunday. Now, I’m way hyped to see Mega Man back in an old-school side- scroller, and I’m also a fan of the GBA Battle Network games, but when you die so easily and everything is nearly impossi- ble to kill, few gamers will persevere. Plus, CJ’s right—the Battle Chip system is awk- wardly out of place here. It’s a shame, real- ly—in between my swearing fits, | was kinda having fun.

Have my once-proud Mega Man skills atrophied to the point where | have to continue 20 times to beat a level? Nope—this game is just life-threateningly, perversely hard. (I know my skills are intact, because | got further than either CJ or Phil.) Seriously, this is the toughest game the series has ever offered, and the extreme challenge will annoy, frustrate, and ultimately eradicate nearly every gamer who attempts to tackle it. It's sad—the unfair difficulty utterly eclipses the colorful visuals, catchy tunes, and tight gameplay. Rent, rant, then return.

PUBLISHER: Capcom DEVELOPER: Arika PLAYERS: 1

ESRB: Everyone

www.gamers.com/60484

PAUL G. FORD

CRISPIN

PLAYSTATION 2

MAGIC PENGEL: THE QUEST FOR COLOR

Years of doodling in the margins finally pays off

meet our

Sure, Pikachu is cute, but do you really feel a meaningful connection with him? Nope, he’s just some corporate critter designed in a lab to sell games and break- fast cereal. Magic Pengefs (formerly Color Quest) monsters are different. In this mon- ster-raising sim, you personally design your fighting furballs, so you feel a real affinity for ’em. The doodling process is instinctive, clever, and versatile—even terrible artists can forge impressive beasts that hurl weapons (or, if you're Gary, their massive genitalia) in battle.

In many ways, though, MP seems like a slapdash game built around the excellent doodle-creation system. The battles get repetitive, loading times drag on, the music often seems out of place, and the plot's a bit heavy-handed. Yet that stuff doesn’t matter when drawing doodles is just so unbelievably fun. As a game, it’s merely OK, but as a creative toolbox, it’s exceptional.

My doodles might not be beau- tiful—| named one unfortunate beast

LATA

fi ees hes Tumoria—but even for the artisti- cally challenged, MP offers truly whimsical fun. | found the battles simple but mildly addictive as | leveled up my character and gained new drawing skills and colors. Then | really wanted to go back and create bet- ter, more complex doodles. And even if you're just in it to explore the pornographic possibilities, the weird way your creatures animate will serve your questionable motives well. At only $30, it’s the perfect way to waste an entire weekend—or more.

My favorite MP moment? Seeing Shane squirm as my beastie’s massive purple “doodle” wiggled shamelessly in front of his creations. Sure, | lost the fight, but the fact | could create such a delightful mon- strosity is reason enough to play this game. Unlike Shane, | dug the charming story, but | agree the gameplay gets a bit dull. Thankfully, the Versus mode will keep me working on the perfect doodle to penetrate Shane's defenses.

PUBLISHER: Agetec DEVELOPER: Taito PLAYERS: 1-2 ESRB: Everyone

www.gamers.com/1323084

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Playing DX brought back fond memories of my first days with Sega’s dearly departed Dreamcast. | spent many hours enjoying this game on DC, and playing it now only reminds me how disappointing Sonic Adventure 2 truly was. But you'd think Sonic Team would've taken a li’! time for this so-called “Director’s Cut” edition to fix the problems that hampered the original DC release, right? No dice. The crappy camera, hit-or- miss spin targeting, and occasionally sketchy control are along for the ride again, only they're more noticeable (and less forgivable) now, since 3D games have improved so much in the last few years. To make matters worse, a new problemn—. choppy, stuttering slowdown—plagues this ver- sion. Hey, wait—isn’t the GameCube supposed to be more powerful than the DC?

Yet even with those problems and the boring adventure bits, DX still delivers a fun time on the Cube. I'll take this game’s more Sonic-and-Tails- centric gameplay over the disjointed SA2 any

day, and the levels here are fast, pretty, and well designed. Plus, having all the Sonic Game Gear (Sega’s old portable system) games as unlock- able bonuses turns this into a mini Mega Collection of its own. If you missed Adventure on Dreamcast and are starved for a Sonic fix, this is a decent package. But if you wanna save some dough, you might be better off booting up the DC version again.

Hey CJ, our definition of “Director’s Cut” must be different from Sega’s, because | thought this meant we were getting an improved rendition of Sonic’s first Dreamcast adventure. Tossing in a slew of Game Gear games is a nice freebie, but nothing else here impresses. For starters, it does- n’t look any prettier on the more powerful Cube— the periodic slowdown is inexcusable (especially in a Sonic game), and the camera is still awful. Oh well—at least this game ranks higher than SA2 on my hedgehog enjoyment scale by keeping the pri-

BRYAN

How can you tell if your hedgehog’s been

possessed? He’s got no eyeballs.

NIC ADVENTURE DX

Want to relive the thrills of 1999? Fork over 40 bucks

mary focus on rocketing Sonic through cool stages. Playing as the supporting characters isn’t nearly as frustrating (or necessary) as it is in the sequel. Still, newcomers and Dreamcast vets alike are best served treating DX as a weekend rental.

| agree with these guys—the horrendously choppy graphics really do detract from the experience. But | disagree with their claim that this is still a good game. Time has not been kind to ol’ Blue’s first 3D adventure; DX can’t keep up with the action-platformers of today. This might have looked and played fine four years ago, but try- ing to pass it off now as a full-price game is a joke. Of all the playable characters, only Sonic is fun, and sadly, none of his stages last for more than 15 minutes. The addition of the Game Gear unlockables gives this disc value for hardcore collectors, but casual players will tire really quickly of those 8-bit history lessons. Save your cash for the legitimately new Sonic game coming later this year.

What, you’ve never seen a cat fishing before?

PUBLISHER: Sega DEVELOPER: Sonic Team PLAYERS: 1

ESRB: Everyone

www.gamers.com/1324037

Las MicwAls ie iS

MOREMEDABOTSAMOR COURS ~~ as

a

N

|

“Kids everywhere are losing i heir ved Medabot Medals and inet to a diabolical team “s warped Medamaniacs! Join Ikki Ikki and his friends as they track down the source of the trouble and beat the —/ Rubberobos at their own twisted game!

EVERYONE

All your favorite Medabots characters! A 30+ hour adventure! Trade and Robobattle with friends!

WWeWAY O) | oe www.natsume.com / www.medabots.com Natsume is a registered trademark kof Natsime Ini 1c. Serious Fun is a trademark of Natsume Inc. © 2002, 2003 Natsume inc. All Rights . Resend. Charter Design by Horunacn, “Medabos” sa tradmark of Kodansha and is used unde: license. © 1997-2002 imagineer Co, (€9-V,¥,| = =10) Ma\ma7an mm 12 Natsume Co,,.Ltd.. Published haere ume ie Inc. lilustrations Copyright © 1997 Imagineer, Natsume. © 1999 NAS/Kodansha, Lid Me Aes FS ', ® and the ee Game Boy Ad 8 log ee are trademarks of nen ido, The ratings icon is a trademark of the Interactive

Serious Fun™ Digital Sofware Assoc

XBOX

MOTOR TREND PRESENTS: LOTUS CHALLENGE

Being a test driver isn’t as fun as you thought

Driving a Lotus Elise, Esprit V8, and Super 7 in real life were near-reli- gious experiences for me; taking Lotus Challenge for a spin was more like going to the laundry. A bad laundry. Hours of my life are gone forever, and | had to listen to some semi-incoherent guy rant at length (that'd be the Brit-voiced announcer in Lotus Challenge, not Greg or Che).

The game’s strange mix of sim and arcade gameplay will please no one, and will leave serious Lotus fans in support groups, talking about what could have been. The Challenge mode, which follows the careers of a few Team Lotus drivers, is by far the best part, but it's too short and not always well-balanced, difficulty-wise. Cars from the same era feel nearly identi- cal, and keeping the more powerful mod- els on the track is way harder than it should be, considering Lotuses are some of the best-handling cars in the world. Though the innovative circular steering option (which allows you to rotate the analog stick like a steering wheel) works surprisingly well, Lotus Challenge fails to qualify. By, like, 1,000 seconds.

Lotus Challenge sports a few clever innovations, but it’s so unpolished and ugly that few will stick around long enough to notice. I'd like to kick back and enjoy its nifty “semicircle” steering sys- tem and many interesting (and frustrat- ing) Career mode challenges, but when Lotus looks this dumpy and primitive, it’s hard to focus on the game’s minute mer- its. With the racing genre soaked to the point of saturation, Lotus simply cannot hang with the likes of Sega GT and Project Gotham.

Ihave to agree with my esteemed colleague, Demian: This game is completely stuck in neutral. Not only does every car handle identically, but all of them have zero stopping power. Since the best way to pass on any road course is to out-brake opponents into a turn, a true-to-life driving experience is impos- sible in Lotus. Not that it matters— careening off the walls won't slow you down, so you can ride the outside barrier for an entire race and count on a solid top-three finish.

(Left) Driving with all four wheels on your car is for sissies.

PUBLISHER: Xicat

DEVELOPER: Kuju Entertainment PLAYERS: 1-2

ESRB: Everyone www.gamers.com/151727

124 ¢ ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com

PAUL G. FORD

1, PEED 2

SHANE

you cats yselk pardcore!

opEN-ENDEV APVENTURES wrtt BRING you +o youR KNEES.

WWW.U-SAG8.COM

Qur entire ontive communtly awatls brave challengers.

P| PlayStation.2

DOr] ~~ SQUARE ENIX.

Mild Violence

Suggestive Themes © 2003 SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD. All Rights Reserved. image illustration: Tomomi Kobayashi. The SQUARE ENIX ogo and UNLIMITED SAGA are trademarks of Square Enix Co., Ltd. “PlayStation” and the “PS” Family iogo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc, The ratings icon is a trademark of the Interactive Digita! Software Association, Dolby, Pro Logic, and the double-D symbol are trademarks of Dolby Laboratories.

“Whistle while you work, tooti-to-too-toot-too-toot.”

GAMECUBE

TOM CLANCY”

Yes, it’s as good as you've heard

Splinter Cell does one thing, and does it well: It makes you feel like a badass secret agent, with all the stealth action you know and love (sneaking around, ganking enemies from behind, knocking out security cameras), plus a few inge- nious twists (an optical cable to peek under doors, special bullets to divert and gas guards, etc.).

Whether you're blasting through a terrorist com- pound with guns blazing or taking to the shadows at CIA headquarters without ever firing a shot, excellent level design and a Tom Clancy-style story line (which evolves during missions as well as in between) will keep you playing even after dying 10 times in a row. And, especially for a title with this much gameplay variety, the interface and controls always feel natural on the GC pad. Jumping, climb- ing, weapons, gadgets—everything is quickly and easily accessible (including noticeable improve- ments over the Xbox setup) once you adjust. Graphically, however, the transition wasn’t so smooth, It never looks bad, but many of the special

126 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com

lighting effects and big levels that made Splinter Cell shine on Xbox have been muted here, some- times affecting gameplay—for example, shadows never really look dark, and the night vision goggles are all messed up. The GameCube is capable of better, and it’s a shame Splinter Cell doesn’t take advantage of it. But uneven graphics and the occa- sional A.|. hiccup don’t matter much to a badass killing machine like you, right? Play it.

| don’t agree with Mark’s nitpicky assess-

ment of the graphics. Sure, the Xbox version looks better, but you won’t find a graphically slicker Cube game than Splinter Cell. Everything else he says is right on, though. The stealthy gameplay is incredi- ble. Even though you get more varied action from a Metal Gear Solid, what's here is so well designed, | remained jaw-dropped impressed from start to fin- ish. The developers crafted such a tight game, with clever level designs that will consistently challenge you. | also like that the GBA link-up stuff wasn't

put that new

just half-assed slapped on—the new radar and sticky bomb are nice bonuses and pretty useful. You won't find a cooler special-ops game than this...not even the critically acclaimed Ghost Recon or any of the Metal Gear Solids.

This is my third time run- ning through Splinter Cell, and the game just seems to get better and better every time | play it. Ubi Soft’s stealth masterpiece has replay value up the wazoo—it’s a real rush to master the layout of the levels, then attempt to slip past all of the guards unseen, never setting off an alarm. The GC version looks better than the PS2 edition by a hair, and Shoe’s right—the GBA-connectivity fea- ture is actually helpful during gameplay. Using a GBA as an MGS-style overhead radar is simply awesome. Hand it to a friend, and you have another set of eyes watching your back (a setup that saved my hide several times). It’s a nice addition to an already fantastic experience.

PUBLISHER: Ubi Soft DEVELOPER: Ubi Soft Shanghai PLAYERS: 1

ESRB: Teen

www.gamers.com/1294857

GAME BOY ADVANCE

TOM CLANCY'S SPLINTER CELL

Stealth action redefined. Or not

yey ial ats a

This handheld Cell’s story follows its console big brothers’ mission for mission.

HPs 258/585

SP. #) 196° 108 oe.

1 No, the main character's not normally called Poupon—that’s the name of Jen’s cat.

Ugh. At first glance, the large, well- animated characters and detailed back- grounds may make this miniature Cel! seem like a nice little action game. But oh- s0-soon you realize that, hiding behind that smooth exterior like stealthy hero Sam Fisher himself, is a bevy of problems ready to sneak up and knock the gameplay right on its ass.

Take the A.l—guards can be lying unconscious on the floor, gassed, or even shot in plain sight of other enemies (includ- ing security cameras) without triggering any reaction. This is not to say Splinter Cell is easy—quite the opposite. With randomly placed save points and levels that require patience instead of skill, it can be frustrat- ingly difficult. And despite a few fun minigames (a Silent Scope-style sniping sequence being my personal favorite), the overall experience is very repetitive. Scanning (where you can move your view ahead a few screens to spot enemies before they spot you) every few steps is always necessary but gets really dull, really fast. A big disappointment.

175) 6.5

On the one hand, this is a visually arresting action game that’s great for mature audiences. On the other, it doesn’t really feel like Splinter Cell. Forcing Sam Fisher to do his dirty work in 2D fun- damentally changes the experience; there’s more tense platforming and satisfying shooting than real sneaking or stealth. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it makes for run-and-jump scenarios that feel sorta out of place in Clancy’s gritty, realistic envi- ronments. Unlike Mark, though, | think it’s still worth a try.

Splinter comes out smelling better than most pint-sized ports. The blockbuster original donates its story and gameplay for a solid conceptual foundation—Sam does a makeshift 2D version of nearly all his con- sole moves. All the pipe crawling and shad- ow sneaking give SC diversity other GBA adventures lack. It’s too bad the stealthy gameplay took a heavy hit in the switch from 3D to 2D. Evasion and problem solving in two planes are very basic linear tasks. Overall, it’s mission: sorta accomplished.

PUBLISHER: Ubi Soft DEVELOPER: Ubi Soft Montreal PLAYERS: 1

ESRB: Teen

www.gamers.com/1294855,

SHANE JENNIFER GARY

sisi

Jnceciaanacaanee

anette PT

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apenas et

And a mailbox. And three fire hydrants. And a mime. Anda pedestrian mall. And anything else that gets in your way. Because with Midtown Madness 3° you set the.course. If grass seems faster. hy all means drive on grass. If the sidewalk’s to your Microsoft liking, you definitely have the right of way. Race through Washington, DC. and Paris and leave your impression on both.

gamexstudios

a

EVERYONE : Violence beast

‘the Microsoft Game Studios logo, Midtown Madness 3, Xbox, Xbox Live, and the Xbox logos are-trademarks or registered ‘s of the Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. The MINI Trademarks are owned by BMW AG and

¢ ¢). Just remember, there’s no right way 4 - 7 = to get there, as long as you get there first, 5 |ADNESS. =:

www.xbox.com/midtownmadness3

y. All other trademarks are the prdperty of their respective 2 tal Software Associati 103, Digital Iilusions, CE AB.

- xeOx

are used under license, MUSTANG 2+2 FASTBACK is a trademark used under ticense from Ford Motor Comp: owners. ©2003. Microsoft Corporation, All rights reserved. The ratings.icon.is a trademark of the Interactive

“ <BOX LTV -€ ONLINE ENABLED —

GAMECUBE

44.nbi0

will the real

— a

curtail their stupidity by building each soldier's stats.

sions Completed: 1 Rank: Private Skills: Sniper Pistol ke Experience Level: Guard Next LoVél; sesame

MEDALS

So your squad skipped bootcamp—at least you can

: DESERT STORM

Co-op combat minimizes casualties in this timely title

Timeliness is one of the few things this squad-based shooter gets right—you just know someone wants to live out the war in Iraq from the safety of the sofa. But | wouldn’t blink if U.N. weapons inspectors unearthed a cache of Conflict discs buried in the bowels of Baghdad. The U.S. Delta Force puts up such a piss-poor fight in this game, playing through it might actually boost the Republican Guard’s morale. Uncle Sam’s boys can’t shoot straight, even with auto-aim, and the Iraqis are unstoppable bullet-sponges with extrasensory perception.

Yep, that Gomer Pyle—caliber A.l.—both in your squad of four controllable troopers and within the enemy Iraqi ranks—almost makes me wish this PS2 port had wound up MIA. I’ve seen some bad guys teleport through objects. I've seen others just stand in the sand, waiting to get gunned down while their buds pursue me with lethal gung-ho gusto. And my fellow Delta opera-

180 ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com

tives...sheesh. | felt as if | had to hold their hands

and guide them everywhere. This ain’t summer camp, guys—seek some damn cover!

| must say, I noticed every problem you guys did, plus blocky graphics, an awkward but- ton layout for commanding your troops...

..Seizure-inducing sandstorm effects, losing the entire squad to tank shells that pass through three walls without jarring a brick...

...fight, yeah, all that stuff. But even if | wasn't quite “shocked and awed,” | had fun with Conflict. Yes, you have to micromanage and take it really slow, but patience is rewarded with some thrilling moments. | loved setting up crossfire on the burned-out streets of Kuwait City, or ordering an Al. squad-mate to run off and draw a tank’s fire while | sneaked up and planted C4 on its ass. And speaking of tanks and ass, that’s another

please stand up?

thing | loved: When you see enemy armor in this game, you crap your pants. It’s truly scary.

And regardless of our gripes, we have to admit we had a good time going to war together. The two- to four-player splitscreen mode, avail- able for all missions, let us bypass the wonky teammate A.|. by giving us each a trooper to con- trol. | liked how we could all ride in the same vehicle, heal each other, and swap weapons, especially once we figured out that Mark made the best sniper. Of course, we had a lot of laughs the developers didn’t intend.

Yeah, it may be a poor man’s SOCOM... ..-more like a homeless man’s SOCOM... ; ...Dut on GameCube, where combat sims

are as hard to find as Iraqi weapons of mass destruction, that’s not such a bad thing.

Court-marshal your A.I. allies for insubordination— drafting friends is the fun way to win this war.

PUBLISHER: Gotham Games DEVELOPER: SC\/Pivotal Games PLAYERS: 1-4

ESRB: Teen www.gamers.com/1265047

DEMIAN

BRYAN

une

GREG S.

'. Ford’s beloved Red Sox feature a e level of suckiness.

XBOX

INSIDE PITCH 2003

This rookie can’t quite compete with the big boys

Bai %% ie ee

Inside Pitch reminds me of another Microsoft first-year sports effort, NFL Fever. Both are fast, fun, and playable, but yet not deep enough to be really rec- ommendable. Still, in terms of establishing franchise roots, /P makes some strides. The highlight is its Create/Train Player mode, where you build a baller and put him through an amusing regimen of stat- building situations before adding him to a team. Fun stuff. The Championship Challenges that have you trying to re-cre- ate memorable moments from 2002 prove entertaining, too.

Unfortunately, a few big flaws undercut the promising start. The pitching, with only nine strike-zone locations to throw to,

oeweeest

Dynamic camera angles infuse some extra flava, not unlike the flavor packets in ramen.

PUBLISHER: Microsoft BRYAN DEVELOPER: Microsoft

PLAYERS: 1-2

ESRB: Everyone

www.gamers.com/1324718

feels like a step back compared to other series’ pinpoint engines. Plus, the requi- site Franchise mode and instant replays are foolishly MIA—what gives? The graphics also fail to impress, and trying to control more than one runner at a time gave me headaches. A decent first effort—certainly fun for a few pick-up games with a friend—but | hope for substantial improvements next year.

IPis like a hot Triple-A farm prospect: It has flashes of greatness, but needs another season in the minors to work out the kinks. It’s got the basics down—the fast-paced innings, tight con- trols, and addictive minigames are fine. But Ford’s right: The total package is stuck in the shallow end. /P lacks the necessary eye-candy, replay options, and Franchise mode to go up against other hardball efforts. | give it a little credit for including online play, but coping with nasty net slowdown is a chore.

Ina baseball crop festering with both quantity and quality, /P makes its mark—as the most average experience of them all. If you choose this over the beautiful-but- too-easy MVP, the hardcore High Heat, or the middle-ground WSB 2K3, you're dumb—wait, | mean, you'll have a good time. /P plays like a Will & Grace marathon: It’s fun enough, but after eight hours, you know there were better ways to spend your time. Plus, the ball physics are lousy, and where’s the instant replay?

ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com 131

Im Yes, thi

a

The sights and sounds may be subpar, but with gameplay this addictive, everything else is immaterial.

Beef—it’s what’s for dinner.

GAME BOY ADVANCE

a shot of superfun gameplay. And yes, that’s a finger picking a nose. You're just going to have to trust us here.

the madness

MEGA MICROGAME$.

A portable megadose of genre-bending video crack

Put simply, Wario Ware is a collection of minigames. Well, OK, make that microgames. You see, most segments last no more than five sec- onds and require as little as a single timed but- ton-press. And although they make the minichal- lenges in Mario Party 4 (GC) feel full-fledged, I’ve grown to love their dose of video Ritalin nonethe- less. Because they're thrown at you in rapid suc- cession without explanation or warning, you’re forever held in itchy-fingered anticipation, won- dering what’s next and, more important, what's expected of you. And whether it’s a battle with Metroid’s Mother Brain, an Old West shootout a la Wild Gunman, or—| kid you not—a maiden who needs help nose-sucking a strand of snot, you will be surprised, if not bewildered. Also, should you possibly tire of the 200-plus solo shenanigans, you can always tap the excellent two-player offer- ings. Played on a single GBA, they’re ridiculously simple and equally addictive.

A word of warning, though: WWis deeply

Japanese. So to appreciate these nostalgic nuggets, you'll first have to cope with culture shock (a soft spot for reflex-testers like Simon or Bop-it won't hurt either). Even after playing for 20 minutes, you'll still wanna pass WW off as an obstacle course for ADD children. But once you do warm to the idea of hopping a hot dog on wheels that’s out to run you over, you'll have also accepted this crack-up collection of time-wasters for its real accomplishment—showing that the finest hand- held games aren’t always console hits in miniature.

When | first picked up Wario Ware, | had no idea what to make of it. It’s very different from anything out there. I've never seen a game as fre- netic, fast-paced, or absolutely hilarious as this. | mean, where else are you going to see a collie with streams of tears rolling down its doggy face if you fail to shake its paws? Nowhere, that’s where. The minigames found in Wario are simple but play spectacularly well, and since you never have to

|

9.0}9.5]9.0

stick with one for more than five seconds, there’s no time to lose interest. Also, because it’s delivered in tiny chunks, you can use it to fill any amount of downtime you might have. | know it looks odd, but if you own a GBA, you must give Wario a chance.

| was afraid that the other guys wouldn’t be hip to Wario's off-kilter groove, but now they're just as hooked as | am. It’s so bizarre, funny, chal- lenging, and downright insane that it’s hard to believe—you should have seen the disapproving look | got from this old lady on the bus when she looked down at my GBA SP as | was trying to insert a finger into a nostril. Maybe if I’d let her try it, she'd have been converted—this is the kind of simple, brain-bending game anyone can enjoy. Half the fun is figuring out what to do in each game, and once you’ve mastered a few challenges, it’s hard to put down. Brandish this whenever you have a few minutes to kill and you'll be masterfully entertained, even long after you’ve beaten it.

e

Lay off the booger-sugar, ladies!

PUBLISHER: Nintendo DEVELOPER: Nintendo PLAYERS: 1-2

ESRB: Everyone

www.gamers.com/1341035

GAME BOY ADVANCE

MEGA MAN BATTLE

NETWORK 3

Another year, another Mega Man Battle Network. |s anyone surprised? Once again, Capcom has put together a surpris- ingly solid little RPG that ranks among the best GBA games available. Newcomers to the series will have no problem getting hooked on its fast-paced gameplay and innovative battle system. The problem is that if you've played either of the first two Battle Network games, you've essentially played this one. Unsurprisingly, the formula is starting to get a little stale.

Yes, BN3 has the usual smattering of minor tweaks and gameplay upgrades, but on the whole, it feels less like a sequel and more like another glorified remix of the first game. How many times can they recy- cle the same story, characters, graphics, and even music tracks before gamers start to lose interest? And was it really neces- sary to make two versions of the game this time? (Short answer: no.) That said, if you can get past the déja vu, you’ll most likely have a great time with BN3. Let's just hope the next one offers something new.

Well, John’s right about Capcom sticking to its “find a gameplay formula and repeat” philosophy—that has been the hallmark of the Mega Man series through its 50- plus incarnations. But even though BN3 is a lot (well, almost exactly) like its two predecessors, it’s still a darn good game with fun characters, a cool plot, and a surprisingly deep battle system. Even if you've been down this road before, it's still a great trip.

I've never been a huge fan of the Blue Bomber’s Battle Network games, but this eerily similar third installment is actually slightly better than the last two. The graphics haven’t changed much, and the gameplay has had only a few nips and tucks. This time, though, the whole pack- age just feels more cohesive. | still can’t completely get into the collect-a-chip bat- tle system, and | wish Capcom would make the multilevel stage layouts less confusing, but you can’t have everything.

PUBLISHER: Capcom DEVELOPER: Capcom PLAYERS: 1 (1-2 linked) ESRB: Everyone www.gamers.com/40405,

icing

ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com 133

REVIEW ARCHIVE

A second look at notable releases from days gone by

-hack Part 1: Infection PS2 (Also On: None) _—7.5, 7.5, 6.0 @ An average RPG with a neat concept—you play in a virtual online world gone berserk

All-Star Baseball 2004 XB (Also On: PS2,GC) 5.0, 5.0, 5.5 @ Shoddy batting and fielding mechanics drag down this once prominent baseball series

Apex XB (Also On: None) 8.0 Silver @ You don’t just haul ass in this racer-—you build your own autos and run a car factory

ATV Quad Power Racing 2 XB (Also On: PS2,GC) 7.5 @ Rusty-around-the-edges racing turbo-boosted with wild-ride obstacle courses

Big Air Freestyle GC (Also On: None) 4.0 BA lack of tricks and dull courses bring this broken bike game back down to earth

Blinx: The Time Sweeper XB (Also On: None) 7.5, 5.5, 8.0 @ This Hoover-toting cat's puzzle-platform game doesn’t completely suck

BMX XXX XB (Also On: PS2,GC) 2.5, 3.0, 3.5 Less about strippers than it is about making you play a stripped-down Dave Mirra clone

Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter PS2 (Also On: None) _ 6.0, 8.0, 8.0 @ The game’s insane difficulty will frustrate even the most experienced RPG player

Burnout 2: Point of Impact PS2 (Also On: GC) 8.5, 8.0,8.5 Silver 1 The sequel to this arcade racer fixes a lot of the issues we had with the original

Capcom vs. SNK 2: EO XB (Also On: PS2,GC) 7.5,7.5,9.0 Silver @ Xbox Live is the real draw in this fighting fan's dream come true

Contra Advance: The Alien Wars EX GBA (Also On:None) 6.5 I The Super NES classic shooter loses some of its punch on the tiny system

Cubivore GC (Also On: None) 7.0 @ Our guarantee: Cubivore is the best thing-eating-thing sim you've never played

Dance Dance Revolution: DDR Mix PS2(AlsoOn:None) 8.5 Silver @ Even hardcore fans will be tripped up (in a good way) by the retooled gameplay

Dark Cloud 2 PS2 (Also On: None) _—8.0, 8.0,9.5 Silver An addictive action-RPG that lets you rebuild the world as you save it

greatest hit or miss?

PUBLISHER: Konarat 9) DEVELOPER: Konami GE’ Tokyo PLAYERS: 1

ORIGINALLY RELEASED; September 2001 (PS2)/ December 2001 (Xbox)

as

i ) 8.5, 9.0, 7.5 (PS2); 7.5, 9.0, 7.5 (Xbox) If you haven't entered the fog-shrouded city limits of Silent Hill yet, we heartily suggest that you try it out now for $19.99. The brain- dead puzzles and simplistic combat won’t blow you away, but the creepy story and fantastic visuals will. Plus, the PS2 re-release includes the previously Xbox-exclusive Restless Dream scenario.

Deathrow XB (Also On: None) 45 @ In the future, we will play rugby, and we will curse, and it will be obnoxious

Def Jam: Vendetta PS2 (Also On: GC) 7.0, 8.5, 7.5 W Hip-hop stars and wrestling actually works. Word to ya mutha, yo

Devil May Cry 2 PS2 (Also On: None) _7.0, 7.0, 8.0 @ Dante and hottie-in-need Lucia blast through a cruddy plot in this too-easy sequel

Die Hard Vendetta GC (Also On: None) 4.0 @ The movies might be blockbusters, but the game is strictly straight-to-video

Disaster Report PS2 (Also On: None) 4.0, 6.0, 6.5 @ San Andreas-sized faults crumble this earthquake sim’s solid concept

DOA: Xtreme Beach Volleyball XB (Also On: None) 7.5, 8.0, 6.0 @ Scientists are working to invent a nude code for this beach sport's bouncing she-ninjas

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai PS2 (Also On: None) _8.0, 7.5, 7.0 1 Budokai stands above any of the previous attempts to turn the series into a fighter

Dynasty Warriors 4 PS2 (Also On: None) —_7.5, 7.0, 8.5 @ Obese warlords in obscure settings snacking on dim sum and severing heads

EverQuest Online Adventures PS2 (Also On: None) 7.5, 5.0, 6.0 @ Ugly visuals and lame-o battle system hampered our online quest for fun

The Getaway PS2 (Also On: None) _—7.5, 6.0, 8.0 Wi It looks like a GTA clone but plays like a Guy Ritchie flick, complete with naughty words

Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee GC (Also On: XB) 7.0, 7.0, 7.5 It’s all fun and games till one monster gets hit in the eye with the Seattle Space Needle

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City PS2 (Also On: None) 10, 10, 10 Platinum As if you don’t already know why this game received our highest award Gran Turismo 3 A-spec PS2 (Also On: None) 10, 10, 10 Platinum

@ Time and technology have yet to build a better racer than this white-knuckle speed-sim

Guilty Gear X2 PS2 (Also On: None) _8.0, 8.5, 8.5 Silver An addictive, hyperactive 2D fighter acid-washed in '80s hair metal

High Heat Baseball 2004 PS2 (Also On: XB, GC) 9.0 Gold @ The most realistic baseball sim on the market—period

Hitman 2 PS2 (Also On: XB, GC) 9.0 Gold @ With elements from MGS and Max Payne, Hitman 2 is, quite simply, a hit

The House of the Dead III XB (Also On: None) 7.5, 7.0, 7.0 @ Nothing new will shock you in this formulaic zombie shooter, but it’s still solid fun

Ikaruga GC (Also On: None) @ One incredibly innovative, wickedly addictive shooter

8.5, 8.0, 8.0 Silver

Indiana Jones & the Emperor’s Tomb XB (Also On: PS2) 5.5, 8.5, 8.5 @ Looks like Ms. Croft has some competition raiding tombs Kakuto Chojin: Back Alley Brutal XB (Also On: None) 2.5, 4.0. 3.0

@ Back-door brutal, is more like it

Legends of Wrestling II GC (Also On: PS2, XB) 7.0, 6.0, 5.0 1 More like local-access television than Wrestlemania’s glamorous theatrics

Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker _GC (Also On: None) 9.5,10,10 Gold @ GC owners can’t go wrong with Zelda's gorgeous cartoon visuals and classic gameplay

greatest hit or miss?

Va 1)

/EREA Games |DEVELOPER: ais,

4.0, 3.0, 4.0 (Xbox); 4.0 (GC) Somehow, this woefully unimaginative Crazy Taxi rip-off has man- aged to rack up massive sales across three platforms. If you're one of the million saps who’s already fallen for its doughnut-scent- ed siren song, we're sorry. The ugly graphics, poor city design, and total lack of skill-based maneuvers made our reviewers even sad- der than when Maude Flanders died.

Lord of the Rings: Fellowship XB (Also On: PS2) @ True to the novels, but to the detriment of pacing and gameplay

3.5, 4.5, 3.0

Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers GC (Also On: PS2, XB) 8.0, 8.5,8.0 Silver 1 This movie-based beat-em-up goes beyond random button jack-hammering

Lufia: The Ruins of Lore GBA (Also On: None) 8.0 Silver @ Small-fry RPG succeeds on GBA, thanks to sweet battles and multiplayer action

Medal of Honor: Frontline GC (Also On: PS2, XB) 7.0 The last great war makes for a great old time—especially with multiplayer

Mega Man & Bass GBA (Also On: None) 8.5 Silver @ Adds a second playable character to the side-scrolling classic

Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance PS2 (Also On: XB) 9.5,9.5,8.5 Gold @ Substance improves on the original by packin’ in a slew of new minimissions

MLB Slugfest 20-04 PS2 (Also On: XB, GC) 8.0, 7.0, 6.5 @ Tons of multiplayer fun, but don't expect the depth of a baseball sim

MVP Baseball 2003 PS2 (Also On: XB, GC) 7.0, 8.5, 7.5 A new pitching system helps bring EA’s baseball game back to respectability

NBA 2K3 PS2 (Also On: XB) 9.0, 9.5,8.5 Gold @ Another impressive showing strengthens NBA 2K’s rep as the Madden of b-ball

NBA Live 2003 PS2 (Also On: XB, GC) 8.0,7.5,9.0 Silver An innovative control setup breathes new life into Live

NBA Street Vol. 2 PS2 (Also On: XB, GC) 9.5,8.5,8.5 Silver WA mix of both new- and old-school flava makes this baller a rockin’ sequel

Panzer Dragoon Orta XB (Also On: None) 9.0, 8.5,9.0 Silver @ Most beautiful on-rails shooter imaginable, with a vast trove of amazing secrets

Phantasy Star Online Episode 1 & II GC (Also On: XB) 10,9.0,9.0 Gold i The Cube’s only online game is a doozy of a time-sucking good time

Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire GBA (Also On: None) 7.5, 6.5, 7.5 @ Pikachu and pals are back, but precious little has improved since Gold/Silver

Pride FC PS2 (Also On: None) _—6.5, 6.0, 5.5 @ Anything-goes combat that looks like two dudes spooning and is about as fun

Primal PS2 (Also On: None) _—6.5, 6.5, 8.0 WA beautiful, interesting adventure kinda compensates for crap combat

RAD: Robot Alchemic Drive PS2 (Also On: None) 8.0 Silver @ Live out all your after-school giant-robot fantasies in this novel mech battler

Ratchet & Clank PS2 (Also On: None) 8.0, 8.0,9.0 Silver @ Ratchet and his robot sidekick wield goofball weapons in this fun action-platformer

Red Faction II PS2 (Also On: XB) 8.0, 7.5, 7.0 WA rocket ride with airtight controls and quicksilver pacing Shinobi PS2 (Also On: None) _—7.5, 7.5, 7.0

IH Slick bosses and perfect control thrill, but the extreme difficulty cuts like a 3-foot Ginsu

The Sims PS2 (Also On: XB,GC) 9.5,8.5,8.0 Silver @ Virtual soap-opera teems with innovation and freedom

Skies of Arcadia Legends GC (Also On: None) @ This phenomenal skyfaring quest is the GC’s role-playing savior

9.0, 9.5,9.0 Gold

Sonic Mega Collection GC (Also On: None) 8.0, 6.0, 7.5 @ This compilation will get you up to speed on Sega’s speedy mascot

Star Wars: The Clone Wars GC (Also On: PS2, XB) 6.0, 8.5, 6.5 @ Waste time you will on CWs single-player modes, for the Force is with its multiplayer

Summoner: A Goddess Reborn GC (Also On: PS2) 6.5 W An epic quest and intriguing plot don't make up for this RPG’s button-mashing battles

Super Monkey Ball Jr. GBA (Also On: None) 8.0 Silver @ How'd they miniaturize so much monkey mayhem?

Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo GBA (Also On: PS1) 9.0,9.0,7.5 Silver A pixel-perfect port of the genre’s crown jewel...and it’s portable to boot

Tao Feng: Fist of the Lotus XB (Also On: None) 4.0, 6.0, 3.5 Ineffective blocking and generic characters do not a quality fighter make

Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven PS2 (Also On: None) —_7.5, 7.0, 7.0 @ Ninjas rock, but somehow a lackluster story and horribly stupid A.I. snuck in

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon XB (Also On: PS2,GC) 8.0, 7.5, 8.0 1 Team-based online squad combat and Xbox Live’s first nearly killer app

Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell PS2 (Also On: XB,GC) 9.0, 8.5,9.0 Silver @ Consummate sneak-n-peek play with supercooperative controls

Tom Clancy’s The Sum of All Fears GC (Also On: PS2) 5.5 @ More like Rainbow Six Lite or Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon for Dummies

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 GBA (Also On: All) 75 @ Plays surprisingly like its console big-brother, and is nearly as fun

War of the Monsters PS2 (Also On: None) _—_ 9.5, 6.5, 7.0 @ Manages to make the woefully underrepresented monster genre fun

World Series Baseball 2K3. XB (Also On: PS2) 8.0, 8.0,8.0 Silver @ WSB stands out with countless customization options and first-rate player models

World Soccer Winning Eleven 6 Int. PS2(AlsoOn:None) 9.0 Gold @ Can this natural-feeling soccer sim take 2003 Sports Game of the Year?

WWE Crush Hour GC (Also On: PS2) 2.0, 4.0, 3.5

We smell what publisher THQ is cookin’, and it’s damn foul

Xenosaga: Episode 1 PS2 (Also On: None) _8.0, 8.0, 6.5

@ You don’t so much play this RPG as watch its loopy plot unfold in hours of cut-scenes

Yu-Gi-Oh! The Duelists of the Roses PS2 (Also On: None) 6.0, 4.5, 4.5 Fans will love this confusing card-battler. Everyone else, however, will abhor it

Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner PS2 (Also On: None) @ Eye-popping pandemonium with midair mech mayhem

7.5, 9.0, 8.5 Silver

ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY » www.egmmag.com « 135

@ XBOX

TAO FENG: FIST OF THE LOTUS

Wow. This is just like Mortal Kombat. Except lame. Fire up a bit of excitement by plodding through this flawed fighting game and conquer it using either Pale Lotus or Black Mantis. When you do, you'll gain access to the Ethereal Plane of Immortality. Looks like a big ice cavern to us. Hoo-boy. Try pummeling your opponent in the corners or use the icy forms in the center to bump (not to mention grind) your foe. What's this? A hackneyed stereotype of an immortal warlord! This is the embarrassingly powerful Zhao Yen (right). He's rough. He’s tough. He’s able to completely unbalance the game with his chain combos. To unlock him as a playable character, beat his ass with both the Pale Lotus and Black Mantis clans, Then break out Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance.

its t-14-19

Apparently, two issues ago, a false DOA: Xtreme Beach Volleyball trick was printed. Who knew? Well, we did. Sorry about the April Fools’ joke. But threats to fire-bomb the office won’t turn those polygonal babes into Girls Gone Wild. Really.

—David S. J. Hodgson

tricks@ziffdavis.com

flashback

Long ago, EGM printed an infamous April Fools’ trick, claiming Street Fighter I had a secret character named Sheng Long. Unlocking him was ridiculously difficult—practically impossible—but gamers are a tenacious lot. A few completed the Herculean task, but of course nothing was unlocked. How do you feel about our old Sheng Long trick?

@ PLAYSTATION 2

TENCHU: WRATH OF HEAVEN

RS

* iy Mi iT | a * d

% | was fooled. My anger still burns!

Jersmanre

Sait

” e ‘ fe AYAME

| was fooled. Kudos, you

tomfoolery titans! Mastering the art of ninjitsu takes years of training. Unless you cheat. Enjoy these

handy shortcuts to Ninjaville!

13" Pah! An amateurish lie | instantly saw through.

At the Title screen:

Unlock all characters (above)

L1, R2, L2, R1, Ri, Le, L3, R3

Unlock the bonus stage

L1, Up, R1, Do, L2, Ri, R2, Le

At the Mission Selection screen: For all missions

L1, R1, L2, R2, Ri, Squ, L3, R3

For all layouts

R3, L3, R2, L2, R1, L1

TRICKS IN PARTNERSHIP

WITH PRIMA GAMES This is just the tip of the iceberg. More (adv)ice is

submerged in the gargantuan Prima guides for Tao Feng, Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, and The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. \f you get stumped, seek those tomes of wisdom wherever games are sold.

At the Item Selection screen:

All items

(Hold L2 + R2) Squ, Squ, Le, Squ, Squ, Do, Squ, Squ, Ri, Squ, Squ

Increase items

(Hold L2 + R2) Squ, Squ, Squ, Up, Le, Do, Ri

tricRs of the trade

iia

@ Zhao Yen is one baaad, unbalanced mutha—shut your mouth!

PLAYSTATION 2

GRAND THEFT AUTO: VICE CITY

Cheat your way over to Little Havana before the end of the storm warning! Simply enter the code below at any time during gameplay, drive into the water, and chug over to the western part of town. This cheat allows your helicopter to float on water, too!

Drive on water Ri, R2, Cir, R1, L2, Squ, R1, R2

Ml PLAYSTATION 2, XBOX, GAMECUBE

ATV QUAD POWER RACING 2

To use these cheats, create a new profile and give it the name listed below. Activate multiple codes at once by naming a profile, then going back (without saving) and entering a different name/code. Repeat as desired. These work for all consoles. (If they don’t, please write indignant letters to us. We love those.)

Untock all riders BUBBA Unlock all ATVs GENERALLEE Unlock all tracks ROADKILL Untock all tricks FIDDLERSELBOW Maximum stats GINGHAM Untock all challenges © DOUBLEBARREL

Unlock all championships REDROOSTER

I PLAYSTATION 2, XBOX

COLIN McRAE RALLY 3

As a swearing Scotsman, Colin McRae would have plenty of unprintable things to say if he knew about Codemasters’ plan to charge money for cheat codes on its website. Here’s how to unlock all kinds of goodies, including three versions of the Scooby WRX Sti (above). Reload your PS2 game until your Bonus code (on the Options screen) is 1154. Xboxers, you want Bonus code 9655. (Have patience— it'll take a while.) Now, enter these cheats.

Cheat Ps2 Xbox Jet fighter LOWWOH = PHORPC Baja buggy PHOUOT LOWBNG Hovercraft MHXIPE ZILIA Battle tank ZIIUUR = MHXAMU RC car AQVATU = WWAQJO All cars WWACNU = AQVEDV All tracks XWUDBU UZVKZL All parts UZVLLB) = XWUYRE All difficulties AUNAMA — UYNYHZ Super Ford Focus UYNFVA (WE)

do something

with

See over there, where it

looks like nothing is going on? That’s your future

if you just sit there.

A real college degree, focused on advancing technology.

Available on campus or online, right where you’re sitting.

nivamcing aS &, \%,

\e S

Learn more. www.uat.edu or 800.658.5744

tricks of the trade

Wl GAMECUBE

THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: THE WIND WAKER

Maybe you just got your hands on this masterpiece. Maybe you finished it in three sleep-deprived days immediately after its release—and you're already itchin’ to play it again. Either way, ina game this big you’re bound to need a little help. “Where are all those Pieces of Heart? How do | locate those mammoth Octos? How do | get funky with a Great Fairy? What are all the quest items | have to find? And what's with the Wind Waker anyway?” We answer these questions and more in the following pages.

PIECES OF HEART

There are 44 Pieces of Heart to collect. Acquire them by completing side quests or minigames, searching hard-to-reach places, and pulling them up from the Great Sea. This list gives the whereabouts of all 44 pieces and brief instructions for finding them.

1. Forsaken Fortress. In a chest.

2. Windfall Island. Win the battleship minigame.

3. Any postbox. Attached to a letter from the Rito Chieftan.

4. Crescent Moon Island. From Treasure Chart #11.

5. Spectacle Isle. Win the cannon minigame.

6. Pawprint Isle. In the secret cavern. Crawl into the dome.

7. Dragon Roost Island. Attached to a letter from Balto’s mother. Complete the mail-sorting minigame.

8. Dragon Roost Island. Attached to a letter from Hoskit's girlfriend. Give Hoskit 20 Golden Feathers to get the letter.

rS 9. Six-Eye Reef. From the submarine.

10. Needle Rock Isle. In the chest on the island. Reach it with a seagull.

11. Diamond Steppe Island. Treasure Chart #23 shows where it is.

12, Headstone Island. On the highest peak, Reach it with a seagull.

13. Angular Isles, In the chest at the top of the movable blocks.

14, Five-Star Isles. In the submarine.

15. Seven-Star Isles. Defeat the Big Octo. 16. Flight Control Platform. Win the Bird- Man Contest.

17. Tingle Island. Defeat the Big Octo. 18. Greatfish Isle. Inside a chest in the shallow cave. Use your Deku Leaf.

19. Stone Watcher Island. Destroy the platform's cannons.

20. Angular Isles. Treasure Chart #15. 21. Star Island. Bomb the western boulder to enter a secret cavern.

22. Rock Spire Isle. Sold in Beedle’s shop

@ Having too many eyes is a crime punishable by Boomerang.

188 + ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com

~.

for 950 rupees. You need Beedle’s chart and the rupee-carrying upgrade.

23. Rock Spire Isle. Inside the ring of light left by cannon boats.

24, Bomb Island. Bomb the boulder on top and go into the secret cavern.

25. Southern Fairy Island. From Treasure Chart #4.

26. Varies. Complete the withered Deku Tree side quest.

27. Windfall Island. Auction inside the mansion 1F at night.

28. Windfall Island. From Maggie, after you give her Moe's letter.

29. Windfall Island. Complete Zunari’s trading quest by giving the wandering merchant the shop Guru Statue.

30. Windfall Island. Catch the killer bees. 31. Windfall Island. Help Anton and Linda on their date. Use the Deluxe Picto Box. 32. Windfall Island. From Sam after you decorate the town with trading quest items from Zunari’s staff.

33. Pawprint Isle. Treasure Chart #30. 34. Rock Spire Isle. Treasure Chart #2. 35. Three-Eye Reef. Treasure Chart #38.. 36. Forest Haven. Treasure Chart #31. 37. Five-Star Isles. Treasure Chart #33. 38. Windfall Island. Get Kreeb after both the windmill is working and the lighthouse is lit.

39. Windfall Island. In the chest on the tiny isle next to Windfall. Illuminate the lighthouse to see the chest.

40. Thorned Fairy Island. From Treasure Chart #5.

41. Bomb Island. Treasure Chart #20. 42. Outset Island. Using All-Purpose Bait, get the gray wild pig to dig in the dark gray soil near where Mesa is working. 43. Outset Island. Earn the rank of Master by training with Orca (hit him 500 times). 44. In a chest on the 50th floor of the Savage Labyrinth. You’ll need the Deku Leaf, Power Bracelets, and Mirror Shield.

ge Wi A

BIG OCTOS

Six Big Octos lurk beneath the Great Sea (below left). Search for them where you see a flock of seagulls circling in the sky. Once you’ve found one and incited its ire, use your Boomerang to hit its eyes. Try to be efficient in your Octo-eye-thwacking. Don’t forget you can target up to five eyes at once. Each eye shuts after three hits. When all the beast’s eyes are closed, it sinks, leaving a ring of light. Use the Grappling Hook to hoist up your booty! Arrr, we said booty. Our list shows the six Big Octos’ locations, number of eyes, and what treasure those bastards cough up.

Reward Piece of Heart Piece of Heart

Location Eyes Seven-Star Isle 12 Tingle Isle 12

Fire Mountain 8 Silver rupee Private Oasis 8 Silver rupee Diamond Steppe 8 Silver rupee

Two-Eye Reef 4 Magic Meter upgrade

BEEDLE’S SHOP SHIP

Beedle’s floating shop is full of wares, including the valuable Bait Bag. Beedle’s inventory varies depending on your progress in the game. Here’s a list of what he sells in each location and his prices (shown in parentheses).

Spectacle Isle. Hyoi Pear (10), All- Purpose Bait (10), 30 Bombs (30) Windfall Island. 10 Arrows (10), 30 Arrows (30), All-Purpose Bait (10) Pawprint Isle. Hyoi Pear (10), All-Purpose Bait (10), 30 Bombs (30)

Dragon Roost Island. Hyoi Pear (10), All- Purpose Bait (10), 30 Bombs (30)

Rock Spire Isle. Piece of Heart #22 (950), Treasure Chart #4 (900), Empty Bottle (500)

Greatfish Isle. 30 Arrows (30), 30 Bombs (30), Red Potion (30)

Tower of the Gods. 30 Arrows (30), 30 Bombs (30), Red Potion (30)

Eastern Triangle Island. Hyoi Pear (10), All-Purpose Bait (10), 30 Bombs (30) Southern Triangle Island. Hyoi Pear (10), 30 Bombs (30), All-Purpose Bait (10) Shark Island. 30 Arrows (30), 30 Bombs (30), Red Potion (30)

Forest Haven. Hyoi Pear (10), All-Purpose Bait (10), 30 Bombs (30)

Outset Island. Hyoi Pear (10), All-Purpose Bait (10), 30 Bombs (30)

GREAT FAIRIES

Eight Great Fairies, including the Queen Fairy, are hidden throughout the Great Sea. To reach them, you'll need some special items such as Bombs or the Skull Hammer. But once you track them down, each fairy is sweet enough to upgrade one of your abilities or items. Visit any Great Fairy you’ve previously found for some free healing, as in previous Zelda games. Below is a list of each fairy’s location, the upgrade she provides, and which item(s) you need to reach her.

Two-Eyed Reef. Double Magic

meter upgrade. Boomerang needed.

(Defeat the four-eyed Big Octo to free the Great Fairy.)

Northern Fairy Island. Carry more rupees upgrade. Bombs needed. Eastern Fairy Island. Carry more rupees upgrade. Bombs needed. Southern Fairy Island. Carry more rupees upgrade. Bombs needed. Outset Island. Carry more rupees upgrade. Deku Leaf and Bombs needed. (Glide across the bridge with your Deku Leaf and blow up the forest boulder with a Bomb.) Mother & Child Isles. Fire/Ice Arrows upgrade. Ballad of Gales needed. (Play the song to warp inside Mother Isle.)

Western Fairy Island. Carry more Arrows upgrade. Skull Hammer needed.

Thorned Fairy Island. Carry more Arrows upgrade. Skull Hammer needed.

RINGS OF LIGHT

These rings mark treasure, matey! Treasure! Search for them during a full moon, then use your Grappling Hook to reel in the money! Link sure hauls around a lot of bling- bling in this game. (If Shigeru Miyamoto weren't such a wholesome guy, Link would have

POVVOCCOAD i

s let you carry more rupees, Arrows, and Bombs.

groupies fo shizzle.) Anyway, here are the locations, number of rings, and the payout for each set of these mysterious rings of light.

Location Rings Rupees Seven-Star Isle 3 Red Northern Triangle Is. 4 Red Star-Belt Arch. 2 Red, Purple Greatfish Isle 4 Red Five-Star Isles 3 Red QUEST ITEMS

To navigate Zelda's puzzles and obstacles, you’re going to need items. Lots of items. Of course, you'll find most of these without any help. But if a crucial item eludes you (where are them Power Bracelets?), consult this handy list to find out where it is.

Bait Bag. Beedle’s shop ship (location varies)

Bombs. Pirate ship

Boomerang. Forbidden Woods dungeon

Deku Leaf. Forest Haven

Delivery Bag. Dragon Roost Island Deluxe Picto Box. Windfall Island Din’s Pearl. Dragon Roost Island

@ Float like a Boomerang, sting like a Master Sword.

Farore’s Pearl. Forest Haven Grappling Hook. Dragon Roost Cavern dungeon

Hero’s Bow. Tower of the Gods Hero’s Charm. Windfall Island Hero’s Shield. Outset Island Hero’s Sword. Outset Island Hookshot. Wind Temple dungeon Iron Boots. Ice Ring Isle

Magic Armor. Windfall Island Master Sword. Tower of the Gods Mirror Shield. Earth Temple dungeon

Mayru’s Pearl. Outset Island Picto Box. Windfall Island Pirate’s Charm Stone. Pirate ship Power Bracelets. Fire Mountain Sail. Windfall Island

Skull Hammer. Monster Island Spoils Bag. Pirate ship Telescope. Outset Island

Triforce Shard 1. Greatfish Isle Triforce Shard 2. Gale Isle Triforce Shard 3. Stone Watcher ISEUC]

Triforce Shard 4. Outset Island Triforce Shard 5. Cliff Plateau Isles Triforce Shard 6. Southern Triangle Island

Triforce Shard 7. Seven-Star Isles Triforce Shard 8. Two-Eye Reef Wind Waker. Dragon Roost Island

STEPPING OUT OF THESE

PAGES AND

INTO YOUR

HOMES!

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!

Now airing at six different time slots every Thursday! 6:45 pm, 7:45 pm, 8:45 pm, 9:45 pm, 10:45 pm and 11:45 pm EST.

CINIKE HeadlineNews

HOTWIRED’s Big Video Game Hunting hosted by Renay San Miguel on CNN Headline News.

@ Blue Chu Chus can’t hold their liquor. That dude’s had like two beers, tops.

BLUE CHU CHUS

Defeat these rare enemies (above) to earn Blue Chu Jellies, which are used to create the Blue Potion at the Chu Jelly Juice Shop on Windfall Island. The Blue Potion replenishes Link’s Heart and Magic meters. It's almost as potent as Grandma’s Elixir Soup!

You need 15 Blue Chu Jellies to get Doc Bandam at Windfall Island to create the Blue Potion. After that, you can purchase as many Blue Potions as you want for 60 rupees each, or get a free Blue Potion for five Blue Chu Jellies! The following list shows where each Blue Chu Chu is found.

Star Island. Detonate the large southwestern boulder with a Bomb. Northern Fairy Island. Out in the open Crescent Moon Island. Two here! Overlook Island. Hookshot needed Mother & Child Isles. On Child Isle Spectacle Isle. Under bridge

Western Fairy Island. Roaming free Rock Spire Isle. Bombs needed

Tingle Island. Roaming

Eastern Fairy Island. Roaming

Thorned Fairy Island. Roaming

Stone Watcher Island. Behind the large stone face

Bird’s Peak Rock. Above the steel door. Grappling Hook needed.

Diamond Steppe Island. The Hookshot is required here.

Shark Island. Solve switch puzzle to Create an updraft (Skull Hammer and Iron Boots needed). Use the Deku Leaf in the updraft to reach the island’s high point. Southern Fairy Island. Roaming

Cliff Plateau Isles. On top of the largest, tallest isle. Go through the secret cavern. Fire Arrows are required.

Angular Isles. On top of larger isle Boating Course. On top of the large gray stone on the smaller isle. Use the Deku Leaf from the larger isle to reach it.

TREASURE CHARTS

While on your boat, bring up your Sea Chart, switch to the Special Charts submenu (press Y), and find a Treasure Chart that matches one of your Sea Chart sections (which fish draw in exchange for Bait). Sail to the location indicated by the X on the Treasure Chart (below), then pull up the treasure with your Grappling Hook. Below is a list of all 41 Treasure Charts.

#. Chart location

Treasure location Treasure 1. Forbidden Woods dungeon

Private Oasis Silver rupee 2. Windfall Island

Rock Spire Isle Piece of Heart #34 3. Needle Rock Isle

Eastern Fairy Island Treasure Chart #40 4. Beedle’s shop ship

Southern Fairy Island Piece of Heart #25 5. Wind Temple dungeon

Thorned Fairy Island Piece of Heart #40 6. Tower of the Gods dungeon

Six-Eye Reef Silver rupee 7. Windfall Island

Star Island Silver rupee 8. Horseshoe Island

Star Island Silver rupee 9. Submarine near Crescent Moon Island Horseshoe Island Silver rupee 10. Crescent Moon Island

Tingle Island Silver rupee

11. Dragon Roost Cavern dungeon Crescent Moon Island _ Piece of Heart #4 12. Earth Temple dungeon Five-Eye Reef

13. Two-Eye Reef Overlook Island Secret Cave Chart 14, Submarine near Headstone Island Tower of the Gods Silver rupee 15. Forbidden Woods dungeon

Silver rupee

Angular Isles Piece of Heart #20 16. Need Rock Isle

Shark Island Treasure Chart #28 17. Spectacle Isle

Ice Ring Isle Silver rupee

18. Windfall Island Windfall Island 19. Four-Eye Reef Flight Control Plat. Island Hearts Chart 20. Earth Temple dungeon

Green rupee

Bomb Island Piece of Heart #41 21. Cyclops Reef Cyclops Reef Light Ring Chart

22. Submarine near Northern Fairy Island Spectacle Isle Silver rupee 23. Windfall Island Diamond Steppe Island Piece of Heart #11 24. Windfall Island

Northern Fairy Island Silver rupee 25. Cliff Plateau Isles

Forsaken Fortress Silver rupee 26. Six-Eye Reef

Northern Triangle Island Octo Chart 27. Private Oasis

Star Belt Archipelago Silver rupee 28. Shark Island

Needle Rock Isle Treasure Chart #3 29. Windfall Island

Mother & Child Isles Silver rupee

30. Tower of the Gods dungeon

Pawprint Isle Piece of Heart #33 31. Windfall Island

Forest Haven Piece of Heart #36 32. Three-Eye Reef

Boating Course Sea Hearts Chart

33. Windfall Island Five-Star Isles Piece of Heart #37 34. Treasure Hunters’ boat

East Triangle Island Silver rupee 35. Wind Temple dungeon

Islet of Steel Silver rupee 36. Ice Ring Isle

Bird’s Peak Rock Silver rupee 37. Rock Spire Isle

Fire Mountain Silver rupee 38. Windfall Island

Three-Eye Reef Piece of Heart #35

39. Dragon Roost Cavern dungeon

Dragoon Roost Island Silver rupee 40. East Fairy Island

Headstone Island Triforce Chart #5 41. Five-Eye Reef

Four-Eye Reef Great Fairy Chart

triforce shards

Here are the locations of all eight

Triforce Charts and Triforce Shards. Chart Triforce Islet of Steel Greatfish Isle Private Oasis Gale Isle Stone Watcher Is. Outset Island Cliff Plateau Isles Southern Triangle Is. Seven-Star Isles Two-Eye Reef

Bird’s Peak Rock Ghost Ship Headstone Island Outset Island Stone Watcher Is. Overlook Island

SPECIAL CHARTS

Beedle’s. Just talk to Beedle and check a postbox the next day. Shows where you can find the shop ship.

Ghost ship. In the secret cavern on Diamond Steppe Island, at the end of the warp jar puzzle (Hookshot needed). Gives ghost ship locations during moon phases. Great Fairy. Treasure Chart #41 leads to this chart, which shows fairy locations. IN-credible. Tingle sends you this chart in the mail before the Triforce hunt. It shows Triforce Chart locations.

Island hearts. Treasure Chart #19 yields this chart. It shows where all the land- based Pieces of Heart are.

Light ring. Treasure Chart #21 leads to this chart. Now go get rich.

Octo. Treasure Chart #26 earns you this chart, which shows Big Octo locations. Platform. Near Flight Control Platform, Clear the submarine of enemies to get this chart of all platform locations.

Sea Hearts. Treasure Chart #32 leads to the Sea Heart Chart, which gives the locations of all Treasure Charts leading to Pieces of Heart in the Great Sea. Whew. Secret Cave. Treasure Chart #13 gets you this handy map to the secret caverns. Submarine. Clear the secret cavern near the boating course to get the sub chart. Tingle’s. Check a mailbox the day after you free Tingle for this quaint chart. 4

@ Treasure locations are marked with a pillar of light when you're far away.

Pla’

MAY ISSUE ON SALE NOW

DISC 68 PRESENTED BY OFFICIAL U.S. PLAYSTATION MAGAZINE AND PLAYSTATION UNDERGROUND

sox PlayStation

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COOL MOVES * HITMAN 2: SILENT ASSASSIN * GRAND THEFT AUTO: VICE CITY * WWE SMACKDOWN! SHUT YOUR MOUTH

EXTRAS

* MARK HAMILL AS WOLVERINE

* ATV OFFROAD FURY 2: MAKING OF THE COMMERCIAL

* ON TOUR: WIZARD WORLD

MY STREET

TOM CLANCY’S SPLINTER CELL WINNING ELEVEN 6

DEF JAM VENDETTA GRAND PRIX CHALLENGE

ee

INSIDE THE GAME ¢ AMPLITUDE * EASPORTS BIG

DOWNLOADS * TONY HAWK'S PRO SKATER 4

VIDEOS ° ALTER ECHO

* METAL GEAR SOLID 2: SUBSTANCE + NBA STREET 2

THE REST OF THE Ci

Seanbaby reviews the stuff we didn’t want to

sound off —

Publisher: Jaleco

ESRB: Everyone

Believe it or not, | do take this job seriously. These games get played. | even fought through an advanced stage of this month’s Mary-Kate and Ashley game, where | had to identify nine letters of

the alphabet.

But when | saw the box for Karnaaj Rally, | refused to play it. So, here’s a review of the box instead. The guy on the

cover is obviously just one of the loser wire Re 7 developers making % a face that looks like insects are eating his genitals. His hair has been clumsily painted blue in Photoshop, implying the game has “attitude,” and | assume it’s a racing game because he’s grimacing next to a blurry pink car. So, if you like things that are about crotch attacks that happen near extreme auto races, check it out! (OM LINE: Amazingly bad game with amazingly worse packaging

Lei 7 es Seg

Publisher: Acclaim ESRB: Everyone What better way to celebrate the Olsen twins’ passage into adulthood than with 30 of the most insipid, infantile minigames ever processed through a marketing research committee's digestive system. It’s like Mario Party had a debilitating stroke and someone dressed it up ina frilly princess costume. | swear that at one point in L7D, | was being tortured by a quiz-bow! minigame when the damn thing asked me to identify the colors of four onscreen cars. Now, | may be a grown man, but even when | was 16, the games marketed at my gender assumed | already knew my colors. The old man in Zelda never said, “Find the gold key. Hint: Gold is the color of cookies!”

Let’s just hope the game commemorating Mary-Kate and Ashley’s 17th birthday will have questions of at least a second-grade level. And in two years time, the developers had better drop the silly quizzes altogether—because if the game based on their 18th birthday is not called Mary-Kate and Ashley: Barely Legal Waterbed Oil Wrestling, the public outrage could tear this country apart.

NE: A party game about turning 16, suitable for ages 5 and under

classic crap |

142 » ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com

Publisher: Ubi Soft ESRB: Everyone One thing my career in reviewing awful games has taught me: Every seven hours, a different company slaps a new name on the same crappy game about tapping buttons along to music, And aside from adding a little boy in a loincloth and some singing wildlife, Rhythm n’ Groove fails to make any serious innovations in the world of rhythmic button-pressing. Then again, if you thought Britney's Dance Beat would have been vastly improved if Miss Spears were replaced by a massive dancing bear...well, | guess it wouldn't matter, since no one’s going to let you out of those restraints to play it anyway, lunatic. fOM LINE: A game that barely beats out malaria as jungle-related entertainment

Publisher. Dreamcatcher ESRB: Everyone If you're one of the people who still remembers the Pink Panther and you’re still buying new PS1 games, then congratulations—you've just entered the most exclusive club since The Association of She-male Former Popes. Why is eN the Pink Panther collecting " _ roasted chickens or pretending *\ A\ to be a life preserver? Who knows. This brings us one step closer to the dystopian society in which every \)_ cartoon animal or snack- food mascot has a bad platform game. BOTTOM LINE: Bad, even among bad cartoon-cat games sh

CONTEST

Enter the Matrix...and Vita Kel tse) Mexele) MAUL A

§ PlayStation.e

=. Are you The One? In celebration of the upcoming haces Matrix movies and game, Computer Gaming World and Electronic Gaming Monthly, in coordination with our sponsors—Nintendo of America, Sony Computer Entertainment America, Infogrames, and Warner Home Video—challenge you to follow the white rabbit through our magazines this month and uncover the truth! Just find all five (5) rabbits hidden on the pages of each magazine and submit your answers at http://gamers.com/feature/matrix/. All correct entries will be entered in a random drawing for a chance to win one of the following great prizes:

CGW and EGM will each have five (5)

Infogrames’ Enter The Matrix game for PC, PlayStation 2, GameCube, and Xbox

I 30 Animatrix DVDs I 20 The Matrix Special Edition DVDs Iplayer 10 The Matrix DVDs (regular version)

20 one-year subscriptions to Computer Gaming World

20 one-year subscriptions to Electronic Gaming Monthly

Sony PlayStation 2 white rabbits hidden on five (5) different Nintendo GameCube pages of our June issues. To enter, you Microsoft Xbox need to:

Find the five (5) pages with white

rabbits in EGM Find the five (5) pages with white rabbits in CGW

Log on to the contest page at http://gamers.com/feature/matrix/

Enter the five (5) white rabbit page numbers for CGW in sequential order from lowest to highest

Enter the five (5) white-rabbit page numbers for EGM in sequential order from lowest to highest

All correct entries received by July 1, 2003, will then be entered into a drawing for the prizes! Only one entry per person is accepted.

And, oh yeah, the rabbit on this page that you're looking at right now? It counts! It’s a freebie. (But don’t count any you see on the cover or polybag.) Now go find the four (4) others...and good luck! Be sure to come back next month for another chance to enter!

Full legal rules available at http://gamers.com/feature/matrix/.

A aIXN ANIMAS : ih

Ae mi P|

2 Se

ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com 143

game over

FEATURES

Just when you thought the series would go on quietly gathering our Gold and Platinum awards on GBA, we break news that Castlevania’s making a proper console comeback. 33 Next month, EGM returns from Konami’s crypts to open a casket full of | exclusive coverage with never-before-seen screens, J inside interviews, and hands- on experience. Then we grab aisle seats for The Incredible Hulk and Return of the King. Find out how Hollywood’s been cooperating with game developers for some much-needed quality control.

woul Reaver 3 (PS:

@ Fable (Xbox)

@ Xl (PS2, Xbox, GC) ‘ @ SWAT: Global Strike Team (PS2, Xbox

@ Ape Escape)2 (PS2)

ADVERTISER INDEX

300 Company www3do.com . 411 Publishing . AD. Vision wwwadviilms.com ... ¢ ‘Acadlemy of Art College (Stephens Inst) wwwacademyartedu .. ‘Acclaim Entertainment www.acclaim.com .. Activision www.activision.com ......14-15, 23, 56, 57, 64-65 Bandai America, Inc.

www.bandai.com Bethesda Softworks wwwbethsoft.com .. Capcom USA, Inc. WWW.capcoM.cOM........6004 28-29, 115, 148 DC SHOES, Inc. www.deshoecousa.com . Eastpak http://usaeastpak.com ... Eidos Interactive, Inc, wwweidos.com Full Sail Real World wwwfullsail.com . .

18-19

+ 61,79

Game Music Online www.gamemusic.com .. Gillette Company, The www.gillette.com Infogrames, Inc. www.infogrames.net Koei Corporation www.koeigames.com .......250000 43, 118-119 Konami America www.konami.com .. Loriliard Tobacco Company www.buttoutnow.com .... Microsoft www.microsoft.com .. Midway Games, Inc. ‘www.midway.com Natsume ww.natsume.com Office for National Drug Control Policy wwwawhatsyourantidrug.com . Sega of America www.sega.com Sony Computer Entertainment America WWW.SCEA.COM . 0. cee eee een eeenneeendd 4-5

Square Enix U.S.A. www.squaresoft.com ......666ee00000 41,125 Take 2 Interactive Software www.take2games.com .......06eesrereed 59 Target Stores www.getintothegame.com . TDK Mediactive www.tdk-mediactive.com .. THQ, Inc. ‘www.thg.com . . Ubi Soft Entertainment wwwubisoft.com . : University of Advancing Computer Tech WWW.UACLOOM see eeeeseseeees serene 139 UG - Black Label Games www.blacklabelgames.com UG - PPG Www.interplay.com .....66sesecssereeed 95 UG - Universal Interactive

www.iniversalinteractive.com . ..20-31, 50a-50d Warner Home Video

www.warnerhomevideo.com

Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company

www.juicytruitcom .....6.eeeeeeeeeeed ai

NTH: JULY 2003 - ISSUE “168

ON SALE JUNE 3

ANSWERS TO “REBEL ASSAULT” CROSSWORD

on page 143

ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY (SSN #1058-918%) is published monthly by Ziff Davis Media Inc, 28 East 28th Steet, 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 US. Checks must be made payable in U.S. curency only 10 Electronic Gaming Monthly magazine. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Electronic Gaming Monthy, P.0. Box 55721, Boulder, CO 80322-5721. For subscription service questions, address changes, orto order, please contact us at: Webs http/service.eqmmag.com (for customer service) or hitp2/subscrive.eqmmag,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; donot send attachments): subhelp@egmmag.com. The editors and the publisher are not responsible {or unsolicited materials, Without jimiting the rights under copyrights reserved herein, no part ofthis publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, o transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the the prior ‘written notice of Zit Davis Media Inc. To reuse any material inthis publication, obtain a permission request form at wwvwicopyright.com/aitfdavis/, or have form faxed or mailed to you by calling (425)430-1663, Copyright © 2003 Zi Davis Media. Al Rights Reserved, Reproduction in whole or in part without ‘permission is prohibited. For permission to reuse materia inthis publication (or on this Website) orto use our logo, contact Zi Davis Media's Rights and Permissions Manager. For reprints, contact Reprint Services at 800-217-7874, Oiga Gonopolsky, Zi Oavis Media Inc, 28 E. 28th SL, Now York, NY. 100%6, Tek: 212- 503-5438, Fax: 212-503-5420, olga_gonopolsky@zitldavs.com. Electronic Gaming Monthly and EGM are trademarks of Ziff Oavis Media Inc, TM and © for all other products and the characters contained therein are owned by the respective trademark and Copyright owners. All materiats listed inthis magazine are subject to manufacturers’ change and the publisher assumes no responsibility for such changes, The Canadian GST Registration number is 140496720 RT. Meet Manny. He's a B-boy. B for breakin’, and boy do he lok tough.

1 to Gamers.com ghout the entire

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We'll be updating LIVE FROM

THE SHOW FLOOR from May 14th through the 16th!

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and breaking stories from 30 of the best and best known editors from:

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146 » ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com

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www_bruteforcegame.com —aet

and more than fifty star systems are populated with colonies. But when an alien invasion threatens to put every living on the endangered sp the Confederation of worlds cotle-named Brute Force. That's you ute Force. you command ft int etic mercenaries happy assault trooper

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