LORD OF THE RINGS PRIZES! „ ЖУ 


Win a trip to Middle-earth or a copy of Return We 
of the King! Plus, what's next for the series? Ld 
p ". 





Screw socks—tell loved ones exactly 
what you want for the holidays 


00 HOLIDAY BUYER'S GUIDE 





SPECIAL HOLIDAY ISSUE · EXCLUSIVE PREVIEWS · NEW REVIEWS 


LECTRONIC 


GAMING 


The #1 Videogame Magazine MON THLY 


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January 2004 issue 174 
$4.99 U.S. / $6.50 Canada 


Max Payne 2 Army of Zin TF > and more! 





LEUITRTOR 


ЕМЕ, MEENIE, MINEY, BOOM. 


They're back. And they're itching for action. With tons of planets to conquer in a whole new gigantic galaxy, you better believe 
Ratchet & Clank are gonna sink their teeth into some destruction. Ummm, destruction. With weapon upgrades, mods, armor and the 
ability for Ratchetto get stronger and smarter as the game goes on, this could get uglier than The Grandmas In Bikinis Calendar after- 
party. Speaking of parties, there's also hoverbike racing, space combat and gladiator arenas. As far as weapons and gadgets go, Ratchet 
& Clank are stacked with over 50 new ones, along with unlockable upgrades, so by the end of the journey, you'll go through more weapons 
and gadgets than a hungry fat man will go through chicken wings at lunch. Lock and load, baby, lock and load. www.us.playstation.com 






























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Inc. "Live In Your World. Play In Ours." is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. 


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Crude Humor 
Mature Sexual Themes 
Mild Violence 













— Mona Lott is a dancer at Club Rubb. 
She digs her man Bing, 


but, that doesn't mean she won't 


have some lovin’ to spare. 


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SINCE ZELDA: THE WIND WAKER.” 
- ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY - 


“IT’S A MASTERPIECE.” 
= OFFICIAL PLAYSTATION MAGAZINE : 


“9/10. SOLID GOLD." -GMR 





GOOD = EVIL. 
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contents 


issue 174 · sanuary 2004 


LETTERS 


22 


Otherwise known as the EGM 
Complaint Department 


PRESS START 


The latest news, interviews, 
features, and gaming tidbits 


32 


38 


40 


52 


62 


70 


72 


78 


80 


82 


‘SPLINTER CELL: 

PANDORA TOMORROW 

Even sneakier than the original 
MANHUNT 

Like the saying goes, walk quietly 
and carry a big machete 

INSTANT EXPERT 

How to buy an arcade machine and 
not get totally ripped-off 

THE RE-ANIMATORS 

Indie developers keep deceased 
consoles active in the afterlife 
SONIC HEROES 

Sega’s blue blur rides again, but only 
in the company of friends 

EGM INTERNATIONAL 

Performing polar bears populate 
Japanese PS2s 

SHOW AND TELL: NINJA GAIDEN 
The game's director speaks 
CELEBRITY INTERVIEW 

Aqua Teen Hunger Force talks games 
in between fast-food orders 

MAX PAYNE 2 

More bullet time softens Max's fall 
HITTIN’ PLAYDIRT 

Check out one gamer whose skills 
help him pay the bills 

MAXIMO VS. ARMY OF ZIN 

Can we expect a kinder, gentler 
Maximo? Or one as #$%@ing tough? 
ONLINE 

Learn how to get involved in testing 
games over this new Internet thing 
THE RUMOR MILL 

Info from The Q on PSP pricing and 
the next Grand Theft Auto 
COUNTER-STRIKE 

Can this tactical shooter make as big 
a bang on Xbox as it did on PC? 
THE HOT 5 

Master Chief blasts away at some 
solid competition 


COMING SOON 
Because future games such as these 
will affect you in the future 





TRIP TO MIDDLE-EARTH CONTEST 


202 Here’s your chance to check out 
Middle-earth for yourself, as we're 
giving away a trip for two to New 
Zealand. You can also win free copies 
of the Return of the King game, too! 











THE 


ULTIMATE 






| E м l J You know it. We know it. EGM 


reviews make for the most popular 
106 This month in Review Crew: from 1080° Avalanche to WWE SmackDown! 





(and controversial) section in the 
mag. This issue includes over 1000 
game ratings, and you find them 
throughout the following pages: 







166 Reviews Wrap-Up: quick hits on all the other titles coming your way 
168 Reviews Archive: 15 pages of the hest and worst games around 


200 Rest of the Crap: Seanbaby answers the call on our gaming turd alert 


= 7 





12 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com 


















































REVIEW CREW 


Not one, not two, but three reviews for each game 


Multiplatform Xbox 
107 True Crime: Streets of L.A. 142 Magic: The Gathering 
108 Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance Battlegrounds 
108 Secret Weapons Over Normandy 146 Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six 3 
110 Crash Nitro Kart 148 Crimson Skies: 
110 Spawn: Armageddon High Road to Revenge 
112 Tony Hawk’s Underground 148 Drake 
116 ESPN College Hoops 150 Project Gotham Racing 2 
116 NCAA March Madness 2004 152 Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix 
118 Need for Speed: Underground 152 NBA Inside Drive 2004 
120 Battlestar Galactica 154 Armed and Dangerous 
120 Goblin Commander: 154 Grabbed by the Ghoulies 

Unleash the Horde 156 Star Wars Jedi Knight: 
122 Medal of Honor: Rising Sun Jedi Academy 
124 The Hobbit 157 NHL Rivals 2004 
124 В: Racing Evolution 
128 Midway Arcade Treasures GameCube 
128 Whiplash 158 1080° Avalanche 
130 Legacy of Kain: Defiance 159 Mario Party 5 
132 The Sims Bustin’ Out 160 Go! Go! Hypergrind 

160 Gotcha Force 

PlayStation 2 161 Pac-Man Vs. 
133 King of Fighters 2000 & 2001 
136 Final Fantasy X-2 Game Boy Advance 
138 Dragon Ball 7: Budokai 2 162 Dragon Ball Z: Taiketsu 
138 Kya: Dark Lineage 162 Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga 
140 WWE SmackDown! 164 Shining Soul Il 

Here Comes the Pain 164 The Sims Bustin’ Out 


142 Monster Rancher 4 





L- 


TRICKS OF THE TRADE 
Game hints, tips, and cheats 

190 SSX 3 

190 Tak and the Power of Juju 

192 Gladius 

192 Grabbed by the Ghoulies 

193 Action Replay vs. GameShark 

194 Lord of the Rings: Return of the King 
196 Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Falsebound Kingdom 


GAME OVER 

A buncha stuff that don't fit 
anywhere else, ya dig? 

200 REST OF THE CRAP 

202 CROSSWORD 

204 NEXT MONTH 

206 HSU & CHAN 









HOLIDAY BUYER'S GUIDE 
Whether you're naughty or nice, 
we'll still tell you which games 


you want on your wish list 


AFTERTHOUGHTS: 

LORD OF THE RINGS 

EA's brought the king back 
to Middle-earth, so what's 
hext for the series? 


All content copyright © 2004 Ziff Davis Media Inc. Reproduction, modification, or transmission, in whole or in part, by any means, without written permission from Ziff Davis Media Inc. is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved. 


ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com • 13 


Strong Language 
Violence 








не’ delivering а warm welcome 
С ~~ to evil bots everywhere. 






чизи. тп е ї гаі гаг па. с о п 


© 2003 SIERRA ENTERTAINMENT, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. SIERRA, THE SIERRA LOGO AND METAL ARMS ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OR TRADEMARKS OF SIERRA ENTERTAINMENT, INC. IN THE U.S. AND/OR OTHER COUNTRIES. 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. 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. TM,® AND NINTENDO GAMECUBE ARE TRADEMARKS OF NINTENDO. © 2001 NINTENDO. DEVELOPED BY SWINGIN’ APE STUDIOS. 





“True Crime ups the ante, accurately delivering the seediness of Los Angeles, kung-fu capabilities, burn-rubber 
driving, over-the-top firepower and a killer soundtrack featuring original West Coast Hip Hop beats.” 
—Hustler 


“Best Xbox Game" 
—Games Convention 2003 


Includes over 50 original songs from Snoop Dogg. Westside Connection, Coolio and more: 
Visit truecrimela.com for exclusive game clips and soundtrack samples. 


Blood and Gore 


| | »* t; Mature Sexual Themes 
| i д Strong Language 
= > PlayStation.e j Lang 


хеох Violence 














Developed 
he Nintendo 
ily logo are 


activision.com 
















PlayStation. 


® 


YUNA'S STORY CONTINUES IN 
THE FIRST TRUE SEQUEL OF 
THE FINAL FANTASY: SERIES. 


EW DANGERS THREATEN 
FAMILIAR ALLIES ARE AT H. \ 
AND SOMEWHERE, SO) E 
А FRIEND MAY STILL BE AL 






SQUARE СМІХ. DO (eee) 





Wwww.square-enix-usa.com 
Published by Square Enix U.S.A., Inc. Dolby Digital Surround EX 


Suggestive Themes 
Violence © 2003 SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD. All Rights Reserved. MAIN CHARACTER DESIGN: TETSUYA NOMURA. ALTERNATE COSTUME DESIGN: 
TETSU TSUKAMOTO. FINAL FANTASY is a registered trademark of Square Enix Co., Ltd. SQUARE ENIX is a trademark of Square Enix Co., Ltd. 
"PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Dolby, Pro Logic, Surround EX and the 
double-D symbol are trademarks of Dolby Laboratories. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. 








lambda Lambda Lambda and the omega 


DAN “SHOE” HSU, Editor-in-Chief 

Shoe stopped pretending he was busy ("editing and planning 
he says) just long enough to write some actual content 

for EGM. Check out his—whoa—one-page story on Manhunt. 

Now Playing: SSX 3, Rainbow Six 3, "Busy Boss" 

Fave Genres: Just about everything 


MARK MACDONALD, Executive Editor 

Japanese soldiers, Cylon robots, turtles, terrorists, skeletons, 

anthropomorphic beans— Mark is haunted by the thousands 
forced to kill in his review games this month. 


JENNIFER TSAO, Managing Editor 

Jennifer got so emotionally involved in her Sim's rock star 
persona in The Sims Bustin’ Out this month that she decided 
to bail on EGM and pursue her lounge-singin' dreams. 

Now Playing: Sims, Tony Hawk's Underground, Final Fantasy X-2 
Fave Genres: Johnny Depp, Action Sports, Music, RPG 


CRISPIN BOYER, Senior Editor 

What does Crispin want for the holidays? Peace on earth? 
Meh. An end to world hunger? Whatever. Super Grand Theft 
Metal Gear 3: Snake Vs. Mario? Now that's more like it! 
Now Playing: Armed & Dangerous, SOCOM Il, Crimson Skies 
Fave Genres: Action, Adventure, RPG 


CHRIS “CJ” JOHNSTON, News Editor 

After taking a few years off, CJ finally dressed up for 
Halloween this year. His strung out Sealab 2021 Stimutacs 
addict won over both the ladies and fans of intelligent comedy. 
Now Playing: Crimson Skies, Mario Kart: Double Dash!! 

Fave Genres: Action, Adventure, Puzzle, Music 


SHANE BETTENHAUSEN, Reviews Editor 

Having finished Final Fantasy X-2 (with the best ending), 
Shane openly admits that, yes, it’s too girly. But no, his prized 
replicas of Yuna's Tiny Bee guns are not cosplay accessories. 
Now Playing: Mario Kart: DDH, Final Fantasy X-2, Pac-Man Vs. 
Fave Genres: Action, RPG, Fighting, Karaoke 


JOE FIELDER, Previews Editor 

After recently acting as a zombie in an SF stage version of 
Night of the Living Dead, Joe was left with an intense craving 
for both Resident Evil: Outbreak and...mmmm...brain: 

Now Playing: Rainbow Six 3, Goblin Commander 

Fave Genres: Action, Shooters, Strategy 


DEMIAN LINN, Editor-at-Large 

Lapping the Niirburgring track in Project Gotham Racing 2 
was more fun than when Demian did it for real in a 59 horse- 
power Opel Astra. Even a tour bus passed him then. 

Now Playing: PGR2, SSX 3, Soul Calibur Il 

Fave Genres: Action, Hockey, Racing, Fighting 


PAUL BYRNES, Associate Editor 

Playing too much of The Sims Bustin’ Out caused Paul to 
have a very vivid, creepy dream that he was a Sim. He has 
dreamed before of Zelda, Quake, and StarCraft. Seriously. 
Now Playing: SSX 3, Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance 
Fave Genres: Shooting, Fighting, Role-playing 


BRYAN INTIHAR, Associate Editor 

Reviewing all the college basketball games brought back 

fond memories of Bryan's days at UCONN. He rolled with the 

tough crowd then to help hide his inner geek. It didn’t work. 
egacy of Kain: Defiance, Mario Kart: DD! 
ction, Adventure, Sport: 


SHAWN ELLIOTT, Associate Editor 

Some mistaken reader sent Shawn this sports card, ask- 
ing for an autograph. Sorry guy, but you must have 
known our Shawn stands a mere 6'3”. 

Now Pla) SSX 3, Ninja Gaiden, Crimson Skies 

Fave Genres: Fighting, Shooters, Adventure, Racing 





20 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com 


mu 


Guest Reviewers 


JON DUDLAK 

Long hours at the paper 
tube plant and longer 
hours reviewing True 
Crime = Zombie Jon. 


GREG FORD 

Ford ponders life as a 
virtual skater. Namely, 
where he can find a 
swanky Sims hot tub. 


JOHN RICCIARDI 
Ricciardi calls us from 
Japan several times a 
day to gossip about 
girls and games. 


GREG SEWART 
Sewart's been writing 
about games since the 
beginning of time—or 
at least the mid-’90s. 


KEVIN GIFFORD 
This picture not big 
enough for you? 
Then catch Kevin 
daily on 1UP.com. 


PATRICK MAURO 
Syndicated radio guy 
laced up his Dunk 
Lows and reviewed 
college hoop games. 


DANIEL SIEBERG 

Part of the thumb gen- 
eration, Sieberg hosts 
videogame Thursdays 
on CNN Headline News. 


W Like Santa Claus, EGM can’t always 
do it alone. Each month, the enterpris- 
ing editorial staffs of our sister gaming 
mags (and website) XBOX NATION, 
GAMENOW, OFFICIAL U.S. PLAYSTA- 
TION MAGAZINE, GMR, and 1UP.COM 
act the part of gleeful little elves. 





The Contributors 


I Computer Gaming World editor 
JOHNNY LIU fell over sideways in slow 
motion when we tapped him to pen our 
Max Payne 2 preview.. 

Wi Los Angeles-based writer JON М. 
GIBSON makes you an instant expert on 
buying your own arcade machines.. 

18 ЕСМ alumnus SHAWN SMITH couldn't 
pimp his line of plush toys in our holiday 
buyer's guide, but you can peep his 
wares at www.shawnimals.col 

18 Make loot playing videogames pro- 
fessionally? Regular contributor SCOTT 
STEINBERG investigates on page 68. 

W Veteran freelancer JUSTIN SPEER 
gives you the skinny on the games 
you're starving for in The Hot Fiv 

W CASEY LOE chases down the forth- 
coming Sonic Heroes to see if Sega's 
mascot can still run with the big boys. 

W And NICH MARAGOS and DAVE 
‘SMITH of Ziff Davis’ new gaming site 
1UP.com, contributed to this month's 
mammoth reviews archive. 

















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

News Editor Chris "CJ" Johnston 
Reviews Editor Shane Bettenhausen 
Previews Editor 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 

Intemational Editor John Ricciardi 

Japanese Correspondent Yutaka Ohbuchi 

DESIGN 

Art Director Monique Convertito 

Associate Art Director Stefan Belavy 

CONTRIBUTORS 

Chris Baker, Che Chou, Robert Coffey, Kevin Convertito, Miles 
Donovan, eBoy, David Hodgson, Nich Maragos, James Mielke, 
Thierry Nguyen, Greg Orlando, Andrew Pfister, Joe Rybicki, 
Norm Scott, Seanbaby, Carrie Shepherd, Dave Smith, Gary 
Steinman, Sean Tiffany, Giancarlo Varanini, Cyril Wochok, Sushi-X 


Founder Steve Harris 











Senior Vice President Dale Strang 
Editorial Director John Davison 
Creative Director Simon Cox 

Business Director Cathy Bendoff 


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


PRODUCTION 
Art Production Manager Michele Manousos 
Senior Production Manager Anne Marie Miguel 
Production Manager Monica Brent 

Assistant Production Manager Teresa Newson 


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 


PRINT SALES 

Group Publisher Lee Uniacke 
Associate Group Publisher Stan Taigen 
Advertising Director Marci Yamaguchi 


Territory Managers and Acct. Execs. 

Bay Area 

Bay Area Peninsula; NV, UT 

District Sales Manager Mary Gray 

Account Executive Aaron Gallion 

Southwest 

‘Southern California and Arizona 

Regional Sales Manager Julie Steelman 
Account Executive Eve Friedman 

Midwest 

AL. AR, CO, FL, IL, IN, KY, LA, М, MN, MS, ND, NE, NM, OH, OK, 
OR, SD, TN, TX, WA, М, WY 

Regional Sales Manager Marc Callison 

Account Executive Candace Droz 

East 

СТ, DC, DE, GA, MA, MD, ME, NC, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, SC, VA, VT 
Regional Sales Manager lan Sinclair 

Account Executive Amy Mishra 

10Рсот 

VP/General Manager Тот Jessiman 

Internet Sales Account Manager Bill Young 
Editor in Chief Sam Kennedy 

Senior Advertising Coordinator Tipler Ubbelohde 
Sales Assistant Alison Rubino 

MARKETING 

Marketing Director Rey Ledda 

Assoc. Research Director May Tong 

Marketing Coordinator Wayne Shiu 


To contact Sales and Advertising, please call 415-547-8000 





Chairman & CEO: 

Robert F. Callahan 

Chief Operating Officer & CFO: 
Bart W. Catalane 

Senior Executive Vice President, 
Publishing Operations: 

Tom McGrade 

Executive Vice President & 
Editorial Director: 
Michael J. Miller 
Executive Vice President, 
General Counsel & Secretary: 
Gregory Barton 

Senior Vice Presidents: 
Jasmine Alexander (Technology & Sales Operations) 

Tim Castelli (PC Magazine Group) 

Chris Dobbrow (Corporate Sales & Publisher, eWEEK) 

Larry Green (Business Development & Worldwide Licensing) 
Derek Irwin (Finance) 

Charles Mast (Circulation) 

Sloan Seymour (Enterprise Group) 

Dale Strang (Game Group) 

Jason Young (Internet) 

Vice Presidents 

Ken Beach (Corporate Sales) 

Aaron Goldberg (Market Experts) 

Tom Jessiman (VP and General Manager, 1UPcom) 

Jim Наз! (Event Marketing Group) 

Julie Herness (Event Marketing Group) 

Michael Krieger (Market Experts) 

Charles Lee (Integrated Media) 

Jim Louderback (Editor-in-Chief, Internet) 

Eric Lundquist (Editor-in-Chief, eWEEK) 

Bill Machrone (Editorial Development) 

Paul O'Reilly (Event Marketing Group) 

Ellen Pearlman (Editor-in-Chief, CIO Insight) 

Beth Repeta (Human Resources) 

Martha Schwartz (Custom/Conference Group) 

Pam Spector (Business Development and International Licensing) 
Tom Steinert-Threlkeld (Editor-in-Chief, Baseline) 

Stephen Sutton (internet Audience Development) 

Elda Vale (Research & Market intelligence) 

Stephen Veith (Publisher, CIO Insight) 

Monica Vila (Event Marketing Group) 

Senior Director, Manufacturing: Carlos Lugo 

Director of Corporate Communications: Randy Zane 

IT West Coast 

Senior Technical Analyst Bill Schmelzer 

Technical Specialist Bob Hall 

(Contact anyone on this masthead via e-mail using 
firstname_lastname@zitfdavis.com) 





Subscription Service 800-895-9571 
E-mail subhelp@egmmag.com 

















ranting, raving, and the mega man cheerleader squad 


My left 
| read your "Videogames are Bad for 
You...Videogames are Good for You” article 
in EGM #170 [page 68] and have 
something to add. In May of 1998, | sliced 
into my hand while operating a machine 
and tore through a tendon in my left 
middle finger. The doctors said it would 
take two years to regain the use of my 
finger and that | should use a stress ball 
for therapy. Instead, | went out and bought 
Die Hard Trilogy (PS1) and a lightgun and 
mastered it left-handed after about six 
months of dedication. Now my rehabilitated 
finger is stuck in a f*** you position to all 
videogame haters! 

— Devin Winters 


We'll be contacting you shortly about 
pitching the made-for-TV movie. It's Pac- 
Man meets My Left Foot, but for Gen-Y! 


Vivisecting 
The influence of the gaming industry has 
spread to the medical world. In my biology 
class, the professor told us that there is a 
protein involved in human development 
called Sonic Hedgehog—found on 
human chromosome seven, in case 
you were wondering—which 
functions as a regulator of 
human stem cells. The story of 
its discovery is supposedly 
linked to a marathon gaming 
session; maybe the researcher 
had some sort of dependency 
on Sonic. 

—Tom Kelly 


Emu 

| loved your “Dr. 

Gamingstein" article [EGM 
#173, page 50]; it's amazing 
that someone can take that 

kind of talent and apply it to 
making handheld versions of the 


Letters 


^4 Capshun: Luc Skiwarker bullseis wimprats on tatooen. 


Sonic: Game mascot 
by day, life-giving 
classic game systems that | grew up protein by night. 


with! On a similar note, many of the old 
classic games can now be played on 
Sega's Dreamcast. Since Dreamcast runs 
Windows CE, many of the Windows 
emulators that run Atari 2600, NES, SNES, 
Colecovision, Sega Master System, and 
Sega Genesis games have been translated 
to DC. If you can part with $30 at your 
local used game store and learn a little 
about burning ISO discs (dcemulation.com 
is a good place to start), you too can play 
emulators on the Dreamcast 
system! Great article, and long live the 
classic consoles! 

—Bryan Jensen 


More , please 
| have been looking at games nowadays 
and have discovered something: There's no 
modesty. Videogame heroines don't seem 
to wear anything. Sure, I'm not 
complaining, but isn't it a 
little overboard? Final 
Fantasy X-2 






is a perfect example. | mean, 
would people actually go 
adventuring dressed up like that? 
In nearly every game | see, there's 
some half-naked girl. My point? 
The gals don't have to dress like 
sluts to make the game look good. 
Final Fantasy is already a perfect 
series. So, ladies...pants? 
—Sean Maloney 




























You are too complaining. Do you 
think Tomb Raider would have 
limped to its sixth iteration if Lara 

wore a muumuu? You don't have to 
love the hotpants, but you do have to 
live with them. It could be worse. 


, we walked 
Having just turned 16, I started 
reading "Child's Play" [EGM 
#172, page 50] with 
the hope that the 
kids would 





Dang frigit 
1d like to ask you something y do you keep changing staff and 
y do people always argue about which games better | mean aim 
not saying you cant have one but you could at least think they 
have to say oh my every one else must like this game no matter 
what. why just a month a go | bought rouge sqarden 2 and I 
hated it was to short and difficult like the orange targets r 
suppose be the ones to hit | was playing this 1 mission and 
killed all the orange and the purple targets kept attacking the 
frigit and | FAILUD the MISSION. and email me back you answer. 
—scott a duprie 


Do a search for “Rouge Squadron" on Google and you'll get 
31,600 hits. That's a whole lot of people who don't know how 
to spell “rogue.” 


22 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com 





of the month 





Congrats, David 
Fulmer! As our 
Letter of the 
Month winner, 
you’ve got a 
Nyko Air Flo EX 
Xbox controller 
coming your 
way. Keeps your 
hands cool, 
doesn't it? 
Because of the 
fans inside. 


appreciate—at least somewhat—the old 
games you made them play. | didn't grow 
up with console systems in my household 
(my parents didn’t think it was “right” for 
an 11-year-old girl to be playing 
videogames), but the arcades | visited were 
stocked with old-time classics. My friends 
and | would drop so much money on 
Donkey Kong that we should have just 
bought an arcade cabinet instead, and Pac- 
Man and Space Invaders filled the free time 
| had while they took their turns at being 
the “Jumpman.” And Super Mario Bros — 


CONTACT EGM 


Feel like there are some things you 
need to get off your chest vis-a-vis 
your ideas for the next Final Fantasy, or 
perhaps you have a personal message 
for Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima? 
Hit EGM@ziffdavis.com or write to: 


EGM Letters 
101 2nd Street, 8th Floor 
San Francisco, CA 94105 


GOT BEEF? 


Moving? Missing an issue? Received 
your issue but it's got a teeny weeny 
little tear on page 115? Sounds like a 
job for our customer service department! 


E-mail: subhelp@egmmag.com 
Website: http://service.egmmag.com 
Phone toll-free: (800) 779-1174 
Old-fashioned way: Р.0. Box 55722 
Boulder, CO 80322-5722 


REPRINTS? 
Call (800) 290-5460 to order article 
reprints, or just kick it. 








simple, but so addictive. That was my 
crack during sixth grade. Those kinds of 
games made me look past the shoddy 
graphics of my first system, a Nintendo 64, 
and play through some awesome games 
when the Sony kids in my neighborhood 
would give up halfway through. Even now, 
most people can't look past the graphics of 
a game, which is unfortunate. I'll give the 
kids E.T., though. 


—Jackie Sheridan 


to Al 

In EGM #173, | 
noticed a disturbingly 
dumb letter written by Al Lica, 
who was upset with your “Child’s 
Play" article and said that “12- 
year-old kids do not know who 
Zeus is." | can't speak for 
the kids Al hangs out 
with, but most 12- 
year-olds | know go 
to school, and when | 
was 11, everyone in 
my entire grade 
learned who Zeus was. It 
really annoys me when older 
people think young people don’t 
know anything. 

—Sean Murphy 


Notes from 


What's up guys, my (nickname is 
Scorpio. I'm incarcerated for armed 
robbery. Sure, | played Grand Theft Auto and 
listened to Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, but do | 
blame them for my actions? No! | did it; it 
was my fault, nobody else’s! To all those 
wannabe tough guys who get caught and 
think, “Hmm, I'll blame this on Grand Theft 



































Auto, Doom, Mortal Kombat, and The 
Matrix,” stop being such a b**** and take 
responsibility for your own actions. People 
have to quit looking for scapegoats and 
large amounts of money and realize the 


difference between an analog controller and 


а nickel-plated semiautomatic handgun. | 


believe that those who sue the videogame 


and music industries aren't going to be 


happy until the only game 
we have is Pong and 
the only music 


is Mozart's 
greatest 
hits. 


GAME DESIGN-O-RAMA 


Keep those game ideas comin’ to EGM@ziffdavis.com, subject: design 


COW TIPPING 
In Cow Tipping, you play a redneck 
and drive around looking for a field full 
of cows, while hitting mailboxes and 
shooting street signs for bonus points. 
The actual cow tipping is in first 
person. You'll also have to avoid angry 
farmers, rabid cows, and cowpies. 
Missions can get tough; you may have 
to tip cows in broad daylight, play as a 
one-legged redneck, or even produce 
a fresh glass of milk before you 
commence to tippin’. 

—Bruce Ridilla 


RESIDENT EVIL: THAVE A DREAM 
The zombies have been fraternizing, 
asking the deep questions: Why are we 
here? What is our purpose? And most 
important, where are our rights? In 
Resident Evil: | Have a Dream, you play 
as a group of zombies fighting for 
freedom and respect. No more being 
shot on sight! Freedom to moan! 
Undead suffrage! Run protests and 
rallies to get support, be a guest on 
talk shows, teach your half-eaten 
Doberman some tricks! 

—Javier Ortega 


24 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com 


—Scorpio 


Yikes. 





BG&E's übermensch Jade kicking ass. 


is dead 

| read the review for Beyond Good and Evil 
in EGM #173, and it sounds awesome. | 
was just wondering when Ubisoft plans to 
make the sequel, Twilight of the Idols. I'm 
quite sure it won't be called The Gay 
Science or The Anti-Christ. Also, | was 
wondering what kind of royalties dead 

philosophers get for having their titles 
ripped off. 

—Brandon Crary 


For those of you 


CN currently 
=, thinking, 
“wha?” 
Beyond Good 


and Evilis the 
title of a book by 
19th-century 
philosopher 
Friedrich Nietzsche, 
as is Twilight of the 
Idols, The Gay 
Science, and The 
Anti-Christ. Yet 
more proof that a 
joke isn’t funny 
if you have to 
explain it. 


WRESTLEVANIA 
Can you smell what The Rock is 
cookin’? It’s a fresh can of whoop ass. 
After wandering in the desert 
aimlessly since The Scorpion King, 
The Rock stumbles across Dracula’s 
castle, where the dark lord and the 
Belmont clan have decided to hold a 
wrestling grudge match to settle their 
disputes. Face off in a freak show of 
unholy proportions! Several wrestling 
stars also show ир to take part іп the 
battle for no apparent reason. 

—Noah Needleman 





sputtering 


M The Rock plants a wet one on Madam 
Tussaud's wax version of The Rock. 


Not that there's anything 
wrong with that 
All right you guys (and girls), | love 
EGM and | think you are the funniest 
bunch around, but where do you get 
off calling The Rock a queer in the 
review of WWE Wrestlemania XIX [EGM 
#172, page 198]? In an image at the 
top, he is taunting Undertaker, and you 
say he is inviting ‘Taker to be on Queer 
Eye for the Straight Guy! It is an 
outrage! He is a very successful 
athlete, and | would like it if you didn’t 
damage his character! Other than that 
you are the best! 

—Ben Reit 


The man’s got a certain flair, that’s 
all we're saying. He knows how to 
tjuze an elbow pad. 


FINAL FANTASY X-TREME 
BEACH VOLLEYBALL 
Who hasn’t wanted to see the girls of 
Final Fantasy scantily clad in sexy 
swimsuits and thongs? Now you can, 
with Final Fantasy X-treme Beach 
Volleyball! Ogle such hotties as Yuna, 
Rikku, Tifa, and Rinoa, but instead of 
a sissy volleyball, our babes will be 
spiking a cactaur at each other's 
faces. Give the gals fun gifts, like a 
new sword, cuddly chocobo, or baby- 
oil rubdown. No men. 

—Josh Taylor 





Gaming for 
| just finished reading your 
“Power Shopping” 
article, thinking | could 
pick up a few tips for 
saving money. | didn’t; 
most of the gamers 
who read this mag 
probably know about 
preorder deals, trade- 
ins, buying used, and 
checking the bargain 
bin. They may not, 
however, know of websites 
like cheapassgamer.com, 
fatwallet.com, and videogamedeals.com— 
in the last couple months, I've scored Skies 
of Arcadia Legends (GC) and Panzer 
Dragoon Orta (Xbox) for $10 each, Rygar 
(PS2) for $5, Tiger Woods 2004 (GC version) 
preorder for $20, and many, many more. If 
you're tight with your gaming cash, it's the 
only way to go. 

—Walt Rogers 


Top 

Thank you for the excellent “Power 
Shopping" article in EGM #173 [page 

63]. As one who has been a bargain hunter 
for even longer than I've been a gamer, | 
thought some of my fellow EGMers might 
benefit from some additional shopping tips. 
I've gleaned over the years. 

Many chain stores will match the price 
in any competitor's ad. This is especially 
helpful if the store that advertised Game X 
at that fantastically low price sold out in 10 
seconds flat; most people won't think of 
running to another store and getting a 
price match. You'll have better luck getting 
price matches at bigger places like Best 
Buy and Circuit City than at your local 
gaming-only shop. Most of the best prices 
are seen around Christmas (and especially 
right after), as retailers try to clear old or 
undersold merchandise from their shelves. 
Role-playing games and niche titles tend to 
retain their value for a long time, though, 
so if your heart's set on one of those, just 
get it instead of waiting six months, hoping 
for a $10 price drop that never comes (or 
worse, having it disappear from store 
shelves altogether). 

If you know you are going to want a 
strategy guide for a given game, you should 
probably buy the book right away, then try 
to save a few dollars on the game itself 
later on, because guides have a much 
shorter shelf life (though online retailers 
hang on to them longer than regular 
Stores). Amazon.com often has 
good discounts on strategy guides, 
especially if you order enough at one time 
to qualify for free shipping. Sometimes, you 
don't have to shell out any cash at all; 
Prima offers completely free online "Fast 
Track Guides" for older games right at its 
website, primagames.com. And if you 
don't mind wading through lots of plain old 
text, gamefaqs.com is the most 
comprehensive collection of strategies for 
games anywhere. 









Hope this helps a few gamers save 
some bucks for other necessities, like food, 


shelter, and EGM subscriptions! 
—John Cimbaro 





0-M-B-E-R-S! 
| live in Winnipeg, Manitoba. In our fair city, 
we love videogames so much that we 
passed a law to change the name of our 
local football team. We voted to rename our 
team in honor of Mega Man—since he is 
celebrating a significant anniversary this 
year. Feast your eyes on our very own 
Winnipeg Blue Bombers! We've got a logo, 
cheerleaders, and everything! Just figured 
you guys would take joy in knowing that we 
love our games as much as you do! 

OK, not really. It's all just a 
coincidence. Our football 
team has been 
around for 


26 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com 












word on 
the 


Power-shopping 
identical twins Milt 
(purple) and Tilt (white) 
are not gonna pay full 
price for this muffler. 














over 50 years and is the 
pride of the city. But | figured you'd 

probably like to look at the cheerleaders. 

—Ricardo Martinez 


We're so predictable. See more at 


www.bluebombers.com. ые 
, big prizes я 
In your “How to Build а Home Arcade” 
v 4 


article [EGM #172, page 54] you left out a 
product that blows away the three arcade 
sticks you reviewed. The SlikStik 
(www.slikstik.com) line of arcade 
controllers is simply amazing. Just being 
able to play two-player Smash TV and 
Karate Champ in full twin-stick glory is 
worth the price. 

—Edmond Navarro 


The SlikStik may well blow away the p 
Sticks we mentioned, what with the 

optional trackball and Tempest-style 

spinner. And it'd better, considering it'll 

run you in the neighborhood of $590. 

Not all of our readers answer to the 

name Richie Rich. ж. 





The $590 SlikStik C02, the gold- 
plated Cadillac of arcade sticks. 






ТОР Games OF FALL lee 
ТОР TEN ХВОЯ c 


> 


serra NRG NN — i 
| "ы, — — d ih, 
IN THE FUTURE WAR ON TERROR, HOW WILL YOU CHOOSE TO FIGHT? 


Blood 


Violence 


mmm == 





۳ 


BE E 


HEALTH SHOTGUN R Т ENHANCED 
LEECH VISION 





AS ANTI-TERRORIST AGENT ALEX D, 


USE BIOMODS SUCH AS CLOAK, ENHANCED VISION AND THERMAL MASKING 
TO EVADE CONFLICT AND ENTER AREAS UNDETECTED. 








CONVERSATIONS TO GAIN 
YOUR WAY WITH HARD EARNED CASH. 


APPLY INFORMATION НА! 
ACCESS TO RESTRICTED AREAS, 


WHEN COVERT METHODS FAIL, THERE'S ALWAYS A LETHAL ARRAY OF MODIFIABLE 
WEAPONRY INCLUDING THE BOLTCASTER, FLAMETHROWER, SNIPER RIFLE, 
AND THE ROCKET LAUNCHER. 


SNEAK, HACK, BRIBE, OR KILL. THE CHOICES ARE UNLIMITED... 
THE EXPERIENCE IS YOURS. 





TM 


THE FUTURE WAR ON TERROR 


WWW.DXINYISIBLEWAR.COM 





IN STORES NOW X 


фейз. ciao» EN 


Deus Ex: Invisible War™. € 2003 lon Storm. Developed by lon Storm. Published by Eidos Inc. Deus Ex: Invisible War, lon Storm and the lon Storm logo are trademarks 
of lon Storm. Eidos and the Eidos Inc. logo are trademarks of Eidos Group of companies. The ratings icon is a registered trademark of the Entertainment Software 
Board. 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. All Rights Reserved. 


Counter-Strike’ and Xbox Live. A match made 





Counter-Strike?" the world’s #1 online action game’ is even better on Xbox Live?" With 


graphically superior action, 7 exclusive maps, up to 16 player game play and a vast VA LV E 


arsenal of weapons, this is the best Counter-Strike yet. You may want to practice 


offline before you enter the merciless online arena. Here, you can go it alone or you MATURE 17s 


can assemble an elite team of gamers and talk strategy over the Live Communicator Blood 





Intense Violence 


on how to defuse bombs, rescue hostages and take on terrorists from all over the 


Micresoft eas 


gameXGtudios- world. The competition will be tough, so you'd better come prepared. 





©2003 Valve Corporation. Portions © & ® Microsoft Corporation. Ай rights reserved. Microsoft, the Microsoft Game Studios logo, Xbox. Xbox Live, the Xbox Live logo, and the Xbox 
emarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries, Counter-Strike, the Counter-Strike logo, Valve, and the Valve 





in "holy-*#!%-did-you-see-that" heaven. 





it's good to play together 


xbox.com/counterstrike 


demarks of Valve Corporation, in the United States and/or 
(02/03. GameSpy stats for multiplayer online action games. 




















his options in 5j 





| hat does the 1995 film Batman 

| М Forever have іп common with 

| Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow? 
If the developers at Ubisoft have their way, 
nothing at all. 

“[For Splinter Cell), | want to have a 
universe that builds on itself,” says 
scriptwriter J. T. Petty, “that evolves, that 
grows naturally. So none of the sequels 
feel like the Val Kilmer Batman [movie]— 
sequels shouldn’t just recycle what was 
good, but actually grow on the world.” 

In other words, the idea for the stealth 
espionage follow-up, due in March for all 
three major systems, isn’t radical 
change—after all, the first Cell must've 
done something right to sell over four mil- 
lion copies. Instead, the focus is on 
“changing little things, simple things,” as 
Associate Producer Julian Gerighty puts it, 
“that will [still] have a significant impact.” 

Take the original Cell's convoluted plot. 
Was Dougherty the guy you found dying or 
the guy you were supposed to kill? And 
Masse—he was that dude who was 
going to double-cross Blaustein, right? 
Wait, who was Blaustein again? 

“Things got so complex,” admits 
Petty, “that sometimes you didn’t 
know exactly why a mission was hap- 
pening. With Pandora, | was careful to 
craft a story where every moment you 
know what you have to do—and why.” 

Other tweaks include a modified ver- 
‘sion of the infamous split-jump that’s 
actually useful (it'll help Sam get up to 
out-of-reach ledges) and a revamped 
alarm system. “In the first game, if you 
were spotted three times, [the level 
ended],” says Gerighty. “Now we have 
alarm stages. If a guard sees some move- 
ment or finds a dead body, they'll get more 
aggressive—they'll pay more attention to 
their surroundings. Second alarm stage, 
they go and put on flak jackets. Third 
stage, on goes the Kevlar helmet as well. 


€” ¢ [ | ar 
ў ] ^] ) 


gaming news, interviews, singing bears, and other stuff 


PLAY IT 
AGAIN, < 


Superspy Sam rae explores 


ndora Tomorri 


>> HIP-HOP RAPPER/PRODUCER/CLOTHING DESIGNER/PROFESSIONAL CELEBRITY SEAN “P. DIDDY” 









є € [ 


unti | Cell 






M Facial hair, tri-scope 


headset, large gun—yup, 
that’s Sam alright. 








| 
> 


If you wanna go in all 
guns blazing, you can, 
but it makes it that much harder.” 

Which brings us to Pandora's most 
exciting addition: choice. One of the main 
complaints Ubisoft heard about the first 
Splinter Cell was that it felt linear; play- 
ers could use any number of methods 
to take out bad guys—distract them, 
hide in the shadows, shoot 'em—but 
there was always only one path to 
completing a mission. Not so in 
Pandora Tomorrow. Check out the 
example on the next page. 

—Mark MacDonald 





COMBS (FORMERLY KNOWN AS PUFF DADDY, PUFFY, PUFF THE MAGIC DRAGON, 





32 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY « www.egmmag.com 


FREEDOM : 


THE SIXTH 


| | at 
















PATH 2: 


Bi Sam's on the tail of a group of terrorists traveling aboard a train speeding through 
France. He's safe in the storage cab now, but he needs to make it past the next car filled 
with bad guys and innocent passengers without being seen or anyone getting hurt. You've 
got four options; the game doesn’t score you based on which one you choose, but we will— 
choose a path and flip the page to be judged. 














W Tum off tho lights and use your ther- 
. mal goggles to avold passengers as you 






PATH 4: 
OVER 


No longer confined to dark corridors, Sam gets to breathe a little fresh air in some of 
Pandora Tomorrow’s outdoor missions. Take the jungle environment in these screen- 
shots. “In this level,” says Associate Producer Julian Gerighty, “Sam has just been 
dropped off outside an Indonesian encampment, and he has a very tight time frame. 
He needs to infiltrate and get out before sunrise.” 

In motion, this wilderness setting is stunning, with thousands of strands of tall 
grass swaying in the wind and wild birds scattering as Sam approaches. But th 






not all you can stumble upon in the brush. “At certain points, you might feel a slight 
vibration,” says Gerighty. “If you ignore that vibration and keep on walking, BAM! 
Booby trap. You're dead, back to square one. We're playing around with things that 
will have no visual cues. We like to call it sensory gameplay.” So you might want to 
think twice before you turn Vibration off in the Options menu. 


PROFESSOR PUFF 'N' STUFF, AND P. PUFF-PUFF PUFFERNUTTER) WILL ГЕМО HIS VOICE TO A SERIES OF XBOX COMMERCIALS. THE ADS WILL BEGIN AIRING THIS HOLIDAY SEASON.... >> 


ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com e 33 


© press start: 
splinter cell 


FREEDOM 













PATH 1: 
UNDER 












Bi You mad Now grade yourself on the following scale: Two points—wuss. Four points— 
average. Six points—stealthy stud. Ten points—one bad mother-shutyomouth! 







7$! PATH 2: 
2 BESIDE 







the all-new 










pod 
PING 
M Watch those windows—if you or your 


shadow are spotted, people will panic. A 
tricky but clever method. Six points. 








Thought the online mode added for Pandora Tomorrow (for PS2 and Xbox at least, 
GameCube is iffy) would be your standard deathmatch afterthought? Think ag 

Here's the setup: You have two teams. One side controls spies; their objective is to 
infiltrate a facility and gain access to certain strategic spots (like a computer they can 
hack into). The other side, playing as mercenaries, tries to stop them. Which is where 
Pandora Tomorrow's online game stops sounding like a fancy version of Capture the 
Flag and starts to get interesting. 

The two sides play completely differently. For example, the spies have no real 
weapons. They have sticky shockers, whic Ci ate a target for a few 
moments, but the only way spies can kill anyone is to sneak up from behind and break 
their n In order to survive, they have to rely on stealth and gadgetry, just like in 
Cell's single-player game: stick to shadows, climb along ledges and rooftops, use ther- 
mal and low-light goggl ki 0 g , on the other hand, do 
have guns. Big guns. With zoo and grenade launchers. They also have gad- 

, motion-detecting goggles, flashlights, and more. 

’s less a firefight and more a game of hide-and-s Other factors emphasize this 
PATH 4: | cat-and-mouse gameplay; the spies use the standard Splinter Cell third-person view- 
OVER || point to see around them (so they can effectively climb оп stuff and stay in the dark), 
while the mercenaries are set to a more immersive (but also limiting) first-person view. 

g currently limited to four play: о slow the action down to a more 
deliberate pace (it's up to players if they want to try 2-on-2 or 3-on-1.) &xh 





PATH 3: 
THROUGH 














older, 


>> GOLA DESIGN IDEA FOR SONY'S UPCOMING PSP HANDHELD? ENTER IL IN THE CONTEST AT LIK-SANG.COM TO WIN A FREE PSP WHEN THE SYSTEM IS RELEASED NEXT YEAR... >> 


34 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY e www.egmmag.com 




















Flaming Fur Ball or Radioactive Rabbit? Choose 

. your weapon wisely or you will be forever 
| subjected to a life of twisted animal testing. 
| Shackled together Spanx must use the 
|= indestructible Redmond as а weapon and tool 
=o, for escape from an ovil lab, 


2 Гар fur Bal 





+ Bunny Grinder 


* Radioactive Rabbit 








wi + Bunny Fuse 

b" 

UNNY CANNON ° Hare-sicle 

* Electro Static Rabbit 

• Hungry Bunny E 












A * Hare Clog 
„HELIUM 

f BUNNY * Tug-0-Rabbit 
عر‎ 
"ng 10 Ton Bunny 


• Bunny Cannon 








-Š Helium Bunny ——* 
|° Hyper Hare 
|+ Stuffed Rabbit 





HARE CLOG 
|» Chocolate Bunny 





Demolish everything from security Dip Redmond in toxic waste to poison Knock out the evil lab staff with _ OUT NOW! 
cameras to test equipment. enemies, electro-charge him to zap loads of combo attacks, , WhiplashGame.com 
attackers and more! — 
x X | Mild Violence 
p Е —— ve Comic Mischief 
F xeox cidos > PlayStation. Bun Рана 








©2003 Eidos Inc. Whiplash, the Whiplash logo, Eidos and the Eidos logo are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Eidos Inc, Crystal Dynamics and the Crystal Dynamics logo are registered trademarks of Crystal Dynamics. "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered 
trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Microsoft, Xbox, and the Xbox logos are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries and are used under license from Microsoft. The ratings icon is a registered trademark of the 
Entertainment Software Association. All rights reserved 


THAT 


Nintendo’s 


FEELING 


lets you 


bang on the drum all day 











intendo is looking to 

capture the hearts 

of professional 
and casual bongo play- 
ers across Japan 
with its newest 
Cube title, Donkey 
Konga. Co-devel- 
oped by Namco, 
Konga (which 
hits stores 
December 12) is 
actually a rip-off 
of Namco's own 
Taiko no Tatsujin, a 
Japanese taiko- 
drum arcade game so 
popular that it's already 
spawned two PS2 sequels 
Since it was first released in late 
2002. Like Taiko, Konga uses a special 
drum controller (pictured above), but 
unlike that game, this can be played by 
up to four players simultaneously. That's a 
lot of drum-beatin’. 

Here's the deal: You hit the appropriate 
bongo along with the music as colored 
“notes” land at the far left of the screen 
(think Dance Dance Revolution tipped on 
its side). The more accurate the hit, the 
more points you'll rack up. Miss a beat or 
hit the drum at the wrong time and your 
score will take a dive. Occasionally, you'll 
even be required to clap instead of strik- 
ing the drum (your hits are picked up by 





Konga's minigames will entertain you 
when you're not jammin' on the skins. 





Larry approaches a lonely lass. 


>> ARGUABLY DUE TO LAGGING SALES, MOST RETAILERS IN THE U.S. NOW OFFER REBATES OF AS MUCH AS $100 ON THE USUALLY $299 NOKIA N-GAGE GAME SYSTEM/CELL PHONE... >> 


the drum controller's microphone). 

The song selection is a varied mix of 
enough game, anime, Japanese pop 
tunes, and TV themes to send the island 
nation into a frenzy. Among these infec- 
tious ditties are the Super Mario Bros. 
theme, the opening song from the latest 


Pokémon animated TV show, and Brahms" 


“Hungarian Dance.” 

Nintendo won't comment on a U.S. 
release of Konga, but its heavily 
Japanese-language song list means it 
would have to undergo some extensive 
localization before crossing the Pacific. 





36 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com 


GRUDGE MATCH 


Two fanboy favorites step in the ring 


— 
DUNGEONS & DRAG 
Put on your +3 Mail of Wisdom and tear off a hunk of Lembas bread, 


"cause we're pittin’ these two geek-tested, dork-approved game/movie 
series against each other, wizards-and-warriors style! 


AT THE MOVIES 


Knock-off mimics Classic 
superior, less- story retold by 
Marlon-Wayans- Hollywood's hottest 
employing stars and Liv Tyler 
action flicks Advantage: LOTR 


OPPOSITE-SEX APPEAL 


Alas, there’s just nothing attractive about 
a clutch of sweaty dudes in their par- 
ents’ basement rolling dice to determine 
what pretend-happens next 


Offer up Orlando Bloom 
in tights as an excuse for her 
to see the movie with you 
Advantage: LOTR 


MOST IMPRESSIVE VIDEOGAME OUTING 


incredible 
Baldur's Gate 
Advantage: D&D 


commendable 
Return of the King 


NES’s AD&D: 
Heroes of the 
Lance, featuring 
extra-durable 
dwarves 
Advantage: D&D 
FATE OF THE WORLD DEPENDS ON 
Alittle guy 
with a ring 
Advantage: LOTR 


(The odds do dis 
out а little better) 


Atari 2600's 
LOTR: Journey to 
Rivendell, featuring 
blocky representa- 
tions of Middle- 
earth’s finest 


А 20-sided 
die 





WINNER: 








EE GAMES 


electronics boutique’ 


PlayStation.c 











MATURE 








"Konami's slick 3D 
adaption of the classic 
Castlevania franchise 
is turning heads 
everywhere." 

- IGN.COM 


* The first episode of the Castlevania 
series that reveals the true 
origins of Dracula and the 
Belmont family. 











* Detailed 3D environment 4 
brings the world of 
Castlevania to life. 


* Unparalleled graphics, 
legendary gameplay 
and huge enemies. 


HOW ТО 


Rockstar’s brings new levels of violence to 
stealth-action gaming. How will you survive the hunt? 


an hunting man. It's been the ing to see what the kids shouldn'tbe playing all out to kill you. The point? It's hunt or be games like Splinter Cell, sans the guns and 
theme of many a cinematic clas- this holiday season. hunted, and while you're trying to make it high-tech gadgets. "We've created a sense 
Sic, such as The Running Man and You play a death-row inmate scheduled out alive by any means necessary, the direc- of terror by making the player relatively 
Surviving the Game (starring master thespi- to receive a lethal injection, but instead of tor's gonna catch it all on film. It's a twisted weak, forced to run and hide from the 
ans Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ice-T, your eternal rest, you wake up to find your- tale brewed from twisted sources. “Ancillary hunters," says Hay. But don't be scared— 
respectively). Now, it's the subject of self as the star of some sick film director's influences include all sorts of popular cul- EGM is here to help. We dusted off this old 
Rockstar's latest foray into the controversial pet project. He’s bribed local authorities to ture,” says Lead Producer Andy Hay, “like hunting guide to give you an idea of how the 
world of mature gaming. Manhunt for PS2 section off a seedy part of Carcer City to use Marathon Man, Jacob's Ladder, SMM, gameplay will work. Use it wisely, and you 
should be out by the time you read this, and as his personal film set—only this urban Romper Stomper, and reality TV." Hey, Hay: just may live long enough to find out why 
if you're still in the dark about this gruesome playground is peppered with the most heart- Don't forget Arnie's The Running Man! you're in this mess to begin with. 
and violent stealth-action game, keep read- less, violent gangsters this side of Compton, The action is similar to other stealth —Dan "Shoe" Hsu 





Splinter Cell's stealthy Sam Fisher taught us to 
always bet on black, and the same philosophy 
applies here. Keep to the dark, shadowy areas (or 
hide around corners), and the shortsighted gang- 
sters won't know where to stick that meat cleaver. 











You can't go for stealth kills if you're prancing 
around the levels like a bat out of inner-city hell. 
Tiptoe a lot (and don't run unless you really have 
to), avoid noisy surfaces, and don't accidentally 
knock over that metal garbage can. 








Like in Konami's Metal Gear Solid games, a radar 
tells you where the bad guys are. It doesn't show 
how far they can see, but it does display sound. 
Make some noise, and a red circle will pulse out—if 
it reaches the enemies on your radar, you know your 
TV career's about to come to an end. Run and hide! 








Like a homicidal MacGyver, you can pick up com- 
mon everyday objects and use them to kill. See that 
plastic bag? Sneak up behind a hunter and quietly 
strangle him with it so you don't alert his buddies. 
You can also pick up enemy weapons— "everything 
from machetes to nail guns,” says Hay. ёф 


tions by Sean Tiffany 








>> SQUARE ENIX WILL RELEASE A 3D REMAKE OF THE -BIT RPG DRAGON WARRIOR V FOR PS2 THIS SPRING IN JAPAN. THERE'S NO COMMENT ON A U.S. RELEASE RIGHT NOW... >> 








38 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY « www.egmmag.com 


| | J 
Trapped in a Virtual Reality World! 2 


KONAMI 





aaa ia. 





Two heroes in two The Egyptian God Real-time strategic Monsters get stronger 
different stories, play Monsters await within action combined with 3- with battle and learn 
as Yugi or Kaiba to The Kingdom! on-3 monster battles! awesome special and 
combination attacks! 


escape the VR world! 


EVERYONE 


Fantasy Violence NINTENDO 
@ САМЕСИВЕ. 


ESRB CONTENT RATING www.esrh.org 


Konami and “The Falsebound Kingdom’ are trademark 





ог registered trademarks of KONAMI CORPORATION. ©2003 KONAMI CORPORATION. ™, @ and Nintendo GameCube are trademarks of Nintendo. The ratings icon is a 


trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. All rights reserved. 





INSTANT EXPERT: 


A no-fuss guide to nabbing an arcade machine 


== 


t's every gamer's dream to 

bring home the arcade experi- 

ence, but just like earning a 
top score in Pac-Man, coin-op shopping 
needs a plan of attack. Here's yours: 


Where the coin-ops dwell... 

You can follow three paths when stalking 
your coin-op. Each varies in convenience, 
selection, and average cost per machine. 


Net auctions 
Price range: 
$200-$1,200 
Arcade dealers 
sell on eBay, but 
they'll hit you with 
massive freight 
costs, and you'll 
often have to pick 
up the unit at your 
airport's shipping- 
receiving bay. 


5 See the burn: 
Before you buy, 
check the screen for 
burned-in images. 


7> DAVE MIRRA MA 





Wonder years: The glory days of the local game room may be gone forever—so why not relive them at home, without all the greasy teens? 


Live auctions 

Price range: $25-$2,500 

Companies such as Super Auctions 
(www.superauctions.com) and U.S. 
Amusement Auctions (www.usamusement. 
com) tour the United States weekly and are 
a great way to score cheap units. Because 
these outfits often buy coin-ops in bulk from 
bankrupt amusements parks, repairs and 
replacement parts are often required. 


Local dealers 

Price range: $800-$4,000 

While you'll drop the most cash at a nearby 
dealer, it's typically worth the extra 
expense. These mom-and-pop setups usu- 
ally sell like-new refurbished units, so you 
don't have to worry about repairs. Check 
under "Amusements" in your local Yellow 
Pages. Scan the used-arcade-game section 
of www.namcoarcade.com to see if any 
Namco game rooms are selling coin-ops in 
your neighborhood. 





40 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com 





ر 


You be 
JAMMA'’in’ 

If you lack cash and 
crave a lot of games, 
you're best off buying 
arcade boards on eBay or at online 
specialists like www.videoconnect.com 
and www.gwtrading.com. These clunky 
mounds of microchips can run as little 
as $10. You'll just need a cabinet com- 
patible with JAMMA—the interface 
standard for most arcade games. 

Or, if you don't need the full-cabinet 
experience, get a SuperGun (aka 
SuperNova) or similar JAMMA kit that 
connects arcade boards right to your 
television. They run between $200 and 
$300 at sites like www.massystems. 
com or www.gwtrading.com. These kits 
aren't as impressive as full-scale coin- 
ops, but at least you'll have room in 
your apartment for furniture. 

—Jon M. Gibson 


JAMMA board 


MAK 





OLD SCHOOL 


10 years ago in EGM 


Е On the Cover: 
Mortal Kombat II 
Many a fan’s favorite 
installment of the 

| Mortal Kombat series 
anded coverside this a 


'y/move list inside 
| for the (at the time) brand-new 


| Game of the Month 

| Mega Man X (SNES) 
Capcom’s first 16-bit Mega Man 
title, the first entry in the X series. 
garnered top praise from our 
Review Crew this month, scoring 
four nines (out of 10). Crew vet Ed 
Semrad declared, “The action and 

Believe it! 


The Engine That Couldn't 
The first specs and release details 
on NEC's PC Engine FX and Sony's 
PS-X (aka PlayStation) were 
revealed in this issue. We now know 
which system triumphed and which 
failed miserably due to a glut of 
anime dating sims instead of real 
games, but back then, anything 
seemed possible. 


| The Joy 
| of Six 
| Fans of 
Sega’s 
Genesis 
had strug- 
gled with 
just three but- 
| tons for long enough! 
| Ten years ago, the compa- 
ny rel d a six-button con- 
troller in pad and joystick flavors, 
perfect for fighting games that 
ired more buttons to tap. 





ERU UIT 


TE s 


The fortunes of German pilots everywhere are about to take a severe 

. downturn. In this intense WWII flight-action game, from Secret 
affe? TIE-Fighter® and X-Wing® creator Lawrence 

п a secret, fighter squadron. Your mission: 








—— ONLINE—— 
ADVENTURES 


FRONTIERS 


Experience the vibrant fantasy world of Norrath where 
action and adventure come to life in an exciting online 
world filled with friends and foes. 





<< Z OI 
Battle fierce dragons with a new playable race, the Ogre 
ў LÀ 







SCC 


€ Become а Hero in epic battles with fierce new monsters, 
fire-breathing dragons and brutal warriors: 


€ Forge your destiny in a land of Legends as you team up with 
friendly people from around the world. 


€ Experience all-new action and adventure with eraphically redesigned 
characters, vicious monsters and environments that come to life. 





PORN 
Power your character all the way up to level 60 © Explore uncharted territories and conquer spectacular new 
frontiers packed with bustling cities, perilous dungeons and 
underground liars. 













© Create, build and customize unique characters with distinctive 
appearances, skills, spells and abilities as you undertake 
challenging new quests. 


€ An innovative in-game tutorial system gets you in the action 
and killing monsters in no time. 


б» А, rr. INCLUDES FULL 
d < PLAYABLE VERSION 








LISLE GERARD 
Unrelenting weapon and spell combat 





INTERNET CONNECTION 
d and Gore ADDITIONAL SUBSCRIPTIO! 















Suggestive Them t 
ESRB CONTENT RATING —— ТТТ N 


Btotion” ond the "PS" Fomily logo cie gygistered. [e i Sony Coiripulet Enlertintnent Inc. Online play requires Internet connection ond Net 






* 0 ‘Adoplor (sold separately). 
Game Experience May i ies and the Online icon ore todermorff Sony Computer Entertainment America Ic. SOE und the SOE logo are registered hademark of Sony Online ЖАЛА ratings icon is 
Change During Online Play dh ore Association. All other todemods oe gloperties o their respective owners. Al rights reserved, \ 







y 


8 ر 
oriwii te.‏ 


BROADBAND AND DIAL-UP 


Ж. 








THEY JUST KILLED CASH. 
NOW THEY WANT To KILL HIM AGAIN. 


AMERICA 1S FULL OF RUN DOWN, BROKEN RUST-BELT TOWNS WHERE NOBODY CARES AND ANYTHING GOES. 
IN CARCER CITY, NOTHING MATTERS ANYMORE AND ALL THAT'S LEFT ARE CHEAP THRILLS. 
THE ULTIMATE RUSH IS THE POWER TO GRANT LIFE AND TAKE IT AWAY, FOR SPORT. THIS TIME JAMES EARL CASH, YOU ARE THE SPORT. 
THEY GAVE YOU YOUR LIFE BACK. NOW, THEY ARE GOING TO HUNT YOU DOWN. 


YOU AWAKE TO THE SOUND OF YOUR OWN PANICKED BREATH. mI 
YOU MUST RUN, HIDE AND FIGHT TO SURVIVE. T 
IF YOU CAN STAY ALIVE LONG ENOUGH, YOU MAY FIND OUT WHO DID THIS TO YOU. [| 
| 
1 


THE FINAL CUT 
IN STORES NOW! 
























MATURE 17+ 
Strong Language 


Blood and Gore PlayStation. 


Intense Violence 





CONTENT HATED BY 
ESRB 


Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. © 2003 Rockstar Gamos, Inc. Manhunt and the Manhunt logo are trademarks of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. Rockstar Games and the R, logo are registered trademarks of 
iare, Inc. james and Rockstar North are subsidiaries of Take-Two Interactive Soltware, Inc. А! other marks and trademarks are properties of their respective owners. All Rights Reserved. Product names are the trademarks of their respective owners, 
ded for entertainment purposes only. No product, person or establishment appearing or mentioned in this game has endorsed this game or any of the actions described or displayed herein or is in any way associated with Rockstar Games, In 














ШШ 




































AFTERTHOUGHTS: 


RETURN 


OF THE KING 


An inside look at the creation of 


the one game made to rule them all 


etween the two Lord of the 

Rings games (last year’s The 

Two Towers and the recently 
released Return of the King), it seems 
like Electronic Arts wants to ruin all of 
your preconceived notions about 
licensed games. You know, the ones 
about them all sucking? We spoke 
with Executive Producer Neal Young 
about the making of Return of the King 
in an effort to find out what exactly 
makes EA's Lord of the Rings game 
franchise so bright, so beautiful, 
ѕо...ргесідиѕ55..... 


EGM: For what kind of gaming audi- 
ence did you design Return of the 
King? We ask because it’s a pretty 
damn difficult game. 

Неа! Young: We made it for the main- 
stream. But my personal belief is that the 
mainstream is a gamer audience. [I don't 
think there's] much delineation [between 
them]. | can't remember a time when 
there wasn’t a game machine in my 
house, so I'd consider myself to be a 
gamer. | don’t play 20 hours a week; | 
play outside of my job, maybe two to four 
hours a week. We ultimately built it for 
us, the types of players that we are, 
because we feel that we're representative 
of gamers out there. 


Buried Treasure 

Return of the King is rife [ 

with unlockable extras, 

from extra playable chai bu 

ters and bonus levels to interviews with 
the actors from the film. For instance, 
once you beat the game, you can then 
play any stage as any character; heroes 
Merry, Pippin, and Faramir become 
available; and an endurance challenge 
opens up. But what else is hidden 
inside? We asked Executive Producer 
Neal Young if, sa able Gollum 
might exist in the game, but he only 
gave us a tantalizing, “You know, | don't 
think | can comment on that! 





EGM: It’s got some really tough spots, 
though! Like defending Minas Tirith. 
NY: Yeah, there are key moments in a 
game that you want to make challenging. 
If you don’t have those, you run the risk 
of allowing users to blow through [it in 
only a few days]. We shouldn't build 
games that are unnecessarily difficult or 
frustrating, though. The way we compen- 
sated for that in Return of the King was 
by offering different paths, so [if people 
got stuck they] could go onto one of the 
other three paths. 


EGM: Were there any ground rules 
from New Line Cinema as far as what 
you could or couldn’t do in the game? 
NY: There weren’t ground rules per se. It 
was important for everyone to have 
something that wasn’t rubbish, and the 
filmmakers had a lot of faith in us so we 
had a lot of freedom. [We met with movie 
director Peter Jackson] several times and 
he gave us a lot of insight into where the 
film was going, and that [allowed us] to 
make sure the game was consistent with 
where he was taking [the films]. 


EGM: Were there any level ideas that 
weren’t possible for some reason or 
couldn't make it into the game? 

NY: Oh, yeah! There were a lot. When we 
started, the level count was around 22, 
and we ended up with about 14, including 
[unlockable stages]. [Some of the levels] 
didn't really fit into the framework. 


EGM: OK, now you've piqued our 
curiosity. You can't tease like that and 
not tell us, so...what were some of the 
cut levels like? 

МҮ: We had a vertical-ascent level with 
Frodo, Sam, and Gollum climbing away 
from the Witch King. But we felt like it 
might end up feeling like a gimmicky 
bonus level. Helm's Deep was originally 
two levels; the first half you played as 
Aragorn, and the second half you played 
as Gandalf. We cut that idea to really 
focus on Gandalf, because | wanted the > 


46 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com 






THE UPCOMING ENHANCED JAPANESE RE-RELEASE OF FINAL FANTASY X-2 WILL INCLUDE A NEW MODE IN WHICH MONSTERS CAN BE CAPTURED AND BRED. DON'T EXPECT IT HERE. 


I'm not a diva, but I play one on TV. 









© press start: 
afterthoughts 


$ 


¿Quién és más macho? ¿Samwise _ 
0 Frodo? ¡Samwise es más macho! ` 








[The next game] is going to be the next 
evolution in action-adventure titles. 


—Return of the King Executive Producer Neal Young 





first thing that you saw in Return of the 
King to be different than what you saw in 
The Two Towers. 

There was a battle with Saruman at 
Orthanc, which we [didn’t have time to 
put in, and] an ascent to Mount Doom. We 
just couldn't figure out a compelling 
game mechanic for that level other than 
"all stealth, all the time," and at the end 
of the day, that felt like something that 
wouldn't fit with the core gameplay. 

There was a level that we called 
"Minas Tirith Clean-up" that we didn't 
even start on. It took place after the bat- 
tle of Pelennor Fields. As the army of the 
dead [appears], Aragorn, Legolas, and 
Gimli were to enter Minas Tirith and deal 
with all the leftover orcs, Uruk-Hai, trolls, 
and worgs. And originally the first half of 
the Witch King battle had Gandalf fighting 
him. | cut that because the design just 
wasn’t working. 


through characters [and hit foes behind 
them] since it’s mithril. And Aragorn has 
an upgrade that sets enemies on fire and 
shoots fireballs in eight directions. 


EGM: All right, one last thing. Finish 
this joke for us: “So, a dwarf, human, 
and elf walk into a bar...” 

OK...so the barman says to Aragorn, 
“What can | get for you...your short 
friend...and the lady?” 


EGM: Thank you very much, folks. He'll 
be here all week. Neal Young, every- 
body! [Applause]. ё% —dJoe Fielder 


EGM: What are the best upgrades you 
can get in the game? 

The Orc Hewer is the first upgrade 
that you can get, and it’s actually very 
good to have. You can buy time exten- 
sions to your character’s special abilities, 
and the most valuable of those is 
Gandalf's “Super Monkey Ball” shield, as 
we call it [Editor's Note: the shield forms 
a spherical spell around the character, 
protecting you and damaging enemies). 
Legolas has a two-shot mithril arrow 
upgrade, which fires two shots at the 
same time and allows you to shoot 









Check out an extended 
version of our Return of the 
King Afterthoughts interview 
at extra.egmmag.com. 























Now that Return of the King is out, you 
might guess that'd be the end of Lord 
of the Rings games. Мо mein fre- 
und. In fact, a new game— 

entitled The Lord of the Ring 

is due out by the end of next year. We 
asked Executive Producer Neal Young 
what to expect from it. “It’s going to be 
the next evolution in action-adventure 
titles," said Young. ort of an 
extrapolation of what we've been build- 
ing so far, but it starts to introduce 
some interesting shifts. The idi n't to 
just take you back through the fiction 
again, but to give you some other char- 
acters who you might not expect to be 
able to play, and really extend the mul- 
tiplayer features, develop the online 
feature, and do some other things." 





>> ACTIVISION ANNOUNCED THAT IT'S CREATING MOBILE PHONE VERSIONS OF POLICE GAME TRUE CRIME AND WWII SHOOTER CALL OF DUTY. NO RELEASE DATE WAS GIVEN... >> 


48 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com 


EE 


PlayStation, 


EVERYONE Disco Stars. One of 12 EyeToy: Play games that makes you the star. 
EyeToy puts you on-screen and its motion-tracking technology puts. 
you in charge, letting your body control the action. Everyone can 

watch. Anyone can play. And you can be on the TV. PLAY IN DURS 


Violence 


LIVE IN YOUR WXRLD. 


— Screen is simulated. EyeToy™: Play. Game © 2003 Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. Developed by London Studios. EyeToy and EyeToy: Play are trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. All rights 
reserved. "PlayStation" and the Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. “Live In Your World. Play In Ours." is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. 





THE 


ne multibillion-buck compa- 

ny’s defunct-hardware trash 

is another niche group of 
tech-minded gamers’ treasure. Maybe 
you thought that the experimental age 
of Dreamcast died with kooky life- 
game Seaman or that Atari 2600 is too 
archaic a console to connect to modern 
boob tubes. But a loyal clutch of clas- 
sic gamers still sees life in these old 
consoles and has been Frankensteining 
the most unlikely games together with 
their uncanny development powers. 
Have a look at a small cross section of 
this pulsing underground movement. 
Because if you’ve never herded sheep 
in a homemade Dreamcast game that 
stars a purple-haired shepherd, you 
haven’t lived. —Jon Dudlak 


Smashes and Toad, both on Game Pack #1. 





ColecoVision Game Pack #1 
System: ColecoVision 

Developer: Daniel Bienvenu 

Where to get it: 
www.gooddealgames.com for $40 
Publisher Good Deal Games is hardcore. 
You've got to be if you're publishing garage- 
crafted efforts for consoles that have been 
commercially dead for 20 years. Maybe you 
remember EGM highlighting Good Deal's 
Bug Blasters: The Exterminators and Star 
Strike for the Sega CD last year (both $30 at 
gooddealgames.com). But this new collec- 
tion of one-off ColecoVision diversions reaf- 


А1 mum‏ ف 
You can buy the game for 10 bucks less‏ 
without the magnificent box, but why?‏ 


>> CODING HOMEBREW GAMES GETTING TOO EASY FOR YA? STEP UP TO BUILDING YOUR OWN CONSOLE. WWW.XGAMESTATION.COM IS TAKING PREORDERS FOR ITS $99 16-BIT KI 





firms our suspicions that these guys are 
not in this for the money. “Videogame 
preservation,” Good Deal rep Michael 
Thomasson says, “is Good Deal Games’ 
primary goal. If we did not release these 
titles, some would be lost forever, and that 
is a portion of videogame history that 
would never be told.” 

Sure, we vaguely remember some his- 
torically significant games about amphib- 
ians crossing busy highways and capsule- 
shaped paddles breaking through blocks. 
But now you can play Toad, Smashes, and 
a dozen other games on one convenient 
cartridge for your handy ColecoVision con- 
sole. OK, so there's nothing handy about it, 
but the box art is way rad. Check out Good 
Deal's website to learn what else is cook- 
ing, including indie-developed titles for the 
ѕ0000-йеай Philips CD-i and Vectrex, 
upcoming games for Dreamcast and 
TurboGrafx-16, and how to program your 
own ColecoVision games. 


Everything Atari 

Systems: Atari 2600, 5200, 7800, Jaguar 
Where to get it: www.atariage.com 
People were pissed when Pitfall Harry went 
оп to lamer, more random adventures in 
Super Pitfall on NES. But it's never too late 
to set things right. As we speak, crack 
teams of coders are crafting unofficial 
sequels like Adventure Il, oddball hybrids 
like JoustPong, trace-the-lines action 
games like Painter, and really weird stuff 
like man-versus-nature sim Tree Hugger for 
every system that bore the Atari name, 
from the 2600 to the portable Lynx and the 
ill-fated Jaguar. The cartridges even come 
in pro-looking boxes with spiffy manuals. 


50 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com 





Painter (Jaguar CD) and Tree Hugger (2600). 


Feet of Fury 

System: Dreamcast 

Developer: Cryptic Allusion 

Where to get it: www.goatstore.com 

for $20 

If you're that guy who people come to 
watch play Dance Dance Revolution at the 
local teen center, it's time to try something 
else. Feet of Fury expands the DDR concept 
into a more competitive game laden with 
power-ups and performance-altering items 
that make not screwing up even more criti- 
cal. It's surprisingly rockin’ for a homemade 
project—more fun than you'd expect from 
a publisher called “Goat Store.” You can 
even load up your own music and step rou- 
tines for a truly customized game. && 





Trade out your dance pad or controller for 
a DC keyboard and play a Feet of Fury mode 
that tests typing skills. Try that in DDR. 











the 


Indie developers have given 
Dreamcast an active afterlife. Visit 
homebrew.dcemulation.com to down- 
load dozens of DC games (the niftiest 
three are below). No big budgets 
here—just cool, free stuff for you to 
play between new-release Tuesdays. 


Smash DC 
А competent 
clone of the 
1 ultraviolent 
arcade hit 
Smash TV. You'll have to build 
your own whacked-out double- 
joystick controller, though. 


Bloop 

It’s a simple 

target shooter, 

but it’s got 

lightgun sup- 
port. And if you bought a gun for 
your DC, Lord knows you’re look- 
ing for something to shoot with it. 


Cool 

Herders 

A polished 

sheepherding 

party game 
that’s definitely more fun than last 
year’s PlayStation 2 critter-herd- 
ing simulator, Herdy Gerdy. 








THE LORD 
OF THE RINGS: 
THE TWO TOWERS 
284230! 


CATCH ME IF YOU CAN 
(2002) 
2806909 


GOODFELLAS 
0969808 


ТТТ 
EX SNIPES 


» 


BLADE Il 
(Platinum Series) 
2744100 


THE RING (2002) 
2806701 


DIE ANOTHER DAY GLADIATOR (2000) 
(Special Edition) (Signature Selection) 
2809903 


THE MATRIX 
2622405 


“Two BIG Thombs Up” 


SHREK 
(Special Edition) 
2647600 


SCHOOL 


OLD SCHOOL UNRATED 
AND OUT OF CONTROL! 
2838605 


Sra Dant 
АЙ 

THE FAST AND THE 
FURIOUS (2001) 


(Collector's Edition) 


TITANIC (1997) 
2800605 


SWE (ME 


T 


SWEET HOME 
ALABAMA 
2791200 


CASINO 
1922707 


BARBERSHOP 
(Special Edition) 
2780609 


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Dept. 47A, Р.О. Box 1173, Terre Haute, IN 47811-1173 


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As а Columbia House member, | need to buy only 5 more DVDs at regular 
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Sonic boom or bust? 


Checking tn on 


ince hitting the 3D era, the Sonic 

series has drifted a bit from its 

fast-paced action roots. Some 
feared that the latest game, Sonic Heroes, 
would be just another fuzzy-animal-driven 
treasure hunt lining the walls of your local 
game store, or that its new character-swap- 
ping team system would put the focus more 
on head-scratchin’ strategy than manic 
action. But amazingly, Sonic Heroes (due in 
January for PS2, Xbox, and GC) is a step in 
the opposite direction, offering more sheer 
breakneck thrills than any title since the 
sepia-tinted days of the Sega Genesis. 

The team system—which lets you control 

a group of three characters, each with his or 
her own skills—offers a handful of new tac- 
tics, but Sonic Heroes has little patience for 
puzzles that can't be solved at 200 mph. The 
primary function of teammates is to maintain 
your momentum—by switching to your 
speedy hero for straightaways, your flier for 





Just because you're para- 
noid doesn’t mean a huge 
spiked wheel isn’t after you. 


pits, and your brawler for enemies. And 
since you can change your team leader on 
the fly with a single button tap, Heroes rarely 
gives you a reason to stand still. 

Each of the four teams plays slightly dif- 
ferent versions of the game's 14 levels. The 
stages for Team Sonic (populated by series 
mainstays Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles), Team 


| 

of Team Chaotix (the obscure Espio, Vector, 
and Charmy), whose quests are reminiscent 
of the Knuckles/Rouge gem hunts in Sonic 
Adventure 2. And while the other characters 
fit predictable Sonic-Knuckles-Tails molds, 
purple chameleon Espio can use throwing 


stars and turn invisible—which makes him 
the breakout star of the game. 








Dark (manned by the lesser-known Shadow, 
Rouge, and Omega), and Team Rose 
(remember Amy, Big, and Cream?) are all 
high-speed action-adventures—and there's 
even one major alternative: When you're 
ready for a bit of exploration, you can 
Choose the ninja detective rock stars (really) 


1 The special 
stages are all 
about speed. 


That adventure aside, Sonic Heroes looks 
like a return to form, providing old-school 
visceral thrills not seen in half a decade. 
Now if Sega could only do something about 
the seizure-inducing pitch of the characters’ 
voices... ёф 

—Casey Loe 







Sonic Team’s last experiment with 
team-based gameplay was the little- 
seen Knuckles Chaotix, a title beloved 
by all 19 people who purchased Sega’s 
32X add-on for the Genesis. In it, 
Knuckles and a second character 
attached to him by a rubber-band-like 
magical force must thwart Eggman’s 
plans. Heroes thankfully abandons 
Chaotix’s plodding style of gameplay 
but pays homage to the game by 
including three of its four supporting 
characters: Espio the Chameleon, 
Vector the Crocodile, and Charmy Bee. 
Mighty the Armadillo, alas, is MIA. 


Even Big’s nifty /ron Monkey umbrella tricks can’t erase the 
emotional scars caused by his fishing levels in Sonic Adventure, 





ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com • 51 


EGM INTERNATIONAL 


Games gone wild: loo weird for America! 











————— 


WEM a 









PaRappa's papa brings more freaky 
fun with Mojib Ribbon 

The latest PS2 game from PaRappa the Rapper 
creator Masaya Matsuura, Mojib Ribbon (avail- 
able now), takes a departure from music and 
delves instead into the world of Japanese cal- 
ligraphy. Your typographically inclined little guy 
walks around a circular ribbon as you press up 
or down on the right thumbstick to put words in 
their correct places—think Dance Dance 
Revolution trapped inside a dictionary. The bet- 
ter your timing, the more beautiful your pen- 
manship. Messing up costs you ink, though, 
and the game’s over when you run out. Like 
Matsuura's cult hit Vib Ribbon, there's not much 
to Mojib, but it's addictive even if you have no 
knowledge of the Japanese language, and the 
brushwork graphics are mesmerizing in motion. 

















Teach a polar bear to sing 
in Kuma Uta. You heard us 


We see lots of odd concepts here at EGM 
International, but this one...wow. The star of 
Kuma Uta (Bear Song) for the PS2 is a polar 
bear, which for reasons never really explained, 
you must train to become a star in the world of 
traditional Japanese ballads, or enka. You help 
the bear as it crafts each tune, teaching it 
words, switching around lyrics, and suggesting 
“feels” for its music (nostalgic, popish, melan- 
choly, etc.). Then you watch your furry friend 
perform, complete with synthetic voice and fab- 
ulous costuming. If you've come up with a cork- 
er, you can even send the video to your friends 
via the PS2 Network Adaptor. A damn shame 
we'll never see an English version of this one. 








OVERHEARD 


“f I'd 
wanted 
а that 
comput- 
er game 
bulls***, 
I'd have 
gone 
home 
and 


stuck my dick in my 
Nintendo.” 


—Kill Bill Director Quentin Tarantino talking with 
Empire magazine about computer effects in movies 


“Fugitive Hunter COMbINES 
my personal experi- 
ences of living in a 

crime-ridden ghetto 


with actual research data from the 
FBI, the U.S. Marine Corps, and the 
Santa Monica Police Department.” 


—John Botti, president and CEO of Hunter 
developer Black Ops, keepin’ it real 


“We are targeting 


selling several 


million N-Gage units 
in 2004.” 


—Nokia spokesman Kari Tuutti in a Reuters story. 
Independent research firm Arcadia Research 
reported that fewer than 5,000 N-Gages were 

sold in the product's first week in America 











>> CAPCOM WILL BE BRINGING ITS PS2/GAMECUBE CARTOON-SHADED RACING GAME AUTO MODELLISTA TO XBOX THIS JANUARY, COMPLETE WITH ONLINE PLAY... >> 


52 © ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com 


a7 










— 


Critics agree, Armed & Dangerous is the killer game of the season. 
жж xxx “nonstop action"- Maxim «x жж: - Stuff Gamer 
9 out of 10; “It’s like there's a party in your mind, and everyone's invited!”- GMR 
* balls-to-the-wall action. Expect all manner of destructive mayhem."- PC Gamer 
“A combatfest armed with a sense of humor"- Rolling Stone “So over-the-top, we can’t help but love it."- Alternative Press 














— The way it's —. 
a € |2VIDIA Y 
meant to be played" 


CD-ROM 
xeox 
[SOFTWARE] 


STUDIOS 





Strong Language 
тц Suggestive Themes 
ESRB 


Game Experience May 
Change During Online Play. 


fn the United States and/or othe 


THUG™ stars YOU as a skate 
punk out to make it big. 


Do whatever it takes — run, climb, and ЧЕ o 5 
of course, skate – to make it to the top. — 


Star in all of the Story Mode 


Movies alongside the Pros, 


— 


"mnm 


© 2003 Activision, Inc. andits affiliates. Published and distributed by Activision Publishing, Inc. Activision is a registered trademark and THUG is a trademark of Activision, Inc. and 
its affiliates. All rights reserved, Tony Hawk is a trademark of Tony Hawk. PlayStation 2, GameCube and Xbox versions developed by Neversoft Entertainment, Inc. Game Boy Advance 


= version developed by Vicariou8 Visions. “PlayStation” and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Online play requires internet 


Game Boy Advance are trademarks, of Nintendo. © 2001 Nintendo. Microsoft, Xbox, and the Xbox logos are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation 
otiftries and are used under license from Microsoft. GameSpy and the "Powered by GameSpy" design are trademarks of GameSpy Industries, 
Inc. All rights reserved. The ratings icon is a registered trademark of the Entertainment Software Association. All other trademarks and trade names are the property of their 
respective owners. Maxim Magazine © Dennis Publishing, Inc. 


connection and NetworkAdaj Arne 2 (sold separately). Online icon is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. TM, & and Nintendo GameCube and 





г „one of the bes 
games of She yea 


"T "m ABLE à 3 — 
Шш МЕСО СОМ * 


= — ACTIVISION. 













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© press start 


SHOW AND TELL: 


NINJA 


Director lomonobu Itagaki demos his Ninja 









































ever piss off a ninja. That’s * 
М something the Vigor Empire— ^ М 
after ransacking ninja-to-be 
Ryu Hayabusa’s village and massacring 
1^... all the people һе cared for—is about to 
learn. But their mistake is our gain, 
since Xbox owners can take contro! of 
\ Ryu this December as he slashes his 
| ; way to vengeance, carcass after blood- 
led carcass, in Tecmo’s Ninja Gaiden. 
` Perhaps you recognize the name from 
the classic '80s side-scrolling series? 
Well, good for you. Now forget all that. 
This game tosses aside the old story 
line and serves instead as a prequel to 
Ryu's stint іп Tecmo's Dead 
t orAlive fighting series. — 
S Li ` Ryu hasn't become а 
master ninja yet," says en 

. Baiden's Director 

+!) Tomonobu Itagaki. 

ТР As Ninja Gaiden opens, Ryu is setting 
out on his final training mission. After 
clearing out the game’s introductory 
forest-stronghold level, he’s told of the 
tragedy that has befallen his village. 
When Ryu returns home (via, um, 
blimp), the enemy closes in. (“Ninjas 
are supposed to he stealthy,” jokes 
Itagaki, “so he shouldn't have been 
found so easily, but....”) ў A 

Even with Gaiden's release fast j 
approaching, Itagaki is reluctant to 
divulge much more about the game's _ 
story. “That would take the joy away 
from you,” he says. Instead, we con- 
vinced him to give us a fray-by-fray 
analysis of a few screenshots... 

—Chris Johnston 











"Here, you see Ryu 4 
slashing a Ghul [a giant [je 
mummy that drags a Су 
| huge weapon—usually a morning star = 
| огап ax] with his Japanese sword, J^ 
Ryuken. Legend has it the Ryuken was 
forged from a dragon's fang. The mas- 
| ter of the Hayabusa clan has passed it 
down from generation to generation. 
Ryu is performing a Smash Down 
attack with the blade while in the mid- 
dle of a combo. This graveyard areais Mi 
found toward the beginning of the 
Vigor Empire's underground world.” 








58 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com. 





| out here! Ryu’s fight- 
1 ing a lone Gallas, a 


_ like a dinosaur but 


; an odd-shaped 


| obtained during his batien 













































“Ah, yes. This is 
inside the Lava Cave, 
another part of the 
underground world of 
the Vigor Empire. 
You'll reach this area 
in the latter part of 
the story, but there’s 
still a long way to go 
from here. Ryu is a 
master with the nun- 
chaku and is showing 
off his skill with it 
here. It’s a convenient 
weapon, easy to carry 
and handle with 
speed. By the way, in 
Gaiden, you have 
[more than] 10 prima- 
ry and six secondary 
weapons.” 


“This is the Ice 
Cave—it's very cold 


creature that looks 


used to be a human. 
They’re very fierce! 
Ryu is winding up for 
a straight down swing 
with the War Hammer, 


weapon that belongs 
to Rachel [a female 
warrior you'll meet in 
the дате.” 








в. 

"This one's pretty interesting—Ryu is attacking а Ghul. It's been decap- ш | TI; “This is Smougan—a lava dragon. He's the boss of the Lava Cave = 
itated by his last attack, but that's actually minor damage for them. Ryu is | underneath the Vigor Empire headquarters. He was sleeping, but as you —— 
in the middle of a combo maneuver using Dabilahro, a huge sword he | | can see he’s been woken up and isn’t too happy about it. a. 


[ SPOILER МЕн f s Hans is ДеП in Ed ше aragon Е бы 











(>) press start 


CELEBRITY GAMER: 


HUNGER FORCE 


The fast food that 


plays together... 


urn your 
t crank to 

Cartoon 
Network’s Adult Swim 
programming block late 
on a Sunday night and 
you're likely to see the 
comedic adventures of fast- 
food heroes-at-large, the Aqua 
Teen Hunger Force. They are the 
motley group of Master Shake, resi- 
dent egoist and a-hole; Frylock, the 
calm voice of reason; and Meatwad, the 
dimmest bulb of the bunch. Confused? 
Don’t worry—it’s not supposed to make 
sense. Currently nearing the end of a 
new season of episodes, and with a 
just-released first-season DVD set, the 
Force (with the help of Cartoon Network 
scribes Dave Willis and Matt Maiellaro) 
took time out of their busy schedules to 
sit down and talk games with us. 


EGM: Which videogames do the Aqua 
Teens like to chill out with on the 
weekends, in your free time? 

What’s the popular one? It’s the one 
where you drive around with the gun, 
shooting people who don’t look like you. 
That one. | like that one. 

We got us an Atari 2600 we got 
off the curb. Someone jammed a chocolate 
bar in it and it’s filled with ants. So we play 
Antkiller. Only this time, the game is real. 
That's what the box would say. 


ЕСМ: Hmm, sounds...fun. Moving on, 
who’s the best gamer in the house? 
Frylock, 'cause he got all the 


best games. 

He done owns a comput- , 
er with real electricity. D 
Every time | try to play 

Antkiller on my Atari, | ` 
gotta go to the hospital. 

And we ain't got insurance. а 


EGM: Antkiller high scores aside, 
what would you say is your most mem- 
orable gaming moment? 

There’s so much more to life than 
just “gaming moments.” Have you ever 
tried discovering the treasures to be found 
at your public library? 

Have you ever tried to defeat the 
Gorn boss on the fifth level of Gornicopia? 

No. I haven't. 

Me neither, because you refuse to 
purchase it. It's free online! People are 
stealing all day over there. It's like I’m living 
with a cop. 

| like learning games. 

Learn to stay out of my way. Get 

that game. 


В The Mo 


EGM: Tell us—what's the worst game 
you've ever played? 

Fun With Math. | found it to be nei- 
ther fun nor mathematical, and | find it sad 
that anyone would play it. It’s like they 
made it for а 3-year old. | need 9mm laser- 
sighted action and bombs and boobs, and 
the man with the gun is the god. 


EGM: Speaking of that, do you think 

there’s a connection between violent 

videogames and real-life violence? 
I've read academic studies that 


(A 












Clockwise from left: 
Aqua Teens Frylock, Master 
Shake, and Meatwad 


le invaders (right) set fire to a dresser filled 
with infinitely excellent pornography while Meatwad looks on. 


have made the connection between virtual 
violence and— 

How is that right? It is impossible 
to order a plasma pulse rifle exactly like 
Duke Nukem's anywhere, апа I’ve 
checked. And that makes me mad. It’s like 
the world is rigged against me. But | will 
show them... 


EGM: Lastly, Frylock—what's with the 

jewel on your back? Can we touch it? 
What jewel? And no, you 

can’t. &% — Chris Johnston 


>> EA SPORTS’ COVER CURSE CONTINUES: INJURIES FROM A CAR ACCIDENT WILL SIDELINE NHL 2004 SPOKESMAN/ATLANTA THRASHERS’ ALL-STAR DANY HEATLEY FOR THE SEASON.... >> 





60 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com 


M NY 


TAKE COVER: TAK 








Strong Language 
ote 


Violence 





ча 
Qs 
Kill switch™ & © 2003 Namco Hometek Inc. All rights reserved, Microsoft, Xbox and ihe KOOK logos are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/ar other countries and are used under license from Microsoft. All rights reserved. * PlayStation" ill РА 
ard Па “PS” Family logo are тода trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment ine The tings Ea а ийге! trademark o пе Entertainment Software Associaton. A other trademarks and tade names are the propres of heir respective omes killswitch.com 





Its bullet time all the time in 


n a ballad of blood and bullets, 

the world around me slows to a 

crawl. To my left, an armed thug, 
clad in Armani. To my right, Mr. Armani’s five 
friends. They stand, aiming at me, but I'm 
faster. Much faster. | dive through the air, 
hands out, guns raised, and pull the trig- 
gers. Who am I? Max Payne—the hard- 
boiled lead of Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max 


the prime suspect in a murder case, leav- 
ing Max to choose between the badge or 
the broad. But Cupid hasn't completely 
changed our old pal Max. In fact, Max 
Payne 2 doesn't dramatically mess with the 
original's bullet-ridden formula. (The 
game's length, for instance, still clocks in at 
a scant six to 10 hours.) Yet, in retrospect, 
playing the two games back-to-back (the 








Payne. Due this December for PS2 and 
Xbox, this trigger-happy third-person shoot- 
er follows our good-cop-gone-mad as he 
tries to pull himself away from his sordid 
past...but that past just won't let go. 

Case in point: Mona Sax, the femme 
fatale who graced Max's original adventure, 
has reemerged, drawing Payne back into a 
world of deceit and mystery. Seems Mona's 


E Max is 
quite a little 
mess maker. 


>> REMEMBER RENT A HERO NO.1, THE XBOX GAME WE REVIEWED IN OUR 


PC versions, at least—we haven't tried the 
sequel's console editions yet, which are 
reportedly very similar), it's obvious nearly 
every detail has been given a new layer of 
polish. Max Payne 2 boasts a tighter story 
and sharper textures, and the environments 
feel more alive, thanks to more interactive 
objects—boxes tumble, oil cans roll, and 
enemies keel over realistically. Instead of 


~The cast is played by 


actors now, instead of 


squinty-eyed designers. 





62 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com 


falling straight through solid walls like in 
the last game, corpses will bend and slump 
over like so many rag dolls. 

As before, the most stunning visual 
effect in Max Payne 2 is bullet time, the 
slow-motion gameplay mechanic that 
allows you to dodge enemy gun spray and 
target foes while hurling yourself through 
the air. There are now two levels of bullet 
time for various situations: The original 
shoot-dodge, as well as a new 2.0 version 
that allows you to move slightly faster 
while tinging the screen їп а д 
beautifully bronzed glow. 

And like gumdrops dusted 
with arsenic, Max hasn't lost 
his penchant for waxing 
poetic in his pulp-style 
voiceovers, using wordy, 
overwrought metaphors. 
Depending on what you 
thought of the original's 
writing, it's as charming or 
annoying as ever. ёф 

—Johnny Liu 




























Women are nothing but trouble. In Max 
Payne 2, at least. (Cough, cough.) 


Mad Maxx 

Retired former 

World Championship 

Wrestler “Maxx 

Payne” is suing the 

various makers of 

Max Payne for char- a 
acter infringement. We're not lawyers 
(thank God), but this lawsuit brings up 
several questions: Does Maxx Payne 
work in crime enforcement? Can 
Maxx Payne slow down time? Does 
Max Payne do any wrassling in this 
sequel? Guess it’s up to the judge, but 
we know our verdict. 





IST ISSUE? WELL, ITS U.S. RELEASE HAS BEEN DELAYED INDEFINITELY, SO IT'S UNLIKELY YOU'LL PLAY ІТ... >> 





When it comes to singing, you may already be a winner. Find out with the 
first karaoke video game that actually judges your vocal talents. Karaoke 
Revolution" turns you into a star and your PlayStation?2 into an interactive 


i : * pnis PLAYSTATION'2 
karaoke machine, complete with scoring, training and a built-in audience. AKARAOKE 


MACHINE 
Sing along with 35 hit songs, including chart-toppers popularized by dn 
Michelle Branch, R.E.M., Avril Lavigne, Nickelback, Barenaked Ladies 
and more. It's the ultimate party game with multiplayer for up to 8 of your 
friends, so step up to the mic and discover how well you carry a tune. 
And just how much fun agony can be. 











EVERYONE * 
Visit www.esrb.or А 
for more ratings | p PlayStation.e MHARMONI!IX KONAMI 


information. i 
ESRB CONTENT RATING ___www.esrb.org 2 www.konami.com/usa 











© 2003 KONAMI, КОМА! 
Music Systems, Inc. “PI 






nd KARAOKE REVOLUTION™ are either trademarks or registered trademarks of KONAMI CORPORATION. Developed by Harmonix Music Systems. Harmonix is a registered trademark of Harmonix 
ion” and the -PS' Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. The ratings icon is a trademark of the interactive Digital Software Association. 








РРР ТТА LLIA "O 


Miooron.- iM Ша ПЕК. | 





PRODUCTS RANGE FROM | 
RATING PENDING | ® & © 2003 Paramount Pictures. All rights reserved. Solivare N 2003 Atari, 
a 








Y 


Ratings icon is a trademark of the Interactive Digital Software 
| their respective owners. “PlayStation” and the “PS” Family log 





papz TAT 
E SR 


Visit www.esrb.org or Official Seal are trademarks af Nintendo. © 2001 Nintendo. Microsoft, Xbox, 


sociation. All trademarks 
re registered trademarks 
= Entertainment Inc. Licensed, by Nintendo. Nintendo, Game Boy; Game Boy Advance: Nintend 1 
and the Xbox logos 


call 1-800-771-3772 tered trademarks or trademarks qu Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries and 


for more ratings information. under license from Migro 





t's stealth... and damned (f tt doesn't 


sa tke 2/7 EXCEMEIM JAME 


Arnd there can NEVEI Be enaugh stealth gaming” 
— Official Xbox Magazine, August 2003 









Guide your MF team through 


Choose from a wide variety of 
action sequences inspired Ly he 


MF gadgets and weapors. 


pd weapons in his РЛАР Asena” 
D ате иара а 


"Mere very excited,” 
— Game Informe, August 2007 


www. Ml-game.com 


Fantasy leagues, meet video games. 
Video games, meet fantasy leagues. 


a 

















EVERYONE (yoo; SSM 

3 | SPORTS 

CONTENT RATED BY 

ESRB | 

INTRODUCING XSN SPORTS It's time to stake your claim at the highest level. To your 7 > | 

friends, your family or anyone around the world. XSN Sports allows you to play sports games in a — 29 | “ә | 

whole new way by merging them with the highly competitive world of fantasy leagues. Create s € | Ў | | 

online tournaments, drafts and leagues. Check out the stats on your PC. Play anyone, anytime, Е 1 V — | бо» | | 
\ 


anywhere on the Xbox Live™ service. With an extensive portfolio of games, XSN Sports goes beyond 
the playing field, giving you more control than ever. Step up and show the world what you've got. 


256 
“МВА @ 


it's good to play togethe 





om 
























Slam cross-courts, cross-country. 
Plow your way to the number one seed. 
Fall in love with... the graphics. 


EVERYONE 


CONTENT RATED BY 
ESR gamexstudios 





"Quiet Please"? Puh-leez! Let's dispense with the formality shall 
we? Top Spin" is a tennis game that isn't afraid to play it like it is. 
All the excitement of baseline battles, diving volleys and temper 
tantrums is in your hands. Grab a court on the Xbox Live™ service 
and serve up back-handed comments along with vicious backhands. 
Hit the 'net and use XSN Sports on your PC to track your current 
world ranking. Whether you play as Sampras, Kournikova, Hewitt or 


yourself, you'll have to take risks to be crowned king of the court. аз 
Just don't try any between-the-legs shots at home. it's good to play together 
xbox.com/topspin 
























XSNsports.com req computer, Internet connection a scription to Xbox Live, Additional fe 
Xbox 1e XSN Sports logo, the Microsoft Game Studios logo and Xbox Live are either register 
is a trademark of the Interactive Entertainment Ratings Board. The names of actual products and c 






nt Downloads. 
marks of the № 
in may be tra 


ay apply for C 
trademarks or ti 
nies menti 


















©) press start 


HITTIN’ 





ttention joypad jockeys: All that 
couch-potato time could pay 

off. Just ask sae iore 
champ Dennis “Thresh” Fong. | 


“Gaming was just a hobby,” he: 


mentsvand E 
the money 
started rolling in.” Fong = 
used his winnings and fame to ture 
investors to several Web ventures, 
including UltimateArena.com, which lets 
anyone play PC games competitively for 
real money, just like Fong did. 

In fact, competitive gamers today have 
many ways to get into the play-for-cash- 
and-loot racket. On the console side, 
they can join Major League Gaming, 
which holds nationwide tournaments for 
Halo, Madden, Gran Turismo 3, and Soul 
Calibur Il. Participants at its recent Halo 
event walked away with 10,000 bucks. 

PC fans have more options, including 






playing for Reeps 
meg 


PLAYDIRT 


How to use your game 
skills to рау ће bills 4 


says. "Then I - 
" S ie -A 
ning tourna- Tie 


i ei Oh, wait—this is his other car. 












Game-champ Fong's other car is a 


the bustling Cyberathlete Professional 
League (www.cyberathlete.com). Factor 
in upstart outfits like the Global Gaming 
League and event-based tourneys at 
QuakeCon and the World Cyber Games, 
and skilled players have ample chance 
to nab some green—especially if they 
land on a corporate-sponsored team. 
And if you really want to bank on your 
Skills, try YouPlayGames.com; which lets 
players wager on multiplayer matches. 
Whil ambling hardly seems legit, 
ñt has yet to get involved. 






though; competition for top slots is 


Hit these sites to join the play-for-pay game... 





The only console-specific 
group, Major League 
Gaming is hosting tour- 
neys across the country. 











Fong’s own site lets you 
put your money where 
your mouse is and wager 
оп your game skills. 











Similar to Ultimate Arena, 
this site’ll have you win- 
ning or losing cash based 
on your playing abilities. 





CHARTS 


TOP 10 BEST-SELLING GAMES 
FOR SEPTEMBER 2003 






2 Final Fantasy Tactics Advance 
GBA, Nintendo 
3 Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004 
PS2, EA Sports 
4 Soul Calibur II 
PS2, Namco 
5 Soul Calibur II 
GC, Namco 
PS2, Rockstar 
7 Soul Calibur II 
XB, Namco 


ESPN NFL Football 
XB, EA Sports 


9 Madden NFL 2004 
XB, EA Sports 
10 SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs 
PS2, Sony CEA 


ТОР 10 GAME RENTALS 
FOR THE WEEK ENDING 10/19/03 29 


For questions about 
















potential payoffs; 
however (“The Ferrari 1 

won still-sits in my parking lot, 
looking real pretty,” affirms Fong), we: 
figure a few of you will rise to the 
challenge. “Now that gaming has 
become more mainstream,” Fong says, 
“lots of professional leagues exist. |. 
was once the enn. 


Now there are f 
P. — Scott Steinberg 















Source: NPD TRSTS Video Games 








BUSTER 






The Global Gaming 
League recruits hot-dog 
players and has them 
compete for cash. 


їсһае! Sexton 






2 Madden NFL Football 2004 
PS2, EA Sports 




















LI'L PREVIEWS: FOR SNEAKERS AND STABBERS 


3 Jak Il 
PS2, Sony CEA 
NBA Live 2004 
PS2, EA Sports 


Photograph by 






чш 


The Simpsons: Hit & Run 
PS2, VU Games 





Conflict: Desert Storm II 











THE BARD'S TALE 









PS2, XB, GC • TBA • Late 2004 — In this tale of a lecher- 
ous, smartass bard capable of drinking incredible quantities 
of ale and summoning crea- 
ture companions with song, 
p| you chase skirts, slay mon- 

jj sters, and mock genre con- 
ventions in an action-RPG 
update to the hallowed clas- 
Sic for Apple Il, NES, etc. 


SUIKODEN 4 


tall and proud. 


PS2 * Konami * TBA — Possibly the wettest, wildest RPG 
yet, Suikoden 4 lets you explore island nations, recruit up 
to 108 party members, and 
do battle on land and sea. 
And say good-bye to the 
gimpy hero proportions of 
part three: Characters like 
the ultracurvy Jeane stand 





XB, Gotham Games 


7 Backyard Wrestling 
PS2, Eidos 

8 Kirby Air Ride 
GC, Nintendo 

9 Soul Calibur II 
PS2, Namco 

10 Enter the Matrix 
PS2, Atari 






























bor. m 















NINTENDO'S PLANT-LIFE-MANAGEMENT-SIM SEQUEL, PIKMIN 2, ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED TO SHIP FOR GAMECUBE THIS FALL, HAS BEEN DELAYED UNTIL EARLY IN 2004... 


68 « ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com 











Everything in this game is unbelievably realistic. 
Including the yutz yelling "YOU DA MAN!" 
in your headset as you tee off. 












i EVERYONE I SON | «SR | 





Microsoft 


PES 


Links, the best-selling PC golf series of all time, is now on the tee with Xbox. 
Everything you love about playing 18 has been beautifully re-created down to the 
last ball dimple. TV commentators whisper about your every swing as you go for 


the pin. But there's no whispering necessary on the Xbox Live™ service, where trash 





talk flies farther than tee shots. Use XSN Sports on your РС to check your Status 


on the Worldwide Leaderboard. With over 10 modes of play and 8 famous courses 


to choose from, you'll give Links a resounding golf clap. it's good to play together 
xbox.com/links2004 











Xbox, the 


nputer, Internet connection and subscription to Xbox Live. Additional fees may apply for Content Downloads. ©2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft, Li 
ies. The ratings 


о, the Microsoft Game Studios logo and Xbox Live are either registered trademarks or trademarks of the Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other 
5 Board. The names of aclual products and companies mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective owners. 





XSNsports.com requires a com 


















© press start 











W Our hero jumps into the fray against bots 
gone bad. Heck, it beats busting ghosts! 


PLATE 


Capcom thinks 
outside the boxers 
with Maximo vs. 
Army of Zin 








ast year's Maximo: Ghosts to Glory he has been blessed. basis with The Grim Reaper. When things get 
m was a throwback to the days of “Maximo begins his new quest with more hairy and your power meter fills up, you can 

gaming yore, an old-school action combat moves than he had at the end of the temporarily take control of Grim and cut a 
game gone 3D. As such, its unremitting diffi- previous game with all of his power-ups,” harvest of malicious metal with vicious 


culty crushed many warriors. Some didn’t says Producer Mark Rogers. Indeed, there swings of the scythe. The assistance is very 
even bother trying—despite critical praise, are numerous combos and attacks (detailed helpful, as is the new ability to save at your 
the game wasn’t a huge commercial hit. in the sidebar) with which to punish your leisure between levels without having to dip 
Fortunately for us, it sold well enough to war- ^ enemies. The combat moves are simple to into your purse of gold coins. 
rant a sequel: February's Maximo vs. Army of perform, but that's not to say the fights Instead, you'll be using your plunder to R L 
E | пипа 

purchase equipment (like а new pair of 

NUIT ae IPMN TTT CTR RT ial machines 
e A "S Š undies that give you that special tingle when 
While still challenging, the new Maximo Miu near) and Ше combat Maximo was a competent swordsman 
+ SEN ^ moves. Saving innocents is now a major in his last 
S game, Ghosts to Glory, but 

is definitely much more accessible. focus in tne game, oo. For example, е: чот ао адапесне 

FRI COs across a neuer whio h remorseless, mechanical Army of Zin. 

moments away from falling under the blade These naw тубы help transform this 
Zin for PS2. Our hero has undergone some themselves are easy. Take too many hits and of a Zin soldier. Quickly throw your shield at king into a royal badass 
major changes since last time—and not just your armor will crumble, leaving you facing the creature, and you'll stun it long enough ч 
his famous heart-patterned underwear. down mean-looking sickle-wielding to be able to dispatch it with your sword and 

А recent session with Army of Zin showed machines in nothing but your skivvies. rescue the fair maiden. “Of course, the play- 

that, while still challenging, it's definitely Between constantly clashing with kill-crazy er can just let her die,” says Rogers, “but 
much more accessible than Ghosts to Glory. robots and making multiple death-defying then a dead girl can't whisper [the location 
The game's imposing backdrop is a one-man leaps, you'll end up taking dirt naps at fairly of hidden gold]." So, if Army of Zin can't 
war against a relentless army of automa- regular intervals. appeal to your sense of valor, it'll attempt to 
tons—but luckily, the heroic Maximo has But the brave Maximo has naught to fear entice your pocketbook instead. 
prayed at the altar of combo attacks, and lo, from death—in fact, he's on a first-name —dJustin Speer 





























пов! 
This is a Capcom game, so of course 
you can loft your foes into the air with 
a quick slash (Up + Triangle) or a 
majestic rising uppercut (Up + Square). 


Laying into the Square button results in 
эт numerous rapid stabs followed by a 
(27 1 power thrust, which could put a hole 
1 though the devil himself. 
А | Mighty Blow 
Power through enemies with an 
upgradeable piercing dash (hold Up + 


Triangle—like the juggle, it’s the same 
as in Devil May Cry). 






Spin the analog stick and scatter the 
huts and bolts of your enemies to the 
four winds with the mighty circular 
slash. Good for making a point about 
your personal space. 







Maximo fights through 
foes to save a villager 
hefore it's too late. 


>> SCOTTISH GAME DEVELOPER VIS INTERACTIVE HAS ANNOUNCED THAT IL IS BUSY CREATING A SEQUEL TO LAST YEAR'S RIOT GAME, STATE OF EMERGENCY, FOR UNNAMED PLATFORMS...... 


70 © ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com 


In my league the Maple Leafs and Red Wings 
settle their grudge in Tempe. 





is pom 
EVERYONE « <S) 


Е Micresoft 


ESRB gamexGtudios E yr 


Step on the ice with no excuses. XSN Sports brings you NHL Rivals 





2004. Team to team, fan to fan, settle your beef here and now with 


online play. Face-off and throw down in the ultimate grudge match 


between classic rivals in online tournaments and revolutionary Virtual NHI RIVALS ` N 
А гава 


Pick-Up games оп the pond. Track stats, leader boards, records and 
rankings on your PC at the XSN Sports website to determine once and 





for all who really is the best. Then let ‘em know on the Xbox Live" 
service. Don't let your mouth write checks the puck can't cash. it's good to play toge 


xb 


ther 


/nhtrivals2004 





el 





PINAL FI 


FINAL FANTASY ЇЇ 








ucky folks chosen as Final Fantasy XI beta testers received а box from Sony with everything you see here (some assembly required). 


ONLINE THIS MONTH 


Will brake for beta tests 


ight now, you could be playing 

games online that won't be on 

Store shelves for months—and 
you don't even have to leave your house. 
All you have to do is join a beta test. Beta 
tests help game publishers make sure the 
online play in their upcoming releases 
function properly by letting a few thou- 
sand average Joe gamers hop on and try 
things out. The number of these controlled 
trials continues to grow as more publish- 
ers dip their toes into online gaming. Need 
examples? Sony did it with SOCOM Гапа 
1, EverQuest Online Adventures, and Final 
Fantasy XI (all PS2); Microsoft did it with 
Xbox Live and its first games before 
launching the service nationwide; and 
Capcom's just started one for Steel 
Battalion: Line of Contact (Xbox). 

Getting your foot in the door is simple. 
Registration info invariably appears on 
popular gaming message boards on the 
Net. Lurk in the right places (like EGM's 


must-hit 





5 GBA REMAKES OF THE FIRST POKEM 


talk depot at www.egmmag.com), and 
when the call comes up, you'll see it. 
Designated nerd hangouts not your bag? 
Filling out product-registration cards and 
signing up for e-mail updates from game- 
publisher websites may get you an e-mail 
notice if one of them starts a beta test for 
an upcoming title. 

Doing all of these things is still no guar- 
antee, but should you win a coveted slot 
in a test, prepare to play the game a lot 
and give feedback to the producers and 
designers via the Web or e-mail. Your 
comments will shape the final product, so 
it's the opportunity many gamers only 
dream of: to help make their favorite 
games better. Most tests run from a few 
weeks to a few months, and while you 
usually won't get to keep the beta gear 
once the test is over, you will likely get 
something for your trouble, like a deal on 
buying the final, shrink-wrapped version 
directly from the company. 





72 © ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com 





Testing Capcom's online Steel Battalion 
breathes new life into that $200 investment. 


Ün egmmag.com 

Square Enix unveiled the next Final 
Fantasy, aptly called Final Fantasy XII, 
November 19. Head to ffxii.egmmag.com 
for all the latest info. And stop by 
extra.egmmag.com for content we 
couldn't squeeze into the mag, like a chat 
with Nintendo VP George Harrison about 
the company's future, the full text of our 
Q&A with the Aqua Teen Hunger Force (see 
page 60 for a taste), and interviews with 
the developers of Maximo 2, Resident Evil 
Outbreak, and Fatal Frame 2 for PS2. 





GAMES WILL HIT JAPANESE SHELVES IN SPRING 2004. NINTENDO WON'T SAY, BU’ 


PC GAMING 
UPDATE 


Stick this in 
your stocking 


If you’re looking for the kind of holi- 
day cheer only a game for your 
tricked-out PC can yield, check 
these out: 


Tron 2.0 — Yeah, it's based on a 20- 
year-old movie, but this first-person 
shooter has style and depth out the 
wazoo. With incredible graphics that 
will really show off your new state-of- 
the-art 3D card, Tron 2.0 combines 
RPG character development, strategy 
elements, and nonstop action. 


Rise of Nations — This real-time 
strategy game may look like Age of 
Empires, but it isn’t, thanks to a heavy 
dose of the nation-building concepts 
from the Civilization series. By intro- 
ducing new ideas—such as national 
borders, meaningful trade, and knowl- 
edge as an actual resource—Rise is 
its own challenging animal. A slew of 
customizable multiplayer options make 
this a serious contender for Hopeless 
Online Addiction of the Year. 


Unreal Tournament 2004 — The 
franchise that toppled Quake as king 
of multiplayer shooters is back with a 
vengeance this year, adding new game 
modes as well as resurrecting fan- 
favorite Assault, which was absent in 
last year’s model. UTis adding vehi- 
cles that should easily top Halo’s. With 
a better single-player game, improved 
bot A.l., and UT's signature thrilling 
gameplay, what's not to love? 


Freelancer — Space combat has 
never been so accessible, beautiful, or 
personalized. Freelancer allows you to 
progress through the single-player 
story line at your own pace, letting you 
choose whether you become an inter- 
stellar trader, smuggler, bounty hunter, 
or more. You'll customize your ship to 
suit your fighting style as you head for 
the final battle—and then keep play- 
ing, as the best rewards come after 
the “official” game’s over. 
—Robert Coffey, 
Computer Gaming World 





RELEASES CAN'T BE FAR BEHINI 











Turn your game into online fantasy sports 


f you’ve ever wanted to 

get more involved in foot- 

ball than just showing up 
on Sunday half-naked and covered 
in body paint, you’re in luck. Sega, 


Microsoft, and EA are at the fore- 
front of the convergence of fantasy 
sports leagues and videogames, 
offering armchair athletes options 
like leagues, rankings, and stat 





— 
XSN Sports 


xsnsports.com 


First and Goal 











Service for NFL Fever 2004 offered 
through Xbox Live allows for full- 
league setup and stat tracking. And 
these commissioners don’t drug test. 


Touchdown 


Seamless coordi- 
nation—play the 
games on your 
Xbox, check the 
- stats on your PC 
while you're at work. It really doesn't 
get any easier than that. Props to 
Microsoft for showin' good hustle. 








Message board setup for coordinat- 
ing game scheduling feels too archa- 
ic. People were already doing better 
than this with Sega's NFL2K1 back іп 
2001. Maybe Microsoft can recover 
the ball in time for next year. 


Unnecessary Roughness 


Playing NFL Fever 2004 is preferable 
to swimming in hell's lake of fire, but 
not by much. (Can you tell we think 
the game is still a bit weak?) But 
using XSN is nice, and it's great for 
games like Top Spin and Rallisport 
Challenge 2. 





Sega ESPN 
espnvideogames.com 


Offers message boards, but tourna- 

ments and rankings are all done within 
the game. Still, it's a good way to meet 
the hardcore ESPN NFL Football crowd. 





Specific to ESPN 
| NFL Football (but 
| guaranteed to 
make an appear- 
= ance in other 
ESPN games) is the website league 
tracking stuff—real box scores and 
stat tracking with an ESPN look. 





A lack of distinction between Xbox and 
PS2 message boards can send some 
mixed messages. Also, while XSN and 
EASN share features across multiple 
games, there's no word if ESPN will 
support NHL and NBA leagues. 


Helpful tip No. 4, gleaned 

from the forums: To lessen 

your chances for divergence 

errors on Xbox Live, reboot 
the system after every complete game 
played. And don't go nuts with sliders 
and defensive matchups, either. 


tracking. If you haven't gotten into 
the online game, maybe you 
should. Here's a quick look at what 
you can expect to find via the big 
three's services. Happy huddling. 


EA Sports Nation 
SPORTS easportsonline.com 


EA's rankings and stats system 

supports logging in through any PC to 
view results. Can be used with any EA 
Sports title, but only the PS2 versions. 


Attractive graphi- 
cal popups and 
clear buddy-list 
statistical compar- 
— — isons are the big 
highlights here. We also give EA high 
marks for its easy-to-navigate 
lobby/challenge structure. 





No leagues? Well, EA wasn't first to 
the plate with online play, so we 
didn't expect it to be first on board 
with leagues. Message boards are 
grouped under each product 
webpage and aren't very active. 


With cover boy Michael Vick on the 
sidelines thanks to the Madden curse, 
we're sure he's logged more than a 
few games of Madden NFL 2004. 
Hope he's enjoyed seeing 99.9 per- 
cent of the game’s users abuse his 95 
speed rating (we know we have). 








Photograph courtesy of Corbis 



















>> MICROSOFT'S PLATINUM HITS VERSION OF BLINX IS EASIER AND IT'S GOT SPANISH/FRENCH LANGUAGE OPTIONS... >> 








Step into the boots of a SEAL team in 
SOCOM Il: U.S. NAVY SEALs and face 
the ultimate challenge: urban combat. 


E 
UNE rowne 


heme uma 
N тн ош 


Developed in association with the U.S. Navy 
SEALs, SOCOM Il is close-quarters combat 
at its most realistic. Invisible snipers lay in 
wait. Enemies lurk around every corner. 
And every civilian could be a friend or foe. 
Stealth is your greatest weapon. 


= IES: = 


Wage urban war in single-player mode. 
Or go online and play with and against 
up to 16 total players. Either way, a 
SOCOM-compatible headset will help you 
communicate and work together as a 
team. Remember, together you stand. 
Divided you don’t stand a chance. 


Take the war on terror to the enemy on 
12 intense international missions. 
Command. Courage. Country. Hoo-yah. 


IN YOUR WXRLD. 
IN OURS?” 


LIVE 
PLAY 


PlayStation.2 


MATURE 17+ 


Blood 
Violence 


www.us.playstation.com 
www.seal.navy.mil 


SOCOM Il ©2003 Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. “PlayStation” 
and the “ Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer 
Entertainment Inc. “Live In Your World. Play In Ours.” is a trademark of Sony 
Computer Entertainment America Inc. Online play requires Intemet 
‘connection and Network Adaptor for PlayStation 2 (sold separately), The "Online" 
icon is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. The U.S. Navy 
provided technical support, but does not offically endorse this product 


‘CONTENT RATED BY 
ESRB 








ete 







NOT EVEN MY | 


a РЕАТИ 





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— ELECTRONIC GAMING N MONTHLY 


"A PRIME AD TE FOR Kos OF THE YEAR.” 


© 2003 Ubisoft Entertainment. Based on Prince of Persia® ике of Ubisoft 
Entertainment in the U.S. and/or other countries. Prince of Persia ersia The [ e nse by Ubisoft 
e registered trademarks of Sony Computer En , Game Boy the Nintendo 
narks of Nintendo. (2001 Nintendo. Software platform logo TM and © IEMA 2003. x, Xbox Live, the Live logo, he Xbox Logos аге 

either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or in other countries and are used under license from Microsoft 








Welcome to Middle-earth. 
The journey begins this fall. 


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OFFICIAL GAME 


BASED ON THE LITERARY WORKS OF J.R.R, TOLKIEN 





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LOGO ARE TRADEMA 
AND THE 


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THE RUMOR MILL 


Gossip that jingles all the way 


q-mann 





Sabreman may still come to GBA in 
Sabre Wulf, but his Xbox kart racer is off. 





Xbox 2 dev kits late 

The Q's network of well-placed spies 
have reported that while development 
kits for Xbox 2 were supposed to ship 
out to major developers in the U.S. 
and Japan in the fall of '03 (what 
originally would have been early), 
they've been delayed to an unspeci- 
fied time in 2004, That matches 
recent talk of longer waits for other 
next-generation consoles (like PS3). 


What price PSP? 
Word on the street of late indicates 
that Sony's PlayStation Portable (aka 
PSP) will rack in at an MSRP of $299. 
The feature-laden, on-the-go enter- 
tainment device is still on schedule to 
make its first public appearance at 
the annual Electronic Entertainment 
Expo in May (which is fast approach- 
ing) for a late 2004 release. 


Rare cans kart racer 
Sometimes a game just 
doesn't come together and 
gets the ax. At least that's 
what The Q's rumor 
sleuths say is the case 
with Rare’s untitled Xbox 
kart racer, which started 
its life for Nintendo's 
GameCube as a Donkey 
Kong-themed title, only to change to 
a Sabreman theme once Microsoft 
bought the developer. (Sabreman is a 
character from Sabre Wulf, an old 
Rare computer game and a not-yet- 
released GBA revival.) 


Romero runs Gauntlet 
Former id Software (Doom, Quake) 
and lon Storm (Deus Ex) figurehead 
John Romero has joined Midway, and 
reportedly his first duty is helping out 
with a new console version of the 
arcade classic Gauntlet. 


New GTA coming in 2004 
Not satisfied by the Grand Theft Auto 
copycats popping up all over the 
place? Then you'll be happy to know 
that The Q has caught official wind of 
the next version of the 
megapopular GTA 
series coming in 
2004 (only to PS2 
because of 
exclusivity 
deals). I’m 
excited. How 
about you? 

















DESERT ISLAND GAMES: TONY HAWK 


Every month, we harass a celebrity or game 
designer about answering the fateful ques- 
tion: If you were stranded on a deserted 


island, which three games would you want 


Tony Hawk’s Underground 
(PS2, Xbox, GC) 

“My next skateboarding adven- 
ture is the most customizable 
and replayable game around.” 


>> NEW HAMPSHIRE'S DONALD HAYES IS THE NEW DIG-DUG WORLD-RECORD HOLDER, SCORING 4,388,520 POINT: > 


Grand Theft Auto: 

Vice City (PS2, Xbox) 

"[Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is] 
endlessly challenging and 
addictively perverse.” 


to bring along to add some fun to your sun? 
This month, we strand high-flying man-of- 
action-sports Tony Hawk. 


— Marc Saltzman 


Kelly Slater’s Pro Surfer 
(PS2, Xbox, GC) 

“РІ need that game for days 
when the waves are flat on 
my island.” 












among tneepest 




















Long ago, the Lonely Mountain trembled as the Dragon Smaug destroyed the Dwarf-kingdom in fire and rage. Now, the Dwarves set out upon an 
epic quest to reclaim their stolen treasures, And I, Gandalf the wizard, send with them the most unlikely of heroes: you, Bilbo Baggins of the Shire. 


PlayStation.2 


VIBEO ааг з ue. 
мува OFFICIAL GAME 


BASED ON THE LITER RS OF К.К. TOLKIE 


"THE HOBBIT” INTERACTIVE GAME SAL GAMES, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THE TOLKIEN ENTERPRISES LOGO, “THE HOBBIT,” "THE LORD OF THE RINGS,” "MIDDLE-EARTH" AND THE 
NAMES OF THE CHARACTERS, EVENTS, ITEMS AND PLACES THEREIN, ARE TRADEMARKS OR REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF THE SAUL ZAENTZ COMPANY, ОВА TOLKIEN ENTERPRISES, AND ARE USED UNDER 
Violence LICENSE BY VIVENDI UNIVERSAL GAMES, INC. VIVENDI UNIVERSAL GAMES AND THE VIVENDI UNIVERSAL GAMES LOGO ARE TRADEMARKS OF VIVENDI UNIVERSAL GAM ND THE SIERRA LOGO 
ARE TRADEMARKS OR REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF SIERRA ENTERTAINMENT, INC., IN THE U.S, AND/OR OTHER COUNTRIES. DEVELOPED BY INEVITABLE ENTERTAINMENT, INC. GAME BOY ADVANGE AND THE 
Fe ean NINTENDO GAMECUBE ARE TRADEMARKS OF NINTENDO. SED FOR PLAY ON THE PLAYSTATION 2 С iGNATION ONLY. U.S. AND FOR- 
Comic Mischief | EIGN PATENTS PENDING. "PLAYSTATION" AND THE "PS LOGOS ARE EITHER REGISTERED 
OF MICROSOFT CORPO? THE UNITED STATES ОЕА LICENSE FROM MICROSOFT. USES BINK VIDEO. НТ ©1997-2003 BY 
RAD GAME TOOLS, INC. MPEG LAVER-3 PLAYBACK SUPPLIED WITH THE MILES SOUND SYSTEM FR . MPEG LAYER-3 AUDIO COMPRESSION TECHNOLOGY LICENSED BY FRAUNHOFER IIS 

AND THOMSON MULTIMEDIA, ALL OTHER TRADEMARKS ARE PROPERTY OF THE CTOBER 2003 










Can the smash PC squad- 


based shooter 


succeed on Xbox Live? 


hen in-game trash talking pushed 

the wrong buttons, one player at 

an LA cyber cafe grabbed a screw- 
driver and killed a competitor. That same 
December day at another Southern California 
gaming center, a testosterone-charged tour- 
nament erupted into a 100-man riot involving 
hurled chairs, swinging pipes, and a pistol 
that left one teen hospitalized. 

All this for a game started in a Vancouver 
basement? Without a doubt, Counter- 
Strike—which began as a fanmade add-on 
for PC first-person shooter Half-Life and 
ended up as one of the most popular PC 
games of all time—is a certified phenome- 
non. And this December, it’s coming to an 
Xbox near you. Its rules are simple: Eight- 
man counterterrorist teams must coordinate 
to extract hostages, defuse explosives, and 
eliminate the opposition. Or you can choose 
to play as one of the eight bad guys if you're 
feeling sinister. If this sounds familiar, it 
should. Counter-Strike's influence is obvious 
in most of today's squad-based shooters for 
both consoles and PC. 





















>> SONY HAS ANNOUNCED IT WILL RELEASE A QUICK PROLOGUE VERSION OF GRAN TURISMO 4 IN JAPAN THIS DECEMBER. THEI 


Long before SOCOM's Navy 
SEALs set off to save the 
world, Counter-Strike 
immersed PC gamers in 
squad-based battles where 
a single well-aimed round can 
spell catastrophe, and the man watching 
your back matters more than anything. And 
with over 20,000 players online at any given 
moment, Counter-Strike for PC remains as 
popular as ever. But today, several years 
after its creation, can the game achieve the 
same success on a console? After all, if 
EverQuest taught us anything, it's that suc- 
cess on PC doesn't necessarily translate to 
the consoles. So, what sets this 5-year-old 
first-person shooter apart from the Halos 
and Rainbow Six 3s of today's Xbox? 

Counter-Strike sits somewhere between 
realism and reflexes. The best of both 
worlds, it's packed with authentic weapons 


and environments, yet it remains fast paced. 


Unlike SOCOM or Ghost Recon where ample 
cover encourages drawn-out games of cat 
and mouse, CS's skirmishes are short and 


80 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com 


brutal—waste too much time searching for 
concealment in these comparatively small 
maps and a tango will shoot you dead. 
Success earns skillful squads cash to spend 
on deadlier arms—meticulously rendered to 
match the authentic articles—and better 
equipment. Developer Valve seems to have 
faith in this winning formula, since it has 
nixed its plans to include the single-player 
missions from Counter-Strike: Condition Zero 
for PC, allegedly so it can spend more time 
improving Counter-Strike’s graphics and 
sound. “That includes adding higher-resolu- 
tion textures and custom effects,” says 
Director of Marketing Doug Lombardi, “as 
well as a complete overhaul of every world, 
character, and weapon model.” And you'll 
still be able to improve your skills before 
going online by battling it out with A.l.-con- 
trolled bots on your own. In addition, the 


have it ? 


camaraderie that comes with taking your 
team to the top—that same esprit de corps 
perverted by gang mentality on that tragic 
winter day in California—should presumably 
carry over to Xbox Live. 

Nevertheless, a few factors could keep 
the game from completely matching the 
success of its PC sibling. For one, PC owners 
can download the game for free (always a 
nice incentive). Second, the simple graphics 
that allow it to run smoothly on even low- 
end PCs are hardly an asset on Xbox, where, 
despite the enhanced horsepower, Counter- 
Strike still looks like an old game with an 
expensive face-lift. But if Counter-Strike 
does go big and you find yourself on the 
receiving end of grueling trash talk at a 
linked-system party, don’t reach for the 
screwdriver. It's still only a game, man. && 

—Shawn Elliott 


Can console gamers look forward to the deep 
customizability enjoyed by PC counter-terrorists? 
“We'll be leveraging Xbox Live to deploy custom 


content after the game ships, 


insists Director of 


Marketing Doug Lombardi. Additional maps are 
almost inevitable, but don’t hold your breath for 


oddities like this PC Pac-Man level. 





NO WORD YET OF PLANS FOR 





(olny) 





Gar avers 










Dinas Te WARRIORS 


d New! Xtreme Mode 
Engage in a series of randomly generated battles! 
Purchase items with points earned and fight for 
survival! 

¢ New! Legend Mode 

Live the fabled exploits of the Dynasty Warriors. 
Each warrior has a unique scenario. 42 new stages! 
< New! Features 

[еуё! 11 Weapons and new items, Arena Challenge, 
"Beginner" and "Expert" levels, and more! 





1 EH 





Play DWAXL alone or with DW4, to power up 
the original with new XL features: 


AVAILABLE NOW $29.99 MSRP 





Each game sold separately. Dynasty Warriors, Xtreme Legends, and the 
KOEI logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of KOEI Co, Ltd 
©2008 КОЕ! Co, Ltd. All rights reserved. “PlayStation” and tho “PS” Family 
ed trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. The 
idemark af the Entertainment Software Association, 


А 
оС BRAKE ERS | [| St t e 
—— d a 10 [le 


Mild Language 


Violence 









|SDcGz94*—H8m! 





THE HOT FIVE 


The latest on the games you're expecting to be the greatest 


(Vote for your favorite games each month at egmmag.com.) 


W This Covenant Prophet 
says we've got to prey 
just to make it today. 


icrosoft « Early.2004 — While biding our time until Halo 2’s release, we stum- 
bled across a new look at the enemy known as the Prophet (seen above). Even though 
he's a spiritual leader of the Covenant, this frail-looking extraterrestrial is unlikely to 
be all about peace and forgiveness—that portable pulpit has to be concealing some 
sort of righteous firepower. Still, we doubt Master Chief will be converting to 
Covenantism under any circumstances. Praise the lawd and pass the ammunition. 





PS2 * Konami * Late 2004 — With noth- 
ing new to offer Snake-hungry gamers at 
the recent Tokyo Game Show, Konami 
warmed up some leftovers: a video that set 
game footage to a tune that mimicked the 
opening credits of classic Bond films. 

| Backup female vocals periodically sang a 
sweet, drawn-out "Sna-ake Eat-errr,” and 
psychedelic colors provided a backdrop for 
silhouettes performing slick close-combat 
takedowns we'd love to see in the actual 
game. All in all, it was pretty shaggerific. 





` STARCRAFT GHOST 


PS2, XB, GC Blizzard • Spring 2004 

When she’s not dealing out high-velocity death 

from afar, “Ghost” Nova is snapping necks with 

the aid of optical camouflage (as seen in the 

screenshot above). Good thing the enemies in 

the game have no concept of “camping” and 

18 Death from above, And — "cheapness"—they probably wouldn't like the 

^, from below. And той game’s tactical nuke weapon either. Too bad. 








>> LUCASARTS PRESIDENT SIMON JEFFERY RECENTLY RESIGNED FROM HIS POST. A LUCASARTS-ISSUED STATEMENT SAID THAT HE WAS RETURNING TO ENGLAND WITH HIS FAMILY... >> 


82 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY ¢ www.egmmag.com 


Light up your Holidays with Game Boy Advance SP. 





© press start 


COMING SOON 


On shelves for the holiday season 





= Deus Ex's hero asks, 
“You talking to me?” 












































1080° Avalanche -hack Part 4: Quarantine Armed & Dangerous 
GC • Nintendo — This sequel to the N64 PS2 • Bandai — This serialized RPG series | XB • LucasArts — Oddball alternative 
snowboarding hit ups the multiplayer max | finally concludes, so you'll finally be able to | firepower like the Shark Gun is the order 
from two to four competitors. rid yourself of that persistent hack. Cough. | of the day in this quirky shooter. 
F 4 
"m Whatever Max was 
shooting, it's dead now. 
iy 
Р” | 
— — — JJ 
BlowQut Dead Man's Hand NUM Ф 
PS2, XB * Majesco — Lead a team of XB * Atari — Play poker between rounds bd 
crack commandos on a space station to | in this Western-themed first-person 
eliminate alien beings. How novel. shooter. But is it good, bad, or ugly? i 
EJ = | | : 
d 
Deus Ex: Invisible War Final Fantasy X-2 MAX PAYNE 2: THE FALL OF MAX PAYNE 
XB * Eidos — Choices are more compli- PS2 * Square Enix — A scantily clad PS2, XB * Rockstar Games — Slugs fly and bodies drop in glorious slow-mo as the NYC 
cated than simple “right or wrong” in this | Yuna stars in the first-ever direct sequel cop with a sadistic surname continues to wage his one-man war on crooks. And this 
dystopian sci-fi action/adventure game. to a Final Fantasy RPG. More, please. time, love is your battlefield: You can dodge bullets, but can you duck Cupid's arrow? 








R: Racing Evolution 
PS2, XB, GC, GBA Atari — IMF team GC * Nintendo — Watch PS2, XB, GC • Namco — Ridge Racer receives a Gran Turismo-style 
leader Ethan Hunt looks to have visited Pikachu and his pocket monster x BA makeover. In addition to licensed cars and tracks, Evolution offers rally and 








the Splinter Cell stealth school. 


friends watch TV. We-ird. 
Fa Ter Ду T - 


drag racing, as well as soap-opera-like rivalries and tailgating. 


















Wrath Unleashed Unreal Il: The Awakening 







GBA • Nintendo — Find a link cable and PS2, XB, GC, GBA • ЕА — / PS2, XB * LucasArts — Piece of XB * Atari — Pinch us, we must be 
have a fellow GBA owner join you in this Two-player co-op mode may 1 advice in this strategy game with real- | dreaming. The developers finally woke up 
Mana (from heaven) series prequel. convince your lady to try it. time battles: Let the Wookiee win. and added online play to this PC port. 








= Final Fantasy X-2's Paine in a 
84 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY « www.egmmag.com medium rare moment of repose. 


USE HE ENO DGE g ATTAIN HERE WISEE 


THE FORCE 18. ES POWERFUL ALLY. AND A TERRIBLE ro 
DO NOT BE SEDUCED BY THE DARK SIDE. 


OU ARE THE FUTURE GUARDIANS OF THE GAL 





[ЕРІ KNIGH T: 
JEDI ACADEMY 


You are a new student at Luke Skywalker’s Jedi Academy. Continue an ancient tradition as you learn the powers and dangers of the Force. Customize your 
character. Construct your own lightsaber from handle to blade. And develop your fighting stance—from the classic single-blade to the rare and powerful 
double-bladed Malls dui Then nong your Jedi skills in single player missions or r fight it outi in multiplayer modes. May the Force be with you, young Jedi. 










X ре SWJEDIACADEMY.COM 


xeox 
WWW.LUCASARTS.COM WWw.starwars.com 
Live 


Аёүйон. cus 








film Ltd. & @ or TM as indicated. 
г countries and are usi 


LucasArts and the Lu 


ESRB CONTENT RATING И | > ani the xbox t 





nse from Microsoft 











SHARE THE ADVENTURE 


Ү. 


SHARE THE FANTAS 


Play Online. SQUARE ENIX. 





FANTASY XI 


О М LIN E 








INCLUDES BONUS of the Zilart EXPANSION PACK 


FREE SUBSCRIPTION FOR 30 DAYS" 


*Some restrictions may apply 


www. playonline.com 
Published by Square Enix U.S.A., Inc. 


> Online play requires internet connection. Players are responsible for all applicable internet fees. 
Animated Blood © 2001-2003 SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD. А! Rights Reserved. Title Design by Yoshitaka Amano. 
Violence FINAL FANTASY and Tetra Master are registered trademarks of Square Enix Со, Ld. SQUARE ENIX, 


Vana iol, Rise of the Zilart, PlayOnline, and the PlayOnline logo are trademarks of Square Eni 
Ltd. Windows and DirectX are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States 
and/or other countries. Pentium and the Intel Inside logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of 
Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries. The name NVIDIA, the 





‘CONTENT RATED BY 
ESRB 





à ‘SOFTWARE 
Г NVIDIA logo, and NVIDIA The Way It's Meant to be Played Logo are registered trademarks of NVIDIA | 
Game Experience May Coming to Corporation in the United States andor other countries. "PlayStation. is a registered trademark of on ma, for 
б ү PlayStation’2 “Уо тошекпиаптепгс. The ratings icon is a trademark of tne interactive Digital Sofware 
Change During Online Play ayStation Association. Al other trademarks are the property of thelr respective oer, з 


Windows® 






E tS 


LIFE 1S ViEWTIFUL 


AN AVERAGE JOE CAUGHT UP IN A CRAZY STUNT-FILLED ACTION 
MOVIE WORLD. WITH THE AID OF HIS HERO, CAPTAIN BLUE, JOE 
15 GRANTED POWERS WHICH TURN HIM INTO VIEWTIFUL JOE, THE 
MOST STYLISH SUPERHERO TO GRACE THE SILVER SCREEN. 


Cartoon Violence [IIMBRADYGAMES 


S j Strategy Guide 
uggestive Themes AVAILABLE 





@CAPCOM CO., LTD. 2003 ©САРСОМ U.S.A., INC-2003. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. CAPCOM and the CAPCOM logo are registered trademarks.of CAPCOM CO, LTD. VIEWTIFUL JOE is a 
trademark of CAPCOM CO., LTD. Nintendo and, Nintendo GameCube are trademarks of Nintendo. The ratings icón is a registered trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association, 





== Pummel opponents. with 
pu over 15 weapons == 





Battle for the checkered flag with Crash, friends and foes. Use 
missiles, bombs, tornadoes and more to pass or blast up to 4 friends in 
multiplayer mode. It’s time to pick up the pace or pick up the pieces. 























ES Q Vicarious: XK 
Xe0x 
PlayStations eer hos 


road rash, nobody beats the Bandicoot. 





“CRASH NITRO KART" INTERACTIVE GAME © 2003 UNIVERSAL INTERACTIVE, INC. CRASH BANDICOOT AND RELATED CHARACTERS ARE && AND © OF UNIVERSAL INTERACTIVE, INC, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 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 EITHER 
TRADEMARKS OR REGISTERED 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 LOGO ARE TRADEMARKS OF NINTENDO. 


EGM guides you to the 
games worth scrawling 
on your holiday wish list 


ark! Tis the season to give 

rather than receive, eh? 

(But—wink, wink...nudge, 
nudge—we know that all you really 
care about this holiday is loading up on 
nifty game loot...and lots of it. So to 
help you dodge the socks, ties, novelty 
lamps, beaded-seat covers, and other 
crappy gifts you'd usually have to 
accept with a fat, plastic grin, we're 
putting together the ultimate list of 
top-tier 2003 games that'll put a gen- 
uine smile on your face. And we've 
organized them for every type of play- 
er, so you'll know exactly which games 
fit your needs—or what to buy for that 
hard-to-shop-for gamer on your list. 
Not that we expect you to use this 
guide for anything other than your own 
selfish reasons.) 

Oh yeah, peace on earth and all that 

usual stuff. 


е. 






ns by Miles Donovan 








Look for the bill-wrapped gift pack- 
age to see which games just aren’t 
complete without this extra junk. 


If you want Beyond 
Good & Evil, get a 
Holga Camera ($20). 
This snappy medium- 


format, plastic (even 
the lens!) shooter is so bad it’s good. If 
it busts, drop-kick it and nab another. 


If you want Ratchet & 
Clank, get a Spider 3 
Robot ($50 from 
robotstore.com). 
This assemble-your- 
self walking bot may not crack wise 
like sidekick Crank, but it's smart 
enough to avoid bumping into walls. 









IF YOU WANNA 


Because adventure's your middle name (or is it Skip?) 


EU. a 


THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: 

THE WIND WAKER 

GC • Nintendo 

Scores (out of 10): 10, 9.5, 10 

Don't let the Saturday-morning visuals 
turn you off: Kid-elf Link’s latest opus 
delivers a man-sized adventure of high- 
seas swashbuckling and wit-straining 
dungeon delving. And although it's lean 
on vixens to save, it does costar one 


BEYOND GOOD & EVIL 








ambiguously sexual gyrating man-fairy. 








F 


PS2, XB, GC • Ubisoft 

Scores: 8.5, 9.0, 8.0 

So the French can't fight, but they sure 
make a spectacular action-adventure 
Rife with futuristic imagery, Frenchie 
Rayman creator Michel Ancel’s opus 
fuses several gripping gameplay styles 
Ace reporter Jade snaps pictures, pilots 
a hovercraft, and solves puzzles with 
the help of portly pig chum Pey’j. 














5 


RATCHET & CLANK: 

GOING COMMANDO 

PS2 • Sony CEA 

Scores: 8.5, 9.5, 9.5 

In the year's best platformer, our mar- 
supial of questionable lineage and his 
straight-man bot bud once again save 
us all, only now with upgradeable arms 
and armor. Even if the humor is more 
Nickelodeon than Comedy Central, 
Ratchet's shtick never gets too thick 














92 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com 


IF YOU KNOW 


You're a fighter, not a lover, so vent that aggression with these brawlers 























SOUL CALIBUR II 
PS2, XB, GC * Namco 
Scores: 10, 9.0, 10 


Two out of three virtual butt-kickers swear that 
Soul Cali Il delivers the slickest virtual fight club. 
around. The sequel gets spruced with system- 
specific combatants (Heihachi for PS2, Spawn for 
Xbox, and Link for GC) and character designs by 
Todd McFarlane. But it's the deep combat engine 
that'll have you hooked. And good luck pulling 
yourself away from the enhanced Weapon Master 
mode—let alone snagging all 200 collectibles. 














VIRTUA FIGHTER 4: 
EVOLUTION 

PS2 * Sega 

Scores: 10, 9.0, 9.5 
And here's why one out of three 
virtual butt-kickers says VF4 
trumps the mighty Soul Cali: 
New characters and modes, 
1,500 costume items, A.I. based 
on Tokyo's best players—all for 
a budget price. Not that you 
care how much your gifts cost. 











GUILTY GEAR X2 

PS2 * Sammy Studios 
Scores: 8.0, 8.5, 8.5 

Street Fighter meets Shout at 
the Devil in this heavy-metal- 
themed 2D fighter cut from the 
classic mold. The superbly ani- 
mated high-kicking head- 
bangers unleash flashy attacks 
to power-chord tunes so corny 
that they're cool. You don't 
even need a mullet to play. 








DEF JAM VENDETTA 

PS2, GC * EA Games 
Scores: 7.0, 8.5, 7.5 

Drop elbows on the haters in 
this extremely playable under- 
ground brawler starring a 
dozen hip-hop honchos, includ- 
ing Scarface, NORE, and 
Redman. Ludicrous finishing 
moves add the gold plating to. 
the game's knuckle-cracked 
grill. And you fight over ho's. 














IF YOU GO TO 


Crank these up to create your own music television 





AMPLITUDE 

PS2 • Sony CEA 

Scores: 7.5, 8.0, 7.0 

If the bubbly pop in Japanese music 
games doesn't give you an eargasm, 
crank up this rocking sequel, which 
belts out killer tracks from Garbage, 
Weezer, Run-DMC, and more. Oh, and 
the finger-tapping gameplay ain't so 
bad, either. You can even mix custom 
tunes and jam with others online. 








ie? 
4 ite 






ach: “in 





DDRMAX 2 / DANCE DANCE 
REVOLUTION ULTRAMIX 
PS2/XB * Konami 

Scores: 6.5, 7.5, 9.0 


the arcade? You'll need a regimen of 


or Xbox version. Flail your feet daily to 
techno-rific Crystal Method or maybe 
the sex-hop pop of Kylie Minogue, and 
you'll soon have a license to groove. 











Wanna school those freestylin' freaks at 


at-home DDR, courtesy of the new PS2 











KARAOKE REVOLUTION 

PS2 • Konami 

Scores: 8.5, 8.5, 7.5 

Why venture to the local karaoke bar 
when Konami has captured the drunken 
magic of the sing-along scene for the 
home? With friends booing from the 
comfort of the couch, you're free to belt 
out your best “Wind Beneath Your 
Wings” or any of 35 other tunes. The 
game even judges your croonin’ skills. 








* 


THE 
COMPLETE 
PACKAGE 


If you want Soul 
Calibur Il, get a 
Todd McFarlane 
SC action figure 
($10). Better yet, 
collect 'em all and 


put on a miniproduction of Our Town 


when no one around. 


If you want Karaoke 

Revolution, get the 

Headset Bundle ($60). 

What good's this pop- 

singer simulator if you 

don't have a micro- 
phone to make the magic happen? 
This pack—$20 pricier than the 
standalone game—includes a deluxe 
Logitech headset mic, allowing for 
totally hands-free rockin’. 





ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY « www.egmmag.com e 93 


IF YOU WANT ТО ү 


That lazy eye keeping you out of the army? Fight the fake fight instead 


* 





SOCOM II: U.S. NAVY SEALS 

PS2 • Sony CEA 

Scores: 9.0, 9.0, 9.5 

You'll have a dangerously good time strategically 
trouncing terrorists in a dozen real-world military. 
missions, but these solo forays into Albania, 
Algeria, Brazil, and Russia serve only as practice 
for the big dance: online combat. Added Breach 
and Escort game modes—plus the new rocket 
launchers, shotguns, and turrets—make this the 
most heavily armed and lethally fun online shoot- 
er you'll find on the consoles. 




























FREEDOM FIGHTERS TOM CLANCY'S THE LORD OF THE RINGS: 
PS2, XB, GC * EA Games RAINBOW SIX 3 THE RETURN OF THE KING 
Scores: 7.5, 8.5, 8.0 XB • Ubisoft PS2, XB, GC • EA Games 


Are you the kind of red-blooded 
American who eats freedom 


Scores: 9.0, 7.5, 9.0 Scores: 8.5, 8.5, 8.0 








fries with his apple pie? Then 
it's your sworn duty to enlist in 
this balls-out blaster, in which 
you lead a squad of lethally 
crafty rebels on a mission to 
kick the commie trash out of 
New York City. Wolverines! 








Shoot first, ask, "How cool was 
that?" later. Combat terrorism 
by getting all tactical with a 
crew of elite operatives in this 
shooter, which is as realistic as 
it is stunning. Multiplayer sup- 
port and voice-activated com- 
mands keep it right on target. 








So the war of the ring isn't the 
same as the war on terrorism, 
but the bloody battlefields in 
this cinematic brawler are nev- 
ertheless chaotic enough to 
guarantee serious post-trau- 
matic stress disorder. This 
сате"! put hair on your feet. 











IF YOU T 


Couples who play together, play together (wink, wink) 


THE 
COMPLE 
PACKAGE 


If you want SOCOM, get 
a Richard Marcinko 
figure ($40). Blue Box 
Toys’ foot-tall SEALs 
have black belts in 
kung-fu grip, but none 








of them tops legendary warrior 
Richard Marcinko in gung-ho manli- 
ness. His friends call him Dick. His 
enemies call him—BLAM! Thump. 









THE SIMS BUSTIN’ OUT 

PS2, XB, GC • EA Games 

Scores: 8.5, 9.0, 9.0 

You want to play SOCOM. She wants to 

watch Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. 
Avoid a domestic disturbance with this 
sequel, which nurtures her nesting 
instinct while adding an entire neigh- 
borhood and zanier careers. The PS2 
version has online play to simulate inti- 
macy in long-distance relationships. 


BOMBASTIC 

PS2 • Capcom 

Scores: 8.0, 7.5, 8.5 

Imagine a combo-crazy puzzle game. 
Now add tanker-truck-style explosions. 
In Bombastic, you do your damnedest 
to arrange explosive dice and skedad- 
dle before your adorable demons go out 
in a blaze of glory. Your girl will think 
it's the cutest thing since Hello Kitty 
waffles—until you make her explode. 


MARIO PARTY 5 

GC • Nintendo 

Scores: 8.0, 8.0, 8.0 

Her folks paying a visit? Be the hero 
and break out the board-games antics 
of Mario and co., who are way more 
entertaining than an embarrassing 
round of Porno Password. Like every 
previous Party, this bash is stocked 
with thumb-hurtin’ minigames. Goes 
great with Chex Mix and margaritas. 


If you want Return of 
the King, get The Two 
Towers Special 
Extended Edition DUD 
($40). We're talkin’ four 
discs, 40 extra minutes 
f movie, and the right to ridicule 
those impatient saps who already 
bought the nonextended version. 























м} 


94 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com 


™ 





Game Boy Advance SP | 
Platinum 42328102 | 
Cobalt #2328078 | 
№ Flame #236574-0 
| Onyx #236575-7 MES 
$99.99 each 


WITH SPECIAL 1 2 
S DESIGNED GAMES. 


Game Boy Advance Nintendo GameCube/ 
Indigo #201794-5 — Game Boy Advance Link Cable | 
: | #217030-6 $14.99 


#236 [ 
Hint Book 


| #2365841 $29.99 


Call 1-800-800-5166 for the store nearest you or visit us at www.ebgames.com 





E F ue pm 





IF YOU JUST CAN'T 


Your Dodge Dart not doing the job? 


eec 
Drop the hammer in these hot rods 











MARIO KART: DOUBLE DASH!! 

GC • Nintendo 

Scores: 10, 10, 9.5 

If the speed doesn't kill you, an errant turtle shell 
will. Two-man teams of renowned Nintendo mas- 
cots tear ass around Mushroom Kingdom’s high- 
ways and byways. Battle arenas, power-ups, 16- 
player support via a broadband adapter—the lat- 
est in the Kart series became one of our all-time 
favorite multiplayer games overnight. Four-player 
options on a single machine are more than 
enough to make this the best Kwanzaa ever. 

















MIDNIGHT CLUB 2 

PS2, XB • Rockstar 

Scores: 9.0, 8.0, 9.5 

Breakin’ the law? Think about 
breakin’ the sound barrier 
instead. Exorcise your speed 
demons while tearing through 
illegal racing circuits on the 
Streets of L.A., Paris, and 
Tokyo. Nonlinear play and 
online compatibility ensure you 
won't run out of gas. 


PROJECT 

GOTHAM RACING 2 

XB ¢ Microsoft 

Scores: 9.5, 9.5, 9.5 

Online competitions in this 
postcard-pretty racer will floor 
you. The expanded car roster 
and Kudos reward system—in 
which taking chances nets big 
payoffs—aren't bad either. But 
powersliding past the Sears 
Tower? That's priceless. 


NEED FOR SPEED 
UNDERGROUND 

PS2, XB, GC • EA Games 
Scores: 8.5, 8.5, 9.0 

Speed junkies will find instant 
gratification as they tool around 
neon-drenched night courses 
at full throttle. Kit out licensed 
imports, then take them online 
(PS2 version only) for some 
real competition. And possibly 
some real motion sickness. 


























IF YOU E: 


The party's right here (20-sided die not included) 


THE 
COMPLE 
PACKAGE 


If you want Mario Kart: 
Double Dash!!, get a 
Featherlight Portable 
Scooter ($1,895 from 
www.electric 
Scooter.com). You'll be 
hell on wheels at the local bingo par- 
lor or all-you-can-eat buffet aboard 
this stylish, 4 mph speedster. A 
crutch/cane holder is just $25 extra. 





FINAL FANTASY X-2 
PS2 • Square Enix 
Scores: 9.5, 9.5, 8.5 








STAR WARS: KNIGHTS 
OF tHE OLD REPUBLIC 
XB e LucasArts 


SKIES OF ARCADIA: LEGENDS 
GC * Sega 


Scores: 9.0, 9.5, 9.0 If you want KOTOR, get 


{сүз ji 


Surly Secret 
Santa says, 


azs 


os 


Ignore the bubbly laughs—this first 
true sequel in the Final Fantasy series 
might just kick your ass. Unlike the gals 
in your sister’s Barbie horse-riding 
games, X-2's barely legal pop-singing 
trio is hell in anime treads, favoring 
mission-based combat to a dinner-and- 
( a-movie date with local Spira boys. 











Scores: 10, 9.5, 9.0 

Think of those hours wasted in line for 
Episode | and Il as some kind of Jedi 
penance for this super Star Wars expe- 
rience. From BioWare, the titans of PC 
role-playing games, it's an epic tale of 
the Old Republic, set 4,000 years before 
Jar Jar cracked his first poop joke. 








If you're grumbling that you played this 
Classy RPG back in 2000 when it was 
originally released on the now-defunct 
Dreamcast, stop whining! Legends is 
an Uber-revamp of all things Arcadia: 
fresh characters, brave new worlds, 
and a bulkier, fleshed-out script. 
Besides, airships are friggin’ cool! 








96 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com 


the Tales of the Jedi 
graphic novels from 
| Dark Horse Comics 
($15 each). Set shortly 
before the events of the 
game, these stories will get you up to 
speed but are sadly devoid of gratu- 
itous Bastila shower scenes. 











Rent every new release for PS2, Xbox, GameCube and GBA 
Go to for your free trial 


E 
©Copyright GameFly 2003. All rights reserved. Gamefly is a registered trademark of Gamefly, CF G AM e Ft LJ 


Inc. PlayStation®2, Xbox™, Nintendo GameCube™ and Game Boy® Advance are trademarks of 
Sony, Inc, Microsoft Corp. and Nintendo respectively. rent smart. pl ay harder. 


IF YOU GO E. 


Videogames goofing up your social schedule? Take them with you 





WARIO WARE: MEGA MICROGAME$ 

GBA • Nintendo 

Scores: 9.5, 9.0, 9.0 

Had it up to here with games that take 40-plus 
hours to complete? Then you'll find these 3-to-5- 
second mega minigames much more manage- 
able—and perfect for the morning commute. This 
fast-paced, finger-tapping twitchfest will make 
your head spin, but in a good way. Help Wario and 
his weird pals thread needles, pick noses, eat hot 
dogs, and do hundreds of other decidedly odd 
jobs for the attention-span impaired. 




















CASTLEVANIA: SUPER MARIO ADVANCE FINAL FANTASY 
ARIA OF SORROW 4: SUPER MARIO BROS. 3 TACTICS ADVANCE 
GBA * Konami GBA • Nintendo GBA • Square Enix 


Scores: 9.5, 9.5, 9.0 

It's a good thing vampires 
never seem to die—otherwise 
we might see an end to the 
best action series on GBA. This 
thematic departure for the fran- 
chise finds pretty-boy Soma 
trapped inside Drac's creepy 
castle in the year 2035. 


Scores: 9.5, 9.0, 9.5 

Originally released for the 
Nintendo Entertainment 
System, this side-scrolling 
masterwork has all of the clas- 
Sic levels and secrets—and the 
fuzzy feelings that come with 
them. Now you can unlock new 
levels with the e-Reader. 


IF YOU T 


Hook up with real people online...then crush them 


Scores: 9.0, 9.0, 9.0 

Even if you're a veteran of the 
PS1 original, you'll still want to 
dive into this high-gloss pseu- 
dosequel. The gameplay is as 
deep as ever, yet it's still 
approachable for the newbies. 
The plot actually makes some 
damn sense this time, too. 





























COMP 
PACKAGE 


If you want any GBA 

games, get a Game 

Boy Player ($50). 

Because you'll even- 

tually need to come 
home for hangover recovery, and this 
GBA adapter for your GameCube 
makes those little handheld games a 
lot easier on your bloodshot eyes. 








qasê ль 





TONY HAWK'S UNDERGROUND 


CRIMSON SKIES: PHANTASY STAR ONLINE: 
HIGH ROAD TO REVENGE PS2, XB, GC * Activision EPISODE | & II Tr muro lf you want Tony 
XB e Microsoft Scores: 10, 9.0, 9.0 XB, GC * Sega Hawk's Underground, 


Scores: 9.0, 9.0, 8.5 Not only has the Tony Hawk world Scores: 9.0, 9.0, 9.0 get the Топу ET 





If you think prop-powered dogfighting 
won't get your pulse soaring, your fly- 
boy scarf must be on too tight. Crimson 
Skies' online modes let 16-player air 
forces turn and burn in strategic new 
ways. Log on and we guarantee you'll 
rack up major frequent-flier mileage. 








expanded into Grand Theft Auto—style 
free-roaming neighborhoods, but now 
skaters everywhere can band together 
online (PS2 version only), mold their 
faces onto their aspiring Z-Boys, and 
trade custom levels, personally stylized 
boards, and knee-scrapping tricks. 








Wow—online roleplaying without the 
monotony! Dumping those EverQuest- 
style hours of aimless wandering out 
the deep-space trash chute, PSO hooks 
players in another, more visceral way: 
by delivering trigger-happy, sword- 
slashing four-player cooperative fun. 








98 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com 


Trick Tips DVD set 
: ($30). Play TH.U.G. all 
you want—you won't be any closer to 
nailing a real-life 360? Heelflip 
Sacktap. This instructional three-disc 
set will push you in the right direction. 
Lesson one: Don’t crack your coccyx. 

















HES IA a E new musig/frofi- ра ECUTIONBRS, Fuel, Lostprophets, ni — Presents ' Three В М 


Online and Multi е play available for te PlaySttign®2 computer entertainment system. INTERNET CONNECTIVITY required, PlayStation 2 сойо) 
a — Entertainment America Inc. All features not ow on all B See back of game pack for details. 


© 2003 Elect в Inc. Electronic Arts; EA, EA SPORTS; the EA SPORTS lodo; S BIG and the EA SPORTS'BIG logo até Vaf registered pene E Eis Anis Ic. in the US and/or other count ARE ric “Team names 
marks of the teams indicated, All other. NFL-related A “are trademarks ste ‘the National. ique.- Officially licensed AYERS HINC...The PLAYERS ING logo is. HEE Wwwantlpláyefs.cort--— 
62003 cu INC.” Playstation nd te Р? Fai logo are ademas or registered ademas of Sony Compu tera ive iK Мегой, Xbox “nd ox без are either trademarks ог registered trademarks ation In the U.S. and/or other countries 
AE o Microsoft; 5м, ©, and tendo’ GameCube logo sre denne ok Nene © 2004-Niftendo-Aitother — the property of owners: EA SPORTS" ani EA SPOR 2 n. 


i Log TUS SH 





IF YOU GO THE E 


lake five from pounding on nerds and relax with some armchair athletics 











y à f MADDEN NFL 2004 

T 3 PS2, XB, GC, PS1 • EA Sports 
Scores: 9.5, 9.0, 9.5 
No sporto’s holiday would be merry without the 
latest Madden. This year’s edition is the best yet, 
as no other football game provides a greater 
sense of onfield control, and truly devoted pigskin 
fans will love the beefed-up Franchise mode. Plus, 
online play (PS2 version only) receives the neces- 
sary upgrades of voice chat and tourneys. Don't 
drop the trash talk until you hear your opponent's 
sobs—then blast him with an air horn! 











TOP SPIN 
XB * Microsoft 
Scores: 9.0, 9.0, 9.0 
A near-perfect blend of brisk 
arcadey gameplay (an homage 
to Sega’s Virtua Tennis series) 
and center-court authenticity, 
Microsoft's online-enabled ten- 
nis title serves up a grand slam 
that's even more exciting than 
box-cover star Anna Kournikova 
in a bikini. Well, almost. 


IF YOU 


They do make ninjas and Drac slayers like they used to 


TIGER WOODS 

PGA TOUR 2004 

PS2, XB, GC • EA Sports 
Scores: 9.0, 9.5, 9.0 

Tiger Woods has not only 
attracted the hip crowd to the 
plaid-pants sport, he's also the 
catalyst for the only golf experi- 
ence that appeals to hardcore 
putters and amateurs alike. 
Even if you despise golf, this 
game will hook you. 


NBA STREET: VOL. Il 

PS2, ХВ, GC • EA Sports Big 
Scores: 8.5, 9.5, 8.5 

The NBA Street series ups the 
urban ante by taking b-ball to 
the blacktop and leaving the 
rules—and gravity—back at 
the arena. But that doesn't 
mean the pros don't come out 
to play in this NBA-sanctioned 
game. They just take them- 
selves less seriously. 





























eee : THE 


COMPLET 
PACKAGE 


If you want NBA Street, 
get Michael Jordan’s 
Come Fly With Me VHS 
tape ($9 from 
www.amazon.com). 

© See Michael Jordan 
before he was bald and 












Surly Secret 
Santa says, 


m 
9€ 





De. 








NINJA GAIDEN 


Ninja star Ryu Hayabusa has made ass- 
kicking cameos in the Dead or Alive 
series for a while, but he's always 
played second banana to his more 
well-endowed opponents. With katana 
firmly gripped, the man of the shadows 
finally returns to his 8-bit glory days— 
\ with stunning results on Xbox. 








PRINCE OF PERSIA: 


Scores: 9.5, 9.0, 9.5 

This sandy franchise revival is anything 
but bland, taking the classic series plat- 
forming punch to Matrix-revved over- 
drive. The Prince's time-fiddling 
effects—enemy freeze, rewind, etc.— 
make this state-of-the-art action romp 
one of the holiday's slickest surprises. 











CASTLEVANIA: LAMENT 


Scores: 8.0, 7.5, 7.5 

Simon Belmont, Richter, Alucard— 
names that give you a tingle in your 
special place. And this 3D Castlevania 
delivers the 2D games’ classic ele- 
ments: astounding visuals, a soaring 
soundtrack, tons of secrets, and a 
whole lotta whip-it-good action. 











had a gimpy knee. Magical. 


If you want any games 
XB * Tecmo THE SANDS OF TIME OF INNOCENCE 5 with retro heroes, get 
Scores: Reviewed next issue PS2, XB, GC © Ubisoft PS2 * Konami the Once Upon Atari 


DVD series ($30 from 

www.scottw.com). 

Relive the glorious, 
pioneering, pot-hazed “bad old days” 
of Atari game design, hosted by a 
man who was there—infamous old- 
school designer Howard Scott 
Warshaw, the man who made Е.Т. 





ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com • 99 


c Mischief 


ild Languag www.us.playstation.com 
Mild Violence 


90 Тһете 





“PlayStation” and the “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. "Live In Your World. Play In Ours.” is a trademark 
of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. Jak П is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. Created and developed by Naughty 
Dog, Inc. ©2003 Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. 








THIS WORLD IS 
BETTER LEFT TO JAK. 





d that someone, my friend, is Jak. This time he’s pissed off and battle — aii 
afrighteningly large gun, get-the-hell-outta-my-way hoverboard and a nasty case of mutant 
powers. So please, save yourself the detached appendages and let him handle it. 











g i LIVE IN YOUR WXRLD. 
INAUGHT YS? 11:1: PlayStation.e Z z> PLAY IN OURS: 














üü— 


Foreign Ambassadors Report 
Peaceful Face-to-Face Negotiations 
` with Terrorists in Venezuela. 


aas nieved thatthe situation’ did not aun 
he heightened tensions boraca 
sides. Ase 2 








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sn EK наан 
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LEAD AN ELITE COUNTER-TERRORIST TEAM UP WITH FRIENDS ISSUE ORDERS TO TEAM RAINBOW 
UNIT IN ITS BATTLE TO PROTECT ae FOR THE MOST INTENSE USING STATE-OF-THE-ART 
THE INNOCENT. XBOX LIVE™ EXPERIENCE TO DATE. VOICE-COMMAND TECHNOLOGY. 


FROM THE MAKERS OF SPLINTER CELL’ AND GHOST RECON" 
COMES THE NEXT XBOX’ GAME OF THE YEAR 


ranma ar tade 
2 U.S- andor other ciliis ict 


UBISOFT’ 


Violence 


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Е-СОММАМ! 
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VOICI 





IN STORES NOW! 
FOR XBOX AND PLAYSTATION®2 


ROCKSTAR GAMES PRESENTS 
TWO EPIC ROCKSTAR NORTH 
PRODUCTIONS TOGETHER 

IN ONE DOUBLE PACK 


"GRAND THEFT AUTO III IS A NATIONAL OBSESSION, 
ITS SEQUEL BORDERS ON SOMETHING MORE: ART." 
TIME MAGAZINE 


PlayStation. 








"A POP-CULTURE PHENOMENON, 
REDEFINING THE WAY PEOPLE PLAY AND THINK ABOUT GAMES" 


ROLLING STONE 


WWW.ROCKSTARGAMES.COM/GRANDTHEFTAUTO 

















VERSION BY: MATURE 17+ а 
d Violence 
T Strong Language SES 
S Blood and Gore ke 
KOU Бл Strong Sexual Content 
ESRB 








Note: Rockstar will be following ESA guidelines for M rated games in the marketing of this game. This game contains violent language and behavior and may not be appropriate for persons under the age of 17. It is a comic interpretation of gangster 
activity and the story, names and incidents portrayed herein are fictitious. No identification or similarity to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events is intended or should be inferred. Any resemblance is coincidental. The makers and publishers 
of this videogame do not in any way endorse. condone or encourage this kind of behavior. 


your monthly guide to gaming's winners and Losers 


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 is 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, which means not bad. 

The scores are color coded, so 
the brighter the red, the better the game. 


«ә 
sume or 


THE MONTH 


This honor This dishon- 
is bestowed ог goes to 





до to games go to games до to games ироп the the worst 
that get all with an that aver- highest- game each 
10s, the ulti- | average age atleast | reviewed month that 
mate review | scoreof9.0 ^ an 8.0 (but game each gets unani- 
a game or higher. are lower month. A mously 
can get. Quality stuff. ^ than 9.0). worthy buy. bad scores. 


ESRB KEY (Also check out www.esrb.com) 


Еб-Бапу E-Evaryona:  T-Taon: M-Maturo: ШЫ 
ӨТТ ЖЕТШ Whereas Daly: 
Games bear- fun for the movies, Teen these games a rare find. 


ing this mark whole family, games fea- . offer all the < We haven't 
are suited for ` devoid of ture mild vio- ` gore, sex, seen an А0 
infants, tod- hookers, lence and drugs, and- £ game since 
dlers, and head shots, “comic mis- -fun of R- Neurodancer 
Seanbaby. ог heroin use. chief.” rated fare... on 300. 





OF THE MONTH 
4 





PAGE 150 


PROJECT GOTHAM 
RACING 2 


Microsoft delivers a fantastic update of its premier racing simula- 
tion—sexy cars, beautiful cities, and revolutionary Xbox Live fea- 
tures make it a must-buy title for gearheads. 


106 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com 













Fo’ shizzle: 
Unlockable char- 
acter Snoop 
Dogg gets all 
the ladies. 
Sorry, Nick. 








TRUE CRIME: 
STREETS OF LA. 


BRYAN: As the attack of the GTA clones continues, 
True Crime sets itself apart by staying on the good 
side of the law (you're a cop) and taking place in a 
real town (Los Angeles). The sprawling environ- 
ments that you'll patrol as resident-tough-guy- 
with-a-badge Nick Kang are bull's-eye representa- 
tions of L.A., to the point where | can cruise around 
and instantly recognize my old stomping grounds. 
And while you're treated to only four different types 
of missions (driving, shooting, stealth, and hand-to- 
hand combat), the character-upgrade system helps 
keep the gameplay fresh throughout. 

Still, True Crime fails to offer GTA-quality thrills. 
Its so-so, styleless graphics fail to impress, and the 
whole thing's too short and easy. Instead of requir- 
ing a tough 40 hours to finish (like Vice City), it will 
take only the weekend to see all three endings and 
complete all of the training sessions. And what's 
with the story? It takes a downright puzzling and 


L.A.: The City of Demons 
Activision and developer Luxoflux 
must have connections within Los 
Angeles’ seedy underground. How 
else would they know that fire- 
breathing dragons, hovering 
demon heads, and 342-year-old 
Chinese men inhabit the city. 
Simply complete episode six and 
you can check it out for yourself. 
And you know it’s gotta be real, 
right? Why else would they call 
the game True Crime? 





Good: Superaccurate City of Angels 
Bad: You'll solve this crime all too quickly 


Celeb Cast: Michelle Rodriguez and Christopher Walken 


Big trouble in little Compton 





pointless detour straight outta Big Trouble in Little 

China—who knew SoCal was home to dragons? 
Ultimately, True Crime is a passable first effort, 

but hopefully, the inevitable sequel will be meatier. 


GREG S: True Crime isn’t just some wannabe cash: 
in—it takes the general idea behind Grand Theft 
Auto and builds something truly original around it. 
It feels like the evolution of the genre in a lot of 
ways, not least of all graphically. This game’s nice, 
detailed characters and cars put Vice City’s to 
shame, and the city is freakin’ huge. 

My favorite thing about True Crime, though, is 
the sheer variety of missions you tackle during the 
story. Sometimes you're tailing a suspect, other 
times you're sneaking around warehouses Metal 
Gear-style, engaging in massive shoot-outs a la 
Max Payne, or laying the smack down with a little 
fisticuffs. And the best part is, no matter what part 


о o n 


THE VERDICTS 
(OUT OF 10) 





6.9 9.5 3.9 


BRYAN 













6 


of the game you're in, it controls wonderfully. 
Overall, this is one incredibly polished game. 


JON D: | hope someone someday makes a game 
based on a normal cop with below-average marks- 
manship, a marginal work ethic, and a family of 

four. At least it would be original. True Crime's 

Nick is the last straw—I can't take another rogue 

cop whose unorthodox methods somehow get 

the job done. A slew of short, uninspired mis- 

sions conjure all the latest trends in gaming— - 
Max Payne and Crazy Taxi resurface in what M 
feels like a diluted, arcadey version of GTA3. If 

your ADD is flaring up, you'll be in heaven with the 
flip-flopping styles. But the increased variety 
means an irksome drop in gameplay quality. It has 
its moments, but True Crime also has that empty 
feeling that comes from being nurtured by a mar- 
keting meeting rather than a developer's vision. 


\ 


Developer: Luxoflux 
Players: 1 
ESRB: Mature 





GREG S. 


Publisher: Activision 
JON D. 


www.truecrimela.com 


ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com e 107 










review crew: 
multiplatform 


LIXNEN 
GLADIATOR: 


ME 


SWORD OF VENGEANCE 


Caveat emptor 


Good: Fools be gettin’ sliced 
Bad: No difficulty setting? WTF? 


Dumb: Skeletons straight outta D&D's Monster Manual 


PAUL: Armed with a sword (natch), an ax, 
and bladed gauntlets, Gladiator's heroic 
Thrax cuts a bloody swath through the 
realms of the afterlife, seeking to prove 
his worth to the gods. Offensively, Thrax 
kicks ass: He switches between targets 
with ease, strengthens his attacks with 
magic, and earns damage multipliers by 
performing stylish combos. His defense, 
however, desperately needs work. Thrax 
can't block (although all his foes can), 
while the vagaries of his dodge maneuver 
make it nearly useless. 

Gladiator features some cool enemies, 
such as the gorillalike cyclopes and a 
boss who looks like a union between 
smoke wraiths from /co (PS2) and Soul 
Calibur's Voldo (trust me—it works). But 
most people won't stick around to notice 
those nice touches, because the game is 
stupidly, punishingly difficult. And its save 
"system," pardon my Latin, blows 
syphilitic goats. It saves automatically at 
arbitrary points—and doesn't tell you. 
When you die, you find out you have to 
redo the last 20 minutes of combat. Bad- 
tempered gamers beware, lest you 
become wroth and smite your controllers. 


E 


„_ CHRIS B. 


JOE: If you seek a straightforward 

(read: dumb) action game to kill some 
time with, you'll find Gladiator fits the bill 
fairly well. It's a button masher, sure, but 
it's one with pretty graphics, upgradeable 
abilities, and buckets of bloody violence. If 
only the game's respawn points didn't set 
you so far back and its challenges weren't 
so teeth-grindingly difficult, Gladiator 
would be worth more than just a rental. As 
it stands, this hack-n-slasher recalls from 
the same-named film one of Commodus’ 
lines: "It vexes me. I'm terribly vexed.” 


OFFICIAL PS MAG—CHRIS B: Gladiator's 
first 15 minutes are absolutely enthralling, 
as ol’ Thraxie boy does his gladiator thing 
against actual gladiators in an actual glad- 
iatorial arena. | hate false advertising. 
Once our hero hits Fantasyland, you real- 
ize just how crappy the combat system 
is—even when you do well, the overuse 
of particle effects surrounding Thrax 
means you can’t even see him as you 
fight. And while | don't find the save sys- 
tem as detrimental as Paul does, the 
obscene difficulty and ill-advised 
respawning locations really do blow. 


Publisher: Acclaim 


\cclaim Manchester 


ESRB: Mature 


www.acclaim.com 


108 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY « www.egmmag.com 








| 
SECRET WEAPONS 
OVER NORMANDY 


Beats watching the History Channel 


Joo inig И, 


Good: Top-flight graphics and presentation 


Bad: Some confounding missions 







From the Guy Behind: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter on PC 


CRISPIN: Take EA's Medal of Honor WWII- 
shooter series, bolt wings on it, and set it 
soaring high in the sky, and you have 
Secret Weapons Over Normandy. It has 
the same ultraslick presentation, with pre- 
mission pseudohistorical footage, a rous- 
ing orchestrated score, and visuals as 
pretty as the wild blue yonder. And, for the 
most part, the gameplay here is just as 
thrilling. You'll barnstorm prisoner-of-war 
camps, sink Japanese carriers, and fly 
cover for ground-based friendlies—with 
lots of dogfighting in between, of course. 
Just don’t expect to tangle with many 
crafty opponents; enemy squadrons rely 


“on sheer numbers rather than ace pilotry 


to chew up your six. And if the bogeys get 
uppity, you can slip into slow-mo aerial 
bullet time and pepper them at your 
leisure—an ability that makes the game a’ 
bit of a cinch. Still, unlike Shawn, | never 
thought the sorties got blah, although the 
lack of targeting and view options makes 
for confusing moments. But ultimately, 


‚ why must you wait so long to fly secret 


experimental planes in a game with the 
words “secret weapons” in its title? 


SHAWN: Secret Weapons sacrifices 
authenticity for fun. Historians will scoff at 
the impossible payloads, and accom- 
plished flyboys will wonder where gravity 
went, but I'd rather outmaneuver enemy 
aces and dive-bomb Axis depots than 
actually learn to fly. Vast environments 
and vibrant effects capture the magnitude 
of air combat, and, for the first half of the 
game, varied missions keep the action 
interesting. After a dozen sorties, however, 

















it gets old, and all but the most 
patient pilots will want to pop the canopy. 


JON D: Secret's bullet-time clock manipu- 
lation is a marginally cool idea, but | still 
found myself using it primarily to speed 
up my flight, which only meant enemies 
were blowing up my allies several times 
faster than normal. This is definitely not 
one for hardcore flight fans—the graphics 
are subpar, the physics nonexistent, and. 
the missions pretty pedestrian. | could see 
flight newbies glomming on to. Secret's 
“lite” war-sim approach, but you'll find 
better dogfighting elsewhere. 


тта 


A уе... i 
1 Friendly skies: Two players can take to 
wing together in cooperative missions. 





CRISPIN 


SHAWN 





THE VERDICTS 
(OUTOF 10) 
&л 
tn 
© 


JON D. 





Publisher: LucasArts 
Developer: Totally Games 
Players: 1-2 

ESRB: Teen 


www.lucasarts.com 


BAPTIZED IN 


BLOOD, 


A FAMILY’S 


TRAGIC 
DESTIN 


IS BORN. 





At the dawn of the second millennium, the first Belmont makes the ultimate sacrifice. And the destiny of a bloodline is decided. 
From the creators of Castlevania® Symphony of the Night™ and completely reinvented for its 3D debut on PlayStation®2, 
Castlevania? Lament of Innocence" reveals the true origins of the vampire-hunting Belmonts and their tireless quest for Vlad 
Dracula. A thousand years ago, a legend was indeed born. And the dying hasn't stopped since. 





"Konami's classic adventure series looks drop dead 


gorgeous in 3D and plays brilliantly.” - PSM 


“The visuals at work here are simply magical.” - PLAY 


"What does it actually feel like to play? Damned fun." - EGM 





Blo 


Viole 
ESRB CONTENT RATING ОЙ 





www.konami.com/usa 





CASTLEVANIA®, Lament of Innocence™ and Symphony of the Night™ are either registered trademarks or trademarks of KONAMI CORPORATION. © 1986 2003 KONAMI & Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo. “PlayStation” and the "PS" 
Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. KONAMI@ is a registered trademark of KONAMI CORPORATION. All rights reserved. 


0 


review Crew: 


come mascots 


роо xB, GC f 
CRASH NITRO 
KART 


This kart needs a tune-up 


ы. оро. 
et 
T ЫН 


3/3. 1973 a 2 
W (Left) The multiplayer action isn't as fun as it looks. (Right) Hope you really like neon colors. 





wid 


1 Spawn's signature cape stays tucked away most of the time...we’re not sure where, exactly. 


—— 
SPAWN: 
ARMAGEDDON 


Don't cut a deal with this devil 








1 Dare to go where hellspawn has gone before—to the bleeding edge of sci-fi stupidity. 


110 © ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com 


Good: Controls well enough 
Bad: Multiplayer modes lack intensity 
Crash: And burn 


G. FORD: Crash is an interesting beast. Not 
in a bandicoot sense, but in regard to his 
new karting gig. For everything Nitro Kart 
does right, it does something frustratingly 
wrong—not the least of which is being 
released alongside the new Mario Kart. 

CNK's Adventure mode delivers harm- 
less single-player action, with interesting 
stuff such as boss challenges and team 
aspects, but it becomes annoying when 
you're forced to replay tracks with nonsen- 
sical requirements. For example, trying to 
finish in first while picking up arbitrarily 
placed letters or smashing clock-stopping 
boxes doesn’t make for a good time. 

The boost system—in which you link 
boosts by catching air, hitting pads, and 
powersliding—is another failed attempt at 
innovation. Having to press two buttons for 
the powersliding boost is just clunky. 

And then there’s the multiplayer. Two- 
player cup races are enjoyable, but three- 
and four-player bouts lack intensity, thanks 
to bigger-than-necessary maps, ineffective 
weapons, and slower-than-normal game- 
play. Nitro Kart doesn't offer the fast-paced, 
fluid fun | expect from a kart racer. 


5.5 6.0 5.5 


GREG 0. 


G. FORD DEMIAN 


Good: Better than the PS1 Spawn game 


Bad: Dull graphics and derivative gameplay 
Fear: Laughable enemies, like Bullydozer 





He's a demon who'd rather do 
good than the devil’s bidding, and if that 
sounds familiar, you haven’t heard the half 
of it. A gun in each hand and a blade on his 
back, Spawn hunts escapees from hell, 
harvesting souls to spend on power-ups. 
You could call it Devil May Spawn, but 
Armageddon doesn’t compare to the game 
it shamelessly copies. 

The action isn’t bad—just appallingly 
generic. Spawn’s symbiotic costume and 
profane powers could’ve been put to more 
clever use than what you get here: fireballs 
and obligatory bullet time. And it's hard to. 
be enthusiastic about fighting endless 
waves of cornball fiends seemingly 
snatched from the margins of some fifth- 
grader’s math homework. One of the boss- 
es, for example, is a demented, silly-looking 
bulldozer with a perverse compulsion to 
expose his one weak spot. And before you 
accuse me of singling out Bullydozer's 
monumentally bad design, | should add that 
there's an ape with a robotic arm (perhaps 
for hurling feces at lethal velocity?). Even 
those who are hard up for high-flying 
action should find their fix elsewhere. 


(OUT OF 10) 








THE VERDICTS 


SHAWN JOHN R. 








SCOOTER 


llo 
DEMIAN: Poor Crash. The little guy keeps 
pumping those stumpy marsupial legs, but 
he's still miles behind Mario—or in this 
case, Mario Kart: Double Dash!! (GC). Crash 
Nitro Kart is a fairly limp effort; aside from 
a whole bunch of new tracks and better 
graphics, not much has been done to 
update the series. The gameplay feels 
nearly identical to Crash Team Racing's 
(PS1), even down to the speed-boosting 
wumpa fruits, so if you loved it before, 
you'll still love it, and if not...not. 


XBN—GREG 0: The unflavored yogurt of 
the kart-racing set, Crash Nitro Kart has its 
heart in the right place. Sadly, said heart is 
stillborn. Powered by the charismatic Crash 
Bandicoot and featuring a solid multiplayer 
mode, CNK takes few chances; it's as 
generic in look as it is in feel. CNK offers 
standard weapons, predictably themed 
tracks with lots of jumps but few hairpin 
curves to challenge drivers, and a toned- 
down difficulty level to keep frustrating 
losses to a minimum. Oh, and what's with 
the lamest unlockable ever: the ability to. 
rewatch cut-scenes? 


Publisher: VU Games 
Developer: Vicarious Visions 
XB, GC: 1-4 

1-2 (2-4 w/ Multitap) 
ESRB: Everyone 


www.vugames.com 





Jd 
A 








My first impression 
of Spawn was not a good one; I've never 
been a fan of the comic, and I'm one of the 
few who wasn’t all that enamored with 
Devil May Cry, the game it very obviously 
draws its inspiration from. Now, after 
spending the six hours it took me to finish 
the game, | can at least confirm that it’s the 
best Spawn outing to date...which isn’t say- 
ing much. Armageddon's got a nice engine 
and good controls, but the levels are dull, 
the action is repetitive, and the camera can 
be a real pain. A rental at best. 


Spawn 
went from bad to worse for me. While 1 
applaud the absurdity of things such as the 
Spider-Tank and the Bullydozer bosses, I'm 
depressed by the cliché “puzzles,” the hor- 
rid level design (some levels are literally a 
bare room with respawning enemies), and 
the megaboring action. | stopped reading 
Spawn when that stupid cyborg gorilla Cy- 
Gor first appeared (issue #40). | should 
have followed my youthful instinct and 
bailed when Cy-Gor appeared in the game, 
since it just went downhill from there. 
Publisher: Namco 
Developer: Point of View 
Players: 1 
ESRB: Mature 





Www.namco.com 


court.” 
mePro 





SLAMMAJAMMA 


THROW DOWN THE НАММА INBA 


MADSKILLIN' CROWD THRILLIN’ D-U-N-K-S... 

NOW THAT’S WHAT YOU CALL A LITTLE SUMPM SUMPM, SUPERFLY. 

Classic NBA JAM gameplay is back: * Hotspots * Current & Classic NBA Arenas * Playground P 

Courts * Funkadelic Tracks * NBA Legends Tournament * "Colorful" Commentary www.nbajam.com 





J What's more extreme than 
catching mad air in Moscow? 


xy CD 


(P52 ONLY) 


TONY HAWK'S 





The daily grind ain't so bad 


For each of the last four years, the Tony 

Hawk series has given us the best action-sports 
games on the planet. But amidst the acclaim have 
been mutterings of its formula growing stale. If 
fans are gonna lay down 50 beans each year, they 
want more. Well, Neversoft has made some strides 
by putting old-man Hawk on the sidelines in favor 
of you. By either incorporating your digital mug into 
the game (PS2 version only) or using the more- 
than-adequate Create-a-Skater mode, you star in 
THUG's impressive Story mode. The idea of a nar- 
rative in a skating game may seem odd, but it 
works well here. You start as a no-name skate- 
boarder from New Jersey with aspirations of one 
day becoming a pro. By catching the eyes of pros, 
joining a team, and getting sponsored, you see your 
dream come to fruition. It's quite compelling and a 
welcome change. 

But two things keep THUG's score down. First, 
besides Hawaii, none of the levels stand out as 
overly memorable. Second, while THUG offers some 


Creating a Monster 

By far one of THUG’s coolest features 
is the ability to put your face onto a 
created character (PS2 version only). 
After taking a face-on digital mug shot 


of yourself (making sure the lighting is 
even across it), e-mail it to Neversoft 
to receive a code that lets you down- 
load your image from its servers. Once 
this is done, follow these steps, as 
demonstrated by our own Ms. Tsao. 


112 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com 


El First, mark key points 
оп your face—eyes, 
nose, and mouth—per 
the instructions 


innovation, it remains fundamentally the same 
game. So, if you're sick of grinding a bench, manu- 
aling into a half-pipe, and then pulling off a 
McTwist, this won't bring you back. But if that’s not 
the case, don't hesitate to head underground. 


Even a 9.0 feels low for a Tony Hawk 
game. This franchise's life-affirming combo sys- 
tem, thrilling levels, and bulletproof gameplay con- 
tinue to dazzle, year after year. THUG's newfangled 
Story mode is truly compelling (my skater really 
looks like me!). | also enjoyed getting off my deck 
to reach new heights—literally, and figuratively 
with all the new combo possibilities. Plus, cool 
multiplayer modes—especially the new Firefight— 
will keep you on your little bruised toes online. 

So why ain't | lettin’ the platinum love flow? 
Fundamentally, Hawk hasn't evolved enough. It's 
still basically a laundry list of goals, and the levels, 
though well designed and fun, feel recycled; they 
just don’t take my breath away like last year’s. And 


H Next, fiddle with these 
color sliders until your 
skin tone matches the 
color around it. 





19 Now the fun begins. 
Even wonder what you'd 
look like with purple 
liberty spikes? 


ЕШ] 


srecead 





Iron Man is confounded by his strangest adventure yet— 
on-foot action in a goat-filled world gone mad. 





am | the only one who 
thinks the “extreme” ambi- 
ence (once so very übercool) 
is getting a tad passé? 


The thing that makes THUG so 
damn good is that it allows for infinite customiza- 
tion, all of which is uploadable to Neversoft's 
servers (on the must-have PS2 version). What this 
means is that if you should ever grow tired of mak- 
ing your own skaters, moves, parks, and events, 
you can always download everyone else’s cre- 
ations. Since the control is as tight as ever and the 
graphics the best the series has seen yet, | can’t 
wait to gleam the cube in Greg’s Boston Brewery 
Theme Park. And should Greg lose interest in play- 
ing as himself, he can download SkateMilky (com- 
plete with exclusive, face-melting guitar-solo 
moves) and the New York 4Ever park and see what 
it's like to really grind. If that isn’t awesome, | don't 
know what is. 


Wl If the whole process 
pisses you off, go all 
Hulk—or, in Jen's case, 
all She-Hulk. 





THE VERDICTS 
(OUTOF 10) 











G. FORD 


Publisher: Activision 
Developer: Neversoft 
Players: 1-2 

(2-8 online PS2 only) 
ESRB: Teen 


JENNIFER MILKMAN 


www.activision.com 


савр 


Visit www.esrb.org е 5 
or call 1-800-771-3772 | TODD McFARLANE 


for more info. ; PlayStation ә N T 





Г. 


ч 








© 2003 Rockstar Games, Inc. The Fi logo is a registered trademark of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. Max Payne and the Max Payne logo are registered trademarks. 
of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. Remedy and the Remedy logo are trademarks of Remedy Entertainment, Ltd “PlayStation” and the "PS" Family logo are registered 
trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Microsoft, Xbox, and the Xbox logos are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. 
and/or other countries and are used under license from Microsoft. The ratings icon is а registered trademark of the Entertainment Software Association. All rights reserved. 





“AN INTENSE STORY, AN INSANE AMOUNT OF DETAIL, AND EVEN MORE WONDERFUL GAMEPLAY.” 
GRADE: A. UGO 


"AS ADRENALINE-PUMPING AS ANYTHING YOU'D SEE ON THE SILVER SCREEN." 
***** GAMESPY 


"STUNNING...MAX PAYNE 2 IS JUST A REMARKABLE PRODUCTION." 
EDITORS' CHOICE AWARD. GAMESPOT 





MAX PAYNE 2 
THE FALL OF MAX PAYNE 


A FILM NOIR LOVE STORY 


WWW.ROCKSTARGAMES.COM/MAXPAYNE2 
WWW.MAXPAYNE2.COM 


MATURE 17+ ; 

: Intense Violence ре X а) і 1 F 
Strong Language i 

М er" am PlayStation.2 : 

ha хвох REMEDY Р 



























review crew: 
multiplatform 


W You can unlock the Michigan Fab Five—without booster money, even! 


EUN e 





ESPN COLLEGE HOOPS 


No trip to the big dance this year 


Good: Deep recruiting system 
Bad: Plays too much like an NBA game 
Fun: Trying out the mascot teams 


BRYAN: ESPN Videogames arguably 
delivers today's best pro basketball offer- 
ing, yet misses the mark when it comes 
to the university hardwood. By no means 
is ESPN College Hoops a poor showing, 
but it does falter in some key areas. For 
starters, the graphics aren't up to par 
with those in ESPN NBA Basketball, and 
the camera is too slow when panning 
around after a change in possession 
(totally disrupting the natural upbeat 
tempo of fast breaks). Also, teams rarely 
play a true college brand of b-ball; most 
squads won't ever attempt to pressure or 
trap the ball handler, both of which are 
very prominent in EA’s game. 

One area ESPN College Hoops suc- 
ceeds big time in is recruiting. Almost 
nothing is more important in college ath- 
letics, and here it's given its just due. 
Throughout the season, you'll continually 
Scout and converse with players via e- 
mail. The whole process is so involving 
it's practically a game within itself. Sadly, 
this innovative feature and the boatload 
of unlockables aren't enough, as this one 
still feels too much like a pro game in 
college clothing. 


VERDICTS 
(OUT OF 10) 


BRYAN PATRICK 


6.5 7.5 6.5 


GIANCARLO 






PATRICK: Sega...excuse me, 

ESPN Videogames’ college game is defi- 
nitely a tournament qualifier, but not the 
national champ. The new features rule— 
you can create your own school, slam 
through a dunk contest, and explore the 
revamped Legacy mode. Plus, the slick 
ESPN presentation replicates what you 
see on the tube from November through 
March (sans Dickie V). Sadly, although the 
title looks amazing, the gameplay feels a 
little stiff. In attempting to create the 
most realistic college experience, Sega 
took some of the fun out of the game. 


OFFICIAL PS MAG—GIANCARLO: This 
game has all the characteristics of col- 
lege basketball, but closer inspection 
reveals a lack of follow-through. For 
example, while teams play in the typical 
college zone defenses, a lot of the time 
they can be beaten by using pro b-ball 
tactics. The A.I. can be a little inconsis- 
tent, as well—passes in the open court 
are often deflected, while passes thrown 
by defenders in the paint go untouched. 
Still, it's not a bad game, but it needs to 
differentiate itself from its NBA sibling. 


Publisher: ESPN Videogames 
Developer: ESPN Videogames 
1-2 (2-8 w/ 
-10 online); 
Xbox: 1-4 (2-8 online) 
ESRB: Everyone 


www.espnvideogames.com 


116 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com 





(ОЗ 
(PS2 ОМУ) 


NCAA MARCH 


MADNESS 2004 


Prepare to cut down the nets 


A hand in that area of the body is really a personal foul. 






mm 


Good: Plays exactly how a college b-ball game should 


Bad: Graphics fail to impress 
Loudest Arena: Syracuse’s Carrier Dome 


You're dead wrong if you think the 
only difference between college and pro 
basketball is that one group is paid to 
play. Need proof? Try March Madness 
2004, and you'll really know what it's like 
competing at the collegiate level. It all 
Starts on the court, where everything is 
built around team-based play, instead of 
1-on-1 matchups. You'll face swarming 
full-court presses and tough zone defens- 
es galore—you'll have to pull off some 
Swift ball movement and sink long-range 
jumpers to stay alive. 

In terms of atmosphere, no other col- 
lege basketball game captures the sights 
and sounds of a university arena quite like 
this. If the raucous crowds aren't stomp- 
ing their feet, they're belting out school 
cheers and fight songs. Plus, the courts 
are littered with cheerleaders and rabble- 
rousing mascots. Ho-hum visuals and rou- 
tine recruitment options slightly damage 
the overall package, but EA’s game 
remains my choice for fans of the sport. 


Madness impresses with new, 
authentic offensive moves like the Pro 
Hop Power Dribble and the ability to 
choose between taking a jump shot or dri- 
ving to the hoop. Plus, a more complex 
defensive A.l. makes the simple pump 
fake less of a weapon. You still may get 
the defender in the air, but he's likely to 
pick your pocket as you attempt to drive 
by or swat your shot from behind. The 
ability to intercept inbound passes also 
beefs up the defense. From Midnight 
Madness to the Final Four, EA's effort 
emerges as the national champ. But hey, 





shouldn't announcer Dick 
Vitale be in ESPN's college hoops game? 


March 
Madness 2004 is much more than NBA 
Live Jr. In fact, EA has done a great job of 
taking this year's Live engine and making 
a wealth of adjustments to reflect the way 
college basketball is played. You actually 
have to dissect zone defenses and expose 
weaknesses to have any chance of taking 
а good shot. But Bryan’s right—it's the 
atmosphere that adds a little extra zing to 
the whole package: The fans’ chants and 
noises are incredible. It's definitely worth 
picking up if you're a college b-ball fan. 





Swarming defenses aplenty in this year’s 
edition of NCAA March Madness 2004. 





BRYAN PATRICK 





* 
Ss 

Bs 

EL I) а е 

28 

fe 

E 


GIANCARLO 





Publisher: EA Sports. 





Multitap, 2-4 online); 
Xbox: 1-4 
ESRB: Everyone 


www.easports.com 











Orune 
(PS2 ОМУ 





D FOR SPEED: 


UNDERGROUND 


Faster and more furious than expected 


Like some sort of car-based videogame 
version of Madonna, the Need for Speed series 
likes to reinvent itself every few years. This time, 
it's left behind the Smokey and the Bandit-style 
police chases of Hot Pursuit in favor of late-night 
street racing, which, as legions of suburbanites dri- 
ving lowered Civics can attest, is so hot right now. 

The biggest change to Underground, though, is 
visual. A lot of work has gone into conveying a 
sense of speed through camera shake and blur 
effects, and the result is pretty amazing. It’s some- 
thing you can’t appreciate until you see the game 
in motion, but when you do you'll wonder why 
other games haven't done it before—and you 
won't be surprised when, a year from now, every- 
one has “borrowed” the technique. 

Other aspects of Underground are less innova- 
tive. You'll follow a linear progression of races, 
unlocking upgrades along the way, but it's odd— 
even though you'll be flush with cash, you can’t 
buy even minor add-ons like tinted windows until 


Mod Squad 

Underground goes 

way beyond the 

usual performance 

tweaks found in 

most racing games. : 


Cosmetic upgrades 
are crucial for 
increasing your repu- 
tation and upping 
your style points. 


lady) of discerning tastes. 






118 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com 


Body Kits: Front and rear bumper 
treatments and side skirts show the 
world that you’re a gentleman (or 


the game lets you. The tracks are also quite repeti- 
tive; the game takes place in a single city, and the 
same bits show up in one race after another. 

Still, the actual racing can be intensely fun. The 
drift races are especially good—these style-point 
challenges take place on special tracks and are the 
best way to get a feel for the handling differences 
between cars. If you're in the market for a fast, 
arcadey racer, check out this little number. 


If, like me, you're interested in import tun- 
ing, but lack the cash to build (and insure) a com- 
petitive car, you can't do much better than this. 
From tail lights to tinted windows, body kits to 
bumpers, everything's tweakable, and you'll spend 
hours dressing up your four-wheeled doll. 
Performance, of course, is more important than 
appearance, and Underground boasts better han- 
dling than any other arcade racer. It's also faster. 
As you barrel down back alleys burning nitrous, the 
camera wobbles and lights smear to expertly simu- 


with a capital C. 





Neon: Choose from two varieties and 
12 eye-catching colors of neon, then 
pick a window tint to match. Classy 





late reckless speed. Demian’s dead-on about the 
upgrade system, though. The biggest risks in street Ё 
racing are taken with your wallet, yet you'll never 3 
face a difficult decision when writing a check for 
your next secret weapon in these races. 


Forget about Midnight Club Il. Take it 
from someone who's studied that silly Vin Diesel 
movie frame by frame: Underground is, without a 
doubt, the best approximation there is to 
Hollywood's rendition of illegal street racing. This 
game captures perfectly the illicit thrills and cocky 
one-upmanship of fringe racing. By combining 
real-life autos and aftermarket parts with totally 
unrealistic—but ultimately fun—car physics, 
Underground is a unique adrenaline rush through a 
psychedelic neon wonderland. The game’s success 
rides largely on the way it constantly rewards you 
with goodies for your car, from performance mods 
to cosmetic makeovers. Underground is an awe- 
some way to revive this aging franchise. 


Vinyl: Layer up to four different vinyl 
decals on your pride and joy. Finding 
your ride in a crowded parking lot has 
never been easier 





(OUT OF 10) 





THE VERDICTS 









DEMIAN 


Publisher: EA Games 

Developer: Black Box 

Players: 1-2 (2-4 online PS2 only) 
ESRB: Everyone 


www.eagames.com 







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Thelines betweenqood and evil 
К aie blurred and all thatthe believes 
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Possess the fury of Ryu Hayabusa 
as you destroy your opponents using 
lethal ninja weapons and cunning 
skill. Your mission: to annihilate 

A ешш feet the Holy 
,. Emperor, reclaiming the magical 

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СЕТ PAULUS 
review Crew: 


multiplatform 


BATTLESTAR 
GALACTICA 


Finally play as a young Lorne Greene 






GOBLIN COMMANDE 
UNLEASH THE HORDE 


Controlling goblins for fun and profit 





Take manual control of your ogre and crush the competition...as in, actual crushing. 


120 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com 


Bad: Frustrating mission objectives 


CRISPIN: This slick-looking space shooter 
certainly packs snazzier visuals than the 
creaky old TV series (although, in a nice 
retro touch, it does zap out the same toy 
ray-gun sound effects). And once the 
game reminded me what the show was 
actually about (it has been a while), | dug 
diving back into the Galactica universe. 
Until the cruel mission design started 
blasting my buzz. One early turret level is 
plain ol’ busted, forcing you to defend the 
Galactica battleship from a torpedo bar- 
rage that seemingly can’t be shot down. 


= Survive that (by pure luck), and you move 


on to a mission that demands 10 minutes 
of ho-hum formation flight in a stolen 
enemy ship, only to have you repeat the 
tedious process over and over when you 
flub the tricky follow-up objectives. 

In fact, many mission goals are just not 
clear and require a lot of trial and error to 
figure out. A lack of targeting options 
(despite otherwise excellent control) turns 
one escort stage into a total nightmare. 
Outside of a few nifty levels, the game just 
feels like it was launched before all sys- 
tems were go. 


Е VERDICTS 
It OF 10) 


КОЕШ MARK 


Good: Lots of variety between missions. And very addictive. 


Good: Better special effects than the old show’s 


Where Oh Where Is: That damn robodog? 






MARK: Battlestar looks sharp, 

although just seeing all the old ships and 
hearing the trademark laser sounds (“рее- 
ear, pee-ear") would've been enough to 
make this old-timer happy. Controls are 
responsive and surprisingly deep, with 
maneuvers that let you match a target's 
speed, issue orders to wingmen, and exe- 
cute barrel rolls. Problem is the game is 
about as friendly as a Cylon; there's no 
tutorial to ease you into all those moves or 
the different mission types, and the diffi- 
culty spikes at odd moments, making 
some levels painfully tedious. 


OFFICIAL PS MAG—SCOOTER: Battlestar 
Galactica is frustrating both in the game- 
playing and reviewing sense. | like the 
general story line, | love the production 
values, and | totally dig the nostalgia of 
blasting old-school Cylons. Yet the mis- 
sions are just so brutally hard (especially 
ones that involve protecting someone) that 
all fun gets seriously dampened, making it 
a chore to make it to the later levels. 
Ultimately, | think it's a worthy flight, but 
only if you have a high tolerance. 


Publisher: VU Games 
Developer: Warthog 
Players: 1 

ESRB: Teen 


SCOOTER 


battlestargalacticagame.com 





Bad: Might be too simplified for some strategy fans. 
Best Advanced Unit: Giant spiked hamster ball! 


Fans of real-time strategy games such 
as StarCraft and Command & Conquer like- 
ly assume they won't get any worthwhile 
titles outside PC, but that's just not so. 
Developed by folks who worked on 
Blizzard's WarCraft series, Goblin 
Commander is the best original RTS game 
ever to grace a console system. 

See, the problem that console strategy 
titles face is re-creating the mouse and 
keyboard PC interface on a controller. But 
Commander handles this issue better than 
any in the past by simplifying the com- 
mands so that each army type can be con- 
trolled by a single button and allowing you 
to take direct control over units when nec- 
essary. Streamlined resource management 
also ups the fun: It’s easy to snag gold by 
simply busting up the environments. 

If Goblin Commander sounds like a 
dumbed-down RTS, that’s probably an apt 
description, but it’s still an extremely 
playable game with excellent level design. 
Sure, it lacks the depth of PC strategy 
games (and it has a few warts—which 
Scooter had more of a problem with than | 
did), but on consoles, it rules the roost. 





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SCOOTER 








These goblins stick to 
their stereotypes: They're good at destroy- 
ing and pillaging, not so good at behaving 
strategically, and downright bad at commu- 
nicating. Commander makes it easy to whip 
up a band of marauders and send them 
into the fray (the classic RTS build-attack- 
repeat pattern) —but forget about pulling 
your forces back from a losing battle or 
sussing out the enemy's positions without 
engaging them. Tactically, it’s pretty boring, 
but if you can get into the goblins’ expend- 
able-offense mindset, it’s a smashing time. 


Allow me to 
play the role of the cranky, has-played-too- 
many-RTS-games-on-PC reviewer. There 
isn’t much actual unit balance here (after 
researching the most expensive unit, 
there's no strategic reason to use earlier 
ones, besides cost), the A.I. is neither smart 
пог resourceful (I've never seen it gather 
resources or repair structures), and you 
can't make control groups (the bread and 
butter of any competent RTS player). I'll 
give the game credit for letting me directly 
control the units. Otherwise, it’s just “eh.” 
Publisher: Jaleco 
Developer: Jaleco 
Players: 1-2 
ESRB: Teen 


www.goblincommander.com 


Use the streets of Floren show your friends 
the true mea 


EVERYONE, 3 
Mild Lyrics . 
comer en РЕШ «Га 


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realistic international cities including Sydney, Chicago, Barcelona, Yokohama 


and Moscow. With PGR™2, winning never looked so good. it's good to play together 
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MEDAL OF HONOR: 


he already famous 
first l&vel is one of 


ON. Rising Sun's finest. 


RISING SUN 


Dishonorable discharge 


It may be called Rising Sun, but I'd say the 
sun's starting to set on the Medal of Honor series. 

The game does have its moments: Escaping 
from the bowels of a Pearl Harbor carrier, infiltrat- 
ing a secret meeting of the enemy command, rid- 
ing shotgun on a gunboat or in the back of a 
truck—most of Rising Sun's gameplay is solid-but- 
predictable first-person shooting, but each mission 
has a special event or two that stands out. As for 
replay, alterations to levels for the two-player co-op 
mode is reason enough to pick the game back up 
after the seven or so hours it will take you to finish 
the first time through. 

The problems—and they are big problems—are 
with the А.І. and graphics. The vast burned-out 
Cities and dense jungle levels are ambitious in 
design, but in execution they look drab and sim- 
plistic. Convincing outdoor environments are 
always tough to pull off, but the big green walls, 
angular trees, and blurry textures in Rising Sun 
don't come close. As for enemy behavior, it's so 





122 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com 


embarrassingly bad at times, it's hard not to laugh. 
Japanese soldiers don't react to gunshots whizzing 
by, can often be found inexplicably staring at walls, 
and slowly spin in a circle when they miss with 
bayonet attacks, searching for a new target like a 
broken robot. It's not enough to completely ruin the 
game, but this kind of lazy execution makes me 
wonder how much life this franchise has left in it. 


Aside from a few moments of forgivable 
melodrama, Rising Sun handles its Pacific theater 
setting surprisingly well. From Pearl Harbor to the 
Philippines to a dense Burmese jungle, the player’s 
progress through the game follows the Allies’ path 
to victory, which is quite cool. 

Otherwise, Rising Sun is a mediocre affair. Flat 
backdrops, jagged vegetation, and contrived obsta- 
cles destroy any sense of historical immersion. 
Characters don't even face you when they're talk- 
ing to you—they turn to a predetermined direction 
and recite their lines whether you're nearby or not. 


Give Peace a Chance 
Ever notice how anytime you get 
behind a large gun embankment 
in the Medal of Honor games, 
about 100 enemies suddenly 


appear and charge right at you, 
just asking to be shot down? 
Next time, resist the temptation 
and just walk on by that tempt- 
ing machine gun or big can- 
non—no bad guys, nothing. 









And the enemy is entirely predictable, so even the. 
firefights quickly become rote. This tour of duty is 
fit for serious war buffs only. 


Rising Sun's depiction of Pearl Harbor and 
America's part in the war to follow is on par with a 
Hollywood feature. Unfortunately, it's also as much 
a victim of bad acting as most summer block- 
busters. When a soldier, either friend or foe, isn't em 
saying something stupid, he's often doing some- | 
thing stupid. No matter how stunning the set, it 
takes only a few missed cues to taint a shot, and 
here it seems like the А.І. forgot to read the script. 

Rising Sun's bang-to-buck ratio is high, but the 
epic presentation sometimes overshadows the 
gameplay. Some 35 percent of the action clamps 
you to rails and turrets in scripted sequences 
where every enemy seems determined to run or 
fly directly into your line of fire. Even so, | couldn't 
put this game down, if only to witness the next 
astonishing level. 





Rising Sun could have used more exciting scripted 
events like this POW rescue scene. 





THE VERDICTS 
(QUT OF 10) 











MARK 


Publisher: EA Games 

Developer: EA Games 

Players: 1-4 (2-8 online PS2 only) 
ESRB: Teen 


PAUL SHAWN 


www.eagames.com 





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_| Wake the sleeping Smaug and you’re barbecue іп the game's best, nist tense Jevel. 


THE HOBBIT 


Where there's a wimp, there's a way 


Good: Clever puzzles 
Bad: Blah fetch-the-item quests 


Mood Music: Leonard Nimoy's "Ballad of Bilbo Baggins" 


CRISPIN: If you're a grown-up gamer 
whose mental image of Middle-earth is of 
blood-smeared swords, raving orcs, and 
other nightmare snapshots from Peter 
Jackson's trilogy, you'll likely dismiss The 
Hobbit as a squeaky-clean Tolkien adapta- 
tion for tots. And that's a shame, because 
under the overly colorful graphics and so- 
cute-they’re-ugly character designs lies a 
fun, little adventure. 

The gameplay and sprawling environ- 
ments are scraped from the Legend of 
Zelda mold, with crafty puzzles and an 
emphasis on stealth—thanks to the invisi- 
bility-granting ring—and platform hop- 
ping. Fuzzy-toed hero Bilbo does get 
bogged down in tedious fetch-the-doodad 
missions later in his quest. In fact, the 
game flat-out misses some opportunities 
from the book. It glosses over Bilbo's 
snatching of the troublesome ring from 
Gollum (the whole exchange happens in a 
cinema), but then we get entire levels 
based on finding firewood and solving 
crime for townsfolk. Maybe the tykes 
crave that kind of busy work, but mature 
gamers demand more—like a hero who 
doesn't look fresh out of training pants. 


6.55.0 


CRISPIN JOE 


Т0 


CHRIS В. 


JOE: Tolkien purists will no doubt be 
thrilled to hear that this game lovingly re- 
creates the beloved prequel's lengthy plat- 
form-jumping passages. Yow. The Hobbit 
plays like a mix of Zelda and Tomb 
Raider—and fittingly has a lead character 
that looks like a blend of the two lines’ 
heroes: an awful, pointy-eared little girl. 
Sure, like Crispin says, The Hobbit isn't a 
terrible game, but its sketchy camera, 
imprecise controls, and lackluster combat 
relegate it to the realm of the terribly 
average to me. l've been there and back 
again, and next time, I'm staying home. 


OFFICIAL PS MAG—CHRIS B: So what if 
Bilbo looks like an Ape Escape reject? Any 
Tolkien fan should still get a kick out of 
this adaptation of The Hobbit. As an 
action-platformer, the game brings almost 
every book chapter to life through some 
long (sometimes foo long) levels full of 
simple yet interesting puzzle-solving and 
fun combat. A faulty camera and some 
sloppy rope-jumping cause many cheap 
deaths, but you never feel overly frustrat- 
ed—just kind of annoyed. The Smaug 
level alone makes it all worthwhile. 


Inevitable 


ESRB: Everyone. 


thehobbits.sierra.com 


124 + ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com 








PS2, XB, GC 


R: RACING EVOLUTION 


Namco misses the podium 


Good-bye, snazzy Ridge Racer cities. Hello, county fair! 


Good: The cars look great 
Bad: Slow, plodding game progression 
Feels Like You're: Driving on ice 


The Ridge Racer series has 
always been about arcade-style driving. 
Sail off into the corners at full speed, 
swing the rear end around, jam the gas, 
and head down the straight. With Racing 
Evolution, Namco opts to inject a bit of 
realism into the game, transforming it into 
a dull jack-of-all-trades hybrid. 

The developers try to spice things up a 
bit with a Story mode that forces you to 
play through various types of racing in 
order to unlock new vehicles. But the 
action on the track is mediocre, especially 
once you realize you'll have to wrestle 
with the touchy control on the same 
tracks in the same cars over and over. 

One facet of the Ridge Racer legacy 
goes mercifully untouched—presentation. 
Rimpresses with shiny rides, lifelike 
Courses, and gorgeous cinemas. But these 
skin-deep looks can't mask the fact that A 
doesn't stand out in any category. You 
want a better pure racing sim? Play Gran 
Turismo 3 or Sega GT. Arcade racer? 
Project Gotham 2 and Burnout 2 destroy 
this. Unless you’re a bona fide Ridge 
Racer fanatic, there's no reason to play А. 


HOE: А straddles the median, never com- 
mitting to being a full-on simulation game, 
but never being as arcadey as its Ridge 
Racer ancestors, either. Unfortunately, the 
results ain't one of those "best of both 
worlds" things: Ridge racers will hate 
Spinning out every time they approach a 
turn too fast, yet serious drivers can find 
much deeper games elsewhere. The Story 
mode is interesting, because it teaches 
you how to drive properly (and features 


THE VERDICTS 
(OUT OF 10) 








GREG S. 


SHOE 


Record} 


km 





hot rendered chicks). At the same time, it 
forces you :o play certain circuits and race 
types in order... 


R's take on obsessive racing 
realism is a miserable failure. It gets the 
basics down—beautiful real-life cars and 
courses—but forgets the most vital ingre- 
dient: gameplay. As a driving sim, А feels 
watered down, with twitchy, frustrating 
controls and zero customization options. 
As an arcade racer, the game lacks any 
sense of danger, requiring you to brake 
into corners and speed out of them with 
as little drifting as possible. А is neither 
here nor there...nowhere you'd want to be. 





Ever wondered why replays always look 


better than the real game? We have, too. 


Publisher: Namco 
Déveloper: Namco 
Players: 1-2 
ESRB: Teen 


www.namco.com 


NAMM CEO HITS 


www.namco.com 


~Gamers.com 


www.deadtorights.com 


Xhox? Platinum Hits and PlayStation?2 Greatest Hits editions available now. ONLY $19 


PM 71 1 t. 


Take down thugs using slo-mo gunplay, Muscle your way through 15 chapters Command your K-9 sidekick to attack 
lethal disarms and human shields. of Hong Kong movie-style action. enemies and retrieve weapons. 


We — аа 





A EVERYONE 
: lor 
PlayStation.e y crure. 


ISROAOBAND AND DIALUP 


nba.com 


NBA ShootOut is a trademark of NBA Properties, Inc. The NBA and individual NBA member team identifications used on or in this product are trademarks, copyrighted designs and other forms of intellectual 
Properties, Inc. ©2003 NBA Properties, Inc. All rights reserved. 989 Sports and the 989 s logo are trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. Developed by 989 Sports. ©2003 Sony 
trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment In 





Bring home the NBA. 


NBA ShootOut” 2004 puts you in the paint with the pros. Go online and track your progress versus all 
he other ballers in the country with a real-time sports ticker, 64-man tournaments and in-depth career 
eporting. Use the USB headset (for PlayStation.2) to execute more than 40 new voice-recognition 
commands. Call plays, time-outs, screens, picks and double-teams, and to talk up your game with 
he new online chat feature. Prove that you've got enough game, and a seat on the bus could be yours. 


property of NBA Properties, Inc. 


nd the respective NBA member teams may not be used in whole or in part without the prior written consent of NBA 
omputer Entertainme: 


Inc. Licensed for use with the PlayStation game console. “PlayStation” and the “PS” Family logo are registered 
www. IBI SPORTS ‘com 





гемеш сгеш: 
multiplatform 


WIZARD 
SCORE WEALTH 
© 


INSERT COIN 


1 COIN = 
700 HEALTH 


A TART GAMES 


MIDWAY ARCADE 


TREASURES 


ke, you know, the good ol’ days 





Explore the lighter side of small-animal abuse by hitting things with a rabbit on a chain, 


LII 
WHIPLASH 


When something’s going wrong, you must whip it 





Я 
A x 
ме. & 
P 
: Ls 
PM 
cas 


Laboratory antics abound—the entire game takes place inside Genron Corp. 


128 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com 


Good: Most of the classics on this 20-game roster 
Bad: Little kids who can’t understand why Robotron rules 
Go Ahead, Show Off: On High Score Live (through Xbox Live) 


SHOE: You're probably expecting a lot of 
old-man talk about how good gaming used 
to be in its 2D heydays, how these classics 
are better than most of the 3D junk you see 
today, and how kids should appreciate the 
pure gameplay these time-tested titles 
have to offer. Well, | ain't here to disappoint, 
so here goes. 

This incredible compilation is a dream 
team of sorts for anyone old enough to 
remember having to go out to play the best 
videogames. Gauntlet, Smash TV, Joust, 
Defender, Root Beer Tapper, Marble 
Madness, Rampart... | mean, c'mon—| 
don't care how much saying this dates me, 
but these arcade games are sweet! | mean, 
rad! These games—more old-man talk 
incoming—aren't about flashy graphics or 
deep gameplay. They're about hand-eye 
coordination, lightning-fast reflexes, stami- 
na, and getting into that zone where every- 
thing comes together just right, and you 
walk away with a high score that brings a 
bigger smile to your face than you'll ever 
get watching a cinematic ending to a 40- 
hour role-playing game. If you can relate, 
brother, then you must buy this disc. 


THE VERDICTS 


SHOE 


Good: Top-notch physical humor 
Bad: Confusing level layouts 


8.5 7.5 8.5 


CJ: Treasures is an affordable trip down 
memory lane. But it's a well-trodden 
path...and this collection isn’t taking the 
SC route. The biggest disappointment is 
that the extra interviews, trivia, and gal- 
leries are all repeats from old Midway com- 
pilations, complete with grainy PS1-quality 
video. Then some of the games limit you to 
just a handful of credits. Why? If | was play- 
ing these games in an arcade, | could put 
as many tokens in as | wanted. l'Il still rec- 
ommend it for the selection of arcade-per- 
fect games, but | was hoping for more. 


GAMENOW—PHIL: Why must CJ focus on 
the negatives? Sure, the bonus materials 
are pretty lame (see Activision Anthology 
on PS2 for proper extras), but who cares 
when you have a collection of a couple 
dozen great old arcade games? Unlike 
most classic compilations, the bulk of 
games here are still legitimately fun to play. 
You get a couple friends on Smash TV or 
Gauntlet with you, and you'll be hooked for 
hours. And considering you get all these 
timeless games for a mere 20 bucks, 
there’s no reason not to buy it. 


Publisher: Midway 
Developer: Midway 
Players: 1-4 
ESRB: Teen 


PHIL 


www.midway.com. 


Also Known As: Jak and Daxter's Bondage Adventure 


Whiplash is an action-platforming 
romp that gleefully uses a meek little rabbit 
оп а chain to destroy a major corporation. 
Twisted? Perhaps, but the game's unique 
layout befits its nontraditional story. The 
entire adventure unfolds like one continu- 
ous escape scene, with minibosses and 
checkpoints along the way. Luckily, it never 
feels too monotonous, because something 
as simple as getting to and using an eleva- 
tor might spawn a two-hour quest. But 
since the only consistent form of interac- 
tion in Whiplash puts every person and 
object at the trailing end of a bunny chain- 
whip, the mass destruction does get old. 
But the spirit of the sadistic, bitter minds 
that spawned this idea thrives throughout 
the game—finding new ways to test the 
limits of the durable Redmond rabbit was 
what kept me going. 

Unfortunately, | spent most of my time 
trying to distinguish doorways and corri- 
dors from one another. Most look so similar 
that it’s hard to tell if you’re backtracking or 
progressing without constantly checking a 
map. Still, any platform fan with a quirky 
sense of humor owes this one a rental. 


(OUT OF 10) 





THE VERDICTS 

















At the very least, 
Whiplash deserves praise for trying some- 
thing different. But while | love Whiplash's 
over-the-top concept and humor, its game- 
play and graphics languish in a sea of aver- 
ageness. You wander from room to all-too- 
Similar room, struggling with a map system 
that's too convoluted to be useful and 
unclear goals that lead to too much trial 
and error. When there are so many great 
platformers to play, Whiplash’s faults over- 
shadow its triumphs, making it easy to 
throw in the “if | ever have time” pile. 


I'll admit it. | am smitten. Spanx and 
Redmond are the cutest little bobbins I've 
seen in a U.S.-developed platformer since... 
well, since ever. Their game's a ton of fun, 
too, with solid controls, diverse level 
designs, and perfect difficulty. The sense of 
hugeness in some sections is very impres- 
sive, and the secondary quest (busting up 
the complex until its net worth is $0) is 
almost more engaging than the primary 
one. The only major flaw is the game’s 
occasionally uneven graphics—the ene- 
mies look like they're from a PS1 game. 
Publisher: Eidos 
Developer: Crystal Dynamics 


Players: 1 
ESRB: Teen 


www.whiplashgame.com 














loadable content + 16 fighting arenas * 60 single-player quests 






Licensed by: POWERED BY 


d Gamespy 


8 





Consumer 


— SEREET, 


©0060 syi 


c. under license. A 








Magic: The Gathering, Wizard 
репу of Wizards, 






" design are tradi 
he United S 









Fantasy Violence 
sion. HASBA 


thc, Al rigt 
ind are used under lic 








LEGACY OF KAIN: 


you “my dark prince,” Defiance Was made for you. 





— 


DEFIANCE 


| have no jaw, and | must scream 


Check and mate. Legacy of Kain: Defiance 
successfully blends the disparate Soul Reaver and 
Blood Omen franchises into one grisly, beautiful 
package. The game's environments are full of jaw- 
dropping, ornately detailed gothic cathedrals, crag- 
gy, Cavernous catacombs, and spooky nether- 
worlds. Plus, its music, sound effects, and voice 
work are equally top-notch—creating an experi- 
ence that’s half horror movie and half overwrought, 
goth-tacular play. Likewise, the series’ much 
improved combat system is a true black-hearted 
pleasure, allowing you to juggle opponents in the 
air and then use telekinesis to toss them into haz- 
ards such as fireplaces and spikes. Ouch. 

But Defiance has a dark side...an unintentional 
one. The series’ near-perfect follow-camera has 
been sacrificed in order to give you a better view of 
the fights, and it's tougher to perform platform 
jumps now because of that. Also, the previous 
games’ once-brainy puzzles have become so much 
easier that they’re usually only really challenging 





Travel to the (incredibly trippy) spectral realm as 
Raziel and devour the souls of the fallen. 


130 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com 





when they require you to traverse the game’s 
numerous, samey environments without the aid of 
а map function. And the combat, while vastly better 
than in previous Kains, lacks variety because there 
aren’t enough different kinds of foes. 

That all said, Defiance still has a compelling 
enough story—and strong enough gameplay—to 
make you see it through to the bloody end. 


Whether you favor the taste of blood or 
souls, Defiance successfully quenches your undy- 
ing thirst for either. And thanks to a completely 
overhauled combat system, you'll feel like a 
badass while fulfilling these dark desires. But 
besides the heavily upgraded hack-n-slash action, 
what really sells me on this dual-vampire venture 
is the narrative. The story's captivating twists and 
turns kept me awake well into the wee hours of 
the night, anxiously ascertaining the fates of both 
Kain and Raziel. Oh yeah, it also doesn't 
hurt that the game looks stunningly gor- 





A Tale of Two Vampires 

What's the premise of the Legacy of Kain 
series? Um...how much time do you have? 
After five games rife with lies, artifice, time 
travel, and manipulation, that's not a 

quick or easy story to tell. But here’s a 

quick rundown of this dark soap opera: 
Vampire Kain rejected a choice of self-sacri- 
fice that would purify the land of Nosgoth. 
Instead, he became its ruler, and this plunged 
the world into ruin. Hundreds of years later, he 
























geous, and unlike Joe, | find the puzzles perfectly 
challenging. Sure, Defiance has its share of flaws 
(finicky camera, not enough different types of ene- 
mies), but all are quite minor. Stop resisting, and let 
the sucking and reaving commence. 


The Kain games exist, first and foremost, to 
tell a story. And like its predecessors, Defiance 
flows plot points together with considerable grace. 
But for the first time, I'm actually excited about the 
combat between the cinemas: Kain possesses use- 
ful telekinetic powers right off the bat, and both 
heroes use combo-promoting enemy juggling to 
gleefully bleed bad guys. 

Still, despite these fixes to the series’ tradi- 
tionally bland gameplay, Defiance feels rushed. 
All too often, glitchy A.I. issues and ап inexcus- 
ably bad camera show that a little more polish ¥ 
was needed. These loose screws don’t break down 
the game's otherwise tight structure, though, and 
Kain fans will certainly embrace Defiance. 





M. betrayed his lieutenant Raziel by toss- 
ing him into a vortex that ravaged his body. 
Saved by a magical...octopus, Raziel gained the 
AN power to suck souls and vowed vengeance on Kain. 
3 : \ But did Kain actually do him a favor by setting him 
outside of the “wheel of death and life” and thus 
М 
EN کے‎ 
—X 


granting him free will? In Legacy of Kain: 
Defiance, you play as both Kain and Raziel 

as they attempt to find out—and survive 
their enemies’ twisted machinations. 








THE VERDICTS 
(OUTOF 10) 








Publisher: Eidos 

Developer: Crystal Dynamics 
Players: 1 

ESRB: Mature 


BRYAN JON D. 


www.eidos.com 


Because even the strongest 
heroes need help sometimes 


"strategy fans should be tenting 
their fingers in anticipation..." 
- GMR 


Over 40 Hours of gameplay with 
multiple endings! 


TOTAL DAMAGE 819/1 3 





Unleash over 100 mind-blowing 
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Dynamic Battle System: Switch 
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Comic Mischief 
Mild Language 


Mild Violence 
ESRB CONTENT RATING ЕЙ 
















nt: “The Invasion from Within” by Tsunami Bonb 


Please see DoubleJump strategy guide for directions 


Me macros 





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Get regular. Get Disgaea. 


PlayStation. 











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‘Years ot intensive therapy had taught Ginger it was best 


(PS2 ONLY) 


THE SIMS 


Just to ignore her roommates’ constant violent outbursts. 


Welcome to the dollhouse 


Some of you will never understand The 
Sims. To the casual observer—and even perhaps 
to some who've tried the game—it all seems so 
terribly...um, let's see...boring and stupid? I'll admit 
that The Sims can get tedious, what with all the 
clicking and pointing to direct little creatures living 
in a virtual dollhouse to eat, pee, chat, go to work, 
and sleep. And if you're someone who can't get 
beyond that, you won't like this version any more 
than last year’s. Everyone else will be thrilled. 

Your Sim now has total mobility in Story 

mode—you can switch locations and careers at 
any time—and it’s an excellent change. If you’re 
having trouble getting promoted, you can move 
back to Mom’s for a while and work on your skills. 
Need more friends? Hop on your scooter and go 
visit your neighbors to beef up your social roster. 
Adding this amount of freedom and variety really 
livens things up. Also, since you can play all the 
careers with one Sim, there’s tremendous replay 
value. When | first started playing, | thought com- 


pleting one career would satisfy me. But the multi- 
tude of fun unlockables (like an incubator that cre- 
ates mutant housefly-eating plants) and cool loca- 
tions (including a nudist colony) motivated me to 
keep playing, and playing, and playing... It's 
monotonous, mundane, and frightfully addictive— 
just the way | like 'em. 





The world’s premiere personal hygiene 
and housekeeping simulator returns, with yet 
more domestic mishaps and delicious romantic 
misunderstandings. Though it looks like the same 
old thing, the series’ offbeat humor really comes 
through in the new career tracks (like Gangster 
and Fashion Victim), items, and social interactions. 
But it's the option to actually leave your house— 
whether to visit friends or just kick it at Club 
Rubb—that tops the list of additions. Oh, and 
being able to play co-op with another person is. 
great, too—that "pull my finger" joke just gets 
funnier and funnier. If you weren't crazy about the 


Relax...It’s the Online Weekend! 





BUSTIN’ OUT: 


The splitscreen two-player co-op is so quirky and fun, you'll quickly 
forget that you're basically playing house. 






last Sims, this won't change your mind, but for 
fans, it's worth checking out. 


| can't explain why manag- 
ing a Sim's life is so much more engrossing than 
dealing with my own. I've become so involved 
with my character's world that I've been dreaming 
about it, complete with the thought bubbles over 
everyone's heads. 

The new twist of being able to visit other loca- 
tions is definitely reason enough to play this new 
version—| love bopping around town to visit my 
Sim friends and use their swank amenities that | 
can’t afford. And being able to “booty tease” and 
gossip has definitely spiced up my interactions, 
thereby removing much of the tedium of trying to 
befriend my neighbors. Oh, and for the GC kids, 
connecting with the GBA version of the game— 
which gets you sorta-lame minigames—is a slight 
bonus, but my Sims got all hungry, tired, and full 
of pee while | was playing them. 


The Sims Bustin’ Out online (PS2 only) offers something your Sim 
has never experienced: a weekend. In the normal game, you 
work every single day, and you're penalized for skipping. But the 
online two-player mode, called “Online Weekend,” allows you to 
interact with others and play cooperatively without having to go 
to work. This means you just get to hang around the house, max- 
ing out your skills, chatting, and trading unlockable objects. New 
stuff obtained online is imported back into your offline game, 





132 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com 











A Publisher: EA 
E Developer: Maxis 
Be Players: 1-2 

ER ESRB: Teen 

we 

£ 

= JENNIFER DEMIAN CARRIE кызу бк con 





hes — 


M Dudes from Art of Fighting versus Fatal Fury guys...eight years ago, this caused riots. 


PlayStation 2 


KING OF FIGHTERS 
2000 & 2001 


Let's go antiquing for fighters 





сил єөһєй — —— 
с 2; 





m (Left) Why do fisticuffs always seem to break out at the aquarium's manatee tank? 


Good: King of Fighters 2000 
Bad: King of Fighters 2001 


Anime Alert: K9999's voice actor also played Tetsuo in Akira 


SHANE: The 13-year-old NeoeGeo technolo- 
gy refuses to fade quietly into gaming's his- 
tory—people are still making games for it, 
and now, ports of recent ones are even 
landing on PS2. Is there still room for tech- 
nology lauded as "bigger, badder, and bet- 
ter" than the Sega Genesis? Not so much. 

Both KOF games included here are total 
throwbacks to the fighting games of yester- 
year: legions of selectable characters, sim- 
ple 2D backgrounds, copious special 
moves...and well, nothing you haven't seen 
amillion times before. Functionally, these 
games offer perfectly decent gameplay, but 
they just look and feel so very, very old 
(despite a few PS2-only visual upgrades). 
Oddly, KOF 2001 is especially offensive—its 
visuals and sounds pale in comparison to 
those in 2000. But hell, try playing either of 
"em directly after a few rounds of Guilty 
Gear X2 and you'll wince in pain. 

Realistically, this collection will appeal to 
you only if you're already into KOF. And 
even then, you'll be grateful to get both 
games for one low price...as you’d never 
want to pay full price for KOF 2001. 


5.55.0 75 


SHANE SHAWN 


SHAWN: Like a kung fu flick 

in today's age of computer-enhanced 
choreography, KOF remains an unrepentant 
relic. Ravaged by age and running on obso- 
lete technology, it's uglier than ever. Still, 
you can't call KOF incompetent—atrocious- 
ly lazy and reluctant to change, but not 
incompetent. As Shane says, 2000, which 
streamlines character-specific moves, is by 
far the better game of the pair. With throw 
escapes and counterattacks, it's deep and 
responsive, but only faithfuls will pick it 
over Capcom's 2D fighters. 


GAMENOW—SUSHI-X: If you approach this 
game unprepared, then you'll likely catch a 
brutal double-dose of 2D fighting to the 
face—and it won't be pretty. Straight up, 
the two games included here aren't visually 
impressive. But if you can get over this, 
you're in for some goodness—the KOF 
games offer excellent gameplay, standing 
alongside the Street Fighter series in the 
2D fighting pantheon. Don't be scared— 
these installments are as valid and com- 
pelling as games like Capcom vs. SNK 2. 
Publisher: SNK Neo*Geo 
Developer: Playmore 

Players: 1-2 

ESRB: Teen 

SUSHI-X 


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ELTE 2 





Girls gone wild 


| wasn’t quite sure what to expect from 

X-2. | really enjoyed Final Fantasy X, so, naturally | 
was eager to reenter the beautiful realm of Spira 
...but would this return visit live up to the bench- 
marks established by its forerunner? Well, in a 
word—no. But it’s still awfully damn good. 

Plotwise, Х-2 is a radical, intriguing departure 
from FFX. The overall story line is divided equally 
between giggly girl talk, Yuna’s deep soul search- 
ing, and a new subplot about warring political fac- 
tions trying to control Spira. The cutesy bits can 
get annoying (like when the gals stage 
Yunapalooza—a rock concert to heal civil unrest), 
but a serious, compelling undercurrent keeps it 
from straying too far into goofy nonsense. In fact 
(without giving away too much), 1 found the nature 
of the game’s main antagonist to be incredibly 
interesting...it's very different from the last boss 
you'd usually face in a role-playing game. 


Dress for Success 


Yuna sings her heart 
out at Yunapalooza. No, 
seriously. We swear. 


Likewise, the developers had no qualms about 
totally rewriting the book of gameplay. X-2 offers 
only three playable characters—Yuna, Rikku, and 
newcomer Paine—but it gives them a wide swath 
of abilities with the ingenious new dressphere 
system. It allows your gals to master a variety of 
spells and maneuvers by merely switching cos- 
tumes and doing battle. You'll actually want to get 
in random encounters just to rack up mad com- 
bos and learn more moves. 

The most substantial shift in the game's design 
is tough to explain—it's an overall sense of free- 
dom that offers unprecedented numbers of purely 
optional experiences. Unlike in past FF games, 
you now progress by tackling bite-sized missions. 
And about half of the game's missions, cut- 
Scenes, and dungeons are purely elective—seri- 
ous players will love ferreting out every last 
bonus quest. Plus, X-2 features three different 


Success in battle requires 
strategic use of both the 
dresspheres and garment 
grids. It's pretty easy—sim- 
ply bring up the gal's 


equipped grid, choose the 
new outfit you'd like to wear, 
and voila, she’s getting all 
fancy in her new digs. If you 
tire of these cinemas, you 
can choose to truncate them 


or turn them off altogether. efense +5 «$ 





136 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com 


Equip: Defense, Magic Defense 45 
^ Өосїспзе +5 Magic Def, +5 
Magic Def. +5 | 








FINAL FANTASY X-2 ^ 


сай 


endings—a totally cool feature that’s never 
before been offered by an FF game. 

Oddly, X-2 trips up in the one area where FF 
titles usually shine: presentation. Graphically, it’s 
a gorgeous game...but prepare for a wicked déja 
vu. Approximately 90 percent of the environments 
and enemies are lifted directly from FFX. Yes, this 
is the same world and all...but an effort to pre- 
sent these places in a new way would have really 
helped. Conversely, | wish they had reused more 
of FFX’s haunting musical themes here—most of 
the overly bubbly new music sounds like '70s 
porno soundtrack leftovers. 

Luckily, the multifaceted story, deep character 
customization, and excellent battle system bal- 
ance out the redundant visuals and cheesy tunes. 
Bottom line: if you dug FFX, you'll also wanna play 
this. And if you like RPGs but somehow missed 
out the first time, pick 'em both up. ر‎ 





а There's no — the пад battle pace, so 
you'll have to get used to reacting very, very quickly. 











THE VERDICTS 





(QUT OF 10) 


SHANE 


KEVIN 


Publisher: Square Enix 
Developer: Square Enix 
Players: 
ESRB: Teen 





www.square-enix-usa.com 





Minigame Mayhem 


Ever since Final Fantasy Vil (PS1) introduced the concept of inserting goofy minigames into traditional roleplaying, the series has never looked back. X-2 
has more than its share of absurd diversions (including the dreaded return of Blitzball, albeit in stripped-down form). Here are a few examples... 


Public Relations 

Assuredly one of the strangest 
mes ever to appear in a 

Final Fantasy, this PR campaign 

asks the player to pester folks 

into visiting a fun park of sorts. 


Gun Gauntlet 

In this game, Yuna blasts caps 
in the asses of enemies on 
Besaid Island. Conserve ammo, 
be quick, and avoid getting hit 
in order to win big prizes. 


—— 
por 


Sphere Break 
Mathletic players will really dig 
this wacky blend of addition 
and multiplication. Everyone 
else will cry, since you have to 
master it to get a dressphere. 


Treasure Hunting 

in an excavation expedition 
in the desert to uncover all 
manner of buried junk. Time- 
consuming, but the rewards 
can be substantial. 


late to deal magical damage. 


| know a lot of people have the wrong idea 
about Final Fantasy X-2. | know the game's 
got naughty outfits, bincy-bouncy pop 
e А music, and utterly silly plot twists (FF 
f V^ freaks will probably complain about the 
= girl-on-girl back-rub minigame...well, 
some of 'em, anyway). | know it takes 
the sober tone of the world's top 
console RPG series and turns 
it into Spira 90210. It doesn't 
matter—X-2 is still the best 
thing going for RPG fans 
right now. 
Almost every devia- 
tion X-2 takes from 
the established 


Final 
8 Fantasy 























has paid off. The battle system has undergone a 
complete overhaul—the battles are in real time, 
and you can earn damage bonuses if you time 
your team’s attacks correctly. Instead of sum- 
mons, you have dresspheres that transform your 
characters into fighters, mages, samurai, and pop 
singers, each with its own set of latent abilities. 
The result: The battles in X-2 are scarily engaging. 
Jiggering your attacks, rearranging your dres- 
spheres, getting chain combos to work just 
right...it all works so naturally, and it's the first 
RPG battle system in a very, very long time that 
didn’t put me to sleep. 

Combine this with a nonlinear story system 
that rewards multiple playthroughs (you'll likely 
see only half the game on your first play), and you 
have a Final Fantasy that’s both hip with the kids 
and rewarding to RPG maniacs. Check your inhibi- 
tions at the door...and let's party! 


[Potion 
IBF ЛИШ | 


The combat’s so speedy and fun that 
you won’t mind the high encounter rate. 


опе enemy. 





I'm sure a lot of Final 

Fantasy fans will struggle with this game for the 
same reason | did: 1 just couldn’t believe | was 
enjoying it so much. | mean, | knew I'd like it. It’s 
Final Fantasy, after all, with some of my favorite 
characters returning to a world | loved. But the 
new tone and the fact that it’s the first-ever true 
sequel makes it something altogether different. 

So here’s the deal: Don’t fight it. Get into the 
groove, and you'll be treated to a raucous ride 
that's certain to be some of the most fun you've 
ever had with a Final Fantasy. | love the story, | 
adore the addictive battle system, and | can’t wait 
to play through the game again to unlock an even 
better ending. Even Shane's nitpick about repeti- 
tive environments didn’t bother me—and all 
because of those warm, fuzzy feelings | got revis- 
iting those familiar yet drastically changed 
(machina in a Yevon temple?!) environs. 











ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com • 137 


.. Kicking poor мое here, Куа makes 
her stance on animal rights all too clear, 





PlayStation 2 


KYA: DARK LINEAGE 


Just dust in the wind 


The girl may be cute and have 
some spunk, but she also has her share 
of blemishes. Kya, the titular character in 
this actiony, adventurey platformer, is try- 
ing to save her brother from a surly band 
of wolflike beasts. Along with kicking, 
punching, and throwing a stylish-yet- 
functional boomerang hair clip, our hero- 
ine can hoverboard and free-fall in totally 
extreme do-the-Dew style. And while 
these X Games-inspired segments are 
amusing and control well enough, they 
often go on far too long and can be frus- 
tratingly difficult—expect to replay them 
a few times. Also, the camera can be 
absolutely maddening at times. 

But these annoyances don’t ruin an 
otherwise solid game—all the platform- 
ing and puzzle segments prove enjoyable 
and clever. In one level, while scaling a 
mountain, you use the wind to plant 
yourself against a wall as you inch your 
way over a gap. Another has you navigat- 
ing your Yoshi-esque steed alongside a 
train before jumping aboard. It’s some 
truly exhilarating stuff. For those willing 
to give the girl a shot, Kya delivers a 
good enough time. 








Kya, | wanted to love 
you—with your cute blue dreadlocks, fun 
bracelet power-ups, and boomerangs 
aplenty; your pretty worlds and their fan- 
ciful flora and fauna; your whimsical story 
line and its hapless villagers to free. | 
came to you with an open heart; unfortu- 
nately, our honeymoon was cut short that 
first time the camera fell through the floor 
and wouldn’t show me where you were 
jumping. And too many hours wandering 
aimlessly, searching for the next goal, 
forced me to leave you. Don't ask for 
another chance, Kya. It’s over. 


Nobody likes 
the wind. Seriously, nobody. | mean, it's 
annoying. It messes up your hair. It basi- 
cally...blows. Fitting, then, that Kya uti- 
lizes the wind as its most “innovative” 
gameplay element. Free-falling sounds 
kinda neat, sure, but in practice it’s 
rather dull after the first few times. And 
when that's the best on offer from this 
profoundly-mediocre-platformer-with- 
aspirations-of-greatness, Kya simply 
doesn't have what it takes to stand out 
this holiday season. 








THE VERDICTS 
(OUT OF 10) 


JENNIFER 


G. FORD 





Publisher: Atari 

Developer: Eden Games 
Players: 1 (1-6 alternating in 
minigames) 

ESRB: Teen 


GARY 


www.atari.com 


138 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com 


PlayStation 2 


BUDOKAI 2 


DRAGON BALLZ 











Goku takes up board games 


С: The first Budokai was proof that it's 
possible to make a decent DBZ game. 
Budokai 2 wisely keeps the fighting 
gameplay the same (barring some neato 
fusions and countering tweaks), but at the 
same time, it drops the cool anime-style 
cinema sequences that | enjoyed so much 
last time around. Reducing the story to 
talking heads turns the once-engaging 
plot into a drab, formulaic mess. 

But where Budokai 2 loses its ability to 
fly is in its new board-game-style single- 
player game. Seriously, whose idea was it 
to make this the main mode? It's just not 
fun to move game pieces around flat, 
uninteresting maps when all you have to 
look forward to is fighting the same char- 
acters multiple times per board until 
they're dead and maybe collecting a few 
new technique capsules. It ends up feel- 
ing like a cheap way to extend the game. 

It's not all bad news, though—the new 
cartoon-shaded graphics look nice, and 
the option to customize a fighter’s attacks 
with capsules spices up the Versus play. 
But this time around, Budokai’s best left 
to the most loyal breed of DBZ fan. 


SHAWN: Budokai 2 captures the carto 
manic essence but doesn't fare as well 
when judged solely on its merits as a 
fighting game. The core combat is essen- 
tially the same as last year’s, and while 
there are over 30 characters to choose 
from, they’re all clones as far as combos 
go, unique only in appearance. While that 
lets aspiring Saiyans swap characters 
with ease, it also means us sane folk will 
never get the chance to develop diverse 


SHANE 





skills with different fighters. 


SHANE: Last year, | was awestruck by the 
quality of Budokai—it was a veritable 
Soul Calibur Il compared to wretched pre- 
vious attempts like Dragon Ball GT and 
Ultimate Battle 22 (both on PS1). Sadly, 
this sequel is a step backwards. Although 
the basic fighting gameplay (a decent mix 
of simple combos, copious fireballs, and 
zany supermoves) remains largely 
unchanged, the new board-game concept 
ruins the single-player experience. 
Fighting the same brain-dead enemies 
over and over gets really old, really fast. 
Stick with last year’s version. 


E 2 ues 
It may seem cool now, but the fun fades 
after beating this dude six times straight. 


PUBLISHER: Atari 
DEVELOPER: Dimps 
PLAYERS: 1-2 
ESRB: Teen 


www.dbzgamer.com 


™ 


RARES OF 


ТЛ 
k HOKKAIN 





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The king of the squared circle yet again 


The SmackDown series adheres to the 
age-old philosophy of not fixing what isn’t broken. 
Sure, you'll spot a few key tweaks each year, but in 
the end, each version offers the same level of qual- 
ity as the last. And hey, that’s not such a bad 
thing—Here Comes The Pain delivers solid thrills 
that'll please any WWE diehard. 

Returning players will definitely appreciate the 
revamped Story mode. This time around, forging 
alliances or rivalries really does affect your match- 
es, and the conversations you'll have with other 
wrestlers sound pretty believable, as opposed to 
last year’s stilted, poorly-written drivel. 

As always, the in-ring action is fast and respon- 
sive. You're always able to pull off the moves you 
want, and fluid animation makes ‘em look down- 
right painful. As far as your choice of match types 
and rosters, Pain can't be beat. For the first time 
ever, your dreams of forcibly disrobing opponents 
in a Bra and Panties Match or bustin’ up fools in an 
Elimination Chamber can be realized. Of course, 





140 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com 


nearly every superstar you'd ever want is available 
from the outset—developer Yuke's added a bunch 
of classic wrestlers this year; now, you can pit guys 
like Sergeant Slaughter and George “The Animal” 
Steele against today’s stars. 


Of all the WWE game franchises, I've 
favored SmackDown the least...until now. Thanks 
to its incredibly deep Season mode, Pain is easily 
the best wrasslin’ title since the days of the 
Nintendo 64. Every week, events transpire in true 
soap-opera-like fashion, and the decisions you 
make throughout the ever-changing story lines 
keep the experience unique. The action inside the 
ring is great—the new grappling system not only 
improves match pacing, but, more important, also 
adds a bevy of moves to your wrestler’s arsenal. 
Visually, however, minor problems exist: Some 
WWE superstars lack the polish of others, and 
everyone still walks like they have a stick up their 
butt. But neither of these complaints will stop 


Panty Raid 

Here Comes the Pain features a new 
mode that fans have been clamoring 
for: the world-famous Bra and 
Panties Match. Here, two WWE 


“Divas” enter the ring and attempt to 
tear each other's clothes off. The 
first gal who strips her opponent 
down to her skivvies wins. Just try 
to explain this one to any woman 
passing by the television... 


wrestling nuts from enjoying Pain. 


Fundamentally, Pain's a good title—the 
wrestlers look realistic, the gameplay’s responsive 
and balanced, and there’s no shortage of crazy 
modes. Plus, creating your own wrestlers is easy, 
breezy fun, with tons of wacky wardrobe options to 
outfit your friends/enemies with. 

Problem is, outside of a few tweaks and minor 
additions, this is just like last year's Shut Your 
Mouth. For example, the reworked Story mode may 
have ditched Mouth's boring hall-wandering, but 
Pain’s barely animated, stone-silent chats between 
wrestlers are just as lame. (Should 1 give Rikishi a 
ride home after he’s injured in a match? The 
drama!) And the wrestler entrances lack the excite- 
ment of the real thing, with crappy-looking specta- 
tors and embarrassing, one-sided signboards that 
mirror the front image on the back, but reversed. 
How hard is it to render a piece of poster board? 
Spruce up the presentation next year, please. 








THE VERDICTS 
(OUT OF 10) 









GREG S. 


Player 
ESRB: Teen 








BRYAN 


Shawn Michaels 











Brock shows us his “Oh!” face. 


Publisher: THO 
Developer: Yuke's. 
: 1-2 (2-6 w/ Multitap) 


www.thg.com 


In the Teenage Mutant Ninja 
Turtles" Video Game, you'll 
discover that there's trouble 
around every corner. Whether 
you’re playing your favorite 
Turtle in Story mode or going 
head-to-head with a neighborhood 
knuckiehead in Vs. mode, it will 
take all your butt-kickin’ ninja 


skills to stay out of harm’s way. 








wines og 
GAMECUBE. 


www.konami.com/usa 









© 2003 Mirage Studi 
in tho United Stat 
of Nintendo. The rat 






os, Inc. Ай rights reserved. M 
огой trademarks of Son 
sociation. "KONAMI" is a 


nd the Xbox to 
iment Inc.™, 6 юу 
mark of Konami Corporation, 


either. 










arks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation 
о GamoCubo і 
mi Computer Entertalam 






am —* 
KONAMI & Ko Studios, 











The Honeysuckle Cup pitted a suit of armor against a brazen hussy. It got ugly quick. 


PlayStation 2 


MONSTER 


RANCHER 


Pokémon for stat freaks 


As always, you can root through your CD and DVD collection to randomly generate monsters. 


Cy o 


MAGIC: THE 
GATHERING 
BATTLEGROUNDS 


Fight like a warrior...cry like a fairy 









After two PS1 hits and one PS2 
game that’s better forgotten, the fourth 
Rancher takes a very back-to-basics 
approach. The idea’s the same: raise cutesy 
monsters (five at once this time), enter 
them in tournaments, and have them tag 
along with you in adventures across a 
generic RPG land. Where MR4 differs is in 
the approach—instead of navigating 
menus, you actually control your critter- 
lovin’ scamp this time, running him around 
the ranch and spending quality time with 
your herd. The adventures are much more 
RPG-like, too, with dungeons and hidden 
areas accessible only by certain monsters. 

Unfortunately, just like in MR3, none of 
this gameplay is fleshed out enough. 
Simply put, the game’s stupidly easy—you 
can take your first five monsters, raise their 
power and speed stats aggressively, and 
use them to whiz through the entire story. 
Despite this miniscule challenge, the game 
still takes up mounds of time: Tending to a 
full five monsters feels more like work than 
play, and the dungeons are vast, empty and 
repetitive. | think Tecmo had the right idea 
here, but it didn’t quite follow through. 





MR3 was so disappointing, | began to 
think it was time to put the series to sleep 
for good. But this fourth title is a step away 
from the needle. First off, MR4 ditches the 
craptacular cartoon look from the previous 
title in favor of traditional visuals. The 
gameplay's deeper, too—Tecmo's added 
features like real 3D dungeon exploring, 
multipart training regimens for your beasts, 
and the ability to raise multiple creatures. 
Now, all Rancher needs to do is break from 
its tedious, menu-driven shackles. 


Unlike Kevin 
and CJ, | loved МАЗ. It was my favorite of 
the bunch—and it still is. There was a puri- 
ty to the gameplay and the, er, “craptacu- 
lar" graphics that | really enjoyed. That's 
why MR4 is a bit of a letdown. As a whole, 
the game seems to offer much more than 
its predecessors, with its dungeon-crawling 
Side quests and customizable ranch. But 
taken separately, each of these new ele- 
ments isn't very impressive—or fun. It's 
still Monster Rancher, though, and it's still 
great for fans like me, but it's not the step 
forward | was craving. 





(QUT OF 10) 





GREG 5: | can’t imagine many things more 
boring than a straight-up Xbox version of 
the Magic: The Gathering card game. 
Luckily, that's not what Battlegrounds is. 
Instead, it’s a real-time RPG that features 
all the creatures and spells found in the 
superpopular card game. And 1 guess my 
luck ran out: Instead of being boring, it's 
totally unbalanced and infuriating. 

It's not so bad when tackling a human 
opponent, since both of you will have to 
deal with the game's tragic interface prob- 
lems. But single player? Forget it. While you 
fiddle around with unwieldy creature and 
magic menus, wander your area looking for 
mana crystals, and deal with laggy battle 
controls, your CPU opponents work with the 
reflexes of a god. They never miss a beat 
and often overwhelm you—even on the 
easiest levels. It pushes the whole single- 
player mode way beyond frustrating and 
ultimately killed the game for me. 

So, if you're a Magic nut, you'll probably 
dig this game despite the ridiculous diffi- 
culty. But casual fans (or curious RPGers) 
should just pass it by and invest in a couple 
starter decks or something instead. 


GREG S. PAUL 





Publisher: Tecmo 
Developer: Tecmo 
Players: 1-2 
ESRB: Everyone 


www.tecmo.com 


PAUL: Half the fun of Magic 

is devising your own strategy and then 
testing it against an astute adversary. 
Battlegrounds ignores this crucial element 
of the card game's appeal. Nearly every 
match in the single-player campaign makes 
you cast your most recently learned spell to 
achieve some gimmicky victory condition 
(attack with a certain creature, survive for 
one minute while hopelessly overmatched, 
etc.). Even in Versus mode (local or Live), 
constructing your own deck is cumber- 
some, and you must unlock spells in 
Campaign mode first. Weak sauce. 


XBH—GREE 0: Want to know what a spell 
of Eternal Dumbness does? It inspires 
developers to turn a well-loved, strategic 
card game into a twitchy mess that sends 
tactics on permanent vacation. Here, Magic 
is about who can collect power-ups and 
hurl spells the quickest. In single-player 
mode, the game is a joke, requiring players 
to play out a scenario in the one specific 
way the developers mapped out or face 
defeat ad nauseam. Where’s the creativity? 
бопе. Where's the magic? MIA. 

Publisher: Atari 

Developer: Secret Level 


Players: 1-2 
ESRB: Teen 


GREG 0. 


E The creatures’ mismatched art styles clash more fiercely than the monsters themselves. 


www.atari.com 


142 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com 





Are you ready to 
show us what you’ve got? 





Tom Clancys _ 
[EAM GIEALTA Arian 









Wireless multiplayer game play 
Game card titles from top publishers 
Supports 3D graphics 

Bluetooth technology 

MP3 music player-FM radio 

Built-in mobile phone 


n-gage.com 


> апуопе 
EBGA MES GameSiow N 53 OE anywhere 


@ T WIRELESS WWW GAMELOFT COM 


Copyright © 2003 Nokia. All rights reserved. Nokia and N-Gage are registered trademarks of Nokia Corporation. Bluetooth is a registered trademark of Bluetooth SIG. Inc. Many features and mobile services are network-dependent and require network support. Some networks have limitations that 
affect how you can use phone features, Contact your service provider about feature support and availability. © 2003 Electronic Arts Inc. Electronic Arts, EA SPORTS, and the EA SPORTS logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S, and/or other countries, EA Sports™ is 
an Electronic Arts™ brand. All rights reserved. Official FIFA licensed product. The FIFA logo © 1977 FIFA. Manufactured under license by Electronic Arts Inc. Player names and likenesses used under license from The International Federation of Professional Footballers (FIFPro), national teams, 
clubs, and/or leagues. NCAA’ Football 2004. All names, logos, team icons, and mascots associated with the NCAA universities, bowls, and conferences are the exclusive properties of the respective institutions, NCAA is a registered trademark of National Collegiate Athletic Association, and the NCAA 
football logo is a registered trademark of the NCAA licensed to NCAA Football USA. Inc. © 2003 Gameloft Ali rights reserved. Gameloft and the Gameloft logo are registered trademarks of Gameloft SA. Under license by Ubi Soft Entertainment. Splinter Cell is a trademark of Ubi Soft Entertainment 
in the US. and/or other countries. Red Faction" software © 2003 THQ Inc. Red Faction; THQ, THQ Wireless, and their respective logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of THQ Inc. Other product or company names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective owners. 





SPECIAL DRAGON BALL Z ISSUI 





© PlayStation 


LOOK FOR OUR SPECIAL 
ISSUES ON NEWSSTANDS 
EVERYWHERE THIS FALL 


From the same people who bring you Electronic 
Gaming Monthly, GameNOW, Computer Gaming 
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can be found only on newsstands or through 
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Look for these magazines at Borders, Barnes 
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Walgreens, CVS, Kroger and Safeway. 


On-Sale NOW! 


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Guides #1 EGM Guides #2 ЕОМ CodeBook #1 Price and availability subject 
Sig no Sunstine С) E d () $12.00 to change without notice. 












= As in Halo, the firefights are so 
fun that уби usually won't mind 


playing them if yu get killed. 
мас 


TOM CLANCY'S 
RAINBOW SIX 3 


They shoot terrorists, don't they? 


If you've avoided squad-based shooters in the 
past because they seemed dull and (cough) blood- 
less, you no longer have the slightest excuse, 
because Rainbow Six 3 is a near-perfect blend of 
first-person shooting and smart-guy tactics. In it, 
you command three operatives to perform such 
tasks as blowing up a door or taking control of a 
room. Even advanced orders, like having ’em toss a 
flashbang grenade into an office right before you 
tush through another door, require only a few quick 
button presses. You'll never be fumbling with 
squad commands when the bullets are flying. 

Though even if you were, your squadmates do a 
good job of taking care of themselves. Dispatch 
them behind a nearby car, and each will head over 
and crouch for cover, peek around corners, and 
scan for targets, just like real soldiers. But as great 
as these squaddies are to play with, they can’t 
compare to real people. Online co-op play is fan- 
tastic—once you learn how to work together, you'll 
be taking rooms and completing levels with text- 





146 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com 


book efficiency—and that’s almost impossibly fun. 
Competing in deathmatches is entertaining as well, 
since the game offers so many different ways of 
using your environment to fool opponents. 

Rainbow Six 3 plays so well that it could get 
away with not being the best looking and sounding 
game in its field, but luckily it is. Only a few minor 
A.l. problems keep this game from being complete- 
ly legendary. Even still, it’s a must-have title. 


Everyone will enjoy Rainbow Six 3's crisp 
graphics and awesome lighting effects, but only 
those with real patience will appreciate the game’s 
challenging, slow-paced missions. Luckily, issuing 
squad orders is simple, and your teammates posi- 
tion themselves and attack with impressive real- 
ism. Enemies show signs of intelligence as well— 
peeking around corners, running for cover, and fir- 
ing without exposing themselves. Other times, 
though, they don't react to gunfire or they stare 
blankly as you gun down one of their friends. And 


Multiplayer Mind Games 

There are many creative ways to play Rainbow 
Six 3’s deathmatches. For instance, you can 
toss a smoke grenade into a room, then flip to 
thermal vision so you can see nearby oppo- 
nents clearly and cap them. Also, curtains and 
spiderwebs in the game sway if you rush past 
them quickly. But if you duck and double back 
past them slowly, you can make your foes 
think you’ve gone one way when you’ve actu- 
ally gone another. Bang. 






the way bad guys suddenly pop in at certain spots 
every time belongs in Doom, not a realistic squad 
shooter. Unlike Joe, | found multiplayer slow and 
dull, except for co-op, where the excitement of 
relying on your friends is intense. 


Ubisoft's decision to break with tradi- 
tion pays off big time in Rainbow Six 3. Gone are 
the tedious pre-mission planning sessions, and in 
their place, an intuitive real-time menu (or voice) 
system gives you on-the-fly control over your 
squad in the heat of battle. What makes these real- 
time commands work so well is the fact that your 
A.l. teammates are a significant cut above what 
you'd usually find in a tactical shooter, taking care 
to check blind spots and find cover during fire- 
fights. But the game really shines on Xbox Live, 
where you play with and against friends and 
strangers. Although it could have used more online 
modes and weapon balancing, Six 3 is a taut, 
gorgeous masterpiece that's peerless in its class. 





Quick! Smear mud all over your body to obscure 
your heat signature. (No, you can't actually do that.) 





1) 





THE VERDICTS 
(out 














Publisher: Ubisoft 

Developer: Ubisoft 

PLAYERS: 1 (2-16 via Xbox Live 
or LAN) 

ESRB: Mature 


www.ubisoft.com 











Certain death at your 


1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 & 12 o'clock 


Suggestive Themes 
Violence 


gamextudios 









Buckle up because Crimson Skies® is a deadly ride. Play single 
player as an air pirate at the helm of a tricked-out 1930s 
warplane. Because you're fueled by revenge, anyone foolish 
enough to enter your airspace is an enemy. Play on Xbox Live™ 
to pick a dogfight with up to 15 friends and strangers. Just 
remember, as you enjoy sending opponents into a fiery death 
spiral, someone probably has you in their crosshairs. Good luck, 
you are cleared to rule the skies. 








ni 





S SES 








its-good to play together 


xbox.com/crimsonskies 


©2003 Microsoft Corporation. Ай rights reserved. Microsoft, Microsoft Game Studios logo, Crimson Skies, High Road to Revenge, Fasa Studio, Xbox, Xbox Live, the Xbox logos and the Xbox Live logo are trademarks 


or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Xbox Live service sold separately. The ratings icon is a tr 








lemark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. 























review crew: 
xbox 


100 | 


Better off dead 


Good: It's over quickly, thankfully 


Bad: Terrible controls, camera, level design 


No, Seriously, You Guys: It is this bad 


PAUL: Drake, an undead Triad gangster, 
wields double firearms and Matrix-like 
abilities (wall running and bullet time) in 
his quest for revenge against the cyborgs 
who killed him. It’s cheesy, but the action 
is supposed to make up for the story. 
Trouble is, the action ain’t acting right. 

Here's what's painfully difficult in 
Drake: seeing things, going places, and 
shooting enemies. In other words, every- 
thing. The camera is entirely manual until 
you get close to a wall; then it gets opin- 
ionated, showing the floor or nothing at 
all rather than, you know, bad guys or 
power-ups. Hellishly inconsistent wall- 
running and double-jumping abilities 
make navigating these repetitive levels 
an excruciating ordeal. Worst of all, the 
game’s autoaim is outright broken. Drake 
would rather send slugs into nearby 
walls than retaliate against the thug zap- 
ping him from directly ahead in plain 
view. Amazingly, he gets even more con- 
fused if multiple foes are present. 

You'll spend more time fighting with 
Drake's camera and controls than its 
dastardly robomen. Unless, of course, you 
don't play it. 


PAUL SHAWN 


/ 
If tat WANES ETE, FS ma wiit пап". Drake КЕ соуёўЁйй 


5 


* 
D RAKE те E Manin, 











- RI 









SHAWN: If someone gives you a 

copy of Drake, consider it your moral 
obligation to destroy it. The game's so 
broken that it's unplayable: The camera 
constantly spirals out of control, making 
platforming impossible, and the autotar- 
geting is inoperative. More insane contor- 
tionist than cold-blooded assassin, when 
Drake does manage to hit something, 
he's pointing his guns in the wrong direc- 
tion. In short, playing this monumental 
disaster is unconscionable. You'd be bet- 
ter off spending six hours outside EB, 
warning others of the impending misery. 


KEVIN: If the folks behind XII decided to 
take an unlikable, topless albino man and 
build a Max Payne rip-off around him, 
they'd likely come up with Drake. 
Unfortunately, the game has so many 
problems—unfair difficulty, outlandish 
controls, an alarming tendency on 
Drake’s part to fall off ledges—that com- 
paring it to Max Payne at all seems like 
an affront to Rockstar's adventure. It'd be 
a bit better with a saner control scheme, 
but as it is, Drake is an exercise in frus- 
tration and repeated death. 


Publisher: Majesco 
Developer: Idol 
Players: 1 

ESRB: Teen 


KEVIN 


www.drakegame.com 


148 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com 












Cy «= 


CRIMSON SKIES: 
HIGH ROAD TO REVENGE 





Soars through the air with the greatest of ease 


This pounded 
airship’s about 
to sink like a 
lead zeppelin. 


af 


Good: Ace control 
Bad: Longish load times 


wy 





“М 






For а Kooky Online Twist: Play with gyros only 


Just when you thought all air- 
combat games were stuck on autopilot, 
along zips this stellar and stylish shooter 
to kick the genre's tires and light its fires. 
And spotting why Skies soars is easy. It 
packs boffo visuals, from the heat of your 
plane's engines to the lush jungle canyons 
of the South American level. And the free- 
form mission structure (you pick the jobs 
you want while exploring the massive 
environments) delivers an outstanding 
variety of stuff to do. You'll engage in sim- 
ple escort missions and supply runs one 
minute, then find yourself locked in epic 
blimp-on-blimp action the next. 

But it's your plane's incredibly fluid feel 
that turbo boosts the fun here into the 
stratosphere. Whether you're juking ene- 
mies, pulling a high-g special move, or 
barreling between Chicago's skyscraper 
canyons, control is magic—like you're 
practically flying this thing with your mind. 
You'll appreciate being so in touch with 
your aircraft in the outstanding online 
modes, which again are more fleshed-out 
and require more strategic play than any- 
thing else in the genre. 


Crimson Skies aces every other 
air-combat game out there. Sterling con- 
trols let you plummet past skyscrapers, 
shake bogies in congested streets, and 
power climb to reengage zeppelins high 
above the city. Imagine Panzer Dragoon's 
corkscrewing chases and death-defying 
drops, unscripted and open to interpreta- 
tion. The bosses, each with its own inge- 
niously exploitable pattern and weak spot, 
are just as brilliant. Only the multiplayer 





(OUTOF 10) 





THE VERDICTS 





CRISPIN SHAWN 












GREG 0. 











modes—namely splitscreen—are 
Milquetoast, but it hardly matters. 





Painting the skies red 
with other people's blood might be the 
most fun you can have with your pants 
Still on. In Crimson Skies' solo play, taking 
the role of sky pirate Nathan Zachary 
involves running the gamut of sky-faring 
combat missions in fantastically pretty 
locales. Better yet is the multiplayer mode, 
where the game gives the middle finger to 
such pleasantries as “story” and serves 
up white-knuckle dogfighting. As planes 
cut and turn every way and shrapnel fills 
the skies, the resultant action is video joy. 


= 
+ 


Skies offers turrets aplenty, including can- 
поп on moving trucks, trains, and blimps. 


Publisher: Microsoft 
Developer: Microsoft 
Players: 1-4 (2-16 via Xbox 
Live or LAN) 

ESRB: Teen 





www.xbox.com 


namco: 
— 


WWW.NAMCO.COM 












0 ONES TOLLE cane | 
the ‘LOST мам $ standiİNg. 





WWW.ININJAGAME.COM 








Get Ninja-crazy by collecting power-ups Gravity? Run up walls and tear through Use multiple weapons to take apart Five huge worlds, mini-quests and 
to incite Ninja’s special Rage abilities. levels with moves only the most insane any foe that dares stand between grueling missions that will separate 
Ninja would try. Ninja and his missions. the Ninjas from the boys. 
i 
Animated Blood b. { 
Violenc ess c> i: 
ich 30> А PlayStation.? FETT 

















nd the "PS" Family logo aro registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. TM, Ф and the Nintendo GameCube logo are trademarks of Nintendo. Microsoft 


Ninja & © 2003 Argon: 
he U.S. and/or in other countries and are used under license from Microsoft. The ratings icon is a registered trademark of the Entertainment Software Association. 


Xox and the Xbox Logos 





iy to Namco Hometek In 


trademarks Ol Mego Cor 
b. 
7 





е famous (well, relatively) Karussell turn at 







PROJECT GOTHAM Ë 


RACING 2 


Holy s---, Batman! 


If you like the racing games, and you like 
the Xbox Live, then buckle the f up. This is the best 
realistic (well, fairly realistic) racer since Gran 
Turismo 3, and in many ways, it’s even more fun. 

PGR2 is also one of the first Xbox Live Aware 
titles, so not only can you play against random 
yahoos via Live, but you can also see how your 
scores for each single-player event stack up 
against the rest of the world. It's genius. 

The other genius part of PGR2 is the Kudos sys- 
tem, which rewards players for powerslides, over- 
taking rivals, and generally driving like your hair's 
on fire. It adds to the game an arcadey aspect 
that's missing from more hardcore sim racers—if 
you find Gran Turismo to be equal parts daunting 
and boring, you won't feel that way about PGR2. 

Of course, it wouldn't be a review without some 
bellyaching. The tracks (all based on real locations) 
are excellent...except when you're racing at night 
and it's so dark that you can't see the apex of the 
next turn. The biggest problem, though, is the 


Kicking the Tires on PGR2 


Tracks 

The second Gotham 

does even more globe- 

trotting than the fir: 

you'll visit Stockholm, 

Florence, Moscow, 

Hong Kong, Yokohama, Sydney, Chicago, 
Washington, D.C., Barcelona, Edinburgh, and the 
14-mile Nürburgring Nordschleife circuit. 


150 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com 


prison-rules A.I. Doesn't seem like the owner/oper- 
ator of a Porsche 959 would be quite so zealous to 
punt you into the guardrail, but turns out he is. 
Computer-controlled cars are oblivious to your 
presence, and a lot of frustrating crashes result. 
Don't let that deter you, though—many events 
are solo or versus just one other car anyway, and 
when you go online, you'll find real people are just 
as cutthroat. Despite the flaws, PGR2 is brilliant. 


PGR2is the ultimate refinement of the 
formula Bizarre Creations has been working on 
since Metropolis Street Racer hit Dreamcast: Slick 
visuals, tight control, and that wacky Kudos system 
combine to form one helluva racer. 

Still, all this adds up to only a minor improve- 
ment upon the first PGR...except for the amazing 
new Xbox Live component. This online-all-the-time 
thing in PGR2 might sound like a lame gimmick, 
but it really adds immense replayability. Real-time 
scoreboards and ghost cars of the world’s finest 


Kudos 

Drivers earn Kudo 

points for sliding, over- 

taking, catching air, 

and driving cleanly. Do 

these things simulta- 

neously and you'll earn extra combo points. If 
you hit a wall, you'll lose your combo bonus— 
but not the whole pot, like in the last PGR. 





оаооозй 





players will keep you playing the offline game, if 
only to get that coveted spot on the top 10 list. Not 
to mention the sense of competition it instills in 
you. What could be better than finding the No. 1 
player online and kicking his ass in a race? 





Online gaming is currently what sets 
Xbox apart from its competition, and PGR2 is the 
first title to take full advantage of what it means to 
be Live-enabled. Sure, series mainstays such as 
photo-realistic car models, flawless handling, and 
Kudos style points return in the sequel, but it's the 
total online integration that makes this the new 
standard to topple. As you progress through the 
game in solo fashion, your best times will con- 
Stantly be posted on Xbox Live for all to worship 
and, ultimately, dethrone. So even as you play the 
game offline, you never feel alone in your need for 
speed. Since there's so much to rave about in 
Gotham, I'I just say this: You won't find a more 
value-packed racer anywhere—on any system. 


Cars 

With 14 different car 

series (Compact Sport: 

Pacific Muscle, Track 

Specials, etc.) and six 

to 10 cars per series, 

there’s no shortage of highfalutin’ automobiles. 
Including some you've never heard of, such as 
the Iceni, Delfino Force, and Koenigsegg CC V8S. 








THE VERDICTS 
(OUT OF 10) 











DEMIAN 


Publisher: Microsoft 
Developer: Bizarre Creations 
Players: 1-4 (2-8 via Xbox Live) 
ESRB: Everyone 


GREG S. 


www.xbox.com 


| with pre-order 
or purchase.” 


"WHILE SUPPLIES LAST. 





Call 1-800-800-5166 for the store nearest you or visit us at — com 
D oi — E и 





review crew: 
xbox 


@ 


ay oS 


NBA INSIDE 
DRIVE 2004 


Left out of the starting lineup 


Bi Don't let these images fool you. NBA Inside Drive 2004 is all about utilizing your big men. 





a8 


New songs to dance to can be downloaded cheaply over Xbox Live. Now where’s “Butterfly”? 


ОШУ == 


DANCE DANCE 
REVOLUTION ULTRAMIX 


Dance, Xbox, dance! 


500666205 8 











Є а T TOUR 
A new interface and online play might be enough to get jaded DDR players interested again. 


152 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY « www.egmmag.com 


Good: Low-post moves 
Bad: Little innovation 


Increase: The difficulty. The default setting is a joke 


BRYAN: Innovation is a necessity when 
you're pitted against stalwarts like ESPN 
and Live. Sadly, Microsoft's NBA Inside 
Drive 2004 fails to do anything exciting or 
revolutionary, nor does it execute anything 
any better than other basketball offerings 
do. It's tough to get psyched about a 
Season mode that's devoid of interesting 
options, a default single-player difficulty 
level that's far too low, and an overall lack 
of cool, new experiences (like ESPN NBA 
Basketball’s fantastic 24/7 mode). | also 
suggest hitting the mute button on your 
television remote instead of listening to 
these cheesy announcers—the trio of 
Kevin Calabro, Kenny Smith, and Marques 
Johnson has to go. 

Even with these faults, this year’s edi- 
tion of Drive is a step up, albeit a small 
one. Online options are plentiful, thanks to 
the XSN Sports website, and the visuals 
are definitely eye pleasing. Also, it’s 
refreshing to see gameplay emphasizing 
low-post moves. Still, these improvements 
feel routine. Until Microsoft brings some- 
thing truly new to the hardwood, I’m afraid 
Drive is gonna remain a benchwarmer. 


THE VERDICTS 
(OUT OF 10) 


BRYAN JOHN R. 


Good: Online play and downloadable songs 


6.0 75 6.5 


PATRICK 


JOHN R: /nside Drive 2004 

features a number of minor improvements 
to last year's game (better graphics, a cou- 
ple of new moves and control options, 
smarter CPU A.I.), but for the most part, the 
basic gameplay is essentially the same. 
Xbox Live support is a huge plus this year, 
but considering you can already play 
online with Sega's superior ESPN 2K4, 
Should you even care? Yes—maybe. If the 
idea of participating in online leagues fills 
you with glee, Drive is the only game in 
town (this year) that'll fulfill your needs. 
But if not, go with ESPN instead. 


PATRICK: This year’s Drive delivers compe- 
tent, good-looking b-ball action, but it’s 
Still a tad sketchy. Some of the gameplay 
tweaks work—enriched defensive A.l. 
makes scoring a challenge, and the new 
low-post moves make it easier to execute 
in the half court. But running the break, 
even with the fleetest of teams, proves dif- 
ficult. The game feels skewed toward the 
big men, as if the developer decided to 
emphasize low-post scoring with cover- 
boy Shaq, at the expense of perimeter play. 


Publisher: Microsoft 

Developer: High Voltage 
Players: 1-4 (2-8 via Xbox Live) 
ESRB: Everyone 


www.xsnsports.com 





Bad: Number of previously used songs may bore seasoned vets 
Only Cheaters: Use the control pad when playing online 





Recently, I've found it hard to get ener- 
gized about new DDRs. But Ultramix throws 
caution to the wind and gives the series the 
injection of fun it sorely needed. Updated 
graphics are only the beginning. The other 
tweaks, like the ability to see your highest 
grade for all three difficulties on a song at 
once, sneak up on you, but they make so 
much sense you wonder why it took this 
long for them to be implemented. 

In addition to the normal game mode, 
Ultramix offers an outstanding single-player 
Challenge mode that gives you various 
objectives to complete that'll put your 
dancing skills to the ultimate test. Why has- 
n't this been a part of every DDR? But why 
play solo when you can log on to Xbox Live 
and compete against others across the 
country or download additional songs? 
Ultramix's Live connectivity is easily its 
best feature. It even lets you know whether 
the people you're playing against (up to 
four simultaneously) are using dance pads 
or regular controllers. How cool is that? 

The only major fault 1 can find with this 
DDR is that its song list ain't that great. But 
with downloadable songs, that’s fixable. 





| never realized 
what a DDR loser | was until they took 
away the Beginner difficulty level and 
Lesson mode in Ultramix. | can hold my 
own on Light, but | think the training 
wheels helped me, if only psychologically. 
Still, though not newbie friendly, Ultramix is 
а much-needed addition to the Xbox sta- 
ble—you people need to shake a leg! Plus, 
I'm guessing the Xbox Live versus action is 
gonna knock somebody's socks off, literally. 
And with the ability to download new 
songs, this mix is as ultra as it gets. 


1 know hardcore 
DDR fans will be all about online play and 
new game modes. But | couldn’t care less. | 
just want to have fun, and Ultramix is way 
too hard. | miss the Lesson mode in DDR- 
MAX2, which made me feel like | could 
practice and actually improve. Plus, there's 
no way to turn off the "boos" without turn- 
ing off the commentary altogether, and the 
continual jabs infuriated me. And there are 
too few songs with low difficulty. OK, | like 
the game, but I'm a sore loser. | hope some 
of the downloadable songs are easier. 





THE VERDICTS 
(QUTOF 10) 





JENNIFER 





CARRIE 


Publisher: Konami 
Developer: Konami Hawaii 
Players: 1-4 

ESRB: Everyone 


www.konami.com 








ee 
BestBuy.com 





Neverwinter Nights: Gold Neverwinter Nights: The Temple Of Elemental Evil: 
Hordes Of The Underdark A Classic Greyhawk Adventure 












review crew: 
xbox 


Good: High production values 
Bad: Far too repetitive 


SHAWN: Ever wonder what it’s like to 
operate a traveling carnival attraction? 
This haunted house has enough hokey 
Halloween music and kids screaming at 
unscary crap to scare any dropout back 
to night school. But I'm getting ahead of 
myself. Grabbed by the Ghoulies’ campi- 
ness and simple fights are fun at first. 
Intuitive and precise analog controls let 
you mash monsters instead of buttons, 
and you can use whatever household 
object is at hand to keep the encroaching 
bogeymen at bay. 

Once you've broken your hundredth 
chair over the head of a hunchback, how- 
ever, you'll fiend for something, anything 
else to do. The routine never really 
changes, only the rules. So instead of 
Clearing out a roomful of creeps, you'll 
have to kill 'em within a time limit, in a 
certain order, or without getting hit. 
Somewhere along the line, you'll have 
had so much of the gobbledygook, the 
10-cent scares, and senselessly doing 
the same thing disguised as something 


else, that all the fancy effects your Xbox 
can muster won't keep you from feeling 
like a carny. 


ETA to total ghoulie-whacking boredom? One hour, ten minutes. 


LIEN 
GRABBED BY 
THE GHOULIES 


Something retarded this way comes 


Voiceover Work Provided By: A special-ed class 







y 


Pm 


SHANE: | sure hope Microsoft 

didn’t pony up the big bucks to purchase 
hotshot developer Rare in order to publish 
stuff like this. Admittedly, Ghoulies looks 
fantastic—the wonderfully detailed rooms 
(packed with oodles of breakable junk) 
handily show off the Xbox's graphical 
prowess. But gameplaywise, this is a dis- 
aster. The ultralimited combat gets stale 
after an hour, but thankfully, you’re already 
about a fourth of the way through the 
mercifully short game by then. Factor in 
horribly dippy voice samples and you've 
got yet another reason to avoid this exer- 
cise in annoyance. 


XBN—GREG 0: Grabbed by the Ghoulies 
ranks right up there with Halo and Metal 
Gear Solid 2 in that they are all, in fact, 
games. Neither particularly fun nor 
frightening, the glossy-looking Ghoulies 
features dull, turn-off-your-brain brawling 
wherein players tap (or, if you're lazy, 
hold down) the right analog stick to make 
young hero Cooper punch, kick, or slam 
whatever monster happens to be near 
him...again and again. Expect sticker 
Shock from Ghoulies, but little else. 


Publisher: Microsoft 
Developer: Rare 
Players: 1 

ESRB: Everyone 


www.xbox.com 


154 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com 





LINE 
ARMED AND 
DANGEROUS 


Weapons of crass destruction 


Wi Just when you thought it 
was safe to stay on land, 
the Shark Gun strikes. 


: Unique (and useful) weapons 


Bad: Too many repeated mission objectives 






Get This: The robot?!? He likes to drink tea! How crazy! 


Hell, | like blowing #$%@ up as 
much as the next guy, but these days, 
mindless gunplay gets you only so far. 
Sure, Armed and Dangerous has some 
inventive weapons, but it’s still a pretty 
basic third-person shooter—and one with 
dated graphics and a dopey sense of 
humor, at that. ("Oooh! Look at me! I’m 
Scottish! Isn't that quirky?!”) 

The game has a bevy of huge, sprawl- 
ing stages, but the level design is sloppy, 
and the same objectives pop up far too 
often. (If I live my whole life without ever 
having to blow up another house with a 
bull's eye on it or rescue another peas- 
ant...) Even with the occasional gun turret 
level, the gameplay still gets repetitive 
over time. Some multiplayer action would 
have helped, but there isn't any...at all. 

Maybe this is another "love it or hate it" 
LucasArts game like Gladius, but I'd rather 
Armed and Dangerous had fewer missions 
and a lot more polish. 


It's one of the ugliest Xbox 
games you'll ever play (it's so...brown), 
and shooters don't come much stranger 
(fans of Giants: Citizen Kabuto (PS2) can 
expect similar har-hars). But fugly duck- 
ling Armed and Dangerous has a great 
personality that keeps you hooked longer 
than similar yet more blasé blasters like 
Brute Force. Sure, | got tired of too many 
rescue-the-peasants missions, and the 
game needs a larger arsenal (plus more 
levels with the superfun jetpack). But the 
open-ended level design—and especially 
the nifty fortress-defense stages—made 
for many moments of shooter Zen. 











Armed and 
Dangerous holds some of the greatest 
videogame weapons ever—the Black Hole 
bomb sucks, while the Shark Gun bites. 
These armaments complement delightfully 
frenetic gameplay that has enemies jump- 
ing out of windows to attack, buildings 
exploding with their roofs rocketing into 
space, and huge zeppelins falling to the 
ground in a twisted mass of metal. It’s 
excessive carnage done wonderfully, bro- 
ken up with great laugh-out-loud humor. 
Sadly, the game loses its punch as it 
wears on, presenting players with repeti- 
tive rail-gun shooting and mundane peas- 
ant-rescuing challenges. 





Nearly every building in Armed and 
Dangerous can be blown up. We checked. 





THE VERDICTS 
(QUT OF 10) 


JOE CRISPIN 








GREG 0. 


Developer: Planet Moon 
Players: 1 


Publisher: LucasArts 
ESRB: Teen 


www.lucasarts.com 





Join the battle. Live the epic adventure yourself. Unlock the secrets of Halo to save 
; mankind from the ruthless Covenant swarms, Take the fight online in customizable 
г. ж í head-to-head multiplayer competitions against up to 15 rival Master Chiefs. Break = 
open a redesigned arsenal complete with the wicked new fuel rod gun. Then go 
mobile in the redeveloped Rocket Warthog and Banshee. This is Halo evolved. 








т j Po i Now with online multiplayer 


MATURE 17+ 





Violence BUNGIE gearbox & Spy Microsoft www.microsoft.com/Games/Halo 





Blood and Gore 





‘CONTENT RATED BY 
ESRB 


©2003 Microsoft Corporation, All rights reserved. Microsoft, Halo, and the Microsoft Game Studios logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of the Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries. Other products and company names mentioned 
herein may be trademarks of their respective owners. All rights reserved. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. GameSpy and the "Powered by GameSpy" design are trademarks of GameSpy Industries, Inc. All rights reserved. 


review crew: 
xbox 








Í An empty cantina can only mean one thing: a Wookiee. 


STAR WARS JEDI KNIGHT: 
JEDI ACADEMY 


Left off the honor roll 


BRYAN: Choosing a good school is tough, especial- 
ly when you desire classes like Lightsabers 101 
and Intro to the Force. Jedi Academy covers these 
subjects and more, yet the material isn’t always 
presented in the best manner possible. 

This latest game in the Jedi Knight series 
thrusts you into the role of a Padawan learner jet- 
setting across the galaxy to hone your skills. 
Luckily, your training offers tons of varied thrills 
across a multitude of missions—you'll rescue pris- 
oners from a man-eating rancor monster, defuse 
bombs while evading Boba Fett, and even explore 
the murky depths of Darth Vader's castle. (Since 
when did Darth Vader have a castle?) 

Sounds like another can't-miss Star Wars game 
for Xbox, right? Well, not quite. Lightsaber battles 
now take precedence over first-person shooting, 
which in turn makes combat a rote, button-mash- 
ing experience. Also, cycling through Force powers 
via the directional pad while hackin' away at the 
enemy is a terrible hassle. Unfortunately, the 





Good: Multiplayer modes 
Bad: Haphazard lightsaber battles 


Not a Surprise: Another Hoth level in a Star Wars game 





156 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com 


graphics don’t do much to help the cause. These 
visuals are mediocre at best and not up to par with 
today's Xbox standards. 

Thankfully, the hefty number of multiplayer 
options keeps me from calling Jedi Academy a glo- 
rified summer school, but it still isn't worth $50. 
Even the most die-hard fans are better off renting 
this one for the weekend. 


CRISPIN: It's got brutal Force powers, tauntauns 
and speeders to ride, guest appearances by Wars 
stars Luke, Chewie, and Boba Fett, and stellar mis- 
Sion variety (everything from luring Jedi away from 
the dark side to visiting Casa de Vader). But despite 
that hell of a syllabus, this Jedi Academy some- 
times barely packs the excitement of a business- 
school mixer. Blame the lightsaber combat, which. 
although flashy, is clunky and imprecise. A few 
missions (especially a snow-blind trek across Hoth 
and a crash-and-burn speederbike level) nearly 
push the game to the dark side. Fortunately, addic- 


(Jedi) Physical Education 

What better way to interact with your Padawan class- 
mates than in Jedi Academy's multiplayer modes. All the 
essential match types are here: Deathmatch, Team 
Deathmatch, Duels, Capture the Flag, and Siege. The last 


option is team-based scenario-style play where one 
group infiltrates a location such as a base on the ice 
planet of Hoth or a Sith temple, while the other team 


defends it by any means necessary. Siege is available 
only online, but is easily the most enjoyable match type if 


you have enough people (try for at least four). 


$5 
= 
е 





THE VERDICTS 


BRYAN 





tive online modes will keep you playing if you get 
sick of the single-player stuff. 


SHOE: You can always make a great game...on 
paper. But what happens when a bantha takes a 
big crap on that paper? You get Academy: all the & г 
right ideas, none of the execution. A Jedi-in-train- 
ing with upgradeable skills, an intriguing story 
based on the good trilogy, Force powers, 
lightsabers...what can go wrong? Let me tell you... 
First off, Academy looks and plays like a first- 
person shooter from a long, long time ago with flat 
graphics and zero-IQ enemies. The controls are 
horrid—why let players mess with speeder bikes 
and dual lightsabers if the steering isn't worth a 
damn and all attacks have the same effectiveness? 
Multiplayer could've been terrific with its many 
modes, but button-mashing lightsaber duels and 
hard-to-aim guns ruin the fun. If you were looking 
forward to this, do yourself a favor and play Halo 
again—while humming the Star Wars theme. 


Familiar 
Faces 
Throughout 
Jedi Academy, 
a number of 
well-known 
characters from 
the Star Wars 
universe make 
your acquain- 
tance. In one 
early mission, 
the hairy beast 
Chewbacca 
provides you 
with Wookiee 
backup. Others 
include the lov- 
able robotic 
duo of C-3PO 
and R2-D2, and 
you'll even 
have a brief 
encounter with 
Boba Fett, 
minus the 
Sarlacc Pit. 


Surprise your saber-happy enemies by 
bustin’ out the guns in multiplayer games. 





Publisher: LucasArts 
Developer: Raven 
Software/Vicarious Visions 
Players: 1-2 offline 

(2-8 via Xbox Live or LAN) 
ESRB: Teen 
www.lucasarts.com 


CRISPIN SHOE 


ш Either Dandenault just delivered a check, or a spontaneous square dance just broke out. 


EN o2 


NHL RIVALS 2004 


Five minute major for sucking 


4 


ш (Left) Taking face-offs is extra fun when you can't see the ref drop the puck. 


Good: Decent graphics 
Bad: Totally broken gameplay 
Save Your Money: And buy ESPN NHL Hockey 


GREG S: | have given a name to my pain, 
and it is NHL Rivals. From the second you 
take to the ice, you'll notice huge problems 
plaguing this game. First of all, the face-off 
camera obscures the referee behind one of 
the players, meaning you can’t see the 
puck being dropped. Then, once play actu- 
ally starts, everything moves with syrupy 
slowness and the players’ momentum feels 
very wrong. For kicks, try out the exclusive 
“pivot” feature (where you can skate one 
way and turn another)—it’s so clunky, 
you'll never bother using it after you've 
played your first period. 

My biggest problems, though, are with 
the unevenness of the penalties called and 
shots that go in. I've been dragged down 
during a breakaway and seen a penalty 
called only once (not to mention I've never 
been given a penalty shot). And I’ve seen 
slap shots come off defensemen's feet, just 
because they happen to be near the guy 
who's supposed to be taking the shot. The 
whole game feels terribly sloppy and unfin- 
ished—there is absolutely no reason to 
even play Rivals. 


THE VERDICTS 
(OUT OF 10) 


GREG S. DEMIAN 


REAL SURROUND 
SOUND HEADPHONES 





FK 


ai N 


TOR 


À 


ones 


EEL 


JOHNR. 






DEMIAN: Launching a new 

sports-game franchise may be tough, but 
there’s no excuse for releasing a game that 
doesn’t feel finished. Rivals is fundamental- 
ly flawed: Your teammates constantly wan- 
der offside; you actually slow down when 
you get the puck; players are called for 
roughing when all they did was bump into 
another guy; goalies never leave the 
crease; penalty shots are never called. | 
even saw a CPU player slip the puck under 
his net to score on his own team. Fifty dol- 
lars for this? Are you high? 


JOHN А: 1 think Greg and Demian woke up 
on the wrong side of the bed this morning 
(just hopefully not the same bed). Granted, 
Rivals is clearly not the best hockey game 
in town, but for a first effort, it could’ve 
been worse. All the basics are in place; 
what the game lacks is finesse. Spotty A.l. 
leads to a lot of frustrating (and often 
ridiculous) situations, and the overall pac- 
ing is too slow. Support for online leagues 
is a big plus; if Microsoft can up the real- 
ism next year, Rivals could be a contender. 
Publisher: Microsoft 

Developer: Microsoft 


Players: 1-4 
ESRB: Everyone 


www.xbox.com 





Theatre 6 


Model name: ZM-RS6F 


Awards and Recommendations 





“You feel like you are in the middle of the 
action. You can easily tell from which 
angle a sound is coming from.” 


You can pinpoint the location of the 
various background noises (cars, rain, 
wind, etc.)" 








“Zalman's Real Surround Sound 
Headphones are definitely cool. If you 
want surround sound without waking up 
the neighbors you might want to check 
them out." 


PCs require 5.10 Ch. Sound Card. 


Game consoles and DVD players require Amplifier. 


Available at Fry's, MicroCenter, and PC Club 


[ Zalman USA, Inc. ] 1565 Harmony Circle, Anaheim, CA 92807, USA / Tel: +1-714-693-8880 / Fax: 714-693-8890 / http://www.zalmanusa.com 








—— 
E i. 
E = 
` 
Extreme AND in your face? someone please think of the children? 





= 





1080° AVALANCHE 


The thrill of speed. The agony of a busted tricks 


What Need for Speed: Underground does for 


the rice-rocket set, 1080° Avalanche will do for 
fans of snow-sport racing. You can’t beat its 


cornea-stripping sense of speed. The streaking blur 


lines, shaking screen, and rumbling controller all 
come together to make you think, “Oh snap, | bet- 
ter slow down or I’m gonna die.” Don’t worry about 
that, though. The well-designed courses encourage 
you to tuck and rocket all the way down, with 
easy-access shortcuts that you won't have to let 
off the accelerator to nail. 


Most of the modes work around this all-or-noth- 


ing philosophy. Take a second to check out your 
surroundings, and you won't win the versus-CPU 
race or get the qualifying times in Gate Challenge 


(though you can take it easy in the inappropriately 


named Time Trial and look for hidden gold coins). 
Take a second to even think, and the final 
Avalanche levels will straight-out kill you. 

But why call a game 1080" anything if the 
emphasis is on racing? Yes, it has a half-pipe, big 


ramp, and terrain park, but the combo system is 
silly. Like Xbox's Amped 2, Avalanche is going for a 
more deliberate, slower, and stylish approach, not 
Tony Hawk's school of cramming in as many tricks 
as possible. But this doesn't work so well here. You 
rarely get enough air to squeeze in big combos, so 
the whole tricks system feels subdued, almost an 
afterthought. For freeriders, not freestylers. 


Even if you weren't to compare 
this to the recently released snow masterpiece SSX 
3, Avalanche would still come up a little short. In its 
defense, 1080? offers the thrilling sense of speed 
and danger that SSX 3 lacks, plus it has decent 
handling and a cooler cast of characters than EA's 
lot. But when all of its gameplay modes and disap- 
pointing multiplayer options are handicapped by 
game-ending obstacles (you can actually become 
trapped by a fence) and unnecessarily fussy con- 
trols (rotating the stick to maintain balance sucks), 
the once-mighty 7080? is relegated to bench- 


, Decisions Decisions 
Which to buy, 1080° Avalanche or SSX 3? With its 
boundless backcountry, bi-level boost meter for 
pull-out-the-stops Super-Uber moves, tighter con- 
trols, and deeper trick set (including handplants 


and board presses), EA’s snowboarding game 


| offers the more rewarding ride for those who can 





afford only one lift ticket. Only 1080 , however, 
offers four-player splitscreen play and the oppor- 
tunity to tackle the slopes on Mario-themed 
snowboards and old-school Nintendo controllers. 


system 


warmer status in no time at all. Sadly, a handful of 
unlockable fan-service goodies (an NES-controller 
snowboard, anyone?) isn’t enough to change the 
fact that 1080° just hasn’t kept up with 
the times. 






















What the hell? 1080"'s 
irritating trick system recognizes 
combos executed only after pre- 
determined pauses. And, what with 
twirling the analog stick while ham- 
mering the other keys, | inadvertently 
learned to play the piano by the time | 
landed one high-scoring string. The time tri- 
als are no better— shattered records by 30 
seconds and still couldn’t progress to the next 
Circuit. Silly me, thinking speed mattered. It 
seems | was supposed to collect concealed coins 
instead. How's that for yellow snow? Admittedly, 
the straightforward slope riding is all right, but 
even so, Avalanche still can't compete with SSX 3. 





Multiplayer offers a few racing thrills but little else. 








THE VERDICTS 
(OUT OF 10) 





158 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com 





SHOE 


Publisher: Nintendo 

Developer: Nintendo ST 

Players: 1-4 (splitscreen or LAN) 
ESRB: Everyone 


MILKMAN SHAWN 


www.nintendo.com 


39 It's not really 
a party until 
Mario takes one 
in the junk. 


iud 


MARIO PARTY 5 


Ф 





Even more sickly sweet minigames 


SHOE: When the fat plumber hosts a new 
Party, it's always two steps forward, one 
step back. Each chapter in his party- 
game series improves upon its predeces- 
sor but always manages to leave some- 
thing behind, thus cleverly avoiding the 
perfect package, forcing you to buy more 
editions. Mario Party 5's stages, for 
example, are the worst yet. You'll dig the 
multitiered layouts but you'll yawn at the 
lack of interesting features like MP4's 
giant roulette wheel or lottery booths. 
MP5 makes up for it, however, by letting 
you place a wide variety of good or bad 
"events" on the boards' spaces, cus- 
tomizing the level as you play. 

For most Party animals, that won't be 
reason enough to spend another 50 
bucks, but that's not where the biggest 
improvements are. The single-player 
experience is faster paced and has dif- 
ferent rules (so it’s not just the Party 
mode with CPU opponents), and several 
new un-Mario-Party-like modes (like 
Card Party or Super Duel, where you cre- 
ate tanks and battle them against 
friends) really add some disco to this 
venerable formula. 


THE VERDICTS 
(OUT OF 10) 


8.08.0 


SHOE 





597 
CJ: Another Mario Party, so soon? е 
Yes, and while I'm disappointed that the 
series has still not made the jump online 
(c'mon, it'd be perfect!), this fifth iteration 
hasn’t lost that special touch. It’s full of 
little tweaks, like an improved single- 
player mode, better pacing (with a little 
help from the Koopa Kids), the ability to 
deviously place event capsules around 
the board, and fun |i’! hockey, volleyball, 
and card side games. A few of the “new” 
minigames are rehashed, but it's hard to 
find fault in that when no one’s been able 
to throw a better party game than this. 


‘GMR—ANDREW: No other game brings 
out the best in me as a gamer and the 
worst in me as a human being at the 
same time. Almost as if by design, Mario 
Party’s innocent window dressing pro- 
vides a delightful contrast to the relent- 
less vulgarity and obscenity that the 
unpredictable gameplay generates. Some 
of the new minigames are a little stale, 
and some concepts are recycled, but the 
new capsule system functions well as 
the necessary fresh coat of paint. Buy it, 
call some friends, and let chaos reign. 


Developer: Hudson 
Players: 1-4 
ESRB: Everyone 


8.0 


ANDREW 


| Publisher: Nintendo 


www.nintendo.com 


F 





THE BATTLE BETWEEN 

` ` GooD AND EVIL 
IS ABOUT TO REACH 

- Epic PROPORTIONS! 





The worldwide anime phenomenon 
has arrived at last! Coming to DVD 
October 21st, with all of the thrills and 
action of its original Japanese release. 
Let the new era of legends begin! 


Volume 1 is available now as a single-disc volume . 
and a Collector's Edition featuring Volume 1 and 
a beautiful custom Saint, Seiya art box. 


> i 





www.advfilms.com 










HYPERGRIND 





м NS Ж» 


You never know when Mother Nature’s gonna unleash a great torrent of paint. 


Ehe ar. 


W It wouldn't be a GameCube title without a splitscreen mode! 


RCE 


GOTCHA FO 


When good robots go bad 


© Not your imagination—action figures really have gotten larger lately. 


160 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com 


rabbit pajamas, is 
on fire—wait, wait, 
OK now—literally! 





Some people (and in this case, 
some means Paul) just aren’t going to like 
Hypergrind. Yes, it's a simplistic Tony 
Hawk rip-off. It looks like a kid’s game, 
even if some of the characters and envi- 
ronments—designed by Spumco, creators 
of Ren & Stimpy—display a subversive, 
unkiddylike crudeness. The Story mode 
goals are seriously repetitive, and a decent 
player can beat the game in a single sit- 
ting. But...it’s kinda fun. 

Hypergrind borrows the clever Who 
Framed Roger Rabbit? concept—that 
there’s an alternate-reality Toon World 
populated by wily coyotes, wiseacre rab- 
bits, and presumably, falling grand pianos. 
Hypergrind's eight bizarre levels are lit- 
tered with toonish hazards, such as huge 
mallets, spinning saw blades, and steam- 
rollers—and you're supposed to get your- 
self as badly mangled as possible. Run 
into a blade, for example, and not only will 
you be decapitated for a few moments, 
but any tricks you do will count toward a 
combo string. This madcap masochism is 
Hypergrind’s best—and only—distin- 
guishing feature. 





sf 
The edgy cartoon 
trappings kept me interested in this game 
far longer than its actual gameplay. Which 
is to say, about an hour—or maybe three, 
if you count the two times | had to restart 
because | was still figuring out the Story 
mode’s rules that don’t let you retry 
events (not even once). After that, | kept 
playing only to determine whether 
Hypergrind brought anything more to the 
table besides funky cartoons, average 
skateboarding, and wackily designed lev- 
els that are more confusing than anything 
else. In the end, my answer was no. 


By stealing shamelessly from the 
Tony Hawk formula (complete with two- 
minute time limit), Hypergrind's straight- 
up trick runs manage to be pretty fun. Too 
bad all the other events built around haz- 
ards that crush, electrocute, or decapitate 
your boarder are just lame. Recycled car- 
toon clichés make the self-inflicted pain 
more boring than funny. A confusing stats 
system, creepy animations, and obnoxious 
music don’t help matters. Enough with the 
Tony Hawk wannabes already. 





(OUT OF 10) 





THE VERDICTS 


DEMIAN JENNIFER 


KEVIN: Gotcha Force is a queer little chest- 
nut—you may dismiss it as a throwaway 
baby game from the screenshots, but play 
it and you'll be smitten. Gameplay couldn't 
be simpler: You control stylish robot toys in 
arena battles against rival playthings. Do 
well, and you can earn new bots with exot- 
ic attacks and healing powers. And that’s it. 

Although Gotcha Force is pretty low bud- 
get (the story is told in static, 2D anime- 
style panels), the battles that make up 98 
percent of the game are intensely addictive. 
They remind me of Virtua On’s robot may- 
hem, in fact, although they’re not quite so 
fast paced. Each fighter has one main 
weapon and several auxiliary skills, and 
tandem attacks with your allies are possi- 
ble, so the game’s got this deep, strategic 
angle beneath its cute exterior. 

1 have only one complaint, but it's a fairly 
big one—beat the Story mode, and all 
that's left is multiplayer battles and robot 
collecting. The game's worth at least a 
rental for that two-day window of addic- 
tion, but it lacks much lasting depth. 
Despite that, though, GC owners would be 
missing out if they skipped this entirely. 


KEVIN SHAWN 





Publisher: Atlus 
Developer: Poponchi 
Players: 1-2 

ESRB: Teen 


www.atlus.com 


SHAWN: Equal parts cutesy 

and cool, Gotcha Force's story of toy-sized 
warriors from another world will win the 
hearts of the tykes in your house, but won't 
interest the gamer with so much as a sin- 
gle hair on his balls. The arena-based com- 
bat is banal, combos are almost accidental, 
the dialogue consists of goo goos and gah 
gahs, and the difficulty curve seems 
designed to boost a baby's confidence. 
Overall, it’s an all right little game, provided 
you're still in Pampers. 


CJ: If you've been searching high and low 
for an anime-style version of Sega's robot 
combat game Virtual On, call off your 
bloodhounds—Gotcha Force is it. Its 
sweet-as-candy visuals and gotta-catch- 
em-all style of collecting will appeal to 
Pokémon graduates, but its battle-battle- 
and-more-battle gameplay will leave others 
(myself included) somewhat empty. The 
matches are initially fun (once you get used 
to the confusing camera), but the repetitive 
warfare gets mighty old after a few hours. 
Even the "Story" mode is disappointingly 
devoid of any real narrative or excitement. 

Publisher: Capcom. 

Developer: Capcom 


Players: 1-4 
ESRB: Everyone 


www.capcom.com 




















15 Will the ghosts get Pac...of WiN he gef them? 


PAC-MAN VS. 


Four-player fever 







SCORE 
7000 


1 


Thanks to Pac-Man Vs., Nintendo's 
diabolical dream of making everyone attach 
a GBA to their GameCube via a $13 cable 
might finally come to fruition. Vs. complete- 
ly rethinks the venerated Pac-Man concept 
by allowing players to control the ghosts. 

Conceptually, the gameplay sounds 
incredibly limited, but everything’s so bal- 
anced that it’s actually quite fun. It works 
because the player controlling Pac-Man 
sees the entire maze, thanks to the discreet 
GBA screen, while the ghosts must make 
do with a limited viewing range on the tele- 
vision. Seemingly subtle bits borrowed 
from the arcade original (like the fact that 
Pac rounds corners and travels through 
warps faster than the ghosts) blend with 
new ideas (the ghost players can see more 
of the board by chomping fruit) to add just 
enough strategy to keep it interesting. 

Too bad the audiovisual trappings don’t 
match up to the gameplay. Levels based on 
the classic game look sleek and stylish, but 
the new, thematic stages are too garish. 
And you'll want to mute the frantic music 
and Mario’s squealing commentary. Ugh. 





Do the little tykes 
think you’re whack when you 
boot up those crusty old games on 
Activision Anthology? Do they wonder why 
you can't play 21st-century titles that fea- 
ture more than four colors? Well, give them 
a history lesson with Pac-Man Vs. and see 
if they don’t discover a new appreciation 
for the oldies. Yeah, this multiplayer 
reimagining of the überclassic is a one- 
trick pony that won't keep you hooked as 
long as Mario Kart, but it’s fun as heck and 
the best use of connectivity yet. 


If Nintendo's seemingly 
ridiculous focus on GC-to-GBA connectivity 
results in games like Pac-Man Vs., I'm all 
for it. The thrill of the chase rarely gets 
more intense than when you're yelling Pac- 
Man's whereabouts to your two ghostly 
partners. Trying to work together to catch 
the Pac and betray everyone to win the 
match yourself opens the door to all types 
of exciting, treacherous strategy. Just make 
sure you have three WaveBird controllers 
on hand to avoid a tangle of wires. 





2 
37 00000 





3 22510 


(Left) How the player controlling Pac-Man sees the game. (Right) The ghosts’ viewpoint. 





THE VERDICTS. 
(OUTOF 10) 





SHANE 


G. FORD 





Publisher: Namco 
Develop intendo 
Players: 1-4 

ESRB: Everyone 





www.namco.com 








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review Crew: 
game boy або. 


т Unlike most RPGs, combat is different against every enemy іп M&L, which keeps it exciting. 


MARIO & LUIGI: © 
SUPERSTAR SAGA 


Brotherly love 


Good: Exciting combat, great sense of humor 
Bad: A slow underwater sequence and single fetch quest 
Cameos From: Dr. Mario, Mario RPG, Luigi's Mansion, and more 


DRAGON BALL Z: 
TAIKETSU 


For serious Saiyans only 


E pO ISP TEE ца TE 


— == 











Your favorite characters face off in, well, a vast sea of urine. 


Good: Large characters for a handheld fighter 
Bad: Not deep enough for serious fighters 
Japanese 101: “Taiketsu” means “confrontation” 





MARK: Mario & Luigi is everything your 
typical RPG is not—fast-paced, action-ori- 
ented, colorful and lighthearted—yet it's 
the best game the genre has seen on the 
GBA. The game’s basic mechanic, where 
Luigi and Mario are each assigned a sin- 
gle button for their actions so the player 
can control the Bros. separately, works 
brilliantly. In the main world and dungeons 
it creates plenty of options for great puz- 
zles (ї.е., Mario jumps on Luigi and togeth- 
er they can spin to a faraway ledge, or 
Luigi smashes Mario with a hammer to fit 
into a hole and reach a switch). In combat 
teamwork is used for devastating combo 
attacks you slowly learn and then master. 
Not that the fights needed any more 
spicing up. With tons of different enemies, 
their unique strengths and weaknesses, 
and your ability to dodge any attack, Mario 
and Luigi never suffers from typical RPG 
“just keep tapping A” battle fatigue. 
Outstanding animation, clever dialogue, 
wonderful mini-games, and hilarious 
Nintendo-related inside jokes—Mario and 


Luigi is another polished, thoroughly 
enjoyable adventure in the same vein as 
Mario RPG and Paper Mario before it. 


THE VERDICTS 
(OUT OF 10) 


MARK KEVIN 


KEVIN: Mario & Luigi is exactly the sort of 
RPG the GBA needed. It's not overly long 
like Golden Sun, it's not too difficult like 
Lufia, and—for a change—it's not about 
collecting little fuzzy things. Instead, it's 
just a simple, endearing little adventure. 
The graphics are consistently impressive, 
the story's well-written, and just when you 
think you're getting bored, the game intro- 
duces some wacky gimmick to recapture 
your attention. Just don't expect a saga on 
the scale of Paper Mario—the game ends 
far sooner than you'd expect. 


GMR—ANDREW: After the double dose of 
Luigi's Mansion and Mario Sunshine, it's 
about time we got something a little more 
traditional from the famous brothers. 
Mario & Luigi is a wonderfully playful 
adventure with great wit and self-referen- 
tial humor, bringing back fond memories 
of past Mario games. But it's not just all 
jokes—the timing-based battle system 
seems simple, but is deceptively deep: The 
back and forth flow of combat between 
the Bros. and their foes makes every bat- 
tle fun. The charm, the humor, the puzzles, 
the action...the best GBA game this year. 


IB With all its minigames and special sec- 
tions, M&L’s gameplay changes constantly. 


Publisher: Nintendo 
Developer: Nintendo 
Players: 1 

ESRB: Everyone 


ANDREW 


www.nintendo.com 


162 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com 





Like the two Legacy of Goku 
titles that preceded it, DBZ: Taiketsu is an 
average-at-best game shielded by pretty 
visuals and the enormously popular 
Dragon Ball Z license. To be fair, this is 
probably more than enough for your aver- 
age 10-year-old, but if you're in the mar- 
ket for a deep, well-balanced handheld 
fighter with a good amount of replay value 
(like, say, Street Fighter Alpha 3), this ain't 
gonna cut it. Taiketsu’s characters are 
large and well-animated, but their move 
sets lack variety, and the unforgiving con- 
trols make it needlessly difficult to put 
together effective combos. 

On the plus side, Taiketsu offers a host 
of unlockable extras, including artwork, 
character bios, music, and a couple of 
bonus modes, but again, if you’re not big 
into DBZ, most of this will seem frivolous 
at best. Bottom line: Unless you're of the 
Saiyan underwear-wearing variety, you'll 
probably want to pass. 


Even if you love DBZ so much that you 
and your friends greet each other by char- 
acter names, do yourself a favor and avoid 
this game. It'll bring nothing but disap- 
pointment. The first inkling that some- 
thing's wrong is in the pseudorendered 
graphics. Something about them just 
doesn't look right, and everything moves 
slowly and stiffly. And the gameplay is just 
as unbalanced. It’s a button masher, pure 
and simple, with very little skill necessary. 
Sure, the unlockable rewards are fairly 
cool, but only the most patient DBZ faith- 
fuls will suffer through it for that long. 


THE VERDICTS 
(OUTOF 10) 





CJ 





You don’t publish a game like this 
to recruit new Dragon Ball Z fans. You sell 
it to the huge base of existing acolytes 
who will buy it before they can even look 
up what the hell a Taiketsu is. So I’m not 
surprised that gameplay here shows no 
effort whatsoever. Understated punch- 
and-kick flurries make up most of it, but 
even Capcom vs. SNK-style charge-up 
abilities suck BallZ. 

The developers did faithfully re-create 
some of that awesome DBZ action for the 
fans: Once, my opponent and | threw the 
same exact fireball, then jumped into the 
stratosphere and had simultaneous 
seizures. His must have been more vio- 
lent, because he lost some health on the 
play... What a world. 











Goku and Krillin settle their differences 


the only way they know how: fireballs. 


Publisher: Atari 

Developer: Webfoot Technologies 
Players: 1 (2 w/ Link cable) 
ESRB: Teen 


www.dbzgamer.com 


E un 


تد 
Action-packed ——‏ 


shooter featuring ^ 
footage um 


70+ mobile suits and, X * 


mobile armors from 0079; “aa 


0083, Gundam Wing, G ~ 
Gundam, Gundam Seed. 
Plus original MS created 
for the game! 


5 playable modes 


including 2 player VS 


lod Elis 


Blood and Gore 
Mild Language 
Violence 





GUNDAM 


ENCOUNTERS IN: SPALE M 


















Ма Hey! Less: with the Travolta, more with the Hendrix! 
Гал 


THE SIMS: 
BUSTIN’ OUT | 


MA 



















- 2 ke x ex 
19 (Center) Each character class has its own abilities that you can level up as you see fit. 


LINE 
SHINING SOUL Il 


A bit more polish brings out the shine 


E Soul Il has plenty of great boss fights—this squid rocks the boat, sending you sliding. 


164 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com 


In shrinking The Sims to fit a small- 
er system, EA has surprisingly shucked 
the simulation. Directly controlling your 
Sim’s movements and actions means no 
more spontaneous lovers’ spats, no more 
fatal cooking accidents—and if they wet 
their pants, it’s your fault. The fascination 
of watching simulated people is gone, but 
don’t worry, that ol’ Sims magic remains. 

This baby plays a lot like a role-playing 
game with Sims trappings, and it works 
brilliantly. You'll curry favor with fellow 
Sims by completing multipart quests, like 
reopening the closed-down polka club: You 
must get permission from the previous 
owner, pay off the club’s taxes, and print 
and distribute flyers for the grand reopen- 
ing. Earn money by playing simple, amus- 
ing minigames like fishing, pizza-making, 
and lawn-mowing. All the while, you have 
to keep your Sim clean, fed, well-rested, 
entertained, and so on. 

It's sometimes difficult to track down 
the Sim you need in order to advance a 
quest, and the dialogue is maddeningly 
repetitive, but otherwise, Bustin' Out is 
engaging, original, and just plain fun. 





Clean this, fix that, work, mow, 
move, whatever—you gotta do this stuff in 
real life, why would you play a game about 
it? Bustin’ Out is a chore to play with its 
never-ending list of mundane tasks to per- 
form and computer characters to find 
(some of whom are never where they say 
they're going to be). And if you're not 
yawning, you're groaning over the horrible 
dialogue. Bustin’ Out is still worth bustin’ 
out, though, for kids too young to appreci- 
ate the PC or console Sims that 
mom/dad/older bro or sis are playing. 


Shoe must not have an addic- 
tive personality because, like its console 
big brother, this game's senseless monot- 
ony had me hooked. One night I literally 
couldn't put it down—1 was cleaning this, 
fixing that, working, mowing, moving, and 
whatever...until 3 in the morning (when | 
had plenty of ostensibly better things to 
do). The Sims has never been about a 
rolling boil; it's the slow simmer that 
brings out all the flava. My only real com- 
plaint here is about the iffy control in a 
couple of the minigames. 





(Out OF 





THE VERDICTS 


PAUL 


SHOE 


MARK: Wait a sec, didn't the first Shining 
Soul action-RPG just come out? Well, in 
America, yes, but in Japan the two games 
were separated by over a year. Much of that 
time was apparently spent sprucing up the 
visuals—Soul II's dungeons are each 
unique and detailed, a stark contrast to the 
original’s interchangeable caves. Character 
classes have gotten a bump, too; you can 
choose from a wide assortment of eight dif- 
ferent types, from speedy archers to beefy 
warriors to spell-casting vampires. Other 
welcome additions include optional side- 
quests, story elements, and hidden areas. 
But at its heart—or its Soul, | should say— 
this game is a lot like the original. On the 
one hand, it's rewarding to choose which 
stats and skills to build as you gain levels, 
and the huge assortment of equipment and 
magical items makes collecting treasure 
fun. On the other hand, combat is simple no 
matter which character you play—charge, 
attack, retreat, repeat. Dungeon puzzles or 
enemies requiring different strategies could 
have done wonders for the gameplay. 
Multiplayer adds speed and some tactics to 
combat, so play it with friends if you can. 


MARK JOHNR. 





Publisher: EA Games 
Developer: EA Games 
Players: 1 (2-4 w/ Link cable) 
ESRB: Everyone 


JENNIFER 


www.eagames.com 


JOHN В: Shining Soul Il is an awful lot like 
its predecessor, but with a little bit more of 
everything: more character classes, more 
levels, more items and equipment, and 
(unfortunately) a whole lot more pointless 
dialogue. Fortunately, the dungeon designs 
have been given a major overhaul from the 
first game, but combat remains as repeti- 
tive as ever, which means if you're planning 
to go solo, you're likely to get bored after 
only a few hours of play. Get some friends 
together, though, and you've got one seri- 
ously fun multiplayer RPG. 


BRYAN: The amount of shine added to 
Soul's sequel is... well, almost enough. This 
action-RPG easily surpasses its predeces- 
sor with diverse environments and a wide 
variety of character types. Also, I’m always 
a sucker for a game resembling Phantasy 
Star Online, where | can team up with bud- 
dies to conquer beasties and discover 
ultrarare weapons. Yet, too few identifying 
scrolls in the beginning of the game leaves 
you flat broke, and while the story is a step 
up from the original, this narrative could 
still use some work. 

Publisher: Atlus 

Developer: Sega 


Players: 1 (2-4 w/ Link cable) 
ESRB: Everyone 


BRYAN 


www.atlus.com 


“The evolution of 
ПУ 2) 20 = 72 


It's survival of the fastest: В: Racing Evolution thrusts you into 
the intense competition and heated rivalries of high-velocity 
professional racing. Adapt, or enjoy the exhaust. 


Master GT, Rally, Drag and the premier racing circuits. Fine-tune real world licensed vehicles. 


From the developers of Ridge Racer.™ 


DODGE 


GRAB LIFI 


SPA LIE PlayStation.2 




















REVIEWS VR AP-UP 


Not all games are created equal, yet someone, 
somewhere might still be curious about them 


adly, even the Review Crew in 
s the Ultimate Reviews Issue of 

EGM doesn’t have enough 
room to contain the thunderous down- 
pour of holiday releases. So, here in 
the Wrap-up, we give these lesser- 
known titles a chance to face the perils 
and pleasures of judgment. No scores 
are handed out, but you can get a brief 
synopsis of what to expect. Also, 
thanks go out to CNN’s Daniel Sieberg, 
who graciously took time out of his 
busy schedule to cover a few games. 





GBA • EA Games • ESRB: Teen — Q 
would definitely approve of the GBA, and 
the latest Bond title for the covert gaming 
device will likely leave you shaken, if not 
stirred. The action combines stealth shoot- 
ing with Spy Hunter-esque driving scenes, 
complete with rousing 007 music. But the 
graphics feel like they’ve lost their mojo. 
Oh wait, wrong movie. — —Daniel Sieberg 


Arx Fatalis 


E 





An Xbox port of an acclaimed PC dungeon- 
crawler, Arx Fatalis (no, we can't pro- 
nounce it either) has you plumbing the 
depths of a subterranean world that’s 
more atmospheric and interactive than 
most RPG dungeons. It's certainly a more 
concentrated dose of spelunkin’ fun than 
the free-form Morrowind. 


Cabela's Dangerous Hunt 

PS2, XB • Activision • ESRB: Teen — 
Tired of killing defenseless animals? Now 
you can stalk bears and wolves! Following 
tracks and staying downwind may sound 
brainy, but the game has awful graphics 
and painfully touchy controls. Then again, 
the Wal-Mart crowd might not notice. 


Dinosaur Hunting 





ri 
XB «Metro 3D • ESRB: Teen — That's 
right, you’re hunting fearsome prehistoric 
beasts...with tranquilizer darts. Which you 


tediously mix yourself, using info gleaned 
from examining dino feces. No lie. 


Grand Theft Auto Double Pack 

PS2 Rockstar * ESRB: Mature — If 
you're one of the few remaining 
PlayStation 2 owners who hasn't already 
picked up GTA3 and Vice City, now you 
can get them both for a criminally low 
price—$40. Don't expect any enhance- 
ments, though. You'll have to apprehend 
the Xbox version (which we'll review next 
issue) if you're lookin’ for graphical 
tweaks and custom soundtracks. 


Freestyle Street Soccer 





XB * Acclaim • ESRB: Teen — Strikers 
pop-lockin' on inner city streets? Either 
the International Football Association's 
attempting to make soccer appealing in 
the States or Acclaim's trying to scoop EA 
Big's inevitable F/FA Street. But better this 
than Ghetto Chess, and the gameplay’s 
passable for soccer nonpurists. 


Fugitive Hunter 





PS2 • Encore • ESRB: Mature — 
Without the help of Harvard mathemati- 
cians specializing in negative exponents, 
we couldn't score Fugitive Hunter fairly. 


166 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com 





This shooter is so embarrassingly bad you 
must buy it, if only to box Osama bin 
Laden in his Afghan hideout as some dude 
raps, “Bin Laden, I'm coming for you, cap 
your ass on the PS2.” (We're not kidding.) 


Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone 


YS 3 






PS2, ХВ, GC • EA Games • ESRB: 
Everyone — EA didn’t have a next-gen 
game ready back when the first Potter 
flick debuted two years back, so it makes 
up for it with this budget-priced adven- 
ture. The gameplay and graphics are easi- 
ly comparable with last fall's Chamber of 
Secrets game, so muggles and wizards 
alike will surely dig it. 





Looney Tunes Back In Action 





XB • Acclaim • ESRB: Everyone — Even 
Bugs and Daffy seem bored in this 
dullsville action-adventure from developer 
Warthog (Mace Griffin: Bounty Hunter). 


Medal of Honor: 





GBA * EA Games * ESRB: Teen — Intense 
gameplay and surprising realism make 
this pocket-sized Honor a must-have for 
fans of the wartime genre. Gone is the 
first-person angle of console games, 
replaced by nice-looking, old-school over- 
head visuals. EA even managed to 
squeeze in some historic film footage to 
help set the tone. Overall, one of the best 
GBA shooters around. © —Daniel Sieberg 





© This Fugitive Hunter promo image clearly 
shows the game's Osama-killing goal. 


MTV Celebrity Deathmatch 





PS2, ХВ, GC • Gotham Games • ESRB: 
Mature — Adapted from what was once 
ahit TV show, this game challenges you 
to pick a “celebrity” like Carmen Electra 
and duke it out with, say, her ex, Dennis 
Rodman. You can use weapons like 
chainsaws and crossbows, or get crazy 
with special powers, like Justin 
Timberlake's musical fruit assault. 
Fundamentally, the game is pure garbage, 
yet it's vaguely enjoyable in a guilty plea- 
sure sort of way. —Daniel Sieberg 


Super Trucks Racing 





PS2 • XS Games ¢ ESRB: Everyone — 
Talk about your niche product. Truck rac- 
ing is sort of big with the European mullet 
contingent, apparently, and Super Trucks 
Racing is aimed at the three of you who 
have always dreamed of a truck-racing 
game. It’s just $15, but too bad it doesn’t 
look much better than a Nintendo 64 title. 


Tokyo Xtreme Racer 3 





mmr BASE 
PS2 * Crave * ESRB: Everyone — The 
game about driving around Tokyo's free- 
way system returns. Though you can now 
visit Nagoya and Osaka, little else has 
changed. It’s a poor racing game with out- 
dated visuals and a low ргісе—$20. ёф 









К = 


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KG VY GIS лел DISH BEST SERVED 













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. an extremely 
good brawler, the 
likes of which we 
haven’t seen for 
years.” 

- GameSpy 


Ii OTT. 

Never before seen 
stages containing all 
new enemies and 
boss characters! 





FES STe OPTIME Б. Се”: эзе. 


<a шка 
All new fighting tech- 
niques and weapons 
such as the dash 
punch and nunchucks! 












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|" ? | Vea E. е | 9 
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Tan FE 
WWW.ATLUS.COM 
2003 ATLUS © MILLION Game Boy Advance and the Game Boy Advance logo are trademarks of Nintendo. © 2001 Nintendo, The ratings icon is a trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. 





THE ULTIMATE REVIEWS ARCHIVE 


EGM's guide to the greatest (and lamest) games 


PLAYSTATION 2 


GAME VERDICT SCORES AWARD 
(ош of 10) 

hack Part 1: Infection W Bandai's epic, anime-flavored RPG opens with style 60 75 75 

hack Part 2: Mutation E Continuing your endless RPG bender, Part 2 is more of the same 65 60 80 

-hack Part 3: Outbreak WA third dose of nearly ceaseless roleplaying 65 60 80 

4x4 Evolution W Big-ass wheels. Dirt-encrusted rims, Mediocre off-roading 60 ~ ~ 

Ace Combat 4: Shattered Skies W The venerable, vomit-inducing flight sim returns. Barf bag sold separately 70 75 7.0 

Adventures of Cookie & Cream W Zany, Japanese-branded multiplayer mania. Weird but fun 75 ~ 

Aero Elite Jet into the danger zone with Sega's Ace Combat killer—or so it thought 70 - 

Aggressive Inline W The Hawkster of roller blading. Without the ego 80 85 

Airblade W Crappy hoverboard thrills that'll make you want to watch Back to the Future again 35 40 

All-Star Baseball 2002 W Fun to play as old-timers like Reggie Jackson and Nolan Ryan. If only you could scuff the ball 40 6.5 

Aliens Versus Predator: Extinction W Real-time strategy for sci-fi-movie-sequel lovers. Note: Better than Alien: Resurrection flick 65 80 

Alter Echo W Time-manipulating antics abound in this eclectic take on action gaming 65 65 

Amplitude W Pop-tastic tunes—from Garbage to Bowie—fuel this music-making riff 75 80 

Ape Escape 2 W Monkeys are, in general, cool. This primate-infested sequel is, too 75 60 

Aqua Aqua BIA quirky yet irritating puzzler, rife with very personable droplets of water 60 - 

Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits W Next-gen graphics and a rehauled battle system make this a semiworthy sequel 65 70 

Arctic Thunder W Frost-bitten, freezer-burned snowmobile racing бгес 3.0 20 

Armored Core 2 W Hammering together а custom mech and sending it off to battle isn't fun for everyone 60 60 

Armored Core 2: Another Age W Three times more missions, two dozen more weapons, and a countless supply of mediocrity 6.5 

Armored Core 3 W As fine as mech combat comes on PS2, although it could be better 75 

Army Men: Air Attack 2 W Those darned green plastic soldiers take to the air—again 70 

Army Men: Green Rogue W Bad franchise + old-school side-scrolling = a steaming plastic piece of poo. 20 

Army Men: Sarge's Heroes 2 Sarge's crew makes а nol-so-welcome return to the battlefield 40 

Army Men: RTS W Those stupid toys run rampant in this halfway-slick real-time strategy episode 70 

ATV Offroad Fury W Four-wheelin’, dirt-spinnin’, off-roadin’ glory. Wear a helmet, please 85 

ATV Offroad Fury 2 E Solid sequel to the original masterpiece of off-road goodness 85 

Auto Modellista W Horrendous handling sends this slick cartoon-shaded racer into the guardrail 5.0 

Backyard Wrestling: Don't Try This at Home B Either you like cacti in the face or not. This brawler isn't for everyone 80 

Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance W 050 action without all the long-winded exposition. Geeks still welcome, though 80 

Barbarian W Pit this primitive fighter against Governor Schwarzenegger for real entertainment 40 

Batman Vengeance W The Caped Crusader can't seem to batarang his way out of mediocrity 60 

Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu W So damn hard, even the Dark Knight is complaining 40 

Beyond Good & Evil W Platforming perfection from the man responsible for Rayman 8.0 

Big Mutha Truckers W Trailer-park trash driving 18-wheelers. What went wrong? Sounds like pure gold 70 

Black & Bruised W Think Knockout Kings injected with cartoon craziness. And general badness 55 

Blood Omen 2 E Badass vampire Kain returns in this lush, lively bloodsucking romp 70 

BloodRayne W Why complain when a sexy bloodsucker nibbles on the necks of Nazi thugs? 75 

Bloody Roar 3 Wi Like a playable, friskier version of Animorphs. Third-grade reading level not required 50 

Bloody Roar 4 W More of the same human-to-beast transformation brawling, Ack! Hairball! 35 

Bombastic W An out-of-nowhere puzzler starring truckloads of exploding dice. Addictive, for sure 80 

The Bouncer W Square's awkward branch off into Final Fight territory. Cinemas: 90%. Gameplay: 10% 60 

Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter WM Some cartoon shading helped to revitalize this fifth installment in the series 60 

Britney's Dance Beat WW "Oops... did it again” doesn't even begin to describe the beat-infested horror 35 

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Chaos Bleeds Ш The slayer's second stab at next-gen gamedom bleeds more than expected 65 

Burnout W For the traffic-dodging, road-raging maniac in ай of us. Seat belt not included 75 

Burnout 2: Point of Impact W Incite auto accidents without your insurance premiums skyrocketing. Yup, that's slick 85 

Capcom vs. SNK 2 W 44 bare-knuckle brawlers from the Capcom/SNK libraries face off in this rollicking fighter 90 

CART Fury IM A high-speed arcade racer for those who love the smell of burning rubber 60 

Castlevania: Lament of Innocence W Vampires are immortal. So is this long-running franchise. Even with the kinks 75 

Chaos Legion W A no-holds-barred, massive beat-em-up based on a line of Japanese fantasy novels 65 

Choplifter: Crisis Shield W Closest you'll come to actual helicopter training. Hey, it beats joining the Coast Guard 70 

City Crisis E Rockstars ill-fated helicopter action game. Not like Grand Theft Auto IIl At all 65 

Clock Tower 3 W Survival-horror without guns, knives, or cameras. Not as scary as one may think 60 

Conflict: Desert Storm ll—Back to Baghdad W Back to Baghdad? Couldn't the general have picked а more ritzy resort town? 40 

Contra: Shattered Soldier W An onslaught of side-scrolling excellence with some 3D flair 90 

Cool Boarders 2001 E Shredding snow has never been so. ..uncool 35 

Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex W Detached from creator Naughty Dog, Crash becomes reckless 40 

Crazy Taxi W A basic port of the Dreamcast romp that's still a slick ride 80 Silver 

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Wi Great kung-fu flick. The game is the exact opposite 40 

Dance Dance Revolution: DDRMAX W Mad toe tapping for the arcade fanatic 85 Silver 

Dark Cloud W Even dark clouds have a silver lining, as proven by this epic RPG offering 8.0 90 80 Silver 

Dark Cloud 2 WA classy RPG cocktail founded on a "build your own world” principle 80 80 95 Silver 

Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2 W Mirra once again proves that he doesn't need training wheels 80 85 85 Silver 

DDRMAX2 W A rhythm-crazy sequel for those without an endless roll of quarters 65 

Dead or Alive 2: Hardcore W Beautiful babes kicking ass and taking names. Sounds good. Plays even better 90 80 85 Silver 

Dead to Rights. ва А Max Payne wannabe with a twitchy trigger finger 65 


168 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com 





4,009 


Games the Review Crew has W 
seen from the days of the Atari | 
7800 to the current systems. 


SCORES 


Def Jam: Vendetta 

Defender 

Deus Ex: The Conspiracy 

Devil May Cry 

Devil May Cry 2 

Dino Stalker 

Disaster Report 

Disgaea: Hour of Darkness 
Disney's Treasure Planet 
Donald Duck: Goin’ Quackers 
Downforce 

Downhill Domination. 

Dr. Muto 

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 

Drakan: The Ancients’ Gate 
Driving Emotion Type-S 
Dropship: United Peace Force 
Dual Hearts 

Dynasty Tactics 2 

Dynasty Warriors 2 

Dynasty Warriors 3 

Dynasty Warriors 3: Xtreme Legends 
Dynasty Warriors 4 

Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future 
Enter the Matrix 

Escape from Monkey Island 
ESPN International Track & Field 
ESPN International Winter Sports 2002 
ESPN MLS Extra Time 

ESPN National Hockey Night 
ESPN NBA 2Night 

ESPN NBA Basketball 

ESPN NFL Football 

ESPN NHL Hockey 

ESPN Winter X-Games Snowboarding 
ESPN Winter X-Games Snowboarding 2002 
ESPN X-Games Skateboarding 
Eternal Ring 

Eve of Extinction 

Everblue 2 

Evergrace 

EverQuest Online Adventures 
Evil Dead: A Fistful of Boomstick 
Extermination 

Extreme-G 3 

Е1 2002 

F1 Championship Season 2001 
F1 Racing Championship 
Fantavision 

Fatal Frame 

FIFA 2001 

FIFA World Cup 2002 

FIFA Soccer 2004 

Final Fantasy X 

Fire Blade 

Forever Kingdom 

Freedom Fighters 

Freekstyle 

Freestyle Metal X 

Frequency 

Fur Fighters: Viggo’s Revenge 
Futurama 

Galerians: Ash 

Gallop Racer 2001 

Gauntlet: Dark Legacy 

The Getaway 


VERDICT 


W Wrestling crossed with hip-hop. Who woulda thunk that would click? It did 

W Another so-so vintage coin-op gone next-gen 

W A first-person shooter with paranoia and psychological intrigue. Yummy 

Wi You've never looked so cool with guns blazin’ and sword slashin" 

W Doesn't live up to the original's genius, but Dante is stil a dandy, trigger-happy hero 
Wi Yet another half-assed light-gun adventure. Oh well 

W This just in: Natural disasters go interactive. Not as fun as it sounds. Full story at 11 
WA nicely polished tactical RPG set іп the homely, humble-sounding Netherworld 

W Kiddie fare that heaps only a small reward for willing players 

W The classic Disney duck tries out platforming and learns he can't jump very high 

W You saw that Sly Stallone movie Driven? This game is much better than that. 

W Believe it or not, mountain biking translates well into the interactive realm 

WA sloppy attempt by Midway to create a new action-adventure icon 

Wi Based on the megapopular anime series, this brawler packs a wallop 

W Next time you think about saddling up on a dragon and flying around. ..don't 

W Square's iffy attempt to take its RPG skills to the race track. Oops 

Ж А military action sim that could use an injection of nuclear dazzle 

W Quest through land, sea, and air to visit mystic dream lands. Passport optional 

W Koei's spin-off strategy series strikes a positive cord for genre geeks 

IW Koei's long-standing franchise helped define the phrase “hack and slash” 

W A more polished sequel than the last installment in the one-versus-many actioner line 
W An entirely unnecessary milking of a perfectly decent franchise 

W Prettier and bloodier exploitation of the “kill everyone on the battlefield" formula. 

W Fishy fun for the ocean-saving inclined (Captain Planet fans need not apply) 

W А perfect example of silver-screen synergy gone horribly wrong...in slow motion 

Im A classic, witty pirate adventure fueled by—get this—funny jokes 

E Boredom quickly sets in after tons of button mashing 

W Like Track & Field, but with snow 

E Rigid control holds back the Winning Eleven maker's disappointing MLS title 

W Rates near the top of all-time-worst sports titles 

W ESPN license is cool, but unfortunately the game is lamer than the WNBA 

W Perfect pace and better animations make you want to start a season right this second 
W Good control and fun online play, but first-person football is kind of weird 

W The same great game as last season (NHL 2K3) now has better TV-like presentation 
E It's not SSX, but it's still pretty fun 

W Great Career mode, but so realistic that it actually detracts from the fun 

W This Tony Hawk knockoff has a decent soundtrack but is noticeably devoid of extra features 
Wi Released during PS2's launch, this “magical” RPG merely held genre hounds over 
W A once-promising action game that quickly turned into a festering farce 

Wi From a maker of badass fighting games comes underwater exploration. Neato! 

W Hardly “ever graceful” as the title implies, this is average RPG fluff 

W Evercrack steps from PC to PS2 with passable results. And lots of walking 

W Don't be a primitive screwhead! Avoid this unbelievably dull beat-em-up 

E An exercise in genre exploitation, riding on the coattails of Resident Evil's popularity 
W Sonic-busting future racing that isn't quite fast enough to earn the pole position 

Wi Fresh F1 action from the front lines of the race-car sport 

W Merely а so-so digitization of the F1 rush 

W Expertly captures the blurry-eyed briskness of stadium-based racing 

W The Fourth of July minus bodily injuries and half the fun 

W Survival-horror with a snapshot twist. And Japanese schoolgirl treads 

W Fun game, realistic simulation, and David Beckham with a conservative do 

WA tweaked game engine and new ball-juggling capabilities can’t save this two-mode sim 
W Exponentially better animations and off-the-ball control bring FIFA closer to Winning Eleven 
Жа їп a world devastated by an evil called Sin, this FF installment is anything but that 
W A piss-poor arcade chopper rif, starring a terrorist-annihilating attack hawk 

Wi An underdog RPG about three members of an unlikely team. Battling, you know, evil 
W Easily accessible team-based combat. Like a playable Red Dawn—minus Patrick Swayze 
I The EA Big formula applied to motocross with the utmost precision 

W A poor man's Freekstyle for the motocross dope 

W A nifty music-creation romp. Like your iPod, but with a controller 

WA sorry Dreamcast port of a fluffy, furry action-shooter 

WA floppy game based on a failing—rather, failed—animated series 

W An attempt at sci-fi horror that misses most of the beats on the tension meter 

IW Those who thought horse racing couldn't be enthralling, thought too soon 

W Gauntlet gone 3D. Not so good. Not too bad. Period 

W Like Guy Ritchie's answer to Grand Theft Auto. Those darn Brits also say “fook” a lot 


(out of 10) 


75 
6.5 
8.0 
9.0 
70 
55 
6.0 
8.0 
5.0 
65 
7.0 
8.0 
4.0 
8.0 
35 
6.0 
6.0 
75 
75 
65 
8.0 
6.5 
75 
75 
35 
9.0 
65 
5.0 
45 
15 
4.0 
85 
75 
85 
75 
6.0 
7.0 
35 
40 
65 
75 
75 
3.0 
65 
65 
85 
65 
85 
5.0 
65 
9.0 
55 
75 
9.0 
4.0 
65 
85 
85 
50 
6.5 
6.0 
5.0 
55 
75 
5.5 
6.0 


7.0 
8.0 
9.0 
70 
6.5 
85 
65 


7.0 
7.0 
5.0 
6.0 
6.0 
75 
75 
7.0 


85 


35 


50 
70 
30 
9.0 
8.0 
9.0 
75 
70 
6.0 
6.0 
65 
6.0 
3.0 
6.0 
6.0 
7.0 
8.0 
8.0 
8.0 


9.0 


85 
85 
85 
8.0 
40 
75 
7.0 


AWARD 


Silver 
Silver 


Silver 


ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com • 169 





Im 


TONY HAWK'S 
PRO SKATER 2 
10, 10, 10 • Platinum 


TEKKEN 3 
10, 10, 10, 9.0 • Gold 


FINAL FANTASY VII 
9.5, 9.5, 9.5, 9.5 • Gold 


PLAYSTATION 2 


GAME 


Gitaroo Man 
Gladius 

Global Touring Challenge Africa 
Gradius IIl & IV 

Gran Turismo 3 A-spec 

Grand Theft Auto Ill 

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City 

Grandia Il 

Grandia Xtreme 

The Great Escape 

Guilty Gear X 

Guilty Gear X2 

Gungrave 

Gungriffon Blaze 

Half-Life 

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets 
Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup 
Harvest Moon: Save the Homeland 
Haven: Call of the King 

Headhunter 

Herdy Gerdy 

High Heat Major League Baseball 2002 
High Heat Major League Baseball 2003 
High Heat Major League Baseball 2004 
Hitman 2 

Hot Shots Golf 3 

The Hulk 

Hunter: The Reckoning—Wayward 
-Ninja 

Ico 

Jade Cocoon 2 

Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy 
Jak Il 

James Bond in Agent Under Fire 

Jet X20 

Jonny Moseley Mad Trix 

K-1 World Grand Prix 

Karaoke Revolution 

Kelly Slater's Pro Surfer 

Kengo: Master of Bushido 

Kessen 

Kessen Il 

kill.switch 

King of Route 66 

Kingdom Hearts 

Klonoa 2: Lunatea’s Veil 

Knockout Kings 2001 

Le Mans 24 Hours 

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2 

Legaia 2: Duel Saga 

Legends of Wrestling 

Legion: The Legend of Excalibur 
Lethal Skies 

Lethal Skies II 


Games EGM has 


reviewed with 


“3D” in the title. 


VERDICT 


т Colorful, quirky, all-out Japanese zaniness in the form of an unconventional rhythm romp 
W Depending on your love of loincloths, this might be your kind of RPG 

W The dusty, dirty appeal of rally racing in Africa. Just watch the Discovery Channel 

W Two shooters for the price of one. But don't expect too much gusto 

W The grandaddy of racing sims. Need we say more? 

W The “go anywhere, do anything” trend started here. So did the hooker shortage 

W Applying the '80s to the historic organized-crime franchise. Muy excelente 

W Mighty, spiky-haired Rudo headlines this damn good epic 

т The RPG franchise shifts gears. And the transmission bottoms out. Oops. 

W Steve McQueen is exhumed for a remake of his classic prison flick. What's that smell? 
E Skillfully animated 2D brawling from yesteryear. Only made recently. Neat 

W Even more polished 2D slickness emerges from this third installment in the series 

W Stylish, hard-nosed shooting. And explosions. And more shooting 

W Postapocalyptic big-robot action. As if there were any other kind 

W The PC's premier first-person shooter finds a home on the console after three years 
W Here to make your Harry Potter withdrawal go away. Impressive movie-to-game riff 

W The most game-worthy portion of the Potter flicks makes a sporty debut 

E A robust new direction for the ongoing series. Like “life simulation." But not your life 
W Blends nearly every genre—platformer, shooter, FPS, racer—fairly well 

W Play as a bounty hunter extraordinaire who misses his target a few too many times 

W Brilliant animation is superceded by lackluster herding mechanic. D'oh! 

W The game baseball fans have long been waiting for 

Wi Better graphics, more features—3D0 expands on an already great game 

W Best pitcher/batter interface ever in a videogame, 2-on-2 Showdown mode is great fun 
W Piano-wire chokings, head shots, and stabbings are all in a day's work for this pro 

W Hit the green in this pick-up-and-play sim. No stuffy, plaid-pants foggies here 

W Hulk smash! Hulk snap Ang Lee's neck! Hulk like game better! 

Wi Proving that shallow arcade action doesn't always appease the console junkie 

W Gary Coleman jokes aside, this li ninja slices and dices with the best of 'em. Just lower 
Strikingly beautiful graphics, deft gameplay, and a princess who gets in your way a lot 
E The finely crafted sequel to 19995 original PS1 RPG 

W Post-Bandicoot Naughty Dog takes to the budding action-platforming genre 

Wi Darker, denser, edgier, and all around bigger, this sequel has major ‘tude! 

W Remember Denise Richards! scientist babe Christmas Jones? This game is dumber 

W Sony flips the bird to the Splashdown series with this in-house Sea-Doo racer 

W it's amazing Moseley got work after this snow-job sludge hit shelves 

Wi Imported boxing from Japan. With kicking. And elbows. And real pain 

W A party-hat-happy weekend is guaranteed when you sing without regard for your ego 
E Not half-bad; Slater conquers monster ocean waves in this extreme-surfing sim 

W Oh-so-incredibly average ancient-samurai action. Master of nothing, really 

ї Feudal conflict simulation from the one-versus-many experts, Koei 

Wi Have an urge for more ancient military clashes reenacted? Your remedy is right here 
W Urban warfare with nifty around-the-corner firing. Like the grittier scenes in Black Hawk Down 
W Inbreds don't buy games. Sega made this 18-wheeler racer anyway, And it's... OK 

W Square married with Uncle Walt's kingdom of characters. A smashing combo, indeed 
W Age-old platforming crossed with new-age visuals. And aren't Klonoa's ears mighty big? 
т instilled with the hardest hits to the head since Mike Tyson's Punch-Out! (NES) 

W France's fatique-drenched racing marathon converted to photo-real graphics 

W Ahh, how cute. Soul-sucking Azriel is shifting dimensions again 

W A crafty battle system doesn't do much for this so-so RPG 

W An iffy exercise in wrestling, featuring Randy Savage before he had a rap record 

W King Arthur's legend is hard to forget, but this medieval turd of a game isn't 

W Sammy's sorry attempt to clip the mighty wings of Ace Combat and Aero Elite 

W A sequel to a flight sim that never took off in the first place 


The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring ill Rushed, poorly incubated RPG fluff based on Tolkien's novel. Not the movie 


The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King 
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers 
Mad Maestro 

Magic Pengel: The Quest for Color 

The Mark of Kri 

Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX 2 

Max Payne 

Maximo: Ghosts to Glory 

MDK 2: Armageddon 

Medal of Honor: Frontline 

Mega Man X7 


170 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com 


E Polished, wholly enthralling action-adventure excellence based on the movie 

W Another brilliant stab at translating the epic action of the silver screen onto your television 
E Zippy rhythm fun from the Land of the Rising Sun 

W Doodle and fight. It's like Pokémon with digital crayons. And penis monsters 

W If Walt Disney made R-rated cartoons. That were interactive. And didn't have songs 
W Hoffman isn’t the Hawkster, but his BMX tricks are still top-notch in the genre 

W Hard-boiled action so gritty that you'll scrub the pulp off for days 

W Capcom's other horror franchise achieves 3D greatness. In heart-patterned boxers 
W An often overlooked sequel to a fast-paced, explosion-heavy action game 

W The bloodiest bits of Saving Private Ryan gone interactive. Minus Tom Hanks 

W Yet another spoiled-on-arrival Blue Bomber adventure. The 3D doesn't help 


SCORES 


(out of 10) 


7.0 
85 
6.0 
75 
10 
9.0 
10 
9.0 
75 
40 
70 
8.0 
6.0 
70 
8.0 
75 
65 
8.0 
70 
6.5 
6.5 
7.0 
8.0 
9.0 
90 
85 
6.5 
6.0 
8.0 
8.0 
70 
85 
8.5 
5.0 
85 
35 
6.0 
8.5 
6.5 
55 
75 
7.0 
6.0 
6.0 
85 
75 
65 
8.0 
55 
6.0 
5.0 
6.0 
3.0 
3.0 
25 
85 
85 
7.0 
8.0 
9.0 
6.5 
75 
9.0 
85 
8.0 
5.0 


6.0 
7.0 
7.0 
10 
9.0 
10 
9.0 
7.0 
45 
75 
85 
80 
65 
85 
75 


65 
6.0 
65 


75 
6.0 
3.0 
10 
10 
10 
9.0 
65 
6.5 
7.0 
85 
6.5 
7.0 
8.0 
75 


7.0 
3.0 


AWARD 


Platinum 
Gold 
Platinum 
Gold 





The Atari 7800 
hockey game is EGM's 
first-ever review. 


PLAYSTATION 2 


VERDICT SCORES AWARD 
(out of 10) 

Men in Black І: Alien Escape W Alien squashing that sold more for its blockbuster name than bug-busting thrills 

Metal Arms: A Glitch in the System Wi Shockingly sweet whoop-ass robot mayhem. No glitches here 0 80 80 Silver 

Metal Gear Solid 2 W Solid Snake takes it to 11 with this sensational sequel, We'd expect no less 5 95 95 Gold 

Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance и Hardly a true sequel, but impressive nonetheless. Solid, to say the least 5 95 95 Gold 

Midnight Club W For bringing street racing into the spotlight, it was slick at the time 5 70 Silver 

Midnight Club Il W Faster, vaster, and all-around cooler. And nitrous soaked. With spinning rims .0 80 95 Silver 

Mike Tyson Heavyweight Boxing Wi Just bite your own ear off. It's better than enduring this sissy-punch-throwing sludge 

Minority Report E Just another movie property turned mediocre game. With no Tom Cruise 

MLB Slugfest 20-03 Wi Like hardball with soft pitches. And unlike hardball it's fast and fun 

MLB Slugfest 20-04 W On par with last season's so-so ballpark antics, Just buy your crackerjacks at the grocer 

Mobile Suit Gundam: Federation vs. Zeon Ш Giant robot action that'll make the average Joe smile and the anime fan faint x Silver 

Mobile Suit Gundam: Journey to Jaburo Giant robot action that'll make the average Joe puke and the anime fan convulse 

Mobile Suit Gundam: Zeonic Front W Giant robot action that'll at least tear you away from that Dragon Ball Z marathon 

Monster Rancher 3 W While no Pokémon, this rip-off series is still a pleasant bout 

Monsters, Inc. Wi Mike and Scully do not endorse this lame licensed product. Neither does Boo 

Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance W The king of blood-drenched fighters barely pounds a bruise in its 3D update 

MotoGP W Namco's original motorcycler burns rubber like none other .0 80 Silver 

MotoGP 2 W A two-wheeled follow-up that chokes a bit on the exhaust, but still speeds by 

MotoGP 3 W With the fuel gauge near Full, this grand prix is still roaring [ Silver 

Mr. Mosquito Wi Forget about vampires. Mosquitoes are cooler. Or so this bloodsucker says 

MTV Music Generator 2.0 W Sick of the pop-infused radio waves? Make you own music. But it will probably N'Suck 

MVP Baseball 2003 W EA returns to glory on the diamond with a superior pitching system 

MX Superfly Featuring Ricky Carmichael Ва Trickster cycler action for the daredevil inclined. But Freekstyle isn't jealous 

MX2002 Featuring Ricky Carmichael 1а Reintroducing Ricky Carmichael, another extreme-sports specialist with a bit of spunk 

My Street W if it really is your street, move immediately. Here's the number: 1-888-U-HAUL-IT 

NASCAR 2001 W Left turn after left turn after left tum. This pedestrian racer doesn't quite deliver 

NASCAR Heat 2002 W Offers a соо! first-person view and more options than its predecessor. Still loads of left turns 

NASCAR Thunder 2002 W Wow! There are right tums in this game! 5 75 85 Silver 

NASCAR Thunder 2003 W Now this is NASCAR! Gran Turismo 3-like graphics with an awesome Career mode . Gold 

NASCAR Thunder 2004 1а Grudge/Aliance system introduces a more strategic approach to the greatest redneck racing sim 5 80 80 Silver 

NASCAR: Dirt to Daytona W it lacks licensed drivers but still delivers the NASCAR goods 

NBA 2K2 Wi Р52:5 top NBA series may inspire cornrows 5 90 90 Silver 

NBA 2K3 E The best just got better with stronger defensive A.I. and online play 5 90 95 Gold 

NBA Hoopz W Bastardized basketball! 3-on-3 arcade-style action based on the NBA Jam series 

NBA Jam W The new Jam borrows а lot from NBA Street. Maybe not enough 

NBA Live 2001 W First Live on PS2 shows potential, but not a lottery pick 

NBA Live 2002 Wi Second Live is the year's most disappointing sports game 

NBA Live 2003 W A new game engine and freestyle control make for an excellent game of b-ball .0 80 75 Silver 

NBA Live 2004 WA good game improves as defense catches up with the offense, plus it's more realistic 5 90 Silver 

NBA Shootout 2001 W An ordinary game highlighted by a cool intro sequence featuring the sweet sounds of Erik B. 

NBA Shootout 2003 Wi Holes in the gameplay and quirky graphics slow down 989's roundballer 

NBA Street Wi ‘What up, playa?” Captures the vibe of the street-hoops culture like no other 

NBA Street Vol. 2 W Best arcade-hoops title is even better with new moves and improved control 

NCAA College Football 2K3 Wi Nice Legacy mode, but Sega is runner-up to EA Sports for supremacy on the college gridiron 

NCAA Final Four 2001 E College hoops? This game is more like the ninth-grade B team. It couldn't be worse 

NCAA Final Four 2002 їй We take that back. It can get worse 

NCAA Football 2002 W Exquisitely captures the college-gridiron feel in the series! first PS2 appearance .0 90 Silver 

NCAA Football 2003 Wi With the wide-open college offenses, this is the year's most fun football game, college or po 85 90 95 Gold 

NCAA Football 2004 Wi As close to perfect as a sports game can be .0 90 95 Gold 

NCAA GameBreaker 2001 Wi Has all the pageantry of a torn ACL. What's the point here? 

NCAA GameBreaker 2003 Wi The Akron Zips are more likely to win the national title than you choosing GameBreaker 

NCAA March Madness 2002 E College basketball is about tailgate parties and beer binges. So you can skip this game 

NCAA March Madness 2003 Wi Feels suspiciously like NBA Live. On the bubble, but just makes the dance 

Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 W AI about velocity, the series’ sixth title boasts tight controls and fun multiplayer .0 90 95 Gold 

NFL 2K2 Wi First PS2 version of Sega's football hit made Madden take notice 0 85 80 Silver 

NFL 23 Slick ESPN presentation and interactive offense, but defense is too difficult .5 90 85 Gold 

NFL Blitz 20-02 W An enjoyable, over-the-top football experience with few rules to follow 5 85 80 Silver 

NFL Blitz 20-03 W Wow, the same old Bitz Literally, there's nothing that sets it apart from 20-02 

NFL Blitz Pro E Not your big brother's Blitz. 11-on-11 games with expanded playbooks alter the action 

NFL GameDay 2001 W We'd rather listen to Rush Limbaugh break down football 

NFL GameDay 2002 W We'd rather listen to Monday Night Football's Lisa Guerrero break down football 

NFL GameDay 2003 Wi We'd rather listen to that idiot on Sports Radio break down football 

NFL GameDay 2004 W Wait a minute. This isn't quite the horrific attempt at football we've grown accustomed to 

NHL 2001 W The first PS2 version has good graphics but lame fighting 

NHL 2002 Wi Even lamer fighting, but with improved graphics and a nice Create-a-Player mode 

NHL 2003 W A fun game flawed by a lack of good camera angles 


WT 


SR 


ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com • 171 





review archive: 
playstation 2 


Average review score 
of a Final Fantasy 
е game іп EGM. 














paint the town 
1- redin more ways 
-than one while star- 
ring in this graphic, 
з sci-fi tale. 











“under ‘Samus Aran's ¿ 804 in this. 

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GAME 


NHL 2004 

NHL 203 

NHL FaceOff 2001 

NHL Hitz Pro 

Ninja Assault 

No One Lives Forever 

Okage: Shadow King 

Oni 

Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny 
Onimusha: Warlords 

Orphen 

Pac-Man Fever 

Pac-Man World 2 

PaRappa the Rapper 2 

Pirates: The Legend of Black Kat 
Portal Runner 

Pride FC 

Primal 

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time 
Pro Race Driver 

Q-Ball Billiards Master 

Quake Ili Revolution 

RAD: Robot Alchemic Drive 
Ratchet & Clank 

Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando 
Rayman 2: Revolution 

Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc 
Rayman Arena 

RC Revenge Pro 

Ready 2 Rumble Round 2 

Real Pool 

Red Faction 

Red Faction 1 

Resident Evil Code: Veronica X 
Resident Evil: Dead Aim 

Return to Castle Wolfenstein: OR 
Rez 

Ridge Racer V 

Ring of Red 

Risk: Global Domination 
Roadkill 

Robin Hood: Defender of the Crown 
Robotech: Battlecry 

Rogue Ops 

RPG Maker 2 

RTX Red Rock 

Rugby 

Rumble Racing 

Rune: Viking Warlord 

Rygar: The Legendary Adventure 
Savage Skies 

Scooby-Doo! Night of 100 Frights 
Sega Sports Tennis 

Shadow Hearts 

Shadow Man: 2econd Coming 
‘Shadow of Destiny 

Shaun Palmer's Pro Snowboarder 
Shifters 

Shinobi 

Shox 

Silent Hill 2 

Silent Hill 3 

Silent Line: Armored Core. 

Silent Scope 

Silent Scope 2: Dark Silhouette 
Silent Scope 3 


172 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com 


‘VERDICT SCORES AWARD 
(out of 10) 

W The all-new Dynasty mode keeps the NHL series competitive with ESPN NHL Hockey 

W Realistic, accurate, and fun. Hoists the Cup as the year's best hockey sim 

W Features 13 NHL legends, plus the gimmicky puck-halo feature 

W Authentic 5-on-5 action mixed with Midway's adrenaline style of play makes for a fun skate 

Wi Ninjas. Bad. Ninjas with guns. Almost badass 

W Superspy thrills branded by the '60s. With а babe. And no Bond. No matter 

WA Tim Burton-esque RPG without anything else very redeeming 

W Gunplay. Hand-to-hand combat. It's hard to say anything else remotely nice 

W А slickly executed return to feudal Japan infested by the undead. Bad demons! 

W Survival-horror with a Tokyo twist. A perfectly potent balance of action and artistry Ё [ .0 Silver 

ЮША PS2 launch RPG that nobody—even Little Orphan Annie—related to 

W Mario Party without Mario. Or Luigi. Or Nintendo. Or fun. Drat! 

W The pill-munching yellow guy finds himself in another above-average 3D exploit 

WI The rap-happy diggity dog loses his flair for rhyme 

WI This swashbuckling riff is a mixed bag. Some say pirates rock. Others hate peg legs 

W An Army Men spin-off that no one asked for. Unless you did. But we doubt it 

W Brutal arena-based fighting courtesy of Japan's thirst for, well, brutality 

Wi Heavy-metal rockers enter an alternate universe filled with demons. Yeah, unique 

WA revival of the classic platformer that doesn't suck. In fact, it's damn near brilliant 

W Racing with story. But unlike Driven, suicide won't cross your mind while playing 

W Local pub closed? Q-Bail is best played sober in your mom's basement, anyways 

W Quake Ill was a FPS revolution on PC, This PS2 port borders on devolution 

W Superhuge remote-controlled robots. Damn, if only Toys “В” Us sold those 1 Silver 

Wi Tons of firepower? Check. Little metal pal? Check. Platforming prowess. Indeed 1 I 0 Silver 

W Upgrades everything from the original for an even more explosive mix 5 85 95 Gold 

Wi The limbless wonder outplatforms most heroes with. ..er.. .limbs. Peachy! х 4 M0 Silver 

W Wasn't it obvious, though? The lack of proper body parts was bound to bring Ray down 

E Good ol’ Ray and his lesser known pals play Mario Party. Incorrectly 

W High-speed racing. Miniature proportions. With limited battery juice 

W Afro-dosed pugilism has limited appeal. This sequel proves just that 

W No, not swimming pool. Billiards, brainiac. And it's certainly real А Silver 

W Thank Red Faction for Geo-Mod tech. Also thank it for slick FPS firefights М . .5 Silver 

Wi But only thank this sequel for more of the slightly above-average same 

W A-class creepy, crawly suspense for the undead-loving persona in all of us 0 9.0 Gold 

E Sloppy, überbotched light-gun action with a Resident Evil tang. An icky tang, that is 

W Zombie Nazi bashing: Excellent. The absence of online play: Not so excellent 

W Visually wild music-generation experiment. Like living inside a drum solo 

E An octane-oozing experience that almost whizzes by the Gran Turismo line 

IL A superbly unique but infinitely boring take on future-war strategy 

IW Board-game gurus, take note: This Risk is top notch. Everyone else: Watch paint dry 

W Twisted Metal meets Grand Theft Auto, and the two don't quite hit it off 

WA taste of the old school. But why does it feel like Robin is robbing the player? 

W A cartoon-shaded anime riff that'll make any fan of the series wide-eyed T Silver 

Wi Imagine Solid Snake in a dress. Now stop, because we're getting turned on 

W Don't buy D-grade RPGs. Just make your own 

W Aside from the ridiculous name...wait, everything is ridiculous about this Mars-set turd 

Wi Forget about Madden. Rugby sports less pads, less ego, and a lesser review score 

W Muscle-car insanity for those who enjoy pimping out their rides l5 85 Silver 

W Funny how the name Rune is spelled differently than "ruin." Get it? 

W A franchise you may have forgotten gets a next-gen facelift. Nice cheekbones, Ry! . E .0 Silver 

W it's unfortunate how every bad game has a pun-worthy word in the title. Like "savage" 

W Unlike the long-running cartoon, this Scooby platformer is actually wholly enjoyable 

W Continuing Virtua Tennis’ legacy, this sequel has balls. Yellow ones. z А .0 Silver 

W Exorcisms. Hauntings. Yikes! Talk about an unconventional RPG 

W This voodoo journey is best left to the undead 

W Somewhat cliché time-traveling RPG that plays out like Murder, She Wrote for gamers. 

W Merely an SSX wannabe, Palmer's extreme ride is merely second rate 

m ...*gasp*...eyes...burning. .. 

W Antigravity ninja kicks for the Sega purist. Got katana? 

W The EA Big factory rolls out another stunt-crazy, tricked-out romp. This time: rally racing 

Wi Things that go bump іп the night. Don't shine a flashlight on them, or else М C .0 Silver 

Wi Monsters running amok in a living nightmare. In a shopping mall. No, Sears is closed 5 90 Silver 

Wi Intense, massive mech action from Japan? Nah, couldn't be 

W Sniping without the greasy eyepiece from the arcades 

18 More long-range cherry picking. But did we really need it? 

W Yet even more sniping. This just in: Achy trigger fingers are the new boring 












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PLAY HERE 


gaming console location 




















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broadband internet location 













































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NYKO®, Air Fio", Air Flo ЕХ”, and Wireless Net Extender" are trademarks of NYKO Technologies, Inc. ABS and the ABS logo are registered trademarks of ABS Computer Technologies, Inc. 

® Activision® is a registered trademark. Call of Duty, THUG. True Crime and Streets of LA are trademarks of Activision, Inc, and its affiliates. Tony Hawk is a trademark of Tony Hawk. JBL is a 
registered trademark of Harman International Industries, Incorporated. Dance Dance Revolution", Dance Dance Revolution ULTRAMIX" and BEMANI" are trademarks of KONAMI CORPORATION. 
KONAMI® is а registered trademark of KONAMI CORPORATION. Microsoft®, Xbox®, the Xbox logo and the Xbox Live logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation 
in the US. and/or other countries. PlayStation® is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc, EverQuest is a registered trademark of Sony Online Entertainment Inc. Online 


Adventures Frontiers, PlanetSide and PlanetSide: Core Combat are trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment America Ic. Тесто, Ninja Galen andthe Tecmo log are registered trademarks 
INNOVATION FIRST of Tecmo, LTD. Al registered trademarks, trademarks, trade names and logos are the properties of their respective owners. ©2003 NYKO Technologies, Inc. Al rights reserved. 


review archive: 
playstation e 


Number of silver- 
awarded titles that were 
also Game of the Month. 








GAME 


Silpheed: The Lost Planet 

The Simpsons Skateboarding 
The Simpsons: Hit & Run 

The Sims 

Sky Gunner 

Sky Odyssey 

SledStorm 

Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus 
‘Smash Cars 

Smuggler's Run 

Smuggler's Run 2: Hostile Territory 
SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs 
‘SOCOM Il: U.S. Navy SEALs 
Soldier of Fortune 

Soul Calibur II 

Space Channel 5: Special Edition 
Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy 
Spider-Man 

Splashdown 

Splashdown: Rides Gone Wild 
Spy Hunter 

SSX 

SSX 3 

SSX Tricky 

Star Trek Voyager: Elite Force 
Star Trek: Shattered Universe 
Star Wars Bounty Hunter 

‘Star Wars Racer Revenge 

Star Wars Jedi Starfighter 

Star Wars Super Bombad Racing 
Starsky & Hutch 

State of Emergency 

Stitch: Experiment 626 

Street Fighter EX3 

Street Hoops 

Stretch Panic 

Stuntman 

Sub Rebellion 

Suikoden III 

Summer Heat Beach Volleyball 
Summoner 

Summoner 2 

Super Bust-A-Move 

Superman: Shadow of Apokolips 
Surfing H30 

SWAT: Global Strike Team 

Swing Away Golf 

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 
Tekken 4 

Tekken Tag Tournament 

Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven 

Test Drive 

Test Drive Off-Road—Wide Open 
Theme Park Roller Coaster 

The Thing 

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2001 
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2002 
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004 
Time Crisis 2 

Time Crisis 3 

TimeSplitters 

TimeSplitters 2 

Tokyo Xtreme Racer Zero 

Тот Clancy's Splinter Cell 

Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness 
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 


— _ average score: 54 ў 











174 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com 


J 


VERDICT SCORES 


(out of 10) 


AWARD 


W Old-school space shooter with a next-gen edge. Albeit been there, done that 

D'oh! 

W Think Grand Theft Homer. Without the violence. Or hookers. Just Marge 

W Play this. Real life is boring M 5 Silver 
W Quirky, cool, anime-slick in-flight shooting 5 85 80 Silver 
Wi Low-altitude flying for aspiring air devils everywhere. Including John Travolta 

W Can't always win. EA Big's only real disappointment is this slush-ridden sledfest. 

W An ultracool, cartoon-shaded platformer starring the slyest of all mammals. No, not a manatee Д C L5 Silver 
W Radio-controlled stunt driving. What, did your real-life license get revoked? 

W Dreams of across-the-border drug runs are finally realized. Without the ell ending 

W The business of smugglers is never done. Imitation Tickle Me Elmos, anyone? 

W Online military frays for geeks without the stomach for boot camp. Or army cafeteria food 

W Fulfiling gamers’ terrorist-bashing urges. Again 

W Novel concept, but shooting off the limbs of the recently deceased gets old quickly 

WA brawler with true gusto by which all other fighters will be judged 

W Peculiar, yes, but Ulala is a mean anchorwoman/dance-floor vixen. Practice your steps. 

W Who said ancient Egyptian artifacts can't run, jump, and bash baddies like Mario? 

W Even the webslinger isn't safe from half-spun movie adaptations 

W Avoid freeway gridlock and hit the local lake. It's racing without smog spewers. 

W Ditching the realism for exaggerated amusement-park antics, it's still a wet ride 

W it's not a car. The G-8155 Interceptor is a war machine. With air conditioning М I .0 Silver 
W Icy-cool snowboarding that defined the EA Big emblem 0 95 85 Gold 
WI Your lift ticket to the most expansive, slickest, trickiest extreme ride yet [ x 0 Gold 
W Shredding gets even more intoxicating in this rush-inducing sequel 1 L0 Silver 
IW Horrendous first-person action set in the Star Trek universe. Beam this crap back 

W iffy space-combat simulation appealing only to the most die-hard Trekkies 

W One of the most badass Star Wars characters gets the raw deal. Sorry, Mr. Fett 

W Superfast pod racing from master developer Rainbow. Without the “yippee!” 

W The starfighter is the Jedi's ship of choice. So, surely it's good 

W Go-karts aren't for everyone. Especially Wookiees 

E Lightgun. Driving. Starsky. Hutch. In the same game? Oh ту 

W The world's first riot simulator. Also the world's 7,156th overhyped game 

W Without Lilo, Stitch is merely a six-armed maniac. With bad graphics 

W The cagillionth rendition of Capcom's blockbuster fighter. With so-called "upgrades" 

W Activision's answer to NBA Street. Without the good stuff 

W Developer Treasure's like-it or hate-it whack-job puzzler in which you stretch things. A lot 

W Fulfill your Hollywood fantasies. Be a stuntman. Or you could just watch Real TV 

W Intense nuclear-sub action. Not to be confused with Subway 0 84 5 Silver 
W Upping the role-playing ante once again in the Suikoden universe 

WI Sandy, not-so-sunny volleyball thrills. Without DOA's “assets” 

W Sketchy, flaw-filled, real-time RPG action. It's a PS2 launch title. Forgive it 

Wi Less-flaw-filled, completely rehauled, real-time RPG action. See, forgiveness is good 

т Bubble-popping perks for the puzzler fanatics 

E The Man of Steel gets a cartoon-shaded makeover. Makes you forget all about that N64 crap 

W Drowning. Yes. That's about as entertaining as this water-logged release 

W Arcade FPS action. Not starring Colin Farrell. Or his foul mouth 

I A cartoony, personality-filled golf romp. Falls in between Mario Golf and Tiger Woods 

W The Turtles’ comeback has us screaming "meh" more than "cowabunga" 

W A hard-punching arcade fighter in the tradition of past Tekken offerings 

W An excellent bloody-nose-inducing brawler for the PS2 launch crowd 

W Таке three for the stealthy, almost-authentic ninja franchise 

W Yet another follow-up for the Test Drive series, which is still horsepower revved 

W When the road turns to gravel, so does the Test Drive template. Just plain bumpy 

їй Make your own private Six Flags. Make big money. Underpay the actors in pink hippo suits А Silver 
WA game based on John Carpenter's classic horror flick won't frighten many 

W See Tiger putt 

E See Tiger drive 

WŒ See Tiger get a hole in опе 

W Cure those itchy-trigger-finger woes by playing this captivating Crisis for a few minutes 

Wi Without hesitation, Namco maintains the legacy of its best light-gun franchise 

E First-person shooting + time splitting = pure globe-trotting genius 5 75 90 Silver 
WA slickly devised continuation of the original time-traveling series х х 5 Silver 
Wi Fast-paced law-breaking, street-racing excellence 0 85 80 Silver 
E Meet Sam Fisher. The dominate force in stealth infiltration. And covert ops. And fry cooking E . .0 Silver 
W Meet Lara Croft. The big-boobed queen of bad game design 

W T. Hawk holds back no tricks in this modern classic of extreme expression 5 95 90 Gold 











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Due to circumstances beyond our control game release dates are subject to change. Game names featured are due to be onsale at time of going to press. 














I 





Xbox-exclusive titles have earned 
Game of the Month honors (Halo, 
World Series Baseball). 


PLAYSTATION 2 


VERDICT SCORES AWARD 
(out of 10) 
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 W But he still saved a few stunts for this third sequel. Another contemporary ace 90 
Top Gear Dare Devil W A comical and somewhat hip racing adventure 65 
Top Gun: Combat Zones W Flies into the danger zone. Literally 45 
Tribes: Aerial Assault W Poorly ported online multiplayer. But there are jetpacks, if that turns you on 65 
Triple Play Baseball W EA hits a ground-rule double in its first PS2 at-bat 60 
Triple Play 2002 W Doesn't makes it past home plate, let alone leave the ballpark 35 
Tsugunai: Atonement W An underrated roleplaying adventure featuring over a dozen playable characters 75 
Turok: Evolution Ii Steaming coil of prehistoric crap 35 
Twisted Metal: Black W Lean, mean, missile-armed car combat to die for. Jaws of life not included 8.0 
Twisted Metal: Black Online W Same turbocharged deal. Just online 70 
UFC Throwdown W Like wrestling. But with real hits, real kicks, and real blood. Ouch 50 
Unison W 200 years in the future, dancing has been outlawed. There was probably a good reason 70 
Unlimited Saga W One of developer Square's lowest moments in RPG-dom. Avoid at all costs 40 
Unreal Tournament M Solid first-person action. At least it was during the PS2's launch 70 
Virtua Fighter 4 W Sega's premier arcade fighter just keeps getting buffer 10 
Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution WI Though not an entirely fresh sequel, there's enough added muscle here to please anyone 10 
Wakeboarding Unleashed W An overlooked extreme sport, sure, but still as rushworthy as the rest, Get waking! 80 
Wallace & Gromit in Project 200 W The claymation duo go in for some kid-friendly platforming 45 
War of the Monsters W No-holds-barred giant monster brawler. Like a Godzilla movie with generic characters 65 
Warhammer 40,000: Fire Warrior їй Monotonous miniature pewter game turns monotonous first-person shooter 55 
Warriors of Might and Magic W Might? Magic? Nah, nothing could help this fantasy disaster 30 
The Way of the Samurai W Ambitious game design cut down at the knees by awful execution 70 
Wild Arms 3 18 Coo! RPG action with a steampunk western flavor 80 
Winback: Covert Operations W Jean-Luc and his team have three hours to take down enemy operatives, Wanna help? 80 
Wipeout Fusion E High-tech futuristic racing for lovers of techno-thumping driving tunes 85 
Wizardry: Tale of the Forsaken Land I A sphere of light destroys a peaceful kingdom. Demons invade. So what? 50 
World Soccer: Winning Eleven 6 International WI Take note, FIFA. Konami's edging in on the goal line 90 
WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth W Deep Create-a-Superstar offerings whet the appetites of pay-per-view junkies 75 
WWF SmackDown! Just Bring It W 30 WWE superstars. 60 match types. It's electrifying sporting entertainment 80 
X-Squad W The precursor to Brute Force, Freedom Fighters, and oodles of other team-based games 75 
X2: Wolverine's Revenge W Logan missteps one too many times in his first next-gen starring role. Ada-crap-tium 55 
Xenosaga: Episode | E Humans abandoning Earth? Why? To play this epic intergalactic RPG, of course 65 
XGRA W Sound-barrier-busting cycle racing. Odd note: requires drivers to wear thongs 75 
xi W Trendy cartoon-shading married with first-person shooting. Not quite graphic-novel bliss. 65 
Yanya Caballista City Skater W Alien invaders are taking over New San Fran. You must stop them by skateboarding 75 
Yu-Gi-Ohl: The Duelists of the Roses W 680 monsters. Tons of game cards. Just short on a little thing called fun 45 
Zone of the Enders E Gorgeous mech combat courtesy of Hideo Kojima. But what's with a snot-nosed kid at the controls? 7.5 
Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner їй Once more, Jupiter and Mars are on the brink of destruction. Looks even better than the original 7.5 


GAME VERDICT SCORES AWARD 
(out of 10) 


4x4 Evolution 2 W You wouldn't think racing a Chevy Blazer would be this bad. OK, maybe you would 30 50 
AirForce Delta Storm W While it is decent for an Xbox launch title, this baby never quite gets off the ground 55 - 
All-Star Baseball 2003 W Acclaim starts to pull its once-great ball game out of the minors 70 ~ 
All-Star Baseball 2004 W About as much fun as getting beaned by a major league fastball 55 
Alter Echo W Yet another generic action game with some pretty special effects. Yawn 40 
Amped W Microsoft's first slope-shreddin’ boarding game showed a lot of promise 60 
Атрей2 ите simulation-heavy sequel accentuated form and grace over extreme snowboarding 80 8 Silver 
Apex W Aspiring Henry Fords get to build and race their own cars 80 Silver 
ATV Quad Power Racing 2 Wi бо four-wheelin’ with this surprisingly good racer. The skill competitions rock! 75 
Azurik: Rise of Perathia W They left one element out of Azurik's arsenal: fun 25 
Backyard Wrestling: Don’t Try This At Ноте ШЕ Great fun for those of us who've learned to embrace the lowest common denominator 20 
Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance W Think Gauntlet, but single player, with kick-ass graphics and busty innkeepers 80 
Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu W Holy mediocre gameplay, Batman! At least Ahnuld doesn't appear as Mr. Freeze 40 
Battle Engine Aquila E More fun with mech warfare, and our Battle Engine Tequila drinking game goes great with it — 7.0 
Beyond Good & Evil W Extreme photojournalism for the Vicky Vale in all of us 80 
Blinx: The Time Sweeper W Master time and you master Blinx. It's like a big, fruity VCR training program 55 
Blood Wake I8 Boat-combat game or great title for a Jean-Claude Van Damme film? You be the judge 45 
Bloody Roar Extreme т Fighting manimals was kinda cool at first, but now it's time to neuter these brawlers 40 

BMX XXX W An X-rated BMX game....boy, was that a bad idea 25 
Bruce Lee: Quest of the Dragon W Bruce Lee's family actually sued the developers, or at least they should have 2.0 
Brute Force т Kind of like a poor man's Halo with a giant lizard. Not brillant, but decent 60 
Buffy the Vampire Slayer W Does an admirable job of representing the "Buffyverse" in videogame form 60 
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Chaos Bleeds Ш Like a Buffy episode: decent plot, lots of fighting, and bad vampire puns 45 


176 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com 





TETRIS 


GAME 


Burnout 

Burnout 2: Point of Impact 

Capcom vs. SNK 2: EO 

Cel Damage 

Circus Maximus: Chariot Wars 

Colin McRae Rally 3 

Conflict: Desert Storm II Back to Baghdad 
Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex 
Crazy Taxi 3: High Roller 

Crimson Sea 

Dark Angel 

Dark Summit 

Dead or Alive 3 

Dead or Alive: Xtreme Beach Volleyball 
Dead to Rights 

Deathrow 

Dino Crisis 3 

Dragon's Lair 3D 

Dungeons & Dragons: Heroes 

The Elder Scrolls Il: Morrowind 
Enclave 

Enter the Matrix 

ESPN NBA Basketball 

ESPN NHL Hockey 

F1 2001 

Fatal Frame 

FIFA Soccer 2004 

Freaky Flyers. 

Freedom Fighters 

Furious Karting 

Futurama 

Fuzion Frenzy 

Genma Onimusha 

Gladius 

Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee 
The Great Escape 

Group $ Challenge 

Gun Metal 

GunValkyrie 

Halo 

Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup 
The House of the Dead Ill 

Hunter: The Reckoning 

Hunter: The Reckoning Redeemer 
Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb 


Inside Pitch 2003 

The Italian Job 

James Bond 007: NightFire 
James Bond in Agent Under Fire 
Jet Set Radio Future 

Jurassic Park: Operation Genesis 
Kabuki Warriors 
Kakuto Спој 

Kill Switch 
Knockout Kings 2002 

Kung Fu Chaos 

Legacy of Kain: Blood Omen 2 

Links 2004 

The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship 

The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King 
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers 
Mace Griffin: Bounty Hunter 

Mad Dash Racing 

Madden NFL 2004 

Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes 


аск Alley Brutal 


The 8-bit Nintendo version 
was ЕСМ” first Game of 
the Month recipient. 


VERDICT 


BUA great smash 'em, crash 'ет racer 

W Addictive kamikaze driving, and you can rip your own tunes 

W Capcom keeps churning out the 2D fighters like there's no tomorrow. Luckily, most are good 
WA warm, fuzzy Twisted Metal for those adverse to insane clowns and vehicular homicide 
WI You ever wonder what it would be like to race chariots through ancient Rome? Us neither 
W If it were any more realistic, you'd have a Scottish accent and be picking dirt out of your teeth 
WA title that makes the current conflict sound like a ride at Disneyland 

W This lame platformer makes us pine for the Crash of yesteryear 

W Makin’ crazy money in Sin City without setting foot in a casino 

W it's like Dynasty Warriors, but in outer space. What's not to like? 

WI We'll take any game that lets us play as the sultry Jessica Alba 

W Show those squares trying to keep you down the power of snowboarding! 

I A fighting game showcasing tough girls with obvious—and bouncy—talents 

WA titillating—if shallow—litlle package. Just like a good woman....sort of 

W Namco's action opus is more yawn inducing than it is exciting 

in the future, sports will be deadly. And have bad graphics 

Wi Surprisingly, the real threat in space isn't dinosaurs—it's a debilitating camera 

Wi Most of us actually prefer the old full-motion videogame to this mediocre platformer 
тї kind of like Gauntlet with character sheets and --2/-2 armor. And less fun 

W More stuff to do than in real life! Too bad the graphics are so yucky 

W Very pretty graphics on an otherwise boring D&D-style action game 

Wi More glitches and bugs than the movie's story has plot holes 

W One of the greatest hoops games ever made? All signs point to "Yes" 

W The closest thing to a perfect game of hockey you'll find anywhere 

E step into the shoes of a prima donna and drive a glorified go-kart at breakneck speeds 
W Finally, survival-horror for ай you shutterbugs out there. Steal those souls, baby! 

W Yet another great sports game from EA Sports. They might be on to something here 

W This wacky aero-kart racer looks соо! but never quite gets off the ground 

Wi Saving the Big Apple from Russian invaders feels almost historically fun 

18 Good racing game, unfortunate name. Prepare for lots of Curious Farting jokes 

E Bender and the gang should have stayed canceled 

E The videogame equivalent of a big party. If by "party" you mean “root canal" 

Wi Genma stands for "we're not making а new game, just repackaging last year's hit" 

W Who knew gladiator combat was so slow and methodical? It's stil fun, though 

E Beating up guys in rubber suits is fun. Look! You can see Mothra's strings! 

W iî they were gonna resurrect Steve McQueen, we bet he'd like to be in a better game than this 
W Looks like your dream car, but plays like your dad's station wagon 

W Ah, the Xbox. Home of mediocre giant-transforming-robot games 

W An action game hard enough to send you on а controller-breaking rampage 

E tf you own an Xbox, you should own this first-person shooter. And a television 

W The flying soccer-on-broomsticks game actually makes a pretty keen sports title 

E The game's OK, but the included HOTD movie trailer is pure B-movie gold 

W Similar to classics like Robotron and Smash T.V. Just not quite as good 

Another hack-and-stash trip to Ashcroft leaves us with a sense of déjà vu 

E Harrison Ford may be suckin’ Geritol, but Indy stil Kicks virtual ass 

W What /-Ninja lacks in some places, it makes up for in sheer variety 

W The first baseball game from Microsoft deserves a pat on the ass for effort 

жа A game about driving Minis to get more Minis...and then driving those Minis 

Wi The best Bond since GoldenEye. NightFire serves up awesome shooting action 

E Shaken, Stirred, No matter how you take Agent Under Fire, it tastes bitter 

W SRF is all style and just a little substance 

Wi Build the best park you can, then feed all the happy families to the T-Rex. Fun! 

W The first coaster we ever owned with the Xbox logo on it 

Wi A crappy fighter that got recalled thanks to verses from the Koran being sung when the credits roll 
E Stealth-action gameplay that's as gripping as it is one-dimensional 

Wi Floats like a butterfly, stings like a bee, won't throw in the towel. you get the idea 

I Bad fighting game, but what a showcase of insulting racial stereotypes 

W The bloodsucking antihero makes a comeback that would make LL Cool J jealous 

E Go it alone or hop online for a match. Good, but not quite Tiger Woods 

W After playing this mess, we kind of hoped Frodo would be mashed into balrog feed 

Wi Cooperative play makes this romp through Middle-earth precious 

W Play as Aragorn, Gimli, or Legolas through the first two orc-smashin’ movies, Good times 
W Mace was in development for something like four years. Too bad it doesn't show 

Wi Eidos makes a mad dash at mediocrity with this slow, boring racer 

Wi The new Playmaker Control feature helps keep Madden king of the gridiron 

їй It's an online fighting game, so that's cool. But it's old and laggy, so that's Kinda lame. 


SCORES 


(out of 10) 


8.0 
85 
75 
65 
15 
9.0 
40 
5.0 
8.0 
70 
6.0 
70 
75 
6.0 
5.0 
45 
6.0 
25 
55 
70 
6.0 
35 
85 
85 
85 
65 
75 
3.0 
75 
70 
45 
3.0 
65 
6.0 
40 
40 
5.0 
50 
55 
10 
65 
70 
55 
6.0 
55 
6.0 
55 
35 
80 
45 
7.0 
7.0 
25 
25 
6.0 
65 
40 
85 
65 
3.0 
8.0 
85 
5.5 
5.0 
95 
6.0 


85 
75 
80 
35 


55 
80 
7.0 
70 
8.0 
75 
50 
6.5 
5.0 
6.0 
75 
6.0 
35 
9.0 


75 
9.0 
85 
40 


6.0 


AWARD 
Silver 


Silver 
Silver 


Silver 


Silver 


Gold 
Silver 
Silver 


Silver 


Silver 


Platinum 


Silver 


Silver 
Silver 








Hydlide 


Release: 06/31 
y:-- Difficulty: Hard | | 


| | Ican'tremember what this game was about. 


That's about all | can say about Hydlid 


Flying Dragon 
Туре: Action Release: 09/01 


| Just another karate game. 


Type: Action Release: Now 
Levels of Play: 36 Difficulty: Easy 


This is а good translation from the original 


arcade Q*Bert game. There's not much to 
say, it's Q*Bert. 


ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com 177 





SOUL CALIBUR 
10, 10, 10, 10 • Platinum 


"350 ROASTBEEF 
1500 


РКО SKATER 2 


10 • Platinum 


CODE: VERONICA 
10, 9.5, 9.5 * Gold 


SKIES OF ARCADIA 
9.5, 9.0, 9.5 * Gold 


GAME 


Max Payne 
MechAssault 

Metal Arms: Glitch in the System 
Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance 
Midnight Club Il 

Midtown Madness 3 

MotoGP: Ultimate Racing Technology 
Motor Trend Presents: Lotus Challenge 
Murakumo 

NASCAR Heat 2002 

NASCAR Thunder 2003 

NASCAR Thunder 2004 

NBA 2K2 

NBA 2K3 

NBA Inside Drive 2002 

NBA Inside Drive 2003 

NBA Jam 

NBA Live 2003 

NBA Live 2004 

Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 
New Legends 

NFL 2K2 

NFL Blitz 20-02 

NFL Blitz Pro 

NFL Fever 2002 

NFL Fever 2003 

NFL Fever 2004 

NHL 2004 

NHL Hitz 20-02 

NHL Hitz Pro 

Nightcaster 

Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee 

Otogi: Myth of Demons 

Outlaw Golf 

Outlaw Volleyball 

Panzer Dragoon Orta 

Phantasy Star Online: Episode | & II 
Phantom Crash 

Pirates of the Caribbean 

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time 
Prisoner of War 

Project Gotham Racing 

Quantum Redshift 

RalliSport Challenge 

Red Faction Il 

Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Tides of War 
Roadkill 

Robin Hood: Defender of the Crown 
RoboCop 

Robotech: Battlecry 

Rocky 

Rogue Ops 

Run Like Hell 

SeaBlade 

Sega GT 2002 

Sega GT Online 

Serious Sam 

Shenmue Il 

Shrek 

Shrek Super Party 

Silent Hill 2: Restless Dreams 

The Simpsons: Hit & Run 

The Simpsons: Road Rage 
‘Smashing Drive 

Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix 
Soul Calibur It 


178 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com 


Average score of 
games with the мог 
е “Mario” in the title. 


VERDICT 


Wi Ventilate goons and survive drug-induced nightmares in this violent shooter 
18 Screw complex controls. This is fun, arcade-style mech combat. And it's even online! 
WA surprisingly good shoot-em-up that plays almost exactly like Halo 

I8 Even the whiny pretty-boy antagonist can't keep us away from MGS2 

W її ike The Fast and the Furious, only online and without all the hot chicks 

E Call it Midnight Club 1! Lite. Best played over Xbox Live with some buds 

W Very fast and very pretty. Just like that girl you met in Vegas a couple weeks ago. You stud 
W This driving game is so bad it almost made the president of Lotus close the factory 

W If you think a huge robot shooting other huge robots sounds fun, you're wrong 

WAS far as turning left all the time goes, NASCAR Thunder 2002 does it better 

W EAS circle-track simulator is so realistic you can almost get high off the exhaust fumes 
E Go door handle to door handle with NASCAR superstars in the best oval-track racer yet 
I You couldn't get а much better hoops game back in the day 

т Bringing you the best hoops games ever, one year at a time 

т Microsoft's first roundballer takes the court and wows the audience 

Wi Fulfil all your Yao fantasies with this cool hoops game 

W Boomshakalaka and all that jazz 

EAS hoops franchise returns to respectability 

I EA Sports delivers its best hoops game in years. And it's online for PS2, to boot 

W Surprisingly, this racer is plagued with issues not found in the kick-ass PS2 version 

E їп the early days of the Xbox, bad action games flowed like wine 

W Once again, Sega puts together a great game that just doesn't quite top Madden 

W Midway's signature gridiron game claws its way back to prominence 

W An attempt to make Blitz more realistic produces fairly good results 

W Microsofts first NFL game doesn't suck, but it's no Madden, either 

W This football series just can't seem to get into the end zone 

т Microsoft's gridiron gang continues to lose yardage to Madden and ESPN 

W Too much force and not enough finesse hurts EA's puck offering 

W Midway gives hockey the NFL Blitz treatment, and it works 

W All the great taste of NHL Hitz, now with 10 players on the ice. Refreshing! 

We don't know what's more surprising: How bad Nightcaster is, or that it got a sequel 
т Guide a hopping turd though one weird level after another. Way more fun than it sounds 
W Go all Devil May Cry on a bunch of demons in a classic Japanese setting 

W The trailer park meets the golf course in this trashy, yet refined, game 

Wi Gussied up trailer park girs fondle balls and throw punches in scenic seaside locales 
WA gorgeous shooter with about a Kajilion secrets to unlock 

E бо meet scary people who spend way too much time whacking things with swords 

I А quality mech game on Xbox is as rare as teeth at a hoedown 

т The looks of Orlando Bloom, but the depth of Vin Diesel. Watch the movie instead 

I8 The King....er, Prince has returned. And boy is he looking great for his age 

It's like Hogan's Heroes, but without all the comic genius 


SCORES 


(out of 10) 


70 
8.0 
8.0 
95 
8.0 
70 
85 
35 
50 
65 
9.0 
8.0 
9.0 
9.0 
70 
70 
5.0 
8.0 
8.0 
70 
40 
85 
75 
6.0 
55 
55 
65 
65 
8.0 
75 
3.0 
9.0 
9.0 
6.0 
65 
85 
9.0 
75 
45 
9.0 
6.0 


W Drive with style to earn Kudos. Despite the name, neither Batman nor Robin make an appearance 8.0 


This was supposed to be the Xbox's F-Zero. Keep tryin’, boys 

W One of the prettiest—and toughest—rally games we've ever played 

W Destroy everything in this first-person shooter that desperately needs online play 

E Go online and work as a team to shoot Nazis and zombie Nazis. Just like our forefathers 
W It's like Twisted Metal meets Grand Theft Auto II with most of the fun removed 

W Surely robbing from the rich and giving to the poor was never this confusing 

W Dead or alive, you're going with him. After playing this game, we'd choose the first option 
W ^ great game, but strictly for those who know what a Zentraedi is 

WI Yo, Adrian. Play through ай five Rocky movies in this boxer 

W Deadly sneaks Sam Fisher and Solid Snake may have some new competition in Rogue Ops 
It’s kind of like Resident Evil in space, except not as good 

W A cheap game with a lame story and boring gameplay. We were shocked, too 

I Gran Turismo 3 it ain't, but Sega's sports-car racer still feels good 

Awesome online modes and the entire Sega GT 2002, for $20. Sign us up 

E Sadly, the smash hit PC first-person shooter ran and looked like rubbish on Xbox 

W The shine's worn off Sega's epic series, but it's stil a pretty dam good game 

W Just how bad is Shrek? Our Xbox actually spit this disc back out at us 

WI We'd eat a bucket of ear wax before going back to this party 

W Xbox owners get all-new bits in their Silent Hill 2, as well as an extra helping of slowdown 
Wi As Comic Book Guy would say: “Best. Simpsons game. Ever." 

II We've seen games suck before, but this was the suckiest suck that ever sucked 

E We originally thought Smashing Drive was cool, but we were kinda drunk at the time 
WA mediocre action game with some neato online options 

W The most fun you can have whacking otherworldly opponents with sharp metal objects 


6.0 
8.0 
75 
85 
5.0 
3.0 
25 
75 
65 
45 
65 
45 
8.0 
85 
35 
65 
25 
20 
75 
65 
3.0 
55 
35 
9.0 


8.0 
85 
8.0 
95 
8.5 
7.0 
9.0 
40 
55 
65 


8.0 


85 
9.0 
8.0 
95 
9.0 
75 
9.0 
45 
55 
7.0 
95 


8.0 


70 


9.0 
45 
90 
70 
65 
T5 
6.5 
85 
8.5 
45 
9.0 
9.0 
80 
7.0 
9.0 
9.0 
85 
6.0 
95 
75 
9.0 
65 
85 
95 
80 
6.0 
40 
8.5 


AWARD 


Silver 
Silver 
Gold 

Silver 


Silver 


Gold 
Silver 
Gold 
Gold 


Silver 
Silver 


Silver 


Silver 
Silver 


Gold 


Silver 


Silver 
Gold 
Silver 
Gold 
Silver 


Silver 


Silver 


Silver 


Silver 
Silver 










(EEUU 
а 


тм 


«СНА 


vitiple ч ا‎ Üá while 
ind 


re an off-duty cop thrust into a plot to іно LA. Сап уви survive high- SP! eed cha ases—operating m 
out what the heck is is going on 7 You'll drive 20 licensed ve! vehicles дез cing 2 у Camaro, 
brand new Nissan 7. $o race over r to m" animum- -chase.com now. And rem ember to pi ick up S! ime clean abe qa c - 







Strong Language 
Violence 


Microsoft 
gamexXstudios- 


ma, 
jescogames.com 


Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy 
Spider-Man 

Spy Hunter 

SSX3 

Starsky & Hutch 

Star Trek: Shattered Universe 
Star Wars Jedi Knight Il: Jedi Outcast 
Star Wars Starfighter Special Edition 
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 
Star Wars: Мап 

Star Wars: The Clone Wars 

State of Emergency 

Steel Battalion 

Superman: Man of Steel 

‘SWAT: Global Strike Team 

Tao Feng: Fist of the Lotus 
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 

The Terminator: Dawn of Fate 
Test Drive 

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004 
TimeSplitters 2 

ToeJam & Earl ll 

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Island Thunder 
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell 

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 

Top Spin 

Totaled! 

Transworld Surf 

Triple Play Baseball 2002 

Turok: Evolution 

UFC: Tapout 

UFC: Tapout 2 

Unreal Championship 

Voodoo Vince 

Wallace & Gromit in Project Zoo 
World Series Baseball 

World Series Baseball 2K3 
Wreckless: The Yakuza Missions 
WWE Raw 

WWE Raw 2: Ruthless Aggression 
XGRA 

хи 


бш ҮШ 


AIR BOARDIN' USA 
N64 • 1.5, 3.5, 2.0, 1.5 





SOCKS THE CAT 
SNES • 6.0, 6.0, 5.0, 5.0, 7.0 


GAME 


18 Wheeler: American Pro Trucker 
All-Star Baseball 2002 

All-Star Baseball 2003 

Animal Crossing 

Army Men: Sarge's War 

Batman: Dark Tomorrow 

Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu 

Beach Spikers 

Beyond Good & Evil 

Big Air Freestyle 

Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg 

Blood Omen 2 

Bloody Roar: Primal Fury 

Bomberman Generation 

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Chaos Bleeds 
Burnout 

Burnout 2: Point of Impact 

Conflict: Desert Storm 


Neo*Geo Pocket Color • 
7.5, 8.5, 8.0, 8.0 ¢ Silver Award 


180 « ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com 


Women have reviewed games for EGM 
(ex-staff member Jeanne Kim, Jennifer 
Tsao, and Carrie Shepherd of GameNOW). 


VERDICT SCORES 


(out of 10) 


AWARD 


W A cool action game with more mummies than the movie The Mummy 

Wi Sure, he looks good. But ol’ Spidey gets stuck in a web of mediocre gameplay 

WA truly great re-creation of the classic coin-op. As for the upcoming SH flick? We're worried 
W Slicin' and shreddin’ on a single mountain is the focus of this kick-ass sequel 

W Huggy Bear lends his voice to this disappointing '70s revival 

W Gameplay more broken than William Shatner's career. Don't go where no man's gone before 
W Learn the Force, you will. Shoot lots of brainless stormtroopers, you shall 

W Live all your Jake Lloyd fantasies in this average fly-n-shoot game. Or don't 

W A really long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, there was one hell of an RPG 

W This lame action game further sullies the Star Wars name. George Lucas has no soul! 
W Twisted Metal meets Star Wars with online play. No "Shoot the Jar-Jar” minigames 

W Beating up hordes of innocent bystanders is fun for awhile 

W Such an amazing mech sim that we think it's worth the $200 asking price 

W Looks like Supes got into the kryptonite in this game. At least it's better than Superman 64 
WI Hey look, another squad-based shooter. You just don't see enough of those these days 
т Nothing but a low-rent Mortal Kombat. We think that says it all, don't you? 

W Everyone's favorite mutant ninja turtles need a four-player cooperative mode 

W Anyone who voted for Amie never played this game. We demand a recall! 

W Atari revives a classic driver in fine form. No cameos by Vin Diesel 

Wi Swingin’ the woods with Mr. Woods gave our reviewers wood. Or something like that 
W Another good first-person shooter that should have shipped with online play 

M Таке some wacky aliens, a stolen record collection, and funkify it a bit 

W Learn to infiltrate, cover your squadmates, and shoot bad guys full of holes 

E Shoot, snipe, sneak, and get your buddy's back. You know the drill, maggots! 

W Sam Fisher craps bigger than Solid Snake. Can MGS3 hope to outdo this masterpiece? 
I The Hawk continues to fly high over the world of gaming 

W The most fun you can have with tennis outside of nude photos of Anna Kournikova 

WI You like to drive fast? You like to smash stuff? You'll dig Totaled! 

I Hey, this'll be just like Tony Hawk on water. We'll sell millions! Or not 

W With the bases loaded in this shaky baseball title, EA struck out 

т Robo-dinos with Civil War generals on their backs? What's not to like? 

I Not even unadulterated man-love could save this boring fighter from the bargain bin. 
18 Greasy, half-naked men locked in mortal ecstasy. We mean combat! 

W Turning your friends and enemies into little bloody chunks has never been so satisfying 
W Hurt your character in order to inflict pain on your enemies. A cool twist on classic platformers 
W A mediocre game about a show no one cares about anymore. Who else is excited? 

W Kicks more ass than a Yankees fan after a World Series loss 

Wi Sega's game of stick finally hits one out of the park after years on the bench 

W Surprisingly, this driving game isn't a wreck at all 

Wi Slow and steady ruins the game in this squared-circle travesty 

W As much fun as a kick in the junk 


Silver 
Gold 


Silver 


Silver 
Gold 
Silver 


Silver 


Silver 
Silver 


W Extreme-G futuristic racing makes a comeback, complete with a confusing new name 
W Ubisoft's promising toon-shaded first-person shooter doesn't quite live up to the hype 


VERDICT SCORES 


(out of 10) 

W 18 wheels and maybe 15 minutes of fun. Just keep on truckin’ 55 - 
W it's baseball, all right, and now with 30 percent more all-stars 50 70 
т Solid video representation of the American national pastime 70 70 
т Brilliant and quirky, Animal Crossing lets you build your own world, 90 90 
W Yet another mediocre third-person shooter in the Army Men series 40 45 
m S*** sandwich 10 15 
W Bruce Wayne's hefty change purse couldn't even save this piece of bat dung from sinking 40 70 
E Volleyball done right on GameCube 80 ~ 
BA revolutionary stint in platforming from the creative force behind Rayman 80 90 
Wi Big air, little excitement 40 — 
II Who knew rolling eggs could be this fun? 70 80 
Wi Vampire action bleeds competence 65 - 
т Mildly fun beat-em-up with fighters who can transform into beasts 50 60 
Little man, big bombs, great fun 80 85 
Wi The spunky undead-slayer can't seem to stab quite like she used to 65 45 
WB A solid racer, Burnout sports the best wrecks of any game, anywhere 8.0 

W More Burnout with more spectacular crashes 75 

W The mother of all wars becomes the redheaded stepchild of videogames 55 


AWARD 


Silver 


Silver 


Silver 


Silver 








MAXIMO 
ARM TIZ 

















Unleash the terrifying power of Grim. 


AVAILABLE JANUARY 2004 


Animated Blood 





"X Violence if 
æ PlayStation.2 


© CAPCOM CO. UD. 2003. © CAPCOM 05А. HC. 2003 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, Capcom and te Capcom Logo ame registered айепай: ol Capcom Co. Ld. Maxima vs Arny of Zin is a trademark ol Capcom Co. Lud, CHARACTER BY © 2003 SUSUMU MATSUSHITA COMPANY/MASTER LICENSOR. DREAM RANCH INC. Licensed by Sony Comte Entertainment Amarica for ше with the Роуан 
compute entertainment түлөп. PlayStation” and the PS Family logo are registered trademarks ol Sony Computer Entertainment loc. The tings за is a registered dera ol the Entertainment Soltware Association. AN other ademas and tade names are бе properties ot he respective иле. 


um 57, 





First EGM issue where five 
editors reviewed each game 
(stopped after issue 68) 


GAME VERDICT SCORES AWARD 
(out of 10) 


STREET FIGHTER II 
10, 10, 9.0, 9.0 • Gold 


FIGHTER II TURBO 
10, 10, 9.0, 9.0 • Gold 


DONKEY 
KONG COUNTRY 
9.0,10, 9.0, 9.0 * Gold 


CHRONO TRIGGER 
9.0, 9.0, 9.5, 9.5 * Gold 


SUPER METROID 
9.0, 9.0, 9.0, 9.0 * Gold 


Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex 
Cubivore 

Cubix Robots for Everyone: Showdown 
Dark Summit 

Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2 

Die Hard Vendetta 

Driven 

Egg Mania: Eggstreme Madness 

Enter the Matrix 

ESPN NHL Hockey 

Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem 
Evolution Worlds 

FIFA 2002 

FIFA Soccer 2004 

Freedom Fighters. 

F-Zero GX 

Gladius 

Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee 
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets 
Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup 
Hitman 2: Silent Assassin 

Home Run King 

Hunter; The Reckoning 

Ikaruga 

I-Ninja. 

Jeremy McGrath Supercross World 
Kirby's Air Ride 

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker 
Legends of Wrestling 2 


W Or: Crash gets a new hat! More of the same 
W Quirky cube-based monster nurturing. It's surprisingly fun 

т Kid stuff, really. With robots! 

W Snowboarding and a kooky story combine for a pretty good extreme sports game 

W This fine, tricked-out BMX game wants playing 

W Die a little death playing this “adventure” 

W As in "this crappy movie tie-in should be driven off a cliff" 

п Moderately fun puzzle game. Not Eggscrement 

W With nearly unlimited superhero potential, even Neo couldn't save this mangled mess 
Wi Another slick update to ESPN's hockey franchise. Its Zamboni-polished 

E Creepy adventure with delightful insanity effects for messing with your mind 

WA cutesy, clunky anime-style RPG 

W This soccer game has balls aplenty. And kick, to boot! 

W An added Career mode makes FIFA the deepest of the soccer riffs 

Spiffy squad-based action for the Red Dawn lover. (Patrick Swayze not included) 

38 Futuristic racing. Beautiful, but way too difficult 

W Turn-based gladiatorial action. 

W The king of monsters stars in a 3D fighting game 

W Young Harry casts a spell on GameCube 

W The Potter-branded, broomstick-saddled sport that'd make Earnhardt Jr. piss his pants 
W Silent. But deadly. And Bald. 

W it's only the king of mediocre baseball 

W Horror-themed beat-em-up. Doesn't suck 

W Inspired old-school 2D shooter 

W Think Ninja Gaiden's Ryu Hyabusa with hydrocephalus 

W It's а supercross game. Now let us never speak of it again 

E One-button star cruising for those bored with typical kart racers 

а Link returns in this cartoony, polished adventure 

Wi Old-school wrasslers tear it up 


The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King ШЕ Frodo and friends fend off the hordes in an attempt to save Middle-earth. Sound familiar? 


The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers 
Lost Kingdoms 

Lost Kingdoms II 

Luigi's Mansion 

Madden NFL 2004 

Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour 

Mario Kart: Double Dash! 

Mario Party 4 

Medal of Honor: Frontline 

Mega Man Network Transmission 
Metal Arms: Glitch in the System 
Metroid Prime 

Mystic Heroes 

NASCAR Thunder 2003 

NASCAR Thunder 2004 

NBA 2K2 

NBA 2K3 

NBA Courtside 

NBA Live 2004 

NBA Street Vol. 2 

Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 
NFL Blitz Pro 

NFL Quarterback Club 2002 

NHL Hitz Pro 

Pac-Man World 2 

Phantasy Star Online Episode 1 & II 
Pikmin 

PN.03 

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time 
Resident Evil 0 

Resident Evil 

Resident Evil 2 

Resident Evil 3: Nemesis 

Roadkill 

Rogue Ops 

Sega Soccer Slam 


182 « ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com 


Wi More decapitations than The Lord of the Dance 
W it's a fun, card-based action-RPG 

Wi Card-based RPG that's tough to master 

W Almost spooktacular. But not quite 

Wi Options aplenty in 2004's super-deep Franchise mode. You can even renovate stadiums 
38 Mario and pals play golf. Tee-lightful 

W Kart-racing gold that'll make you want to sell your convertible. Axle-grinding perfection 
W Ain't no party like a Mario Party 

WW First-person shooter set in WWII. It's Nazi-Kiling fun 

W Side-scroller with bad music and niche gameplay 

W Disguised as kiddie fluff, Metal Arms packs steel-nosed combat without pads 

т Brilliant first-person-shooter-cum-platformer 

W Button-mashing brawler. Don't bother 

W Makes turning left ad nauseam fun 

W Over 200 miles per hour. Forty-two cars on the same track. Yeah, that's a rush 

I Basketball done beautifully 

I Once more to the hoops! 

W Not quite a slam dunk, but this basketball game gets the ball to the net 

W EA takes to the courts again for another grand b-ball bash. I's got game! 

E Goofy-cool hoops action with exaggerated dunks, slams, and passes 

W їп pursuit of greatness, this driving game falls short. But it still rocks 

т Blazing-hot football that was probably kept in the oven a bit too long 

WA 10-car pileup of a football game 

W What's hockey without bent rules? Hitz takes the already-brutal sport to the max 

W Pac-Man goes 3D for a fun adventure that's plagued by a bad camera 

38 Epic online RPG. It's two great games in one 

W Control а plant army in a weird and wonderful adventure 

W Odd shooter with a sexy heroine and little else 

W The baggy-pants prince inherits Max Payne's time-warping skills. And upgrades 'em 
ї A frightful prequel to the series that defined survival-horror 

W Horror classic gets a face-lift for GameCube. Wunderbar! 

W Uninspired port of an old PlayStation classic 

W The horror comes from the lackluster effort Capcom put forth porting this to GameCube 
W A blatant rip-off of every other car-combat game. Like their ugly, cellar-baby offspring 
W Wannabe Lara Croft plays stealthy covert agent. And does it better than Lara. Go figure 
W Over-the-top soccer with twisted teams and lots of balls 


6.0 
65 
6.0 
70 
85 
40 
25 
6.0 
35 
85 
75 
40 
7.0 
75 
85 
7.0 
85 
70 
65 
65 
70 
40 
6.0 
8.0 
8.0 
3.0 
8.0 
95 
5.0 
85 
8.0 
75 
5.0 
9.0 
95 
75 
95 
80 
7.0 
55 
8.0 
10 
55 
9.0 
9.5 
9.0 
9.0 
7.0 
8.0 
85 
6.5 
7.0 
45 
75 
75 
9.0 
8.0 
40 
9.0 
8.0 
9.0 
55 
55 
55 
6.0 
8.5 


70 


70 


Silver 


Silver 
Silver 


Silver 


Gold 


Silver 
Silver 
Silver 


Gold 


Gold 
Silver 


Silver 
Platinum 


Gold 
Silver 
Gold 
Gold 


Silver 
Silver 


Silver 


Gold 
Silver 


Gold 
Silver 
Gold 





freevibe.com 








` Just tell your parents you were stoned. They'll understand. — 


[rie 





lplo|n|s 





16у] 
YOUR ANTI-DRUG. 





Number of games EGM has 
reviewed with the word “extreme” 
r “xtreme” in the title. 


BOTTOM OFTHE BARREL GAMECUBE En 25 


А review score of less than 1.0 is rare, VERDICT 1 ‘SCORES AWARD 


but it does h F fi (out of 10) 
" here are the few that have The Simpsons: Hit & Run W Bart and the rest of The Simpsons ensemble speed their way through Springfield 65 


received this unwanted honor. The Simpsons: Road Rage W Crazy Taxi meets The Simpsons. It's just like the cartoon, without the fun 40 
The Sims W Control little computer people who have a better life than you do 8.0 
Skies of Arcadia Legends W Fly the unfriendly skies in this awesome RPG 9.0 
Smashing Drive W Not quite smashing, this driving game 6.0 
Smuggler's Run: Warzones Wi Runs smoothly, this one, and has great environments 85 
Sonic Adventure 2: Battle W More Sonic shenanigans. Two-player mode makes the proceedings fun 65 
Sonic Adventure DX W The original Sonic Adventure (DC) with worse slowdown 45 
Sonic Mega Collection WA near-mega collection of old Sonic games. 6.0 
Soul Calibur Il W One of the greatest fighters ever developed. And Link co-stars. In green tights 9.0 
Speed Kings W Motorcycle racing that's not entirely regal 45 
Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy W An unconventional pair of heroes make their way through this sandy platformer 8.0 
Spider-Man W With great responsibility comes a decent 3D adventure 65 
SSX3 W The fastest, raddest, freshest SSX to date. This mountain will eat you alive 9.0 
Star Fox Adventures W Fox McCloud leaves the cockpit for a 3D adventure. Solid, but flawed 45 
‘Star Wars Rogue Squadron Il: Rogue Leader W Phatter than Јек Porkins. And that's pretty phat 9.0 
Star Wars Rogue Squadron Ill: Rebel Strike Ш Luke and Wedge are better off keepin’ their heads in space and feet off the ground 70 
Star Wars: The Clone Wars E Better than the mediocre Star Wars movie of the same name, but where's the online play? 60 
‘Summoner: A Goddess Reborn W THO summons up a decent RPG 65 
‘Super Mario Sunshine W Nintendo's poster boy stars in another brilliant and shiny platformer 95 бой 
Super Monkey Ball W Monkeys + balls = good, clean fun 90 74 Silver 
‘Super Monkey Ball 2 18 More monkeys + more balls = more fun 75 8! Silver 
Super Smash Bros. Melee W A superlative party game cum beat-em-up. With Jigglypuff. Bravissimo! 95 9: Gold 

‘Swingerz Golf Wi "Golf is а good walk wasted," said Mark Twain. Not here 65 
‘SX Superstar 18 Mediocre racing allows you to become a whore and sell ad space on your rider's body 35 
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. W A competent revival of The Mean Green Fighting Machines’ multiplayer skills 55 
Tetris Worlds W How do you mess up Tetris? Tetris Worlds shows you how. And no, it's not with exploding blocks 4.5 
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004 WW No plaid pants here. Young pup Tiger knows how to drive it to the green with style 9.0 
TimeSplitters 2 W Time-hopping first-person shooter. Solid 7.0 
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell I Go stealthy, young man 85 
Tom Clancy's The Sum of All Fears W We fear this is a very mediocre game 55 
a Топу Hawk's Pro Skater 4 W Sir Skatesalot can't be beat 9.0 
SUPERMAN 64 Tube Slider NI It makes a better wang joke than a videogame 25 
N64 • 4.0, 1.5, 2.0, 0.5 Ty the Tasmanian Tiger W Toss another cute mascot wannabe on the barbie, mate 5.0 
Ultimate Muscle: Legends vs. New Generation Ш Wrasslin' done right and downright goofy 75 
Universal Studios Theme Park Adventure ШШ Save your scratch for the actual theme park 40 
Vexx Wi Dense platformer featuring an eminently dislikable hero 6.0 
Viewtiful Joe W Finely tuned 20/30 hybrid. Go ahead, say "Henshin-a-Go-Go-Baby" ten times fast 85 
Virtua Striker 2002 WA soccer game that doesn't live up to expectations. No goal! 55 
Wallace & Gromit in Project Zoo W The Academy Award-winning clay toons make an average gaming debut 45 
Warlo World E It's a-Wario, and he's a-gonna win in this silly yet endearing platformer 6.0 
Wave Race: Blue Storm I А better-than-average water-based racer 8.0 
WWE Crush Hour W Wrasslin'-themed car combat. Like pain, but worse 2.0 
WWE Wrestlemania X8 W Enjoyable if you're into men and women in spandex 80 
WWE Wrestlemania XIX W Glitch-ridden but thankfully upgraded version of Wrestlemania 65 
XGRA E The Extreme Gravity Racing Association. Do you have your membership card? 75 
хи W A living, breathing graphic novel in first-person, but it's just barely worth reading 6.5 


THE FLINTSTONES: X-Men: Next Dimension W Brawlin 

-Меп: б, X-Men style 60 
BEDROCK BOWLING 
PS1 • 0.5 


INET ANTS RELAY 


GAME BOY ADVANCE 


VERDICT SCORES 
(out of 10) 


Advance Wars W Even if you hate strategy games, you'll love this one. Scarily addictive 
Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising W Vicious warfare with cartoon seasoning. Makes it easier to invade without guilt 
Altered Beast: Guardian of the Realms W it may tug at your old-school emotions, but this Altered Beast is an iffy port 
Army Men Advance WA little green guy runs around and shoots things. You are yawning already 
Baseball Advance Wi Sega delivers a fine diamond sim with the dullest title ever Silver 
Boktai: The Sun is in Your Hand Wi Excuse to go outside? Sure. Excuse to experience RPG splendor? Even better М М Silver 
Bomberman Tournament W Four-player battles with one cartridge, plus a Pokémon-ish RPG mode 
Breath of Fire W Not the best RPG on GBA, but a solid port of the Super Nintendo original 
Breath of Fire Il W Capcom's RPGs fioat your boat? Everything's intact in portable form 
DUKES OF HAZZARD II: Car Battler Joe W Neat little cross between Twisted Metal and kid-friendly RPGs 
DAISY DUKES IT OUT Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow W Who says Dracula's castle isn't the ideal vacation spot? 
PS1 • 4.0, 0.5, 0.5 Castlevania: Circle of the Moon W Stunning graphics and gameplay. Warning: Playing without a light will prematurely blind you 
Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance W Can Castlevania get any better? 


184 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com 





© 1996 KAZUKI TAKAHASHI 


LEARN TO PLAY 
LIKE A MASTER! 


KONAMI / 









| "EDITION 
| OFFICIAL 


Г Every card is faithfully Duel against Yugi with 





The #1 Trading Card Collect hundreds of 


Game comes to PC! cards to complete your reproduced down to voices from the 
collection the last detail Yu-Gi-Oh! TV series! 
RATING PENDING 3 
E Visit www.esrb.org PG 
bM or call 007713772 ze 
ا‎ for more info. ROM 





Konami and “Power of Chaos” are trademarks or registered trademarks —— —— — ам CORPORATION. The ratings icon is a trademark of the 
Interactive Digital Softw 


THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: 
OCARINA OF TIME 
10, 10, 10, 10 • Platinum 


= F imm 
a Ф 


THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: 


MAJORA'S MASK 
10, 10, 10 • Platinum 


E 


SUPER MARIO 64 
9.5, 9.5, 9.5, 9.5 * Gold 


BANJO-KAZOOIE 
9.5, 9.5, 9.5, 9.0 * Gold 


PAPER MARIO 
9.5, 9.5, 9.0 * Gold 


GAME BOY ADVANCE 


GAME 


ChuChu Rocket 

Columns Crown 

Contra Advance: The Alien Wars EX 
Crash Bandicoot: The Huge Adventure 
Crash Bandicoot 2: N-Tranced 
Daredevil 

Doom 

Donkey Kong Country 

Dragon Ball Z: Collectible Card Game 
Dragon Ball 7: The Legacy of Goku 
Dragon Ball Z: Legacy of Goku II 
Earthworm Jim 

ESPN Final Round Golf 2002 

Final Fantasy Tactics Advance 

Final Fight One 

Fire Emblem 

Fire Pro Wrestling 

Fortress 

F-Zero Maximum Velocity 

Golden Sun 

Golden Sun: The Lost Age 

GT Advance Championship 

GT Advance 2: World Rally 

Guilty Gear X: Advance Edition 

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets 
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone 
High Heat Major League Baseball 2002 
The Incredible Hulk 

Iridion 3D 

Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land 
Klonoa: Empire of Dreams 

Konami Krazy Racers 

Lady Sia 

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past 
The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship 
The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King 
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers 
Lunar Legend 

Lufia: The Ruins of Lore 

Mario Kart: Super Circuit 

Mat Hoffman’s Pro BMX 

Mega Man & Bass 

Mega Man Battle Network 

Mega Man Battle Network 2 

Mega Man Battle Network 3 

Mega Man Zero 

Mega Man Zero 2 

Metroid Fusion 

Mortal Kombat Advance 

Mortal Kombat: Tournament Edition 
Motocross Maniacs Advance 

Namco Museum 

Pac-Man Collection 

Phantasy Star Collection 

The Pinball of the Dead 

Pinobee: Wings of Adventure 

Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure 
Pokémon Pinball; Ruby & Sapphire 
Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire 

Puyo Pop 

Rayman Advance 

Ready 2 Rumble Round 2 

Shining Soul 

Sonic the Hedgehog Advance 

Sonic Advance 2 

Sonic Pinball Party 


186 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com 


Games EGM's editor-in-chief, 
Dan “Shoe” Hsu, has reviewed 
for the mag during his tenure. 


VERDICT 


W Stil one of the best GBA puzzlers, with a faintworthy 2,500 single-player levels 
W Sega revives another puzzle classic with mediocre results 

W Contra Ill with some new enhancements and newer insane difficulty 

I Crash's fat-Elvis period continues with a merely competent platform title 

W N-Tranced may not be Bandicoot brilliance, but at least it's not on N-Gage 

W Just watch the movie, Then imagine something worse than Ben Affleck in red pleather 
W if you want Doom, you've got Doom, though it's better played elsewhere 

Sadly, this Super Nintendo port won't have everybody goin’ bananas 

W The only circumstance in which we'd recommend Yu-Gi-Oh instead 

W Not very good, but you're not buying it for its quality, are you? 

W RPG appetites may not be whet, but hardcore Goku geeks might find solace here 

W Chintzy control and no save function drown this worm 

W Breathtaking graphics by GBA standards. Controls way more loosely than Mario Golf 
W Square finally returns to the Game Boy. Now those are nice Tactics! 

W A GBA revival of the classic brawler—short one character, but still not bad 

W A knightly RPG with an Advance Wars style of play 

W Addictive, strategic portable wrasslin'. The Undertaker is “The Cremator" in this game 
WA Tetris/Rampart hybrid brought down by creeping frustration 

W Few games use the L and В buttons to such exhilarating effect 

W Developer Camelot cranks out the best in Game Boy Advance role-playing 

E The follow-up to the GBA's deepest RPG since the next-gen portable came to fruition 
W Fun, arcadey car racing. Lack of battery makes for long passwords 

W Good game for taking the road on the road 

W Decent portable fighting with GG's standard character stable 

W Play it, but don't take it out during Potions class 

I A passable portable adventure starring J.K. Rowling's youthful magician 

W 3005 famous baseball simulation solidly survives its trip to the small screen 

W Even with a basic mash-n-smash blueprint, things still went bust 

B Hard-to-play shooter rendered in pseudo 3D. More a graphic demo than a real game 
W More-colorful remake of the NES Kirby, but now portable. 

W Much more puzzle-oriented than its PlayStation platformer progeny 

W A surprisingly fun copy of Mario Kart, except without the length or difficulty 

W Standard platform action. For those who couldn't get enough of Shantae 

W The best Zelda ever? If you don't know, you should try for yourself 

W The СВА game carries on the streak of inferiority to EA's titles 

а Hobbits are tiny. But the rest of the game fits in а GBA cart, too. How does that work? 
WI Not quite as good as the grown-up games. Call it a Gimli, not an Aragorn 

її Lunar. Again. But this time in 2D...wait a sec 

W A noble, wholly entertaining revival of the Luffa series on the portable 

Wi Like any Mario Kart, easy to get into and almost impossible to master 

W Tony Hawk's GBA excellence doesn't extend to his two-wheeled compadre 

E Robot King steals Dr. Wily's blueprints and creates a surprisingly good romp for Mega Man 
W A clever twist on the RPG genre in a digital Mega Man world 

E Formulaic but fun sequel 

E The blue bomber has no intention of exiting the battle network anytime soon, so jack in 
1а Best standard Mega Man action on GBA, if you can take the abuse 

W Zero makes another go for side-scrolling glory in one of the toughest Mega titles yet 
Wi Samus returns, classical-style, in this excellent GBA outing 

W This bloody, botched port may be the GBA's worst game 

W A girlie-man fighter. For sissies 

W Konami's portable motocross racer comes back, as average as ever 

W Ms. Pac-Man, Pole Position, Dig Dug, Galaga, and Galaxian, Miniscule but playable 

т со бойу with three Pac-Man classics and one lame Tetris wannabe 

W Vintage RPG depth for the gamer stil living the 8- and 16-bit Phantasy 

W Another of the abnormal number of good GBA pinball games, with zombies 

т Simple platformer from the Blinx folks. Later made into a $10 PlayStation game 

W This was a crap platformer the first time Activision released it..in 1994 

W After years of listening to Pikachu whine, you get to smack him with a pinball, How keen 
W Gotta collect 'em all. Or so they say. Might as well dig into one more Poké-romp 

W Cute, addictive blob-dropping action in the classic Puyo tradition 

HA brilliant console-to-GBA conversion. The only issue: giant Rayman, tiny screen 

I Excessively average portable boxer. Stil bites off Punch King's ear any day 

W Set 1,000 years before Shining Force, it's like super-deformed Diablo 

Im Sega's signature speedster keeps up the pace on GBA 

W That speedy hedgehog shows no signs of slowing down, which is just the way we like it 
W Sonic and the rest of Sega's top franchise players face off in themed boards 


SCORES 


(out of 10) 


8.0 
45 
6.5 
45 
65 
40 
7.0 
5.0 
2.0 
6.0 
5.5 
50 
8.0 
9.0 
70 
8,5 
75 
50 
9.0 
90 
8.0 
9.0 
7.0 
6.5 
8.0 
45 
8.0 
4.0 
55 
8.0 
6.5 
85 
45 
95 
6.5 
85 
75 
8.0 
8.0 
8.0 
5.0 
85 
6.0 
75 
6.5 
8.0 
7.0 
9.0 
05 
40 
5.0 
7.0 
65 
9.0 
6.0 
65 
20 
9.0 
75 
8.0 
75 
20 
7.0 
8.0 
85 
70 


85 


75 


AWARD 


Silver 


Silver 
Gold 


Silver 


Gold. 
Silver 
Silver 


Silver 


Silver 


Silver 


Gold 


Silver 


Silver 


Silver 


Silver 


Silver 


Silver 


Gold 


Silver 


Silver 


Silver 


Silver 





ES 





(я) ROCKSTAR GAMES DOUBLE РАСК (я 





Gees x M 
ff IFRANCHISE 
(ON XBOX; E 





" gaand theru auto m 
grand uhertu а 











= (с) THE XBOX COLLECTION 
x US Microsoft 
BIZARRE amey Studios: 





#237765-3 $49.99 #238631-6 $49.99 


Receive a $5 EB Games mail-in gift voucher #464ames 


when you purchase Project Gotham Racing 2 or Grand Theft Auto Double Pack for Xbox. 


Name 


Address City State Zip 


Mail this completed form along with your original sales receipt to: EB Rebate Center, 770 Pilot Road, Suite F, Las Vegas, NV 89119. $5 will be sent in the form of an EB Games gift voucher. No cash 

will be issued. Gift voucher cannot be redeemed for cash, except where prohibited by law. Gift vouchers are good toward future purchases at any EB Games, Electronics Boutique or EBX in the U.S. or 
Puerto Rico. All incomplete forms will be discarded. EB Games is not responsible for lost and/or stolen mail-in and/or gift vouchers. Limit one per customer. Cannot be combined with any other offer 

or promotion. Not valid on previous purchases. Coupon must be present at the time of purchase. Pre-owned games, systems and/or accessories are excluded. While supplies last. Selection may vary 

by store. No substitutions may be made. No rain checks will be issued. Typographical errors are not the responsibility of ЕВ Games. Some exclusions may apply. See sales associate for complete I 
details. Offer expires 1/13/04. Must be postmarked by 1/30/04. 

bm cem ши ши шш шш шш шш юш шш шш шш шы шы шш шш шш шш шш шш шш шш шш шш шш шш шш шш шы шш mm шш dd 





D review archive: 
gba/ps1/n64d 





Awards EGM 
has handed out 
since 1989. 











GAME VERDICT SCORES AWARD 
(out of 10) 


5 


Spider-Man WI Does one or two of the things that a spider can 

Spider-Man: Mysterio's Menace E Frustratingly difficult, but pays off if you can deal with the ropey control 

Spyro the Dragon: Season of Ice. E Better than its big brother on PS2, but not up to the Spyro standard 

‘Star Wars: Attack of the Clones. W Drier than Hayden Christensen's facial expressions 

Street Fighter Alpha 3 W Surprisingly good port of the arcade fighter, but the GBA's dinky D-pad doesn't do it justice 

Super Dodge Ball Advance W Just as much inane fun as it is on the 8-bit Nintendo. Who knew dodgeball was so violent? 

Super Mario Advance W Super Mario Bros. 2 with more stuff to collect. The first of many GBA Marios I М .0 Silver 
‘Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 Ш Undoubtedly stands the test of time as one of history's greatest platformers i i 0 Gold 
Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 Wi One of the best games of all time. Not just on GBA. Not just for a Mario game. Of all time . .5 Gold 
‘Super Monkey Ball Jr. W Amazingly, monkey balls do roll quite smoothly on the handheld. Bravo, primates! А Silver 
Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo W Quirky puzzler action from the Street Fighter crew. Now with fewer fireballs E . .0 Silver 
Super Street Fighter Il Turbo Revival W The 2D fighting legend ain't what it used to be on Game Boy Advance 

Tactics Ogre: The Knight of Lodis W The hardcore strategy series stays solid in its latest outing М х 5 Silver 
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Wi Even after ditching the cartoon-shading gimmick, the turtles still can't escape shell shock 

Tekken A better fighter than it has any right to be, but still not that great 

Tomb Raider: The Prophecy W Angel of Darkness is the bottom. The Prophecy is just part of the downward spiral 

Top Gear GT Championship. W Like a Daihatsu Charade compared to the Testarossa that is GT Advance 

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell WI Sneaky, stealthy spy games in the palm of your hand 

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 W Wow, a little skater іп my GBA! A bit awkward, but radical fun 0 90 7.5 Silver 
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 W Activision fine-tuned its pseudo-3D skate park х Silver 
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 WI Stil Tony Hawk, still pretty good, but microscopic skating is starting to get old 

Wario Land 4 W The further adventures of Nintendo's antihero, looking sharper on GBA 

Wario Ware Inc.: Mega Microgame$ W Possibly the most addictive thing ever created. Besides Tetris. And crack 

Wolfenstein 3D W Perfect port! Of the outdated original game 

X-Men: Reign of Apocalypse W The only mutant menace here is whoever botched this license 

XXX IW Three strikes—this lame platformer is out 

Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3 I The apotheosis of 2D platforming. Play it now 

Zone of the Enders: The Fist of Mars т Middling mecha-strategy with the goofiest character names in history 


hom сеу 


о 
ЕЕС 8с 


ПЕЕ 














САМЕ VERDICT SCORES AWARD 
(out of 10) 
Air Combat 2 їй The highly acclaimed sequel to Namco's arcade-style flight sim 90 85 8 Silver 
Ape Escape т The amazing 3D action game that made capturing monkeys popular again 90 80 80 90 Silver 
Blazing Dragons W The point-and-click adventure game with an all-star voice cast 85 75 84 Silver 
Bushido Blade т 30 fighters didn't feature amputations before this inspired samu-riot 90 
Bust-A-Move 2 Wi No, not the follow-up to Young MC's hit song. I's more bubble-popping action 85 85 70 80 Silver 
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night 1а Gamers! prayers were answered: a new 20 Castlevania. And what a version itis 95 T Gold 
Colony Wars т Only Psygnosis could bring a sci-fi flight sim to the consoles and make it fun 95 95 95 85 Gold 
Crash Bandicoot W Who would've guessed an American developer could make an action-platformer this good 8.5 .0 Silver 
Crash Team Racing E Heavily inspired by Mario Kart, but still an amazing multiplayer racer 95 95 8. Gold 
Dragon Ball Z: Ultimate Battle 22 W Don't play this fighter. Please. The "22" is the number of characters included 20 
Driver 2 I A no-frills but still decent update. You can exit your car now! Wow! 75 
Fade to Black W After a long nap, tums out those pesky aliens are still a nuisance 80 75 85 80 Silver 
Fear Effect т Hot chicks and lesbian overtones 95 85 9.0 90 Gold 
Final Fantasy Origins Wi The first two FFs, with fully refurbished graphics. They made 'em hard back then 80 
Final Fantasy Tactics W Square's first entry in the strategy-RPG genre. Uneven, but a classic 85 90 85 95 Silver 
Final Fantasy Vil WI No two ways about it: FFVII broke the mold 95 95 9: Gold 
Final Fantasy VIII W Teens in clam diggers save the world again. Doesn't have FFVI's rep, though 95 95 95 95 Gold 
Final Fantasy IX W Yet another outstanding FF sequel, this time with a return to its roots 10 95 9: Gold 
Front Mission 3 Wi Tactical mech battles and a story line that lasts over 125 hours 90 8. . M5 Gold 
Gran Turismo т The first installment in the best racing-game series of all time 95 90 90 95 Gold 
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Wi Short and ugly adventuring. Harry says "Flipendo!" hundreds of times before the end 45 
Hot Shots Golf 2 W You don't have to be sporty to enjoy the best in PlayStation golf 90 95 85 85 Silver 
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver W A sprawling, horrific 3D action game starring a guy with a very weak chin 80 90 90 90 Silver 
Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete. W A remake of the original RPG on Sega CD with a metric ton of bonus material 95 90 85 90 Gold 
Marvel Super Heroes vs, Street Fighter Ш The best combination of geeky pastimes since the Internet and porn 80 
MediEvil 2 жа Sir Dan and friends have to solve puzzles and kill baddies once more 65 
Monster Rancher W Make weird customizable beasts, then let them kill each other 8.0 8. А 5 Silver 
MTV Music Generator ї Make your own booty-shakin’ dance tracks right on your PlayStation 80 80 95 85 Silver 
Need for Speed: High Stakes W Put your high-priced cars on the line in this racing sequel 85 85 90 85 Silver 
(Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus т It's Mudokons. SoulStorm brew is made out of Mudokons! You've gotta tell them! 90 90 95 95 Gold 
Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee W Out of this World-style gameplay never looked so good 85 85 9.0 80 Silver 
PaRappa the Rapper 1а Great! Now even dorky white gamers think they can rap 85 90 75 80 Silver 
Point Blank E Grab gun, ready trigger finger, and go crazy Japanese style. The best light-gun game ever 95 95 95 90 Gold 








188 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com 


The silent but deadly 
= assassin made his EGM 
debut in issue #12. 








GAME 


Resident Evil 

Resident Evil 2 

Resident Evil 3: Nemesis 
Silent Hill 

Soul Blade 

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace 
Syphon Filter 

‘Syphon Filter 2 

Syphon Filter 3 

Tekken 2 

Tekken 3 

Tomb Raider 

Tomb Raider Il 

Tomb Raider Ill 

Tomb Raider: Chronicles 
Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation. 
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 
Twisted Metal 

Twisted Metal 2 

Twisted Metal 3 

Twisted Metal 4 

Vagrant Story 

Vandal Hearts 
Xenogears 


VERDICT SCORES 


(out of 10) 
ime, but who can forget the terrible intro and dialogue 

W Better than before, this sequel lets you take on Umbrella as Leon or Claire. 

18 An RE side story starring Jill Valentine anda giant zombie named Nemesis 

W Enough creepiness to make Christopher Walken uncomfortable 

W This Namco fighter lets you use weapons to kick your opponent's ass 

W Was the game better than the movie? Yes, but barely 

W While tolerable at the time, should've been titled Metal Gear Weak. Try again, Sony 

W More of the same uninspired shooting 

W See above 

E Blocky 3D brawler borrowed from Virtua Fighter to bring grade-A whoop ass to Sony's console 

W The spectacular sequel that confirmed the hatred gamers felt for Paul 

Wi Lara Croft came and third-person 3D action-adventures haven't been the same since 

E Tweaks to gameplay, visuals, and controls make this action-packed sequel a winner 

E Globe-trotting Lara Croft gets new weapons and vehicles 

W It should be illegal for you to own money if you even considered buying this crap 

ла We have a revelation for you: This game sucks 

E The spirit of skateboarding in game form. Truly amazing 

E Car combat back when it wasn't being exploited by Sony 

Wi Bigger arenas, badder weapons 

WA new developer drives the franchise right into the toilet. 

Im „and then flushes for good measure 

E A strategy role-playing game where the timing and placement of attacks means everything 

W Final Fantasy Tacticsike role-playing strategy where you liberate an oppressed people 

W An extremely popular anime-style role-playing game of epic proportions. 


AWARD 


Gold 
Gold 
Silver 
Silver 
Silver 


Silver 
Gold 
Gold 
Gold 


Silver 
Gold 
Silver 


Gold 
Silver 
Silver 











GAME 


1080' Snowboarding 

Banjo-Kazooie 

Beetle Adventure Racing 

Blast Corps 

Castlevania 

Conker's Bad Fur Day 

Diddy Kong Racing 

Donkey Kong 64 

Excitebike 64 

F-Zero X 

GoldenEye 007 

Hey You, Pikachu! 

Killer Instinct Gold 

Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards 

Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 

Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time 

Mario Kart 64 

Madden 64 

Mario Party 

Mario Tennis 

Mortal Kombat Trilogy 

Mystical Ninja 

Perfect Dark 

Pilotwings 64 

Pokémon Puzzle League 

Pokémon Snap 

Pokémon Stadium 

Rayman 2: The Great Escape 

Ridge Racer 64 

‘Snowboard Kids 

Star Fox 64 

Star Wars: Episode | Racer 
logue Squadron 
shadows of the Empire 

Super Mario 64 

Super Smash Bros. 

Turok: Dinosaur Hunter 


‘SCORES 
(out of 10) 


VERDICT 


Hi The same folks behind Wave Race took the temperature down a few degrees 
E Banjo-Kazooie is Ваге® homage to Mario 64, only it's not quite as good 

W A racer in the vein of San Francisco Rush, with tons of shortcuts 

W Its like playing with explosives-laden Tonka trucks, with no mess to clean up afterwards 
W The first attempt to bring the Belmonts to 3D was, for its time, an excellent one 

Wi "We're mature!" No, you're not. You're just a fun action/shooter/junior-high simulator 

W ОКА looks better than Mario Kart, but it's a little too cutesy for us. 

Wit was fun for a while, but the constant item collecting had us going bananas 

W As fun as the original Excitebike (8-bit Nintendo), and it even has a custom track editor 
W it might not look too hot, but F-Zero X is one hell of a racer 

п GoldenEye: Truly classic, late "90s college dorm room staple, and Rare's finest moment 
W The game where yelling at the television is actually productive 

W Unless Rare decides to resurrect KI for Xbox, this is the best you can do 

W A short but sweet platformer that, unlike Kirby, definitely does not suck 

W Link's second N64 adventure is a little different, but that's why we love it 

W An epic adventure that is among the best N64 games 

W And on the eighth day, God created Mario Kart. He saw it, and it was good 

Wi Despite PlayStation's popularity, а few thousand holdouts played ball on N64 

IM The game that would start a Mario-themed party-game revolution 

Wi Like most games with "Mario" in the title, it's good stuff 

Wi Released just as the kraze was dying down, it didn't do much to keep people interested 
W Mystical Ninja had a nation of young adults spiking and dying their hair. Or not 

W If GoldenEye is a bul ye, Perfect Dark hits somewhere in the lungs 

W Take a self-guided tour of Little America—i’s not every day you get to fly an autogyro 

Wi Based on the classic Tetris Attack, Pokémon Puzzle League is a highly addictive substance 
Wi "OK, Bulbasaur, you're on the beach, you're happy. ..give me some frolic, Bulby!” 
Taking your favorite Pokémon to the big screen in full 3D? Do you even have to ask? 

W From the unexpected-surprise department comes Rayman 2, an outstanding platformer 
WΠNintendo's interpretation of Namco's signature racer is surprisingly good 

W Look up “sleeper hit” in the dictionary, and you'll probably find a picture of Snowboard Kids 
A very pretty reprise of the original Star Fox story, but with new stuff 

WA speedy racer that reminds us that there were actually some good parts in Episode / 

Wi For whatever reason, shooting down scores of TIES never, ever gets old 

W The foot missions are sketchy, but that's why they have a snowspeeder stage 

W There'll never be another Mario game that will make the same impact as Super Mario 64 
I Grab three friends, then get ready for the best in multiplayer mayhem 

W Acclaim's solid first-person shooter is heavy on the fog. It is atmospheric, though 


AWARD 


Silver 
Gold 
Gold 
Silver 
Silver 
Silver 
Gold 
Silver 
Gold 
Gold 
Gold 


Silver 
Platinum 
Platinum 
Gold 
Silver 
Silver 
Gold 
Silver 
Silver 
Gold 
Silver 
Gold 
Silver 


Gold 
Silver 
Silver 
Gold 
Gold 
Silver 


Gold 
Silver 





ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com · 189 


— 





Acclaim’s marketing director 
couldn't resist putting his new 
baby on the cover of his com 





[. 
Ё 
1 


EEE 


| Atari 2600 — To make your own _ 
Demon Attack box art, you'll need: 
1. Rubber dinosaur (preferably | 


ee 





trickster 





it’s your game, and youll cheat if you want to, cheat if you want to 


GAME DIRECTORY 


SSX3 PR Lu 


Tak and the 
Power of Juju .. 


Gladius ........ 


Grabbed by the 
Ghoulies ....... 


Action Replay vs. 
GameShark ..... 


Lord of the Rings: 
Return of the King 


Yu-Gi-Oh!: 


+++. .190 
TRU 


Tn 


vee 193 


vee 194 


The Falsebound Kingdom 196 


SSX 3 Challenge Name Description 






















The pantaloons and snowboards are 
more stylish, the characters aren’t 


voiced by the half-lobotomized David Thread the Needles Jump through hoops, perform a particular 
“Cox” Arquette or Macy Gray any more, trick or combo, depending on the level 


and now there’s just one mountain. But Point Challenge Grab big points, depending on the level 
what a mountain! This hill’s so frickin’ Camel Backs Four grabs off of four rollers 
huge, there are simply dozens of Big Loop the Tunnel Ride the loop inside of the tunnel 


Challenges to complete on it. Which is What Sign? Knock over the billboard by grinding it 
where we come in—we have a list of Speed Demon Race through the gates 
all the Big Challenges for you. 


But before we launch into that, here’s a Warm-up Gates Make all gates, then race against the clock 
quick tip on the cash you're collecting: in upper levels 

You're awarded a certain amount of Point Challenge Big points on this race course 

money for each Big Challenge completed, Flip Flop Fun Perform the called flip tricks 


depending on the peak. Challenges on Grinding Tin Grind sequential rooftops 
Peak 1 pay 2,000 clams each. Peak 2’s 
challenges yield 4,000 dollars apiece. And 
each challenge on Peak 3 coughs up a 
whopping 6,000 bucks! That buys a lot of 
hot cocoa at the lodge. 


Pop the Kitty Pop balloon animals, nab points, and do the 
called tricks, depending on the level 

Reach for the Sky Jump a set distance into the air, which 
increases on each level 


Challenges marked 


“Once” on the chart Play It Safe Get to the bottom with no wipeouts. In later 
can be done just levels, get to the bottom with no wipeouts 
one time, while E while earning big points 

“Multi” challenges uw Seek and Slide i Grind objects of varying difficulty 

can be completed 2 Time Challenge Get to the bottom as fast as possible 

up to three times, $ Tight Rope Artist Perform the called rail tricks 


getting more 


difficult each time. 


Brash Bash | mi | Break various colored panes of glass 
х Stay Grounded Keep your total time in the air under eight 
seconds 
Danger Avoid the falling ice 
Dizzy Spells Perform the called spin tricks 
Go Spelunking Find the items in the tunnels 
Jump Fly through five hoops 


190 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com 


TRICKS IN PARTNERSHIP 

WITH PRIMA GAMES 

All of Prima’s latest and greatest strategy guides, including Lord of 

the Rings: Return of the King, SSX 3, Grabbed by the Ghoulies, 

Gladius, Tak and the Power of Juju, and Yu-Gi-Oh! The Falsebound 

Kingdom are rapidly disappearing from game store shelves as you read this. 
Snag a copy before it's too late... 


Description 


Ruthless Ridge 





Gate Masters 
Point Challenge 
Cherry Picker 


Make it through all gates 
Earn 275,000 points on this course 
Grab the collectible way up high 





Intimidator 





Just Gates 


Point Challenge 
Missing Masonry 


Make it through the gates, then beat the 
clock and get big points 

Earn 300,000 points on this course 
Grind across the left side of the 

broken bridge 





Launch Time 





Over the Top 
Big Tricks Warm-up 


Jump over the rock ledge and do a spin 
Perform the series of called tricks 





Schizophrenia 





The Hoopsta 


Fly through hoops of increasing difficulty 





Style Mile 





Rail Wizardry 


Target Practice 
Time Challenge 


Grind the rails and do tricks, depending on 
the level 

Hit all of the targets 

Beat the timer to the bottom 





Ruthless 





Shoot the Hoops 
Yard Sale 
Ridge Runner 


A mixed bag of tricks and tasks 
Help a skier pick up lost equipment 
Grind all five objects 


Gravitude 





Giant Slalom 
Point Challenge 


Complete a variety of slalom challenges 
Earn 350,000 points on this course 





Kick Doubt 





Grinder 
Play It Safe 
Time Challenge 


Perform grinds of set lengths 
Earn 300,000 points with no wipeouts 
Beat the timer to the bottom 





Much-2-Much 





No Wings Needed 
Popping Daddy 


Get 23 seconds of air time 
A mixed bag of tasks 





Perpindiculous 





Trick Sergeant 


Perform a variety of called tricks 





The Throne 





Combat Training 
New Line Collectibles 
Play It Safe 





Hit a set number of punching bags 
Grab the Collectibles 
Earn 250,000 points with no wipeouts 














The adrenaline charged ` 
soundtrack of the season. 
Exclusive tracks from 
FATBOY SLIM, 
N.E.R.D., PLACEBO 
& THE X-ECUTIONERS. 


DVD packed with exclusive 

SSX 3 cheats, hints, videos, 

behind the scenes footage 
and more. 


AUDIO BULLYS © BASEMENT JAXX 
THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS 
THE FAINT © FATBOY SLIM • 1-05 
KINKY © WV.E.8.0. ¢ PLACEBO 
ROYKSOPP • SWOLLEN MEMBERS 
THE X-EGUTIONERS 
and remixes hy PAUL OAKENFOLD 
& JUNIOR SANCHEZ 





Music from a game rated "E" (Everyone) by the ESRB. 
BET THE GAME FROM: 





tricRs 
of the trade 





GLADIUS 


When you’re hacking and slashing 
your way through the game, remember 
there's a purpose to your turn-based 
fracases: There’s a load of secrets to 
unlock, including a variety of hairy 
beasts to locate and tame for your 
frivolous enjoyment. 


The Hell's Gate Quest 

Gladius has one final hidden league for 
those who have diligently completed the 
game’s various shopkeeper quests. To 
open Hell's Gate, do the following: 


@ Earn the Signet of the Valkyrie from the 
first Mórdare's Den shopkeeper quest. 

W Earn the Promise Stone from the 
Mysterious Tablet shopkeeper quest in 
Saraa Izel by reading the tablet Aziza 
gives you. 

W Defeat Sarenenutet in the final Saraa 
Izel shopkeeper quest. 

W Raise at least six characters to level 18 
or higher. 


When you've completed all of the 
prerequisites, glowing lights will lead you 
to the tip of the Southern Expanse, where 
Usus will locate a hidden portal. When 
you enter, you'll be automatically enrolled 
in the Fulfill Your Promise league, a five- 
round wilderness battle that is perhaps 
the toughest challenge in the game. You 
will do battle with four summoners in the 
first four rounds and take on a reborn 
Sarenenutet in the final battle. 

Surviving characters will each learn 
the Hell's Fury skill, which Sarenenutet 
demonstrates in the first round of the 
battle. This area-damage skill is by far the 
strongest attack in the game. Battles will 
be a breeze after you earn it. You'll also 
earn a few strange pieces of equipment: 
In Cognito, The Marksman, The 
Laughmaster, and No. 1 Fan. 





the Mongrel Butcher badge, talk to the 
proprietor of the shop (Scotia) and he'll 
set up the Historian’s league for seven 
days later. Return on that day, make sure 
you have an open slot in your school, and 
save the game. If you can beat the 
league, one of your opponents (chosen at 
random) will offer to join you. You have a 
50/50 shot at getting a minotaur. If you 
get a satyr instead, just reload your game 
and try again until a minotaur offers to 
join your school. 


Scarabs and Scorpions: To recruit 
members of the game’s final two beast 
Classes, you need to conquer the Insect 
Ze league in Qaa Rah. After your victory, 
you will sometimes see scarabs and 
scorpions in the Qaa Rah recruiting office. 
Recruit away. 


Summoner: After your battle in Qaa Rah, 
head toward Akar An to trigger an event 

scene, then enter the city of Akar An and 
recruit the game’s only summoner in the 
Palace Iblis recruiting office. 


Undead Legionnaire: After completing 
the first shopkeeper quest in Mürdare and 
attempting the Dead of Night league, 
return to the Dragonslayer and ask the 
shopkeeper how he's doing. He'll tell you 
about a nearby hill where the unalive 
prowl at night and then ask you to do 
something about it. Visit that hill after 
dark and defeat the skeleton-generating 
tombstones to earn the Talisman of Unlife. 


I Xbox 


GRABBED BY THE GHOULIES 


Ву now, you. know the word “ghoulies” 
over in Britain means cojones (except 
it’s spelled “goolies”), but did you 
know that the striped-sweatered, 
Personality-free hero of this 
saccharine horror romp has more than 
a set of family jewels to protect? Like 
secrets—and lots of ’em. 


100 Rare Books 
Every one of the game's 100 rooms has a 
rare bonus book to collect before you 
leave. Missed one? You can't go back 
until you finish the chapter! Ack! 
Remember to search for a book before 
you access in-game cinemas (since they 
sometimes sweep you to the next room 
without a pause for you to grab the book) 
and don't forget to grab a book each time 
you enter a room; a new one will appear 
each time. The Grand Hallway, for 
example, is entered nine times throughout 
the game and adds nine bonus books to 
your collection. If you missed a book, 
replay the chapter from the Features 
menu to get another chance to grab it. 
Here's what your total should be after 
each chapter if you want all 100 books: 


Chapter 1 12 bonus books 
Chapter 2 52 bonus books 
Chapter 3 86 bonus books 
Chapter 4 87 bonus books 
Chapter 5 100 bonus books 


21 Challenges 

Why the hell are you collecting dozens of 
blue bonus books? To unlock the first 20 
extra challenges, that’s why! Each 


Challenge Score Requirements 
Bronze lvi 


# Name 


Bring Out the Imps! 


ю 





challenge is a minigame with a score to 
beat. Every five books you collect unlocks 
one challenge. Earn a gold or higher 
medal on all 20 challenges to access the 
insanity of the 21st challenge, in which 
you play the game again as Amber, with 
only 10 health and no soups! The reward 
for completing this section is so fantastic 
that we've been asked not to reveal it! 


Platinum Power 

Now, about these extra challenges. We've 
figured out the scores you need to collect 
bronze, silver, gold, and platinum medals 
for each challenge (see chart). As you can 
see, the platinum scores are sometimes 
maddeningly difficult! Keep at it, Cooper! 


Ghouly Gallery 

An interesting look into the production of 
the game, the Ghouly Gallery is your 
reward for earning platinum medals in 
challenges. Each time you earn one of 
those elusive medals, one page of the 
gallery is unlocked. Great! And finally, 
you'll receive a ranking at the end of the 
game, but don’t fret if it's crappy. It 
doesn’t unlock anything. 


Gold Platinum 


24 


e 
© 
ГА 
& 


n| a 
m 
a 
m 
$ 
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= 
е 
E 
> 
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Super-Duper Super Scary Shock! 
Friday Night at the Embassy! 
Soak-a-Zombie! 

6 А Touch of Frost! 


als 


6 9 
8 13 

100 85 70 
T 10 


Bring that to the gravestones elsewhere 
in the game (there is one on each 
continent), and an undead legionnaire will 
arise and join your school. 


7 Poor Ol’ Fiddlesworth! 30 45 60 
Who's the Daddy? 1 3 5 7 
9 Smash the Study, Buddy! 3,500 6,000 8,500 11,000 
10 Chop-Socky Whacky! 4 8 12 16 
Amber Wants a Kiss! 105 85 65 45 
12 Hey, Big Swinger! 2 5 8 11 
13 Gone to Pot! 5 9 13 17 
14 Kick "Ет Quick! 95 80 65 50 
15 Take Out the Trash! 18 15 12 
16 Dirty Laundry! 12 18 24 30 
17 Catch the Cowards! 8 13 18 23 
18 Bedtime Gory! 5 11 17 23 
19 Who's Still the Daddy? 6 9 12 15 
20 (Don't Fear) the Reaper! 25 40 55 70 


a 


11 


Undead Summoner: Recruiting an 
undead summoner is much easier. Visit 
Nordagh's Mórdare's Den at night, 
complete the Dead of Night series league, 
and you'll get a message about a visitor 
in the recruiting office. Head down there 
and recruit Taithleach the undead 
summoner for free! 





Rare Recruits 

Most of the 29 character classes in 
Gladius can easily be hired from the 
game's various recruitment offices. But a 
few require a bit of legwork first. Here's 
how to recruit members of the game's 
hardest-to-find classes: 


Yeti: There are two yetis that will fight for 
you, but only one will join your school 


Minotaur: To recruit a minotaur, you must permanently. To recruit him, clear the Trial 


enroll in the Historian’s league in the 
Imperial city of Cro Beska. After you earn 


of the Elders league in Vargen and then 
visit Vargen’s recruiting office. 


192 © ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com 


21 Sol 


m 
B 
е 
> 
& 





fens 
Das 


Real World Education 


— 


school of 








Game Design & Development 





Recording Arts 











Show Production & Touring 


Select a suit you want to weor. 





Boktai: The Sun P.N.03 (GC) ky 
Is in Your Hand Wrestling (PS2) 
Enter This First (GBA) Enter This First 
F450BE1E 36744416 1 KOMR-7VXV-VG3W6 Enter This First 
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50 Per Basket AT3AB8552BCO Get Super 
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trichs 
of the trade 


[ PS2, XB, GC 


LORD OF THE RINGS: RETURN OF THE KING 


One code list to rule them all, and in the darkness, blind them. Your Trickster has 
developed a permanent squint compiling the comprehensive code list in the 
gargantuan table below. To use these codes: 


1. Pause the game so the Options menu appears. 

2. On PS2, hold down L1, L2, R1, and R2. On Xbox and GameCube, hold down L and R. 
3. Enter the code with shoulder buttons still depressed. 

4. After you've entered the code correctly, you'll hear a sound that indicates success. 
5. If you want to enter more than one code, release the shoulder buttons, then hold 


In the secret codes chart, some codes are listed as “on/off” and some as “immediate.” 
Enter an on/off code once to engage an effect, then enter it again to disable the effect. 
Immediate codes grant a bonus but don’t change the game’s rules. Many of them can 
be entered multiple times (such as “+1,000 Experience Points” and “Restore Missiles”). 


Be careful with these codes. Like the One Ring, their power can corrupt even the purest 
heart. You might want to try slaying those orcs fair and square before you punch in the 
“Invulnerability” and “Perfect Mode” codes, removing all the challenge from the game. 
An unchallenging beat-em-up can be pretty boring, even in Middle-earth. Right, that’s 


them down again before entering another code. enough talk—on with the chart! 


Code Usage Character PlayStation 2 Code | Xbox Code GameCube Code 





+1,000 Experience Points 
+1,000 Experience Points 
+1,000 Experience Points 
+1,000 Experience Points 
+1,000 Experience Points 
+1,000 Experience Points 
+1,000 Experience Points 
+1,000 Experience Points 
+1,000 Experience Points 


Immediate Aragorn 
Immediate Faramir 
Immediate Frodo 
Immediate Gandalf 
Immediate бїтїї 
Immediate Legolas 
Immediate Merry 
Immediate Pippin 
Immediate Sam 


Up, Squ, Tri, X 

Squ, Tri, Up, Squ 
Down, Tri, Up, Down 
Cir, Tri, Up, Down 
Cir, Cir, Tri, X 

X, Tri, Up, X 

Down, Down, Squ, X 
Tri, X, Squ, X 

Tri, X, Down, X 


Up, X; YA 

X, Y, Up, X 

Down, Y, Up, Down 
B, Y, Up, Down 

B, B, Y, A 

A, Y, Up, A 

Down, Down, X, A 
Y,A, X, А 

Y, A, Down, A 


Up, B, Y, A 
B, Y, Up, B 
X, Y, Up, X 
X, Y, Up, X 
XXYA 
A, Y, Up, A 
XX BA 
YABA 
YAXA 





Level 2 Skills On/off Aragorn 
Level 2 Skills On/off Faramir 
Level 2 Skills On/off Frodo 
Level 2 Skills On/off Gandalf 
Level 2 Skills On/off Gimli 
Level 2 Skills On/off Legolas 
Level 2 Skills On/off Merry 
Level 2 Skills On/off Pippin 
Level 2 Skills On/off Sam 


Cir, Tri, X, Tri 

X, Squ, X, Down 
Tri, Up, Down, Cir 
Down, Tri, X, Tri 

Up, Cir, Squ, Squ 
Squ, Squ, Cir, Squ 
Cir, Down, Squ, Squ 
Down, X, Down, Up 
Cir, X, Cir, Tri 


В, Y,A, Y 

A, X, A, Down 

Y, Up, Down, B 
Down, Y, A, Y 

Up, B, X, X 

X, X, B, X 

Down, Down, X, X 
Down, A, Down, Up 
B, A, B, Y 


X,Y, A, Y 
A, B, A, X 
Y, Up, X, X 
X,Y, A, Y 
Up, X, B, B 
B, B, X, B 
X, X, B, B 
X, A, X, Up 
X, A, X,Y 





Level 4 Skills 
Level 4 Skills 
Level 4 Skills 
Level 4 Skills 
Level 4 Skills 
Level 4 Skills 
Level 4 Skills 
Level 4 Skills 
Level 4 Skills 


On/off Aragorn 
On/off Faramir 
On/off Frodo 
On/off Gandalf 
On/off Gimli 
On/off Legolas 
On/off Merry 
On/off Pippin 
On/off Sam 


Down, Squ, Cir, Squ 
X, X, Squ, Squ 

Tri, Up, Cir, Down 

Tri, Up, Squ, X 

Tri, Squ, Down, Up 
Down, Down, X, X 
Squ, X, Cir, Down 

X, Down, Down, Down 
Up, Down, Squ, X 


Down, X, B, X 

A,A, X, X 

Y, Up, B, Down 

Y, Up, X, A 

Y, X, Down, Up 

Down, Down, A, A 

X, A, B, Down 

A, Down, Down, Down 
Up, Down, X, A 


X, B, X, B 
A,A, B, B 
Y, Up, X, X 
Y, Up, B, A 
Y, B, X, Up 
X, X, A,A 
B, A, X, X 
A,X, X, X 
Up, X, B, A 





Restore Missiles 
Restore Missiles 
Restore Missiles 
Restore Missiles 
Restore Missiles 
Restore Missiles 
Restore Missiles 
Restore Missiles 
Restore Missiles 


Immediate Aragorn 
Immediate Faramir 
Immediate Frodo 
Immediate Gandalf 
Immediate Gimli 
Immediate Legolas 
Immediate Merry 
Immediate Pippin 
Immediate Sam 


Tri, Squ, Squ, Tri 
Tri, Up, X, X 

Tri, Tri, Tri, Cir 

Tri, Down, X, Squ 
Cir, Cir, Cir, X 

Tri, Tri, Tri, Down 
Squ, Cir, Cir, Tri 
Up, Cir, Down, Squ 
X, X, Cir, X 


YXXY 

Y, Up, A, A 

Y, Y, Y,B 

Y, Down, A, X 
B, B, B, A 

Y, Y, Y, Down 

X, B, B, Y 

Up, B, Down, X 
A, A, B, A 


Y,B,B,Y 
Y, Up, A, A 
Y, Y, Y, X 

YX AB 
XXXA 
YYYX 

B, X, X,Y 
Up, X, X, B 
A,A, X,A 





Unlock 3-Hit Combo On/off Aragorn 
Unlock 3-Hit Combo On/off Faramir 
Unlock 3-Hit Combo On/off Frodo 
Unlock 3-Hit Combo On/off Gandalf 
Unlock 3-Hit Combo On/off Gimli 
Unlock 3-Hit Combo On/off Legolas 
Unlock 3-Hit Combo On/off Merry 
Unlock 3-Hit Combo On/off Pippin 
Unlock 3-Hit Combo On/off Sam 


Squ, Down, Cir, Up 
Squ, Tri, Up, Tri 
Squ, Down, Tri, Squ 
Down, X, Tri, Down 
Up, Squ, Cir, Squ 
Squ, Tri, Tri, Cir 

Tri, X, Up, Tri 

Up, Up, Squ, Cir 
Squ, X, Cir, Squ 


X, Down, B, Up 
X, Y, Up, Y 

X, Down, Y, X 
Down, A, Y, Down 
Up, X, B, X 

X, Y, Y, B 

Y, A, Up, Y 

Up, Up, X, B 

X, A, B, X 


B, X, X, Up 
B, Y, Up, Y 
B, X, Y, B 

X, A, Y, X 
Up, B, X, B 
В, Y, Y, X 

Y, A, Up, Y 
Up, Up, B, X 
B, A, X, B 





Unlock Secret Character Immediate Frodo Tri, Cir, Cir, Cir Y, B, B, B Y, X,X,X 





All Experience You Get, Your Buddy Gets | On/off Co-op Down, X, X, X Down, A, A, A X,A,A,A 

















194 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com 





Code 


Character 


PlayStation 2 Code 


Xbox Code 


GameCube Code 





All Health You Get, Your Buddy Gets 


On/off 


Co-op 


Tri, Up, Squ, Squ 


Y, Up, X, X 


Y, Up, B, B 





Level 6 Skills 
Level 6 Skills 
Level 6 Skills 
Level 6 Skills 
Level 6 Skills 
Level 6 Skills 
Level 6 Skills 
Level 6 Skills 
Level 6 Skills 


On/off 
On/off 
On/off 
On/off 
On/off 
On/off 
On/off 
On/off 
On/off 


Aragorn 
Faramir 
Frodo 
Gandalf 
Gimli 
Legolas 
Merry 
Pippin 
Sam 


Cir, Tri, Squ, Squ 

Tri, X, Down, Cir 
Down, Down, X, Tri 
Tri, Tri, X, Up 

Down, Tri, Down, Squ 
Down, Cir, Up, Down 
Down, Down, Squ, Tri 
Cir, Tri, Cir, Tri 

Down, Down, Up, Up 


B, Y, X, X 

Y, A, Down, B 

Down, Down, A, Y 

Y, Y, A, Up 

Down, Y, Down, X 
Down, B, Up, Down 
Down, Down, X, Y 
B, Y, B, Y 

Down, Down, Up, Up 


X,Y, B, B 
YAXX 
XXAY 
Y, Y,A, Up 
XYXB 
X, X, Up, X 
XX, B, Y 
XYXY 
X, X, Up, Up 





Level 8 Skills 
Level 8 Skills 
Level 8 Skills 
Level 8 Skills 
Level 8 Skills 
Level 8 Skills 
Level 8 Skills 
Level 8 Skills 
Level 8 Skills 


On/off 
On/off 
On/off 
On/off 
On/off 
On/off 
On/off 
On/off 
On/off 


Aragorn 
Faramir 
Frodo 
Gandalf 
Gimli 
Legolas 
Merry 
Pippin 
Sam 


Up, Squ, Tri, Up 

Cir, Down, Down, Down 
Cir, Cir, Down, Down 
Cir, Squ, Down, Down 
X, Cir, Down, Squ 

Squ, Up, Up, Down 
Down, Tri, X, Squ 

Squ, Up, Up, Cir 

Cir, Cir, Tri, Tri 


Up, X, Y, Up 

B, Down, Down, Down 
B, B, Down, Down 

B, X, Down, Down 

A, B, Down, X 

X, Up, Up, Down 
Down, Y, A, X 

X, Up, Up, B 

B, B, Y, Y 


Up, B, Y, Up 
X,X,X, X 
X, X, X, X 
X, B, X, X 
A, X, X, В 
B, Up, Up, X 
X, Y, A, B 
B, Up, Up, X 
XXYY 





Unlock 4-Hit Combo 
Unlock 4-Hit Combo 
Unlock 4-Hit Combo 
Unlock 4-Hit Combo 
Unlock 4-Hit Combo 
Unlock 4-Hit Combo 
Unlock 4-Hit Combo 
Unlock 4-Hit Combo 
Unlock 4-Hit Combo 


On/off 
On/off 
On/off 
On/off 
On/off 
On/off 
On/off 
On/off 
On/off 


Aragorn 
Faramir 
Frodo 
Gandalf 
Gimli 
Legolas 
Merry 
Pippin 
Sam 


Up, Squ, Tri, Down 
X, Squ, Up, X 

B, Squ, Down, Cir 
Down, Tri, Up, Cir 
Tri, Squ, Up, X 

X, Cir, Tri, Squ 
Squ, X, Squ, Squ 
X, X, Down, Cir 
Up, Down, Tri, Tri 


Up, X, Y, Down 

A, X, Up, A 

Down, X, Down, Down 
Down, Y, Up, B 

Y, X, Up, A 

A,B, Y, X 

X, A, X, X 

A, A, Down, B 

Up, Down, Y, Y 


Up, B, Y, X 
A, B, Up, A 
X B, X,X 
X, Y, Up, X 
Y, B, Up, A 
A, X,Y,B 
B, A, B, B 
AAX X 
Up, X, Y, Y 





Unlock All Actor Interviews 


Immediate 


Special Features 


X, Squ, X, Up 


A, X, A, Up 


A, B, A, Up 





Unlock Secret Character 
Unlock Secret Character 
Unlock Secret Character 
Unlock Secret Character 


Immediate 
Immediate 
Immediate 
Immediate 


Faramir 
Frodo 
Merry 
Pippin 


X, X, Tri, Tri 

Cir, Squ, Squ, X 

X, Down, Down, X 
Tri, Cir, Squ, Down 


AAYY 

B, X, X, A 

A, Down, Down, A 
Y, B, X, Down 


A,A, Y, Y 
X, B, B, A 
A, X, X,A 
Y, X, B, X 





Unlock Special Abilities 
Unlock Special Abilities 
Unlock Special Abilities 
Unlock Special Abilities 
Unlock Special Abilities 
Unlock Special Abilities 
Unlock Special Abilities 
Unlock Special Abilities 
Unlock Special Abilities 


On/off 
On/off 
On/off 
On/off 
On/off 
On/off 
On/off 
On/off 
On/off 


Aragorn 
Faramir 
Frodo 
Gandalf 
Gimli 
Legolas 
Merry 
Pippin 
Sam 


Down, Cir, Tri, Tri 
Up, Squ, Cir, Up 
Tri, X, Down, X 
Up, Down, Tri, Cir 
Cir, Squ, X, Cir 
Tri, Cir, X, Cir 

Up, Tri, Cir, Cir 
Squ, X, Cir, Tri 
Up, Cir, X, Cir 


Down, B, Y, Y 
Up, X, B, Up 

Y, A, Down, A 
Up, Down, Y, B 
B, X, A, B 

Y, B, A, B 
Up, Y, B, B 

X, A, B, Y 
Up, B, A, B 


XXYY 
Up, B, X, Up 
YAXA 
Up, X Y, X 
X, B, A, X 
YXAX 
Up, Y, X, X 
B,A, X,Y 
Up, X, A, X 





Infinite Co-op Respawns 


On/off 


All 


Cir, Squ, Up, Cir 


B, X, Up, B 


X, B, Up, X 





All Upgrades 


Immediate 


All 


Up, Down, Tri, Squ 


Up, Down, Y, X 


Up, X, Y, B 





Always Devastating 


On/off 


All 


Tri, Up, Tri, Down 


Y, Up, Y, Down 


Y, Up, Y, X 





Infinite Missiles 


On/off 


All 


Squ, Squ, Down, Cir 


X, X, Down, B 


B, B, X, X 





Invulnerability 


On/off 


All 


Squ, Cir, Squ, Up 


X, B, X, Up 


B, X, B, Up 





Perfect Mode 


On/off 


All 


Cir, Down, Tri, X 


B, Down, Y, A 


X, X, Y, А 





Targeting Indicator Mode 


On/off 


All 


Down, Cir, Up, Squ 


Down, B, Up, X 


X, X, Up, B 





Restore Health 





Immediate 





All 





Squ, Squ, Cir, Cir 





X, X, B, B 





B, B, X, X 





Join Shoe and the 
rest of the 
Ziff Davis Media 


editors as they invade 
your screen with the 
latest game news 
and releases that 
will jumpstart 
your weekend! 


Now airing at 2 different 
time slots every Thursday! 
8:45 pm and 10:45 pm ET 
(5:45 pm and 7:45 pm PT) 


Mn 


HOTWIRED's 
Big Video Game Hunting 
hosted by Erica Hill 
n CNN Headline News. 





@ GameCube 
YU-GI-OH!: THE FALS 


Mon 
static creatures y can chang 
powerful forms. A clever duelist with the right 
combinations can take a fairly plain d 
through the fine art of fusion, turn it into an 


unstoppable force within ju: 





Yu-Gi-Oh! univer 





e not j 





newer, mor. 





QE 
SL SEAR 








a few turns. 





To fuse monsters together on the battlefield, you must 
have a supply of Polymerization, which c: 
fain traders ог е found a 
ul campaign. One Polyr 
n a monst personal inv 


ization can be used only on 


п be boug 









from се can sometimes I 


SUCCe: 











zation takes up o 





ac 


Polym 





tory. 











праідп 
Gate б! and Sanga of the 


1 more AP thi 








a team with the correct duo or trio of Thunder to cre 
and throw 


If you 
monstei 





zation into the mix at three combined. 
right tir round by ci 
a fearsome monster with a brand-new hea 
full supply of AP. You had better learn whic! 
you can fuse, because the computer-controlled Marshals Red-Ey 
do not hesitate to use their complete encyclopedia of 


fusion knowledge. 












you can smartly nd t 











h bar and a Meteor В. Dragon: Kaiba с‹ the Meteor Dragon in 





the Dragon Lair campaign. Fuse Meteor Dragon with 








5 B. Dragon to form an even stronger monster. 








vid Horseman: Place a Mythical Horseman and 





x on the same tec 


$ 


sion Monst 
complete 








g fusion mons 





t of the monst an be 
fused in Falsebound Kii ‘our first time 
the game, you can’t all the nec 
fusions, but if yo 
r you've finishe 


1d or third ti 








gdor through Thousand Dragon: T 
ary топ: 


ontinue with the batt 


Baby Dragon ani 





aren't exactly t 





е most potent m 





to cre: d, but their fused form, Thousand Dra: 












hty com 





те о 





I'll eventually 





Twin-Headed Thunder Dragon: Fuse the Two-Headed 








King Rex and Thunder Dragon to form this formidable 








Valkyrion the 


to 








White Dragons- 
become this 








Class Change 


In addition to fus tain items 





J monsters, you can use 
them to change into 
lass 


en, not during the 








Chime nonsters to for 


of the Mythic 









ent forms. You can perform the: 


ат Make Ц 
aigns. 


1d Berfomet fuse t 





fierce monster ily from the 








Cosmo Qu 
Dark Elf and a Mystical Elf. 


en: This powerful combination consists of a 





son Sunbird: You need a Ma 
ate the Crimson Sunbi 
whost 


elus and a Wing 


winged 





pall of the Gray 
is undead reptile v 





on Zombie: U: 





e on 
arrior 











о create 





supermon 









a the Dragon Ch 
Curse of Dragon: 
fused monster launch 


k Luster Ritual 


dark fo 


ght and 
mpion. The 


attacks that cannot be dodged. (Note tt 








orms Gaia Knight into 











Chaos: Th ster Ritual turns 


erful form. 





ito its more pow 













е Metalmorph on Zoa to cre 





tly Ultimate Great Moth: L ›оп of 





Evolution on a Larvae Moth to create this far more 





Metalmorph on the 


allic dragon. 








x 


l^ THE SANDS 











UBISOFT 
Also available on Nokia 3595, 3100, 3200, 5100, 6100, Е 
6200. 6800, 7210, 7250, Motorola V300, V500, V600 Available on all consoles and PC. 





= һа Wireless 





X cingular 


T - -Mobile- 


© 2003 Gameloft. Based on Prince of Persia ® created by Jordan Mechner. Siberian Strike, Skate & Slam, Gameloft, and the Gameloft logo are registered trademarks of Gameloft in the US and/or 
other countries. Prince of Persia and Prince of Persia The Sands of Time are trademarks of Jordan Mechner used under license by Ubisoft Entertainment and Gameloft. © 1995, 2003 Ubisoft 
Entertainment. Rayman, Ubisoft, and the Ubisoft logo are trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the US and/or other countries. © Van Hamme - Vance / Dargaud Benelux (DARGAUD-LOMBARD 
S.A.) 2000 DARGAUD. All rights reserved 


XIII Rayman® Bowling Skate & Slam Siberian Strike 





B zer pans veo 


The Most Trusted Tech Buying Advice Online 


pcmag.com 


What to Buy • Whe 





to Buy It 


How to Get the Most From Your Purchase 





Reviews 
First Looks - Comparisons - Editor's Choice - Product Guides 
Solutions 
2000+ Tips on How To Get the Most from Your Tech 
News 
Product Bulletins - Special Reports - Show Reports 
Opinion 
Michael Miller - Bill Machrone - John Dvorak and more 
Shop 
Computers - Photography - Electronics - Software - Compare Prices and Buy 





THE INDEPENDENT GUIDE TO TECHNOLOGY 








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Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation 
T. Publication Tie Jensen uter 








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Electr: aming Monthly November 2003 
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198 · ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY « www.egmmag.com 


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IHAveavoU[everiwANtedltoIbeliNANvideo[g AMe2) 


To celebrate The Sims" Bustin’ Out coming to Game Boye Advance, we thought we'd give you that chance now. 
One lucky winner will have one (1) character skin* created based on their likeness and may be included in the next version of 
The Sims" game we develop for Game Boye Advance. Talk about bragging rights with your friends! 


To enter, go to WWW.WINGBASIMS.ZDGAMES.COM to view the official contest rules and fill out the entry form. 


Be etd sla ce WL eME EN OD RIL oe 
CONE WIL cach woacives One (1) character skin* created based on their likeness CANES WML each acacives 


One (1) The Sims™ Bustin’ Out T-shirt for possible use in an upcoming Game Boy® Advance One (1) copy of The Sims™ Bustin’ Out 
А version of The Sims™ game game for Game Boy® Advance 
One (1) copy of The Sims™ Bustin’ Out 
game for Game Boy® Advance One (1) The Sims™ Bustin’ Out T-shirt 


One (1) copy of The Sims™ Bustin’ Out game for Game Boy® Advance 


The Sims» Bustin’ Out for Game Boye Advance will be available this December, and lets you explore 20 locations, meet 41 wild characters, 
and beat 8 career mini-games in a quest to move into the biggest mansion in SimValley. You can even connect to the 
Nintendo GameCube" version to download your Sim for a completely new adventure. Visit www.eagames.com for more information. 






Comic Mischief 
Mild Violence 


ESRB CONTENT RATING 


MIAXIS GAME BOY ADVANCE 





WWW.esrb.org 


* Winner must provide Sponsor with photograph images of themselves for skin to be created. Photographs will not be returned. Sponsor cannot guarantee that it will use any of the photographs to create skins. 
The Sims Bustin‘ Out software and related materials © 2003 Electronic Arts Inc. Electronic Arts, The Sims, EA, EA GAMES, the EA GAMES logo, Maxis and the Maxis logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the US and/or other 
countries. All Rights Reserved. ™, Game Boy Advance, the Game Boy Advance logo and Nintendo GameCube are trademarks of Nintendo. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners, EA GAMES™ and MAXIST are Electronic Arts™ brands. 


game over 


VICIOUS 
HINDSIGHT 


Today, on a very special episode of Rest of 
the Crap, we take a sobering look at the past 





Back in ye olde days of 
videogame journalism, 
reviewers were still 
| blazing the trails of what 
we now call “standards” 
and “good taste.” 
Admittedly, it was tough 
for those guys to judge the 
finer points of level design and gameplay when 
the very concept of flashing lights and moving 
pictures set them all atingle. So, for this special 
edition of The Rest of the Crap, EGM asked me to 
leaf through 173 old issues in search of classic 
games to re-review using today’s modern 
sensibilities (and my uncanny ability to notice 
when a game about coloring is utterly retarded). 
As the smartest among you already know, the 
laws of space-time make it clear that once a 
videogame review is a part of history, there’s no 








changing it. However, Рт confident that the 
universe will make an exception in the following 
cases of extreme reviewing error. And if m 
wrong, it’s not like you'll have a long time to be 
mad at me before the death beasts pour out of the 
hole this magazine is about to tear in reality. 
Regardless of how the death beast thing plays 
out, some readers may be even more alarmed to 
see that I’ve taken a couple liberties with EGM’s 
mom-tested, nerd-lunchtable-approved scoring 
system. But you know, there are certain moments 
in life when a boy becomes a man. For me, it 
happened in the backseat of an AMC Pacer at the 
+82 World's Fair in Knoxville. For you, it may 
happen on the next page when your brain gives up 
and calls an armistice with the image of a troll 
riding America's most phallic snackfood. Emerge 
from the chrysalis, my little pupae. No one can 
hurt you now. —Seanbaby 








IW A guaranteed $5 job lot on eBay. 








| UTTLENICKY 

| Game Boy Color • Ubisoft e EGM #139 — In its 
original review, this game got more compliments 
than a fat girl at a pie-eating contest. Far away 
from this review, in a place | like to call reality, 

| Little Nicky is a lethargic platformer with generic 
graphics, beeps for a soundtrack, and sloppy 
control. There are genital diseases you’d rather get 
for Christmas than this game. 


Original Review Excerpt: “Nicky moves with the 
grace of a hand-drawn cartoon, and the 
environments he traverses are filled with intricate 
details (hell never looked so terrific). Equally 
impressive is the quality of the audio—there’s 
generous helpings of voice samples, and the heavy- 


metal soundtrack of the movie is capably emulated.” 


New Review: Originally, this game got a very strong 
8.5, but in the reviewer's defense, he probably wasn't 
prepared for it. When you go from playing hundreds 
of normal games to a disaster based on an Adam 
Sandler movie, it’s understandable that something in 
your head pops. In contrast, | reviewed Little Nicky 
between Rainbow Brite Racing and Mary-Kate and 
Ashley's Bra-Removing Showdown, so | was in a 


state of mind 
8 е 5 0. 5 


capable of giving 
this wretched 
NEW SCORE 


game the score it 
richly deserves. 


OLD SCORE 





























THE LAWNMOWER MAN 
Super Nintendo • THQ • ЕСМ #55 — Some 
historians from the horrifying future year of 2023 
have complained that the release of this film was 
“= the exact point in time when retarded people got 
the idea to take over the world. Luckily, the 
videogame version skips over most of the film’s 
plot and gets right to the part where Pierce 
Brosnan and Jenny Wright fight off 3,000 army 
men with laser guns. It plays a lot like Contra—if 
Contra sucked and were loosely based on lawn 
| mowers and special education. 








Original Review Excerpt: “Well, the movie wasn’t 
| the greatest, and this game pretty much follows suit. 
The graphics are average but still OK, and the sound 


isn’t the greatest, but the virtual reality sequences 
are eye-grabbing and must be seen.” 


New Review: There was a time when | also would 
have given The Lawnmower Man a high score, but 
now that my mind has exponentially expanded by 
actually playing it (which is startlingly similar to 
being reeducated by a magical virtual-reality brain 
hat), | give it a zero. A zero that I’m more than happy 
to illustrate by levitating the cartridge with my mind 


and using it to 
8.0 0.0 


punch a zero- 
shaped hole 
OLD SCORE МЕМ SCORE 


through all 
nearby skulls. 








200 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com 











PUTT-PUTT JOINS THE PARADE 

300 • Humongous • ЕСМ #54 — Since this is a 
kids’ point-and-click adventure game, clicking on 
objects doesn’t put them in your inventory for use 
later in dumb puzzles. Instead, clicking on an 
object makes all hell break loose. Click an apple 
and it will jump from the tree, break-dance, and 
then explode. Click a flower and it will spin around 
and make out with a mushroom. None of it helps 
you get any further in the game, but according to 
; the original reviewers, it is “educational.” 


Original Review Excerpt: “You may call me insane, 
but | can spend hours watching this one. Putt-Putt is 
perfect for all ages, though the blood mongers will 
probably ignore it. So far it's the best for the 300. 


Who'd have thought that a little car could be more fun 
than shooting down gunfighters?" 


New Review: This game claims to be for ages 3 to 8, 
yet all of the reviewers admitted to getting sucked in 
by its delightful noises and moving colors. Granted, if > 
you know an infant who owns a 3DO, it might have 
more fun with Putt-Putt than it would chasing a 
string, but not if it's a string that makes noises. If 
you're making sense out of the letters on this page 


and it's not being 
8.0 1 0 


used to wipe spit 
OLD SCORE NEW SCORE 





off your chin, 
consider Putt- 
Putt’s score а 1.0. 









































PINK PANTHER GOES TO HOLLY WOOD 
Sega Genesis • TecMagik • ЕСМ #52 — As far as 
side-scrolling action games starring cartoon cats 
go, Pink Panther Goes to Hollywood is actually in 
the top 60 percent. One reviewer inadvertently put 
that dubious achievement into perspective when he 
called the game “a good alternative for people who 
really liked the Chester Cheetah game.” That being 
said, if you really liked Chester Cheetah, you'd be 
perfectly happy with a game that gets a running 
start out of your Sega Genesis and rams itself up 
your body cavity. 


Original Review Excerpt: “Well, it was probably 
only a matter of time until this guy showed his pink 
| puss in videogames, but now he is here and he is 


rather pleasant to play! The graphics are surprisingly 
good, plus the sound adequately conveys the mood of 
each level.” Р 


New Review: The first time around, EGM gave this 
dull pink mess the kid-gloves treatment, handing out 
7’s like they were goin’ out of style. So, in order to 
reduce the average score to a reasonable level, I'm 
going to give the game a -16 and report that Pink 
Panther Goes to Hollywood and Putt Putt Joins the 





Parade were seen 

passionately 

kissing at = 

Bugs Bunny's . 

Crazy Castle. OLD SCORE МЕМ SCORE 

















SUPER TROLL ISLAND 

Super Nintendo • Amerisoft • EGM #53 — In this 
game, you are a hideous troll doll who must color 
black-and-white backgrounds. Maybe I'm just 
being too much of an art snob, but I thought that 
the concept of coloring things was already a little 
played out by my Dukes of Hazzard activity book. 
And while the first reviewers acknowledged that 
the trolls’ speed is dangerous, that hardly does 
justice to how out of control these creepy little 
bastards are. Trying to finish coloring a level is like 
t attaching a paint bucket and a jet engine to an 

, ugly baby and throwing it into an elevator. 





omen 
ШШ 


Original Review Excerpt: “Whoa! Wait a minute. 
This is an interesting concept (turning black and 


white lands into color), but the incredibly fast speed 
at which you travel leads to many unintentional 
errors—like running into enemies!" 


New Review: The old reviewers handed out some 
seemingly high scores to, well, what boils down to a 
game about troll dolls and coloring. Looking back 
now, it’s obvious that the reviewers were just being 
sarcastic and postmodern. Way to go, guys—you 
really fooled us! But now, the fun's over. I'm going to 


10 & 





take а no- 
nonsense approach 
to this and give it 
the score of Troll 
Riding a Hot Dog. 


OLD SCORE NEW SCORE 














ROCKY RODENT 
1 Super Nintendo • Irem • EGM #50 — If you're 





looking for a platformer that will confront you with 








visions of your own mortality, you've found your 





suicide assistant in Rocky Rodent. Here, you're 








, some rat mascot thing in sneakers who uses his 





| carefully constructed ‘tude and an elderly woman's 








idea of outrageous hairdos to fight enemies. It’s 





such a failure, you can actually hear the marketing 
committee’s grand plans for the Rocky Rodent 
animated series and hair-flavored breakfast cereal 
cracking apart as you plod through the levels. 





Original Review Excerpt: “The latest whizzin’ 
whirlwind critter for the Super NES! This one can get 
E E in some hair-raising situations—literally! Not only 


can Rocky Rodent quickly run and jump, but he can 
use a variety of hair styles for attacks! These include 
a whip-like ponytail, a boomerang mohawk, a sword 
spikey top and even a giant spring! Hair-raising!" 


New Review: After suffering through a few hours of 
Rocky Rodent pain, | was fully prepared to give it a 
score of negative zero. But after rereading the 
original exclamation-point-filled, hair-raising 
review—where it’s described as hair-raising twice—1 





got caught up in 
the hair-raising 
fever! One hundred 
points! It’s totally 
hair-raising! 





OLD SCORE NEW SCORE 





ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com • 201 


1 2 3 4 5 6 





ACROSS 


1. 


3. 
9. 


12. 
14. 


16. 


17. 
18. 


19. 
21. 
22. 
24. 
25. 
26. 
27. 
32. 
33. 
34. 
36. 
38. 
40. 
41. 
43. 


44, 
47. 


50. 


52. 


53. 
54. 


55. 


202 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com 


Project Gotham Racing competitor? 
(abbrv.) 

Final Fantasy Vil party member 
Pirates of the Caribbean (PS2) 
greeting 

Nintendo handhelds 

Castlevania's perennial female 
bosses 

Computer-controlled characters, 
for short 

D, L as directions on a 3D world map 
Rapper with a delayed PS1 game in 
the works 

Flip-top Game Boy 


. Simpsons Hit & Run barkeep 


Thieves’ hideout in Spyro: Enter the 
Dragonfly (PS2, GC) 

Like Street Fighter Urien’s Reflector 
Number of lives you get in NES Rygar 
Pocket Fighter was this kind of 
Fighter in Japan 

Project Gotham 2 Camaro type 
Pricey NEC portable 

What Mario does a lot in 

Yoshi's Island 

As furry fugitives, you're “on” this 

in Whiplash 

Company that produced one of the 
first home-gaming computers (abbrv.) 
Popular woodwind instrument in RPG 
soundtracks 

What to do with a hooked fish in 
Sega Bass Fishing (three words) 
Mother Brain, for short? 

NES Pro-Am cars 

Sega CD sleepover thriller featuring 
Dana Plato, for short 

Handheld Genesis 

What to do if your GBA SP’s 

runnin’ low 

Speedy TVR car model in Project 
Gotham 2 

Waterside setting in Splinter Cell and 
Kill. Switch 

GBA-style battery 

Like the American Neo Geo 

Pocket screen 

Steve Scott's line of work in 

GTA: Vice City 


13. 


51. 


(Solution on page 204) 


7 8 






Failed black-and-white handheld 


. Trademark song from a 


videogame score 

UFC Tapout’s Rutten 

Not a good time for Dracula to be out 
of bed 


. Collects crops in Harvest Moon (N64) 
. Tengen's NES Baseball 

. Capcom vs SNK iteration 

. According to Nintendo, һе can be 


reached at 007-373-5963 
Final Fantasy one-hit killer 


. Street Fighter Ill newcomer 
„ Sega portable 


Like Resident Evil NES precursor 
Home 


. Where you spend most of your time 


in Zelda: Wind Waker 


. Like a beginner difficulty level 
. NFL 2K4 Viking 


Former Crystal Dynamics 
spokescharacter 


. Drive one іп 18 Wheeler 
. Like NES Champion or GBC Yeti 
. King of Fighters fireballer 


Odyssey developer Baer 

Like a Metal Gear Solid 2 missile 
Amy Wong's Planet Express position 
in Futurama (PS2) 


. Mortal Kombat 3 knock-off ninja 
. Like PS2's Deus 
. SOCOM wardrobe, for short 


MLB 2004 extra innings (abbrv.). 


. Madden 2004$ Miami team (abbrv.) 
. GTA2 primary target 
. Slang for software, sometimes 


“killer” 

Driver Il South American city setting 
Kemco PS2, Xbox, and GC military 
Shooter, for short 


ar 
v 


"u$ 


WIN A TRIP TO 
MIDDLE-EARTH! 


ew Zealand’s breathtaking backcountry provided the setting for all 
П three Lord of the Rings flicks. So why not check it out for 

yourself...on our tab! To celebrate the upcoming The Return of the 
King game and movie, Electronic Gaming Monthly and Electronic Arts are 
teaming up to offer a trip for two to this real-life Middle-earth. Just go to 
http://lotrcontest.egmmag.com and answer three simple questions based on 
the game (check out last issue’s cover story for the inside scoop). And don’t 
grovel like Gollum if you don't win the grand prize—we're also giving away 
precious copies of the game. 


GRAND PRIZE (ONE WINNER) 


A trip for two to New Zealand (includes round-trip airfare and hotel accommodations) 


RUNNER-UP PRIZES (40 FOR EACH PLATFORM) 


Electronic Arts" game for 
PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, and Game Boy Advance 


HOW TO PLAY 


1. Log on to the contest page at http://lotrcontest.egmmag.com. 

2. Answer all three questions correctly to complete the entry form. 

All correct entries received by January 15, 2004, will then be entered into a 
drawing for the prizes. Only one entry per person is accepted. 


Full legal rules available at http://lotrcontest.egmmag.com. 





2, 


TE LARBOTE 






Cc. 
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Be E | 
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мын “чыз ыш) чыла 




















— 


yourilifestyle! 


Visit www.ratchefandclank.com 
to download theofficial entry form 
and for more details. 


GRAND PRIZE 


А trip.for two.to Los Angeles 
to visit Insomniac Games ap (©) ⏑ 


and $5,000 to upgrade poster autographed by 
your lifestyle! : the¥development team! 


No Purchase Necessary. Must be a U.S. resident 13 years[of age or Older. dontesi ели 1/31/04. 
For full rules and to download the official form, visit www.ratchetandclank.com: Void where prohibited. 


“SHOW US YOUR WEAPON” NATIONAL CONTEST 
OFFICIAL RULES 





a 

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PlayStationse INS@MNIAC en. 


xum n 8C MU RIN — ER EI A Or Rhee ee EUR EL А А —M. салво 
Ratchet and Clank is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. Developed by Insomniac Games, Inc. ©2003 Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. 














game over 





NEXT MO 


L FANTASY: Xi 

is finally ready to unveil 
another chapter in its mega-popul 
role-playing series, which means 
we're grabbin' our passports and 
takin’ another trip overseas. Check 
out our first of many reports— 





packed with screenshots and 
developer interviews—on Final 
Fantasy XII. dl uc 


Plus, EGM and MTV collaborate to 
cover the 15 most important and 
influential games of the new. 
millennium as decided by you, our 
readers and MTV viewers. A llso, in 
the first installment of our 7 > 
"Play Money" series, we 
snoop into the lavish ^ 
lifestyles of game-biz 
hotshots and share their 

` secrets of succes, | 












#01910) Wer (/ 


— s 





ADVERTISER INDEX 


A.D. Vision 
wwwadviilms.com .. 
‘Academy of Art College (Stephens inst) 
www.academyartedu .. 
Acclaim Entertainment 
wwwacclaim.com ... 
Activision 
wwwaactivision.com ............. 
Art Institute of CA - San Francisco 
aicasfaiiedu . 
Astralwerks 
www.astralwerks.com ... 
Atari Inc. 
www.atari.com . 
Atlus Software 
wwwatlus.com .. . 
Bandai America Ine. 
www.bandai.com 
Best Buy 
www.bestbuy.com ... 

Capcom USA, Inc. 

WwWW.capCOM.cOM ...............! 88-89, 181 
Columbia House Company 
www.columbiahouse.com . 
Datel Design & Development, Inc. 
www.codejunkies.com 
























Eidos Interactive, Ine. 











www.eidos.com . . 

Electronic Arts 

www.ea.com .. 

Electronics Boutique/Eb Cat . . . . . 95, 122a-122b, 
www.ebgames.com 123, 139, 151, 187 





Full Sail Real World 
www.fullsail.com 
Gamefly 
www.gamefly.com .... 
Koei Corporation 
www.koei.com 
Konami America 
www.konami.com 
LucasArts Entertainment 
www.lucasarts.com ................ 
Majesco Sales, Inc. 
www.majescosales.com 
Maxis - EA 
www.maxis.com . 
Microsoft 

























230-31, 66, 67, 69, 





www.microsoft.com . ‚71,111, 155, 147 
Натсо Hometek 
Www.namco.com . . 61, 113, 125, 149, 165 
Nike Corporation 
wwwike.com .................... 21,23,25 


Nintendo of America. 

wwwnintendo.com ............. 56-57, 83, 117 
Nokia Telecommunications 

www.n-gage.cor 
Nyko Technologies, Inc. 
WwWw.nyko.com . . 
Office for National Drug Control Policy 
www.whatsyourantidrug.com .............1 183 
Sega of America. 
www.sega.com 





E 


‚173,207 















Sony Computer Entertainment . 

wwwscea.com ..... 73, 74, 75, 100-101, 126-127 
Sony Online Entertainment 

www.sonyonline.com . 6-7, 42-43 
Square Enix U. 

wwwsquare-enix-usa.com ....... 1 18-19, 86-87 


Take 2 Interactive Software 
www.take2games.com . 44-45, 104-105, 114-115 
Tecmo, Inc. 

www.ecmoinc.com ..................... 119 
Ubisoft Entertainment 

www.ubisoftcom ... 10-11, 76-77, 102-103, 197 
Vivendi Universal Games 
www.vugames.com ... 
Zalman USA 
www.zalmanusa.com .................... 157 





14-15, 78, 79, 90-91 





NTH: FEB. 2004 - ISSUE *175 


ON SALE JANUARY 6 






















(н 


(9) 





(All planned editorial content is subject to change.) 


ANSWERS TO 
STOCKING 
STUFFERS 


on page 202 











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204 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com 


ES OF 2003! 


LOG ON TO WWW.1UP.COM TO CAST YOUR VOTES FOR YOUR CHOICE OF THE BEST PLAYSTATION 2, 


XBOX, GAMECUBE, GAME BOY ADVANCE, PC, ONLINE, GAMING RIGS, AND THE TOP GAME OF THE YEAR! 
WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON JANUARY 8 AT THE 2004 INTERNATIONAL CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW (CES) IN LAS VEGAS. 


; at www.1UP.com x — DAVIS 
— MEDIA 


GAME GROUP 





Ө game over 


HSU AND CHAN'S OFFICIAL WEBSITE — WWW.APE-LAW.COM/EVILMONKEY 


TO ENJOY YET MORE OF THE BROTHERS’ SHENANIGANS, LOOK FOR HSU & CHAN 
COMICS AT YOUR LOCAL COMIC SHOP! (OR ORDER ONLINE AT WWW.SLAVELABOR.COM.) 








I'M HSU TANAKA, THATS My od 
BROTHER, CHAN, AND WE ARE 
VIDEOGAME 


‚ IT'S NOT AS THOUGH WE HAVEN'T 
MAP OUR SUCCESSES... MANY OF OUR 


| g90, ммо CHAN 


GAME DESIGNERS 


DESIGNERS! 
THAT BEING THE CASE, IT 


GAMES SCORE VERY HIGH WITH CRITICS, 
AND EVEN THE Bap Reviews ARE WORDY 


GOES WITHOUT SAYING THAT 
We LIVE OUR LIVES IN 
CONSTANT FEAR. 


ENOUGH THAT WE Can AT LEAST 
CUT-AND:PASTE TOGETHER 
A DECENT BLURB. 


Wi 


OF BEING 
REVIEWED. 


BANAL! 
SUBLITERATE ! 

















ВОТ -. EVEN IN THE MOST PRAISING 
REVIEWS, STILL THE SNIDE REMARKS SLIP IN! 
LIKE So MANY SELF-AMUSED ScHooL 
CHILDREN WHO HAVE JUST DISCOVEREO 
THE COMEDIC POTENTIAL OF FLATULENCE 
AN UNSPOKEN COMPETITION EXISTS To. 
OUTDO ONE ANOTHER IN COLDLY AND 
GROTESGUELY SINGLING OUT EVEN THE 
MOST MINOR OF FAULTS FoR RIDICULE, 
BE IT A PROBLEMATIC CAMERA, A 
MISSING LEVEL, OR THE OCCASIONAL 
HARD-DISK -WIPING TOTAL SYSTEM CRASH 


WE HAVE BEEN PUSHED Too FAR 
THS DA? SHALL BE LONG -REMEMBERED, 
FOR TODAY we REVIEW THEM BEFORE 
THEY CAN REVIEW US! 
HA HA HA HA! 
DID Чоо BRING THE 
GAME Ерпев DECOY? 


("A SORRY To DISAPPOINT You, 
ARAGORN KIDD 2K3, BUT 
"ROLLER DEATH DERBY Ex" 15 A 
PALE IMITATION OF THE EARLIER 
TANAKA BROS. TITLES. 
1 THINK IT'S SAFE To SAY 
THAT THEY'VE 


GoUR MISINFORMED 
PRATTLING HAS GONE ON LONG 
ENOUGH, FOUL MESSAGE - BOARDNIK! 


BY ORDER OF THE TANAKA 
BROTHERS, WE REVIEW ee. 


„ BUT 
IM А WORK 
IN PROGRESS! 





ә = 
Wo DowE 
WIT FIRST? 





| А MAN CAN ONLY TAKE So mucn! 








Е 








DONALD HAINES, "SHATTERWÜLF" TO THE ONLINE Co m JAT 
15 А 35-YEAR-OLD PART-TIME MALL LIBERATING 
SAD Т; ¢ SIMPLY мот UP TO SPEC. RU WHO'S, NEXT? 
PACE AND GROTESQUELY MISREPRESENTE! 
FEATURED IN SUCH FORUMS 
TIMES," “BOARDS oF THE STH, 
You Do NOT WANT TO KNOW 
SHOULD BE EMPLOYED AS Somer 
| ABILITIES 
PROF 


THE "LEGITIMATE 
GAMING PRESS | 
FOURTEEN PAGES ON A 
мем "Toms RAIDER” AND 

STULL THEY FEEL 
E QUALIFIED To SUPGE? 


E THER ve н, 
RRIFFIC Я G P , THIS Comins 
ABOUT? ^ 


че MORE APPROPR 


ET OF Faq 


ARENT NEMSMAGA, 
INES SUPPOSED о 
HANE MORE WORDS Tuan 
PteTUREST 
DID WE Pick UF A 
COPY OF "HIGHLIGHTS 
FoR CHILDREN” BY 
MISTAKE T 


50, MEMBERS OF 

THE GAMING PRESS 
SPEND A FULL Go. oF 
THEIR WORKING TIME 
WRITING PITHY CAPTIONS, 
AS “THE м FOR FUNNY ANIMALS, 

E AND CG PANTY SHOTS.. 

ANE 

мо THEIR PARENTS MUST 

BE So PROUD! 





SUCH AS A LARGE 


ONAL OPINION. 




















LORD THs OF THE 
WHOLE LOT! 
AGAZINE 


FoR Readers 
WEST COM 


So THERE, TAKE [nir 

THAT, REVIEWERS OF Та 

THE INTERACT 
MEDIA 


NEXT MONTH, THIS 15 HSU 
JAKA TELLING YOU TO REMEMBER 
GAME REVIEWERS, AS 900 WANDER 

ROUGH Ҷое седм 
APARTMENTS IN 


OF YOUR READ 
FINALLY SURPA 

CORE DEMOGRAPI 
“BARNEY AND FRIENDS 


THE MAKERS ОҒ Tis 
MAGAZINE HAVE DEEMED 
— VISAGES So 'RREDEEM- 
ABLY UGLY THAT THEY HAVE 
то REPRESENT THEM THEN WE'LL TAKE Ybu 
SELVES WITH FANCIFUL VIEWS on "SILENT HILL 
CARICATURES JUST TO ETAC A lr VE CAN ONLY 
AVOID SCARING OFF Ё i LED EUG 
THEIR Borers! HE FANS ARE SINGLED 
UP, AND- 


PATHETICA 

JES МЄ Stool 
ION DENOMINATOR IMAGINABLE 
A CARTOONS 


DESPERATE 
D TO HE 


JNSHAVEN AND SME 


Hofe OF Foot Loos 


GET ice 
OTTER Pops, 
te 





WE Give т 
^o STARS, 








206 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com 













b. 


Your Gaming Territory... 


ы.” 
e Gaming Made Easy ™ 








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gaming console location: 
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Lat Origin = 46.95294523] 


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Lat Origin = 46.95240556] 
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The Wireless Net Extender” from Nyko? is the easiest way to wirelessly connect your PlayStation*2, Xbox? or PC to a 


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NYKO" and Wireless Net Extender?" are trademarks of NYKO Technologies, Inc. PlayStation’2 is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Xbox* is a 
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[Xe WAN KONE) (97 


<EIROMAG- 


OUT Cel TS to presene с/аѕѕіс MICE дате тадагіпеѕ SO Wiel 
they аге по lost permanently: 


Реоріелпќегеѕѓеа іп helping outinany capacity, 
please visit us at retromags-com. 


No profitis таае їгот these scans, Nordo we offeranything 
аўа!абіе гот the publishers themselyes: 


VOU соте асгоѕѕ5 апуопе ѕе!іпоігеіеаѕеѕ гот 
115 51е, CESS CO пов 50ррог (пет апа аоЛе 05 | Cavey 


Thank you!