f MISS SEXIEST GAMER USA \ Meet her (and the sexiest gamer өші) inside! HALO2 02:9 9 Starring • Spider-Man : 5pm Fight Club | * Zelda: Four Swords (teu ОЖ irons, surprise F: AN к , e X-Men: Legends Тшдш Sequels, and more мия FINAL FANTASY Vil: В © zr nem mw З 04>“ ISSUE 177 $4.99 U.S. / $6.50 Canad: New screens and info on the movie sequel о "714024 06960 в WWW.EGMMAG.COM www.us.playstation.com Online play requires Internet connection and Network Adaptor (for PlayStation 2) (sold separately). Players are responsible for all applicable Internet and subscription fees. Children under the age of 13 are not permitted to use PlayOnline services, including games. Acceptance of certain agreements is required. A valid credit card required to set up account. Free subscription for SQUARE ENIX, the SQUARE ENIX logo, PLAYONLINE and the PlayOnline logo are trademarks of Square Enix Co., Ltd. "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks and the HDD is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. The Online icon and "Live In Your World. Play In Ours" are trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. Ж | “аш ie 0 days. Some restrictions may apply. ©2001-2004 SQUARE ENIX СО, LTD. All Rights Reserved. Title Design by Yoshitaka Amano. FINAL FANTASY and VANA’DIEL are registered trademarks of Square Enix Co., Lt ` TORNO у 4 4 Ӯ, The forces of ће evil beastmen are gathering, casting a shadow of uncertainty over the future of Vana'diel. Now three proud nations must unite in an epic battle whose outcome depends on you. Enter the vast realm of FINAL FANTASY. ХІ Online, where you can join forces with people from all over North America, as well as Japan. Immerse yourself in a persistent world that continues evolving whether youre in it or not. And even play across platforms with PC ES тийнш gamers as you work together to alter the course of Vana'diel history. FINAL FANTASY XI. Infinitely beyond. Introducing the internal Hard Disk Drive (40GB) (for PlayStation.2). Included with your purchase of FINAL FANTASY XI, the HDD exponentially expands the PlayStation 2 experience. With it, its possible to download content like new missions, levels and characters. Experience persistent worlds. And even speed up loading times. It's just one more way the world of PlayStation 2 is constantly evolving. LIVE IN YOUR WXRLD. PLAY IN OURS? SQUARE ENIX. PlayStation. Animated Blood > © © bl Violence Play Online. ыны Game Experience May Change During Online Play Lo — M For Ки Yun, the only way out ofthe Hong Kong underworld is to go back in. Violence www.us.playstation.com "Rise to Honor" is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainm: Computer Entertainment America Inc. “PlayStation” and the “PS” Family logo are registered tr¢ Entertainment America Inc. “Live In Your World. Play In Ours.” is a trademark of Sony р 5 pec А A dying man’s last wish. An unde} p who's running out of time. Jet Li is Kit Yun in Rise to Honor, the story ofa cop sworn to fulfill his duty, yet bound by a promise to a powerful crime lord. Now Kit must enter a shadowy world where, to preserve his honor, he'll have to risk his life. But as his enemies will soon learn, sometimes the one who is most honorable...is also the most deadly. Playstation. || — "SA nose S INTRODUCING TOTAL PUNCH CONTROL There are no lucky punches. (SPORTS Fight Night ter Entertainment inc. Micrasoft; Xbox and If айк are the property of their respective owners, EA SPORTS’ к> DIRTY IT’S ONL AND YOUR GIRLFRIEND WON Experience the fastest, most complete, motocross game — offering online play for up to 8 players, cool customization features, and a thrilling career mode that takes you to the X Games to boost your fame, fortune and adrenaline! It’s the dirtiest fun you can have online... ...Without feeling guilty. The ultimate motocross енрегчепсе. THE GHTE DROPS MARCH 2004 affiliates. Publi tivision Publishing, Inc. Activision is a registered trademark and MTX: Mototra» internet connection and ж Adapter (for PlayStation 2) and Memo: £0 are regi Sony Computer Ente nt Inc. The Online icon is a trademark io and the Xbox е either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation ipy and the "Powered by GameSpy" design are trademarks of GameSpy industries, All other d M rk of Activision, Ine and it ation” and the "PS" Family the in other countries and are n isa registered trademark er, this product is neither manufactured nor distributed by Suzuki Motor Corporation, Yamaha Motor or Kawasaki M ame. When riding а real motorcycle, read owner's manual and ES < straight oO ES ON. activision.com mtxmototrax.com www.namco.com =) TM Compelling military/science fiction storyline will turn players upside down. Unlock new punching and kicking combinations. eXUBCONSCIDUS IS A STATE EN ppc JUST AY ыманын. MA A revolutionary combination of hand-to-hand combat and weapons-based fighting. Fight a legion of super-human soldiers. у A CMT contents ıssue 177. aprıl 2004 LETTERS 20 You send "ет, and we burn...er, burn through "ет PRESS START The latest news, interviews, features, and gaming tidbits 30 FINAL FANTASY: ADVENT CHILDREN Feast your eyes on stunning new pics of the FFVII movie sequel 32 GRAN TURISMO 4 We take the scenic route through Sony's driving simulation 36 INSTANT EXPERT Why spouting “Man, I’m so wasted" is bad online etiquette 40 EGM INTERNATIONAL When FIFA Soccer meets The Sims, or something like that 46 WWX: RUMBLE ROSE Bodacious babes meet inside PlayStation 2's squared circle 54 CELEBRITY INTERVIEW R&B diva turned Bond superspy Mya loves gettin’ her game on 58 AFTERTHOUGHTS A chalk talk with the coaches responsible for NFL Street 62 ONLINE А report from the front lines on SOCOM ІГ5 online war 64 THE REF Are you the best Halo player out there? Then tell this guy, not us COVE R STO RY: 66 THE RUMOR MILL . Тһе 0 hears of a multiplayer Metroid ө nenne 50 GAMES YOU NEED Featuring an all-new screenshot of Halo 2. Need we say more? 10 KNOW ABOUT 70 COMING SOON A look at April's slim pickings Please quiet down and find a seat—class is now in session. Listen up as EGM's hot-to-trot teacher lectures on 2004's upcoming videogame subjects, including an exclusive first- look seminar on The Getaway sequel (PS2). AMERICAS SEXIEST GAMER Sorry fellas, but this hottie's already spoken for 12 © ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY ® www.egmmag.com REVIEW CREW Multiplatform 114 James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing 116 Mafia 116 Worms 3D 117 MVP Baseball 2004 118 MX Unleashed PlayStation 2 118 Lifeline 119 Onimusha Blade Warriors 120 Drakengard 120 Firefighter F.D. 18 121 Nightshade 122 Cy Girls Not one, not two, but three reviews for each game Xbox 122 Colin McRae Rally 04 GameCube 126 Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes 129 Phantasy Star Online Episode Ill: C.A.R.D. Revolution 130 Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life 130 Pokémon Colosseum к JAMES BOND 007: 114 THING OR NOTHING METAL GEAR SOLI THE TWIN SNAKES 126 TWO FOR THE ROAD Nintendo's new portable game machine has us seeing double PLAYING DRESS-UP “Frighteningly fruity” best describes Seanbaby's afternoon of cosplay of stupid things in my life, like trying to fix a bent PlayStation 2 fan with a paper clip (now | can use my PS2 to send smoke signals) and giving Superman 64 а review score of 1.5 out of 10 (it should’ve been about 1.5 points lower), but none more stupid than altering a picture used in the February issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly, where we covered up the faces of Russian soldiers who died in the TRICKS OF THE TRADE Game hints, tips, and cheats 134 Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II 134 Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy 135 Resident Evil Code: Veronica X 135 Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel 136 Mafia 137 GameShark vs. Action Replay 138 1080° Avalanche 138 Goblin Commander: Unleash the Horde 138 Need for Speed Underground SYSTEM FORECAST 2К4 It isn’t looking like sunny skies for everyone line of duty. Despite our ignorance of the photo’s original context, the end result was disrespectful, tactless, and just plain wrong. It was a mistake | deeply regret. The original photo is reprinted here. We'd like to apologize to everyone affected by our picture, including Sony Computer Entertainment, Zipper Interactive, Getty Images, the Russian community, and most of all, the soldiers and veterans who GAME OVER A buncha stuff that don't fit anywhere else, ya dig? 140 REST OF TEE CRAP 141 CROSSWORD 142 CONTEST 143 NEXT MONTH 144 HSU & CHAN we've dishonored. We're making a donation to the appropriate veterans’ funds іп Russia to show we're truly sorry for our mistake. On a slightly more upbeat note (but still sad in another way): We’d like to say good- bye to our old friend Joe Fielder, who hopped on the games-journalist-turned- developer bandwag...er, bus. Good luck, Joe! Make ’em better than Superman 64, OK? —Shoe, Editor-in-Chief ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY ® www.egmmag.com ® 13 ONE WAY ОК ANOTHER THE JOB GETS DONE. Even more ways to make a kill j Hunt down your prey around the globe j All-new improvisational weapons j More difficulty modes И Тмлдм CONTRACTS SIGNED IN BEQOD. April 2004 ы hitmancontracts.com lo-Interactive Visit www.esrb.org or call 1-800-771-3772 H д for тоге ratings CD-ROM PlayStation. €i do 9 information. SOFTWARE © IO Interactive A/S 2004. Published by Eidos. Hitman: Contracts is a trademark of Eidos. Eidos and the Eidos logo are registered trademarks the Eidos Group of companies. IO Interactive and the IO Interactive logo are trademarks of IO Interactive A/S. All rights reserved. "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Microsoft, Xbox, and the Xbox Logos are either registered trademarks or trademarks of the Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries and are used under license from Microsoft. The rating icon is a registered trademark of the Entertainment Software Association.All other trademarks and trade names are the property of their respective owners. ® Jo энешәред paJajsi631 e si uoo! sures au] ` уролҷәр pue иодоэииоэ зэшази! seJinbaJ Áejd эинио ‘Uj? Suoidureu? ‘ош зиэшигеэзиз 191909 Áuog Jo sx reut9pej "рәлзәѕә S (ТЕЛЕ e 109059 ләщ Jo 5әшәйо/ 0 $ушешәррд рә:9)51бә әл pr 104109 Auos o s; 1 UR «Sd» әш ри n PlayStak > SONY ONLINE ENTERTAINMENT PlayStation.2 DIANE ruam NORRATH 45 levels of non-stop actıon with over 50 areas to explore and conquer. Slay your way through the glorious Realms of EverQ uest 4 a non-stop, hack 'n slash adventure brimming with heroic quests, beautiful locales, enchanted zones and dark. mysterious dungéons: Create your Champion from 5 mythic races and 5 classes, ж 2 customizing the look“and name that conveys your unique Constantly quine dungeons abilities. Discover, collect, buy and trade over 10.000 items, and monsters ma seat T game a new experience. or create your own. Master weapons, magic and combat £ P to conquer hideous creatures ап unforeseen evil. But be forewarned 8; Champion shall forever be challenged | ESRB CONTENT RATING WwWwiestb.org Game Experience may change during online play. "BROADBAND ONLY quarter up DAN “SHOE” HSU, Editor-in-CH Shoe can't have a new Nintendo portable (see page 28). All his hours spent on Game Boy Advance have already given him 9,000/9,000 vision, which makes editing pages very difficult. Now Playing: Worms 3D, Phantasy Star Online: Episode III Fave Genres: Just about everything MARK MACDONALD, Executive Editor Mark's mind is racing (but his body's in the lee-ee-ead!) figuring out ways to sneak lyrics from Foreigner's "Double Vision" into his story on Nintendo's new DS portable. Now Playing: Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow, SOCOM И Fave Genres: Action, Adventure, Shooters JENNIFER TSAO, Managing Editor Seanbaby's cosplay article (page 50) inspired Jennifer to play dress up this month. But since those fancy outfits require time and effort, she just dragged out last year's Halloween costume. Now Playing: Prince of Persia: Sands, Neverwinter: Hordes (PC) Fave Genres: Adventure, RPG, Action Sports, Puzzle, Music CRISPIN BOYER, Senior Editor Cris wants to know what it'll take to put you in the seat of Mafia, a broken-down Grand Theft Auto-cloned jalopy he had to review this month. What if he throws in the undercoating? Now Playing: SOCOM И, Prince of Persia: Sands, Fire Emblem Fave Genres: Action, Adventure, RPG CHRIS "CJ" JOHNSTON, News Editor CJ indulged in two of his guiltiest gaming pleasures this month by reviewing both the new Pokémon and Phantasy Star Online titles. Now, if he could only summon Pikachu in PSO. Now Playing: PSO: Episode Ш, Rainbow Six 3 Fave Genres: Action, Adventure, Puzzle, Music SHANE BETTENHAUSEN, Previews Editor Despite spending most of the month getting served Бу Japanese Р50 card battlers, Shane had time to prep for the upcoming Nintendo DS by playing an old Game & Watch. Now Playing: PSO: Episode Ш, Drakengard, Street Fighter И Fave Genres: Fighting, Shooters, Adventure, Racing DEMIAN LINN, Reviews Editor Demian’s first act as reviews editor was to put Shane оп all motocross games—but then MX Unleashed turned out to be really quite good, and another brilliant plan was foiled. Now Playing: Fire Emblem, Call of Duty (PC), NFL Street Fave Genres: Action, Hockey, Racing, Fighting PAUL BYRNES, Associate Editor Yes, there's a lot of work to be done, but Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga isn’t going to solve itself. It isn't going to let Paul do anything else until he finishes it, either. Also Playing: Beyond Good & Evil, Armed & Dangerous Fave Genres: RPG, Adventure, games with “&” in their titles BRYAN INTIHAR, Associate Editor Poor Bryan. The boy's been on the DL the entire month—first the flu, then a nasty cold. Luckily, crackin’ the bat in MVP Baseball 2004 is helping with his recovery. Now Playing: MGS: The Twin Snakes, MVP Baseball 2004 Fave Genres: Action, Adventure, Sports ‘SHAWN ELLIOTT, Associate Editor Shawn admits that today’s ninjas and samurai are a force to be reckoned with, but he insists that none bang as hard as old- school kung-fu gangs. “People all over the world, join in...” Now Playing: Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow, R-Type Final Fave Genres: Fighting, Shooters, Adventure, Racing 18 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com Guest Reviewers GREG FORD Ford’s flabbergasted that more of you haven't bought Prince of Persia: Sands yet. What more do you want? JON DUDLAK Bitter review-score disputes resulted in Jon grilling the entire staff's wieners this month. Yes, even Jen's. PATRICK MAURO Still heartbroken by the Red Sox's October loss, Patrick looks to the future and reviews MVP 2004. KEVIN GIFFORD Being a game writer has its perks—Kevin can hang out with Sonic the Hedgehog any- time he wants. JOHN RICCIARDI If you're in Tokyo and you see a big white guy buying Zelda figurines, chances are it's our man John here. Ш Five editorial staffs are always bet- ter than one, which is why we wel- come the help of our sister mags (and website) XBOX NATION, OFFICIAL U.S. PLAYSTATION MAGAZINE, GMR, and 1UP.COM. And no, they don't just write about the crappy games. The Contributors № Hollywood liaison SCOTT STEINBERG gave songstress-cum-superspy Mya the third degree in Celebrity Game! W Artist FREDDY ANZURES (170901 sign.com) reimagined the shape of on- the-go gaming with the Nintendo DS. № DAVID HODGSON, the only guy we know who can translate Cockney, tack- led our Getaway 2 cover story. W Teacher's pets JAMES MIELKE, SCOOTER NGUYEN, and GREG ORLANDO helped out with our preview feature... № Fab freelancer JUSTIN SPEER found yet another way to hype Halo 2 and Metal Gear Solid З іп The Hot Five.... m Masters of Doom author DAVID KUSHNER kept score with professional videogame referee Walter Day. W The design visionaries at ENEONE (www.eneone.com) created the crystal ball for our systems forecast № And SEANBABY dressed up like а fruitcake to infiltrate a parade of people also dressed like fruitcakes. 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 Demian Linn Previews Editor Shane Bettenhausen 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 Freddy Anzures, Chris Baker, Jonathan Bohannon, Che Chou, Robert Coffey, Kevin Convertito, Simon Cox, Eneone, Dustin Amery Hostetler, David Kushner, James Mielke, Greg Orlando, Thierry Nguyen, Andrew Pfister, Joe Rybicki, Marc Saltzman, Norm Scott, Seanbaby, Michael Sexton, Carrie Shepherd, Nik Schulz, Justin Speer, Scott Steinberg, Mike Vallas, Giancarlo Varanini, Cameron Wittig Founder Steve Harris Senior Vice President Dale Strang Editorial Director Jahn Davison Creative Director Simon Cox Business Director Cathy Bendoff COPY DESK Copy Chief Tom Edwards Copy Editors Greg Ford, Susie Ochs, 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. Gaming Accounts Bay Area Bay Area Peninsula Regional Sales Manager Mary Gray Account Executive Amy Mishra Northwest North Bay to Oregon, AR, CO, IA, ID, KS, LA, MN, MO, MT, ND, NE, NM, V. OR. OK, SD, ТХ, UT, WA, WI, WY Northwestern Canada District Sales Representative Aaron Gallion Account Executive Rita Kline Southwest Southern Calitornia and Arizona Regional Sales Manager Julle Steelman Account Executive Eve Friedman ast AL, CT. DE FL, GA, IN, КҮ MA, ME, М, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, РА RI, SC, TN, VA, VT, W Eastern Canada Regional Sales Manager lan Sinclair Account Executive Rita Kline Consumer Accounts Consumer West Consumer Accounts Manager Marc Callison Account Executive Candace Droz Consumer East Regional Sales Manager lan Sinclair Account Executive Candace Droz 3UPcom VP/General Manager Tom Jessiman Internet Sales Account Manager Bill Young Editor-in-Chief Sam Kennedy Senior Advertising Coordinator Tipler Ubbelohde Sales Assistant Alison Rubino Sales Assistant Lynn Fortunato. Sales Assistant Simone Deocares-Lengyel 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 8 CEO: Robert F. Callahan Chief Operating Officer: Bart W. Catalane Chief Financial Officer: Derek Irwin. Senior Executive Vice President, Publishing Operations: Tom McGrade Executive Vice President & Editorial Director: Michael J. Miler 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) Charles Mast (Circulation) Sloan Seymour (Enterprise Group) Dale Strang (Game Group) Jason Young (Internet) Vice Presidents: Ken Beach (Corporate Sales) Aaron Goldberg (Market Experts) Jim Наз! (Event Marketing Group) Julie Herness (Event Marketing Group) Tom Jessiman (VP and General Manager, 1UPcom) Michael Krieger (Market Experts) Charles Lee (Integrated Media) dim Louderback (Editor-in-Chief, Internet) Eric Lundquist (Editor-in-Chief, eWEEK) ‚Angelo Mandarano (Interne) Paul O'Reilly (Event Marketing Group) Ellen Pearlman (Editor-in-Chief, CIO Insight) Both Repeta (Human Resources) Martha Schwartz (Custom/Conference Group) Pam Spector (Business Development and International Licensing) Тот 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 frstname_lastname@zitfdavis.com) Subscription Service 800-779-1174 E-mail subhelp@egmmag.com GAMES electronics boutique: AROUND EVERY CORNER. BEHIND EVERY DOOR. DEEP IN EVERY SHADOW. TERROR WAITS. * Real-time 3-D graphics PlayS tation.e a> | ^ * Multiplayer: Up to 4 players in online mode жұ es x RESIDENT ЄМПЁ - Character choice dictates player abilities and scenarios OUTBREAI К. ү D. ТАКЕ your came FURTHER [ҮТҮ | тщ 1 SIGNATURE SERIES | RESIDENT «719 л b OUTBREA MATURE 17+ CAPCOM Mm à шаны [Gon "1 CAPCOM cJ 2 GET RESIDENT EVIL: FREE \( ( ў = OUTBREAK FOR PLAYSTATION 2 б, when you trade-in 4 non-sport i ee 2, Xbox or GameCube games.* | Kann one per customer. Cannot be сот! d with any n offer or promotion Call 1-800-800-5166 for the store nearest you or visit us at www.ebgames.com CAPCOM We take games seriously ™ GAMES ranting, ravıng, and а goddamn minivan idiocy In EGM #175, you recommended the Radeon 9600 graphics card. | bought one, but I couldn't figure out what to do with it. | finally got it in by opening my PS2—now it's screwed! | just get a blue screen when I turn it on. Next time you cover game hardware, consider including installation instructions. Instant Expert my ass. What the hell do | do now? —Squall Leonhart We forwarded your letter to Doc Brown, fictitious Radeon publicist, and here’s what he suggests: “Try harnessing the power of 1.21 gigawatts by duct- taping your card to a flux capacitor." Think all game-site message boards are boring? Sound off at egmmag.com and weigh in on such topics as... Cosplaya hatin’ When readers got word that EGM's Seanbaby donned game duds and infiltrated a cosplay event (see pg. 50), some worried we wouldn't think the participants were dressed for success. According to VoranXias, “Cosplayers aren't as geeky as ЕСМ makes them out The man’s got a Kudos to Reviews Editor Demian Linn for admitting that videogames can indeed go too far at times (Manhunt review, EGM #175). EGM tends to handle the videogame-content controversy with refreshing maturity, but Editor-in-Chief Dan "Shoe" lends the notion of the trigger- happy gamer dangerous credibility by celebrating Rockstar's latest foray into unbridled violence. I’m not saying Manhunt's a bad game, but, as in any legitimate entertainment medium, shock value should be dismissed for what it is and not praised merely because it blatantly defies the views of “uptight” politicians. —Gabe Kornbluh “Manhunt has no social values,” Shoe admits, “but neither do some of the movies it draws influence from. | wouldn’t want those movies censored or held back, either. What would the world be without Running Man?” Ultimate Videogame Countdown to be. They're just people who either have a lot of time on their hands or are the significant others of people who have a lot of time on their hands." Not so, says Kyoske: “Cosplayers are obsessive.” Out- of-the-closet cosplayer LionheartZERO argues, “We're no more obsessive than gamers who insist on unlocking every available bonus. A recent outfit set me back 20 bucks—less than half the price of an average game. It took three days to make. How long does it take to complete Final Fantasy X?” SenorFunkernickel takes a more diplomatic approach: “Some cosplaying chicks are pretty hot.” Netiquette Positive attitudes make or break online gaming experiences, but we've all got our pet peeves when it comes to multiplayer tomfoolery. DarcDante hates “the classic ‘breather’ who seems to have shoved his headset down his windpipe.” Meanwhile, MetalGearHalo 20 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY ® www.egmmag.com of the Give a chance show on MTV (which was great). Anyhow, the physicist interviewed for Tony Hawk's Underground should've offered a better explanation of that Greek “E” formula thing. | just studied Newton’s law of motion, and | understood it. Unfortunately, | forgot whatever | knew in like three days. — Saad Aslam We're not sure what that egghead was talking about either, Saad, but we do know we'll think twice before playing that fake-ass game in the future. despise: rubs who think they're slick by selecting Warren Sapp as their kicker and always trying for the onside recovery.” Voodoogmr, however, insists there's hope for us yet: "When І play with people who know the game, don't get mad when they get fragged, take a loss with а grin, and work to improve their skill, | always have a great time. That's what it's all about.” Stealth and bullet time With dozens of new games indebted to Metal Gear and Мах Payne's respective innovations, we can't help but wonder if we're getting too much of a good thing. Most posters agree with JoeShockX that “the originals and their sequels are the only ones doing it right.” But if Mercutio’s predictions come true, we'll have plenty of time to get used to both features: “Stealth and bullet time are here to stay, much like shooting and platforming before them.” Congrats, Justinian Bloch! As our Letter of the Month writer, you’ve scored a game from EGM’s secret stash. We'll even do our best to make sure it's a GC title. Under- Why no sports covers? Winning Eleven, a fine simulation of the biggest sport in the world, sells millions of copies in Japan. Sports games in general sell better than games of any other genre. —Geoffrey Grace Even though games like Madden sell enough copies to fill stadiums, they're essentially the same every year... certainly not different enough to merit a cover story. As for footie: Who cares. CONTACT EGM E-mail us at EGM@ziffdavis.com. As long as your subject line doesn't mention Paris Hilton, we'll read it! Or write to: EGM Letters 101 2nd Street, 8th Floor San Francisco, СА 94105 GOT BEEF? Missing a few pages in your last issue? Fingers soiled by too much black ink? If there's a problem with your subscription, get in touch with our customer-service department. Here's how: E-mail: subhelp@egmmag.com Website: http://service.egmmag.com Phone toll-free: (800) 779-1174 Old-fashioned way: P.O. Box 55722 Boulder, CO 80322-5722 REPRINTS? Call (800) 290-5460 to order article reprints...or for help figuring out the shape of space. BORROW YOUR BUDDY'S GAME IN A MONTH OR GET YOUR GAME TODAY? TOUGH CALL. STRRT GAME OVER at home | came up with a sweet new way to play Halo. | call it “Catch Your Own Plasma бгепайе.” Just toss a grenade straight and try to catch it on your face. My friends and I spend hours doing this in multiplayer. — Jake Dalton We take it this is after you guys hang out all day watching SpongeBob? This is your brain on I'd like to educate your readers: There's a precious little high-end game in EverQuest: Online Adventures. There's Solusek's Eye (where Lord Nagafen lives), Toxxulia, and the Plane of Sky. My guild, Ethereal Descendants, will rip through all of this content in a few months, only to be left waiting for another raid zone such as the Isle of Dread. Then we'll decimate that. When I leveled to 50, | was listless for two months...until they added the Isle of Dread. —Leo Vick You certainly taught us something. are you? So my grandkids might ask, "Why do you have an ancient TV remote on your arm?" when they peep my tat. But hopefully the world will remember up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, start 30 years from now. Then | won't have to explain anything except why grandpa pops a blue pill before he “takes a nap" with grandma. —Phil Man Whenever | read ЕСМ, I'm left with black ink on my palms. Is it ever going to come off? | have no problem identifying other true gamers now because we all have black hands, but I'm running out of black clothes to color-coordinate with my hands —Mike Hicks Nights: In last issue's Afterthoughts interview, Sonic Heroes Director Takashi lizuka mentions working on a new Nights. So when can | buy this sequel to Sega's best game? — богу Richard GAME DESIGN-O-RAMA Sick of the status quo? Scheme up the game of your dreams and send it (wi NEED FOR SPEED: MINI VAN EA Games enters the seedy underworld of the soccer- mom mini-van racing circuit with Need for Speed: Mini Van. Select from a variety of domestic and import six- PlayStation.? NEED? MINI VAN 2. | | DIALA DICTATOR: THE DICTATOR SIMULATOR Start a war with neighboring states; starve, torture, and execute citizens; or simply milk your country's economy dry by building weapons of mass destruction 2/4 lizuka crushes your hopes: "While I would love to create a sequel to Nights sometime in the future,” he says, “there are no plans for this project right now." as it ever was | don't like the direction games are headed. Developers used to create quality games. Nowadays, they're out to make as much money with as little effort as possible. I hope you folks at EGM can empathize. —Andrew Neubauer Oh, we feel for you all right, Andrew, but we suspect your memory's a bit hazy. Can you name every fuzzy mascot character from the early '90s? Us neither. Naked Peep the well-placed “triggers” in the Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes ad in EGM #176. Solid Snake, indeed. —Steve Zeigler Other headlines for this letter: Happy Trigger, Hard Target, Half Cocked.... 4% SUPER CONSOLE RACING Finally, the perfect way to settle your childish fanboy arguments without having to get a life! It's Super Console Racing! 00Р5! Kansas City Chiefs supporter James "Belly Boy" Tolson hopes to join the NFL Visa Hall of Fans. Our changing his trademark war paint to a space invader and red head to green probably didn't help (EGM #174). Also, in a major mascot mix-up, we accidentally mislabeled robo-bud Clank of Ratchet & Clank fame, calling him Ratchet in our Game of the Year Awards article (EGM #176). Finally, we would like to issue а formal apology to Getty Images for our unauthorized alteration of a licensed photograph in our February 2004 issue. It is Getty Images’ policy that under no circumstances may an image be altered in any way without express written permission. We unintentionally violated that policy without their knowledge or consent, and we regret doing so. seaters and race to build cash and cred. Events include Pottery Barn Dash, Pick-Up-the-Kids Drift Relay, and Off-to-School Drag Race. Customize your van with authentic aftermarket parts, including child seats and DARE bumper stickers, while rocking to Celine Dion, Michael Bolton, Linkin Park (that's right), John Tesh, and 50 Cent. —Lowell Umaya 22 © ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com and a new palace or two. Sure, you'll have to survive assassination attempts and the occasional revolution, but it’s nothing a few tanks and attack choppers can’t fix. Dial a Dictator: The Dictator Simulator lets you live the dream of being a paranoid psychopath. Get your enemies—real or imagined—before they get you! —Mark Slusser Take your favorite Console to the track and roll it to victory. Will you choose GameCube, the smallest and fastest of the group? The stronger but slower Xbox? Or PlayStation 2, which fires back with a secret disc-read-error weapon? Gentleman, start your processors. —Pat McGuire CLASSIC METAL. (if, PR) NEN GEAR, METAL GEAR SOLID НЕ аы $ МАКЕ $ || MATURE 17+ Blood and боге 1:0) МАМ Suggestive Themes Violence ESRB CONTENT RATING www.esrb.org Visit www.esrb.org or call 1-800-771-3772] for more ratings a The stairway to Heaven is only ten feet high. ө. ғ D PlayStation. ) V v сэг, E The "Officially Licensed Collegiate Products” label is the exclusive property of The Collegiate Licensing Company. The "Collegiate Licensed Product” label is the property of the Independent Labeling Group. All name: logos, teams icons and mascots associated with the NCAA, universities and conferences are the exclusive property of the respective institutions. D. ed and developed by Killer Game. ©2003 Sony Comput Entertainment America Inc. 989 Sports and the 989 Sports logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. “PlayStation” and the “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Son Computer Entertainment Inc. The online icon is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. Online play requires Internet connection and Network Adaptor for the PlayStation 2 (sold separately). Don’t cut down the nets just yet. March might be just a few upsets away, but you can still get in on the action. Extend the season and play NCAA’ Final Four* 2004 online, where a new 65- eam tournament is always just starting up. Newly improved, ultra-responsive controls let you tap. into an arsenal of sick moves. But just because you got some moves doesn't mean you got enough game. This is the Big Dance" we're talking about, and you can't buy your way in. You gotta earn it. www. IBI SPORTS!com gaming news, interviews, egomaniacal hot-uing magnate/gaming champions, and other stuff Nintendo leaks the first few details about its upcoming dual-screen portable, the ven with Nintendo dropping hints the last few months about new hardware under development, its announcement - of a new portable system, the Nintendo DS, due out worldwide later this year, came as quite a shock. The surprise had nothing to do with what games the DS would play, its price, or the system’s design. In fact, Nintendo had virtually nothing to say on any of those points—details will be revealed at the E3 trade show in May. No, the surprise was over the announcement of the system's single most unusual—and puz- zling—feature: The Nintendo DS will include not one, but two screens. { I It's still unclear exactly how the dual screens, arranged one on top of the other, will be put to use in games. Nintendo gave only one example—a soccer game could FOR tHE ROAD WHAT DO YOU THINK OF NINTENDO DS’ 1 don't like it. Don't like it one bit. use one display for a wide-angle shot and develop- e 59% the other for a close-up view of the ing the next Sb bed ы 0 19% action—but reps have stated that this is true Game Boy. 0 om only a single, obvious use of the technology. But the company ca кеі Different methods аге promised to be revealed later. The DS will be powered by two proces- that the DS would be sors—one found in the current Game Boy able to play existing GBA and also would not confirm or deny ‚Source: Tup.com poll, 1/29/04 Advance and another more powerful chip other older Game Boy carts. It's worth ARTIST'S CONCEPT that drives Tapwave's new Zodiac PDA/handheld game system. That doesn’t pit Nintendo’s new system up against necessarily mean Nintendo's portable will Sony's PlayStation Portable (PSP), also due perform like either of those systems, though. How fast the DS’ versions of these No DS games have been announced, but processors will be is still unknown. And all big Japanese publishers like Namco, Sega, that's known about the system's controls is and Konami (Castlevania, anyone?) have that “you will not have to look down at your pledged to develop titles. Other developers, hands to use [it].” Nintendo is stressing that this new portable will not compete with its own GBA system and will decide whether or not to handheld, stating that work continues on support it soon. —Mark MacDonald >> IN OTHER HANDHELD NEWS, AN; noting that the (ate 2004 release date would Nintendo hasn’t given many details © Will link cables be a thing of the about its new DS system yet, but we past? Rumors abound that DS systems went ahead and had an artist whip will be able to link up wirelessly, and out worldwide this fall. up this GC/GBA SP love child based maybe even double as wireless con- on the few things we know for sure. trollers for the GameCube or Nintendo’s next home console. © Nintendo has stated that both of the two screens (which will each be three ™ We’re going to assume that, unlike inches big, measured diagonally) willbe the GBA SP, the DS will include a stan- backlit for playing in the dark. We thank dard headphone jack. You hear that, you and our optometrist thanks you. Nintendo? Standard. Headphone. Jack. including sports game juggernaut Electronic Arts, say they are currently evaluating the 515 FOR MEGA-PUBLISHER ELECTRONIC ARTS SAID THEY EXPECT SONY'S PLAYSTATION PORTABLE (PSP) TO RETAIL FOR SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 28 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com Шизіғайоп by Freddy Anzures NINTENDO DS What’ll it cost? What games will it launch with? Nintendo’s DS announce- ment raised more questions than it answered. The company isn’t talking specifics until May, but we asked Nintendo Vice President of Corporate Affairs Perrin Kaplan to clarify a few other points: EGM: Can you give us a few more spe- cific examples, besides the soccer game mentioned in the press release (one screen used for a wide angle view THE EGM: What would you say to those who dismiss the DS’s dual-screen setup as a gimmick? When everybody sees it and they get a But seeing how they are both portable game systems, how is that possible? The other features that will be announced, you'll see that [the DS] is a very “ » —Perrin Kaplan, Nintendo Vice President of Corporate Affairs and the other for a close-up), on how the dual-screen setup will be used? | can't go into a lot of detail because a lot of that will be saved for [the announcement in May]...but the soccer example is a very basic one. There will be other features and other ways to play that we haven't ever seen before. chance to feel it, touch it, hold it, play with it, we're hoping that they'll change their minds. | think it'd be wise for everyone just to wait until they get a chance to play with it [before judging it]. EGM: The press release states that this system will not compete with the GBA. different product. The price point, the kind of games, the way we market it, the fact that it's got two screens—those are all features that will make it different. EGM: So Nintendo is still working on the follow-up system to the Game Boy Advance? DOUBLE VISION: FOUR WAYS TO USE TWO SCREENS Nintendo hasn't shown or even announced any titles for the DS yet, so we put together a few screenshots of exi: ing games to illustrate different uses we imat The minute we finished the GBA SP, we started working on the next Game Boy. This is a different product. EGM: Will the DS delay the release of the next Game Boy? | wouldn't say that, по. EGM: Will DS games come on Game Boy-style cartridges? They are finalizing that now—that's a possibility. EGM: We know you can't talk specific titles, but are developers already work- ing on DS games? Several developers had already been briefed [about the system]...and we're going on the road to meet with developers now. We're in the midst of working with a lot of licensees to get them development kits. for the system's two screens. Got your own ideas for how the DS might work? Email us at EGM@ziffdavis.com with the subject “Nintendo DS idea.” It feels good to get it out. This is the only solid example Nintendo offered about how the dual setup might work: One screen shows the usual wide-angle shot while the other is zoomed in for a close-up look at the action. A neat trick, but not exactly crucial for gameplay. AND $249, WITH GAMES AROU $39, WHEN THE SYSTEM The second screen could function as a submenu of sorts, showing inventory, stats, a map of the area, or other info. OK, it's not very original or exciting, but we bet plenty of games will use the second screen this way nonetheless. Nintendo mentioned that both screens could be used as one larger display if the game called for it. Except for vertical shoot-em-ups and pinball games, we can't think of many titles that would benefit much from this use of the DS. DS games could use the two screens separately, with players either alternating between two charac- ters (à la GBA RPG Mario & Luigi), or with the ability to control both at once (like the PS2 action/puzzler The Adventures of Cookie & Cream). tah INCHES THIS FALL. SONY PROMISES THE PSP WILL NOT ONLY PLAY GAMES, BUT MOVIES AND MUSIC AS WI ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com ® 29 HEAVEN New visuals from nfo on Final Fantasy Vil: Advent Children, Square Enix's 80- minute-long Final Fantasy И! sequel movie, is scant at best. But despite Cloud embraces his new gig as a movie star by donning expensive- looking shades. >> THOUGH ROCKSTAR WON'T CONFIRM, ITS RECENT TRADEMARK REGISTRATIONS INCLUDE GRAND THEFT AUTO: SAN ANDREAS AS WELL AS GTA 5 AND СТА 6. BEST PREORDER NOW... >> the secrecy about the flick's plot, a few new stills from the film (due this summer in Japan, fall in the U.S.) have trickled out. And here they are: 30 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com GRUDGE MATCH Counterprogramming face-off Pitting boob tube against harmless little Pokémon may seem unfair, but Pikachu has it coming this time. Can this Poké-mockery of a game perform under pres- sure? Time to find out—let's whip out the Pocket Monsters and get it on! Playboy Channel CAST FEATURES No balls allowed Advantage: Playboy Channel Monsters in balls DRAWBACKS Has been known to promote heart failure in men over 70 Advantage: Ah, what the heck—Playboy Channel TRADING PLACES Has been known to cause seizures in children under 8 Inappropriate Smoochum touching Poke a Playmate Advantage: Playboy Channel MESSAGE TO VIEWERS Your chances with these women are inversely propor- tional to your pants size Advantage: Draw WINNER: THE PLAYBOY CHANNEL Buy more Pokémon stuff Advantage: Draw Stealth ninja action on Xbox® featuring Xbox Live’ Coming March 2004. Master daring new stealth attacks in 11 breathtaking levels using over 20 authentic ninja tools and weapons. Take on enemies with a friend in co-op mode or go head-to- head in death matches online via Xbox Live.“ Discover exclusive Xhox® features, from unique single- player maps to new abilities, tools, combos and characters. | © 2003-2004 Activision, Inc. and its affiliates. Published and distributed by Activision Publishing, Inc, | Y | Activision and Tenchu are registered trademarks and Return from Darkness is а trademark of Activision, Inc, and its affiliates. All rights reserved. © 2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft, Xbox, ал K 2 Xbox Live and the Xbox logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the Live by honor. Kill by stealth. www.returnfromdarkness.com Blood and Gore U.S. and/or other countries and are used under license from Microsoft. The ratings icon is a registered Ай IVISION. ‘trademark of the Entertainment Software Association. All other trademarks and trade names are properties of their respective owners. activision.com Intense Violence xeox!| GRAN TOUR Your map to the highways, byways, and race- ways of . Are we there yet? h, cruel marketing department! though, and what with the info we've larly in the highly detailed environ- You have wronged us once wrung out of developer Polyphony ments, and the heralded “all-new” han- again. Japanese gamers have Digital, the wait until 674 arrives later dling really does feel more accurate. been playing Gran Turismo 4: this year just gets more excruciating. Sadly, Prologue is missing some of Prologue—a five-track, 62-car glorified At first, Prologue doesn’t look or feel the features we’re most excited for, like you GT4 demo—on their PS2s for months very different from Gran Turismo 3 in online play and the mysterious “muse- p ch now, but Sony won't release it here for terms of graphics and gameplay, but um mode" we've heard vague rumblings бу fear of diluting the Gran Turismo brand, after back-to-back stick time, what about. But to tide you (and us) over, or similar PowerPoint-speak. Harrumph. seemed like subtle changes become here's a whirlwind tour through 67275 We've been doing our civic duty by more significant. There's a whole new hotspots: the Grand Canyon, New York playing the import Prologue to death, layer of visual spit and polish, particu- City, and scenic Italy. © —Demian Linn Behind the wheel How much more realistic can the Turismo driving experi- ence get? More so than we thought. Braking adequately to set up for turns is even more crucial in Prologue, and weight-shifting techniques (braking hard to load up the front wheels while simultaneously turning into the bend) are vital. Punch the gas halfway through a corner and you can induce power oversteer (a rear slide); dip a wheel onto the grass while barreling down a straight and you'll have to fight to stay on the track. Photogs dive for cover. Rally racing returns in Gran Turismo 4—and in spectacular fashion. If the Grand Canyon track almost looks like a postcard, that's because it almost is: Developer Polyphony Digital's artists used real photographs to make the backdrop. In another Turismo first, this course is not only lined with specta- tors, but there are actually cameramen on the track. As you speed toward them, they'll scurry to the sidelines. Unfortunately, in Prologue they look absolutely terrible—like 2D paper dolls— although U.S. Producer Taku Imasaki claims the human animation greatly improves with each new version of the game. Still, there's а long way to go from here. And no, you can’t drive off the cliff. Damn you, invisible walls! >> GRAN TURISMO DEVELOPER POLYPHONY DIGITAL HAS CONFIRMED THAT 614 WILL HAVE MORE THAN 500 CARS, INCLUDING MANY MORE CLASSIC MODELS THAN BEFORE.... >> 32 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com ЗУНР Past Turismos had а smattering of city courses, but G74 is going all out. Prologue's New York track is centered around a detailed re-cre- ation of Times Square, down to individual storefronts and a riot of bill- 22 boards (featuring Sony competitors Samsung and Panasonic, among. others). Unconfirmed but credible rumors suggest that Paris (in both road and rally course forms), Las Vegas, Venice, Hong Kong, and the Akasaka district of Tokyo will also be in the roster, along with a track based on the decidedly unurban Yosemite. Is it real or is it GT? Along with the city courses, Gran Turismo 4 will also be stocked with real-world racetracks—Tsukuba and Fuji Speedway are confirmed, while old favorites Laguna Seca and Midfield are pretty much guar- anteed to make the cut, too. The Motegi track and possibly the Nürburgring (or a section thereof—it is 14 grueling miles long, after all) are also likely additions. As you can see, the graphical re-cre- ations are amazingly true to life. Mlustrations by Nik Schulz This hilly, fictional Italian village is unlike any course we've ever seen in a Turismo game. It's full of blind corners and extremely narrow sections—but don't think you'll. be able to rely on good old bumper-car tactics to get around. If you do much more. than nudge another vehicle, your max speed will be limited (to 30 mph in Prologue) for 10 seconds. Same thing happens if you hit a wall at high speed. “Players should be penalized for rough driving, since in reality, you don't go hitting other cars," says. Turismo creator Kazunori Yamauchi. "There is a plan for GT4 right now to display a black flag for rough driving.” Not entirely realistic, but effective. sh >> GRAN TURISMO 4 RUMOR MILL IN FULL EFFECT: THE GAME MAY INCLUDE MOTORCYCLI RIFT RACING, AND ICE/SNOW RALLY STAGES. CAR DAMAGE IS STILL A ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com ® 33 Experience а brand new Marry the woman of your А new system to raise animals Harvest Moon with new dreams and raise a family! and grow vegetables! Characters! EVERYONE INTENDO GAMECUBE. Alcohol Reference NATSUME' Serious Fun® ESRB CONTENT RATING www.esrb.org Harvest Moon, NATSUME and Serious Fun are registered trademarks of NATSUME Inc. ©2003, 2004 NATSUME INC. ©2003 Marvelous Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Suggestive Themes E ж Ve o ESN! Is this really Жоғ me? I'll treasure it 1 == | Ашна à | lars! a Rejuvenate a farm and build a ka? Traditional Harvest Moon lJ Raise animals, grow vegeta- life for yourself with family and gameplay with many new sur- bles, make friends and fall in friends! prises! love! www.natsume.com GAME BOY NNANCE sr um Use of Alcohol LICENSED BY NINTENDO. NINTENDO, GAME BOY, GAME BOY ADVANCE AND NINTENDO GAMECUBE ARE TRADEMARKS OF NINTENDO. ©2001 ESRB CONTENT RATING www.esrb.org Fun - ж а INSTANT EXPERT: n by Dustin Amery Hos ONLINE ETIQUETTE The ABC's of minding your P's and Q's online OLD SCHOOL 10 years ago in ЕСМ E On the Cover: Beavis and Butt-head They mocked lame music videos, they laughed in the face of authority, and back in ’94, Beavis and Butt-head starred in their own game on Genesis and Super NES. Game of the Month: Tempest 2000 — Arguably the Atari Jaguar’s best-loved game, is trippy-cool remake of Atari's coin-op hit walked away with top honors a decade ago, earning a 10, 9, 8, and 7 (quite a range, eh?). ith more wide-eyed do-good- ers and wise asses alike log- ging on for the first time, it’s only natural that online console gam- ing has devolved into a cultural waste- to welcome newcomers. You were once a so-called noob, too, after all, and having built a level 62 dwarf isn’t exactly some- thing to brag about. Conversely, newcomers should familiarize themselves with the land of foul-mannered jackasses. We figured we could all stand to improve our interpersonal skills. So sit up straight and pay attention as we tell you how to play nice—or naughty, if you reverse our advice—with others. Make nice with noobs Sure, no one crashes a real-life pickup game and asks how to pass a football, but unless you're content playing online with the same old schmoes, you're gonna һауе basics before jumping into the fray. Baditude You know that ESRB warning about content changing during online play? Apparently some people think anonymity is a license to act like an idiot. Copping a racist or homophobic 'tude in a game is like crap- ping in your own playpen. Don't do it. Share and share alike You might reap immediate benefits by Griefer: (gr13f3r) noun 1. Online slang for one who goes out of his or her way to disrupt an online gaming experience for the fun of it. You might be a griefer ...you take out SOCOM squad- mates with a mine...before squatting over their corpses. your oppo- >> SONY PLANS TO RELEASE HOT SHOTS GOLF FORE! (YES, IT REALLY IS THE FOURTH GAME AND „уои switched teams in NFL 2K1 to call time-outs at nent’s expense. «you think the Xbox Communicator is an open mic at the hip-hop Olympics. you lure newbie players into a tough EverQuest dungeon...then strand "ет. 36 е ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com Sure, you could play a closed SOCOM И match with your buddies and have every- one conspire to artificially boost their stats—if you're a bunch of total jerks. grabbing every goodie in sight in games like Phantasy Star Online, but no one’s gonna share with you when they get the really big bonuses. Try hogging all the glory in SOCOM or its sequel, and an opposing team that cooperates to cover pinch points and protect bases will thwart your Rambo tactics every time. Finish what you start Nothing's worse than going toe to toe for three quarters in a sports game only to have your opponent suddenly exit the stadium when the point spread explodes. If someone's schooling you fair and square, don’t be a spoilsport— let him enjoy his success. You'll beat "ет next time. JUST A BRILLIANT EXCUSE TO USE THAT PUN) ON PS2 IN THE U.S. THIS SUMMEI Cartridge Reality The big news of the month was that Nintendo’s 64-bit Project Reality system would use cartridges, not CDs. Of course, gamers still had a long wait ahead: It'd be two and а half years until the system was released as the Nintendo 64. Dial-a-Game Games on demand are just as buzzworthy today as they were 10 years ago when Sega debuted its Sega Channel service. For a nomi- nal fee gamers could download and play Genesis games via their cable TV provider, including a few that were never released as sepa- rate cartridges Stateside. a gore-drenched ехси п into hair-raising territory” - GamePro THE FEAR. THE VIOLENCE. THE НОККОК. THESUFFERING.MIDWAY.COM Blood and Gore Ж > Drug Reference К a 3K Intense Violence eL PlayStation. Strong Language © press start = 2 TEE E GAM All you other IEEE stop frontin еху датег wannabes, you best cancel that plastic surgery appointment, because Gamer.tv (www.gamer.tv) has already named America’s Ms. Sexiest Gamer— and she is 21-year-old Ashley Jenkins of Ogden, Utah. Jenkins bested candidates from around the country who submitted their sexiest sexy photos to Gamer.tv's Search for the Sexiest Gamer (at sexi- estgamer.com). The top five sexiest as chosen by the site’s visitors (of which Jenkins was one) were flown to Hollywood fast December for a final competition of gaming skills, trivia, and an all-important sexy’strut-off. We sat down with Jenkins to find out just what life is like after being crowned sexiest of the sexy gamers... EGM: So how badly did you humiliate the other contestants? They [didn't tell] us our scores between the roundss! doubt;that | had the sexiest strut because | kind of vogued and did some circles and stuff like that. | did manage to get all three of my trivia questions right, which no one else did. $01 was pretty proud about that one. EGM: What game did you have to play? Soul Calibur Il. \t was really awkward ’cuz we had to play on the Xbox with the: old controllers, so they were so big, and Ра never played on them before! EGM: So what videogames are you playing now? Right now I'm trying to finish up Homeworld 2 (PC). l'm playing FFX-2 and Mario & Luigi...\ probably have a couple other ones that | still have to finish, but those are the main ones. EGM: How has your life changed now that you're Ms. Sexiest Gamer? It actually hasn't changed very much. I Still have a day job. There's no wine pour- ing from the heavens like | expected. It's really kind of a shame. | 4-1 TT 4 EGM: Let’s face it: Gamers aren't usual- ly known for their attractiveness. Isn't heing called Sexiest Gamer" kind of like being called “Smartest Sports Commentator”? [Laughs] think gamers get a worse rap than they really deserve. | don't know any gamers who | think of as ugly. You know, they’re just like everyone else. EGM: Really? Yeah. Granted, [annual industry trade show] ЕЗ had a bit of a smell, but the gamers | deal with and have talked to are: just like everybody else. They tend to dress a little bit better, though. EGM: What's the best game to use as foreplay? Mario Kart: Double Dash!! has some serious potential as far as foreplay goes, what with the whole switching positions thing on the Кап... [Laughs] That's horrible. EGM: What's your favorite position...to play games in? | usually play Curled up in an armchair with my knees bent up in a corner and the controller Sort of in my lap. EGM: Are vibrating controllers Sexy? Гуе never really paid attention to. them. | mean, I've heard about some deliberately sexy vibrating controller things but] don't think | use them for that, EGM: Are you single? [Laugfis] No, I'm not. EGM: A few thousand hearts just simul- taneously snapped in two. So what does your boyfriend think of the title? He thinks it's cool. He’s the one who actually took the [original] picture, so...he takes the credit, [Laughs] EGM: Twenty years from now, do you still think you'll be playing games? Yeah, | can’t see myself ever not play- ing games. It's one of my major priorities in life, de —Chris Johnston E £ Mr. Sexiest Oh yeah, lest we forget to mention it, Gamer.tv crowned a Mr. Sexiest Gamer, too. He's 20-year-old Colin McGannon of Royal Palm Beach, Florida. And whaddaya know, we're outta space. Photograph by Michae! Sexton, Photo. >> THE RELEASE OF ATARI'S MISSION-BASED GETAWAY -DRIVING SIMULATOR DRIV3R (THAT'S DRIVER 3, IN “LEET SPEAK") HAS BEEN MOVED FROM ITS ORIGINAL MARCH DATE TO JUNE 1.... >> 38» ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com taken at Orbit Cafe, Salt Lake City, Utah NINTENDO GAMECUBE. aloe тм > a 5 B = Ф л u Ф = a vo x $ Ф = ЕСМ INTERNATIONAL Japan redefines armchair athleticism Is any sport too dull for gaming? Let's Run a Marathon! says no Don't recognize Naoko Takahashi (left)? Not too surprising—she's a pro marathon runner who held the women's world record for a short time in 2001 (and whose face has the power to fell an elephant). Nevertheless, Takahashi's gaunt demeanor graces the cover of Japan's Let's Run à Marathon! (PS2), which fortunately isn't as gru- eling as the real thing. Your job here isn't to run—it's to manage a team of runners, tracking down sponsors and setting up training schedules for your group of prospects. There's even a Dead or Alive: Xtreme Beach Volleyball-style bit where you must converse with your athletes to keep them from jumping ship to another team. (They're all female, of course. Where's the fun in raising male marathon runners?) f у = BEIELLEKZEIELNT. COBOLOLBB! FAFDEREFAUL. v Achieve all your goals іп the PS2 import Soccer Life! Time was that boys in Japan dreamed of being baseball players or robot-fighter pilots. Not any- more. Now, like the hero of Japanese PS2 release Soccer Life!, they all want to be big European footy stars. Think of Life! as a tactical version of the Franchise mode seen in most sports games—instead of leading a team to victory, you guide the career of a single player, raising his stats and choosing the right position for him. You'll also need to make friends, learn the local language, and find a wife...yes, a wife. What's more, if your wife gives birth to a boy, the kid will inherit your stats, and you can raise him to be a soccer player, too. Too bad nobody's tried this in a U.S. sports game, eh? OVERHEARD “I'd love to do a realistic, mature take on Zelda. Ah, | shouldn’t talk about this.” —Silicon Knights President Denis Dyack, fresh from revamping Metal Gear Solid for the GameCube, on what other “dream remakes” he'd like to work on “Now this team of well-honed killing machines must use all of their spe- cialized skills to survive, in a desperate struggle against the web of betrayals ciosing in on them...” —From the cliché-ridden back cover of the Brute Force novel (you read that correctly) Betrayals, based on the Xbox squad shooter "iie Heavy Metal Gear Solid. is off the hook” —Actress Michelle Rodriguez (S.W.A.T., Resident Evil] almost gets her favorite game name right >> THE NEXT INSTALLMENT IN MULTIPLATFORM FIRST-PERSON SHOOTER SERIES TIMESPLITTERS WILL INCLUDE ONLINE PLAY 40 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com BE PUBLISHED BY ELECTRONIC ARTS IN 2005... >> Cd B RE BEA JASON KIDD 92002 AMERICA'S DAIRY FARMERS AND Мі осон SYSTEM A look into your favorite console’s near future е have seen the future, and it is not shocking: sequels, sequels, and more sequels. Our crystal ball reveals that the number of multisystem mega- game follow-ups—Halo 2, another Grand Theft Auto, a new Zelda among them—is through the roof. Don’t try to act like you’re surprised. Nostradamus predicted this centuries ago. And in case you haven’t yet jumped into this generation of systems, listen up—they’re going to get cheaper in the near future. Price drops for both PlayStation 2 and Xbox are expected by summer (Nintendo breached the $100 barri- er last year, so don’t expect GameCube to go lower). We hate to sound like a car commercial, but with so many great games coming, there’s never been a better time to buy. Think of these next few pages as a quick and dirty summary of where your favorite system’s at and what to expect from it in 2004. With each entry we’ve included a list of games you should have on your scope. Be sure to also check out our preview feature starting on page 83 to get an even clearer glimpse at the games to look forward to this year. —Chris Johnston You don’t need a crystal ball to tell you that a hailstorm of releases is coming this fall. GameCube 43% WHICH HOME CONSOLE HAS THE MOST GAMES YOU'RE LOOKING FOR- WARD TO IN 2004? PlayStation 2 23% Source: 1URcom poll, 1/28/04 >> BY THE END OF '03, MICROSOFT SOLD 4 MILLION COPIES OF XBOX KILLER-APP HALO WORLDWIDE (AND WHO KNOWS HOW MANY THOUSANDS OF HALO 2 PREORDERS)... >> 42» ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY ® www.egmmag.com Illustrations by Eneone CURRENT CONDITIONS It's impossible to think of 2003 as anything but another banner year for PlayStation 2. And that trend hasn't stopped now in the first part of '04, with games like Final Fantasy ХІ and the new Syphon Filter. "Not only is PS2 where we want it to be at this point, it has exceeded our expecta- tions," says Kaz Hirai, Sony CEA president and chief operating officer. “PS2 is currently selling 37 percent better than the original PlayStation at the same point in its product life cycle." Can't beat that. 5 Fable CURRENT CONDITIONS The bad news if you're an Xbox fan right now is that most of the games you waited for in 2003 are the same ones you'll be waiting for in '04—not the least of which is Halo 2 (more on that in a minute). But all things considered, the system performed well without its star attraction, garnering what Microsoft is calling a second place fin- ish with 8.6 million units shipped to date in the United States. (But wait—Nintendo also says it's No. 2. See the GameCube section for more on that.) The first few months of 2004 are unsea- sonably dry for Xbox, though we do get to finally sink our katanas into Ninja Gaiden. The good news is that big multiplatform titles like Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow will be around to hold your interest until the big names’ mid- to late-year arrivals. SER PLAYSTATION 2 EXTENDED FORECAST PS? fans can look forward to new install- ments of nearly all of the system's biggest franchises before year's end. Biggest of all are two sequels, Konami's Metal Gear Solid 3 and Sony's Gran Turismo 4, both of which launch later in the year. Online gaming will get a bigger push than ever before, thanks to support from Capcom (Resident Evil: Outbreak, Monster Hunter), Square (FFXI), and Electronic Arts (nearly everything). And more titles will support the Hard Drive and EyeToy peripherals. EXTENDED FORECAST Speaking of big names, Halo 2 was the car- rot that Microsoft dangled in front of us all last year but never delivered. And the wait is not over as we sail further into 2004. "We're going to take as much time as is necessary to ensure that Halo 2 is the game that the fans deserve," Shane Kim, acting chief of Microsoft Game Studios, tells us. "We don't want to make just a sequel; our goal is to make [it] a worthy successor to one of the greatest franchises ever." Talk of delay has followed this sequel like a vulture—only recently did developer Bungie come clean and declare that it’s coming “this fall.” In fact, “hurry up and wait" seems to be the mantra for Xbox fans this year, as simi- lar delays are shadowing many anticipated titles. Developer Rare's Conker: Live and Uncut and Kameo: Elements of Power are ND ARE YOU MOST EXCITED ABOUT? 12% Next Grand WHAT 2004 PLAYSTATION 2 GAME Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain 6% Source: 10Рсот poll, 1/28/04 Doom 3 Kameo: 0 Elements d: of Power 7% Half-Life 2 10% WHAT 2004 XBOX GAME ARE YOU MOST EXCITED ABOUT? Fable 4 21% Halo 2 Source: TUPcom poll, 1/28/04 56% the next games expected from the studio, and their release dates have fallen to the second half of this year (at this point, Perfect Dark Zero is heavily rumored as being an Xbox 2 launch game). Other big games that have suffered delays include the ultrahyped RPG Fable, psychological action- platformer Psychonauts, mythical adventure Sudeki, and massively multiplayer online roleplayer True Fantasy Live Online. Xbox Live users, meanwhile, will see another major upgrade to the service some- time this year. "[Players] can expect more personalization and voice integration options as well as a steady stream of amazing Xbox Live-enabled games," Kim says. Let's hope that this year the stream includes some titles by Electronic Arts, whose support would get more people online. Metal Gear Solid 3 61% Оп the Radar Gran Turismo 4 • Summer ’04 Sony's premiere auto-racing sim gets faster and furiouser in its fourth lap around the track. Grand Theft Auto sequel е Fall ’04 Yes, you'll still be able to go on a spree of M-rated virtual carnage. Whether you're doing it on the San Andreas Fault or in Sin City doesn't matter. Jak Ill • Fall ’04 Expect it to be made official soon— Jak and his pal Daxter return for another game later this year packed with even more badittude. Metal Gear Solid 3 • Fall '04 We imagine Snake's journey will be a mix of Metal Gear and Disneyland's Jungle Cruise—with a body count— and we can't wait. Ratchet & Clank Ill • Winter ’04 Sony hasn't confirmed it yet, but Insomniac's been pumping these Ratchet games out so fast we know 2004 won't go by without one. On the Radar Conker: Live and Uncut • Fall ’04 An Xbox remake of the foul-mouthed squirrel’s Nintendo 64 adventure with added online multiplayer modes. Doom 3 • Winter ’04 If the PC version of this creepy shooter makes it out this year, the console incarnation will follow. Maybe. Fable • Fall ’04 We’ve waited for this game so long that we figure either A) It’s really tough to make an RPG in which you can be anyone and do anything, or В) Fable’s developers are dead. Yeah, you’re right—it’s probably A. Half-Life 2 • Winter ’04 Like Doom 3, Half-Life's console debut will have to wait till after the PC version's release, but it won't be far behind. Halo 2 • Fall ’04 ‚At this point, maybe they should take a cue from Quentin Tarantino and give us the first part of this game now and then make us wait for the rest. Psychonauts • Fall ’04 It's like a psychologically invasive plat- forming romp through a psychedelic summer camp from hell. How can it possibly go wrong? Sudeki • Мау ’04 Guide a team of four heroes through hordes of enemies in this gorgeous Xbox adventure. True Fantasy Live Online • Fall '04 Xbox’s first massively multiplayer online role-playing game lets you cre- ate a character and go on a quest to smite evil with a couple thousand of your closest buddies. »- >> THIS SPRING, SONY WILL RELEASE EYETOY: GROOVE, A КНУТНМ-АСТІОМ TITLE THAT USES PS2'S EYETOY CAMERA ADD-ON AND FEATURES TRACKS FROM MAJOR-LABEL ARTIST: ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com • 43 САМЕСОВЕ CURRENT CONDITIONS After a rough start in 2003, Nintendo's struggling next-gen contender worked up enough momentum to become the best- selling home console of holiday season ’03—thanks to a flurry of high-profile releases and a crucial price drop to $99. To Metroid Prime 2 Resident 26% Evil 4 12% WHAT 2004 GAMECUBE GAME ARE YOU MOST EXCITED ABOUT? Metal Mario 128/ Gear Solid: 100 Marios The Twin 17% Legend of Zelda: Snakes The Wind Waker 2 25% 20% ‚Source: 1UPcom рой, 1/28/04 Mario & Donkey Kong GAME BOY ADVANCE CURRENT CONDITIONS Nintendo's cash cow saw lots of green in 2003, selling 8.1 million units—enough to make it the No. 1 dedicated game hardware over GC, PS2, and Xbox for the year. Connectivity has begun paying off as games that require it— Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles, Pac-Man Vs., Pokémon Colosseum—hit stores. And the e- — Star Fox 2 date, Nintendo has sold 6.8 million Cubes in the United States, but the system's increase in sales over the previous year has Nintendo saying that it is No. 2. "One of us had to be No. 3, and it's not us," says Nintendo Vice President of Corporate Affairs Perrin Kaplan. "We finally have a library of the right games, the right hardware, at the right price." But even being in second place doesn't solve all of GameCube's problems. Third- party support for the console has dropped off significantly and shows no signs of picking back up. This leaves major releases up to Nintendo and a handful of Japanese developers who are still supporting the system. In 2003 Nintendo began to support its own network adapter by network-enabling a few titles (but to mixed results). Just recent- ly, GameCube got its second online game— Phantasy Star Online Episode Ill, sequel to the system's first Net-enabled title. But Nintendo still contends that it will not imple- ment an online plan until such a venture can make money. Meanwhile, expect GC-to- Reader...well, it even managed to be a little bit useful, pro- viding new levels to Super Mario Bros. 3. After a string of hits in '03, the GBA is 50 far off to a slow start this year, with just one major release—February’s Metroid Zero Mission. EXTENDED FORECAST Although Nintendo swears that its DS portable will not affect GBA sales, there's one thing that definitely will...Sony's PSP. GBA—or even GC-to-DS (see our lead news story)—connectivity to remain what Nintendo chooses to push in lieu of more online games. EXTENDED FORECAST While rumors indicate that the GameCube's successor is in the works, we may not end up hearing much—if anything—about it this year. “1 don't think you're going to see peo- ple who bought a [GameCube] in 2003 be anything but happy," Kaplan tells us. That doesn't seem too far from the truth, as we already know of more than a dozen high-profile Cube releases on the horizon— many of which were announced at last year's Electronic Entertainment Expo videogame show. Not the least of these are new titles in Nintendo's three key series: Zelda, Mario, and Metroid. The bad news if you own a Cube is that you may miss out on a lot of multiplatform titles, but this lack of third-party support won't spell the kind of doom it would on other systems, thanks to the sheer number of great games Nintendo itself produces. But that won't stop at least a few excellent GBA titles from hitting in '04, includ- ing perhaps the biggest in years—a new portable single-player Zelda adventure from the folks who brought you last year's link- cable melee Four Swords. Also of note will be U.S. releases of the Pokémon remakes that just recently hit Japan. Oh, and if you're wondering when you'll finally get that maize GBA you've always wanted. ..don't worry. Моге GBA colors аге in the pipeline. On the Radar Custom Robo • TBA Build and battle customizable toy robots in this Virtual On-meets- Pokémon action game. The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords * Spring ’04 Grab a couple of GBAs, link cables, and a few friends for this multiplayer Zelda adventure. Viva la connectivity! The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker 2 * Fall ’04 Last year, Zelda Director Eiji Aonuma confirmed that a Wind Waker sequel was in development for ’04. Mario 128/100 Marios + Fall ’04 We're still waiting to see it, but Nintendo does have a new Mario adventure waiting in the wings. Metroid Prime 2 » Fall '04 For now, all we know is Samus will be back, courtesy once again of Prime developer Retro Studios. Star Fox 2 • Winter ’04 Fox McCloud and his crew hang up their adventuring hats to star in this straight-up space shooter, co-devel- oped by Namco. On the Radar The Legend of Zelda • Fall ’04 A brand-new, original Zelda is in the works for GBA from the folks who did the Oracle games and Four Swords. Mario & Donkey Kong • Fall ’04 Mario and Donkey Kong return to their roots in this classic-style action-puzzle title, partly a remake of 1994's Game Boy Donkey Kong. Mario Golf: Advance Tour • Fall ’04 After all those portable remakes of his early career, Mario takes some time to hit the links once again, this time on Game Boy Advance. Pokémon Red and Blue remakes • Summer ’04 The recent Japanese rereleases of the original Pokémon will head Stateside this summer, so you can catch ’em all over again. Sonic Advance 3 • Summer ’04 Sega's speedy hedgehog mascot laces up his sneakers for another original GBA adventure. 4 >> ОМ МАУ 10, SQUARE ENIX WILL HOLD A CONCERT OF FINAL FANTASY MUSIC ІМ LOS ANGELES. FOR TICKET INFO, КИМ--ООМТ WALK—TO WWW.MUSICCENTER.ORG/WDCH/.... >> 44» ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY ® www.egmmag.com ү е A Rain destruction on your foes from the back of a flying, fire-breathing dragon. Dogfight airborne enemies in 360 degrees within massive environments. (>) press start CHARTS TOP 10 BEST-SELLING GAMES FOR DECEMBER 2003 Mario Kart: Double Dash!! GC, Nintendo 4 Tony Hawk’s Underground PS2, Activision Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 2 Р52, Atari 6 True Crime: Streets of L.A. E PS2, Activision 7 Medal of Honor: Rising Sun PS2, EA Games Kon am (5 " Y 8 Final Fantasy x2 90 for questions regarding 0 Games Serv a | PS2, Square Enix . 5 H . ae} gives the ladies some ring time eT 9 me PS2, Sony CEA а f there's one thing.the women of Uchida. "They're [not] going to have lasers Lord of the Rings: Return of 8 | Konami's all-girl PS2 wrasslin’ coming out of their eyes or [be] flying through 10 3 title WWX: Rumble Rose ain't, it's the air, though.” Hair pulling? Check. " homely. But in addition to serving up these In an interesting twist, the girls’ personalities TOP 10 GAME RENTALS sweet-as- Dead-or-Alive-Xtreme-Beach- will change depending on their fighting style in FORTHE WES ENDING 1/20/04 Volleyball visuals, developer Yuke's WWX's story mode. Fight dirty and your polygo- y promises to deliver a game.this November nal princess will go bad, which may nab her worthy of its pedigree as the force behind new moves and more revealing costumes she THQ's WWE SmackDown! series. wouldn't have gotten by keeping it clean. But no Each girl has an arsenal of both stan- matter which side they're on, these women still WWX's Dixie f se dard and more arcade-style, over-the-top be lookin’ fiiiine. "I'd actually planned to put in a Clemets and Reiko ТЕ” 3 Я WM _ moves. “Мете not hampered by a license, few that weren't that attractive,” Uchida Hinomoto get along S Г 1 NFL. Stree М = so we're not forced to keep it іп the realm explains. "But then T thought, what the hell...I'll the only way they PS2, EN Sports Bid. of what's possible,” says Producer Akari make them all cute." know how. FIRST PSP 2 True Grime: Streets of L.A. Р52, Activision 3 Dragon Ball 2: Budokai 2 PS2, Atari 4 Mario Kart: Double Dash!! SCREEN SHOWN UZ 5 1 1 Р52, Rings goes racing Ser NFL Street Come November when Sony launches its PlayStation 6 XB, EA Sports Big Portable (PSP), you'll be knee-deep in Shire...that is, if you pick up EA Games’ Middle-earth-set kart racer tentatively 7 titled The Lord of the Rings: Mordor GP. Scheduled for simul- PS2, Activision taneous release with the system, the promising racer follows Medal of Honor: Rising Sun 5 the events of the film as you race on tracks situated all over PS2, EA Games Tolkien's world—from the hobbits' home to the foot of Mt. 8 NE Doom. All the major characters from the movie will be 9 \ s A cave troll playable, each with his own custom vehicle. PS2, EA Games \ э кез In a related note, VU Games has announced that it too is Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max N usine making a kart racer for Rings, based on the book license, for 10 er ^ 'ayne PS2, Rockstar release around the same time. Source: Bloch >> 3D REMAKES OF SEGA ARCADE AND CONSOLE HITS (LIKE GOLDEN AXE AND SPACE HARRIER) ARE COMING TO THE U.S. ON PS2 FROM CONSPIRACY GAMES. NO FIRM DATES УЕТ.... > 46 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com Crush vast armies with the might of your steel and magic. As the legions fall, your strength, skills and spells will increase. MATURE 17+ Blood and Gore Violence Е Launch into massive battles in the air and on land. Endless waves of enemies assail you from all sides. Survive, and you will grow stronger. Perish, and all is lost. SQUARE ENIX. WWW.Square-enix-usa.com Published by Square Enix U.S.A., Inc. © 2003, 2004 cavia/SQUARE ENIX, All Rights Reserved. DRAKENGARD, SQUARE ENIX, and the Square Enix logo. р | ау5 га ti on. e are trademarks of Square Enix Со. Ltd. "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Entertainment Software Association. WWW.SQEXM.COM > ED FRIES HAS RESIGNED FROM HIS POST AS MICROSOFT GAMES STUDIOS’ VICE PRESIDENT OF GAMES PUBLISHING, А ROLE IN WHICH HE MADE MAN: ride the float, and which Final Fantasy char- acters got to trudge uphill on foot. And that leads to my favorite moment of the parade: When the float's sponsor—grocery-store chain Safeway—revealed they didn't have a cosplay-themed banner, they used the next best thing: the banner left over from when they sponsored the That meant that to curious passersby, it looked like the National Hispanic University was offering courses in Giant Bunnies, Marshmallow Impersonation. Advanced Princessing, and Postapocalyptic ın the fLesh: What would drive a pretty, perky, per- fectly well-adjusted 23-year-old woman to dress іп intergalactic li gerie and strut in public? More impor- tantly, how can we score a date with her? San Francisco cosplayer Tiffany- Marie Austin shows us the way to а skimpy-costumed chick’s heart. EGM: Ever fear for your safety when you're in a tiny skirt surrounded by male anime enthusiasts, some of whom are also in tiny skirts? Titfany-Marie Austin: Rarely. Usually, if I'm ever wearing a revealing costume | make sure that I’m in an environment where | feel safe and am surrounded by friends—instant bodyguards. As for males in skirts, they act as the best bodyguards because they confuse the predators. EGM: What’s the skimpiest costume you've worn? TA: | generally stay away from costumes that are too revealing, but an occasional one gets by, just because | like it so much. The most revealing one is Shino [see photo to the far right] from this obscure Japanese PlayStation game called >> AVERSION OF EA GAMES’ THE SIMS: BUSTIN’ OUT—FEATURING NEW AND EXCLUSIVE CO! Cybercombat. | thought this might have been some hilarious last-minute screw up, but a man dressed as a tiger told me that the same thing happened last year. “Hahaha!” | replied. When EGM asked me to put on a costume and infiltrate a cosplay parade, | wasn't sure what to expect, except that there would be 300 fat dudes dressed as Sailor Moon. | was so sure of this, in fact, that | held a caption contest with myself before | took any pic- tures. The winning caption: “Sailor MOOO!” But if “Sailor MOOO!” is unable to perform its duties as the winning caption, the runner up, “Does this dress make my fat ass look fatter?” will take its place. But here's the funny thing And if you put a girl in hot pants from the moon, you're going to wind up with either something superhot or a sausage beast. You see, cosplay outfits are tiny little tight things that dig a very clear Himikoden-Renge. And | actually modified the costume so that it would be less revealing than the original. But then | also have a Mai Shiranui [a busty King of Fighters character] costume. EGM: Nice. What’s the naughtiest cos- tume you've seen on someone else? ‘TA: Sometimes it’s hard to draw the line between “naughty” and “scary,” depend- ing on how the person wears the cos- tume, but it’s [not rare for] someone to walk around practically naked and call it a costume. People sometimes make [non- naughty] costumes slutty by leaving off parts or modifying it. Darkstalkers charac- ters like Morgan and Felisha, Dead or Alive bathing-suit cos- tumes, and of course Mai Shiranui are all notorious for being very naughty. EGM: If we were to ask you on a hot cosplay dream date, would you rather we came dressed as the Beastmaster or Donkey Kong? ТА: Pd rather you came dressed as Wonder Woman. 52 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com trench between sexy girls and girls whose EverQuest characters totally rule. That said, there was a way higher percentage of hotties than you'd expect at something like this Now normally when you have any concentra- tion of women—especially mostly naked ones—you'll find who show up just for the action. None of this creepy guy espionage went on during cosplay. Maybe a few of the dudes there were cruising for dates, but | guarantee that was secondary to dressing their way into a world of Japanese make-believe. So, par- ents, if you need to leave your 15-year-old daughter somewhere in a bikini and a Notice carefully how some cosplay girls аге kind of hot. ITENT—IS COMING TO NOKIA'S N-GAGE DURING THE FIRST HALF OF THIS YEAR.... >> out. No serious! | | PO these gu в Robotech headdress (and | notice some of you did), a cosplay parade is the best place to do it. Of course, that’s not the only lesson I learned as 1 mingled with cosplay soci- ety. While | went into this hoping to make fun of an entire people and their insane hobby, it turns out that most cosplayers are kind of lovable. And each of them was polite enough not to mention that they could see every detail of my crotch and the impossible knot it'd been tied into. I'm not saying everyone should try going to a cosplay event, but if you're already dressed like a cartoon, you might as well stop by. 9% —Seanbaby PLAYING ЕСМ goes undercover to infiltrate (and capture on film) the scariest of eaming's secret societies—cos ow easy it is to ridicule the things we don't understand—especially when they're fat-swaddled nerds who dress like game characters and cartoons for fun. So EGM asked humor writer Seanbaby to slip into something uncomfort- able and fit in with these so- called cosplayers to help us com- prehend their need for excessive dress. The venue: a tuckering uphill cos- play parade in San Francisco (because, as our grandma says, don't dis a cosplayer until you've walked a | | mile in his or her Spandex ошег- space boots). And thus the stage is set for Seanbaby's report from this insane march of shame.... | knew I had to blend in perfectly if | was going to make it into the inner cosplay circle and assassinate their overlor—I've already said too much. So my first choices for costumes were Hulk Hogan or Grover, but thanks to the advice of people familiar with this lifestyle, 1 learned I'd fit in better if | dressed like a videogame. | chose lori, a flamboyant brawler from the King of Fighters series, because girls like him and I could throw fireballs if | had to. And since | can only assume that people who dress as can read minds, there was a good chance the cosplayers would see through my disguise and bring me before the dork high council to answer for my "^ deception. | knew | was \ going to need some fire- balls if that happened. While shopping for the outfit, | was shocked to discover that they don’t make shiny red pants with bondage straps for men. They ^ do, however, make them for women, so | bought the fattest pervert-girl pants | could at Hot Topic. The pants were still a little tight, and—thanks to the female cut of them—felt a lot like my urologist went crazy and tied me to something when | put them on. If this is what videogame fighters wear, they're either incredibly tolerant to crushing dong pain or have long since had their genitals removed. Since it was hot outside, | modified lori's jacket to be a vest. | didn’t know how appro- priate this type of artistic license was but figured it wouldn't arouse suspicion; it would just look like | was bad at cosplaying. | was ready. The cosplay parade took place on a Sunday, and Saturday is one of the six nights of the week that | drink, so my first impres- sions of the geek majesty were seen through bloodshot eyes while my skull tried to split in half, screaming. Ninjas and magicians chatted it up as far as the eye could see, and I’m not ashamed to say | was a little terrified. | got unlucky, and the first cosplayers | engaged stayed in character during our entire conversations. | would greet them with, “Hello. | ат one of you. | am not here to make fun of your people in a videogame magazine.” And they would answer, “Blargoblap mars glorben- blarp 2,000." Needless to say, irony and cosplay hate each other. Some cosplayers really go all out. | saw people with fiberglass combat wings, robot bodies that deployed rocket launchers when their robostrings were tugged, and a few giant furry animal costumes that may or may not have served more erotic purposes after hours. | talked players ЕТ to a couple of intergalactic fruit loops that said their costumes cost them hundreds of dollars and took months to build. On the other hand, saw one kid whose costume was . If I'd known | could get away with just wearing a towel cape, | wouldn't have been trying to look all karate in size-two pants with a wedgie and a camel toe. The organizers of the parade held à costume contest to see which Final Fantasy characters got to GOALS”. - Exclusive Xbox content and gameplay enhancements - Xbox Live gameplay - Stunningly realistic graphics and special effects GET TENCHU: RETURN FRE x FROM DARKNESS FOR XBOX when you trade-in 4 non-sport PlayStation 2, Xbox or GameCube games.* Limit one per customer. Cannot be combined with any other trade-in offer or promotion. Not valid on previous purchases. Coupon must be present at time of purchase. No rain checks will be issued. No duplicate titles accepted for trade. Boxes and instructions must be included. Customer is responsible for sales tax in some states. Typographical errors are not the responsibility of EB Games. Some adi | titles are excluded. See sales associate for complete details. Offer valid 3/2/04- Call 1-800-800-5166 for the store nearest you or visit us at www.ebgames.com АС | V ISION We take games seriously ™ реппе its title song, had а part in the movie musical Chicago, and somehow, between all that, has time to game. So we had no choice but to sit the steamy chanteuse down and ask her a few questions about her role in the new Bond title and her gaming habits. EGM: You've already been in a hit movie, Chicago—why make your next acting move in a James Bond videogame? | р Are you kidding? Games rock! No matter your race, creed, or color, you can find something in them to enjoy. It's like music—the variety is incredible. EGM: Come ori, you can trust us...are you really a superspy? | should be, with the amount of time 1 spend at the shooting range. But I play a lot of PlayStation 2 and thought the role. was great, so | took this opportunity. ЕСМ: Sure there's nothing else you'd like to own up to? АІ right...1 do share many things іп common with my character. She's a bad- ass, like me. Гуе got that fire. And like [Mya Starling], | hold it down for my man. EGM: And, er, what of his do you hold? Not like that, silly. Руе flown guys to exotic locales, rented boats, copped some motorcycles and gone riding. It’s a little ego stroke to be the provider. EGM: What went into composing the ` game's title track? | Alot, Its an interpretive num- ber that speaks to everyone. Look deep enough into the track and you'll see it's about putting your foot down and getting what you want from life. EGM: Yeah, like an advance copy of Halo 2! You bet. | really like guys who are into games. You get to see an inno- cent side of them that you normally wouldn't. That's hot. EGM: Well, except during multiplayer games of Madden NFL... Please. Why bother? I'd take Tetrís ог Ridge Racer over that one anytime. Even if [the latter] does require 50 much coordina- tion that | think it's. cheating on me. EGM: Who's the biggest celeb- rity gamer you know? Sisqo from [R&B foursome] Dru Hill. He had a PS2 with him on the road...he took it everywhere. The guy would forget to. eat if you didn't remind him. 4% —Scott Steinberg MAJESCO WILL RELEASE A PS2 AND XBOX SEQUEL TO BLOODRAYNE, THE MULTIPLATFORM ACTIONER STARRING A SULTRY HALF-VAMPIRE VAMPIRE SLAYER, THIS OCTOBER... 54» ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY е www.egmmag.com They're back. And they're itching for action. With tons of planets to conquer іп 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 Ratchet to 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 а hungry fat man will go through chicken wings at lunch. Lock and load, baby, lock and load. www.us.playstation.com GRAVITY =. ЕН BLACH ETEN SWINGSHOT HOVEREOME GUN at =з Я MS HERUY BOUNCER T HYPNOMATIC \ S EMPIRE x — _ mULT-STRR MINIROCHET TUBE CHARGE 80075 HELI-PREH LIVE IN YOUR WXRLD. PLAY IN OURS: and the “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment y Computer Entertainment America Inc. Developed by Insomniac Games. ©2003 Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. "PlayStation" Inc. "Live In Your World. Play In Ours." is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. Ratchetand Clankis a trademark of Son AFTERTHOUGHTS: NFL Talkin’ X's and O's with the kings of the gridiron pring sucks...well, at least for football fans. Gone are the Sunday afternoons and Monday nights of beers, buffalo wings (that’s chicken, Jessica), and cheering on your favorite NFL team. Thankfully, developer EA Tiburon’s back-alley take on the pigskin sport, NFL Street (PS2/XB/GC), helps fill the gridiron void until training camp starts. We spoke with NFL Street’s Associate Producer Jason Barnes and Senior Product Manager Tom Goedde about Tiburon's respect for another no-holds-barred football franchise, NFL prima donnas, and a potential sequel. 7 Falcons quarterback Michael Vick is “the ultimate pick-up player," says Associate Producer Jason Barnes. “Не gets it done оп both sides of the ball.” EGM: Street draws a lot of comparisons to Midway's old NFL Blitz games. Are there any Blitz junkies at Tiburon? Yes, there are some die- hard Blitz fans on staff, and we have a couple of Blitz arcade machines. Of course, we looked at those games and what they did well, plus what areas we wanted to improve upon. EGM: Some of the development team worked on Madden in the past. What was it like creating a football game that's so drastically different? It was great. It allowed us to take a lot more risks with gameplay and style. ЛІ This is the first non- simulation product Tiburon's developed. Our goal with the Madden, NCAA Football, and NASCAR franchises is always to just simulate the real world as closely as possi- ble, whereas NFL Street is so much bigger than that. It was fun to get the creative. juices flowing. EGM: Obviously, Street deviates greatly from the conventional football norms. Which gameplay areas were the most difficult to nail down? Scoring was a debate. Initially, we only had two-point conversions [after touch- downs], but late in the project we added one-point conversions for running it in, and we found it added much more strategy. Early on, we actually had multiple kinds of Gamebreakers [power-ups], but it was just too confusing. It worked much better having a single Gamebreaker for offense and defense. EGM: Did any pro athletes help out with Street's development? Yeah, we brought in a few NFL players, such as Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray www.maiia-9ame.com www.gathering.com MATURE 17+ W 22. A illusion PlayStation. ТЕ 3 CONTENT RAI ESRB © 2008 lusion Softworks. Mafia, the Mafia logo, Шоп Softworks, and he sion Softworks logo ae tvorks. Al rights reserved. Gathering and the Gathering одо are trademarks of Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. "PlayStation" andthe "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment loc. Microsoft, Xbox, and the Xbox logo are either registered licrosot Corporation in the 15. and/or other countries and aro used under license from Microsoft The ratings icon is a trademark of th Enertainment Software Association. Per the player's request, the developers altered 49ers lineman Jeremy Newberry’s. Street outtit to better fit his personal style. Lewis and Marcellus Wiley, defensive end for the San Diego Chargers. We also had Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick take a look at the game, and we asked him what kind of clothing he wanted to wear, his overall style, things like that. EGM: So give it to us straight. What was more important to the NFL players: their on-field attributes or physical appearance? For a lot of them, it was how they looked. Some of the guys wanted screen- shots that they could post on their walls so one day they could tell their kids, “This is what daddy used to look like.” EGM: Did any players disapprove of their Street attire? Offensive lineman Jeremy Newberry [of the San Francisco 49ers] was pretty funny. In an early version, we had him in jeans and a sweatshirt. He was like, “I wouldn't be caught dead in this! You gotta get some new gear for me, man.” We figured Jeremy wanted us to show off his tattoos, and after seeing some updat- "ET. a Bo knows videogames: Don't be shocked if former Los Angeles Raiders running back (and major league baseball slugger) Bo Jackson appears in future editions of NFL Street. >> ATLUS WILL RELEASE A GBA REMAKE OF SEGA'S GEN ed screenshots, he liked the end result much better than the initial design. EGM: Madden is wildly popular among NFL players. What was their reaction to this brand of football? Most of them found NFL Street to be a nice change-up. People come with their game on for Madden, but it's really not for a party atmosphere. NFL Street is a great smack-talkin' game. It's fun to sit around and have a couple f cocktails while playin’. lannan | Showboat in front of defensive stud Derrick Brooks and you might come up from a tackle breathing snot bubbles. “ » —NFL Street Associate Producer Jason Barnes EGM: The game also features a hefty selection of NFL legends—was there anyone you wanted to include but couldn't? We would have really liked to have [for- mer Los Angeles Raiders running back] Bo Jackson. He's kind of known as the greatest videogame football player since the Tecmo Bowl (8-bit Nintendo) days. Hopefully in the future we will have him. EGM: Is there anything you wish you had more time to work on? We would have loved to include addi- tional fields. EGM: What were some of the field envi- ronments left on the drawing board? Sorry, we might need those ideas some- day for the sequel. 4% — Bryan Intihar 60 е ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com Def Jam's Redman sure dresses the part, but sadly, you won't find him in NFL Street. Def Jam Football? When asked whether developer EA Tiburon con- sidered including NFL Street squads based on the other EA Big proper- ties, Associate Producer Jason Barnes said, “We thought about [having] a Def Jam team and grab- bing characters from SSX and NBA Street. We dis- cussed it all year long, but the main reason we didn’t was that we really wanted the focus to be on the NFL legends as our boss-type characters.” Shucks. G SHINING FORCE IN JUNE CALLED SHINING FORCE: RESURRECTION OF THE DARK DRAGON... >>. Rent every new release for PS2, Xbox, GameCube and GBA Goto for your free trial м Copyright GameFly 2003. All rights reserved. Gamefly is a registered trademark of Gamefly, OF G AM Е Fl “4 Inc. PlayStation®2, Xbox™, Nintendo GameCube™ and Game Boy? Advance are trademarks of Sony, Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Nintendo respectively. rent smart. play harder. 4 Р <; M New SOCOM И content is on the way for Sony's PS2 Hard Drive (which goes on sale, packed in with Final Fantasy Xi, this March). ONLINE THIS MONTH The present and future of till playing SOCOM II? So are we and an average of over 30,000 other PS2 owners at the same time during peak hours. The total number of soldiers waging war in Sony's online shooter jumped almost 50 percent after Christmas (to almost 100,000 different players daily) and is still growing every week. What better excuse to check in with Senior Producer Seth Luisi for a quick chat on how the online war is going? EGM: So are you happy with the reception to SOCOM II? Very, very pleased. People seem to be using the new features we put into the game—making custom rooms with limited equipment, using the clans and friends list, or playing respawn [where you keep reappearing after you get killed, instead of having to wait for the round to end]. | think we have a whole new audi- must-hit ST ue OMENSIOM Te RUE вис IM EISE ence that does nothing but play respawn. EGM: Have you noticed one map or mode that seems most popular? I notice people are playing escort mode a lot. And | don't know if that's just because people like that game mode or if the maps that it's played on are popular, because those tend to be larger maps with more areas to move around. EGM: Seems like there are a lot more snipers around in SOCOM Il... Definitely. Before, you would rarely see anyone using a sniper rifle. Now you see a lot of people using them, but thankfully, you don't see everyone using them either. EGM: What can you tell us about your plans for the PS2 Hard Drive? | can't really talk about that right now. [But] we do have substantial downloadable content planned for the Hard Drive. >> TUNE INTO THE GAME SHOW NETWORK ON SUNDAY, MARCH 21 FROM 9 ТО 11 62 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com EST/PST) FOR VIDEOGAME INVASIOI EGM: What happens to cheaters? If you are caught cheating, you get suspended for a period of time where you can’t log in to SOCOM ІІ, and as you are detected cheating more times, that period gets longer. ЕСМ: Is there anything players can do when they see someone cheating? There's a number in the user agree- ment you see when you log in to SOCOM Il that you can call to report them. [And] you can always vote them out of the game and they can't get back in. On egmmag.com Stop on by extra.egmmag.com this month for more stills from Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, an interview with Silicon Knights' Denis Dyack (one of the creative forces behind Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes), our full interview with the producers of MFL Street, and more. 'OCUMENTARY ABOUT GAMES HOSTED ВУ TONY HAWI PC GAMING UPDATE Lords of OverKill Somewhere between the transaction with Satan for their immortal souls and receiving their brand-new MBAs, the aspiring corporate jackals of America Inc. learn lots of scarifying ideas, and the blackest of these black arts is a Ій- Че something called “brand extension.” Now this brand extension business isn't always absolutely and utterly soaked in the tarry bile of Beelzebub. Champions of Norrath, for example, is a fine game based in the constantly mushrooming EverQuest game world. Like Vanilla Coke, it’s a great way to broaden the franchise. Lords of EverQuest, while not exactly Beef Liver Coke, isn’t. It's more the New Coke of EverQuest—not horrible, but way too much like Pepsi (if Pepsi were called WarCraft IIl) to please anyone. What's so wrong about this fantasy real-time strategy (RTS)? Nothing, but there’s nothing so right about it either. Mistaking sprawl for actual original content, Lords is ostensibly set in the EverQuest world, but you'd hardly know it. It wantonly apes everything in Blizzard's WarCraft games, except the polish. What Lords doesn't thieve from WarCraft it snatches from other more compelling games: The persistent-unit feature is a direct steal from the superi- or Warlords Battlecry games. Тһеге 5 nothing necessarily wrong with stealing (God knows there hasn’t been anything truly original in RTS’s since Shiny’s underappreciated Sacrifice), but it bare- ly looks like Sony was trying here. More of a pale shadow than an original prod- uct, Lords isn’t a complete waste, but it is a completely wasted opportunity. —Robert Coffey, Computer Gaming World > There's more to winning than meets the eye. Andrew Lawrence At: And Wayne Brody as Mason Wyott DAN ISNEY CHANNEL ORIGINAL MOVIE 9 te rao 0 Г j 6 1 n Ш ) 2 DISNEYCHÜNNEL.COM press start: the ref "Ready to se Meet the guy who keeps score f course you're the man at Tony Hawk or Gran Turismo or Ms. Pac-Man or (insert game name here), you cocky SOB. But no matter how great your skills, you won’t get anywhere without Walter Day. The 54-year-old from Fairfield, lowa, is the world-renowned ref- eree of videogames. Day runs Twin Galaxies, an organization that tracks high scores and completion times for more than 100,000 cross-platform titles and runs them оп www.twingalaxies.com, as well as in the book The Official Video Game and Pinball Book of World Records. “We're like Guinness,” Day says. “We objectively witness and verify as many competitions as we can.” But since games are played in bars and basements as opposed to stadiums and arenas, record keeping is no easy task. Day's team of refs jet to competitions like the Street Fighter Championship in Omaha or the Cyberathlete Professional League’s first-person-shooter contest in Dallas. Mainly, though, they rely on videotapes from gamers who capture their digital feats for posterity—and proof. “We don’t just get a letter from someone's parents saying how great their kid is at Tony Hawk," Day says. "We need a tape show- ing the player booting up, scrolling through options, and recording the whole 64 « ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY ® www.egmmag.com емо нае Фа? game front to back.” Twin Galaxies gets thousands of submissions per year (see twingalaxies.com for entry instructions). Day fell into game refereeing by acci- dent. Back in the early '80s—the golden age of arcades—he was working as an oilman in Texas when а buddy took him to a game room for the very first time. The moment he played Pac-Man he was hooked. “You were increasing your score and your abilities with the game,” Day says, “and there was a sense of progress.” Before long, Day had dropped out of the oil biz and opened his own arcade in lowa called Twin Galaxies. When he discovered that no one was keeping track of all the f cameron Ма а, Photographs by Got what it takes to make it into this book? >> THE LATEST GUINNESS BOOK LISTS SUPER MARIO BROS. (NIN ENTERNTAINMENT SYSTEM) AS THE BEST-SELLING GAME OF ALL TIME, WITH 40 MILLION SOLD WORLDWIDE... >> 1391 1v РЎ ОЕТ СТЕ VWhld 303 Гө өл] NC Лиц gun un yBnosyy Шы -un р ayy Ашаие pasodxa ayy yBnowyy mog 9210} рәрипоВ 4nok ЕЛҮ ЛЕТ зәцош оң "п uado о под Вшлмоүр "suorunduo» EON EC PCENA ETT JnoÁ uo шю ayo} Aayy 50 sanjas syomyno 44615 31dossaja} amod -шәщ asodxa Аңән |j Awaua -XOL SH "86W EL 10} 340 ‘ayı эц “12۸02 Aqunau 0} uoryrsod ayy 1әйш$ dn-padnos о имо Ароэдю 1504 una 100-|0 un uo шпә puo nok ЕТЕ ЕЛЕ pun yzW -»es лпоА puas pun шоціѕой әліѕ eui Що 0$ ssa» элоц NOÁ үр -шәјәр әң UO poys шәр D YM asou jj,noA рио spy uodnam auo.d шрәјәлу auo umop An] s aadıus ınoA ybnouys apA) “ung 50 sumag 1п0/ jo эмо әјбиор "уші nok шощ лэзор sar шар 0j әлоц Ánw nok "Buruio» эл, под 0} amjd 15} smouy Ашәшә ayy рио шов — oui pun ^joB un» 0j шоциѕой ajqisuajap-sadns n ЕСТІГЕЛЕТІ 406 o^,noÁ j| "ѕәлаѕрәш әшәцхә [ір paau sıadıus 10} [|02 suoyonys әшәцх e бшүбрә e € ‘заниеио yBnoy pup 525504 10} anbiupo, 1ә[г si aans 0j eins oq pun ‘эбпоб 1noÁ по aha un daay jour ayy ш элош |прэмой sow әц 51 15019 wna] e "snuog oquo) D әләзә1 [м nod 'sanuoua aay 4509] 40 jo sdnojf yoayap noA yj “soru -aua jo sdno1 no oyo} 0} Anm 10916 PIER FETTE ‘эрош 2409 una эр -OM] ш зризну 1noÁ эющшор 2 ЛЛ EUM CM 0j роз] un? oyy sjaaung jan} sD ipns spelqo osi yng ’sanuaus 4snl you 436404 04 әјдо aq jj,noA 'esuas puog бицолцэр Ag e "Пом щоош$ pup ufi Аир yo doy ayy yo шой 12440 о ло; Buryoo] A11 гјәлә аң jo piod ухом әң оу umop зо да Anm п 10} бшулоәс е jawy anoÁ yom aq lim 4 ‘aan sauny) ЛЛ -ѕәлш рио әриѕш yoo} о; 1әр!й$ 0 пош ınoA pues лоо әү wom Áq бишофо ош СЕТЕ А Aun ees noÁ jj e STIDIS TVALAUNS $134245 DINOS изап$ 554 XO8X ‘Sd 29 #015 TIINAT 40034 15049 5,1019 WOL pe^iese szyi м *spueug зәбірі jo жжешәред рәләв!бәл e si ибіѕәд ӘЛ Ing әчү "se1o01g 196. WOS'3WHS 3HL OLNI 139 OOM iSdIL LNJOV 139235 29 'XO8X ‘654 ONIHLON YO ӨЛІНІ ЛІЗІЗ -ONOG SINUT “63405539D рир ѕәшоб 594401, ayy jo ио 40035 ay} Jah ‘sayy эл под apu p402 siy uo эшов Kup зро € $ 10} uodno» p poojumop 0} шо2-ошробэщезицоб-ммлм [по уза) ‘эшоб ayy ош дәб Дүрәл рио sapo» asayy ш pund Ари әш 196 noA иэцм эрщ »pinb о 10) 9502 ѕ,әшоб ayy ou! ways dis “span> ayy {по pn) "ѕцләбшу anoÁ цо [үр әло spom рәләлоэвірші рио suodoam ощхә ‘злэрзолоц» uappIH Hidden characters, extra weapons and undiscovered worlds are all at your fingertips. Cut out the cards, slip them into the game’s case for a quick trick. When you get the itch, punch in these codes and really get into the game. GET INTO THE GAME.COM ©2004 Target Stores. The Bullseye Design is a registered trademark of Target Brands, Inc. All rights reserved. SURVIVAL SKILLS " * Don't forget your natural ability to run along or on the walls. When up on the walls, you'll have access to special areas, or areas you cannot see from the ground. You can also utilize all three dimensions of any attack combination. Just get close to a wall and guide Ryu up the wall with the thumbstick. * Ryu has special ninjitsu pow- ers or spells that can be called up by pressing the Y and B but- tons at the same time. You want to make sure you use these spells on as many enemies as you can at once, so wait un you are heavily surrounded before making this attack. ® You are rewarded with extra points for using combos when defeating enemies so make sure to string together as many com- bos as you can when finishing off foes. You can use the extra points to upgrade your weapons as you progress in the game. GC, PS2, XBOX PIGSKIN TIPS * Defensive Play, Man Up: With six of seven players fight to the line, this formation is equally adept at stopping the run or short pass. However, pressure the quarter- back, or he'll have a field day against the single zone coverage. © Offensive Play, QB Bam: Don't even try this play if your quar- terback lacks Speed, Agility, or Run Power. It is best used to surprise a defense that es to blitz or pressure you from the outside. Tr a short yardage situation instead of going wide with your running back. Offensive Play, Quick Pitch: This play has great cutback opportunities, because the defense has a lot of time to gather speed as it responds to the pitch. By the time the first wave of defenders reaches your running back, you can cut back to the middle of the Id for big yardage. u for using a 10- year-old joypad. Billy Mitchell is the Muhammad Ali of videogames, a cocky champion who’s been kicking Ms. Pac-Man’s ass since the early ’80s. The 37-year-old Floridian has set numerous world records in arcade games—even if it takes playing 47 straight hours of Centipede. We caught him on his cell phone while he was vacationing in Disney World, fighting off groupies. EGM: People actually recognize you? Billy Mitchell: Oh, yeah. Every day peo- ple come up to me. И shocks me how knowledgeable they are about me. It’s a testament to the power of videogames. | was on the Jungle Queen ride yesterday and this girl that works there recognized me. She was jumping around going, “Oh my god!" She was, like, creaming. ЕСМ; How'd you get into competing? ВМ: In the early '80s | started playing Donkey Kong and got obsessive. | wasn't going to have anyone tell me that they were better than me. | had to be the best. BILLY MITCHELL: VIDEOGAME СНАМР HOT-SAUCE MAVEN * Sorry, ladies: Mitchell, recognized here for his Pac-Man skills, is married but says he’s inundated with proposals. EGM: What makes you so good? BIM: Plain old-fashioned stubbornness. There’s a huge amount of pressure to stay ahead. You have an attitude that you can’t be put down. You're battling against the game, but you're also battling against yourself. It's like running a marathon. It's painful. It's absolute intensity. EGM: Ever injure yourself competing? ВМ: Never have. Though there are some guys who've injured their head slamming it into the screen. -— high scores, Day contacted the game pub- lishers and volunteered for the job. Since then, Day has established himself as the definitive scorekeeper of the indus- try—a job that’s not getting any easier. The proliferation of cheat codes has made — it more difficult to keep tabs. When a new game hits, Day and his team methodically Study its features before accepting record Submissions. Also, to help level the playing field, Twin Galaxies stages competitions such as the Console Games Championship: an epic contest at the Mall of America in which players compete in genres such as driving, shooting, and strategy. The $1,000 prize money’s not bad, but many just com- pete for the love of it. Day thinks that champion videogamers like the legendary Billy Mitchell (see below) deserve the same kind of respect as Tiger Woods or Michael Jordan. “Great game players are not different from great athletes,” he says. "They're using hand- eye coordination, mind-body coordination. And they're utilizing more or deeper intelli- gence in their ability to decipher а game, unravel the mystery of a game, and become the best player. I'm fascinated by watching the genius involved in becoming the greatest player" «ж —David Kushner EGM: You prefer classic arcade hits. Why not compete on today’s systems? BM: The console technology is superior, but because it has continuous play, it minimizes the level of competition. It's also a totally different experience. In the arcade, you have that big 25-inch moni- tor. Your power doesn't come from the game—it comes from the arcade. Back in the '80s, it was like a rock concert. When you did well, crowds would form. That's where everyone was. It's different now. ЕСМ: Any advice for wannabe champs? BM: Forget it. You either have the gift and can develop it or you don't. It's simply in your DNA. EGM: We hear of a Billy Mitchell flick. BIM: I've had more than one offer. But my Story isn't finished yet. When | put down the joystick, I'm ready for the cameras. EGM: Which actor should play you? BM: Billy Mitchell. No one else could do it. EGM: You make your own hot sauce and sell it at www.800hotsauce.com. How’s that compare to playing games? BIM: | have the same intensity about the hot sauce my company creates. When we stand up against competitors at a food show, we don't leave room for error. We have to crush them. i ACCORDING TO GUINNESS, THE WORLD'S BIGGEST GAME TOURNEY WAS HELD IN HIROSHIMA, JAPAN, IN 1996, FOR PUZZLE HIT PUYO PUYO. NEARLY 10,000 PLAYERS ТООК PART. ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com • 65 THE RUMOR MILL Gossip that wears green 24/7/365 q-mann Anyone up ford four- player Metroid hunt? ¥ Advent Children тау not be all we see of Cloud in '04. Cloud to spring into action Final Fantasy VII fans can already look for- ward to the minimovie Advent Children (see page 30) this year. But word is that a new game featuring heroes Cloud & Co. is com- ing to PS2 in late 2004. Rumored to be an action game along the lines of Devil May Cry, the as-yet-untitled project is likely to make its debut in the next few months. N-Gage all over again Here's a rumor you might not've seen com- ing: Word is Nokia is putting the finishing touches on a redesigned version of the N- Gage hardware, so the handheld can go head-to-head with Sony's PSP later this year. If what my sources say is true, it plays the same games in a less awkward pack- age. Could this be the end of sidetalkin'? Multiplayer Metroid One of the titles that The Q-inator is most looking forward to in 2004 is Metroid Prime 2, and whispers in the dark suggest that this time | won't have to play alone. Current scuttlebutt indicates that multiplayer has worked its way into the game, though it's unclear if it'll be straight-up deathmatch or something more...innovative. Digital Godfather Take EA Games’ ability to churn out quality licensed games and its lack of an entry in the burgeoning mafia/gangster genre, and it's not hard to believe this next rumor. If what The Q hears is correct, the company is planning a title based on Francis Ford Coppola's 1972 epic film, The Godfather (and its sequels). Sounds interesting... Games for PS3 and Xbox 2... ...аге already in development! But you might be asking, "Hey Q, how can that be if no one has development kits?" Well, РИ tell you. A few developers are working on high-end PC workstations that are probably Similar in processing power to both next- gen systems—they'll adapt the titles to the dev kits when they get 'em. Sony sequel spectacular You may already know about new install- ments of some of Sony's popular titles, but add these to the soon-to-be-sequelized list: Rise to Honor, Dark Cloud, and Twisted Metal. I'd include Mark of Kri (as word has it that sequel's happening too), but current talk pins the game being published by someone other than Sony. Tricky, tricky... DESERT ISLAND GAMES JORDAN MECHNER Each month, we ask a celebrity or game designer: If you were strand- ed on a deserted island, which three games would you want to add fun to your sun? This month, we strand Jordan Mechner, creator of the Prince of Persia series and con- sultant on POP: The Sands of Time. — Marc Saltzman Jak Il (52) “| haven’t played it, so a desert island would give me a chance to catch up. This is one | could sink my teeth into.” Ico (PS2) ^| loved this game but only got halfway through. I've been теап- ing to get back and see it through to the ending. | still feel bad about abandoning that waiflike princess. | felt she was really starting to trust me, and | let her down!” The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (сс) “I've wanted to play this ever since it came out, but | never got started just because the world seems so huge and deep. It would take a decent block of time to do it justice.” >> NAMCO SAYS IT PLANS TO RELEASE ITS PS2 JAPANESE-STYLE DRUM GAME TAIKO NO TATSUJIN IN THE UNITED STATES IN 2004. THE TITLE IS A HUGE HIT IN ITS NATIVE JAPAN.... >> 66 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com Photograph by Jennifer Mechner namco'u-s www.namco.com PIC REVIEWS. EPIC SAGA. EPIC HIT. “.. Xenosaga is to video games as the original Star Wars is to movies.” “гап interstellar otherspace opus ~GMR, 9 out of 10 of the most magnificent kind. . ." GamePro, 4.5 out of 5 “Xenosaga is truly a triple-A title...” 2 2 -Game Informer, 9.75 out of 10 ...one of the coolest stories Bapa In е you'll encounter..." Ne е С lil Робін Magni, боли 5 = 1 Calling this game epic would he 4 / - an understatement.” E патсо-хепозада. сот stg PlayStation®2 Greatest Hits edition available now. ONLY Ж ШЕЕ 70023 А, ОБОВ 7/0723 ЕР 70450] F; р М Plunge into а massive adventure as you battle Take on 80 hours of gameplay using Absorb stunning graphics, awesome cinematics against a brutal alien race across the universe. innovative battle and control systems. and beautifully rendered 3D environments. Violence Blood and Gore PlayStation.e Xenosaga™ EPISODE 1 Der RIGHTS RESERVED. "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. The ratings icon is a registered trademark of the Entertainment Software Associaton. Al other trademarks and trade nom THE HOT FIVE The voters have spoken—these five games interest them most Head over to egmmag.com to vote for which games you want updates on each month. XB • Microsoft * Fall 2004 — Red and Blue“ Master Chiefs, will you never get along? Not according to this first screen of actual Halo = 2 multiplayer combat. Developer Bungie — - сі - = 5 D Is it just us, or is released the shot the same day.it affirmed a 3 = қ З that one blue dude >> SONY SOLD 100,000 UNITS OF ITS NEAR-$1, Г RESIDENT EVIL 4 GC * Capcom * Late 2004 — You may have heard unsettling murmurings claiming that RE4 will no longer be exclusive to GameCube, or that the game is suffering horrific delays, or that the entire staff has turned into flesh- hungry zombies and plunged Capcom’s offices into a survival-horror blood bath. Don't listen. We'll give you the true scoop on RE4’s shocking gameplay innovations in next month’s issue. jumping really high? PS2 • Sony CEA ® Mid 2004 — We're still waiting for a finalized 674 vehicle roster, but we can add one very special car to the list: a 1962 Buick Skylark Special (pictured above) christened "Bu'Wicked." GT4 creator Kazunori Yamauchi handpicked the regal custom job as Best in Show at a high-profile auto show, edging out a Renault Clio Sport, an Acura NSX coupe, and a Saturn lon for a spot in the game. -EVERYTHING MULTIMEDIA PLAYSTATION-BRANDED “PSX” IN JAPAN WITHIN ONE WEEK OF ITS RELEASE... >> 68 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com МТХ: MOTOTRAX Think you've got what it takes? МТХ: Mototrax offers the fastest motocross gaming experience that will have you accelerating around corners and flying through the air at teeth-rattling speeds. Launch into a gravity-defying inverted 360 before crossing the finish line to the roar of the crowd. Earn cold hard cash from contest wins and sponsorships. Use the money to modify your rider's attributes, purchase equipment upgrades or buy access to freeride environments complete with new goals and objectives. You can upgrade your power as you progress and ride 125cc and 250cc 2 stroke bikes as well as 250cc and 450cc 4 stroke bikes from manufacturers like Suzuki and Yamaha. The game features Travis Pastrana—legendary motocross, supercross and freestyle athlete—plus 12 other top pro riders, or you can take your skills online to compete against your friends or other live players to see who is king of the track! PRINCE OF PERSIR: THE PS2, XBX, GC SRNDS OF TIME Slo-Mo Jump * In a fight, all the enemies lose their blocks if you use а slo-mo. The ones that wouldn't allow you to jump over them now do. Continuous Swing * When swinging from pole to pole, keep the R1 button pressed down; this allows the Prince to continuously swing and link to the next pole. Secret Passages * It is necessary to closely observe the walls that do not seem solid. They are probably walls that can be broken and lead to the secret passages. © press start COMING SOON What to play during April showers 2004 Digimon Racing GBA • Bandai — Digital monsters duke it out on—you guessed it—go-karts. Link cables let four little ones in on the fun. سم ™ NBA Ballers’ cover stud Stephon Marbury never fakes the funk on a nasty dunk. PUER 2 Headhunter: Redemption PS2/XB * Sega — Metal Gear Solid meets Shenmue in this sequel to the story- and stealth-driven action-adventure. NBA Ballers PS2/XB/GC • Midway — From wardrobes to automobiles, МВА superstars are known for livin’ large. Now it's your turn to share in the wealth. Defeat the NBA's elite in 1-on-1 pickup games, and you too can build a home that's MTV Cribs-worthy. Mega Man Anniversary Collecti: PS2/GC • Capcom — Looking to play 10 of the games that defined 2D platform- ing? Here's your opportunity. Serious Sam: Next Encounter PS2/GC * Take-Two — As far as first- person shooters go, Sam keeps it simple: If it moves, kill it. If not, try anyway. PS2 • Sony CEA — The travel brochure on this zombie-infested village never men- tioned the blood-flowing rivers. Bonus! ut Showdown: Legends of Wrestling PS2/XB * Acclaim — The latest in the vin- World Tour Soccer 2005 PS2 • 989 Sports — Sony's tour of footy Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain Imani inside Warehouse. Eliminate Four } lad ^ y h i Growlanser: Generations PS2 е Working Designs — Triple-digit hours of play await the dedicated in this collection of previously unreleased RPGs. La Pucelle: Tactics PS2 • Mastiff — Tactical roleplaying in a world where monsters pose as humans and humans look like monsters. River City Ransom EX GBA е Atlus — Did you know that eating sushi makes your punches and kicks stronger? In River City, it does. PS2 е Sony CEA — Saving the world is reason enough to retire early, but Gabe Logan isn’t signing off just yet. He’s calling the shots from HQ as four new agents cooperate to eradicate evil. \ \ Syphon Filter's Gabe Logan 3 EEE ІТ! tage wrasslin' series comes with simplified controls and over 70 venerable meatheads. features over 900 squads (international and club), plus graphics to rival FIFA’s. 70 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com DEFINING MOMENTS “Information is the deadliest weapon of all.” -Mike Grasso, Tactical Intelligence Specialist Stolen Flame __ 2005.21.30 - 2300 Anuayı Venezuela CONTROL | JOHN CLARK KEVIN SWEENEY NEWSWIRE ORDERS ов KCTIVE: po In a matter of seconds, newly acquired intelligence can decide the fate of an entire operation. This is why militaries devote tremendous resources to gathering the most current and accurate data available. The Clancy Games Development Team operates no differently, forming a network of experts led by Clancy himself. With unprecedented civilian access into America's warfare assets, the Clancy intel group secures data on `. near-future technologies, tactics, and combat scenarios for immediate field use by Clancy developers. Ж Tom Clancy's “It is often the little things that will kill you.” -Anonymous Navy SEAL Operative Even the best-laid plans don't withstand the first five minutes of combat. To succeed, each team member must be watchful of subtle, unpredictable nuances in ballistics, enemy behavior, and the environment. To reproduce the minute details of real-life operations, the Clancy Games Development Team looks beyond second accounts, drawing upon their own military experiences as former U.S. Marines, National Guard Reserve servicemen, and Military Police. Some details are too critical to be handled without the deadliest of certainty. Ä Tom Clancy's и. 2 Ty, ^ эчтем ВР и “A soldier’s life is years of training interspersed with seconds of sheer terror.” -Special Forces Axiom In the moments leading up to combat, an operative is brutally tested in his or her ability to face rising tension. Possessing this ability is not an instinct, but an acquired skill. And to understand it firsthand, the Clancy Games Development Team volunteered for unprotected tear gas exposure and trained with non-lethal munitions used by militaries to condition troops to fear. These experiences aided teams in depicting the crucial seconds of combat tension. X Tom Claneys “U.S. Army snipers are 1800% more accurate than the average soldier.” = U.S. Army Fact File The ability to hit a six-foot man 628 meters away with the first, cold-barrel shot is the result of unrelenting training. Operatives must fire their weapons frequently, under every conceivable condition, until elite performance is routine. In order to create the highest quality of in-game combat, the Clancy Games Development Team undertakes assault-rifle drills and mock kill-house operations in full engagement gear, and have witnessed SWAT and Special Forces teams in action firsthand. In this way, the Clancy Team aims to learn the operative's rigorous journey to excellence. А Tom Clancy's “The whole point of being an American is to enjoy your freedom.” — Tom Clancy Freedom's battlefield knows no borders. Its defenders must stand in readiness, prepared for any threat. No danger can be too great, no enemy too terrible. They must execute with intelligence, intensity, vigilance, and excellence. They must accept no outcome but victory, preserving freedom in decisive, defining moments of combat. And when the threat is extinguished, and the cost of freedom is clear — they will readily fight again. When your moment comes, how will you perform? Ж Tom Clancy's PRODUCTS RANGE FROM RATING PENDING то MATURE CONTENT RATED BY EX ol Sos call 1-800-771-3772 ù | 8 for Rating Information - t 5 © 2001-2008 Red Storm Entertainment. © 2002, 2004 e Ubisoft Entertainment in the U.S. and/or otber ido inc. is а Ubisoft Enertainment company. cover story: О games i choo marm will get you up to speed on the ubjects, and yes, this will be on your test.» — ` ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com « 83 R 2 Š E] ё 50 games: getaway 2 all 2004 please review your les- ie Getaway, last year's Auto-style driving game bent on building a living, breathing, seedy underworld of kingpins and Cockney-rhyming, Ford Cortina-driving hard cases with family problems. Some gaming magazine touted the “hyper-realistic visuals [that] really put Grand Theft Auto: Vice City's graphics to shame.” That same mag also said, "The controls, aiming system, and camera all have major problems." Hold on—that was us. And we weren't telling no porkie-pies.* A big seller that eluded critical acclaim, The Getaway proved that а minutely mod- eled recreation of London—involving a painstaking photography process that took Brit developer Team Soho three years— doesn't make up for so-so gameplay. Oh, and sending out early screens of a sparkling Audi TT in an alleyway (scenes so amazing they could never hope to be re-created in a moving game) didn’t help, either. But all that's in the past now. With cement of The Getaway 2— r PS2—Sony and Team ising a sequel that rights Js of the previous game while i surplus of hype and trumped- Ogle the exclusive screens on дез and clap politely; they look like they're from the game this time. London calling After spending three years modeling every bit of the city—down to texturing just the right shade of brickwork across King’s Cross Station—Team Soho isn’t about to up and leave their virtual London for the sequel. “The focus of The Getaway series ntral London,” says Hirani. “It’s on our - tourist side and the seedy side. It's the perfect backdrop to tell many stories.” The team is creating new locations to add depth and detail to the heart of the city, but according to Hirani, “There was no point in expanding out to the suburbs.” _ This allowed the level designers to don а variety of fetching hard hats, inspect all - of London's newer building sites, and gather data on all the construction that’s taken place since the first game. After all, this sequel kicks off two years after the events of The Getaway. “London has moved on, but some things never change,” Hirani says. “New gangs have moved in, some old gangs are making new friends, some of the villains are getting desper- ate...and it's getting dangerous." _ Like the first game, then? Don't Ба it. For starters, this sequel has a new cast, and prequel stars Mark Hammond a Carter aren’t part of it. “There are some very obvious common elements and some familiar faces, but the new story is not just a simple continuation," says Hirani. The sequel instead features amateur boxer Eddie O'Connor, a small-time palooka who gets mixed up in thuggery. But like the — original, which had players start the game as а crook and switch over to а cop at the halfway point, Getaway 2 will feature mul- tiple characters—more than two this time. “The idea behind the structure of the first game was to show two sides of the same story—the cop and the gangster, concur- rent episodes in a gangster flick,” says Hirani. “The second game builds on this theme by telling the story from a number of interwoven perspectives.” > *Cockney slang for telling lies. At least that’s what the bona-fide Brit who wrote this article tells us. WC mA T S NT amc GAMING У. 2 wm oO Pe ЖКС м + 2 WC Lu № You'll face members of the Metropolitan Police Force's Special Operations Division, who are way more dangerous than those silly-hat Bobbies. Sneaking Feeling Didn’t like all the skulking around in the first Getaway? Too bad for you, mate. Developer Team Soho is expanding the stealth gameplay of the sequel. Fortunately, “we've refined it,” says Director Naresh Hirani, but that’s all he’ll say. We're hoping the new stealth missions won’t involve tedious trial and error (ке in the first game. EN N wy 0 od Е wu Kg > > < "ERG cm PU W You start as ama- teur boxer and part- time bouncer Eddie O'Connor, who lands оп the bad side of Johnny Law and the king of London gangland after a ‘small-time crime job goes awry. IY 0 0 3 6 50 games: getaway 2 Going Down Along with grimy new sewer locations, the Getaway 2 will feature a complex working Underground (the British equivalent of a subway 9 system). "It will be an inte- ага! part of the story line and gameplay," says Director Naresh Hirani. “1 don't want to give away too much about it, as there are some climactic scenes that take place [there].” > Keeping it real ^9 — vy - : т. > ELE лаға, 56 M АЕ Б S The developers are also still keen on sticking to the original game's strict "full immersion" aspect—a design choice that deep-sixes onscreen indicators like. health bars or city maps in favor of more natural and realistic cues. Instead of relying on a simple direction- al arrow to figure out where to drive, for example, players must watch the turn-signal lights on their cars. The big idea is to make the series feel more like a movie than a videogame, but the lack of game-style icons was also the target of gripes from many players and reviewers of the first game. Take the bizarrely annoying and inadvertently humorous "lean" move, which requires injured players to trudge off to a quiet wall somewhere and gasp like an asthmatic smoker to regain health. So what's the solution for the sequel? "It's a tough nut to crack," Hirani concedes. "We have the seem- ingly opposing ideas of gameplay essentials and the concept we call cinematic clarity. The solution used in the first The Getaway was effective and elegant in many ways; we allowed the player to recover when he wanted, even in a gunfight, if he found a safe spot. The drawback was that it had the potential to frag- ment the game experience, as the player always had the opportunity to break the flow of-action.” This time around, the health system will “fit in” more naturally and not be so irritating. “In the sequel,” he says, “we take the principle [of total immersion] forward by having natural locations within the environment where you can regain health through the use of objects found there. We've also added the concept of threat into the health-regain system. This forces players to think more strategically about where they stop to recover.” So no wheezing against a cocaine crate on a Yardie’s manor, OK rudeboy*? Team Soho is shoring up this sequel with a lot more variety in the on-foot and driving missions and much greater diversity of unlockable gameplay, mak- ing the game less linear than before. They've also overhauled the player control system, Hirani says, “giving the player pinpoint accuracy over the charac- ters,” Add to the mix some truly different locations (such as rooftop chases, a fully working Underground rail system, and the obligatory romp around a sewage system...hey, it worked for Lara Croft, didn’t it?), mul- tiple story lines, and on-foot fighting (specific to char- acters and locales), then subtract boats, planes, and online play (there isn’t any), and үн а return to London Worth.waiting for...until zee Germans get there. —David SJ Hodgson *Brit-slang translation: 50 по leaning against a drug crate on a gangster's turf, OK drunken South London teenager? To The Eddie O'Connor Equation: Gangster or Wankster? That vanishing hairline. That chip-on-his-shoul- der attitude, That velour tracksuit. First playable character Eddie 0’Connor—a likely can- didate for a Queer Eye makover if there ever was one—exudes a cer- tain working-class charm you just don’t get in games. What's devel- oper Team Soho’s top- secretive formula for this brutish London gent? Let’s do the math on how this ghetto-way star was built... Jason Statham Best known as Bacon, the hard-case working stiff from Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Rough and rugged, he’s guaran- teed to drive the ladies wild and send the gents scram- bling for a Cockney the- saurus. Remove baseball bat. Replace with pool cue. Gregory Sierra Multiply by psychotic, bald- ing, mid-level narcotics kingpin Felix Barbosa, played by Sierra in the early 90s drug-bust flick Deep Cover. This guy’s explosive temper and skill with a snooker cue add that spe- cial lethal something to the Getaway 2’s new star. ES ES Vinnie Jones Add the wild glare and hard-man facade of this Snatch star. Be sure to shorten first name and add the letters “i” and “e” to it. Edward O'Connor: too stuffy. Ed O'Connor: sounds like а jazz DJ. Eddie O'Connor: an underworld loose cannon running amok in London! Na 9 TT says Director Naresh Hirani, “giving an increased sense of realism that matches E г Heihachi Mishima | Squeaky clean Cockney Mister Rogers wardrobe Eddie O'Connor Whisk and knead in all the chimney sweep image Let's just go crazy, eh Brooding? Check. Uncanny scowling anger of the | Quickly remove 1920s chaps? We want major resemblance to Lock, Stock Tekken series' deranged chirpy Cockney stereotypes. characters sporting too- or Snatch cast member? martial-arts master. He O'Connor must be schooled tight muscle shirts, but also Gotcha. Male-pattern bald- comes equipped with the in 1990s Guy Ritchie gang all the latest outerwear hess to accentuate anger- obligatory receding hairline, warfare instead. He should from le ensemble de neigh- management problems? but we don’t really need his be cleaning Yardie blood borhood, including 1970s You betcha. Bizarre fashion powers to control electrici- from his knuckles, not soot green, too-tight, zipped sense? Definitely. Early 21st ty. Leave those at the door, from chimneys. With a little velour sweatshirts. For no century London stereotype? Mr. Mishima. bit of bloomin’ luck. good reason. Roight you are, guvnor! Sew сан с E Е = N - Pom ND eM, hoe thanks! кое! Mp LÀ www.koei.com KOEIs 25th Anniversary TACTICAL ACTION Time flows from day to night. Seasons change. Swords will rise and men will fall. From the creators of Kessen™ auam Dynasty Warriors®, Samurai Warriors™ recounts tales of valor and betrayal in Medieval Japan. Cherry blossoms cascade onto springtime battlegrounds. Traps lay hidden in noble castles. Battle through 30 scenarios prepared to lose and you will emerge victorious. With multiple endings you have the power to change a nation's destiny. Produced by DOGE] „Force www.samurai-warriors.com 240 Ko. cour P Ў 2 Ko.com а TEEN TIERE TER —— Án New AutolFormation\Systemfehangesfcastie level IW Create | and] train, you y 9 y denas эди nun à maps_each time you play ТІ ү КЕПТІ, ТТЕ: Н 25. К 4 г owni character ini New ' ' New Active Mission System triggers a multitude 2 of objectives! Over 500 mission variations! m Visit www.esrb.org or call 1-800-771-3772 for more ratings tered trademarks of Sany i INTENT AED Y information. CTION GAMES V C /GONTKOLINTIIKOGABION BY MOVING. | слет ANALOG SICK UF AMD DC} THE PUNISHER PS2/XB • THQ • Fall 2004 If not for the skull shirt, you might mistake Marvel Comics’ badass Frank Castle for another trench-coat-clad killer. Like Max Payne, The Punisher shoots first and asks nothing later. He also hurls himself sideways in slow-mo bullet ballets. Unlike Max, howev- esc er, Frank shoves faces in deep fryers to make perps squeal. NUN Went so CRIMSON SEA 2 PS2 • Koei % March 2004 PS2 gamers score a sequel to Xbox’s 1 Dynasty Warriors-in- — ' the-future alien car- nagefest with more missions, charac- ters, and moves. FE gx Koo куы, тажы. AC Жал” Nm x 04116 OO 40, қо we жам ACTION кету АС | HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN PS2/XB/GC • EA Games * June 2004 Why should Harry Potter have all the fun? The first two adven- tures put gamers in Potter's foofy wizard shoes—this one allows you to play as Hermione and Ron, too. Ar t я еа EE LL 3 PS2 * Capcom ® Мау 2004 "He's like the Jason of feudal Japan," says Onimusha 3 Producer Keiji Inafune of the series’ resilient villain, Nobunaga Oda. Unlike Voorhees, however, he won't show up in any cheesy sequels set in space. Inafune promises that Onimusha 3 will, once and for all, mark the end of Nobunaga’s evil ambitions. The samurai Samanosuke (from the original Onimusha) teams up with pistol-packin’ French army officer Jacques Braun, and the two set out to put this demonic foe down for his final dirt nap. You'll battle evil in both characters’ historical settings—old-school Japan and present-day Paris—plus, via a time warp, Samanosuke and Jacques will visit each other’s hometowns. Gameplay will empha- size action over puzzles, and this finale also features full 3D backdrops (Onimusha 1 and 2 sported noninteractive renders). The Reno Factor Making Onimusha 3 more attractive to European gamers wasn’t the only reason why Producer Keiji Inafune modeled the Jacques Braun character after French actor Jean Reno (The Professional, Mission: Impossible). “American actors are a pain in the butt to negotiate with,” professes Inafune. “They want lots of money for starring in games, so [we] decided to go with [Jean Reno].” > P di^ (gyre D К ғаты act ION тм NEW COLOR | Dual-Tone!* * While supplies last JÎ Cobalt #2328078 SS E =) Platinum #232810-2 Ё x Flame ГА ШЕ. : Onyx #236575-7 И Dual-Tone* #2410371 r $99.99 each | > н » ur Ze eg 2 1 a >, 5220 Gotta catch em ЕШ LI CHA IMEB ۳ 38; "e Cg ca eme | #235923-0 $29.99 #235931-3 $29.99 f Sapphire version #232562-9 $34.99 Ruby version #221588-7 $34.99 Call 1-800-800-5166 for the store nearest you or visit us at www. — = re САМЕ ВОУ АОМАМСЕ SITZ We take games seriously " GAMES 50 games: action PS2/XB * Midway * September 2004 In the late 180s; a little arcade game called NARC taught us that the war on drugs: Gould be won by beating the crap ‘Out of dealers and punching their ‘attack dogs in the mouth. And й > is the same in though the trap: far more eye pleas- ing (not to mention blood $oaked). As Hitman and Max Force, elite members of the NARC squad, you set out on drug- busting missions around the globe to topple Mr. Big's aus- piciously named international cartel, K.R.A.K. Adding a unique twist to the G7A-style formula, “You can do what you want with the contraband— turn them in to the evidence locker or sell [their stash] for some quick cash,” says Producer Wayne line, “What you do will be tracked by the Badge rat- ing,” Play bad cop too much and you won't be able to advance unless you clean up your act, | Going rogue and killing anything that | moves will put some blemishes on that Badge rating. Big’s Head At the end of the original NARC arcade game, you fought a giant mechanical version of Mr. Big’s head tha t tongues at you. We've got our fing rossed in hopes that this Hideous abomination is in the remake, too, put ea t ASTRO BOY 1! PS2 e Sega • x Summer 2004 E 1 Here’s the setup: T 1 ( You’re a futuristic A robot boy who defends justice by 228 1! firing machine-gun >) blasts from his ass. As seen on TV. Cv c CT ms $ PS2 • Sony CEA • April 2004 1 Play as 10 differ- C ent characters who are all dumb enough АСЛ to wander into a haunted AC 55, ТАУ Japanese village. Ce a ру кшт ION ЕСІЛ % жа. айды РР " ail, | i 4 \r | A deadlpiarsonist is on the обе Up to you to battle fires with a full arsenal of high-techmifenahting weapons, including the powerful IFEX impulse gun. From intenselyaealistic backdrafts, flashovers and chemical explosions to hı rescuesyeyery/scorching second of Firefighter F.D.18 is а total kick. я KONAMI www.konami.com/usa Mild Language PlayStation.e Violence FIREFIGHTER FD.18'™ and FIREFIGHTER/F.D.18 LOGO™ are trademarks of Konami бо Ме ВОИ ТОКУ, Inc. © 2003 South America, furthermore the design of the impulse gun (outlet piece) is protegted bya tree Gimensionalirademark in the Management: Media Ventures. “PlayStation” and the “PS” Family logo аге registered trademarks Болу Computer Entertain Computer Entertainment Tokyo. IFEX is а registered trademark in Japan, the USA, іп Europe and гіп Europe and South America. Music arranged by Klaus Badelt for Tweak Multimedia Inc. Composer Inc. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Entertainment Software Association. 50 games: action E than three games, several words spring to mind. We'll settle f "Rising blends gunplay, stealth, and Halo-style vehicular 60 Card. But don't expect standard, linear fantasy fare; "Players" choices go a long way toward deciding who the hero really is,” explains Card. Whoever he becomes, we know Gideon begins his pursuit for answi with a stockpile of peacemakers and access to vehicles perfect for annihilating aliens and traversing whole planets. Depending on how you play, Gideon might ditch the guns altogether and develop divine powers. Who needs bullets when you can move at supersonic speeds. and psychokinetically toss tanks with your thoughts? ABE RC. wt" N mut сап save ourselves from extinction, hu the prophesied role of intergalactic ac 1 C BLOODRAYNE 2 PS2/XB * Majesco * October 2004 ! | The supersexy I Wussier heroes would have worn a helmet. bloodsucker returns, and this time around, [ she's redefining ES ) "dysfunctional fami- 3 ly" by hunting down = چ‎ a her own siblings. 2 2 EC =. i мемен iC mes PLAGUE OFDARKNESS . PS2/XB е Namco June 2004 Ghastly abominations roam medieval Europe's | plague-ravaged villages, spreading an unholy | disease. Enter Duron, a Knight of the | М у : й Р N P = Order (you know, the Order), COM e. 4 و‎ н, B ы, who battles evil up close and personal with a variety of: ес %Ұ lee weapons and Tarot ч ; ( RIDDICK: ESCAPE FROM BUTCHER BAY A 79 If he lives: enun, А Т ХВ © VU Games » June 2004 - fill fight thé'tlemonic source of В e a This first-person adventure reveals how convicted murderer Richard B. Riddick snuck, ^^ d Black Death itself. ж. 5 shot, and shivved his way off the maximum-security prison planet Butcher Bay before pg the events of sci-fi flick Pitch Black and its upcoming sequel, The Chronicles of Riddick. Vin Diesel reprises his role as the heroic criminal for game and film alike. C за y 1 THE INCREDIBLES С. PS2/XB/GC • THO % November 2004 4 Perform acts of stupden- С dous superheroism in the game based on Pixar's Finding Nemo follow-up АСЛ flick. (Note: similarities to that awful Blasto (PS1) дате are negligible.) —_ а Specie фи EN 410; PRE-ORDER NOW 8. RECEIVE A LIMITED EDITION SYDNEY ФУУУ High-impact, motion-captured combat Spy gadgets, high-tech & makeshift weaponry Intense camera work from multiple angles BASED ON AN ORIGINAL STORY FROM THE CREATORS OF THE SMASH HIT TV SERIES»» She's a stealth bombshell with spy skills. A covert agent with kung-fu moves. For Sydney Bristow life is the deadliest of games—one of infiltration, espionage and action. Now her mission is yours. Go deep into fier dangerous world and unlock the secrets behind TV's hottest sensation. TEEN Watch Violence ples PCED | mn’ A abc з ком аз B] ا‎ ALam ® & © 2003 Acclaim Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved. "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Compu Inc. Microsoft, Xbox and the Xbox Logos are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and or in other ci ALIASTHEGAME.COM used under license trom Microsoft. Alias 2003 © Touchstone Television. All Rights Reserved. 50 games: | rele, playıng No Need to Save Your Save " One interesting hallmark of the % Suikoden series has been the а to import your save data frg ous games into new inst first two sequels had thi PS2 • Konami ® Fall 2004 This fourth installment finds Konami's flagship RPG franchise at a а, Васк ûn PS1, Konami’s distinctly old-school Suikoden series lurked beneath the radar of most mainstream RPG buyers. (Though they're paying the price now...just try to find a сору of Suikoden I! on eBay for less than $100). Recently, Suikoden III (PS2) garnered new fans, thanks to its better-late-than-never 3D visuals, but it actually managed to turn off series vets with its confusing interlocking scenarios and tedious pacing. Thankfully, Suikoden IV appears poised to combine what was great about the old games with what fans expect from a modern role-playing epic. “We looked at the.development of Suikoden Il and decided to take the next game іп а new direction," says Producer Junko Kawano. "We decided to do something very different by setting the entire game оп йе ocean? That means you'll be doing a fair | bit of seafaring between the game's myriad tiny islands, à la Zelda: The Wind Waker (GC), and likely building a massive houseboat instead of a home castle. Also, the bat- “Ше system from /// has been scrapped. “The battles here аге much more like those in А ins Kawano. "They re fast, but also now very ¢ cinematic.” vor. of one strong 1 [is THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: FOUR SWORDS GC * Nintendo « Summer 2004 While it's not Wind Waker 2, this collection offers three unique multiplayer minigames: Hyrule Adventure, Shadow Battle, and Navi's Trackers. Break out the GBAs...and the link cables. FABLE XB + Microsoft * Fall 2004 = > P In this über-ambitious N = india RPG, you can become 5 Ё MT . a hero, villain, archer, > A thief, werewolf, magi- cian, or, even more А dangerous, a hus- E Л band and a father. > 96 » ELECTR IG MONTHLY • wv/w.egmmag.com WE - HOS M S2>29>90 9290209 EISSSTT T] ҮТТЕ: ІГУЯХТТЯХА 56064465. 12222 % x IR Ga ; { д e er 3 Caw, 4 underestimate: үші py 9694| 12752 — moto. o. es ++ Check complete catalogue and supported phones at www.gameloft.com. Featured Phones: Nokia 3560, 3595, 3600, 3650, 3100, 3200, 3300, 6100, 6200, 6800, Motorola T720, 1730, 0300, 0400, 0600, 190, i95cl, Siemens C56, 556, M56, 5156, LG un4400, унБ000, Sony Ericsson ТБ10, T616, Sanyo 8100. er ONLY FRUI....... ou best = AT&T Wireless X cingular F - -Mobile- verizonwireless © 2004 Gameloft. All Rights Reserved. Gameloft, the Gameloft logo and Gemz are trademarks of Gameloft in the US and/or other countries. Splinter Cell, Sam Fisher, the Soldier Icon, Ubisoft, and the Ubisoft logo are trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the US and/or other countries. Based on Prince of Persia® created by Jordan Mechner. Prince of Persia and Prince of Persia The Sands of Time are trademarks of Jordan Mechner used under license by Gameloft. © Van Hamme - Vance / Dargaud Benelux (DARGAUD-LOMBARD S.A.) 2000 DARGAUD. Get It Now and Verizon Wireless are trademarks of Verizon Trademark Services LLC. Get It Now requires network connection in Verizon Wireless digital service areas. Airtime & other service fees apply. roleplaying Р52/ХВ/( ‚Activision е May 2004 If you think PE is hard, think of дут class at .. Professor Х school: Running laps istrt so bad- 2 whien compared to dodging booby traps, lasers, 1 в (Above) Cyclops strikes а somewhat ques- losions, and 40-foot-tall mutant-hunting ^ tionable pose to unleash an optic blast. bots. Experience the mutant/adolescence - > firsthand with Legends, a hybrid that blends y cx PG >y 7 С the X-Men universe with hack-n-slash role- Alliance. The story line centers on a new charac- ter, Alison Crestmere, who's just coming to terms with her mutant abilities, but comic fans will appreciate the large cast of playable сі (including, but not limited to, Cyclops, Wolverine, Jeah Grey, Nightcrawler, Colossus, and evei Forge). With newly reworked visuals (scope the subtle cartoon style) and promise of/co-op multiplayer, Legends should suc- cessfully prove tat dungeon hacking doesn't require dungeons e Mm > = NIE RR ор” a > 3 ЕУ WHAT ABOUT PSP GAMES? ; Why yes, that’s an excellent question. Here’s the truth: Most companies simply aren't talking about games for Sony's powerful new handheld system until this May's E3 gaming expo. Two publishers have recently gone on the record with announcements: Natsume promises a new Harvest Moon title for crop tending on the go, while Koei looks to rake in cash with a portable Dynasty Warriors. We’ve also heard rumors that you can expect an EA Games onslaught, with versions of The Sims, James Bond, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Catwoman by year’s end. ХВ е Microsoft е Summer 2004 A sorceress, gunslinger, huntress, and swordsman all walk into a bar...actually, it's not so much а bar аз it is a.long-delayed action- RPG for Xbox. Thankfully, it looks to be worth the wait: Sudeki sports Slick anime-inspired visuals, labyrinthine dungeons to explore, and an inventive real-time combat system that should make control- | х s 3 ав Teast Ig ling an entire party a cinch. шә ші IT PPA JADE EMPIRE SHIN MEGAMI XB • Microsoft TENSEI: NOCTURNE • Winter 2004 PS2 • Atlus ® Fall 2004 Atlus finally brings this demon-summoning RPG series (that the PS1 Persona games sprang from) Stateside, with help 2 from Devil May Cry's dashing hero, Dante, > мы К RPG | I i With Empire, the developers | of Knights of the Old Republic take you way back and far, far away...to ancient China. Prepare for deep combat and a whole lotta character-creation freedom. a hy © KIG RP № > ж "KRY" oTRER. m i: ECTRONI MING MONTHLY * www.et K e j 2[ 3 > 7 A )j RE TRONIE GAMING NONTI ie. 0 i e > 2 РС DOL 7 алт, А ne: Experience Dead orAlive® 2; compel Signed oma brand new engine, Sega Saturn vin of bad dr his — for the y o vealed;and:much;much тоге! „© RD OR ALIVE @ эь PPA TE «C ТТК X | ® Visit www.esrb.org E ON xBox"! or call 1-800-771-3772 DEAD OR ALIVE” | XBOX J = for тоге ratings ж ж ж 42° мы ШМА L. 1V © | information. " 124140 LE GAMES Bean www.doaultimate.com 5911 oe CES games: EN | АЙЫ. shooting - wait Я My Clone, My Soundalike ша neat touch, all the clones in Republic Commando will be voiced by either actor Temuera Morrison (Jango Fett in Star Wars: Attack of the Clones) or professional sounda- likes. “The idea [behind the sounda- Кез] 1$ that twins don’t exactly sound the same,” explains Commando producer Steve Matulac. REPUBLIC - COMMANDO XB • LucasArts • Fall 2004 Е RR A There’s not much to love about grizzled bounty hunter Jango " Fett, but there is a lot of Fett to love. The gun-for-hire became the template for the clones in Star Wars: Attack of the. Clones and, in doing so, instantly became his own best friend a million or so times over. Republic Commando, LucasArts’ new first-person Squad shooter stars Fett's clones, under armor of course, as they storm across the galaxy in never- before-seen Clone War battles. The game takes place between Attack of the Clones and the as-yet-unnamed third Star Wars prequel and promises to take a darker, more behind-the-scenes look at George Lucas' often cute-moppet-filled sci-fi playground. Players take the role of an anonymous commandosin ; charge of three other warriors. In the heat of combat, play- ers can point and click to hotspots and command their allies to storm a position, man a turret and lay down sup- A port fire, or use explosives to blow up a target. A powerful. 2 DC-17M rifle serves as а commando's best friend; it can be modified on the fly to create a blaster, sniper rifle, ог antiarmor gun. -Greg Orlando, Queer SR = ag GC * Nintendo • Fall 2004 Shooting and scar- ing combine when you use your ghost- ly powers of pos- session to jump in and out of your ene- mies' bodies. ‚1 SHADOW OPS: 1 RED MERCURY ХВ • Atari е June 2004 Travel the globe as а mem- ber of an elite counter- да terrorism unit where j} teamwork and ап ®, itchy trigger finger are equally important. RONIC GAMING MONTHLY а www egmmag.com HALF-LIFE 2 XB е VU Games ® Fall 2004 If you didn't already know about the breathtaking new physics and A.l. improve- ments that should bring this game's realism and interac- tivity to new heights...well, you do now. (Note: This is a PC screenshot...so pretty.) ANO - LATIN L PS2/XB • Midway ® Fall 2004 In the depths of the government’s most secret military base, you'll find mutants, extraterrestrials, and more conspiracies than you can shake ап Uzi at—but what about shaking a tentacle? As you peel back the layers of mystery, the alien muta- gen you've contracted turns you into an alien-human hybrid supersoldier. Zoinks! eua fang "INi < D00M3 XB • Activision • Fall 2004 Ck This ultra-atmospheric installment of the famous shooter series hides its с ghoulish creatures in the 25 f shadows until they’re within feet of eating your face. X Delicious. (Note: PC version shown...sorry, kids.) ZU S CAO yg GOST AVES SU Ni 7° SHELLSHOCK: "МАМ 67 PS2/XB • Eidos е Summer 2004 Guerrilla Games (the guys behind the PS2's would-be Halo killer, Killzone) has another chunk of wartime action in the works—ShellShock. This third-person shooter re-creates the dense jungle combat of the Vietnam War. Expect a brutal, uncensored depiction of the "Мат experience, with a narrative following one sol- dier’s journey from fresh-faced rookie to grizzled black-ops agent. KILLZONE PS2 ® Sony CEA • Fall 2004 Martin de Ronde, general manager of Dutch developer Guerrilla Games, has a beef with PS2 bashers. “I get the impression that peo- ple think the PlayStation 2 isn’t capable of doing certain things,” he says. “It’s a very powerful machine. It's got a very steep ый learning curve, but once you’re over it, you can get excellent results.” He knows what he's talking about—Killzone, his team's PS2-only shooter, has the potential to be the Halo destroyer Sony fanboys have always dreamed of. Plus, its gameplay is nearly as Sexy as its visuals: You'll need to switch between members of your four-man squad to deal with the game's 26 levels of pretty landscapes and gas-mask-toting terrorists. > ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY ® www.egmmag.com » 101 6 50 games: shooting № While battling enemy panzers, you'll take the driver's seat in other vehicles, including Sherman tanks and armored cars. CALLOFDUTY: ` ^ FINEST HOUR ; PS2/XB/GC е Activision * Fall 2004 No matter how many times you've single-handedly stopped the Wehrmacht : Я — on your TV screen, supersoldiers don’t win world wars in real life—heroes emerge only after nations throw grunts by the million into history's meat жем: umm grinder. Call of Duty: Finest Hour "emphasizes ‘everyman’ characters who - a heed their own call of duty for a great variety of reasons,” says Producer Scott Langteau, top brass behind the historical shooter. You'll assume the roles of characters who range from a Russian tanker charged with defending a besieged Stalingrad, to a female sniper liberating. her hometown, to an American GI escorting a 155 mm howitzer into the heart of Aachen, to name a few, As that Soviet conscript, you won't simply sit astride 33 tons of screeching steel. (What's warfare without hardware?) Instead, you'll take control of the tank and run the goose-steppers into the ground. Dozens of friendly soldiers will fight alongside you and, depending on your rank, lead the charge or accept orders, If Finest Hour's single-player skirmishes (and prospective online bat- tles) manage to match the PC Call of Duty's massive set pieces, it might just strip the glory from a certain Medal of Honor, STIR m EN 100 BULLETS 1 PS2/XB/GC + Acclaim 19, t e Fall 2004 If you could commit murder and get away ES L гош Ai iO resounding “bang.” * Er {pe я У TS 40 OX Jc que MD, com ы с 7 ÛD Т \ Мм G Sur AN м ж PN ЛЕЙТ ОНЫ TS AIS E 0 DARK WATCH: CURSE OF THE WEST PS2/XB е Sammy • October 2004 You've probably played a first- person shooter before. Maybe you’ve even played a first-person shooter set in the Old West before. But a first-person shooter, set in the Old West, with vampires? No way. > - Over 50 unique characters; face zombies, undead judges, wraiths, crooks and demons as you blast your way to justice ` Intense multiplayer action with 1-4 players battling head-to-head in a dozen maps ` 16 different multiplayer modes let you frag your friends, and enemies, in so many different ways! RAILED! SAVE $5 OFF INSTANTLY with pre-order or purchase of Judge Dredd for Xbox." Limit one per customer. Cannot be combined with any other trade-in offer or promotion. Not valid on previous purchases. Pre-order requires a $5 deposit. Coupon must be present at time of purchase. No rain checks will be issued. No duplicate titles. Customer is responsible for sales tax in some states. Typographical errors are not the responsibility of EB Games. Some exclusions may apply. See sales associate for complete details. Offer valid 3/2/04-3/30/04 zesames |||] 2 > We take games seriously " TS GAMES нтк ICh IGH GH 50 games: Fighting | FIGHTING | GAMES | Я. } : | -4 " | WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO... E If you thumb through an EGM from early 2003, you'll probably see previews of games that still haven't come out. What's the deal? Well, some of them are still on their way, albeit slowly, like Fable (XB), Sudeki (XB), Pikmin 2 (GC), and, if you can believe 8 bs it, the supposed Xbox launch title Malice. But some games haven’t fared so well. High- f profile cancellations include Sega’s Vectorman (PS2) and Namco’s FirstStrike: Grant City Anti-Crime (PS2/XB/GC). 8l Against all odds, Argonauts Malice һеш coming out. » ris д SAMURAI SHODOWN V PS2 • SNK • Fall 2004 The best Sam Sho since part two? Well, it certainly has the biggest character. The arcade version has us waxing nostalgic right now, and we’re hoping the PS2 edition of SNK’s weapon- based 2D fighter makes it Stateside sometime this year. 2 i А x c Wc s GHEING £IGHEING Е FIG HTING РНС FIGHTING ғ інт 17 [TT PHANTOM DUST XB • Microsoft • Fall 2004 Take Red Faction’s destructible environments, add Akira's postapocalyp- tic urban sprawl and crazy-eyed mentalists, and voilà: third-person action/fighting hybrid D Phantom Dust. y № Yes, fanboys, they are wearing AT shoes. But as Producer Miller 3 4 points out, Jack and Tyler fought » many times before the rules of JF 7 A Fight Club were established. FIGHT CLUB PS2/XB • VU Games • Late 2004 First rule of remaking Fight Club into a videogame: Don’t remake Fight Club into a videogame. “For us to say we're going to remake the movie would just not work,” says Producer Chris Miller. “It'd be impossible with all the content that's in the film. [Besides], to me, Fight Club is like a perfect movie.” Instead, the plan is to take a sin- gle aspect of the controversial 1999 film—1-on-1 bare-knuckled fisticuffs—and develop it into а brawler worthy of the developers’ favorites (Soul Calibur, Tekken, Dead or Alive, and Street Fighter). Exactly. which characters will appear in the game is still being worked out with the lawyers, but we do know each combatant will fight in one of three styles: street boxing, wrestling, or martial arts. zs m = та жи ME, 2 ры» We are Jack's E Fill in the Blanks “We're telling the part of the story we, as viewers, didn’t see,” says Producer Miller, “the moments that take place in between the edits.” One example of this is a fight in the flooded basement (shown at right) where we saw Jack pulling the fuse. Or remember the movie’s montage travel scene, just after Jack wakes up from his long sleep? Players will visit all those m places as Tyler, re-creating scenes that were only implied in the film. (If you have no idea what we're talking about, rent the movie—it's good.) “Тпе game's story will follow the film closely,” says Miller, “but it will not interfere with it” > к PUT HYO E P sS ER k "ON КМ EM LIT ALT DEFINING A CULTURE, CREATING A NATION D XBOX MAGAZINE 7 Be 50 games: ч | fighting 4d DEAD OR AL ULTIMATE XB • Tecmo • Spring 2004 In an effort to give their loyal Xbox fans more DOA bounce for their buck; Tecmo's stuffing two complete games into its upcoming Dead or Alive: Ultimate (previously known as DOA Online). № you're feeling retro, you сал geek out with a slightly enhanced version of the original Dead or Alive for Sega Saturn (remember that one, kids?), but you'll likely spend more time ogling the vastly improved re-creation of Dead or Alive 2: DN Hardcore. Redesigned and rebuilt using the DOA: Xtreme Beach У Volleyball graphics engine, Hardcore's lush visuals will surpass even those of D0A3—the curvaceous character models look fantastic, and the wildly complex (and newly expanded) stages gleam with absurd amounts of detail. Plus, in typical DOA fashion, you can expect copious ^ unlockables, like a wealth of new bonus costumes. There's even something for the really dedicated fans—a brand-new CG movie that reveals, in detail, the ori- gins of the Kasumi/Ayane catfighting rivalry. Perhaps the biggest , Р 4 benefit of this whole DOA i Pa retrofit is that both | s games will be playable online via Xbox Live, mak« B ing Ultimate the first 3D B | fighting game ever to go online. Plus, real-time voice chat, online rankings, and-orga- nized tournaments will transform г an ordinary ass-kicking into full-on е public humiliation: —James Mielke. Kasumi’s Xbox ~ In Japan, Microsoft plans to cele- brate the launch of DOA Ultimate’ with a limited-edition oor | sole inspired by Kasumi, one of-the.. series’ most beloved battling babes. The unit sports a clear:blüe hue’ (the m exact color of Kasumi's outfit) and the game’s logo (it’s still called Dead or Alive Online in Japan) printed on the top. Sadly, don't look for this fetch- г 2 E I | COMME ing.ensemble to make it Stateside. rn ER И irn 0. Б шыл ы ner ПОРЫ в» KING OF FIGHTERS 2002 (@ RIVER CITY z IG | P52 smc summer anoa RANSOM ADVANCED If the recent double pack GBA • Atlus • April 2004 Pompadour-sportin’ pro- tagonists Ryan and Alex return in this update of the classic NES brawler, com- plete with RPG-like stat building, countless fast- : “ышы food runs, and co-op play. > S ien l E of King of Fighters 2000 з IG H and 2001 didn't sate your SNK arcade hunger, inves- tigate this latest version— 1 it offers improved visuals G Н and five characters exclu- sive to PS2. TOKENA Е АЛЕК ич - Ни IG EIGHEING FIGHTING FIGHTING SMITA _ €" ona ged. k wm RUN BY.GAMERS, FOR GAMERS, ABOUT GAMERS, WE DO. Pup c THE MAGAZINE FOR GAMING CORE COMPUTER GAMERS B zırr DAVIS MEDA PICK ONE UP ON NEWSSTANDS EVERYWHERE. GAME GROUF GAME GROUP 50 games: stealth E E >> detection by enemies with detection thingies. STARCRAFT: GHOST PS2/XB/GC + Blizzard • Late 2004 Supersoldiers and superspies are a dime a dozen these days. But what’s missing from the 007s, Solid Snakes, and Master Chiefs of the world? Sugar and spice and whatever else it is that makes a girl a girl. Enter the sexy protagonist of StarCraft: Ghost, a new stealth-action game from Blizzard (WarCraft, Diablo on PC). “Nova is an elite covert opera- tive called a Ghost,” says Producer John ability that allows her to see lingering foot- prints...or through objects. She has a speed ability as well. In game, we slow down the world and let Nova operate at normal speed, which allows her to get past timing puzzles and dodge incoming fire with ease.” She brings those skills to a war between the terrans (“think space marines,” says Lagrave), zerg (‘‘scary insectoid aliens”), and protoss (“highly advanced psionic aliens, E Я 2 W Lesson 2: Hide bodies or risk permanent detention. Lagrave. "She was trained from an early age [like] a cross between Jedi and vulcans"). to become a one-woman army" But anyone Fans of the original PC real-time-strategy ЧАМ» SOLD SNAKE can walk softly and carry a big gun—it's game StarCraft know this war of the worlds = Nova's sci-fi-flavored skills that make her all too well—now they can fight the good d Heck if we one tough chica. “She was born with psionic fight on consoles on а most personal, face- Number of ü Ps know. WINS ifts,” says Lagrave. “She [also] has a sight to-face level videogame fig 1 0017 (0 say wig gifts,” says Lagrave. 9 Я appearances 4 7 really Solid IP Snake these g y ТМ days?" Psionic 4 Q gadgets, А пате that strengths Á powers, cloaking |” British piques ladies’ ability accent interest Needs Women who Games have Weaknesses big sports need big been infiltrated һа sports bras by girly теп Most frightened ‚Alien (the movie) Old age t by... ut - _ CA "жт Сы. NINJA: RED END OF HONOR PS2/XB ® VU Games % Winter 2004 Packin' stealth moves and a unique wire weapon, this buxom Asian assas- sin seeks to avenge her father’s death. At 3 r fris Же. SPY FICTION PS2 ® Sammy * Fall 2004 Switch between two playable characters, each with unique abili- ties, as you sneak around killin’ fools and deploying the latest fantastic spy gadgetry. > Ѓ = пар 108 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY = www.egmmag.com a BJ P| > D ENTERTAINMENT SOFTWARE RATING BOARD EVERYONE EVERYONE Comic Mischief Mild Lyrics ESRB CONTENT RATING _www.esrh.org 50 games: stealth HIEF: DEADLY‘SHADOWS ' '* Eidos • Summer 2004 raging nyctophobiacs (the eggh@ad term for folks a-scared of the dark) will fear fiig 3 қ, “premise of this thievery simulator from the 2 guys behind Deus Ex: Invisible Лави, perennially nighttimesmedieyal'world of Thief, darkness is your pal as you creep through fortress shadows, relieving lords of their knick- Knacks. And since you're a lone archer in a realm.of beefcake guards, silence really is golden. *Thief's A.l. is some of the best in the industry," © says Project Director Randy Smith. "An alerted guard will draw his sword and search carefully, poking into every corner of the room, opening doors, looking behind furniture, etc." Being spot- ted doesn't mean instant skewering, however. You can blind pursuing guards with flash bombs, drop oil slicks to trip them up, climb sheer walls to freedom, "or be creative and come up with your own solution," Smith says. CE >. ЗЕЕ Cn c V ud; O 1. METALGEAR ЕЗ бірі; ЗМАКЕ ЕАТЕК PS2 е Konami • Fall 2004 Camouflage and jungle survival skills (including, yes, actually dining on various types of snakes) are the focus for Копатї'$ next stealth- action blockbuster. / en Ы ow ye HITMAN: CONTRACTS PS2/XB « Eidos « Summer 2004 Reprising his role as a comb-free contract killer, bald-and-beautiful Agent 47 employs everyday objects to execute marked men this time around. Whether you choose to put goons to rest permanently with a pillow or impale "ет with a fire- place poker, Hitman: Contracts is bound to be as disturbing as its off-'em-as-you- see-fit approach is liberating. In addition to a more gruesome outlook, expect a gentler learning curve (Hitman 2 is hellishly tough). > TE, оң Матсо % Ға!! 2004 Tekker's blonde bad girl busts out in her own stealth-action romp set aboard a luxurious cruise ship. Shuffleboard optional. тысу PSI-OPS: THE MINDGATE CONSPIRACY PS2/XB Midway ® June 2004 Imagine Solid Snake with psychic powers far superior to Miss Cleo's and you've got the profile of Psi-Ops star Nick Scryer. This secret agent possesses such abilities as telekinesis, pyrokinesis, remote viewing, and even mind control. Also, Nick's never afraid to bust a cap if he's suffering from a brain fart. > ALES ede STE, M CT STE a^ 2 u. pr [ 4 Re СО ТО DRAKENGARD. EG ММ АС COM AND'ENTER YOUR NAME TO WIN" ONE GRAND PRIZE WINNER WILL RECEIVE: A TRIP FOR 2 TO LOS ANGELES’, PLUS A GRAND EVENING AT MEDIEVAL TIMES*RESTAURANT AND TICKETS TO A WWE MATCH. THE WINNER WILL ALSO RECEIVE A DRAKENGARD GAME AND THE DRAKENGARD OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE FOR THE PLAYSTATION®2 COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM, 10 SECOND PRIZE WINNERS WILE RECEIVE: A DRAKENGARD GAME AND THE DRAKENGARD OFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE FOR THE PLAYSTATION®2 COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM: "MUST BE 18 OR OLDER TO ENTER: PRIZE INCLUDES AIRFARE AND ACCOMMODATIONS. SEE WEBSITE FOR FULL CONTEST RUTES, TERMS AND CONDITIONS. Blood and Gore Violence © 2003, 2004 cavia/SQUARE ENIX. All Rights Reserved. DRAKENGARD, SQUARE ENIX, and the SQUARE ENIX 1090 are trademarks of Square Enix Go., Ltd. “PlayStation” and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. The ratings Icon is a trademark of the Entertainment Software Association. BradyGames is a registered trademark of Pearson Education, Inc... ж.» 50 games: weird м PIKMIN 2 GC • Nintendo • Summer 2004 Hear that small pitter- patter down the hallway? That's the sound of 3,000 cute lil plantimals returning for another gar- den-themed real-time- Strategy jaunt. r. ie 5-47 dit Me ы, THE MOVIES № PS2/XB/GC • Activision ® Fall 2004 Being a movie star has its drawbacks— you gotta be in great shape, give up your privacy, and sign an irritating num- ber of autographs. The Hollywood job you really want is studio owner, and designer Peter Molyneux (Populous, Theme Park) understands this. To put it in true Hollywood terms, The Moviesis Your personal movie studio—use it to make The Sims meets The Player. You run a Oscar-winning faro..-or Hudsor Hawk 227, movie studio from the early days of сіп- 44220400 ета right through 2010. You select scripts, design sets, direct the cast and crew, and deal with diva actors and their entourages. "[You] basically expe- rience anything you've ever read about Hollywood—from stars' bad behavior and expensive turkeys to meteoric rises to stardom and surprise box-office suc- cesses,” Molyneux says. O 77 ar TES 3333 Title: Wildest Week 2 4 Director: Chad Best (Ж y = Nintendo has an odd habit of announc- ing utterly bizarre games but then fail- ing to follow through by actually releas- ing them. Oddball titles like Giftpia (a pastel-colored RPG devoid of combat), Stage Debut (a talent simulator that involves scanning e-Cards), Custom Robo (brutal toy-box warfare), and Roll- 0-Вата (in which you control а ball by tilting the controller) seem unlikely to ever make it to store shelves. LE rn Ex HD ШР 5] Ө... ees Ө... yv ge u} 7 S > MW ye ма ; © (17 HARVEST MOON FOR GIRLS i ж се | 4 ui How will you get your 1 E "he - . . теш. SEAN, Н у СҮ: жа as ; } 14 Movies creations to а hes Рр 2 Moon: Friends of жа 22 | demanding public? = 1 Е " = Activision hopes to fet / ше players post their com- ! м pleted works to а central А ж website. So, if you’r@ ” good enough, you could а end up with some real | fans іп the end.-&& Mineral Town en Em (GBA) and LA Harvest Moon: A Wonderful L Life (GC) should have had “for Boys" added to their titles, because both are being remade with a feminine twist. Aa S м, *^ P $5 4 WHERE BUSINESS GETS FUN CONFERENCE May 11-13 2004 | EXPOSITION May 12-14 2004 Los Angeles Convention Center If you're re in the business of games, ‚you need to be at the - center of the games business — ЕЗ. Register at www,e3expo.com ЕЗ is a trade event, and is id Mtas al public. Only qualified industry pr у attend. № оп una rl ad Ч рат НЕВЫ are encou reed r.com for Mode EAS БЕКУ RES Ша VUE TE арса атаса Бы сысы ауысты, e" i НАНЕС E TED с = This policy is strictly enforced. revieu Crew the must buys, the nice tries, and the cou pies DIRECTORY MULTIPLATFORM 114 James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing 1i6 Mafia 116 Worms 3D 117 MVP Baseball 2004 118 MX Unleashed he who smelt it dealt it. (ps2 ONLY) = PS2/XB/GC S d Which Version? Only PS2 owners can play the cooperative campaign online. On the other hand, н Fans expect a lot in а James Bond story: sardonic wordplay, gorgeous women, menacing ж и supervillains, vehicular mayhem, rough-and- player versus tumble fistfights, huge explosions, cutting-edge matches gadgetry, and 007's trademark improvisation. without extra Well, expect away, y'ali— Everything or Nothing И delivers. It feels even more like a Bond adventure Otherwise, all than some lesser chapters in the film series. tih ure à (Timothy Dalton?! Honestly.) | virtually Unlike previous 007 games, which had you identi merely shooting a million minions, or at best re- Ке, pate creating set pieces from the most recent film, choice may EON encourages you to think and act like Bond. Use Q’s rappelling device to seek the high ground (oh look, a sniper rifle!), throw a flash grenade to distract the guards, or open that steam vent to incapacitate 'ет. Once you get into the MI6 mind- come down to which system’s controller you prefer. 114% ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com № Hey Rio of LifeLine fame, 1 said, “Look behind you! A she- ninja!” Fine, don't listen... PLAYSTATION 2 118 LifeLine 119 Onimusha: Blade Warriors 120 Drakengard JAMES BOND 007: EVERY THING OR NOTHING . Looks like they chose everything set, it seems totally natural to throw yourself off a cliff sans parachute—you'll figure out something on the way down—or drive a tank through that building. Things can’t go too wrong with Bond at the wheel. Speaking of wheels, these vehicle scenes are sweet. Not content to beat Midway’s Spy Hunter at its own game (it does), EON lets you drive а variety of weapon-equipped vehicles along branching paths full of obstacles, jumps, and lots of explodable, expendable enemies. Now | know why Bond drives by the seat of his pants—it's really fun. Although 007 can defeat enemies with stealth attacks, plain ol’ pugilism, or Q's gadgets, the bad guys' tendency to buddy up means it's often simpler to take them out with bullets rather than 120 Firefighter ED. 18 121 Nightshade 122 Cy Girls Bondian guile. An occasionally iffy lock-on system and a jumbled inventory cause a little trouble too, but it's nothing you can't handle. After all, you're Bond. James Bond. Playing a Bond shooter in third person might seem a bit awkward at first, but the more time you spend with Everything or Nothing, the more you grow to appreciate the new viewpoint. Combat skews toward stealth tactics and strategic planning rather than pure run-n-gun action this time around, making EON feel more like Metal Gear Solid or Splinter Cell than past Bond games—or at least that’s how | approached it; sounds like Paul and Scooter had as much fun going in with guns blazing. The awesome driving and flying stages only serve to enhance the ТНЕ RATING SYSTEM Here at EGM, we review only games that have been deemed final and reviewable by their publishers. Three editors review each game independently, and don't forget: Nightshade's Hibana pre- pares to eviscerate something. Anything. Everything. SHAME OF THE MONTH for This goesto | Arare for games games with for games the highest- | dishonor for that get all an average with a mean | reviewed games with 10s. These score of 9.0 score of 8.0 game each unanimously games rule. | or higher. or higher. month. bad scores. 122 Colin McRae Rally 04 126 Metal Gear Solid: 130 Harvest Moon: Twin Snakes A Wonderful Life ESRB KEY (Also check out www.esrb.com) 129 Phantasy Star Online 130 Pokémon Colosseum E-Everyone: T-Teon: M-Mature: Episode Ill: Wholesome fun forthe Like PG-13 movies, Teen Whereas these games i whole family, devoid of games usually feature typically offer all the CAR Da Revolution hookers, head shots, or тікі violence and gore, sex, drugs, and fun “comic mischief.” of R-rated fare, En Pierce Brosnan (James Bond) Willem Dafoe (Nikolai Diavolo) Shannon Elizabeth Dame Judi Dench (M) Mya (Mya Starling) Voice acting: Xxx Voice acting: жжжжж (Serena St. Germaine) Voice acting: жж жж Voice acting: ж Delivers one-liners as dry as The perfect supervillain, Dafoe Voice acting: Xx Fail a mission and you're Is she reading right from the the secret agent's shaken-not- clearly enjoys Diavolo's thick Is this hottie really hot for the treated to the perfect dose of script? Probably. Did they use stirred martinis. Russian accent. aging Bond? We don't buy it. M's withering contempt. the first take? Probably not. Mya takes a slow trip to the furnace. Come on, the theme song wasn’t half bad. overall experience. is an understatement—imagine the last three camera, some annoying trial-and-error sections, My only real complaint with Everything or Bond flicks fused into some sort of massive and the Q-spider gadget: Occasionally, I'd use it to Nothing is that the story is pretty much entirely martini-swilling super-Bond flick, and you're scout а room, only to have baddies mysteriously forgettable (not unlike most recent Bond movies). close. We're talkin’ car chases, tank hijackings, appear after | walked in, which tended to Still, the star-studded roster of voice talent crazy gadgets, general sneakery, and even an act devalue the Q-spider demands respect and adds an extra layer of of seduction or two. It’s been a while since | as a recon tool. | polish to what is otherwise a very solid third- played a game with such engaging, pure, and won’t say it’s the best person shooter. thrilling action, and on top of the excellent single- Bond game ever player game, there's a pretty cool co-op mode to made, but I will say it’s OFFICIAL PS MAG—SCOOTER: To say that nicely round out the package. the best Bond game I've Everything or Nothing feels like a new Bond flick Minor downers include an occasionally wonky played in the last five years. THE VERDICTS (OUT OF 10) PAUL JOHN R. SCOOTER www.eagames.com ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY « www.egmmag.com • 15 PS2/XB/GC (XBOX (gun) WORMS 3D Violent invertebrates — fun for the whole family p; € т л & Clockwise from top: homing pigeon, Uzi, holy hand grenade, nuclear bomb, fire punch PS2/XB MAFIA An offer you can probably refuse ^ “After this, you guys wanna play some stickball?” 116 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY www.egmmag.com Worms don't kill worms. Worms with guns do. And these li'l buggers go out of their way to exercise their right to bear arms (despite not having actual arms) in this 3D update to the much-loved strategy series. Here, you control squads of cute- but-deadly worms who take turns blasting each other to hell with arsenals the Pentagon and Wile E. Coyote would love to have. But it's the intentionally fallible con- trols that turn this game from fun to hilari- ous. For example, before you toss that cluster bomb, you have to compensate for distance, wind, launch speed, arc, and momentum. And since you're probably not Rain Man, you'll get a lot of errant explo- sions that make for laughs-out-loud at your next party-game session. Not the multiplayer type? Try the billion single- player scenarios that are set up like mis- Sions, not just all-out deathmatches. Unfortunately, while the fantastic Worms formula stays intact here, it becomes infinitely more difficult to gauge distances, wind, and all that in 3D. For that reason alone, | can't recommend this one over its 2D predecessors. A-yup, it's Worms—cute cartoon annelids annihilating each other with a plethora of powerful ordnance. Dueling the computer always feels like practice, no matter how cleverly conceived the mission, but multiplayer Worms is per- fect for the nieces’ and nephews’ visit, or even when some friends come over in the drinkin' mood (I humbly suggest tequila as the apropos aperitif). Too bad everyone has to share a single controller, a fact which cheaters can exploit to sabotage an opponent's turn “by accident." Penalties— think 'em up and enforce 'em. It may be in 3D, but it's still the same old Worms—packed with warped (and British) humor and a guaranteed good time if you've got some friends to battle. Shoe's right about the switch to three dimensions making it tougher to aim, but the flip side is that the game requires more skill, and that's not entirely bad. The occasional glitches | encountered were entirely bad, though, like the time my explosive-packed carrier pigeon hit its vic- tim...but decided not to go boom. THE VERDICTS (OUT OF 10) SHOE PAUL ©. FORD: Set in 1930s New York City-esque Lost Heaven—complete with inaccurate guns and cars that struggle to break 50 три— Майа tells the tale of an enterprising cabbie’s rise through the ranks of the mob (via Grand Theft Auto-style car-based mis- sions and third-person shooting action) and his subsequent attempt to rat out The Family. Which, as the canon of mob movies has taught us, is heavily frowned upon. The excellent cut-scenes and score combine to set a wonderful mood, but right as you're cruising through the game's impressive variety of tasks, it all comes to a screeching halt. Highly frustrating missions pepper the game, usually filled with cheap enemies who have impeccable aim and a superhuman ability to absorb multiple shot- gun blasts at point-blank range. When dri- buildings and other scenery tend to pop up out of nowhere, while cars and pedestrians sometimes disappear if you Switch from the front view to the rear and back again, which really makes Mafía feel like the two-year-old PC port it is. Still, the Story should keep dedicated gamers going; just don't expect gameplay to match. G. FORD CRISPIN Publisher: Acclaim Developer: Team17 Players: 1-4 ESRB: Teen www.worms3d.com * U. of Cambridge estimates on Caucasian children infected with pinworms: 30-80%. DEMIAN CRISPIN: Compared to most games that’ve jacked Grand Theft Auto’s hit-and-run formula, Mafia is a sluggish, low-octane jalopy—and not just because its old-tyme autocarriages barely break the speed limit. This Sunday driver cruises along in the slow lane with long-winded cinemas, lengthy loading times, and too much time spent driving from A to B. Your hero does get into thrilling situations— rooftop chases, colossal firefights, hasty getaways—but they're often spoiled by twitchy on-foot control and glitches. So that’s why they call it the Great Depression. OFFICIAL PS MAG—SCOOTER: It may not be GTA, but to me, Mafia is one of the best crime games out there. Sure, it’s got minor problems, like the semi-dated look (I’m criticizing technology, not art aesthetic), interminable load times, hit detection, melee combat controls, and the sometimes boring driving bits. But what enthralls me is Mafia's great sense of style, the large variety of mission types (ranging from sab- otaging a race car to walking a girl home), and the excellent story. Publisher: Gathering Developer: Illusion Softworks. Players: 1 ESRB: Mature SCOOTER www.take2games.com PS2/XB/GC (gus) г Olde tyme players like Jackie Robinson, Lou Gehrig, and Ty Cobb are unlockable, along with stadiums and uniforms. à т — жз МУР BASEBALL 2004 BRYAN: EA's baseball entry walked off the diamond last spring with my “Comeback Game of the Year” award, and this season’s MVP is better still—and rightfully deserving of its namesake. Aside from offering a deeper, feature-heavy dynasty mode (now complete with minor league squads), 2004 revolutionizes the art of videogame batting much like 2003 did with pitching. Thanks to the all-new left analog stick hitting mechanics, it’s never been so intu- itive to step up to the plate and belt a pitch to the opposite field, or to drive in a run with a sacrifice fly. MVP's unmatched on-field controls don’t stop there; with a simple tap of the right analog stick, you can command fielders to dive for balls, or as a baserunner, break up poten- tial double plays. г Players сап now make Willie Mays-style over-the-shoulder catches (left) with ease, thanks to MVP's new on-field controls. THE VERDICTS (OUTOF 10) BRYAN PATRICK Going...going...it's still going But even actual MVPs commit ~ one or two minor errors throughout the season. The player models aren’t the most lifelike, and in terms of gameplay, outfielders react a tad too slowly to well-hit balls. Still, nei- ther of these gripes should stop you from buying the most innovative baseball sim I’ve played yet. PATRICK: MVP may be in its sopho- more season, but there’s no slump in sight. This year, in addition to the tremendous pitching interface, you enjoy complete command over the swing and experience the depth and realism of actually standing in the batter’s box. Several subtleties add to the experience, like multiple slide types, check swing hits, and dropped third strikes. EA Sports also mended last year’s bugs: Runners on second now advance on balls hit ESRB: Everyone CHRIS B. Publisher: EA Sports Developer: EA Canada Players: 1-2 (PS2: 1-2 online) www.easports.com to the right, tags work when they should, and fly balls don’t inex- plicably drop next to waiting out- fielders. The season is young, but MVP 2004 looks like a winner. OFFICIAL PS MAG—CHRIS B: When you screw up in MVP, it’s your fault. And you know it. Be it getting schooled by a Roger Clemens splitter or giving up a three-run shot to Jon “Barry Bonds can't be in this game, so EA created me” Dowd, you almost always feel in total control of what happens on the field. (And if fielders responded better, you could leave out that “almost.”) Dynasty mode is another highlight, but you'll sim most of each season—it’s 162 games or none in MVP. Fortunately, it’s so good, you might find yourself want- ing to play that many anyway. SHE’S THE 1 ARTISTIC ТУРЕ. А THOUGH HER ARTS ARE PURELY MARTIAL. revieu) сгеш: multi/ps2 Watch your coccyx! Them moguls hurt, PS2/XB 00000.2 MX UNLEASHED Better living through motocross Good: Physics and controls complement each other perfectly Bad: Intolerable load times Best Trick: Triple backflip into faceplant into ragdoll roll JON D: This year's MX is certainly the most professional motocross game I've played—the physics are flawless and every race has nail-biter potential, even if you're dead last heading into the final lap. Unfortunately, the mind-boggling load times kept hampering my high after every race in career mode, And since it's mostly quantity-over-quality level design, the huge number of similar courses only emphasized the eons that passed between each. But once | wandered into the freestyle arena, | recovered quickly— huge jumps helped me find new ways to dramatically injure Crumples, my custom rider, and turned my frown upside down. A clutch of cool unlockables, including a biplane and new freestyle playgrounds, added enough replay value to make up for the career-mode vanilla. Die-hard motocross fans will appreciate the main- game tedium more than | did, but we casuals can still enjoy the bulk of this one. BRYAN: Developer Rainbow Studios' take on the world of off-road crotch rockets would be exactly the kind of high-perfor- mance gaming motor oil I'd be looking to 0) THE VERDICTS (QUT: JON D. BRYAN put into my console...if con- soles took oil. Whether or not you're a video grease monkey, you'll dig Unleashed's superb handling, challenging track designs, rewarding career mode, and addictive minigames. The limited multiplayer support and shallow selection of tunes stalled my enthusiasm, but only slightly. ІР been a while since | had this much fun riding in the mud on two wheels...like, since the original Excitebike (NES). And that's saying something. OFFICIAL PS MAG—JOE R: Like Rainbow Studios' other dirt-based racer, ATV Offroad Fury, MX Unleashed is really rather good. Here, Rainbow contributes to the Grand Theft Auto-ification of the planet by throwing in a mission-based freestyle mode, highlighted by the ability to drive a different wacky vehicle in each environment. The racing is fun but still occasionally frustrating: It's far too easy to lose a solid lead by a chance misstep. Still, the feeling that you can win the race if you can nail that one jump or cut that one turn just right is enough to keep me playing. Developer: Rainbow Studios Players: 1-2 Publisher: THQ ESRB: Everyone JOER. www.thq.com 118 « ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com PlayStation 2 LIFELINE Her name is Rio, and she doesn't understand PERBBNBL ORTA Here’s why Rio wears. an apron: aliens shoot goo, 2 ж Good: Decent voice actors Bad: Voice recognition is spotty at best Guaranteed: You will swear at this game Aliens crash an orbiting hotel’s gala, gobbling guests like hors d’oeuvres. Rio, erstwhile waitress, asks you to guide her to safety, so grab that headset, get bossy, and talk her down. I'd hoped that voice recognition would enable social interaction with Rio, more interesting puzzles, or deeper strategy in firefights. Nope. LifeLine is survival-horror circa 1995: a quest for keys punctuated by awkward combat, with the occasional cut-scene to develop a clichéd story. You mostly bark the names of objects, since Rio is stymied by fancy words like verbs, adjectives, and prepositions. Propositions she sometimes under- stands, but her prudish responses aren't much fun. Pity. When Rio misconstrued my clearly enunciated "break room" and used (wasted) a health pack—twice—I lost all interest in her survival. Stupid ho. Voice recognition will be a lot more fun when it works. Until then, if I really want to be ignored and misunderstood by a girl, РИ go clubbing and hit on the haughty hipster chick in the Pabst Blue Ribbon T-shirt. 5%, aE Left to right: Rio, expendable characters. THE VERDICTS PAUL CRISPIN LifeLine's talk- your-way-outta-this-one gameplay would be a revolutionary concept worth shout- ing about...if it didn't suffer from a major failure to communicate. The game's ditzy-chick star just does not listen. You'll go blue in the face screaming for her to Shoot a monster's tongue or examine some doohickey, only to have her leave the room or stare at you blankly. It all adds a frustrating layer of gimmicky complication to the combat (which does get easier as you learn more commands) and stale Resident Evil-style puzzles. As if | didn’t have enough lady problems already, here's another woman who doesn’t understand me. Sadly, LifeLine's voice recognition feature works in reverse, impeding gameplay instead of enhancing it. Rio struggles to comprehend your commands, making both exploration and combat painfully frustrating, and even the most scholarly gamer will need a the- saurus when verbally identifying several key items for the dimwitted heroine. At 40 bucks, LifeLine's talk isn't cheap enough. Dirty Talk Say these phrases for some interesting results: W Sleep with me W Bark like a dog W Kill yourself № | hate you mF you W Every curse word you know Publisher: Konami Developer: Sony CEI Players: 1 ESRB: Mature www.konami.com PlayStation 2 ONIMUSHA BLADE WARRIORS Super Bushido Brothers SHAWN: Waves ripped from a wall scroll, tall grass swaying in the wind—Blade Warriors’ scenery belongs in a travel brochure, but the Land of the Rising Sun’s rivers run blood red when samurai square off against an army of demons. Light on story, this Onimusha saga spin-off is almost all slice and dice. Think of it as Super Smash Bros. (GC) with Bushido instead of butt stomping—simple fun for four players, with strategy based not so much on how you swing your sword (Soul Calibur it ain’t), but when. Outside of unlockable bonuses, though, you won’t find much incentive to spar alone here. Several arenas and swordsmen, including 17th century rivals Miyamoto Musashi and Sasaki Kojiro, await you if you’re willing to 2 Qs of ES E we ЕЗ E SHAWN SHOE M Try importing a memory-card save from the forthcoming Onimusha 3 for a few surprises... work your way to the top time after time, but while the rewards are nice, the effort is as dull as a wooden practice sword. SHOE: Admit it: You wouldn't like the Super Smash Bros. series half as much without the heavy Nintendo flavoring. So if you took that same four-player-battle con- cept into the world of Onimusha, it wouldn’t be nearly as cool, right? (Answer: right.) Blade Warriors sim- ply doesn’t have the variety needed to keep you and your friends hooked on multiplayer—all the warriors have essentially the same moves, and each level isn’t that dif- ferent from the next. Single player, however, is sharp. Leveling up and finding new weapons, armor, or items give you plenty of incentive WAVE! 7—— ү Publisher: Capcom Developer: Capcom ESRB: Teen MILKMAN www.capcom.com told between Blade Warrior’s battles. Players: 1-2 (2-4 w/Multitap) © Wonder what happened between Oni- musha 2 and 3? Some of that backstory is = to keep slashing and button mashing away. EMR—MILKMAN: Snobby fighting- дате zealots might balk at Blade Warriors’ button-mashy antics, but for PS2 owners looking for a Super Smash Bros.-ish beat-em-up, this game is a worthy diversion. Shoe and | will agree to disagree: The sin- gle-player mode is merely a forum in which to level up characters in clas- sic Onimusha fashion, but when you get to use these studs in the surpris- ingly entertaining multiplayer modes, the game shows its true worth. Sure, pitting Mega Man EXE against Miyamoto Musashi is a little bizarre, but when a game looks this good, players (Onimusha fans in particular) will find much to enjoy in this harm- less exercise in fan service. SHE’D LOVE TO TAKE YOU OUT. FROM 20 METERS. review crew: playstation 2 D Pier 1 DRAKENGARD Guarded optimism ait ai қ ҮШ nus FIREFIGHTER F.D. 18 Shake and bake— we got ourselves a barbecue ВР - 01:29.29 survivor Angel Flare | IW End-of-level “boss fires” remind you that it's all just a game. Whew! 120 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com Good: Deep, dark story Bad: Repetitive gameplay Number of Incestuous Relationships: One JOHN R: If Dynasty Warriors got it on with ‚Panzer Dragoon, the end result would prob- ably be something akin to Drakengard. Unfortunately, Drakengard's core gameplay doesn't live up to the high standards set by either of its forebears, but its dark, twisted story and fantastic production values make it well worth experiencing—at least once. Most of the time, you fight waves of mindless enemies, whether you're on the ground, in the air, or strafing ground targets Melee combat is similar to ind in Dynasty Warriors, but the nonstop battling gets old fast, thanks to dumb enemy A.l. and stages that are often too big for their own good. The flying sec- tions aren't restricted to a set path like in Panzer Dragoon, which is nice, but the action tends to get repetitive after a while. Still, Drakengard's branching plot and multiple endings (the last one is truly bizarre) will inspire you to press on, regard- less of the inherent gameplay flaws. enjoyable. From an audiovisual standpoint, Drakengard is merely compe- tent (cool art direction and cinemas offset the drab colors and occasional slowdown), and the, uh, Shakespearean narrative might offend some, but the robust gameplay will keep you coming back. АН three level types are totally engaging, and a wealth of secrets (hidden stages, dragons, and weapons) means that a weekend rental won't be nearly long enough. OFFICIAL PS MAG—CHRIS B: Call me old- fashioned, but | like my games incest free. Sadly, the suggestion that Drakengard's hero does his sister helps make up the most painfully unwatchable story I’ve ex, rienced in years. John R. and Shane are right about Drakengard's gameplay owing a debt to the open-field hack-n-slash of Dynasty Warriors and Panzer Dragoon's dragon-riding combat, but it never comes close to matching the greatness of either. And just try avoiding such horribly acted, overly melodramatic midbattle dialogue as this: "Forgiven. No forgiveness. Unforgiven. No.” Now what the hell does that mean? Publisher: Square Enix Developer: Cavia Players: 1 ESRB: Mature SHANE: I'm with John—this jack-of-all- trades hybrid doesn't best the games from which it draws inspiration, but it's still THE VERDICTS (OUT OF 10) JOHN К. SHANE CHRIS B. www.square-enix-usa.com Good: Best firefighting game since that one a long time ago Bad: If you've fought one fire, you've fought them all Disfigured, Diabolical Arsonist: Check DEMIAN: have a whole new respect for firemen. | mean, of course there's the risk- ing-your-life-every-day thing, but the fire- fighter-seek-and-destroy security robots (which are curiously immune to high-pres- sure blasts of water but explode into a ball of flame when smacked with an ax) and the big ol’ boss fires, well, | had no idea! OK, so in order to make a game out of something that probably isn’t much like a game (especially not a fun one), Firefighter takes some odd liberties. The killer robots, the magic fire hose that never snags or runs dry, the basic premise of a lone-wolf firefighter who’s tasked with saving count- less civilians with next to no help—it’s all a bit silly. But hey, it’s also a pretty novel game idea, and how often do you run across these? The cheap deaths, repetitive gameplay, and ham-handed love story may dampen Firefighter, but whatever—it’s still not half as bad as Ron Howard’s Backdraft. but it’s also tedious, frus- trating, and a real head trip (wait till you face fire-possessed flying laundry and fire- man-hating robots). Too many missions degenerate into retry-until-you-don’t-die exercises in trial and error as you wander through the haze, seeking the fastest route to trapped civvies. The smoke-choked visu- als and killer fire effects help you feel the burn, though. If nothing else, this game’s tense moments will make you sweat. ER: МИ try to convey this game's most exciting moment. You’re trudging through the burning halls of an office build- ing when your squadmate shouts, “Watch out for the explosion!” The floor on which you’re standing immediately bursts into flames for no apparent reason. You die! Other exciting moments: selecting between your hose’s two settings! Saving helpless administrative assistants from smoke inhalation! Recovering cherished family photos and PDAs! Crawling through ventila- tion shafts because your ax can’t bust through a carpeted cubicle wall! You get my point—don’t play with this fire. : And to think I wanted to be a fire- fighter when | was а laddy. Not after play- ing this game, which proves that battling blazes is not only a hazardous profession, Publisher: Konami g | Developer: Konami Tokyo 58 Players: 1 ES ESRB: Teen 28 me = Е DEMIAN CRISPIN JENNIFER www.konami.com/usa PlayStation 2 Bling ton, indeed, NIGHTSHADE Shinobi...for her SHANE: Sega’s Shinobi (PS2) proved to be a surprise hit, garnering fans with its fast action, tricky jumping bits, and crimson rivers of satisfying gore. A sequel seems like а no- brainer, since the original's faults— repetitive level design, a dearth of enemy types, and finicky camera controls—shouldn’t be too tough to correct. Well, at least that was the plan. Oddly, this She-nobi pseudose- quel doesn’t fix any of those prob- lems. Instead, it delivers a nearly identical gameplay experience— except this time, you're a hot chick wearing skintight spandex. The familiar Tate system remains intact: Your constant goal is to inca- pacitate the onscreen enemies before executing them all in a cool moment of simultaneous murder. Nightshade ups the ante by offering THE VERDICTS (ОТОР SHANE SHAWN limitless Tate combos, but it drops the ball by toning down the gruesome death cinemas. No more grisly dismemberment and outré arterial spray—just lots of vague col- lapsing animations. Lame. Also, although the stages are all new, some of them impart a sense of déjà vu...do both games really need sub- way levels? Still, it’s fun enough to warrant a casual playthrough, but not much more. Can we please have a real Shinobi sequel now? SHAWN: Bottomless pits are more about making money than proving skill—so why, when it's impossible to plunk quarters in Nightshade, must my ninja plummet to her death with alarming regularity? Yes, it is a problem, and no, I’m not a pansy. Flying from foe to foe, cutting down чамы, Se Al those ER. sssicheerleading Я five іп the space of a second, this she-killer is built for speed. But instant deaths, abetted by a bad camera, put the brakes on the best bits of an otherwise ugly and repeti- tive game. MARK: | missed the last PS2 Shinobi, but as an old fan of the series, | was really excited to play this spinoff/update. That excitement lasted until about the second level in Nightshade. Combat has some interesting ideas—the lightning-fast movement and combo system have the potential for zenlike mastery— but it becomes so repetitive that even the voice actors sound bored. Visually, there's just no excuse for this. Levels look drab and empty, and you fight the same blocky bugs over and over. Yawn. © Hotsuma, the scarf-clad Shinobi hero, can be unlocked after finishing the game. Publisher: Sega Players: 1 ESRB: Mature MARK www.sega.com Developer: Sega Wow e GIRLS. e WORLDS. | | HARDCORE \ MISSION. CHOOSE YOUR WEAPON: A WITH HER LETHAL NINJA SKILLS - OR ICE, A FIREARMS EXPERT WITH NERVES OF STEEL. THEN TAKE THE FIGHT AGAINST EVIL FROM THE REAL WORLD INTO CYBERSPACE, WHERE THE RULES ARE RADICALLY DIFFERENT - BUT THE ACTION’S EVERY BIT AS HARDCORE. Strong Language Suggestive Themes review crew: pse/xb PlayStation 2 CY GIRLS Good: Sweet shoot-outs and swordplay Bad: Too many puzzles with little payoff Based оп: A Japanese toy line SHAWN: Aska sticks to the shadows and speaks with a sword. Ice lets all hell break loose with machine guns and grenades. Stacked and packed, together they're the crack undercover unit some idiot decided to call Cy Girls. Each gal's episode comes on its own disc, and although their stories overlap, either could've stood alone. Both agents are a blast to boss around. Throw Ice through a hail of gunfire, and she'll continue shooting back even after hitting the floor. Agile Aska runs along walls and, with the help of a grappling hook, scales sheer surfaces or snares foes à la Mortal Kombat's Scorpion. With sexy graphics, courtesy of the same technical gee-wizardry that wowed you in Metal Gear Solid 2, the game looks as hot as its ladies. But it's in the puzzle parts that Cy Girls' stretch marks start to show. While the stuff in cyberspace (where the girls hack and scramble secu- rity programs) is clever, the rest serves no purpose other than to impede your progress. One locked door leads to anoth- er; you'll feel like the butt of a bad blonde joke when you get stuck messing with crate puzzles and looking for your keys. THE VERDICTS (QUT OF 10) C] Your chance to leave 'em in pieces while wearing John Lennon's specs. Fighting crime, one chat room at a time NM CJ: Cy Girls looks great, sports smooth control (as long as you go nowhere near the Novice setting), and has a good sense of style. But Shawn and Giancarlo called it; no matter who you play as, the near- constant, incredibly frustrating puzzles paralyze the otherwise decent gameplay. Each time I'd run into one, | would inch ever closer to throwing the controller through the television. Games are sup- posed to be fun, not aggravating, right? | like a challenge, but this is ridiculous. OFFICIAL PS MAG—GIANCARLO: If it weren't for the crazy amount of inane fetch quests in Cy Girls, it might've turned out to be a decent action game. The two playable characters borrow some of the best elements from Metal Gear Solid and Tenchu, and they're inte- grated pretty well. But searching for three or four different items just to open a single door (which happens throughout the game) is the epitome of tedium, and the fact that some of these items are so well hidden that you have to scour every square inch of a room is ridiculous. Cy Girls, why must you torture me? Publisher: Konami Developer: Konami Players: 1 ESRB: Mature www.konami.com/usa 122 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com DTE сос COLIN MCRAE RALLY 04 Yelling in your ear at 150 mph Good: As close as any of us will get to real rally racing Bad: Never seeing another car on the track Nice Price: $19.99 AN: Like soccer, Fanta, and аНег- noon naps, rally racing—and the Colin McRae series—is huge in Europe. And not so huge here, which is why developer Codemasters is releasing Rally 04 at the rock-bottom double-bargain fire sale price of $19.99. If you like the driving sims, quit this reading malarkey and get it posthaste. Rally racing consists of single-car sprints against the clock, so the lack of head-to-head competition tends to elicit a "what the Sam Hill?" from the NASCAR crowd. Get past that detail, though, and you'll find a game that rivals Gran Turismo in its attention to detail and driving physics. There may not be other cars on the track, but Rally 04 is no less demand- ing—the tortuous courses require com- plete concentration, and if you aren’t “in the zone,” you'll soon be in the ditch. Xbox Live support is new this year, but minimal—you can’t download ghosts or do much beyond post your best times. And once you've made it through the var- ious rally classes (2- and 4-wheel drive, group B, and ultrarealistic expert), only the biggest, dirtiest rally mavens will feel the need to keep driving. BRYAN: Along with the top-notch handling and car physics, you'll find a meaty cham- pionship mode, wicked terrain, and daz- zling weather effects (tackling the Japan course during a torrential downpour is especially impressive) under McRae’s hood. The bare-bones Xbox Live support and lack of in-game music (even as an option) do, however, lower Rally 045 horsepower slightly. THE VERDICTS (OUTOF 10) DEMIAN BRYAN SIMON Не = : The McRae rally franchise is now locked in a bumper-to- bumper battle with Microsoft’s Rallisport Challenge, and despite a number of cool new features, it’s slowly losing some ground. Turbocharging the game is slick presentation, thrilling handling, new cars (including the mongoose on Red Bull Citroén Xsara), and a custom champi- onship feature that allows you to mix and match stages from anywhere in the world. Applying the brakes, though, is the woefully underpowered online mode. McRae is still great (and cheap), but when Rallisport arrives next month with full Live support, Rally 04 may feel like last year's model. 5 E Е The Citroën Xsara goes like stink. Publisher: Codemasters Developer: Codemasters Players: 1-4 (splitscreen) ESRB: Everyone www.codemasters.com Pocket Games Pocket Games Pocket Games Pocket Games 7 ‘Summer 2000 Fall 2000 Summer 2001 Fall/Winter 2001 512.00 $12.00 $12.00 $12.00 ПИШЕ N | | P E `В | Pocket Games 8. Pocket Games 9 Pocket Games 10 Pocket Games 11 Spring 2002 Summer 2002 Fall Winter 2002 Spring 2003 $12.00 $12.00 $12.00 $12.00 Pocket Games 12 Pocket Games 13 Unofficial GameCube 2004 Holiday Summer 2003 Winter 2003 & GBA Guide 2003 Game Guide $12.00 $12.00 $12.00 $12.00 o PlayStation е Ө SEE IT 2 B ASBO5’s New & Exclusive FielderCanr Let's You See The Game The Way The Players Do. On Тһе LEARN TO MASTER 45805 WITH VIDEO GAMEPLAY TUTORIAL. DEEPEST FRANCHISE MODE AVAILABLE INCLUDING RELIVE HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2003 SEASON WITH EXCLUSIVE ‘SPRING TRAINING, EXPANSION MODE, CREATE-A-TEAM TWIB (THIS WEEK IN BASEBALL™) CHALLENGE IET AND RANDOM SEASON SCHEDULES EVERYONE PlayStationse /\W.ALLSTARBASEBALLOS.COM CU Major League Baseball and Hall of Fame trademarks and copyrights are used with permission of Major League Baseball Properties, Inc. and the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, Inc., respectively. Visit the official website at MLB.com, © MLBPA-Official licensee, Major League and the Xbox Logos are registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries and are used under license from Microsoft. "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered Baseball The Same Way Again. ANAMAN & STEVE LYONS AND EXCLUSIVE NEW FIELDERCAM™ AND BROADCASTCAM™ GO HEAD TO HEAD ONLINE ~ MATCH YOUR SKILLS AGAINST THE /OMMENTARY BY ARIZONA DELIVER TRUE “BETWEEN THE LINES” REALISM BEST PLAYERS EVERYWHERE! R PLUS NEW ANALOG CONTROL BATTING. ЕЗ Аба Baseball Players Association. Visit the Players Choice on the web at www.bigleaguers.com. All-Star Baseball™ and Acclaim ® & © 2004 Acclaim Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Developed by Acclaim Studios Austin. АП Rights Reserved. Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox Live, the Live logo trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Online play requires internet connection and Network Adaptor for PlayStation 2 (sold separately). The Online icon is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc tely redone for Twin Snakes. Precious metal Measured against all other games, Metal Gear Solid absolutely holds up—it has an emo- tional, twisting story; rock-solid controls; and intense hide-and-sneak gameplay that launched a genre. If you missed the stealth-action classic on PS1, you absolutely must play this version. But judged as a remake, Twin Snakes' lack of major changes, as well as troubles with some tweaks, left me feeling just a bit disappointed. In terms of controls, Twin Snakes faithfully reproduces Metal Gear's excellent setup and feel and adds handy new moves (hanging from ledges, stuffing guards in lockers, etc.) from MGS2. The game looks decent, like a sharper version of the original, but thanks in part to its limited color palette, Twin Snakes is far from the best we've seen on the Cube. Luckily, the revamped cut-scenes add some spice to the visuals—filled with Fight Club-esque zooms and, of course, Matrix-y slow-mo 360$, they inject new excitement and even a sight gag or two into 126 е ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com METAL GEAR $ THE TWIN SNAKE Metal Gear's already gripping story. But sometimes you can see the stitches where new elements were grafted on. Evading guards is tougher—they call for backup, clear rooms, and leave corpses behind when they die (for other guards to find), adding importance to staying hid- den and covering your tracks. Trouble is, the lev- els were designed around the old А.1.; the rela- tively small rooms and lack of hiding places make getting away overly difficult. The ability to shoot in first-person view is another welcome feature, but it spoils the challenge of a few sections and completely ruins at least one boss battle. Don't misunderstand me, though—this is still a good version of a great game. | just can't help thinking what might have been had Metal Gear Solid been more thoroughly reworked. The price of a clandestine affair with Solid Snake: five years spent sneaking through lesser, stealth-obsessed Metal Gear knockoffs. Shalashaska Sha-lacking A good example of how one “improvement” in this Metal Gear remake ends up backfiring is the first boss battle against Revolver “Shalashaska” Ocelot. In the original, you had to use timing and quick reflexes to hit 1 the wily Russian as he ran around corners. without getting shot yourself. But with Twin Snakes’ new first-person-shooting mode, you don’t even need to move. Just sit back and pick him off with a few quick shots. Splinter Cell notwith- standing, no other game offers so many nuanced ways to remain unnoticed. Still, there’s more to Metal Gear Solid than hide-and-seek, some- thing most copycats missed. Equipped with everything from camera-guided missiles to a ketchup bottle used to fool guards in the event that he’s cap- tured, Snake’s got plenty to do when he’s not playing hard to get. The guys (and gals!) who first made the game knew they were onto some- thing groundbreaking and, from the bril- liant boss battles to the suspenseful story, spared no expense. The folks who remade it knew better than to fix what wasn’t broken—everything old isn’t exactly new, but it doesn’t need to be. Bear with it. It's designed to prevent hypothermia, This is Alaska, you know Unfortunately, the old codec radio sequences return exactly as they appeared in the original game. THE VERDICTS (OUT OF 10) MARK Publisher: Konami Developer: Silicon Knights Players: 1 ESRB: Mature SHAWN ANDREW www.konami.com/usa GAMES electronics boutique’ М ayS tation. a>. - Third-person 3-0 action focused on high intensity, melee-style combat, with four play modes and adjustable fighting styles - Epic story that takes the film's timeless tale into the future, with humans facing a treacherous enemy using an army of mechanical beasts and humanoids. #236198-8 $39.99 p? I GET SEVEN SAMURAI FRFE | & 1 20XX FOR PLAYSTATION 2 | when you trade-in 4 non-sport PlayStation 2, Xbox or GameCube games.* Limit one per customer. Cannot be combined with any other trade-in offer or promotion. Not valid on previous purchases. Coupon must be present at time of purchase. No rain checks will be issued. No duplicate titles accepted for trade. Boxes and instructions must be included. Customer is responsible for sales tax in some states. Typographical errors are not the responsibility of EB Games. Some additional titles may be excluded. See sales associate for complete details. Offer valid 3/2/04-3/30/ zscanes | MM Call 1-800-800-5166 for the store nearest you or visit us at www.ebgames.com | Sammy Studios| We take games seriously " EB „GAMES | NL boss survival mode pits you against the clock, fighting one boss after another, ere RATION Adding anything other than a face-lift, smarter foes, and fresh cut-scenes would've been sacrilege. Well, if you’re going to play a version of Metal Gear Solid, then this is definitely the one. Granted, that may not sound enthusiastic enough considering the excellent job developer Silicon Knights did, partly because despite all of the wonderful new additions to the game—and there are many—it still feels like you're playing the original MGS. Then again, the original was fantastic, so it only follows that The Twin Snakes would be at least the same. But with each new feature comes a downside: First-person aiming makes regular combat easier...but it also makes boss battles far too easy; the new cut-scenes are brilliantly produced...when they're not overdosing on painfully clichéd bullet-time effects (though Mark liked 'em all right); and the graphical overhaul is nice...but we know GameCube is capable of even better. You can watch through all of the revamped cinemas (and either of the game's endings) in the demo theater once you unlock it. 128 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com миром HIE eS SM т кенинин нуны ыле ee ERROR Playing Mantis Ah, the famous Psycho Mantis scene, in which he “reads your mind” and ana- | lyzes your personality by scanning your memory card. Now you get a different message depending on what Nintendo game saves you have, including Eternal Darkness, Twin Snakes developer Silicon Knights’ previous game. Also, obsessive types take note: The portraits in the room have changed. They are (left to right) cut-scene director Ryuhei Kitamura, MGS creator Hideo Kojima, and Silicon Knights head Denis Dyack. ш Dark characters summon cuddly critters to deal damage. PHANTASY STAR ONLINE EPISODE Ш: C.A.R.D. REVOLUTION Five-card stud Good: Wildly addictive Bad: Voice chat would be nice PSO I & II Players: Can use your same Hunter's License for /// 5 Е: Upon hearing the news that the third chapter of Phantasy Star Online would be a card game, you probably wrote it ой. | know I did. Yet, here 1 am at three in the morn- ing, wondering where all my free time went. Somehow, developer Sonic Team managed to meld every- thing great about the previous PSOs (aesthetic beauty, an engaging online community, and the never-ending quest for better equipment) with a simple, addictive card game. Gameplay is a little baffling at first (even with the tutorial mode), but within 30 minutes, you'll get the hang of its two unique gameplay styles—Hero and Dark. Heroes battle with weapons and armor while Dark characters summon monsters to do their bidding, but both allow serious strategists to thrive, thanks to tons of Е (Left) Snagging sexy weapons remains a big part of PS0’s appeal—your foes will swoon with envy for your Delsaber's Buster. THE VERDICTS (OUTOF 10) SHANE SHOE creative card combos. Each side offers its own single-player quest (both around 25 hours long), but the true pleasure lurks online. Quick matches are a breeze to set up, and frequent tournaments offer plenty of competition. It's a shame that GC has no means of voice chat, though— trash typing just isn't as fun. $ Episode Ill is like going to a Strip club: There's a whole lotta teas- ing going on, but the true prize/goal is frustratingly inaccessible. For most PSO fans, this card-game detour— complete with new graphics—will only make you want a real action- RPG sequel even more. Be that as it may, Episode Ill will please deep thinkers. It's a lot more complicated than your typical card game, with multiple layers of attack-defense Publisher: Sega ESRB: Teen www.sega.com Developer: Sonic Team Players: 1-4 (2-32 in online tournaments) Strategy to worry about. Naturally, pursuing those ultrarare cards is what will keep you playing, but if you like simpler adventures, Stay away. Matches (especially online sans voice chat) can get awfully long and sometimes boring. GJ: PSO’s surprising shift to the realm of cards has only strengthened the series’ hold on me. Sure, it’s a lot easier to pick up and play, and it sports a better story than most card games—but the masterstroke is the gameplay differences between Hero and Dark. It makes contests more intense, a feat unmatched by other card-based battlers (ahem, Yu-Gi- Oh!). Online play takes a hit if you don’t have a keyboard, and voice chat is sorely missed, but anyone who likes PSO will dig it. © revieuw creu: gamecube LAS E- 2] d қ $ + b Plustejfiummoxes foes by tripping the fight fan- tastic next stop, Vegas? POKÉMON COLOSSEUM Put another Pikachu on the barbie Good: Story mode Bad: Battle mode Why Not: Give us a real stand-alone Pokémon game next time? CJ: For years Nintendo has squandered the console potential of Pokémon by churning out titles with merely a fleeting relationship to the real McCoy. The worst offenders are two lackluster Stadium titles on Nintendo 64 that allow you to battle your monsters in 3D but neuter the rest of what makes Pokémon good—the role-playing-game part. Colosseum, which is a Stadium sequel, changes that a bit by adding a much-needed story mode, featuring an RPGish quest just sat- isfying enough to make the game worth your time. It doesn’t feel like a full, stand- alone adventure, but it looks and sounds great (never mind what Mark “Mewtwo killed my family” MacDonald says), and its interesting and very different story will keep the casual Pokéfan glued. On the flip side, Colosseum’s battle mode is much like the N64 Stadiums’. Your enjoyment will depend on how much you like hundreds of Pokébrawls strung one after another. For me, the lack of a worthwhile goal makes it an excruciat- ingly boring experience. Colosseumis as close as we've come to a real console Pokémon game, but it ain't quite there yet. ж: What the,.? What's this little boy and girl doing all бе Wa} dowrzherot 7050 ES ? MARK THE VERDICTS (QUT OF 10) MARK: With simplistic graphics, surprisingly bad audio, and that same repetitive combat the series has been trotting out for years now (four-crit- ter battles change little), Colosseum is for hardcore Pokéfreaks and kids too young to know any better. The new RPG mode is a nice addition, but Из ho-hum story and simplistic nature won't appeal to anyone who doesn't still run home after school to catch the cartoon on television. As for multiplayer, the fact that the game requires extra players to use linked-up GBAs is absoludicrous. KEVIN: Nintendo has finally answered the pleas for a console Pokémon RPG...sort of. The story mode in Colosseum is surpris- ingly dark (by Pokémon standards), but with its lifeless characters and endless torrent of dialogue windows, it's not quite the full-fledged RPG fans may be hoping for. You'll still want to play through it, thou he 2-on-2 battles are just as engaging as the ones in the GBA Pokémon, and you can then enter your Pokémon crew in battle mode. Two steps forward and two steps back, 1-4 ESRB: Everyone KEVIN www.pokemon.com 130 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com HARVEST MOON: A WONDERFUL LIFE Git off my land Good: Success on the farm is very rewarding Bad: Sometimes feels like watching grass grow Except That: Real grass might grow faster A Wonderful Life is a bit like а tomato from the farmers’ market. The inside is unexpectedly nice and juicy, but the outside sure ain’t perfectly round, red, or shiny—and it comes with a few bugs. The farming-sim foundation is solid; raising crops and an ever-growing live- stock menagerie is fun and satisfying. | also enjoyed my character's evolution from small-time farmboy to flourishing farmerman, complete with wife and kid. This is truly a different kind of game, one that really reminds you that videogames can be more than just run-jump-shoot. That's why its rough edges are so dis- appointing. Certain design oversights—it's too difficult to water crops, the buy/sell interfaces suck, moving your damn chick- ens is а pain, еёс.— таке the game way clunkier than it should be. Dialogue with villagers feels pointless; occasionally, you're rewarded with some half-assed minigame, but even those are rare. Buggy gameplay and spelling errors are further distractions. A Wonderful Life is enjoyable but could have been really outstanding. If you liked Animal Crossing but craved loftier goals than collecting furni- ture and making obscene clothing pat- terns, then you—yes, you—are Harvest Moon's target audience. Wonderful Life is longer and includes more stuff to grow (ooh, fruit trees!), but it also shares the faults of its series predecessors: occa- sional bugs, earnestly bucolic graphics that are less Norman Rockwell and more early-era Sega Dreamcast, and molasses- slow story advancement. Stick it out, though, and you could find it even more addictive than Animal Crossing. A Wonderful Life is the most calming game I've played. The methodical routine of tending to your plants and animals is downright soothing, and building up your farm from one lone cow to a bustling money machine is grati- fying in a baron of agribusiness sort of way. Waiting for my lady friend to accept my marriage proposal is less fun, but hey, I respect her desire to take things slow. The downside to this pastoral pleasant- ness is that it requires Zen-like patience. Chances are, you don’t have it. = є * ER After a hard day of planting (top), dude hits the 'shrooms and wigs out (bottom). (OUT OF 10) THE VERDICTS JENNIFER KEVIN CARRIE Publisher: Natsume Developer: Marvelous Players: 1 ESRB: Everyone www.natsume.com The hits and misses that we, ий, missed this month uess what...Ninja Gaiden missed our deadline again this month, And you’re probably playing it right now. Laugh it up...and expect our review next issue—fer reals this time. Here's the other stuff that didn't show, or we couldn't squeeze in. Giant robots descend on hapless Tokyo. XB * Capcom — This version of the niche mech-combat game adds online multiplayer but no new single-player mis- sions. We couldn't review it ahead of time because the #$%@ servers weren't up. But judging from our stick time during the beta test, it's awesome. ‘Scully meets a trailer-park resident. PS2/XB ® VU Games — VU Games refused to let us see X-Files before it hit stores, so you know what that means. The forecast is mostly cloudy with a high probability of sucking. XB * Capcom — This misguided melding of cartoony visuals and serious racing drifts onto Xbox, but bare-bones Live support and slightly revamped graphics can't compensate for the atrocious han- dling problems. rere TAS Bomberman: Blowing up since 1989. GC е Majesco — Adventure mode is а dud, but so what? Jetters brings more iterations of the multiplayer bouts that make Bomberman a perennial favorite. Blowing up numbered tiles in sequence and capturing balloons in frenetic four- player matches is 20 bucks' worth of fun. PS2 e Кое! — Either you're a hardcore fan who preordered this ultrahardcore strategy game months ago, or you're a nonfan who's going to ignore it again. So, How do you get from here to there? How do you transfori your abilities, talent and creativity into the skills that you need to start a professonal career in the animation or video game industries? We can help you get there. An Art Institute education is intensive, practical and designed specifically to help you begin your career. Call us today and put your creativity to work. Mid AUG 2 Ре] Thrill to the unification of ancient China! enjoy if you're the former; keep moving along if you're the latter. GBA е Bam! — You’ve 50000 played this kinda game before: /се Nine's a first-per- son shooter with exploding barrels, switches that open distant doors, and hordes of brain-dead baddies. But it also mixes in sniper-rifle action, stealth mis- sions, and spiffy gizmos (like night-vision goggles), making it practically state of the art among GBA's small lineup of first-per- son blasters. Degree programs offered | Game Art & Design | Media Arts & Animation | Visual & Game Programming The Art Institute of California-Los Angeles 2900 31st St. Santa Monica 888-646-461 www.aicala.artinstitute Not all prc ffered at all The Art Institute of California“-Orange County 3601 West er Ave. Santa An; 888-549-3055 ai rtinstitut: айу. Individual job assi: The Art Institute of California*-San Diego 7650 Mi: п Valley Rd. San Diego, CA 92108 artinstitutes.edu The Art Institute 2 of California"-San Francisco 1170 Market St. San Francisco, CA 94102 888-493-3261 Scene: David Espin REVIEWS ARCHIVE There's gold in them thar lists GAME 1080° Avalanche. Airforce Delta Strike American Idol Amped 2 Armed and Dangerous Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance И Battlestar Galactica Beyond Good & Evil Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg Bloody Roar 4 Boktai: The Sun is in Your Hand A Buffy: Chaos Bleeds W PlayStation 2 W Released: January 2003 № Original Scores: 7.0, 7.0, 8.0 As in the original, no one can match the demonic Dante's blast-and-slash action (or his devilishly good looks and snazzy wardrobe). But too bad the sequel is so freaking easy. You'll rid the world of these ghouls long before Dante is done frosting his hair. greatest hit or miss? Champions of Norrath: Realms of EQ Conflict: Desert Storm II Counter-Strike Grash Nitro Kart Grimson Skies: High Road to Revenge Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix DDRMAX2 Deus Ex: Invisible War Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 2 Dragon Ball 2: Taiketsu Drake Dungeons and Dragons: Heroes Dynasty Tactics 2 ESPN College Hoops ESPN NBA Basketball ESPN NHL Hockey EverQuest Online Adventures: Frontiers Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel Fatal Frame Il: Grimson Butterfly FIFA Soccer 2004 Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles Final Fantasy Tactics Advance Final Fantasy X-2 Е Fire Emblem Gladius Goblin Commander: Unleash the Horde Grabbed by the Ghoulies Harry Potter: Quidditch World Сир The Hobbit. Hunter: The Reckoning—Redeemer и Karaoke Revolution Kill. switch King of Fighters 2000 & 2001 Kirby Air Ride Kya: Dark Lineage Legacy of Kain: Defiance Lethal Skies И Links 2004 Lowrider Lord of the Rings: Return of the King Lord of the Rings: Return of the King Lupin the Third Magic the Gathering: Battlegrounds Manhunt Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour Mario Kart: Double Dash! Mario Party 5 Maximo vs. Army of Zin Max Payne Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne Medal of Honor: Rising Sun Mega Man Battle Chip Challenge Metal Arms: Glitch in the System 182 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com SYSTEM XB XB PS2/XB PS2/XB PS2/XB/GC GC PS2 GBA XB PS2 PS2/XB XB PS2/XB/GC XB XB XB XB XB PS2 PS2/XB PS2/XB PS2/XB р52 PS2/XB р52 PS2/XB/GC GC GBA PS2 GBA PS2/XB/GC PS2/XB/GC XB PS2/XB/GC PS2/XB/GC XB р52 PS2/XB PS2 GC PS2 PS2/XB PS2 XB PS2 PS2/XB/GC GBA PS2 XB PS2 GBA вс GC GC PS2 GBA PS2/XB PS2/XB/GC GBA PS2/XB/GC SCORES (out of 10) VERDICT AWARD W The straightforward slope riding is OK, but Avalanche can't compete with SSX 3 E Slow-moving flight sim stalls before it reaches the danger zone W In our best Simon Cowell voice, “Bloody awful" Wi An eye-pleasing boarder with very few patches of yellow snow W Looks like butt, but plays better than blasé blasters like Brute Force Wi Painted with dated graphics and rife with dull level design W Launched before all systems were go W Plays a lot like Wind Waker (GC). That's a good thing. Real good E Egg-pushing gameplay helps Hatcher feel wonderfully unique W Once again, Bloody Roar's call-of-the-wild concept is tamed by woeful execution ША portable gem in which playing in the sun is an enjoyable requirement W Return to Sunnydale for decent action, so-so fighting, and terrible puns aplenty ША Dark Alliance-style take on EverQuest, complete with online co-op W Another flawed operation with a few moments of valor ША bare-bones first-person shooter that's expendable in the war of the war games W This kart needs a tune-up ША stellar and stylish shooter, Crimson Skies kicks the genre's tires and lights its fires W Perfect your gimp step and build a pimp гер W An overly familiar experience for all but the complete novice т Invisible War's captivating story compensates for its technical shortcomings W This time around, Budokai is best left to the most loyal breed of DBZ fan W Sucks ballZ ША shooter so horribly busted that it's almost funny. It's mostly sad, though W Gauntlet-style fun for four, but misses its saving throw for thrills in solo play W Medieval Chinese generals put on their wildest headgear before going to war W Our own NCAA investigation reveals that ESPN plays too much like a pro game W Even Kobe Bryant's star-studded legal team struggled finding fault with this one E If we were in Detroit, we'd be throwin’ an octopus onto the ice. Goal! W Doesn't the front lawn constitute a new frontier to Evercrack-heads? W Repetitive critter hunting in a watered-down wasteland гу game with a silly name E Superior on-field controls make it a breeze to bend it like Beckham E Charming action-RPG so cute it could give Hello Kitty a heart attack W Deep strategy for the on-the-go tactician. Complete with androgynous heroes Yuna and her female friends rock Spira like never before, and we like it W Deep tactical strategy, but your trip through fantasyland ends too quickly W Repetitive combat, but rich storytelling makes it worthwhile W The best original real-time strategy game to grace a console W Definitely more fun if someone grabs your ghoulies while playing E Rugby, basketball, and nerds on broomsticks collide with thrilling results W Bilbo Baggins’ journey just isn't as appealing as his young nephew's и Slow, repetitive pacing keeps the thrills in check W Like real Karaoke, except the audience actually boos you offstage for bad singing W An intuitive find-cover-and-return-fire system adds strategy to the shoot-outs W Deep and responsive, but only diehards will pick it up over Capcom's 20 fighters E Supremely easy for anyone to pick up and play, yet surprisingly deep т Profoundly mediocre platformer with aspirations of greatness I8 Stunningly gorgeous. Let the blood sucking and soul reaving commence E Not even the dull two-player modes earn Skies any frequent-flier mileage ША shallow create-a-golfer mode keeps Links a few strokes behind Tiger т Multiplayer mode is the stuff drinking games are made of т Stick an orc in it, it's fun. Stick a thousand orcs in И, it's...er, funner E Doesn't quite rule them all, but offers enjoyable hack-r 1а Fanatically true to the anime, but fiddly controls and lame puzzles steal the fun W The cards say you need a life ction nonetheless и Videogame-hating Senator Joe Lieberman's dream come true ША polished, thoroughly enjoyable adventure in the same vein as Paper Mario W When he's not saving the world from Koopa, Mario plays a mean 18 holes W One of the reasons you bought a Cube. And it delivers beautifully W Buy it, call some friends, and let chaos reign W Despite the clean underwear, it's not as zesty as the original Wi Bullet time in your back pocket Wi Slow-mo bloodshed at its hard-boiled best WA few stunning set pieces can't save this rough-edged shooter from mediocrity W OF Blue should ve cashed in his chips for better gameplay ША surprisingly good sci-fi shooter and contender for sleeper hit of the year Metroid Zero Mission Midway Arcade Treasures Mission: Impossible—Operation Surma Monster 4х4: Masters of Metal Monster Rancher 4 NBA Inside Drive 2004 NBA Live 2004 NCAA March Madness 2004 NFL Blitz Pro NFL Fever 2004 NFL Street NHL 2004 NHL Hitz Pro NHL Rivals 2004 Pac-Man Vs. Pirates of the Caribbean PN.O3 Pokémon Channel Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Project Gotham Racing 2 В: Racing Evolution Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando Rise to Honor Roadkill Rogue Ops RPG Maker 2 R-Type Final Sega GT Online Shining Soul И Silent Scope Complete The Simpsons: Hit & Run The Sims Bustin’ Out The Sims Bustin’ Out SOCOM II: U.S. Navy SEALs Sonic Battle Space Channel 5: Special Edition Spawn: Armageddon Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy SSX 3 Star Trek: Shattered Universe Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Star Wars Rogue Squad. ІІ: Rebel Strike Super Mario Advance 4 SWAT: Global Strike Team Sword of Mana Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004 Time Crisis 3 Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Jungle Storm Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3 Tony Hawk's Underground Top Spin True Grime: Streets of L.A. Virtua Fighter 4; Evolution Voodoo Vince Warhammer 40,000: Fire Warrior Wrath: Unleashed Whiplash Winning Eleven 7 WWE Raw 2: Ruthless Aggression WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain WWE Wrestlemania XIX XIII Yu Yu Hakusho: Spirit Detectives. GBA PS2/XB/GC PS2/XB PS2/GC PS2 XB PS2/XB/GC PS2/XB PS2/XB/GC XB PS2/XB/GC PS2/XB/GC PS2/XB/GC XB GC XB GC вс PS2/XB/GC XB PS2/XB/GC PS2 PS2 PS2/XB/GC PS2/XB/GC PS2 PS2 XB GBA XB PS2/XB/GC PS2/XB/GC GBA PS2 GBA PS2 PS2/XB/GC PS2/XB/GC PS2/XB/GC PS2/XB XB XB GC GBA PS2/XB GBA PS2/XB/GC PS2/XB PS2/XB/GC Ps2 PS2 XB PS2/XB/GC XB PS2/XB/GC Ps2 XB PS2 PS2/XB Р52/ХВ PS2 XB PS2 GC PS2/XB/GC GBA Champions of Norrath wear chastity belts. SCORES VERDICT (out of 10) W Samus blasts back to her first adventure in this surprise-filled remake W With 20 timeless classics for a mere 20 bucks, there's no reason not to buy it W Mr. Hunt could use less-cumbersome controls and quicker-witted foes и Subpar driving won't sate your hunger for mud-caked mayhem W Vast, empty, and repetitive dungeons didn't bother all of our reviewers W Should hire Knicks President Isiah Thomas to help shake things up for /D 2005 W Not even the Laker Girls can compete with Live's stylish on-court moves W it's awesome, baby, with a capital A! ША Madden-like face-lift puts Blitz firmly back in the playoff race W For yet another year, Fever is third-string on the pigskin depth chart W The gridiron gods have Street-ified football, and, boy, is it good E Beefy dynasty mode, but plays and looks as ugly as a hockey player's smile W Like a porn star's assets, Hitz isn't exactly realistic, but it's sure fun to play with W Our referees slap Rivals with a five-minute major for sucking W Excellent multiplayer makes GBA connectivity worthwhile W Suffers more glitches than the Disney ride in a thunderstorm W We're assuming Product Number 04 won't see development и Good God, change the channel! W An opium-induced vision where time moves at the speed of your imagination W Buckle up for the best racing sim since Gran Turismo 3 W Looks fantastic, but it feels like you're driving on ice Wi Everything you ve ever wanted from an action game and an absolute must-play W Look, it's Jet Lil. in a kinda repetitive brawler with cheap enemies in Fubu gear W Delivers violence and four-letter words in a playable format W A shameless Lara Croft wannabe stars in a decent stealth-action game I No matter how cool the concept, your RPG will look like crap W Pure side-scrolling shooter bliss, plus it's only 30 bucks и The addition of online play and a $20 price tag gets our motor runnin’ W A prettier soul for sure, but plays a bit too much like the original W There's no better way to freak out America's politicians than with this sniper game ША Grand Theft Auto-style game with a Simpsons twist? Excellent. W Even your lady friend will bust out a controller and play W Surprisingly rewarding for an errand-running simulator W Coo! missions and great multiplayer make SOCOM Il the best game of its kind W Sonic and pals come to fisticuffs in this love-it-or-hate-it pseudo 3D brawler W Sensational style and a swingin’ soundtrack meet simple Simon Says gameplay Wi Among the better Spawn outings to date... which isn't saying much WA fun romp through ancient Egypt— W Still the undisputed king of the mountain W We'd sooner play with the captain’s log E Takin’ Lightsabers 101 is cool, but we'd rather cut class and hang with Boba Fett W The best thing to happen to Star Wars since The Empire Strikes Back W Yoda says, "Stay in the air, you will. Heading out on foot leads to the dark side' able mummy and sphinx included in box! E Undoubtedly stands the test of time as one of history's greatest platformers W Enemies so dumb even Colin Farrell and LL Cool J could cap 'em W Managing your weapons requires a master's degree in metallurgy E Ho-hum brawling action with the heroes іп half-shells, E No need to come back, Arnold W As hot as Tiger's bride-to-be. Well, almost W 7C3 remains an uncontested crack shot among light-gun shooters W Online play is OK, but good God these graphics are uglier than a colon polyp W Squad-based shooting at its best W Oh my god...he is? Someone get him out! W Here's your only chance to ever score with tennis bombshell Anna Kournikova ША spot-on re-creation of Los Angeles. Too bad the ride is over so quickly W As fleshed-out, complicated, and utterly addictive as fighters come W Tedious jumping puzzles and pointless collecting plague the patchwork hero WA switch-flipping, key-finding, frag-em-all affair, oblivious to FPS innovation W A half-assed strategy game plus a half-assed fighter make...well, you do the math E Goofy concept and humor compensate for crummy graphics and average gameplay E Soccer action more intense than a David Beckham-Posh Spice embrace We willingly tap out W Match types galore, improved story mode—pain never felt so good W Better than years past, but a steroid injection or two away from main-event status W One stylish first-person shooter. Sadly, superhuman А1, keeps this one unlucky W Shouldn't be allowed within 50 feet of anybody's GBA greatest or miss? thing! 0! Zip! Zilch! ANIMAL CROSSING № GameCube № Released: September 2002 W Original Scores: 9.0, 9.5, 9.0 In what may be the least macho game ever made, your supercute character wanders around town digging up fos- Sils, fishing, redecorating his or her apartment, and writing letters to the town’s talking animals. And it’s awe- some. You can even invite real-world friends to visit your town and appreci- ate your Fisher-Price-style feng shui. ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY ® www.egmmag.com • 133 A | because cheaters do prosper, especially in videogames GAME DIRECTORY Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance Il . Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy ..............134 mE Resident Evil Code: Veronica X ........ TERME Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel . . .135 Mafia .. + 136 GameShark vs. Action Replay ..137 1080° Avalanche ............138 Goblin Commander: Unleash the Horde .......... .138 Need For Speed Underground . . .138 № Р52/ХВ BALDUR'S GATE: DARK ALLIANCE Il This epic dungeon romp is a fine specimen of an isometric role-playing game, complete with foppish high- fantasy character names. Naturally, you'll want to invest weeks of meticulous gameplay into honing your character to the very peak of performance. Or sack all that and level them up with cheats, make them invulnerable, and warp them anywhere. But where's the fun in that? Below. (Before you go ruining the fun for everyone, make sure you activate the cheat codes during gameplay, not from a menu screen.) Invulnerability and warping The codes below enable options for both invulnerability and level warping, which allows you to skip directly to any level in the game. The levels are listed by abbreviated names, but they’re roughly in the same order they are in the game. Xbox: Press and hold the left and right triggers and A, B, X, and Y buttons. While continuing to hold them, press Start. PS2: Press and hold L1, R1, Triangle, Square, Circle, and X. While still holding them, press Start. Level-up cheating This useful cheat sets the level of your current character to 10, grants him or her a whopping 45 feat points, and gives "ет 500,000 gold pieces. You can do it only once per game, but if you'd like to do it again (to get more feat points or gold), save your game, reload, and enter the 134» ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com 7) = 50.3/195 bud Drizzt“ Do'Urden Level 16 Drow Ranger: Experience; 122000 Next 136000. Health: 160/160. Energy: 64/72 Armor! 41 Base Attack: 45 Damage: 74-1377 (19-34) Strength: 13 (+1 hits+) dmg} Dexterity: 20 (+5 armor), Constitution: 15 (+2 hit points) Intelligence: 17° (#15 max energy) Wisdom: 17-{+)5% experience) Charisma: 14 [+10% buy/sell) № Drizzt has а +5 defending scimitar. Guess who doesn’t. Legolas. code again. Note that if your level is higher than 10, it will be set back to 10. Xbox: Press and hold the left and right triggers and A, B, X, and Y buttons. While continuing to hold them, push White. PS2: Press and hold L1, R1, Triangle, Square, Circle, and X. While still holding them, press L2. Play as Drizzt Do’Urden You know Drizzt, don’t you? He’s the legendary Drow hero of several R.A. Salvatore Forgotten Realms novels. He begins the game at level 16 with his trademark blades, Icingdeath (a +3 frost scimitar) and Twinkle (a +5 defending scimitar), and a suit of +4 mithral chainmail. You can’t ever replace these items, but you can equip other armaments and accessories. Drizzt can use a few exclusive feats, like Otiluke’s Icy Sphere and Repulsion. To play as him, after you complete the quest once, start a new game. Then scroll to the right as you choose your character—after Allessia, Drizzt’s name will appear. Play as Artemis Entreri Like the Tupac and Biggie of Forgotten Realms, Artemis Entreri and Drizzt don’t get along. But instead of Benjamin- countin’, women-degradin’, crotch- grabbin’, and drive-by-shootin' antics, Drizzt and Artemis go medieval and let their magical bling bling do the talking. Like Drizzt, Artemis begins at level 16 with his trademark weapon, Charon’s Claw, and a defending dagger. He’s also packing a suit of +4 grand leather armor of thunder. As an assassin, his feat selection is similar to Vhaidra’s after her class change—plus the exclusive feat Ash Blade. To play as him, after you beat the game in extreme mode (with any character), you'll be able to select Artemis Entreri. If you don’t want to beat the game again, you can use the invulnerability and warp codes to skip to the end of extreme mode with an already-existing character. I РЅ2/ХВ р PRIMA FALLOUT: BROTHERHOOD OF STEEL We've pillaged the Wasteland for some good old-fashioned hidden characters and weapons. Behold our impressive list of unlockables: Hidden characters Several of the folks you meet during your travels can be enlisted to help fight the mutants. As you finish each chapter, another supporting character is unlocked. After clearing Carbon of the raider matron’s menace, the Vault-Tec heroine Patty becomes available. Once the ghoul city of Los is undone, Rhombus, the paladin in purple, joins the cause. And the Vault Dweller, the hero of the original Fallout, goes in for another tour of duty once Attis has been defeated. Secret weapons The Slugger: The Great Bambino wishes he had a bat like this. This piece of lumber knocks enemies across the screen and does huge damage. To uncover the Slugger, head to the docks in Los. Check the narrow alleyway behind the last few pools of green radioactive sludge. There will be ghouls standing behind fences. Lob grenades over the fence and kill these ghouls. Exit the alleyway and meet the largest ghoul you've ever seen. Use your biggest boom to bring down the monster, then claim the Slugger. The Meat Cannon: This weapon has more than an amusingly offensive name: It has incredible range, and it never runs out of W Dilligent looters will find the Meat Cannon here. Lunchtime, suckas! ammo. The Meat Cannon fires explosive meat that doles out serious damage. To find the Meat Cannon, check the Bridge chapter of Los. Remember the hidden area (across from the save-game console) that requires a leap of faith over an abyss? Walk out across the blackness and reach the island, kill all of the ghouls on the asphalt island, and head for the truck in the back corner. Open the footlockers to discover caps and the Meat Cannon. Bon appetit. Bonus material Brotherhood’s development team assembled all of the cut-scenes and cinematics, as well as plenty of making-of footage, for your perusal. All of these extra goodies are accessed from the Bonus option on the main menu. For the basics: Every time you complete a chapter, the accompanying cinematic is unlocked for future and forever viewing. Once you complete the game, the following bonus materials are unlocked: Pin-ups: Footage of the female characters from the game, but done up for a '50$-ега calendar shoot. Environment: View concept artwork for the game’s locations, such as Carbon and Los. Weapons: Check out concept artwork and renderings of the weapons used in the game. Characters: More artwork, but this set concentrates on the characters. Skinlab Music Video: Watch a music video starring Skinlab, who provided some of the rockin’ tunes that play over the game’s best action sequences. > DO WHAT|YOU|Love Game Design Animation 1.888.356.7777 trichs of the trade № PS2/XB МАНА The man with the scam is Lucas Bertoni, the mechanic on the outskirts of town. Doing favors for him is the key to getting your meat hooks on the sweetest rides in Lost Heaven. Want to.get these wheels into your personal garage? Lucas’ll show you how to break into some rare, exotic cars owned by Lost Heaven's upper crust. But nothing comes for free in this business, and Lucas is only willing to teach you how to steal these automobiles if you run special errands for him. These tasks might include tailing somebody or delivering a package, for instance. After the race in mission 6, Tommy can begin visiting Lucas' garage. Visit him only when the game alerts you that you can (usually after completing a mission for Salieri). Otherwise, Lucas shows you nothin’. Bupkis. To accept an errand from Lucas, park outside his garage and walk in. Talk to him to find out what you need to do. Once you complete the job, return to his garage. Lucas'll show you how to pick the lock of a fine car and tell you exactly where you can find said car. Once you steal the wheels, return to Salieri’s and the car is added to your fleet. Need more info? Fuggetaboutit! Hey, watch the knees! No, not the hammer! Crunch! ОК, OK, geez, Il tell you what you need to know! Here's a more complete breakdown of the eight missions Lucas sends you on. Mission 6 The first time you visit Lucas, he shows you how to steal the Lassiter V16 Phaeton. The car is parked behind the municipal building. Drive over to the building’s lot and approach the vehicle. When nobody’s looking, pick the lock and the Phaeton is yours. Bada bing! Mission 9 Lucas tells you that a buddy of his is wanted by the cops. If you drive to Hoboken and warn the guy, Lucas shows you how to steal an Ulver Airstream. Follow the map to the guy’s door, which is marked with a blue X, and use the Action button. Return to Lucas. The appreciative mechanic shows you how to lift the Airstream and directs you to Oakwood, where you'll find one ripe for the picking. So pick, already. Bada bong! Mission 10 Want the Thor 810? First, listen to Lucas" tale of a bouncer who takes too much pleasure in his job. Follow the map to the club the bouncer works at, beat him up, and return to Lucas. The Thor is waiting for you outside an estate in swanky Oak Hill. There are guards near the house, so approach cautiously. When the coast is clear, pick the lock and speed away. Budda bang! Mission 15 Lucas needs you to rush to a street corner and pick up a friend who was on the wrong end of a gun. You must drive his friend to the hospital in New Ark real quicklike. The friend's health meter slowly ebbs away. If you don’t make it to the hospital in time, he dies and you fail. If you make it to the hospital, Lucas shows you how to lift a Bruno Speedster 851. The car is parked at the garage on Central Island. If the area is free of curious peepers, make with the swiping. Budda finger! "- № Lucas will show you how to steal Lost Heaven’s best rides—but not for free. 136» ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com W Mission 19: Park your car at the top of the stairs, poised for a quick getaway. Mission 16 The Celeste Marque is a fine piece of machinery that’s worth risking a little high-speed chase for. Lucas has a car used in a crime that needs to be destroyed, but he can’t do it. He needs you to drive the car to the beach at the southern tip of Oakwood and dump it in the ocean. The only problem is that a bunch of cops are looking for the car. Race to the beach, eluding the police with speed and artful use of traffic. Once there, park the car on the edge of the cliff and get out. The car rolls off on its own. Return to Lucas, and he'll tell you where to find the Marque. For once, don't follow his instructions. The car is parked in front of a diner downtown. When you Start picking the lock, the owner comes out and opens fire. Instead, wait for the owner to leave the diner and drive home to Oakwood. Once he's inside his house, steal the car from the driveway with no difficulty. Shazam! Mission 17 The Lassiter Appolyon is a beauty that deserves to be in your garage. All you need to do is pick up one of Lucas’ colleagues in the Works Quarter and drop him off where Lucas tells you to. The Appolyon is parked in Oak Hill. Problem is, а car like this commands attention. If a person witnesses you stealing it, they'll raise a ruckus. You need to be fast and full of health, just in case. Abracadabra! Mission 19 Lucas needs you to deliver an itty-bitty package to an associate of his who hangs out beneath the East Marshall Bridge. Park your car at the top of the stairs, making sure the door is facing the stairs, just in case you need to hightail it out of there. Run down, and you'll see the associate, Dick, standing there. Unfortunately, you were followed by some dark-suited thugs. Turn around and open fire. The shots may attract the police, so be ready to make a break for it when all the thugs are dead. Return to Lucas, and he'll tell you where you can find the gorgeous Trautenberg Model J. The owner is leaving Oakwood Junior High en route to downtown. Follow the guy as he circles several blocks. Pull your car in front of his and hop out. Yank the driver out of the car and speed away in your new ride. Yowza! Mission 20 The final car Lucas shows you how to steal is a Thor 812 Cabriolet, a nice roadster that’s great for getaways. Lucas needs you to follow a prostitute as she leaves the Hotel Corleone. Drive to the hotel and wait for the woman in red to leave. Keep her in sight—she does not appear on the map. Once you find her apartment, return to Lucas and tell him where she went. Lucas then informs you that the Thor is at a lot in Chinatown. What he doesn’t mention is the pack of vicious guard dogs in the yard. You could open the gate and try to shoot the dogs, but they move fast, and you don’t want a bunch of people witnessing you butchering animals. Instead, run out and open the gate, then get back in your car and drive over the dogs in the yard, avoiding personal injury. With the curs in dog heaven, you can Steal the car with impunity. Capisci? > GameShark serves up more Whiplash cheats than Spanx can twirl Redmond at, plus a little Robotech chicanery for anime fans. Whiplash (PS2) Have Air Smash 25D0B128 1474D70E Enter This First F453BE2E FE644416 Have Juggle Finish 25D0B328 1474D7AE Маме Animal-Rescue Have Hyper Dash Requirements 25D0B328 1474D79E 24D1A6A8 1274C109 2454B62E 9E76892A Have Chain Charge 24D1B688 1256C119 25D0B328 1474D7BE 24D1B528 30B6C794 Have Level Maps 25D0B128 1474D72E 0% Company Worth 25003528 16740138 Robotech: The 25003528 16746188 Macross Saga (GBA) Infinite Health 24911488 04D4410D Enter This First 977CF4158816 Infinite Scurry CDDE317562F5 24908328 34F4559C BES6E27552E3 Infinite Robomice Turbo Side-Scroll 0550912A 1474D7BC 138C34EB711E 114C766163FE Infinite Keys 1500B128 1CF4D73E Infinite Missiles CF2977F946F7 Max Animals Saved 1540B468 1С74050Е Rapid-Fire Missiles 6073EA17E395 Have Glide ЕС0С77ҒВ4203 25008328 1474072Е Rapid-Fire Gun Have High-Voltage 6C0C7273AAA5 Grapple CF6957F042B7 25008328 1474071 Unlock АН Characters Have Sweep Finish BECE19F25057 25D0B328 1474D78E 62АВ980Е4383 With infinite Simoleans, your Sim will soon have the swankiest pad in town. Action Replay also offers some help for ghost photographers. The Sims: Fatal Frame II Bustin’ Out (GC) (Р52) Enter This First 7P22-FN8P-3NVPE TR9W-RG1Y-PF3GC Enter This First 29T8-TACA-U2HC7 958B-JD80-H73VK Everything Unlocked Weak Ghosts JU59-R737-Q8N8H 76DB-BG3P-VHJV5 2X35-MN8M-2UKFR TH1X-XOEV-PXVKD KKK3-QWDV-59CDQ KBAN-PJRO-RX4U0 WDW9-8H04-C4W51 T9JV-5PZ5-Y1YNW Super Debug Mode PGCD-56NE-PU9XP VOV2-DXRY-F2FJ4 CC2N-2UHO-UU64W JW6D-Q290-WWEU7 Infinite Time for HFTX-KQDZ-FM81H Doll Puzzle WC69-JGEV-K5ER7 Infinite Simoleans QTRF-TPCY-7CEJE 8UZC-Y65M-620GW UQ7B-CCDH-MZAP9 Infinite Turns for Pinwheel Puzzle 1 Max Out All Motives ZCD9-X29Y-ZH8Y8 (Press Up + B) 8PU4-4K47-JNFIR ON4Q-H29D-ZMQGM 8MUX-8UR9-F9ZMN URZT-16C7-8EEOM ZPO2-VK03-9ZRB5 3T31-MW2W-Y968F Infinite Turns for Pinwheel Puzzle 2 QYQH-EODF-BNUX1 XX01-0KPK-C3W7Q Have Super Lawn Infinite Turns for Gnome Tachibana Shrine VBB1-4D92-HF4P5 Е290-263Х-Р1060 CC2N-2UH0-UU64W 1HR6-Y65F-Z1VJW т An unlucky spin of the bottle gets Мю into an embarrassing situation. Come on, a deal's a deal. PLAY. COMPETE. WIN. Register online Register offline GAMES canes boubque- Miami, FL Jacksonville, FL New Orleans, LA Houston, TX San Antonio, TX Dallas, TX Atlanta, GA Nashville, TN Charlotte, NC Baltimore, MD Philadelphia, PA New York, NY Brooklyn, NY Boston, MA Columbus, OH Detroit, MI Indianapolis, IN Louisville, KY Chicago, IL Milwaukee, WI Kansas City, MO Denver, CO Seattle, WA Portland, OR San Francisco, CA San Jose, CA Las Vegas, NV Phoenix, AZ San Diego, CA Los Angeles, CA све of the trad 1080° AVALANCHE WI Keen it together, Pinky...this is a terrible place for a yard sale. Don’t confuse Nintendo’s long-in-the- tooth snowboarding title with “1090,” a popular nickname for the mullet hairstyle (that’s 10 percent on top, 90 percent in back). As if you would. Level skip To use these codes, choose Enter an Avalanche Code from the Options menu. Novice final challenge: JAS3IKRR Hard final challenge: 2AUNIKFS Expert final challenge: EATFIKRM Extreme final challenge: 9AVVIKNY Unlockables And plenty of "em. Check out the list: Alternate costumes: Complete Expert mode with any character. Alternate board designs: Retrieve 18 Time Trial coins, Alternate board skins: Retrieve all Time Trial coins, including those in Extreme. Bones (character): Complete Extreme mode using Rob. Ш PS2/XB/GC Crystal (character): Complete Extreme mode using Akari. Frosty (character): Complete Extreme mode using Ricky. Mimi (character): Complete Extreme mode using Tara. Titanium (character): Complete Extreme mode-using Kemen. Extreme Championship: Complete Expert championship. Second board for Winterborn, Once Bitten, Scaretactix, GCN, and Crime Scene: Retrieve two Time Trial coins. Third board for Mind Invasion, Happiness, Cold Front, Broken Forest, and DNA: Retrieve five Time Trial coins. Fourth board for 8-Bit Soul, Bad Cat, Pulse, Conquest, and Backbone: Retrieve nine Time Trial coins. Mr. Beakes’ Board: Earn two trophies. NST 1080° Avalanche: Earn 15 trophies. Old-School Board (NES Control Pad): Earn six trophies. Paintbrush board: Earn seven coins. Penguin board: Earn one coin. Power Painter: Earn nine trophies. NEED FOR SPEED UNDERGROUND Ready for another joke? A street racer walks into a doctor’s office with a steering wheel clamped firmly to his groin. “What do we have here?” the doctor asks. The racer replies, “Doc, help me— this thing’s driving me nuts!” Thank you. I’m here all week. After that Rodney Dangerfield moment, I'd better bring out some top-notch Codes to bring you back from the brink. So here’s how to unlock all the tracks in NFSU without any hassle (enter codes at the Main menu): All Drag Tracks All Drift Tracks All Sprint Tracks All Circuit Tracks Drift Physics in All Modes GameCube Right, Z, Left, R, ZLWX PlayStation 2 Right, Square, Left, R1, Square, L1, L2, R2 Left, Left, Left, Left, Left, Left, Left, Right, X, Left, Right, R2, R1, RY 12 Up, X, X, X В, Down, Down, Down Up, R2, R2, R2, R1, Down, Down, Down D-pad Down, R, RRXXXZ Down, Rt, R1, R1, R2, R2, R2, Square R1, Up, Up, Up, Down, Down, Down, L1 138 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.egmmag.com № PS2/XB GOBLIN COMMANDER: UNLEASH THE HORDE More like unleash the codes. Punch these in during gameplay. PlayStation 2 codes Hold L1, R1, Triangle, and Down for about 3 seconds until a cheat-activation message appears, then tap the following: Gain 100 Gold: L1, R1, R1, R1, R1, L1, Triangle, L1, L1, L1 Gain 100 Souls: R1, L1, L1, L1, L1, R1, Triangle, R1, R1, R1 Gain 1,000 Gold and Souls: R1, R1, L1, R1, R1, Triangle, Triangle, Triangle, L1, L1 Disable Fog of War: R1, L1, R1, R1, L1, L1, Triangle, Triangle, L1, R1 Invincibility: R1, R1, R1, L1, L1, L1, R1, L1, Triangle, R1 Level Select: (deep breath) Triangle, Triangle, Triangle, L1, R1, L1, L1, R1, L1, R1, R1, L1, R1, L1, L1, R1, L1, R1, 11,11, R1, L1, L1, R1, L1, R1, R1, Triangle, Triangle, Triangle (whew!) /2 Laps front: 0:26.54 Right, X, Left, В, X, L, White, Black Left, Left, Left, Left, Right, Black, R, White Up, Black, Black, Black, R, Down, Down, Down Down, R, R, В, Black, Black, Black, X R, Up, Up, Up, Down, Down, Down, L Slow Down: L1, L1, L1, L1, L1, Triangle, Triangle, Triangle, Triangle, R1 Speed Up: R1, R1, R1, R1, R1, L1, Triangle, R1, R1, R1 Complete Current Level: R1, R1, L1, L1, L1, R1, R1, Triangle, Triangle, Triangle Xbox and GameCube codes Hold Left and Right triggers, Y, and Down until a confirmation appears, then press: Gain 100 Gold: L, R, R, R, R, L, Y, L, L, L Gain 100 Souls: R, L, L, L, L, R, Y, R, R, R Gain 1,000 Gold and Souls: R, R, L, R, В, УМЕ Disable Fog of War: R, L, В, R, L, L, Y, Y, L, R Invincib R, R, R, L, L, L, R, L, Y, R Level Select: Y, Y, Y, L, R, L, L, R, L, R, R, L, RE b BL RE ER b ER, E; B; RS У Slow Down: L, L, L, L, L, Y, Y, Y, Y В Speed Up: R, R, R, R, R, L, Y, R, R, R Complete Current Level: R, R, L, L, L, R, R, Y, Y, Y 1 N nellftro WA Srornbringe: Stronokrasher Matt „кт. Ker Player " Style Points № Yes, this is what sucking looks like. Fourth place out of four? Here's a tip: In order to win, you gotta want it. Want it! www.1UP.com Power Up Your Magazine Experience From the Editors of all your favorite ЕРОЛ ты... = Y imagines. Gaming PlayStation EEE ТАЙ GAMING XBN WORLD GM XBOX NATION INDEPENDENT XBOX MAGAZINE game over THE REST OF THE CRAP Angering marketing departments since 2002 help me This month, in what can only be considered an attack on my sanity, Рт squeezing five bad games onto this page. Evidently | got a little too long-winded last time, when 1 com- pared Dinotopia to the tragic pan- demic of dong crabs. You probably don’t remember that, because it was changed to “Dinotopia? More like cheese weasel on crack!” by the editors, softened by Standards and Practices to become “I did not enjoy this game about dinosaurs,” and finally filtered through the United Council of Dinosaur Enthusiast Grandmothers to end at “Terrific!” —Seanbaby ROCKET POWER: ZERO GRAVITY ZONE W 1 hate to pull out the trump card of insult- ing captions, but “Psh! Nice game.” GBA е THQ — This is a great game for people who like Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater but hate themselves. The controls are so clumsy and unresponsive that you might as well throw your Game Boy into a dryer and shout suggestions at it through the glass. Like all games inspired by Nickelodeon TV shows, the main stars are a group of horribly deformed children, so it’s possible they're not listening to the control pad because the ugly little mon- sters are trying to reshape their disfigured great moments in bad box art heads against nearby structures. Bottom Line: What with all the suffer- ing and pain in the world, it seems petty to mock a videogame simply because it’s inferior. That being said, this videogame is personally respon- sible for most of that suffering and pain I just mentioned. MUPPETS PARTY CRUISE № Unicycle Death Bowl: It’s not over until the last Muppet dies of exposure. PS2 е TDK — Not being excessively fruity or elderly, I'm unfamiliar with what goes on during a party cruise. However, my girlfriend is both, and she says that this game is very faithful to standard cruise activities like launching puppets out of cannons. With so many minigames avail- able, there's a chance you won't even notice that none of them are fun. | feel the same way about minigames as | do about minirobots: You can almost ignore them on their own, but if you get too many of ’em together, they merge to form Borgon and then you can wave goodbye to what we call “uneaten babies.” Bottom Line: Switch to this party game if you and your friends thought Pokémon Jr. Scrabble was letting you keep too much of your dignity. POWER RANGERS: NINJA STORM GBA е THQ — My Game Boy and | reached a gentleman’s agreement that both allowed me to review Ninja Storm and also let my Game Boy get the game the hell out of itself. After 30 seconds of stick time in which | bonked a steady stream of identical ninjas, the Game Boy liquefied the cartridge and told me that if | wanted to play more of this monotonous crap, my ROCK Н BALL (NES) It could be a hockey game, but I’ve never seen a hockey league that launches fruity boys in hot pants into the sky for any reason. That’s why | thought it might be about aerobics in space. My final theory, though, was that it wasn’t a game at all. If | hadn’t opened the box and found a cartridge, | would have assumed that this thing, through unknown means, opened a gateway for Richard Simmons’ imagination to throw up directly into my eyes. 140 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com № Thrill to the sight of the red Power Ranger fighting ninjas #232 and #233. primitive meatbrain could simulate it by remembering those 30 seconds as many times as | wanted. My Game Boy might be a rude little robobastard, but | have to admit it has a point here. Bottom Line: It might not be fair to make fun of the game’s plodding monotony since, if you play long enough, some ninjas are black instead of green, creating a virtual surfeit of ninja variety. OZZY & DRIX № This isn’t an early version of the game. Your glasses aren’t dirty. It actually looks like that. GBA • Midway — It’s always been a dream of mine to be well-versed enough in theology that when | saw something this terrible | could gasp, “Th-the prophecy has come true!” only really mean it and back it up with religious text references. A pious background would also come in handy while playing this thing, since nearly every gap requires a spastic launch into space, and whether you land on a platform or bottomless death is pret- ty much up to your god. Apparently, my god likes watching me die. Bottom Line: If you’re so stupid that you need someone to tell you Ozzy & Drixis a failure, here’s a picture of the letter w for you to play with: W. BARBIE HORSE ADVENTURES: WILD HORSE RESCUE ` XB • VU Games — Finally, a game based on the e-mail spam you’ve been getting for years. It might disappoint you to dis- cover, however, that this game took the idea of horse adventures with fashion models in a strangely non-erotic direction. Instead of “thrObbing, maMMoTh CEN- SORED CENSORED all oVEr her CEN- SORED!” it starts out with Barbie and her carefully multicultural friends going on a № Ozzy and Drix, so street it hurts, У Not pictured: immigrants carrying Barbie’s three steamer trunks full of vital accessories. frantic pony rescue mission. You've got to go immediately, but when you're Barbie, there's always time for fashion and fun! So as the hours roll by and bringing the escaped horses back alive becomes more and more impossible, you design the per- fect rescue outfit. Want to know what I picked? Giggle, | chose pink EVERYTHING! | wasn't done, though! Then | got to dress up my rescue horse! Bottom Line: As I chose the perfect rib- bons and saddle blankets to go with the edge-of-your-seat drama, Barbie shouted words of encouragement. But I had to hit mute after she screamed, “What а cool-looking horse!” As if I need some plastic slut to tell me how cool my horse looks. classic crap ANIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET(NES) Fans of the film should know that a lit- tle bit of the movie’s edge is gone now that the nightmare’s been translated into a little boy fighting Halloween cookies. The dream world is exactly like the regular one, except the bats are now spooky ghosts and the spi- ders can take an extra punch. 170021200 270000009 279000008 “eee Lo 59 А HOLY MAN WITH А GUN. AN IMMATURE MONKEY DEMON. A EARD-LIVING. KARD-LOVING HALF-BREED. А DEMON WITKA DRAGON THAT TURNS INTO A JEEP. за NAMES OF TH ACROSS 1. Evergreen wiz kid геарре in ’04 . Monochrome martial artist?" . Like 2004’s Fight or 20005 Midnight Bombastic transportation . Zelda: Oracle of Seasons tough- skinned boss . Prequel game to two Vi . Like South Park Rally’s Cartman movies . Regains energy;overnight? ‘SSX obstacles? . Final Fantasy Xi status-aiding Cheats at Magic Peng footwear . How to leave PS2's . Candles help you do it in an NES Island? Zelda dungeon True Crime protagonist . Hangs with the Power of Juju Arctic NES mountain-s . Opposite of upload (abbrv.) original, for short . Where NFL 2004's Ravens play . WWX wrestler's weight (abbrv.) 2004 Star Wars warfa . What a big mutha trucker might ‚ Where you might find have to watch for in the road? Nemo? . The last boss in Ghosts 'п' Goblins . Might be dirt or tarma (NES)/ the first time you fight him (PS2) . Frank Castle of 2004 сотіс- Mario Sunshine (Gi turned-videogame . He was originally st . What someone might call a called Monkey Kon: hardcore gamer . Keep a rented gam . Great for slashing Castlevania bats . Like powerboat гас | www.advfilms.com/favorites/saiyuki/ • www.advfilms.com о жш ire апше Аи Available March 30, 2004 at these and other fine stores. . Mrs. Domino's “unstoppable” % partner à 1 % беј (51110986080 үз amazon.com ADV1013 Saiyuki © 2000 Kazuya Minekura / Enix • Saiyuki Project « TV Tokyo The epic tale of four very "different heroes and their journey to keep the world safe from evil demons, monsters and angry gods continues in Saiyuki: Children of Sacrifice. he Game Boy Advance SP has T really enlightened gaming on the go. But why spend 100 bucks when you can get one of these babies for free? Electronic Gaming Monthly and Nintendo are teaming up to give two lucky readers a flame-colored Game Boy Advance SP and a copy of the action-role-playing game Sword of HOW TO PLAY Mana. Simply find the piece of character art (shown in the upper right) hidden in the mag—the one on this page doesn’t count, wiseguy. Then, e-mail us the page number (EGM@ziffdavis.com, Subject: Game Boy Advance Giveaway) and hope you are randomly chosen. All entries must be received by April 15, 2004, or you’re stuck, like us, buying both. 1. Find the hidden Sword of Mana character art in this issue of EGM. 2. E-mail us (EGM@ziffdavis.com) with the page number, along with your name and mailing address, Write “Game Boy Advance Giveaway” in the e-mail’s subject line. All correct entries received by April 15, 2004, will then be entered into a drawing for the prizes. Only one entry per person is accepted. Full legal rules are available at http://gbacontest.egmmag.com. « ‚Awards aux" [ | FastLaneHW.com Perfect Score 10/10 T "You fee! like you are in the middie of the action. You can easily toll from which. ‘sound is coming from." tom's hardware guide ” point the location of the various background noises (cars, rain, wind, ele." [Zalman USA, Inc.] 1565 Harmony Circle, Anaheim, CA 92807, USA Tel: Find the hidden piece of character art and this GBA SP and game could be yours! 1-714-693-8880 / Fax: *1-714-693-8890 / http://www.zalmanusa.com FINALIST 1112003 BEST OF | ZJ COMDEX ZALMAN Zalman USA, Inc. It's a world-exclusive cover story on the game with three names: GoldenEye: Dr. No vs. Goldfinger—sequel of sorts to the best James Bond adventure ever, GoldenEye 007 (Nintendo 64). For the first time, you won’tbe stepping in the shoes of the British superspy. Instead; play the villain and take on 007 in this first-person shooter that shakes up the Bond-universe timeline and continuity like a perfect martini...made in the Twilight Zone. (Where else would you see classic Bond fiends like Dr. No, Goldfinger, and even Oddjob going after each other?) Plus, EGM turns 15! We celebrate with a look at how the magazine grew from humble photocopied fanzine to international gaming juggernaut. We'll also.round up this year's hottest RPGs, including Kingdom Hearts И, Xenosaga Episode Il, True Fantasy Live Online, Sudeki, and Zelda: Four Swords. ER INDEX A.D. Vision www.advfilms.com Electronic Arts Accla Activision www.activision.com . тену Koei Corporation www.koei,com . Blockbuster www.blockbustercom ........ DRE] Collins College Midway Games, Inc. www.collinscollege.edu +135 www.midway.com к Processors ww.gotmilk.co EB Games Namco Hometek www.ebgames.com .............. 528-520 om 3 4 ww.natsume.coi Full Sail Real World Education www.fullsail.com ........... Se veni d 129 PATER EXT www.namco.com ..... Nestle Food Company www.butterfinger.com .... ony Compute Sony Online Entertainment www.sonyonline.com ...............16-17 Square Enix Take-Two Interactive Software www.take2games.com ......... EE] Tecmo, Inc. www.tecmoine.com Ubisoft Entertai Wrigley wwwjuicyfruit.com ........... uS anusa.com ON SALE MAR jevolver (PS; B Burnout 3 PERNT \ а TimpSpiittérs 3 (PS2/XB) ш Tales of Symphpnia бо m FinalFanlasy XI (PS2) |, W EA Sports FightiNight2004(PS2/XB) . т NinjarGaiden(xB) [| ESPN; Major, League Baseball {Р52/ХВ)/ y — uw (All planned editorial content is subject to change.) ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY (ISSN #1058-918Х) is published monthly by Ziff Davis Media Inc. 28 East 28th Street, New York, NY 10016. Periodicals Class Postage Paid at New York, NY 10016 and additional mailing offices. Single issue rates: $4.99. The one year (12 issue) subscription rate is $24.97 in the US. and 54097 outside Ihe U.S. Checks must be made payable in US. currency only to Electronic Gaming Monthly magazine. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Electronic Gaming Monthly, P.O. Вох 55721, Boulder, CO 80322-5721. 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The editors and the publisher are not responsible for unsolicited materials. у form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written notice о! 211 Davis Media Inc. in part in any form or medium without express written permission of it Davis Media Inc. 8 prohibited. For permission to reuse material from our publications or websites, or to use our logo, contact Ziff Davis Media's Rights and Permissions Manager, Olga Gonopolsky, a: permissions@ziftdavis.com or Ziff Davis Media Inc. 28 East 28th Street, New York, NY, 10016 Tel: 212-503-5438, Fax: 212 503-3560. For article REPRINTS and E-PRINTS, contact Reprint Management Services at: Toll Free: 1-800-290-5460, Те. 717-399-1900, Fax: 717-399-8900, E-aiinfoGreprintbuyer.com. Visit www reprintbuyer.com to obtain quotes and order reprints online. Electronic Gaming Monthly and ЕСМ are trademarks of Zift Davis Media Inc. TM and © for all other products and the characters contained herein are owned by the respective trademark and copyright owners. АИ materials listed in this magazine are subject to manufacturers change and the publisher assumes по responsibility for such changes. The Canadian GST Registration number is 140496720 RT. Publications Mail Agreement No. 40009221. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to P.O. Box 503, APO West Beaver Creek, Richmond НИ, ON 148 486. Big-brotherly love is the 21st century's plague. No matter how bloody the glove, question evidence displayed, ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY ® www.egmmag.com 143 Q game ouer HSU AND CHAN'S OFFICIAL WEBSITE — WWW.APE-LAW.COM/EVILMONKEY GREETINGS, VIDEO GAMERS! LOOK FOR FULL-LENGTH HSU 6 CHAN COMICS AT YOUR LOCAL COMIC SHOP! (OR ORDER ONLINE AT WWW.SLAVELABOR.COM.) к— HELLO, угро GAMERS! ҮМ HSU TANAKA, THIS IS MY BROTHER CHAN AND WE Age VIDEO GAME DESIGNERS ! 80 ^» CHAN GAME DESIGNERS iN, в MISTAKES WERE MADE! oo RIGHT, BREMER CHAN! AND THAT MEANS THAT WE HAVE Ам INVESTMENT то РОТЕСТ! VIOLENTLY, IF OPPORTUNITY PRESENTS ITSELF AND THE COAST 15 CLEAN IN THESE HIGHLY COMPETITIVE TIMES, 176 NOT ENOUGH To MERE HAVE A Soup PRODUCT ON THE мАВКЕТ- --ALTHOUGH APPARENTLY, IN CERTAIN CASES You AN STAY AFLOAT PRETTY? WELL Sus BY RELEASING LOTS OF CRAP WITH THE WORDS “TOMB RAIDER " a Т BUT No, THESE DAYS, SuRVIVAL REQUIRES A WORKING KNOWLEDGE OF THE INDUSTRY ENTIRE: WHERE IT 15, WHERE BEEN, AND WHERE IT's GOING! Yes, THE FUTURE! DARK AS THE INSIDE OF А VEACON'S HAT, UNFATHOMARLE AS THE CONTENTS OF А > WOMAN'S PORSE ¢ SEVERAL COMPANIES ALREADY HAVE TEAMS OF ANALYSTS USING THE DATA OF TODA To DETERMINE ARENDS IN THE MARKET оє TOMORROW. INDEED | HAVE NOW THEN, CHAN NECROMANCER Н: HAVE You Asse Au. OF ouR BUT US? Do WE LOOK LIKE A COUPLE OF NANCY. Gos? NO! „IE DETERMINE THe FUTURE THE OLD FASHIONED WAR -- UNSPEAKABLE Buack-masıc RITUALS! DOWN AT THE EN “TUPPERWARE { ARE ARRANGED BEFORE You IN, MARKED CONTANERS, ACCORDING To COLOR AND Su! ENE OF NEWT. BRAIN OF SNAK SCENT OF DOG: ND, in — WOULDN'T OPEN THE BLUE ONE INSIDE, IF Чоо стен MY COULDN'T BE HELPED. WONT HAPPEN AGAIN WHOLE-ROASTED FROG! ("CLAWS oF EAGLE? NOSE OF ELF! WHISKERS FROM THE Е CHIN OF SATAN OA THIS 15 GONNA BE BaD WHEN I airs THE WATER, он ME JUST LEFT HIMSELF / Look, WERE REALLY BOS PREPARING FoR THE COMING wiHo DARES SUMMON THE "€ Fomss OF WAR читы THE FORCES. DEMON OF THE CAULDRON?! NO iDEA WHO HE WAS CRAZY TRESPASSERS SINCE YOU'RE ALREADY HAVE A AND FINALLY-- НЕ BLOOD OF A LIVE CHICKEN! RE, THOUGH, QUESTION ! WHO MUST NOW SUFFER DEATH FoR THEIR NSoLENCE ?/ н, EAN, Weer LET ЧОО Сет BAEK TO THAT INA SECOND. NOW LETS HANE TC WHAT'S Сомо FoR THE GAMING WORLD? TELLUS, GREAT DEMON THINGY, WHAT GAMING TRENDS AWAIT US IN WE YEARS To COME GAMING WHAT? | ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT, HERE, LEMME LOOK. OK, IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS, WERE GOING To SEE | AN EXTREME SURGE IN THE MBER OF GAMES BASED ON Tiki MERCHANDISE, THAT'S tr THATS ALL we Ger? TW Games? күз COR PLAN WORKS, Tye WORLD WILL ВЕ TURNED Самом WITH THE BLooD oF MORTAL MAN AND ALL WILL WITHER IN Two TEARS, ANYWAY. Tiki GAMES SHOUD нор Чоо TILL THEN. 144 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.egmmag.com You SURE Чоо AREN'T Just SCREWING W HEY, IM А DEMON; You ТАКЕ YOUR CHANCES WITH RELIABLY, ел Сомо SACK To BED. HMPH WELL, LET THAT BEA CULT SCIENCES. TRUSTED! | Е. usu? DEMONS Age мог To BE BLoody WELL RIGHT! VALUABLE LESSON TO THOSE OF Чоо мно WOULD ATTEMPT SEROUS WORK IN THE UNTIL NEXT MONTH, Kia ORA, EVERYBODY. ЖА” А \ "Il Our UTBREAg A \ BEZ E AA a T d Capcom BE ONE OF THE FIRST 10 PEOPLE TO WIN THIS GAME. LOG ON TO ВЕОЧТВВЕАК.ЕСММАС.СОМ AND ENTER YOUR NAME TO WIN* EACH WINNER WILL RECEIVE A SIGNED COPY OF RESIDENT EVIL” OUTBREAK FOR PLAYSTATION”2 COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM, STRATEGY GUIDE FROM BRADY GAMES, RESIDENT EVIL” OUTBREAK POSTERAND TRADING CARDS, AND AN OFFICIAL CAPCOM T-SHIRT. “MUST BE 17 OR OLDER TO ENTER SEE WEBSITE FOR FULL CONTEST RULES, TERMS AND CONDITIONS. Fr ( Blood and боге | | . ` ш Intense Violence | <> PlayStation.e : www.residentevil.com B ШШЩ YOUR GAME FURTHER ©САРСОМ CO., LTD. 2003 €CAPCOM U.S.A., INC. 2003. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. CAPCOM, the CAPCOM logo and RESIDENT EVIL are registered trademarks of CAPCOM CO., LTD. "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Online play requires Internet connection, Network Adaptor (for PlayStation 2) and Memory Card (BMB) (for PlayStation 2) (each sold separately). The Online icon is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. The ratings icon is a registered trademark of the Entertainment Software Association. BradyGames® is a registered trademark of Pearson Education, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders. AROUND EVERY CORNER... BEHIND EVERY DOOR... DEEP IN EVERY SHADOW... TERROR WAITS. Take on the role as one of eight survivors of an outbreak caused by a secret biological weapon. Team up with other survivors - up to 4 in online* mode - to create contagiously addictive play scenarios you'll want to try and relive again änd again. Blood and Gore Intense Violence SMILE. à қ | Ва e www.residentevil.com ) ©САРСОМ CO., LTD. 2003 ОСАРСОМ U.S.A., INC. 2003. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. CAPCOM, the CAPCOM logo and RESIDENT ЕМІ. are registered trademarks of CAPCOM CO., LTD. "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. The ratings icon is a registered trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association, Online play requires internet connection and Network Adapter for PlayStation 2 (sold separately) The Online icon is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment. [Xe WAN OTS (97 ZEIROMAG- OUT Cel TS UO presene с/аѕѕіс MICE дате тадагіпеѕ SO Wiel they аге по lost permanently: Реоріелпќегеѕѓеа helping (27715 EN capacity, please \15 05 а геќотадѕ сот” № о profitis таае гот these ѕсапѕ, пог ао уе оНепапу та амайа етот е publishers: themselves: І NOW) сотеасго$5 апуопе зеШтаге!еазе гот 115 51е, ріеаѕеа ON SUSY XIE ет апа CS E (ЛЕ NZ Thank you!