ЕМИ CREW! REVEL ec GAME! NP" ей Z5 ZIFF DAVIS MEDI e AWESOME = Spider-Man 2 № The Metroid Mov side nt Evil 4/Outbre "P PN VCC 0""14024"06960''"8 $ WWW.1UP.COM July 2004 issu 180 99 U.S. / $6.50 Canac Starr SPEAKER зеҳ I, has been decades since Major League Baseball has seen the A likes of a Tris Speaker or a Connie Mack. Men blessed with the smarts and raw talent to fill the role of player/manager. But with the advent 7 ~ + of Franchise Mode in MLB 2005, the 11 lost art is back with iN И 40 4 a twist: Players can 00% 7 — be managers, owners ae) 8 or all three, in the ; г ‚їп the ial ФО ultimate test of — baseball know-how; as fans control ` every detail- from player deals to the price of pretzels: EVERYONE CONTENT RATED BY ESRB Major League Baseball and Hall of Fame trademarks and copyrights are used with p logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. ©2004 Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc ssion of Major League Baseball Properties, Inc 1d the Nat PlayStatior useum, Inc tered trade = „А 989 SPURTS:co- LIVE IN YOUR WXRLD. PLAY IN OURS: | HAVE THE POWER TO TAKE EVERYTHING FROM YOU. INCLUDING YOUR LIFE. “THIEF LOOKS ONCE AGAIN TO REWRITE THE RULEBOOKS FOR STEALTH GAMING.” -XBIN “THE ORIGINAL STEALTH GAME 15 BACK AND BETTER THAN EVER” -OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE $ # Visit www.esrb.org or call 1-800-771-3772 X — i for more info. XE Етан. = ido» OUT NOW lon Storn P Published b d S ys and th Jly Shadows logo are trademarks of Eidos Inc. lon $ St ION ST THIEF EADLY SHADOWS. REGISTER FOR MORE INFORMATION AT THIEFGAME.COM THE DRIVER ACE eM MATURE 17+ imm I. PlayStation.e ESRB CONTENT RATING www.estb.org id developed by REPLELMONS Nee ORIVAR 2004 Atari. Inc. All rights reserved. Created ПОГ". Xbox and the Xbox Logos are Багой logo are registered! trae E Боло ОЕЕО respective owners. “PlayStation” and the "PS FF Fon Nim it! either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in опа CONFIDENT. DETACHED. RELENTLESS. FONT MOSON А AIR STRIKE 4 DOMIHRTE 'THE FUTURE , COMMAND YOUR FORCES PLAN POWERFUL OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE TACTICS — 4. EXPERIENCE TWO COMPLEX, 7 INTERTHIMED STORYLINES WITH REAL UOICE-OUERS Playstation e — UPGRADE YOUR WANZERS WITH DEVASTATING WEAPONS AND ABILITIES SQUARE CNIX. AVAILABLE NOW www.square-enix-usa.com Mild Language Published by Square Enix U.S. Ine. SQUARE ENIX. Violence ©} 2003, 2004 SQUARE ENIX CO. LTD, Ай Rights Reserved, CHARACTER DESIGN. YUSUKE ФАОВА. MO Bi LE peers en (MOBLE > Sony Computer Entertainment ing ahe apas tan rae te ушул d ЕХМ. СОМ Ror: T BREAKTHROUGH GRAPHICS TECHNOLOGY ONLY FOR PLAYSTATION@2 BREAKTHROUGH MULTIPLAYER GAMEPLAY: 1ST-PERSON MERCENARIES VS. 3RD-PERSON SPIES A BREAKTHROUGH IN ACTION YOU ARE SAM FISHER, AN AMERICAN SHADOW OPERATIVE SENT TO DESTROY AN INDONESIAN TERRORIST THREAT. IN TOM CLANCY'S LATEST ESPIONAGE MASTERPIECE, PREPARE TO EXPERIENCE A BREAKTHROUGH IN ACTION GAMING - INCLUDING THE MOST REVOLUTIONARY MULTIPLAYER MODE SINCE THE DAWN OF DEATHMATCH. Blood Drug Reference | Viol " RES PaO — i 2 с сла ...... | gor he bs cra irae PlayStation E — 2. ubicon e Icon, Ubisoft, ubi.com, and the Ubisoft logo are trademarks of Ubisoft ny Computer Entertainment Inc. Online play requires internet connection rademark of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. Gameloft and the —K Tom Clancy Y TE Бар, „ F TOMORROW کے COMING f£ PLAYSTATIONG2 IN JUNE/ ^ Ы UBISOFT contents issue 180 ° suly 2004 LETTERS 18 They write. We respond. You laugh PRESS START The latest news, interviews, features, and gaming tidbits 26 THE LORD OF THE RINGS, THE THIRD AGE The ring is gone, but the Fellowship remains strong 30 HALO 2 Fresh info on the shooter’s single- and multiplayer modes 32 EGM INTERNATIONAL Tune in to Tokyo's wackier titles 34 SPIDER-MAN 2 We unmask the webslinger's movie- based sequel 38 ADVANCE WARS: UNDER FIRE The itsy-bitsy strategy series invades GameCube 40 AFTERTHOUGHTS Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow's creators let you in on their secrets 44 NEED FOR SPEED UNDERGROUND 2 The bigger the spoiler, the closer to God 46 FREE GAME SYSTEM Sign up for a two-year subscription and get the Phantom for free 51 PRINCE OF PERSIA 2 Time is still on your side in the sequel to our 2003 Game of the Year 52 THE SEASON OF EVIL Resident Evil's T-Virus spreads to the big screen and spawns more sequels 56 TIMESPLITTERS: FUTURE PERFECT Try shooting the barrels—they explode! 58 CELEBRITY INTERVIEW Derek Jeter clobbers our curveballs 60 VIEWTIFUL JOE 2 Capcom's comic book come to life comes back 66 ONLINE Why now is the right time to sign up for Xbox Live 74 THE HOT TEN Sick of hearing about Halo 2? Vote for something else 75 COMING SOON You'll find few fireworks this July A irst PlayStation 2 and Xbox installment in the Hard- dri Series is nearly road ready, and develope aflections has handed us the keys. We check under м e hood and give the game a six-point inspectio! 4 » wc BUILD YOUR OWN XBUNDLE How to grab an Xbox and a handful of games for little green 12 © ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.1UP.com ^ REVIEW CREW У _ Three reviews рег game just the way you like it Multiplatform Xbox 92 Van Helsing 100 The Chronicles of Riddick: 94 Future Tactics: The Uprising Escape From Butcher Bay 94 Shrek 2 102 Metal Slug 3 = в = = 95 Red Dead Revolver 102 RalliSport Challenge 2 5 ' ONIMUSHA 3:99 : y x DEMONSIEGE j PlayStation 2 GameCube 96 Onimusha 3: Demon Siege 104 The Legend of Zelda: Four 98 UFC: Sudden Impact Swords Adventures 98 Galactic Wrestling Featuring Ultimate Muscle Game Boy Advance 99 Bujingai: The Forsaken City 106 Mario Golf Advance 99 Front Mission 4 107 Shining Force 108 Mario vs. Donkey Kong TRICKS OF THE TRADE GAME OVER Game counseling; codes, and cheats Here are your four continues 112 Resident Evil Outbreak 118 REST OF THE CRAP 112 Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes 119 CROSSWORD | 113 Mega Man Zero 2 121 NEXT MONTH De, | 114 Tenchu: Return From Darkness 122 HSU & CHAN 114 Phantasy Star Online: Episode IH Card Revolution | 114 Champions of Norrath | 115 GameShark vs. Action Replay ? T — uss Final Fantasy XI FIRST NEXT-GEN 116 MTX: Mott GAME UNVEILED 117 Ninja Gaiden We shed light on the mysterious Dark Sector — B Tr THE UNUSUAL SUSPECTS e stake out six games that are about to arja rand Theft Auto's bandwagon and get away with it $ Strictly prohibited. All rights reserved. All content copyright © 2004 Ziff Davis Media Inc. Верга modificati г transmission, in whole or in part, by any means, without written permission from Ziff Davis Media Inc. i ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com » 13 Meet UP (d 1UP.com The all-new 1UP is here, and it's exploding with new features! We've still got all of that great daily content you've come to know and love, but we're now the first-euer destination for gamers to meet, Play, get informed, and show off. Check out the COOl new stuff you can do! ea rumen‏ ی e ag ‚ ake rmm =. If you have а GameFace, we have a place for you to put it. Show off your game collection YOUR NAME HERE and trade games with others! YOUR FACE HERE YOUR GAMEFACE YOUR GAMES Get YOUR GameFace on. 92 You've got a voice, let it be heard! Tell everyone what you're playing or doing. Get clubbing! Join clubs or create your own and invite all of your friends. Make friends with other gamers - including us editors. MY CLUBS (7) 2 You Share 3 Friends ^ P John Davison T EGM Fans - КЫҢ Oakland CA Mombers: 364 on THIS CLUB Points: 75,250 Shoe's World Dan Hsu А Метрегэ: 496 Гү Honolulu HI JOIN THIS CLUB Points: 65,250 SOCOM II Club sam Kennedy Members; 283 San Jose CA JOIN THIS CLUB © Points: 33,250 YOUR CLUBS YOUR FRIENDS Ue're all here. Join us at 1UP.com. Tuesday, January 20, 2004 $:17 Ам remaina Un. Next generation Consoles YOUR JOURNAL YOUR FACE HERE 2 ZIFF DAVIS 8 لھ ل‎ i xecutive Editor lacDonal beautiful Managing Editor Jennifer Tsao Senior Editor Crispin Boy Previews Editor Shane Bettenhausen Reviews Editor Demian Linn News Editor Bryan Intihar Associate Editor Shawn Elliott Tricks Editor David Hodgson International Editor John Ricciardi Japanese Correspondent Yutaka Ohbuchi DESIGN Art Director Monique Convertito Associate Art Director Stefan Belavy CONTRIBUTORS 5 Chris Baker, Che Chou, Robert Coffey, Kevin Convertito, Eneone, James Guest Reviewers Mielke, Greg Orlando, Glenn McDonald, Thierry “Scooter” Nguyen, Christian Nutt, Andrew Pfister, Alex Porter, Jon Rogers, Marc Saltzman, Norm Scott, Seanbaby, Rey Serrano, Justin Speer, Scott Steinberg, Sean Tiffany, Giancarlo Varanini, Terry Wong GREG FORD Founder Steve Harris don't ha us because ш DAN “SHOE” HSU, gE Senior Vice President Dale Strang Editorial Director John Davison Creative Director Simon COX Business Director Cathy Bendoff COPY DESK Copy Chief Tom Edwards. Copy Editors Greg Ford, Susie Ochs, Maritza “Tomei” Refuerzo PRODUCTION Art Production Manager Michele Manousos Senior Production Manager Anne Marie Miguel Production Manager Monica Brent a Assistant Production Manager Teresa Newson CIRCULATION JON DAE 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. e voted off by the readers him for his 7 Now Playing: Splinter Ce Fave Genres: Jus MARK MACDONALD, Executive Editor Tat $ NO b must journey Now Playing: Seid Bay Area Peninsula Regional Sales Manager Mary Gray Account Executive Amy Mishra Northwest North Bay to Ort , AR, CO, IA, ID, KS, LA, MN, MO, MT, ND, NE, NM, NV, OR, OK, SD, TX, UT, WA, WI, WY, Northwestern Canada District Sales Representative Aaron Gallion Account Executive Rita Kline Southwest Southern California and Arizona Regional Sales Manager Julie Steelman Account Executive Eve Friedman East AL, CT, DE, FL, GA, IN, KY, MA, ME, MI, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, VT, WV, Eastern Canada Regional Sales Manager lan Sinclair Account Executive Rita Kline JENNIFER TSAO, Managing Editor Since two of her current faves feature cha ifer figured it was Fave Genres: Adventure. ‚ RPG A Consumer Accounts Con: ve Manager Marc Call sumer Accounts Manager Marc Callison KEVIN GIFFORD Account Executive Candace Droz Kevin can't Consumer East Regional Sales Manager lan Sinclair Account Executive Candace Droz 1UP.com VP/General Manager Tom Jessiman Internet Sales Account Manager Bill Young Editor-in-Chief Sam Kennedy Senior Md 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 Ton Marketing Coordinator Jason Freidenfelds To contact Sales and Advertising, please call 415-547-8000 | times Advance T plinter Cell Pé Tomorrow Fave Genres; Act Chairman & 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. Miller Executive Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary: Gregory Barton Senior Vice Presidents: Jasmine Alexander (Technology & Sales Operations) ~ Tim Castelli (PC Magazine Group) ^ XBOX NATION, OFFI Chris Dottrow (Corporate Sales & dn an ) l ( mi n: CIAL U.S. PLAYSTATION MAGAZINE la Mes [nra ent & Worldwide Licensing) 1UP.COM who r to he Sloan Seymour (Enterprise Group) Nge 2, Fave Genre: Dale Strang (Game Group) Jason Young (Internet) Vice Presidents: Ken Beach (Corporate Sales) Aaron Goldberg (Market Experts) Jim Has! (Event Marketing Group) Julie Нетезз (Event Marketing Group) Tom Jessiman (VP and General Manager, 1UP.com) Michael Krieger (Market Experts) Charles Lee (Integrated Media) Jim Louderback (Editor-in-Chief, Internet) Eric Lundquist (Editor-in-Chief, eWEEK) Angelo Mandarano (Internet) Paul O'Reilly (Event Marketing Group) GLENN MCDONALD visited Ellen Peariman (Editor-in-Chief, CIO Insight) Chris Maginn (Internet) Melinda Maginn Reilly (Integrated Media & Corporate Sales) Beth Repeta (Human Resources) Martha Schwartz (Custom/Conference Group) Pam Spector (Business Development and International Licensing) Tom Steinert- Threlkeld (Editor-in-Chief, Baseline) Stephen Sutton (Internet Audience Development) Elda Vale (Research & Market Intelligence) Stephen Veith (Publisher, CIO Insight) Monica Vila (Event Marketing Group) Senior Director, Manufacturing: Carlos Lugo Director of Corporate Communications: Randy Zane ew IT West Coast JUSTIN Senior Technical Analyst Bill Schmelzer Technical Specialist Bob Hall (Contact anyone on this masthead via e-mail using firstname lastnameQziffdavis.com) BRYAN INTIHAR, News Editor It's bee ап Dik. But no the m Now Playing 0 Fave Genres: Acti Subscription Service 800-779-1174 E-mail subhelp@egmmag.com 16 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com www.finishline.com OTC RUNNER Ranting, raving, and something stinky Bigfoot, Nessie, a turd—why are all the photos that matter always blurry? Hidden and | was sneaking my way through Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow's final mission when | came across a cleaning lady. She started screaming, so | did the logical thing and put her in a sleeper hold. Suddenly | noticed something interesting. Seems she was about to take the Browns to the Super Bowl but took a dump right on the floor instead when | put the squeeze on her. I'm serious. Look at the photos | took for proof. —Brentendo But did you try checking out the heat signature with your thermal scope? Dr. Hey, did you know that a recent study found that “doctors who spend at POST OFFICE (+) least three hours а week playing videogames make about 37 percent fewer mistakes in laparoscopic surgery and perform the task 27 percent faster than their counterparts who don't play videogames?" Laparoscopic surgeons, for those not in the know, use tiny cameras and other joystick-controlled instruments when operating. According to Dr. James Rosser, it's "like tying your shoelaces with 3-foot-long chopsticks.” Now if only Senator Lieberman needed gall- bladder work sometime of the month Hollywood Why cast celebrities in videogames that aren't based on existing franchises? Games with solid writing and character development sell themselves. Publishers should save the money they squander on pretty faces and buy better programming and development teams—you know, people with actual ideas. Perhaps some actors are genuine gamers, but I'd bet that most are like Rachel Dratch, star of the canceled CG-rendered sitcom Game Over, Geek speak from our message boards, www.boards.1UPcom (look for Electronic Gaming Monthly's forums) { zi Stealth ass-assins What’s the most sinister thing you've said, seen, or done online in Splinter Cell? Our posters spill the beans: MetalGearHalo: "When ! grab mercs, ! yell ‘Zed, bring out the Gimp!“ SenorFunkernickel: *The next guy who 18 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com says a word about Rick James while choking me is getting punched in the face. Seriously." SalFPS: "What if | walk you over to a fire extinguisher after my teammate puts a hole in it, and hold your face in the spray while screaming, 'bukkake'?" NotoriousPig: “I have no tactics. | just quit when I’m losing.” Chixdiggit: “If you quit in the middle of a match with me, it had better be because the pepperoni Hot Pocket in your microwave needs flipping.” Mario third party Board member Barricade unleashed hell by suggesting that Nintendo follow in Sega’s footsteps and drop out of the console biz: “GameCube’s a format for playing Nintendo games and little else.” But “it’s Xbox that’s the Halo TV adapter,” argued ELCHINGON214. Cronqvist thinks the idea’s “a dream come true. It saves me from buying an otherwise useless console just to play the latest Mario or Metroid.” But according to Tim500, it won’t happen: “As Nintendo President Iwata said, ‘The day we stop making home consoles is the day we go out of business.“ Unfinished monkey business Seems like everybody but Sega has a console or gaming gadget in the works these days. When we asked how interested you are in startups such as Phantom, ApeXtreme, and Zodiac, Firestar46 didn’t mince words: “All of 'em look like ass, but | must admit the one with 'Ape' in the name sounds ill. Ра go bananas if it grunted when playing Dunston Checks In on it." Chixdiggit was just as curious about the Ape: "I'd do more PC gaming if it weren't for all the drawbacks. If the Xtreme lets me play Doom 3 from my couch without having to worry about having the right system specs, ГИ buy it.” Sidney Eng, a winner is you! As our Letter of the Month writer, you've won a copy of whatever game we happen to have in hand when we get around to sending out your prize. who admitted that Pitfall was the last game she played (EGM $178). —A.J. Keiner Chalk it up to games going mainstream, A.J. Developers are bound to use stars as games continue to compete with movies. Plus, celebs stand to reach a wider audience by appearing in games. at me? After hosting several four-player Halo CONTACT EGM E-mail us at EGM@ziffdavis.com. As long as your subject line doesn’t mention half-price smokes, home mortgages, wang enhancers, or holistic remedies, we'll read it. Or simply put pen to paper and send it to: EGM Letters 101 2nd Street, 8th Floor San Francisco, CA 94105 GOT BEEF? Witness-protection program moving you to another state? Fill our customer service department in on your new address. E-mail: subhelp@egmmag.com Website: http://service.egmmag.com Phone toll-free: (800) 779-1174 Old-fashioned way: P.0. Box 55722 Boulder, CO 80322-5722 REPRINTS? Call (866) 879-9144 to order reprints of our sweet articles. THE FINE-TUNING WILL BE COMPLETE FALL 'O4. - YOU ARE WHAT YOU RACE. & $ рәп pue saumo әлдоәбѕә neu jo Kuedoud BY uy "008700987 ОЗОК eui Aq оошо uy Visit www.esrb.org — | or call 1-800-771-3772 х for more ratings : хеох CONTENT RATED BY [f i — information. xbox. com / forza Сй | Cardboard: Not just for breakdancing and curbside condominiums anymore. matches, | devised a way to deal with cheaters who constantly look at your quarter of the screen. All you do is duct-tape two pieces of cardboard together and attach them to your TV as shown in the picture. It works great for team-based matches, and | encourage anyone in a similar situation to make a divider of their own. —Deron and bolts What with the prevalence of bolts, wrenches, and other tools in Ratchet & Clank, bm surprised Sears didn't get on board with a few Craftsman ads: "Built for life...and harsh extraterrestrial combat.” —Mark Buckingham Colors of the According to an ad in a recent issue, EGM called Rainbow Six 3 “а must-have title” and a “gorgeous masterpiece that's peerless in its class.” And yet in issue #178, you gave the game utterly average scores (5.0, 6.0, 6.0). I’m not planning on burning my back issues or canceling my subscription, but I’ve got to know: What's the deal? Did the Rainbow Six reps threaten your lives or offer you golden tickets to Willy Wonka’s for telling them what they wanted to hear? —EJ.P. We did in fact say those things—about Rainbow Six 3 for Xbox back in EGM #174. Unfortunately, some unsavory marketing types took our quotes for the superior version and applied ’em to the other two (PlayStation 2 and GameCube). Apparently, ^not worth the pedigree that the series has forged on Xbox" or “buy an Xbox and play that version instead" didn't seem too compelling as far as quotes go. GAME DESIGN-O-RAMA Got proof that game design is best left to the pros? Send your concept (with art) to EGM@ziffdavis.com, subject: design-o-rama name Great mag, guys, but isn't it about time you gave us your Xbox Live gamertags? 1'd love to take you on. And for that matter, why not print tags for your celebrity gamers so the faceless masses can slay them, too? —Tim Teets (Gamertag: misfitsports) Like the time we signed up for that smoked-meat catalog after sampling Ma Kettle's blood sausage at the country fair, we suspect we're gonna regret this. Actually, we know we're going to regret this, but here are a few anyway: EGM Mark, EGM Crispin, EGM Demian, EGMBryan, and EGMShawn (note the spaces in the first three). As for our celebrity interviewees, well, they know better. Familiar Is the assassin Hanzo Hattori in your Samurai Warriors review based on the same guy as Hattori Hanzo from Kill Bill Volume 1? —Loolala Director Quentin Tarantino’s inspiration is obvious. For more knockoffs of the legendary Yagyu ninja look up any of publisher SNK’s Samurai Shodown games or the Hunter X Hunter anime series. and water? I'm a PC and console gamer, but the idea of porting games from the former to the latter bothers me. It's disappointing to see great games downgraded so that they can run on consoles. Game makers should focus on original titles that take full advantage of the systems they're designed for. —Daved Artemik Not everyone is fortunate enough to own the mini mainframes it'll take to play Half-Life 2 and Doom 3, and we're not gonna complain much about getting the opportunity to enjoy pared-down versions at a reasonable price. boy Ubisoft's XIII is so stylish | had to base REALMS OF NEVERQUEST Negotiate a feeding/payment contract that benefits both vampires and humans! Stage a sit-in at the local pub until they allow orcs and ogres to swig grog alongside uppity elves! Boycott castles until every last prisoner is released from the dungeon! Champions of No Wrath challenges players to master nonviolent resistance to pacify the Realms of NeverQuest. —Zizak 20 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.1UP.com HUNTER HUNTE The bolt-action rifle is on the other hoof in this game of wildlife revenge. Play as a white-tailed deer that covers his scent with Old Spice and stalks hunters. Or pick the endangered manatee and blast speeding watercraft out of the water. You can even choose lab animals and perform cruel experiments on scientists. And the final boss? Ted Nugent, of course. Hunter Hunter: where every day is open season...on idiots. —KayDee Kersten GRAND THEFT AUDIO Compile the biggest library of illegally downloaded songs on the Net and become the Tony Montana of music. Expand your collection and stick it to the man by establishing contacts in key peer-to-peer cartels including Kazaa, Sharebear, and LimeWire. But watch out, if you aren’t careful, the RIAA will slam you with subpoenas and fines you couldn’t pay even after a lifetime of hard labor. —Aaron Harper caine HALF CAB KICKFLIP NEW www.rightguard.com _- PHOTC: SEAN PETERSON SEEING DOUBLE Got your own ideas for how Nintendos upcoming dual-screen portable might work? Send your double visions to EGM@ziffdavis.com with the subject "Nintendo DS idea” my last art class project on the shooter. It took three weeks to complete, but it was worth the effort. | hope you like it. — Patrick Adams Wait, you send us art and expect praise? In EGM's letters column, the place where tattoos and people dressed like fruitcakes come to get laughed at? Nice try, Patrick, but we're not falling for it. Whoever made this pic—which you're clearly hoping we'll ridicule—has talent. — z Who knew they make tracing paper this big? (Only kidding, Patrick—nice work.) When , you're out “It has been discovered that, while using the EA.com service to play on EA Sports Online servers, you have been using foul, abusive, vulgar, or otherwise offensive language," or so the e-mail said. It then went on to warn, "Your account has been flagged for this violation, which means we will be monitoring your activity while you are online." Granted | love to talk s***, but I'm still not sure when trash talking constitutes the kind of violation that warrants being monitored under the threat of removal from EA's servers. What can and can't I 22 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com say, and in which games? Also, if they're gonna monitor my online gaming activities, does that mean they'll be listening in on my conversations, too? —Mike Oh We got Jay Blincoe, who oversees customer service for EA Sports Online, on the, uh, line, and here's what he had to say: “I can assure you that while we do try to keep our environment free from harassment and foul language, we recognize that smack talk is part of the game. But if language gets out of hand, users oftentimes complain via our report abuse system, and we follow up. By no means do we monitor individual user conversations or blacklist anyone’s account without good reason.” In short, talk smack but don't talk $***. for your camouflage | was reading your Metal Gear Solid 3 cover story (EGM #178), thinking of ways to make the buck-naked camouflage that you guys came up with usable. Then it hit me. Imagine this: An enemy commander warns his troops that Snake's about to infiltrate their enclave. When watchmen spot what appears to be a naked man gathering mushrooms in the jungle, they'll pay him no mind. After all, what kind of secret operative works in the buff? —Timmy Ramone This is Metal Gear Solid you're talking about. Stranger things have happened in this series. Decisions, Like most gaming Luddites, | was against the idea of going online with my consoles (PS2 and Xbox) and figured the fad would eventually fade out. Now | see that the trend is here to stay, and well, if you can't beat 'em.... Problem is, I’m not sure which system to join 'em with. It appears that The Nintendo DS will feature “connectivity connectivity.” The top screen connects to the GameCube, while the bottom one links up with the Game Boy SP. Of course, you'll have to buy three versions of the same title in order to fully enjoy the feature, but the writing’s on the wall: You gotta get yourself connected. —Michael Lew Each player’s secondary screen displays vital stats including health, ammo, and what have you. The twist is that the first player’s character appears on the second player’s screen, and vice versa. Both cooperate to guide one another through the game. —Kupi Gimme a racing game with a separate screen for the rearview mirror. —Calvin Wain Granted this is the same company that asked us to buy a GBA in order to engage in a virtual two-way with Tingle (Zelda: The Wind Waker), but | wouldn’t mind a multiplayer game in which each player sees a shared and personal screen. —Immanuel Comer Imagine controlling two parties at once in a Chrono Trigger sequel, one in the past and the other in the present or future. When the first group acts in the past, effects are felt in the future. Imagine the possibilities. — Масе Casas » —Timmy Ramone Microsoft is doing great things with its service, but while several of my friends play online with PS2, | don't know anyone with Xbox Live. Halo 2 looks enticing, but so do Resident Evil: Outbreak and Final Fantasy XI. Help me decide which connection is right for me, won't you? —Nick Rittenhouse If your friends happen to live nearby, you might as well just invite 'em over for some face-to-face fragging. On the other hand, if they're spread out in colleges across the country, sticking with PS2 might make it easier to stay in touch. But if we had to choose one online setup, we'd go with Microsoft's. Even though you won't be able to play with the friends you already have, making new ones is so much easier — ЖЕ # Yep, this Nintendo catalog featuring Rogue Squadron IV: New Rebellion is phony. with Xbox Live's streamlined interface and superior community support. trick I'm assuming you've seen Nintendo's brochure for this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo (I've attached a pic in case you haven't). The entire lineup looks crucial, but it's Rogue Squadron IV that has me grooming my Chewbacca doll's Real- Feel™ hair in anticipation. Can you score me any info before the convention? —CountDookie You've been duped; LucasArts and Nintendo say the brochure is bogus. But if another Rogue Squadron sequel does come out, you can bet your Wookiee comb that the real deal will have the all- important “Star Wars” in its title. & x1 wm У дЕн 2 * 549.9 PlayStation 2 $49.” GameCube $49.” Game Boy Advance $29.” N-Gage $34.” 8 pic ider e r-l pider-Man and all related characters, TM & © 2004 Marvel Characters, Inc. Spider-Man 2, the movie © 2004 Columbia Pictures, Inc. Game code © 2004 Activision, Inc. All rights reserved LE - "While su 8 last, Lir ACTIVISION We take games seriously " Manz Tshirt! When you pre-order Spider-Man 2 mit one per customer. See sales associate for raphical errors are not the responsibility of EB Ga GAMES electronics boutique NOWHERE YOU CAN'T GO. NOTHING YOU SANT DO. Take New York for a spin. www. &ctivision.corn/s 3 PIC jer-man In stores June 29. Do anything Spider-Man” can Go anywhere and interact Pick your own path: battle Swing through a living, highly Web swing for the first time with breathtaking new moves with anything Doc Ock, bust street crimes . detailed Manhattan from street to rooftop across and amazing combos or clash with classic villains the entire city. TEEN GAMEBOYADWAMCE | || Violence i | EEF erm | PlayStation.c | | Spider-Man and all related Marvel characters, TM & © 2004 Marvel Characters, Inc. Spider-Man, the Movie, and Spider-Man 2, the Movie © 2004 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. All rights reserved. Game code 2004 Activision, Inc. and its affiliates, Published and distributed by Activision Publishing, Inc. Activision is a registered trademark of Activision, Inc. and its affiliates, All rights reserved. "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Microsoft, Xbox SA 1 G C 1 A and the Xbox logos are registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or in other countries and are used under license from Microsoft NOKIA | оар ТМ, , Game Boy Advance and the Nintendo GameCube logo are trademarks of Nintendo. © 2001 Nintendo. PC CD-ROM logo ТМ and © IEMA 2003. The ratings icon is а oa registered trademark of the Entertainment Software Association, All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners. activision.com ress start gaming news, interviews, chocolate-covered vampires, and other stuff RETURN OF THE RING Frodo lives! Or maybe that’s just his stunt double in EA’s The Lord of the Rings, The Third Age, which lets you do more than hunt some orc atch the DVDs, reread the books, W and crank the hobbit-themed Led Zeppelin tunes all you want—none of it makes up for the lack of another Lord of the Rings flick this winter. The king has returned. The ring is scrap. No way is Gollum coming back from that reverse jackknife into molten Mount Doom. But not so fast. While frumpy kiwi Director Peter Jackson moves on to remake King Kong, EA Games is recalling Rings' stars—including lan "Gandalf" McKellen—to Middle-earth to record fresh dialogue for a new game: The Lord of the Rings, The Third Age, which hits all con- soles this fall. Formerly teased as The Lord of the Rings Trilogy in the closing E Shining knights of the light side or bongo-beating trolls of Sauron's shadow forces— you play as either. credits of last year’s multiplatform Return of the King beat-em-up, Third Age takes EA's series in a new direction—one that makes more sense than the straight-up action approach of the two prequels. It's a proper role-playing game. “This game will definitely appeal to tra- ditional RPG fans as well as to fans of the films,” says Executive Producer Steve Gray. “We will give you a specific set of characters [for] your party, but you will be able to significantly customize them.” These heroes are minor characters from the movies—elf maidens, human rangers, dwarf warriors, and other folks on the "fringe of all those wide-angle shots and raging battle scenes. Still, “you will play БЫ ку ёга 7) 26* icf See • www.1UP.com b ` , — „ i "| Men in Back Just because you control a party of bit-player heroes doesn't mean Frodo, Aragorn, and the rest of the film's Fellowship are MIA in Third Age. "In major story points and battles," says Executive Producer Steve Gray, "the characters from | the films will appear in cine- matic sequences and will even join your party." * as Gandalf sometimes," Gray says, "and he has a lot of really cool magic he can do." Your gang will roam all of Middle- earth's principle locations and encounter its forces of evil (or good, if you choose to be bad guys—see sidebar). “You travel on a sort of S curve that weaves in and out the path of the [movies'] Fellowship through the story of the trilogy," says Gray. "At times, you'll be behind or ‘next to’ them; at others, you'll be in the same time and place as the Fellowship." That means you'll have a showdown with the Balrog flame de т E Vx 8 explore a few new locations. “Very open environments and optional side quests will give gamers a lot of freedom and prevent any two players’ experiences from being alike,” says Senior Producer Todd Arnold. ; evelopment team—mostly the that crafted the last game— full access to all of New Line Cinema's film footage, art musical score to piece together Mi . Although Peter Jackson didn't shoot any new scenes just for the game, Third Age will still pack lots of sequences from t T movies, plus new ampi ova on emas filmed using the movies" auys. We doubt if any Zeppeli e it into the о Воуег Y NAMCO WILL SHIP SMASH COURT TENNIS PRO TOURNAMENT 2—FEATURING JENNIFER CAPRIATI, SERENA WILLIAMS, AND (AWW YEAH!) ANNA KOURNIKOVA—FOR PS2 THIS SUMMER... d 7 үч” 4 А pe te "4 Х.б Га Beyond Good and Evil If we learned anything from master- piece Xbox RPG Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic—which lets players explore their dark sides—it's that being bad can be awfully good. Third Age will > 4 4 deliver similar evildoing duties. Although you start the game on the side of light and build a party of fine, upstanding Middle-earthlings, you'll unlock shadow missions—sordid sorties in the name of dastardly Saruman and Visine poster- eye Sauron. You know you'll play them. The Balrog: not stopping, not dropping, and definitely not rolling. Battlefield Middle-earth Keeping with the traditional-RPG feel of the game, Third Age's combat is turn based. "If you play Final Fantasy, it will feel familiar to you," says ЕА'$ Steve Gray. "Obviously, we have our own game mechanic, but we want fans of the genre to be able to quickly pick up and easily start playing the game." You do get one nifty twist: Some characters can ride horses or the wolflike warg beasts into battle—a skill that's espe- cially important when the party reaches the rolling plains of Rohan. EA won't reveal much about beast wrangling, other than "during combat, you have Special play mechanics and skills asso- ciated with riding," says Gray. && Heroes of might and magic: You'll level up characters via skill trees, tweaking defense and magic abilities and melee and ranged attacks. >> UBISOFT IS PUBLISHING GRITTY WWII SHOOTER BROTHERS IN ARMS—BASED ON A TRUE STORY AND FROM COUNTER-STRIKE DEVELOPER GEARBOX—FOR ALL CONSOLES THIS FALL.... >> ELECTRONIC GAMING org www.1UP.com ® 27 LIGHTS, CAMERA, M Ca Samus heads to the silver screen atch out, Ms. Croft—Samus Aran is coming to Hollywood. Director John Woo (Mission: Impossible ІІ, Face/Off) recently optioned Nintendo's Metroid franchise for a big- budget motion picture with the hopes of bringing it to theaters before 2006. Woo's involvement will start on the production side of things, and later he'll decide whether or not he'll direct. Initial reports have the movie chroni- Cling the early days of the space-traveling bounty hunter. Co-producer Brad Foxhoven told The Hollywood Reporter that the sci-fi film “will stay true to the game and have Samus battling the Metroids and Mother Brain in a fight for control of the galaxy." You might recall that this isn't the first stab at a Metroid movie. Zide/Perry Entertainment acquired the film rights back in January 2003, but that's about as far as the production group ever got on the project. Let's hope Woo and crew can make the movie happen...and that it's better than the last Tomb Raider flick. CASTING CALL Kristanna Loken Any woman who can go toe to toe with Terminator-turned-Governor Schwarzenegger has our vote to play the intergalactic heroine. Dragonheart's Draco Remove the laughable Sean Connery voiceover ez and this out-of-work dragon could easily fit a= the bill as Ridley. Heres who we think deserve starring roles in the upcoming Metroid film: (voice of) Emmanuel Lewis The former Webster star is both cute and trou- bled—it's the perfect combination for the life- sucking role. (voice of) Christopher Walken Only someone as versa- tile and peculiar as Christopher Walken could play Samus' main adversary. Weird Science's Chet If Chet puts on a few pounds, the gassy, boil- Pu infested creature from (2% * the 1985 teen flick is a И shoe-in for Kraid. ES TA e © Ж >> CRIKEY! ELECTRONIC ARTS’ AUSTRALIAN PLATFORMING STAR, TY THE TASMANIAN TIGER, RETURNS TO THE OUTBACK THIS FALL IN A SEQUEL FOR PS2, XB, GC, AND GBA.... >> 28 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com ЕРЕ IEE GRUDGE MATCH (Un)Dead Again VAN HELSING COUNT CHOCULA Van Helsing's mere name drives fear into the hearts of vampires everywhere, but the semisweet baron of breakfast is another story. Is Helsing in for death by chocolate, or should cocoa beware? We find out in Grudge Match! Crafty monk Carl, played by Faramir from The Lord of the Rings Advantage: Van Helsing SOCIETAL CONTRIBUTIONS Will send you a Wacky Wall Walker might eat you Advantage: otherwise Count Chocula HOLLYWOOD HISTORY Frankenberry, Booberry, and before a nasty falling out, Fruit Brute Kills all the nasty monsters that Countless commer- cials, record deal (free in specially marked packages) Advantage: Count Chocula ROLE MODEL | | ү Dracula-whacking Fought a less- intimidating Bela Lugosi Dracula before the world was in color Richter Belmont of Castlevania Advantage: Van Helsing FAMILY TREE Sesame Street's Count Von Count il A Quaker Oats begat Cheerios; Cheerios begat Cap'n Crunch; Crunch begat Chocula Advantage: Count Chocula A long line of other vampire hunters that couldn't close the Dracula deal WINNER: COUNT CHOCULA © PSU will do this to your social life. F HU Mk FEES Deadly strategies ta mess with minds. Powerful creatures to bust heads. It's all about the beatdown. This player is in the game because it's got the deadliest creatures. And this player knows that only Magic: The Gathering’ delivers unlimited strategies designed to warp opponents’ minds Ф and shut them down. magicthegathering.com Pince online multiplaye single-player ca т a the Military Master Chief character models (and enemy Elite aliens, available in some levels) crane their heads in the direction their players are looking. It's a nifty effect with a strate- gic twist: You know when you're being watched. => 3 T " Move Over, Master Chief Since saving Earth is a big job for just one genetically enhanced cyborg, Chief at times will lead a band of Orbital Drop Shock Troopers, elite “helljumpers” who essentially parachute into battle from orbit. We figure he can take out these Jackal jokers on his own, though. Facts of Live We figure Halo-heads who lamented the lack of online multiplayer in the first game have a lot of pent-up aggression, so they'll be hitting the sequel's 16-player online battle royales post haste when Halo 2 hits Xbox this November. Lucky you: The game uses Live's new lag-reducing tricks, such as finding opponents closest to your hometown and who share the same broadband provider. My Other Gun's a Plasma Pistol Developer Bungie promises that the control scheme for Master C.’s new dual- weapon gunnery is cinchy to learn, plus you won't lose the ability to whiz grenades. You're only able to wield two weapons that make sense, however (you won't charge into battle with two sniper rifles, for instance). Halo for Two (to 16) A MN Jackal 2.0 Remember the shield-wield- ing Jackal dino-bird things from the first Halo (right)? Now they're leaner, meaner, and a 23 percent uglier. Check the punk rock 'dos. Shadow Ops And you thought the first game's enemies were brainy. Halo 2's Covenant aliens will seek cover in shadows, making Master Chief's flashlight crucial this time. But don't get too close: Larger aliens like the Elites and new Brutes are more aggressive and extra keen on alien-a-mano melee attacks. &% —Crispin Boyer amu "m AR EA] >> GAMECUBE LOSES SOME FORCE: FORMER NINTENDO-CHUMMY DEVELOPER FACTOR 5—OF ROGUE SQUADRON FAME—SAYS IT HAS BEGUN MAKING GAMES FOR OTHER SYSTEMS.... >> t A 3 PROTECTING your VILLAGE FROM THE DRAGON IS WAY АМРОВТАНТ THAN YOUR JOB. e | EN В D 4 POWERED BY THE DEW OUNTAINDEW.COM A S MOUNTAIN DEW IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF PEPSICO, INC. EGM INTERNATIONAL oweeter than soy sauce, sourer than plum wine 32 » ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com Atelier Iris takes a constructive approach to bashing stuff Atelier Iris (PlayStation 2) is the sixth game in what's probably the longest-running role-play- ing series you've never heard of. Why hasn't the franchise reached our shores? Probably cuz of its wacky game system, which is a weird mix- ture of Final Fantasy and Animal Crossing. Instead of a hulking mass of manflesh (or a whiny blitzball player), you control an alchemist—someone who takes random items and uses oogly-boogly "Mana" power to syn- thesize them into weapons and healing potions. Acquiring the raw materials for this process involves breaking stuff around town, including barrels, crates, and random bits of furniture you find in strangers' houses. And here you thought stealing herbs from people's closets was bad. Create a pop-band phenomenon in The Idolmaster Have you ever wanted to play big-time music agent to a bunch of hot Japanese chicks? Sure...who hasn't? Namco makes it possible in The Idolmaster, hitting arcades later this year in Japan. Choosing from a stable of nine ladies, you create a unit (a group of singers, sort of like Menudo except with big anime eyes) with the hopes of propelling the gorgeous gals to world- wide stardom. The Idolmaster features five minigames for raising each member's singing and dancing stats. In online multiplayer, com- petitors vote for their favorite performances, and the unit that survives to the end wins the game...and the adulation of pudgy, sweaty guys across eastern Asia. >> UNCLE SAM WANTS YOU TO PLAY HIS VIDEOGAME. THE U.S. ARMY IS TEAMING WITH UBISOFT TO BRING ITS MILITARY ACTION SERIES, AMERICA’S ARMY, TO CONSOLES IN 2005 OLD SCHOOL 10 years ago in EGM On the Cover: Mortal Kombat Il In the summer of '94, readers were treated to an exclusive first look at the gory ' fighting sequel's fi MEER console and hand- held incarnations (SNES, Genesis, Game Gear, and Game Boy). Game of the Month: World | | Heroes 2 Jet — Ses slight- | | ly tweaked new version of World | Heroes 2(N o*Geo) earned the | Review Crew's top honor, despite | the game's ridiculous characters. | Who could forget Mud Man and ol’ | Muscle Power? We could. A rr | Hello, My Name | Is PlayStation Not only did EGM's spies come | away from a Japanese-only media | event with the final name of Sony's | | 32-bit console (it was originally | dubbed PS-X), they also delivered the first pics of the system, con- troller, and logo. LIC s ee Saturn Eye Candy Sony didn't garner all the headlines, as Sega released the first-ever | screenshots of Virtua Fighter run- | ning on its 32-bit Saturn system. | The game's 3D visuals were unat- tractive, to say the least, but than! fully, Sega would later upgrade the | graphics in Virtua Fighter Remix. ) ( m 77 77 rg FInN I" T ШИП IS FINEST AD 7 E ——— 1 |. | у Man еді | with | M sompilations. Save the planet from 15 years rth of evil villains! Mega fun awaits with 10 actiai packed games for the Nintendo GameCube™ an PlayStation® 2 computer entertainment systems 8 infectious games on Game Boy^ Advance. | 1795] А а м. САРСОМ wwWw.capcom.com EVERYONE = | Manhattan's a swingine place in Spider-Man 2 pider-Man qames have pro gressively improved at putting you in Peter Parker's snug bodysuit. With an open-ended objective Structure, a revised web-swinging sys tem, and a cadre of comic-book supervillains, Spider-Man 2 promises to be the detinitive Spider-Man simmer. A stylish re-creation of Manhattan pro vides a stellar backdrop tor the action check out some highlights from à day's work around town. —Ihierry "Scooter" Nguyen Daily Bugle Building Spidey looks overly happy to visit his workplace, if you ask us. Since the story line is closely tied to flick’s, expect a few plot missions (which are optional) to center around secret-identity- endangering high jinks at the Daily Bugle. AMING MONTHLY © ww PUP. St. Patrick's Cathedral Spidey plays the Good Samaritan by dropping someone off at f church after a rescue. One thing you learn in this game: People ask Spidey to do a lot of things, whether it's thwarting robbers, delivering pizzas, or chauffeuring fools Crazy Taxi-style. Sailing the Rails Swinging is a whole lot easier this time around, and it's actual- ly faster to zip some webs onto the elevated tracks than to ride these trains. Crazy midair acrobatics seen in both the movies execute effortlessly here. So what if Spidey doesn't fly? Illustration by Sean Tiffany < Bad Guys Love Abandoned Warehouses Doc Ock might be the only villain in the movie, but don't be sur- prised to see some more faces from Spidey's gallery of rogues. Here, C-grade baddie Shocker is up to no good, but you won't have to foil him alone—Black Cat will help you short him out. A Walk in Central Park Sometimes, you'll just see a bunch of thugs hop into a car after robbing a bank. Chase them down, jump onto their car, and pound the bolts out of it. When said goons run out, give 'em the ol’ one-two combo before they escape into Central Park. Skyscraping Imagine the whole of Manhattan. Now, cut it length- and width- wise. While the layout of the city isn't exactly to scale, the heights of the buildings are. Most of the city is unlocked from | the get-go, so you can spend hours just swinging around. "b Helicopter Havoc On one hand, you now have to be near something to latch your web onto (no more shooting webs into thin air and swinging). On the other hand, you can attach your web to anything—even a passing helicopter. && Forget Medals. Forget Honor. Just Survive. It's 1967. You've been drafted to fight in Unnerving realism. A graphically harrowing depiction of the terror of war. Powered by Guerrilla's the most controversial conflict of modern groundbreaking ‘Killzone’ engine. times. Prepare to experience the fear, chaos and atrocities of the Vietnam War. From napalm bombardments of civilian villages to deadly VC booby traps, can Missions range from large-scale NVA you survive your first tour of duty? battles to stealth-based assignments. COMING JUNE 2004 "We've never seen a more realistic war game." - PSM Visit www.esrb.org Meer X Г PlayStation. У ShellShockGame.com CONTENT RATED BY ESRB ©2004 Eidos. Developed by Guerrilla Games BV Published by Eidos, Inc. ShellShock, SheliShock Nam 67, the ShellShack logo, Eidos and the Eidos logo are trademarks of the Eidos Group of Companies. Guerrilla Games and the Guerrilla Games logo ere trademarks of Guerrilla Games BV. PlayStation’ and the ‘PS’ Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Microsoft, Xbox, and the Xbox logos are either registered trademarks OF trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U nd/or other countries and are used under license from Microsoft. All other trademarks are the respective property of their owners. The ratings icon Is à registered trademark of the Entertainment Software Association. All rights reserved TOP 10 BEST-SELLING GAMES FOR MARCH 2004 Pokémon Colosseum GC * Nintendo MVP Baseball 2004 PS2 * EA Sports Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow XB * Ubisoft MVP Baseball 2004 XB * EA Sports | à г "m ee — " 4. — A - 4 James Bond 007: Everything tackles tactics — À t's been begged for by countless developer, Kuju, is steering the series in an batch of screens, a lot of Under Fire looks fans and rumored for years, but unexpected direction. Under Fire replaces like the Wars we know and love (futuristic now, finally, Nintendo's cult-hit the turn-based battles of previous Wars units with a cartoon flair), and a lot of Final Fantasy XI Online Advance Wars franchise is storming the titles with frantic real-time combat, so you it...doesn’t (drab backgrounds, no cool PS2 e Sony CEA shores of GameCube this fall. The invasion can no longer take your sweet time decid- anime-style characters). We sense conflict Resident Evil Outbreak won't go quite as you'd envisioned it: А new ing who lives and who dies. From this first brewing for the hearts of Wars fans.... PS2 • MX Unleashed SE Source: NPD TRSTS Video Games Service. Call (516) 625-6190 for questions regarding this list. "Mmm, that's a good Whoju? Kuju is a London-based developer previously known for work on such TOP 10 GAME RENTALS FOR THE WEEK ENDING 03/21/0 " games as Fire Warrior (PS2), Lotus Challenge (XB), and, uh, Microsoft Train Simulator (PC). Along with Advance Wars, it is concurrently developing a cell phone game based on, of all things, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. Dude. NBA Ballers — PS2 * Midway Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow XB • Ubisoft Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3 PS2 * Ubisoft EA Sports Fight Night 2004 PS2 * EA Sports eto Honor = = P! Sony CEA Destruction Derby Arenas PS2 * Gathering James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing PS2 • EA Games Zelda titles released for Phillips CD-i system Mafia > .. ͤ ͤ ——.. T—ʃ—ö ESE НЕЕ - PS2 • Gathering 0 Number of Zelda CD-i games worth playing — ہہ‎ e as € Sreet à ] PS2 * EA Sports Big m ны a d >> BUCKLE UP. RACE FANS— THIS FALL ATARI WILL RELEASE ON PLAYSTATION 2 TEST DRIVE: EVE OF DESTRUCTION. THE GAME FEATURES ALL SORTS OF DEMOLITION DERBY EVENTS.... >> 7^ Link smiles LN knowing he'll пемё вай to CD-i again. Units sold worldwide of The Legend of 7.6 Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Nintendo 64)—the best-selling game in the Zelda franchise Zelda titles released in the U.S. to date Source: Blockbuster Video 38 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com THE SMEAPONS " FOR MORE .INFO-VISIT.. WWW. PS LOPSGAME. COM VIEWING о (y REMO TE . PYROK INESIS THE MINDEATE CONSPIRACY ^..0NE OF OUR MOST-WANTED GAMES OF 20047 “IGN . , OM OF THE YEAR'S MUST-PLAY EXPERIENCES..." -PSE2 Featuring COLD’: “With My Mind” Music Video. THIS ONE LEVITATES ABOVE THE PACK." “PSM “ONE OF THE MOST INNOVATIVE ACTION GAMES OF THE CURRENT GENERATION.” -XBN Blood and Gore Intense Violence | L Strong Language => j a =. playstation ? C4 D MIDWAY mputer Entertainment М ft. Хбох, and the Xbox logos are either registered trademark trademarks of Microsoft Corporation їп AFTERTHOUGHIS: SPLINTER CELL PANDORA TOMORROW An on- and offline chat with the developers of one of the greatest multiplayer games of our time s we enter the dimly lit room, A we survey our surroundings: long water pipes running along the ceiling, tall ledges, and a dark area in the back corner. It’s all perfectly set up for us—though that security camera on the wall has us a little on edge. Nothing a well-thrown salt shaker won't take care of. Newest stealth-action hit? Nope. Just the silly daydreams of EGM editors entering a local restaurant, with a bit too much Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow on the brain. The recent Xbox release blew us away—the sin- gle-player game is great, but it's the addicting online multiplayer that has taken a firm hold of our minds and free waking hours. We sat down with Pandora Creative Director Gunther Galipot and Brand Manager Xavier Fouilleux to discuss the ins and outs of this masterpiece. And check out how the PS2 and Cube versions are shaping up on pg. 42. —Dan "Shoe" Hsu 40 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY ® www.1UP.com EGM: Two-on-two gameplay is great and all, but naturally, we gamers want more. Why no 3-on-3 or more? Gunther Galipot: We specifically limited the number of players to ensure that Pandora Tomorrow remained a stealth- action game rather than morphing into a free-for-all shooter. Playing with more than three or four members on a team would change the game mechanisms radi- cally and deliver a whole different experi- ence to gamers than the one we originally proposed. That's not a bad thing—but it's a different game. EGM: Online, a lot of jerks are dropping out the minute they start losing, to avoid a loss in ranking points. It sucks for the players playing fairly. Xavier Foullleux: There's one thing that a lot of people don't know: If you quit midgame, you'll get the ranking penalty on your next match. That's why sometimes you'll win a game but still see a loss in points—because you quit an earlier round. EGM: How can you tell the difference between an intentional quit and a legit- imate game crash? XF: We have ways to tell. [Smiles] With our next update, though, we'll be releasing a new ranking system. EGM: The multiplayer learning curve is steep, and it's scaring off all the new- bies that we'd like to beat up on. How do you recommend they get started? GG: | recommend that they play both the spy and merc tutorials, and that they Hunting the Hunters | *ugly motherf*****" line, OK? T. _ Here's your chance to play out your favorite movie starring beefy state politicians. Xbox Live play- ers invented a new mode for Pandora called "Predator." The idea: Forget the normal objectives and just kill. Try these rules: »- 3 mercs (1 life) vs. 1 spy (5 lives); 12-minute time limit » No frags, spy traps, or mines » Best map: the open courtyard in Deftech Belew The spy has to hunt down and eliminate all mercs within the time limit. Recommended neck- grabbing trash talk: “РИ bleed ya real quiet.” Just don’t use the to wake up, then knocks him out again right away by jumping on him or gassing him with a sticky camera. Repeat as necessary. GG: This is obviously cheap! For the sticky cam stuff, you can avoid that by escaping immediately when you wake up, because you are granted temporary immunity for few moments. EGM: How about a mercenary commit- ting suicide in order to replenish his supply of spy traps and mines? “From L.A., with love.” —L.A. player to NY player, during a live online match shown to the public, before snapping his neck familiarize themselves with a level through the “visit a map” option before they actually jump into a live battle. EGM: Cheap play or fair game? A spy knocks out a mercenary, waits for him GG: Honestly, | think this is a very bad tactic because it lays your defense open for the whole necessary [10-second] respawning time—plus you have lost a respawn. Let's just say that it's a good trade-off for the spy! UBISOFT WOULD NOT OFFICIALLY COMMENT ON THIS, BUT WE LEARNED THAT TWO NEW PANDORA TOMORROW (XB) MAPS WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD SOMETIME IN JUNE.... "During testing, everyone killed the dog." EGM: What's the best trash talk you've heard a spy say to a mercenary he's got in a choke hold? GG: One of the best I've heard was at our [publicity] event during which gamers in a Los Angeles theater played against contes- tants in a New York theater. One of the L.A. players had a New Yorker by the neck, and he cracked, “From L.A., with love,” just before breaking his neck. By the way, | should tell you that you have the same opportunity to talk trash when you play as a merc. When a spy is lying unconscious but is still alive, press the White button to speak to him and tell him what you really think! EGM: Are people playing online how you'd expect them to play? XF: One thing that people aren't using very much is the mercenary taser. It's a really powerful weapon and very useful in close combat. If you use it often, you'll see that the spies won't come at you as often. EGM: Are there any cool gadgets that didn't make it into the final game? GG: There is one I really regret, but in order to be true to the realism of the Clancy brand, we had to abandon it. It was an optical camo suit for spies that allowed them to almost disappear for a certain period of time. The effect onscreen was stunning; it was sort of similar to the Predator effect in the film but more fluid, as in the Abyss movie. l also wanted to have automated sentry guns that spies could hack and take over. Maybe in the sequel.... EGM: What's your favorite level? GG: My favorite multiplayer level is the warehouse. It can be played 1-on-1, and the objectives are opened in a linear way— in order to open area 2 you need to com- plete area 1 first, and so on. Also, players are always in the same area, so the action is always “at hand.” It plays like a chess game, in that you're try- ing to avoid falling into the enemy's trap while trying to trick him into yours. It cre- ates an extreme level of tension. ХЕ: Single player, | really like the train level, because it offers different paths, even though the train itself is very linear. It also gives you a very Hollywood style of tension, because you arrive on the roof of a speed- ing train, and you can hang off the side with another train passing by. It's different from anything in the first game. EGM: [Watching Fouilleux, who is play- ing the train level, approach a caged barking dog and kill it] Now, did you have to kill him? We know it's not nec- essary for this level... XF: [Laughs but doesn't answer] EGM: Do you at least feel bad about it? — Splinter Cell Brand Manager Xavier Fouilleux XF: It's funny—during testing, everyone killed this dog. The dog isn't really a danger to you, but when he starts barking, players usually panic and shoot him. People also want to see if you can actually kill him. In game design, if players see something that looks like it should logically work, they want it to work. Even if it doesn't make sense to try it, they'll try it anyway, just to see if it works within the game environment. EGM: | didn't like the Jerusalem level. It was so long and difficult. XF: The checkpoints there are spaced a bit far apart from each other. The problem is, if you're caught and you have to start over again— especially if you're not a very patient gamer—you'll want to go through that section even faster the next time, which means you'll make more mistakes and be likely to lose again. EGM: You know, except for the two main guys (played by actors Michael Ironside and Dennis Hayshert), the voice acting is really bad. Did you blow your budget on the real stars? XF: We've heard those complaints. It's not a question of budgets, but we didn't pay enough attention to the secondary roles. It's definitely something ме’! be more careful with next time. EGM: We once asked the Halo guys who'd win in a fight: their Master Chief, Metal Gear Solid's Solid Snake, or Sam Fisher. They said Master Chief because of his technological advantage. XF: Well, Master Chief isn't a realistic char- acter, with guns that shoot lasers that track you and all—1 don't think Snake and Fisher would have a chance against him. But put them in the right environment, with shad- ows and places to climb and hide, then Fisher would have a good chance to sneak around and kill some people. [laughs] > E Above: A spy goes for broke. Below: Snipe the spies in the head for a one-shot kill. E [Eher get nomie то ө» з $ тол 9 PS1’s Metal Gear Solid influenced the creation of Pandora Tomorrow’s innovative multiplayer mode. Read about it in the extended Afterthoughts interview on egmextras.1UP.com. Press This Pandora's instruction manual sucks. The multiplayer game has a bunch of cool stuff you wouldn’t even know about unless you experimented or 2 someone told you. Try these on for > extra badassery.* Mercenary > Wake up teammate: A 2 7 > Slide down ladder: A + Down > Listen in on spy communications: White button (after spy trap hit) > Quick 180° turn: Double-tap left or right > Oh, and your reticule? The arrows on the outside show what direction sound is coming from, and the inside cones indicate whether it's above or below you Spy > Roll: Hold B while moving at full speed. Tap X in midroll to autodraw your gun > Slide down ladders or poles: A + Down > Listen in on merc communications: White button (after spy bullet hit) > Laser sight on/off: D-pad Up > Pull out gun without laser sight: Hold X "Special thanks to SalFPS, x DashRipRock x, SPeSiMen, and AlienICE PANDORA TOMORROW'S INFAMOUS “CHAT CHEAT” (WHICH ALLOWS DEAD PLAYERS TO CHAT WITH TEAMMATES) SHOULD BE FIXED IN AN UPCOMING UPDATE THROUGH XBOX LIVE.. ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.1UP.com 41 > PANDORA'S OTHER BOXES How does the hit Xbox game fare on PlayStation 2 and GameCube? PLAYSIATION 2 Locked, loaded, and fully online The good news: The PS2 version of Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow, due out June 18, will feature the same 2-on-2 online play that's made the Xbox game our best buddy for the last couple months. That's really all you need to know, so don't even worry about any bad news. With headsets, the Network Adaptor, and a broad- band connection, PS2 players can join the fight against terrorism. Two sneaky spies, in the tradition- al Splinter Cell third-person view, take on heavily armed mercenaries, who play in first person. Funky gadgets—like spy bullets that allow you to listen in on enemy headset communications—and special- ized equipment and vision modes for each team make this a multiplayer experience unlike anything you've played before. Trust us—it's sooo good. On the lonesome-player side, the PS2 game will get one new map that wasn't on Xbox, as well as a special ranking system that lets you see how well you've tackled each level. Everything else stays pretty much the same, from the great graphics to the Tom Clancy-flavored story line. Knis is what stealth. gaming looked like irr GAMECUBE No multiplayer, but—oh boy!—GBA connectivity. hat's sarcasm right there. We're sad to report that the GameCube Pandora Tomorrow will not feature the innov- ative multiplayer game that's on Xbox and PS2. "It's really hard to make an online game for GameCube because Nintendo doesn't really help you [as a developer]," says Splinter Cell Brand Manager Xavier Fouilleux. That's OK, because exclusive to the GameCube version is Game Boy Advance connectivity. (Actually, that's not OK, but what can we do?) You don't need the GBA version of Pandora—a GC-GBA link cable and a GBA will give you a little, detailed radar to help you spot enemies, just like in the original Cube Splinter Cell. The single-player game is still damn good, though. You'll travel to exotic, strange locales like Indonesia, Jerusalem, France, and LAX airport to unravel a terrorist plot. The GameCube version also has the same new map that the PS2 game gets, as well as a ranking system in which after you finish a stage, you get a code that you can enter on a website to see how you fared. Use fewer bullets, get spotted less, and be an all-around good American soldier, and you'll get the fine rankings to show off to your friends. ж E New moves make it Я even easier for Sam to sneak out past curfew. IF YOU'RE UNFAMILIAR WITH SPLINTER CELL PANDORA TOMORROW AND ARE LOOKING FOR MORE INFO, LET TUPCOM OR SPLINTERCELL.COM DROP SOME KNOWLEDGE ON YOU.. 42 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com ud A- i яя ч GAME ALL SUMMER LONG $49.00 FOR 3 MONTHS The BLOCKBUSTER Flip Card" Play as many games as you want. As long as you want. Rent a game, then flip it for a new one when you want, as often as you want. The new BLOCKBUSTER Flip Card — it's less than the price of the hottest new games! ©) press start PC GAMING NO SPEED LIMIT РАТ: Tweak out with Need for Speed Underground 2 e fter an early test drive with the object even closer than it appeared in assembly line and set to debut in time for ES original Need for Speed Madden's rearview mirror. Though it can the holiday season on PS2, Xbox, and Underground, we knew it was be hard to follow up that sort of surprising GameCube. Will this second foray delve special—but we didn't figure it would end success, publisher Electronic Arts is rarin’ deeper into the racing underworld or sim- up as last year's second-best seller, an to try—and soon: Underground 2is onthe ply cover the same rain-slick ground? Bright Lights, Big City City of Heroes You'll still be racing on curiously moist city streets at night—that While console gamers continue to hasn't changed. But the city itself acclimate to the brave new world of has. “The first Underground was online gaming, we on the PC side of really a collection of tracks that things are so used to it that we've were in the same world, but you taken to measuring our masculinity could only drive on one at a time," with a yardstick made entirely of jaded says Chuck Osieja, executive pro- ennui. And nothing triggers that reflex- ducer. "This year you can drive ive ho-hum response quite like the from a circuit event to a drift event sterile landscape of massively multi- to a drag event without ever leav- player online role-playing games ing the world. There will be five (MMORPG). They've been so done to distinct sections of the city, and death that every game box should ship the whole thing will be tied togeth- with a toe tag inside. er with a pretty intense system of But that might be changing. City of freeways.” Overall, expect a much Heroes (available now from developer more open-ended experience. Cryptic Studios) breaks from the tradi- tional MMORPG mold by casting play- ers as comic book superheroes. The character creation alone is insanely addictive, plus the gameplay is so streamlined and user-friendly that it's easy to overlook the depth behind it. Further off is Blizzard's World of WarCraft. While this is the first MMORPG for the deveioper, Blizzard has more than a little knowledge about online gaming, having practically Body Shop monopolized the world’s bandwidth Too much is never enough if since the launch of its free online you're a tweaker. But you better Battle.net service with StarCraft. like shopping, because tuner Unfortunately, Blizzard’s game at the stores will be located in different moment seems very traditional—past neighborhoods and have different the fantastic art design and appeal of parts available. "We're not chang- the WarCraft game world is a straight- ing the kits and packages that we forward MMORPG. The open beta test had last year,” says Osieja, “but has just begun and already players are instead, we're adding the ability spawn-camping (waiting in areas < : for the player to buy and tune where enemies are sure to reappear). — i +. S individual performance parts. Blizzard is famous for long, taxing beta : Gear [ratios], shocks, torque 3 periods, so odds are it will hammer on curves, and much more will all be WOW until it feels the game is perfect. there for the player with enough — Robert Coffey, 2 ‚ à) car know-how to squeeze that Computer Gaming World d little extra out." * More good news: Once you've got the neon and vinyl decals just so on your Civic, you won't have to trade it in for something else— in Underground 2, your garage will be big enough to hold a whole cavalcade of lowered, spoilered, whistle-tipped little numbers. Woo у00000! World ої WarCraft CHECK OUT THE FIRST FIVE ISSUES OF THE HSU & CHAN COMIC IN AN ALL-NEW COLLECTOR'S EDITION. HSU & CHAN: TOO MUCH ADVENTURE IS AVAILABLE NOW FOR $13.95... 44 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com № ) Butcher Bay*interactive gamad 2008 Vivendi ee ВИА С. Al! Rights Reserved. "The Chronicles of Riddick” ТМ 8 © Univetsal Stüc $49.” When you pre-order The Chronicles of Riddick: ene from Butcher Bay for Xbox. DVD includes trailers, interactive mini-guide, a walk-through of one of the game levels and more! *Limit one per customer. While supplies last. See Sales Associate for complete details. Typographical errors are not the responsibility of EB Games. p | grar GAMES electronics boutique VIVENDI We take games seriously " h, how easy it was to sneer at Infinium Labs, the Florida-based start-up that—since announcing its Phantom game console last year—has been accused of everything from hoaxery to hucksterism. But laugh at this: Infinium announced a price for its PC-games-playing system, which launches Nov. 18. It's free. There's a catch, of course. "We're not selling a console," says Kevin Bachus, a key player in the launch of Xbox and now head guy at Infinium. "We're selling a subscrip- tion service, the idea that gamers are ready for games to come to them." Here's the deal: You get a free Phantom if you commit to two years of Infinium's games-on- demand service for $30 a month (you'll need your own broadband-Net connection). It's not a new idea—Sega rebated the price of its fizzling Dreamcast to anyone who signed up for its online-gaming plan. But the Infinium service itself is a first. The basic subscription gives access to a shifting library of older, low-profile PC games (we're talking Deer Hunter-caliber titles). “Think of it as basic cable," says Bachus. You can TWO OF A KIND? then pay extra fees for premium content, Such as the top three first-person shoot- ers or strategy games. "That's more like premium cable, like HBO," he says. But the biggest perk—included in the basic subscription—is the ability to try demos, rent games (for an estimated $5 for three days, provided publishers allow it), or outright buy them. Titles are avail- able the same day they hit stores, down- loaded to your Phantom, and installed auto- matically. That's great for subscribers, but will stores want to sell a system that lets gamers shop from home? "It seems unlikely that [retailers] would embrace a platform that sees as its endgame a way to under- mine their business," says Hal Halpin, presi- dent of the Interactive Entertainment Merchants Association, "but | understand [Infinium's] looking for ways to belay that." In particular, the company will cut partici- pating retailers in on subscription profits. Bachus says Infinium's own studies show that gamers are clamoring for the system's convenience, even if biz watchers aren't so optimistic. "It'll be hard to grab the attention We tell apart near-identical-twin upstart systems Phantom and ApeXtreme... 222825 Ргісе: $499 Launch: LAUNCH THE we Price: | Free (with | subscription) | Launch: Nov. 18 | PCarchitecture, | including a 2.5GHz processor and | 40MB hard drive Play PC games on your TV with a minimum of installation fuss Play PC games | on your TV with a minimum of installation fuss | including a 2GHz processor and | m | un UNDER m | DETAILS d si iie | | | PCarchitecture | Off-the-shelf PC titles. | 40MB hard drive | The newly remodeled Phantom (concept render shown here) has the guts of a punchy PC. SYSTEM" But read the fine print—you only get the peppy Phantom game box if you sign on the dotted line Lap hog: The Phantom's funky folding con- troller combines a keyboard and mouse—the control scheme de rigueur for PC games. of the 30 million gamers already out there," says Richard Ow, senior analyst at industry- tracker NPD Funworld. "Half of them are under 18, so you not only have to get them to buy in, but their parents as well." Not an issue, says Bachus, who claims the Phantom isn't for kids (you must pass a credit check to get the thing). "We're aiming for PC gamers who've become disenchant- ed with gaming since they joined the work force and started families," he says. "They still love games but don't have time to be a gamer. The Phantom will give them that opportunity again." & — Crispin Boyer GAMES THEY PLAY BELLS AND WHISTLES PC games bought and downloaded from Infinium's games-on- demand service Subscription service lets you rent or buy games Unit plays DVD movies and records TV shows The system downloads scripts that install the games automatically _ ез Мс сш FIGURING OUT PHANTOM Subscribe Sign up for a two-year commitment to Phantom's $30-a-month service. (That's $720 total.) Enlist at participating stores and cable providers or at infiniumlabs.com. — — Get the Free Unit Once you've done the deal, you get the console. Afraid of commitment (or fail the credit check)? You can outright buy the Phantom for $199 and just sub- scribe on a month-to-month basis. tract does not include Internet service or a cable or DSL modem, so you'll need to jack your Phantom into your own broadband Net connection. The console does- n't support slow-ass dial-up, either. "9 Connect the Box That $30-per- month con- Go Play The basic subscription entitles you to a limited number of PC budget games and older software, plus the option to download free demos, rent new PC games, or buy them. You can also sign up for pricier premium content. >> WHO LET ALL THESE UNDERDOGS OUT? GIZMONDO, A HANDHELD GAME SYSTEM/MP3 PLAYER/CAMERA, HITS EUROPE NOW AND HERE SOON. SEE MORE AT WWW.GIZMONDO.COM.... >> 46 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com You're going to love her killer moves. When her world is threatened by the awakening of ancient evil, Ailish and ў : TM three other great heroes must unite to defeat it. Now this { № Үк. 4 | t N - : T А * ы К enchanting princess, a brave warrior, a high-flying gunslinger, 4 and a dark huntress will battle through the Realm of Shadows | EN. ( 1 И on a quest to reclaim their world. Rotate between each character and use all their powers to prevail in one of the most intense action RPGs. Sudeki will leave you breathless. it's good to play together xbox.com/sudeki MATURE 17+ Violence s 00 2004 BOQ and Gore ^ Dev 5м a ax and its logo are arks c i t nis à of the Interactive Digital Software Association game studios- J : > e Dig 2 с Corpor п. All rights reserved. Microsoft, the Microsoft Game Studios logo, Sudeki and the Xbox logos are trademarks or registered Aion in th 1 States and/or other c are the propert www.koei.com YIT "a А Dynasty Маггіогѕ®, ТУЯ Warriors?" recounts tales of valor and (OM in Men Japan. Cherry 0 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. Samurai Warriors, Kessen, Dynasty Warriors, and the KOEI logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of KOEI Co. Ltd. ©2004 KOEI Co., Ltd. All rights reserved. "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are $ * registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Microsoft, Xbox and the Xbox Logos are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and /or in other countries = and are used under cense from Microsoft. The ratings conia a trademark of he Entertainment Sofware Associaton. Dolby ‘Pro Logi and the doubie-D symbol are vrademarts of Doty о W'WW.SQImuragr-waOrrrors. com New Active Mission System triggers a multitude of objectives! Over 500 mission variations! Suggestive Themes X | | i NS Violence (Orge 0050187] хеох PlayStations . 2 L Force PRO LOGIC П © press start FIRST NEXT-GEN GAME UNVEILED Cant wait to see PS3 or Xbox 2 software? Then feast your eyes on Dark Sector “Man, | can hardly breathe in this thing.” hen it comes to making games for \ the next batch of consoles, devel- oper Digital Extremes isn't waiting around—not even for Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo to announce the darn things. The Toronto-based studio (makers of the online- enabled fragfest Unreal Championship for Xbox) revealed the first software for the next-gen systems— Dark Sector, a sci-fi first-person shooter with multiplayer capa- Dark Sector wasn't always a first-person shooter. The original design doc had it as a bilities. Digital Extremes is currently design- ing the game based on technical specs it’s projecting for consoles like PlayStation 3 and Xbox 2. Our first look at Dark Sector comes via a short trailer (peep it on our website, 1UP.com). It features a secret-agent-looking fella sneaking around a space station and hiding in the shadows from heavily armed guards on patrol. Other highlights include the main character's skintight suit morphing into protective gear. Unfortunately, mums the word on which of the big three will receive the futuristic shoot-em-up. Digital Extremes spokesper- son Meridith Braun will only confirm that Dark Sector is indeed for “a next-generation console”; she also promises that the teaser trailer isn't some fancy CG movie it's all in-game footage. —Bryan Intihar What Ever Happened to... This isn’t run-of-the-mill character art— it's an in-game model. Looks hot, doesn't it? Simply being one of the first games shown for an upcoming system doesn't massively multiplayer action game for PC. : necessarily guarantee a successful launch. Remember... Title Malice (XB) JetSprint (XB) The Druid King (XB) 3D action- Speedboat platformer racer Zelda-esque action-adventure Type of Game Original Release | Nov. 2001 2001/2002 Early 2002 Current Status Summer 2004 release Cancelled Cancelled Digital Extremes, however, is confident Dark Sector won't have such problems. “Every game [we've] ever made has shipped,” says founder and Creative Director James Schmalz. “We don't expect Dark Sector to be any different.” & PUT ON YOUR BOXING GLOVES AND GET BACK THE EYE OF THE TIGER—UBISOFT IS MAKING ANOTHER ROCKY GAME FOR PLAYSTATION 2 AND XBOX (SORRY, CUBE), DUE THIS FALL.... 50 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com Alm | E 2 THE OMEGA STRAIN | YOU HRVE BEEN IDENTIFIED RS | THE НБЕМТ ШЕ RRE LOOKING FOR. REPORT TO: | GABE LOGAN, J. P. C. H. COMMRNDER-IN-CHIEF. E rn ‚ | STOP OMEGA STRAIN VIRUS AND THE | TERRORISTS LUHO CONTROL IT. RRSENRL: 100+ HIGHLY LETHAL WEAPONS INCLUDING: SILENCED SUBMRCHINE GUN, 05С-1 THERMAL SNIPER RIFLE, CH-9 MACHINE PISTOL, BLASTER GRENADE. MISSION DIRECTIVES: ELIMINATE ALL ENEMY AGENTS AND PREVENT OUTBREAK OF DEADLY MUTATING VIRUS. | ANY INFORMATION RECEIVED WILL BE HIGHLY | CLASSIFIED RS YOU WILL BE ENGAGING LETHAL INTERNATIONAL ASSASSINS. SUCCESS OF THIS GLOBAL COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE OPERATION IS CRUCIAL. PRIORITY: URGENT. THE BEST WEAPON WE HAVE IS YOU. | 2 | | | LIVE IN YOUR WXRLD. PLAY IN DURS. — PlayStation? 7 7 о Syphon Filter is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. ©2004 Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. “PlayStation” and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. "Live In Your World. Play In Ours” and "The best weapon we have is you." are trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. Online play requires Internet connection and Network Adaptor (for PlayStation 2) and Memory Card (8MB) (for PlayStation 2) (each sold separately). The "Online" logo is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. ESRB CONTENT RATING _www.estb.org — FIRST LOOK: гіпсе of Persia is a gamers’ game.” Grittier than Sands says Product Manager Danny Ruiz. “As Р soon as Sands of Time hit store shelves, we read the reviews, grilled focus groups, and waded through message boards, all to find out how people thought we could improve the franchise. The consensus was unanimous—the combat was too repetitive." Ruiz's readiness to listen to the masses is refreshing. but we can't help but wonder: How will Prince of Persia 2 (arriving on PS2, Xbox, and GameCube this November) one-up his high- ness's already outstanding swordplay? “Improvisational combat that offers players «plenty more options,” answers Ruiz. “Think Tony Hawk with a sword instead of a skateboard." . The Prince bounds between enemies, evad- ing blows by a hair’s breadth. He back-flips behind.one and holds him by the throat as another steps up and takes a stab at the * A > human shield. Once the hostage hass re! ^ This ain't even а boss. Believe it. 2 : “ served his purpose, the Prince slices: MESS „5 M in half, and turns to face the other "ur S ; attacker. Producer Yannis Mallat is at the controls, and he's out to prove a point. “1 could've kept leaping,” he says. “stunned one enemy with a projectile, and cut off the other's head with his own sword." But the problem with Sands of Time's combat wasn't lack of depth; it was the way you had to fight a dozen fiends in one room before a gate would open to the next. "In the last game, you'd go from an acrobatics area to a fighting area and back,” explains Mallat. “This time, we're interweaving the two types of gameplay.” In some cases, you'll actually do both at the same time, as Mallat demonstrates by scaling the back of an enormous beast and burying his scimitar in its head. “That's not a boss,” he says with a smile. "We'll show you those later.” 4 — Shawn Elliott = 5 Weve ‘been sworn to secrecy about POP2's story for the time being, but we can say that if's set on an Stand stronghold. | in "XE — TA wu THIS FALL, MIDWAY PLANS TO RELEASE SHADOW HEARTS: COVENANT, THE PLAYSTATION 2 SEQUEL TO THE TRAGICALLY UNSUCCESSFUL (YET REALLY QUITE DECENT) RPG FROM 2001... ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY © www.1UP.com • 51 © press start . [1 THE SEASON OF EVIL Join the flesh feast when the next wave of Resident Evil invades theaters and consoles ad things don’t come in threes—evil things do. This fall marks the release of the Resident Evil movie sequel, a PS2 follow-up to Resident Evil Outbreak, as well as the GameCube-exclusive Resident Evil 4. You’re gonna need a whole lot of ammo and healing herbs if you intend to survive until the holidays. Welcome to the Apocalypse "We got bitch-slapped by game fans after Little-known fact: Undead simply cannot resist the allure of à bare midriff. >> ТЕСМО ANNOUNCED TWO UPCOMING XBOX TITLES THAT ARE ALMOST ENTIRELY DEVOID OF HEAVING BOSOMS—THIS FALL, LOOK FOR AN ENHANCED VERSION OF FREAKOUT SUR- 52 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com the first movie,” admits Producer Jeremy Bolt. But he insists that sequel Resident Evil: Apocalypse—due this October—won't rip out the hearts of fans hoping to watch characters from the games battling hordes of flesh-hungry undead (the first movie fea- tured no game heroes). Though Mila Jovovich reprises her role as the movie- only character Alice, the Apocalypse team liberally pillaged key elements from the RE 3: Nemesis game. Brit actress Sienna Guillory fills the butt-kicking boots (and skimpy wardrobe) of spunky S. TA. f. S. operative Jill Valentine. Expect game characters Carlos Olivera, Nikolai, and the Nemesis itself—armed with rocket launcher and rail gun—to make appearances, along with more blazing guns, zombies, and decom- posing Dobermans than you can shake a large intestine at. —Alex Porter RESIDENT EVIL: OUTBREAK FILE #2 Shockingly, Capcom plans to ship a PS2 follow-up to its recent hit Resident Evil: Outbreak by the end of 2004. Dubbed Outbreak File #2, this sequel promises to deliver a slew of spooky new missions, including the zoo-based one pictured below. But with that short a lead time, it'll likely be an Air Bud to Air Bud 2: Golden Receiver-style sequel—if you expect more than just a different ball stuffed in this hound's mouth then you're ripe for a let- down. File #2 hosts the same cast, same three-character (offline) or four-character (online) parties, same premise, and same pre-fabbed, controller-issued chat commands. Despite gripes from fans, the developer believes voice This time, the flick actually includes game characters. Exhibit A: communication could "ruin the experience" of an online Jill Valentine (above), who smartly brought a sweater along. RE (we also hear that it “takes more work” and “costs à * more money"). At least they're fixing a few nagging “ $ problems—everything from puzzles to enemy behavior to those quasi-useful makeshift weapons is getting tweaked to trim down the kinks in this second stab at online survival-horror. —dJon Dudlak = Guess no one informed the o нч that playing the Jumanji board game is a very bad idea. RESIDENT EVIL 4 Series creator Shinji Mikami promised that Resident Evil 4 would “һе scarier than ever before." Is he right? Maybe, but the GameCube title sure is a departure from previous Evils. Aside from fully 3D graphics, the camera has changed dramatically—you now have the option of either an over-the-shoulder or first-person perspective. Also, a European village replaces the well-traveled Raccoon City as the game's backdrop. About the most familiar thing in RE4 is the hero—Leon S. Kennedy of RE2 fame returns as a U.S. secret agent who has orders to find the president's kidnapped daughter. Fortunately, we've gotten our hands on three new screenshots, and like Mikami said one year ago, "Don't pee your pants!" E She's either about to leap out of the way of this * — A m flaming cop car...or ignite it with a fart. Your call. s, mtm Leon) VIVAL-HORROR HIT FATAL FRAME II: CRIMSON BUTTERFLY AND А NEW XBOX LIVE-COMPATIBLE INSTALLMENT OF THE LONG-RUNNING JAPANESE MECH-WARFARE SIM GUNGRIFFON.... ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com • 53 © press start E | \ 4 ] | | Y ow 4 1 ШШ ЧЫР AA \ We trac t - Е] A О] пе) +£ ne) Hav nal ti эі © ме UACA Tie LA UI TICAL-TICAT! ехсъепегацоп ga n 30 years, today's дате SCUD missile. But who wants to wait European R&D labs to see how clo: | controllers and consoles will that long for th IS we see іп these m 'in iv seem as high-tech as sci-fi? We peek into U.S. and techni . -Glenn McDonal Virtual-reality Headsets Are We There Yet? Noggin-mounted virtual- reality (VR) goggles, combined with control gloves and body-tracking devices, are the most common approach to total-immersion gaming, but so far the experience doesn't exist outside of cheeseball amusement parks. Consumer headset monitors like Sony's Glasstron and the Olympus Eye-Trek are the first mass-market forays into headset displays, but these are barely immersive and not at all respon- sive to your movement. They are essentially stereo- scopic mini-monitors with surround sound. ETA: It'll be at least five years until game-specific hardware and software become market-ready and affordable. ш Crude VR goggles like these from 10 Display Systems will run you $1,200. | Holodeck-style Game Chambers Are We There Yet? A straight-out-of-Star Trek holodeck is strictly sci-fi, according to physics. “Holograms can't produce texture or force," says Jason Jerald of the University of North Carolina's Effective Virtual Environments Lab. Automatic virtual environments (called CAVEs) offer the next best thing. Created by Dr. Carolina Cruz-Niera at lowa State University, a CAVE is a room in which you interact with 3D graph- ics projected on the walls, ceiling, and floor. The University of Southern California's FlatWorld project—a slick CAVE used for Army training—is touted as the world's first “holodeck.” ETA: Disney World's DisneyQuest high-end arcade— filled with linked VR setups—is a step in the right direction for commercial game-chambers. True holodecks, though? Ain't happenin' for a looooong time. CAVE: up nerds, Holographic Displays Are We There Yet? The kind of holo- grams we crave for gaming—3D images that hover in space Star Wars-style— are still conceptual. “The amount of computational power required to do a useful interactive holographic display is horrendous," says UNC's Jason Jerald. Holographic technology already exists in "white light," such as the security imprint on your credit card. Great—at least game boxes can look way cool. ETA: "A long ways off," Jerald says. “Creating true ‘ghost’ holograms is pos- sible but prohibitively expensive.” Body-tracking Devices Are We There Yet? Cameras or touch sensors that track motion are already built into some industrial VR headsets and CAVE systems (see the holodeck blurb). Meanwhile, peripherals such as Sony's EyeToy and the various dance pads are technically body-tracking devices, in that actual physical move- ment is replicated in the game world. ETA: Researchers say it'll take 10 years for more complex body-tracking sys- tems to hit home gaming. And if we ever do don full-body rubber suits to play Tomb Raider, you can't borrow ours. Jack-into-yer- skull Gaming Are We There Yet? Here we're talking real sci-fi stuff—the idea of actually jack- ing your brain into a videogame as in The Matrix. It's theoretically possible; neurologists tell us the brain and central nervous system operate on electrical impulses, while experts point to proto- concepts like cochlear implants, which have the effect of communicating sound to the brains of deaf people. ETA: Talk to the neurologists. Observing electrical brain impulses is one thing. Manipulating them via a $300 Sony BrainStation is another. You go first. Three Experts Predict Gaming's Neo-future "|n 50 years, we may have virtual real- ity that. you'll have trouble telling from real life. It's being seeded now by recent advances in [medical] technolo- gy, making it thinkable to use electro- magnetic fields to stimulate certain areas of the brain." —Sci-fi author and screenwriter John Shirley (Demons, Crawlers, The Crow) “Location-based games, playable with portable devices that ‘overlay’ a fanta- sy world on the real world, will be a major new style of game. Massively multiplayer online role-playing games will branch out from their roots and encompass a wide range of game styles, including social-climbing games, military strategy, and so on.” —Greg Costikyan, head of the NYC chapter of the International Game Developers Association “With big screens becoming more generally available, games will proba- bly contain more worlds simultaneous- ly onscreen for multiplayer games. But ultimately, the desire to play games— to escape reality and get your mind off everyday problems—is as old as humanity, and games will remain just that.” —Video Ping-Pong Vv Inventor and | “Godfather of Videogames” Ralph Baer RALPH BAER—CREATOR OF THE FIRST GAME SYSTEM—HAS CHRONICLED HIS LIFE'S WORK IN THE BOOK VIDEOGAMES: IN THE BEGINNING. FIND IT АТ WWW.ROLENTAPRESS.COM 54 ° ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY ‹ www.1UP.com TRACY McGRADY ©2004 AMERICA'S DAIRY FARMERS” AND MILK PROCESSORS Great for dunking. My friends told me, “T-Mac, you’re gonna be big some day.” Must’ve been the milk. About 15% of your height is added asa teen and the calcium and vitamin D can help. Will drinking a cool glass of milk make you the hottest scorer in town? Hey, it couldn’t hurt. got milk? And people wonder why nobody ever rides Amtrak these days. FIRST LOOK: FUTURE PERF lime isn't a constant anymore f Producer Steve Ellis could turn back the clock, TimeSplitters would've been online ages ago: "Unfortunately we, well, ran out of time with TimeSplitters 2." Better late than never, though, and Future Perfect, the forthcoming third installment in developer Free Radical's history-hopping first-person-shooter series, hopes to make good on any and all past promises. (They never promised you a quick release, though: You'll have to warp ahead to spring 2005 to play it, and publisher EA Games claims that only the PS2 version will go online—Xbox and Cube players will make do with merely splitscreen thrills.) Perfect delivers classic first-person gun- play (it's by the same guys behind beloved N64 oldies GoldenEye and Perfect Dark), but with some keen modern trappings. Expect drivable tanks, cars, and trucks, along with a vast arsenal of period-specific arms rang- ing from turn-of-the-century antiques to ultrahigh-tech weapons of tomorrow (including a gravity gun that can levitate and toss anything that isn’t tied down). But it's Future Perfect's mapmaking fea- ture that'll have do-it-yourself types count- ing the days till the game's far-off release. From spacious arenas ideal for sniper duels to cramped obstacle courses where rockets reign supreme, you can create the multi- player killing fields of your dreams. W Barrels. Ý Not just fof exploding anymore. 56 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com Back to the Future Future Perfect's story mode promises a more memorable trip for time travel- ers than in previous installments in the series. You play alongside past and future versions of yourself (à la Van Damme's Timecop) while trying to pre- vent paradoxes. Aspirin not included. DESERT ISLAND GAMES: MACHO MAN RANDY SAVAGE A. вы ОМА Each month, we force a celebrity or game designer to tell us what three console games they'd want on a deserted island. This month we strand Macho Man Randy Savage: pro wrestler, movie star, meat-prod- uct endorser, and one of the stars in Acclaim's Showdown: Legends of Wrestling. —Marc Saltzman Pac-Man (Multiplatform) "Gotta love it. It’s so old school but oh so cool. That game just ate the competition." Gran Turismo 3 (PS2) "You can't beat this game for its killer graphics, insane speed, and awesome control." All-Star Baseball 2005 (PS2/XB) "| dig this game and I’ve been play- ing it a lot. And hey, | have a base- ball background. Not many people know about that." [Savage played in the minors for the Cardinals, Reds, and White Sox.—Ed.] >> SEGA PLANS ТО BRING SPIKEOUT: BATTLE STREET, A FRESH TAKE ON ITS CULT-HIT ARCADE BRAWLER, ТО XBOX (WITH XBOX LIVE SUPPORT FOR FOUR PLAYERS) THIS FALL... >> Take on your rivals with the new N-Gage QD Take on your rivals with wireless multiplayer game play on the new N-Gage QD Quick and easy game changing Pocket-sized anyone Exclusive and top publisher game titles N те [23 OSE anywhere Connect, compete and conquer in the N-Gage Arena NOKIA Games compatible with the original N-Gage game deck PDA Mobile phone n-gage.com/qd Preorder now at Game GAE Copyright O 2004 Nokia. All rights reserved. Nokia, N-Gage, N-Gage Arena and N-Gage QD are trademarks or registered trademarks of Nokia Corporation. Other product or company names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective owners. ©) press start CELEBRITY GAMER: DEREK EIER The Bronx Bombers’ heavy hitter takes us out to the ball game $ both pro athlete and enthu- siast gamer, New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter isn't one to let foul balls lie. Ever the perfec- tionist, even the 1996 American League Rookie of the Year honor wasn't enough for the perennial fan favorite, who has since nabhed a World Series MVP trophy and four championship rings. Jeter's onfield accolades have also earned him a six-year stint head- lining Acclaim's All-Star Baseball series. With another big-league season in full swing, the Yankee captain takes a rare time-out from his hectic sched- ule for a brief powwow: EGM: Just how long have you been a videogame junkie? Since age 7. Pac-Man is my all-time favorite title. That guy could sure eat dots, but he also consumed more of my childhood than I'll ever admit. My par- ents should've never gotten me an Atari. EGM: What's currently at the top of your playlist? Pick any game that stars a character | grew up with. If it's got Donkey Kong or Frogger in it, it's golden. EGM: Why kick it old school? Today's stars just don't have the clas- sics’ staying power. Kids love Grand Theft Auto now, but will they look back fondly on its hero 20 years down the road? | think not...and if so, it'd just be creepy. EGM: So what's the electronic diversion getting the most play back at your homestead these days? [Laughs] My two-way pager. But my PS2 is definitely a close second. EGM: How accurate are your dig- ital counterparts in most of the baseball simulators? Oh, they're way off. | should be batting .400 and making no errors. Would you believe some games actually insinu- ate that my team doesn't win the World Series every year? EGM: The humanity! Still, ever wish you possessed any of your virtual double's powers? Almost every time | step out onto the field. Each game, there's at least one play | wish could hit the reset button on. EGM: As long as we're being honest, come clean...just how much more Madden than All-Star Baseball do you really play? None. In fact, | think I'm the one [pro] who couldn't care less about football or basketball games. My friends and team- mates swear by that stuff. Me? Baseball is the only sport in my blood—and my home console, for that matter. &% — Scott Steinberg 58 « ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com >> THE ORIGINAL STAR WARS MOVIE TRILOGY COMES TO DVD ON SEPT. 21. THE COLLECTION INCLUDES A PLAYABLE XBOX DEMO OF STAR WARS BATTLEFRONT (ALSO FOR PS2 v EEBGAMES electronics boutique’ New Color! Now for the first time a 45-minute video exclusive for your GBA SP! 519. 99... NES Classic Special Edition* *While Supplies Last Dual Tone |.. GAME BOY ADVANCE еее We take games seriously " © press st 7 henshin-a-go-goes to the Cube and PS2 ~ fter garnering critical praise— A including USA Today's Game of the Year award and a (far more prestigious) Silver award from EGM—solid sales numbers, and thousands of diehard fans, did you think Capcom would bring back its awesome action-fighting hybrid Viewtiful Joe for another go? As the cocky hero himself would say, “Well, duh!” More surprising is what system the sequel is coming to—or, should we say, systems. No longer a Nintendo exclusive series, Viewtiful Joe 2 is coming to both the GameCube and PS2 this winter. (In fact, the first game is on its way to Sony's system as well—see sidebar.) At this point, it looks like VJ2 will follow the original Joe's formula in many respects: same 2D-3D hybrid graphics and crazed comic-book art style, plus familiar enemies and power-ups. But Capcom points out a few key differences: First of all, Joe's girlfriend, Sylvia, will star as a second playable character from the start of the game (she cameoed as an unlockable extra character in VJ). She packs a pistol for long-range attacks, which should mix Joe's first adventure is on its way to the PS2, too! в کے‎ art f up the usual close- ^ quarters fisticuffs we're used to. Second, all of Joe's old Matrix-styl time-warping VFX powers slow, mach speed, and zoom— will be joined by new abilities like? replay. Before you start thinking ВМ or Prince of Persia, here's how it'll work? After punching an enemy, you can replay the scene over and over for triple damage, or use replay after eating a healing ham- burger to triple its replenishing power. Finally, Joe's trusty vehicle, Six Machine, returns (he flew it in a side-scrolling shoot- ing stage in VJ), now with six different transformations for him to pilot, including à race car, drill, cannon, and submarine. Development will be handled by the newly formed Clover Studio, an indepen- dent start-up funded by Capcom. But don't worry about an inexperienced team taking over Joe's fate; Clover is headed up by Atsushi Inaba and Hideki Kamiya, the same guys responsible for the original Viewtiful Joe, as well as Devil May Cry, Steel Battalion, and Resident Evil 2. —Mark MacDonald ИРЕ PD PTT That's right. While they're waiting for VJ2's winter release, PS2 owners can get famil- iar with the series by playing a version of the original game for their system this summer. And this ain't your average Joe. Small tweaks and additions are promised, including an appearance by Devil May Cs half-man, half-demon hero Dante. ёф >> SPEAKING OF THINGS NO LON — 60 • ELECTRONIC GAMINGMONTHLY e Um Joe's mach speed ability returns, along with all his old VFX powers. i "--—————————— GER NINTENDO EXCLUSIVE, ETERNAL DARKNESS AND METAL GEAR SOLID: THE TWIN SNAKES DEVELOPER SILICON KNIGHTS ж AH 2 ^p^ 7 | E — In addition to this jungle stage, VJ2 will include levels et in underground ruins, ancient Japan, snowcapped untains, and outer space. k AL АУ АЎ МУ ЧУ Б ATV ap 4 4. $99) 30 за Uii | 77, j iw у 2 NM "^ Yo tá (áo 60) OT ет; D OD 08 OD OD л У A 527.59 4531 In the first Joe, Sylvia was faster and jumped higher than Joe but took more damage. For the sequel, she comes armed with her signature pom- poms and a gun. A E D 1 ! Se. Е, | V В. « * эй п єт * ¥ HAS LEFT THE NINTENDO ROUND TABLE. IT IS NO LONGER A NINTENDO SECOND-PARTY DEVELOPER, SO IT IS FREE 10 START MAKING GAMES FOR OTHER ЗУЗТЕМ$...>> «з ILLI тте от i —X “ ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com • 61 * IMPECCABLE HOLLYWOOD PRODUCTION, FROM SCREENPLAY TO SOUND DESIGN • RELENTLESS, GROUND-TREMBLING COMBAT ° THX? CERTIFIED GAME « THUNDEROUS DOLBY^ DIGITAL SOUND + EXPANSIVE VARIETY OF LEVELS AND TACTICAL OPTIONS • XBOX LIVE" ACTION: CAPTURE THE FLAG, V. I. P. ESCORT AND DEATHMATCH > YOU ARE FRANK HAYDEN, AN EL OPERATIVE CHASING A WEAPON OF UNSPEAKABLE DESTRUCTION. FROM CHAOTIC SYRIAN STREETS TO THE JUNGLES OF THE CONGO, YOU MUST TRACK DOWN AND DISARM A DEVICE KNOWN ONLY AS RED MERCURY. е” 1 ESRB CONTENT RATING www.esrb.org xBox Ё CERTIFIED» GAME * v RED MERCURY www.shadowopsgame.com ATARI BUILD YOUR MN Have we eot a deal for all you cheapskates out there.... о hell with Microsoft's mantra of “It’s good to play together.” We say, “It’s good to play for cheap!" And now that Xbox has dropped $30 in price to $149.99, system holdouts can pinch The pennies aplenty and still line their software library with some great games. Combining greed with the thriftiness of heartless miser, we've constructed a series of Xbox bundles for different types of Bundle $29.99 — Laugh and blow stuff up. Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne (Rockstar), $29.99 — You have the right to shoot lots of thugs in the face. Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Tides of War (Activision), $19.99 — Have fun storming this Nazi-ridden castle! Panzer Dragoon Orta (Sega), $19.99 Delicious pun alert: You “Опа” play this beautiful sci-fi shooter. Metal Arms: Glitch in the System (VU Games), $19.99 — Who wins when sassy robots go to war? We all do. Total = $289.94 WHOSE САМЕ IS Xbox console Xbox console, Xbox console, with Halo, $169.99 $149.99 $149.99 Armed and Dangerous (LucasArts), Project Gotham Racing 2 (Microsoft), Xbox Live Starter Kit with $29.99 — Online-enabled Project Gotham Racing 2 is like video chocolate. Burnout 2: Point of Impact (Acclaim), $29.99 — The best crashes of any car game today. This one is a must-have. Sega GT Online (Sega), $19.99 One of the deepest racers ever created. RalliSport Challenge (Microsoft), $19.99 — Rally racing is fun. Really. TOCA Race Driver 2: The Ultimate Racing Simulator (Codemasters), $29.99 — Wow, that’s a mouthful, but a very good racing sim nonetheless. Total = $279.94 IT ANYWAY? Match the title to its story line. C’mon, try it.... Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes (GC) Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow (PS2/XB/GC) Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain (PS2) Fugitive Hunter: War on Terror (PS2) 64 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com A lone agent takes on terrorists planning to release smallpox on the unsuspecting public. MechAssault, $69.99 — Includes a year subscription to Xbox Live, a com- municator headset, as well as a copy of the fine shooter MechAssault. Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge (Microsoft), $29.99 Plane combat is plainly great when played against 15 other online pilots. Capcom vs. SNK 2: EO (Capcom), $29.99 — Intercompany brawling makes for a great time on Xbox Live. Unreal Championship (Atari), $19.99 — A very thrifty way to perfect your fragging and trash-talking skills. Total = $299.95 A lone agent takes on terrorists planning to release а mysterious mutated virus off the unsuspecting public. A lone agent takes on terrorists planning to release a nuclear weapon on the unsuspecting public. A fone agent takes on terrorists, and we can't believe anybody would release such a crappy game on the unsuspecting public. >> MIDWAY ARCADE TREASURES 2 (COMING TO PS2, XB, AND GC THIS FALL) FEATURES MORE THAN 20 CLASSIC GAMES, INCLUDING MORTAL KOMBAT, МАКС, AND PRIMAL RAGE.... >> "e gamers—and each one will cost you less than 300 bucks, not including tax. Also, be sure to check out egmextras.1UP.com for more supercheap bundles. —Greg Orlando — Xbox console, $149.99 Top Spin (Microsoft), $29.99 — Hands down the best tennis game ever. And it has hottie Anna Kournikova on the box. ESPN NFL Football (ESPN Videogames), $39.99 — Unlike Madden, ESPN's gridiron offering is playable online. Also, it's $10 cheaper than EA's game. Amped 2 (Microsoft), $29.99 It's like Tony Hawk, but on a snowboard. Amped 2 also includes online slopes. Mad Catz control pad (Mad Catz), $19.99 — A fine third-party controller for when a friend comes over to get his ass handed to him. = $269.95 Illustration by Eneone “A DEEPLY IMMERSIVE OLD-WEST ADVENTURE...TRULY INSPIRED DESIGN AND CINEMATOGRAPHY” -PLAY MATURE det =? Playstation2 й ESRB CONTENT RATING www.estb.org DING CHAV EZ 2 ххх SR-2 (9MM) 018 v x07 * ENGAGING aS AS NNNN PRICE LOISELLE WEBER © Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3 Black Arrow will incorporate upcoming Xbox Live features like clan support and user-created tourneys. ONLINE THIS MONTH Xbox is getting a whole lot livelier hame on you. That's right, shame on you if have an Xbox and a broadband Internet con- nection in your home, but don't have an Xbox Live subscription. Lucky for you, though, now is looking like the best time to finally sign up for Microsoft's online ser- vice—one new feature is available today and several more are on the way. Voice messages have recently been added to the list of available Xbox Live options (if you haven't already, simply log on to Xbox Live and you'll automatically download this all-new feature). You can now record 15-second audio clips and send them at any time to your gaming buddies—useful when verifying friend requests or simply reminding your online counterparts how they got served in last night's Crimson Skies match. In the coming months (an exact date is still to be determined), you'll be able to send game invites to friends who are must-hit websites signed on to MSN Messenger. Also, Microsoft's PC chat pro- gram will soon have a specially marked Xbox tab, so you can check the online status of your Xbox Live pals. As for the games, the next wave of Live- enabled titles can include clan support, user-created tourna- ments, and online con- tent swapping (emblems, customized maps, rosters, etc.). Ubisoft has already announced that its upcoming squad-based shooter Rainbow Six 3 Black Arrow will incorpo- rate several of these features—specifical- ly, clan support and custom tourneys. So even if none of your buds game on Live, finding new ones'll be a snap. Forward 2 MSN Alerts Options X xeox SniperMonkey | is playing Counter-Strike Keep tabs on your Xbox Live buddies via MSN Messenger. On egmextras.1UP.com Don’t forget to head over to our new and improved website, where you'll find our complete Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow Afterthoughts interview, a chat with the writer of The Shield videogame, and the full transcript of our talk with the creators of TimeSplitters: Future Perfect. ONLINE NOW How to pass the time while waiting for Halo 2 Amped 2 Your local ski park may be closed dur- ing the dog days of summer, but Microsoft's breathtaking virtual moun- tains stay open and covered with fresh powder 365 days a year. So do your- self a favor and dig out that online lift ticket and download three brand-new Amped 2 courses: Sky, Pioneer, and Slopestyle 2003. Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3 Sure, you're probably plenty busy with Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow (who isn't?), but don't forget about Ubisoft's other top-of-the-line Tom Clancy game. Those with an itchy Xbox Live trigger finger can now download two addition- al Rainbow Six 3 multiplayer maps. One is set in an abandoned train yard in Heidelberg, Germany, while the other's backdrop is a Los Angeles parking garage. Like all other RS3 downloads, these two are free. PlayStation 2 Final Fantasy XI Online The dedicated players of Square Enix's massively multiplayer role-playing game can now enjoy РЕХГ$ first con- flict event, ballista. It’s kind of like soc- cer—teams (made up of players from the same nation) move a stone (called a petra) up and down the field with large castlelike structures (the rooks) serving as the goals. Whichever team has the most points after a set time wins the match. Hey, it can't be any worse than Phantasy Star Online's silly soccer minigame. Also, a character's experience won't be affected by the outcome of a ballista contest. >> HERE'S A BONUS MUST-HIT WEBSITE: CHECK OUT SUPPORLDLINK.COM TO LEARN HOW TO TRANSFORM YOUR PLAYSTATION 2 EYETOY PERIPHERAL INTO A PC МЕВСАМ.... >> 66 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com me m 48434355 Buckle up. Danger just called 'shotgun.' BB.. < CONTENT RATED BY ESRB gamexStudios Ш Таке racing to the extreme as you spin out, fishtail, "S hydroplane, and skid your way through every environment you've always wanted to drive in. Choose from 91 tracks 2. and over 40 powerful vehicles, including every famous rally JALLIS FORT car since 1979. Race in 5 different rally sports, slike the Crossover Duel and Ice Racing. Take on the best in XSN > Sports leagues and tournaments via Xbox Live. And anyone = s| else who tries to steal your track space. ALLISPORT, E its good to play together xbox.com/rallisport2 SQUARELY Square Enix revisits the past with a duo of surprise releases ou rarely hear “unexpected sequel” or “surprising remake” when dis- cussing videogames, since rehash- es and endless follow-ups increasingly seem to be the lifeblood of the gaming industry. Yet, somehow, Square Enix still managed to blindside gamers with these two titles—a revamped double pack of Final Fantasy / & Il for GBA and an out-of-nowhere sequel to the moderately successful 1998 PS1 action-RPG Brave Fencer Musashi. Expect further revelations from our chocobo-herding pals in the coming months, including information on a rumored Final Fantasy-based action game for PS2, a poten- tial sequel to Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles for GameCube, and more FF titles for GBA (both remakes and originals). Musashi Who? Y Catch up with Squar Spiky-haired boy samu- rai in Brave — Fencer Musashi, a light-hearted role- playing romp for PS1 that earned a Silver Award here in EGM. game. Look for it this fall. Final Fantasy | & Il Advance Toss out that copy of Final Fantasy Origins (the combo pack of Final Fantasy 1 & Il for PS1), cause this new FF combo pack for Game Boy Advance bests it with improved visuals, modernized magic- point and experience systems, and an all-new dungeon and boss for each 2 Samurai Legend Musashi The katana-swinging spunkster returns this fall on PS2—he's aged-up a bit and is sporting a stylin’ new cartoony graphical style, but the underlying mix of hacking, slashing, and puzzle solving remains faithfully intact. Prepare for one big change, though: The so-called princes of surf gui- tar, the Surf Coasters, provide the tuneage. >> CELEBRATE GODZILLA'S UPCOMING RETIREMENT WITH GODZILLA: SAVE THE EARTH, A MONSTER MELEE HITTING PS2 AND XBOX THIS FALL. EXPECT FOUR-PLAYER ONLINE ACTION... >> 68 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.1UP.com ^ x, \ JN % . GameSpot.com 7 “UNREAL TOURNAMENT 2004 15 THE NEW KING OF ONLINE SHOOTERS.” GameSpot.com re “ ( = GameSpy.com ^^” " hw E. d M NC ‚ At \ x „т "jn IGN. COM 4, | | $, 3 ' IGN.com AWARD ^ Я 1 \ » ља [GAMER р 65 g~ EDITORS | f "P PC Gamer ri | №, ۴ м 4 ~ EDITORS] lup.com 'АНОО! GamesDomain.com — == Eu е q - — — — а — MATURE 17+ Blood an Gore * ES ; 1 Intense Violence — < Mild Language Y SE 2 Download the demo at THE RUMOR MILL Gossip that pumps up the volume ey all you listeners out there, it’s that time again—when the most controversial voice in radio today, The Q, scorches the air- waves with another batch of red-hot gossip hits you won't wanna miss. So sit back, relax, and let the rhythm of my rumors soothe your gaming soul. These heavy hitters are sure to place me atop the FCC's most-wanted list (Howard Stern who?), so e-mail yours truly at quartermann@ziffdavis.com while you still can. —The Q Lady Lara’s comeback story Few things make Quartermann cry, but watching the rise and fall of Eidos’ Tomb Raider franchise brought a tear to my eye. (Who says The Q ain't sensitive?) Luckily, Ms. Croft is now in the good hands of developer Crystal Dynamics (Legacy of Kain series), and she could be back in action much sooner than expected. The next Tomb Raider game will reportedly arrive in '05 on PlayStation 2 (not the next- gen consoles, as some had thought), with completely new visuals and, more importantly, overhauled game- play mechanics. A Eu * К^ Master Chief might be setting his sights next on Game Boy Advance. Halo advancements Word around Quartermann headquarters is that the long-awaited Xbox sequel to Halo isn't the only time you'll be donning Master Chief's armor. The intel l've come across indicates that Microsoft has in the works a brand-new Halo title for—brace yourself— Nintendo's Game Boy Advance. This news comes as quite a shock to me too, folks, but like my momma always says—the more Halo, the better. More Need for Speed | sure hope Electronic Arts’ video grease monkeys are getting paid overtime these days. Not only are they working on an Underground sequel (check out our preview on page 44), but my spies tell me that development on another Need for Speed game is already underway. Details are scarce, but The Q hears this one (supposedly sub- titled Most Wanted) will feature a cor- nucopia of car types. I’m talking tuners, muscle cars, exotics...the works! Suffer some more Apparently, Midway isn’t finished scaring the living bejeezus outta us. A little birdie whispered into my ear that a sequel to its horror-filled action game The Suffering is coming next year. But that’s not the only sequel the publisher has cooking; Midway has every intention of making its upcom- ing stealth-action game Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy into a series. Pint-sized GTA Last month | knocked your socks off with info on a Metal Gear game for Sony's PlayStation Portable (better known around these parts as PSP). Well, hold on to your knickers, boys and girls, 'cause ! just got wind of another blockbuster franchise coming to PSP Grand Theft Auto. Yep, my sources tell me that those rock stars at.. un, Rockstar are cranking away on a GTA project designed specifically for Sony's upcoming handheld. Where will the game be set? If | had a vote, I'd cast it for Vegas, baby, Vegas! ing to Sony's PSP? So says Q-Mann. OVERHEARD "[Acclaim] has taken the franchise of the Mary-Kate and Ashley brand in videogames and has now FUN it into the ground." —From a lawsuit filed by Mary-Kate and Ashley against Acclaim Entertainment, suing the company for about $500,000 *For some reason the day before Valentine's day [the number of people playing SOCOM II online] went down a lot. But it [went back to normal] on Valentine's Day, which is scary." —Sony Senior Producer Seth Luisi in a presentation about online gaming at the Game Developers Conference “| need the same kind of skill [that you use to play Super Monkey Ball] to go into a body and sew two pieces of intestine together." —Surgeon Dr. James "Butch" Rosser on how videogames can help develop hand-eye coordination >> SEGA HAS ITS EYE ON YOU—EYETOY, THAT IS. SEGA SUPERSTARS, THE COMPANY'S FIRST GAME FOR THE PS2 CAMERA PERIPHERAL, HITS STORE SHELVES THIS FALL.... >> 70 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com TURN ON MUSIC CHOICE! IT'S DOZENS OF MUSIC CHANNELS ON YOUR TV. QU, I$ ARTIST FACT Thursday is singer Geoff Rickley, guitarists Steve Pedula and Tom Keely, bassist Tim Payne, and drummer Tucker Rule War All The Time War All The Time Music Гат METAL . ARTIST FACT 2 7 Boysetsfire producer Dave Fortman previously worked with bands such as 12 Rods and Evanescence сЕ ARTIST FACT In 1999, Columbia never released 50 Cent's debut album Power of the Dollar due to heavy bootlegging Ея jy Rain On Me Get Rich Or Die Tryin [Ae 50 Cent Dt ee TUNE IN TO MUSIC CHOICE METAL TO HEAR - LAST RITES, INCLUDING UNCENSORED. ш music CHOICE? ARTIST FACT recorded their Jar of a Flies EP in seven DEATH, THRASH, AND BLACK METAL EVERY | RU. = MON. AT 11PM ET | И = м Your Music. Your Choice. © press start [Te-am ч * %, ve. FIRST LOOK: — SS; THE SHIELD | Bad cop...and worse cop 4 Vic makes good on that "Kill your televi- Sion" bumper sticker. ommy Vercetti's lovable lack of Fs gritty TV cop drama—doesn't translate As Vic, you infiltrate L.A.’s crumbling T remorse, insatiable greed, and into a game very naturally. Shakily filmed churches, grimy crack houses, and shady general lawlessness helped make scenes of cops discussing shady deals hideouts to weed out wrongdoers. Vice City a hit, so gamers looking for more wouldn't make for fun playin', so the devel- (Squadmates provide backup on some mis- moral relativism, take note: Heroes don't get opers at Point of View instead opt to focus on sions, but you won't be issuing Rainbow much more antiheroic than The Shield's Vic the show's most action-packed element— Six-style squad commands.) Since authentic- Mackey. He's a loyal family man and a hard- when Vic and his boys bust into some perp's ity is paramount, you'll only have access to nosed detective...but his unique code of pad and inflict serious hurt. Don't worry if real-world weapons that the LAPD would ethics allows him to not only use whatever you haven't been keeping up with the show, use, but combat shouldn't get stale, thanks to force necessary to achieve justice, but to also though. Writer Scott Rosenbaum explains, complex hand-to-hand brawling and a multi- keep a cut of whatever cash and contraband "We're going to keep exposition to a mini- tude of ways to slam guys against walls (and Crossing the Line he recovers. mum-—it's going to feel like a lost episode, other objects). Look for Vic's ends to justify Problem is, the source material here— with the emphasis squarely on gameplay." his means on PS2 and Xbox in early 2005. If you watch The Shield on FX, you're aware of just how far it pushes the limits of basic cable with intense gore, rampant profanity, and raw sexuality (including some seriously unwelcome sodomy in a recent episode). Can we expect Sammy Studios' interactive take to be even more shocking? "While the game will be Mature, we're also making sure we keep it realistic," explains Scott Rosenbaum, writer for both the game and the show. "Like in the show, we don't do things because we can do them—we do them only when they add value to the story we're trying to tell... ‘Gratuitous’ is a bad word on The Shield.” Vic exercises his God-given right to bear arms...in church. REALITY CHECK Experts explain what happens when videogames get геа! ... Could someone survive a fall into "You'd have to be amazingly fast because [lava a pit of molten lava if he or she is] 750 to 1,200 degrees Celsius, well over the jumped out really quick, à la boiling point of water. Since water makes up ( Mario from any of his adventures? most of the human body, you would vaporize Ф a [4 almost instantaneously." Adkins says it is possi- Sure, if you're quick—as in impossi- ble to take a quick step or two on a thin flow of “Pm-a having a bly, inhumanly quick. “If you spent all lava after it has cooled somewhat. “You probably Mario party. in- a of one _ . . . COuldn't ever wear those shoes again,” she says. my pants." microsecond in the | T e | - | 2 р lava, you could theo | | Submit game scenarios you'd like to see test- | retically jump back | * | ed in real life to EGM@ziffdavis.com. Write out," says geologist | | “Reality Check" in the e-mail's subject line. Dr. Rhonda Adkins. Illustration by Eneone LOOK FOR THQ'S TOTALLY CREEPY CAVEMAN TO RETURN THIS FALL ON PS2, XBOX, GAMECUBE, AND GBA IN TAK 2: THE STAFF OF DREAMS, ANOTHER JUJU-FILLED PLATFORMER.... 72 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com G | | M ACTIVISION Wavebird Wireless Controller Platinum Memory Card | 1019 NI 2 GAMES We take games seriously " GAMECUBE — These games simply can't et get here soon enough اااي‎ Fantasy Tactics Advance. THE HOT TEN Disagree with the list? You’re the ones who created it. Rock your vote at 1 Halo 2 (see pg. 30) XB * Fall 2004 Final Fantasy XII PS2 * Spring 2005 " — Metal Gear Solid 3 PS2 • Fall 2004 4 Resident Evil 4 В сс. Fall 2004 Д | 0 c Н А s it just us, ог does Doom 3 і МЫ и QUIS : ў ` AS . this look sorta like The XB * October 2004 NU ej Phantom Menace? FINAL FANTASY ХИ PS2 * Spring 2005 — With great power comes great perks. Yoichi proudly carrying on the series’ staunch traditions of old-school Wada, the man at the reins of the mighty two-headed juggernaut role-playing. As for FFXII, he described it as moving further away that is Square Enix, recently let a few words slip on the company's from RPG convention and leading the series in a new, far more biggest upcoming titles. Wada stated that Dragon Warrior VIII was interactive direction. How we long for that sweet embrace.... © Prepare to battle beasties with a bud over Xbox Live. ** є 6 Geist АД] сс. Fall 2004 8 Knights of the Old Republic 2 ДД] ХВ • February 2005 А £t. > pat Е — А 8 Star Fox 2 а — ХВ · October 2004 — In space, they say, no one can hear you GC • Fall 2004 - scream. We're not really sure whether Doom 3 takes place in outer space or hell, or if an inverted demon-baby head with spider legs even 10 Fable ^ has ears, but we do know that at least one other person will hear you ЬЬ XB ° September 2004 3 | - howl in terror thanks to an Xbox-exclusive co-op mode. Eek! >> MAJESCO WILL BRING THE ONLINE FIGHTER GUILTY GEAR X2 #RELOAD STATESIDE THIS SUMMER, WHILE SAMMY WILL BRING THE 4-PLAYER GUILTY GEAR ISUKA TO PS2 THIS FALL... >> 74 » ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com ТТТ 139391 1v S3GIND A4931V31s Vd 303 HOOT d WP А 0 *5ә!рооВ jnydjay фо 119) sexog way) |оәләл Tr joy} 59605504 Je hes Вшршм . 10} ѕшоз umop pun sasnoy ршцәд *jjnnssp un yay *esippnd 45910} ayy e бшбоцѕ әлојәд woos n uo apy jo 1әшо› Азәлә o10]dX3 e m лэщюб oj sasnyoubis Ine waua 104 ш02 "5100р pasop $0 ‘dois pooß n lle 50 exouis uBno1u aes оц 10} Buyyoo) лэшол jo пу si имо] pasn aq un» иол үош1әц] e ein ш әлопЬѕ имо} әцу "риу up) под afiuayoy> Алэлэ 49220 *ejoud ejqisi^ 1поА Бипәмо| "Мишәр! sty euinsso o; Виор UTI 0} eins aq os “24409 uno Aquo 0} иоцірро ш parnpoud asiou PER ы n paund e иошәҳод мороцс e Jo junoui ayy sa»npa1 ue $14 [0245 uou “oyod әлү әң Чим eu Buny о; nok бимоо ^is] he aaow poipno) "ino бщлош ww uoobpnig "(pois 10 әң; 404 шору әң u sıneddn uodo uy “убу зпод бшу aso. 21013 S D о} до! sÁDAN D ol sing 10} HOM рио W0014591 sep Dodd yooy {рәш 294} D sp BE, REN Wr д 5 d LN Frida 2 ! ац 1043 уро! 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Cut ovt the cards, and stash them in the game case so you can really get into the game. Check ovt www.Getintothegame.com to download a coupon for $5 off any game shown here and check ovt more codes for the latest hot titles. Check out www.getintothegame.com to download a coupon for $5 off any game on this card. While you're there, get the scoop on all the hottest games and accessories. NINJA GRIDEN NINJA TIPS | The Final Solution | Technique / For lower level enemies of any stripe, The Final Solution equates to instant death. Combine the Guillotine Throw (press Y while near an enemy) with a follow-up Flying Sparrow (press Y while jumping towards an enemy) while they're flat on their backs. This will decapitate just about every low-level enemy and should be a mainstay in your arsenal even at higher levels. Secret Weapon: Dabilharo This massive sword, with its 100-pound heft, makes the War Фе Hammer seem like a child's toy. > In addition to shattering walls and barriers just as well as the КМ. Hammer, it’s also a much more powerful weapon. Collect 20 Golden Scarabs to earn this weapon. SURVIVAL SKILLS Multiplayer Mercenary Tactics When playing the mercenaries, you must defend the ND133 canister at all costs. Luckily, each building can only be assaulted by a couple of access areas, so it's possible for mercenaries to camp the choke points-the points that the Shadownet players must pass through-and blast them to pieces. Multiplayer Spy Strategies Your most important tactic will be subterfuge. You can send one spy to trigger an alarm at a main entrance, especially one close to ND133 tubes, and force the merce- naries to counter with some armed security. While they're busy in that section, a second spy can mount a quick in-and-out assault on another building's ND133. Operate in a timely manner and you can have the mercenaries pulling their collective hair out. Drop your smoke grenades at the first sign of enemy fire. (5 э) ©) GET INTO THE GAME.COM ©2004 Target Stores. The Bullseye Design is a registered trademark of Target Brands, Inc. All rights reserved. М VAN HELSING PS2, XBOX MONSTER MASH PUZZLE BREAK- THROUGHS In Van Helsing your weapons slay monsters and they hold the key to some puzzles. Maybe you searched an entire room with a statue puzzle and found nothing. You may have even searched the statue itself, but did you search it with the correct weapon? By aiming and shooting a weapon like the Crossbow into a slot too small for your fingers, you can release a reward you might not have found otherwise. The same holds true for any of the energy based puzzles throughout the game that can be charged up with your Electric Gun. LOOK FOR PRIMA STRATEGY GUIDES AT TARGET FIRE THE BOSS Bosses are the toughest mon- sters on each mission, the mon- sters that can usually eat you for lunch if you don't serve them up a lead sandwich. Certain bosses, like the werewolf Velkan, will grapple with you and may catch you in a devastating move like his famous chokehold. It doesn't have to end there, however. Rather than suck up the damage, you can break some of these moves by firing your Pistols as fast as your trigger finger will go. If you're good, all your shots will inflict damage and you'll avoid going splat at the end of the boss' maneuver. арр mean Ze Fase e press start © COMING SOON Summer's slim pickin's JULY Ка : ENT — aa Athens 2004 Catwoman PS2 * 989 Sports — It’s a bit early to PS2/XB/GC * EA Games — Things get frisky when an enchant- As Catwoman, she prowls about rooftops, sees in the dark, and tell just how special Sony’s Olympic ed cat imbues Patience Phillips (played by Halle Berry in the toys with crooks before pouncing on ‘em, but can she clean up Games will be. forthcoming flick) with feline powers. after herself when she’s done? — Где. ДИҢ * d owe ES А 3 ES Е 3 ¥ 82 ر ا‎ f^ Crimson Tears Hamtaro: Rainbow Rescue PS2 * Capcom — Spill blood in labyrinths | GBA * Nintendo — Where do hamsters with a pair of test-tube babies bio- go for spring break? Hamsterdam. If you engineered to sn blood in dii: found that йу this pacifier's for yn. Nebula: Echo Night PS2 * Agetec — Space is scarier when seen through a helmet and set to the sound of your own erratic breathing. Pro Fishing Challenge XB * Atlus — Land the big one and mount ‘im on your memory card. Six- pack and sunscreen not included. Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow Street Fighter Anniversary Collection PS2/GC * Ubisoft — Sam Fisher sneaks PS2 * Capcom — Celebrate the series' onto PS2 and GC with the spy game that 15th year on consoles with Street Fighter garnered our gold award on Xbox. lil: 3rd Strike and Hyper Street Fighter ЇЇ. 6 2 © E = — 2А Е D NCAA Football 2005 Tales of Symphonia World Championship Pool PS2/XB/GC * EA Sports — An all-new crowd-noise-control feature gives Madden's li'l GC * Namco — Were guessing fans of GC * Jaleco — Boasts more minigames bro the home-field advantage. And now, calling timeouts actually makes a difference: You | this RPG franchise won't mind the cuddly | than butts in a tavern's ashtray. Sadly, can coach specific positions (like a rattled QB), or ice the opponent's nervous kicker. characters and cartoon-like graphics. Merle Haggard's not on the soundtrack. ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com • 75 e preview Feature SUSPECTS Six new games that build upon the roots of Grand Theft Auto hen a product attains a certain level of success, it’s just a matter of time before someone rushes a Crappy imitation to market in hopes of a free ride on the gravy train. The Smurfs had to contend with The Snorks, Debbie Gibson had to fend off mall-concert competition from Tiffany, and The Addams Family fought valiantly against the lameness of The 76 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com Munsters. Likewise, in the wake of Grand Theft Auto's industry-quaking prosperity, fans eager for a comparable experience had to make do with disappointing games like True Crime: Streets of L.A. and Roadkill. Now that the quickie cash-ins have land- ed, though, it appears that GTA's massive popularity might have a lasting, positive effect on videogames. Its unique mix of free-form gameplay, branching missions, street-smart humor, and sexy harlots con- tinues to inspire other developers. For the six games in this feature, thievery is the sincerest form of flattery. —Justin Speer, Shawn Elliott, and Shane Bettenhausen tions by Eneone PS2/XB * LucasArts * Fall 2004 | \ hat's the world to do when a coup in North Korea tosses a live grenade in its lap? Throw some mercs on top of it. It's a dire situation: Tanks roll through cities, innocent civilians perish, and intrepid jour- nalists become POWs. You find yourself knee-deep in this dog pile as a gun hired on behalf of the United States, Sweden (are Swedes secretly badasses?), or Britain to replace the pin before the situa- tion explodes. Each agent is fluent in a dif- ferent foreign language, which allows him or her to forge unique alliances with fac- tions—but whoever you play as, stuff's gonna blow up real good. Like Grand Theft Auto, Mercenaries takes a do-what-you-wanna-do, kill-who- you-wanna-kill approach to missions in a seamless sprawl. Instead of shooting up MERCENARIES — nodes in a criminal network, you tackle (or team up with) Chinese- and Russian-spon- sored cutthroats with the help of drivable tanks, choppers, and some serious air support. Drop a bunker-busting bomb on an enemy outpost and, after the shock wave sends everything in the vicinity fly- ing, a tsunami of smoke and debris wash- es out from the epicenter. The guys at developer Pandemic don't mind the СТА comparison. "We love Grand Theft Auto and take comparison between the two games as a compliment," admits Director Cameron Brown. "But unlike GTA, we allow you to destroy anything, includ- ing entire city blocks. Plus, our faction system is much more integrated into the structure of the game than was the case with GTA's gangs.“ - Mercenaries ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.1UP.com • 77 78 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com PS2/XB * Midway * Spring 2005 L ike the Grand Theft Auto series, this game puts you in a sprawling, crime-infested city where you can take on missions or operate under your free will. But wake up and smell the coca, because Vice City this ain't. “Магс is not about kicking grandmas for cash and stealing cars," explains Creative Director Tom Hall. "It's about being an undercover narcotics officer and facing temptations that those officers face while trying to do their job." Taking bribes and using excessive force, buying, selling, and even doing drugs— Tommy Vercetti's will was never this free. As a ragtag duo of undercover cops named (actually, one would hope, nick- named) Hitman and Max Force, it's up to you to uncover the truth about a danger- ous new superdrug spreading through the THE PITCH city. Will you stick to the straight edge or try to walk the line? Taking a hit might let you take bullets without flinching, but you might have to pony up the last of your cash to feed your addiction instead of buying a bulletproof vest. If you get hooked on a drug like crack, you have to get your fix regularly or deal with erratic controller rumbling and losing chunks of health. But hey, it's your body. Still, if you aren't careful about who and what you smoke and shoot up (be careful what you drop, too), you'll screw your reputation with the force and get busted down to a lowly beat cop. Continue the downward spiral, and you'll end up a wanted criminal on the other side of the law. Didn't you know? “Winners don't use drugs." 3 » This is for pulling those walkie-talkies on E. I. ALL HUMANS PS2/XB * THQ • Fall 2004 | в eing the foolish humans that they | are, gamers relish the illusion of dig- ital freedom provided by “sandbox” games like Grand Theft Auto. But would our intel- lectually superior alien overlords be satis- fied with software in which interaction with humans was about as subtle as a blow to the head with a baseball bat? In Destroy All Humans, extraterrestrial clone extraordinaire Cryptosprodium 137 is looking to harvest DNA from puny earth- lings, and he has plenty of nonviolent interactions that don’t involve parking in remote areas with a prostitute. They sound like they could actually be more fun, too. “There are some very cool weapons, but even better are the abilities you have as an alien and what you can do with them,” says Andrew Goldman, CEO of developer THE PITCH Pandemic. “This is where the freedom comes from—messing with the people in the game for fun or to accomplish an objective.” For instance, you can prove Earth girls are easy by hypnotizing Peggy Sue or using psychokinesis to literally pick her up in front of her boyfriend. A more practical use of your mental powers would be to lure a guard from his post and will him to dance a jig to distract his buddy. When bizarre alien mind tricks and old-fashioned interrogation don’t work, you can break out with the only language these filthy humans understand—your death-ray-equipped flying saucer. »- Mars Attacks! Destroy All Humans ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com 79 e preview Feature The fools you waste here aren’t just random thugs— they're real players. 25 TO LIFE PS2/XB * Eidos February 2005 vis made life in the ghetto sound E pretty damned depressing, but Eidos’ upcoming GTA-inspired shooter promises to make gangbanging a blast. 25 to Life thrusts you onto the mean streets, where you'll wake up to barking dogs, car alarms, and plenty of gunfire over the sounds of old-school and new-school hip- hop. Remember the most dangerous areas in Liberty City? You're there, and rolling up your windows isn't going to save you. Unlike the other contenders here, Life bravely tackles a frontier that even GTA has dared to attempt yet—online play. Offline, the gameplay takes a page from the established mission-based dossier: You live the life of a rising young thug destined for bigger, badder things. The minute you step online, though, you'll find yourself taking part in an urban war raging between rival gangs and police task forces. Whichever way, when the s*** goes down, you better be ready. "Imagine the online action of SOCOM reimagined on the gritty streets of Grand Theft Auto,” explains Eidos’ Denny Chiu. "It's a brutal world that will always be changing, as our players will define the direction of the turf war.” The game aims to include heavy char- acter customization, whether you want to hit the streets looking like bulletproof- vested rapper 50 Cent (you are going to be taking a lot of lead) or deck out Officer O'Malley in the latest SWAT gear. Just know that you can't get access to the lat- est and greatest stuff without working your way up the ranks. 25 to Life requires you to pay your dues. > Boyz in the Hood 25 to Life gangland couture like ski masks and bulletproof vests. 80+ € me | Outfit your antihero with | | EGM PRESENTS THE ULTIMATE playstation. S a л eh авд Go to onimusha3.egmmag.com to enter ONE GRAND PRIZE WINNER ONIMUSHA 3 DEMON SIEGE PRIZE PACK 5 FIRST PRIZE WINNERS 10 SECOND PRIZE WINNERS 50 THIRD PRIZE WINNERS Blood and Gore ~~ / \ 1 т dene _///IBRADYGAMES CARCOM TAKE YOUR GAME FURTHER capcom.com/onimusha3 Character Samanosuke by ©Fu Long Production, OCAPCOM CO., LTD. 2004 ©CAPCOM U.S.A., INC. 2004 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Capcom and the Capcom logo are registered trade- marks of Capcom Co., Ltd. ONIMUSHA is a trademark of Capcom Co., 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. All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders. All other trademarks are owned by their respective owners. Sony Computer Entertainment America takes no responsibility for this offer. preview feature THE GETAWAY: BLACK MONDAY PlayStation 2 • Sony CEA • Fall 2004 @ arning: In order to prepare you for just how...British The Getaway: Black Monday will be, this preview is pre- sented in the local London lingo. So, first you take your GTA. Just slap it right down and give it a few rolls over, yeah? Now we're going to trim off the edges, get rid of the screen litter. Health bars, minimaps—all gone, easy-peasy. Then we give it a bit of a dress up and carve out a nice little functional under- ground rail system in there. Put a little photo-realism in the faces and buildings, right? Now we do sort of a Guy Ritchie on it, mixing up the timeline and telling it from the perspectives of three different blokes like so. There we go! Lovely! (left) Jaks to har- | ness new po JAK3 PlayStation 2 • Sony CEA * October 2004 he GTA-ification of Jak & Daxter isn't exactly news—Jak Il already embraced the go-anywhere carjacking spir- it of Rockstar's hit...with spotty success. “Some gamers felt lost in the city,” explains Design Director Amy Henning. "In Jak 3, we're going to make missions more focused so that people A who want to explore still can, but everyone else won't feel frus- trated by the total freedom." Jak 3's new desert-wasteland city, tricked-out A duels, and sandblasted rescue missions promise to offer a more Road Warrior balanced gameplay blend. & 82 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com • 82 rtainment f.bandai-ent.com STAND m ONE COMPLEX? e and other fine re — No borders. No boundaries. No body. Major Motoko Kusanagi and the officers of Section 9 are highly skilled and trained to deal with criminal activity in both the real and online worlds, but when the lines between two realities collide, a series of events will set in motion their most chiling and dangerous case of all. The fight for the future of humanity begins now. Ps © 2003-2004 SHIROW masamunellBooucrion l. & Ko ~ 1 x“ IGITAL SOUND B A A — | & { pane, as in the prequels, ' instant replay of your last few r - DRIVSR'S ED Fast and furious, or just infuriating? We road test DRIVSR, the first PlayStation 2 and Xbox incarnation in the series that put Grand Theft Auto-style gameplay on the road map by Kevin Gifford. e'll give this much to DRIV3R: It pleasure in terrorizing the game's Sunday- like to pronounce it "Drive-Threer") is set is finally ready for a test drive. Publisher W sure knows how to blow stuff driver traffic, bear with us. We've waited a to hit both your PlayStation 2 and Xbox Atari just handed us the keys. up. Tag a car, boat, or bike with a long time a loooong time to get behind (sorry, GameCube owners) in late June. The rush-hour verdict: In many ways, it grenade launcher and watch the parts fly the wheel of DRIV3R, the high-revving That means not only can producer feels more like a low-octane version of with the kind of physics-is-fun realism sequel that blew past several targeted Martin Edmondson and his team at GTA. Find our six-point inspection on page you'd expect from a game from the guys release dates and was last seen on the Newcastle, England-based Reflections 90. If you greasemonkey readers want a who made Stuntman for PlayStation 2 cover of EGM two years ago. Now, devel- take a break (may we suggest a shower?) more detailed diagnosis of what's under and Destruction Derby on PlayStation 1. opment on the game is nearly at the finish but also that DRIV3R, after years of specu- the game's hood—and, of course, how to And if we're taking a little too much line. DRIV3R (call it Driver 3, although we lation and a few Grand Theft Auto clones, blow it all up—flip the page. > mg comes with a film director mode that lets you take an minutes of driving and turn it into a miniature movie produc- tion, with multiple cameras and optional slow-mo or motion blur. Outdoing Michael Bay is easy enough—just steal a car in front of the cops, have a spectacular crash, then blow everything to hell. ے ооо о‏ Я 1 =‏ s — " b — © Remember: You're a cop, you idiot! So go easy on the coliateral damage. Trains, bikes, and automobiles? Yes. But planes? Only in Vice City. А > Old-car smell On the surface, DRIV3R is remarkably close to the two PlayStation titles that preceded it. You play as Tanner, an FBI agent working with Miami police as they infiltrate a car- smuggling ring, and your days are filled with gun shoot-outs, undercover surveil- lance, and most of all, car chases. Really dangerous car chases. As Reflections' Edmondson states, DRIV3R "is meant to be the most realistic simulation of Hollywood and TV car chases"—something reflected in the missions you run, a good 80 percent of which are purely car oriented (the rest are on-foot shoot-outs). Turn the game on, and you get three modes that should be familiar to fans of the series: Undercover, Take a Ride, and Driving Games. Undercover is the main 86 © ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY © улум ШР com — /— pac WV nae MET 7 | Head-on Collision: DRIV3R vs. the Grand Theft Auto games г. neighborhoods, but not much else. In GTA3, actor Michael Madsen provides the voice for Toni Cipriani, a part-time racketeer who gives you a half dozen or so missions in Liberty City. Zoom into a street lamp, and you'll knock it to the moon, while your auto keeps on truckin' with little loss in speed. Definitely don't try that at home. Fall into a body of water, and that's that—you drown. Stick to the shal- low end of the pools. car to get there. Madsen does the voice for Tanner, an under- cover ЕВ! agent assigned to the Miami police department in order to investigate a suspect- ed car-smuggling ring. Zoom into a street lamp, and—smash!—you'll be | glad Tanner wears his seat belt. Grand Theft Auto series DRIV3R In Vice City, you motor, You begin the game in boat, or fly around a fic- the real Miami. If you tional, cartoony re-cre- feel like visiting South ation of Miami that Beach or cruising down shares the endless the Miracle Mile, then coastline of the real thing, some similar go ahead. It’s a free country.. if you steal а Tanner can swim to his heart's content. Must have learned it at the FBI academy. ESRB RATING: story, a collection of 26 missions that take Tanner from his hip Miami pad to the French city of Nice and finally to exotic Istanbul as he hunts down the smuggling ring and the crime boss at its apex. You move the game along by finishing mis- sions, which, as in any GTA-style title, have you watching cut-scenes, following the map, and completing given objectives. Take a Ride, on the other hand, is the game's free mode: You choose a city, time of day, weather, and vehicle, and then you're set loose, free to explore the world at your leisure. You can steal any car you want, climb into backyards and go for dips in swimming pools, use impromptu ramps to barrel onto rooftops, etc. Miami and Nice are available right away, while Istanbul must be unlocked in undercover “ше; Thanks to dirty words and gushing gunshot wounds. You damn kids stay away from this game. mode first. Driving Games mode offers quick bonus missions—chases, getaways, and so forth—if you don't have a lot of time but want to have a bit of action before bed- time (no, not that kind of action). Detour ahead So how is DRIV3R different from the garage of GTA-style games that have sprung up since Driver 2? Part of it is in the freedom—the "freedom to do some- thing you think we didn't expect," Edmondson explains. One Miami mission involves picking up C4 explosives from a house on stilts in the ocean, then planting them on the yacht of a rival gang lord. The typical way to do this is to fire up the cig- arette boat in your.backyard (standard X Although you can gun down pedes- trians and go on horrific hit-and- run sprees, you never see a drop of blood. issue for all Miami cops, of course), pick up the C4, then dock at the yacht and drop off the goods. This method, however, attracts hostile gunfire at both points. What's the alternative? Well, you could try leaving your boat a prudent distance away from the yacht, swimming over to your target, and grabbing an auxiliary boat instead, so you won't be pegged immedi- ately as a rival gang member. It takes more time and some inventiveness, but it's a bit safer than the obvious route. Several of Tanner's missions have mul- tiple solutions, all with varying degrees of difficulty. Another Miami job, for instance, has our hero giving the business to a local punk on a private island. Trouble is, once you're done, the punk's cronies raise the ge linking the island to the city > N Xbox $49.°° PlayStation 2 $49.°° GAMES We take games seriously ™ AXlaim electronics boutique 9 Got insurance? DRIV3R's autos take a realistic licking—you can shatter their windows, shoot out their tires, and eventually reduce them to auto parts. proper, shutting off your escape route. What to do? Well, you could climb up the bridge control tower, go all Steven Seagal on the staff inside, and bring the bridge back down. If you're too low on health for this strategy, you could try hunting down a boat to hijack and ride back home. If you can't even find one of those...well, swim- ming is always an option. A bit slow, per- haps, but it works. Unfortunately, this freedom of choice isn't so important in every mission, and many levels boil down to the following steps: 1) chasing the bad guy to his hide- out, then 2) shooting the bad guy in his hideout. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't experiment. It's just that most alternate solutions take too long, are impractical, or are suicidal. 88 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • СОЯ On the roads again The three cities in the game are immacu- lately rendered and true to real life, although some of the less interesting free- ways have been truncated. No two streets look alike here (a problem that plagued Los Angeles in Activision's multiplatform True Crime: Streets of L.A.), and each city has its own defined architecture and cute little details—the castle in Nice, the hang- ing laundry in Istanbul, the sudsy red tide in Miami. “I don't think the game would work half as well," Edmondson says, "if we had gone for a cartoon-style interpre- tation of the cities." You even get an equivalent of СТА’ hidden packages. Hunt long enough, and you'll find scattered "Tommy" thugs you must gun down and kill. These guys sport Hawaiian shirts and Welcome to... water wings, so we'll let you draw your own conclusions about Reflections taking jabs at GTA: Vice Citys nonswimming hero, Tommy Vercetti. The true-to-MapQuest cities are comple- mented by an equally realistic set of vehi- cles and driving controls. You won't find any licensed cars in DRIV3R, but you will find more than 70 machines to drive, run- ning the gamut from sensible Volkswagen Passat clones to Ferrari-ish sports cars. Vehicles become unlocked (and selectable in Take a Ride mode) as you encounter them in the story mode, and some of the bonus cars—including go-carts and garbage trucks—unlock only after you carefully search every backyard and alley. The most powerful set of wheels in the game is the 18-wheeler—not for its speed The big rig is slow to get moving— especially with the trailer attached— but don't she pack a wallop? Location: Southeastern United States Landmarks: The Orange Bowl, Little Havana, neon- covered oceanfront streets, minimalls Watch out for: The go-cart track behind the Biltmore and not on the map; the swim- ming pool (and cigarette boat) behind your apartment Location: The French Riviera Landmarks: Promenade des Anglais, Place Garibaldi, a lot of sidewalk cafés with tables just begging to be knocked over Watch out for: A seaside cave with a hidden surprise Location: The meeting point between Europe and Asia Landmarks: Topkapi Palace, the Church of St. Irene, the least hygienic streets in all of Europe Watch out for: Discouraged orphans in the city’s endless narrow, twisty alleyways or good looks, but for its incredible appetite for destruction. One mission in Nice requires you to find this truck and drive a stolen car into its storage compart- ment so it escapes police attention. Once you get the truck, give it a test drive in Take a Ride—you'll become a practically invincible force on the road, sending cars flying into the air. An even more amusing trick: You can detach the storage bed from the rig at any time. Imagine sending 70- mph metal missiles on wheels toward your chosen target—that's what high- speed detachment does for you. It's great fun, and the external, slow-motion Thrill E. Cam (available at the press of a button) 8 lets you admire your destruction right away. Still not exciting enough? You can always break out that grenade launcher. > ELCOME TO DRIV3R'S ED xx c ` WWW.iGUIDES.NET PLEASE COMPLETE THIS BRIEF ROAD TEST BEFORE USING THE DRIV3R iGUIDE: % DO YOU OFTEN EXCEED CITY SPEED LIMITS? Wf ves. O No О ARE YOU LICENSED TO CARRY A PISTOL, SUBMACHINE GUN, A SHOTGUN, ASSAULT RIFLE, OR GRENADE LAUNCHER? N Yes LIMO M L] HAVE YOU EVER HIJACKED A MOTOR VEHICLE BEFORE? Xv ш No 01. Convulsive disorder, epilepsy, fainting or dizzy spells, q 2. Heart ailment 3. Hearing impairment 4. Temporary impairment of leg, arm, foot, hand, or eye | E D's. Other (explain) If you checked box-1 or 2, obtain the appropriate medical form from a f Шоп which causes unconsciousness * ha namnlatan hwu uan and wars 4 AWE on eee nnn — 8 —— — PLEASE COMPLETE AND-SIGN | = ae — te в-1- Ш: ПЕ ... — е کے‎ — PP WITH THE DRIV3R OFFICIAL iGUIDE, YOU'LL FIND, MASTER, AND ENJOY EVERY SINGLE ASPECT OF THE GAME. Video Walkthrough Covering Every Mission X City & Map Video Galleries That Reveal Al Е Е "diii N Vehicle Tips, Secrets, & Video “Test Drives" a - ШЕ i Tons Of Exclusive Bonus Content, OF Fale Entertainment, & Extras MEXT GEN GUIDES FOR NEXT GEN GAMES AVAILABLE WHERE THE GAME IS SOLD : j | | | i | : | | р : I H | Ё |, | { | * | | | і $ ! } i : $ i i $ | Е i i 3 Handy, Printable “Cheat Sheets” — 4 GET THE iGUIDE. ROCK THE GAME. — — E DISTRIBUTED BY 2e Ж ЖАДО ESRB CONTENT RATING этмем пет > BEHIND THE WHEEL: THE DRIV3R SIX-POINTINSPECHON TRAFFIC CONTROL: MY OTHER CARIS A... HANDLING: PHYSICS YOU CAN FEEL Forklift? Go-cart? Horribly unsteady truck with a tacky When you're climbing into a game from a developer that corporate sponsor logo emblazoned on it? Comedic Vespa spent almost a decade on a physics engine (going back to scooter with a hair-dryer engine? With more than 70 cars, PlayStation 1 crumple-fest Destruction Derby), you know DRIV3R has something for even the most rabid auto- you're in for a thrill ride. DRIV3R doesn't disappoint. In fact, phile...well, except for car nuts expecting real, licensed zooming along in a rapidly disintegrating muscle car at Evel vehicles. DRIV3R doesn't have those. Let's just pretend Knievel-approved speeds through gargantuan levels is as we're driving a Mustang and hope Ford doesn't notice, addictive as heroin-laced Krispy Kremes. Each vehicle mmm-kay? Don't forget the boats either; if you like tooling й Skids, e-brakes, donuts, and falls apart differently, and around in a sleek speedboat or prefer the bizarrely tedious you'll have almost limitless fun taking a big rig or a Fiat 1 captaining of a rusting German fishing trawler, the game's Punto look-alike and plowing each off the side of a cliff to got you covered. Just like that other game, you can bail see.how they bounce. Whet your appetite and rent — from any vehicle while it's moving (not a sound plan when ^ Р Stuntman for PlayStation 2 to see how realistic the game you're out at sea) and shoot pretty much everything— including individual tires, windshields, and even headlights. physics are. Then imagine these physics bolted on to a game that's actually fun to play. to Кш ex bono amy” ү, — + ШШ 2) + mila : SP 4 60: Moving ; violations: Shoot out tires, knock / off bumpers, > and ultimately grind cars to parts. TIRE PRESSURE: WILL IT GIVE PLAYERS ROAD RAGE? 33 Reflections learned its lesson after Stuntman, which was outrageously diffi- A cult. But as we breezed through DRIV3R's first quintet of Miami missions in 45 minutes, we started to worry that the developers may have balanced the gameplay a little on the easy side. Although cops love to swerve into you, attempting a fishtail and other World's Most Conniption-Inducing Police Chases-style techniques, we escaped again and again simply by stopping behind an indestructible lamppost and waiting for the boys in blue to ram it. The more *wanted" you become, the more cops arrive, eventually setting up roadblocks in your path. But you'll never see any SWAT teams, tanks, or madness from the other game here. Gunfights with bombastic henchmen are a little more fraught, as they plug at you from hidey-holes while you're still d wrestling with the slightly spotty aiming scheme. Fortunately, Tanner can self-administer dark green medical boxes to replenish his health. No stand- ing next to a wall and wheezing here, Getaway fans. 90 « ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com MILEAGE: IS DRIV3R BUILT TO LAST? Topping cop-star Tanner’s to-do list are the undercover missions, which we've counted up and found to number less than 30 levels across all three cities. That's a tad short compared to the other game's 50 stages. Then you have Take a Ride mode, in which you're free to tool around each city, locating dozens of alternate routes, alleys, and impromptu ramps and generally causing havoc (but without any type of gameplay structure). Has Reflections spent all of its time crafting beautifully rendered French alleys, entire Islamic temples, and secret go-kart tracks, and no time adding anything to do except drive around just gawking at it all? Well, perhaps as compensation you get the Driving Games. Those familiar with the franchise know what to expect: Six types are available (with between one and three additional versions of each per city), and these minigames have you zoom- ing through cones as quickly as possible, zooming into cones as quickly as possible, outrunning the cops, or simply surviving for the longest possible time. THE BOTTOM LINE: BUY OR LEASE? Let's be honest—we're a tad perturbed by our DRIV3R experience. We're not lambasting the incredible driving physics, the wealth of vehicles, or the gigantic facsimiles of Miami, Nice, and Istanbul. We're not even that POed about the rampant pimping of Sobe energy drinks and Nokia advertising on every large billboard and almost every cut-scene. Rather, we're worried about this game's longevity. We've driven at breakneck speed through Istanbul and gawked at the faded and ornate beauty of the ancient mosques and crum- bling apartment blocks. Then we counted the number of missions there: seven. Why spend years designing a cityscape and then use five percent of it in the main game? What gives? Not Reflections, as the number of missions are stingy, and gameplay design is all too familiar: Chase a car, enter a build- ing and shoot everyone, drive to a waypoint, chase a car while shooting, then chase another car. Here's hoping for a more fully loaded vehicle by the time our Review Crew takes the final game off the lot next issue. $h KICKING THE TIRES: TAKING TANNER OUT FOR A SPIN This muscle-shirted wheelman with anger management issues doesn't spend all his time behind the wheel; pedes- trian wandering plays a big part in DRIV3R, too. While out of his auto, Tanner can run, sidestep, roll, bring out a weapon, fail to clamber over any wall higher than his knee, jump from his left foot only, glitch into scenery (we're assured this will be fixed), but more importantly, swim! Unlike a cer- tain other action hero, Tanner doesn't gurgle to death in neck-deep water. Although you rarely have any reason to swim, the ability is there if you want to reach hidden caves or small islands...and you absolutely hate boats. im ғ ` Time for us to motor, but check back next month for our full review of DRIV3R. ١ a — — — | -— ec memes — Bn ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.1UP.com • 91 t revieW Crew we all thumbs DIRECTORY MULTIPLATFORM PLAYSTATION 2 XBOX Van Helsing 96 Onimusha 3: Demon Siege 99 Bujingai 100 The Chronicles of Riddick: Future Tactics: The Uprising 98 Galactic Wrestling Featuring 99 Front Mission 4 Escape From Butcher Bay Shrek 2 Ultimate Muscle 102 Metal Slug 3 Red Dead Revolver 98 UFC: Sudden Impact 102 RalliSport Challenge 2 Sm. ^ A \ р "-— i LÀ LÀ Too Many Kills movie monsters dead Van Helsings Introduced ui In a world where evil rises with the grappling hook. (Only God knows what works best game that does enough right to make for a good Bram Stoker's Е : г е : : : гаса setting sun, one man with a wicked arsenal and on the wicked Oompa Loompa look-alikes, but if time. The controls are fast, smooth, and Dracula (as the moves to match arrives to destroy the damned— they’re in the flick, I’m so there.) responsive, and the titular Van Helsing has some man who sticks it's been done before, but if you're gonna sink Even with its occasionally crappy camera and nice weapons and death-dealing maneuvers— it to the count). your fangs into someone else’s ideas, you might rampaging lollipop guild of evil midgets, the running and jumping around while mashing Van Helsing has as well tap a vein as rich as Devil May Cry’s (PS2). game is good—if derivative—fun while it lasts monsters with some basic combos is fun. But all since appeared Like other famous monster slayers, Van Helsing (unless you loved the movie, Devil May Cry's ain't so dandy. A troublesome fixed camera in over 40 films has a knack for knocking fiends into the air and monster mash will do you better). Problem is, hampers these thrills by occasionally giving you and 60 TV perforating 'em before they fall. You're not forced Van Helsing doesn't last long. Five or six hours is poor views of the action or flipping the screen at shows. Even to spill blood with style, but if you've got the all the time it takes to fight Frankenstein, whoop inopportune times. Also, a handful of lesser Anthony "Sir" hankerin', you can drive the point home with the Wolf Man, put the hurt on the hunchback, enemies seem overly difficult and annoying— ae "us some high-stakes combos. Combat is almost as and destroy Dracula. imagine Castlevania's bats or Medusa heads if ciem — deep as it is dazzling; depending on the creature they could withstand six times the hits. Not that Conn [ас 1992 you're facing, you'll want to use different ammo, Van Helsing is a pleasant surprise. these irritants spoil the whole experience. Van DERE EE since shapeshifters don't like silver, ice dwellers While VU Games could have simply shoveled out Helsing may be short and sometimes repetitive, can't stand heat, and flying ghouls fear your a quick cash-in title, it has instead delivered a but it's still a fun ride. 92 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com ш Red of Red Dead Revolver (see page 95) infamy says, *Rotgut. It does a body GAMECUBE 104 The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures GAME BOY ADVANCE 106 Mario Golf: Advance Tour 107 Shining Force: Resurrection of the Dark Dragon 108 Mario vs. Donkey Kong “Ait the better to blow your head off with,” he replied. Monster Mishmash Twin pistols? Check. Whiplike grappling line? Yup. Glaives? You betcha. If it's been used to hunt vampires, chances are Van Helsing has his own. Devil May Cry's Dante XBN G: Think of Van Helsing as а 21st- century retelling of the popular song "Monster Mash,” just with less musical whimsy and more cross-collecting and wholesale creature slaughter. As the titular holy warrior, players use weaponry (both exotic and mundane) rather than trying to outthink the hellspawn hordes, but hey, whatever gets the job done in time for the credits to roll. Popular fiends Frankenstein's Monster (he's just misunderstood), Mr. Hyde, and the Wolf Man Good: Stylized combat... Bad: ...ripped right out of Devil May Cry Other Notable Vans: Halen, Morrison, Gogh serve as bosses, and for the most part, this third- person adventure breezes along. But the graphics appear washed-out and dismal even for Transylvania, and in an attempt at being cinematic, the game sometimes pulls back dramatically, shrinking the hero and the action unnecessarily. Worse still, boss monsters sometimes run offscreen, leaving players to guess when the brutes have used their damaging long-range strikes. Eh, popcorn movie, popcorn game. &xs THE VERDICTS (OUT OF 10) SHAWN THE RATING SYSTEM GOOD AWARDS Platinum — straight 10s. For games that are life- changing. or higher. E-Everyone: Saccharine fun for the whole family: dancing elves, rampant sharing, and possibly Smurfs. G. FORD Gold — for games with an average score of 9.0 Silver — or higher. ESRB KEY (Also check out www.esrb.com) een Like PG-13 movies, Teen games often feature fisticuffs, mild violence, and madcap antics. GREG for games with a mean score of 8.0 At EGM, we evaluate only games that have been deemed final and reviewable by their publishers. Three editors rate each game independently, and we use the whole scale. 5.0 IS AVERAGE. The highest- scoring game each month gets a star. The lowest- rated game with unani- mously bad Scores. M-Mature: For the 18-and-over crowd. Intense violence, gore, pixilated sex, drugs; parents no likey. Publisher: VU Games Developer: Saffire Players: 1 ESRB: Teen www.vanhelsinggame.com ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com • 93 review crew: multiplatform - The worst part? М any of these no-hoper charac- ters die, you have to restart the whole mission. № PS2/XB/GC FUTURE TACTICS: THE UPRISING You get what you pay for * M Shrek's love of inverted keg stands (left) is the stuff of fairy tales. № PS2/XB/GC A little something from the kids' menu дау 7 | б 712 m 4 X | 2m A | : : After facing the cuddly kitten ninja, you'll have to sleep with the lights on. Y'know, nightmares. 94 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com Affordably Priced MSRP: $19.99 SHANE: Forget everything you know about strategy games—all those utterly uncool grids, languid turn-based attacks, and dif- ferential equations are totally outdated. Crave’s Future Tactics brazenly screams, "School's out, nerds!” to its tactical brethren, eschewing many of the antiquat- ed rules in favor of hipper, more action- oriented gameplay. It's a noble quest, indeed, but not an entirely successful one. Tactics handles movement and combat in a wildly different manner than most other strat games: Here, you move your characters freely within a certain radius and attack using line-of-sight gunfire. Consequently, battles turn into annoying guessing games. Will | be able to see that enemy? Can he see me? How far can they move? Whatever the answer, it's not fun. Subpar visuals don't help, either. Sadly simplistic landscapes, tacky colors, dorky characters, and an utter lack of polish reinforce the bargain-bin pricing. The poor graphics even leech the thrill of deformable terrain—the sparse animation of knocking over a small hut or blasting craters looks sadly unrealistic. THE VERDICTS (OUT OF 10) SHANE KEVIN Good: Destructible environments affect strategy Bad: Laughable graphics, annoying missions m KEVIN: The kindest thing you can say about Future Tactics is that publisher Crave's not asking full price for this obscure Euro import. Ostensibly a real-time strategy title, Future Tactics is really a glori- fied game of hide-and-seek: You either fall into your enemy's sights or manage to luck out for another turn. Skill plays a secondary role, and you can beat almost every mis- Sion via brute force. Blowing holes in the ground is cool, yeah, but even that effect's wasted on an art style that reminds me of Captain Planet and the Planeteers. XBN—GREG: Of course, you know, this means war—turn-based, third-person per- spective war, but with added landscaping elements. Knock down a boulder to crush a hapless enemy or blast a huge crater and use it as cover. Ignore the aliens shooting each other—despite conquering Earth, they’re exceedingly stupid. Wince as the camera doesn’t pivot when asked to; this war is certainly hell sometimes. Strategize, embrace the RPG elements, and the sense- less yet inexplicably fun comic violence ain’t half bad for budget-minded generals. Publisher: Crave Developer: Zed Two Players: 1-2 ESRB: Teen GREG www.Ccravegames.com Good: Family-friendly gaming that doesn’t completely suck Bad: Sophisticated gamers will want to take a pass Still, We Can All Agree: Gingerbread Man rocks JENNIFER: Sometimes, it just seems right to grade on a curve. The average EGM gamer weaned on titles such as Grand Theft Auto and Splinter Cell is not going to appreciate Shrek 2. It's way too easy, short, and simplistic for that crowd. But come on, are those people really playing this game? No—they're playing GTA and Splinter Cell. The people who play Shrek of their own free will are gonna like it just fine. The rich environments and cut-scenes (voiced by the movie's cast) faithfully re- create the cartoon’s lighthearted ambience, and the simplistic platformer gameplay is accessible and fun. The variety of charac- ters you play along the way keeps things from getting too repetitive, and the party system (most of the time, you've got four Shrekmates in your group) is perfect for co- op multiplayer. Things break down a bit near the end, with oversimplified levels that feel rushed and an uncreative final boss battle that strings together stuff you've already seen plenty of in the rest of the game. But if every game were Splinter Cell, what would your kid sister and her friends rent for the weekend? JENNIFER BRYAN BRYAN: Previous games starring the big green ogre were more nightmare than fairy tale, but surprisingly, Shrek 2 comes close to having a happy ending. Aside from the good-looking visu- als, it’s a hoot playing as characters such as the Gingerbread Man and Puss In Boots, and as in the animated films, their amusing one-liners keep the action lighthearted. Problem is, this one is really designed with the kiddies in mind. Those who have long since retired their Shrek-themed bedsheets will find the game easy and repetitive. XBN—GREG: Once upon a time, developer Luxoflux took animated ogre Shrek and his many associates and jammed them into a game that was part beat-em-up, part plat- former, part puzzle adventure, and mostly schizophrenic. And it was passable, except for the single-player mode in which the three A.l.- controlled characters behaved stupidly. With four players, the game was a bit better, but what a shame about the unresponsive controls. In the end, though, everyone lived happily ever after, especially when the game was turned off. Publisher: Activision Developer: Luxoflux Players: 1-4 Rating: Everyone www.activision.com D» | 17111111 № PS2/XB grants you slow-mg “dead-eye” attacks, п Red (below): “What do you want on your tombstone?" Cowboy: “Нат, pineapple.... Wait, pizza's not invented yet." Rim shot! RED DEAD REVOLVER Shootout at the "eh, it's OK" corral Good: Wildly stylistic take on the Wild West Bad: Lousy boss battles, some janky missions Only on Xbox: Опе bonus multiplayer level : Legend has it that squin- ty- dii quick-drawing gunslinger Red, the Clint Eastwoodsy hero of Red Dead Revolver, once shot a man for shooting a dog. It’s true— | saw it happen in the game, along with shootouts with rogue colonels, stagecoach robberies, raging saloon brawls, and slow-mo gun- fights at high noon, all conveyed via stylized grainy visuals and a killer old-western soundtrack. Revolver just bull's-eyes the spaghetti western genre. But although it starts with the good intentions and bad attitude of a Sergio Leone flick, Revolver devolves into a jumble of play styles—horseback riding, bar fight- ing, mindless blasting, minor role- playing—that all feel rough around the edges. Control is stiff and floaty, while boss battles often require stubborn persistence SHAWN instead of strategy. Fortunately, the short, punchy missions leave you little time to grouse at the game's flaws before you're whisked to the next action-packed level (of which you'll find many). And amidst the messier missions, you get a few that really stand out—like an assault on a train from horseback. More levels like that and this Wild West game would have won me over. SHAWN: Bar brawls, sundown duels, bounty hunts—Aevolver’s loaded with a half-dozen potential reasons to feel at home on the shooting range, but most all of 'em are blanks. My reviewing posse- mates will put a slug in that pony, so РИ just mosey over to the multi- player ghost town. Texas-hold-em and stud modes are supposed to play like poker with bullets and Revolver's slick gun- fights have you going through quick-draw motions on the controller, — Players: 1-4 ESRB: Mature Publisher: Rockstar Developer: Rockstar San Diego power-up cards, but after wasting 20 minutes running in cir- cles and shooting each other in the face till someone falls, you'll know it's time to fold 'em and walk away. XBN—GRESG: Historians may ques- tion the factual accuracy of Old West gunfights involving English gentlemen and killer midget clowns, but that seems to be the least of Red Dead Revolver's problems. A spaghetti western shooter shouldn't be this meatball laden: The game looks like five miles of prime Death Valley real estate and plays like a Milli Vanilli rock opera. It hits a crescendo of absurdity when you face off against a superquick fat man who attacks by exploding the dynamite strapped to his blubbery waist. Add many uninspired, strategy-eschewing battles, and voilà, the West was dumb. ё www.rockstargames.com _ The Guildhall.” Why does gaming professional Graeme Devine recommend The Guildhall at SMU? Simple. He helped design the curriculum. < There are many education programs out there, and while some seem successful, the heavy involvement of professional. game developers makes a huge difference in The Guildhall at SMU. After completing The Guildhall program, students have definite experience in making games — they actually graduate with four complete games in their portfolios. This unique level of experience is only available at * à b. ae у “He LDHALL - ` AT SMU _ GUI eu DJ A PME E Я, © Frenchman Jacques: not a big zombie samurai fan. E | PlayStation 2 2 ONIMUSHA 3: DEMON SIE Don’t mess with the French time traveler I laughed when | first heard Onimusha 3: Demon Siege's wacky narrative. A strange time warp sends a 16th-century samurai to mod- ern-day Paris? Some French dude modeled after actor Jean Reno (Mission: Impossible, The Professional, Rollerball) is transported to feudal Japan to face the series' resident bad boy, Nobunaga Oda? How could | not chuckle? But after playing the soul-sucking series finale, I’m no longer laughing—the compelling off-the-wall story is just one of the reasons why Onimusha 3 is, for my money at least, the best action title on PlayStation 2 so far this year. Several issues that plagued the last two games have been addressed, Onimusha vets will be glad to know. For starters, the fixed camera is much less of a problem than before; during combat, your enemies are rarely situated where you can't see them. The new Devil May Cry-like control Scheme makes it easy to quickly change targets and evade swarms of Genma demons. And lastly, the backdrops have gone fully 3D; beautiful, finely detailed French landmarks are perfectly re-creat- ed, and much like the game's crazy premise, duk- ing it out around the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe helps make Onimusha 3 anything but a tired sequel. Another plus is the game's dual-hero system. Switching between the Japanese samurai stud Samanosuke (remember him from Onimusha 1?) and French military officer Jacques Blanc keeps the gameplay feeling fresh—and you'll even con- trol Jacques' fiancée for a brief bout of demon slaying. It also helps that each of the protagonists comes equipped with a unique set of special moves and weapons (my personal fave is lassoing foes and tossing them across the screen with any one of Jacques' many whiplike toys). | do, however, have one gripe: the puzzles. The few that involve time travel—which you'd think would be innovative, at the very least—are more like drawn-out fetch quests than a series of chal- Fairy Grudge Match ONIMUSHA'S AKO Different outfits, Which give Ako healing and other abilities Ferry potions and puzzle items through time to Sam and Jacques No...is that by Albuquerque? lenging and stimulating brainteasers. But other- wise, Onimusha 3 is, how do you say, magnifique. Just when you thought Capcom would never top Dino Crisis 3's "Jurassic Park in space" theme for hokiest adventure game plot ever, along comes Onimusha 3. It’s not that the idea of ancient Japanese demons time-traveling to mod- ern-day Paris is a bad one...wait, yes it is. That’s exactly what it is: a just-plain-bad idea made worse with hammy dialogue, clichés, and some pretty ridiculous leaps of logic. It’s painfully obvi- ous that the game’s awkward story was cobbled together to accommodate French actor Jean Reno, whom few Americans will recognize any- way and even fewer will care about. Luckily, Onimusha 3 doesn’t need a gripping story or star power. Not only is it one of the best- looking PS2 games yet, with both the pulsating demonic underworld and Parisian landmarks brought convincingly to life in detailed, real-time Slinky green number, slippers, magic wand Save Peter Pan’s neck and look way too hot for such a little gal ...if you've got a happy thought, she's got the pixie dust 96 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com THE VERDICTS (OUT OF 10) BRYAN Publisher: Capcom Developer: Capcom Players: 1 ESRB: Mature MARK MILKMAN www.capcom.com 3D—but more importantly, it's got the gameplay goods. It may not revolutionize any major aspects of the adventure game mold, but it does deliver on the two established basics—fighting and puzzles. Combat between the two main playable characters and with each of the very different weapons is instant hack-n-slash fun, but deep enough to stay enjoyable as you master the nuances. Defense, counterattacks, timing, combos, and more are all here and almost necessary against later enemies and bosses. Plus, dropped items and the ability to level up your weapons, armor, and fairy sidekick provide good reason to stop and fight. | must admit, the whole time-travel bit, as clum- sy as it is plotwise, makes for some interesting puzzles—and | disagree with Bryan's claim that they’re just extended fetch quests. The two main characters can trade items as they explore certain sections years apart, switching back and forth to Is this really necessary? Like the world's smallest hatchet this guy has is going to hurt? open up new areas for each other in a clever twist on the series' usual key finding and switch flipping. GMR—MILKMAN: Onimusha mavens have plenty of reasons to be excited about the trilogy's clos- ing chapter. Playing as La Femme Nikita’s “clean- er” (albeit in a different role), aka Jean Reno, is surprisingly cool. While the action is essentially the same as before, the expanded moves list and weapon selection are varied enough to accommo- date two main characters, Samanosuke and Jacques (as well as a minor, third playable pro- tagonist), who split screen time in equal parts. New analog control finally frees gamers from dri- ves-like-a-tank, Resident Evil-style movement, while the introduction of 3D backgrounds makes for a more dynamic experience—but the perspec- tive is still pinned on a predetermined axis, mean- ing that awkward camera angles still plague the gameplay (particularly dur- ing boss fights), though the problem isn’t as bad as before. Nevertheless, the near-nonstop action and vigorous combat system make up for any quibbles | have. The switch from Japanese and French voice acting to uneven Anglicized efforts shortly into the game is somewhat jarring, but Onimusha 3 is, for the most part, the apex of the series. ёф Tour de France Why spend a bunch of Benjamins on a trip to Paris when for 50 bucks (all inclusive!), you can tour the city of love in Onimusha 3? During the game, you'll explore several well-known French landmarks, including the Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame Cathedral, Mont- Saint-Michel, and the Eiffel Tower. Better yet, Nobunaga’s gang of Genma demons has scared away all the tourists, so you can fillet and flambé the hellspawn in relative peace while taking in the sights, to boot. Paris in springtime—you really must go. You'll have to redis- cover the block button for boss battles. ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com • 97 2 review crew: plaustation 2 PlayStation 2 UFC: SUDDEN IMPACT Same game, different name Good: Solid, balanced brawls Bad: Long load times, short bouts Don’t Call It: Spooning SHAWN: Say a word about man pretzels in this submission-heavy fighting sim, and UFC mavens get salty. Ain’t nothing funny about taking a knee to the nuts, they'll say, unless you happen to call your character The Tenderloin Tussler. And that's about all the entertainment on tap in Sudden Impact's strawweight story mode, which, despite being one of the few additions to the series since its last bout on PS2, amounts to little more than a string of menus. Brutal and over before you know it, Impact's combat offers the same bag of bruised knuckles and broken bones as previous UFCs. All fighters share the same simple controls for reversal and submission moves, but staying conscious takes timing and practice. Pounding but- tons won't buy it, as | proved by bloody- ing the nose of Bryan's 240-pound punching bag with a woman half his weight. How's that for balance? Problem is, with the exception of grappling at the edge of the octagon, this event is no dif- ferent than matches in '02's Throwdown. Diehard fans at least deserve improved graphics and passable presentation. Jens Pulver THE VERDICTS (OUT OF 10) SHAWN BRYAN Hcr WEBB GIANCARLO * — BRYAN: There comes a point in every fighter's career when it's time to hang it up—that day is now for the UFC series. Shawn's right; little has changed since you last entered the octagon on PS2 (same mediocre visuals, very few game- play enhancements). Also, the new story mode is merely a series of boring training exercises. Yawn. But | disagree with my fellow ultimate pugilist on one point: You can button mash your way to victory, trust me. Even the hardest of hardcore UFC fans should pass on Sudden Impact. OFFICIAL PS MAG—GIANCARLO: The waning popularity of the UFC should give you a good idea of what to expect from Sudden Impact—it's basically a last-ditch effort to suck whatever money's left out of the franchise. Aside from a few new pointless moves (the most notable of which lets you pin an opponent against the fence), it's nearly identical to previous UFC games. And unfortunately, the story mode may also be new, but it's still bor- ing, as it requires you to complete dozens upon dozens of tedious minimatches before any worthwhile bouts take place. Josh Burnett Publisher: TDK Developer: Opus Players: 1-2 ESRB: Teen www.ufcvideogames.com 98 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com № PlayStation 2 GALACTIC WRESTLING FEATURING ULTIMATE MUSCLE Rick Flair as the sixth Power Ranger restling under Saturday mornings and sippy cups. Good: Fast and funny fighting Bad: Backyard production values We'd Rather Play: The first Ultimate Muscle on GameCube Don't expect a soap opera from this goofball grappler—you'll find better stories on steroid warning labels. But even if you're pumped on WWE's prime-time pageantry (are you here to fight or flex that oiled physique?), there's no reason Galactic Wrestling can't supplement your "real" wrestling diet, at least as a rental. Multiplayer is the main event, hence my weekend-only warning, but what you get is mostly good. Effective evasion and countering make comebacks possible even when you're on the ropes, but it's the combos and power moves that give Galactic's matches an edge on McMahon's. Combat leans to the simple side and some characters are scrubby— no matter the size, you won't wanna brag about a winning streak—but you will laugh when you punt a human opponent through goal posts or break him in half with the help of a tag-team partner. It's only when your friends leave and you quit laughing at the colorful cast that the game's spastic commentary and limited replay value start to sink in. Unlike last year's Cube-sponsored Ultimate Muscle event, Galactic Wrestling isn't worth the ticket price. Don't get me wrong, | enjoy the lightning-quick action and Saturday-morning-cartoon graphics, but my problem lies outside the ring. The lack of a career mode and create-a- wrestler (both considered genre norms, nowadays) makes Bandai’s grappler one of the shallowest wrasslin' titles out there. It also suffers from exhausting load times and horribly repetitive commentary. So, THE VERDICTS (OUT OF 10) BRYAN SHAWN п like my tag-team partner Shawn said, flex this Muscle only if you're visiting Blockbuster. Galactic Wrestling does a great job of cap- turing the utter insanity of the Ultimate Muscle cartoon with its mixture of over- the-top special moves and traditional grappling holds. But the novelty quickly wears thin when you realize just how incredibly shallow it is. Galactic Wrestling is a button-masher in every sense of the word, so don't expect to have any fights that go beyond who can push the Grapple or Strike button quickest. — Wally *The Walrus" Tusket rides Terri Bull, and in the background, a cruise ship hovers. Publisher: Bandai Developer: Aki Players: 1-2 (3-4 w/Multitap) ESRB: Teen GIANCARLO www.bandaigames.com х 7 —— ——ͤ—ę— Giant mechs ain't so giant when you're "опий ни не action from а — a— wW PlayStation 2 FRONT MISSION 4 т аы CTIA 8 PlayStation 2 BUJINGAI: _ р THE FORSAKEN СПУ We built this city...on someone else's ideas Man бап cut youn peter ypu evar | Good: Deep, fast-paced Bad: A preponderance of Best Accent: Co- obot fighting stuff to pilot KEVIN: It'S been four years since the last Front Mission (PS1), but little has changed with the robot-abusing strategy series. The world's still modern and realistic (less Gundam and more Steel Battalion), the customization options remain dizzying in their variety, and the game's still remark- ably fun if you're into that sort of thing. Front Mission 4 is basically FM3 with a graphic makeover and not a whole lot else. Fans of Final Fantasy Tactics games will find familiar ground here: Your team moves around a grid-based map, fires at the enemy, then calmly waits for the oppo- nent to play his turn. There are some new features—including a link system that lets other teammates join your attack—but the fundamentals are unchanged. As with every Front Mission, there's almost too much to remember. At times, you'll have to keep track of weapon upgrades and ability stats for a headache- inducing 10 pilots at once. It's the type of game that chooses its fans rather than the other way around, but if you're up for the challenge, the battles are deep and worth the heady time investment. THE VERDICTS (OUT OF 10) KEVIN CRISPIN 8.0 8.0 8.0 emember ck and his pizza-ct nef voice CRISPIN: Brain-straining gameplay that takes moments to learn but days to master—that's what you pay for in a good strategy game. You get your buck's worth with Front Mission. Just when you think you've figured out all the mech types and tactics, the game unloads new tricks— such as crucial linked attacks that have allies blasting enemies who blast you in domino-effect battles that play out like Reservoir Dogs' finale shoot-out. You'll invest mondo time setting up for skirmish- es that last hours. Losing is hell, but when your plan comes together. its sweet. SHOE: Like these guys say, FM4 is taxing on the ol' noggin—most gamers will find an engineering textbook to be less intimi- dating. Kevin didn't even mention that you're tracking abilities for pilots and their heavy-metal rides. Do you care that mech #6’s left arm weighs 10 pounds too much? It's decisions like this that can make the in- between, setting-up-your-crew rounds take longer than the battles themselves. But you just can't beat FM4's deep (and plentiful) gameplay and high production values. Publisher: Square Enix Developer: Square Enix Players: 1 ESRB: Teen SHOE www.square-enix-usa.com Good: Wall walking and floating-combat acrobatics: Bad: Faceless: samurai game №; 4762 JON D: As I reflect on my time with Bujingai, | feel compelled to ask, "Couldn't this city have just remained forsaken?" Indeed, did yet another effeminate samurai have to glide in from space to cock around in yet another troubled land on PS2? Like most games of its breed, Bujingai relies on a plot no one reads and charac- ters no one gives a rip about to make it interesting, while the action offers little more than hot-and-sexy graphics. Raise your hand if you care why you're fighting. Anyone? Now raise your hand if you just want to do something besides mash but- tons. Sorry, you're asking for too much. Stage after stage mimics the worst of Devil May Cry 2 (PS2), with meaningless orb col- lecting, gigantic no-skill combos, and did- n't-l-already-kill-you-once-before boss battles. It's a step above competitor Seven Samurai, thanks to great visuals and some interesting aerial acrobatics, but Bujingai excels at little else, aside from sucking the last bit of life from an already tired genre. OK, granted, Bujingai does crib from Devil May Cry 2's vanilla art direction Gackt? Main character Lau is inspired hy J goth rock star Gackt: rmm p and combat playbooks, but BOS it's not nearly as dire as Jon claims. Precise control, a deep magic system, and massive levels make this a fully above- average slashathon. Also, a major facet of the game's appeal is completely lost on us Americans—bizarre Japanese goth-rocker Gackt lends his face and voice to hero Lau, but to you, he's just some femmy nobody. Think about it: Michael Jackson's Moonwalker for Sega Genesis wouldn't be nearly as creepy/appealing if you didn't know who MJ Was. Bujingai features some 75 the coolest, most intense sword fighting ever depicted in a videogame...it also features some of the most difficult, purely frustrating jumping puzzles I’ve ever experienced. It looks gor- geous and stylish when you swing your two blades...but crappy and dull when you stand still in bland environments. Some levels amuse with clever design...others just plain suck. It's a roller coaster of good and bad, but, for me at least, it still beats the hell outta Devil May Cry 2. 2 Da es ос aco ve >8 ш [а m SHANE 6.0 75 Publisher: Bam! Developer: Taito/Red Entertainment Players: 1 ESRB: Teen CHRIS B. www.bam4fun.com ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com • 99 Lose a Lung, Unlock Stuff Cigs may kill you, but they're a prisoner's pal in Butcher Bay. Find 'em beneath bunks, behind toilets, and in the back pockets of the men you beat to death. Riddick's too smart to smoke 'em, though— instead, each pack he finds unlocks bonus- es like produc- tion art and movie sets. THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK: ESCAPE FROM BUICHER BAY More fun than a box of rusty shivs SHAWN: It’s too easy. The guard’s back is turned to you, and another convict is whispering “kill him.” Two minutes in and you've wrung your first neck, watched your own fists reach out and twist a man's skull like a stubborn knob on the door to freedom—and then everything goes fuzzy. When shackles and a circle of prison guards come into focus, you realize that Riddick’s fast break was pure fantasy. No, escaping this penal colony will take more than 15 pounds of swiftly applied pressure, but you've already learned enough about yourself to know that nothing can keep you locked down for long. If Riddick’s first few moments defy expecta- tions, the rest stage an all-out riot. Butcher Bay’s corridors, caverns, and cell blocks look too good to belong in licensed fare, but the game's pitch- black beauty goes beyond the surface of things. Good: Plenty of variety and v Bad: Ov Licensed Games: you 100 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com It’s the way a man's head jerks like a ball on a short string when you catch him with a brutal right hook; the telltale shadows that belie the positions of patrolling guards; and the bizarre movement of alien critters that make them all utterly, eerily believable. Everything else is unbelievable. Riddick can see in night so black it'd drive normal men to tie ropes around their waists, and he does more than frag whom- or whatever is in his field of fire. He shoots craps, making money to buy a shiv. He picks fights in the exercise yard, working his way to the top of the inmate food chain with combos and counterattacks. He cuts deals with corrupt guards while butting heads with the hardasses, and when Riddick does finally get his hands on a gun, he's got good reason to use it. Whether you choose to strangle an enemy in the shadows or 5 5 5 e THE VERDICTS send him to the hurt locker with a shotgun blast, Riddick's gameplay is as polished as its graphics. With light role-playing, stealth parts, and plat- forming bits that shift seamlessly from first- to third-person perspective, the game stages a prison break on the first-person shooter genre's status quo. Now if only the game's eight-or-so- hour sentence was longer could use more time in Butcher Bay's solitary confinement. MARK: Three words | never thought Га say: Vin Diesel rocks. Having never seen Pitch Black (this game is a prequel to Pitch Black and the upcom- ing Chronicles of Riddick movie) and not caring about any of his other flicks (Private Ryan does- n't count), | was surprised just how completely the cut-scenes and characters drew me in to Riddick's refreshingly adult story. As the voice of Publisher: VU Games Developer: Starbreeze Players: 1 ESRB: Mature www.vugames.com the titular hero, Vinny D's gravely baritone (so deep it makes Solid Snake sound like a 12-year- old eunuch) and perfect delivery add menacing cool to the general badass feeling you get play- ing this game. The use of the first-person view beyond the so-so shooting sections—for stealth, simple puzzles, even some light RPG and fighting elements—really makes you feel like you're liv- ing inside this dark prison world. Truly impres- sive graphics amplify the immersion. Liberal use of shadows and a host of cutting-edge, gee-whiz visual effects keep your eyes fully entertained, even if the level and enemy designs aren't espe- cially impressive But I'd definitely have to disagree with Shawn when he says the game feels polished. Small con- trol gripes, interface issues, and occasional А.І. hic- cups are noticeable. And as much as Riddick push- es the envelope in terms of gameplay, it also falls back on a few clichés disappointingly often, with enough crate jumping, exploding-barrel blasting, and vent crawling for three first-person shooters. Still, this is a game worth playing through, even Faces of Death in a Dark Place In one of our favorite scenes, Riddick hops into a heavy mech and takes it for a joyride. (or maybe especially) if you don’t consider your- self an FPS fan. Riddick is exactly what it should be: the game equivalent of a fun summer popcorn movie. Don’t expect an epic or focus on the rough edges, and you'll enjoy a short but sweet roller coaster ride. XBN—CHE: Like Vin Diesel as Richard B. Riddick in this interactive prequel to the films, this game sneaked up on me from behind and snapped my preconceptions in half like a twig. What’s more, it’s also done the unthinkable: It's actually made me want to watch other movies starring Vin Diesel as the enigmatic Riddick (though nothing can make me sit through the execrable XXX again). Developer Starbreeze did a remarkable job of integrating the look and feel of the Riddick flicks into an indubitably playable first-person adventure. Riddick slips you into Vin Diesel’s sweaty wife-beater tank top by establishing an ultra-immersive first-person perspective—much like Namco’s flawed but innovative Breakdown (XB). Sure, as Mark points out, the game has its rough edges—but then again, this is the first Stealth FPS I've played that actually works. From its near-perfect melee controls and truly next- generation-level graphics to the pacing imbedded in its taut nar- rative, Riddick is a must-see, must-play, must-buy Xbox classic. ё [^ There ain't enough ammo in the pen to pay everyone back, but Riddick's just as lethal even after his clip runs dry. Try settling scores by... ...planting your fist in a face; repeat as necessary. ..turning a guard's own gun on him with a counter. dropping down onto an unsuspecting enemy's head. "3 ا‎ N ...Slitting someone's throat ...Snapping the roll of quar- with a homemade shiv. ters "The Man" calls a neck. ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com • 101 o review crew: xbox "2 màb hé dd. 11 2E 77 ma, ON 3 ^ * жа RalliSport: More arcadey than the pes McRae series. and also way more CZE RALLISPORT RAME THE Мор CHALLENGE 2 Last chance power drive 2 ML ос " " 00 02 08 14510 79595 ewe) A HT EI 199 > 9 Гу. * А к ١ b. A D af ^ — — 5 1 50 diea E GREOTTE 04 The plot involves aliens, zombies, and giant crabs. Turns out they (spoiler!) all want to kill you. v Me vv سے ے5‎ y CREDITS ол LITE METAL SLUG 3 Zen and the art of side-scrolling shooters 21110 ARMS BOMB | E £^ |— — —À | 71 20 | Е-е: ; = v AN -! i= E. EMEF — r a $ Sek xr zu — E = ' С – а © T " -— mo — 3“ — AN — 4 — 4 da СЕ 7 Kill this dude and Lobsterfest is ON. CREDITS O4 Good: Near-perfect handling, huge number of courses Bad: First half is way too easy Who Knew? A 20-- year-old Volvo 240 turbo could haul total ass DEMIAN: Rally may be the redheaded stepchild of racing genres, but dammit, RalliSport 2 deserves way more than some punk kid—not just cursory attention and pocket money, either. I’m talking many hours of your life and possibly a popsicle- Stick shrine in your living room. The solo rally sections, be they across the Australian desert, muddy U.K. back roads, or fog- and snow-choked Sweden, require unbelievably intense concentration. The payoff comes when you drift around a 95 mph bend you've never seen before, balancing the car with the throttle alone—a rush that matches the best moments of any driving game. And yet, the straight-up rally courses are actually the most boring parts; tight rallycross (against three other cars), crossover (two cars on parallel tracks, not in the last game), and ice racing circuits are the greatest bits, feeling more like roller coaster rides than race tracks. It's annoying to hit a hay bale and stop dead, the car damage (while impressive looking) doesn't affect gameplay much, and the first half of RalliSport is ridiculously easy—there, it hurt bad, but | found some DEMIAN KEVIN THE VERDICTS (OUT OF 10) Good: One of the best 2D shooters around Bad: Hard, fairly bare-bones port Best Vehicle: The machine gun-equipped ostrich 1 | Another Metal Slug...should you care? Well, it's a port of arguably the best game in the classic series of 2D shooters. And it's the first Metal Slug arcade-to-con- sole port that isn't deficient in some way—no slowdown, no flicker, no nothing. Most importantly, though, it’s still among the best 2D action games ever created. Not that Metal Slug 3 is for everyone. It takes a certain sort of person to appreciate such a difficult game, especially one that requires so much replaying to complete. The fun doesn't come from reaching objec- tives or anything—it's from playing over and over in search of the perfect game or the highest score. Sort of like the modern- day-shooter classic /karuga on GameCube, actually, except a fair bit easier. The Xbox version has a couple of bonus modes, but they aren't playable until you beat the game, and that's enough of a challenge in itself (especially considering Metal Slug's stinginess with continues). The $40 price may be a bit Steep for a four-year-old arcade game, but S/ug is still just as fun as it was back in ol' two-triple-aught. faults. Now ignore that last sen- tence and get this wonderful game. KEVIN: This is one of the finest racing games I’ve ever played. Like Demian said, it's easy at the start, but that changes: You'll eventually drive through narrow, slip- pery roads, at night, in the snow, for 15 minutes at a time. The incredible backdrops and weather effects only add to the experi- ence, and the Xbox Live competition is sim- ilarly flawless. It’s rare to find a racer that’s so easy to pick up and play—and so imme- diately addicting. It's not a serious sim, but you'll be too busy enjoying yourself to care. XBN—CHE: | may never have whipped an Audi Quattro around a serpentine track at over 120 mph, but | know that if І ever do, | want it to feel this good. As a spiritual suc- cessor to Sega Rally, RalliSport 2 takes the accessible, arcadey approach. Sure, it may not feature the most realistic handling model for these real-life rockets, but con- sidering the game's photorealistic visuals and environmental interaction, all running perfectly on Xbox Live—who cares? Publisher: Microsoft Developer: Dice Players: 1-4 (2-4 online) ESRB: Everyone www.xbox.com There are many HoE breeds of gamers: casual, sportos, spas- tic...and of course, the hardcore. Metal Slug 3 is tailor-made for that last group—folks who can appreciate side-scrolling 2D graphics and don’t mind restarting over and over again (you want midmission contin- ues? Pansy!) or walking to school uphill both ways in the snow. Hard-as-heck boss- es? Thank you, sir, may | have another? Not you? Then there's no shame in skip- ping this—it's truly a frustrating game. All you fellow masochists, though, here's your fix until the next Contra shows up. The Metal Slug series, known for its gorgeous 2D art of war, hits Xbox with a refreshing bang. I've always loved its skewed and deformed sense of humor and design, but hated that, as a quarter- munching arcade shooter, the games had no longevity. Slug 3 makes amends with exclusive new levels and a simple continue system that forces you to master each level before unlocking the rest. Polished, well- balanced, and freaking difficult to boot, this Slug is a testament to gaming artistry. THE VERDICTS (OUT OF 10 = G. = 102 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com Publisher: SNK Developer: SNK Playmore Players: 1-2 ESRB: Teen www.snkneogeousaconsumer.com Front Mission 4 Instantly" * Coupon must be presented at the time of purchase. Limit one :ustomer. Cannot be combined with any other offer or promotion. Not valid on previc :hases. Pre-owned 5 lc substituti ssued. slusions may app ate PlayStation 2 р 8:995 р responsibility of EB Games. Offer valid 6/1/04 to 7/31/04. | | | | | | | | ||| | | | | =EGAMES EBC3005667 Call 1-800-800-5166 for the store nearest you or visit us at www.ehgames.com SQUARE ENIX We take games seriously ™ =2GAMES www.ebgames.com — Zelda dungeons: Still full of crockery. » 7 я“ THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: ` FOUR SWORDS ADVENTUR Link cable to the past It's been more than two years since Nintendo first started singing the praises of con- nectivity—the concept of hooking up a Game Boy Advance to a GameCube for new and exciting gameplay possibilities—and yet after all this time, you can still count the number of connectivity games that are truly worth their weight in link cables on a single hand. Fortunately (or unfortu- nately, if you have no friends), Zelda: Four Swords Adventures is one such game. Four Swords was designed from the ground up to be a four-player game (though you can go it alone, too), and this is where it really shines. Hyrule Adventure, the main play mode, is an absolute blast with friends, thanks largely to its ingeniously designed stages, which encourage competition while simultaneously requiring play- No Friends? No Problem! Although we highly recommend you enjoy Four Swords Adventures with three of your pals, that doesn't mean the more hermit-like among you can't have a good time as well. In Hyrule Adventure's solo mode, one Box: Good for combat and squeezing through tight spots | 104 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com | tion, handy when surrounded ers to cooperate with each other in order to advance. By your lonesome, the experience just isn't the same. Exploring a massive, multilayered Zelda dungeon with three other people definitely ranks up there among the most satisfying multi- player gaming experiences I’ve ever had—online or off. Connectivity comes into play whenever you enter into a separate area from the main screen, like a house or a cave. Here, all the action occurs on your GBA, leaving you free to soldier on independently of your peers. One could argue that this feature isn't really necessary—until the first time you unleash an army of angry chickens upon your unsuspecting partners from the safety of an underground shelter. Then it all starts mak- ing beautiful sense. | Cross: Another strong battle forma- THE VERDICTS (OUT OF 10) JOHN К. As for Shadow Battle, the versus game, it's really just a standard four-player battle mode. Viewed as a separate minigame, it's mildly enter- taining, but next to the far more enjoyable Hyrule Adventure, it's kind of hard to take seriously. If you've got the equipment (and more impor- tantly, the friends), it's highly unlikely Four Swords will disappoint. Hopefully, next time Nintendo will just take the whole thing online, but for now, a couple dozen feet of link cables will just have to do. What kind of frustration do you like? Personally, | can't stand insanely difficult bosses, odds-stacked-against-you hordes of enemies, or crack-shot snipers lurking in the murkily lit multi- player shadows. But І truly adore a good brain- player controls all four Links at once, switching between them on the fly to get through the game's numerous traps and puzzles. You can switch manually or choose from four different preset group formations. foe, but open to ranged attacks A — Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Nintendo Players: 1-4 ESRB: Everyone SHOE JENNIFER www.nintendo.com teaser, and Four Swords is the game for me. The puzzles and battles in Hyrule Adventure are less about testing your reflexes, more about twisting your brain—they provide that satisfying *a-ha!" when you solve something that stumped you for 20 or 30 minutes. Too many puzzles would be overwhelming, but here, the balance is perfect: Just when you're brain-drained, a tasty treasure chest easily presents itself for your grabby hands. Same's true with combat—often, you'll need to study patterns to beat the baddies, but here and there you can just pound your way to victory. Multiplayer adds another cool layer, though control freaks like me might shy away from its convoluted, anything-goes nature (especially when one player won't stop picking up and throw- ing another player...Shoe!). About the graphics? Honestly, the 2D simplicity of it all captured my heart and earned major nostalgia points. It's fur- Tingle Time Need a break from your quest? Try Tingle's eight hidden minigames. Highlights include: ther proof that good gameplay is all it takes; next time, all | ask is to be able to save more often. SHOE: If you thought Wind Waker was Zelda for Babies, then Four Swords is practically prenatal. I'm not making fun of its kiddy cartoon style. I'm referring to how each Four Swords stage is set up like a stripped-down standalone game—after you power up your sword, get that boomerang, or find a heart container to increase your health, say good-bye to them when you finish the level and start over on the next. You don't really develop your Link (Links, in this case) into a greater, more powerful hero. You don't even get to carry more than one subweapon at a time. It all feels like Zelda Lite. So the gimmick here is playing four Links simultaneously. In single player, it's just that: a gimmick. Especially because in many situations, Link's Beverage Imbibing Challenge Multiple Links sword swinging and boomerang chucking at once would drive anyone to drink, but if you pre- fer some rigid organization to go with your tippling, we guarantee adequate hydration if you take a shot of ginger ale when any of the below occurs: W Another party member throws you off a cliff № Someone else figures out which block to move in a puzzle before you Wi You catch on fire № There are four pressure plates, and you're the last one on № Someone else lands the killing blow on a boss Wi You get a sword power-up W You're the last person into the Shadow World Ш Someone discovers a secret passage ША chicken kills anyone W Tingle appears particularly boss fights, you'll end up wanting to control one Link anyway and leave the oth- ers ghosted out and safe from harm. But in multiplayer...ho boy, the great Zelda formula turns friends into enemies and enemies into friends, with every- one busting up and having a hell of a good time. Your fun will waver with some confus- ing levels that take way too long to finish, but cooperating and competing at the same time with your "teammates" is a great experience that any Zelda fan will enjoy. & é № Why do Links gotta be such bullies? Bucking Bronco: Hop on your trusty Steed and rip around a massive indoor/outdoor track littered with sharp twists and turns. Chow down on carrots to increase speed. enemies in what is easily the most fun minigame. Two different varia- tions are available, each with a ridiculous number of chumps to slay. Monster Hunting: Take on dozens of | Volley, By Golly!: Slap the colored ball back and forth between until some jerk screws up the volley. Whoever scores the most successful hits within the time limit wins. Hammer Tag: Just like the game you played as a kid, assuming you played with giant hammers. Smack some- one to confer "it" status. After 60 seconds of being “it,” you're out. ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com • 105 0 review crew: game boy adu. № Green day: Seasoned pros will find Advance Tour's putting awfully cinchy. With nearly no lean to the green, 30 footers are cake. N 2 MARIO golf: ADVANCE TOUR - Mini-golfing thrills minus the windmills CRISPIN: Role-playing golf? Sounds as exciting as a pro-bowler fighting game. But in Advance Tour, all the extraneous questing, character building, and item collecting just works. Fans of the original Game Boy Color Mario Golf—also an RPG—will tell you that. And you 60, ing aficionados should know that Advance Tour packs an overworld full of courses (five in all) as large as the original, with even more minigames and challenges. It's all matched with the tweaked control of last year's Mario Golf GameCube game. For tour rook- ies, that means you can opt for baby-gamer one- button swings or tweak topspin and backspin with timed jabs of the A and B buttons. It's almost too simple: As you progress through the story mode, you'll find that later courses and unlocked oppo- nents just aren't challenging your improved skills. But the game's addictive formula won't lose its grip before you find everything worth seeing—and there's plenty hidden here, including a course with power-ups and obstacles from Mario's world (plus individual Mario-ized holes you can open on old greens). Even after the final tourney, Advance Tour's golf bag still offers enough diversions (co-op multiplayer = good times) to keep you busy until someone makes Street Bowler Ill: Gutter Brawl. JENNIFER: Even if you weren't praying for the per- fect portable golf game, this is the answer to your prayers. The mechanics are simple and easy to learn—once 1 got the hang of weather conditions and top- and backspin, | breezed through the early courses with nary a bogey. Later events are suit- ably more challenging, but by that time, my golfer had awesome stats and skills. My only complaint is that it's too hard to find all the separate modes and Happy Coincidence? Proof that Adam Sandler is the missing Mario brother MARIO Plays a plumber who becomes a golf champ in Advance Tour Wields an H20-squirting backpack in Mario Sunshine Known to pounce on turtles, fish, and other animals Dated actress Alicia Silverstone Good: Great control, days of play Bad: Gets easy for grown-up players Hey Cheaters: Save between holes and restart if you choke 106 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com THE VERDICTS (OUT OF 10) & | Sah [ в Stuff the game has to offer...but hey, what else are you going to do on your morning bus ride? SHAWN: Now that Bowser's all but given up abducting princesses, Mario's had plenty of time to tee up. The plumber already proved his PGA potential with Toadstool Tour, and he shoots to this tourney's greens with the same simple yet precise club control that helped him sink a near hole in one on the Cube. Applying spin and curving shots like a pro is satisfying (only the shallow putting disappoints), but it's the RPG-like story mode that really puts this Tour under par. With talkative townsfolk who'll offer stroke-saving tips, local hot- shots eager to show you up, and a course in the boonies with its own clever set of rules, what's not to love about this goofball world where everything revolves around the perfect game of golf? && ADAM SANDLER Plays a hockey player who becomes a golf champ in Happy Gilmore Wields an H20-squirting backpack in The Waterboy Known to pounce on animal-rights activist Bob Barker Also dated actress Alicia Silverstone 9.0 8.5 8.5 CRISPIN JENNIFER SHAWN E Links game: After maxing out your Advance Tour golf goliaths, transfer them to Toadstoo! Tour on GameCube and get nuts. = — ES № Wander the overworld to find stat-boosting minigames, such as this Stargate challenge. аа Mario-ize It While Advance Tour doesn't teem from tee to shining tee with Mario ref- erences, it does have its share of mushroomy moments. Aside from obligatory fan-service stuff (like find- ing blue over- alls in a locker), you unlock a special course, as well as indi- vidual holes, crammed with classic power- up blocks and Mario-villain obstacles. It's the best part of the game. Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Camelot Players: 1-4 ESRB: Everyone www.nintendo.com H MP SHINING FORCE: RESURRECTION OF THE DARK DRAGON The lighter side of tactics Good: Simple yet engaging tactical combat Bad: Lack of versus mode Much Less Taxing Than: Final Fantasy Tactics Advance Props to Sega for reviving this often overlooked (well, by folks less nerdy than me) tactical RPG series. Back on Sega Genesis, this streamlined blend of fantasy role- playing and war-game strategy blazed the yellow brick road for fare like Final Fantasy Tactics Advance and Tactics Ogre. Of course, com- pared to those calculus-crunching behemoths, Force feels simplistic— you're basically just moving a group of cute troops around battlefields, taking turns approaching, flanking, and whacking enemies. Surprisingly, though, with only a few alterations and additions, Force holds up remarkably well a decade later. The skirmishes draw you in with balanced difficulty and excellent pacing, and questing after secret characters makes the otherwise per- functory towns worth exploring. While an all-new installment would have been preferable, Sega does at least add some polish to Resurrection—but it’s in the little things, like doubled item-carrying capacity and the ability to buy multi- ple items at once. The visuals and music also benefit from an overhaul, though only slightly: Clunky anima- tion and tinny tunes don't really impress. Luckily, the addition of sec- ondary battle goals, three new char- acters, and a handful of new (insane- ly hard) extra battles really fleshes out an already impressive title. Though | cried on Shane's shoulder when | heard Force was just a remake, the game it’s based on still compares favorably to today’s strategy-RPG hybrids. Similar to Fire Emblem or Advance Wars, Force offers simple yet addictive gameplay that pretty much anyone can get to grips with. The remake sports / d — Bars Dwarf is « МР 87 LJ b. improved visuals, some new battles, and a top-notch updated localization, but sadly, the battle animations are terrible. Otherwise, though, my com- plaints are few. Bring on the sequels! For those with enough geek cred to remember the first Shining Force when it hit the Genesis in 1992, this refurbished version may be something of a letdown. Developer Sega AV (aka Amusement Vision) replaced the formerly dark graphics with Super Nintendo-style pastels, and the game has a few tiny enhancements (mostly to make it easier for modern players), but com- pared to Advance Wars and other GBA originals, Resurrection will seem old-fashioned and heavy on the fighting. It's still a classic, and addictive if given the attention it deserves, but it could've done with still more sprucing up. $ “жк” —The People Who Own This Shop “A truly admirable anime collection.” —Student from O-Chem Class “A Japanese marvel.” —Old Kid on the Block “Two thumbs u —Smith and Tanaka from Gym “A delightful anime resource” —Video Store Manager “The must-visit site of the year.” — Guy Who Surfs a Lot “Anime toys, books, figures...you name it!” — The Die Hard Collector ©CHISE:KLON @akibaotaku ` http:/Awww.akibaotaku.com - А Narsha, What do І do now... ? Where is Mawlock... 7 Developer: Sega AV Players: 1 ESRB: Teen THE VERDICTS (OUT OF 10 o D wi Publisher: Atlus SHANE JOHN R. KEVIN www.atlus.com = L Jaen am qm am am m m mnn rrr a 21 Pa d m P MARIO VS. DONKEY KONG р * ` В һ ` ^ ^ z ` ` ^ М * L- Elements of Donkey Kong Jr. find their way into Vs. Precision pipe fitting In many ways, Vs. apes the original Game Boy Donkey Kong (a great game that still deserves attention, by the way), combining traditional plat- forming with a puzzlelike setup to each stage. Unlike its predecessor, however, certain ele- ments of this Kong come up a bit short. Controls are solid and dependable but don't quite reach the usual Mario level of spot-on responsiveness, and many of your more interesting moves (handstand, using hammers, spinning on gymnastics-style hori- zontal bars) are only rarely necessary. Visually, the game is colorful and sharp, but with a simple, pre- rendered look that can appear spartan and cold. Thankfully, the core gameplay works well. Figuring out exactly how to approach a stage— which route to take, how to get the key, which switches to flip in what order—is as fun as dodg- ing bullets and tossing enemies. The Lemmings- style (Super Nintendo) levels are especially fun, in which you protect a group or single “mini Mario" while guiding them to a goal (see below). But the more enjoyable stages don't really show up until Mini-Me The six standard worlds in Vs. end with one stage in which you need to guide as many mini-Marios as you can to a toy box. The cute І! tykes can't climb ladders, but they'll follow you anywhere, even right into enemies or spikes, so plan ahead. Once you "finish" the game and open up the Plus worlds, the gameplay changes again; you'll escort a single mini-Mario to find the necessary keys instead of doing it yourself. 108 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com the second half of the game; earlier levels are too easy, too hard, or (most often) far too short. More and bigger levels that combined and explored the various moves and game mechanics you don't see enough of would've gone a long way. A good time killer, even if it doesn't quite live up to its potential or famous namesakes. Silly Donkey Kong, windup Mario toys are for kids. And that's all the backstory needed or given in this latest riff on Mario-style 2D run-and- jump gameplay. While the moving platforms, spiky and/or fiery deaths, and mean Shy Guys will be instantly familiar to Mario fans, the relatively tiny Vs. stages are self-contained puzzles rather than sprawling playgrounds, demanding mental acro- batics and split-second reaction times. But Mark's right about the controls lacking a certain some- thing; | blame a full 30 percent of my deaths on the fact that, instead of jumping out from a ladder or vine as intended, I’d often plummet straight down. Mario has a few new tricks (like a falling-block- THE VERDICTS (OUT OF 10) MARK [cu {ПП їйї 1 ‚ Е 4 оь ^ — 2 | | d | If you need more time to strategize, you can stop the clock and look around by pressing in both shoulder buttons. deflecting handstand to double-jump) along with his classic moves, and there's a whole lot of game- play here—thanks in part to the princess-is-in- another-castle-esque twist and unlockable bonus levels. Too bad there isn't much variety. Most puz- zles have only one solution; it would have been nice if players could use their creativity to reach objectives in multiple ways. Mario Vs. Donkey Kong is a fine example of what good handheld gaming ought to be: nugget-sized enter- tainment that you can put down just as easily as you pick it up. The short, puz- zle-based levels manage to incorporate many different elements (keys, switch- es, conveyer belts, enemies...) without making things needlessly complicated. A seasoned gamer might find Vs. easy at first, but mastering each stage in an attempt at beating the high score proves much more challenging—and, ultimately, rewarding. & Developer: Nintendo Players: 1 Publisher: Nintendo ESRB: Everyone DEMIAN ANDREW www.nintendo.com REVIEWS Too late or too little e were hoping to review that new Harry Potter game what's out right about now (Prisoner of Azkaban), but EA Games thought it'd totally spoil the movie for us if we played the game first. Since we've already read the book we're not sure how that'd work, but whatever, hold on to your Bott's Every Flavor Beans until next issue. And then there were a few other games this month that we just didn't have enough space to cram in.... So many menus, so little time. PS2/XB * Codemasters — Generator 3 trumps its older siblings with its incredible ease of use: Remixing the 10 licensed tunes is simple enough for a total newcomer. The trade-off is that MG3 lacks the power and flexibility of MG2, but it’s a great primer in the basics of sam- ple-based music creation. biker gangs. Whooda thunk a punk rock album could boost your toughness by 10? шини Speechless. GBA • Atlus — Now why are you gonna go and kidnap that girl when you know her boyfriend's bound to bust up your whole clique with bicy- cle chains, baseball bats, and crow- bars? The revered Nintendo Entertainment System beat-em-up returns with all the quirky power- ups and RPG elements that made River City the place to brawl with Hit that freakin’ frog like you mean it. PS2/GC Bandai — More fun and less lethal than frog baseball, it's frog golf! Or frolf. Ribbit King’s kiddie graphics and humor will put off most non-kiddie gamers, but its quirky gameplay is mildly addictive. Not addictive enough to warrant a full three-person review, but hey. 4% Olde Tyme Games Shoppe Frothing Nintendophiles are circling and recircling June 7th on their calendars, on account of the eight classic NES titles— Xevious, Bomberman, Pac-Man, Excitebike, Ice Climber, The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario Bros., and Donkey Kong—coming out on Game Boy Advance that day at 20 bucks a pop. Judging by the two we got our hands on ahead of time (Donkey Kong and Mario Bros.), they're pretty much perfect ports. Some haven't aged so well, though; our top picks would be Excitebike, The Legend of Zelda, and Mario. Archer Maclean Presents LARADISCU DAYLIGHT COME AND YOU WANNA PLAY POOL! ч, x NM Go ahead - play pool in a panoramic paradise! It's 6 Ball, 7 Ball, 8 Ball, bunch... a whole bunch REVIEW CREW SURVIVOR Think you got the goods to join Electronic Gaming Monthly's Review Crew? Let us take you down a notch, hotshot. One lucky writer will join the Review Crew on a contributing basis...if he or she can make it through Review Crew Survivor. The rest of you get public humiliation. more in Pool Paradise. "NINTENDO ^ GAMECUBE. Send This: E A VHS tape minutes of you on camera telling us why you belong on the Review Crew, and five minutes of you playing a videogame of your choice, demonstrating how hardcore you are. We want to see you playing the game, the action on the screen, and that no cheat devices were used. ш Writing samples—two 200- word reviews of two different videogames of your choice (don't forget to include scores using our review scale—see pg. 93). ш Name, address, and digits to: EVERYONE Gambling EGM Review Crew Survivor 101 Second St, 8th Floor San Francisco, CA 94105 es due in our hands by Wednesday, June 30, 2 Entri ESRB CONTENT RATING www.estb.org In an upcoming issue, we'll select 15 candidates to participate in a series of writing challenges. Your work will be put up for the world to see in EGM and on egmsurvivor.1UP.com, and that same world will vote to decide who gets kicked off each month. We'll ask the last survivor to be an official reviewer for one issue (or more). Now get writing! HIGNITION AWESOME www. ignitionent. com in automatic disqualification. After reader voting, we will inform t The winner will be paid our normal freelance rate fo may be contributing to the main Review Crew section or Revie mumbo jumbo are on http://egmsurvivor.1UP.com. REVIEWS ARCHIVE Our archive is bigger than your archive greatest hit Ог miss? FREEDOM FIGHTERS W PlayStation 2/Xbox/GameCube W Released: March 2002 W Original Scores: 7.5, 8.5, 8.0 The Soviet Union won the cold war, and commies are invading the country. Fortunately for you, recruiting and commanding packs of resistance fighters in NYC's war-torn boroughs is as easy as humming a few bars of "The Star-Spangled Banner." MING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com GAME Airforce Delta Strike Alias All-Star Baseball 2005 American Idol Amped 2 Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance И Battlestar Galactica Beyond Good & Evil Breakdown XB Champions of Norrath: Realms of EQ Colin McRae Rally 04 XB Counter-Strike XB Crash Nitro Kart PS2/XB/GC Crimson Sea 2 Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge Custom Robo Cy Girls Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix Dead Man's Hand Destruction Derby Arenas Deus Ex: Invisible War Drake Drakengard Dynasty Tactics 2 EA Sports Fight Night 2004 ESPN College Hoops ESPN Major League Baseball ESPN NBA Basketball ESPN NHL Hockey EverQuest Online Adventures: Frontiers EyeToy: Groove Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel PS2/XB Fatal Frame Il: Crimson Butterfly PS2 FIFA Soccer 2004 PS2/XB/GC Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles Final Fantasy Tactics Advance Final Fantasy XI Final Fantasy X-2 Fire Emblem Firefighter F.D. 18 Goblin Commander: Unleash the Horde — PS2/XB/GC Grabbed by the Ghoulies XB Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup PS2/XB/GC Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life GC Hitman: Contracts PS2/XB The Hobbit PS2/XB/GC James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing PS2/XB/GC Karaoke Revolution PS2 La Pucelle: Tactics PS2 Legacy of Kain: Defiance PS2/XB Lethal Skies II Links 2004 XB LifeLine PS2 Lowrider PS2 Lord of the Rings: Return of the King PS2/XB/GC Lord of the Rings: Return of the King Lupin the 3rd Mafia Magic the Gathering: Battlegrounds Manhunt Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga Mario Kart: Double Dash!! Mario Party 5 Maximo vs. Army of Zin Max Payne Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne SYSTEM VERDICT № Slow-moving flight sim stalls before it reaches the danger zone № Clever disguises can't conceal crappy gameplay W Take us out to the baligame...just not this one W The only button you need to press is on the back of your console W An eye-pleasing boarder with very few patches of yellow snow № Ho-hum hack-n-slash. Now that's a role you don't wanna play № Launched before all systems were go № Shutterbug Jade's picture-perfect adventure was underexposed. Snap it up W You can practically feel the impacts in this first-person brawler ША Dark Alliance-style take on EverQuest, complete with online co-op Wi Rev your engines for 04's top-notch handling and wicked terrain ША bare-bones first-person shooter that's expendable in the war of the war games W For roadside assistance call 1-800-BUY-MARIO-KART № Space runs red with bug blood when Dynasty Warriors goes sci-fi ША stellar and stylish shooter, Crimson Skies kicks the genre's tires and lights its fires № Robo-battling is solid, but what's with the shallow, pseudo-RPG stuff? W Progress-impeding puzzles will make you feel like the butt of a bad blonde joke W Perfect your gimp step and build a pimp rep W Find out how the West was dumb in this oddball first-person shooting gallery @ Even crash-test dummies would yawn at this wreckage № /nvisible War's captivating story compensates for its technical shortcomings № One of our reviewers gave it an 0.5. What do you think? № Dynasty Warriors meets Panzer Dragoon, only not as good as either one № Medieval Chinese generals put on their wildest headgear before going to war W EA returns to the ring under a new name and registers a knockout W Our own NCAA investigation reveals that ESPN plays too much like a pro game W If MVP is this season's Yankees, then sadly, ESPN is its BoSox W Even Kobe Bryant's star-studded legal team struggled finding fault with this one W If we were in Detroit, we'd be throwin’ an octopus onto the ice. Goal! № Doesn't the front lawn constitute a new frontier to Evercrack-heads? № Don't let looking like a displaying ape stop you W Repetitive critter hunting in a watered-down wasteland № Combating poltergeists with a Polaroid is scarier than it sounds Wi Responsive on-field controls make it a breeze to bend it like Beckham W Charming action-RPG so cute that it could give Hello Kitty a heart attack W Deep strategy for the on-the-go tactician. Complete with androgynous heroes ША monstrous MMORPG that'll consume your life. ADD-types need not apply Wi 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 Fight fires, fireman-hating robots, and trial-and-error gameplay № Off-the-leash real-time strategy with a few warts № Something seriously stupid this way comes W Rugby, basketball, and nerds on broomsticks collide with thrilling results № Would you really have more fun watching the grass grow? Find out № Money grows on trees when you cut throats to rake leaves Wi Bilbo Baggins’ journey just isn't as appealing as his young nephew's № With brains, brawn, bullets, and balls, Bond saves the world again. Splendid Wi Like real karaoke, except the audience actually boos you offstage for bad singing № Deep strategy-RPG gameplay you'll love, with childish characters you'll despise № Quenches your undying thirst for blood and souls № Crashes and burns I The rest of the PGA can't compete with Tiger SCORES (out of 10) 3.5 5.0 5.5 15 8.0 7.0 6.0 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 5.0 5.5 8.0 9.0 6.5 7.0 8.5 6.5 45 8.0 20 75 75 8.5 6.5 8.0 8.5 8.5 6,5 8.0 4.0 7.5 7.5 8.0 9.0 8.5 85 75 65 8.0 55 75 6.5 8.0 6.5 8.0 8.5 75 75 3.0 6.5 AWARD W Wanna play Resident Evil again, using speech recognition that doesn't really work? 4.5 № Won't make you wanna bounce W Stick an orc in it, it's fun. Stick a thousand orcs in it, it's...er, funner № Legolas gets shrunk to Keebler size and your girlfriend still thinks he's hot № Fanatically true to the anime, but fiddly controls and lame puzzles steal the fun № Jack jalopies and outdrive thugs in this glitchy 1930s gangster game № The cards say you need a life № Videogame-hating Senator Joe Lieberman's dream come true ША polished, thoroughly enjoyable adventure in the same vein as Paper Mario W Cooperative driving spells pure, unfiltered fun a Nintendo's pair of plumbers are no party crashers W Despite the clean underwear, it's not as zesty as the original Wi Bullet time in your back pocket № Slow-mo bloodshed at its hard-boiled best 5.0 8.5 7.0 5.5 6.0 4.0 7.0 9.0 10 8.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 8 Hitman: Contracts cold-blooded and cunning. N SCORES GAME » SYSTEM VERDICT (out of 10) AWARD 4 Medal of Honor: Rising Sun PS2/XB/GC W A few stunning set pieces can't save this rough-edged shooter from mediocrity 5.5 5.0 5.5 Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes 60 № The stealth-action classic is still solid enough to make this remake а must-play 8.0 9.0 8.5 Metroid Zero Mission GBA № Samus blasts back to her first adventure in this surprise-filled remake 95 9.0 90 Midway Arcade Treasures PS2/XB/GC W With 20 timeless classics for a mere 20 bucks, there's no reason not to buy it 85 7.5 85 MLB 2005 PS2 W A quick trip to the minors has made MLB a title contender again 70 7.0 7.0 MTX: Mototrax PS2/XB № Poor handling has our bike stuck in the mud. Wait, that doesn't smell like mud 6.0 65 55 MX Unleashed PS2/XB № Riding Unleashed's off-road crotch rockets is worth the sore coccyx 8.0 8.0 8.0 MVP Baseball 2004 PS2/XB/GC № Like the Bronx Bombers, MVP's new additions will excite all baseball fans 85 80 85 NBA Ballers PS2/XB № Midway's 1-on-1 baller has the skillz to pay the billz (or something like that) 8.0 8.0 8.0 NBA Live 2004 PS2/XB/GC № Not even the Laker Girls can compete with Live's stylish on-court moves 8.0 85 90 x NCAA March Madness 2004 PS2/XB W it's awesome, baby, with a capital A! 8.0 80 8.0 NFL Blitz Pro PS2/XB/GC ША Madden-like face-lift puts Blitz firmly back in the playoff race 70 7.0 6.0 NFL Fever 2004 XB W Scant franchise options keep Fever warming the bench 6.5 65 6.0 NFL Street PS2/XB/GC № The gridiron gods have Street-ified football, and boy, is it good 85 8.0 9.0 NHL 2004 PS2/XB/GC № Beefy dynasty mode, but plays and looks as ugly as a hockey player's smile 85 65 7.0 NHL Hitz Pro PS2/XB/GC № Like a porn star's assets, Hitz isn't exactly realistic, but it's sure fun to play with 7.5 8.5 8.0 NHL Rivals 2004 XB W Our referees slap Rivals with a five-minute major for sucking 35 40 65 Nightshade W 3 Ninjas Kick Back on a scale of ninja-tude 6.0 55 5.0 Ninja Gaiden W Swordplay so sweet you'll break out the split-toe slip-ons 95 95 95 Onimusha Blade Warriors W Think Super Smash Bros. (GC) with Bushido instead of butt stomping 70 70 75 Pac-Man Vs. W Excellent multiplayer makes GBA connectivity worthwhile. Plus it's free 8.0 7.5 9.0 Phantasy Star Online: Episode III W This infectiously fun card game got us hooked on PSO's world for a third time 9.0 8.0 9.0 Pitfall: The Lost Expedition PS2/XB/GC № Maybe—just maybe—it should have stayed lost 6.5 5.0 5.5 Pokémon Channel GC W Good God, change the channel! 35 20 6.0 Pokémon Colosseum GC № Story mode injects some life into this otherwise mediocre Poké-battler 7.0 5.0 7.0 Project Gotham Racing 2 XB W Buckle up for the best racer since Gran Turismo 3 95 95 9.5 R: Racing Evolution PS2/XB/GC W Looks fantastic, but it feels like you're driving on ice 65 6.0 45 Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando W Everything you've ever wanted from an action game. And an absolute must-play 8.5 9.5 9.5 Resident Evil Outbreak № Raccoon City is more like Silent Hill when you can't communicate with other players5.5 6.5 7.0 Rise to Honor IW Look, it's Jet Li...in a kinda repetitive brawler with cheap enemies in FUBU gear 6.5 6.5 6.0 R-Type Final W Pure side-scrolling shooter bliss. Plus it's only 30 bucks 85 80 8.0 Samurai Jack: The Shadow of Aku W This samurai's game is better than expected...but still can't beat the cartoon 6.0 7.0 55 Samurai Warriors № The series hasn't been there (Japan), but it's done that (skewer oodles of swordsmen) 7.0 6.5 7.5 Sega GT Online Wi Runs a good race, but can't keep pace with RalliSport and Project Gotham Racing 2 8.5 8.5 8.5 Serious Sam: Next Encounter № Never take your finger off the trigger in this dumb-but-fun first-person shooter 6.5 7.0 5.0 Seven Samurai 20XX W See hari-kari $5 35 40 Siren E Battle hayseed zombies in this Silent Hill clone that's more convoluted than creepy 5.0 7.0 4.0 greatest hit Silent Scope Complete W There's no better way to freak out America's politicians than with this sniper game 6.5 5.0 6.0 of miss? The Sims: Bustin' Out PS2/XB/GC W Personal hygiene and bodily functions have never been so much fun 9.0 8.5 9.0 Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow № Sam's solo missions take few chances, but the multiplayer mode is revolutionary 10 9.5 9.5 Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow W Packs the stealth gameplay of the big-console version but none of the fun 45 5.0 45 SOCOM И: U.S. Navy SEALs W This is one online war we hope never sees a cease in hostilities 9.0 9.0 9.5 Sonic Battle № Sonic and pals come to fisticuffs in this love-it-or-hate-it pseudo-3D brawler 7.0 5.0 4.5 Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy W Another bland Star Wars third-person action game? Time to drop out 6.0 6.5 3.0 Steel Battalion: Line of Contact W This ultra-deep robo sim's horrible interface and laggy play need an overhaul 5.0 55 45 The Suffering W Midway's inmate could've benefited from a few more months of rehabilitation 65 6.0 6.5 Sword of Mana GBA № Managing your weapons requires a master's degree in metallurgy 65 65 5.0 Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain PS2 W Low-fever shoot-em-up contaminated by foul controls 65 65 5.0 Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines PS2/XB @ No need to come back, Arnold 35 35 2.0 Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004 PS2/XB/GC Wi As hot as Tiger's bride-to-be. Well, almost 9.0 9.0 9.5 TOCA Race Driver 2 XB W Every form of racing devised by man...what? No mud-bogging? #$@! this noise 8.5 8.5 8.0 Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Jungle Storm PS2 W Online play is OK, but good God, these graphics are uglier than a colon polyp 45 5.0 6.5 Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3 XB W 0!' Clancy's Rainbow is one of Xbox's sharpest shooters 90 7.5 9.0 Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3 PS2 W Too bad the dumbed-down PS2 version misses the mark 5.0 6.0 6.0 Tony Hawk's Underground PS2/XB/GC W Good Lord...he is? Someone get him out! 9.0 90 10 Top Spin XB W Here's your only chance to ever score with tennis bombshell Anna Kournikova 9.0 9.0 9.0 R ACING 2 Transformers PS2 № Carriers that change into a mile-high robots? Doesn't get much cooler than that 8.0 7.5 7.5 Unreal Il: The Awakening W Blast a motley assortment of aliens with a motley assortment of weaponry 7.0 6.5 6.5 WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Party Game$ W Single-player stinks of a quick cash-in—split the bill with four friends 8.0 6.5 7.0 Winning Eleven 7 № Soccer action more intense than a David Beckham-Posh Spice embrace 95 85 85 World Tour Soccer 2005 № Receives a yellow card for its unresponsive controls and shallow gameplay options 6.5 5.0 4.5 Wrath Unleashed ША half-assed strategy game plus a half-assed fighter make...well, you do the math 4.0 7.0 4.5 WWE Raw 2: Ruthless Aggression № We willingly tap out 3.0 55 45 WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain № ‘Course it doesn't tell you that the pain won't subside for four to six weeks 75 80 7.0 WWE Wrestlemania XIX W Better than years past, but a steroid injection or two away from main-event status 7.5 7.5 6.5 Worms 3D W That's an entire extra dimension of caricatured carnage! Great multiplayer fun 75 75 65 E Xbox W Released: December 2003 W Original Scores: 9.5, 9.5, 9.5 Sit down for photo-realism, shut up for flawless handling, and hold on for revo- lutionary online racing. Real-time score- boards and ghost cars of the world's finest drivers add immense replayability. ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com • 111 7 "Cause plauin" by the rules never got nobody по big head mode W PlayStation 2 RESIDENT EVIL OUTBREAK This grab bag of tricks shows you a few of the things you may not have realized about Resident Evil peel at all tho Sassi f funky hidden stuff, Champions of Norrath .......... 114 Final Fantasy Хі ............... 116 Mega ManZero2 .............113 Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes ..............112 MTX: MototrakEas .. 116 Ninja Gaiden ЕЗЙ т, Phantasy Star Online: Episode IllI—Card Revolution .....114 Resident Evil Outbreak Tenchu: Return From Darkness ...114 m 2 )Q V НҢ = AK "Um WE Wa VUI YY айы”, 112 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com solutions to difficult puzzles, and things it would've taken you too long to figure out on your own. Handy Man Scenario: All David King, the plumber turned zombie bait, is used to working with spare parts and odd ends. You can use the vinyl tape in his tool kit to combine items into more effective weapons. The math is pretty simple: Wooden pole + knife = spear Iron pipe -- battery — cattle prod (zombie prod, really) Iron pipe + concrete hunk = sledgehammer Lighter + pesticide = flame spray! Hard Drinkin’ Scenario: Outbreak In the owner's room of J's Bar is a picture with a hole in it shaped like a bottle of alcohol. What do you suppose could go in there? Right, a bottle of alcohol, which you can find on the third floor. It’s worth the trip. You'll get a shotgun for your trouble. Be careful, though, because the second floor may be thick with zombies when you come back down to open the picture. Nail boards over the doorway by the stairs on the second floor before running up for the bottle. That should slow them down a bit. A Dying Gift Scenario: Below Freezing Point Playing as Yoko has its benefits. Even though she can't take much punishment, she can carry twice as many items as the other players. Another plus is that during the Below Freezing Point scenario, you can get a good weapon if you're playing as the young student. When you crawl into the Area B pass way (which is right near the computer room), you'll meet a gravely wounded W Hot in Herre: The Bob Vila of undead combat is David King, using his plumbing arts to combine (household crap into { Zombie-cullin’ ordinance. и mem Y а. menn s Ў Switch the items? man. If you interact with him as Yoko, he'll hand over his Magnum! Completion Confusion Scenario: Below Freezing Point Wondering why you can't get 100 percent of the events at the end of the scenario? It could be one (or both) of two things. First, when you use the turntable key to activate the turntable lift, there's a delay before it moves up. If you aren't on it when it goes up, you'll be left behind...to die. It isn't pleasant, but you need to do it to get the full event checklist. Second, you can kill the huge plant using the V-Jolt from one of two places depending on which character you start with—either at the trunk of the plant on B7F or at the vines that entangle the ladder on B6F. You must do both to get both events checked off. Missing Numbers Scenario: Decisions, Decisions When trying to get the red gem from the cuckoo clock in the general manager’s office (first floor of the university, past the student affairs office), you need to do two Ш Game Boy Advance MEGA MAN ZERO 2 Upgrade your superdeformed weapon with these top-notch leveling techniques to take your G-Force castoff from wide-eyed anime reject to pulverizing powerhouse. № Remove all the extraneous numbers to find the one you need. things. First, press the button under the picture to your right as you enter the office. Second, set the glowing hands of the clock to the appropriate time. To figure out what time to set it to, find the number memo on the desk. The last page says something like this: "Hour: 47 Minute: 98." Go back through the memo to see the blocks of numbers and remove the ones that aren't listed in the "Hour/Minute" text. So, in the example above, you would remove all the numbers that aren't 4 on the first page, and all the ones that aren't 7 on the Rise armor Do 20 jumping slashes with the Z- Saber in one level. Active form Kill 20 enemies with the Z-Saber while dashing. Defense form Kill 20 enemies with the Shield Boomerang. Ip | PRIMA’ | ERED second page. What’s left will be a group of 4s in the shape of the number you need. (For example, if the 4s are in a vertical line, the first number is 1.) Daylight Savings Scenario: Decisions, Decisions The Daylight antitoxin is a very powerful tool in your fight against the T-Virus and its spawn. Take a few samples of it with you (in addition to the ones you use to clear the virus from you and your compatriots). When you get to the second battle with Thanatos outside in the front square, check the vehicle parked to one side in the garage. You should find an ampoule shooter. Load up the Daylight and take down that monster with the antitoxin. You can defeat him without using the Daylight, especially if your companions are with you. This can affect which ending you see. There are several different endings in the last scenario. They all depend on which character you are using and how much Daylight antitoxin you have with you when Thanatos is finally defeated. Let's just say that it's better to have more Daylight than less, but you'll want to see each of the endings. > Energy form Grab 25 life capsules. Erase form Ricochet 30 enemy shots with the Shield Boomerang. Power form Pull anything 30 times with the Chain Rod. Proto form Complete the game. Rise form Kill 10 enemies with the Z-Saber. Ultimate form Use every Cyber Elf. X form Kill 50 enemies with the Buster Gun. Wes Гав... = Real World Education Game Design & Development Bachelor of Science = Associate of Sciehce & Bachelor of Science [ye ven ШШ e Entertainment Business ES Г O По P a Sar | * — 800.226.7625 | 3300 University Boulevar Winter Park, FL 32792 Financial aid available to those who qualify Job placement assistance Accredited College, ACCSCT tricRS of the trade № Xbox TENCHU: RETURN FROM DARKNESS Come out of the darkness to tackle this third installment of Tenchu. With these codes, you'll be able to get new abilities, increase your item stash, and have access to an ultimate assassin. Restore health During a mission, pause and press Up, Down, Up, Down, X, X, X. One Kanji During a mission, pause and press Left, Left, Left, Right, X. Fill the Kuji meter During a mission, pause, hold the left and right triggers, and press Left, Left, Left, Right, X. New ability During a mission, pause, hold the right trigger and Black button, and press Up, Up, Down, Down. Release the trigger and Black button and press X, X, left trigger, right trigger. See your score During a mission, pause and press Right, Right, Right, Left. Increase score by 100 During a mission, pause, hold the White and Black buttons, and press Right, Right, Right, Left. All items At the Item Selection screen, hold the left 114 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.1UP.com and right triggers and press Up, Down, Up, Down, X, X, X, Left, Right, Left, Right, X, X, X. Increase items At the Item Selection screen, hold the left and right triggers and press Up, Left, Down, Right, X, X, X. Unlimited item capacity At the Item Selection screen, hold the right and left triggers and the White button and press Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right. Let go of the White button and press X, X, X. All characters At the Start screen, hold the White and Black buttons and press Up, Right, Left, Down. Release the White and Black buttons and press left trigger, right trigger. All missions At the Mission Select screen, press White, White, left trigger, right trigger, Right, X, left click, right click. All layouts At the Mission Select screen, press right Click, left click, left trigger, right trigger, White, Black. Increase offensive power During a mission, pause, hold the right trigger and White button, and press Up, Down, Up, Down. Release the right trigger and White button and press X, X, X. Bonus mission At the Title screen, press White, Up, Black, Down, left trigger, Right, right trigger, Left. B-side voices At the Title screen, hold the left and right triggers and press Down, X, X, Up, X, X, Left, X, X, Right, X, X. Ii Hapless Guard #27 is about to feel the deadly art of the beatdown courtesy of Tenchu’s third hidden character, the sneeze-sounding Tesshu. Ш GameCube PHANTASY STAR ONLINE: EPISODE —САКО REVOLUTION Psycho Mantis has a lot to answer for. Now any upstart videogame can force its more insane fans to play through a back catalog of questionable releases to unlock otherwise unobtainable goodies—a marketing department suit’s wet dream. Check out the Sonic comestibles below: Rare Cards Nano Dragon card Go to the card trading machine with a PSO: Episode | & И save on your memory card. Clippen card Go to the card trading machine with a Billy Hatcher save on your memory card. Rage card Go to the machine with a Sonic Adventure 2: Battle save on your memory card. Sange card Go to the card trading machine with a Sonic Adventure DX save on your memory card. Beat, Hallo Rappy, Sonic Knuckles cards Go to the card trading machine with a W PlayStation 2 Sonic Heroes save on your memory card. Madam's Umbrella card Go to the card trading machine with a Sonic Mega Collection save on your memory card. Unlock a dressing room Complete both offline stories. Lobby chairs Tired of standing in the lobby while you're waiting? Pull up a chair by pressing either X + A or X B in any online lobby to create a Photon chair. The color of the chair depends on your ID. To sit, press A; to get up, press B. CHAMPIONS OF NORRATH 844 Гоп!» Remaining Ps f5 7 “20 „+! — U Spell Book & Choose © Done The lands of Norrath are constantly at war. Train your warrior to fight these insurmountable hordes...or just tap a few buttons and start pillaging with a pumped-up specimen. Start with a level 20 character Start a new character, and as soon as you have control of him or her, press L1, R2, Triangle, and R3 at the same time. Agnus: Oh! There's а SHADOW POK&MON! Herr Replay takes the first shot with some sweet Pokémon Colosseum codes and finishes with a healthy dose of X-Files: Resist or Serve... a GC COLOSSEUM [Must he on] T5Q5-3214-1PN7X 1XQX-P4JW-BYNKZ XW15-0ED9-7TDK3 U37Y-NRU7-JNQNP QKD7-BBUR-PE574 H92V-PTOG-QAFTZ UZEN-7R25-VD1CJ 3R46-C157-GTX6K M401-KYPD-GXNTS H92V-PTOG-QAFTZ D3R6-UCX9-FYA60 Snag all enemies 4UH3-PJ43-9BE8D D5T4-BCVW-WQKTH QZZF-15QP-PGEQU XTXX-CVYP-JFCKG PHBR-5E46-3YZMZ Infinite money F34N-YFCE-B5VFF J6BC-FZ51-RZPYN B044-7UK5-9DJ16 Infinite Poké coupons DVFV-6HUU-GT7A3 WYXE-W14D-AXGBA CGVH-9ERC-671ZW In-Battle Codes BEJW-N529-XFTFH Superfast level up VKMU-V7UD-TF8WJ 41M0-D8DM-7REMW 134B-58MB-5FPR5 W XB X-FILES: RESIST OR SERVE [Must be on] Q8NG-WTVB-3XTVT BAC9-Z52C-TTY4H Infinite health 4EBB-35N1-0PDHR ZVM6-7K5G-9T10C Max note pages BN92-YOHN-BKQ9Y Q3KK-1NGW-DD1A7 All notes CYRQ-FNDC-N4KQG Q501-42BD-0DBON WY9T-12FW-XKURZ All levels—both 16J6-XAFR-FJTQC KNTR-2TTV-FRKJP Cheat Codes NNKX-P8V9-GT4NK Infinite ammo/items D6WY-A3EX-T6PZH 4GDH-0140-6WUR7 Invisible dead [L1 + L2] EH2N-374F-9QT3A 5U3B-B2R4-4X30A YMEM-KWVU-0V1EC p „but Monsieur Shark strikes back with tons of exclusive Onimusha: Blade Warriors and Boktai: The Sun is in Your Hands cheats. m PS2 ONIMUSHA: [Must be on] 94C498A4 3B3E8132 Unlock all levels 1491F528 36F0179C 1411F528 36F017BC 14510628 3670170C 14510628 3670172C 1451D628 3670171C 1450D628 3670173C Unlock all characters 240FEF96 EBCB1E17 240FEF96 EBCB1E37 240FEF96 EBCB1E87 240FEF96 EBCB1EA7 240FEF96 EBCB1E97 240FEF96 EBCB1EB7 2411F528 36F0170C 2411F528 36F0172C One kill for 40 D412B028 7670577C 1490B02A 3E70577C Player 1: Infinite health 04D0982A B6F055DC Player 1: Infinite special gauge 24D0932D 3EF0554E Player 1: Max health 04D0982B B6F055DC Player 1: One-hit death D4D29028 76F055DC 04509028 36F055DC Player 1: Fast left [L1 +12] D4403E77 9CF8CC42 2492D308 6650554C Player 1: Fast right [R1 R2] D4403E67 9DF88C4A 2492D308 6670554C Player 1: Red orb 0410B028 3670575C Player 1: Green orb 0490B028 3670575E Player 1: Blue orb 0410B028 3670575E № GBA BOKTAI: THE SUN IS IN YOUR HANDS [Must be on] 926A428B6ADE 043147E81044 46F6C94818E8 rovided by: Andrew Gerard - designed by MRC7-6NTX-N2JGA 29EV-N45B-P8774 Player 1: Max special Normal dead [R1 + R2] gauge 0JZX-2WFQ-C8N3W 24D09329 36F0554C One hit kills opponents | D11J-7106-YRJDQ Unlock sound mode F651E27A3AE0 E9A4E21B3798 FAJK-V3F4-QU2J9 KWXY-M7U2-MOYEJ 2B4C-GGNX-1M1V9 as 9N5U-UHGE-PBZNT One-shot kill 6W3K-Z5MU-7TRWW KXZ1-BA1F-OT90H Incendiary rounds YCH2-VWHA-P2UWC TB64-YP60-KF9AG Player 1: 50 percent health D4D29028 76F055DC 0400902С 3EF055DE Player 1: 25 percent health D4D29028 76F055DC 0450902A 36F055DE Unlock Hard difficulty C430437A54A0 DBC5431B59D8 » For more information call anytime ВИ COLLINS MAIN - TEMPE, ARIZONA y ШИ COLLINS WEST - PHOENIX, ARIZONA № PlayStation 2 FINAL FANTASY XI Bling Bling: How to Get Paid in Vana'diel So you wanna get paid? You wanna be the biggest baller in Vana'diel? Join the club and get in line. The life of a hustler ain't easy. You need to start small, and we'll show you how to do it. Just peep the name of your character's homeland below, and we'll tell you what you need to kill in order to rake in that cash. Bastok It may seem like the pickings are slim in Bastok in comparison to the other starting cities, but a closer inspection reveals a wealth of potential plunder. Start out by hunting huge hornets just outside of town. They'll drop wind crystals, which sell very well in the auction house, as well as beehive chips. Collect both of these in Stacks of 12, hawk them, and watch the money roll in. Once you hit level 5 or so, start taking on the various quaddavs that roam the Gustaberg areas. They'll drop all kinds of valuable stuff—quaddav back plates, quaddav helms, and various spell scrolls. They also drop small amounts of Ш PS2/XB MIX: MOTOTRAX Comedic bike types? Massive acceleration? Blatantly offensive name for the law-enforcement character? It's all here. Superfast acceleration Enter JIH345 at the Cheat menu. 116 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com Wi These cats drop their back plates and a bunch of spell scrolls you can hawk. money, which can easily add up. Also, keep your eyes open for goblin thugs— they'll drop fire crystals, which are always in demand, as well as wild onions, which can fetch you a nice sum. San d'Oria There's a gang of quests that can make you heavy loot in San d'Oria, most of Officer Dick Complete free ride in career mode. Police bike Complete all freestyle events. Slipknot bike Complete master supercross. Speed demon Complete career mode. Trick bot Complete freestyle in career mode. Xbox Speed demon Complete career mode. Trick bot Complete career mode. which involve collecting various monster parts. Your primary target for money- farming purposes should be ding bats. Not only do they drop wings you can trade to an NPC named Secodiand (Northern San d’Oria, position E-6) for 200 gil per pair, but they also drop highly salable te wind crystals. When you hit level 5, hunt the orcs that roam the Ronfaure areas— they drop fire crystals and various armor bits that are decently valuable. Finally, just like in Bastok, go after goblin thugs for their fire crystals, wild onions, and goblin gear, all of which sell very nicely at the auction house. Windurst It's all about the crawlers in Windurst. Learn to see them as living piles of gold, because the spools of silk thread they W These guys might as well bleed gold. Whenever you see one, kill it. Your wallet will thank you. drop can fetch upward of 10,000 gil for stacks of 12. Also, keep the crawler calculi they drop—you can trade them to an NPC named Illu Bohjaa (Windurst Woods, position H-6) in sets of three for 600 gil. In between crawler spawnings, go after the yagudo that roam the Sarutabaruta areas. They drop gil, wind crystals, yagudo necklaces, and yagudo feathers, all of which sell pretty decently. You can also trade the necklaces to an NPC named Nanaa Mihgo (Windurst Woods, position J-3) for 200 gil for every set of four. You'll get better rates at the auction house, no doubt, but trading them to Nanaa will net you an added bonus— an increased level of fame in Windurst, as well as brownie points with the underground trading operation she's a part of. E The only good birdman is a dead birdman. Hawk their feathers and their necklaces. No pun intended. Ш Xbox NINJA GAIDEN з Roh 4 11 SUPE be A PE TOA PLS rh № Here's looking at Ryu, kid: Hayabusa tackles the fear-inducing “well-lit lampshade” in a new get-up. While Ryu is adventuring out to retrieve the Dragon Sword, keep his classic ninja outfit on and obtain enough scarabs to get the Dabilahro. Ninja training outfit At the Main menu, highlight New Game, hold both trigger buttons, and press A. Miami, FL Armlet of Benediction Orlando, FL Collect 15 scarabs. x Р New Orleans, LA Houston, TX Dabilahro San Antonio, TX Collect 20 scarabs. 4 Dallas, TX Atlanta, GA Armlet of Fortune Collect 30 scarabs. Nashville, TN E0000 Charlotte, NC Kitetsu Future Ninja Suit and Plasma STAT Baltimore, MD Armlet of Tranquility Defeat Doku at the end of Chapter Sword Philadelphia, PA Collect 40 scarabs. 11. (Be careful, though, because After you complete the game, New York, NY it will drain your health if you highlight New Game, hold the left Jersey City, NJ Ninja Gaiden 1 are not wearing the Armlet of trigger, and press A. Boston, МА Collect 50 scarabs. Tranquility. ge ДЇЇ music and sound test Register online ADM 97 etroit, MI Ninja Gaiden 2 E 2 — Flawlessness Complete the game. и Once you obtain the original Ninja Upgrade the wooden sword to its ОШАЙ КҮ Gaiden, shoot the clock tower near max level of 7. Very Hard ; : Muramasa's shop in Tairon. Complete the game. ё E à и Windmill throwing star кер Ninja Gaiden 3 Located in a narrow alleyway down Register offline Kansas City, MO In the ceremonial room in the the street from Han's Bar. A Denver, CO aqueducts, jump up the wall where =ZGAMES Ue you found the golden scarab. Evil Ryu Portland, OR Complete the game on Very Hard. San Francisco, CA Dark Dragon Blade San Jose, CA Complete the game, then visit Movie gallery Las Vegas, NV Muramasa's shop in Chapter 13. Complete the game. Phoenix, AZ San Diego, CA Los Angeles, CA THE REST OF THE Extra-special “We've Finally Pushed Him Over the Edge" edition help me waa COUN, № Hey kids! Ride your bike off a roof. GI In this exciting game of wandering and toad-dodging, the audio engineers tried to create the ambient sounds of the forest. Like with every aspect of every E.T. game, they've failed complete- ly. What may be intended as crickets and toads are loud splats and snapping sounds that make it seem like your Game Boy is farting itself to pieces. If you love the sound of flatulence enough to stick around, you'll find that E.T. controls like a runaway log, and this brown pile of slimy space crap gets killed by EVERYTHING. Butterflies, rocks, turtles...if it's moving and farting, you're dead. You'd have better luck steering classic crap an ugly baby through a minefield by throw- ing firecrackers at it. Lock this nasty little thing up. And next time the cops see a boy flying his bicycle with a muppet in the basket, they should open fire. OOOH I WANNA DANCE WITH SOImeEBOOY My condolences on your head deformity, pal, but I’m still beating you up. While creating your character for the singing competition, you can select whether you're a boy or a girl. It doesn't matter which one you pick, though, because once you see what songs you get to sing, you're a girl. With such masculine choices as “Oooh, | Wanna Dance With Somebody!” and Will Survive,” you might as well be singing “Time to Get My Uterus Scraped (Push It, Push It!).” After selecting which song is going to emasculate you, it’s time to tap to the rhythm! Your digitized singing voice gets better or worse depend- ing on how well you tap, but it’s all relative: Even when you're tapping perfectly, you never sound like anything other than a robot being strangled at a drag show. A bad rendering of Paula Abdul told me that | really lit up the stage! Giggle! It was days ago, and | still haven’t stopped floating! | figured there’d be clowns in hell. My first mistake was 118 « ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.1UP.com reading the back of the box before playing Crazy Chase, because | learned that it was my job to rescue Princess Honey to make Planet Clown laugh again. | can’t tell you how much | didn’t want to do this. After reading that, the game could have been about spanking Wonder Woman with Bon Jovi and | would have hated it. Planet Clown can suck it. To rescue it, you race your clown down a path of comi- cal hilarity where bushes snag your clothes and puddles make you wet! When you con- trol this crazy clown’s antics, the only thing that can stop the laughter is you! For added fun, even if you make it to the end of a level, you can't move on unless you found all four hidden whatevers along the way. This was a brilliant design strategy, since some of the levels don't get REALLY hilari- ous until the eighth or ninth time through. Seriously, guys. For making me play this game—eat me. \ HOW ODD. ONE EYE ТНАТ JACK: IS NOT MY FAVORITE CARTOON *We're from Planet Punkazz; we think we're all that." Now that's quality exposition. To give consumers an idea of what they can expect from No Rules Get Phat, let me walk you through some of the features listed on the box. * "Skateboard, snowboard, shoot, and scratch to keep the Punkazz aliens from gettin' phat." Now this is totally true. You really will spend a lot of your time keeping aliens from gettin' phat. Although to be honest, | only shot a lot of them with a slingshot until they exploded. So if gettin" phat means not exploding from sling shots, then...you know what, РИ just trust whatever they said about phat. * "Bust out with trix such as Double Ollies, 360s, and hand plants." Translation: We've got a jump button. * "Five worlds including Colbutt Mountain and the Cocoa Soul Puffies cereal factory." Since Colbutt Mountain and that cereal mess are completely meaningless to the consumer, | assume the developers includ- ed them just so they'd get credit for how outrageously outrageous they are when they name things. Mission accomplished, wild men! Sure the education system рү: To make Scooby walk, press Right or Left on the Control Hy b OK, wait, wait, slow down. Left and what? Start again from “You are a moron." is collapsing, and breeding programs initi- ated by the stupid are producing idiot chil- dren in incredible numbers, but when a game involves walking sideways and jump- ing over ghosts, we do not need a damn 30-minute tutorial. Even if this was some poor kid's first videogame, | think he or she could figure it out. | don't remember being four years old at the arcade and demanding from God, "Two directions and a button!? Why does your Donkey Kong creation mock me with its indecipherable madness?" I'll tell you something right now: If you need any amount of training to get ready for the top-secret mission of hopping over a rat on Level 2, you probably have some mental condition named after you. Imagine if your first game was based on a movie that was a sequel to a movie based on a cartoon that sucked. x great moments in bad box art ATARI 1; 4. 11. 12. 13. 15. ACROSS Sega haunted-house shooter series (abbrv.) PS2 man-cycle racer Electric Pokémon attack Dead to Alive, or Skate to Die Message board for griping gamers Resident Evil 2 unlockable character . EA's minigaming dot-com . Buff blonde of Gladius . It's one under a bogey in Hot Shots Golf Jennifer Garner's console debut 3. Craftsman of older RPGs 6. Konami role-playing series . Makes Mario big, for short . Job for a retired wheelman? . The distance around Halo's Halo divided by the distance across it . Madden movements high- or side- . Alero or Toronado from upcoming GT4, for short . Mr. Mosquito, for one . Project Justice's Hayato teaches this (abbrv.) . What Oddworld's Abe does to control his enemies . Club for Virtua Fighter's Shun-Di? (abbrv.) . Hitman neck tattoo DRIV3R developer's most recent effort „ Like Maximo's suit . Splinter Cell rappelling tool . Devil May Cry hottie . Mini Metroid . Organization that typically . Duck Dodgers (N64) collectibles . Like a 4-on-3 team deathmatch? . Fight Night goal . Like Scope or Service . GT3's super Suzuki . Balloon Fight objective? . Military Madness (TurboGrafx-16) . Revealing Final Fantasy spell . The bad guys might wear a black . Ballers affiliate org. FROM THE CREATORS OF MACROSS, THE INSPIRATION FOR ROBOTECH®, NOVV COMES ORIGINAL VIDEO ANIMATION ITIEZESFAZZ LAT TIERE == FEIER Ты X371 THE — UR ˙ —- —.1 ш ПЕГЕ. Welcome to Megazone 23, where nothing is what it seems-this is a truth that street racer Shogo Yahagi has just confronted head- on. The world that he's lived in his entire life is a lie, the military is hot on his heels and his only chance for survival lies with a stolen robot motorcycle and an artificial intelligence that may or may not be telling him the truth. It’s a deadly race against time as Shogo must find a way to break the iron curtain of secrecy that surrounds the Megazone, before its keepers silence him forever Driver "Get out of my way!" action 3 NEC’s short-lived 16-bitter, for short Subject of a Capcom Crisis Syphon Filter 3 setting, for one The last NES Dragon Warrior in the ` U.S. *Do you want to continue?" response LOTR's Legolas, for one Like a 300ZX roof in 672 NCAA 2004's BYU mascot approves a(n) 22 DOWN (abbrv.) Console adapter Yoko's RE Outbreak access card... and her unique item tough tank one in Red Dead Revolver www.advfilms.com THE SECRET IS REVEALED ON DVD IN JUNE 2004. amazon COM figs dend you're done" and you could win a brand new 40GB Apple iPod.* (A PRIZE PACKAGE WORTH $500!) Just log on to: www.surveymonkey.com/ mobilegaming Enter your unique l. D. code: EGMSUBS And, complete a brief survey. It's that easy!** Be one of the first 500 people to complete the survey. Survey closes June 28, 2004. * "iPod" is a registered trademark of Apple Computer, Inc. Apple Computer, Inc. does not endorse or sponsor this sweepstakes. ** Go to www.surveymonkey.com/mobilegaming for complete sweepstakes rules. Only one entry per household. No purchase necessary. game ouer NEXT MONTH: AUGUST 2004 ° ISSUE 181 THE GREATEST — ^ _ SHOW ON EARTH! You call it the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). We call it the Circus of the Geeks. Once every year, our entire industry flies down to attend the world's biggest videogame trade show to soak in the lights, sounds, beverages, booth babes, and games—not necessarily in that order. Next month, we'll be back with a massive update. Want to know what the future has in store for your favorite console? Want an early impression of every major game from the show? Want a sneak peek at what's coming out later this year and next? Want to see pictures of these so-called booth babes? Of course you do. See you in 30. REVIEWS № DRIV3R (PS2/XB) @ Full Spectrum Warrior (XB) № NCAA Football 2005 (PS2/XB/GC) PREVIEWS № Tony Hawk's Underground 2 ^ Metroid Prime 2: Echoes (GC) (PS2/XB/GC) а. № GoldenEye: Rogue Agent М /? у 9 9 Final Fantasy _ E 1 ш Doom 3 (XB) (PS2/XB/GC) uesa >F — W Devil May Cry 3 (PS2)...and more! © PSP hands-on report! "Uva: coo" (All planned editorial content is subject to change.) ADVERTISER INDEX A.D. Vision Full Sail Real World Pepsi-Cola Company AN SW E RS www.advfilms.com . . wu. fulis ail. cue e 113 w. pepsico. coſũũ ni E TEST РЗ G-Net Media LLC Reebok International LTD www.g-netLtv ........................ 89 www.reebok.com ..................... Gillette Company Sony Computer Entertainment www.gillettecom ..................... 21 WWW.SCea.COm ..............« Hirameki International Group ........... 107 Square Enix U.S.A., Inc. Ignition USA www.square-enix-usa.com www.ignitionusa.com ................. 108 Take 2 Interactive Software Koei Corporation www.koeicom ...................„ 48-49 Target Stores www.blockbustercom ................. 43 Microsoft www.getintothegame.com Capcom USA, Inc. www.microsoft.com The Guildhall at SMU WWW.CapCOM.COM ................. 33, 71 Midway Games, Inc. www.guildhallsmu.edu ................ Collins College . mid way. com 39 Ubisoft Entertainment www.collinscollege.edu ............... 115 Milk Processors Wu. ubisoft. cou Eidos Interactive, Inc. vun. gotmilk. coͤoorͤmn n 55 Vivendi Universal Games www.eidos.com ................ 4-5, 36-37 Music Choice www.vugames.com ... Electronics Boutique/Eb Cat www.musicchoice.com ................. 81 Wizards of the Coast www.ebgames.com 23, 45, 59, 73, 87, 103 Nokia Telecommunications www.wizards.com .................... at New York, NY 10016 and additional mailing offices. Single issue rates: $4.99. The one year (12 issue) subscription rate is ng Monthly, P.O. Box 55721, Boulder, CO 80322-5721. Fo ption service que 445; Mail: Electronic Gaming Monthly, P.0. Box 55721, B 80322-5721 (ple hich you subscribe; do not send attachments): subhelp@egmmag com. The editors $24.97 in the U.S. an azine. POSTMASTER: Send address chan gi да (800) 779-1174 or (850) 682-71 contains information that will exp 19); Fax: U.S. and 8. E-mail (please type your ful Without limiting the rights under copyrights reserved herein, no part of this publication may be reprodu ed in, or introduced into a retrieva Copyright © 2004 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All rights reserved. Electronic Gaming Monthly is a registered trademark of Ziff Davis Put s publications or websites, or to use our logo, contact Ziff Davis Media's Rights and Permissions Manager, Olga Gonopolsky, at 12 2) 503-5438, Fax: (212) 503-1560. For article REPRINTS and E-PRINTS. c at: Tel: (866) 879-9144. Visit www.fostereprints.com to obtain quo s 1 ts and the char contained therein are o by the respective trademark and copyright owners. All materials listed in The Canadian GST Registration number is 140496720 RT. Publications Mail Agreement No. 40009221. Return undeliverable Canadian address ) or http-//subscr material from our FosteRepnnts. Printed in the U.S.A. ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com • 121 ш game over HSU AND CHAN'S OFFICIAL WEBSITE — WWW.APE-LAW.COM/EVILMONKEY GREETINGS, VIDEO GAMERS! LOOK FOR FULL-LENGTH HSU & CHAN COMICS AT YOUR LOCAL COMIC SHOP! (OR ORDER ONLINE AT WWW.SLAVELABOR.COM.) HELLO, VIDEO GAMERS! THE TANAKAMOBILE Excuse ME, МЧ Good UI |ЧЕАН, ме mane an ) ALL RIGHT, SU AND YAN '™ HSU TANAKA, THAT'S HAG, SADLY, NOT BEEN NARCOTICS HOBBYIST! APPOINTMENT ITS A LEFT GAME DESIGNERS ARE. MY BROTHER CHAN PERFORMING UP To do You KNow WHERE THE WERE мот TOTAL } ON Emon eot ERE Lost — ` 595 GARAGE 15 AROUND HERE? FARMERS, HERE NE, THEN WELL, Wi = к à E [| SOR e Ieee —— . WE HAVE А cAR Dust TELL не ? о ЗЯАЪЛАС HERE THAM SCRAPES, TREE DAMAGE, TO DROP OFF Hae AGE AND МЄ ы " SED NO фоск DAMAGE, AND THE b ET dou GET BACK Oe DOLLARS or ported T Ё - OCASIONAL LATE-NIGHT To THE BUSTUNG rem ы Дана. TRIP TO MEXICO HAVE HAT? PANHANDUNG A DUO DAMAGE AND ENDANGERED Е а HEIR Т CART SELLING HUNDREDS OF PEDESTRIANS. " FINALLY TAKEN THe THAI 5 INDUSTRY. CRACK < _ Do HE FR JUSTICE! know You'Re = е ^ COMING? 1 Y \ WHOA! HEY! | DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR THANK You NO PROBLEM. CARE 16 rior su cries! We GAME 15, BUT IF YOU AND VERY MUCH DONATE A DOLLAR TOWARDS wi ITS № WONDER WE THIS is THE CAR AGREED 10 TAKE YouR GOONS AREN'T BACK WiTH THE CAUSE OF NOT BEING COULDNT FIND THIS PLACE -- BIG, METAL THING THE EXTENDED “THE доо SERIES CUSTOM SOB IN SHOT BEFORE YOU GO? THERE ARE NO SIGNS, NOTHING On BLACK DONUTS. TEUN, GNE WARRANTY ON FRONT OF THE TULIP CLUB THAT CANT BE GOOD FoR, YOU'RE NOTINSARING | ME vw THE PHONE! IN EWE MINUTES, WERE mn rec reo اا‎ 1 CALM DOWN! GOING To BLOW Tied PROWESS. ouR LITTLE BLUE FRIEND, CALLED? WHERE'S THE CAR? THE KID HAS A боор PITCH, CHAN. GIVE HIM Two. T OCK HA tou" THERE Ir 15! TS BECOMUNG RAPIDLY GA MOBSTER, S m 5 BUT Look ! н 2 \ , Look ! APPARENT THAT Tw чо ARAS N RECRUITED GENTLEMEN! THOSE GUYS GARAGE MAY мот BEONE Е THEN SAD i ARE ALREADY OF THE MORE-CONVENTIONAL Й 15 7 ANYTHING Азар ij MUG TO You CAN Do TO МАР “PANACHE. YING SORT, WHERE THEY DON'T Ger us ОТТА STEAL т! iL YOu WITHOUT бос? MS? 4 IREASON.-- м GOING ТО Now GET Хо Have SOME VERY WORK, OR 1 S WORDED ‘Suet, COMMENT BOK " — ! THANK Чоо So MUCH! > 3 pond NT STO? THOSE MEN! WIS. CAR 15 NERS — THEY'RE STEALING кыр. к= ANYTIME, CITIZEN! N CMI. SAQ, THERE'S A DUCK BEHIND “OO. REAUNT | ? WELL, THAT WRAPS THAT UP ш "s сэв боны , ( THANK Чоо, y ` VIDEO GAMERS! de SUNT 50 YOUVE LED os STRAIGHT f aup ın THE SPIRIT Come BAEK IN 30 os THAT W TO А STOLEN-CAR RING OF Сосо FAITH, DANS FoR MORE DON'T EVEN HAVE THE STi, IT Was WE'VE BEEN AFTER HERE 15 AS MUCH NONSTOP ACTION! SPACE To Stow Y ' € or^ RD CONSIDERATE OF ‘EM AS WE COULD TO LEAVE THE Ramps UP. SALVAGE, J RIGHT BEFORE DON'T SNEEZE, 4 THEY SHOWED Uf E 1 WAS THIS CSE TO SEDUCING MY WAN To 122 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com —_ فف‎ Ай à s " " VERE “ 4 8 < " BA А “The best looking Xbox game кс ай” vh = T | — А MATURE 17+ Blood and Gore Mature Sexual Thomes — S VEMM | Strong Language Violence т + соо The Ohronieles of Riddick, Excape trom Butcher Bay" interactive game © 2004 Vivendi Universal Games, Inc. All Rights Reserved. “The Chronicles of Riddick” ™ & © Universal Studios. Licensed by Universal Studios Licensing LLLP. All Rights Reserved. Vivendi Universal Games and the Vivendi Universal Games 1000 ara Wademarks of Vivendi Universal Games, Inc, The Starbreeze Engine Technology © 2002-2004 Starbreeze AB. All rights reserved. The Starbreeze Logo is a trademark of Starbreeze AB. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox Live, {ho 4% 1090, And Ihe Xbox 10008 ara registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners. Parental advitory: A note to parents; Please consult www.filmratings.com for information regarding movie ratings in making viewing choices for children. You are Riddick, the most wanted man in the universe, in an original story set before the events in Universal Pictures' The Chronicles of Riddick (starring Vin Diesel), and the breakout hit Pitch Black, which first introduced the enigmatic anti-hero Riddick. Make a dramatic escape from Butcher Bay, the galaxy's deadliest prison, in this intense fusion of first-person shooter, fighter, and stealth adventure. www.riddickgame.com ESCAPE CHRON LCL ES DICK FROM BUTCHER OF BAY OWN THE — — p Lex омы Tut Сил с UU “The hest looking Khox game Thepulse-poundinghit from acclaimed animator we've ever Seen. that introduced Peter Chung, comes a And we've seen them all.” the world to Riddick! Stunning new vision TN of the Riddick universe! JUNE, 2004 DVD-JUNE 1, 2004 DVD -JUNE 15, 2004 www.thechroniclesofriddick.com Our goal is to preserve classic video game magazines so tha they are not lost permanently. People interested in helping out in any please visit us af www.retromags.c [f you come across anyone selling releases from this site, please do not support them and do let us know. Thank you!