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ALRIGHT, FELLAS, LET'S GET DOWN TO BUSINESS. HiT THE LiGHTS, MURRAY.
SO МЕ STILL NEED ONE MORE MEMBER TO PULL OFF OUR BiGGEST jOB YET. WE NEED A FAST LEARNER...
SOMEONE FEARLESS...
WHO CAN THiNK ON THEIR FEET...
AND SOMEONE WiTH A PLAYSTATION 2.
COME ON. ARE YOU WiTH US?
JayStation.e
LIVE IN YOUR WXRLD. PLAY IN OURS
Internet Connection, Network Adaptor (for PlayStation 2) and Memory Card (8МВ) (for PlayStation 2) (each sold separately).
Online play not available on all platforms. See back of product packs for details. INTERNET CONNECTION required for online play. PlayStation 2
online play requi
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IT'S GOOD TO BE BAD IN BOND'S WORLD- As а rogue МТБ agent Ta you'll claw your way to the top of the criminal underworld Visit www.esrb.org fighting alongside, and against, Bond villains like Odd Job, for updated rating Dr- No, and Goldfinger. Your ruthless campaign from the streets information. of Hong Kong to Dr. No's Crab Key Lair begins at EAGames-com
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On November 9th
Earth Will Never Be The Same
Customizable Soundtrack
1
Fight it out online! Taunt and unleash brutal attacks Take the fight to offices, restaurants, mini-golf on anyone, anywhere, anytime. courses, carnivals and of course... the backyard.
The most insane arsenal of weapons ever includes weed All new grappling system now includes submission wackers, deep fryers, chain saws, tables, chairs and fire. | holds, body part specific damage, and a defense system.
s www.bywgame.com Visit www.esrb.org J8
for updated rating а QQesBenen md information. DEVELOPMENT El c O = ESRB
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Backyard Wresting 2 There Goes The Neighborhood © 2004 Eidos. Developed by Paradox Development. Published by Eidos, Inc. Backyard Wresting and the Backyard Wresting logo are registered trademarks of Backyard Wresting, Inc. Paradox and the Paradox logo are trademarks of Paradox Development. Eidos and the Eidos logos ate registered trademarks ofthe Eidos Group of Companies. The rating icon is a registered trademark of the Entertainment Sofware Association. “PlayStation” and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Online pay requires Internet connection and Network Adapter (lor PlayStation 2) and Memory Card (8MB) (ог PlayStation 2) (each sold separate). The Online icon is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment America, nc. Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox Live, th Live logo, and the Xbox logos are ether registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U S. andlor other counties and are used under license rom Microsoft. Al other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. АП rights reserved. This product is not associated in any way wit Atari, Inc, Humongous Entertainment and their Backyard Sports amiy of games.
Tons. TANYA иши ври,
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©2004 Activision, Inc. Activision is a registered trademark and THUG is а trademark of Activision, Inc. All rights reserved. Tony Hawk is a registered trademark of Tony Hawk. PlayStation 2, GameCube and Xbox versions developed by Neversoft Entertainment, Inc. Game Boy Advance version developed by Vicarious Blood Visions. "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Online play requires internet connection, Crude Humor Network Adaptor (for PlayStation 2) and Memory Card (8MB) (for PlayStation 2) (each sold separately). The Online icon is a trademark of Sony Computer Language Entertainment America Inc. TM, @, Game Boy Advance and the Nintendo GameCube are trademarks of Nintendo. 92001 Nintendo. Microsoft, Xbox, and the
Suggestive Themes n ТЕК Alcohol Xbox logos are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries and are used under license
Violence from Microsoft. PC CD-ROM logo TM & ©2003 IEMA. GameSpy and the “Powered by GameSpy" design are trademarks of GameSpy Industries, Inc. All rights ESRB CONTENT RATING WWW. esrb org reserved. The ratings icon is a registered trademark of the Entertainment Software Association. All other trademarks and trade names are the property of н Е their respective owners. Screenshots taken from PlayStation @ 2 platform.
STARING AT?
It's Team НАМК vs. Team ВАМ in an all-out World Destruction Tour!
+ STORY МШЕ = |
вче
0:8
ACTIVISION.
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STAR WARS
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FIGHT THE GREATEST WARS IN THE GALAXY ANY WAY YOU WANT.
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egistered trademarks of or Entertainment Amen
www.starwarsbattlefront.com i cred ty GameSpy
ONLINE.
Entertainment Company Ltd. © 2004 (for PlayStation 2) and Memory а!
LETTERS
24 Tellus you love us at EGM@ziffdavis.com
PRESS START
The latest news, previews, features, and gaming gossip
32 NINTENDO DS: DOUBLE TAKE Scope the redesigned chassis for Nintendo's new handheld
33 GRAND THEFT AUTO ADVANCE Carjacking, hookers, and cop killing, now in a convenient travel size
36 BITE ME Hollywood casts some serious celebs for the upcoming BloodRayne movie
38 BUILDING CHARACTER Naughty Dog's top designers show us how to craft killer characters
40 FINAL FANTASY VII:
ADVENT CHILDREN Another look at the DVD sequel to the best-selling role-playing game ever
42 EGM INTERNATIONAL Lingerie catfights and RPG fan service from the mysterious Orient
46 FINDING HER GAME SPOT Secret techniques to get your girlfriend’s hands on your joystick
50 MARC ECKO'S GETTING UP Streetwear fashionista tries his hand at designing a videogame
52 SERVICE DISTINCTIONS We can actually tell all these war games apart. Really
54 AFTERTHOUGHTS: SILENT HILL 4 Konami's master of monsters spills his guts about the latest freak show
58 CELEBRITY INTERVIEW Brooke Burke gets wild on the subject of racing games
62 ONLINE Is it too late to join the massively multiplayer RPG party?
68 HOT 10 Yes, we really want Halo 2 and the new Zelda game, too
TRICKS OF THE TRADE
Game counseling, codes, and cheats
158 Fable
158 Silent Hill 4: The Room
159 Def Jam Fight for NY
160 Burnout 3: Takedown
161 GameShark vs. Action Replay
GAME OVER
Funny reviews and funny pages 162 REST OF THE CRAP
163 CROSSWORD
165 NEXT MONTH
166 HSU & CHAN
contents
issue 184 - november 2004
RAND THEFT AUTO:
FALL PREVIEW GUIDE
Your invaluable guide to the deluge of holiday gaming releases
We've hit the jackpot on the year's biggest game, scoring the first look at Las Venturas, San Andreas' glitzy Las Vegas-style city of sin. Plus, we ante up lots of other surprises: gang wars, kung fu dojos, and...basketball?
REVIEW CREW
We played our little hearts out so that you don't have to
124 Star Wars Battlefront
128 Test Drive: Eve of Destruction 128 The Guy Game
130 Shellshock: Nam '67
130 Second Sight
132 Def Jam Fight for NY
136 Terminator 3: The Redemption 136 Juiced
138 Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005 138 Mega Man X: Command Mission 140 Headhunter: Redemption
140 Katamari Damacy
142 Sly 2: Band of Thieves 143 DDR Extreme
143 Gradius V
144 Under the Skin
144 Shadow Hearts: Covenant
146 Fable 150 Galleon 150 Kingdom Under Fire
151 Donkey Konga 151 WWE Day of Reckoning
152 Advance Guardian Heroes 152 Mario Pinball Land 153 Pokémon FireRed/LeafGreen
editorial
As a real, live “woman gamer,” I'm often asked to tell people everything | know about our rare
species—what we like to play, why we don’t game more, how come there aren’t more of us in the industry like, if someone would just pull
back and unveil the magic formula
for capturing us wily creatures, then publishers would run right out and buy fatter wallets for all the extra money they'd be making. Yet the formula remains elusive, and 1 think | know why: It doesn't exist. Sure, addictive датеріау, interesting stories, solid tutorials, accessible difficulty, etc. all need to be in there.
But successfully applying a good formula doesn't necessarily attract more women—
it should attract more gamers in general. That's the key: Stop focusing on women as weird and different and start thinking of them as gamers just like you and me. Then we can focus on what really matters— good games and getting more people to play them. You can help the cause: See p. 46 for tips on how to get your girl gaming (if she isn't already). Won't it be cool when she's as psyched for GTA: San Andreas as you? —Jennifer Tsao, Managing Editor
All content copyright © 2004 Ziff Davis Media Inc. Reproduction, modification, or transmission, in whole or in part, by any means, without written permission from Ziff Davis Media Inc. is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved.
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DigitalLife is this year's ultimate technology event for home, work and play - featuring GameOn NY, the first major video game expo & tournament to hit New York City. Test cutting-edge action and sports games, compete in tournaments to win cash prizes, and drop by the Gamers Lounge to catch cool entertainment and celebrity guests.
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It's where gamers who live to play get what they need to suc- ceed: The best news, reuiews, preuiews, screen shots and cheats. Plus, on 1UP you can build your own community of gamers to share tips, tactics and euen success stories.
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Dan's Journal Check out that Splinter Cel eo
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To talk about games and more.
M Strikes
Pall Kids ч Dan's Games Dan's Interests
Collection Tracked Games Wish List Faves
c (12 1UP Rank Trade Play Online Expert Value (7 | ELE уш: Pagan (ава н ^ 9
YOUR GAMES To show off that
huge collection.
mere r wari чо Electronic Gaming Monthly
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$”
“...Right Now, There 1E NO Odhar
Game In е Сепгебї Ва Looks Of My Masa Wanta q] Games Remotely As Good si = Game
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"Чита, NPG Gidh Teada ооой ӘТ Scriptwriting And A nb harta lind) ЖЕНА су о реа Sense Of Humor.”
= GamePro
Summon Eccentric Characters То Do Your Dirty Work: Like This Poor Old Bastard Who Finds Traps...the Hard 3
Less A, More — Don't Underestimate Your Crafty Opponent
— Your Snarky or Nice decisions he game for true replayability,
Advanced Attitude System Change the course of t
Editor-in-Chief Dan "Shoe" Hsu we crunk Executive Editor Mark MacDonald Managing Editor Jennifer Tsao Senior Editor Спарі Boyer ws Editor Shane Bettenhausen ws Editor Demian Linn Editor Bryan Intihar sociate 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 Guest Reviewers Cris Baker Davi Bravo, Che Chou, Robert Colley, Kevin C hris Baker, David Bravo, Che Chou, Robert Coffey, Kevin Convertito, Digital Foundry, Eneone, Chuck Erst, Matt Leone, Nich Maragos, James “Milkman” Mielke, Thierry "Scooter" Nguyen, Christian Nutt, Greg Orlando, Jeremy Parish, Joe Rybicki, Marc Saltzman, Norm
DAN “SHOE” HSU, Editor-in-Chief LA | JON DUDLAK Scott, Seanbaby, Rey Serrano, Carrie Shepherd, David Smith, Justin
This month, Founder Steve Harris Elliott...for now. He's secretly scheming to dock the other Terminator 3 Г editors’ paychecks so that һе can afford to bring Shawn back. inspired Jon to. Senior Vice President Dale Strang
s ыа Editorial Director John Davison 1UP.com Blog: egmshoe.1UP.com microwave tin foil Creative Director Simon Cox in the hopes of an s
Е > 3 E Speer, Scott Steinberg, Nate Van Dyke, Giancarlo Varanini Shoe has to bid farewell to friend and associate editor Shawn
siness Director Bill Daniher
Мом Playing: The Chronicles of Riddick, Star Wars Battlefront, 4 : COPY DESK untimely demise. Copy Chief Tom Edwards. Phantom Brave, Advance Wars 2, Soul Calibur И, Slay (PC) Copy Editors Greg Ford, Susie Ochs, Maritza Refuerzo Fave Genres: Just about everything PRODUCTION E er Anne Marie Miguel senior Production Manager Anne Marie Migue GREG FORD Production Manager Monica Brent um 5 Good platformers дао Procl ат lasa eon MARK MACDONALD, Executive Editor like Sly 2 таке Consumer Group Circulation Director Tracy Schultz After being locked inside playing games all summer, Mark was г Ford happy and Gir tay Seles манту Онесло Сл кез profoundly disappointed by the lack of terrorist guards and Ў generous. Who Senior Newsstand Sales Manager Don Galen giant explosions on his recent camping trip. benefits? Rac- E Lee Unlacke 1UP.com Blog: egmmark.1UP.com x coons worldwide. Associate Group rede | Taigen заар АН р неа \dvertising Director Marci Yamaguchi Wow Playing: Katamari Damacy, Fable, Tetris, Gradius V, — Territory Managers and Acct Execs. ste aming Accounts Fave Gabres Acton, иаша ci ет КЕ м es: Action, е, і зу Area Peninsula. Kev knows that Regional Sales Manager Mary Gray no mix CD can go Коо Executive Amy Mishra , without at least Narn Bay о Oragon AR, СО IA D KS, LA MN, MO, T ND, НЕ НИ, JENNIFER TSAO, Managing Editor ` опе McDonald's NV OR, [4 SD, TX, UT, WA, WI, WY, Northwestern Canada Jen was all set to review Under the Skin, but then the Feds tune on it. Shame oun cule ia оп Gallon i а " " Я southwest stepped in and ruled that after playing the rolling blob game, по one else does. Southern California and Arizona the bongo drum game, and the dancing EyeToy game, she was нА ни legally prohibited from playing any more weird titles this month. DAN LEAHY East 5 s š a A a AL, CT, DE, FL, GA, IN, КУ MA, МЕ MI, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI JUP.com Blog: egmjennifer.1UP.com Dan's in therapy ‘SC, TN, VA, ИТ, W Eastern Canada Now Playing: Katamari Damacy, Burnout 3, Doom 3 (PC) after seeing his Oa San Мала fen кај Faye Genres: RPG, Adventure, Action Sports, Rhythm-Action swing imported cena ee into Tiger Woods’ лата Wes M аша, Consumer Accounts Manager Marc Callison CRISPIN BOYER, Senior Editor Create-a-Swing Account Executive Candace Droz Ü feature. Painful. сешп Бані АЕ After his doctor prescribed а 10-day break from videogames, тесни! Sales Marsus! Mattoon Е. Ponkan Crispin went to the only game-free spot left in the world: an = 3 2 JUPcom undersea cave. When he returned, he learned that his good pal PATRICK MAURO Wide ои Ва а Shawn was leaving EGM. Life was easier in the cave. Bs gs a p Editor-in-Chief Sam Kennedy а 1 , bu! is 1UP.com Blog: ейте! j. 1UP.com ТЫБ pun Pat В. Senior Advertsing Coordinator Tiper Ubbelohde ^ ari © ж: mana ] \dvertising Coordinator Monet Whitaker Now Playin tar Wars Battlefront, Shadow Hearts: Covenant goes by “Video- Sales Assistant Lynn Fortunato Fave Genres: Action, Adventure, RPG да ime Sports pus мшш бине Пекин атту! Specialist." MARKETING SHANE BETTENHAUSEN, Previews Editor = ane Rese reh Dire ir May Tong очен Henr z ч Marketing Coordinator Jason Freidenfelds After working like mad to finish the big Fall Games Preview, JOHN RICCIARDI у Shane enjoyed a brief trip to Amsterdam, where he rekindled е Just when John To contact Sales and Advertising, please call 415-647-8000 his love for art, film, and music. He suggests rewatching Star 4 thought he was Chairman & CEO најм ees СНЕМА " out, they pull him Robert Р Callahan Wars Episode | for a second look at Jar Jar's comedic genius. ak anh Presidents COO 1UP.com Blog: egmshane.1UP.com Pikachu and hi a NUN: Now Playing: Shadow Hearts: Covenant, Viewtiful Joe, Killzone На He pes i: Derek win Fave Genres: Action, Adventure, RPG, Fighting, Karaoke iaces ДО Bun Opens он LL E а = от McGrade PEAREN 5 i i Executive Vice President & W Ever read such illustrious gaming Бата reno z = ara N ichael J. Miller DEMIAN LINN, Reviews Editor magazines as GMR, OFFICIAL U.S. Executive Vice President,
Ger
eral Counsel & Secretary Gregory Barton
Demian tried to give his Heihachi Mishima King of Iron Fist PLAYSTATION MAGAZINE, XBOX NATION, combination trophy/coin bank to Shawn, whose savantlike fight- and 1UP.C0M? If not, you're doing your- Santor Vice Presidents ing game mastery earned it many times over, but the big lug self a gross disservice. We oughta Jasmine Alexander (Technology 4 Sales Operations)
Tim Castelli (РС Magazine Group) Chris Dobbrow (Corporate Sales & Publisher, eWEEK) Larry Green (Business Development & Worldwide Licensing) Charles Mast (Circulation) Sloan Seymour (Enterprise Group) Dale Strang (Game Group) Jason Young (тете) Vice Presidents. Sara Der Database Martina Р aron Goldberg (Market Expert я The Contributors Уп Hast vent Marketing Group) BRYAN INTIHAR, News Editor я Julie Herness (Event Marketing Group) As it came time to assign the big Def Jam review, we looked W A former OPM editor, game developer, Tom Jessiman (VP and General Manager, TUP.com)
Е Michael Krieger (Market Experts) for the hippest, most stylish EGMer around. So obviously, and American resident, TODD ZUNIGA left Charles Lee (integrated Media) Bryan was elated when he got the nod. But what he doesn't
said no thanks. DNI Now Playing: Burnout 3, Kingdom Under Fire, Katamari Damacy
know—we hijack their finest editors to help out when we're shorthanded.
retirement in the Canuck wilderness to Ee Laudat ita m Слет ш
н ^ ite jus s Gra Cris Magian (тете) know is that everyone else turned it down. What a sucka! write just one more story—our Grand Angelo Mandarano (тете) Theft Auto: San Andreas cover feature. Paul O'Reilly (Event Marketing Group)
1UPcom Blog: egmbryan.1UPcom Now Playing: Def Jam Fight for NY, Paper Mario 2
+ H h AN Ellen Pearlman (Editor-in-Chief, CIO Insight) I Naughty Dog's lead production designer Melinda Maginn (Integrated Media & Corporate Sales)
со-спа anii Beth Repeta (Human Resources) and co-character animator, ВОВ RAFEI, Martha Schwartz (ustorvConference Group) honed the look for every series from Crash Pam Spector (Business Development and Intematonal Licensing) 3 Tom Steinert-Threleld (Editor-in-Chief, Baseline) = Bandicoot to Jak and Daxter. And this Stephen Suton (Internet Audience Development) ЕВИ aM its Š da Vale (Research & Market Intelligence} SHAWN ELLIOTT, Associate Editor month, he made EGM its very own mascot Stephen Veith (Publisher, CIO твр This is Shawn's last month as a full-timer. We'll miss his dry for our "Building Character" story. К RS SS EN wit, jokes, and work ethic. We won't miss his postlunch W Writer SCOTT STEINBERG went all Director, Corporate Communications Randy Zane а "Cause e back as а midwife this month, assisting in the birth IT West Coast gas...or his writing! "Cause he'll be back as a contributor.. d a 9 TEMO Са analyst ВИ Schober 10р соп Blog: egmshawn.1UP.com of aforementioned mascot. Technical Specialist Вор Hall Now Playing: Def Jam Fight for NY, Burnout 3, Doom 3 (PC), a W New York-based freelancer LAUREN ren ат кшш
GONZALEZ mined the annals of pop psy-
chology for six strategies guaranteed to ‘Subscription Service 800-779-1174 E-mail subhelp@egmmag.com
tar Wars Battlefront, Katamari Damacy
Fave Genres: Fighting, Shooters, Racing, Action й 9 весь ані turn your girlfriend on to videogames.
20 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com
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CONTENT RATED BY ESRB
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Begin Your Journey
Ewe Enter the amazing world of Vana’diel® Join an ever-growing population
й ої adventurers in exploring the only
Ме; online FINAL FANTASY game, the
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00 ы l: Ш For lote etd aeta o Son GPS. нот лота on ani Soy Compte вина Ante IO інно» й Ў $ www.playonline.com icon rs a пайети ol he Entertain Software Association. Software рано ФІРМА 2004 d > y
ranting, raving, and...wait, is that what ше think it is?
It’s totally not what you think.
play? The third dungeon’s floor plan in the NES Classics The Legend of Zelda forms a swastika. What's this Nazi crap doing in a Nintendo game? —Kenny Thomas
As a symbol for prosperity, the swastika was widely used throughout the ancient world, including Mesopotamia, Asia, and the Americas. Japanese Buddhists use the version you saw, which moves ina counterclockwise direction and Y is called the “тапй.” In other words, we're pretty sure there's no anti- Semitic or pro-Nazi intent behind Zelda's use of the sketchy symbol.
Just
Last issue, Scarface's Senior Producer Peter
POST OFFICE
Wanat claimed that "the only thing we will not do with [the game] is puss out." This after you explained that, even though illegal substances are the cornerstone of the Montana empire, Tony will never actually use dope in the game. Why base a game on a drug-taking drug kingpin if you aren't going to depict it properly? And what's this about a “rage mode"? I'm sure Tony's ability to rampage through a barrage of bullets had something to do with the heaps of coke he helped himself to, so why not have him take a fat hit before a firefight? —Klaydoggy
All the day and | might need gaming therapy, if such a thing exists. Out of the 19 days I've had Final Fantasy XI (456 hours to be exact), I've already logged in 130 hours for a ratio of 3.5 to 1. In other words, for every three and a half hours, I've played it for з опе hour. | used to get eight to 10 hours of sleep a night, but that's slipped to somewhere between four and six. Farewell family, friends, and pet turtles—l see only the sleepless road to Vana'diel ahead. — Sean Strnad
of the month
We don't even have to check your math to see that you're in need of a shrink, Sean.
Leap of
As a former marketing director for the Total Living Network, I'm glad to see that Mega Man came out on top in ЕСМ #182'5 Grudge Match. Like curmudgeon Senator Joseph Lieberman, TLN evangelist Jerry Rose has a habit of fingering videogames as the cause of violent crimes such as the Columbine shooting. And don't worry about "divine intervention." | was on the inside of the network, and intervention from below seems far likelier than from above, if you catch my sulfuric drift.
Ranting and raving from our message boards, boards.fUP.com (look for Electronic Gaming Monthly's forums)
The love game How'd you turn your gal on to gaming?
KloneBoi: Animal Crossing all the way. 1 guess she prefers uncomplicated games with simple controls.
24 e ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY ® www.1UP.com
© Getting girls to play games? Easy. We paid this model 5200 ап hour to pretend to play with us.
Disappeared: Never had one. Ever try conversing with a girl when all you can talk about is how you spent 80 hours leveling up your entire party in Final Fantasy? 0r how you memorized the guard patrol routes in Metal Gear Solid?
Shockgn'r: My girl says games are childish and then flips out when | don't invite her to play with me.
Morf: Try the multiplayer Pac-Man Vs. It's fun to eat each other.
Chixdiggit: My girlfriend won't play games, but she loves getting on the headset while I'm on Xbox Live. She pretends it’s her playing and talks trash to the guys about being schooled by a girl.
Nba2ksteve: | got her to play Tekken, but she quit because I’m cutthroat.
Gamer113: Simple: Stick with cute characters (Animal Crossing) and stuff you can play together (Donkey Konga).
—Dean Pappas
Congratulations, Cara! As our Letter of the Month writer, you've won a copy of some game or another for Electronic Arts' new all-in-one entertainment system. (0f course, we're kidding about that last part.)
Tastes like
Hey dude, it's been awhile since I’ve written, so | just thought | would take a sec to catch up with you. Kara left me a couple months ago, and our divorce is final tomorrow. She soaked me for child support and alimony. Whatever, though, life goes. on. At least | don't have anyone bitching at me over my shoulder all the time. | spend most of my time online now—it's pretty соо! how much **** you can see and learn. OK, OK, so | spend most of my time surfing for porn. It's so screwed up how people don't cover their asses, though. You'd think with the kind of investment they have to make that these idiots would pay more attention to their stuff. Like this one: [Internet link deleted for decency's sake].
CONTACT EGM
Carrier pigeons, smoke signals, string and styrofoam cups, messages in bottles, and the Pony Express won't cut it. Contact us at EGM@ziffdavis.com or:
EGM Letters 101 2nd Street, 8th Floor San Francisco, CA 94105
GOT BEE
Moving? Miss an issue? Contact our customer service department.
E-mail: subhelp@egmmag.com Website: http://service.egmmag.com Phone toll-free: (800) 779-1174 Old-fashioned way: РО. Box 55722 Boulder, CO 80322-5722
BACK ISSUES?
Email back_issues@ziffdavis.com to order old issues.
-
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- Screw Spider-Man 2. After а spastic Doc Ock's swinging tentacles 3 threw me every which way for half an hour, | snatched the game out of my system and went to work. Thing is, 1 went about it with a serial
killer's style—all calm and cool-like.
“
” —Mike Staub
Dude, they didn’t even bother to password protect the thing! And ГИ bet they are wondering why they can't sell anything. All right bro, I've gotta run...nice talkin’ to you again, and say hi to Kristin for me.
—Steve
Steve is a bad, bad man. Clicking his link unleashes an Armageddon of human growth hormone and penis enlargement offers. Imagine that.
in the rack | am pissed. In Missing in Action (ЕСМ
#183) you claimed that the Kill Bill game is as "dead as Bill and the rest of his assassins." Way to ruin the ending for those of us who haven't seen Vol. 2 yet and are waiting for the DVD.
--Крет
At least we didn't tell you that there are aliens in Aliens, the boat sinks in Titanic, and Japan bombs Pearl Harbor in Pearl Harbor.
We Who decides which games an editor reviews? | ask because I'd love to hear
GAME DESIGN-0-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
TRUE CRIME: STOCK TIPS
Аз taskmaster of the world's most notorious insider-trading ring, it's your immoral duty to destroy all evidence by any means necessary. Missions include shredding documents, smashing hard drives, deleting messages, and
26 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY ® www.1UP.com
strong-arming enemy brokers—.all while baking confections and arranging flowers. Succeed, and the feds'll eat your cookies and kiss your hands; fail, and you're tossing salad in a federal penitentiary. —Prince Howard
what Managing Editor Jennifer Tsao thinks about shooters and sports franchises. —Tailpipe
That's the job of one Demian Linn, EGM Reviews Editor. Whiny and/or demanding editors can, of course, request to be on particular games, but Demian makes the final assignments, and he usually does so based on an editor’s expertise. That’s why you don’t see Jennifer reviewing the latest Madden or Medal of Honor. But maybe if she really wanted to be on the next Madden review...
Must be Good news: A new EGM arrived in the mail. Bad news: A few weeks later at a local newsstand, | found the same issue with a plastic cover and a DVD. The secret's out, so why are you slighting us subscribers?
—Josh Marks
Where newsstand buyers have to cough up extra cash for the added content, we weren’t about to charge existing subscribers more for something they didn’t ask for. However, if the DVDs do prove popular enough, we'll look into offering slightly pricier special subscriptions with the grab bag of goodies.
speaking Any word on a sequel to Square Enix's classics Chrono Trigger (SNES) and Chrono Cross (PS1)? Please say yes. — т Hackler
Square Enix issued an expected “по comment" on the subject, but we've heard rumblings about the future of the Chrono franchise. A few years back, Square registered a trademark for “Chrono Break," but so far, nothing has come of this project. Also, Square recently surveyed Japanese players, asking if they'd like to see a remake of Chrono Trigger for the Nintendo DS. If you're in serious need of a Chrono fix, though, check out Namco's Ваѓел Kaitos for GameCube: It's the work of the director and scenario writer of Chrono Cross, and the similarities are all too obvious.
Everybody I'm a recovering fat guy. Thanks to Dance Dance Revolution l've lost 20 Ibs in as many days (and without leaving the house). Sure, I've broken a few dance mats, but that's a small price to pay for a healthier physique. Seriously, where strict adherence to Subway's low-cal sandwiches couldn't cut the mustard, DOR worked wonders.
—Mike Staub жи.
Old-school doughboys wishing they had Dance Dance Revolution.
icked team move from Crash g Cortex”
LISKATE
10 out of 10
crutches!
Cartoon Violence
к. Microsoft, Xbox and the Xbox logos ae registered trademarks ог trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the rite States and/or other countries. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association,
PlayStation.
A RE
Visit www.esrb.org for updated rating
information.
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Control your elite fighter squadron moment-by-moment
using Wingman Command to turn the tides of war.
———
authentically detailed
planes and choose your aircraft colors.
Dogfight and dive-bomb in air, sea and land assaults across more than 30 missions Engage in an epic story with multiple game modes and unlockable extras.
Pilot 50 licensed,
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OFFICIAL GUIDE
BRADVGAMES OWN THE SKIES: FALL 2004
www.namco.com
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gaming news, previews,
DOUBLE TAKE
snoochy boochies, and other stuff
Look again—Nintendo’s new handheld gets a name and а redesign
eggie Fils-Aime is one cocky Nintendo executive. “If you main- tain dominance for five years, it's
called amazing,” he says. “If you succeed
for a decade, it's called unprecedented. But if you do it for 15 years, you can only call it one thing: Game Boy." But who could fault
him for being so brash? Nintendo's family of handhelds has KO'd every competitor, and leading it into the next round is a two-head- ed...er, make that a two-screened monster.
So what's the official name of this portable beast? You can call it Nintendo DS. (Yeah, yeah, we know that's been its
moniker since day one.) While the name stays the same, the unit itself has changed dramatically since its unveiling this past May. After some very necessary nips and tucks, the DS looks, and should play, better than before. (Peep all the details below.) Unfortunately, Nintendo still won't share
two crucial pieces of information: a launch date and a price. The company swears the DS is on target for a year-end release (we hear November), and most in the financial community predict the machine will cost between $150 and $180.
—Bryan Intihar
№ Before and after: The original DS design (above) lacked the polish of the current unit.
MD AAAAAAA
Trimmer, but Go Ahead, Sounds Control Yourself, Samus Secret Square Shot to Bigger Touch It About Right On the DS games front, we hear first-per- A Nintendo rep the Heart
The loss of baby fat As you may know, Nintendo engi- son shooter Metroid Prime: Hunters will says the function A leaked DS test gives the DS a the DS's 3-inch neers have also feature an alternate (and less awkward) of the mysterious report claims that
control setup that doesn't use the touch screen for looking around and shooting. | AE (E |
3
square slot (next to the headphone jack on the bottom right of the unit) will be revealed soon, along with alternate color schemes for the DS shell.
you should keep a distance of nine inches from any- one with a pace- maker while play- ing networked DS games. What will happen? We dou- ble-dog dare you....
lower screen dou- bles as a touch pad. And thanks to the redesign, the unit will also include a storage slot (supposedly in the back) for the trusty stylus.
thinner base and an angular plat- inum flip-top cover. The face and shoulder buttons, however, are now larger to accom- modate those with adult-size paws.
NINTENDO KEEPS TAKING US BACK TO THE OLD SCHOOL—ON OCTOBER 25, THE COMPANY WILL ADD FOUR MORE TITLES TO ITS ALREADY STACKED CLASSIC NES SERIES FOR GAME
32 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com
gone ahead and tweaked the machine’s speak- ers so that they broadcast in stereo sound whether or not you're using head- phones.
Bring on the Games
Check out some of the more than 120 DS titles currently in develop- ment. Want to know when they'll be coming to a game store near you? Well, so do we....
Spid
Atlus USA Snowboard Kids DS
Ban Mobile Suit Gundam Seed
Capcom Mega Man Battle Network Viewtiful Joe
Electronic Arts
GoldenEye, Madden NFL, Need for Speed Underground, Tiger Woods PGA Tour, The Urbz: Sims in the City А
Konami
Boktai, Castlevania, World Soccer Winning Eleven, Vandal Hearts, Yu-Gi-Oh!: Nightmare Troubadour
Namco Mr. Driller, Pac "п Roll, Pac:
Nintendo
Animal Crossing DS, Mario Kart DS, Metroid Prime: Hunters, New Super Mario Bros., Pictochat, Super Mario 64x4, WarioWare Inc. DS
Square Enix Secret of Mana, Dragon Warrior, Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles
Sega Sonic DS
—
GETS
handheld version of Grand A Theft Auto has been rumored
for what seems like forever, but given what will finally come out this October, Rockstar might be forgiven for taking its sweet ol’ time. Surprisingly, GTA Advance isn't a port ог a compila- tion of the games that started the con- troversial landmark franchise back on the original PlayStation. Rather, the old- school top-down view and 2D graphics hide an original game (codeveloped by Digital Eclipse—makers of the upcom- ing cutesy actioner Death, Jr. for PlayStation Portable) that's as ambitious as any of its flashier predecessors.
A new story of crime in Liberty City, driven by cinematics and digitized voice clips, begins one year before Grand Theft Auto Ill takes place (the PS2 and
GAME BOY ADVANCE
jacks Nintendos ride
Xbox game is also set in this fictional Manhattan). Young Mafia runner Mike has seen his mentor killed in a car- bomb double-cross, leaving him broke and on the run from the cops and the Mob. A straightforward enough setup, but ensuing missions offer real twists. A simple protection pickup for Asuka's уакига сіап (familiar 6743 characters are back with new roles in the story) can end in different ways, depending on choices made at a midmission branch point. If a casino owner can't pay up, just burn his joint to the ground...or take him up on a job whacking the cor- rupt cops shaking him down.
The old town has also grown since your last visit. “Liberty City in GTA Advance is actually larger than the one іп GTA3,” says a Rockstar гер. "It's
twice the surface area." The metropolis is broken down into familiar divisions, though—Portland, Staunton Island, and Shoreside Vales, each with a different visual style and selection of land- marks—and they unlock progressively in the same old way.
As for how to get around, well, noth- ing’s changed there. If it has wheels, you can jack it. Or treads, for that mat- ter—on top of a vehicle lineup number- ing in the dozens, somewhere there’s a tank with your name on it.
—David Smith
Out on the Town
Rampage missions have been part of every GTA, but vehicular side quests didn’t show up until later. The GBA game features the whole package. Expect more than 300 diversions, including taxicab schlepping, vigilante missions in squad cars, ambulance rescue missions, firefighting in a hook-and-ladder, plus the odd spot of unrestrained violence.
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actual game screen
Ghandi and the Terminatrix join the cast of the BloodRayne movie
e've known for a while that
Brightlight Pictures was bring-
ing Majesco's horror-action franchise to the silver screen sometime in late 2005, but now the BloodRayne film finally has some Hollywood star power behind it.
Kristanna Loken, the actress who made California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger look like a girly man in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, has signed on to play bloodsucking heroine Rayne. Opposite her will be Sir Ben Kingsley, who starved himself to an
Academy Award for his performance in 1982's Ghandi and more recently (and embarrassingly) appeared in this sum- mer's belly flop Thunderbirds. He'll take on the role of Kagan, Rayne's vampire father and main adversary. Other addi- tions to the cast are expected soon (rumors persist that The Fast and the Furious’ Michelle Rodriguez will join).
The film takes place in 16th century Romania (maybe they can reuse parts of the Van Helsing set? We hear it rents out for cheap) and details the ongoing feud between Rayne and her poppa.
And in Other News Out of Hollywood...
© Production continues оп SpyHunter, starring WWE wrassler The Rock, with Face/Off director John Woo behind the camera. Look for it to race to theaters next summer.
© Speaking of the People’s Champ, The Rock has expressed interest in Universal's film adaptation of Id Software’s Doom. We're still holding out for Bruce Campbell...
39 Visit www.boll-kg.de for a sneak peek at the Alone in the Dark movie. Judging from the trailer, the flick looks...uh...well...Alone in the Dark was a great game, wasn't it?
GRUDGE MATCH
Is it better to burn out than fade away?
a. Z BURNOUT 3 A BURNOUT
The third Burnout is an absolute speed demon, but there's just something about the smell of incense and unwashed body mass. Dim the lights and load up Yellow Submarine while the letters from parents pour in following this matchup.
CHIEF CHARACTERISTICS.
Lots of car crashes and generally fast movement Advantage: Burnout 3
NOTEWORTHY ACHIEVEMENT
Finding half of yesterday's Subway Club in couch cushions
FUELED BY
Lots of sentence fragments and generally slow
A е і movement
Maintaining a speed of 200 mph Advantage: Burnout 3
Fossil fuels Advantage: Burnout 3
Future fossils
GAMING IMPACT
Has come a long way since the Atari Spent all day trying to finish Pole Position 2600 racer Pole Position Advantage: A Burnout
POTENTIALLY CONFUSED WITH
An alcoholic Advantage: A Burnout
DRIV3R
FUTURE PROSPECTS
=>
Phish show in Des
Moines. After that, whatever
The coveted fourth installment Advantage: Burnout 3
>> TOTALLY RADDI! AND 14 YEAR OLD GIRLS, TWO BANDS THAT PLAY SONGS ABOUT GAMES, WILL RELEASE NEW ALBUMS ON OCTOBER 5. PEEP RETARDDISCO.COM FOR DETAILS... >>
36 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY є www.1UP.com
МЕТ LOOK AROUND MAW... -
| Воат ага / Уу Pace оп more than 125 š ⁄ й miles of open road
Encounter underground р Races, secret Specialty shops and unexpected challengers.
Customize your ridê inside and out- spinners, scissor doors, audio upgrades and detailed performance 5 tuning.
Choose from hundreds of authentic
aftermarket parts for
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pressions =
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Compete in eight exciting game modes, including all-new Qutrun, Downhill Drift, Street-X and Showcase.
PRODUCTS RANGE FROM RATING PENDING то EVERYONE
PlayStation.
press stərt
BUILDING CHARACTER
It's alive! Net CHARACTER NAME: HELZ BELL We have an ` is | gei? OCCUPATION: HALF DEMON
expert make “ 1 our own mascot in N six easy steps
all it construction work: e Naughty Dog cofounder Jason
Rubin has made a name for himself helping to create timeless icons like Crash Bandicoot and more current mascot material Jak and Daxter. But with so many equally for- gettable game characters—Sphinx, Vexx, that goateed gimp from Haven— we couldn’t help but wonder what sep- arates the winners from the polygonal poseurs. Follow the steps for the sketch here, ballparked by Rubin on the spot and drawn by Naughty Dog Art Director Bob Rafei, for a god's eye view of character creation. Just don't blame Rubin—who provides the color com-
mentary—if it sucks. ^We usually Маке him dangerous
spend more than 15 minutes putting these guys together,” he says. —Scott Steinberg
“Helz deserves a weapon, and when designing, stick with slight extensions of reality. A shotgun’s good...one that's slightly larger and
Build the body £ 4 has four barrels is even better.
"The base every charac- 5 E , £ | [Weapons] should instantly сопуеу а ter starts from. It defines what a char- à ` character's background by connecting acter can do. Want a fast character? 4 м VA j \ just enough with the past to offer а Make him narrow and windswept. t - | ; í f brief but self-explanatory glimpse into Want to go crazy? Make a fat charac- РА b | his personal history." ter who jumps really high. Here, we've У і got a scrapper—he's a fighter, so he
needs to be midsize and mobile."
Accessorize!
“Don’t load personalities up with accoutrements—let players do that optionally.... Just add enough features that are instantly recognizable. We'll go with black pants, no shirt, and a massive red tribal tattoo. Killer glass- es—silver with rose-colored lenses— and dangling jewelry work, too."
Give him legs
“Two's usually enough for anyone. But use them in interesting ways. Let's say this guy's got a Jekyll-Hyde thing going. When he gets angry, he grows a jy foot and his legs go double-jointed. It becomes obvious then that he can run at a faster pace and leap farther."
Add the head “Another key characteristic. Let's make our face chiseled, [because] our
* subject's angry at the world. We'll skip
the token beard, though. You should
j avoid using obscuring facial hair: It can
make the character look like Santa Claus. Some neck tattoos work, though, but nothing too weird—our
= man shouldn't scare the ladies.
"Es The collectibles "Tie them into the narrative. Helz has a dark side—let's make him drink potions to turn into a demon. Which presents a new set of design chal- lenges: What does becoming a mon- ster mean from a gameplay stand- point? It's worse when marketing is involved. Try explaining why a demon
ration by Adam Rex.
s of the Coast, Inc © 2004 Wiza
3 $ š | š E
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Clearing out monsters and racking up experience points started with the DUNGEONS 8: DRAGONS? 3 org ONS”
roleplaying game. And with an endless number of spells, skills, and special abilities to choose from, it's still the best way to level up and take on whatever comes next.
'om EXPERIENCE COUNTS
PSP/DVD
of the прац Пруіе worth
he release of Final Fantasy МІ:
Advent Children may not be until
next year, but you still could’ve caught a lengthy glimpse of the stunning CG-animated movie—if you lived in Italy. Yup, Square Enix recently gave attendees
у
of the 61st Venice International Film Festival a look at roughly half of the 70- minute flick, which is set two years after the events of the role-playing masterpiece for the original PlayStation.
But don't be too disappointed. We've
Shameless plug: The same cellular phone you'll see charac- ters using in the movie will be released in Japan later this year. Maybe Cloud's chatting about the film's top-secret plot...
© боца comes f Ü jua aid of his la
got a batch of all-new images that should hold you over until Advent Children arrives here on PSP and DVD. And try eating some spaghetti and meatballs while checking "ет out—you'll feel just like you were in Venice. OK, not really.
See you at the movies? Square Enix President Yoichi Wada told a Japanese gaming mag that a Final Fantasy VII: Advent. Children theatrical release isn't entirely out of the question.
FAMILIAR FACES
More Final Fantasy VII heroes return to Midgar
me Gainsborough: Fanboys still weep over her tragic death. But does this mean she's back from the grave?
>> THE DELAY OF GAME CONTINUES—PUBLISHER BANDAI HAS PUSHED BACK TI
Cid Highwind: Hopefully by now, this middle-aged, tech-savvy pilot has defeated his greatest enemy: nicotine.
40 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com
unlucky if you were a one-eyed feline whose tail was always on fire.
EASE OF ITS COWBOY BEBOP TITLE (PS2) FROM THIS FALL UNTIL SOMETIME NEXT YEAR.
DESERT ISLAND GAMES:
Every so often, we ship a celebrity or a bigwig game designer off to а desert island and ask what three console games he’d want us to cast away with him. Now on the beach: Professional jackass Steve-0, whom you can see molesting animals on MTV's Wildboyz and gallivanting on a mechanical bull in Tony Hawk’s Underground 2. (Or just stop by his virtual cri ESPN NFL 2К5.) Here’s the surprising pacifist’s picks. —Mare Saltzman
NFL 2K (Dreamcast)
“| was raised іп a household where it was a requirement to love the game of football. So you can bet that my first choice would be this Dreamcast classic."
Tony Hawk's Underground (Multi)
“Мо question about it—I have to bring this game”
Crash Bandicoot (Р51)
“The only other choice | would feel strongly about would be to not bring along any games involving violating or murdering others, so let's go with the first Crash Bandicoot.”
=
t, Inc. ©2004 Wizards, Mustration by Adam Rex.
TEMA Their First Job.
sses, are property of Wizards of
Cracking skulls on the way to fight the Big Bad Guy started in the DUNGEONS & DRAGONs? roleplaying game. And with thousands of monsters and countless ways to customize them, it's still the best way to go to work.
We did it first. We still do it best. playdnd.com EXPERIENCE COUNTS
EGM INTERNATIONAL
Culture schmulture. Bring on the girls!
PS2 THE CATFIGHT
You mean, like, Lindsay Lohan and Hilary Duff dukin’ it out? Nope, no feuding teeny- boppers here (your dream of a Lohan-Duff showdown will have to stay just that). Instead, The Catfight features 10 rockin’ bikini babes beating the crap out of one another with fists, folding chairs, and the occasional samurai sword. This is no mindless brawl, though—you need to mix regular punches and kicks with kinky slapping and groping to raise your “sexy meter" (no really, that's what it's called) and unleash brutal finishing moves.
My God, ! want this right now. Please, try to control yourself. The Catfight is part of a series of PS2 games in Japan that cost only 2,000 yen (about $18). The result? Pretty boring gameplay and the occasional game-crashing bug.
PS2 XENOSAGA FREAKS
Xenosaga really is for freaks, isn't it? Now, now. There's nothing wrong with liking a role- playing game, even if it does have a female robot with enormous bosoms on the cover. Freaks is a "fan disc” for Xenosaga—a collec- tion of minigames and other bonus stuff for people who just can't get enough of the origi- nal. It's got an encyclopedia of characters and locations, a Scrabble-ish word puzzle, and an adventure game where KOS-MOS, the robotic cover girl, grows cat ears and begins clawing at her pals (trust us, it's very scientific).
Do fan discs ever come out here? Rarely, but Freaks should—the Xenosaga sequel isn't coming here until 2005, and the first game sold better in North America than it did in Japan.
OLD SCHOOL
10 years ago in ЕСМ
© On the Cover:
Doom
The editors went to
hell and back to give TH readers ап exclusive ۱ first look at Doom, ра the demonic first- person fragfest for
Sega’s 32X Genesis add-on.
Game of the Month: Donkey Kong Country (SNES) — with competitors like а 7-foot-tall martial artist (Shaq- Fu) and a snot-filled superhero. (Boogerman), it's no surprise that the popular primate's visually astounding side-scroller swung away with the top honor.
Seeing Red
The mag revealed the first specs for Nintendo's Virtual Boy, the so-called 32-bit virtual reality system that launched nearly a year later. Too bad the stink from its disastrous showing can still be smelled today.
A Knuckle Sandwich
EGM broke the news on Sonic & Knuckles’ lock-on technology, which allows players to plug Sonic 2 or 3 into the cart to open up all-new areas and play the Genesis classics as Knuckles. Score!
>> MIDWAY RECENTLY ACQUIRED THE PUBLISHING RIGHTS TO THE NEXT THREE UNREAL GAMES, WHICH INCLUDES THE 2005 FRAG-FILLED SHOOTER UNREAL CHAMPIONSHIP 2 (XB).... >>
42 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com
Powering up your character го take out everything in sight started with the DUNGEONS & Dracons® roleplaying game. And with the D&D° Basic Game, you've got everything you need to start blowing through level after level of monsters.
Available ага Game Store Near You
EXPERIENCE COUNTS
oin the ext Movement
All players are not created equal. Some big men look for the open 19-footer, others crash the boards like a wrecking ball with an afro. That's what Next Movement with IsoMotion? technology is all about. Every player performs with the same skills and style as he does in real life, which ` makes ESPN NBA 2К5 the most complete, most authentic NBA video game you can buy. Check out ESPN NBA 2К5... and let the Next Movement begin.
“the most complete hoops game on the
Sega is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Sega and the Sega logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Sega Corporation © SEGA CORPORATION, 2004. All Rights Re n b б used on or in this product are frademani copyrighted designs and other forms of intellectual property of NBA Properties, Inc. and the respective NBA member teams and may not be used, in whole or in part, without the prior written Gor roperti y rties, Inc. АП rights reserved. ESPN is a trademark of ESPN. Ir “PlayStation” and the "РО" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Online play requires internet connection, Network Adaptor (or PlayStation 2) and Memory Card (ME) (for Plays tel) The Online icon is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainme
America Inc. Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox Live, Xbox Live logos and Xbox logos are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation іп the U.S. and/or in other countries and are used ( f ESPN, nc. ESPN Branded Elements ©2004 ESPN, lr
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HITHER
SPOT
Your girlfriend not a gamer? Not for long. Top shrinks tell how to turn on her digital addiction
ts Friday night and you and а | crashes the party, blowing a hole sulted a panel of “experts”—actually, what makes women tick into games
pal just powered up Halo for through your plans faster than a six top psychologists, psychiatrists, that'll kickstart their videogame crav-
some cooperative blasting, Covenant plasma rifle. Don’t switch and anthropologists from the past cen- | ings. Some of these games even have but then your non-gaming girlfriend the channel to TLC just yet. EGM con- tury—and translated their theories on a gun or two. —Lauren Gonzalez
Shrink rap: Philosop! psychologist arl 1 wasn't troubled by a girlfriend. who refused to pla! videogames in 1921. Probably had something to
but we'd like to give credit to his understanding that
women are “extroverted intuitives” who jump from one
thing to the next without solving the prior problem,
How does that help you? Jung's theory suggests you can lure your girlfriend into play with nonlinear titles; if she can't get through a frustrating level three, choose games where she can skip level three and go straight to four. Just don't test this theory on a first date.
жашаш бате5
No need to commit to M here. She can p to lots of lev:
Knights of the 014 Republic (XB)—This epic roleplayer packs a galaxy of planets she can visit in any order. Satisfies her bad-boy fantasies, too.
SSX 3 (PS2/XB/GC)—Right from the get-go, she'll have ап entire mountain of open-ended, big-air runs to choose from.
š are from Mars, Women are from Venus, ‘Just as a | man is fulfilled through working out the intricate -
details of solving a problem, a woman is fulfilled
| through talking about the details of her problems.” In
other words, ladies dig the whole interpersonal-rela- tionship thing, solving problems via conversation and
missions with little character interaction just grates on а gal's nerves. Role-playing and story-driven game: give her a return on her emotional investment. Just:
_| Paper Mario 2 (Gt
RPG's colorful cast ап! ‘cutesy art style will give
| | multiple Nintendogasm:
| book, Sexual Personae, “Tragic woman is less moral
ќа Translation: Don't underestimate her desire |
меге’ ed film without all the blood on the highw:
down the байк path in this medieval adventure.
to speed, shoot, and start a Criminal empire all in опе go.
>> TIGER TELEMATICS WILL LAUNCH GIZMONDO, THE COMPANY'S NEW GAMING HANDHELD FEATURING GLOBAL-POSITIONING CAPABILITIES, DURING THE EARLY PART OF NEXT YEAR.
46 • ELECTRONIC.
be the best.
“| | Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life (GC)—Simulates the sim- -ple life of a farmer, complete with—cha-ching!—horse grooming. She's so there.
The Sims Bustin’ Out (PS2/XB/GC)—Because what could be more monotonous than а game that simulates real life?
craft clothes, gussy up the
house—whatever she wants.
Tony Hawk's Underground (PS2/XB/GC)—She can skate | and/or die at her own pace in = M this game's sprawling "hoods.
| Spider-Man 2 (PS2/XB/GC)
Let crime sort itself out—she’ll
"| have a blast just web-swinging
around the Big Apple.
Phantasy Star Online: Episode І & Ії (XB/GC)— Cooperate, tour exotic lands, | slay alien critters—playing PS0 with her is like going
on a vacation...in spaaaace!
| Final Fantasy XI (PS2)]— She'll find hundreds of pals in this online RPG. Just make Sure some elvaan lothario doesn't steal her virtual heart.
Ss
ONE MORE THING...
Can a century of psychology be wrong? Maybe. But if one of these six strategies isn't getting her hooked, mix and match them. Sooner or later she'll find something she likes. Just don't get frustrated
| when your girl starts beating you at your own
games. And if all fails and she refuses to touch your joypad, the least you can do is feed her some lines the next time you're geeking out with your gaming
|| pals. All she's gotta say is, “Gaming just hasn't been
the same since the Super Nintendo days," and she's in. Or, even better: “Ра do Chun-li." ња.
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TLOOK: [ARC ECKO'S GETTING ый
CONTENTS — UNDER < PRESSURE
Get up with the vet down
orry, it's not a game about erec- x= tile dysfunction. Atari's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure tackles a completely different, yet nearly as thrilling (and potentially messy) pas- time—graffiti. “Making а game has been е. | a personal goal of mine since | was in ту Р early 20s,” explains NYC graffiti-artist- turned-urban-fashion-designer Marc Ecko. “I dream about gaming...it's one of 3 Wie the most exciting mediums to tap in to popular culture.” His dream game? Under Pressure, ап urban action project being developed by The Collective for PS2. What exactly is an “urban action рго- ject"? Imagine the spray-can artistry of
Sega’s Jet Grind Radio series (Dreamcast,
Xbox), minus the roller skates but with a hearty does of Grand Theft
Auto-esque go-anywhere free- -« N. J
dom. “The gameplay is designed to enhance the real-world graf experi-
ence, but not to be
solely dependent on
that,” according to тя Ecko. "[It's about] і quickly assessing а situ- ation or location to tag, get- ting the piece up, and getting the hell out...undetected!” So before your character, Trane, can make his mark on the ‘oppressive cityscape of
New Radius, he’ll have to sneak or fight his way to a location, then find a way to reach the magic spot—a subway wall, huge propaganda billboard, and the side of a bridge make prime locations. Once you take your tag, your clever ass had better figure a quick way out of there. Getting it up doesn’t mean much if you just end up getting shot down, yo.
Ecko feels that Getting Up will actually benefit the counterculture realm of graffiti — art by building an immersive world around tagging. “We have the chance to finally tell the urban narrative the right way,” he says, “with soul and sincerity in
the real voice of our culture. We're going to shatter cliché stereotypes yê and create the first truly authentic urban videogame experience.”
The game’s subversive |. nature isn't bothering согро- Eu 1 rate America, though. “The
Man” was not directly avail-
>. ° able for comment, but Bruno J
| of publisher Atari, claims " the project "speaks directly to urban youth culture, which has rapidly emerged as one of the most influential ` social groups of our time.” . . We'll find out who gets up on who when the game hits in 2005. 4% —Justin Speer
3 ^ Воппе!, chairman and СЕО т
curd
Get in, make your mark, and get the hell out—before the fuzz catches you.
50 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY, @awww.1UP.com
=
Prepare to fight fof | your right to paint: „7 Futuristic cops will rough you up if you're caught while “getting up.”
“You will explore interiors, exteriors and, оЁбошзе, the nooks and crannies of the NBWiRadius Transit system,” зауз! Ecko.
WHAT'S PLAYING IN THE COMPUTER
GAIVIING
ь.
вз. з
Hey, guess what? Doom 315 finally. out...for PC, that is. And you might actually enjoy it—provided you're а fan of riveting action, mind-blowing graphics, scarifying scare tactics, and state-of-the-art gaming.
The single-player experience is sim- ply the most frightening thing since the original Half-Life. For the majority of the time, this first-person shoot-em- up forgoes the “bazillions of bastards” design philosophy of the previous Doom games for a tight, nightmarish series of intimate life-and-death strug- gles; it’s just you and a couple of bloodthirsty freaks going head to head. The game engine is precisely the tech- nological marvel you’d expect, but you'll be too busy dealing with its handiwork—the flickering lights, the suffocating darkness, the insanely detailed models and environments—to slackjaw much about all that program- ming genius. From the moment the first hellspawn appear in the game’s claustrophobic Martian mining station, you're knee-deep in the dead, fighting one vicious battle after another.
The multiplayer action, however, is a whole different beast. Making the adjustment between the nerve-wrack- ing, deliberate progress of playing solo and the higher-speed stalking of multi- player is one of Doom 3’s more inter- esting challenges. Some may frown at the small number of maps (six) and player support (four), but it still rocks. Sound has never meant so much in a deathmatch, as a heavy shroud of darkness is draped over every map, creating not the nonstop mayhem of an Unreal Tournament or Quake III but a tense cat-and-mouse struggle punc- tuated by delirious episodes of soul- satisfying savagery.
So is Doom 3 the game of the year? Maybe. Best game of the year so far? Undoubtedly.
—Robert Coffey, Computer Gaming World
as that Men of Honor or Medal of Valor, Brothers in Duty, or Call to Arms? Enough war
DISTINCTIONS
Find your way through the fog of forthcoming war games
games are on the way to make even born killers consider giving peace a chance, and to tell the truth, sometimes even the
pros have a tough time telling "ет apart. We let the propaganda ministers of each war effort say their piece, then put in our
MEN OF VALOR XB * VU Games
CONFLICT: VIETNAM PS2/XB • Globalstar
SHELLSHOCK: МАМ 257 PS2/XB ° Eidos
WIETCONG: PURPLE HAZE PS2/XB г Gathering
BROTHERS IN ARMS XB е Ubisoft
х BROTHERS Erg
CALL OF DUTY: FINEST HOUR PS2/XB/GC •
John Whitmore, director of development: *High production values, mature story line, and intense combat dis- tinguish it from the competition. With an innovative combat system, lush jungle environments, and authentic scenarios, plus co-op and online multiplayer support, Men of Valor raises the bar for the genre."
Lee Singleton, producer: "Conflict: Vietnam is a squad-based game that por- trays the paranoia soldiers felt during this war. Trapped behind enemy lines with little training and dwindling sup- plies, knowing hidden VC and booby traps are all around, players will feel their hearts pumping as they creep through the deep jungles."
Clayton Palma, producer: “Shel/Shock: Nam '67 is the most true-to-life depic- tion of the bloody Vietnam conflict. You'll witness the horror and brutality of war as you try to survive your first tour of duty in the steamy jungles and killing fields of Southeast Asia."
Phil Mikkelson, producer: “Vietcong was the first PC first-person shooter to tackle the Vietnam War. Vietcong: Purple Haze brings the same atmosphere and realism to PS2 and Xbox. Via Xbox Live, players can battle in customizable multi- player modes and keep it fresh by down- loading new maps and missions.”
Mike Jeffress, brand manager: “Brothers in Arms is the only WWII shooter that tells the true story of Sgt. Matt Baker and his squad of 101st Airborne para- troopers during the most critical missions of the D-Day invasions.”
Jeff Matsushita, producer: “Experience the chaos of battle as never before, taking the role of a vari- ety of ordinary soldiers fighting as a tight-knit squad through the epic moments of World War Il.”
With its smart scripting and first-per- son perspective, Men of Valor hopes to put you inside the troubled head of its real African-American hero. Plus, we have high hopes for its hard-hitting multiplayer modes.
The series that started with the first Gulf War (Conflict: Desert Storm) has always had potential, but Gomer Pyle-caliber А.І. kept it on the reserve list. Friends and foes alike are allegedly smarter this time, and four player co-op always helps minimize casualties.
Nam '67 proved a bit too short and too straightforward to awe all of our reviewers this month (page 130), but it certainly shocked 'em with its. unflinching take on the war's hard- to-stomach aspects.
Scorchin' '60s soundtrack, a squad of specialists, deadly booby traps to dis- arm—check, check, and check. It's all here, but we're wondering whether Vietcong will have the nec- essary production values to pull its parts together.
Matt who? Unerring historical accuracy aside, it's the game's Full Spectrum Warrior-meets-Medal of Honor angle that’s got us standing at attention. Much like the former, you'll issue orders to two fire teams, but you'll still control an individual trooper like you would with the latter.
Call of Duty is the first game in the genre to let you enlist with the Brits in the Mediterranean and the Red army on the Eastern Front. (See our preview on page 99 for a full briefing).
Enemy at the Gates
own two cents. (Note: With the exception of ShellShock, all impressions are based on early intel. —Shawn Elliott
J
` Vietnam Service Medal
Hero of the Soviet Union
>> JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT IT WAS SAFE ТО GO BACK IN THE WATER, A GAME BASED ON THE MOVIE JAWS SWIMS TO PS2 AND XBOX NEXT SUMMER. AT LEAST YOU'RE THE SHARK.... >>
52 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY г www.1UPcom
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AFTERTHOUGHIS:
THE ROOM
We revisit the freakiest home in town
f there were a “What the
f***?" award in gaming, the
Silent Hill franchise would have no space left in its trophy case. Konami's survival-horrorfest has con- tinually found new terrifying ways to screw with our minds, and Silent Hill 4: The Room (PS2/XB) is no exception. In an effort to avoid weekly visits to a shrink, we called upon Producer and Sound Director Akira Yamaoka to cleanse our psyches and discuss the game's new perspective, the lack of Silent Hill in Silent Hill 4, and how he sleeps at night.
ЕСМ: With The Room's relatively quick release and its references to Silent Hill 3's Cult and Claudia, it almost seems
No UFOs: The Room doesn't include that perplexing, albeit traditional, series ending.
like you planned the two games to tell a larger story.
We developed them almost simultaneously but had no intention of the stories overlapping. Rather, my main goal in Silent Hill 4 was to convey the differ- ent game style as early as possible.
EGM: Speaking of which, the new first- person sections in the apartment are extremely effective and scary. Do you think that viewpoint is the future of the Silent Hill series?
Thanks for the compliment, and, yes, you can look forward to new Silent Hill titles using the first-person perspective as effec- tively as other games today.
EGM: Some of us were bummed with the lack of bosses. Was that a con- scious choice?
| didn't intentionally stay away from boss fights. | simply thought that having too many of them would be odd in this story concept. But you might see more bosses in future games.
EGM: It seems incredibly difficult to get the best ending in this game. Do you have any tips on how to purify your room completely?
WHOSE CAME IS IT ANYWAY?
Match the title to its story line. C’mon, use that brain of yours...
A Viewtiful Joe (PS2/GC)
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (GC)
Super Mario Bros. (NES/GBA)
Wi Up close and personal: Look for the first-person perspective to play a more prominent roli in the next Silent Hill game.
Well, | would like you to think hard about what really is Silent Hill 4's best end- ing. [Laughs]
EGM: Uh...0K. But what about the usual head-scratching UFO ending—every game in the series has included one....
Unfortunately, there's no ЏЕО ending in Silent Hill 4.
EGM: Oh well. We found it strange that you really never go to Silent Hill in this
BJ
Our hero travels through a monster-filled world, using a sword and sailboat to rescue a damsel in distress.
Our hero travels through a monster-filled world, using a giant yo-yo to rescue a damsel in distress.
Our hero travels through a monster-filled world, using action-movie moves to rescue a damsel in distress.
game, only near it. Will future games also take place outside the town? Maybe, maybe not. [Laughs]
EGM: Last thing: Your games have given plenty of people (including us) night- mares. Do you ever have scary dreams about Silent Hill?
Not really, but one of my staff members told me that he recently had a dream where he was sleeping while somebody's hand was in his chest.
Our hero travels through a monster-filled world, using the power of mushrooms (uh-oh) to rescue a damsel in distress.
Rygar: The Legendary Adventure (PS2)
Illustration by Eneone
>> A NEW WARIO WARE TITLE (GBA) WILL FEATURE A MOTION-SENSOR DEVICE MUCH LIKE THE ONE IN KIRBY'S TILT 'N' TUMBLE (GBC). AN EARLY 2005
54 е ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY ® www.1UP.com
КОВ EVERY CHOICE, A CONSEQUENCE,
What if the choices you made had everlasting repercussions? Your every action would immediately affect your appearance and change the way people perceive you. Would you wield a sword in the name of virtue, create а path of evil with spells and treachery, or become something in between? Before you create your destiny, know this: no two Fables are the same. What will yours be?
xbox.com/fable
Blood Sexual Themes
Strong Language апга LIONHEAD Violence STUDIOS
XBOX
дате СТАРА
it's good to play together
Alone, you are mighty. Together, you are legencdis. —Professor Charles Xavier
Violence ESRB CONTENT RATING —www.esrb.org ^ Y 3N.
MARVEL, X-MEN, and all Marvel characters and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks of Marvel Characters, Inc., and are used with permission. Copyright © 2004. МІ rights reserved. www.marvel.com. Published by activision.com
Activision Publishing, Inc. Game code © 2004 Activision, Inc. Activision is a registered trademark of Activision, Inc. АН rights reserved. "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Microsoft, Xbox and the Xbox Logos are registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries. TM, ©, and the Nintendo GameCube logo are trademarks of Nintendo. © 2001 Nintendo. Nokia and N-Gage are trademarks or registered trademarks of Nokia Corporation. The ratings icon is a registered trademark of the Entertainment Software Association. All other trademarks and trade names
are the properties of their respective owners. °F xcluding N-Gage version
Strategically recruit and upgrade your team of 4 mutants from a cast of 15 playable X-Men”:
Traverse a new X-Men action/RPG with an arsenal of superpowers.
IN ID AVAILABLE NOW*
CELEBRITY GAMER:
One of Hollywood's hottest goes wild on consoles
е can’t decide which is easier
on the eyes: one of the slick-
est upcoming street racers or а gorgeous actress whose life is devot- ed to the pursuit of adventure. Thankfully, it’s a moot point, as this November you'll get to check out both when former Wild On host Brooke Burke makes a cameo in Electronic Arts’ Need for Speed Underground 2 (PS2/XB/GC). We recently took a spin with the buxom beauty and chatted about her role as Underground 275 rac- ing coordinator Rachel.
—Scott Steinberg
EGM: What made you wanna get involved in this project?
You may have noticed I'm into trying new things. And I’m really into gaming. Kitting out cars is awesome, too. It's what | do for fun in real life.
EGM: You mean to tell us videogames get you all fired up?
Of course! I’m a huge fan of Pac-Man and Tetris, just like every other celebrity. [Laughs] Seriously, though, the title I'm most addicted to right now is Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2. | play it in my home theater. It's amazing how cool the game looks on a giant screen.
EGM: Any particular consoles get your motor purring?
I'm a big fan of PlayStation 2, but | just got Xbox and | love how the machine shows
off the capabilities of my audio-visual setup.
ЕСМ: Think you're Hollywood’s most hardcore gamer?
No way! Look at guys like Christian Slater, David Spade, and all the musicians
who play while they are on tour. | don't even
come close to claiming that title.
EGM: But you do know your stuff. So tell us why a serious enthusiast would bother with ЕД'є latest racer?
The same reason | would— because of all the options it offers. I'm shocked at how true to life the game is. For instance, | own a Mercedes and the first thing | did was trick out the car.
EGM: All right, which showcases sexier
>> ATTENTION ALL ROLE-PLAYING FANS: NAMCO HAS RECENTLY ANNOUNCED THAT THE PS2-EXCLUSIVE XENOSAGA EPISODE И WILL ARRIVE ON STORE SHELVES NEXT FEBRUAI
hardbodies: Underground 2 or Wild On?
Ooh, that's a tough one. I’m impressed with the caliber of cars and girls they've got in this game, but Wild On has thou- sands of beautiful women each season. | guess I'm torn...
EGM: ОК, time to fess up: What's the worst moving violation you've ever gotten in real life?
| once got two speeding tickets driving from Arizona to Los Angeles. The open free- way is hard to resist. I've also racked up two fines at one stop sign. And the worst part is that it all happened in one year's time. Lame, huh? ќа
ў
58 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com
M Even Brooke would be proud to drive in this pimped-out ride.
Photograph courtesy ої neriahdavisphoto.com]
Fighters a
change:
{
Suggestive Themes š $ T ee PlayStation.2 ESNIKE
© SNK PLAYMORE, THE KING OF FIGHTERS ів a registered trademark Ol SNK PLAYMORE CORPORATION. “SNK” & “NEOGEO” are registered tratiemarks of SNK PLAYMORE CORPORATION Blavetalion GTC FS Рану logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Enteriainment Inc. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Entertainment Software Associations
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Final Fan
metrosexuals, ~~ female felines, beastly giants, and even cute versions of Mini Me can all live in harmony.
ONLINE THIS MONTH
Із it too late to join Final Fantasy’s online party?
skills, abilities, and powers. Once your character reaches that point, beef up a subjob immediately, as many dedicated FFXI parties will only consider new mem- bers with a fully developed subjob. Level 20 is when you'll be strong enough to start making your way to Jeuno, the cen- tral city that binds all three starting nations. It is also the place where you can earn your chocobo license, which enables you to ride those giant yellow birds safely between nations and unlock all-new quests and leveling opportunities. By the time you hit level 30, you can go on missions to gain exotic advanced jobs such as samurai, ninja, summoner, ranger, dragoon, and bard.
he prospect of playing a mas-
sively multiplayer online role-
playing game can be daunting, especially one that launched on PlayStation 2 six months ago like Final Fantasy Х. So is it possible to join the game now after thousands of players have already spent the better portion of '04 get- ting to the upper stratosphere of the level cap? Most definitely.
Don't begin as a level 1 warrior and imme- diately stand around town begging for money or help. In fact, expect your charac- ter's first 20 levels to be somewhat tedious. There's а reason for this, though— it's to introduce you to things like soloing, partying, performing weapon skillchains, and growing comfortable with the menu System. So the sooner you come to grips that there's no quick rise to the top, the sooner you'll enjoy the process.
Dipping your feet in
Newcomers to FFXI should understand a few things. First, everyone already playing the game got all of their equipment and spells the hard way—they earned them
Getting up to speed
At level 18, you can activate the quest to acquire a subjob, which, depending on how you mix and match, can double your
The Not-So-Old Ball and Chain: i > New adventures await Final Fantasy Xl) ë ام The prognosis players at the end of September with the? Don't be intimidated by all the advanced release of the Chains of Promathia players. There's always a fresh batch of expansion pack. This one will feature. people joining every day, and you'll contin- ually find FFXI vets willing to tag along with your wet-behind-the-ears character as they build up an additional subjob. And who knows, the next person you meet could be your future spouse (FFX/ features virtual marriages). —James Mielke
three huge environments and over 40 subregions to explore, and although
the Chains development team remains j mum on full details, new summons:
and job classes are also expected,
must-hit fansites
AUS UP АТ
Hear All About Halo 2
Check out egmextras.1UP.com to
read how smashing cantaloupes with a metal pipe is just one small part of designing Halo 2's audio. Plus, don't miss our complete Afterthoughts Q&A with the producer of Silent Hill 4.
What Time Is It?
Yeeeeahhh boyyyy! Also posted on the the above-mentioned site is an inter- view with hardcore rapper and Def Jam Fight for NY grappler Flava Flav, who tells us which game he considers public enemy No. 1.
1UP.com Club in the Spotlight: GTA: Nice City 1 noticed you just ate some potato salad. You should really ЖЕШ wait at least one hour before
going swimming ог you'll get cramps something ани
Someone should tell game-hatin’ Sen. Joe Lieberman about this ever-growing club (nicecity-club.1UP.com). These guys and gals are cleaning up the streets of the Grand Theft Auto series by designing naughty-free minigames.
Must-Hit Blog
Brutal honesty—that’s what you can expect from EGM alumnus and current Xbox Nation editor Che Chou’s online journal (chespace.1UP.com). So if a
game bites the big one, Che will surely mention it in his daily rants.
MIDWAY
A fantastical world filled with 5 ancient magic, mystical lore, и akable с
Combine split second timing and skillful combat strategy to master the Judgment Ring's powerful and stackable attacks
t as a Harmonizer and transform into more than 20 astonishing
creatures |
Partial Nudity Suggestive Themes Violence
AND MAGIC SKILLS WITH | | TO COMBAT TERRIFYING | QUER THE EVIL THAT
SH UPON THE WORLD,
_ Ріаубіагіоп.о
Хуу
Shirk ху ae AL CANCER.
|
& D
> 5 The vear is SD 772. Fayt's vacation on the peaceful world of Hyda is shattered when an unknown military force attack Separated from all he knows and loves, Fayt must brave the galaxy to recover what һе һаѕ lost. - А
арс:
SQUARE ENIX. рогат. ` s
Www.square-enix-usa.com š 4 PRO LOGIC П Published by Square Enix U.S.A., Inc. SQUARE ENIX. MOBILE SQUARE ENIX, and the SQUARE ENIX logo are trademarks of Square Enix Со, Ltd.Dotty-Pré Logic, and the double-D symbol ate trademarks of Dolby Laboratories. "PlayStation" and the “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of
‘Sony Computer Enteitainment inc: The fatings icon is a trademark of the Entertainment Software Association, WWW.SQEXM.COM
Blood
Violence © 2003, 2004 tri-Ace Inc. SQUARE ENIX CO. LTD. Ай Rights Reserved. STAR OCEAN, TILL, THE END OF TIME,
By THE NUM
Massively. multiplayer online figures
THE RUMOR MILL
Putting the scuttle back in your butt
t happens every fall—The Q's
social life drowns in a sea of
triple-A titles, each one more delicious than the last. And to borrow a phrase from KC and the Sunshine Band: That's the way, uh-huh, uh-huh, like it, uh-huh, uh-huh. Anyhoo, here's what my gossip-hounds sniffed out this month—1 have no doubt you'll he pleased. And, as always, feel free to shoot me a message at quartermann@ziffdavis.com...and try to keep "ет clean, people. | —The Q
Gimme two, please
Let's start this round of rumors off with a bang: When it comes to PlayStation Portable software, | hear that several big- name companies are simultaneously
“Hi, remember те? Not really? Well, I'm coming back anyway."
developing titles to go out on both the PlayStation 2 and the PSP. Why should this interest you? Well, if my sources are cor- rect, game saves will be compatible between the two versions. Imagine: You can begin playing a game on the handheld, then transfer saves to the console and pick up right where you left off (or vice versa). Sounds like a plan. And hey, while you're at it guys, why not include a discount coupon in one version of the game for the other?
X marks the spot for sequels Sure, several folks at Microsoft may have Xbox 2 on the brain, but that doesn't mean the company has forgotten about its cur- rent console. A handful of new Xbox titles remain in the works, including sequels to the squad-based sci-fi shooter Brute Force and the online dogfighter Crimson Skies.
A soul-sucking handheld
If there's one thing I've learned about this biz, it's never to trust developers when they say, "This is the last game in the series." Case in point: Word around the campfire is that Onimusha, Capcom's demon-slaying action franchise, is returning to the gaming scene for PlayStation Portable. And speak- ing of Sony's upcoming handheld, that guy making the tasty s'mores tells me Killzone will bring its fraggin’ prowess to PSP.
7 Sammy’s ready to slice through PSP.
Million
Active characters in the. Final Fantasy XI community
Users during peak hours
Virtual marriages in Final Fantasy XI
Percentage of virtual marriage$'eriding in. divorce due to the eventual revelation
that both partners are
men in real life. VE та
A voice from the grave
A while back, | spoke of a certain company (cough, EA, cough) creating a game based on The Godfather film trilogy. Well, here's more gossip that may land me sleeping with the fishes: | hear the late Marlon Brando, who played the "boss" of the Corleone family in the films, did some voice work for the game before passing away.
Whip it good
7 “Мап, Рт getting too old for this s***.”
Will a fourth Indiana Jones movie ever happen? The 0 sure hopes so (Raiders of the Lost Ark is still one of my all-time faves). But either way, I'm hearing that LucasArts is planning yet another videogame expedition for the tough-as- nails archeologist. Look for Dr. Jones to travel to the land of next-generation con- soles in 2006.
The final countdown
| began this column with a bang—now let's end it with a nuclear explosion. Three: LucasArts and a team of Jedis have already started on a third installment of its RPG series Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (most likely for Xbox 2). Two
Gran Turismo 5 development has begun for PlayStation 3. One: Square Enix's Final Fantasy XIII is also well under way for Sony's next console. BOOM!
“Pm glad I'm not on the cover ої
Madden this year, so good luck to the next guy-
—Atianta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick speaking on ESPN's SportsCenter about the “Madden curse le was the fourth NFL star to have a bad season (in his case due to injury) the ‘same year he appeared on the game's box
«из better with boobs, right?”
—Prince of Persia 2 Producer Yannis Mallat, when asked if the game's new sidekick character would be male or female
“I turned 40 this past year. My dream right now is to Keep
on creating games
until | die»
—Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima
“For the next 15 years—just like
the last 15—handheld gaming will be known by one name: Nintendo:
—Nintendo Executive Vice President Reggie Fils-Aime fires а shot over the bow of Sony's PlayStation Portable, due early next year
` œ >> SHIVER ME ПМВЕВ5--АТАВ! IS BRINGING THE STRATEGY-FILLED 5/0 MEIER'S PIRATES! TO XBOX. LOOK FOR THE PILLAGING AND PLUNDERING TO BEGIN SOMETIME NEXT SPRING... >>
66 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.1UP.com
WELCOME то дм ENDLESS NIGHT
PAIN AN D SUFFERING
“Best Adventure Game of E3” - IGN.com “Forget about pushing the envelope. Silent Hill 4 tears it to pieces." - XBN Magazine "In the end, Konami's game will, without a doubt, be the preeminent scare fest of 2004." - IGN.com
SILENT НИЈА THE ROOM
Ghostly N
PlayStation.e ES Е ñ X80X
f KONAMI CORPORATION. © 2004 KONAMI. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. SILENT HILL 4 THE ROOM™ із а trademark of Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo, Inc © inment Tokyo. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Microsoft, Xbox, and the Xbox logos are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. "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.
MATURE 17+ Blood and Gore
Intense Violence Sexual Themes
www.konami.com/usa
ESRB CONTENT RATING www.esrb.org
THE HOT TEN S-
Your most-wanted games seem oh so far away. Ah, summer love
Disagree with the list? You're the ones who created it. Rock your vote at
The Legend of Zelda GC • Fall 2005
Metroid Prime 2: Echoes GC * November 2004 Halo 2
XB * November 2004 Resident Evil 4
GC е January 2005
RESIDENT EVIL 4
GC г January 2005 — At this very moment, Leon 5. Kennedy is damn cute Ashley—the presidential daughter Leon is charged making his way through an incomplete version of a creepy rural with rescuing—is in that fetching skirt. Will she and Leon hook area and discovering the horrors that lurk in sleepy European up? It won't be too long before we can find out for ourselves— hamlets—like the black-robed figures, bloodthirsty townsfolk, Capcom has announced an official release date for their survival- and Shrek rejects pictured here. What's even spookier is how horror sequel. Expect RE4 to move in on January 11, 2005.
Final Fantasy XII Р52 * Summer 2005
Super Mario 64x4 DS * November 2004
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater PS2 * November 2004
«уж Andreas PS2 * October 2004 VIEWTIFUL JOE 2 PS2/GC * December 2004 — The second coming of Joe is from Clover Studio, the Capcom visionaries behind Joe. It’s PS2 s September 2005 nearly upon us, and while ИЈ2 doesn't stray too far from the called Okami, and it looks like an action game...well, if action original's action-packed, side-scrolling formula, expect wild games were painted on bamboo scrolls. It's more mythical than Viewtiful Joe 2 vehicles, startling new powers, and lots more Silvia (Joe’s “viewtiful,” but the latest trailer shows the game looking incred- PS2/GC • December 2004 cheerleader girlfriend). Also be on the lookout for the next game | ibly slick and very, very fast. Scope it at www.cloverstudio.co.jp.
>> ТОВУ GARD, THE CREATOR OF LARA CROFT WHO QUIT AFTER THE FIRST TOMB RAIDER TO WORK ON GALLEON, HAS JOINED CRYSTAL DYNAMICS ТО WORK ON THE NEXT RAIDEF
68 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com
Animated Blood
Comic Mischief T y
Violence 1 3 )У< ТЕ "илип www.snkneogeousaconsumer.co
by SNK PLAYMORE CORPORATION under license from Capcom Co., LTD. “SNK” is a registered trademark
f Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or
ed by he Xbox logos are registered trademarks or trademarks 0! mark of the Entertainment Softviare Association.
СОНТЕНТ RATED ВУ ESRB
“SNK VS. CAPCOM SVC CHAOS" is manufa
m, Co. LTD. Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox Live
ге used under license from Microsoft. The
©SNK PLAYMORE 2003 ©САРСОМ CO., LTD. 2003 ALL RIGHTS RESERVE of SNK PLAYMORE CORPORATION. “CAPCOM” is a registered trademark of other countrie:
Fall games preview
SEASON OF
PLENTY
CHECK OUT THE APPETIZERS OR GO STRAIGHT TO THE MAIN COURSE
Your guide to way too many games coming your way this fall
Mortal Kombat: Deception Killzone Doom 3 Tony Hawk’s Underground 2
Backyard Wrestling 2 Blood Will Tell Crash "п" Burn Ace Combat 5 Boktai 2: Solar Boy Django
Rumble Roses Death by Degrees OutRun 2 Otogi 2: Immortal Warriors The Bard’s Tale BloodRayne 2
Conflict: Vietnam
The Incredibles
Leisure Suit Larry
Paper Mario 2
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 Time Crisis: Crisis Zone
Tron 2.0: Killer App
Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 2
shelf space.
November
98 Halo 2
94 GoldenEye: Rogue Agent The Urbz: Sims in the City Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
5 Blinx 2: Masters of Time & Space Ghost Recon 2
98 Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal Baten Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
EGM's guide to the fall’s bountiful gaming harvest
he gaming industry’s annual harvest festival is about to commence. It's no coincidence that year
after year, a massive avalanche of titles descends in October and November, battling for mindshare and
By the time you’re gobbling turkey and slurping down cranberry sauce this Thanksgiving, a veritable flood of major releases will be calling out for your gaming dollars. Hey, we don’t like looking for mall parking any more than you do, but publishers aren’t about to miss out on all that holiday
shopping traffic. So buckle down, weigh your options, save your pen- nies, and try to make some informed buying (or begging) decisions this year. We're here to separate the must- have blockbusters from the shifty- looking wannabes that will leave you wishing you'd kept the receipt. >
110 Capcom Fighting Evolution | Realms: Demon Stone | i3
99 The Lord of the Rings, The Third Age 104 Shadow of Rome Alchemist Kingdom
Fullmetal Hearts: Chain of Memories Call of Duty: Finest Hour
100 Jak3 Digital Devil Saga Forza Motorsport
106 Midnight Club 3: Dub Edition Suikoden IV
108 ATV Offroad Fury 3 Neo Contra
102 WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw Need for Speed Underground 2
Karaoke Revolution Vol. 3
ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com є 71
Fall games preview
з
№ No stranger to pain, motocross ninja Cyrax also strained his groin in the "01 X Games.
MORTAL KOMBAT: DECEPTION
PS2/XB ° Midway
The buzz: Death in a fighting game has never been Swifter or surer. In Hell's Foundry, mechanical presses stamp out slabs of molten steel. Fling your hapless foe into the hazard, and the moving parts will reduce him
to a red smear. Mortal Kombat: Deception’s other multi-
tiered arenas include a sinister slaughterhouse with
massive meat grinders and the soaring Sky Temple, where smacking a rival through the rooftop railing sends him plummeting to platforms below. What sounds easy on paper, however, is harder to put into practice, as maneuvering into position takes perfect timing even with free-flowing 3D movement.
№ Look for the return... ої nearly forgotten < MK stars, like Ermac.
Kollect "Em АП Available at select stores for $59.95, special Xbox Kollector's Editions come in one of four. packages and feature 8
an arcade-perfect
port of the original Mortal
Kombat, more than 40 minutes
of bonus DVD content (including a movie that chronicles the history of the franchise), and an embossed metal card. The Premium Pack, unique to PS2, comes with the same swa!
cool Sub-Zero cover.
P.
№ When you tire of spilling spleens, relax with minigames—chess (above) and puzzles (below).
a Konquest mode fulfills your desire >
for an MK RPG.
Death has never had as many faces, for that matter. Classic characters such as Ermac, Baraka, and Mileena cross paths with an assortment of returning MK: Deadly Alliance characters, as well as all- new assassins, for a total of 24 combat- ants. But this MK "is much more than a fighting game;" insists series co-creator Ed Boon. “It’s also a puzzle game, a board game, and an adventure game.” In puzzle
kombat, players stack and clear blocks, creating space to work in while crowding out the competition (think Capcom's Super Puzzle Fighter for PS1 and GBA with fatali- ties). Chess kombat combines strategy with sharp reflexes. “Like chess, the goal is to kill your opponent's king before he kills yours,” Boon explains. “But when one player tries to take territory from another, both tangle in a round of standard Mortal
Kombat o determine who wins the square.” The new single-player Konquest mode serves up blood-soaked adventure, allowing you to customize your own fighter as you traverse towns pummeling oppo- nents one at a time.
Three modes (versus fighting, puzzle, and chess) work online for both PS2 and Xbox. “The '90s arcade experience was so exciting because you were able to com-
pare your skills with complete strangers. Online play promises to brings all that back, but on an even bigger scale."
What could go wrong? Deception pio- neers online 3D fighting, and it remains to be seen how smoothly it'll perform over cross-country connections. Also, the new | modes seem cool, but the fighting itself hasn't changed much... —Shawn Elliott >
ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY є www.1UPcom • 73
BACKYARD WRESTLING 2: THERE GOES THE NEIGHBORHOOD
PS2/XB е Eidos
The buzz: It's back to the...er, backyard for another rumble in Eidos' white-trash jungle, and surprisingly, this neighbor- hood will play host to a bit more tradi- tional wrasslin' action. “The original Backyard was more of a brawler,” admits Lead Designer Kevin Gill. “For the sequel, we went under the hood and built a prop- er wrestling game.” Gill says to expect a
ACE COMBAT 5
PS2 * Namco
The buzz: Ground-bound vehicle sims like Gran Turismo 4 can brag all they want about their licensed cars, but how many games offer licensed multimillion-dollar fighter planes? Ace Combat packs more than 50 of them, from the A-10 tank killer to stealthed-out 21st-century superjets. And all of these brilliantly detailed plane models had to pass muster with their real- life manufacturers, who even supplied developer Namco with cockpit data.
It's all for show, of course—the series is Still about arcadey thrills rather than real- ism. But Namco is ramping up the immer- Sion factor by adding new noninteractive
74 ° ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com
beefier grappling system, plus submis- Sion moves—a series first.
But in no way does the game neglect those who favor а wilder affair, as Neighborhood will include all sorts of new, over-the-top environment interac- tion. Gill explains: “In one area you can slam your opponent into a fence," Gill explains, “then pick up a broken fence
taxi and takeoff sequences and making landings and midair refueling more crucial. But the slick- est addition is this: You can issue orders to four wingmates, telling them to attack bogeys and ground targets ahead, unleash special weapons, cover your six, or just do their own thing. “It becomes critical how you use these guys to complete some mis- sions," says Producer Hiroshi Tanaka.
What could go wrong? We got to fly a few of the game's 30 missions, and they had us humming Kenny Loggins (in one we blasted parachuting tanks from the sky),
post, light it on fire, and either torch your opponent or burn the yard." And the fight should really get a whole lot nastier once you take it online (also new this year), which will feature 1-оп-1 matches, voice chat, and rankings.
What could go wrong? With such a crowded ring this fall (Def Jam Fight for
but they also weren't much different from what we've seen in past Ace Combat games. Plus, we've said it before and we'll say it again: Where are the online modes? —Crispin Boyer
NY, WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw, Rumble Roses), There Goes the Neighborhood faces intense competition from other, more socially acceptable wrestling games. Porn starlets body-slamming clowns into thumbtacks will play well in trailer parks, but might be a bit too cha ic and wacky for mainstream crowds. —Bryan Intihar
EB Relive your Top Gun fantasies, sans the Ray-Bans.
E EIE BID =a
OUTRUN2
ХВ • Microsoft
The buzz: Ever since Ridge Racer took а vacation (and no, R: Racing Evolution doesn't count), it's been hard to find good arcade racing, the kind rife with powerslides and crazy drifts around cor- ners. Everyone wants to tune this, tweak that, and change their shock absorbers, but we just want to race.
Well, QutRun 2 heralds not only the return of one of the most famous racing | games in history (who hasn't played | OutRur?), but the return of turning your
E d
ds
Simo @0@828938
Ferrari (yes, your Ferrari) sideways and scraping rubber off your tires at 100 mph. The sensation of going perpendicu- lar in OutRun 2 is essentially perfect, and with tons of special modes and online play, it offers more replay than your aver- age arcade racer.
What could go wrong? Folks looking to adjust gear ratios (i.e., Gran Turismo fans) will scoff at this game’s simplicity.
— James Mielke
fabulousness.
fall games preview
E
THE BARD'S TALE
| PS2/XB є VU Games
| The buzz: It's a bold concept—take ап
action-RPG à la Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance but replace the superserious gravitas with goofball humor. Now, if you're a fan of the ancient PC Bard's Tale games, you might be shocked by the direction of this laff-a-minute hack-n-slasher (you might also be 40), but this self-satirizing romp might rope in a whole new generation of fans.
Get ready for a bawdy Bard hero who argues with the narrator and wonders
why killing a rabid wolf yields a shiny suit of plate mail. It's postmodern meta-gaming at its wackiest, and the expert voice work of Cary Elwes—the heroic Westley in The Princess Bride— adds a lot.
What could go wrong? It's a damn funny game, but the looks aren't all there: So far, we've seen lots of awfully similar-looking trees and hills. —Thierry “Scooter” Nguyen
W What's hotter than a sexy vamp grinding a rail? Nothing. —
| PS2/XB ® Majesco
The buzz: If you want to see an enemy | being split in half from head to crotch, | screaming victims spouting blood from | severed limbs, or a red-haired vampire | femme hanging upside down froma lamppost and exposing inverted cleavage | while rapidly firing dual blood-powered
BLOODRAYNE 2
pistols, this may be your game.
Other than violence and an erotically lethal (or lethally erotic, or possibly both) antiheroine, BloodRayne 2 lets you par- take of an involved combo system—or harpoon bad guys and sling them into fatal set-pieces.
What could go wrong? Will BloodRayne suck more than just blood? The first game had a killer premise and a dangerously hot heroine, but faltered with crummy control and chunky visuals. Hopefully, this vamp has changed her former ways.
TS $3
7
—Justin Speer |» М і : =
ELECTRONIC GAMING
why * им ЕР сот #76
M
»
Гай. games preview
OCTOBER
Wi Of Killzone's four playable characters, Rico gets to play with the biggest, nastiest firearms.
isn't the biggest gun in Killzone.
KILLZON
PS2 ° Sony CEA
|1 И |
The buzz: Killzone has just about broken the buzz-o-meter—Sony's maiden voyage into the realm of PS2 first-person shooters earned the nickname "Halo killer" imme- diately after being announced in 2003. Will it actually spell doom for Microsoft's killer app? Probably not, especially with the unstoppable juggernaut that is Halo 2 landing mere weeks after Killzone's launch...but expect it to rule the PS2
shooter market with an iron fist.
0n paper, Killzone's stats impress—11 gargantuan levels (each with three dis- tinct subsections), 26 weapons (most of which feature creative alternate firing modes), and 16-player online multiplayer combat. A suitably epic story line wraps all the action together. “Killzone tells the story of a savage conflict between the ISA, a native force protecting planet
Vector, and the Helghast, a sadistic, mili- taristic faction bent on colonization”
explains Managing Director Hermen Hulst.
“We want to capture the most evocative elements of real wars—like the trench combat of WWI, the close-proximity war- fare of WWII's Stalingrad, and the sweaty jungle combat of Vietnam—and translate them into our own unique world.”
The single-player game begins with
one playable character—Templar, an ISA grunt who's a well-rounded jack-of-all- trades. As the levels progress, however, you'll uncover some other soldiers eager to enter the fray (see sidebar). "We've got four playable characters, each with dis- tinctive weapons, their own special abili- ties, and unique way through the levels,” Hulst reveals. “Expect a hell of a lot of replayability: If you're feeling particularly
76 « ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.tUP.com
r | Specialty: Ground warfare The first playable character you'll encounter in Killzone, Templar is ап infantry grunt with a balanced arse- | nal of high-tech, multifunctional ISA firearms, average running speed, and | dashing good looks.
m Also not the. — biggest gun in s Killzone. Really. _
intelligent one day, play as Luger, the stealth character...or if you've had а s***ty week and you want to just blast your way through, pick Rico, our walking tank." Once you've amassed the four-man squad, your three А.І. comrades will fight alongside you, but don't worry about keeping them alive—they'll react to changing battlefield situations on their own. "You don't have to issue commands or anything," says Hulst. "We didn't want to make a first-person baby-sitter.”
The inspired-by-real-war setting and four-character dynamic should keep the
| Luger | Specialty: Stealth | Imagine if Splinter Cell's Sam Fisher | went through with that gender reas- | signment surgery. You'd get Luger, a | sneaky gal with heat-vision goggles
| and less-lethal weapons designed to | quietly subdue foes.
inevitable Halo comparisons in check, but look closely and you'll find a few ele- ments lifted directly from the Xbox clas- Sic: limited weapon inventory and regen- erating shields. "We allow you to carry three weapons in your arsenal at any given time," says Product Manager Alastair Burns. “We want players to experiment with different combinations while keeping it realistic and believable” Including a health meter that slowly recharges itself became a necessity, given how dangerous Killzone's levels are. “We have so many bullets flying
He's big, slow, and deadly. № you want to plow through the battlefield taking
| out massive enemy garrisons with
machine guns the size of small cars, Î this із your тап. Не’ also adept at manning all sorts of scary turrets.
around that a stray shot could hit you very easily, ruining the player's roller- coaster ride through our world," Burns muses. "So we allowed for the health recharge to give you a fighting chance."
g Killzone's single- player campaign redefines "ambitious," and it's unclear whether developer Guerrilla will be able to pull everything together in time for an October launch. Some of the levels we saw chugged along at a slow clip, and massive pieces of the scenery would suddenly pop into
then replay it with any ISA hero.
Special
| This mysterious soldier has infiltrated the Helghast army as a spy, so he has access to an arsenal of various Helghast weapons—cheaply pro- duced, simple guns that carry mas-
| sive amounts of ammo.
view. Godspeed, programmers. Thankfully, Killzone’s online multiplay- er action should prove a soothing balm for PS2 players yearning for Halo 2. Beautiful maps, creative weapons, and Six different game types will make this the first killer PS2-only online experience since SOCOM II. Killzone still has room to grow, of course—controllable vehicles, unique character types in multiplayer (it's just divided into basic Helghast and ISA troops), and a wider map selection are already at the top of the sequel wish list. —Shane Bettenhausen
ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP com “ 77
>
š ЭНЕ MOST FRANTIC AND ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING о REALISTIC COMBAT SEQUENCES CONSOLE SHOOTERS IN YEARS." EVER PUT INTO А GAME:
-Сбатеуру -Сате Informer Online
4
AVAILABLE FALL 2004
WWW.CALLOFDUTY.COM
Epic single-player. ла or go online for Axis vs Allies team- | based multiplayer action.
he frontlines and experience the cinematic intensity and chaos ttle of World War II's most legendary conflicts including the
Visit www.esrb.org
for updated rating р powsnao ву . . к> і D A information. <= PlayStation 2 — * ga
ACTIVISION
uty: Finest Hour are trademarks of Activision, Inc. АН rights reserved. PlayStation 2 version developed by Spark Unlimited, Inc. Online play activision.com јарќог (for Playstation 2) and Memory Са 3) (for PlayStation 2) (each sold separately). The Onlin uter Entertainment America Inc rosott, Xbox, Xbox е registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United State e logo tendo. АН rights reserved. "РУ" Family logo are registered tr. voy Industries, Inc, All rights reserved. The ratings icon is a registered trademark of the Entertainment Software Association. All other
a registered trademark and Сәй ol Duty aed C
так olive» ргемеш
OCTOBER zw
PS2 • Sega
The buzz: You've probably never heard of Dororo, the old-school manga by leg- endary comic scribe 0samu Tezuka (the dude behind Astro Boy) that Blood Will Tell is based on. So this story line is going to seem even weirder: You play as Hyakkimaru, a mysterious samurai who has to battle demons to recover his stolen body parts. With the help of a brave young kid named Dororo (and the razor-sharp blades that he has in lieu of hands), Hyakkimaru whips up a satisfy-
ing barrage of Devil May Cry-style sword-swinging mayhem.
What could go wrong? Although anime and manga are hotter than ever, this particular series has never come Stateside in any form. Sure, you don't have to be familiar with the comic to enjoy the frantic action, but will anyone bother to check out this unknown prop- erty in a sea of big-name releases? —Shane Bettenhausen
бВА * Копаті
The buzz: It may look identical to last year's solar-powered portable adventure, but beneath those graphics Boktai 2 is а very different creature. A deeper plot and RPG mechanics make it more involving, while the loss of the sunbeam-shooting Gun Del Sol (and about 99 percent of Django's inventory slots) makes it far more difficult.
Опе thing that hasn't changed is the need for tanning lotion—expect the car- tridge's sun sensor to play an even larger
№ Suddenly, you feel like buying
-Konami games. Smeg
PS2 • Konami
The buzz: Konami’s inaugural foray into the wrasslin' realm doesn't rely on greased-up WWE studs to win your vote. Instead, it offers a bountiful stable of fic- tional ladies eager to lock limbs and throw down on the mat. They're sexy but also tough: “I’m sure that the Roses could beat any male opponents,” says Producer
80 є ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.1UP.com
RUMBLE ROSES
Akari Uchida. “Our characters have more power and cooler moves than any real-life wrestlers...they could easily beat me up." Each of the gals has a deep story mode to grapple through, and you'll reap sizable rewards for doing so—you can unlock a bad-girl “heel” version of each of the nicey-nice “face” gals. “The “heel” gals’
role not only in battles but in solving puz- zles as well. Once again, players near the Arctic Circle might get royally screwed.
What could go wrong? Change is good, but Boktai 2's numerous tweaks make it a fundamentally different experience than the first game—and a much more ambitious one at that. Fans expecting a straight-up repeat may be frustrated, but at least they'll have a nice tan.
—veremy Parish
moves, manner of speaking, and story lines are all totally different from their “face” personas, so you can enjoy playing through again with each girl.
Bad girls get really dirty in the game’s most buzzworthy mode: mad mud match—mud wrestling in bikinis. "There's no way we could go for a Teen rating,”
laughs Uchida. And we thank him for it.
What could go wrong? WWE fans weaned on real-life WWE “Divas” might turn their noses up at these entirely made-up (and unrealistically megahot) ladies in silly costumes.
—Shane Bettenhausen | >
ra Pia. 5
laystaione Ж хвох Free Bonus DVD when you pre-order = Тһе Bard's Tale for PS2 or Xbox. © THE BONUS DVD INCLUDES:
- Hints and tips with audio commentary for the first few quests of The Bard's Tale.
- A character bio of the illustrious Bard, the hero of our tale.
- Photo Gallery including screens, concept art and < 3 ( / character art. TN
+.
- Four songs with lyrics, including a video for the notorious "Beer Song"
- Game trailer for The Bard's Tale
+ Interview with the game industry pioneer А and inXile CEO and founder Brian Fargo 7 "Жш; (producer of the original The Bard's Tale) tee;
[5.3
PlayStation 2, Xbox 549.29
While supplies last. Limit one per customer. See sales associate for details. Typographical errors are пої the responsibility of ЕВ Games.
(qua
entertainment
GAMES ously” ч We take games seriously I
fall games preview
OCTOBER DLE
XB ® Activision
The buzz: It may be hard for gamers who never experienced Doom on the PC to understand the anticipation surrounding this blockbuster sequel. We'll try to explain it. For one, the sequel has been about ten years coming, and nostalgia has just about deified the original, genre-defining Doom. But more importantly, the developers know exactly what they're doing when making an impact with their first-person shooters. Whether or not you find the flaming skulls and devilish imps in Doom 3 fright- ening on a conceptual level, you will be scared when one comes out of nowhere and tears your flesh off. This intense chal- lenge, coupled with a visceral audiovisual punch and tense scripted events, makes
Doom З the hottest Xbox shooter this side и
of Halo 2.
What could go wrong? Even though the d
graphical capability of the Xbox doesn't quite compare to the monstrous rigs PC gamers have put together to run
the game, the hell-in-outer-
space ambiance should
come through fine 4 unless the company handling the port
(Vicarious Visions)
slips up bad. Another potential pitfall: We
hear rumors of a delay
to next year. —Justin Speer
2
IB Dead and loving it.
PS2/XB/GC • Activision
The huzz: Tony Hawk's Underground 2 is keeping skateboarding light, destructive, and fun. The story mode has you globe- trotting to the tune of wanton destruc- tion. Classic mode brings back old- school goals, levels, and the 2-minute timer. Those addicted to the Tony Hawk formula should be pleased with the numerous additions.
What could go wrong? Wrong? That’s a relative word when it comes to this
"ТОНУ HAWK'S UNDERGROUND 2: WORLD DESTRUCTION TOUR
series. Maybe the levels won't be clas- sic. Maybe the developer wil! run out of ideas...or maybe not. Says developer Neversoft President Joel Jewett: "Now every year we just wanna keep it fresh. We listen to everybody out there who's playing the game." By listening to fans and keeping tabs on the skateboarding world, the ideas keep coming. Unless you're burned out on the series, chances are you'll have a good time here, —Greg Ford
82 © ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY є www.1UP.com
M Uh-oh. Better get Maaco. |
CRASH 'N' BURN
PS2/XB • Eidos
The buzz: If rubbin' is racin', then expect а lot of irritation after touring the Crash ’n’ Burn circuit. And forget about always taking the checkered flag—it's hard enough just keeping your vehicle in one piece with oil slicks and flaming car parts littering the track.
The metal gets even more twisted online, as the game will support up to 16 drivers on both PS2 and Xbox. But the rewards are plenty; victories will earn you additional ways to pimp out your
ride, including new gaudy paint jobs, spoilers, and longer nitrous boosts.
What could go wrong? Burnout 3, that's what. Gamers may be—pardon the pun—burned out on this type of high-octane racer by the time Crash п" Burn smashes into your local game store. Also, the latest PS2 entry in the once-popular Destruction Derby fran- chise met with tumbleweeds at retail. —Bryan Intihar | >
—————————
5 100000 /7
`
TEEN
патсо“"
à : N= . PlayStation.2 нь
TIME CRISIS® CRISIS ZONE&©1999 2004 NAMCO LTD., ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. GUNCON®2&©2000 NAMCO LTD., ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. The ratings icon is a registered trademark of the Entertainment Software Association. А! other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners.
Fall games preview
VU
The buzz: Tekken starlet Nina Williams Strikes in all directions with punishing juggle combos and bone-shattering focused strikes during this simulation of her day job—a stint as a sexy inter- national assassin. The femme fatale gets her spy on by collecting finger- prints and finding other ways to break and enter on a swanky cruise ship. Namco is sure to add at least a few of its skillfully rendered signature cut- scenes for gamers with hungry eyes.
What could go wrong? Death by Degrees could end up having very cool combat if the dull, stiff enemies get a sizable artificial-intelligence injection before this thing hits shelves. Attacking enemies using only different flicks of the analog stick feels surprisingly sharp, but sketchy adventure sequences and weak side-events could derail the project unless the developers do a 180°.
— Justin Speer
The buzz: The original Otogi was the coolest game of 2003 that absolutely nobody played—a shockingly beautiful action-adventure steeped in the mytholo- gy of ancient Japan. Upping the ante with six unique playable characters, deeper role-playing elements, larger lev- els that extend high into the sky, and tons of massive bosses, this sequel builds upon every aspect of the debut. While the gameplay isn’t quite as fran- tic (or difficult) as that of Ninja Gaiden,
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WARN
fans of Ryu's quest will not come away disappointed. The jumping is a little float- ier and the girls aren't as buxom, but it's a fine holdover till Gaiden 2.
What could go wrong? The same tragic fate that met its predecessor could easily happen here: What if Sega released an awesome Xbox game and nobody noticed? Let's hope the company actually gets the word out on this one....
— Shane Bettenhausen
OCTOBER GALLERIES
ALSO DUE IN OCTOBER
Conflict: Vietnam
PS2/XB • Gathering — In a sea of similar Vietnam shooters, this one, well...is made by the Conflict: Desert Storm guys.
Теепаце Mutant Ninja Ти PS2/XB/GC • Konami — The pizza-lovin’ amphibians return for another beatdown, this time with four-player action.
The Incredibles PS2/XB/GC * THQ — Relive your favorite
moments from the latest sure-to-be-huge Pixar CG-animated flick.
Leisure Suit Larry: Manga Cum Laude PS2/XB * VU Games — Get naughty with this lowbrow update to the classi- cally lowbrow PC adventure series.
Be
Time Crisis: ne PS2 * Namco — Who wants a lightgun when you can have a fully automatic light machine gun?
Tron 2.0: Killer App
XB г Buena Vista — Race light cycles, toss killer discs, and feel your inner geek in this sequel to the cult 1982 flick.
rio
intendo — Everybody's favorite plumber trims down to the second dimension for another role-playing jaunt.
ush Rescue
1 manian по PS2/XB/GC • EA Games — Boomerangs fly, indigenous animals scurry, and
Vegemite gets consumed in this sequel.
84 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com
1
BT : Village People : Pet Shop Boys
Darude ° Duran Duran ° Junior Senior PLUS MANY MORE
ЕМЕВУОМЕ
Lyrics Suggestive Themes CONTENT RATED BY ESRB
=
КОМАМ!
RATING PENDING
Visit www.esrb.org for updated rating information.
YEN
ENY
Develop unique combat styles witl 1| Endure hours of battle and mystery the Free-Form Fighting System 3 through the Persian underworld
Even when you've ue sentenced to death by a demonic incarnation of Fate, you still have choices. And with the power to develop your own combat style using countless weapons, environmental objects, and whatever enemy crosses your path, there’s no telling what your warrior within will unleash next. You can't run Írom Fate. But with this much freedom, you can stop it dead in its tracks.
NOVEMBER 2004 princeofpersiagame.com
"Game of the Year: Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, U.S. Official PlayStation Magazine, Electronic Gaming Monthly, Official Xbox Magazine (Staff Pick), PSE2
; © 2004 Ubisoft Entertainment. Based on Prince of Persia® created by Jordan Mechner. All Rights Reserved. Ubisoft and the Ubisoft logo are trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the U.S. and/or other countries. Prince of Persia and Prince of Persia Warrior Within are trademarks of Jordan Mechner used under license by Ubisoft Entertainment. "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox Live, the Live logo, and the Xbox
4 Logos are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or in other countries and are used under license from Microsoft. TM, © and the l || в 1 5 g FT ud
Nintendo GameCube logo are trademarks of Nintendo. © 2001 Nintendo. Software platform logo TM and © IEMA 2003.
@ fall games preview
88 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY » www.1UP.com
No опе saw when you jumped off that rock 15 feet into the air, killed two red guys midflight, and then landed on a third? Good thing you recorded it. A disabled option in the early version of Halo 2 we played read “Saved Films." Though Microsoft wouldn't confirm it, a spokesperson hinted that you might be able to record games to your Xbox hard drive to watch later.
HALO 2
XB • Microsoft
A word of advice to the Kerry and Bush campaigns: Forget the soccer moms and NASCAR dads—the voters you should be courting this November are the Halo gamers.
Consider the facts: Almost 3 million Americans bought the original sci-fi first- person shooter—that's six times the dif- ference in the popular vote of the last presidential election. These are passion- ate supporters; just take a look at all the Halo novels, toys, fan-fiction, artwork, films, costumes, and message boards devoted to even the most obscure bits of Halo trivia. Big-name celebrities like Justin Timberlake and Julia Roberts sup- port the cause, publicly pledging their love for the Xbox's best-selling game. And with the sequel's November 9 release date (Halo 2esday, let's call it) just a scant four days after the election, the Halo-gamer demographic shares many of the same concerns as the rest of the country this fall. For example:
Unite the people: In the case of Halo 2, via Xbox Live for 16-player online battles (with as many as four playing online from a single Xbox) with added weapons and vehicles, plus game modes both old (deathmatch, capture the flag, kill the man with the ball) and new (like one where you try and plant a bomb in the enemy's base).
But just as interesting as what you get online is how you'll get it—Halo 2 uses a clever new method to replicate a decid- edly simple, old-fashioned style of game. “One of the most popular things [about
Halo] was the System Link LAN games,” says Brian Jarrard, community manager at developer Bungie. “We wanted to re- create that experience on Xbox Live...to be able to pretend like you're in the same room [with your buddies]."
Enter Halo 2's party system. Опсе friends (up to 15 of them) accept an invite to join your party, they are "attached" to you. If you join a game, they join with you. If you move to anoth- er game, they move with you. If you turn off your Xbox, leadership automatically transfers to the next party member. Basically, if you want to play with your friends all night, you play with your friends all night—no multiple invites, text messaging, or phone calls necessary.
A fair shake for the haves and have-nots: Simplicity is the driving force behind another of Halo 2’s breaks with online tradition. Instead of scrolling through a massive list of different games to join, you give a vague game type you are looking for (say, a large team game or a capture the flag match), and the game sets you up with opponents auto- matically. “There’s no scrolling through 30,000 games,” says Jarrard, “The whole system is meant to be, 1 want to play with my buddies, | want to hop in a game now, | want to do that quickly.” And since Halo 2 chooses opponents based on their relative connection speeds and skill levels, this also allows the game to maintain a detailed ranking system that actually means something. Level 40 vet- eran players won't gain any points by
ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY є www.1UP.com • 89
>
fall games preview
Ready, Headset, Go! This fancy Halo 2 edition headset will sell for $50 this October. It worked fine in our playtest, but not $50 fine, if you know what we mean.
> beating up on wide-eyed level 5 new- bies because Halo 2 will never pit them against one another. But Bungie also supports a gamer's right to choose— players are always free to create their own nonranked games to fight whomever they want with whatever settings they desire (and as in the origi- nal Halo, they are plentiful).
A vision for the future: Rounding out Halo 2's ambitious online design is the promise of extra downloadable con- tent down the line. "It's not just about downloading a couple of things here and there,” says Bungie Studio Manager Pete Parsons. "Once Halo 2 is on Xbox
E When online, hold the White but- ton to chat with your team or speak normally for everyone nearby to hear (in this case, the sound of the red flag-carrier laughing).
Live, we want to always keep it fresh and cool and changing for our fans." Terrorism: The bad guys in Halo 2 are a band of religious fanatics (a league of alien гасе5 known as the Covenant) attacking our homeland (Earth), bent on destroying our way of life (well, the entire human race, actual- ly). Sound familiar? Amidst all the mul- tiplayer hoopla, let's not forget it was primarily the incredible А.І. and breath- taking indoor/outdoor environments of the single-player game that made the original Halo such a hit. Unfortunately, the notoriously secretive crew at Bungie is protecting the solo-campaign
THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO BOOM
A few of the new weapons you'll see in Halo 2. And yes, that was а C+C Music Factory reference you just read.
An alien grenade launcher. "It's a fun explosive weapon, between a rocket launcher and a grenade,” says Community Manager Brian Jarrard. “Something you can use to shoot around corners—that sort of thing.”
90 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.1UP.com
Basically, it’s the alien equivalent of the human battle rifle (which in turn is an upgraded version of Halo’s assault rifle). The carbine features a high rate of fire and a scope for more precise zoomed-in shots.
details like a mama bear with her cub. “The Covenant attack on and Master Chief’s defense of Earth are the central parts of the story,” says Cinematics
and Bungie’s promise to rebalance weapons (make the needler more pow- erful, the pistol and rocket launcher less 50) and nix the repeating level bits that
“
n —Bungie Studio Manager Pete Parsons
Director Joe Staten, “and that's about all we can say there”
We already know multiplayer kicks major behind,
Also known as the Covenant sniper rifle, this rail-gun-type weapon can zoom in at two different levels and packs an extremely powerful punch. Just don't get caught with one in a close-quarters fight.
marred the first game makes us opti- mistic about solo play. Honestly, the biggest question might be whether they can press enough copies by November 9 to satisfy demand.—Mark MacDonald
Bring a knife to a gunfight? Sure, when it can kill іп a single hit. Hold your crosshair over a target long enough to unleash a deadly charge attack. "The sword is very fun to kill with," says Jarrard. "Very satisfying."
»
MEGAMAN IS BRINGING A NEW STYLE TO THE WORLD OF RPG
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GAMAN* |. = YABIE | INCLUDES FRE for PlayStation@2 |. "dd LEUR Heat: УФ. in. 47. ^ E
Play the hero in Mega Man X's latest adventure with a brand new three-person battle option — fight the enemy simultaneously! Your mission is to infiltrate Gigantis Island and thwart General Epsilon and his evil Liberion Army with the help of teammates Ах! and Zero. Customize any of five new characters, build up your experience points,
then go in for the attack!
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рппесі Your Nintendo GameCube" To Your Game Boy Advance To Detect Hidden "Treasure Coin" Items
Fantasy Violence
fe: NINTENDO (©) GAMECUBE
ayStation.2
2004. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. САРС! СОМ LOGO are re trademarks. RIGHTS RESERVED n" ai logo are registered tr ks of Sony Ci 01 NINTENDO. The ralings icon is a mark of the Entertainment Software A:
y their respective owners.
ROCKSTAR GAMES PRESENTS
A ROCKSTAR NORTH PRODUCTION
COMING SOON TO PLAYSTATION® 2
WWW.ROCKSTARGAMES.COM/SANANDREAS
Visit www.esrb.org
R PlayStation. for updated rating
information.
«s, ne, Rockstar Gomes, Rockstar Nort, Ње А, logo, Grond Theft Auto ond the Grond Theft Auto |o: fered новела of Take Teo Interaciive Sofware, и. "PlayStation" ond the PS ks and бапа are properties oF heir respective owners. Al Rights Reserved. Note: The content c Ns ода y sud person, bı i
ly logo are геј trademarks of Son Computer Entertainment Ic The ratings icon о одетой of Ihe Entertainment Фи me fon вні The mokers ond poblishe idengone do ne in алу way endorse, condone or encourage tis kind of beh
нее ony character, dialogue, aent эг plot element of hi; goma ond any аб! person, bees or organization purely
Fall games preview
PS2/XB/GC * EA Games
The buzz: Any game with Pussy Galore in itis an immediate buy among the randier members of EGM's staff, but first-person-shooter nuts should keep an eye on this one simply for its bizarre take on the Bond universe.
You're a failed secret agent who joins Goldfinger's army as he wages war against Dr. No for control of the under- world, and your methods—shooting grenades out of enemies' hands, spilling gasoline on the floor and lighting a
i > GOLDENEYE: ROGUE AGENT
match—are nothing short of villainous.
What could go wrong? GoldenEye's name was obviously inspired by the orig- inal GoldenEye 007, a classic Nintendo 64 shooter that sold more than 5 million copies in the U.S. alone. Whether Rogue Agent will transcend the first GoldenEye, though, is still up in the air—remember, this one's from the same studio that gave us the lackluster Medal of Honor: Rising Sun last year. — Kevin Gifford
№ This suitable-for-framing art heralds the return of ‘Samus’ famous ‘Screw Attack, allowing her to smash through obstacles and spin to other- wise unreach- able areas.
GC ° Nintendo
The buzz: “Please don't call it a first-per- son shooter,” producer Kensuke Tanabe reminds us, after yet another member of the press refers to Metroid Prime 2as a FPS. "It's a FPA—first-person adventure.” As anyone who played the original
Prime can tell you, it's an important dis- tinction—everything from the one-of-a- kind control setup to the platformer-style
94 « ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY © www TURCOM
level design reflects Metroid's traditional emphasis on puzzle-solving and explo- ration. In Echoes players will have twice the ground to cover, as they bounce back and forth between light and dark versions of the planet Aether, killing enemies and grabbing items unique to each. At least two new weapons (Light and Dark Beams, naturally) should come in handy, as well
AX 4 ~ THE URBZ: SIM PS2/XB/GC * EA Games
‘The buzz: Apparently, Mom was wrong—what people think of you does matter. At least it does in the latest con- sole version of life simulator The Sims, where the game is now all about building a hip reputation across town. Will you have the hippest jobs, coolest clothes, and wickedest tattoos? Can you break ош of the hood and get your face оп Т- shirts, billboards, and JumboTrons throughout the city? 0r will people laugh in your face when you try to bust out
METROID PRIME 2: ECHOES
as new "visor" vision filters, including one that detects sound (which ties into the Echoes subtitle nicely). Other changes? “We're trying to make the environments larger," says Mark Pacini, director at developer Retro studios, *and we're [devoting] an extensive amount of time to the cinematics, to infuse Prime 2 with more of a cohesive story.”
S IN THE CITY
your power dance moves? Such are the trials and tribulations of a Sim in the city. | What could go wrong? The Urbz has a | revamped motives system, so it should | be less tedious maintaining your Sim's hunger, energy, hygiene, etc. If the new formula gels, this could be the version that wins over new hordes of console gamers. If it doesn't, the console audi- ence could dwindle. | —dJennifer Tsao |
What could go wrong? We're not wor- ried about the undoubtedly great single- player experience, but the new multiplay- er combat seems sketchy. The grapple beam and ability to morph into a ball promise something different, but with the game's “unique” control setup and lack ої | online play, will anyone care?
— Mark MacDonald |>
JITH 56 DUN — GRAN TURISMO 4
THE REAL DRIVING SIMULATOR
RATING PENDING ти
PlayStation.e
£
жөкө vr cl НАТА төз ie | CONTENT RATED ВУ ESRB
GAMES We take games seriously ™
electronics boutique’
fall games preview
“NOVEMBER
№: Who needs friends? * Take on the enemy solo in x the new Lone Wolf mode.
OF TIME & SPACE
XB * Microsoft
T zz: Xbox fanboys saw 2002's Blinx: The Time Sweeper as the cutesy platformer that would send systems fly- ing off shelves and prove that Mario was more old hat than Pogs. Things didn't quite work out that way for Microsoft's "tude-ridden, time-controlling cat, but this sequel seems to address nearly all of the first Blinx's major faults.
The basic idea's unchanged—hip feline messes around with the fourth dimension to help defeat evil (but really misunderstood) space pigs—but the gameplay receives a major refit. “We revamped the inventory system, made Blinx walk faster, gave him more anima- tions than before, created larger worlds, and expanded [the] story line,” explains Director Naoto Oshima. “But we didn’t
W You can hunt human hard cases in one of several multiplayer modes.
BLINX 2: MASTERS
stop there: We're also adding a second playable race, the Tom Toms, and multi- player action." These lanky hogs screw around with space, opening warp escapes and putting Bugs Bunny-style portable holes on the floor—making combat versus the cats an all-out spe- cial-effects war.
? The single-play- er experience looks like a step up from the original, and the multiplayer action offers tons of originality...but wait, you can't play it over Xbox Live. Huh? “We carefully examined legal, marketing, and development considerations but ulti- mately decided not to include Xbox Live in Blinx 2,” says Oshima. Seems like а bad move to us... —Kevin Gifford
PS2/XB/GC “ Ubisoft
The buzz: Christian Allen cringes when we drill him about Ghost Recon 2's plot and the North Korean newspaper column that called it “propaganda.” “They accused us of warmongering and said we'd die gruesome deaths,” claims the lead design- er. The story that started the saber rattling: An insidious general seizes control of the communist Korea, and the U.S. military
96 © ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.1UP com
GHOST RECON 2
must defuse the disaster.
Uncle Sam gives you the tools—an assortment of peacemakers, including the Army's M8 prototype assault rifle, and а squad to push around—but leaves the tactics up to you. Sometimes issuing a Simple, context-sensitive command is all it takes. Other circumstances call for more complex procedures, and you'll want to
use either your headset or secondary menu to have, for instance, half of your squad put suppressing fire on one flank of an enemy position while you sneak to the other side with your sniper. "Not only can you give your guys more orders than was possible in past Ghost Recons, but the interface itself is more accessible and intuitive,” says Allen.
М gi g? Bland and blocky scenery didn't ruin previous Ghost missions, but it sure curbed the realism. The good news: GR2 ramps it up with graphics that rival the gorgeous Rainbow Six 35, as well as a snazzy new over-the- shoulder view of the action. Hopefully, GR2 won't get lost in the shooter-heavy shuffle this fall. —Shawn Elliott
Y
ET
RATCHET& CLANK:
UP YOUR ARSENAL
| PS2 е Sony СЕА
The buzz: Talk about being over- worked—Ratchet and his pint-sized metallic mate Clank will star in their third platformer in as many years. And _| aside from zanier weapons and more | upgrades, look for Clank to take a more active role in this romp through the galaxy. But the biggest change by far is the addition of multiplayer. Developer Insomniac has stayed up all hours of the night to include both four-player offline and eight-player online action with
modes such as deathmatch, capture the flag, and siege (two teams battle for control of each other's base). It'll even support full stat tracking and the forma- tion of clans. So frag away!
What could go wrong? With such а
short development cycle and the new
emphasis on multiplayer, we hope the
single-player campaign will still blow
our pants off like Going Commando did. —Bryan Intihar
№ Candy Land's in crisis, and it's all up to you.
BATEN KAITOS
GC • Namco
Тие buzz: Namco recently proved that “GameCube” and “role-playing” don't have to be mutually exclusive with the excellent Tales of Symphonia. Get ready for another round of magic and mon- sters with Kaitos, an epic adventure that takes place across a world made up of giant airborne islands. The story line, characters, and dungeons sparkle with old-school RPG charm, but the game’s inventive battle system dares to make
l card-based combat fast, fun, and simple.
Also, you might notice that Kaitos feels a bit like a pseudosequel to Square's PS1 hit Chrono Cross...not too surprising since the games share the same director and scenario writer.
What could go wrong? The confusing name certainly won't до the game any favors (Baten Kaitos is a dying star in the Cetus constellation), nor will the hand-drawn 2D backdrops in dungeons and towns. —Shane Bettenhausen
ONAKE EATER
PS2 * Konami
The buzz: It's Metal Gear Solid, only in lush outdoor environments and with promises that the guy you see in the screenshots really is the hero of the game. Oh, and it's set in the past: "Since 1 was born in the "605, І still have memo- ries of this time period from my early childhood," says head MGS honcho Hideo Kojima. "However, we did our fair share of research during the development process, incorporating real historical events and information." It also apparently wraps up the whole Metal Gear story line for the time being—according to Kojima, "The MGS series has always been planned to be a three-part story.”
What could go wreng? Though the cam- era is more adjustable than in past games, it might not go far enough for gamers who've been gorging themselves on Splinter Cell. “The MGS series has always combined first- and third-person view per- spectives,” says Kojima. "There were ben- efits to both perspectives that enhanced the overall gameplay, but since 3D games
METAL GEAR SOLID 3:
98 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com
give me motion sickness...! don’t think | will create a first-person shooter myself.” Apart from that, the only realistic obstacle is Kojima himself—not many took well to MGS2’s convoluted story, and if Snake Eater is simi- larly long winded, word of mouth could be bad. —Nich Maragos
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Unlock hidden characters, upgrade your weapons
and find new worlds with these sweet cheats,
tips and tricks. Cut ovt the cards, and stash them
in the game case so you can really get into the
game. Check out www.Getintothegame.com to download a coupon for $5 off any game shown here and check out more codes for the latest hot titles.
GET INTO THE GAME.COM
©2004 Target Stores. The Bullseye Design is a registered trademark of Target Brands, Inc. All rights reserved.
YU-YU HAKUSHO: DARK TOURNAMENT
PS2, XBOX, GAMECUBE GAME BOY ADVANCE CHALKBOARD STRATEGIES POKEMANIA!
* One of the best ways to break up the deep ball is to take control of a safety and drop him deep into coverage. * If you practice, you can get into position to deliver а crushing blow. Get back quick- ly, then use the strafe button to square up. Wait for the ball to get close and flick the Hit Stick.
• Throughout the
course of your
adventure you'll
score three fishing rods: the Old Rod; Good Rod; and Super Rod. Each Rod has its uses, although you can pretty much toss the Old Rod unless you're desperate for a large haul of Magikarp. However, the other two rods will let you catch various rare Pokémon. The Good Rod is, well, good because it'll таке it easier to catch certain
Pokémon though the Super Rod actu- ally has the capacity to catch any of the aquatic Pokémon in the game given enough time and enough casts.
* While the defender is selected, push down on the right stick.
* So you're stuck in the Saf
Zone and you keep running out of steps before running out of SofariBalls? Well, there's an easy remedy for that: simply stand
the tall grass and quickly whirl the d-pad around and around--this allow you to stand in one place and not actually use any extra steps while “farming” that particular area till the SafariBalls are com- pletely tapped out.
Note: Use the blitz with line- backers or defensive backs with speed. Do not waste
ing defenders who cannot get to the quarterback fast enough. The defensive line can also be hot routed to blitz. By using the Defensive Playmaker Blitz Hot Route, it changes the way the defensive linemen rushes.
art installation!"
№ Combat leans toward the chaotic side.
TULLE
THE LORD OF THE RINGS:
ера
It's the best of both worlds for EA—another Lord of the Rings game to capitalize on the extended edition of Return of the King DVD, and a solid RPG underneath to appease the genre fans. Third Age will also breathe some fresh life into the LOTR gaming canon—EA's previous two hack-a-thons were slick, but a meatier quest seems more in line with the epic feel of the flicks. It’s com- plex enough in its skill and ability trees to reward customization, and it’s acces-
sible enough so that you can just play the game if the words “final fantasy” mean nothing to you.
WI wrong? If the words ^final керы do mean something to you, there's a chance you might feel that you played this once before when it was called Final Fantasy X. Also, the fact that the game's main characters aren't from the movies/books might be a hard sell. —Nich Maragos
FULLMETAL. ALCHEMIST AND THE BROKEN ANGEL
PS2 e Square Enix
The b Games based on anime usually run the range between “forgettable” and “God, why,” but the originality behind this action-RPG could help it rise above the surface. The premise: Edward, the spiky- haired hero, can use the dark art of alchemy to transform almost anything in the game into something more useful, from pogo sticks to machine-gun turrets. His brother, whose soul’s been trapped inside a metallic suit of armor (don’t ask), also tags along to help beat on your fight-
er-cum-alchemist foes. It'll probably make more sense once Cartoon Network starts showing the anime in October.
What could go wrong? A better ques- tion could be “Where have anime games gone right?” Whether Fullmetal Alchemist manages to be a great game on its own will depend on how engaging it is to nonfans—something few games like this manage very well.
—Kevin Gifford
FINEST HOUR
PS2/XB/GC * Activision
As undeniably daring as D-Day was, fighting on the Eastern Front dwarfed it in sheer scale and sacrifice (several thousand tanks clashed in Kursk, and quem РРР Е ШЕЕ infernal cauldron claimed as Ls many as a million casualties). This rework-
ing of the hit PC first-person shooter Call of Duty remembers the Reds along with ig heroes of WWII, including women
pers and the Black Panther Battalion. But don’t fret if you flunked history:
Finest Hour's curriculum takes a very
hands-on approach. “We're delivering the
most intense and gritty wartime experi-
CALL OF DUTY:
ence ever,” claims Producer Scott Langteau. "Players will feel like true sol- diers, fighting alongside squadmates, tak- ing orders, and simply trying to survive. during grueling and harrowing battles."
0u Call of Duty could get lost in 1 the fog ofw war games, but the
PC version inspires confidence. It made you feel as though you were fighting through fluid battlefields rather than mov- ing through mazes, and even its scripted chase scenes were so seamless that you forgot you were on rails. —Shawn Elliott
ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY є www.1UP.com • 99
Fall games preview
NOVEMBER JAK 3
PS2 ° Sony CEA
The buzz: Last year, Jak II took the previ- ously cheery action-adventure series in a darker direction by adding a liberal dose of carjacking, heavy ammunition, and rebellious facial hair. This grand experi- ment wasn’t a total success: Frustrating, repetitive missions and uneven difficulty leeched much of the game's fun. Jak III hopes to perfect the cocktail by properly balancing the challenge and offering more diverse mission types.
Plus, a new setting will make it easier to wash away the ill memories of back- tracking through Haven City 6,000 times. In Jak Ill, Jak (and his wiseacre sidekick Daxter) get exiled to a desolate desert
colony, where they must battle renegade road warriors straight outta Mad Max. Along the way, he'll uncover secrets of the planet's ancient civilization, realize his own destiny, amass some formidable pow- ers for both his Dark Jak and new Light Jak transformations, and eventually return to a radically altered Haven City to kick the asses of his detractors.
What could go wrong? Keep the difficul- ty in check and things should be fine. —Shane Bettenhausen
PS2 ° Atlus
This quick follow-up to the PS2 RPG Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne (out in September) adds a big-budget cinematic flavor to the turn-based demonic sum- moning. Expect lavish cinema sequences (directed by the guy behind the original Robotech anime) and full voice acting. The whole package, including the unique- ly stylized graphics, makes this the per- fect gift for an RPG fan longing for a
DIGITAL DEVIL SAGA: AVATAR TUNER
game with the high production values that a company like Square Enix usually brings to the table.
black box, Forza looks to outrun the com- petition with the most robust racing engine ever digitized. "There are three core things we aim to deliver with Forza," says lead programmer Garrett Young, "realistic graphics, [simulation] physics, and car customization." Based on our test drive, Forza is definitely firing on all cylin- ders—on and off Xbox Live.
Up against an intimidating number of highly anticipated games, Saga might be lucky to get the table scraps...and there aren't a lot of scraps when you're sitting at a table this densely populated. —Nich Maragos
FORZA MOTORSPORT XB * Microsoft Gran Turismo to Microsoft's big Forza faces
competition from the other titles in Xbox's expansive racing library, and quality doesn't always equate to success—last year's fantastic Project Gotham Racing 2 withered at retail. And we're a little wor- ried about the Xbox's lack of a good force feedback wheel. Microsoft promises that deals for а quality wheel are definitely in the works. —Che Chou
100 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.1UP.com
>
UNLERSH THE
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fall games preview
PS2 ° THQ
z: THQ's goal with а new WWE title is always the same: Make it look and feel just like the televised world of sweaty man-pretzels, half-naked divas, and story lines more risqué than those of Days of our Lives. SmackDown! vs. Raw is poised to deliver the goods on the PS2 like never before, grappling with some serious game-
play innovations. The changes start in the ring—whether you fight a clean fight or resort to underhanded tactics dramatically affects your wrestler's status—just like on actual WWE programming. "If you decide to play dirty, you will then follow the villain path throughout that particular segment of story mode,” explains WWE product man-
Taking the idea of “casual Friday" a little too far.
WWE SMACKDOWN! VS. RAW
ager Devin Knudsen. "Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide which road you go down; it's all about cause and effect.”
Also helping in the game’s realism (can you really use “realism” when referring to professional wrestling?) is the addition of voiceovers. Knudsen says every WWE superstar—including head honcho Vince
McMahon—has recorded lines for the game's ever-growing story mode.
t could go 9? The only question mark is the new online play—it's currently going through rigorous stress tests to see if it has enough muscle for the main event. —Bryan Intihar
102 е ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY є www.1UP.com
NEED FOR SPEED UNDERGROUND 2
PS2/XB/GC * EA Games
z: Have you ever driven down a residential street, seen some donut tire tracks on the ground, and thought, "Man, I wish | could do that with ту 1983 Buick Electra”? EA is listening to you. The next Need for Speed is all about let- ting you do whatever you want with your car—whether drag-racing it down the highway, slinging it around mountain roads, or crashing it into hapless SUVs.
Like Rockstar's Midnight Club series, Underground 2 presents you with a full- Sized city where you're free to drive around and explore to your heart's con- tent. You'll get a little guidance on race locations and such from your buds, but it'll be up to you to find secret parts
shops, get into the unsanctioned events, and make a name for you and your rice- mobile. The whole shebang's online on the PS2 and Xbox, so you can race your friends anywhere in the city you like. We suggest outfitting your car with some rockin’ gullwing doors before meeting up with your crew. They'll be so impressed.
0 Street Racing Syndicate, which hit stores in August, has a big city of its own to cruise around in...problem is, it gets pretty boring to drive from race to race after a while. Hopefully EA will find ways to spice up the exploration aspect a little.
— Kevin Gifford
From the Makers of ARIRSFLO
WWW.NYKO.COM/SPEAKERCOM
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fall games preview
№ Agrippa disarms his opponent...all too literally. г
PS2 « Capcom
In 44 B.C., a centurion's father stands accused of killing Julius Caesar himself. Not believing it could be true, his son, Agrippa, sets out to smash a few skulls. Nobody is going to be saying “et tu Brute?" after you've splattered his head with a spiked club. People might scream a bit after you chop off their arms, though. Shadow of Rome imparts a heavy, deliberate feel to its gladiatorial fighting as you hold down a button to build power for a mighty strike. The game actually has terms for 170 different ways to maim. opponents for the crowd's pleasure, ‘including the artsy *meat-sculptor"—
ing | than one limb from an 1 is.
% SHADOW OF ROME
though: A stealthy subcharacter named Octavius injects Metal Gear Solid-style gameplay, and you can also engage in some Ben Hur-style chariot racing.
Shadow of Rome is a completely new property for Capcom, but it may try to re-create a ‘successful formula. Kenji Inafune, cre- ator of the internationally popular Onimusha series, brings his expertise to this franchise. Judging from the character interaction and impressive cut-scenes, Capcom seems intent on pleasing Western crowds with a bloody spectacle. After seeing Agrippa raise a severed head for the crowd, the game definitely has our attention. —Justin Speer
KINGDOM HEARTS: g ۶ CHAIN OF MEMORIES VY Wi
бВА г 5диаге Епјх [ У |
Kingdom Hearts for PlayStation 2 deftly top-down, 2D quest will be required playing merged the worlds of Final Fantasy and Walt Disney, | for all fans of the original title... creating an action-RPG hybrid starring Goofy and Donald that grown adults didn't have to be ashamed Chain of SW f of enjoying. Now, that unexpected hit gets a sequel Memories’ dense story line and lush | ۱ Y " |» in an unexpected place—the GBA. Disney-flick settings remain true to its con- ј | 1
“Chain of Memories is the direct sequel to sole big brother, but an original card-based M M
Kingdom Hearts, and Kingdom Hearts Il (due in 2005 | combat system might overcomplicate matters. у 7 \ \ | for PS2) is the direct sequel to Chain of Memories," Also, kids with GBAs might never have played A 1 | LY explains Producer Tetsuya Nomura. "This GBA game the Р52 game, thrusting them into the midst of a 1 < ү W | fills in the missing link of what Sora does in the two | complex tale. | years between the two PS2 games." Sounds like this
—Shane Bettenhausen | > а ||
104 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com
Cut off behind enemy lines with no way to contact help, four young, barely trained soldiers realize their
only hope for survival is to head into the heart of darkness. With few rations and dwindling ammunition, the only thing separating them from freedom is
100 miles of ruthless terrain, crawling with unseen enemies and filled
with hidden booby traps.
Welcome to Vietnam.
Get behind the wheel of Jeeps, tanks, 14 enormous missions іп TEE Paranoia inducing enemy AI pits you
helicopters, and river boats. villages, temples, and underground tunnels. against foes in the environments they are the masters of.
PlayStation.2
‘Trademark and © 2004 SCi Games Limited, published by Take-Two Interactive Software and its subsidiaries. Global Star Software, the Global Star Software logo, Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. and the Take-Two Company logo are trademarks of Take-Two mes and the Pivotal Games Logo are trademarks of Pivotal Games Limited. "PlayStation" and the “PS” Family logo are registered
Blood and Gore Intense Violence Strong Language
Interactive Software, пс. Global Star Software, пс. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive Software, In. Ph trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Microsoft, Xbox, and the Xbox logo are ether registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries and are used under license from Microsoft. The ratings icon is a
trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.
Suggestive Themes Use of Drugs
Fall games preview
PS2/XB * Rockstar
The buzz: It's illegal open-city street rac- ing (in Atlanta, Detroit, and San Diego), but this time it's for really, really rich peo- ple. You've probably heard that Dub Edition (named after Dub magazine, giv- ing rappers and rapper wannabes high- end automotive wank material since 2000) is movin’ on up to include swank rides like Escalades and Hummers, cus-
o
MIDNIGHT CLUB 3: DUB EDITION
tom choppers, and concept cars—but you may not know that it’s also aiming to deliver more tuning and tweaking options than any other racer (previous Clubs offered only stock unlicensed cars).
How's that gonna work? "Take а "64 Chevy Impala,” says Producer Mark Garone. “You think, | want something with a West Coast, lowrider vibe. OK, drop
some classic Davin spoke rims on there, add hydraulics, chop the top, add an insane multicolor paintjob. Or you may be into more of a drag-racer-type car. Take that same "64 Impala, jack up the back, put on some really wide tires in the rear and some smaller ones up front, add a wheelie bar, and install a blower [for] extra horsepower. Now you're tearing up
opponents off the line with a completely different style.”
What could go wrong? Club pretty much started this tuner-culture, street-racing stuff, but now everybody's doing it. And in some cases, doing it really well. Will Dub's spinner rims and pricey rides be enough to catch your jaded eye? —Demian Linn
W In this fantasy realm, the turkeys eat
106 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY e www.1UP.com
PS2 • Konami
The buzz: Like Suikoden III, but bigger, better, faster, and with 100 percent fewer talking ducks. As usual, the story line centers on a quest to unite the 108 Warriors of Destiny to smite an almighty evil, with lots of fun minigames and town-building to offset all the drama.
Some improvements are obvious, such as slicker visuals and full spoken dialogue (a series first). Other changes run deeper: The battle system blazes past the pokey pace of Suikoden ИР and comes close to
the swift speed of the first two games. Expect more towns and locations to explore than the paltry few from the third game, and the world is overall larger, since you go by sea and not by land.
What could go wrong? If people are still
interested in Suikoden, there shouldn't be
a problem. Then again, part three might
mean there are fewer people interested
in Suikoden than there used to be. —Nich Maragos
P52 / XBX / GCN
Two Teams. Hardcore Skating. Wild Stunts. With THUG 29 you can play as yourself, World Destruction. You've been chosen your teammates, or as over 20 special by Tony Hawk to take on Bam Margera as your guest skaters including the father of
teams go globetrotting on an insane road trip: the Franklin Grind himself Benjamin Franklin. the World Destruction Tour. THUG 29 grinds in When you're ready to go old school, check with a hilarious story mode, an unprecedented out Classic Mode with all-time favorite goals level of customization, and more moves than like S-K-A-T-E, Secret Tape, and High Score the Skate Gods could dream of. against a two-minute timer. Make the world your own skate park, as you So grab your board, an arsenal of spray-paint, spray your custom tag, slap stickers, and even jump into the tour van and get ready to wreak create new skate lines as you wreak havoc. havoc across the globe.
Break out CODES sweet FREES
ps2 / xbx ps2 f хіх Enter the following at the Main Invincibility (Doesn't work in Race Tips:
Menu to unlock the desired code. Story mode): Square, Square, * Tailgate your opponents to psyche
All Weapons: R1, L2, Square, L1, R1, L2, R2, R2. them out, and earn boost in the process.
Circle, R1, R2, Unlimited Ammo: R1, R2, * Slam your rivals into traffic to take x» 12. R1, R2, Square, Circle, Square them down, and expand your boost bar. Immunity: Unlock all Missions: L1, R1, * Each track has signature Takedown Circle, Circle, L1, L2, Square, Square, Circle. points, e.g. the pillars under the El HO US RE Unlock all Vehicles: L1, 11, in Downtown—these will earn you R2, Square. Square, Circle, L1, R1, Circle. special rewards.
fall games preview
< I
PS2 ° Sony CEA
Who knew that zipping around on four-wheelers had such broad appeal? Sony has managed to transform its seemingly niche ATV Series into a substantial hit, creating a colossal fan base by packing a playable demo with every PS2 Network Adaptor (and the full game with PS2 console/Adaptor bundles).
We didn't expect new developer Climax to mess with success, but this third offering dares to be different—loos- er control, more powerslides, and a deep-
"ATV OFF-ROAD FURY 3
er trick system (think Tony Hawk-style reverts) give the gameplay a distinctly more arcadey feel. Don't expect major changes to the well-regarded online play, though: You'll still be able to get all muddy with your buds on the Net.
With a new developer and some noticeably reworked gameplay, A7V3 might strike die-hard fans as too much of a depar- ture from the established norm. —Shane Bettenhausen
NEO CONTRA
PS2 ° Konami
Buffed-up muscles constantly flexed and powered-up weapons perpetu- ally blazing, Contra was once considered pure action incarnate. After reliving its 2D glory days with 2002’s Shattered Soldier, the furious shooter is born anew with a shifting 3D perspective and a strategic take on run-n-gun gameplay. Three sets of weaponry (meaning nine different weapons to choose from) indicate serious depth, and screen-filling boss monsters look primed for the killing. A good 3D Contra at last? Odds look good.
The tough-as- nails Contra series has always emerged victorious in its one-man/two-man simul- taneous war against alien invasion, yet it continually loses ground in a guerrilla struggle against the mainstream. Director Nobuya Nakazato hopes Neo Contra can succeed on all fronts. “I want the Contra franchise to be accepted by a wider audi- ence, but | want everyone who plays it to be fully satisfied.” It’s radical thinking, but it's unlikely to spark a revolution.
—dustin Speer
KARAOKE REVOLUTION
VOLUME 3
PS2 • Konami
The name doesn't overstate: This karaoke series, with technology that can tell when you're singing off pitch, broke new ground in the rhythm-action genre. Now, with one simple innovation— duets—Volume 3 should do an even more outstanding job re-creating the silly, increasingly popular American pastime of making a fool of yourself singing your favorite songs to your friends.
Roping in a pal to share the glory (or shame) should provide the real draw here. “Players can sing traditional duets and harmonize together," says Michael vos.
K
McHale, senior producer at Konami. “We actually support two microphones with a number of new game modes, including Duets and Sing-Off.”
The game will Still offer only a few dozen songs, which is too bad; whatever your taste in music, the catch-all assortment of songs gets old pretty fast. "We've been talking about music-genre-specific releases for some time now," says McHale. "I hope [Karaoke Revolution] grows large enough to allow us to do this." —Jennifer Tsao
The problem of limited song selection could be solved when Karaoke Revolution hits Xbox. This reworked ver- Sion of the first PS2 KR will come with a much larger initial set of songs (including 10 remastered Motown classics). But better yet, you'll be able to download additional song packs via Xbox Live. »-
108 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY є www.1UP.com
km
Blood and Gore Intense Violence Sexual Themes
Strong Language
* | B | хеох PlayStation. æ | CD tH манто
Copyright ©2004 Majesco Sales Inc, All Rights Reserved. The BloodRayne logo, characters and artwork are trademarks of Majesco Sales Inc. Developed by Terminal Reality. Microsoft, Xbox and the Xbox logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries. "PlayStation" and the "Р" Family logo аге registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. The ratings icon is а, trademark of the Entertainment Software Association.
‘CONTENT RATED BY Е
fall games preview
` NOVEMBER GALLERIES
ALSO DUE IN NOVEMBER
T ME З и ЧЕ
sr EH
PS2/XB * Capcom — After doing battle with various X-Men, Marvel superheroes, and SNK scrappers, Capcom's quick-to-anger stars are fighting amongst themselves. Look for characters from Street Fighter Alpha, Street Fighter ЇЇ, Darkstalkers, and Warzard.
PS2/XB е Atari — This Dungeons & Dragons adventure dispenses with the intricacies of roleplaying, ditching the dice in favor of visceral hack-n-slash action. It's kind of like EA's Lord of the Rings brawlers, but Drizzt is a way tougher elf than that pansy Legolas.
PS2/XB • Atari — Tokyo's misunderstood monster (and friends) returns for another round of rubber-suited beatdowns.
PS2 е Atari — This third fireball-tossing installment promises to offer the beefiest, spikiest combat yet.
PS2 * Capcom — It’s actually impossible for this to be dumber than MMX7 (which featured an evil robotic onion boss).
PS2 • Sammy — А case study to see whether chaotic 2D brawling with four players causes insanity.
PS2/XB • VU Games — The Predator lives for the hunt. Apparently, no prey is more rewarding than a 19205-ега bootlegger about to break into a cask of moonshine. Yeah, you heard us—Jungle has the Predator fighting crime during Prohibition times. Really.
PS2/XB/GC * Ubisoft — EGM's 2003 Game of the Year returns for another stab at star- dom. Get ready for a substantially darker tone (the Prince is pursued by Death itself), deepened combat, and all-new locales to prance around in. $
110 « ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY e www.1UP.com
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Jackpot! СТА sequel
goes to Vegas— and to а turf war! We show you when to hold 'em and when to run
112 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY е www.1UP.com
on’t say Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is the final slice of the GTA PlayStation 2 trilo- gy. San Andreas is a trilogy all by itself: One
state, three cities, and all the wilderness in between. But Rockstar’s latest epic not only replicates the West Coast’s most celebrated spots—it also tells an early "905 thug tale hardcore enough to make the Hughes brothers blush.
On Oct. 19, the journey begins in the smogged-out Compton clone of Los Santos, winds through the hills of upscale San Francisco replica San Fierro, and leads to the sin and slot-machine din of Las Vegas facsimile Las Venturas. “This is the single biggest playing area in videogame history,” says Sam Houser, president of GTA publisher Rockstar. “I can say that with absolute confidence.”
We can say—with as much aplomb— that our cover story reveals more of this
altered state than you'll find anywhere else. It all begins with our exclusive tour of heretofore uncharted Las Venturas, a glitzy sprawl of Day-glo casinos that by itself raises the stakes in terms of the series’ selection of minigames. Later, we duck for cover in the turf wars of Los Santos, where main man Carl “CJ” Johnson conquers enemy gangland and recruits thugs, adding a sick twist of RISK-style gameplay to the series. Roll the dice, turn the page, and respect, fool.
This story is rated TL... «for ife, meaning you're reading about a game that has you waging turf
wars, breaking and entering, stealing wheels, dealing drugs, shooting the sheriff and the deputy, and a doing a dozen other dirty deeds youd never try in real life. But then San Andreas isn't real; it's just a game—one that only adults can buy and play.
И
=, CERE
/
Detour to the San Andreas location of your choice: as (based on Las Vegas) — Page 114 (based оп San Francisco) — Раде 119 antos (based on Los Angeles) — Page 120 le i — Page 122
ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY є www.1UP.com • 113
соџег storu: gta: san andreas
т Strip tease: Give Las Venturas’ neon Й scenery a good eyeballing and you'll spy lots of references to past GTA games.
Name: Carl “CJ” Johnson
His role: Main character
His deal: After a five-year hiatus in Liberty City, CJ returns home to Los Santos to avenge the death of his mom and build a street-gang empire.
> Welcome to Las Venturas You first see it as a smudge of apoca- lyptic pink on the desert horizon. But cruise closer to Las Venturas on your soft-seated Wayfarer—San Andreas’ version of a classic lux-
a ury touring cycle from the early ’90s—and the smoldering simmer resolves into sprawling neon boulevards decked with nods to Re > past (145. The famous waving ` in neon cowboy figure you spy light- ing the desert sky is not the anima- tronic cowpoke in the real Vegas— it's Vice City's very own southern- fried real-estate dealer Avery Carrington writ large in glowing light. Around the corner is а bigger-than-life billboard featuring the bigger-than-life endowments of the leggy Vice City porn
114 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.1UP com
№ Impress the pit bosses with your gambling skills and you're on your way to playing with the high rollers.
a8
зво |
star Candy Suxxx.
But Las Venturas' sites and decor reflect not only series in-jokes but also real places in Sin City. The V-Rock Casino takes the place of Vegas’ off-the-Strip Hard Rock Cafe. Naturally, the V-Rock isn't
"We really worked to...capture the spirit of Las Vegas.” m
the only action in town, It was one of the many casinos we glimpsed, most of which were recognizable from our own forays down the Strip: Caligula’s Palace (Caesar’s Palace), the Visage (the Mirage), Pirates in Men's Pants (Treasure Island), and the Pink Swan (the Flamingo), to name a few. The game mimics the Luxor, Excalibur, Circus Circus, Bally's, and plenty of others, along with scores of other old-school casinos if you want to yank on one-armed bandits while kibitzing with blue hairs. “We've really worked on the details to make this city come alive,” says Rockstar PR guy >
New in Town: Respect Respect in San Andreas is every- thing—a vital new character trait that you can tweak and boost | throughout the game. It decides who'll follow you, what story lines are open to you, what you can buy, and what casino tables you can sit at. How do you earn it? It all depends on the quality and color of your clothing, your physique (flab is bad), your hair- cut, whom you've capped, whom you've robbed, what areas you've taken over, and other factors. Without respect, you're going nowhere.
Every girPs crazy "боці а sharp-dressed thug.
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What happens in Las Venturas stays in Las Venturas, unless you take your stolen ride off the Strip and out of town, of course.
bir
His role: CJ's brother His deal: Sweet still blames CJ for the. death of their youngest brother, Brian; | Ці |] five years ago. Now he has to reconcile | | with CJ and help lead the Orange Grove Families back to prominence.
Jeff Castaneda, “to capture the spirit of Las Vegas.” And while you can’t saunter into every casino you see in town, you can enter most of them.
Exactly why from-the-hood hero CJ ends up in this Vegas-inspired metropolis
says. “There are tons of games you can play.” Among them, blackjack, craps (best odds in the house!), slots, roulette, video poker, and even wheel of fortune.
While different casinos have different gaming options, one thing is consistent:
| «T
—hockstar's Jeff Castaneda
is a plot twist Rockstar won't reveal. Nor will the developers come right out and say that CJ can buy and run his own casino (although Rockstar reps exchanged a knowing smile when we asked about the possibility). We know Las Venturas is the last of three cities he’ll visit in the game (with Los Santos first and San Fierro v second). And we certainly know what CJ can do here when not completing the story mis- sions: "The casinos are like nothing we've ever done in Grand Theft Auto,” Castaneda
116 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.TUPcom
You're not going to be a high roller unless you've earned enough respect—a major ingredient in your character's development this time. You'll get skill points for gam- bling, just like you do for gunning down rival gangs earlier in the game. Your max bet is based on that skill. If you gamble like Tom Cruise in Rain Man, you'll дек access to the high-rollers’ tables, easy. № you stick with minimum bets, you'll be stuck with the table of unshowered truck drivers from Kansas. So if you want to drop the hammer and put 10 large on the roulette wheel on lucky number 47,
- Gambling isn’t
San Andreas’ only jinigame. Rockstar
says this hoops shot is
a “gameplay screen.”
Sporting a crusty wife-beater and a nappy "Чо just ain't right, and your respect will suffer until you clean up your act and your wardrobe. Stop by a barbershop to get your top cropped. Hairstyles vary in each city, but in Los Santos, you can score an Afro, Jheri curl, or cornrows—or go hair free. As for new duds, you'll find lots of stores and clothing options, depending on what you can afford. Victim, our per- sonal blood-stained favorite, is in Los Santos’ trendiest area.
i J xeox @ Scene. GAME BOY ADVANCE
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or older and reside in the 50 United States to use the GameFly service. Please visit www.gamefly.com for complete terms and conditions.
Name: Cesar Vialpando
His role: Boyfriend of CJ's sister, Кепа! His deal: A proud member of the Varrios Los Aztecas gang from the south side of Los Santos, Cesar's all about hot rods. He often rolls with CJ.
і
118 є ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UPcom
Li
you'll have to get the attention and respect of the guys pulling the strings. And when it comes to the look of
N the casinos...well, it was a dirty
job, but developer Rockstar North 3 had to do it, racking up mondo frequent-flier miles on research trips to the real Vegas to cap- ture the city's sights, sounds, and surliness. Consequently, you'll find drunken multicultural Elvis impersonators itching for fights in the gambling pits. Mosey
Mc igi
mirage-causing heat. It's also the sculpted interior. You'll find marble walls, detailed carpeting, dazzling chandeliers, huge arch- ways, and sky-scraping ceilings. The pre- sentation is as epic, as breathtaking, as over-the-top, and as magnificently tacky as a bona fide casino's.
And much like its real-life counterpart, Las Venturas never rolls up its sidewalks; you can belly up to the blackjack table any time, day or night. It's just one of the many new diversions that has Rockstar claiming that San Andreas will take persistent
"т —Rockstar President Sam Houser
into Caligula's Palace and you'll be treated to the ensnaring ring-ding-ding of casino noise before your Timberlands hit the pil- low-soft plush carpet. But it's more than the atmosphere that'll keep you inside, away from the sun-dappled sidewalks, the pestering big-bellied tourists, and the
gamers more than 150 hours to complete. “It totally depends on your style,” Houser says. “If all you want to do is play mis- sions really quickly, it will take a long time because there are a lot of them. But if you want to take your time, the game could never end, in some ways.”
Mowin' down haters in the cities of San Andreas is a blast. The new tar- geting system lets you pick off perps when you're on the move, and you can even roll to dodge cross fire. № you're in desperate need of a kill shot, you can crouch down for accu- racy. The more death you dish out, the more accurate you'll be, since successful kills build your shooting skills. If stealth is your game, you can even pull off silent kills if you master the fine art of tiptoeing,
Suspension bridges, foggy skies, cable cars— San Fierro has every San Francisco treat except Вісе-А-Вопі,
San Fierro’s hilly _ terrain will give you “а GTA3 flashback. -
Welcome to San Fierro Unfortunately, our tour of Las Venturas does have to end—time to head north to San Fierro, based on San Francisco and the second town CJ visits in the game. While he'll be clear of his hometown hood of Los Santos and all of its Crenshaw Blvd.-style gangbanging, he'll still find plenty of Triad-gang thug life in the sceni- cally pristine San Fierro. By far the pretti- est municipality in the СТА universe, San Fierro features Victorian houses, rolling hills, a switchbacking Lombard Street
shout-out, and carbon copies of the mas- sive Golden Gate and Bay bridges. "San Fierro was built to be more driving focused, because of the hills,” Houser says. "It's all about car chases and more vehicle-based stuff.”
Take some downtime from driving, how- ever, and San Fierro is the perfect setting in which to brush up on your hand-to- hand. CJ can now do more than standard right-left-right fisticuff combos. Scoot to the Cobra Martial Arts Dojo in Chinatown and he’ll get schooled by a sensei in the
b =
1 know kung fu: Turn hands and feet into lethal weapons at the dojo.
fine art of whoop-ass. Learn roundhouse kicks, drop-heel kicks (perfect for groin Shots), and running front kicks. The new combos will have you pocketing your pis- tol in lieu of brass knuckles or a sword— all in the name of well-rounded thugdom.
After tenderizing the dojo's human punching bags, you can head to another SF hotspot: Otto's Autos. Because no self- respecting hood should trolley around the streets of Hashbury during the Hashbury & Garcia “Joint Festival" in a run-of-the-mill hoopty, you'll want to meet up with your homey, Cesar, the emperor of car cus- tomization. Otto’s is a paradise for DUB Magazine subscribers and 2 Fast 2 Furious fanboys. Here you can modify any ride in the game, tweaking paint jobs (flames, anyone?) or rearranging the front bumper, rear bumper, exhaust pipes, spoil- er, and rims. You can even install nitrous for supersonic getaways.
Different cars allow for different mods, making Otto's a frequent stop. Of course, all of these mods'll cost you, but a few muggings in San Fierro's rip-off of the Presidio will fatten that wallet.
ТП MI
Eating helps you stay sharp and builds your new stamina bar, but don't go hog wild on the fast food. Overeat all the time and your body will go Pillsbury Doughboy (binge too much in one sitting and you'll even puke). To keep your weight sensible, feel the burn while pedaling your BMX, shoot some hoops, or hit the gym. At San Fierro's dojo, you can hop on a workout cycle or pump iron. The latter is a sort of minigame, requiring you to hit buttons Track & Field-style to complete reps.
ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY є www.1UP.com • 119
x |
cover story: m gta: san andreas
№ Turf wars ravish Los Santos’ streets, but mad hank makes for sunnier times.
PREP SCHOOL
Four steps to get you krunked up for San Andreas...
Step 1: Hit the road — Gas up your hydraulic’d Winnebago and bounce your way out of Compton, CA. Scoot north to San Francisco's Upper Haight, then bet on black on the Las Vegas Strip. Head back to Compton with mad skrilla and a backseat full of Fatburger wrappers. Total drive time: 19 hours. Distance: 1,250 miles.
>
Step 2: Rent some good hood flicks — While cruising city to city, fire up Boyz N the Hood on the DVD, followed by Menace Il Society and Casino. While Colors fits the
game's vibe, as does the chase scene in Bullitt, both flicks are more dated than the concept of Ebonics.
Step 3: Crank up the Muzak — Hit Streetside Records for West Coast rap's must-haves. Grab NWA's Straight
Outta Compton, Dr. Dre's groundbreaking The Chronic, and Snoop Doggy Dogg's debut (with the ever so subtle title) Doggystyle. Crank those explicit lyrics Office Space-style.
Step 4: Play early 905 urban dress-up — For the men, throw on an Ocean Pacific top, hop into a pair of overalls with one strap undone, and put Timbos on the toes. For the ladies, a baggy Hypercolor T with shoulder pads, spandex stirrup pants, and a pair of Tretorns will do. Hot, hot, hot! Honorable mention: Those dope-ass MC Hammer pants and a Charlotte Hornets Starter јаск- et. Make with the street talk (see next page) and you're fierce.
Lady killer: While brothel rumors per- sist, the only thing we know for sure is that the snappier CJ dresses and the more cash he flashes, the more the
ladies love him.
| | / /
P Ç:
a * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.1UR.com
Е № CJ's pad: Cozy. T . One bedroom, plus L. crack den.
» Welcome to Los Santos
It seems right to end our tour of San Andreas’ three cities in the town where the game begins; Los Santos, a parody of smoggy L.A. Just don’t expect the wel- come wagon to roll up—home ain't no heyday, homey, CJ’s mom’s funeral is interrupted by a drive-by, his hood is teeming with more crack than a late- night Skinemax classic, and his local gang is in disarray. It's time to take the power back—but he can't do it alone.
If you're going to be a leader with followers, start by earning respect. No thug wants
to take orders from some punk- ass apprentice. Put the finishing touches on a few missions, bust caps in some rival gang- sters, and big up your tag by spray painting it around town. Then, when you're ready, take over some territory. Fo’ real. You can now stomp over to а rival's region, start blasting fools, and make that gang’s land your own.
Nothing’s easy about engaging in a turf war, though; you'll have to survive wave after wave of your rivals’ attacks. Survive and you'll expand your posse's territory. “The gangster stuff in this
New in Town:
Get up and Get Down
In previous 6745, you felt like you had freedom. But while carving up
game is something we've just never es DEN e LH done betore says Hose: jackin’ rides offered a nice approxi- After a takeover, homies from your local Mation ni autonomy, vot still SUffered plenty of restrictions. In San Andreas,
clan, the Orange Grove Families, will start loitering on street corners while wearing the OGF colors. If the opposition (cops, gangs) rolls into your hood, your dawgs will start shooting. It's faultless backup if you've got the po-po on your tail during a mission. Of course, newly copped turf must be defended—at some point there's. gonna be young blood from a competing gang wanting to make a name for himself, Still, you won't have to defend your area alone. With enough respect you can recruit your own personal posse. Step up to any perp wearing like-colored gear and ask him to join the fight. If your rep's high enough, he'll pledge allegiance by throw- ing up the Orange Grove Families gang sign. If your rep's too low, he'll ignore your request, tip back his 40, and guzzle. »-
all bets are off. You can swim and dive down into the depths. You can climb fences and walls and clamber onto the tops of boxes. Grab a Dodo airplane and you can soar three times higher than in Vice City. How's that for a state of independence?
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cover story: gta: san andreas
E it the rednecks don't get you, beware of _ | their wives. Who are also their cousins. i à didi
Street cleaner: As CJ rides up the respect ladder, young gangstas like this one will swear allegiance to the Orange Grove Families and help CJ out during missions.
И Leaving Los Santos? Таке the Mulholland interchange.
When urban cats step outside of the city limits in San Andreas, it's a whole new world. Exit off the Los Santos Mulholland interchange (a nod to the L.A. freeway system's cloverleafs), head into the out-
skirts and beyond, and get ready for a fright. Fresh air, scores of trees, unsullied ` grass, dirt roads, small towns, one-seat tractors, combine harvesters—that shiz- zle's scary! Especially when the jingle jangle of Deliverance smarts your tym- panic. But at least you won't have load times busting the mood. In Vice City, crossing bridges means a 10- second blackout—one you won't suffer from when driving through the state of San Andreas. Ever. The outlandish size of the wilderness makes it a perfect |
122 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com
WORDS ON THE STREET
| nacular. We've got your back with this short list of early "905 slang. We sug-
your tail. Going from city to city can take - anywhere from five to 10 minutes on the ana Thot Desidencs йау, butt ypu want to bumble around: | 09. O Dawg style liquor store T holdups in San Andreas—now you
"It's not just a gangbanging game. е That's part of it.” —Rockstar VP of Creative Development Dan Houser
Nothing separates streetwise guys from Backstreet Boys rejects like bad ver-
gest saying the urban term in the voice of a thug, then stating the definition in the vocal stylings of Revenge of the Nerds’ lead poindexter Louis Skolnick.
Chickenhead
TER
hiding place when the law-dogs are hot on
New in Town:
on the varied topography (including
deserts, forests, and mountains), you can can rob someone's house! The latest
in 6TA side missions, burglary has you heisting a moving truck, then cleaning out some poor sap's crib. Grab a ski mask from a local store to enter full-time stealth mode and bring a bat or a knife to keep the killing quiet if anyone's home. Check all the rooms to gank the most valu- able, easiest-to-carry items, like TVs and stereos. Then go sell it all!
stunt jump for hours without even seeing the haze of the inner-city smog, Best advice: Swindle the new and improved Dodo and wing it from one end of the state to the other, 1005
Just be sure to head back to your hometown when you've got some dough. “The good thing about Los Santos is you start there and it's one vibe, but then you come back later in the game and you're much more Hollywood,” Houser says. “To see a city from two sides—after spending weeks of real time away from it—is a very cool thing.” dh
ПАМ.
и The ski mask: Dont [break into homes without it. <
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PRODUCTS RANGE FROM EVERYONE то TEEN
Gradius™ and Ко e registered trademarks or trademarks of KONAMI CORPORATION. © 1985, 2004 KONAMI and Konami “PlayStation” and th mily logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. The ratings icon is a registered Sony Computer Entertainment America takes no responsibility for this offe
DIRECTORY
revieu crew
pohing, prodding, pinching
MULTIPLATFORM
124 128 128 130 130
Disturbances in the Force Even under ideal conditions we came across choppy performance in our online clashes. Plus, there’s no way to deal with disruptive turncoats. Not good, consid- ering how tempting it'll be for some to join the dark side and waste their own team with an X-wing.
Star Wars Battlefront
The Guy Game
Test Drive: Eve of Destruction Second Sight
ShellShock: Nam '67
Def Jam Fight for NY Juiced
Terminator 3: The Redemption
ш Def Jam Fight for NY's Bone Crusher says, “I swear І won't rest until my beer gut is this big.”
PLAYSTATION 2
Headhunter: Redemption 140 142 Sly 2: Band of Thieves 143 Dance Dance
Mega Man X Command Mission
(PS2/XB)
STAR WARS BATTLEFRONT
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005
144 Shadow Hearts: Covenant
144 Under the Skin
Katamari Оатасу
Revolution Extreme
143 Gradius V
Stars Wars: Ewok Hunter
takes, one step closerto reality...and Ted Nugent books a flight to Endor.
Never tell me the odds
How do you warm over Hoth, the ‘snowball planet that has served as a setting in almost every game from the fabled galaxy far, far away? Put online players in an imposing AT-AT and on every tauntaun and turret it tramples. Based on all the big movie melees—everything from forest free-for-alls to bot and clone clashes—Battlefront is the ultimate fantasy fulfillment for Star Wars fans with lightspeed Internet links.
Making nice with strangers is a must. My favorite friendly moment: riding in a Republic gunship, calling out targets for teammates on each of its cannons as | tried to set our sniper down on a spire overlooking the droid army’s depot. It’s when you quit cooperating that dubious
124 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY ® www.1UP.com
balance disturbs the Force. Imperial walkers, for instance, are practically impervious. Wander into one without air support from a trained X-wing pilot who's got a proton torpedo to spare, and they'll hear you bitch and moan from Alderaan to the Outer Rim.
Solo play sits оп the dark side for the same reasons. Battlefront's computer-controlled bots can't compensate for human help or competition. Sure, you can get one to Sit shotgun in a snowspeeder or repair your shot-up ship, but any sort of
complex strategy is out of the question, meaning you might spend the entire match single- handedly saving the day. Not that that's entirely difficult when the enemy steers its tanks into trees, and even their Jedi just stands around staring into space.
Someone made a videogame out of all those Star Wars toys and imaginary battles you had as a kid. It's a dream come true for any Wars geek, old or new—that is, if you can handle the choppy action that looks like someone
is stop-motion-capturing plastic Darth Vader " ` action figures. Our playtests rarely ran | smoothly, whether it was three of us in a е private game or 12 on a dedicated server `
THE RATING SYSTEM 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. < as ЗНАМЕ or THE MONTH for Thehighest- | The lowest- Straight 105. | games with for games scoring rated game
For games an average with a mean | game each with unani- that are life- | scoreof9.0 | scoreof8.0 | month gets mously bad changing. or higher. or higher. а star. Scores.
146 Fable 151 Donkey Konga 152 Advance Guardian Heroes 150 Galleon 151 WWE Day of Reckoning 152 Mario Pinball Land ESRB KEY (Also check out www.esrb.com) 150 Kingdom Under Fire: 153 Pokémon FireRed/LeafGreen E-Everyone: T-Teen: M-Mature: The Crusaders Saccharine fun for the | Like PG-13 movies, Teen For the 18-and-over
whole family: dancing games often feature crowd. Intense violence, elves, rampant sharing, fisticuffs, mild violence, боге, pixilated sex, and possibly Smurfs. and madcap antics. drugs; parents no likey.
Your Place in the Cosmos Playing as one of the following five classes, you'll find as much action оп foot as you will in the cockpit.
КО scouts pack sniper rifles and М pocket-sized
probe droids for staking out the field.
7 Another Star Wars game, another battle for Hoth (above), but this time the Imperial walkers are loaded with spotty teens.
Any class can fly ships, but only pilots can
patch 'em up.
These galactic š grease monkeys also double as medics and can dispense health and ammo to hurting allies.
Menace vehicles with a variety of big-bang munitions including mines, thermal detonators, and missile launchers.
From beefy Wookiees to Boba Fett-like badasses with jetpacks, each of Battlefront's four provided by LucasArts. OFFICIAL PS MAG— CHRIS: There аге from the lush forest of Ewok-infested Endor factions features its own signature Still, fun | had, from blasting battle games based around the Star Wars to the Tatooine desert (complete with shock troops. droids on Naboo to taking down lumbering | universe (e.g., Knights of the Old Republic), | hostile Tusken Raiders). And it's just plain АТ-АТ5 with tow cables (with buddy and then there are flat-out STAR WARS cool to see Darth Vader walking around Shawn piloting the snowspeeder). It helps games. And when it comes to titles based kicking ass. Vehicle implementation could < Standard grunts a lot that the fields are littered with dumb · directly on familiar content, Battlefront is use some work—starships are just too fast Ч (Rebels and computer-controlled bots—they provide tough to beat. Every ground battle you've | for practical use—and things get slow ќа “troopers alike) lots of cannon fodder and the illusion that seen is covered (along with several you online even if your room isn’t completely a do the job with a the battles are huge and epic, straight haven't), each in the epic style it deserves. full, but those are minor issues. Any Star blast rifle and several grenades. from the films. It's a truly beautiful game, too, spanning Wars fan will love this. No question. ќа.
Publisher: LucasArts Developer: Pander
Players: PS2 1-2 (2-16 online), XB 1-2 (2-24 online)
ESRB: Teen
THE VERDICTS (UT OF 10)
SHAWN SHOE CHRIS
www.lucasarts.com
ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY ® www.1UP.com ° 125
“We're impressed... the game plays as good as it looks.” - PSM
"Looks amazing... plays fantastic.” — Play Magazine | “Face it. You've always wanted this." — Тир.сот
They’re on top of you. You’re on top of them. Does it really matter? All female wrestlers. 10,000 polygons per character. And hardcore wrestling gameplay. It’s Rumble Roses and it’s definitely a win-win situation.
IW +. PlayStation. KONAMI / ° www.konami.com/usa
© 2004 KONAMI & Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo. KONAMI is a registered trademark of KONAMI CORPORATION. Rumble Roses is a trademark of Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo, Inc. "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. Я!
гемеш сгеш: multiplatform
Good: Driving classic beaters like the Ford Pinto Bad: Pintos aren’t actually, you know, good Should've Been Named: Test Drive: The Simple Life
°
Elvis faked his ابو
death so that he could d EBE
indulge his true love: хо TEE
driving crappy cars.
PS2/XB
TEST DRIVE: EVE
OF DESTRUCTION
Redneck rampage
DAN L: As the racing genre grows ever more complex, customizable, and corpulent, it's nice to see a game that is simple in its premise and fun in its execution. Test Drive: Eve of Destruction proves you can teach an old series new tricks, as it has successfully changed lanes from exotic-car-powered racer to grits-fueled back roads basher.
Eve of Destruction sets gamers up with a simple choice: Win the race and advance to the next level or explore the outer limits of physics while trying to produce the most outrageous head-on crashes. If you get overly obsessed with mayhem, no worries...destroying other racers earns points toward unlocking new cars, modes, and other nifty items.
The game's wide array of races runs the gamut from interesting to bizarre, but one constant factor lessens the overall impact—the racin' be slow. Quarter-cen- tury-old school buses and '70s-era com- pact cars make the dash to 60 mph more of a gentle amble.
DEMIAN: Uh...did we play the same game? Eve of Destruction, right, the one with
floaty, slow-driving, crappy cars
and a tediously repetitive career mode? | give Atari credit for taking the Test Drive series where it's never gone before, but | can't say 1 enjoyed the trip. The arcade mode school bus and chain races (in which you tow another car) are good for a laugh, but the rest gets old quick. The best part was that 1 got to drive a beat-up АМС Pacer look-alike...but is anyone besides me going to consider that a good thing?
OFFICIAL PS MAG—JOHN D: If Burnout 3 is the ultimate expression of racing and destruction, then Eve of Destruction is the hillbilly, down-on-the farm alternative. Think of it as the redneck racer that will slowly but surely sneak into your game- play rotation as a quiet but guilty pleasure. Handling-wise, it's a bit on the slippery side, and contrary to the current fashion, it's desperately, desperately sluggish. But Eve of Destruction seems to revel in its down-to-earth, country boy demeanor— replete with southern geetaw rawk and chicken-fried locations—and the experi- ence is downright infectious.
Publisher: Atari
Developer: Monster Games Players: PS2 1-2 (3-4 е ® w/Multitap), XB 1-4
ESRB: Teen DANL. DEMIAN JOHN D.
www.atari.com
Good: Drinking makes this game slightly more fun Bad: Too much guesswork to see the goods
The baliz minigames (right) do feature actual (И bad) gameplay.
52/ХВ
THE GUY GAM
Girls gone stupid
THE мо
When Girls Gone Wild meets that lame game show Street Smarts, we all lose.
128 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.1UP.com
Ballz: Someone's tech demo turned into boring minigames
This girls-gone-wild trivia game is mildly challenging at times—like, do you know what “URL” stands for? If so, con- grats, you big dork. Several spring break bimbos also attempt to answer the ques- tions in various video bits. If they get them wrong, off comes the top and out comes the boobage. At first, a censor bar obscures the goods, but if you rack up mounds of points, the bar makes way for fuzzy mammaries, then eventually, the full clear view bounces in.
But here’s where the game busts: You have to predict what the girls will say to get that full view. You get a pair of choic- es, but it’s a coin flip most of the time. So you have to be really good at blind, ran- dom guessing or you have to replay the episodes a boring second time through to see what you can get on the Internet for free anyway. It’s great that this game exposes college girls who literally don’t know how many letters are in the alpha- bet, but mostly, it’s just sad.
Here’s the situation: You desperate- ly want to see women’s breasts. | hear ya.
2 g ба ЕН 25 E] we = =
SHOE SHANE
Here are my suggestions.
First, you can type the magic word “breasts” into Google Image Search. Or, if you prefer both your lighting and your ladies classy(ish), you can buy an issue of Playboy—for nonclassy ladies, Swank. Or, if you're а life-hating masochist, you can waste $40 on The Guy Game, spend count- less hours answering dumb trivia ques- tions—and guessing if vapid skanks can answer dumb trivia questions (usually not)—and then...maybe see breasts.
What price, titties? It doesn't take а transvestite-hooker-starved Eddie Murphy to tell you that some sex is entirely too costly. In The Guy Game, players must wade through 40 or so minutes of badly shot, badly edited, and badly commented on spring break footage before one of the “hotties” shows her gazooms without any censoring. It's pretty much the death of your videogame—a game featuring naked human females—when the highlight is a series of unimpressive knockoffs of Marble Madness and Skee Ball. Seek real breasts the old-fashioned way. By begging. Publisher: Gathering Developer: Topheavy Players: 1-4 ESRB: Mature
www.theguygame.com
«on со»
pem
572 GoTTA HAV ~ 911?
“Shear Теггог!"- Helene Kahn, Detroit Enquirer i "I smell зепие!!”- David Haeg, Idaho Investigator
ВЕН: | i im Ta BE E 3
тагыш ош,
ten ec Pe yh oul Bros De Р i. Musie by rr Fe, www.LAMBZILLA.com
review crew: multiplatform
Though ey
PS2/XB
SHELLSHOCK: NAM 67
Me love you not-so-long time
Good: The terrors of war, all in videogame form!
Bad: Sluggish action, short game
Best Icon: Two bunnies humping, for sex with hookers
SHOE: ShellShock is first out of the gate—one of too many wartime shooters releasing soon, all out to prove they know the Vietnam War the best. | have a sense that this will be one of the better ones, with graphic cut-scenes (combined with great voice acting) that'll make you wince when civilians are executed, fel- low soldiers turn psychotic, etc. Kids’ game, this is not.
So while ShellShock does a great job in expressing the s***ty mood of the war, the gameplay is more Captain Corelli's Mandolin than Full Metal Jacket. OK, that's a bit of a stretch, but the action is sluggish and the game's too short, espe- cially with no multiplayer. More disap- pointing is the wasted potential. ShellShock tries to go beyond mere run- and-gunning—you'll also have downtime at your base, where you can talk to peo- ple, buy stuff, or even pay for some boom-boom with a she-so-horny local gal. These RPG-like features could've been great, but it's all fluff, adding to the ambience but taking up too much time and doing nothing gameplay-wise—so you'll end up skipping it all anyway.
THE VERDICTS (ОЛ OF 10)
SHOE SHAWN
SHAWN: Sometimes
ShellShock paints it perfectly black—at sunset, when the game's washed out, weather-worn graphics make sense; when lead and limbs fly (aim high and Charlie literally loses his head); and in the sack- shriveling moments when you spot scouts in the saw grass or defuse a booby trap seconds before it detonates. Most of the time, though, you're just going through the immoral motions—sniping enemies who eschew cover for suicidal charges, blast- ing explosive barrels—in a vanilla shoot- em-up with Vietnam War veneer.
OFFICIAL PS MAG—JOE: Looking at stills of ShellShock, you'd think it's great. But any resemblance it bears to SOCOM is swept away the minute you start playing. Slowdown, crappy animation, dumb A.l., and a laggy control scheme are bad enough, but it's the stupendously awful level design—with impassible areas that might as well be invisible walls—that really takes the cake. There's a lot of gameplay here, and it's mildly diverting, but it'd be hard to recommend it over, well, just about any other combat shooter.
Publisher: Eidos. Developer: Guerrilla Players: 1
ESRB: Mature
www.eidosinteractive.com
130 ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.1UP.com
W PS2/XB/GC
SECOND SIGHT
Metal Gear collides clumsily with Miss Cleo
153,| 21
Good: Nifty, novel psychic abilities Bad: Deplorable graphics on the PS2 version
Try Instead: Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy
For a game that's built around using your head, Second Sight requires less brainpower than you'd think. The first third of the game is a slurry of clichéd plot points, mundane gunplay, and needlessly lengthy training. But give it some time to bloom and you'll eventually be rewarded with more dynamic psychic abilities that make whacking the scores of faceless troops and guards more interesting...if you're disciplined enough to use them. | found myself too easily able to half-ass my way through most situations with fast feet and an automatic weapon instead of the intended stealth and mind games.
The PS2 game's supercrappy graphics and sometimes-spotty controls often make psychic-skill execution awkward and unexciting, anyway, so there wasn’t much incentive to try beyond my own curiosity. Shy away from this graphically challenged version in favor of an Xbox or Cube copy if you have the luxury.
Maybe | like my games simpler as | get older, unlike that young turk Jon D. Second Sight combines the best parts of TimeSplitters (huge levels, fluid con- trols, and gorgeous art), throws in surpris- ingly satisfying stealth gameplay that’s not overly complex, and then adds one of the most compelling videogame narratives in recent memory. The story itself is inter- esting, but what's really special is how the events unfold over two separate time peri- ods, keeping you guessing about what really happened right to the end. Don't let this one slip under your radar—it’s defi- nitely worth playing!
For a game about mental powers, there’s an awful lot of shootin’ going on.
Tisi у tam ' rd Био i You don’t
buy a Ferrari to run errands—you buy it to drive fast (and possibly to show your support of the color yellow). So why does a game focus on cool-sounding super- powers like telekinesis only to make their primary uses to flip switches?
Say the developers wanted to make Second Sight more of a stealth game— fair enough, since in that case you’d expect subtle powers, but odd camera angles spoil the sneaking. Second Sight is technologically well crafted, with good controls, graphics, and story—but without the freedom of superior mentalist Psi-Ops.
Main character John Vattic with mental powers (top), Vattic pre-mentalism (above).
THE VERDICTS (OUTOF 10) бл
JON D.
JOHN R.
Publisher: Codemasters Developer: Free Radical Players: ESRB: Teen
MATT
www.codemasters.com
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PS2/XB/GC
Battle rap
While Def Jam Vendetta surprised many (including yours truly) with the success of its hip-hop-studded fisticuffs, Vendetta was really just a WWE title pimped out in Def Jam clothing. But that ain't the case in Fight for NY; this one enters the underground fight- club scene with a completely unique brand of ass whuppin'. And even if you've always been more of a lover than a fighter, the game will still knock your block off.
All you need is a few bouts under your belt to understand the appeal of this blood sport. Fight for NY is a perfect blend of karate chops, body slams, submission holds, and other brawling techniques with highly interac- tive and visually striking arenas that feel
nent. It's a total rush every time you toss the likes of Method Man into the crowd and watch a rowdy onlooker deliver a serious Louisville Slugger beatdown, or use Snoop Dogg's noggin as a battering ram to bust up a nearby
jukebox. Each environment is a
stylized house of pain, and discovering all the differ- ent opportunities for inflicting discomfort is Sickly fulfilling.
Fight for NY also deserves a major shout- out for what it accom- plishes outside the ring. For starters, your custom- made pugilists—yes, you
Stylin’ and Profilin’
Fight for NY's all-new character cre- ator may seem shallow at first, but progress through the game’s story mode and you'll swear you've just landed in Hip-Hop Eye for the Straight Guy. Victories earn you tons of fresh gear from brands such as Phat Farm, Nike, and Def Jam University. You can also deck your protege out in all sorts of gaudy jewelry (a requirement for any high roller). And don't forget to visit the barbershop to clean up that tight fade.
“Ink Stain” “Mr. Boyakasha”
BLAZE1WRE
DEF JAM FIGHT FOR NY
can create your own, finally—look as hardcore as the game's big-name talent. And unlike Vendetta, the story mode is quite meaty and stockpiled with challenging match types (РИ take much more than two extended play sessions to reach its con- clusion). Even the narrative scores a KO, thanks to its unexpected turn of events and Hollywood- worthy voiceovers.
Yet that doesn't mean the game leaves you with- out a scratch. The breezy tutorial neglects to men- tion a few key in-fight mechanics (for instance, exactly how to perform the various counters), and A.l. opponents always seem to muster a comeback. Nevertheless, you'll still want to reserve a spot on the undercard of this extreme fighting circuit.
Say hello to knockdown, drag-out, hit- you-so-hard-you-burp-the-milk-you-drank-as-a- baby brawling. Once you face off in a ring of fire,
Once an А.І. fighter hits the danger zone, he'll kick it up and come out swinging. Damn sandbaggers.
THE VERDICTS (OUT OF 10)
BRYAN
SHAWN
132 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY ® www.1UP.com
Publisher: EA Games Developer: EA Сапада/АК! Players: PS2 1-2 (3-4 w/Multitap), XB and GC 1-4 ESRB: Mature
GIANCARLO
www.defjamfightforny.com
Ф NINTENDO 2/ GAMECUBE
PlayStatione X хеох
AMERICAN G.L.
| . ACTION FIGURE n. ` WHEN YOU PRE-ORDER
WITH $5 DOWN! ғ
PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube 549.22
While supplies last. Limit one per customer. See sales associate for details. Typographical errors are not the responsibility of EB Games.
ZGA MES We take games seriously " АС | V ISION
review crew: multiplatform
Я 600
OMBO MOVE
2 ü
L DE
— ow
> beating on one of 40-some hardcore hip- hop heads before watching him burn to death in the summer's hottest trends, you'll think that mat and turnbuckle matches are tame. As far as grapplers 4 до, Fight for NY is one of, if not the greatest. None of that plodding, predictable stuff here; just style that shines like a platinum-plated smile, and hurts-to-watch, swifter-than-a- Sucker-punch roughhousing that plays out differently depending on whether you're boxed in by an unruly crowd or beside the hood of a soon-
134 « ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com
73350
ед саг. Oh, and the story's sick, too.
As far as fighters go, the game is on point with a pacing and approach all its own. Purists might think they want more—more ways to set up and psych out scrubs, more means of avoiding a maiming when they're up against the wall. Still, it's a rare ruckus that you can play with a casual gamer pal who couldn't combo his way out of a wet paper bag, and both walk away from blissfully bruised.
OFFICIAL PS MAG—GIANCARLO: Fight for NY's inherent appeal is pretty obvious to fans of h
hop. And hey, maybe even nonfans would relish the opportunity to fight as (or beat the crap out of)
artists from the continually growing musical genre.
But Fight for NY is not one of those games that relies on star power. In fact, it’s quite the opposite, because the game's fighting mechanics are actu-
ш Sticky Fingaz is so desperate, he steals your lady. There goes his Players’ Ball invite.
ally some of the best in the genre to date. At the most basic level, it boils down to
this—a mixture of the Nintendo 64 WWE
titles from famed wrestling-game maker
AKI and Fight Club (the movie...not the
upcoming game). The five fight styles
are different enough from each other
that you have to adopt different strate-
gies according to their strengths and
weaknesses. Fighting is a lot deeper
than it initially seems, but that appear-
ance of simplicity is what will draw
all types of people to Fight for NY.
The best part of all, though, is the
Story mode, which not only has a
great create-a-fighter option, but
also a surprisingly good story that
almost flawlessly ties
of the game together.
00:52 ,
il SLICK RICK
TEENS
_ VIDEO: YES. GAME: NO.
U.S. AIR FORCE CROSS INTO THE BLUE
Phantom opponents are one thing, but being matched against а real adversary brings new meaning to the term game over. And it takes p
a completely new set of skills to play for real. In the United States Air Force, you're not just a player buta relevant, contributing part of the =
most highly advanced military on the planet. Which is why we seek those with the talent to win and the intelligence to win under pressure. - Call 1-800-423-USAF or log on to AIRFORCE.COM and find out what we can do to help your game. And what you can do to help ours. 3 -
review crew: multiplatform
PS2/XB/GC
TERMINATOR 3: THE REDEMPTION
Rise of the mediocrity
Good: It's better than the Rise of the Machines game
Bad: It's still not good At Least: The co-op mode is entertaining
G. FORD: Ignore this game's subtitle— there is no redemption for those of us who suffered through 73: Rise of the Machines. While this game is certainly better than that piece of shovelware, it still isn't average- quality fare. Redemption switches between third-person on-foot action, vehicle-based driving missions, and on-rails shooter levels while following the plot of the movie, com- plete with canned Arnold one-liners.
Amazingly, the Governator’s adventure isn't completely disappointing. While the on-foot stuff is bland and plodding, the vehicle-based missions set in the future are fast and fun—until you hit a couple with cryptic objectives, at which point you'll be spouting some one-liners of your own.
Collectively, the infuriating missions and maddening difficulty swings prove to be overwhelming, sucking away what little fun there is. The only thing that got the bad taste out of my mouth was the surprisingly decent co-op mode, which plays like an old-school arcade shooter.
JON D: | wish someone would travel back in time to terminate Arnold Schwarzen-
THE VERDICTS (OUT OF
G. FORD JON D.
Good: Running your own team of street racing leadfoots
Bad: Losing all your cars in pink slip races
Better Than: Street Racing Syndicate
E
egger 50 | wouldn’t have to play
games like this. Once the third battle-bred robot of the future decided attacking me with a parking sign was the most effective offense, | knew I was up the creek. І did locate the button that makes Arnold say “Talk to da hahnd,” but this killer feature couldn't distract me from level after poorly balanced level of alternately shooting robots on foot and shooting robots from a vehicle. And stages with no checkpoints mean lots of time wasted on recovering old ground. This 7355 just no fun at all.
1UP.COM—MATT: Ever play an action game with a one-off racing level? Bet it had simplistic controls and was exciting just because it broke the monotony of the rest of the game. Stack about 20 of those levels together and you get Terminator 3: The Redemption—of course, now the break from the monotony has become the monotony itself. The graphics and overall feel aren't terrible, but with every scene trying to be superexplosive (say adios to subtlety and pacing), you'll likely grow numb to the experience quickly.
Publisher: Atari | | Developer: Paradigm | | Players: 1-2 [ ] | | ESRB:Teen
MATT
www.atari.com
Here's something you probably In the race of didn’t know about Juiced, a game that Need for Speed Underground also-rans, looks like just another generic street racer, Juiced is a solid contender. The respect
Team-building exercise
E Juiced offers the і standard online rac-
136 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com
but isn't: You can actually /ose. Not just а race—I'm talking your cars, your money, everything (in career mode, of course), and you'll have to restart completely.
Here's something else: You can also read а book and play the game at the same time. See, Juiced isn't just about buying a car, tuning and tweaking it, running races, and then buying a better set of wheels. It's also about building a team of CPU drivers who can actually do the racing—and use the track time to buff their skills—while you play the pit boss. Sure, you can hog the wheel if you want, but grooming your A.l. drivers until they're even better than you are is kinda fun...and a totally new idea.
Outta-nowhere innovation aside, Juiced does have some old problems. The cars are often skittish and unforgiving (turn just slightly and hit the brakes and it's spin City), and even if you're rolling in cash, you'll have to wait for better stuff to unlock before you can buy it. But all that crazy team-building stuff makes it worth a look.
system is particularly interesting—you impress other crews by driving and betting successfully. Do well, and you can enter more prestigious races and eventually host your own events. Get too cocky in a pink- slip race, though, and you might be walking home. It's compelling, but the ample down- lime (training, watching races you bet on) and here-comes-the-spinout controls help restrain the excitement.
Another month, another street racer. To some extent the choice presented now is very much a matter of taste, and Juiced just doesn't tweak my driving-very-fast gland. | can appreciate its technical proficiency, and I agree with Demian that it's unusually inno- vative, but | didn't really find the idea of let- ting the game play itself particularly enjoy- able. Clever, yes. Fun, no. That said, | think it's a little better (faster, certainly) than its closest competitor, SRS, and pulls off many of the same features in a classier fashion.
THE VERDICTS (ОТОО)
DEMIAN G. FORD
Publisher: Acclaim
Developer: Juice Games Players: 1-2 (2-6 online) © @ ® ESRB: Teen
JOHN D.
www.juicedthegame.com
RATING PENDING T
e? ; PRE-ORDER NOW PlayStation.e WITH 55 DOWN
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гемеш сгеш: multiplatform
PS2/XB/GC
TIGER WOODS: — PGA TOUR 2005
In for a birdie
Good: One of the deepest sports games out there
Bad: New minigames needed
Strange Celebrity Cameo: Justin Timberlake...wha?
BRYAN: Tiger may be hitting a few more bogeys these days (who wants to practice when you're married to а supermodel?), but his virtual game is still well under par.
Gameplaywise, little has changed from last year’s edition; Tiger 2005 sports the same precise analog swing controls, and for those who groaned about the putting being too easy, caddy tips can now be turned off. The game's feature set, howev- er, sees several welcome additions. Country club snobs will surely enjoy modi- fying courses (the number of options available rivals Tiger's always-beefy char- acter creator) and going stroke for stroke with golfing icons such as Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer. And thanks to online wagering (don't get too excited—it's only for in-game cashola), | finally have a rea- son to challenge all you Tiger wannabes.
Unfortunately, even the best golfers land in the sand from time to time, and Tiger 2005 is no exception. The foliage resembles that found in a pop-up book, the minigames are growing old, and though 2004 revolutionized the game, 2005 is mostly spit and polish. Still, it’s worth playing quite a few rounds on these impressive links.
DAN L: On the links, this year's Tiger is a lot like last year's. You can adjust your stance now, but it comes down to this— pull the analog stick back consistently, and your ball will travel far and straight. In the bogey column: Tiger 2005's life- less courses (trees and other objects look bad) and the sometimes spastic camera. Ball physics don't overly impress either,
THE VERDICTS (OUTOF 1
BRYAN DAN L.
as the courses still lack the realistic feel of Links 2004 or Hot Shots.
PATRICK: The problem with last year’s Tiger was that, over time, the game became too easy. You shouldn't be able to routinely post a 52 at Pebble Beach, and now that won't be so simple (if you don't want it to be) because of "Tiger- proofing"—you can change course con- ditions (and ultimately scoring) by adjust- ing factors like fairway width and green size. More courses, the usual great swing mechanic, the addition of classic pros, and the new and improved GameFace II feature (the best create-a-character option in any game) inches the franchise ever closer to perfection.
Justin Timberlake is in the game...and looks kinda gumpy.
a
Developer: EA Redwood Players: PS2 1-2 (3-4 w/ Multitap, 2 online), XB 1-4 (2 online), GC 1-4
ESRB: Everyone
Publisher: EA Sports www.easports.com
PATRICK
138 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY е www.1UP.com
PS2/GC
MEGA MAN X: COMMAND MISSION
1, for one, welcome our new robot overlords
AXL 123456 ше 456
Good: Easy to pick up and play Bad: Not particularly engaging
" че * ee CRITICAL 6
давс | ب |
` O1
Believe It or Not: It's the first Mega Man console RPG
Y'know, there was once а time when Mega Man games were considered the exclusive property of hardcore gamers. | know it's hard to believe, but it's true. The hugely successful Battle Network changed all that, though, and the result is what you're seeing now with Command Mission—a game with nice production values that's more generic than the dog food they sell at Big Lots.
A completely orthodox Japanese role- playing game, Command Mission has everything you'd expect from the genre and nothing you wouldn't. You've got your long, boxy dungeons, your conversations with other party members that don't seem to go anywhere or reach any sort of con- clusion, and your fighting system that eagerly remakes Final Fantasy X's. This battle setup does have some neat extras (every robot has his own finishing move, and the tandem attacks are impressive to watch the first few times), but every- thing's strictly by the book here, folks. Get it only if you enjoy the characters...and make sure you get the Cube version, since the PS2 port suffers from long load times between battles.
Odd beast, this one: It's not quite an RPG, with barely any side quests or exploration, and it's not quite a Mega Man game, since it's pretty linear and you don't earn your enemies" weapons when you beat them. The story and voice acting are perfunctory, though Mega Man X tans ought to be used to that by now. So once you're past the impres- sive cartoony aesthetic, all that's left is the
battle system—which you may enjoy a lot until you realize just how long every single battle takes.
In combining Mega Man Xwith an RPG, Command Mission somehow draws attention to the worst parts of both. While the crisp graphics and energetic battles work well, the dungeons are a chore and the plot is your usual Mega Man X bluster—weak in a five-hour platformer, unbearable in a full-length RPG. | expected better from the creators of last year's amazing Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter. Unfortunately, innovation has taken a backseat here to mere pre- dictable competence. At least it's more fun than the most recent "real" MMX games.
Command Mission's story pits the resis-
tance against the rebellion. Wait, what?
THE VERDICTS (OUT OF 10) бл tn о
Publisher: Capcom Developer: Capcom Players: 1
ESRB: Everyone
www.capcom.com
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Enemy variety isn't one of Redemption's. strong suits.
S2/XB
HEADHUNTER: REDEMPTION
The hunt for good gameplay continues...
PlayStation 2
KATAMARI DAMACY
Roll with it, baby
I'm all for a good story, but if the rest of a game is a letdown, it just hurts that much more. About eight hours into Headhunter: Redemption, | was enjoying this third-person action game's decent nar- rative, but gameplay and control snafus were taking a terrible toll.
Right off the bat, the counterintuitive camera (which you can't remap or invert) will likely throw off many gamers, and it's followed by dozens of other annoying hang- ups. You can't target key items without first locking on to them in first-person mode, for example, and when you try to sneak up on an enemy for a silent kill, you'll often sidle up to a wall or nearby crate, as the same button controls both commands. A weak targeting system doesn't help either, mak- ing large firefights and boss battles a royal pain. Still, it's possible to mine some fun from Redemption, thanks to its interesting, if stereotypical, characters and some cre- ative later levels, but most gamers won't have the perseverance to get that far.
It took me a while to warm up to Headhunter. But once | mas-
tered the clumsy controls and a
camera as twitchy as a coked-out Chihuahua, | found myself hooked by its enormous environments, slick graphics, and Jennifer Garner-wannabe heroine. Still, the gameplay lacks anything resem- bling creativity, the writers were apparently paid by the cliché, and it's a pale shadow of the games it so obviously rips off. Think of Headhunter as videogame junk food: empty and unsatisfying, but still hard to put down.
1 liked the first Headhunter, but its poor controls needed some serious redeeming. Sadly, Redemption does not live up to its title in that respect. Whether you're Jack Wade ог newcomer Leeza X, your movements just feel off. And why must I hit left on the right analog stick when my intention is to look right? Talk about counterintuitive.
Still, the generally engaging gameplay style—Metal Gear stealth meets Syphon Filter shootouts meet totally nonsensical Resident Evil puzzles—remains intact, and the darker, less funny story does hold your interest. Too bad about the crap controls.
THE VERDICTS (OUT OF 10)
G. FORD
JEREMY
MARK: Don't let the freaky name (Japanese for "soul of the blob") or bizarro concept (you simply roll up objects into a giant ball within a time limit) scare you—Katamari Damacy is a uniquely entertaining game that even the most casual gamer can enjoy. Controls are the very definition of "pick up and play"; you maneuver your ball, dash, and jump using only the two analog sticks. With a bright, blocky style, the graphics are incredibly basic, but for good reason: Every object you see—cows, cars, trees, buildings, eventually even the ground itself—will stick to your junk ball once it's big enough. Which is the thrill behind Katamari: You start out rolling up tiny stuff like batteries, mice, and bananas, but soon you're sucking up cats, people (who scream and wiggle), traffic lights, and those houses that once seemed so huge. It's like the feeling of accomplishment you get from gaining levels in an RPG and the satisfac- tion of vacuuming a dirty floor all rolled into one. Sure, you're basically doing the same thing each mission, but Katamari's elegant controls, killer soundtrack, and wicked humor make it perfectly suited for replay.
THE VERDICTS (OUTOF10)
MARK
JENNIFER
Publisher: Sega Developer: Amuze Players: 1
ESRB: Mature
www.sega.com
JENNIFER: Pd always won- = dered what it would feel like to eat a small Japanese town, but, really, | never thought I'd get to find out. Then | met an odd little game called Katamari Damacy. Now | know that eating Japanese towns is fun and pretty darned addictive. My favorite part is the middle of the meal—after I've sucked up the little tatami mats and pachinko balls—when the perspective changes and | notice there are whole apartment buildings and pachinko parlors to devour. Bonus discovery: Those Japanese play cool music in their towns!
KEVIN: Katamari isn't very difficult, but it is very different...almost therapeutic, in a way. There’s just something about rolling a giant blob of junk around a pastel-colored Lego city. Of course, the cute graphics and mind- boggling soundtrack (no musical genre is safe from its rampage) are only half the story—the goofy dialogue, smooth difficulty curve, and inherent fun of taking something small and building it into something big are all things you just can’t find anywhere else on the game shelf. Bravo.
PUBLISHER: Namco
DEVELOPER: Namco
PLAYERS: 1-2 ESRB: Everyone
KEVIN
www.namco.com
ALWAYS LOOK YOUR OPPONENT IN THE EYES
THAT IS, IF THEY HAVE EYES.
PRINTABLE CRIB SHEETS TONS OF EXCLUSIVE WITH FULL MOVE BONUS CONTENT LISTS & MORE
DONT JUST PLAY MORTAL KOMBAT: DECEPTION, ROCK IT. WITH ITS EXCLUSIVE VIDEO TIPS, SECRETS, AND ENTERTAINMENT ALL ON DVD, THE OFFICIAL iGUIDE ENABLES YOU TO UNLOCK ALL THE FUN AND SURPRISES HIDDEN WITHIN THE GAME. AVAILABLE WHERE THE GAME IS SOLD.
PlayStation 2
- Sly's.frit list this time the Czech Republic, an
€ Take:control об Murray the hippo when you need to deal out a beatin’.
SLY 2: BAND OF THIEVES
One more big job
Remember back a couple years ago when platformers and their endless-doodad-collection gameplay were all but declared dead? Thanks mostly to the efforts of Sony's developers, the genre's been revitalized—and Sly 2 sets such a high standard for this year's crop that Sony's upcoming Jak and Ratchet & Clank sequels defi- nitely have their work cut out for them.
The original Sly was a smart piece of loony car- toony mayhem that needed to climb just another rung or two on the ladder to achieve perfection. With Sly 2, however, the folks at developer Sucker Punch have dealt with all of the first Sly’s weak- nesses. Game over in eight hours? Мо problem— it'll take you at least three times that long to finish Sly 2, and that’s without time attacks or any other boring extras. One-hit deaths? Forget it—you've got a life meter now. Too much of the same thing? Not anymore—each mission is a “heist” involving Sly and his cohorts Murray and Bentley, so you're doing something totally different on every stage.
And then there's 5/у5 most striking point, the graphics. Not that they're much better than before, but the amount of polish you see—the subtle ani- mations, the томейке camerawork—has increased remarkably. You'll still have the occa- Sional problem making certain jumps (your shad- ow tends to be camouflaged by the floor, making judgement difficult), but otherwise Sly 2 has my preliminary vote for best platformer of the year.
Quietly and real sneakylike, Sly Cooper
could quickly become the class of Sony's plat- forming trio. The quality of the raccoon’s second
142 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY ® www.1UP.com
release is staggering, setting the bar awfully high for his jumpy brethren. From streamlined details—such as the Bat Signal-esque level indi- cators available at the press of a button and the unobtrusive scroll bar that lists new commands and objectives—to the perfect blend of platform- ing and light stealth, 5/у 2 delivers a near-flaw- less experience. And while fighting multiple oppo- nents can be troublesome and enemies some- times reappear too frequently, these are minor gripes. You always have something to do and you rarely mind doing it. When all the pieces of a grand heist come together, well, it's a fine feeling. Don't let Sly 2's cartoony look fool you—it offers a more than worthy adventure.
Sly 215 such a huge improve- ment over the first game that it's kind of eerie.
Bump and Вип
Sly's added a pickpocket move to his thiefy repertoire, which he'll use to pinch mission-critical items like key cards, as well as general loot (coins, gold pens, etc.). He'll also find other valuables dur- ing the course of his sneaking, but how does the modern burglar fence his ill-got- ten goods? Via the Internet, of course. Bring your stash back to the getaway van safely, and your turtle pal Bentley will auction it off and raise the cash neces- sary to buy power-ups for all three pro- tagonists. He’s a madman with the eBay.
What mystical covenants did developer Sucker Punch enter into to produce a game that con- trols and looks exactly like the first Sly but feels so much different?
The balance between the free- roaming parts and the mission objectives is exactly right; running around, pickpocketing guards, and find- ing miscellaneous valuables isn’t so much fun that you'll deliberately go out to do it, but on the other hand, the nonessential stuff makes for an interesting diversion from the task at hand. And when it comes to the missions themselves, everything is improved, especially the care and detail put into the minigames that were so per- functory last time around. Sucker punched is about right for how much Sly 2’s quality took me by surprise. rix
THE VERDICTS (OUT OF 10)
KEVIN
Publisher: Sony CEA Developer: Sucker Punch Players: 1
ESRB: Everyone
G. FORD
www.slycooper.com
ee
| 005384615 |
PlayStation 2
DANCE DANCE REVOLUTION EXTREME
The revolution will be televised
PlayStation 2
GRADIUS V
Keep your options open
Boss got you down? Keep blasting away. After 15 hours of play you'll unlock unlimited credits.
Good: Finally, the soundtrack has a little variety Bad: Still, it's mostly adrenaline-pumpin’ party techno Benefits of Cardiovascular Exercise: Endorphins, good mood
JENNIFER: DDR is so very tried-and-true that it doesn't take utter genius to create great new versions of the fundamentally fast and fun hot-steppin' rhythm-action gameplay. So this Extremeth version (don't ask how many there've been because I’ve long since lost count) won't shock anyone, but it won't let anyone down either.
The addition of a handful of '80s hits (does my passion for Duran Duran's “The Reflex" date me?) and low-bpm pop songs will help simpler folk feel the beat. And EyeToy support adds hand moves to your dance routines. This natural evolu- tion really keeps the game fresh, offering a welcome challenge for DDR vets and simple, silly appeal for newbies. Plus, the party minigames (even those that don't use EyeToy) are great—more fun than some of the games that came with the original EyeToy: Play.
KEVIN: There’s little to be said here that hasn’t already been discussed in previous DDR episodes. The game's too good to be messed around with much, as developer and publisher Konami is well aware—
THE VERDICTS, (OUT OF 10)
JENNIFER KEVIN
Good: New “option” controls fit different playing styles nicely Bad: Newbs will have a rough time on even the easiest settings Big Prizes: Win "ет in the online high-score contest
It’s about time we saw something up-to-date in this stubbornly stagnant shooter series. Vis a comfortable compro- mise between familiar Gradius tricks and flashier firepower that plays off the series- defining “option” weapons (you know, those little gunner satellites).
Ship and option configurations are awe- some to mess around with, especially when you and a partner choose comple- mentary styles—l'm a huge fan of finally having а two-player mode in Gradius. But a limited stock of ships shortens game time by pulling retries from a common pool that dries up quickly. Plus, having a wingman is a lot more confusing than fly- ing solo when the action intensifies— lost myself in laser wash dozens of times. V is simple shooter fun, but still a notch below the more replayable R-Type Final.
Gradius V reminds me of what was 50 good about the good ol' days of gaming: simple, intense, glorious twitch gameplay. Not that it's all mindless action; options add depth and keep this game fresh past the first playthrough—figurative options
that said, however, Extreme has
the most “new” material of any U.S. mix, with 70-odd songs (including stuff from Silent Hill and Karaoke Revolution), bunches of minigames, and enough difficult bits (1/64th beats? Arrrrgh) to please any satin-jacketed arcade per- former. It's a DDR game for DDR players, and they'll be perfectly satisfied. The only blemish that bothered me: workout mode seems to arbitrarily not, uh, work out with certain game types.
GMR—CARRIE: Konami went all out trying to please players of all skill levels with DDR Extreme; some of the EyeToy games are out-of-control hard—l have a tough enough time just getting my feet coordinated. | love the new minigames because you don’t need grace or rhythm; they’re all about just moving your feet as fast as possible, without the frustration of trying to stay on beat. | just wish the same inclusiveness had gone into the music selection. Even with all the songs, there are only a handful that | actively like.
Publisher: Konami
Developer: Konami Tokyo Players: 1-2
Rating: Everyone
CARRIE
www.konami.com/usa
(the player deciding on the fly how to upgrade weapons) and literal options (the little glowing balls you earn that act as shields and extra firepower). Mastering these power-ups as you plow though the supertough (but possible!) lev- els, aided by a well-balanced continue sys- tem, is an experience no fan of the genre should miss. Jon’s right about multiplayer getting confusing, but it’s good for a laugh, and besides, | always prefer going solo when I’m serious about a shooter.
And | thought that /karuga (GC) was hard. Gradius Vups the ante with never- ending parades of colossal bosses, creative stages that conspire to crush your ship, and hundreds of horrible little bullets to dodge. Newcomers will find an attractive shooter that teaches twitch-game skills you never had. Returning Gradius fans get a killer love letter to the series (complete with nods to fan fave offshoot Life Force) that’s so hard you'll weep for your atrophied hand-eye coordination. Whatever your skill level, though, good luck finishing the last three levels without unlimited credits.
THE VERDICTS (QUTOF 10)
MARK
7.0 8.58.0
SHANE
Publisher: Konami Developer: Konami Tokyo Players: 1-2
ESRB: Еуегуопе
www.konami.com/usa
ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com ° 143
@ review crew: playstation 2
PlayStation 2
The Labor Day parade just gets weirder every year.
UNDER THE SKIN
Like a melanoma
Good: Some fun multiplayer moments Bad: Repetitive, short, repetitive Not Worth: More than $20
MARK: After playing Under the Skin for five minutes, | had to stop and look for a tutorial. It wasn't a control problem; they're simple and solid. And it wasn't any gameplay confusion; as a mischie- vous alien, | was assuming human dis- guises, attacking crowds of people, and grabbing their dropped coins (before my CPU or human opponent did) with ease. And that was exactly the trouble—it was so simplistic | figured there must be something | was missing. There wasn't.
Deciding which humans to mimic and how to order your weapons effectively (say, hit with a fart first, then follow up with a cannon blast, and finally use roller skates to pick up the coins quickly) is fun at first, but soon the repetition sets in. Different level objectives would've helped; the few stages where you aren't just out to get more coins than the other guy (like one where you and the comput- er stalk the Nemesis monster from Resident Evil 3 together) stand out.
As it is, Under the Skin is so limited in scope that only younger kids or those who fish it from the bargain bin months from now will find a decent multiplayer value.
THE VERDICTS
SHOE
SHOE: When everything in a
stage, on- and offscreen, is out to nail you, you can only take so much before the obscenities start flying. | can dig a chal- lenge, but just whom exactly is this game meant for? Superhardcore gamers who have the will to finish each level? Doubtful, since the game requires very lit- tle strategy, hand-eye coordination, or thinking. Youngsters? Nah—too difficult. Skin is a tough but unrewarding arcade- action game that's fun to look at and worth checking out...for about 10 minutes.
DEMIAN: Skin looks promising, with a car- toony style and oddball characters, but the basic gameplay starts out shallow and stays that way. Sure, unleashing a spread- fire volley of pies or a herd of rampaging elephants has its moments, but you better take 'em where you can get 'em because you'll beat the game in about two hours.
Not even the Resident Evil-themed stage is a draw, though shambling undead replace the shambling living and there's a happy-looking cartoon Nemesis running around. Skin won't stay at $40 for long, but whatever the price, it's too much.
DEMIAN
www.capcom.com
144 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com
PlayStation 2
SHADOW HEARTS:
COVENANI
Metal Gear collides clumsily with Miss Cleo
Good: Skill-based combat, interesting setting Bad: Inconsistent visuals
Cool Preorder Bonus: A free copy of the first Shadow Hearts
The original Shadow Hearts was one of the first decent RPGs on PS2. Luckily, all the clueless questers who missed out last time now get a second shot at WWI-era role-playing at its finest.
Picking up just months after the first game's conclusion, Covenant thrusts you back into a wicked world of military intrigue and religious turmoil—a unique setting that instantly sets the game apart from the countless medieval and futuristic role-players out there. Expect to be bom- barded by a rapid procession of drab envi- ronments (nothing here looks as nice as Final Fantasy X or Xenosaga), offbeat characters (a creepy ventriloquist?), and seemingly never-ending plot twists.
Dungeons, puzzles, and towns adhere to the genre norms, but like the last game, Covenant's battle system tosses а nifty wrench into the proceedings. You set up "Judgement Rings" to perform attacks: By stopping a spinning gauge at the right spot, you can dish out extra damage (but hit the wrong spot and you're screwed). Now you can further customize the rings and deliver punishing combo attacks, which deepen your com- bat options. It's definitely worth a look.
Covenant doesn't offer а lot that | haven't seen before as ап avid RPG fan, but it's executed with a remarkable competence, precision, and variety. There's never a shortage of inter- esting stuff to do, and the longer І played, the better the game got. Even more sur- prisingly, it has a great sense of humor— but it handles the serious stuff with equal
panache. It's a much better e buy for Square Enix fans than the recent ГУ Y Star Ocean: Till the End of Time.
Get ready to wipe away a nostalgic tear— Covenant is a dose of pure, concentrated 1999. The entire game feels like it was built from leftover scraps of PS1 Final Fantasys: lin- ear plot, random battles, annoying puzzle dungeons, and even a surly pretty-boy “antihero.” As far as by-the-book RPGs go, though, it’s pretty good. The historical set- ting and engaging battle system help redeem the staleness, and Christian's right about the script; it has the good grace not to take itself too seriously. RPG fans will love it—just don’t expect much originality.
THE VERDICTS
(QUTOF10) on бл э =]
Developer: Nautilus Players: 1
Publisher: Midway ESRB: Teen
www.midway.com
=I) Mm? @digital їє STILL PLAYING WITH YOURSELF?
LEARN TO PLAY WITH OTHERS HT Ми" FIRST EVER VIDEO GAME ЕХРО Б TOURNAMENT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
com
:: Play the hottest new games :: Compete for great prizes
:: 4 days of gaming insanity
Ji;
Toa 7 © тоф | Sacs
OCTOBER 14 — 17; 2004 | JACOB K; JAVITS CONVENTION CENTER NEW YORK, МУ
5 What our hero remembers. товЕТо T iis me he p=
pur تس
We can be heroes
he role-playing game some four years
in the making from fabled PC game
designer Peter Molyneux (Black & White) is finally done. Choose your own adven- ture in Fable—and whether you're good or evil along the way—during 12 to 15 hours of questing, then relax with some interesting sim components that you can play forever, if you'd like. Buy (and redecorate) houses, get married (and divorced), and sport more hairstyles than the dudes on Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. But does Fable raise the bar for Xbox RPGs? Our Review Crew sat down to hash it out.
МІГ admit | had high hopes for this one. | love my RPGs, and Fable promised to add new depth to the usual character building. So when I discovered that it was little more than a solid hack- and-slash action-RPG, | felt pretty disappointed.
1 don't think the game is a disap- pointment at all. Divorce Fable from its crushing
146 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com
tered four bandits with an ax.
hype and the game's a solid, enjoyable—but flawed—RPG.
Actually, | have to say Fable is better than | expected. | had no idea how well the real meat of the game—combat—would turn out. And while it lacks a certain polish (more enemies that really make you block and dodge would've been nice), І never get bored fighting. Quite the opposite. Switching between bows, melee weapons, and magic, the combo and experience systems—l actively seek out enemies rather than avoid them.
1 find Fable's combat pretty repetitive; it requires hardly any tactics or class specializa- tion. Yeah, it's fun switching between skill sets, but to me, a great RPG rewards specialization and mastery of a certain skill set. For example, | felt penalized for not giving my guy more magic skills.
Roleplaying is more than strategic fights. Fable seems to be the ultimate role-playing game
because you're not just taking someone else's role—you're developing your own.
That's the thing I really love: character cus- tomization. Mohawks, handlebar 'stashes, sweet tats—you can really make the character your own. And not just in looks; the number of different skills (spells, health, speed, and a /ої more) you can build up in whatever order you choose is the per- fect reward for a quest well done.
I'd like more armor and weapon choic- es. Then again, who doesn't like silly mustaches?
It's great to have the freedom to mold your hero in terms of his appearance, alignment, and inclinations—and it adds a ton of replay value. People will want to go back and try an entirely new hero after they beat the game for the first time.
Well yeah, especially since it's only like 12 frickin’ hours long.
THE VERDICTS (OUT OF 10)
JENNIFER MARK
Publisher: Microsoft Developer: Big Blue Box/ Lionhead
Players: 1
ESRB: Mature
www.xbox.com
Character Study
Title: Piemaster Played by: Greg Divorces: 37
Title: Death Bringer Played by: Jennifer
Best chicken kick: 14.63 m Proudest moment: Accidentally farted on Lady Grey, the snooty town mayor. Backstory: Jen’s hero had trouble winning the ladies’ hearts—until he learned the “sexy hero pose” expression.
rate occasions.
Proudest moment: Kicked out of Oakvale on 11 sepa-
Backstory: Greg's hero, Joe Sixpack, enjoyed the simple things, like fishing, chicken
punting, and philandering.
Title: Chicken Спазег Played by: Mark Number of times had sex: 0 Proudest moment: Got drunk and slaughtered a whole town.
Backstory: Yeah, Mark’s ultraevil hero is wearing a dress. Wanna make some- thing of it?
JENNIFER: Fable is definitely not a game to hurry through. If you don’t explore and experiment, you'll miss out on all kinds of good stuff.
MARK: How about those boss battles, though? Now we can talk disappointing.
GREG: They're rote. Discover pattern, execute pat- tern, repeat. | beat the final boss without coming within 20 feet of him.
JENNIFER: You forgot one step: Adjust the awful camera. l lost count of how many times | found myself running backwards, shooting arrows at off- Screen enemies because it was so laborious adjusting the camera every time.
But enough about combat. What about the game's much-vaunted “emergent” aspects? Flirting with villagers and getting married was mildly amusing, but, for me, the combo of hack-and-slash action with а Sims-style dollhouse didn't work well enough to elevate the game to greatness.
GREG: Yes. It's much more exciting to shape a hero than to play a sort of weak minigame to win a wife for a few extra ducats.
MARK: | really enjoyed the feeling of pride | got when | overheard townspeople talking about me—not an emotion I’m accustomed to experi- encing in a game. But most of the fancy “interac- tive world” aspects didn’t draw me in.
That said, being evil sucks once you get past the initial thrill of people dropping crates and running just ‘cause you walk by. Girls don't fall in love with you, people won't talk to or about you when you're around, the horns you grow look silly... All | did was slaughter an entire village or two. OK, three. But that’s it. | had a rough childhood.
GREG: Fable does an excellent job of reinforcing the image you've created for your hero. It's recog- nition, fame, or hatred—all very valuable pieces of feedback. The game is aware of your standing in the world, and it reacts accordingly.
“Just hand over the mustache war and nobody gets hurt.”
Don’t waste too much time training up your bow ‘skills—melee and magic аге much more useful.
MARK: It’s impressive in a way, and cool to know it's there, but 1 would have traded it for a few Zelda-style puzzle-filled dungeons (so sad Fable doesn't have any) in a second.
JENNIFER: And the "puzzles" it did have were pretty lame. The prison warden poetry reading? Puh-lease.
MARK: My biggest gripe is still the size of the game—it's not tiny, but it's also not big enough to match the otherwise epic feel of Fable. The world might be as deep as an ocean, but it does- n't matter so much when it’s only the size of a swimming pool.
GREG: | think we should celebrate what Fable brings to the table: its ability to let players create and define their own hero...
JENNIFER: are sore.
ind mash buttons till their thumbs
RANGED COMBAT GIVES YOU DEAD AIM AND EXPLOSIVE RESULTS.
INTERACTIVE
Violence
NOVEMBER 2004
<:
LEGENDS HAVE NEVER BEEN PLAYABLE... UNTIL NOW.
> E | КОМАМ! нок PlayStation.e www.konami.com/
ay GALLEON
Lost at sea
Hey Galleon, Skeletor called...he wants his extended family back.
Š У очра ыа" Ме ЖЕГИ
Е It's classic rock-scissors-paper: Pikemen (left) are death to cavalry, useless against archers.
DEN ==
KINGDOM UNDER FIRE: THE CRUSADERS
Have fun storming the castle
реч
150 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY ® www.1UP.com
When Galleon was first announced for the Dreamcast back in 1998, it seemed like an ambitious adventure in swashbuck- ling. Hell, it even looked good. Galleon promised more of the daring leaps and puzzles that made the first Tomb Raider such a hit, and it had a winning pedigree— Lara's creator left to work on Galleon soon after crafting Ms. Croft’s first adventure.
Numerous delays and reworkings later, Galleon is finally staggering onto an unsus- pecting Xbox near you. Put simply, this game looks awful. Indescribably stunted characters (have the designers ever seen a human leg?), embarrassingly stark environ- ments, and laughable special effects make this the ugliest Xbox game you'll ever see.
Of course, visuals aren't everything. Good gameplay can outshine the nastiest exterior. Tragically, Galleon stumbles here, too—what could have been exciting plat- forming, combat, and puzzle-solving becomes an exercise in frustration with clumsy controls and uneven level design. At least the game is mercifully short. Rent it if you want to observe a gaming shipwreck dredged up from an earlier era.
Compared to more recent and far superior adventure games like Prince of Persia, Galleon looks and plays like a funky, buggy evolutionary off- shoot of the genre developed in isolation while the rest of the gaming world passed it by. Its novel control scheme works great half the time but often feels sluggish and leads to oddball situations (such as climb- ing up a door you're trying to walk through). One in 10 gamers might glom on to Galleon for the sake of its uniqueness, but for everyone else, this ship has sailed.
Never before have | seen a game that so blithely pairs high-tech special effects with low-tech production values. On one end, you have perfect lip-synching and main guy Rhama’s uncanny ability to climb platforms like a real person (subtle, yes, but no game has done it before). But then there’s the ugly characters, acres of empty terrain, a poor camera, and “try this jump again and again” gameplay that went out of style with Tomb Raider 3. It’s a fascinating museum piece of what people considered state-of-the-art back in 1999.
THE VERDICTS (QUT OF 10)
SHANE CRISPIN
DEMIAN: Imagine the squad-based field tactics of Full Spectrum Warrior combined with a hack-and-slasher like the PS2's Dynasty Warriors, set in a generic fantasy world with orcs, busty dark elves, and dudes with big hammers. Aside from some horrific voice acting and a grating metal soundtrack, Kingdom is really quite good.
As each battle scenario unfolds, you'll maneuver groups of specialized troops (cavalry, archers, etc.), and though the interface takes some getting used to, it wasn't long before | was wading in with my infantry and simultaneously outflanking the enemy force with a cavalry charge. Опсе the hand-to-hand combat starts, the perspective shifts and you'll take control of your hero character, fighting the battle up close—it's dramatic, but more about but- ton-mashing than finesse or strategy.
Off the battlefield you can level up and buy better arms for your heroes and army grunts alike, so you can customize your forces to fit your style. With four lengthy campaigns (two on the bad guys' side) and Xbox Live battles (head-to-head and 2-on- 2), that's a hell of a lot of orc slayin'.
THE VERDICTS (OUTOF10)
DEMIAN KEVIN
Publisher: Atlus
Developer: Confounding Factor Players: 1
ESRB: Teen
www.galleon-game.com
KEVIN: In all my years of Ве
furtively gripping controllers, I've never played a game quite like Crusaders. It's a lot like the old Sega Saturn game Dragon Force—and it's what publisher Koei should do with the Dynasty Warriors series instead of churning it out yearly, Madden-style. Slicing through goblins and Amazon elf gals while controlling multiple armies may sound hopelessly complicated on paper, but the brilliant control scheme keeps you from feeling lost. The animation and fighting are a bit stiff, yes, but the gameplay is solid.
XEMN—GREG: War is never pretty, save for in Kingdom Under Fire: The Crusaders, where it's fairly beautiful. Warriors choke the screen, arrows rain down from the heavens, and corpses serve as grim testi- mony to the angry proceedings. Tactical elements buoy the play immensely; arm- chair generals command multiple squads and use the terrain to their advantage, but, as noted, the combat is almost exactly like Dynasty Warriors", with button-mashing being the secret to success and battles won simply by killing an enemy leader.
Publisher: Microsoft
Developer: hantagram
Players: 1-2 (2-4 online)
ESRB: Mature
www.kuftc.com
Bad: That is, until your palms start to itch
JENNIFER: You're probably starting to think that all it takes is a goofy-ass con- troller and some licensed songs to make an awesome rhythm-action game. That's exactly why І approached Donkey Konga with some skepticism. Sure, the super- cute bongo drums immediately make me want to play the game, but who knows? Hidden behind the gimmicky controller might be some totally jive gameplay. Not 50. Except for a few totally jive songs, this game is as solid as a rock-steady beat. It's deceptively simple—you pound along with the notes on the screen, hit- ting the drums or clapping in time. With just a handful of modes that are all quite similar, it initially seems a bit too basic— but just keep playing. You'll unlock higher difficulty levels (you have to earn the right to play the cooler, more rhythmically complex versions), funny new sound sets, and quirky minigames. And then things heat up fast. Multiplayer is a total blast, too, because you each play differ- ent drum parts, so rather than just com- peting, you actually feel like you're part of an ensemble. Gimmicky controller be damned...give me my Konga!
DONKEY KONGA
The rhythm is gonna get you
Good: Therapy for carpal tunnel syndrome
Your Downstairs Neighbors: Are gonna hate you
MARK: Despite a few unfor-
givably awful choices (*Row, Row, Row Your Boat," "Bingo," and the dreaded "DK Rap"), Konga's selection of tunes and Skill levels will get most gamers groovin’: Blink 182 for the kids; "Whip It!” and "We Will Rock You" for the (relative) old- timers like myself; remixed Mario and Zelda themes for the Nintendo nostalgic; "Right Here, Right Now” for... wait, who the hell is that for? Anyway, the controller and concept work well in a party setting, though Konga gets dull—and painful on the hands—playing alone or in longer sessions (more and better minigames or other unlockables would've helped).
GMR—CARRIE: Konga's cheesy plastic drums are like bright lights and cotton candy at a fair—near irresistible. | love how, with the briefest of explanations, anyone can play, and everybody wants to. The coin incentive in single player is a соо! way to keep you practicing and playing, but | wish you could buy new songs instead of harder versions of the same ones. Like cotton candy, this game is sweet but not completely satisfying.
ідатез, but four-player jam sessions are where it's at.
JENNIFER MARK
8.0 70 75
Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Namco Players: 1-4
ESRB: Everyone
CARRIE
www.nintendo.com
WWE DAY OF RECKONING
Hurts worse than a kick to the junk
really are special.
See, wrestlers
Good: Impressive-looking wrestlers, intuitive controls
Bad: Ho-hum story mode
For the Hormone-Raging Teenager: New bra & panties matches
Day of Reckoning sure looks like а champ, but under that chiseled physique are more problems than a retired grappler coming to grips with life out of the spot- light...and no more free 'roids.
The game steps into the ring sporting incredibly detailed wrestlers and controls so simple that any jobber can lay the smack down, be it on candy asses or гед- ular asses. But like last year's GameCube- exclusive WWE title, this one loses by pin- fall due to its uninspiring story mode. Guiding your created superstar from рге- tender to contender merely amounts to a series of frustrating tussles with some ridiculous stipulations, like letting your partner—whom you have no control over—record the victory. Lame. Forget about branching story lines à la THQ's SmackDown! series (PS2)—aside from deciding which WWE faction (SmackDown or Raw) to join, your path to glory is pre- set. Toss in A.I. foes who are all counter- move masters, and you've got a game that. deserves a mouthful of Mr. Socko.
Welcome to the world of worka- day wrestlers, the schmucks in standard- issue spandex whose job is to make the guys with gimmicks look good. Whether you struggle through the second-rate story mode as a bona fide blue chipper or step into exhibitions with superstars, you haven't got a prayer when the game's cheap champs decide to pound you purple (after you've put in 20 minutes preparing for the pin). And while what goes around comes around when you fight friends, Reckoning's poor man's presentation—no
commentary or voice work, a three-song soundtrack, etc.—is still more like a weekly match than the main event.
Day of Reckoning has pretty decent fundamentals, and it's a solid multiplayer game, The animation and grappling controls would have been wor- shiped a year or two ago, and the create- a-wrestler mode is up to hardcore specs. But it takes more to make a wrestling superstar in 2004, and that's where this game fails—the А.І. behavior із frequently. glitchy, and the linear story mode is like refined antifun. The only thing more frus- trating than fighting the overpowered CPU is hoping a bonehead A.I. tag partner won't blow a crucial match.
THE VERDICTS (OUTOF10)
BRYAN SHAWN
Publisher: THQ Developer: Yukes Players: 1-4 ESRB: Teen
DAVE
www.thq.com
ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.1UP.com ° 151
PINBALL LAND `
Tilted
ADVANCE GUARDIAN HEROES
A backward advance
152 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com
Setting high scores is the least of your worries as you careen through Mario Pinball Land’s eye-catching worlds, col- lecting stars by steamrolling critters and solving puzzles—the game’s more of a Mario outing in which the portly plumber happens to be a pinball than it is pinball with toadstool-theme tables. It’s clever for sure (you can megasize your spherical hero with magic mushrooms or shrink him to B.B. proportions so that he can slip through secret passages), but it's also а bit too complicated for its own good.
Pinball is controlled chaos. There's only 50 much finesse you can get from a pair of flippers, yet Mario throws stuff at you that'd trip up The Who's silver-ball wizard Tommy, then punishes you for failing. If only the game gave you more say over your trajectory—tilt would've been nice and simple steering even better—it could've been as great as its concept.
Something not so super hap- pened to this pinball game on its way to Mario Land—it stopped being a pinball game. Unlike other silver-ball slingers,
Mario Pinball doesn't offer mega- size tables bristling with neon bumpers and chutes. Instead, you get lots of wee boards that play more like monotonous pinball minigames, with few targets and simple goals that get numbingly repetitive when you lose a ball and have to start over. It almost seems like a kid’s game— until you encounter bosses and trick shots that push your temper to full tilt. And speaking of tilt... where is it?
The makers of Mario Pinball seem to think that if a few big pin- ball boards are fun, a bunch of tiny, sim- ple pinball boards are fun. They ain’t. The bigger, messier, and more complicated pinball gets, the better—a great machine like Medieval Madness is crammed full of targets and ways to score. Pinball Land’s boards boil down to shooting one or two targets until terminal frustration sets in.
The way the boards link up creates
another problem: Fall out of a later board, and you'll have to repeat the effort required to progress that far. Didn't any- body realize that this isn't any fun?
(OUT OF 10)
2 p S 5 5 E = = e
SHAWN CRISPIN
КЕЛИ: It’s а drag that the original Guardian Heroes (а 1996 Sega Saturn release from the maker ої GC’s Ikaruga and the GBA Astro Boy) has become a costly collector's item. It'S a corker of a game, one of the best in the now-ailing beat-em-up action genre—and what's worse, this portable sequel only proves that the GBA really can't handle ports from home consoles very well. It's not like the action isn't there. Developer Treasure's packed a ton of it i this package—every stage is a gauntlet of ominous monsters, enormous bosses, and tricky jumps. In many ways, it's like Astro Boy: an homage to the bygone era of 2D action games. Unfortunately, Guardian Heroes will remind you of all the bad bits of those olden times, too. The game has major issues with slowdown—any more than a couple of enemies onscreen, and your GBA just stops trying. Add in teeny-tiny visuals and laggy controls, and maybe Treasure should have saved this for more powerful hardware like the PSP or Nintendo DS.
JOHN В: The original Guardian Heroes stood out because of its stunning visuals,
THE VERDICTS (QUTOF 10)
KEVIN JOHN R.
Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Fuse Players: 1
ESRB: Everyone
www.nintendo.com
huge characters, and over-the-top, action-heavy battles. Unfortunately, Kevin's right—the tiny GBA screen isn't exactly the best place to try to replicate this kind of experience. But AGH at least manages to come pretty close. In typical Treasure fashion, the screen is almost always littered with enemies, and the challenge level is absurdly high for a beat-em-up. Still, unless you're a big fan of the genre, the endless button mashing can get pretty tiring.
1UP.COM—SAM: Compared with the way- cool Astro Boy: Omega Factor, Treasure's latest is somewhat of a disappointment. I'm a huge fan of the original, but this scaled- down sequel doesn't have the same magic. The graphics are sharp, the music is catchy, but the story and settings just aren't as compelling. Thankfully, as with all Treasure games, there's a deceptively deep fighting system that keeps the action fresh and strategic throughout. The occasional slowdown—which isn't nearly as bad as the Saturn original's—is even welcome at times. Now where's my Gunstar sequel?
Developer: Treasure Players: 1 (2-4 via Link cable) ESRB: Everyone
www.ubisoft.com
What will
PIHRGHUS
CHARMANDER до"
(мешит
BRG
ЕСЕН, POKEMON FIRERED AND LEAFGREEN
Would you please just catch 'em all already?
Can you believe it's been six years since Pokémon invaded America? Six years! If you bought the original monster- collecting RPG classic when you were 8, you'd be in high school now—and if you feel like wallowing in preteen nostalgia, then these new versions are perfect, if perhaps a bit too familiar.
The big new feature this time is wire- less support, which offers a taste of what Nintendo DS multiplayer could be like. Games are limited to four players and there's no built-in tournament support, but up to 40 people can connect to a local- area wireless “lobby” at once, setting up games and trading in small, furry creatures. For schoolyards and mall tournaments, it's a major convenience.
Otherwise, this is a faithful port of the original—to a fault, actually. Besides the graphics (which upgrade the game to manageable Ruby/Sapphire-caliber visuals) and a new online-help system, this really isn't far removed from the game you played in 1998. Hardcore fans will dig the fact that you can find all 386 current Pokémon within these two carts, but beyond nostalgia, there aren't many compelling reasons to do so.
eck and organize POK&MON thot ore traveling with you in your party.
It's been a long time since I’ve had any interest in a new Pokémon game, but FireRed and LeafGreen managed to completely revitalize my enthusiasm for the little buggers. Kevin's right about the nostalgia factor, but still—the old games have never looked so good, and there’s a lot of new content (added islands after the main quest, all the critters from the later games, a revamped pokédex, etc.), not to mention wireless play—finally! | wish they included the clock function from Gold/Silver, and that the battles were actually animated, but otherwise, my com- plaints are few. Bring on Emerald!
| haven't had any desire to catch "ет all for damn near five years now, but this remake lured me back into the critter- collecting biz. Fundamentally, it's still the same game, and its simplistic visuals, barely animated battles, and wafer-thin plot don't do much for me...but its surprisingly deep, balanced gameplay and addictive pacing have me weirdly hooked. New features, including additional areas, useful items (like the running shoes), and wireless combat make a compelling argu- ment to catch 'em all, all over again.
THE VERDICTS (OUT OF 10)
KEVIN JOHN R.
Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Game Freak Players: 1-4 (up to 5 in chat, up to 40 in trade lobbies) ESRB: Everyone
www.pokemon.com
RATING PENDING u
RP
CONTENT RATED BY ESRB
Visit www.esrb.org for updated rating information.
гемеш сгеш: multiplatform
REVIEWS | 1
Where tardy games go to serve detention
o close. We thought The Guy Game might actually out-suck our all-time lowest scoring game, Mortal Kombat Advance (0.5, 0.0, 1.5 outta 10), but Shoe loved all over it (relatively) and Guy averaged 0.5 better. In non-bad-game related news, efforts to review Dead or Alive Ultimate (XB) in a timely manner failed. It’s good, but we
^ f QUICK HEC Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Games (GBA) is out. Normally we don't care much for minigames involving hamsters, but Нат- Ham is made by some of the same folks who did Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, and it’s quite good.... We're tapping our toes, wondering where the heck F-Zero:
GP Legend (GBA) is. Nintendo won't give us an early look, so we have to wait for
retail copies.... Growlanser: Generations (PS2), the latest from known procrastina- tors Working Designs, also failed to show up again.... The series formerly known as NHL Face0ff is now called Gretzky NHL,
and the 2005 edition has been delayed until November... With time winding down, EA Sports called an audible and added online leagues to Madden 2005. The result: touchdown! (But don't tell us your entire game plan next year, EA, and ме will toss a yellow hanky. At your eye.)
won't know how good until next issue,
as
| ee a
Gallop Racer 2004 е PS2 е Тесто • ESRB: E Whoever's buying Gallop Racer every year and keep- ing the series in business, please stop. These games are a pain to review! They're a convoluted mess of menus and lingo only а horse-racing connoisseur could love. Or comprehend. But 2004 offers plenty to do, and once you learn the ropes, it can be addicting.
Digital Hitz Factory е PS2 е XS Games е ESRB: E This music maker is asking to be mocked, spelling “Hitz” like that and all, but alas, it's actually good. Hitz has a ton of optionz (almost too many) and letz you import tunez or vocal samplez with the included mic and line-in adapter. The interface is slick but somewhat hard to navigate with a PS2 controller.
Robotech: Invasion е PS2/XB е Global Star е ESRB: T Protoculture-huffing Robotech junkies will crash hard when they hear this sequel's lack of cartoon tunes and spy its blah visuals (prequel Robotech: Battlecry's 'toon style represented the show much better). But Invasion's compelling plot has potential, even if early levels are iffy. Full review next ish.
Outlaw Golf 2 е PS2/XB e Global Star е ESRB: М
If you've always found Tiger too serious or Hot Shots too kiddy, you may want to shout "Fore!" on these links, featuring the likes of club-swinging hicks, rico- suave manwhores, and dominatrices. The controls are simple, there's online play, and it's got Jackass-style golf-cart racing. Not bad for a mere 20 bones.
Yager е ХВ е Kemco • ESRB: T — A budget-priced game with business-class production values, the unfortunately titled Yager is a slick-looking but slug- gish jet shooter that'll give wannabe fighter jocks their money’s worth. The missions mix exploration and blasting, while the characters you meet in the air spin together the nifty plot.
Colin McRae Rall 15 е XB • Codemasters • ESRB: E — The Madden of rally racing is back—of course—after its annual tune-up. 2005 is a bit quick- er and spiffier-looking than the last Colin, and the career mode has been revamped to give players some choice of what to do when. The real news, though: eight-player races on Xbox Live.
Г. AND HU
GONE FISHI (T
9
If you’re too lazy to actually sit in a boat and pound beers, or sit in а tree and pound beers...
"s Deer Hunt 2005
PS2/XB • Activision
Think Metal Gear Solid in the
great outdoors with a short- winded geezer and Bambi instead of a genome soldier and baddies.
ХВ • Atlus This ultraserious sim
| includes everything but the Меј bug bites and wet seat
| cushions, it's the first
| fishing game to go online.
PS2/XB е Activision Rapala uses the analog Stick for casting, which works well, but the game's not as in-depth as Pro Fishing Challenge. жа.
154 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.1UP.com
-300 THOUSAND OF THEM.
THE V GAMES COLLEGE CAMPUS CHALLENGE
TT
OVER 150 CAMPUSES | OVER 300 LIVE EVENTS | OVER 300K IN PRIZE MONEY
Сотреѓе in console and РС games at the largest live video game tournament in
the country. Pre-registration begins in August! www.thevgames.com
* OVER 300 THOUSAND DOLLARS ТО BE AWARDED NATIONALLY.
REVIEWS ARCHIVE
Set those store clerks straight pute
GAME SYSTEM VERDICT (out of 10) AWARD bargain-bin Alias PS2/XB W Sexy disguises can’t conceal shoddy gameplay bounty All-Star Baseball 2005 PS2/XB W Таке us out to the ball game...just not this one Amazing Island GC W What's amazing is that this game made it to the States at all = American Idol PS2 E The only button you need to press is on your console Armored Core: Nexus PS2 W Impress the ladies with your elaborately customized mechanical avatar. Or not Astro Boy PS2 s Tweens will take to this robo tyke, but his game's too short and totally not sweet Astro Boy: Omega Factor GBA а "Toon-lovers and jaded players alike will enjoy this intense platformer Athens 2004 PS2 W Sony's Summer Olympics aren't as special as we hoped Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance И PS2/XB W Ho-hum hack-n-slash. Now that's a role you don't wanna play Bujingai: The Forsaken City PS2 W Your average martial arts actioner, but with 100 percent more Japanese rock stars Burnout 3: Takedown PS2/XB W Insurance (and heart) rates skyrocket with each spectacular crash Catwoman PS2/XB/GC I The feline femme looks purrfect, but she's flea-ridden under the fluff Champions of Norrath: Realms of EQ PS2 W More about slaying orcs than socializing with dorks 4 The Chronicles of Riddick XB Wi With gameplay this good, a life sentence isn't long enough ESPN NHL 2K5 МВ colin mcrae Rally 04 XB W Choosy rally racing fans choose Colin. But RalliSport 25 more fun Crash Nitro Kart PS2/XB/GC W For roadside assistance, call 1-800-BUY-MARIO-KART № PS2/XB Crimson Tears PS2 E Repetitive battles will bore you to tears IB Released: September 2004 Custom Robo GC Wi Impress your schoolyard chums with your elaborately customized mini-robot. Or not W Original Scores: 8.5, 8.5, 8.0 Cy Girls PS2 EB Progress-impeding puzzles will make you feel like the butt of a bad blonde joke Surprisingly, checking out the great- Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix хв W Lose pounds and prepare for the prom est show on ice won't break your Dead Man's Hand XB E Find out how the West was dumb in this oddball first-person shooting gallery piggy bank. For a mere 20 bucks, Destruction Derby Arenas PS2 E This clunker has major problems under the hood ESPN hits the rink with the prettiest Drake XB W it's now illegal for anyone who considers buying it to use currency visuals, an authentic telecast presen- DRIV3R PS2/XB и Driver meets Grand Theft Auto, and somehow an "e" becomes a "3" tation, and the best sports minigames Dynasty Warriors 4: Empires. PS2 E New name, same ої" beat-em-up game—with light "strategy" elements around. Let's hope next year's edition EA Sports Fight Night 2004 PS2/XB E Lightning never tasted so good. It's the crapping thunder we could do without hits a little harder. Echo Night: Beyond PS2 W Echo Night's creepy moonbase has everything you'd want...except for combat ESPN College Hoops PS2/XB W Fouls out for playing too much like a pro baller ESPN Major League Baseball PS2/XB и If MVP is this season's Yankees, then sadly, ESPN is its Вобох ESPN NFL 2K5 PS2/XB W The best 20 bucks а sporto could ever spend ESPN NHL 2K5 PS2/XB W ESPN'S puckster hoists the Cup yet again. Can you say dynasty? EverQuest Online Adventures: Frontiers PS2 W It's a lonely frontier for PS2 EverQuest fans EyeToy: Groove PS2 E Discover just how idiotic you look dancing on TV Fatal Frame Il: Crimson Butterfly PS2 т Combating poltergeists with a Polaroid is scarier than it sounds FIFA Soccer 2004 PS2/XB/GC W Responsive, intricate controls, but FIFA's our second fave after Winning Eleven Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles GC E Charming RPG romp works best with three friends along for the GBA-linked-up ride Final Fantasy XI PS2 и They'll never know you're not really a feisty female feline. Well, until the honeymoon Front Mission 4 Ps2 WI You'll need to be smart to figure out this deep mech-strategy game Full Spectrum Warrior XB W А war-winning coalition of gritty graphics and tactical gameplay Galactic Wrestling: Feat. Ultimate Muscle PS2 WA bare-bones feature set makes this Muscle worth flexing only аз a rental Ghosthunter PS2 W Light on the spookiness, with linear gameplay only an algebra teacher could love Guilty Gear X2 #Reload XB W We're not sure how to pronounce it, but this online fighting game rocks Harry Potter and the Pris. of Azkaban PS2/XB/GC т Control Harry and pals in this charming yet simple Zelda rip-off for the preschool set Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life GC W For those who think farming and videogames are a natural combo Hitman: Contracts PS2/XB W Money grows on trees when you cut throats to rake leaves Hot Shots Golf Fore! PS2 W Aside from online play, you won't find many surprises on these links James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing PS2/XB/GC W More gadgets and a better story than any of the recent flicks Karaoke Revolution Volume 2 PS2 W Medleys, more songs to butcher, and a streamlined interface La Pucelle: Tactics PS2 m Deep strategy-RPG gameplay you'll love, with childish characters you'll despise The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adv. GC W Zelda teaches Link a little somethin’ about four-play in this old-school adventure Lowrider PS2 W Won't make you wanna bounce Lord of the Rings: Return ofthe King || PS2/XB/GC W Get hackin' in this beautiful beat-em-up Lord of the Rings: Return of the King ЄВА W Legolas gets shrunk to Keebler size, and your girlfriend stil thinks he's hot Madden NFL 2005 PS2/XB/GC B Visual touch-ups and superior play keep Johnny Ballgame on top Mafia PS2/XB W Jack jalopies and outdrive thugs in this glitchy 1930s gangster game Malice PS2/XB W You can beat this limp platformer in a single sitting...but why bother? Manhunt PS2 W Rockstar's latest effort to keep the ESRB around Mario Golf: Advance Tour GBA W Play with your putter on the bus—without getting arrested for once Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga GBA W A polished, thoroughly enjoyable adventure in the same vein as Paper Mario Mario vs. Donkey Kong GBA E The plumber and big ape clash again in this good, but not great, platformer/puzzler McFarlane's Evil Prophecy PS2 W This half-assed, brainless beat-em-up is evil indeed Mega Man Anniversary Collection PS2 W This quality compendium is well worth it, but only for old fans Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes GC W A solid if uninspired update of the PlayStation stealth-action classic Metal Slug 3 xs W Fantastic but frustrating 2D side-scroller for the nimble-fingered Metroid: Zero Mission W Surprise twists supercharge this remake of space chick Samus! original romp MLB 2005 МА quick trip to the minors has made МІВ а title contender again
156 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY ® www.1UP.com
GAME
MLB SlugFest: Loaded MX Unleashed
MVP Baseball 2004 NASCAR 2005: Chase the Cup NBA Ballers
NCAA Football 2005
NCAA March Madness 2004
NFL Street
NHL 2005
NHL Hitz Pro
NHL Rivals 2004
Nightshade
Ninja Gaiden
Onimusha 3: Demon Siege Onimusha Blade Warriors Phantasy Star Online: Episode И Phantom Brave
Pikmin 2
Pokémon Colosseum
Project Gotham Racing 2 Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy Puyo Pop Fever
R: Racing Evolution
RalliSport Challenge 2
Rainbow Six 3
Rainbow Six 3 Rainbow Six 3: Black Arrow Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando Red Dead Revolver
Resident Evil Outbreak
Rise to Honor
R-Type Final
Samurai Jack: The Shadow of Аки Samurai Warriors
Serious Sam: Next Encounter
Seven Samurai 20ХХ
Shadow Ops: Red Mercury
Shining Force: Res. of the Dark Dragon Showdown: Legends of Wrestling Shrek 2
Silent Hill 4: The Room
Siren
Smash Court Tennis Pro Tournament 2 Spider-Man 2
Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow
Spy Fiction
Star Ocean: Till the End of Time
Steel Battalion: Line of Contact
Street Fighter Anniversary Collection Street Racing Syndicate
Sudeki
Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain
Tales of Symphonia
Thiet: Deadly Shadows
Top Spin
Transformers
UFC: Sudden Impact
Van Helsing
Viewtiful Joe
Way of the Samurai 2
World Tour Soccer 2005
WWE Wrestlemania XIX
WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain Worms 3D
SYSTEM
РЅ2/ХВ PS2/XB PS2/XB/GC PS2/XB/GC РЅ2/ХВ PS2/XB/GC PS2/XB PS2/XB/GC PS2/XB/GC PS2/XB/GC XB
PS2
XB
PS2
PS2
GC
PS2
GC
GC
XB
PS2/XB
GC PS2/XB/GC XB
XB
PS2
XB
PS2 PS2/XB PS2
PS2
PS2 PS2/XB/GC Ps2 PS2/GC PS2
XB
GBA РЅ2/ХВ PS2/XB/GC РЅ2/ХВ PS2
PS2 PS2/XB/GC XB
PS2
GC
PS2
PS2
XB
PS2 PS2/XB/GC XB
PS2
GC
XB
XB
PS2
PS2 PS2/XB PS2
PS2
PS2
GC
Ps2 PS2/XB/GC
VERDICT
т Midway's slugger nearly clears the fences with its burning arcade play m Realistic dirt racing minus the damn cleaning bills
W EAS take on America's pastime clears the fences with an all-new batting system ША great game, even if your nickname isn't “Cooter”
W Midway's 1-0n-1 baller has the skillz to pay the biliz (or something like that)
E Subtle but oh-so-effective improvements таке NCAA Heisman-worthy
W The only thing missing from this college hoopster is rioting coeds
W Playground (or is it prison?) rules football; best played with friends
W The Bob Probert of hockey games—all force, no finesse
№ Like a porn star's assets, Hitz isn't exactly realistic, but it's sure fun to play with W Our referees slap Rivals with a five-minute major for sucking
W Beverly Hills Ninja on a scale of ninja-tude
W Download more beautiful brutal levels on Xbox Live
W The soul-sucking series finale has us screaming “Vive (а France!"
W Four-player Smash Bros. (GC)-style action cooked with an Oriental flavor packet s As deep and addictive as real-life card games, but without all that geeky cardboard
m Only the mentally courageous will be able to handle this hardcore strategy-RPG Wi Just when you think it's over, this flower-powered game grows a new adventure I8 Story mode injects some life into this otherwise mediocre Poké-battler
W Where's the Batmobile? We want our money back
I8 Better than bullet time, Psi-Ops' brain powers are mind blowing
WA classic puzzle game updated with new modes and short-bus-ready characters W Not much of a racer, but the ladies look lovely
W Who knew driving in Sweden could be so much fun?
и The shooting-gallery gameplay of single-player is redeemed online.
и ..but not in this crippled, watered-down PS2 version
W Mission-pack for the squad-based FPS is worth it for its expanded online features
WA veritable cavalcade of platforming, shooting, space faring, and comedic hijinks W Guess we skipped the history lesson about the fat cowboy in a dynamite suit mA little help? Hello? If only this otherwise gripping online game had a gab function. WI Tap-tap your right analog stick in this repetitive brawler with 360-degree combat и Remind your thumbs of yesterday with this fun throwback to "905 shooters
W The TV show's axed, so this hack-n-slasher is all Jack fans have left
SCORES
(out of 10)
8.0 8.0 85 9.0 8.0 9.0 8.0 8.5 6.0 75 35 6.0 95 85 70 9.0 85 85 7.0 9,5 8.0 70 6.5 90 90 5.0 75 8.5 6.0 55 65 85 6.0
№ The series hasn't been there (Japan), but it's done that (skewer oodles of swordsmen) 7.0
W Never take your finger off the trigger in this dumb but fun first-person shooter W So boring we wish it would slit its own wretched belly.
їй War is hell—but still preferable to this modern-day cliché-ridden first-person shooter
Addictive tactical RPG, but stil a few steps shy of Final Fantasy Tactics Advance m This glitchy grappler's retirees reek of Bengay
т Made for the kiddies, but a fun four-player fairy tale all the same
W Claustrophobic chills upstage the now familiar cadavers
W Battle hayseed zombies in this Silent Hill clone that's more convoluted than creepy
W Smash may not look as good as Kournikova, but hey, it plays better
W Sticky-string commuting across New York City is a thrill, but combat's a tangled web
W The ultimate stealth game with revolutionary 2-on-2 online multiplayer. m... gets a little chopped up оп PS2, but non-Xboxers won't even notice... unlike GameCube owners, who'll wonder where the multiplayer modes went m Spy fact: Creeping around like a third-rate Solid Snake kinda blows
s Janky battles keep this epic RPG from attaining Final Fantasy-caliber status I8 This ultradeep robo sim’s horrible interface and laggy play need an overhaul W Celebrate a decade of street fighting with the champs of 2D combat
ШЕ SRS showed up fashionably late, but the race had already started
т Microsoft's full-frontal action-RPG а Wi Low-fever shoot-em-up contaminated by foul controls
E Solid adventure with a dippy plot, but RPG-starved Cubers won't mind
sault is kinda flat
W Adjust your TV set in this too-dark game of grand theft bauble set in medieval times
W Microsoft steps up to the service line and nails an ace with Top Spin
18 Carriers that change into mile-high robots? Doesn't get much cooler than that E There comes a point in every fighter's career when it's time to hang it up
W Van doesn't mind biting Devi! May Cry so long as he can stick it to the Count m Stylish graphics and deep beat-em-up gameplay still rocks socks
6.5 35 40 8.0 3.5 75 75 5.0 70 70 10 9.0 70 55 70 50 85 70 45 65 85 то 9.0 8.0 6.0 7.0 8.5
W The way of the warrior presents plenty of branching paths, but they're all kinda boring 6.0
I Receives a yellow card for its unresponsive controls and shallow gameplay options
WA tedious story mode keeps McMahon's bunch outta the main event Ш Nowhere near as painful as its name implies E That's an entire extra dimension of caricatured carnage! Great multiplayer fun
65 75 75 75
70 8.0 8.0 8.0 8.0 95 80 80 6.0 85 40 55 95 70 70 8.0 85 9.0 5.0 9.5 75 7.0 6.0 9.0 75 6.0 8.0 95 45 65 65 80 70 65 70 35 45 8.0 30 6.0 75 7.0 8.0 7.0 95 9.0 80 30 70 55 9.0 6.0 6.0 65 75 7.0 9.0 75 4.5 65 85 55 50 75 80 75
8.0 8.0 85 9.0 8.0 9.0 80 90 7.0 8.0 6.5 5.0 9.5 9.0 75 9.0 8.5 9.0 70 95 75 70 45 9.0 9.0 6.0 8.0 95 40 70 6.0 8.0 55 75 5.0 40 40 75 25 50 75 40 8.0 70 95 95 75 50 75 45 8.0 6.0 5,5 5.0 85 85 90 75 4.0 6.0 9.0 5.0 45 6.5 70 65
AWARD
M Two-faced Stuck On You stars find work in
Silent Hill 4.
bargain-bin bounty
GUILTY GEAR X2 #RELOAD
Bi Xbox
№ Released: September 2004
№ Original Scores: 9.0, 8.5, 9.0 Blow the speakers and bang your head: With Gene Simmons-sized tongue in cheek, Guilty Gear riots on the Sunset Strip with a motley crew of gorgeously rendered heavy metal rejects. Silly as it sounds, this fast and flexible fighting game's online fights are anything but.
ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY ® www.1UP.com • 157
tricRster
It's the calm before the storm. This month, we've got tricks, tips, and codes from all the games that companies wisely pushed out hefore the holiday rush, when the big dogs Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Halo 2, Knights of the Old Republic И, and dozens of other quality titles all jostle and rough- house for your hard-earned spondoolicks. We've still got an epic array of gaming goodness for you to cheat your way through; there's Fable and Silent Hill 4, not to mention the new Def Jam. Next month? We release the hounds. —David S. J. Hodgson egm@2ziffdavis.com
GAME DIRECTORY
Bujingai: The Forsaken City ...... 161 Burnout 3: Takedown . . .
Catwoman . .
Def Jam Fight for NY .
Fable .
Psi-Ops:
The Mindgate Conspiracy ....... 160 Silent Hill 4 ..................158 Spider-Man 2 ................160 Spyro Orange ................160 Way of the Samurai 2 ..........160
Yu-Gi-0h!: Reshef of Destruction . .161
SILENT HILL 4
The “Escape” Ending
To achieve the
“Escape” ending,
do a little spring
cleaning. After
creating a new hole in your laundry room, demon spirits can pass freely into your apartment. The only way to keep your apartment clear is to place a Holy Candle in the area where the demon is invading. Watch the candle fully burn to ensure that the demon spirit is truly expelled. Keep your apartment clear throughout the remainder of the game. Important Tip: Walter will set down a doll in the early stages of the game. Picking up this evil token will make it much harder to keep your apartment Clear of demons.
хв
FABLE
Demon Doors
Demon Doors are located throughout the world of Fable and guard most of the secret items within the game. These mysterious doors will only open to adventurers who can solve their riddles. Inside each Demon Door is a Secret area that you can't access any other way.
Contains: Elixir of Life
Use the Lamp (the one you received at your Heroes' Guild graduation) in front of this door to solve this door's riddle. In addition to the Elixir of Life prize, this Demon Door contains a tattoo and a few books in the bookcase and on the reading table.
Greatwood Gorge
Contains: Wellow’s Pickhammer
This door wants to see some evil deeds, and there are three ways to get it open. The simplest way is to become completely evil (horns, circling flies, red
Make sure that Eileen lives through the final battle. To save her, defeat the boss before she reaches the death trap in the center of the room. Here's a tip to speed up the process: Bring the melee weapon you are comfortable with. Once the large marionette-like demon has been stuck like a pig, quickly dispose of the boss in its human form. Long-range weapons don't work here; strike hard and quickly. Use the Hand Axe, the Spade, or the Pick Axe of Despair. The human form will die before Eileen does.
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tricRs of the trade
Cheat your way to god status. We won't tell anyone
smoke, all that). Another way is to convince it of your cruelty by savagely murdering several people in front of it (your own bodyguards or people you’ve escorted from town). A third way is to eat evil Crunchy Chick foods in front of it. You'll need 10, which you can buy at the Bandit Camp or Darkwood Camp.
Rose Cottage
Contains: Will User’s Bright Suit
All this door wants is a little love, making it one of the easier doors to open. Give it а gift, even a cheap one like chocolates ога red rose, and you'll win its heart. The prize is Will User's Bright Suit: shirt, trousers, boots, and gloves.
Greatwood Caves
Contains: Ebonblade Cutlass
When you talk to this Demon Door, you need to have an active combat multiplier of at least 14. To do this, get your active combat multiplier as high as you can in the Hobbe Cave Entrance area, then come out to the Greatwood Cave area and kill the hobbes or troll there before your multiplier drops too low (if that doesn't do it, dash back into the cave and repeat). The Physical Shield spell is crucial, as it will ensure that your multiplier isn't broken prematurely. It's easiest to do this late in the game when you're stronger and able to do more
damage in shorter amounts of time, but those who attempt it sooner can get an early legendary weapon.
Contains: Will User's Dark Suit
This door will issue a combat challenge that you can accept at your leisure. When you do, you'll face several rounds of hobbes, starting with weakling fighters and moving up to the more dangerous lieutenants. The prize is the full suit of Will User's Dark Clothes, the eviler (and cooler) variant of Will User's Clothes.
Barrow Fields
Contains: Will Master's Elixir
This door will only open for someone who is seriously overweight (your Personality Screen needs to read 0bese, and even that may not be enough). To get there, eat lots of red meat and apple pie with a full health bar. Starting at Slim, it takes about 25 apple pies or 27 pieces of red meat (beer and fish will also do it, but it takes more than 40 of each).
Grey House
Contains: The Axe of Ronok
This door wants to see you marry a “posh wife with a title,” and that's Mayor Lady Grey of Bowerstone North, who you can only wed if you complete the Mayor's Invitation quest.
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160 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com
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REST
Now with half t
hen | heard that no one sent us | any copies of games based either on kids’ shows or just
basic girlish wonderment, | thought РА get the month off to catch up on some of my noncomedy work, such as reading jogging magazines aloud to crippled orphans. Then | was informed that there is still enough crap peripherally related to videogames to require my crap- evaluating services. Plus, now that Mary-Kate and Ashley are one failed project away from a third eating disor- der and softcore porn, respectively, my EGM overlords have decreed that it’s no longer cute to make fun of their games. So here | am reviewing the worst movies based on games, while the children at St. Despair’s Hospital make do with their backup entertainment: a box of 3000 hungry spiders. —Seanbaby
me over
= “It’s the collection agency, Bison. Your ass is six months overdue,
and it’s mine.”
* 1989 Some say it's a glorified commercial for Super Mario Brothers 3. 0thers say по way; this story of an autistic 4 boy leading two sexually experimental 12-year-olds to the Nintendo championships with the money he earns =| by hustling businessmen in Double Dragon simply had to be told. It is to the Nintendo community what Over the Top was to the arm-wrestling community: a brutal and lasting reminder of why you shouldn't make movies about those people.
Worst line: In case anyone thinks this movie isn’t a feature-length advertisement for Nintendo, after the evil videogame bully is finished playing Rad Racer (badly), he turns to Fred Savage to growl, “1 love the Power Glove. It's so bad.” If you've never tried the Power Glove, it was a lot like translating your input into French, then Japanese, then back into English. So for example, if your impotent flailing was trying to say "walk right," the signal that made it to your Nintendo was "spuculent hamtasm."
Worst scene: It's hard to beat the Power Glove one. I'd like to dare filmmakers to try to таке а worse scene, ever, during the entire course of the cinematic future.
162 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www. 1
* 1997 Annihilation’s plot not only throws out logic, it even throws out the crazy logic established by the first Mortal Kombat movie. Flaming, cartwheeling ninjas fall F= from the sky for no apparent reason, and I'm OK with = that because it's the kind of thing that could kill you and your dying words would be, “sooo...a-awe...some!”
Fine, let's not explore the subplot of excitable evil gymnasts falling through roofs, but even one spinning newspaper with the headline, “World in Chaos! Non- Karate Weapons Useless Against Meteor Ninjas!” would have been nice. Even though that particular headline is so common sense, no paper would bother to report it.
РИ
Worst line: When Кнапа sees her mother, Sindel, and exclaims, "Mother! You're alive!” Sindel quips back, “Тоо bad YOU will...die!" Was there some sort of contest where collecting enough Nabisco snack points let you write dialogue for a feature film?
Worst scene: Any mode of travel that isn't a front flip, such as walking, is strictly forbidden in Mortal Kombat étiquette. So when Shao Kahn has to break the news to his father that Raiden is still alive, he spins down the Stairs at incredible speed, as remorsefully as possible.
* 1994 Rule No. 1 in making a movie about Street Fighter is to take the characters and have them fight. Rule No. 2 shouldn't have to exist, but if it did, it would be to fill the time between fights with musical training mon- tages or musical montages of shorter fights. But Street Fighter chose to ignore these simple rules | just invented ten years after its release, To anyone who tries this again, if you have a group of people who are Superpowered warriors, you're done. Have them attack each other for 90 minutes and we'll fill in the holes in the plot by ourselves.
Worst line: “I'm sumo, brother. My body can be in one place. My mind another." Well, | guess if my body was trying to pick a fat man up by his diaper, my mind would definitely be somewhere else, because it wouldn't have had anything to do with that idea.
Worst scene: When Bison's supersuit brings him back to life. A shirt that gives you CPR is an imbecile's idea of unkillable. That would be like saying you're immune to flamethrowers because your hat squirts aloe vera, or telling police that tear gas is useless thanks to your contact lenses and their tiny windshield wipers. ж
ARE YOU GOING TO SAN ANDREAS?
(Solution оп page 165)
1.
7.
10. 11. 12. 13. 15. 16.
17. 18.
19. 20. 21.
24 26. 28. 30. 32. 34. 36. 38.
39. 40. 42.
46. 47.
49. 50. 51. 52.
ACROSS
Grand Theft Auto (GTA) publisher Smackdown! official
Place to get buff in San Andreas The Tommy Vercetti of San Andreas GTA commercial vehicle
PS2 Project
Like Koei's Crimson
Ready for plucking in Harvest Moon?
GTA: Vice City Wave 103 band Playable dwarf in upcoming The Lord of the Rings, The Third Age RPG Dreamcast Driller
Gundam Force PS2 prefix
Like the sixth dungeon to the grave- yard in the original Legend of Zelda Illinois school of NCAA games Short-range fireballer of 27 down Round robin, for short?
Act like Mario in Yoshi's Island? Number of lives you get in Rygar San Andreas hairstyle, tor one Crisis-laden PS1 game, for short Final Fantasy ИР Japanese numerical equivalent
Chrono Trigger time machine
Leggy male Tekken-ite Wakeboarding Unleashed propulsion
. Genuine PS2 replacement parts?
Panzer Dragoon Saga (Saturn) kid NBA Live basket scores, in one mode
R: Racing Evolution Acura. Movie-based PC boat title _ Solid Snake's family?
Last guy
Boot
DOWN
1. 11 across’s gangsta friend
2. Legacy of Kain title word
3. MLBRoyal
4. Original Prince of Persia
clothing accessory
RPG goodie bag
6. Genesis carpet rider
7. Knights of the Old Republic Tusken
8. Points that determine RPG level- ups (abbrv.)
9. San Francisco: San _ Andreas
10. Xbox Onimusha
12. Version 2.015 out this year оп consoles
14. Halo marker points
22. Yes, to Zelda: Wind Waker pirates
23. Mario's ghost
25. Cartoony shading
27. SNK's street fighter (abbrv.)
29. PS2 Pryzm's "dark" beast
30. Los Angeles: Los _ in San Andreas
31. MLB Milwaukeean
33. Vehicle type new to GTA in San Andreas
35. Just one mission in Psi-Ops?
37. Munch's Oddworld partner
38. Las _: Las Venturas in San Andreas
41. Compiles high score?
43. Number of folks who can play San Andreas at once
45. Common abbreviation for motocross games
48. More advanced Game Boy
in San
STAR WARS
GAME & DVD GIVEAWAY
Enter for a chance to win eni Star Wars game!
Forget about letting the Wookiee win— you deserve free stuff, too. So to cele- brate the release of the original Stars Wars trilogy on DVD, LucasArts and Electronic Gaming Monthly are offering you the chance to score loads of free games and movies based on George Lucas' faraway galaxy. Just go to http://starwars.egm.1UP.com and tell us what other page in the magazine has this image of Jedi bad boy Darth Vader. So may the Force be with you...or whatever the Star Wars
nerds say these days.
(ONE WINNER)
* One copy of Star Wars Battlefront (PlayStation 2 or Xbox version)
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1. Log on to the contest page at http://starwars.egm.1UP.com 2. Tell us what page number the other Darth Vader image is on (not this one, dummy!) to complete the entry form.
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= Ж
ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com e 163
WORD
Cause some things just gotta be said
№ Splinter Cell Chaos Theory’s Sam Fisher resorts to pickpocketing when too few people buy his game this fall.
EI
5С-20К LAUNCHER EPA!
ou asked for it—you got ita
Final Word is back iii full
effect, ready to rock the paper airwaves: with brutally honest talk. Each issue, we'll hit up two gaming editors with a few topics to see what сгар spews out of their mouths. Up on stage this month: Electronic Gaming Monthly News Editor Bryan “Sporto 2004” Intihar and Previews Editor Shane “Sporto 1993” Bettenhausen.
: What's more dangerous than an injured animal? An іпјигефапіта! with a bankroll the size of gazillionaire Bill Gates'. The bigwigs at Microsoft are fully aware that this nëxt round of consoles is their last shot to overtake Sony, and I think you're gonna see them throw more money toward acquiring top-notch titles from Japanese companies. Trust me, a lot—and | mean a lot—more gamers will turn'into Xbots if the likes of Square Enix. (Ріпа! Fantasy) pledge their, suppoft.
Shane: Well, Xbox was really profitable for Capcom, Konami, апа Sega. Hey, no...wait a minute, all, their games flopped! Tecmo (Dead of Alive seriés, Ninja Gaiden) is the lone Japanese Хбох success story. | do
Expect to beat [Sàn Andreas] in 20 | hours and spend another 130 getting
haircuts and hunting random hookers.
agree that Microsoft is
willing to lose big again—
it's lost millions a year on
Xbox ever since it came out. What's another quadrillion dollars to ВИ! Gates?
Of course there are too many games coming out—if you're someone who has all three consoles and has to play the latest and greatest. If you just have a Cube or Xbox, though, you'll be all right.
Forget about having the,bu¢ks to afford the likes of Metal'Gear Solid 3, Prince of Persia 2, Splinter Cell Chaos Theory...who has the time to play all these games? | sure don’t, and | play these things for a living.
All those RPGs offering "over 100 hours of gameplay” were talking about getting all'of your characters to level 9 billion; you could usually beat the games 11-40, tops. I’m betting San Andreas is Similar—expect to beat it in 20 hours and spend another 130 getting haircuts and hunting ran- dom hookers.
: | don't know why Shane is complaining. This gives him extra time to go four- wheeling in San Andreas' backcoun- try—perfect for a Kentucky native, right?
ry ена,
: No comment.
yan: Psi-0ps. Too many people were blinded by the character's unique powers to see its obvious flaws, like'a poor narra- tive, repetitive boss battles, апа unbal- anced levels (the last quarter of the game feels like it was done by another develop- er). Don't get me wrong, it’s a good game, just not a great one.
Shane, didn't you say your fellow Soul Calibur Il reviewers were too generous?
Shane: Well, my Soul Calibur Il score (9.0 out of 10) was dead on—those two 105 the other guys gave were off the mark, of Course. Also, the other two reviewers of Final Fantasy X-2 (who gave it 9.5s) were
blinded by all the flesh-flashing; my 8.5 was maybe a little generous...
ryan: Since we're being honest here, then РИ come clean—I scored Enter the Matrix too high (6.5). 'т telling you, mixing the red.and blue pills is never a good idea....
пе: Now; wasn't on the review, Sm but I think that | would G q have given the edge S om АТАШЕ S | series has been fast, fun, and playable ever since its Dreamcast debut, and it’s always been right on Madden's heels in terms of quality. So suddenly it’s still just as good but now costs less than half of what Madden does? Instant purchase.
Br Why am І even having this conver- sation with а диу мпо hasn't touched a football game since Madden "93? Anyway, speaking as someone who actually likes football, l've played both games extensive- ly, and at the end of the day, 1 feel Мадаеп squeaks out ESPN. Am |
saying ESPN isn't a great
game? No way—l only
scored it a .5 lower than EA ¥ Sports’ gridiron offer- ing. Deal with it. 4%
НА
We had the world's first Halo 2 cover story back in 2002. Next month, we're about to make
headlines again with another universewide exclusive. Want to see new single-player screenshots? Want to see new multiplayer levels? Want to learn about secret vehicles and weapons? Sure you do. We'll be visiting developer Bungie Studios to get the inside scoop and the last major preview before the game comes out on November 9. Miss it
and you'll hate yourself—and по one wants
to see that happen.
We'll also have the first hands-on preview of Kingdom Hearts Il, the upcoming action- RPG that marries Final Fantasy with the wonderful worlds of Disney. And if you're a newsstand buyer, look for our special DVD, chock-full of exclusive videos, contests to win game systems, trivia, music from videogame bands, videogame comedy, and more!
Single-player Halo 2 Screens and more... — .
ADVERTISER INDEX
ACTIVISION . 10-11, 56-57, wwwactivision, - 78-79, demo AMERICA ONLINE
http;//www.aol.com
Blockbuster, Inc.
www.blockbustercom ........... DoE
Capcom USA Inc. www.capcom.com .. Codemasters, Inc. www.codemastersusa.com D-skin www.d-skin.com . Digital innovations
www.digitalinnovations.com ......... ...97 Eidos Interactive, Inc
www.eidos.com
Electronic Arts
www.ea.com . 4-5, 34-35, 37, 101
Electronics Boutique/Eb Cat - www.ebgames.com ... ELECTROSOURCE wwwelectro4@ix.netcom.com Full Sail Real World Education www.fullsail.com .. . G-Net Media LLC www.g-net.tv Game Crazy http://www.gamecrazy.com . . ........ 4 60-61 GameFly www.gamefly.com ..
81, 95, 111, 133, 137, 139
131
Intel Corp. www.intel.com JAMDAT Mobile Inc. www.jamdatmobile.com . Konami America . . www.konami.com LucasArts Entertainment www.lucasarts.com MAJESCO SALES, INC. www.majescosales.com . Microsoft wwwmicrosoft.com ................... 55 Microsoft. www.microsoft.com Midway Games, Inc. www.midway.com Movie Gallery, Inc. www.moviegallery.com . . Namco Hometek www.namco.com . . Nestle Food Company http://butterfinger.com/ . Nyko Technologies Inc этилуко.сот...................... 103 Pepsi-Cola Company
www.pepsico.com ................... 167 Sega 0f America
.21, 67, 85, 123, 148-149
www.sega. SNK NEO GEO www.snkneogeousa.com
SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT
www. square-enix-usa. COM ...... 22-23, 64-65. Тасо Вей www.bajablast.com Take 2 Interactive. www.take2games.com .... Take 2 Interactive www.take2games.com TAKE 2 INTERACTIVE SO! www.take2games.com TARGET STORES www.getintothegame.com .......... .98a-98b Тесто Inc. wWww.tecmoinc.com Ubisoft Entertainment
www.ubisofttcom ................. 86-87 Us Air Force http//www.airforce.com ... Vivendi Universal Games www.vugames.com . WAL-MART www.walmart.com Wizards of the Coast www.wizards.com ..............39, 41, 43 Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company
www.juicyfruit.com
E
135
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50a-50b
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PREVIEWS es B 25 to Life (PS2/XB) й № MechAssault 2: Lone We Wi Ratchet & Clank: 4
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ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY ® www.1UP.com • 165
MELLO, VIDEO GAMERS! TM HSU TANAKA, AND I'm HERE TODAY AT PRERTS VIDEO RENTAL AND TANNING; IN SCENIC GREEN HILL, OHIO, AWAITING THE HISTORIC RELEASE OF THE ORIGINAL “STAR WARS" TRILOGY OM UND! THESE ARE THE MOMENTS WHEN THE TRUE DEDICATION oF E FANS REALLY SHINES “THROUGH !
Four MONTY голт м9 506 FoR IT! WOULDN'T MISS 1415 For THE
GREETINGS, VIDEO GAMERS! LOOK FOR FULL-LENGTH HSU & CHAN COMICS ATYOUR LOCAL COMIC SHOP! (OR ORDER ONLINE AT WWW.SLAVELABOR.COM.)
Ho но, So You JUST | Он. MONEY. SAVED ENOUGH To \ FORGOT BUY THE SET, AND ABOUT THAT. QUIT QOR 508, UST
LIE THAT?
T6 BEEN 25 YEARS SINCE THE RELEASE | TNE SOKE IN QUESTION 1S
ОР THE FIRST “STAR WARS" MOVIE, бот | ATTRIBUTED TO ROGER FeR-
THE DVD COLLECTION ARRIVES ON AN GUSON, Ui, OF BUNKFORT,
EVEN MORE SIGNIFICANT ANNIVERSARY- | LUNOIS, wHo SAID, ^ LL BET
TEN YEARS AGO THIS DAR, Someone pp | YODA WAS МОЖЕ ATTRACTIVE THE LAST ORIGINAL
SINCE THAT DATE, ALL Jests MADE IN REFERENCE To THE “STAR WARS” TRILOGY HAVE SIMPLY
Ч UNWITTING REPEATS СЕ PREVIOUS TOKES MADE IN OUR NATION'S WRITING Rooms, ТУ
AND ЧЕТ SOME STILL HOLD СОТ HOPE, HOPE THAT WITH TIME AND EFFORT, THEY MIGHT BE ABLE To FLOG ONE MORE САРЕ ооттА THIS DEAD HORSE, SO INTO THE NIGHT THEY Тоц. ! AND Зот FOR THE RECORD,
Rooms, PLAYGROUNDS AND EXCESSIVELY OBSCURI CAFETERIAS AND SOME NOT- SO-UNM ITTING
HIS WIFE, GEORGINA, > RE NOT
ONES, THOUGH 1$ ON RECORD AS POINTING FINGERS,
HOW LONG ARE Фо GONNA KEEP
HELLO, THERE, 1 АМ PROFESSOR RARMONID McGOOHAN, AND MIS 15, THE YUK-0-LUX 5000 bem TRAC COMPUTER ! ом ? з че MON Few Das, Te WILL HERE, Wa cH “STAR WR ANALNZE THE "STAR MARS" DVDS Š RA ќање ое то "BN. FRAME, COMPL 7 3 i ias ur OF RUMOR LEFT INTO ` ` | | Power sos. А SINGLE, UNIFYING JOKE!
RIGHT, MY CREATION?
PATIENCE, GENTLEMEN, SCENE TAKES TIME
бо, CAROL, WHATCHA UP ToT ME, IM 3051 SITTIN"
чи CLEANING MY PRINT HEADS.
IN MY HAND, GENTLEMEN, 1 Now HOLD THE 5
P.S.: WHAT bo Чоо CAU. FOUR емоко. IN A BLENDER
*| Gor BORED DURING "RETURN OF THE JEDI AND CONSTRUCTED ^ SET OF TITANIUM ARMS FOR WHICH TO REVENGE MYSELF AGAINST THE HUMAN RACE."
„WELL, THAT WASN'T FUNNY AT-
HEARD лайт ONE!
“STAR WARS”
№ TRILOGY!
tu док FOR COMPLETE ‘SILENCE
AS | READ.
166 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY “ www.1UP.com
COMING , Rico's House of Halo [California] and the No Limits Crew [Pennsylvania] at Xbox Headquarters.
CAN'T WAIT FOR NOVEMBER 97 P 4 NEITHER COULD DEW!
ХВОХ" 8, DEW's FIRST HALO 2 LAN PARTY XBOX HEADQUARTERS: REDMOND, WASHINGTON
Halo fans submitted photos showing how much they love pew & Halo together — Winners were invited to play Halo 2 at Xbox HQ 107 days before launch. Check out more event photos at mountaindew.com/gaming. X xeox хвох MOUNTAINDEW.COM/GAMING
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GMountain Dew is a registered trademark of PepsiCo, Inc. All rights reserved. Microsoft, Halo, Xbox, Xbox Live, the Xbox logo and the Xbox Live logo are either registered trademarks or tradernarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or in other countries. This ad is based on a Mature-rated video game.
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