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© 2004 Oddworld Inhabitants, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Oddworld Stranger's Wrath and the Oddworld Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Oddworld Inhabitants in the US and/or other countries. Electronic Arts, EA, EA GAMES, the EA GAMES logo, and “Challenge Everything” are trademarks Grregistered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Microsoft, Xbox and the Xbox Logos are either гед ШИШЕ or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property Of mers. EA GAMEST™ is an Electronic Arts™ brand.
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contents
issue 188 · february 2005
LETTERS
20 Holla at us at EGM@ziffdavis.com
PRESS START
The latest news, previews, features, and gaming gossip
22 LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo brief us on their next-gen strategies
27 SNAKE TALES Metal Gear creator Kojima spills the beans on Snake’s dirty secrets
30 MEDAL OF HONOR Fight the good fight, this time both with and for freedom | d | b 4
32 EGM INTERNATIONAL | ь = 6 Japan’s making some games about ae rm samurai. Finally! 1 ! А i a cioe nae EE
34 HALO 2 AFTERTHOUGHTS | | 3 3 ` Because no other games worth А | | 1 a talking about have come out recently | | b i id )
XENOSAGA Il Everyone's favorite intergalactic RPG, now with longer German subtitles
Smaller is better (or at least that’s what we keep telling ourselves). That’s why we’re
ae КЛЫ a oe bringing you info on all the hot new portables, including the PSP, the Nintendo DS and David Cross fits in nicely with EGM dark-horse contenders Gizmondo, Tapwave, and N-Gage. We’ve got all the info, plus a 44 IRON PHOENIX look at the most exciting games to watch for on each platform. Mortal Kombat gets freaky with Power Stone, and a phoenix arises 46 ONLINE Itchin’ for a virtual throwdown? Here REVIEW CREW are the champs of the online fighters Now with 20% less carbs 48. DOOM 3 > War is hell. Doom 3 is on Mars. Mars Multiplatform 108 Suikoden IV Nintendo DS is the god of war. Connect the dots 98 NFL Street 2 114 Asphalt Urban GT » 100 Backyard Wrestling 2: There Xbox 115 The Urbz: Sims in the City 52 BLEEP-BLOOP BOOGIE - Goes the Neighborhood 109 MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf Game Boy tunes aren't real music? 100 Virtua Quest 110 Oddworld Stranger’s Wrath N-Gage That's what they said about rap 101 Mercenaries 112 Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 115 Pathway to Glory 54 PARENTS PLAY Il: The Sith Lords Demographics may have shifted, but PlayStation 2 Game Boy Advance these parents are way out of range 104 The Getaway: Black Monday GameCube 116 The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap 58 KESSEN Ш 106 Ghost Recon 2 114 Mario Party 6 A third installment of Koei's strategy 107 Fullmetal Alchemist series, ‘cause kids love feudal Japan 59 LIVING THE DREAM The sad truth about developing videogames—it involves math 60 BACKTO THE BEGINNING editorial Fans tired of 3D graphics remake А their favorites minus а dimension 62 EGM 200TH We rate the best consoles of all time. Angry letters to EGMGziffdavis.com TRICKS OF THE TRADE 122 Game counseling, codes, and cheats GAME OVER
Funny reviews and funny pages 126 REST OF THE CRAP
127 CROSSWORD
128 FINAL WORD
129 NEXT MONTH
130 HSU & CHAN
All content copyright © 2005 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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‘inc. "PlayStation and the "PS" Family logo are registerer Vadamarks of Sony Computer Entertaiment Inc. The Отв toon: € а trademark of Sony. Computar Entertainment America Jg. The Ratings Ion is a Vademark of the Entertainment Software
PlayStation 2yeach sold separately), All other trademarks are properties of fein respective owners. AN HgS reserved.
‘Association, Onine play requires Internat connection; Network Adapt. (for PlayStation апа Memory:Card (8ВМВйог:
© 2004 Sony Computer Enfertálnment America јас, Olamipions*Rotumn to Arnis and Chaimipions of Norrath are trademarks ‘ot Sony Compufeé Entertainment America Inc: SOE and the SOE lopd ate register tradèmarks of Sony Опіпе Entertainmeiit
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Who share common interests.
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badass cowboys Living in the wild, wild west
DAN “SHOE” HSU, Editor-in-Chief
Halo 2, Xbox Live, Clan EGM...it's a marriage made in Internet heaven, except for the parts about staying up too late, not get- ting work done, divorces, broken families/homes, etc. Look for sad (but happy!) Shoe, Mark, Demian, Seanbaby, etc. online. 1UP.com Blog: egmshoe.1UP.com
Now Playing: Halo 2, MechAssault 2, Oddworld Stranger's Wrath Fave Genres: Just about everything
MARK MACDONALD, Executive Editor
Mark would like to make two points to his fellow Halo 2 online players: 1) Just because you kill someone doesn’t mean they are not heterosexual, and 2) We all know you are 13 years old and live in the suburbs, so you can give the street talk a rest. 1UP.com Blog: Mark says blogging is a fad. An evil fad!
Now Playing: Halo 2, Resident Evil 4, Mercenaries
Fave Genres: Action, Adventure, Shooters
JENNIFER TSAO, Managing Editor
Playing Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic Il: The Sith Lords, Jennifer discovered that being nice to everybody and doing good deeds all the time get old quick. She's looking for- ward to her next go-round as a dark-sider. EGMers, watch out! 1UP.com Blog: egmjennifer.1UP.com
Now Playing: KOTOR Il, Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
Faye Genres: RPG, Adventure, Action Sports, Rhythm-Action
CRISPIN BOYER, Senior Editor “What day is it?” “Where am 1?” “Who are you people?” Cris asked all these questions after a weeklong Mario Party 6
binge. All he vaguely remembers is a magical place where people wear hats on their feet and hamburgers eat people. 1URcom Blog: egmerispin.1UP.com
Now Playing: Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap, MechAssault 2 Fave Genres: Action, Adventure, RPG
SHANE BETTENHAUSEN, Previews Editor
Shane noted a disturbing trend on the blogs maintained by some of his fellow EGM editors—total and abject apathy. Mark's and Bryan's desolate blogs offer little more than tumbleweeds. Log in, pimp out your page, and drop Shane a friend request. 1UP.com Blog: egmshane.1UP.com
Now Playing: Jam with the Band, Ridge Racers, Resident Evil 4 Fave Genres; Action, Adventure, RPG, Fighting, Karaoke
DEMIAN LINN, Reviews Editor
After playing through KOTOR Il as a kill-you-for-lookin-at-me- funny Sith Lord dark-sider, Demian’s being extra nice to every- body in real life to soothe his conscience. Whenever an old lady contemplates crossing a street, he will be there.
1UP com Blog: egmdemian.1UP.com.
Now Playing: KOTOR II, NFL Street 2, Halo 2
Fave Genres: Action, Hockey, Racing, Fighting
BRYAN INTIHAR, News Editor
Why's Bryan glum? Could it be that KOTOR II wasn't as good as he had hoped? Or maybe it's because the holiday season is now over. Oh, we know—the boy's been working so much this month that he's missed his fave show, The OC. Pathetic. 1UP.com Blog: egmbryan.1UP.com.
Now Playing: GTA: San Andreas, NFL Street 2, Tapper
Fave Genres: Action, Adventure, Sports
The Contributors
W Writer JOSHUA FRUHLINGER knows it's a bad idea to work with kids or animals, so this month he rounded up a bunch of parents instead, forcing them to play games they just don't
understand.
Wi Masters of Doom author DAVID KUSHNER found yet another use for your dusty old Game Boy: as the ultimate musical instrument for bleep-bloop rock.
ЮЕ LAUREN GONZALEZ blinded us with science by finding out the effects of a good shockin:
14 © ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.1UP.com
Guest Reviewers
ROBERT ASHLEY Robert yearns for the good old holiday rush, when a delightful combo of obscure and bad games were thrust upon him in fours.
JOSHUA CAIN Godzillafest 2004 allowed Josh to meet one of his childhood heroes. Read about his adven- tures with Mothra on egm- josh.1UP.com.
GREG FORD With only one review game this month, Greg Ford had time to improve his life. Instead, he played San Andreas and Halo 2. Oh well.
KEVIN GIFFORD Kevin's intense fear of heights, combined with his 6' 8" stature, keeps him ina perpetual state of self-soilment. He's also a really good dancer.
PATRICK MAURO Patrick played two sports games this month and also ate seven pounds of ham. They don’t call him "Fat"-trick Mauro for nothing.
JOHN RICCIARDI John's been try- ing to use his DS and PictoChat in new and inter- esting ways, He thought it would be cool, but the results haven't been pretty.
JUSTIN SPEER Justin takes some time out from being artsy to hang around downtown Montreal looking artsy. Barely speaks the French, though.
W All for one and one for all is the motto of our sister magazines GMR, OFFICIAL U.S. PLAYSTATION MAGAZINE, XBOX NATION, and 1UP.COM. We care mostly ‘about the “all for one” part, as we get people from all of them to write for us.
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0 'anaging Edi Senior Editor Crispin Boyer Previews Editor Shane Bettenhausen ıs Editor Demian Linn ıs Editor Bryan Intihar т Joshua Cain
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Art Director Monique Convertito
Associate Art Director Stefan Belavy
CONTRIBUTORS.
fiber Ashley, Chris Baker Ce Chou, Kevin Convert, John Davison, Digital Foundry, Joshua Finlinge Garth Glazier Laurer Gonzalez, David Kushner, Aaron Lauer, Nich Maragos, Thierry "Scooter" Nguyen, Christian Nutt, Greg Orlando, Jeremy Parish, Andrew Pfister Joe Rybicki, Jon Santos, Roy Serrano, Norm Scott, Ryan Scott, Seanbaby, Carrie Shepherd, Scott Steinberg, Terry Wong, Vicki Wong
Founder Steve Harris
GEO Dale Stang, President Scott С. McCarthy Editorial Director John Davison.
yr Simon Cox Bill Daniher
SK f Tom Edwards (ors Greg Ford, Susie Ochs, Kelsey Adams
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mer Grup Circulation Director Tracy Schultz anager 0
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hard rock, hard bosses, and a hard body
direct current issue The other day, my friend comes up to me and says that she’s going to Florida because AC/DC front man Brian Johnson was gonna be there signing autographs. | knew | had to get one, so | ran and grabbed the first thing | saw, my newest copy of EGM, and gave it to her. Three days later, she comes back and returns the mag— signed by Brian himself. Once again, you guys really helped me out. Thanks!
—Neil Davis
residents | was shocked to learn that Capcom went back to scratch four times while developing Resident Evil 4 (EGM #186). Big props, though, for them not pushing out a lemon like Enter the Matrix just to make money. —Jared Thornbahn
OST OFFICE
Gone What the heck? In the name of all that is holy, what happened to Hsu and Chan? | didn't see them in EGM #185! Are they ever coming back? Stop playing this cruel game, you vicious wolves!
—Mike Arce
Hsu and Chan merely ducked out
temporarily to make room for Norm
Scott’s “Bad Ways to Go.” As you can see by turning to the back of this issue, none of the grisly fates described in our Halloween feature befell the comic duo. Now relax and take а deep breath...
that doesn’t end well
I'm writing to express my disappointment with the ending of Halo 2. The end of the first Halo left you feeling like you had done something good in the world. You confronted the Flood, destroyed Halo, and escaped before being destroyed along with it. The sequel just doesn’t give you that feeling of accomplishment.
1 can understand the developers intended to leave you wanting more, and they succeeded. But the original game left us wanting more while making us feel like we'd done something important. Don't get me wrong, Halo 2 is still a fantastic game...but | believe that a game is only as good as its ending.
—Danny Rivera
You're not the first one to mention this, Danny. Developer Bungie has responded publicly on its website that “Halo 2's
of the month
ending is a cliff-hanger. Intentionally." Doesn't help much, does it?
, the memories
You know that feeling you get when someone hits you in the face with a really big shovel? That's how | felt when I lost two memory cards to the PlayStation Underground Holiday 2004 demo disc. | went to post the problem on my message boards to see if anyone could help. There were about 100 different posts of people having the same issue. I found out it was the Viewtiful Joe 2 demo that was causing the problems. They called it a "glitch." | easily lost over 1,000 hours of gameplay for...what? Ten minutes of Viewtiful Joe 2?
After the initial feeling of shock, followed
Ranting and raving from our message boards, boards.1UP com (look for Electronic Gaming Monthly's forums)
Hardest boss to date
Gamers on the 1UP.com message boards relive traumatic boss fights that haunt them to this day.
D3adcell: "Devil May Cry has some of the toughest bosses I've seen. Nero Angelo
takes the cake on his
final form in Dante Must
Die mode.”
H-Crusher: “Jaquio, from the
Absalom Jones: “Toughest boss? Bowser of Super Mario fame—t sent him flowers, | promised him a cab ride home, and
he still wouldn't give me the
original Ninja Gaiden on the NES.” AS
2
Halofreak: “Speaking of Ninja
Gaiden, it took me about three days
to beat Rachel's sister Alma in the Xbox version of the game.”
16 e ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.1UP.com
Videogame confessions Gamers share their dirty secrets.
Thazodiak: “First, I've never beaten the original Super Mario Bros.—and I'm still trying. Second, I’ve pictured girls in some videogames naked.”
BnD_MsTr: “1) 1 use strategy guides. 2) | suck at most games. 3) | never beat Super Mario Bros. either...”
CloudStrife999: “I loved that South Park shooter on the Nintendo 64.”
Michaelicious: “After playing Beyond Good & Evil, | spent a month trying to hook up with a woman who looked like
the main character, Jade.”
Congratulations, David Trussell. Your valorous good deed has earned you the Letter of the Month and a free game of our choosing. Make sure to let your teacher play it when you're done...it might just save the world.
by anger and then sadness, | actually felt kinda happy. | now have a good reason to replay all of my games (I'm thinking about playing them in alphabetical order) and reconnect with those that have been collecting dust. Plus, | can spend my money on a new game instead of a new memory card for all those upcoming holiday save files. Looks like 2005 is going to be a very busy year!
—dJenna Villegas
Since not everyone who lost their saved games is as upbeat about it as you are, Sony figures they owe ya one. Victims who didn’t destroy their disk in a blind rage can send it back to score a free game—call 1-800-345-SONY for details.
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:
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E
ONE WIL KE CHOICE. ЭТА УЛИ. МАКЕ ТНЕ E JOURNEY. -
Г T U WILL FACE THE dh ne : |
Your companions will follow you Wield over 60 new feats and Travel among 7 worlds and
to the dark or light side of the Force Force powers as you and your party explore new environments on based on your choices. struggle to defeat the evil Sith. your mission to save the galaxy.
THIS TIME, YOUR CHOICES AFFECT EVERYONE AROUND YOU.
WWW.KOTOR2.COM
LucasArts and the LucasArts logo are registered trademarks
Microsoft, Xbox and the Xbox logos ar ‘trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation inthe US. Violence and/or in othe
2 gasipian
SOFTWARE XBOX
th trade names are the properties of their respective owners.
RPG
I'm a fan of role-playing games, but they always seem to be missing something. What one game doesn't have, another does. If only you could incorporate the dark/light personality decisions from Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and great combat system of Fable into the massive, free-roaming environment of Elder Scrolls Ill: Morrowind, then string it all together with a Final Fantasy-caliber story line, you'd have an RPG to end all RPGs! | know it's a dream, but why not? I'd bet a ton of cash that gamers would be ecstatic.
—Mike Leister
Don't think the idea hasn't occurred to anyone yet, Mike. The more ambitious the game, the tougher it is to pull everything off successfully. Even so, you can bet someone out there is planning that ultimate RPG as we speak...and you can bet it'll be covered in future issues.
Gaming by the
| recently purchased the AK Designs Rocker chair (reviewed in EGM #186) and | must say it well deserves the No. 2 spot on the top
10 list of holiday gifts. Not only is it extremely comfortable, but it holds secret gaming powers.
| was stuck on a certain Dark Temple boss in Metroid Prime 2: Echoes the same day | got the AK. | put together the chair and took a seat to begin playing, then BAM! | murdered that dang boss in a skinny minute. | jumped back with so much joy—I was awestruck that the chair didn’t fall over and fling me off! Thanks for letting everyone know about this chair.
—Drew Baker
Need for
I've noticed a disturbing trend with EA lately: Its games seem to be more and more devoid of soul or personality. Sure, the production values are some of the best in the business, but can you think of a single memorable character or story line from a recent EA game? | couldn't wait for Lord of the Rings: The Third Age, until | found out that the game is lacking in story and has character interaction with B-rate copycats of the real fellowship.
Need for Speed Underground 2 has street lingo that sounds like it was written by a bunch of suits sitting around an executive table, and GoldenEye: Rogue Agent hypes up
JP. FES Sasquatch Watch
Ryan Chacon risked life and limb in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas to send in this photographic evidence of the fabled San Andreas yeti. If you happen to spot this elusive
Creature, snap a shot and send it in!
outfits. Then they call us guy gamers “pathetic nerds” and "geeks who can't get dates.” I'm writing to tell these females to cut these geeks some slack!
Chances are, these guys tried getting dates before but fell flat when girls turned
School Hi, I'm a 12-year-old boy who lives in Southlake, TX—home of the Carroll Dragons, the No. 1 high school football team in the nation!
Now, | love pro football games, but why
“
” —Chris M.
the concept of being a bad guy but doesn’t go anywhere with it. With efforts like this, it's no wonder the mainstream doesn’t view Bi the medium as art. À —Jonathan В.
blues Every so often, a girl gamer writes in complaining about guys drooling over hot digital women with unrealistic proportions ( waltzing around in scandalous
Need for Speed Underground 2’s Brooke Burke devoid of personality? No way!
GAME DESIGN-O-RAMA
Got proof that game design is best left to the pros? Send your concept (with art) to EGM@ziffdavis.com, subject: design-o-rama
18 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com
them down and rubbed their supposed nerdiness in their face. They play these games not just for fun, but because these game girls are exciting to look at and don’t look down their noses at the lonely males gawking at them. So, the next time a geeky-looking guy asks you on a date, you can decline if you wish—just don’t humiliate them. It's your fault these male gamers turn out the way they do!
—Chris M.
Hear that girls? Your harsh, social rejection of nerds is only creating more awkward, socially inept nerds. Can’t you see? It’s a vicious cycle!
POLITICIANS OF THE OLD DEMOCRACY
Behold, the mighty POTOD.
Politicians of the Old Democracy is a game of political intrigue and
awesome power struggles. Start the game by selecting
alignment system. Whether you choose to become a Democrat or Republican, the fate of America is in your hands. —Bren Kwib
any U.S. president, then guide him
through his first term in office by
selecting from various policies with the revolutionary “left side/right side” political-
Now, we’re not going to get into any political commentary, but everyone check out what Bren thinks of W's stats...
can’t they just make one high school football game? | mean, come on! These game developers may think that we don’t care about high school football, but one of our games against Denton Ryan was on ESPN, ESPN2, CNN, and several other TV stations. So by now you probably feel my pain and know how | feel.
—Coleman Latham
You're not the only one who's thought of the idea, Coleman. PetitionSpot.com has a high school football petition targeting EA Sports...though there seems to be much more interest in the “Bring Full House to DVD” petition.
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TENGHU
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LET'S GET
Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo set up camp and provide intel on their next-gen console battle plans
arios preparing bob-omb air must be a next-gen console war a- Nintendo releasing their new systems a peek at what these next-gen games strikes, squads of Master brewin'. Even though the real shots one year later), we headed to each could look like, we can't help but be Chiefs piling into Warthogs, an — won't be fired until late 2006 (analysts company's HQ for an early briefing on excited about the future. War: This is army of Jaks (and wise-cracking side- believe Microsoft will launch Xbox 2at its next-gen strategy. And with publish- what it's good for. kick Daxters) all locked and loaded— the end of 2005, with Sony and ing powerhouse Electronic Arts offering —Bryan Intihar and Mark MacDonald
>> SONY RECENTLY ANNOUNCED THAT THE COMPANY IS TEAMING UP WITH GRAPHICS CHIP MANUFACTURER NVIDIA TO CREATE A GRAPHICS PROCESSING UNIT (GPU) FOR PS3, WHICH
22 « ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com
SONY
Next-gen battle plan: overwhelming force
The current console leader isn’t in a rush to release a new home system, but Sony Computer Entertainment America President Kaz Hirai says that when the next-gen machine does come our way, it will pack some power.
EGM: Sony announced last July that it would unveil the “next-generation PlayStation” by the end of March 2005. Is that still the plan?
Kaz Hirai: As far as | know, yes. | spoke to [Sony Computer Entertainment Interactive President and CEO] Ken [Kutaragi] a few weeks ago, and that’s what he told me.
EGM: What will we see at this debut? KH: If | told you, | think Kutaragi would take me and you out to the parking lot and shoot us. [Laughs] But, no—joking aside, we've not really talked that much in detail about [the debut], both internally and externally. | can promise that it'll be a huge event.
EGM: Sony also said the new console would be at the Electronic Entertainment Expo [aka E3, May’s annual gaming trade show]. How will that showing differ from the debut? KH: Once we nail down the details of the premiere event, that'll probably determine what we talk about or show at E3.
5 What EA thinks its Need for Speed racing series can look like оп the upcoming wave of consoles.
EGM: When we spoke at the last E3, you mentioned that your next console must “offer a quantum leap in the user's experience.” What's your defini- tion of a quantum leap?
KH: | use that phrase very loosely because to some people, a quantum leap would be graphics, to others it'll be how seamlessly integrated the experience is from the online perspective. So the phrase could mean a lot of different things to different people. At the end of the day, we are going to provide a
KH: Online is going to be an integral part of any console going forward. It's almost going to be like an air-conditioner or an airbag in a car: It used to be nice to have, it used be somewhat of a luxury option; now it's stan- dard in almost every car—you almost take it for granted. It's an integral part of driving a car, basically, and | think online is going to be that way as well.
EGM: How do you feel about download- able content?
take away some other functionality, | don't see any reason why we shouldn't or we wouldn't want to do that with the next- generation PlayStation.
"We were never the first to market. Remember Saturn? Remember Dreamcast? That was supposed to be ‘the’ next- generation online console and we saw what happened there."
—Sony Computer Entertainment America President Kaz Hirai
palette from a tethnology and platform standpoint so that the content creators can take advantage of those palettes and create what they believe is a quantum leap. We just want to make sure that if we provided four colors with the original PlayStation and we provided 12 colors on PS2, with the next generation we're providing all 64 colors like the big Crayola box that we all wanted to have in elementary school.
EGM: Do you think online will play a bigger role with the PS2 successor?
КН: Going forward, because we want to make online even more of a mass-market proposition, we're looking to come out with other devices that you can store data from your downloads [on] that's more affordable than what we have currently in the market in the form of the HDD [PS2 hard drive].
EGM: What's the likelihood that your next home system will be backward compatible?
KH: As long as adding backward compati- bility doesn't come at a substantial cost or
EGM: Most in the biz feel that Xbox 2 will launch in 2005. Do the moves of the competition affect when you'll release your next console?
KH: We've always stuck by what we believe is the right game plan for ourselves, and more importantly, for the third-party pub- lishing community, retailers, and consumers. We don't go changing consoles every three, four, or five years. [Actually, PS2 launched roughly five years after the original PlayStation. —Ed.] We're not concerned with who's coming out first or who's coming out last. And if you look back at history, we were never the first to market. Remember Saturn? Remember Dreamcast? That was supposed to be "the" next-generation online console and we saw what happened there.
Incomplete Transaction Last spring, Hirai pledged that Sony
would grow the PS2 online community with features such as eBay-style auc- tions for in-game data so, say, you could buy and sell Gran Turismo 4 cars. Unfortunately, nothing like that
has come to fruition. He says auctions and additional online features remain
in the works. “We want to get it right
the first time around. We're not going to jump the gun and bring out some-
thing we're not happy with." »-
WILL INCORPORATE NVIDIA TECHNOLOGY WITH SONY'S CELL PROCESSOR. NVIDIA WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING THE CURRENT XBOX CHIPS, BUT WON'T DO SO FOR XBOX 2.... >>
ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com • 23
© A developer within EA tells us that, yes, games on Xbox 2 and PS3 will look as amazing as this concept image of Madden, which the company showed during a recent financial meeting.
Next-gen battle plan: stay one step ahead
Even though Microsoft Game Studios General Manager Shane Kim won't confirm a late 2005 launch for the Xbox successor, he's confident that the console will break boundaries like the company's first entry.
EGM: A huilt-in hard drive, a broadband Internet connection, progressive scan—these are all great features that target a relatively small audience. Do you think Xbox was ahead of its time? im: | don't think we're ahead of our time, but rather we led the transition into this generation and have been a leader in terms of what's possible from a game standpoint. We have no regrets in terms of the investments that we've made in any of those areas because they're going to be pervasive parts of the gaming and enter- tainment experience going forward.
EGM: Will the next console be as ahead
of the technological curve as Xbox? Well, | think we always want to see the
underlying hardware be as powerful as
24 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com
possible, see that power in the hands of the creators. But no matter what the hardware looks like, it comes down to the creators.
EGM: EA recently released images of Madden and Need for Speed, saying
ios, especially if you're as committed to downloadable content as we are. The other thing is that you make sure your definition of downloadable content is broad enough, because content doesn't just have to be the large downloads that we're more familiar
Unfulfilled Fantasy
Mere weeks after Kim told us how excited he was for True Fantasy Live Online, the company canned the pro- ject. So what happened? "Any mas- sively multiplayer game is a pretty ambitious undertaking," professes Kim. "But at the end of the day, in terms pulling off that vision, we didn't feel like we could make that happen, not to the level that we feel we have to deliv- er on the first-party side.”
EGM: Then you're telling us that there are more first-party titles planned for Xbox other than those three games?
| didn't say that. I'm just saying, you know, that there's lots of good reasons why anybody would consider holding off on
“
”
—Microsoft Game Studios General Manager Shane Kim
that visuals of this high quality will be possible on the next-gen consoles. How accurate is EA’s assessment?
| haven't [seen the images], but | heard they were very impressive and are pretty good indicators of what's possible. But even without seeing them, | would like to believe that we're going to be able to exceed that.
EGM: How would you like to see Xbox Live, Microsoft's online gaming hub, grow in the next few years?
We've got a great foundation, and I think there is the ability to make it more accessible to a broader audience, and that comes in lots of different forms, like usabil- ity and the kind of content that's available. One thing we like to talk about is blurring the lines between single-player and multi- player gaming. | think that's going to be a trend that you're going to see.
EGM: One of the major features of Xbox Live is downloadable content. Now let's say your next system won't have a hard drive, as some are reporting. Is there technology available, whether it he some special memory or flash card, which would allow you to support this feature?
Absolutely. And | think you have to be able to make sure you enable those scenar-
with today. Things will get smaller and peo- ple will be able to buy items in smaller quantities and sizes in the future as well. So that will put less strain on the storage requirements.
EGM: Sony and Nintendo have both stated that they will unveil their next systems in 2005. When will we hear some concrete news about Xbox 2?
Unfortunately, І can't talk about any [specifics] with respect to our next-genera- tion console.
EGM: Well, we had to ask. A lot of industry folk feel that Microsoft is abandoning the Xbox platform after April. Can you tell us what major first- party games you have planned for the second half of 2005?
Gosh, | think Xbox has got a great future. Just because we haven't announced anything beyond Conker, Jade Empire, and Forza [Motorsport] doesn't mean [we're abandoning the Xbox platform].
EGM: So why haven't there been any new game announcements?
Well, we're still pretty far out from those [second-half] titles. You could argue that [the holiday] isn't the right time to announce things for the summer or fall.
>> WAITING FOR A SLIMMER XBOX? DON'T BOTHER. "FOR US, IUS NOT NECESSARILY ABOUT CHANGING THE FORM-FACTOR AND USING THAT TO DRIVE OUR SUCCESS,” KIM SAY:
announcements. There are definitely cases where you can start talking about titles too early, and it can come back to bite you a little bit. The marketing guys are always trying to figure out when is the right time to start launching the buzz.
EGM: Moving on to Rare, Microsoft spent a lot of money to acquire this developer, but so far, we've seen only one game [Grabbed by the Ghoulies] from the studio. What would you say to the gamer who has lost confidence in Rare?
| was at Rare last week, so I’m very bullish [about the studio], especially after visiting and seeing it even more closely and talking to the guys there. They didn’t lose any of that creativity and expertise overnight just because they became part of Microsoft. [Laughs] People should have a lot of faith in [Rare's] future, and | can tell you that from what I've seen and what's in the pipeline, Rare fans should be absolutely excited about what's coming.
EGM: So you just visited Rare—can you tell us how Perfect Dark Zero is looking these days?
SK: | have no idea what you are talking about. [A member of Microsoft's public
relations department laughs.]
NINTENDO
© This fall, before Nintendo puts all its efforts into the next gen, the company will bring a new Legend of
Zelda to GameCube.
Next-gen battle plan: innovate and “kick ass”
Nintendo is looking 1 to release its next e J console around the same time as Sony (late 2006), and like its latest handheld, the company is thinking way outside the box. And according to Nintendo Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing Reggie Fils-Aime, Mario and his friends are more than ready to kick some booty.
EGM: What's your strategy heading into the next generation of consoles? Reggie Fils-Aime: Last E3, we talked about Revolution, the code name for our next home console system. And we talked about that we believe what the consumer wants is something innovative, something new and different. We've gone on record saying we'll be sharing much more detail [on Revolution] come E3, and that's our tim- ing. We think sharing it before then, frankly, Shows too much to our competition. Which, unfortunately for us, have a legacy of taking smart ideas that we develop and bringing them to the marketplace rather quickly.
EGM: What kind of innovation are we talking about?
RA: Well, the concept of a home system today is defined as hardware that you tether to a box, and you are tethered to it via a controller; we think that's an old paradigm. We think that the consumer wants some- thing much more innovative than that. Coupled with the concept of strong commu- nity and immersion into the gameplay, we think that's what we need to deliver on from a consumer proposition standpoint.
last E3 with DS. We let people see it, touch it, get a strong reaction to it. Certainly that's what we're looking to do with Revolution.
EGM: What about the role of online with the next system?
RA: What | would say is we are certainly working to deliver a sense of community. Is it going to be executed online? We're not Sure—l'm not so sure. l'Il be able to cer- tainly say more over the next couple of months as | spend quite a bit of time with
based online experience. We will share much more come E3.
EGM: A recent Nintendo patent involved a machine that would allow you to surf the Web, watch television, and play games all at the same time. Does that have to do with Revolution?
RA: We create new technologies and apply for patents all the time. So | wouldn't assume any patents that we create are for Revolution. But we're going to continue to
"Look at what we did last E3 with DS. We let people see it, touch it, get a strong reaction to it. Certainly that's what we're looking to do with Revolution.”
—Nintendo Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing Reggie Fils-Aime
EGM: What can we expect from Revolution's debut at E3? Playable games? Technology announcements? RA: That we're going to go there and kick ass and take names. I'm not gonna tell you any more other than look at what we did
Where’s Mario?
We asked Fils-Aime if what's referred to as Mario 128 is still a GameCube title.
His answer: “You
| know, Mr. Miyamoto said that quite emphatically in the last couple of days, so...it’s coming out on GameCube!"
[Nintendo President] Mr. Iwata and [Mario creator] Mr. Miyamoto. | know Mr. Miyamoto has made comments about online specifi- cally, but there’s a lot of work to be done. And as we, from a Nintendo of America per- spective, look at the way technology is mov- ing, we're certainly providing a point of view as to other ways to deliver a sense of com- munity that, frankly, better fit with where today’s consumer is going
EGM: “Community” is typically used as another term for “online”’—but when you use it, community doesn’t neces- sarily have to do with the Internet
at all, right?
RA: That's correct. And | don't want to go into it because, | mean, there are things that have been published in technical journals that talk about how to deliver a sense of community that is different than an Internet-
innovate, and we're going to continue to push the envelope in what we can provide to the gamer, to the consumer, that in the end delivers on three things that we believe drive this industry: great immersive games, new experiences, and value.
EGM: What will it take in the next cycle to catch Sony and become No.1?
RA: We need to deliver an innovative experi- ence that the consumer wants. We need to deliver it at the same time as our competi- tion when the [console] transition happens, meaning we can't be late to the market. And we need to fully enroll the best third-party developers to make great games for our system. If we successfully execute those three things, | guarantee you we will have a great system, huge volume, high profitabili- ty, and a great proposition. But we have to do all three.
>> А PORTABLE SUPER SMASH BROS.? MAYBE. "I WOULD LOVE TO SEE [THE SERIES] ON DS," SAYS FILS-AIME. "WITH WIRELESS PLAY CAPABILITIES, IT COULD BE HUGE FUN.” WE AGREE... >>
ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com • 25
THE CURRENT BATTLE
The big three still have plenty of ammo left in the current fight for your living room
God of War
March 2005 — This slick Devil May Cry-inspired actioner transports you to a time when Greek gods ruled.
Sony CEA President Kaz Hirai says, “It’s a very exciting title that we have high hopes for. If you’re looking for red meat, you've got it here.”
Gran Turismo 4
February 2005 — Even with its online features getting axed during the last few months of development, GT4's 650 vehicles, realistic driving physics, and countless customization options should be enough to get your PS2's motor running.
| The Legend of Zelda
| Fall 2005 — Like a proud papa, sever- al fanboys shed a tear when they first
| saw Link all grown up and looking
| ever so manly in this most-wanted
| Zelda adventure. Nintendo exec Reggie Fils-Aime professes this one “will
| deliver on the high expectations.”
| Mario Baseball
| Fall 2005 — Few jocks can call them- selves three-sport star athletes, but
| that’s exactly what Mario has become
| on GameCube. The plumber will step to
| the plate with a story-driven challenge
| mode, a host of minigames, and a baseball encyclopedia.
March 2005 — The follow-up to the cult hit The Mark of Kri hacks and slashes its way to PS2 this spring, with sinewy hero Rau teaming up with his little (and just as deadly) sister Tati. Sadly, the two-player online mode has
been canned. the all the big-
rers, including BMW, rrari, And unlike 674,
im expects Jade to. ve RPG for the platform.”
Kirby (working title) Fall 2005 — Unfortunately, all we know so far about the pink marshmal- low’s next starring role is that Nintendo's calling it an action- adventure title, and that at least one of the game modes will support up
| to four wannabe suckers.
>> LAST ES, FILS-AIME SAID, "I WANT A MARIO THAT'S RELEVANT TO TODAY'S TEENS.” PROGRESS REPORT: "WHAT CAN TELL OUR FANS IS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON NEW FRANCHISES”... >>
26 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com
Кїї
TALES
Metal Gear’s papa talks Snake Eater secrets and the future
f we get bad reviews or bad
comments [about our
game], we become very depressed,” jokingly admits Metal Gear Solid mastermind Hideo Kojima. Fortunately, the overwhelming response to MGS3: Snake Eater(PS2), the latest edition in Konami’s storied stealth-espionage series, has left him with little reason to pop some Prozac. But as much as we enjoyed this sneakfest, it left us with several burning questions. Here’s what Kojima had to say on:
The Boss and The Sorrow’s Offspring
Their child is in Snake Eater. [makes a motion of twirling imagi- nary revolvers]
The End’s Parrot
Yes, the parrot from MGS3 is related to the parrot you see in MGS2. It’s like the grandfather of the one from the earlier game." [In case you missed it, Emma, Otacon's kid sister, has a pet parrot in MGS2. —Ed.)
Colonel Volgin's
*Kuwabara, Kuwabara" Chant It's like a little spell. There was this
historical figure in Japan called Mr.
Kuwabara who was afraid of lightning. So
Volgin, with all his electricity, doesn't
want any rain or lightning to hit him.
Snake Eater's Bosses Some that didn't make it in were a moss guy and a lizardman.
The Camera
We're aware that the current camera system limits us in terms of expression. So we don't know [in future MGS games] if it would be right behind the character, but we think it would change.
The Next MGS for Consoles
In Snake Eater, you never get the chance to meet Otacon or Meryl [Solid Snake's red-haired love interest from MGS1], and I'd like to give them a chance to do their thing again. If we were to have another game, most likely it would be one set in the future rather than where Snake Eater left off.
GRUDGE MATCH
It’s not you; it's me
LUN
HALO 2 YOUR GIRLFRIEND
It's happened before: She wants to cuddle while you've got virtual worlds to save. You might normally fly the flag of surrender to avoid a confrontation, but this is Halo 2, gents—what would Master Chief say to your sensitive-male kow- towing? Let's look at the facts to help devise a make-up or break-up strategy.
MAINTENANCE
Load, kill, save. Advantager Halo 2
Craft fairs and that Bridget Jones sequel
APPEARANCE
Might be hot now, but will look dated in time Advantage: Tie
FRIENDS
Chatty Kathys who all want you to watch One Tree Hill
Marines that let you wield an explosive- needle launcher Advantage: Halu 2
Ditto Advantage: Tie
with them
SETTLING DIFFERENCES
A few plasma grenades can solve just about any problem Advantage: Hala 2
Lack of plasma grenades mandates
talks about feelings
THREESOMES
Strongly encour- aged—they often turn into foursomes Advantage: halo?
Bring it up and it'll. be you, the cat, and
the sofa
FINANCIAL LIABILITY
$55 for the platinum editi Advantage: Halo 2
$5,500 for a platinum band
BLOODSHED AWAITS AT THE END OF THIS RAINBOW
Military types shooting holes in ter- rorists doesn’t quite have the novel-
ty it used to, but Rainbow Six: Lockdown hopes to reinvigorate the genre this spring. While the single- player experience features the same squad-based, first-person shooting Rainbow fans have come to love, the
innovative, Xbox Live—only career mode allows you to customize your unit's look, earn money for new weapons, and acquire special skills as you play. And while PS2 owners will have to settle for a standard- issued versus mode, they'll receive extra missions.
>> THE EUROPEAN VERSION OF METAL GEAR SOLID: SNAKE EATER WILL INCLUDE NEW MODES THAT ALLOW YOU TO REPLAY BOSS BATTLES AND WATCH ALL OF THE CINEMAS... >>
ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY e www.1UP.com e 27
| [adult swim].
FUNimation
Productions, Ltd.
THE HIT ANIME SERIES COMES HOME!
— this A. connie entertainment system game hased on the wildly popular anime series. Fullmetal Alchemist delivers action-packed excitement, unbelievable gameplay and an enthralling story told through high-quality animated sequences and in-game dialogue.
Join Edward and Alphonse on this epic adventure of sacrifice, deception, and power as they use the ancient science of alchemy to battle a myriad of foes. Use the limitless potential of alchemy to transmute common objects into weapons, tools, and vehicles to aid your journey.
Use alchemy to transmute ordinary objects Call powerful Alphonse to assist you in battle. Based on the hit anime series coming to into a huge array of weapons and tools. Cartoon Network!
SQUARE ENIX.
www.square-enix.com Published by Square Enix, Inc.
Blood Mild Language Suggestive Themes rym Violence ESRB
© 2004 SQUARE ENIX CO.,LTD. А! Rights Reserved. © HIROMU ARAKAWA/SQUARE ENIX, MBS, ANX, BONES, dentsu 2004, FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST, SQUARE ENIX, and the SQUARE ENIX A logo are trademarks of Square Enix Co., Ltd. CARTOON NETWORK, ADULT SWIM and logos are Pla 5 га ti оп 2 trademarks of and © 2004 Cartoon Network. A Time Warner Company. All rights reserved, e PlayStation" and the "PS" Family одо are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Entertainment Software Association. ®
"n ИШ
FIRST LOOK:
MEDAL OF HONOR:
DOGS OF WAR
Wage war your own way in EA’s next WWII tour of duty
f you play through a pile of WWII a Shooters, catch a few reruns of
Hogan's Heroes, and watch Saving Private Ryan, you can assemble a basic impression of what surviving World War Il was like. You have your triumphant Allied tanks, your hilarious pratfalls at POW camps, and your Matt Damon soldier-boy type who sacrifices himself for the cause. These re-creations offer up slick entertain- ment, but not a complete picture of the war: "Many games overlook the early war period, after Dunkirk and before D-Day,” says Medal of Honor executive producer Dan Winters. "But to do so ignores vital and thrilling scenarios from the dark period early in the war, when an Allied victory was by no means certain."
Along these lines, EA's upcoming Medal of Honor: Dogs of War attempts to inject some reality into the classic conflict. The first-person shooter series returns to Europe this time (after a disastrous trip to Japan in 2003's Rising Sun), casting you as a single army lieutenant lending a hand in WWIls critical early battles, starting with a surprise commando raid on the German- held port of St. Nazaire:
Dogs of War, however, marks a step away from the scripted shooting-gallery feel of previous entries: Instead of acting by themselves, both Axis and Allies work in
EEE Г" LIT. Hr
© This isn’t an army of
one—here, you control an entire squad of soldiers.
к GAMING MQ
Platforms: PS2/XB/GC Publisher: EA Games Developer: EA L.A. Release Date: Mid-2005
= The dudes sportin’ the salad-bowl hats are on your side,
squads, each with their own battlefield objectives. You control your squad's move- ments during combat, and you're free to choose what type of squad you're heading up before most missions—whether it's an infantry crew, sniper team, or heavy- weapons outfit. Where you lead your boys is entirely up to you: “Dogs of War is a far less linear experience than its predeces- sors,” says Winters.
This squad-based approach will likely render Rising Sun’s "enemies lining up to be shot" phenomenon a thing of the past, but it'll also help make hostiles seem much more alive than before. Instead of Aryans bull-rushing you on sight, you'll find enemy squads laying down suppressive fire, planti-
1
"diis. Шш N KONAMI ANNOUNCED THAT IT WILL BRING THE LATEST VERSION OF ITS RENOWNI a
" фуу 1 " | SIM, WINNING ELEVEN 8, TO BOTH PLAYSTATION 2 AND XBOX THIS SPRING...
“Dogs of War is a far less linear experi- ence than its predecessors." -sone ormes
ng explosive charges, or teaming up with other squads to accomplish their objectives. “Since these squads react not only to their own scripting, but also dynamically to the player’s position and actions, the enemy behavior is different every time, often dra- matically,” explains Winters.
If this makes Dogs of War sound compli- cated, don't throw your helmet down yet— this is still very much an arcade experience.
More serious sims like Ubisoft's upcoming Brothers in Arms probably don't have “nemeses,” superpowered SS guards that hunt you down in certain stages. They also don’t have а “Rally Meter" that fills up over time and lets you unleash an “adrenaline- filled attack on the enemy,” as Winters puts it. Who knew that WWII infantrymen could pull off crazy special attacks? st
— Kevin Gifford
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2. Be the E. Slayer with ge TRICKSTER STYLE Я 1
Multiple I di ues to Choose ром UN. а тое; m
“...]гот the moment the game begins, the badass meter
is Likely to > Ка РА А es SWORDMASTER STYLE flat-out shatter 7 x P Mindzblowing sword fighting action
-PSM
devilmaycry.com
| FG cn [CAPCOM CD., LTD. 2005, @GAPCOM U.S.A., INC. 2005 ALL RIGHT is RESE | CAPCOM, the CAPGOM LOGO and DEVIL MAY GRY are registered trademarks of CAPCOM CO., LTD.
ation" and 1 Mily logo are registered trademarks of Sony Komp Entertainment Inc, The ratings icon is a registered ffademark of the Entertainment Software Association А! other trademarks are owned by their respective owners. А P
EGM INTERNATIONAL
Games that follow the unspoken code of honor
PS2 SAMURAI WESTERN
Wasn't this a movie? Nope—you're probably thinking of the already-forgotten Jackie Chan vehicle Shanghai Knights. This game, starring purebred samurai Goujirou as he hunts down his gunslingin' brother in the Wild West, has a much stronger pedigree: The folks behind the Way of the Samurai series are developing it. "People liked the simple swordfighting in our other games," explains Planner Tomonori Kawanishi. "But we're speeding it up for the Western motif, because how can you dodge bul- lets if you're swiping at someone so slowly?" Good point. Will we see it here? Rising Zan (PS1) was the last samurai-Old West game released Stateside, but maybe Way of the Samurai 2 publisher Capcom will give this lonely cowpoke a chance.
32 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com
PS2 FU'UN BAKUMATSU-DEN
1 can't begin to pronounce that. No worries, most of us can't, either. While Americans were busy fighting each other in the Civil War, Japan had a crisis of its own: Groups of samurai were trying to overthrow the shogunate and build a modern, Western-style government. This is called the bakumatsu period, and this free- roaming action-RPG lets you play out the story from both sides of the conflict.
How's this chop-socky rebellion work? Imagine a game similar to Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance with fewer +2 broadswords and more 3-foot-long uchigatana, and you've got roughly the right idea. Got a yen for it? Then pray to the gaming gods that someone picks it up for a U.S. release.
WHAT'S PLAYING IN THE COMPUTER
GAMING
WORLD
It's end-of-the-year time as | write this (not end-of-the-world time, that’s April 24), and there just isn’t much to look forward to in PC gam- ing. But that’s because the best stuff is finally being released. Hooray!
Half-Life 2
After more than five years in the mak- ing, you can finally play what may be the best first-person shooter ever. As gun-toting scientist Gordon Freeman, you plow through a game that relies as heavily on thrilling scripted moments as the first. If there were ever any doubt that developer Valve crafts the best FPS levels in gaming, Half-Life 2 stomps these doubts dead, especially with levels that rely on the most incredible physics engine you'll ever see. No game creates such a believable, compelling world.
Vampire: The Masquerade—Bloodlines
Bloodlines uses Half-Life 2's bright and shiny Source game engine to cre- ate the most unbright and unshiny game world you could imagine—a dark and desperate netherworld burn- ing with loathing, suspicion, and fear. And that’s just fine. This huge, blood- sucking RPG (roughly 50 hours of play) redeems a license that made the leap from pen-and-paper to PC and landed smack on its undead face some four years ago. Bloodlines incorporates first- and third-person action, stealth play, logical puzzle solving, an intense game world, hardcore roleplaying, significant replayability, and more. —Robert Coffey, Computer Gaming World
>> JOWOOD HAS ANNOUNCED THAT IT WILL RELEASE A GAME BASED ON THE SCI-FI FRANCHISE STARGATE FOR "ALL MAJOR PLATFORMS" DURING THE LATER PART OF 2005.... >>
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OF
ress start: afterthoughts
>> HALO 2 FANS, BOOKMARK THESE THREE SITES: BUNGIE.NET (OF COURSE) TO CHECK YOUR STATS, FIND UPDATED OFFICIAL INFO, AND BUY HALO GOODIES; HALO.BUNGIE.ORG FOR
Descend in Ascension to find this trickly little hiding spot. Great for Oddball.
New maps, dodging the sword, and grabbing the flag through walls: You've got multiplayer questions, Bungie has the answers
n the world of videogames,
two months is a lifetime.
Unlucky games сап end ир in the shallow grave of a bargain bin, while even great titles are typically cast aside to make way for the Next Big Thing after just a few weeks.
And yet here we are, two months after the release of Halo 2, still hope- lessly addicted to its fantastic multi- player game. In fact, in some ways, the Xbox’s premier first-person shooter has gotten better with age: Players know the maps, teams have strategies, and the ranks next to people's gamertags actually mean something. What better
EGM: That was my next question. A lot of people are under the mistaken impression that the game lists the date “February 9” in the credits if you finish it on Legendary difficulty...how did that rumor get started?
| honestly don’t know what it is, where it came from, who started it. But every- one's latched on to it. [Some people are
. Saying it’s the date for] Halo 3, or it's a
new downloadable campaign, or it’s the real ending of the game. A lot of people think that the game is not over and there's an entirely new mission that is going to be downloaded for single player, or there'll be an add-on disc that will be sold, or...it's a
works in the game engine, it's not possi- ble for us to download an entire single- player mission.
EGM: You must get all kinds of stupid rumors...
I've heard a lot of crazy stuff. Like, in one of the featurettes on the [collectors’ edition] DVD, there's a segment of video that was taken very early on. And at that particular point in time, the Elite models [in multiplayer] were all Arbiter models. Now people think the Arbiter is an unlock- able character—like if you beat the game on Legendary in like two hours, you can play as the Arby in multiplayer. [Laughs]
“
n
—Bungie Multiplayer Lead Max Hoberman
time, then, to sit down with the devel- opers at Bungie and discuss the ups and downs of Halo 2’s still-evolving online experience. For more of the interview, head to egmextras.1UP.com.
EGM: So you guys must be busy getting ready for February 9, right?
[Laughs] Honestly, | don’t know where that date ever came from.
34 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.1UP.com
cliffhanger [ending], yes. But that doesn't mean that we have the rest of the game already done and can just hand it to you in February or whatever.
EGM: Bungie has already said there won't be new single-player levels added on later.
Yeah, we've confirmed that. It's not possible. It won't happen. Within the con- fines of how the downloadable concept
EGM: Have all the complaints about how you can't browse through custom games died down since release?
| [think] people warmed up to it. It's very jarring at first. People don’t like change. Same thing happened with our [early test version]. But after a month, even our most vocal opponents started saying, “OK, this kind of works. It’s fun.”
[People] want to be able to play exactly
what they want and play with random strangers. Those people have really valid complaints, no question about it. But we made a conscious decision to stick to our guns. Because doing it any other way would have not only pulled too many peo- ple out of matchmaking to make it effec- tive, but it also would have taken our time and focus away from making this match- ing system work.
EGM: It’s also the more people you have playing matchmaking games, the less lag there is for everyone, right?
Exactly. You know, you go on [Internet] forums and you see people say- ing, “How come Bungie can’t give us our custom game browser—there are 100,000 people playing it on Xbox Live right now!” But designing a system for Friday nights when there are 100,000 people on, that’s just irresponsible. We have to design for the low ebb, because people still want to find a good game when there're only 10,000 people on at 5 in the morning. "Cause if you take that [pool of] 10,000 people and divide it up into our nine matchmaking playlists, then subdivide it by rank, subdivide it by who you'd have a good connection to...the pool of people you have to play against is actually a lot smaller than you think.
EGM: What are the complaints you’ve heard you feel are valid?
(Now with answers!)
How do I stop the “friends” on my friends list from joining my custom game online?
As party leader, go to Game Setup, then hit X for privacy options.
What do those symbols mean in the bottom center of my screen?
For capture the flag, the yellow flag means your team’s flag is loose some- where but not in the enemy's hands. А red flag means the other team has your flag. Go find it! In territories, status bars show who's controlling the plots.
Why do! have so many different rankings?
You get a separate rank for each match- making game type (rumble pit, head-to- head, etc.). The highest number of all those is your one overall ranking.
Does it count as a loss if | quit out of а ranked game early? | Yes. You automatically get last place.
What's the highest level possible? 50.
Why can my opponents listen in on p E The Master Chief (not my team-only chat? | to scale) watches over Team chat (White button or Up on the D- à , the Earth (also not pad) will always go to your teammates s Nt, actual size).
(or all players in a free-for-all). But prox- imity voice is always on, no matter what, so enemies can hear you if they're close enough. If you're really clever, you can use this to your advantage...
Do ! have to hold the Team Chat button down the entire time I'm talking?
No. Hit it once and chat away. After you stop, you'll hear a brief static click to indicate the chat has closed.
How come my entire team’s lag- ging, but the other team’s not? (Or, how come enemies seem to do things in front of me without me seeing?)
They may be cheating. Leave appropri- ate feedback on them in the Players menu (next to your friends list), then report them on bungie.net, They could get banned if proven to be cheaters.
Content Manager Frank O'Connor: The ones | would agree with are things like sometimes the plot was difficult to understand. There were technical issues that we knew about. | mean, we made some compromises [graphics that pop in during cut-scenes] to have no loading. BJ: One thing that, oddly enough, seems like it kind of backfired, at least for some subset of the audience, is that we only ever talked about Covenant coming to Earth and you defending it. And we now know that's only two levels in the entire game, and that kind of backfired, because we find a lot of people have been bitching and saying, “Why am | not fighting on Earth? I thought | got to defend Earth. Why can’t | defend Earth?”
EGM: We've heard that one a lot....
BJ: And we thought [how it is now] was really cool! Because you think you're gonna get this, and the game goes off and does other cool things. But some people are like, “I don't give a s*** about the Covenant! | want to play on Earth! | want the stuff [in the demo] two years ago!”
EGM: We also kept hearing the needler would be more powerful, but it still seems underpowered.
BJ: Personally, | like needlers mostly as distraction or diversion weapons, because | can try to spam the map, spam a bunch of needles at someone to kind of freak them out and piss them off.
MH: The needler was more powerful in
the beta, so we actually had to cut it
down a bit. If you had dual needlers, it
was just instant death. But now; | think
by itself the needler isn’t very effective,
but dual-wielded | will gladly run around with [it]. It's not as powerful as any of the pistol combos or the plasma rifle, but it’s still really effe
EGM: On the other end «
trum, you have the energy :
BJ: A lot of people think th
too powerful, [that it] can’t
And | think that's a misconception, © because people who know how to play. now, clearly there are a number of differ- ent combinations and ways to beat the energy sword. iii een,
© Bungie hasn't decided timing or a method.fors able content yet (besides Foundation here, which
EGM: Is there a good iiiethod for con- sistently dodging the swi 4 FO: Usually when you move aroun Е attacker, you circle-strafe оре ro
the target in a curve], right? TREti
with avoiding the sword is [to not] ci “Ж cle—just go straight [left or right]. Don't. keep looking at the guy coming at you. You go completely lateral. Trying to train. yourself to unthink all that circular straf- ing is really hard. But when people do it, the sword is negated. I'm good with the sword, but I'll go up against someone who knows that dodge, and І just go whiffing past them, like four, five, six times while they kill me. >
ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.1UP.com • 35
> EGM: What about the submachine gun—is it worth it to fire in bursts rather than just hold it down? BJ: Absolutely. [That's] much more accu- rate. If you hold it down, it's like the old battle rifle from Halo 1. I hate to use the term "newb," but the less experienced players just run in there and hold the trig- ger all the way down, and | can just run around in circles and just “dot, dot, dot, dot, dot” and the guy'll drop.
EGM: So last month we talked a lot about things that got cut from single
= New versions of Halo 1 maps Hang "Ет High (pic- ‘tured here) and Wizard (inset) were in the works for
Halo 2 but eventually got cut. Perhaps they will
resurface as new downloadable maps in the future?
wanted it, but with all those crisscrossing walkways...we just didn't have enough time for the artists [to polish it up]. And we knew doing them later as a download- able level was always an option, though | haven't really committed to that.
EGM: What was headhunter mode, and why’d it get cut?
MH: Ah, good old headhunter. [Laughs] So our original array included race and head- hunter [game types], but not territories. Race [in which you raced other player in vehicles] we decided wasn’t worth the
EGM: Based on personal experience, territories doesn’t seem too popular. Why do you think that is?
MH: Making a good game is not just about the game rules—you also have to design а map around that. [For example], Zanzibar was 100 percent designed around single-flag CTF. And by the time we got the rules for territories set, all the maps were basically done. So territories could actually be a much better game than it is with a map designed for it. And I'm not going to commit to anything, but downloadable content is certainly going to
“Zanzibar is awesome. | consider it the pinnacle of our
multiplayer maps.”
—Bungie Multiplayer Lead Max Hoberman
player, let’s talk about multiplayer. Any maps that didn’t make it?
MH: Our original plan was to port four maps from Halo 1: Beaver Creek, Blood Gulch, Wizard, and Hang ’Em High. And we actually got to the point where we got both Hang 'Em High and Wizard in the Halo 2 engine but looking really ugly. Hang "Ет High, you know, great level, we really
FT
© Will one of the new downloadable maps be built with the territories game mode in mind?
GOT A PC? CHECK
36 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com
trouble. Fundamentally, Halo is about killing, and race is so gimmicky, so far from that. [In] headhunter, the basic game was, you kill someone, [but] you don’t actually get credits for the kill; instead, they drop a skull. You pick up the skull and you have to go back to some central location, deposit it, and you get a point. And if you kill someone who's carrying these skulls, you can take their skulls. And the more you deposit at once, the greater your multiplier. It's actually based on a game from [the Xbox party game] Fuzion Frenzy. Kt was an interesting game, but it was also very confusing trying to repre- sent how many skulls people were carry- ing and showing what the multiplier was when you deposit the skulls—it was just this really chaotic, confusing game. And we had to decide between headhunter and territories, and we just decided territories had more potential.
IT HALO MODIFICATIONS FOR OTHER GAMES, INCLUDING BATTLEFIELD
present some fun opportunities to explore some of those things. And the same thing with assault.
EGM: You mention downloadable con- tent; any plans other than maps? New
game modes, vehicles, or weapons? MH: New games are not an option. Weapons and vehicles are possible, but not very likely. One of the big reasons is that the engine was designed to support down- loadable maps and not downloadable items. There's a bit of wiggle room there, but it’s unlikely. In addition, weapon bal- ance is really challenging, so we're reluc- tant to throw anything new into the mix.
EGM: Will we see more downloaded patches to address bugs or glitches? MH: There are a lot of things | wish we could tweak, but we're pretty limited. Changing your existing maps is not really an option. And game-engine changes, the Live team doesn’t really allow updates except in the most extreme, problematic cases—they don’t want it to turn into a sit- uation [like the PC model, where games are constantly patched}. Also, the game engine is so complicated that even the slightest change can have crazy, unforeseen conse- quences. Just look at Foundatioi
EGM: That's the multiplayer map you э
opened with the Halo 2 downloadable »
Since we ran a bit last month about the skulls hidden in single player that grant the player special powers, a whole mess more have been found. These little easter eggs can give the Master Chief stealth camouflage, make all enemies invisible, recharge your shields with melee attacks, and more. Unfortunately, finding the skulls is too complicated to explain here—check highimpacthalo.org, the Internet's best site for Halo trickery, full details on the skulls, plus about 10,000 other glitches, experi- ments, and general tomfoolery.
GTA: VICE CITY, AND HALF-LIFE 2. JUST GOOGLE THE GAME NAME, “HALO,” AND "MOI
[
reserved. All trademarks и:
ihts reserved: @2004 Microsoft Gt
BattleArmor, jump. “suppl jes into batti în Conquest mode online world; join with your clan attempt t conquer | 7 With new enemies, new weapons and new environments, the choice is yours. MechAssault 2. The biggest battle just got bigger. mechassault2,xbox.com
Blood
Violence
ous Far | | | MEGQMASSAULT 2 бопе ое
x "m it's good to play together
press start: afterthoughts
patch—it was originally supposed m
to unlock automati-
cally when you
finished the game, right?
Yeah, you beat the game on any diffi- culty, [and it was supposed to] show up on the multiplayer map list. But there ended up being this bug where you could only
EGM: Let's talk about some of the other glitches. There’s a way to fly across a level if you target someone with the rocket launcher and switch to the sword and attack really quickly.
Yeah, just a bug. Unbelievable that no one caught it. | haven't seen anyone using it to their advantage yet in multiplayer. If it ever turns so horrible that it's just com-
Oh yeah, that one sucks. We're keep- ing a running list of things we'd like to fix like that, but nothing is as easy as it seems.
EGM: Other things on that list?
Oh, God, it's a long list. | guess the biggest thing that at least | cry about is the ability to pass multiplayer objects through walls. If, say, a CTF flag is close to a wall,
“
” —Bungie Community Guy Brian Jarrard
unlock the level if you activated a training event in the final level. Which is absurd, but it's a good illustration of how interconnect- ed and complex everything is. There's stuff we'd love to fix, but is it worth the time and the risk of breaking something else?
pletely ruining the online game, then there's a possibility we'll do something about it.
EGM: The glitch on Colossus where you can launch a flag across the map by using the conveyor belt?
cut up to this ing here and crouching just before the ledge.
А cool tip from Bungie: You can take a short- ledge on Lockout by jump-
you can grab it from the other side by get- ting close and holding X.] That one actually we knew about. We were looking back, and that was bug No. 492, which was discov- ered in March of 2003. Apparently, fixing it in a way that doesn’t slow the game down significantly is actually a really difficult problem. But the programmers put it off and put it off, but then at the last minute we had to make some really difficult cuts and that one was really painful. That one | really regret. We always expected it to get fixed; there just wasn’t time.
EGM: Back to single player, are there secrets that still haven't been found? Certainly not in terms of skulls [see sidebar] think I've read every опе but one, and that's bound to be out there some- where. But there's some other cool stuff.
EGM: So what's next for Bungie?
[Part of what I’m doing now] is plan- ning for what comes next. I'll be working on very similar stuff to what | did this time around. And there's a lot of planning we need to do for our next game....
Two items for the Halo lover in your life: For splitscreen multiplayers who all want to chat online (or solo play- ers with tender ears), a speaker- phone-like attachment for your Xbox Live mic from Nyko called the Speaker Com ($20) works great. And for PC gamers who just can't wrap their thumbs around the Xbox's dual- Stick controller, there's the Smart Joy Frag adapter, which allows you to hook up a keyboard and mouse to your Xbox ($30 at lik-sang.com). In our tests, the adapter was great (after some tweaking) for sniping and longer-range combat, but it had some problems with vertical movement and Halo 2's slight autoaiming up close.
EGM: Is that the next Halo or the other project Bungie is working on? “Some- thing different," as Bungie Studio Manager Pete Parsons called it?
Sorry, | don't think 1 can say anything more specific or I'll get in trouble. [Smiles] ж. —Mark MacDonald
>> DON'T FORGET TO CHECK EGMEXTRAS.1UP.COM IN THE COMING WEEKS FOR FULL TRANSCRIPTS OF THESE INTERVIEWS, PLUS MORE HALO 2 GOODNESS OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.... >>
38 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com
Tekhen's Nina Williams is even deadlier undercover.
As a covert operative of the CIA, Nina Williams enters an
underground fighting to
underworld organizatio Nina finds herself tracking a stolen high-tech weapon through a variety of locations to reveal a conspiracy on a global scale. Nina j must now face a multitude of deadly enemies, as well as her own
past, in order to save the world, =
Eia E dame e
2 > Control Nina with an intuitive > Wield a variety of weapons > Burst organs, shatter bones > Deliver Nina's signature moves 360-degree combat system outside the ring
www.deathbydegrees.com
PlayStation. HAMED
TEKKEN'S NINA WILLIAMS IN: DEATH BY DEGREES™&©2004 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 ol the Entertainment Software Association,
JENSEITS VON GUT —— Release Date: юш 2005. :
* (OR, BE/OND GOOD AND
EVIL, FOR OUR READERS OUTSIDE OF DEUTSCHLAND.)
Space opera encore
amco's original Xenosaga was unbelievably long (we're talkin’ like 45 Returning players will find some sur-
a love-it-or-hate-it experi- minutes a pop) cut-scenes. prising changes in this pretentiously ence—its slick production val- Nevertheless, Xenosaga racked up subtitled sequel—nearly every facet of ues and Final Fantasy-style gameplay substantial sales, so the developer Xenosaga, from the visuals to the were a hit with RPG fans, but many braved forward with the second chap- gameplay, has received substantial gamers simply couldn't sit through its ter in the planned five-part epic. tweaks. — Shane Bettenhausen \
More Realistic Characters
You might not recognize Xenosaga's heroines Shion and KOS- MOS at first glance—the game's ladies (and to a lesser extent, the dudes) look far more realistic (not to mention sexi- er) than their big-eyed anime-style representations in the first game. "We wanted to reach a wider audience with part two," explains Producer Tomohiro Hagiwara. “We felt that some users might not have tried the first game because of its spe- cific style, and we wanted characters that could better express emotions for part two."
Streamlined Battle System
The first game’s combat presented few problems, but Namco tinkered with the mechanics anyway. “We felt that the moves and animations took too long,” says Hagiwara. “So we worked very hard to make battles faster and more seamless.” The team also beefed up the total number of moves, created flashier effects for special moves, and introduced a new combo system in which one character can knock a foe into the air or onto the ground, then have an ally deliver a brutal finishing blow.
wi (EXE
fap ۶
кы ” | Let's Recap سس Let's say you never got around to investing 80 hours into finishing the first Xenosaga. Ог maybe you...well, forgot every detail of its dense story line in the two years since you played it. You're in luck—Namco will offer a re-edited, four-hour-long DVD of the first game's highlights as a preorder incentive for the new game. Also, if you did finish the original game, be sure to dig out your memory card save in order to unlock some saucy new outfits for the characters in part two....
You can now target body parts on enemies | to'set ир combos,
Shion's new character model sports more realistic proportions;
a >> SEGA DISHES UP A PLATTER OF ANTIQUES WITH SEGA CLASSICS COLLECTION, A PS2 DISC OFFERING REMAKES OF NINE CLASSIC SEGA TITLES: OUTRUN, GOLDEN AXE, SPACE HARRIER,
40 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com
18 Chaos investigates Ej alternative fuel sources,
Scenic Walking Tour
Traversing the worlds of Xenosaga hasn't really changed much: You still spend a lot of time confined to the innards of massive spaceships. But luckily, you will get more chances to see the sights on away mis- sions, where you'll hoof it through dun- geonlike areas, engaging in random bat- tles and solving incidental puzzles. Expect more varied environments to scamper through, along with field maps on which you'll pilot the massive 100-foot-tall E.S. mecha suits.
ap UP i
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Zone B
Futuristic Japanophile Jin fights with an antique samurai sword.
Brotherly Love
The ragtag cast of playable characters from the first chapter returns here, along with one new party member—Jin Uzuki, Shion’s older brother. “He appeared in the ending of Xenosaga, but you couldn’t actually play as him,” explains Hagiwara. "He's totally into the traditional Japanese fighting style—even the giant robot he pilots wields a samurai sword." Plus, if you use Shion and Jin together in battle, they can whip out some powerful special attacks as a duo.
Mayhem erupts at the Pink Floyd laser light show.
Raucous Dance (Pierce):
Robots on Parade
Xenosaga never really made the most of its massive A.G.W.S. robots—they were under- utilized and overpowered...not much fun. Part two promises to do its metal mon- strosities justice. “We definitely want to strengthen the appeal of the E.S., our new robots,” says Hagiwara. “You get them quite early; they're more balanced in com- bat, they are an integral part of the story, and they are just plain huge—with the E.S., you'll fight colossal enemies that the human characters could never even hurt.”
Pop Less Popcorn
To assuage everyone’s greatest fear— yes, Namco has cut down on the number of noninteractive cinema scenes in Xenosaga Il. “The first game had about eight hours of movies and this one has around five," claims Hagiwara. "Also, the first one had a lot of irrelevant scenes that were part of the movies, so in this one we really want to focus in on the story and increase the quality of the movies themselves." Time your bathroom breaks accordingly. $
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ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com • 41
© press start
CELEBRIT
GAMER:
DAVID CROSS
Meet the clown prince of videogame voiceovers
rom cocreating the sketch comedy series Mr. Show to — taking a starring turn as the “never-nude” Tobias Funke on the Emmy Award-winning sitcom Arrested Development, funnyman David Cross’ life reads like a running joke. The same goes for his career in videogames, which includes playing a smart-ass marine in Halo 2 (XB) and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas’ (PS2) resident geek Zero. We recently asked the comedian how it feels to be the latest poster boy for interactive entertainment. —Scott Steinberg
EGM: Your character Zero is funny and all, but why not voice GTA: San Andreas’ headliner CJ?
Truthfully, Ра been begging Rockstar to let me play a character in a Grand Theft Auto game. When the compa- ny finally called, | said I'd do whatever they wanted. Then | got into the studio and
42 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com
found out | was playing a nerd for the f***ing millionth time. Go figure.
EGM: If any game is screaming for a Ronnie Dobbs cameo [the fleeing-from- the-law redneck who Cross played in the film Run Ronnie Run!], it’s San Andreas. What happened?
DC: If | controlled everything—outside my own mind, that is—Ronnie would have his own game. I'd have to go back in time, though, and make him a movie star to do it; the character wasn't that popular.
EGM: How'd the Halo 2 sessions go? Great, considering | just did it to entertain myself. It's like dicking around with your friends at a bar. There's no one
in the booth telling you what to do.
EGM: Are you excited by all the male groupies that you'll start attracting courtesy of these cameos?
Are you kidding? It'll be awesome!
What could be sexier than having the readers of GameTown or Electronic Doodad Quarterly drooling over me?
EGM: What’s more fun: doing voiceovers for games or clowning around on television?
(одуну, for neorly two hours.
E Cross gets nerdy as GTA’s Zero (above) and wise-crackin’ as a Halo 2 marine (below, left).
Killed half a dozen en route to California and will continue to do so when 1 return to New York. Forget simulators. It’s about making the world a better place.
EGM: We're gonna pretend that your in- house drummer hit a rim shot after you
If | were [in GoldenEye 007: Rogue
Agent], I'd be Doctor Pussy.
—Comedian David Cross
DC: I like one of them—and I’m not going to tell you which—at 92 on a scale of 1 to 100. And | like the other at 92 1/8.
EGM: United States senators and industry-attacking lawyers from Florida want to know which you prefer: first-person murder simulators or prostitute-murder simulators?
56: Murdering prostitutes, but for real. |
said that out loud. Last time we spoke, you said that the Nintendo 64 first-per- son shooter GoldenEye 007 was one of your favorite games. Are you secretly in
Rogue Agent (PS2/XB/GC), too?
26: Nope, but if 1 were, I'd be Doctor Pussy. I'd just get rid of the “Octo” entirely. | don't know if I'd be a suave, pimplike guy or a cowering runt. But I'd be a doctor, and that's respectable. sh
Photograph by Ali Smith
>> IT'S THE SEQUEL ALL YOU DIEHARDS HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR: ACCORDING TO A RECENT FINANCIAL REPORT, NAMCO IS WORKING ON A FOLLOW-UP TO KATAMARI DAMACY (PS2).... >>
MATURE 11+
ESRB CONTENT RATING [mm]
" ONLINE. 3 PlayStation.@ BROADBAND ONLY. www.residentevil.com
CAPCOM CO., LTD. 2004, 2005, CCAPCOM U.S.A, INC. 2004, 2005 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. RESIDENT EVIL, CAPCOM and the CAPCOM LOGO are registered trademarks of CAPCOM CO., LTD. "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. The Online icon is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. The ratings icon is a registered trademark of the Entertainment Software Association, BradyGamos® is a registered trademark of Pearson Education, Inc. All other trademarks ‘are owned by their respective owners.
Online play requires internet connection, Network Adaptor (for PlayStation2) and Memory Card (8MB) (for PlayStation 2) (each sold separately).
SHOW AND TELL:
Platform: Xbox
Publisher: Sammy Developer: InterServ
Release Date: February 2005
Everybody —well, at least 16 guys—were kung-fu fighting
ne-on-one online fighting—
that’s so 2004. Sammy’s
upcoming Xbox fighter /ron Phoenix turns up the Internet dial to
16 (combatants, that is). Gameplay melds the hard-hitting over-the-top chop-socky of Mortal Kombat with
Player.
Rage in the Cage Want some instant mayhem? Try Ring
Synchronized Slamming Here is one of the most devastating attacks in the |
the chaos and agility of Power Stone (Dreamcast)—the environment plays as much of a role in your victory (or defeat) as the weapons you wield.
Producer Brian Urquhart helps explain what you can expect from this brand of bloodshed.
—Bryan Intihar
Davey and Goliath Giant kill mode pits two teams of up to seven play-
| Challenge, where 16 players face off in head-to-head matches staged in cramped arenas. Whoever can rack up the most kills emerges victorious. Be sure to keep an eye on the radar in the upper right-hand corner to
game, the Team Kill. This attack must be orchestrated among team members for a simultaneous “area of effect” attack damaging all opponents within range. It takes some effort to coordinate, but if you can suc-
ers against two players controlling superstrong “Giants.” Communication and coordination are key to success here—the front line fighters should attack with a combination of light and heavy weaponry to throw the
avoid suprise assaults from the rear.
Кы ту: ЖТ arene
eol
You're the One That I Want
Find some guy you really hate in a 16-player game? Challenge him to a head-to- head duel to the death, called a Bloodlock, right in the middle of the fray. Don’t worry, no one else will be able to interfere. Bloodlock is effective for eliminating that dominant opponent who is dropping your teammates like bad habits on New Year's.
cessfully pull it off...expect mass carnage.
Giants’ defense and counters off balance.
Bloody Teamwork
Special moves and combos can only get you so far in team games—you'll have to strategize with your teammates in order to succeed. Here, Mia is getting her ass kicked by three opponents. But she can turn the situation to her benefit if she tells her teammates to set up an ambush, then leads her pursuers into it. $h
NAMCO ANNOUNCED PLANS TO BRING BOTH ITS SUCCESSFUL PS2 XENOSAGA FRANCHISE AND THE RECENTLY RELEASED GC RPG BATEN KAITOS TO THE NINTENDO DS IN 2005...
44 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com
=x
SUSIE SWRWSPET TOOT]
AYHEF.COM
GET THE GAME AT:
pen a= O GAMES тү" PLAYBOYSTORE.COM ¥ (ко == (electronics) (ПТ SOUNDTRACK ALSO AVAILABLE! MATURE 17+ T ade ш
Nudity
Use of Alcohol “ MB М Strong Sexual Content 1 at eL EY hid | B E 2 !
PlayStation.e ) ncs
| These guys just: f don't have the tight Dead or Alive: “assets” to attract"
ONLINE THIS MON
Welcome to fight club
oday's consoles (sans
GameCube, of course) have
recently been hit hard with a fistful of online fighting games, and
Mortal Kombat: Deception (PS2/XB) Deception is fundamentally identical to its 2002 predecessor, Deadly Alliance—which could be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on your tastes. The forums at www.trmk.org make for a handy community hub no matter which ver- Sion you own, and the game runs remarkably smoothly across the board. Good luck finding any chess kombat challengers, though.
Online Verdict:
we've clocked some serious time comparing and contrasting them. Here's our two cents on which ones pack the biggest punch—and which
TH
ones hide glass jaws. The more stars you see (on a scale from one to four), the better the game’s online climate and community. — Ryan Scott
Capcom vs. SNK 2: EO (XB) This epic clash of the 2D-fighting titans features a monstrous roster of nearly 50 face-breaking characters and one of the steepest learning curves in the genre. Still, if you can acclimate yourself to the title's highly technical gameplay, you'll find some tense challenges with fairly reasonable lag. Capcom vs. SNK 2: ЕО also has ап extremely active online community, which you can usually find chatting in the forums of www.shoryuken.com. Online Verdict:
Dead or Alive Ultimate (XB) DOA2 is one of the better 3D fighters this side of Sou/ Calibur. Unfortunately, the game's Xbox Live support has its ups and downs; online matches utilize a sort of hotseat tournament setup, but lag increases as more spectators join. The less attractive piece of the Ultimate package, the original DOA, is, unsurprisingly, a virtual ghost town Online Verdict:
Guilty Gear X2 #Reload (XB) The Guilty Gear franchise might not be as prolific as Capcom's Street Fighter dynasty, but it manages to maintain a healthy cult following. The message boards at www.gamecombos.com are a good place to research strategy and find some good online competition, but be warned: There's some occasional, fickle lag to deal with here.
Online Verdict:
The Competitive Edge
It you'd like to hook up with some of the
world’s mo did, top-tier fighting
game enthi ssi
better place to go than
www.shoryuken.com. While tensibly 5
"r-tocused, the forum host a wealth of challengers about every
and strategies for jus online fighting game to date.
>> MIDWAY CONTINUES TO ADD TO ITS STABLE
46 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY e www.1UP.com
STUDIOS WITH THE PURCHASE OF PARADOX DEVELOPMEN
SVC Chaos:
SNK vs. Capcom (XB) Everything about this one is mediocre at best. The engine is antiquated, the character balance is questionable, and the whole package feels like an unpol- ished rush job. It's fitting that Chaos has the worst slowdown issues of the bunch. Don't bother looking for a thriv- ing community either—it doesn't exist. Online Verdict:
‚ WHICH IS CREATING MORTAL KOMBAT: SHAOLIN MONKS (PS2/XB).
AT'S UP AT
Fan-tastic —
We hear the internets are pretty popular these days, so we're jumping on the bandwagon. Head to egmextras.1UP.com and read about even more fan-made games. Also check out the extended version of our Child's Play II feature from last issue (#187), where today’s tykes tell us how lame and boring yesterday's classic games can be.
1UP.com Club in the Spotlight: Nintendo Gamers Unite
Йир
If you list shrooming as one of your favorite hobbies (we mean in games, of course), then you should definitely visit this Nintendo-loving club (ngu-club.1UP.com). According to its creed, NGU is the place to “chat about the greatest videogame corporation on the face of the planet.” No bias there.
Tricked Out
You may not realize it, but what you're holding in your hands is a collectors’ item. Why is that? Well, it’s the last time you'll see a tricks section in our mag. Now don't get all crazy and cancel your subscription. Here’s something even better—cheats.1UP.com, which fea- tures more tips and strategies than we could ever cram into an issue.
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© press start
Platform: Xbox
Publisher: Activision
Developer: Vicarious Visions
Release Date: March 2005 \ Sy
All hope abandon, ye who enter $ & verybody knows how to the sacrilegious PC first-person © S S/S ў
get into hell—rob а shooter. The road to hell is a \ bank, be slothful, covet long one, though, fraught with є thy neighbor's wife, all that jazz. both peril and piles of bloody Activision is streamlining the corpses. Here’s a quick look at process for Xbox owners this what to expect on your journey March with Doom 3, a port of to its center... —Kevin Gifford
Rains of Fire Although Doom 3 has a story to dis- cover, it (and a few occasional puz- zles) plays second fiddle to pure, vis- ceral shooting action. Your trigger fin- | ger will be tested.
|
i
E |: Beams of Light Shed a little light on Doom 3 with your
| trusty flashlight, the only source of
| illumination in many of the game's
| inky black chambers. You can’t hold a |
| weapon and the light at the same
| time, leading to the classic conun-
| drum: Do | really want to see what's
| over there before it kills me?
|
Shotgun Blasts
Darkness м, Demented zombies and malicious imps Doom 3 is a dark, dark game—its hellish landscapes are have a habit of sneaking up behind you almost never fully lit, creating an atmosphere closer to and rending your face. Therefore, do Resident Evil's than Halo's. Imagine bumping not expect to use a sniper rifle often in around a carnival fun house at night, Doom 3—it’s mostly close-quarters and you're close. combat, preferably with a shotgun or chain saw in hand. \ =- س ست س سے — —HH—-— N x \ \
>> TRIPLE H AND HIS SWEATY COWORKERS HEAD BACK INTO THE XBOX RING THIS MARCH WITH THE RELEASE OF THQ'S WWE WRESTLEMANIA XXI. TAO FENG DEVELOPER STUDIO GIGANTE
48 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY e www.1UP.com
EPA i Circle 5: А < of Death
Prepare to waste a legion of zombies—fat ones, flaming ones, even gun-toting undead ones smart enough to take cover. As the game wears on, though, the Martian base's teleportation technology unleashes far nastier demons to chain-gun to death. Circle 6:
Forgotten Memories
Gamers old enough to have played the decade-old original Doom are in for a nostalgic treat. Not only do memorable enemies like imps, lost souls, and cacodemons return, but crafty players will also find the all-powerful BFG 9000 (short for big f***ing gun) hidden somewhere in the base.
Circle 7: Surprises It's almost a shock to see this high-spec PC game run on the Xbox, but it does—and it runs pretty ` well, too, almost never slowing down or getting choppy. The developers at Vicarious Visions (the outfit behind tons of cartoon- license GBA games) must have signed away their
Circle 9: Inferno souls to achieve the feat. The biggest star in Doom 3 is hell itself—complete with flaming pits, random screaming, and a death-metal voiceover telling you how horribly you're going to die. Survive it, and you'll save humanity...and be set for life as a televangelist. rii
Circle 8: False Companionshi Xbox Live online play is pretty light (just a simple four- player deathmatch), but it includes one feature the PC version doesn't have: a two-player cooperative mode that lets you and a friend raise hell against everything the netherworld has to offer.
LUS ONLINE PLAY FOR UP TO RAPPLERS.... >>
ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY ww: tUPcom
Mild Language Suggestive Themes
"t Violence 6 ESRB CONTENT RATING www.esrh.org SEGN E
THE MATRIX ONLINE, characters, names and all related indicia are trademarks of and © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (505)
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. WBIE LOGO: TM & © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
Developed by Monolith Productions, Inc. MONOLITH and the Monolith logo are trademarks of and © Monolith Productions, Inc.
www.thematrixonline.com
I know why, night after night,
you sit in front of your computer.
THE MATRIX IS ONLINE. JACK IN NOW.
The Matrix Online is the future of the Matrix, picking up right where the trilogy left off. The revolution is over, but within the Matrix a secret war still rages—a war of control between the Machines, the Exiles, and the people of Zion. Come join the continuing storyline of the Matrix where you decide who to oppose and What to believe. Only your courage and perseverance can protect
the legacy of Neo's sacrifice. Jack in
b Explore every inch of The Matrix: Mega City—the most
realistic urban environment of any MMO. The ‘i 3 entire city, including every room of every building, is in play.
> Defeat your enemies using devastating martial arts Maneuvers and gunplay. Breakthrough MMO technology produces rich animations and hyper-kinetic battle sequences.
> Escape character regret. Reconfigure your character’s abilities and performance on demand.
> Communicate with people in and out of the game in real-time using AOL® Instant Messenger™ technology.
ш
IU
ance, game boy, dance. That's the
mantra behind chip music: groovy
new electronic tunes composed with funky old Game Boys and GBAs. From New York to Norway, a generation of video kids are hotwiring their handhelds to create homebrewed 8-bit bop.
Don't laugh. These microtunes—often inspired by old-school game music—are spawning dozens of sites, impassioned practitioners, and full-fledged concerts that draw hundreds of retro hipsters. “If | get an
appropriate crowd, people are pretty stoked,”
says Jason DeGroot—aka "6955"—a 29- year-old Tokyo chip tuner who's played live shows on his custom Game Boy Camera setup in clubs and on the street since 1999. “| get the best reactions at rock shows." They've even garnered the breathless
SI
Nullsleep (www.nullsleep.com) Jeremiah Johnson's homepage, featur- ing links to chip tunes and Game Boy music utilities.
Bitshifter (www.bitshifter.ce) Another Game Boy rocker's homepage.
6955 (6955.0rg)—Jason DeGroot’s website, with pics of his homemade Game Boy-music rig.
Micromusic (www.micromusic.net) The European hub for chip tunes scene.
>> FAST-FORWARD TO THE NEXT ROI
52 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com
endorsement of Malcolm McLaren, the guy who created the Sex Pistols. As Jeremiah Johnson—a 24-year-old Game Boy musi- cian nicknamed Nullsleep—says, "We're sharing a common love for classic videogames and an approach to music that reflects this obsession.”
Chip-hop is about as much of a do-it- yourself musical revolution as you can find. To compose the stuff, aficionados have coded their own programs, like Nanoloop and Little Sound DJ, which transform Game Boys into plug-n-play music machines. Some musicians have gone so far as to bust into their dusty Nintendo Entertainment Systems to unleash more old-school music. “It involves hacking up NES cartridges and soldering in reprogrammed ROM chips,” says Johnson. “At least it keeps every day
@hitpeaples (www.8bitpeoples.com)—This hub for Game Boy artists hosts dozens of downloadable albums, including...
| Depeche Mode Megamix Artist Nullsleep gives four Depeche Mode tunes the bleep-bloop treatment.
NX DEVELOPER ARTOON IS STAFFING UP TO MAKE A 3D RO!
My Fierro—Game Boy rocker Mesu Kasumai loves the '80s, as you can tell from these remixes.
Mustration by Jon Santos
FRAME 16
Little Sound DJ
Ready to Rock?
You don't need any formal musical training to pump out the jams—just a PC, an old Game Boy (or GBA), and a
tune-creation program such as Little Sound DJ (www.littlesounddj.com) ог Nanoloop (www.nanoloop.de). Advanced artists build custom mixers and other gear to facilitate live shows.
Hipster rockers and their Game Boys make sweet tunes ees
an adventure.”
Johnson, a 24-year-old New York City computer technician, cofounded a collective called 8bitpeoples, which freely distributes the quirky tunes via its website (see below) Highlights include everything from The 8- Bits of Christmas, featuring a Game Boy version of “Let it Snow,” to Nullsleep's freaky spin on Depeche Mode's classic “Enjoy the Silence.”
So will the chip-hoppers go high-tech with the release of the Nintendo DS? Not likely, says Johnson. “It's mostly sample- based and has a lot more audio channels to work with, so it's not as interesting of a music-creation platform. I'll still be using an old Game Boy to write rockin’ chip tunes for the foreseeable future.”
—David Kushner
Hills Cop anthem.
Axel F—Various artists pay chip-tune tribute to the synth-a-rific Beverly
“1 get a lot of people looking over my shoulder at my setup and freaking out,” artist 6955 says of his live Game Boy concerts.
ES FOR SORE EARS: FIVE REPOSITORIES OF ROCKIN’ CHIP TUNES
4
My Girl, the Princess Classic videogames inspired this album from chip-hopper Rugar.
LAYING GAME FOR AN UNSPECIFIED NEXT-GEN SYSTEI
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(> press start: parents play
Brian Boyd Age: 38
Majita Dalton Age: 35
Anita Sarko Age: 44
a j Anne Saunders Age: 59
Audie Toledo Age: 36
габ
` >> АМО YOU THOUGHT GRAND THEFT AUTO WAS CONTROVERSIAL—INDIA-BASED DEVELOPER NAGUAL GAMES IS CURRENTLY HARD AT WORK ОМ A THIRD-PERSON ACTION GAME TITLED ———
( MORTAL KOMBAT: DECEPTION
PS2/XB • Midway
ack in the day, Mortal Kombat thrilled players and horrified parents (and politicians) with its por- | trayal of blood and spine-exposing | finishing moves. Today, the copious blood has returned in full 3D gory | glory. What do the folks think of the. gruesome update?
Audie: Are 3 gonna press Start?
Anita: Ooh— hat i is that?)
kicked you across the street! Anita: What the hell? How do you know what to do?
| Audie: | dunno—t'm just pressing all the | buttons!
w | got it!
), oh no! You're cutting me up! This is no good! C'mon, you've done this before!
javen't! I'm serious—l've d this before. I’m not lying! [Anita dies...again.].
EGM: What did you like about it?
| Anita: That was fun! That one | like a lot!
Anita: It feels like you connected with it. It seemed like | was doing something.
Audie: It was intense. But it was also confusing... | was just pressing every
rian and Anne start playing.) ook it blood that just squirts out! Anne: She forgot to wear clothes, that one.
Audie: Yeah, they're real babes.
Brian: I think it's a little ridiculous that they overdo it with the blood like that. Majita: Lo Anita: This is very cool! The moves are nice.
Majita: This game | definitely gotta get. | like this one.
Brian; It’s too much...it’s just way too much. Yeah, it's too violent reason to have this in my home. It ain't gonna happen.
Majita: You could turn the blood off on another one, or you could turn it green. [The match ends and a new one starts: Audie vs. Majita.]
Majita: Which one is the...do you have any suggestions?
Audie: No, not really.
Brian: You notice how the women pick women and the men pick men? Majita: He’s played this before! [Laughter]
Anita: This one just came out, right? EGM: Yes. Oh, look—here comes a
ing move. [One character’s head pops off.]
Everyone: Ooooh!
Brian: That was unnecessary! | need to
see Wy you would think it was funny. Anita: The graphics are amazing!
Audie: Darrius wins? Wait, who's that guy? I'm the bald guy?
[Another finishing move: A female character falls on
"There's no reason to have this in home. It ain't gonna happen. ”—.
giant spike.] Everyone: Oooohhhhh!
The same thing!" This was the veru first thing.We-ever.collided with!
| KATAMARI DAMACY
| PS2 • Namco
Г) е load ир “the rolling, sticking, | never-stoppin , ever-swel lling
of everyone and everything” game. It | makes no sense to us, either, so can | the moms and dads figure it out?
| Anne: What the [expletive] is
| ing the ball! | panne: For what?
mean, like, who cares? sic is incredible! It’s like a
liams soundtrack. : Yeah, right—that's a huge insult to John Williams.
jan: At least the ball didn't roll over him and squish his head and blood came out. Majita: [King of All Cosmos appears— see screen.] Oh, look at this! Oooohhh! Anne: He looks like Bentley from The Jeffersons. Brian: The stuff he's rolling over, he’s picking up! Majita: Maybe he’s supposed to knock over the cigarette boxes. [Pointing] Oh there's a plug!
Brian: Yeah back up, back up. Majita: What do you do with those boxes?
Anita: Maybe it's like dominos.
Majita: The purpose of this game is...? Just rolling around picking up stuff? Anne: This is frustrating.
: [Picking up a load of clothes.
pins] Yeah, look at that! | like this game. Brian: Maybe there's some educational value to this for the kids.... Maybe they'll learn something. [Sees the readout for the size of the ball.] 10cm? Our kids will learn the metric system!
Brian: Oh look, there's an open Guy Game CD in there that someone: returned!
Anita: Make a right, make a right!
in and redecorate this set. | DU Thom does the |
who cares?"
Brian: Yeah, through that doorwa Majita: Oooh, you got candies! This is heaven, here!
Anne: Oh, this is cute!
EGM: She can't get those apples yet. Audie; [Getting a load of caramels to stick to the katamari ball] If that Keeps up, the ball will be bigger than him. Anne: What's the little gu corner doing? The little dancing guy? Anne: [The katamari ball levels up.] Uh- oh...what'd | jus Majita: Another level! Wow! Audie: It's getting heavy, isn Anita: You'll get that mouse eventually. Brian: We do that in Manhattan anyway. We put out sticky things for mice.
Anita: You're doing great!
Brian: This sounds like the Queer Eye for
keep it symmetri Anita: [Anne picks up mo
AND COKE (PS2/XB), WHICH, AS THE NAME IMPLIES, PUTS YOU IN THE ROLE OF A DRI
EALER. GOOD LUCK FINI
ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UPcom e 55.
© ғ
ress sta
parents play
| STEEL BATTALION
| XB • Capcom
I ith its titanic, 40-button con- | е foot pedals, and
Anne: You playing yet? Anita: [At the Mech Start-up oe 1 have no idea.
troller Ей] The feet things! The feet things! ^ Majita: Look—you turned everything on! Brian: | think you're moving. | think you moved. Maybe you have to use both hands. The left hand was definitely turning you.
Anne: Does anything work?
Anita: | guess it's that little thing. Can |
lo anything? Shouldn't І be shooting something? Audie: Рт getting a headache just watching this. Anita: You have to read something to understand what's going on. It's not clear what you're supposed to do here. Majita: What happens is, one child learns how to do it and then teaches all the other ones. l've never seen a kid sit down and read a book.
Anne: The gear-shift thing? | Audie: | just saw somebody. Somebody's hitting you.
Anita; | think | want to press Start. | Anne: | think the game’s almost over. [Big explosion] | Brian: Oh, that's not good.
Majita: This is the most action we've seen.
Brian: Are you shooting or are they shooting you?
Anita: I'm pressing Start. Start seems to | make some noise.
“With all this crap around, you'd think
something would be happening.” anc sins |
Anne: With all this crap around, you’d think something would be happening! [An enemy robot starts attacking Anita’s mech.]
Brian: You gotta get out of there. You need some reverse.
Anita: If | press Start, something... l'm open to any suggestions.
Audie: Oh wait, there’s an arrow. Something to do with arrows.
Brian: The number in the upper left- hand corner is going down, | think that's her bullets. [Anita's mech explodes. The game ends.]
Anita: | feel like Harrison Ford past his
prime. ¥
| others chase him as ghosts on the TV.
| Audie: Well, this is a lot different than the original.
| Audi
| Majita: [A
Majita: [My GBA] says, “Look at the TV.” | Audie: | keep thinking that I'm Pat and you're the...but Рт not, um... Majita: Am | Pac-Man now? Did you win that one? Majita: | guess | did. [Laughter] Anne: Go left, go left!
Audie finds her on the screen and chases her.] Leave me alone! | Brian: She’s got the hang of it. She’s running the whole show here. Good job. Audie: | don’t have a clue where she is. Majita: [Shaking the GBA] This is too small!
Anne: She's gonna clear the whole board. Anita: Is this more fun than Thing Battalion?
POKÉMON COLOSSEUM
GC • Nintendo
Jj urely all parents have been exposed to the kiddie-mind-con- trol cult of Pokémon. Now it's time they were forced to take part in the | cutesy madness of Pikachu's domain.
Majita: Maybe [this is] for the kids who really like the Pokémon. If they buy everything, they need to get this game. Majita: [Playing against Anita]
| Something’s going on. | just threw something. [The big green A button on the GameCube controller catches her attention.] This one's the sexy one. Brian: [Suddenly, the parents are more interested in the controller than the game.] What's this thing back there?
EGM: The Z trigger. Brian: Is this how the Pokémon world works? No one dies? Anne: [Explosion on screen] See, look at that. Something happened th Brian: [Holds up his controller, cle:
m um
E! ha
It's not working. Are we playing or | watching? [The parents all give up] |
DANCEDANCE | REVOLUTION EXTREME
| PS2 • Konami
f the folks recognize е has dared to break a
Anne: | think I’ve seen this one on morning shows.
EGM: Watch for the arrows.
Majita: Oh, this is so fast!
Brian: This !
Maji hey're booing!
Brian; Wait! Wait!
Majita: [With a confused look] This game
Anita: That was a workout! — Audie: [Checks the song list.] Oooh! Cher!
what you got! Worl ü Audie: So far he's perfect, | guess? Got all the combos.
Brian: [Huffing] Not as easy as it looks!
Audie: [The game starts booing.] Who booed? Who was that? [Brian fails.] Everyone: Awwww!
Audie: I'll go and get it over with. I don't want any Cher, though.
Majita: Ooh, quick time! Do it. C’mon! Anne: Our children would be so proud! Audie: You see those two arrows? How am | supposed to follow that?
Majita: That had both the up and down arrows at the same time! That’s a split! | can't do a split!
Audie: It's hard in these jeans, man! Yeehaw! This is gym music, man!
Anita: You did good! You cleared the.
Audie: [Sweating] Woooo! Oh my God.
Brian: It's tough. It's tough! [Thinks back to Mortal Kombat] What if while you're playing, | push you and you fall on a rock and your head falls off? st
56 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com
> COOPERATIVE ONLINE PLAY HAS BEEN NIXED FROM PS2 MARK OF KRI SEQUEL RISE OF THE KASAI. YOU'LL JUST HAVE TO SETTLE FOR PLAYING WITH AN A1.-CONTROLLED BUDDY.
мага and Alphonse Elric must restore their bodies by finding legendary Philosopher's Stone which holds unlimited power. But they are not alone.
Play the new | f game for your PlayStation'2
computer ontertainment system from
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| Ma шка - ток а ааа SQUARE ENIX.
adultswim.com
Available on DVD February 8th “= tan
api qam zu amazoncom SUNCOAST
GHIROMU ARAKAWA/SQUARE ENIX, MBS, АНХ, BONES, dents 2004. Licensed ation Pro SQUARE ENIX CO. LTO. AMMINte Reserved. © HIRO А PlayStation and the “PS” Family logo are rogistercd trademarks of Som 2
Koel's Dynasty expands
n the five years since Koei's
Kessen graced the PS2 launch
with its pretty (but ultimately a tad dull) take on ancient Japanese war strategy, the publisher's Dynasty Warriors franchise has attained massive popularity. Each successive chapter (and its various offshoots) of this hack-n-slash-a-thon sells amazingly well both in Japan and in the States, so it's not terribly surprising that Koei is injecting some of the DW charm into this newest Kessen installment.
Kessen Ill casts you as historical figure
Nobunaga Oda (the 16th-century warlord who unified Japan during the Warring States period) but spices up the account with a saucy new love story, a dashing vil- lain, and plenty of larger-than-life combat. Although you can micromanage exacting details of your army (not unlike Koei's tactically taxing Romance of the Three Kingdoms series), you're not forced to—if you're hungry for action, let the game automatically select and outfit your troops. On the battlefield, the action plays out like a Dynasty Warriors game, except you command huge garrisons of warriors on horseback, slicing through vast num- bers of enemies (simple button presses
Platform: PlayStation 2 Publisher: Koei
Developer: Koei
Release Date: March 2005
make all your soliders swing their weapons at once) as your troops march to victory. As you progress through the game, you'll eventually be able to con- trol multiple units simultaneously, switch- ing between them as the skirmishes unfold on different parts of the map. You can also choose to zoom in
and control only your commanding officer, racking up multihit polearm combos and unleashing blistering magical attacks.
Kessen Ш might dabble in centuries-old history, but that doesn't mean it can't dish up some steamy girl-on-girl hot tub action.
REALITY CHECK
Experts explain what happens when videogames get real....
Blast an enemy with Q: your stun rifle in ® Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow’s multiplayer mode and he’s back on his sneaky feet in
less than 10 seconds. Surely real- life people-stopping gear is more effective, right?
That depends on the per- A son, says former tactics
instructor Lewis Herrington (Lt. Col. USMC, retired). “That type of technology puts out
about 50,000 volts,” he explains, “and most tasers work like harpoons or conduct via the skin, like a paste.” victim's “physical stature and state of mind"—such as whether he's scared, angry, on PCP or speed—make all the difference, he says, adding that "speed has been used for 50 years by soldiers." But given all that, "it would probably take three to five minutes for him to come around,” Herrington says of a physically fit, 35-year-old male target, "and possibly about 10 min- utes to be up and running."
58 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com
CHARTS
TOP 10 BEST-SELLING GAMES
FOR OCTOBER 2004
NBA Live 2005 PS2 * EA Sports
Mortal Kombat: Deception PS2 e Midway
ESPN NBA 2K5 PS2 • ESPN Videogames
Tony Hawk’s Underground 2 PS2 * Activision
Mortal Kombat: Deception ХВ • Midway
ESPN МВА 2K5
XB * ESPN Videogames
Paper Mario: The Thousand- Year Door GC • Nintendo
Madden NFL 2005 PS2 * EA Sports
X-Men Legends PS2 * Activision
ТОР 10 САМЕ RENTALS i FOR THE WEEK ENDING 1/28/04 48
Source: NPD TRSTS Video Games Service. Call (516) 625-6190 for questions regarding this list. And Happy Festivus.
E
PS2 Rockstar
Halo 2 XB * Microsoft
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3 PS2 • Atari
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater PS2 Konami
WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw PS2 • THQ
Call of Duty: Finest Hour PS2 • Activision
Need for Speed Underground 2 XB * EA Games
one PS; опу CEA
Tony Hawk’s Underground 2 PS2 • Activision
Star Wars Battlefront PS2 e LucasArts
>> BOXER BERNARD HOPKINS WILL GRACE THE COVER OF EA SPORTS FIGHT NIGHT ROUND 2 (PS2/XB/GC). LET'S HOPE HE HAS A BETTER YEAR ON THE COVER THAN ROY JONES ЈК... >>
Source: Blockbuster Video
A Family Affair
Around the same time the lawsuit was filed against Electronic Arts, the anony- mous “EA Spouse” wrote a blog entry about the challenging work schedules at the company. Check it out at www.livejournal.com/users/ea spouse
The reality of game development: It’s not all fun and games
he recent class action lawsuit t against Electronic Arts—in
which an animator is suing for unpaid overtime—has shed light on a dirty little not-so-secret in videogame development: The dream job can be a total grind. Working like a lunatic on a game you love may stay true to the lega- cy of those dudes in a garage launching a hillion-dollar industry for the sheer joy of it. But demanding hours, aggressive timelines, high employee turnover, and hargain-basement salaries—all realities in the game industry—mean you'd bet- ter really, really, really love it.
The Perfect Job...for the Insane Game development is stunningly complex. You've got an unpredictable market, ever- changing technologies, and mad opportu- nities for creative expression—which is exactly what attracts many people. "Creativity comes from disorder," says Gordon Walton, studio manager for Sony Online Entertainment. He's spent more than 20 years making games and con- tends that for many in the industry, work really is play. “It's a mission, not a job,” Walton says. “Frankly, I've had to send people home who were working too much. They were obsessed."
Game development is also a fiercely competitive industry—Walton calls it a “shark pool”—where only the fittest sur-
vive, and employers benefit. They can Squeeze more and more work out of peo- ple without having to pay massive salaries. According to a 2003 Gamasutra survey, a programmer with two to five years’ experi- ence makes an average of $70,000 a year—the same amount programmers in other industries can earn straight out of college. “And [employers] get away with it,” Walton says, “because every time 1 have an open position 1 get 40 to 100 resumes—over 20 from qualified people."
Crunch Drunk
The dog-eat-dog rules apply to the bigger picture as well, where companies jockey- ing to create better and more epic games are often forced into technically ambitious and tight development schedules. Making milestones isn’t easy—60- to 80-hour, 7- day work weeks (known as “crunch”) are common in the weeks and months leading up to a deadline. “For all your best inten- tions, very often it just happens,” says Tim Schafer, head of Double Fine, where the team is currently crunching toward com- pletion on Psychonauts (PS2/XB). “You don't do your best work when you're in crunch mode—your laundry is piling up, your family hasn't seen you, your friends have deserted you. You're just this walking shell of a person because you're at work all the time...a zombie. It's not a real bene- ficial work state.”
Yet it keeps happening, and the reasons range from potentially exploitative (the “shark pool” mentality) to, in Schafer’s case, a timeline that won't give, not enough preplanning, and simple passion for making the product the best it can be. “Yes, | want to go home. | don't want to work this hard,” Schafer says. “But am | willing to hurt my baby for it? That’s a tough choice.”
Can Things Change? Arecent survey on quality of life by the International Game Developers Association found that over half of game developers hope to leave the industry within 10 years, Over a third cite tight deadlines as the most stressful aspect of their job, and 60 percent said their families felt they spent too much time at work. In an industry where experience clearly matters, those are daunting statistics. But Kirsten Forbes, mother of two and eight-year vet of Radical Games (makers of The Simpsons: Hit & Run and the upcoming Scarface game), insists that a career in the game industry doesn’t have to come at the expense of a personal life. Flexible sched- ules, profit sharing, and perks like an on- site gym and open kitchen, says Forbes, make Radical a model for the future: “The smart people are going to figure it out and get so many miles ahead, the rest of the industry will {have to catch up ог] get left in the dust.” же. —Jennifer Tsao
A WEEK IN THE LIFE
If making games doesn't leave enough time to play them, you might think twice about joining up too, right? We took some basic data and crunched the numbers....
168 7 days x 24 hours
hours you'll spend at work in crunch mode
-80
-49
-39 -7 -32
time for a measly 7 hours a night of sleep
hours spent commuting
time for random stuff (like, y'know, eating and bathing)
hours a week to game (At that rate, you'll never finish Blinx
THQ ANNOUNCED THAT PS2 OWNERS WILL ALSO GET A DOSE OF ARMY TRAINING (THE VIRTUAL KIND) WHEN IT BRINGS FULL SPECTRUM WARRIOR TO THE CONSOLE THIS SPRING...
ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com • 59
erry Wong/agoodson.com
Modern classics are getting a new old look
hey’re young, ambitious, and
quite possibly breaking copy-
right laws. But they don’t care because videogames rule their lives.
Recently, hardcore gamers have
taken their love for the most acclaimed titles of the past few years to the next level—by taking the games back in time. 2D remakes of everything from Metroid Prime to Halo now flood the Net, serving as old-school tributes to new-school titles. Here are some of the more prominent projects being worked оп, each available for play on your PC whenever it’s done. —Chris Baker
Different, but Same
The Legend of Zelda:
Ocarina of Time 2D
Website: www.oot2d.com
Some might argue that 26-year-old Daniel Barras’ homemade 2D, Super NES-style remake of the Nintendo 64 classic helped usher in the fan-game fad. "I've always wanted to make my own Zelda adventure," Barras tells us. “One day | just thought, ‘Why don't | make the complete game?’” Though rumors persist that Nintendo has shut him down, Barras ensures that his site is out of commission on his own accord and will be back when he completes a demo of this 2D Zelda endeavor.
Qua
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time on N64 (left) and Daniel Barras’ 2D remake (right)
>> NO LONGER
A FANTASY: 17-YEAI
60 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY www.1UP.com
LD JORDAN CHEWNING IS
GETTING INTO THE FAN-MADE GAME BIZ WITH HIS 2!
© Halo: Blood Covenant.
Halo: Blood Covenant
Website: www.consoletroopers.com
А few months ago, rumors of a Game Boy Advance version of Halo flooded the Internet. The “visual proof” of a 2D side- scrolling Master Chief adventure actually turned out to be screenshots from a fan game called Halo: Blood Covenant, which is the work of Alessandro Marani, Domenico Neziti, Frater Sinister, and Mark Forsythe. We can’t blame the masses for the confu- sion, though (or retailer Ebgames.com, which at one time posted pics of Blood Covenant on its website and had many thinking the game was part of the Halo 2 collectors’ edition)—this is one good-look- ing homage to the Xbox first-person shooter. Don't believe us? Just go to the site and download the demo.
ERATION OF SQUARE EN
8 Here's early work from the fan-made yet now deceased Chrono Resurrection.
Shut Down
Nathan Lazur, a 22-year-old project director for amateur developer Resurrection Games, learned the hard way that companies value their intellec- tual properties. Unlike most fan games that take new titles back in time, Chrono Resurrection (www.opcoder.com/projects/chrono) updates 10 scenes of the 2D Chrono Trigger (Super NES) with next-gen graphics—at least it would have had Square Enix not hit Resurrection with a cease and desist order. "We understand that Square Enix has an obligation to protect its IP, by law, otherwise it loses it,” says Lazur. "Seeing as that's the case, we had hoped Square would see this project as a tribute—not a replace- ment—to its wonderful game.”
LEGENDARY PS1 RPG
Codename: Gordon Website: www.halflife2d.com
This 2D, Metal Slug-like tribute to the Half- Life series is everything any fan developer could hope for in their creation. Conceptualized and executed by industry pro Paul Kamma of German developer Nuclearvision and Soenke Seidel, Gordon is fully supported by Half-Life developer Valve and is available through Valve's own Steam gaming service (steampowered.com). More than 600,000 people have downloaded the game. Impressive.
Grand Theftendo
Website: www.grandtheftendo.com Whereas most fan-made games you'll find on the Internet are very reminiscent of the Super Nintendo era (in terms of visuals), Brian Provinciano is going really old school with a simpler makeover for Grand Theft Auto Ill's Portland area (development on Grand Theftendo started back in the middle of 2003). “As a longtime GTA fan, | had always planned on creating my own version as a spare-time hobby project,” Provinciano stated on his website. "I really enjoy low- level programming and love tapping into the power of systems in ways no one else has done before.”
FINAL FANTASY VII (WWW.
OM). BUT IT AIN'T EASY WORK, AS CHEWNING
2D Illustration by Vicki Wong/Meomi.com
“
”
—The Legend of Zelda: 007 2D creator Daniel Barras
Metroid Prime 2D
Website: www.mp2d.co.uk
At only 15 years old, Kellan Stover leads a surprisingly robust team of other teenaged developers obsessed with adapting GameCube's Metroid Prime and space-trav- eling bounty hunter Samus Aran to 2D—and it looks to be one of the most promising fan
games available. “I've just always preferred the older Metroid games more,” he says. “| began this project for the fact that the GameCube game wasn't a 2D side-scrolling adventure like all the previous Metroid titles we had seen from Nintendo.” Stover and company hope to complete Metroid Prime 2D at some point in 2005.
KING FORWARD TO THE MENUS А!
'ALCULATING EXPERIENCE ALGORITHM:
1 Grand Theftendo
A Publisher’s View We asked Rockstar, creators of the
famed Grand Theft Auto series, what it thinks of projects like Grand Theftendo. “We find it extremely flat- tering, and some of the creations are really impressive,” says PR Manager Chris Carro. “The only thing that gets a little weird is when fans want to make money off their work, at which point they put us in the uncomfortable posi- tion of reminding them they don’t own the intellectual property. However, thankfully that is very rare, and we appreciate the effort and creativity that the fans have shown and look forward to seeing тоге of their work.” eh
ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com • 61
COUNTDOWN TO
he hit parade toward EGM's
200th issue continues this
month with another painfully controversial ranking: the top 10 con- soles we've covered over the past 16 years (based on their game libraries, not stuff like DVD playback, backwards compatibility, etc.). Fights have already broken out in the office lunchroom over this list—check out EGM's message boards to join the fray.
Nintendo 64 (1996) Yes, we know the games have fuzzier visuals than your
grandma's vacation photos, but you just can't beat Nintendo's first-party line- up. The N64 zelda games themselves probably received more 10s from our Review Crew than the GameCube's entire lineup.
Highlights: Super Mario 64, GoldenEye 007 Lowlights: Nearly everything not developed by Nintendo
Dreamcast (1999)
The last hope for so-called "true" gamers, Sega's final console amazed everyone with its next-
gen visuals and elated the hardcore crowd with its cache of fighting games and shoot- ers. Shame the cute VMU memory cards weren't enough to keep the system afloat. Highlights: Sonic Adventure, Soul Calibur Lowlights: Who Wants to Beat Up a Millionaire?, Floigan Bros.: Episode 1
OVERHEARD
“ws ike an ICBM waiting to explode in your pants!”
THE 10 BEST
GameCube (2001) The little purple box's richly deserved “kiddie” image has
ruined its chances against the Sony jugger- naut, but it's also the only way to play all the incredible software Nintendo's released over the past three years. Highlights: Metroid Prime, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Lowlights: Pokémon Channel
Genesis (1989)
system's cool black exterior, and you can imme- diately tell it's for the hardest of the hardcore. The system that made Sonic also created the market for “real” sports games—several EGM staffers swear by the 1993 editions of Madden and NHL. Highlights: Sonic the Hedgehog, Gunstar Heroes Lowlights: Bubsy
Xbox (2001) Microsoft's quixotic venture into the game biz
would be sunk without Halo, but if you're on broadband, the Xbox Live online service is well designed and fantastically addictive for multiplayin'.
Highlights: Halo 2, Star Wars: KOTOR Lowlights: Fuzion Frenzy, Kakuto Chojin
“In the same paper, whit
One look at this
PlayStation 2 (2000) 72 million users worldwide can't be wrong—and neither can the
game library, which runs the gamut from Grand Theft Auto-like blockbusters to little niche successes like Disgaea. The only question now: Can Sony top itself again in the next generation?
Highlights: Grand Theft Auto series, Metal Gear Solid 3, Madden series
Lowlights: Anything with “Army Men” in the title
Game Boy Advance (2001) The last bastion of 2D gaming is
also the only system on this list you can take with you anywhere...and who wouldn't want to take along the GBA's library of 2D hits (not to mention a wagonload of Super Nintendo ports)? The DS is fascinating, but our hearts and minds are still with the GBA. Highlights: Advance Wars, the Castlevania series Lowlights: Games based on Disney » W^ Channel shows
Super NES (1991) Nintendo had a late start in the 16-bit wars (and with its next two systems), but it made up the difference with top-class 2D games and the best third- party support the big N’s ever been blessed with. Too bad most SNES units you find at flea markets today are a nasty shade of nicotine brown.
Highlights: Street Fighter II, Final Fantasy Ill Lowlights: Shag-Fu
is
what is so ironic, you've got reviews for Metroid Prime 2 that
PlayStation (1995) The original PlayStation's graphics haven't aged graceful-
ly, but there are simply too many timeless classics to ignore. Besides, this is the sys- tem that essentially created the standard for modern videogames—3D visuals, mainstream-yet-hardcore gaming, and a depth unattainable by previous systems. And if you can believe it, new PS1 games are still being made today.
Highlights: Final Fantasy VII, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, FF Tactics Lowlights: Eggs of Steel
d
Nintendo Entertainment System (1985)
Really, how could you not make this No.1? Formerly the top system for hardcore plat- formers, NES has taken on a new role 20 years later as the herald for the "simple is good" philosophy of game design. Hopefully, our children will love it as much as we do.
Highlights: Super Mario Bros. 3, Mega Man, The Legend of Zelda
Lowlights: Taboo, Totally Rad
are off the charts. So the person unfortu- nately has no clue \ Nhat they're writing about: A e “These ninja’s are about to geta little less —Nintendo V.P. Reggie Fils-Aime comments 5; 4 Ln . » : violent and a whole lot sexier.
on an article in the Washington Post that called the GameCube “obsolete.” —Host of MTV2's so-had-it's-good show a clip in which characters from Bio!
—Atlus "Project Commander" Akibo Shieh, in the press release for the brilliantly named upcoming GBA shooter Super Army War.
“There is no 7- or 8-year-old child in America who will be well served in any way by gaining access to
these CeSspools of bloodlust, segra-
dation of women, and racial stereotyping.” —Pamela Eakes, president and founder of Mothers Against Violence in America, referring to their list of the “10 worst violent video game [sic] which includes Halo 2, Mortal Combat [sic], and Shadow Heart [sic].
introducing 1g RPG Jade It Low.”
>> UBISOFT HAS PUSHED BACK THE RELEASE OF RAYMAN FOR NINTENDO DS UNTIL THE SPRING. APPARENTLY, THE GAME'S STAR STILL CAN'T FIND HIS ARMS AND LEG:
62 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com
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Unlock hidden characters, upgrade your weapons and find new worlds with these sweet cheats, tips and tricks. Cut out 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.
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GAME BOY ADVANCE
NEED FOR SPEED: UNDERGROUND 2
UNDERGROUND TIPS!
PC\GC\PS2\XBOX
| 4 1 " • The Racebreaker } ШШ анара LII P Sud feature is a regener- / good idea to walk in ys find Pokémon is in qiue а
around with а shield in order to keep the Punisher in tip-top shape. For one thing, you can use him to absorb wayward gobs of lead and, when you get a free second, you can interrogate and break him (provided he hasn't died from lead poisoning, of course) to earn back any bullets you might have taken in the back or managed to penetrate the Shield itself.
e It's not always the best option to finish off a thug after breaking him during a Special Interrogation despite how tempting it might be to feed your enemy to a shark or cutting his time short with a car dropped on his head. On occa- sion, you'll find that once bro- ken, the thugs are more pliant and willing to aid the Punisher in any fashion possible to save their own skin. Unfortunately
the Tall Grass.
Simply wade into the soft, pungent, fronds and run back and forth until а battle starts up.
• The first Rival Battle is easy: Hammer away at your foe with basic attacks, and he goes down quickly. If things start 1o go wrong for you and your new Pokémon, you have a potion to use.
* As you attempt to leave Pewter City and go down Route 3 toward Mt. Moon, one of Professor Oak's associates meets you. He'll have a handy Item for you. After you acquire the shoes, it's off and run- ning to deal with the Trainers along the way.
that is available - once you have upgraded your ride to == indude N20 systems. Superimposed оп top of your usual N20 gauge is the phantom Racebreaker gauge. There are two shades of blue used so you can tell how much "extra" or Racebreaker nitrous you have
* Pay attention to your "SMS" because some of the messages you receive from other racers hint at the locations of the hidden races. They ore worth significantly more than regular races so it's definitely worth- while to track them down.
• Blocking is an essential skill. Certain types of races like Street X wi demand it more than others, but it will help you almost anywhere. Learn to watch your mirrors and check behind you often to keep track of your opponents" positions. Computer racers may not weave while trying to
pass but human racers can be decep-
A iv tive. Knowing where they are at all for them, their attempts often oy times is essential if you are going to end in their own demise. keep them behind you. jp
| PRIMA:
LOOK FOR PRIMA STRATEGY GUIDES AT TARGET
THE RUMOR MILL
' This member of the Belmont family wants you to be on the lookout for another Castlevania.
t's that time again—time for yours truly to pop open the bubbly, watch Dick Clark Times Square (isn't he like 150 years old?) and settle on yet another New Year’s resolution. Hmm, what will it be? Stop pimpin’ out my lady friends in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas? Or maybe limit my daily Halo 2 multiplayer sessions to only four hours? Ah, forget it—l'Il never be able to keep either of those promises. So Рт gonna take the easy way out and pledge to deliver even sweeter rumors than І did іп ’04. If you've made a resolution, too, feel free to tell me about it (the address, as always, is quartermann@ziffdavis.com). And try to make your resolutions gaming- related; you and I both know that vow to drop 20 pounds just ain’t gonna happen. —The Q
The fantasy is never over Some of you might've already heard that Hironobu Sakaguchi, the man who created Square Enix's Final Fantasy series, recently formed his own development studio, Mist Walker. Well, it appears that a few of his
T Artwork from a Mist Walker project.
D PIXEL ON YOUR NINTEI
‘Cause who doesnt enjoy a little gossip?
former mates—composer Nobuo Uematsu and artist Yoshitaka Amano—have been hired to work on an all-new role-playing game for next-gen consoles. And get this: Sakaguchi is chatting with both Nintendo and Microsoft about which system his pro- ject will call home.
Returning to Castlevania
If you haven't done so already, make sure to read our enormous handheld feature (page 72), which includes the world-exclu- sive first look at Castlevania for Nintendo DS. And speaking of vampire hunting, it looks like the Belmont family is heading back to PS2 sometime in '05. Now | don't have many deets for you to sink your teeth into, but | hear the dev team has learned a lot about level design since the last Castlevania console game.
EA has its GoldenEye on PS2 Word around the Ministry of Defense is that another console installment in this first- person shooter series is coming your way by the end of '05. But there's a catch— 007 is now the star and he'll only show off his gadgets and good looks for PS2 owners. Could this be the first known pro- ject where game saves are compatible between the PS2 and PSP versions?
Capcom goes retro
Sure, the games on those Namco and Midway arcade collections look crappy by today’s standards, but they are still a blast to play. It seems Capcom has also caught the old-school bug and is planning to release in the not-so-distant future its very own compilation disc with a ton (and | mean a ton) of arcade classics. Very nice.
= mum
PS3 stuck in the gates
The more | chat with developers, the more they tease me about their upcoming Xbox 2 projects (not very nice of them, now is it?). Yet | rarely hear them mention what's on tap for PlayStation 3. Apparently, Sony's next console is still quite a ways off, as no one really has a clue to PS3's specs. And that's why so many in the development community are putting all their efforts into Xbox 2, which, yes, is still looking like a late '05 launch.
Totally twisted
Now, now, | know | just mentioned that lit- tle is known about PlayStation 3, but | wouldn't be a real rumormonger if | didn't have some PS3 dirt to dish. So here it goes: A friend of a friend of a friend tells me that the vehicular combat series known as Twisted Metal will follow up its PlayStation Portable showing with a next- gen console debut in '06. Expect it to sport a huge online mode and have an even beefier story than TM: Black.
I= Sweet Tooth is ready to burn up PS3.
IN THE HOT SEAT: LORNE LANNING
Occasionally, EGM chats with time game makers and asks their preferences on different subjects. Now up: Oddworld Inhabitants Co- Founder and President Lorne Lanning, who this January will release the first-person-shooting, third-person bounty-hunting Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath (XB).
Truly Odd
Abe and [X] Stranger Munch
Lorne Lanning: Stranger, no doubt. Everything about him is a huge step up from the Abe and Munch duo.
Bounty: Hunter
Daune “Dog” Chapman
Renegade's Lorenzo Lamas
LL: Dog, only because | saw him in an airport and he had bunch of hot babes with him. | saw Lamas once, but he was riding his Harley with a gang of fanboy posers.
Handheld
Playstation Nintendo Portable DS
LL: PSP looks cool—it’s black and widescreen! It feels like a hip multi- media device. Hopefully, the PSP’s batteries will last.
COM/CONSUMER TO FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN GET THE HANDHELD REPLACED FOR FREE.
ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.1UP.com • 63
©) press start
THE HOT TEN
Thou shalt covet countless sequels and spinoffs
Disagree with the list? You’re the ones who created it. Choose and/or lose at egm.1UP.com.
M EGM readers just can’t get enough of
Link’s chic met- rosexual look.
1 The Legend of Zelda
Final Fantasy XII PS2 • Summer 2005
Kingdom Hearts II
PS2 • September 2005 Dirge of Cerberus: FFVII PS2 • Fall 2005
Devil May Cry 3
PS2 • March 2005
r3 Metroid Prime: Hunters DS • Spring 2005
the top spot on this chart for six of the last seven months, despite the fact that Nintendo hasn't released a single new screenshot since last May. At long last, we're happy to have a
Ы А. 1 THE LEGEND OF ZELDA
GC • Summer 2005 — Link's upcoming adventure has claimed new image of everyone's favorite elf astride his beloved steed. The darker, more mature tone of the game should extend beyond just its visuals—in a recent interview, Nintendo's localization
team hinted that the game may earn a “Teen” rating for violence.
Splinter Cell Chaos Theory PS2/XB/GC • March 2005
METROID PRIME: HUNTERS
DS * Spring 2005 — Gamers who have thoroughly chewed through the Hunters demo (bundled with the DS hardware) should be just about ready for the prime cut of this multiplayer- focused Metroid title, but if you're hungering for a meatier sin- gle-player adventure, you're in luck. In a recent interview, Retro (the team behind the two GC Prime games) expressed interest in creating a Prime-style adventure for the two-screen DS.
Г Star Fox: Assault GC • February 2005
Jade Empire XB * March 2005
Xenosaga Episode Il PS2 * February 2005
Í| cord—is figuratively in your hands. Seek harmony and offer
JADE EMPIRE
XB • March 2005 — Like BioWare's Knights of the Old Republic, its upcoming RPG Jade Empire will feature multiple- choice dialogue that hits you with morality choices out the yin- yang. The choice between good and evil—harmony and dis-
friendship with “the way of the open palm,” or channel aggres- Sion and break faces with "the way of the closed fist."
64 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com
>> 989 SPORIS WILL STEP BACK INTO THE BATTER'S BOX NEXT SPRING WITH THE RELEASE OF MLB 2006 (PS2/PS1). NOW, IF ONLY 989 WOULD TELL US ABOUT ITS GRIDIRON PLANS.... >> VOU RE QN lf АЯУ
>
“BEFORE NORMANDY”
У WE WERE JUST
P..
\
Visit www.esrb.org for updated rating information.
BASED ON A TRUE STOR
© press start
COMING SOON
Tekken’s head harlot Nina Williams opts for a little freelance work in
Big games for a short month
Death By Degrees Namco * PS2 — If fighting game charac- ter Ryu Hayabusa can get his own action title, why shouldn't Tekken's Nina?
Outlaw Volleyball
Global Star « PS2 — Xbox owners used to get all the volleyball lovin’, but not any more. Get ready for raunchy spiking, PS2.
Project: Snowblind Eidos • PS2/XB — A shooter starring a nanotech-enhanced supersoldier—sound
familiar? This was initally a Deus Ex game.
Brothers in Arms Ubisoft • PS2/XB — This super-realistic contender for the WWII shooter throne
has you calling plays quarterback style.
XPEC • XB — Scope the latest from Taiwan's Xbox gaming scene—an online- enabled brawler set in 14th century China.
Phantom Crash 2050
Konami * PS2 — You'd think you'd be able to hear Phantom Crash's cloaked multiton mechs coming.
VU Games • PS2/XB/GC/DS — In the race to release games based on movies with absurdly simple names, this beats Cars.
Champions: Return to Sony • PS2 — Hack, slash, and be merry in this online-enabled sequel to
EverQuest spin-off Champions of Norrath.
Gran Turismo 4
Sony * PS2 — Expect tons of cars, realis- tic physics...for crying out loud, it’s Gran Turismo! It's coming out. You'll buy it.
Death By Degrees.
Constantine THQ * PS2/XB — We can't vouch for the quality of the Keanu Reeves comic-to-film adaptation, but the game seems fine. +
Konami * PS2 — You'll want to break machines, too, once Sony's creepy AIBO and QRIO robots enslave humanity.
с
Теккеп 5
Namco • PS2 — Tekken is taking a step backward in order to go forward, removing many of the features debuted in the poorly received Tekken 4. Taking a cue from the competition, Virtua Fighter 4, Tekken will also allow cosmetic character customization.
68 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com
4
Ghost Recon 2 Mortal Kombat: Deception NBA Street 3 Shaman King Legacy Hawk/Wolf Winnie the Pooh Rumbly Tumbly Ubisoft • GC Midway • GC EA Big * PS2/XB/GC Konami • GBA Ubisoft PS2
Judge Dredd: Dredd vs. Death Motorcross Mania Ш Rave Master: Special Attack Force Star Fox Assault World Soccer Winning Eleven 8 Evolved Games • XB/GC Global Star * PS2/XB Konami • GBA Nintendo • GC Konami XB
King of Fighters 02/03 Music Maker Sega Classics Collection Street Fighter Anniversary Collection Ys: The Ark of Napishtim
SNK • PS2 Magix * PS2 Sega of America * PS2 Capcom • ХВ Konami • PS2
Mario Party Advance MX vs. ATV Unleashed ‘Shadow of Rome Wild Arms: Alter Code F Yu-Gi-0h!: World Champ Tournament Nintendo • GBA THQ * РЅ2/ХВ Capcom * PS2 Agetec • PS2 Konami * GBA
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INTENSE GLADIATOR FAST PACED CHARIOT CHARACTER SWITCHING FOR ARENA FIGHTING RACES AND BATTLES INFO GATHERING AND PUZZLE SOLVING MISSIONS
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WELCOME TO THE MOST BRUTAL TIME IN HISTORY. NO TIME FOR REMORSE, NO COMPASSION IN BATTLE, NO WEAKNESS IN THE ENEMY. CAESAR HAS BEEN EXECUTED AND FAMILY HONOR HAS BEEN SHATTERED. YOUR GREATEST FIGHT WILL BE FOR THE TRUTH.
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YEAR OF THE
The future of gaming rests comfortably in your hands
72 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.1UP.com
hether you’re amusing your- self on the morning com- mute, sneaking a few rounds
in between appointments, or van- quishing demons while on the com- mode, portable gaming is there for you when your home consoles are out of reach. For the last 15 years, vari- ous incarnations of Nintendo’s Game Boy have controlled nearly 100 per- cent of the handheld gaming market (selling well over 100 million units in the process). But that dominance may
finally be coming to an end—several next-gen portables that offer high- end graphical performance, multime- dia applications, online play, and damned sexy bodies threaten to move the handheld war onto a completely new battlefield. As mobile gaming grows up, so will the games—read on for a detailed look at the hottest upcoming titles for the six heaviest (or is it lightest?) players... > —Shane Bettenhausen, Justin Speer, and Nich Maragos
| PlayStation Portable Nintendo DS
| Game Boy Advance
| N-Gage ........
| Tapwave
| Gizmondo .
ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com • 73
E i E E E 8 E Ei = H H E
t he clear favorite in the brewing portable brouhaha, Sony's PSP combines slick physical design, amaz- ing 3D visuals, wireless connectivity, and multimedia playback into a pint- sized behemoth. Aimed at the older,
savvy PS2-owning crowd, the PSP isn’t positioned as a direct competitor for Nintendo's kid-friendly Game Boy brand. "We're not really concerned with what Nintendo or any other com- pany is doing,” says Sony CEA
(The Basic
Publisher: Sony
Release Date: March 2005
Price: Expected to be $199.99
Media: UMD (Universal Media Disc), a new 1.8 gigabit optical format for games, movies, and music
Online: Wireless functionality allows one PSP to connect with up to 15 others over Wi-Fi hotspots
President Kaz Hirai. “We will create our own new market.” Even so, the PSP is a gamble: Sony’s reportedly taking a bath on the high-end hardware by pric- ing it below $200, and it hopes to make it back on the software.
INFECTED
Majesco • Summer 2005
The Basics: Nothing can curtail a promis- ing career in law enforcement quite like a zombie bite to the leg. That’s your unfortu- nate predicament at the outset of /nfected, Majesco's upcoming PSP horror-action romp. But it's not quite as dire as it sounds—rather than succumbing to undead fever and triggering a flesh feast, this cop's blood miraculously kills the infec- tion. So you do what any hero would do: Soak mutated monsters with streams of your death-dealing lifeblood via a vein-tap- ping gun. The Red Cross would be proud. You'll prep zombie freaks for their trans- fusion by riddling them with bullets from the standard gun, at which point you'll administer a shot from the blood-powered viral gun. Doing so induces an irreversible
74 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com
occurrence of “exploding in a shower of meaty chunks” syndrome, and other zom- bies splattered with that blood will explode in a gory chain reaction.
You're also looking to save as many innocent people as possible. If every citizen on the map gets infected, you'll face a “viral overload” and a desperate zombie charge. Preserving life and racking up explosion combos earns you points that you can use to mod your character's appear- ance or cash in for new weapons.
Although it might seem horrific, the game's actually played for laughs—it’s from perpetually jokey developer Planet Moon, the guys behind Xbox sleeper Armed and Dangerous. Pumping a bloodthirsty Santa full of lead has never been funnier.
This semibelievable “work in progress” ‘screenshot proves that, for potential zombies, black is the new black.
Positively PSP: The PSP's wireless-net- working capabilities let you wage germ warfare in deathmatch and team deathmatch modes. The mechanics are similar to the single- player game's, but with some nasty twists: Defeating someone infects Á that player with your own strain of virus, turning their character into a carbon copy of you. Unless they flush your virus out in special single-
|
player missions, they'll become a carrier
and pass on your infection to someone $
else, who in turn passes it along to other
unsuspecting saps. “It's another chain ё » b ai reaction...kind of like a chain letter of evil," J 9 explains Producer Aaron Loeb. Sounds pret-
ty sick tous. >
Patient: Officer Stevens NYPD acting subject with Anti-Virus...
_— a И“ ا
4
You can take aim at the shambling zombies from either a behind-the-cop third-person view or a first-person perspective, the latter imparting the game a House of the Dead-ish vibe.
ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com 75
! You can bring thé. weapons you've unlocked іл single-
player into wireless yy: deathmatches. E 3
4
` CODED ARMS
Konami * Summer 2005
The Basics: Since the Game Boy was never much for impressive 3D visuals, first-person shooters rarely made the leap from home consoles to the handheld arena. Luckily, the new generation of portables is finally up to the task—scope the detailed, flashy graphics of Konami’s Coded Arms, an original FPS set in a twisted virtual-reality world. You play the role of a hacker tasked with cleaning out a combat training simulator gone haywire, hunting down bugs that have taken over the system.
Positively PSP: Since the PSP doesn't have dual analog sticks, Coded Arms allows you to customize the controls in any way you choose—using the analog nub for movement and the buttons for aiming and strafing might be the best bet for players weaned on Halo. And you'll need to learn your way around the controls and play through some sin- gle-player levels before you chal- lenge live opponents in Arms’ wire- less multiplayer deathmatches, (ou since you bring your weaponry
(| > 3 ‘\ and items from the story П N \ mode into the fray. >
76 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com
HEALTH па шы
M Coded Arms offers some fancy guns, Jike this, uh...ther- monuclear spork.
=) fe
W You'll look down the barrel at all manner of mutant beasties in Arms’ virtual world.
portables: psp
©
[PLAYSTATION PORTABLE on,
=, A
` METAL GEAR AC!D
Konami * March 2005
The Basics: The world’s most popular stealth franchise antes up for a new kind of adventure—tactical card-based roleplay- ing. Although it seems like a strange devo- lution for Solid Snake, this turn-based card- RPG doesn’t require a prerequisite in Magic: The Gathering to enjoy. Set two years after the end of MGS2, Ac!d pulls Solid Snake out of retirement to combat a new national security threat. Along the way,
you'll team up with Teriko, a sultry female agent, for some doubly strategic missions in which you control both characters.
Positively PSP: Sadly, a planned wireless multiplayer mode had to be scrapped so that the game could make the PSP launch. Hopefully, the nearly PS2-quality visuals will wow us so much that we don’t notice the absence of two-player card combat.
ADV
Majesco • Summer 2005
The Basics: Shadow works as a com- panion piece to Advent Rising, Majesco's upcoming Xbox shooter (and the first in a planned trilogy penned by noted sci-fi scribe Orson Scott Card). Although not part of the central narrative, this action- adventure will flesh out the backstory of Rising costar Marin Steel. You take con- trol of this midriff-baring female merce- nary as she attempts to escape a dying
78 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.1UP.com
ENT SHADOW
E
planet under siege by alien forces.
Positively PSP: Shadow ranks among the more ambitious PSP projects: Its lush 3D visuals, multiple modes of gameplay (third-person shooting, vehicular combat, and aerial dogfighting), and epic sound- track (featuring a full orchestra and choir) prove that portable games are inching closer to their console counterparts. >
x
ге on Point. —
You are | ght — a US Marine on the front lines of urban combat tn Beirut.
Lead a 4-man fire team that executes authentic Marine tactics. Move aggressively, knowing your team gives you 360-degree security, and devastate your enemies with precise air and mortar attacks. Experience a first-person shooter so realistic, the Marines use ıt as a training tool.
Play single-player, 4-man co-op, or go head-to-head їп the Fire Team Arena.
» FIRST TO FIGHT
7 BASED ON A TRAINING TOOL DEVELOPED FOR THE UNITED STATES MARINES:
Visit www.esrb.org
for updated rating information.
© 2004 by Destineer Studios, Inc. All rights reserved. PC version published by Destineer Publishing Corp. Distributed exclusively by Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. Коох version published by Global Star under license by Destineer Publishing Corp. and Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. First to Fight and Ready-Team-Fire-Rssist are trademarks of Destineer Publishing Corp. Close Combat 1s a registered trademark of Atomic Games, Inc., and is used by Destineer under license. Destineer is a registered trademark of Destineer, Inc. Global Star, the Global Star logo, Take-Two Interactive Software and the A Take2 Company logo are all trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Take-Two Interactive Software. Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox Live, the Live Logos and the box logos are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries. The ratings icon 1s a trademark of the Entertainment Software Association. Mac and Macintosh are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. GameSpy and the “Powered by GameSpy" design are trademarks of GameSpy Industries, Inc. All rights reserved.
| : SLALION PORU BLE (cont) >
` NEED FOR SPEED UNDERGROUND: RIVALS
LAP 4/6 POS xa TIME 0:14 1. PLAYER1 BEST [5t] 0
TOOK THE LEAD!
SPLIT 0:00
EA Games * March 2005
The Basics: All the slick city streets, tricked-out imports, and sultry ladies draped across hoods from EA’s massive- ly successful racing series drift onto Sony's new handheld, losing little gloss in the transition. Expect the focus to be on high-speed one-on-one duel races.
Positively PSP: Stunning visual effects like realistic lighting and motion trails transform the action into a breakneck blur of neon insanity when you hit the nitro. It's even more satisfying when you rocket past your friends in a wireless multiplayer game...
ш Fantasize about your sweet street rod...while riding around on the bus.
OIN
Па. GOAL 75 3 th SCORE 2, قا a
TS —
6699900
Frogger's visuals give kids a heads up regarding the deadly effects of hallucinogens.
FROGGER
Konami ¢ Summer 2005
The Basics: If you last braved the free- way with Frogger in the decadent '80s, you've missed a lot of amphibious evolu- tion. These days, Frogger leaps across imaginative landscapes while collecting items and mastering moves like the “swing and stomp.” Hell, you're not just some random frog anymore (or even a frog at all)—you can choose from a cadre
of leaping fauna, including newcomers Berry, an acrobatic Amazonian tree frog, or Lumpy, a carefree, capricious toad.
Positively PSP: The console’s widescreen format actually benefits Frogger's hop- happy gameplay, as it offers a broader view of the action. The PSP also allows for four-player wireless minigames.
80 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY « www.1UPcom
MERCURY
Ignition « Summer 2005
The Basics: The moving-a-ball-through- a-maze videogame genre dates back to '80s arcade standby Marble Madness, but the concept goes back even further, to the wooden marble maze toys of yester- year. This game hearkens back to that low-tech toy: You guide a slippery blob of mercury through various mazes by tilting the entire level.
All the fun of playing with mercury, without the toxic, nerve-damaging side effects.
Positively PSP: Aside from the whiz- bang graphical effects at play, Mercury also taps into the PSP's power by utilizing the system's USB port—attach the game's tilt-sensor module and you'll con- trol your metallic blob by actually moving your console to and fro. Yes, you'll look a bit insane...but it's a wickedly fun exer- cise in creative gameplay. >
а
PRESENTS
“With this new action-adventure Scrapland, American McGee is well on his way to becoming the PC-gaming equivalent of Alfred Hitchcock... He's stamping his brand on the game: quirky and original.” -PC Gamer
"combine the open-ended exploration of Grand Theft Auto with fast-paced online and offline racing and shooting." -GameSpot
амиа VAIS
"Scrapland is destined to become one of this years most entertaining and
refreshing games." -Game Chronicles Magazine
Comic Mischief Violence
amen 18194808 CD-ROM ESRB
SOFTWARE MSE
© 2004 Enlight Software Ltd. ©2004 Mercury Steam Entertainment. All rights reserved. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Microsoft, Xbox and the Xbox Logos are registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or in other countries and are used under license from Microsoft.
portables: nintendo ds
‘NINTENDO DS
intendo’s recently released hand-
held might not be able to push out the nearly PlayStation 2-quality visuals of Sony's PSP, but it offers unique functionality that puts it in a bizarre, innovative class of its own. Its
dual vertically aligned screens baffle upon first viewing, but developers are already experimenting with creative,
functional uses beyond simply display-
ing maps and subscreens. Likewise with the touch-panel input—we're
The Basics t
Publisher: Nintendo
Release Date: Currently available
Price: $149.99
Media: Proprietary 1-gigabit car- tridges; also plays all Game Boy Advance Games
Online: Wireless functionality allows опе DS to connect with 15 others over Wi-Fi hotspots
already seeing games that bend the rules of interactivity and control. The Nintendo DS assuredly feels new and different, but it remains to be seen whether gamers will warm up to its distinctive personalit
| m Since he's not рап ` of the whip-wielding
Belmont family, Soma
uses all sorts of differ-
ent weapons.
Konami • Fall 2005
The Basics: If you're sick of Dracula always coming back from the dead in Castlevania games, you're in luck—this upcoming Nintendo DS chapter in Konami's long-running adventure series won't disturb the Count's turbulent slum- ber with another cop-out revival story line. A direct sequel to 2003’s phenomenal (and also refreshingly Dracula-free) Game Boy Advance Castlevania offering, Aria of Sorrow, this game picks up in the far-off year 2036—precisely 12 months after pretty-boy hero Soma Cruz successfully escaped his fate at the hands of Dracula’s followers. “There are those who were unhappy that Soma did not fulfill his des- tiny to become the reincarnation of Dracula,” explains Castlevania producer Koji Igarashi. “Among them is Celia Fortner, the founder of a cult that believes their God to be perfectly good; therefore the existence of perfect evil is needed....
82 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com
CASTLEVANIA
She will do everything in her power to kill Soma.” Rather than wait around for a mob of crazed religious zealots to off him, Soma proactively ventures into the cult's headquarters to face his would-be assas- sins. Unsurprisingly, he finds his way to a familiar castle...
The core Castlevania gameplay hasn't changed much since Aria of Sorrow, which in turn borrowed heavily from Igarashi's watershed PS1 Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Soma still runs, jumps, and attacks from a traditional side-scrolling perspective, and rather than explore linear levels, you lead him through a labyrinthine map of interlocking areas, picking up items and ferreting out secrets. As in Symphony, the main character fights with a vast arsenal of different weapons— swords, spears, hammers, etc.—instead of the whip of old-school ‘Vania hero Simon Belmont. Also, expect the return of Aria’s
BAI the hip dudes will be wearing this come 2036.
lauded Enemy Soul system: Instead of picking up old stand- bys like holy water
and the axe, you bust out cool special attacks by equipping orbs ran- domly dropped by ene- mies. Every foe has one, but collecting them all requires serious dedication. “1 have made several enhancements to Aria’s gameplay systems,” claims Igarashi. “There are many new unique weapons to wield, and we've increased the number of Enemy Souls you can obtain.”
The DS Difference: You needn't have a
degree in advanced vampirology to figure out how the DS’ second screen will func- tion here. “The upper screen will display the player's current status, along with >
The DS’ top screen will display a handy map, so you'll never get lost in the castle.
Producer Koji Igarashi explains how you'll wield the DS’ stylus in Castlevania:
“This time, killing bosses requires more than just steady айас!
Once you drain the enemy’s hit points to zero, the Magic Seal
entry screen pops up. YOU then use the stylus to draw a certain shape on the screen and “seal” the enemy. if the shape is
drawn incorrectly, the enemy regains some of its energy and the fight continues.”
Collect the right Enemy Soul and you'll be able to summon a squat
—Castlevania producer Koji Igarashi
irchers.
When the Magic Seal sphere appears on your screen, reach for your stylus. Then pay close attention to the stroke order, because you'll have to correctly draw the shape in order to beat the boss.
ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com • 83
ARIA REPRISED
All of the surviving characters from Castlevani ria of Sorrow (GBA) return in direct follow-up. Here's a quick recap of whom you'll be interacting with....
Genya Arikado: This debonair businessman (who's secretly Alucard, the star of Symphony of the Night) aids Soma's quest.
Yoko Belnades: A flirtatious nun (and descendant of Castlevania Ill heroine Sypha Belnades), she works with Arikado to protect Soma.
Hammer: In the year 2036, it’s totally normal for a brash Army officer
to sell supplies to femme-y
teen
previously kidnapped (¢ childhood friend is also targeted for death by the cult. Sucks to ) beh
Julius Belmont: Descendant of the Belmont clan, Julius
Ц li у 4 i A = helped to seal a s T - ta 1 wi a minibosses like ^ ipd Dracula away in tower? Check, Е ; ^g ире итен; {һе уеаг 19 4 | а repeat performances. , > their position on the overall map,” says the use of buttons at the same time as the — Castlevania 64 (Nintendo 64) to muddle only lodge one complaint—the games are Igarashi. In а game where you're trying to stylus.” So, even though the main game- through. “DS is a great portable for over too quickly. Eight or nine hours of remember precisely where you saw that play happens on the DS' lower touch- expressing 2D gameplay,” Igarashi feverish exploration and undead beat- previously unreachable platform, having a panel screen, you'll only have to finger explains. “I’ve noted that the DS has bet- downs, and you've probably scoped every ter graphical capabilities than, say, the nook and cranny of Drac’s spacious abode. “ PS1, and it's up to us to push the limits of The potential for wireless multiplayer this new hardware." The team also plans action would graft some serious replaya- m to make full use of the system’s vastly bility onto this DS chapter. “I don't want to —Castlevania Producer Koji Igarashi superior-to-GBA music capabilities. Noted have two Somas running around together,” series composer Michiru Yamane (the says Igarashi. “But I'm hoping to find tunesmith behind the haunting Symphony space for a versus mode if time allows." constant view of the castle layout will be a your screen when using the new Magic of the Night score) will supervise the And even if there isn't room for that fea- serious boon. Seal system (see sidebar on page 83). music production and pen a few key ture in this game, Igarashi promises to uti- Igarashi’s plans for the touch panel Visually, Castlevania opts for a tradition- tracks herself. lize the DS’ wireless functionality for aren't quite as predictable: “Since it's a al 2D style, quelling gamers’ fears that Fans of Igarashi’s previous Game Boy Enemy Soul trading and the exchange of pure action game, | did not want to mix they might have another blurry, blocky Advance Castlevania titles would probably ^ customized maps. >
84 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com
PlayStation.?
GAMES electronics boutique’
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We take games seriously ™
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NANOSTRAY
Majesco * Spring 2005
The Basics: Veterans of the 2001 Game Boy Advance launch might remember /ridion 3D, a traditional space shooter that wowed players with impressive streaming-video graphics. The same development team now brings its hardcore shooter action to the Nintendo DS' dual-screen format. Nanostray offers similarly classic stick-and-move bullet-ballet game- play, filling the screen with blazing special weapons
and legions of enemy ships.
The DS Difference: Nanostray uses all of the DS’ specialized functions: The second screen displays your score, shows enemy radar position, and allows you to select your weapons by merely touching vir- tual buttons. Plus, you can wirelessly link up with a friend and tackle the game in two-player mode.
Jon't even attempt to dodge
ANIMAL CROSSING
Nintendo • Summer 2005
The Basics: Mundane tasks like pulling weeds, rearranging furniture, and running errands magically become engaging when you're doing them ina videogame. This DS sequel to the breakout GameCube hit threatens to gobble up untold hours of your free time—it’s tough to find the perfect cur- tains to match your snazzy throw rug.
The DS Difference: If you want to visit your friends" towns in the GC Animal Crossing, you have to lug your memory card over to their console, but in this DS version you'll be able to wirelessly con- nect and commune with fellow beasts on a wire- less network.
À Get ready for”
` “some multiplayer fruit picking.
86 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com
MARIO КАКТ 05
Nintendo • Spring 2005
The Basics: Mario and his cronies take to the track for another round of auto- motive mayhem, complete with all the powersliding and shell tossing you've come to expect from this genre-defining franchise.
The DS Difference: Predictably, the second screen doesn't do terribly much other than display a map of the current track. It's the promise of wireless multiplayer competition that truly sets this game apart from its karting fore- runners. If someone can finagle a method of using wireless routers to get true Internet races going, we're so there. >
Is it just us, or is this Ghost
House track a bit too wide?
GUNS DONT. — | KILL PEOPLE. с. i xl n EM Lr “IN TRE GEA -
THE PUNISHER
ORIGINAL STORY BY GARTH ENNIS AND JIMMY PALMIOTTI
е Я мв ‚ — ү ча 4. ,DISHING OUT PUNISHMENT HAS 5, TIGHT CONTROLS, 6 SLICK GRAPHICS... OVER 100 UNIQUE WAYS TO PUNISH CRIME. NEVER BEEN MORE FUN." - GAMEDAILY AND MORE SCRIPTED VIOLENCE THAN EVEN ^,.THE WAY YOU CAN INTERROGATE YOUR ENEMIES WE THOUGHT POSSIBLE." -IGN 15 JUST AMAZING." - THEPUNISHER.COM
Blood and Gore www.thq.com/punisher
Drug Reference : кака MARVEL
Intense Violence Strong Language ©2004 2n Inc. MARVEL, The Punisher and the distinctive likeness(es) thereof are icom. The Punisher is produced under fi from Marvel Characters ed by Volition. Inc. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are property Xbox, and the Xbox logos are either regi Xd trademarks or trademark
ective owners. "PlayStation Corporation in the
oth
portables: nintendo ds
“TOUCH! KIRBY:
THE MAGIC PAINTBRUSH
Nintendo • Summer 2005
The Basics: Amorphous yet lovable hero Kirby embarks on yet another platform- ing adventure. This time, he’s trapped inside a painting, and it’s your job to safely guide him through the pic- turesque (albeit enemy-infested) land- with the titular magic paintbrush (i.e., the DS stylus).
The DS Difference: While most of the DS installments of classic Nintendo fran- chises only dabble in DS’ unique func- tionality, Kirby fully immerses itself in a creative new form of touch-panel con- trol. It's up to you to draw platforms for Kirby to walk on, tap him to dash for- ward, and guide him to destroy enemies.
SUPER PRINCESS PEACH
Nintendo * Summer 2005
The Basics: Perpetually ditzy Peach finally catches wind of the women's lib- eration movement, setting off to rescue Mario in her own side-scrolling action- adventure. Whether or not grown men will be able to stomach a game in which a sassy talking parasol constitutes your main line of defense remains to be seen.
The DS Difference: Oddly enough, the top screen displays nothing but a large, animated image of the Princess that reacts to in-game events as they occur—cute, but hardly functional. All the gameplay takes place on the lower screen, where you'll be able to hop and bop with your trusty stylus.
ODD
Z0 enemy lines.
8 Pikachu silently ы ~ drops deep behind
POKEMON DASH
Nintendo * March 2005
The Basics: Billionaire electric rodent Pikachu scampers around a track, hoping to emerge victorious against his equally lovable Pokémon pals. Occasional para- chuting stages (oddly reminiscent of Pilotwings for Super Nintendo) break up the sweaty rat races.
The DS Difference: The main racing gameplay uses the DS’ touch panel fairly
88 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • wi
well—you guide your chosen critter around the track with the stylus. Some tight turns keep the contests from being a total cakewalk, but the whole escapade feels a bit like a minigame that should have been tacked onto the upcoming proper DS Pokémon games, Diamond and Pearl. Still, expect some serious offtrack betting on recess-time playgrounds across the nation...
w.1UP.com
E An infant held aloft by three balloons—this is what you get for hiring Yoshi as a babysitter.
YOSHI'S TOUCH & GO
Nintendo • March 2005
The Basics: Helpless baby Mario and his reptilian steed Yoshi reprise their roles from the Super NES classic Yoshi's Island in this newfangled touch-screen plat- former. In some stages, you guide the famous tyke through perilous skies, while others have Yoshi protecting Mario from the threat of kidnapping by chuck- ing eggs at encroaching baddies.
The DS Difference: Touch & Go breaks from the “let’s-just-use-it-as-a-map- screen” trend by effectively using both displays for gameplay. One troubling prospect, though: The main touch-panel action here—drawing clouds for Yoshi to gallop across—feels an awful lot like a slower-paced variant of the central Touch! Kirby mechanics. >
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` ATARI CLASSICS
Atari * March 2005
The Basics: This isn't just another catch-all collec- tion of antiquated arcade hits—Atari has instead hired famed New York City graffiti artists to reimag- ine the visuals for 10 of its best-known oldies: Pong, Asteroids, Breakout, Centipede, Tempest, Warlords, Space Duel, Gravitar, Lunar Lander, and Sprint. Arcade purists might scoff at these newly hip remakes, but the kids will likely call them “dope.”
The DS Difference: These old-timey hits should work wonderfully on DS: Some of these titles were made for touch-panel control. Tempest, Centipede, and Breakout benefit from the lightning-fast response time of the stylus—it’s a good approxima- tion of the trackball and paddle controllers from the original arcade cabinets. Add in four-player wireless multiplayer and you've got a handheld renaissance.
YN TE
Tempest with a touch screen rules, but we're not sold on that demon quite yet.
Konami * Summer 2005
The Basics: Having long since graduated from merely crossing traffic- laden roads, Konami’s famous frog sets out on another one-square-at-a- time hopping adventure, similar to his million-sell- ing escapades on PS1. Simple, pick-up-and-play control, attractive 3D graphics, and hidden extras should make this another amphibious hit.
The DS Difference: Frogger takes the easy way out with its use of the second screen—you'll find nothing but pertinent score, time, and health info there—but at least it takes advantage of the DS’ wire- less multiplayer capabili- ties for some four-player frog face-offs.
jieo'es" as
Nintendo * February 2005
The Basics: The revolution- ary microgame concept pio- neered by 2003's original GBA WarioWare comes to the DS, where success relies entirely on your scrib- bling, rubbing, and blowing | Skills. Once again, you've «М ч, | only got three seconds to figure out what bizarre, goofy action each task requires, as you rifle through over 100 all-new rapid-fire minigames.
The DS Difference: Touched! has you fondling and blowing on your portable like a crazy person, but Sega’s Feel the Magic actually beat it to the punch, offering many minigames remarkably like the ones here. Still, the wackiness factor should be reason enough to pick it up. >
90 « ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www. 1UP.com
WARIOWARE TOUCHED!
Woo your bossy piano teacher by tickling the right ivories.
ET GRAIL RATED!
WWW.THUG2ONLINE.COM/RAILRATED
; Рауванота er d tug:
D PlayStatione2 e ACIiVision. Jeep
©2004 Activision, Inc. Activision is a registered trademark and THUG is a trademark of Activision, Inc. All rights reserved. Tony Hawk is a registered trademark of Tony Hawk Inc. "PlayStation" and Blood the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Online play Crude Humor requires internet connection, Network Adaptor (for PlayStation 2) and Memory Card (8 MB) (for Language PlayStation 2) (each sold separately). Online icon is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Suggestive Themes America Inc. The ratings icon is a registered trademark of the Entertainment Software Association. уз of Alcohol All other trademarks and the trade names are the property of their respective owners. iolence
ESRB CONTENT RATING — www.esrb.org
Jeep is a registered trademark of DaimlerChrysler Corporation.
Sony Computer Entertainment America takes no responsibility for this offer.
t his year, the venerated Game Boy
dynasty could abdicate its hand-
held throne to any of the scrappy next- gen portable upstarts, possibly even
Nintendo’s own DS. But with nearly 25
million GBAs already in American gamers’ hands, Nintendo isn’t about to cut support for its most successful platform. While third-party support seems doomed to an endless parade of
baby games and Mega Man titles, Nintendo plans to deliver a handful of top-quality softs in 2005. The GBA may be getting on in years, but it’s not exactly ready for the museum....
Publisher: Nintendo
Release Date: Currently available
Price: $79.99
Media: Proprietary cartridges; also plays all Game Boy and Game Boy Color games
Online: Optional 2-player wireless link
DK: KING OF SWING @ 4 +
Nintendo * Spring 2005
The Basics: Nintendo's archetypal ape defends his role as “King of the Jungle” against the villainous schemes of King K. Rool in this new action-platformer hybrid. Along the way, he'll rescue sever- al unfortunately named members of the Kong brood—Diddy, Dixie, and Funky.
Any Innovations? Swing redefines the DK gameplay formula by stripping it to its barest essentials: Press the L button and Donkey Kong moves his left hand, R for his right. With these two simple motions, you'll swing your way through wild, trap-filled stages.
AN
Solo play is the game’s focus, but you can also link up for some quick sibling rivalry.
AA
MARIO PARTY ADVANCE
Nintendo • March 2005
The Basics: Nintendo’s annual blend of board game antics and competitive mul- tiplayer minigames finally goes portable. And you don’t have to round up a posse in order to have fun—60 single-player contests make this a perfectly accept- able party for one.
Any Innovations? The single-player focus takes the Mario Party franchise in a new direction, but your friends aren’t totally forgotten. You can link two GBAs up to play battle games, trade items, and use special “gadgets” like a compatibility tester.
(AS 4
WARIOWARE TWISTED!
Nintendo • March 2005
The Basics: Ready your reflexes for another helping of microgame insanity in the vein of 2003's original GBA
cult hit WarioWare Inc. You'll tackle over 100 humorous new challenges, with mere seconds to solve each one.
Any Innovations? This new WarioWare features one huge innovation—the plus-sized cartridge itself, which comes equipped with a motion sensor. Instead of using the GBA's D-pad to control the games, you tilt your sys- tem to the left or right to solve the microgames. It's wacky, riotous fun...that's probably not something you want to play on the bus.
92 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com
m [LN A AT POKÉMON EMERALD Nintendo • April 2005
The Basics: In this game, you trap innocent creatures, train them to kill one another, then rise to prominence
among your peers...but it's all very cute and cuddly. Yep, it's yet another Pokémon.
Any Innovations? Emerald allows wireless multiplay- er battles (via the included GBA wireless adapter), but that's not really so new...last year’s Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen offered the same deal. At least die-hard fans will find a few improvements over 2003's Ruby and Sapphire: new battle animations, new story events, and a new area to explore.
wR
FIRE EMBLEM 2
Nintendo • March 2005
The Basics: Follow-up to 2003's strategy hit, FE2 throws you into another tactical conflict. As a feisty princess on a quest to rescue her twin brother, you recruit an army of warriors and wage small-scale strategic battles similar to those in Advance Wars.
Any Innovations? The basic gameplay and visuals haven’t improved much from the previous installment, but two key additions make it a deeper game: You now have a choice between two different character classes as your heroes level up, and you can also select various paths when traveling across the world map. >
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Jet and Indigo!
om 5 S NITE (
NINTENDO i We take games seriously ™ A GAMECUBE.
ERU fter a dismal launch (the initial
| system design resembled a large metallic taco and required users to “side-talk” into it), Nokia’s ambitious cell phone-game system hybrid gets a
second chance at life in the form of the N-Gage QD. A growing library of exclu- sive titles that make use of the con- sole's multiplayer capabilities hint at the system’s future direction. As Nokia’s
Director of Games Solutions Gerard Wiener puts it, “Playing against a friend оп the same bus is cool, but playing against your friend on another bus in another country is even cooler.”
Publisher: Nokia
Release Date: Currently available
Price: $199.99 (free with rebates and two-year service plan)
Media: Proprietary cartridges
Online: Bluetooth technology for both local and wide-area multiplayer gaming
101 Жл»
Bi So that’s what SSX would have looked like on the PS1....
SSX OUT OF BOUNDS
Nokia * February 2005
The Basics: Out of Bounds squeezes all the raucous snowboarding action from EA Big's hit console series onto the N-Gage's meager screen. With 10 returning board- ers, 11 slippery slopes, and all the over- the-top tricks you'd expect, this should be one of the system's finest titles.
Only on N-Gage: Up to four players can compete wirelessly from anywhere in the nation, and you can download new outfits and boards, as well. Plus, if you pull off a particularly absurd super-über-move, you can always call your friends and brag about it...on your game system.
SPLINTER CELL CHAOS THEORY
Nokia * March 2005
The Basics: Don't worry if you missed the last N-Gage Splinter Cell (it was a lacklus- ter GBA port), ‘cause this is the one that you want. Chaos Theory impresses with a new 3D graphics engine, as well as a full complement of weapons and acrobatic moves for superspy Sam Fisher.
Only on N-Gage: Anyone who spent quality time with Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow’s revolutionary multiplayer action on Xbox and PS2 knows how fun spy vs. mercenary matches can be. This game re-creates those four-player thrills, along with two-player cooperative action.
Y
W Beats the hell out of another crappy GBA Splinter Cell port.
e Е
W Battles unfold similar to those in Final Fantasy Tactics.
RIFTS: PROMISE OF POWER
Nokia * June 2005
The Basics: Vets of the pen-and-paper role-playing scene (or at least those who admit to such a heritage) likely know of Rifts, a gaming universe set in a futuristic, postapocalyptic America. This strategy-RPG puts you in command of a ragtag party that faces off against a ran- dom gaggle of foes: mutants, gods, demons, vampires, time travelers, cyborgs, and Martians.
Only on N-Gage: Hook up with friends in the wireless N-
Gage Arena for either cooperative questing or head-to- head battles.
94 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com
W Would the potential sequel be named Two or One 2?
Nokia * Summer 2005
The Basics: Not to be confused with the old PS1 shoot- er of the same name, this 1-on-1 fighter eschews the fantastical fireballs and fatalities of other games in favor of bone-crushing realism. Genuine fighting styles with hundreds of motion-captured moves are available to use in real-world fighting stages.
Only on N-Gage: You'll be able to wirelessly duel other players in the N-Gage Arena, check your standings on a global ranking list, and even customize your character with personalized tattoos.
nece) n
WI It’s got a great personality, we swear.
CATAN
Capcom • Summer 2005
The Basics: Shockingly, Capcom’s first N-Gage offering is not a port of one of its myriad GBA Mega Man games. Instead, it's the classic board game Catan, in which you work to build a prosperous colony while simultaneously driving out the competition. It's a race to occupy new land first and develop the civilization there before your opponents, but it's a far bit more involved than Risk.
Only on N-Gage: Testing your mental prowess against the А1. simply can't compare to battling wits with three other players via the N-Gage Arena. >
Talking Smack on Xbox Live Shouldn’t Tie You Down
Stealth mode...
WIRELESS FADO-
... Squad mode SPEAKEHRvCOIVI
EJ
Communication is everything on Xbox Live. Don’t lose the advantage by getting tangled up in a messy battle with cords. Use the Wireless Headset instead to verbally square off with opponents in cordless freedom. If friends stop by your home base, plug the SpeakerCom into the Xbox controller, and let them in on the trash talking.
WwWW.nyko.com 2.4 GHz
Plug and play Plug and play hs з-он range From the makers of E Dual-port controllers Unblockable wireless RUIR FLO 2) No batteries required RF technology E SPEAKER@ICOM | HEADSSET Wireless Communication for Xbox Live"
SpeakerCom" and NYKO® are trademarks of NYKO Technologies, Inc. Xbox? and Xbox Live™ are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries. ©2005 NYKO Technologies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
G aming constitutes only a fraction of this pricey handheld’s capabili- ties—it’s also a PDA, mp3 player, GPS (global positioning system) receiver, and Web browser. “The Nintendo DS and the Sony PSP are definitely strong competi- tors in the gaming arena, but not really beyond that,” says Byron Connell, cofounder of Zodiac publisher Tapwave. “We give users the flexibility of using it
Publisher: Tapwave
Release Date: Currently available
Price: $399.99
roprietary cartridges, games can also be downloaded
Online: Bluetooth technology for both local and wide-area
he Gizmondo combines gaming
T with a plethora of multimedia functions—video, music, Web, GPS tracking, and a digital camera. But games won't be relegated to second- tier status: “We know that the hand- held market will be driven by content and functionality, and the Gizmondo will deliver on both,” says founder Carl Freer. A recently announced partner-
Publisher: Tiger
Release Date: Spring 2005
Price: $459.99
Media: Proprietary cartridges, games can also be downloaded
Online: Bluetooth technology for both local and wide-area
for gaming, multimedia, or computing.” multiplayer gaming ship with Microsoft will surely help.... multiplayer gaming 00000| 057179 MTX: COLORS TX: К] oe
MOTOTRAX
Tapwave Spring 2005
This port of Activision’s PS2 dirt bike sim features a nonlinear career mode a
in which you can race traditional motocross, indoor supercross, and undoubtedly extreme freestyle challenges. The console game's 3D visuals have been recast in a simpler, top-down 2D style, but the responsive gameplay remains intact. And it's tight control that matters most when you're pulling off flips in head-to-head wireless matches.
Indie * Spring 2005
If you liked reclaiming turf in the gang- war bits of GTA: San Andreas, just think how much fun you'll have when you're fighting for actual territory against
other human beings. In Colors, you can
wirelessly link up with some peeps, form a posse, then attempt to invade rival ganglands in gritty, action-packed shootouts. And that land you're occupying is real, thanks to the Gizmondo's built-in GPS: You mark off your area with a GPS geo- fence, so if anyone intrudes, you'll be summoned to protect your piece of the city.
ANIMATED DUDES
Tapwave * Spring 2005
Talk about truth in advertising—this kid-friendly 2D side-scrolling adventure |e offers three different heroes, each of them more animated than the last. There’s even an evil genius to defeat, because what platforming adventure would be complete without one? OK, we'll admit it— we really wanted to show some of the more promising Zodiac games like Tomb Raider or Neverwinter Nights here, but Tapwave couldn't get us screens...
CITY
Indie • Spring 2005
Ostensibly the Gizmondo’s killer app, this ambitious title uses the handheld’s GPS features to place you within a vir- tual city modeled after the one you're already occupying in real life. So what
do you do once you're virtually where you are? That part’s a bit vague—you'll apparently be given small missions that encourage you to explore your urban envi- rons and interact with fellow Gizmondo users afoot in your general vicinity. It all sounds a bit like a crazy New Age scavenger hunt...but a potentially fun one.
HOCKEY RAGE 2005
Tapwave • Spring 2005
With a name like Hockey Rage, one would be disappointed if it wasn’t as full-contact as possible—fortunately, that's exactly what you get. You can tackle, cross-check, or hook players on the opposing team with as much force as necessary on your way to deliver the puck into the other goal. Sixteen teams are represented for you and a friend to take sides with in the Bluetooth head-to-head mode.
CONFLICT: DESERT STORM
SCi • Spring 2005
This port of the console hit puts you behind enemy lines with a squad of four soldiers during the 1991 Iraq inva-
sion. Ten missions are available for the portable edition, starting with eliminating the chemical weapons and Scud missiles while battling the Republican Guard, and ending with leading the charge in a mission to liberate Kuwait City. Up to four players can participate via wireless connection. бй
96 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com
Chart a Course por Adventure
— t9 P
Join the Suikoden Treasure Hunt to secure some exclusive Suikoden merchandise.
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Mild Language Suggestive Themes Use of Alcohol Violence
ESRB CONTENT RATING — wwwesrb.org
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елеш Crew
only 340-ish days until christmas!
DIRECTORY
MULTIPLATFORM NFL Street 2 Backyard Wrestling 2: There Goes the Neighborhood Virtua Quest Mercenaries
XBOX
109 MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf
110 Oddworld Stranger’s Wrath
112 Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic Il: The Sith Lords
PLAYSTATION 2 104 The Getaway: Black Monday 106 Ghost Recon 2 107 Fullmetal Alchemist and the Broken Angel 108 Suikoden IV
GAMECUBE 114 Mario Party 6
Put Me
in, Coach
If you're also а serious Madden junkie, hold on
| mPs2/xe/cc Á
NFL STREET 2
Necessary roughness
^N: Last season's arcadey, tackle-you-so- hard-you'll-come-up-breathing-snot-bubbles
Street 2's wacky new wall moves offset the A.L's improved tackling skills. Kinda.
Ene) (PS2/XB only)
unlock NFL legends for pickup games. Too bad playing defense—especially when trying to stop
> N cm
DEMIAN: | complained about how easy the running game was in the first Street, and now
to that NFL footballer proved that publisher EA could а good player’s aerial attack—can still be an that EA has actually gone and done something Street 2 game | squeeze more dollars out of your pigskin-made exercise in futility. about it, all my old bread-and-butter plays come save well into wallet. And the sequel will again leave you The most welcome improvements happen off up a dozen yards short. Parity reigns in the EGM next fall. This strapped for cash. the field. On top of challenging NFL squads, you offices, and Bryan whups me as often as (or more time around, | Like the original, it’s a breeze for even non- can now “own the city”: create a player from than) | whup him.
you can take sportos to pick up Street 2 and instantly score scratch, recruit teammates, and play other But | guess in the grand scheme that's not so your created | TDs with style, and those still wearing their high fictional teams in routine matchups or all-new bad. Street 2’s sneaky play-action passes and baller from | School letterman jackets will enjoy perfecting minigames to rule the different neighborhoods of wall-jumping receivers—and QBs, too—keep the Street and new off-the-wall jukes (think Prince of Persia's this football town. It would've been nice to see air game interesting and make your play selection import him, silly | wall run) and launching themselves off a fence to some story elements included to round out the à bit more balanced and realistic, even if the on-
tattoos and all, into Madden NFL 2006.
out-jump opponents for the ball. Another nice touch is the on-field hot spots, which when
tagged (via a wall move or tackle), reward you with extra Gamebreaker points or, even better,
98 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com
experience, but at least this solo mode is a step in the right direction. So while | don't have a jonesin’ for Street 2 of Patrick’s magnitude, it’s still a very respectable follow-up.
field action itself is still straight-up Hollywood. The single-player game | can take or leave, but whether online or in the same living room, multiplayer is what makes the second coming of Street great.
ш NFL Street 2's Clinton Portis: excellent at duck, duck, goose.
DS N-GAGE GBA 114 Asphalt Urban GT 115 Pathway to Glory 116 The Legend of 115 Тһе Urbz: Sims іп the City Zelda: Minish Cap
If the Harlem Globetrotters a fielded a football team, you’d see a lot more bald guys doing this.
ES
Street 2 ups the arcade ante—in the original, walls were simply part of the field, just one more thing you could be tackled into, but now they’ve become a key gameplay component.
Run up and jump off the [ wall to make the play—
Randy Moss is unstoppable using this technique, snaring balls
and making quick
jump, too.
2 2 Ss oc as $5 we =
=
high in the air. It's much harder to run in Street 2 (defensive linemen are a lot better at shaking their blockers
tackles), but the wall moves help make the passing game more effective—and also risky, because DBs can wall
At EGM, we evaluate only games
THE RATING Sy TEM that have been deemed final and reviewable by their publishers. [A Three editors rate each game [elel independently, and we use the whole scale. 5.0 IS AVERAGE. AWARDS
х A Č
САМЕ OF SHAME OF
THE MONTH THE MONTH
Gold — for Silver — The highest- | The lowest- games with for games scoring rated game an average with a mean | game each with unani- score of 9.0 | scoreof8.0 | month gets mously bad or higher. or higher. a star. Scores.
Platinum — straight 105. For games that are life- changing.
ESRB KEY (Also check out www.esrb.com)
Thanks for mowing the lawn, Jimmie, Here are some games of innocent fun for you youngsters.
Now that you're 13, your mom and | figure you can handle games with fisticuffs and language.
You're a man now, son. Sow those oats with games of gore, violence, and hot pixilated sex.
The Other Side of the Street Aside from the conventional 7-on-7 play, NFL Street 2 features a host of minigames. The best of the collection includes Crush the Carrier (hold on to the ball while everyone else tries to bury you), Jump Ball Battle (snag one of three balls out of the air), and Open Field Showdown (a 1-on-1 matchup in which you take turns trying to score). And all the minigames are playable online. Score!
ш Occasional minigame matches interrupt the -up-game grind іп the main single-player mode.
Street 2 offers the kind of over-the-top, seesaw multiplayer experience that keeps you reminiscing long after the game concludes, but also has a deep, fun single-player experience, thanks in part to the new minigames. My favorite is the “ball carrier versus everyone” mode, better known in Midwestern schoolyards by a far more politically incorrect name. Still, | don't think it's the nostalgia talkin’ when | say this is my favorite arcadey footballer ever. $ i
Publisher: EA Sports Big. Developer: EA Tiburon
Players: PS2 1-2 (2-4 w/Multitap, 2 online), XB 1-4 (2 online), GC 1-4 ESRB: Everyone
BRYAN
DEMIAN PATRICK
www.nfistreet2.com
ELECTRONIC'GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com » 99
Even kiddier than Virtua Fighter Kids e
Even if you consider Sega's Virtua Fighter 4 the greatest fighting game ever made (and | do), you'll be nonplussed by Virtua Quest. First, throw away any expectations for a serious role- player set in the detailed, realistic world of VF. Quest feels more like Mega Man Battle Network meets Phantasy Star Online—instead of an epic, world-span- ning adventure, you get a short, easy brawler starring peppy kids logging in to virtual worlds to collect power chips. Cheesy dialogue, spotty acting, and the overall banality of the plot all conspire to make the Quest portions of Virtua Quest resoundingly dull.
Thankfully, the game's mechanics help to salvage the busted narrative. Combat allows spiky-haired hacker Sei to eventu- ally command a huge arsenal of the VF Stars' signature maneuvers. And although the rote level design rarely aspires beyond the "fight guys, get key" pattern, the standard melees remain fun. Sparring against the plentiful bosses (and Virtua Fighters themselves) con- jures up the vaguest hint of why the par- ent series is so great.
Talk about an identity crisis. Virtua Quest tries to be so many dif- ferent things (RPG, platformer, fighter), it's like a troubled teenage boy who needs a sit-down chat with an out-of-touch guid- ance counselor. Sega's game has only a sprinkling of role-playing elements, and the brawling, while featuring an impres- sive array of Virtua Fighter moves, is really just button-mashing with a fussy camera. The young 'uns may enjoy Virtua Quest's simplicity, but everyone else can pass.
You might as well rename this My First Sega Game. The influence of Virtua Fighter and Phantasy Star Online stands front and center in VQ, but its too-simple gameplay and catch- em-all action are shooting for the same young anime fan crowd as Mega Man Battle Network and .hack. Too bad this bid for a slice of the poké-pie is more clumsy than fun. And hardcore VF nuts, prepare to be scandalized when your heroes are outfought by a half-Pokémon trainer, half-Sora (Kingdom Hearts) generi-character. How could a game with so much potential end up such a mess?
THE VERDICTS (UT OF 10)
SHANE BRYAN
Publisher: Sega Developer: Sega AM2 Players: 1
ESRB: Teen
JEREMY
www.sega.com
100 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.1UP.com
VIRTUA QUEST `
PS2/XB
BACKYARD WREST THERE GOES THE NEIGHBO
More extreme than good
JOSH: You know a game's gonna rock hard when the menu beeps have been replaced by raging guitar riffs. | didn't just create a new save file; | created a new save file and rocked out to the max!
Neighborhood really nails the low-bud- get vibe of its license—this game's too underground to care about crap like graphics...and even quality gameplay. Apparently that &@#*$’s for suckas. In fact, the creators must have thought the virtually no-name Backyard Wrestlers were too “establishment,” choosing to pit you against randomly generated create-a- wrestlers instead. To please the marks they put in known wrestlers, but only in the optional challenge matches.
Neighborhood’s all about the ultravio- lence, so hitting people with fluorescent lightbulb tubes, shoving their faces in hot grease, and swinging below the belt with golf clubs is all fair game in a standard match which, despite the other hang-ups, can be stupidly entertaining.
PATRICK: Several key additions—more licensed fighters (including some porn stars), a much needed block button, a better body damage system, and submis- Sions—don't even come close to saving this hybrid wrestler/fighter. The so-called Super Moves are too easy to execute, which makes the fighting tedious and repetitive. The audio is weak and kind of fades in and out during fights. With great games in the genre out there, like Def Jam and SmackDown! vs. Raw, Neighborhood is a rental if you have no life and a game to avoid if you do.
THE VERDICTS (OUTOF I
JOSH PATRICK
Ж XBN—GREG: With Backyard
Wrestling 2, the great existentialist Sage El Drunko has an honest-to-god game to return to. As a sequel to the execrable original, Neighborhood offers such finer- ies as wrestlers moving at normal speeds; powerful holds and throws fueled by a nice grappling system allowing for attacks from the front, back, and sides; and a decent complement of deadly mul- titiered and weapon-laden playgrounds. Go forth, Neighborhood proclaims, pick up the Weed Whacker, and be (bloodily) merry—and in doing so BW2 proves itself easily three times superior to its prede- cessor. Though still well shy of very good.
ш Let’s see, crazy guy with a barbed-wire bat versus a naked chick. Who will win?
ESRB: Mature
GREG
www.eidosinteractive.com
ШТ
BIEN
MARK: Lifting elements from GTA is so rampant these days it's become cliché—carjacking is the new exploding barrel. And yet, in Mercenaries, the borrowed features not only work, but feel perfectly natural. It makes sense that as a hired gun for vari- ous warring factions in North Korea, you can and will nab whatever it takes to get the job done. Great care has gone into all the vehicles—each one (and there are plenty) has its own quirks to master, from the lumbering treads and pivoting tur- ret of a heavy tank to the magnetic tow cable and unique turning style of different helicopters.
Also like GTA, Mercs offers a wide selection of missions and a refreshing amount of freedom in how you choose to accomplish them. Will you kill the target by A) calling in an air strike, B) flying in and firing a missile yourself, or C) sniping him from the surrounding hills? | won't go into options D through Z, but rest assured, they exist. Everything is supported with crisp, detailed graphics and a refreshingly classy soundtrack.
Strike Force No, Mercenaries isn’t an update of the old Capcom top-down three-player shooter Mercs. It actually began its life as a new edition of the classic 16-bit Strike series of isometric shooters (Jungle Strike, Desert Strike, etc.). Which я probably explains why Mercenaries
works best when you are piloting a heli- copter and blowing crap up, since that
was the focus of all the Strike games.
Good: Aesthetics and vehicle variety, GTA-like freedom
Bad: Foggy horizon, minor A.I. problems
Buildings: Fully destructible, every single one. Awesome
One of the best parts of Mercenaries i: blowin' crap up—vehicles, statues, buil you name it. The explosions are spectacular.
MERCENARIES |
Grand Theft Auto: North Korea
The more things change....
just ings,
Weaknesses, yes, Mercs has a few. As | said, the visuals are excellent, but the price you pay is enough fog for 1,000 Spinal Tap concerts. Combat is likewise usually great, especially between vehi- cles, but occasionally А.І. hiccups intrude. More polish on the stealth aspects and something (like GTA’s radio) to fill the long drive times would have also been welcome, but I’m already into the minor complaints. These Mercenaries are worth hiring.
JOSH: Sure, it’s a GTA clone without much to do between missions and a few cars that handle like cement blocks on wheels, but nothing beats the thrill of leveling a base from 200 yards with an aerial bombardment. Then again, masquerading as the enemy to rig C4 charges undetected, or hijacking a tank to assault a rival encampment is pretty cool, too. The point is that there are a ton of ways to approach most situations in Mercenaries, and you'll have to play it smart to save money and keep the factions happy. It may not be San
MARK
MD: 500 Scout
ix] ¢
18 Choppers are the fastest—and most enjoyable—way to get around in the game, but stay low or things will get foggy fast.
Andreas, but this soldier definitely deserves at least some of your fortune.
OFFICIAL PS MAG—JOH
necessarily its core mechanic, few things are more satisfying in Mercenaries than blowing crap up, and the enormous vari- ety of methods with which you can do that makes it an absolute joy to play. The game delivers a spectacular sense of destructive freedom, while also putting enough structure in place that you never lose sight of your objectives. The interplay of the different groups, while superficially quite complicated, is a stroke of genius. Obsessively needy gamers will no doubt spend the 40 hours or so it'll take to nail all 52 bad guys, ensuring a universally good rep, while those of you who are perhaps a little more obtuse will get a perverse pleasure from needlessly provoking the ire of a particular faction. The result is the first truly great game of 2005. si
Publisher: LucasArts Developer: Pandemic Players: 1
ESRB: Teen
JOSH JOHN
ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com • 101
www.lucasarts.com
TT
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PlayStation 2
New to the series: motorcycles. Also new: clown-car paint jobs for the Europolice vehicles.
THE GETAWAY: BLACK MONDAY
Monday Bloody Monday
Well ain’t this a dandy stroke of luck. Before the hoods of our virtual cars have cooled in just-finished games of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, along roars another mature-themed gangster game at 69 F-words per hour to fulfill our need for misdeeds. The Getaway: Black Monday—sequel to 2003's so-so, but mega-sell- ing, thickly British caper—has driving, shooting, and dirty words (and how), just like San Andreas. So why not pinch it?
But here’s where | slow-mo dive in front of you screaming, “Мооооооо!” because Black Monday's also got nothin’ on GTA. Granted, the game's mak- ers said they weren't making a GTA clone, but then they said a lot of things. For instance: that they were fixing the first game's control issues (they didn't). They said they'd address the ridicu- lous way you recover health by leaning against walls (it's still your main way of healing). They
Extras: Read All About Them
Right from the start of Black Monday, you can play four extra modes: race (leave opponents in the dust on the Streets of London), chase (smash crooks' vehicles into submission), black cab (ferry fares around town), and free roaming (a feature from the last game that lets you see London's sites while hunting down secret cars). Collecting hidden key rings in the single-player game opens new races, characters for the free roam mode, etc. Unfortunately, none of these extras is very compelling. Black cab lacks the craziness of Crazy Taxi. And it's way too easy to cheat in the races. You'll find a shortcut in one course that lets you win in 10 seconds.
104 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com
said they'd add life to their true-to-MapQuest recreation of London (it's still one sterile city, devoid of fun jumps or...fun in general).
In fact, the only thing that really works here is the story, a hard-boiled, ultrablue tale shot through with flashbacks, gut-punching tension, and sometimes nearly incomprehensible British dialogue (better switch on them subtitles). The voice acting and animation are superb, thanks to the developers' use of excellent British actors and elaborate performance-capturing gizmology. AII of the gritty environments have a realistic, lived-in look, as well, making Black Monday one of the best-looking bad games you'll ever play.
It's the gameplay that strings this story togeth- er that's the problem. You've got your shooting levels, which are nothing but brainless routines of nailing bad guys who pop from behind objects. The driving missions never get any more interest-
95 Manual aiming is a nightmare until you learn to pūt the tip of your gun right over the uy’s vitals,
ing than high-speed pursuits. And the stealth lev- els feel like trial-and-error runs through mazes of contrived obstacles (you can only jump over or duck under objects at specific spots), prowled by brain-dead guards who often never even move.
In the end, you're stuck with a game of dis- parate modes—driving, shooting, sneaking, and cut-scene-watching—that never gels into the cohesive, cinematic product the developers were promising. Maybe that’s why you see the words “stupidly ambitious” in the closing credits. | couldn’t agree more.
Man, I'm amazed anyone can defend Grand Theft Auto’s floppy-armed freaks after discovering how visually stunning all the GTA clones are (including the much-maligned DRIV3R). Black Monday doesn't disappoint here: Although the vir- tual London is largely unchanged from the original
Body damage is again marked by the amount of gore soaking through your shirt. Because that’s realistic.
THE VERDICTS (QUT OF 10)
CRISPIN
KEVIN
Publisher: Sony CEA Developer: Sony CEE Players: 1
ESRB: Mature
JOSH
www.us.playstation.com
Getaway, the cars and people have an extra layer of detail applied to them, and the incredibly atmos- pheric dialogue and music make every mission an intense effort. Black Monday doesn't really achieve much that DRIV3R didn't, but it is beautiful from an artistic standpoint—even though GTA: San Andreas has already set the gameplay bar still higher.
It's important to note this visual flair, | believe, because that’s the top reason why you'd want to touch Black Monday. Although the controls have been improved somewhat, there’s a certain unevenness that will be a thorn in your side through all ten or so hours of gameplay. The cam- era is unresponsive and tends to get stuck behind narrow corridors, and there are too few buttons performing too many actions, especially while dri- ving. Even worse, your mission itself is oftentimes unclear—at one point, | had to repeat one car chase several times before realizing | had to
Dead thugs are totally drag-and-drop- pable...for no reason we can figure out.
knock the bad guys off the road instead of tailing them. Forgive these faults (and the lack of an onscreen map—come on, guys), and you'll find a thrill ride of a game at hand.
JOSH: The Getaway takes itself way too seriously. The overly artsy camera work and self-consciously gritty story had me rolling my eyes at the start, but Г eventually got hooked despite myself. The presen- tation, from the slick graphics to the (eventually) quality story and acting (although Crispin’s right, you'll need subtitles to understand some of the heavy accents) saves the game from mediocrity. Black Monday maintains the original’s disdain for onscreen indicators, but the audio and visual cues were sufficient to keep me generally informed of my status. Further in keeping with tradition, it retains the original’s awkward con- trol, too. The lack of a reticule makes manual
You'll trade bullets everywhere from dank sewers to London's rooftops.
The Brit Pack: Rating the Game's Motley Crew Black Monday's twisting tale intertwines the lives of three unsavory heroes, whom you control at different points in the adventure. Say "allo to....
His job: The filth (translation: the cop). || His skills: Can toss smoke grenades, Shoot machine guns, scowl for hours. № His contribution: Mitch’s straight-up shooting and driving levels are the most straightforward and dull.
His job: The 'ardman (translation: the tough guy).
His skills: Can wield any weapon, swing his dukes, say the C word.
His contribution: Eddie's chapters— with their mix of shooting, sneaking, and baddie-pummeling—pack the most fun and variety.
Her job: The bird (translation: the hot chick).
Her skills: She's useless in a fight but has a knack for hacking and sneaking. Her contribution: Sam’s frustrating Stealth levels will make you say the F word more than the game does.
aiming nearly impossible and autoaim often has you targeting enemies in the distance while the guy next to you holding a shotgun liquefies your head. You can take cover and shoot over objects, but this mechanic is unwieldy and usually less effective than running into a room guns blazing. Despite these problems, gunplay manages to remain entertaining.
The game falls short in other areas, namely the (thankfully) infrequent stealth missions. The driving portions are solid, as is the realistically modeled London, but nei- ther aspect feels like it was used to its fullest potential—they're both just a break from the entertaining shooting. Fans of Guy Ritchie films and the original Getaway should check it out, but most will want to head to San Andreas for their auto theft, x
ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com • 105
| ™ PlayStation 2 Д РД
GHOST RECON 2
Rainbow Six for the stupid, outdoorsy type
1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10. OK, | can
now calmly write a professional review of this extremely frustrating, poorly programmed mess.
This military-themed shooter drops you and your completely useless computer-controlled teammates into North Korea to take on enemies that are apparently armed with cheat codes. All A.l. characters, friendly or not, can see through obstacles (including full walls) so they'll some- times try to shoot directly through them, even if they're consistently hitting no one. Realism? Who needs it? Aiming from the third-person perspective is all busted, and squadmates have zero concept of using cover—which is OK because enemies tend to ignore them anyway, actually making the effort to shoot past them to get to you, the human player, even if your crew is closer and out in plain sight. You also have to deal with tanks and sol- diers that can hit you even though you can't physi- cally see them, trial-and-error level progression, and a choppy and extremely ugly online game.
(gue)
This is a disaster that wouldn't get a passing grade in a freshman game-programming class. The first half of the game is more tolerable as most of these problems surface later (especially in the last stage), so I’ll add а few points for those of you playing it casually, like for a couple of hours tops. Play any longer and you will feel the rage.
Coworkers walking by my office seemed genuinely puzzled by the PS2 Ghost Recon 2: Had publisher Ubisoft released a version of their new squad-shooter for the PS1, they asked? Especially in multiplayer, Recon 2 is so embarrassingly plain, so horribly muddled, so blocky and choppy that playing it literally makes me cringe. Luckily no exciting modes, great level designs, or standout features of any kind suffocated under such an absolute abomination of a game engine.
The rest of the game doesn’t fare much better. In single-player, Recon 2 leads you down a narrow path trod by many games in the past, most of
On the Radar
angles with rifles, but you can blow yourself up with rocket launchers, even if the cursor shows you're more than clear.
which (notably SOCOM 1 and 2) did it bet- ter. Yeah, Recon 2 can be mindless fun when you're just shooting guys and blowing things up, but so can a dozen other cheaper, sharper, just plain
better games.
Ubisoft may have totally revamped a franchise that was a generally mediocre experience on PS2—but it's also been dumbed down considerably. The fact that your teammates are both mentally challenged and ridiculously awful shots wouldn't be so bad if you didn't have to plod through long missions without a single checkpoint or health-up. Still, the game has its moments: There's a decent amount of variety, which helps counteract the restric- tive, invisible-wall-laden level design. Online play might save the game, if it weren’t hands-down the ugliest, choppiest mess I've ever had the displeasure of playing. $h
PS2’s Ghost Recon 2 features a Metal Gear Solid-like radar which reveals nearby enemy positions, where they’re facing, and also a bunch of the game’s flaws, like foes who spawn instantaneously and mysteriously and can track exactly where you're at even if there's a large, opaque building in between you two. On the plus side, knowing where adversaries are, while unrealistic, cuts down on the frustration since they can be anywhere in the open outdoor environments. Oh, did we mention later enemies have near-perfect aim from almost any- where in the level, whether you can see them or not? Yup.
"Why is the bottom
` teammate facing away from the bad guys? Argh!
=” Publisher: Ubisoft Developer: Ubisoft Shanghai/Paris Players: 1 (2-16 online) ESRB: Teen
THE VERDICTS (OUT OF10)
SHOE
MARK
www.ghostrecon2.com
106 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com
~i = Д
af 4 /2 3m un
PlayStation 2
FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST AND THE BROKEN ANGEL
Not gold, keep trying
aso ширин
SEALAB 2021
EXTRAS INCLUDE: Tribute to Harry Goz Commentaries 20 Questions with the Cast Tour of 70-30 Rough Cut of Der Dieb
Ronnie
BUY TWO DVDS! FOR THE PRICE OF 2!
R FREE WHEN YOU COULD
Bad: Not much for anyone else to enjoy Most Useless Weapon: A pogo stick
KEVIN: Reviewing games based on movies, anime, or breakfast cereals is always a thorny affair—but I’m into the original Fullmetal Alchemist (airing on Cartoon Network), so | feel qualified to deliver the unsurprising news: Broken Angel is a great purchase for series fans...but not for anybody else.
Though Broken Angel has some role- playing-game elements, combat is heavily influenced by Devil May Cry (PS2). You, handsome shrimp Edward Elric, start at point A, there’s a boss or two at point B,
and it’s your job to fight through the dozens
of guards and other nasties in between. The problem is the “in between"—it's but- ton-mashing at its blandest, and the hum- drum graphics don't help. What does work, though, are the anime cut-scenes and the constant postbattle bickering between the hero and his brother/fighting companion
Alphonse. Series fans will eat it up (I know 1
did), but for the rest of you normal people, Broken Angel may do little more than inspire you to spend some quality time with the Cartoon Network.
THE VERDICTS
EXTRAS INCLUDE: Commentaries
Cartoon Planet Segments Brak Presents the Brak Show Starring Brak
Adult Swim News
Never Before Heard Radio Play Production of the Brak Show
PLUS: BRAK SINGING MENUS!
‘adultswim.com
Good: Sweet story for anime fans to follow
pay FoR iT? [adult swim],
[AL AT ор] Deuworc
SHANE: If you're staying up
past your bedtime to catch the Fullmetal TV show, you might still dig this middling action-RPG: It closely follows the show's plot and features some genuinely funny dialogue. Straightforward level design and overly simple brawling impart a watered- down Kingdom Hearts vibe, but occasional underdeveloped flashes of creativity show hints of what could have been... Unless you're a fan, hold off for the greatly improved sequel waiting in the wings.
OFFICIAL PS MAG—SCOOTER: Broken Angel does a better job than you might expect. It could have been another *anime dudes run and jump around" kind of game, and at times, it is. What helps it overcome mediocrity is the alchemy bit (you can transmute common objects into weapons), which makes for some mildly creative puz- zles and combat sequences. | didn't watch the show beforehand, so evaluated strictly on its gameplay, Broken Angel ain't half bad. | do want to add the show into my
, though.
Publisher: Square Enix
Developer: Racjin
Players: 1 ESRB: Teen
www.square-enix.com
PlayStation 2
Gilligan’s Island: The RPG
As the nutters who pay triple figures on eBay for previous games in the series know, there’s something about the atmosphere of Suikoden that nothing can compare to. It’s a warm, fuzzy puppy of a role-playing game series, an odd mix between a romantic fantasy novel and
a History Channel special. For a fan like me, then, it’s a downer to see Suikoden IV bereft of much of the series’ personality—it plays less like Suikoden and more like a generic RPG that happens to have a really big cast. All the main Suikoden ingredients are here, what with 108 party members to collect and the great big army base you build over time. There’s superbly beautiful music, complemented by plain visuals that do the job well enough. Opinions will be divided on the simplified four-person fighting system, but | love the way it quickens battles and restores Suikoden IV to the
108 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com
breakneck pace of the first two titles.
The main issue here is the generally bland story and cast. Characters often join your party for no real reason and don't help much once they're in. This, coupled with G/ Joe-caliber voice acting and a script that fails to convey much emotion, makes the fourth Suikoden surprisingly flavorless story- wise. It still beats Suikoden Ill by a nose, but there’s a lot of unrealized potential here.
Relocating Suikoden's established game- play to the vast and choppy seas doesn’t do it any favors—instead of exploring diverse geography on foot, you’re steering a boat across a bleak, boring ocean. Sluggish controls, annoying invisi- ble walls, and countless random battles transform pleasure cruises into nautical nightmares every time. Occasional ship-to-ship tactical battles inject some fun into the proceedings, but these strategic melees are so simple and visually unin- spired that you'll ultimately tire of them.
ke a Prayer
The game fares a tad better on land, where marginally interesting towns and extremely infre- quent dungeons remind you of what a normal Suikoden title feels like. If you can muddle through the game's plodding first few hours, the workable story line and likable characters will probably be enough to keep you afloat till the end, but the whole experience feels waterlogged.
I'm dumbfounded by how basic and dull this game is. Its few towns are bar- ren, there are almost no interesting locations to explore, and the story takes far too long to get into gear. Roaming the seas looking for adventure sounds romantic, but the truth—crawling across the ocean, beset by ceaseless boring and simplis- tic random battles—is far from poetic. Fortunately, the game picks up a lot in the last third, and the cool Suikoden touches, like having your own HQ, are still in place. These save Suikoden IV from abject mediocrity...barely. ті
The goofiest addition to Suikoden IV is the confes- sional chamber, a part of the base you build near the middle of the game. Enter the room, and a random party member will come in and confess his "sins"— who he doesn't like, what he thinks of you, and any-
thing bad he’s done lately. You only see a silhouette of
the confessor, but you can usually guess his identity based on what he says—and even better, you can either forgive him or punish him by throwing tin cans
and other junk on his head. It's like being a Catholic priest without all that abstinence nonsense.
He's good, when it comes to how to use S the bath and stuff, Yeah..
THE VERDICTS
KEVIN
Publisher: Konami Developer: Konami Tokyo Players: 1
ESRB: Teen
www.konami.com
[E While everyone else is playing Halo 2, you're livi in a mech down by the river,
MECHASSAULT 2:
LONE WOLF
When giant robots attack. Again
Lone Wolf will give you a strange appre- ciation for the hermit crab—though you can climb out of your giant robot and run around on puny human feet, you'll Тее! naked until you're safely (well, relatively) encased in four stories of armored plating with big ol’ guns once again. The second MechAssaultis still all about the mech battles in their city-destroying glory, but this time you'll also drive tanks, man turrets, jump-jet around in pow- ered battle armor...and die almost instantly if the enemy catches you in the open without a vehicle.
Unfortunately, the single-player game doesn't improve much over the last version. It's short (I beat it in about seven hours), and you're usually fighting the battle single-handedly—hence the Lone Wolf title. And though the on-foot sections feel tacked on and not particularly fun, the tank and battle armor bits add needed variety.
In multiplayer, though, Lone Wolf goes from so- so to so sweet. The vehicle-swapping aspect takes on a new importance—in most modes you'll start
out on foot and scramble to find a vehicle, then switch it for another, depending on the situation; sometimes, in the heat of battle you'll even hijack enemy mechs. Couple that with the new Conquest feature (see sidebar), and MechAssault should con- tinue to be one of Xbox Live’s most popular games.
Blasted-to-scrap robots blow up big and nuked buildings fall hard in MechAssault 2, making the game just plain fun to watch. Fortunately, it's fun to play, too—although it's an often mindless sort of fun. Sure, the game’s makers have ramped up its strategic elements, not the least of which is. the option to scamper across the war zone in a wee suit and jack mechs five times your size. And most of the multiplayer modes (which are more enjoyable than the decent single-player game) demand a surprising amount of communication and team cohesion, especially when you throw tanks and supply-dropping airships into the equa- tion. Thing is, when mechs go toe-to-toe, strategy
Command and Conquest
often goes out the airlock as the bots lumber in circles blasting the hell out of each other. But with explosions this spectacular, who cares?
You're not in this game to test your shooter reflexes; you're experiencing life as a hulking, 40- foot-tall instrument of pure destruction. Step out- side of your walking tank, though, and you're just a squashable ant in the giant world of MechAssault. The beautiful graphics and destructible environ- ments (both upgraded from the last game) add to the ambience, but the single-player game disap- points with brevity (6-7 hours to beat) and a throw- away story that never sets the mood properly with its weak dialogue and characters.
Multiplayer, however, is tons (sorry) of fun. It gets choppy when the action’s chaotic, but the thrill of jacking another player’s mech or getting the right support at the right time from your VTOL- flying teammate trumps anything in the first Mech- Assault...or most online games these days. $h
MechAssault is at its lumbering best on Xbox Live, and aside from some new game types, Lone Wolf brings a major addition: Conquest mode. In Conquest, you'll ally yourself with one of five warring factions battling for territory in a persistent online world. You'll need to win a series of team battles to defend or take over a planet—and hope your comrades have held the territory by the time you log back on. The servers weren’t populated enough to fully evaluate conquest when we played, but if it turns out to be mind-blowingly awesome—or doesn't work as advertised—you'll
hear about it in a future edition of our reviews wrap-up column. Lad
Publisher: Microsoft Developer: Day 1
Players: 1-2 (2-12 online) ESRB: Teen
THE VERDICTS (QUT OF 10)
DEMIAN CRISPIN
WWW.xbox.com
ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com • 109
= ы
Я tired of exploding barrels? Probably not.
Б Will we ever
ODDWORLD
STRANGER’S WRATH
Take a chance on a beautiful Stranger
| don't envy the marketing team charged
with summing this game up in just a few words. Part first-person shooter, part third-person plat- former, part story-driven adventure, set in a part- western past, part-industrial future, starring a part- man, part-lion, part...something else, Stranger con- tinues the Oddworld tradition of melting
familiar elements into something
entirely new. A little too wordy for the
front of a box, eh?
But yes, much of Stranger does revolve around shooting one thing or another, which is a good thing since it's the best part of the game. Combat often * has the feel of—dare | say it—Halo 2,
with dual weapons and a similar (and similarly well-implemented) shield system. And while Stranger's robust enemy A.I. might not be quite as con-
THE BOUNTY STORE
Use cash from captured and killed enemies to buy ^! ammo, upgrades, or improve your stats.
du
ILY • www.1JP.com
vincing as the Covenant's, Oddworld provides more options in how you can choose to tackle any situa- tion: use stealth, snipe, ram, distract, stun, etc.
Most of that freedom is due to Stranger's strongest innovation: live ammo. The different crit- ters you collect (that's "live" as in alive") and launch via your crossbow are as effective as they are unique. Send out a jive-talkin' chipmunk to lure enemies away, a skunk to incapacitate them, or go straight for the kill with a rapid-fire barrage of deadly bees. Strategy is further encouraged by a smart reward system: Captured enemies are worth more moolah alive than dead, and money is impor- tant for upgrading your character.
The story is the usual unusual Oddworld stuff: Serious themes like consumerism, belonging, and the environment, tackled with comedy—goofy voices, puns galore (the chickenmen town New Yolk City), and potty humor (sometimes literally).
Dead or Alive, You're Coming With Me
The Thudslug-Bolamite combo often does the trick. Sure, you could go the easy route in Stranger and simply slaughter your enemies, but if you're
up for the challenge, capturing them alive is worth way more money. Some of the bosses even require a whole different approach to subdue, via vari- ous ammo combinations. Experimen- ting in combat is thus not only allowed, it's encouraged.
The overall plot is interesting, especially after a twist later in the game, but it's held back a bit by the voicework. Vocal effects make the main char- acter’s growling baritone sound more like a kid- napper's ransom call, and the different creatures" otherwise amusing banter grates once you realize every single one of them, male or female, has the exact same voice. Bosses are good and bad: Most are unique and challenging (especially figuring out how to take them alive), but a few duds and the disappointingly easy final showdown disappoint. One last thing while m complaining—the camera likes to get stuck on or behind objects.
But these shortcomings pale in comparison to what Stranger brings to the table. Clever and unique, with more imagination in its weapons alone than other titles manage in their-entirety, Stranger is a reminder of the importance of refine- ment and innovation in gaming.
THE VERDICTS (QUT OF 10)
SHOE
Publisher: EA Games Developer: Oddworld Inhabitants
Players: 1
ESRB: Teen
G. FORD
www.oddworld.com
1 Look for a black marketeer and a fortune-telling machine in New Yolk City.
SHOE: This month's letters section (page 18) has an e-mail from a reader who wrote in to complain about the lack of soul and personality in games of late. Well, Stranger is here to fill that void, and it's developer Oddworld Inhabitants who gets credit for this gem. Like every one of its previous games (all self-indulgently titled Oddworld-something), Stranger immerses players in an artful, funny, and wildly creative world filled with creatures that you'll love, villains that you'll hate, and a supporting cast that packs in that soul and personality like they're making a case to be included in a future Pixar movie. From the sarcastic townsfolk (try beating them up for some laughs) to the grammar- sensitive enemy grunts, from the dusty towns to the sun pouring in the doorways, this is creative and art direction at its best, without peer.
Mark's right, the live-ammo gameplay com- bined with the dead-or-alive reward system adds
Fighting this miniboss is one of the best moments in the game—he stalks you through the level, stunning you with Sticky goo you need to shake off.
à nice layer of strategy—great if you're looking for something new in a first-person shooter, bad if you like to run-and-gun with the Master Chiefs and Doom guys of the world. It's a mixed bag, but one certainly worth checking out if your gaming is getting as ho-hum as EGM reader Jonathan B's.
б. FORD: As magnificent as a game like Halo 2 is, you know exactly what you're getting. Which is what makes Stranger so refreshing—a game that succeeds by creating a world so unlike what you find in most other releases. It’s hard not to be drawn to its Wild West meets sci-fi setting filled with chicken people, talking ammunition, and a hero who heals himself by literally shaking off any damage. Besides the unique universe, Stranger packs a solid mix of third- and first-person action, a feat few games pull off. Together, these factors
iE jo n Ei
help create a world that feels more organic than the hallways, terrorists, and flashbangs we're used to.
But while Stranger succeeds by defying the norm, it stumbles over failures that are all too familiar: Enemies on ledges often stand next to exploding barrels, begging to be shot sky-high; the otherwise-serviceable third-person action can get dicey when it comes to precision jumping; bosses are either way too hard or have easily exploited patterns; and the game is linear, which doesn't hurt the overall experience but is a shame in a world that seems to be begging for more freedom.
It's easy to forget nearly all these complaints, though, when presented with one of the game's impressive set pieces or when you take care of a screen full of enemies with the bit of strategy only a screaming chipmunk can provide. Despite its flaws, Stranger proves to be a highly enjoyable— and unique—experience. ж.
Say hello to your little friends The live ammo in Stranger is literally live—an assortment of bugs and rodents you can find roaming free in
the wild (or held captive in crates), load into your crossbow two at a time, and fire at the enemy. Their various effects can make almost every battle a differ- ent experience:
íi $e Fuzzle: These rabid, furry little balls of g hate are crucial to Strategy, since they can be placed on the ground, like a mine, or shot directly at bad guys. The Fuzzle goes nuts once a target gets close, dis- tracting and eventually killing them.
^ | Bolamite: When you iN E
take an enemy alive,
tures are invaluable. They spin a quick web around the bad guy, binding and gagging him for a short time. Doesn't work on many bosses, though.
want to use stealth or
these spiderlike crea-
Boombats: These fly- ing creatures are rare, and you can’t carry many, but that’s because they are so powerful. Launch one at or near an enemy and it'll soon explode like a grenade. Handy and lots of fun to use.
Zappflies: The one ammo you never run out of is also the most useful. Use Zapps to stun the enemy, set off explo- sive barrels, trigger mechanisms that use electricity, open barrels, or stop other animals to grab as ammo.
Stingbees: These lit- tle killers act simply as bullets—they fire rapidly, like a machine gun. Good for a quick kill when you aren't worried about taking an enemy captive. Their advanced form heat-seeks as well.
x Ф Chippunk: Though К me A their ability to attract s322 enemies where they
=" ч N and is handy, Chippunks are more popular for their funny voices and random one-liners (“Oh, nice crossbow, real comfy,” “Hey, do | get paid for this or what?”)
Sparkz Stunkz: Advanced form of the smelly Stunkz, these guys vacuum all enemies nearby into one pile. Follow up with an explosive Boombat, and you have a great combo to use against larger groups.
ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com • 111
"
Drs
PAUSED ^. PRESS..@ TO CONTINUE |
The first KOTOR's revolutionary story and solid gameplay made it easy to overlook the game’s many minor flaws. But with this sequel, | keep having to remind myself of all the things that are still amazing about the franchise; it’s much easier to be disappointed. Yes, you visit seven worlds, but two are recycled from the first game—and many environments (especially inter- nal ones) seem all too familiar. The convoluted story is hard to follow, yet it offers no “holy crap!” plot twist of the sort that so transformed your experience in KOTOR1. The many fetch quests get dull quickly; it’s disappointing that you don’t get to know your party members’ stories through indi- vidual quests the way you did in the first game. And while there are plenty of new graphical effects, most simply overtax the engine. Use too many fancy new Force powers at once, and you'll see major slowdown—a real disappointment.
112 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com
But, hey, KOTORT's legacy is almost impossible to live up to, and I’m happy to say that the sequel stands on its own as a rock-solid, deeply enjoy- able role-playing game. Nothing beats imagining yourself as a badass Jedi exile, especially now that as you gain experience, you can train your party in the ways of the Force, teaching them to fight as a Jedi alongside you. The Force powers are still very cool, if perhaps a tad too effective; | rarely needed to strategize with mines, grenades, or stealth, as it was usually more effective to just rush in, Force a-blazin’. New design tweaks are subtle but enjoyable. | liked breaking down unneeded inventory items and using them to make new items, and the animations that show you gain- ing greater skill at, say, Critical Strike, helped me really see my character’s evolution. Sure, the story isn’t as kick-ass as the first game, but it still makes the stories in 90 percent of games on the
You'll learn “lightsaber forms” as you play—battle styles that'll give you an advantage in particular situations, like versus multiple foes, etc.
Î STAR WARS KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC Il: THE SITH LORDS
The good, the bad, and the Wookiees
market today feel like Highlights for Children.
A few new problems aside—l hated being forced to use characters when І hadn't prepared for the situations they were unexpectedly thrown into, and | felt like | had to read way too much (whatever happened to “show, don't tell”?)—this one's still a definite keeper.
Don't let Jen and Demian's Jedi mind tricks fool you. This game has its share of short- comings, with the most glaring one being its pitiful story. While the créme de la créme of RPGs (like KOTOR?) deliver a gripping tale that sucks you in to its world even further, this narrative is a horribly slow burn, and worse, predictable. Nothing really happens or is explained during the first 20 hours of play, and just when the developers finally decide to turn it up a notch, here comes a ho-hum finale (even more so if you're playing as a light-sider).
THE VERDICTS (ОТ OF 10)
JENNIFER BRYAN
Publisher: LucasArts Developer: Obsidian Players: 1
ESRB: Teen
DEMIAN
www. lucasarts.com
Not good. The characters are also surprisingly shal- low; you'll run out of questions to ask some of your party members fairly early (which seemed impossi- ble to do in the first game of the series), thus severely limiting your knowledge of their backsto- ries, and one villain gives Episode I: The Phantom Menace's Darth Maul a run for his money as the most intriguing yet underutilized bad boy in Star Wars lore. Oh yeah, and the visuals—the single biggest complaint | have about KOTOR1—have seen only minimal improvements.
But I’m not a total hater. Two people will rarely experience KOTOR2 in the same way, thanks to its grand number of quests that always involve some kind of moral decision. And | really dig how those choices now affect where your pals fall on the light- and dark-side scale. The combat remains solid, with new Force powers, expanded item cus- tomization, and slick fighting animations spicing
Force Powers: Our Faves
d
E Some KOTOR? characters have cameos or will fight at your side, like oP T3-M4 here,
Contist mte engagez.
mper
up the fray. Overall, though, don't expect to be wowed like with the original.
Well, somebody had to go dark side, and it was me. At first it was tough, slaughtering inno- cents for their credits and leaving a single mom to fend for herself in the midst of a civil war, but then | tasted the power (Force Crush plus Force Lightning equals dead everybody; see sidebar). | even managed to corrupt most of my party mem- bers and drag them down, too—it was great.
Sure, some may argue that this is just KOTOR 1.5 with a worse story, but you know, I'm fine with that. The dialogue choices you have to make are more complex and meaningful, the new pres- tige classes (übercharacter types you'll pick halfway through, like Jedi Watchman or Sith Lord) give you awesome power and a reason to explore every side quest in the hunt for experi-
ence points, and the item creation and upgrad- ing, while sometimes tedious, make your skills more useful and your lightsaber even deadlier. OK, yeah, it's pretty easy, and there were a couple miniboss battles in which I just hid behind something (like a potted plant) and my foe would forget all about me. And yes, Jen's right; it was kind of lame revisiting a couple planets (same maps and all) from the first game—but KOTOR2 kept me entertained and sometimes on the edge of my seat for 47 hours. And that was just one playthrough, without completing every side quest. Finally, the world needs to know that | managed to Force Persuade my Sith Lord gal (horrible facial welts and all) into a metal bikini to dance for a Hutt. It may have been the sorriest dance number I've seen since Elaine cut up Seinfeld's rug, but it was still totally awesome. | couldn't kill the Hutt afterwards either, but hey, no game's perfect. ri
It took some effort to get over the whole prequel paradox thing (as in, if so many cool Force powers existed in the Old Republic, how come we never saw them in the movies?). But once we did, we really dug the many Force powers now available.
[ss dr an Death Field: Dark-siders, this is your only heal. It'll drain health from all your enemies and give you back some, but not as much as Force Heal.
Stasis Field: Affects all nondroid enemies in a certain radius, paralyzing them for a few seconds. Makes an awesome combo with...
La
Throw Lightsaber: A powerful ranged attack. Baddies can see it com- ing, but when they’re frozen in stasis, they can’t move to avoid it.
Force Crush: This dark side-only power is shock- ingly potent. Even if your enemy-makes the save, he'll still be immobilized for about two rounds.
Force Lightning: At master level, this is your bread and butter, often killing a roomful of foes with one, maybe two shots. Deliciously evil.
Breath Channel: Protects your character from poi- sonous gases, which proves quite useful against traps, mines, and certain alien cantinas.
ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.1UP.com • 113
review Crew:
W This new Party
rocks with some of the most elaborate minigames yet, although you'll find 7 lots of rehashed
| ™ GameCube A
MARIO PARTY 6
Same as it ever was
iL ИТЕ Тес Ши
ШШЕН. © [rd
IW During play, use the bottom screen for looking at the map...or for looking at the map.
[wu | ASPHALT URBAN GT
No nitrous zone, next 17 miles
Good: Slick one-player mode, fun new minigames Bad: The party’s getting as stale as day-old bean dip Random Fanboy Service: You can unlock Toadette
CRISPIN: New to this year’s Mario Party: hard liquor and keg stands. Well, in my world, anyway. This series needs some- thing extra—a hypnosis tape, head trau- ma, good old-fashioned beer goggles—to help players forget that each year's install- ment is kinda sorta the same thing we played in the previous game, except with the standard improvements. Aside from the new game boards and fresh hoard of hyperfrenetic party games, this year's model comes with a packed-in micro- phone for a few gimmicky minigames, day/night cycles for the game boards (their rules and layouts change according- ly), and a retooled single-player mode that makes it more fun (and easier) to col- lect goodie-unlocking stars. So, yeah, the game once again takes a few steps forward for its ` couple of steps back. Players new to the series will dig it, while anyone who’s partied too hard before can sit this one out. With visuals that often look as though they came straight out of a crib mobile, this series is really more for kids anyway. Just keep those youngsters away from the keg.
ШП TIEA
Good: Smooth, pretty visuals Bad: Uses no special DS features Port: Of an N-Gage game. Really
KEVIN: There's nothing inherently crap about Asphalt Urban GT...but everyone will forget it ever existed in a year's time (any- one remember GT Advance on the GBA?). Still, with the DS’ spotty launch library, Asphalt is an OK bet—a decent racer that gets more things right than wrong.
Asphalt is almost wholly nondescript— it's your bog-standard arcade racer, com- plete with nitro boosts, extensive tuning options, and trucks on the road with jump- ing ramps attached to them. In fact, the visuals are this game's only truly standout feature: They’re incredibly smooth, and the backdrops wouldn't look at all out of date in a PlayStation racer.
It's easy to cook up а laundry list of problems with Asphalt, though. The colli- sion detection is awful (you can drive right through most trees), the controls are tough to master, and multiplayer gameplay requires that everyone have their own cart. On a basic level, however, the game's still fun—simple, yes, but immediately engag- ing no matter what kind of gamer you are. Sort of like GT Advance, in fact. What did happen to that game, anyway?
JENNIFER: Must Nintendo
give us, with the precision of the finest Swiss clock, a new Mario Party each and every holiday season? I'd be able to muster much more enthusiasm if І had to wait a little longer between installments. Then | also might forget that each new iteration is only slightly better than, or even different from, the last. The new microphone-based minigames are more gimmicky than fun, and | hate passing the mic back and forth. It’s still a fun party game, but | don’t see a reason to buy it if you already have 5 or even 4.
GMR—CARRIE: I'll admit | wasn't too excit- ed about yet another Party, but I'm pleas- antly surprised. For me, the most aggravat- ing thing about board games is waiting for everyone to take their turn, and MP6 defi- nitely feels faster—thank God. | was skep- tical about the cheesy plastic mic, but the voice recognition works well. It must have been hard to come up with fresh material for the sixth version of Party, so hats off to the developers for succeeding. I’m looking forward to dance pad games in MP7. Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Hudson Soft Players: 1-4
ESRB: Everyone
т
www.nintendo.com
DEMIAN: If you yen for a great racing game on DS...keep it up, because this isn't one. Never mind that Asphalt uses the second screen as little more than a map display—the driving itself is depressingly simplistic. Tap the brake to start a drift and hit the nitro on long straights; that's about as deep as it gets. Asphalt looks pretty good (though without much sense of speed), and there are tons of cars to buy and races to unlock, but the gameplay and limited track variety mean it won't be on your playlist for long.
MR—ANDREW: I wasn't expecting much out of Asphalt, considering it's more or less a port of an N-Gage game. But it's a sur- prisingly decent racer that'll keep you entertained between sessions of PictoChat. The biggest problem (aside from the lack of analog control, which isn't Asphalt's...fault) is that the horizon can get muddy, making traffic and turns hard to see. Multiplayer is amusing, if a little rudimentary, and the cop chase mode is a nice break from the stan- dard races. If Ridge Racer isn't your thing, Asphalt is worth checking out.
6 Ej
5 > I E
KEVIN DEMIAN
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Gameloft Players: 1 (2-4 wireless LAN) ESRB: Everyone
ANDREW
www.ubisoft.com
review crew: ds/n-gage
Good: Rich game world, tons of stuff to do Bad: Makes little to no use of the touch screen DS Bonus: New area, minigames, mutated pets
The Splicer Island level (and associated quests) is, a DS exclusive.
SIMS IN THE CITY
Places to 9o, people to meet
g
LIIUEN PATHWAY TO GLORY
Shockingly engaging
JENNIFER: I'm embarrassed to admit how hooked І got on this game. As in last year’s version (Bustin’ Out, GBA), you directly control a single Sim as he/she eats, sleeps, pees, and socializes. To progress through the story, you complete goals—make friends with the town cop, find a curator for the local museum, etc. To earn money, you play minigames. Occasionally, you rearrange the furniture in your house. It’s simple, mindless, and as addictive as sitting on the couch watching Real World marathons on MTV. In other words, | could do it all freakin’ day long. But as any Real World fan knows, just because something's addictive doesn't make it artistically flawless. Enter The Urbz. Some of the minigames are great— l'Il play Moogoo Monkey just to pass the time—but others (Comic Explosion, Motocross Mayhem) are pretty terrible. The mundane day-by-day routine can get repetitive, especially when you have to retry goals (many of which must be com- pleted at a certain time of day). Still, there’s a surprising amount of fun stuff here, if you have the patience to see it all.
THE VERDICTS (OUT OF 10)
JENNIFER DEMIAN
Good: It’s the N-Gage’s killer app so far
Bad: Most people will never play it
Why: Couldn’t N-Gage have had games like this at launch?
First the Red Sox win the World Series, then a flock of Arkansas razorbacks flies past my window, now this—a good- bordering-on-great game for the N-Gage. If Betsy Michaels calls me to accept my prom invitation, we're looking at the apocalypse. Strategy fans will love Pathway’s clever, turn-based combat, and the absence of grids gives it a more realistic feel than other entries in the genre. The single-player tactics are somewhat lacking, though, as Clever use of snipers will get you through most of the campaign. In multiplayer, intel- ligent foes and a strict time limit force you to make better use of the entire squad— cover fire becomes very important. | just wish “move” and “shoot” weren’t mapped to the same key; | frequently had men moseying up next to the enemy instead of shooting, leaving my soldier defenseless and me craving an “undo” command. Still, N-Gage owners should get this one quick...before the dead rise and all that four-horsemen malarkey kicks in.
I've never played a turn-based game with such meaty defense. You can
DEMIAN: This game has pet
jackalopes, which should definitely be fac- tored into any purchasing decision. Urbz has a lot in common with traditional role- playing games, but with hugs and home furnishings instead of turn-based battles and feisty princesses. Expect a whole lot of fetch quests, though, and you'll still spend too much time fussing with personal- hygiene issues. The DS' touch screen is handy for navigating menus quickly, but only a couple minigames really use it. Still...jackalopes!
GMR—CARRIE: Though it started out feel- ing a lot like the GBA version of Bustin’ Out, Urbz for DS ended up completely blowing that game away. The story and surprising twists work to make Urbz feel a lot less like a Tamagotchi with care and feeding and a lot more like an actual game—like a Westernized version of Animal Crossing, but with a plot. The DS- specific minigames are among the weaker ones, but using the stylus to access stats and so on is very intuitive. The Rep mission adds some hefty longevity to the title, too. Publisher: EA Games
Developer: Griptonite Players: 1-4 е е © Rating: Everyone
CARRIE
www.urbz.com
set your guys up like traps, tucked behind a bunker, waiting for a care- less soldier to stumble into your troops’ sights, because defensive fire happens automatically—short-circuiting the usual checkers game. Of course, you can always just bum-rush Rambo style with a couple of machine gunners and your fingers crossed. You'll mix up the number-pad but- tons (“I said stand up, not run out in front of a tank!”) and wish the enemy troops were more visible, but 1 doubt you’ll find something better to do with an N-Gage.
Miracles really do happen—here’s an N-Gage title a sane person would actu- ally want to play. Pathway is a decent WWII strat game by itself, but N-Gage Arena mul- tiplayer is where it truly shines: The six- player matches are so fun to watch unfold that if you own an N-Gage, this is the killer app you've been dreaming of. Arena match- es can sometimes be tough to set up, how- ever—although local-area Bluetooth games go without a hitch, | found myself booted off long-range games on occasion due to a laggy connection (your mileage may vary).
THE VERDICTS (ОЛОРО)
JOSH ROBERT
Publisher: Nokia Developer: RedLynx Players: 1 (2-6 online) ESRB: Teen
www.pathwaytoglory.com
ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com • 115
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When Link gets into a book, he really gets into the book. As in, like, walking around inside of its hollowed-out pages.
THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: THE MINISH CAP
Pretty good...for a little guy
It's been nearly four years since Game Boy questers last smited an octorock in an original Zelda game (be sure to hunt down 2001's excellent Game Boy Color co-releases Zelda: Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons if you missed 'em), so it's high time the GBA gets its own adventure for Nintendo's perky elf. Minish Cap doesn't stray too far from its legendary forebears: Link's still on a noble quest to rescue Princess Zelda, amassing an arsenal of clever gadgets, exploring deep dun- geons, and wreaking havoc on all manner of shrub- bery along the way. It's classic stuff, and for good reason—the gameplay naturally evolves from bare-bones simple (you begin Minish Cap with nothing but your wits) to wonderfully complex (by game's end you're leaping, slashing, spinning, and throwing swords with ease) at a perfect rate.
What seems like the biggest gameplay innova- tion here—that titular, sass-talkin' cap that shrinks Link to itty-bitty size—doesn't really change the traditional Zelda feel. Actually, it's new items like
Get Stoned
Minish Cap introduces a new collecting minigame into the Zelda canon—kinstones. Every single resident (and some inanimate objects) in the kingdom of Hyrule has a stone (or two) that Link can fuse with to unlock secrets. It's up to you to stuff your sack full of these colorful stones, so that you're always ready to hook up with the
townfolk. You'll be able to unlock secret stashes of
rupees, special items, and well...even more kinstones.
116 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com
the gust jar and mole mitts that truly enrich the gameplay: You can use these tools in various inventive ways to solve puzzles, transforming every dungeon and boss encounter into a com- plex, rewarding exercise in deduction. Factor in impressive visuals, catchy tunes, a metric ton of secrets, and you have another must-buy GBA title.
The two Oracle games for GBC were exceptional for their time, but Minish Cap wipes the floor with both of them. Never mind the fact that it looks and sounds better than practically every other GBA game out there; you'll almost never find yourself at a loss for something to do, thanks to the cleverly implemented kinstone system and the wealth of secrets packed into Hyrule’s numerous, varied locales. | spent nearly 40 hours trying to find every last secret in this game, and | honestly enjoyed every single minute of it.
With superb dungeons, exciting combat, and one of the coolest gameplay gimmicks ever
(shrinking down to Minish size), this is definitely one Zelda you don't want to miss.
Brain-straining dungeons, elaborate bosses, funky gadgets, a supersized world—that's the stuff that makes the Zelda series so bitchin’. And this Cap brims with it, along with a clever and endearing shrinky-Link gameplay twist that makes for cool puzzles. Plus, Minish Cap packs little touches that'll give Link lovers goosebumps, such as an ocarina flute, militant chickens, and a great- est-hits assortment of tunes and monsters.
But 1 disagree with the other review guys—the new collectible kinstones are no feather in this Cap. You've got to nab far too many of these doo- dads, then trade them with townies, statues—even household pets—often for yet more kinstones. The quest really drags around the middle, too, when you must fiddle with such mundane tasks as returning overdue library books. Fortunately, the rest of the game is appropriately legendary. $h
New subweapons like the gust jar (right) can be used both to defeat enemies and solve puz- zles. Here, Link uses the jar's strong suction action to latch on to a superstretchy mushroom.
THE VERDICTS (OUT OF 10)
SHANE
Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Capcom Players: 1
ESRB: Everyone
JOHNR CRISPIN
www.zelda.com
STUFF FOR A MAN'S LIFE.
ttp://order.synemagazine.com
review crew: wrap-up
REVIEWS
Evil in our residence gy”,
esident Evil 4 has lurched into R the building, but not in time
for us to give it a full review. After some time on the stick, though, a crazy-eyed Mark MacDonald proclaimed a little too loudly, “If you don’t already own a GameCube, buy one for this game!” Which is a little weird because we all have GameCubes, and he totally knows that.
Seriously, every aspect of the game really impresses. The sprawling, creepy Spanish town looks like a vivid night- mare made real, and the tenacious, resourceful enemies offer more freak- outs than a gaggle of shambling zom- bies ever did. Gameplay additions like upgradeable weaponry, long-distance sniping, a new close-quarters kick attack, and a quick, one-button move to access Leon’s knife round out the action. If you’re still not sold, you will be if you see the game’s phenomenal first boss encounter, an epic (minor spoiler!) aquatic face-off against a fishy beast that makes Cap'n Ahab's assault on Moby Dick seem like a smelt-hunting expedition.
More on RE4 next month, as well as reviews of a few other big games with the numerals 4 or 3 in their names, like...Gran Turismo 4, Doom 3 (XB), and NBA Street 3.
| QUICK HITS
(PS2/XB/GC) is most likely lurking in bargain bins as you read this; see Seanbaby's Rest of the Crap (page 126)
write about the budget title ing, “It’s actually kind of good.”.... (XB) didn't arrive in time for us to review
(PS2/XB/GC), claim-
for more on that.... Speaking of Seanbaby, he declined to
| it, which means it's probably as bad as your gut tells you
it is... If you're a youngster (по horseplay!) or you shop for one, that new game (PS2/XB, and there’s a GBA version) isn’t terrible... We had hoped to review the Sega-developed mobile massively multiplayer online game
(N-Gage) this month, but we couldn’t find anyone else to play against. Look for our verdict next issue...
LI'L N-GAGE GAMES
They keep making 'em; we keep playing 'em
Flash Gordon’s Ming the Merciless is in Resident Evil 4?
[ e Nokia • ESRB: E — We'll be damned if this isn't a remarkably respectable soccer game— almost certainly the best sports game on the N- Gage, in fact. The con- - trols work well, the action’s quick, and for a change, you really feel in
| | control of your team at all times. Bonus points awarded for the thrilling rendition of New Order's “Blue Monday” on the title screen.
e Nokia * ESRB: M — The N- Gage's first M-rated game since Red Faction is an out-and-out clone of classic PC slash-em-up Diablo, right down to the blood that flies everywhere whenever you hit a mutant hellbeast in the face. The only difference in this Chinese-developed RPG: the dialogue, which features more hilarious English than a Japanese candy wrapper.
1 [ * Nokia • ESRB: T — This original RPG is closer to The Elder Scrolls: Morrowind (XB) than you'd expect. Shame
the execution's so cocked
up: The 3D graphics are crudely detailed, and the fighting is so broken that serious questing is almost impossible, mak- ing this yet another N- Gage title where you wonder if anyone tried playing it before release.
Р a
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Si • PS2 * Konami e ESRB: T — Against the wisdom of Mother Nature, the creators of Shaman King have grotesquely stitched together a button-mashing brawler with a shallow strategy game. They top it off with long, unanimated cut-scenes full of nonsense (not even the good, funny kind). Example: "WHAT!?? YOU HAVE ANNOYED ME!!! | WILL TEST THE POWER OF YOUR SPIRIT!!!”
* DVD game * Digital Leisure • ESRB: NA — The trick with Dragon’s Lair in the ’80s was that its detailed graphics helped make the super- low-fi gameplay easier to swallow. This retooling only succeeds as a novelty flashback you can play through your DVD remote. If you’re into nostalgia, it’s a nice little something for you to do while your Betamax player rewinds.
e PS2/XB ¢ Atari ESRB: E Having 85 Atari games on one disc is a treat for old- sters, but mostly it just reminds you of how crappy stuff used to be. Old haunts like Missile Command and Asteroids are priceless nostalgia for 20 bones, but since the whole shebang takes up less space than a cell-phone ringtone, we'd hoped for more— maybe some 7800 love?
¥
* % • PS2/GC • THQ • ESRB: E — All x aboard the hack-job cash-in express! Unlike the film
of the same name, this simple string of gamey tasks,
like puppet pong and ice-breaking asteroids, is whol-
‚ | ly devoid of feeling or Christmas spirit. This Polar
«|. Express barely runs longer than the movie, so it's
*| really suitable only as a seasonal (and now belated)
| one-time rental for younger gamers.
* PS2 • Crave • ESRB: E— It's a virtual game room crammed full of antique to semirecent tables, each complete with historical commentary and highly technical instructions (rollover to ramp the spinner for the ball-trap multi- plier what now?). This collection is squarely targeted at ordained pinball wizards, but anyone could have a little fun with this one, and for a budget price.
* XB • Kemco • ESRB: M Good premise, poor execution: That's the Chicago Enforcer.way in this budget-priced shooter. Who wouldn't want to be a lackey for Al Capone in 19205. Chitown? Maybe discerning gamers who don't want gameplay, graphics, and А. almost as ancient as the subject matter. The few enjoyable moments and sim- ple but fun Live support found here just aren't enough.
* DS • Ignition • ESRB: E — It might look and sound like a low-budget shareware title, but as block puzzlers go, Zoo Keeper ranks among the best. It plays a lot like the classically addictive Bejeweled, but with a wider variety of game modes and animals instead of gems. It doesn’t do much to take advantage of the DS, but playing with the stylus is easier than using the pad, and single-card wireless multiplayer is a nice touch. The $40 price tag is a bit steep, though.
a" +
Kemco * ESRB: Е — This difficult-to-describe (and pronounce) Xbox cheapie is a throwback to old com- puter war games, but instead of goblins, you’re mov- ing what appear to be fancy Risk pieces around a plain hexfield battle map. It's a challenge, especially on higher difficulty levels, but lackluster visuals and story will deter all but the most diehard of grognards.
Review Crew Survivor
Our fully clothed contestants are fight- ing hard for a spot on our Review Crew (but, like good kids, they’re using words). The contest is at its midway point, but that still means lots of people are due for a bootin’. Decide who gets voted off the hypothetical island next at egmsurvivor.jup.com! $h
ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com 119
REVIEWS ARCHIVE `
Minireviews for the gamer оп the go ~ ` E
greatest hit or miss?
mW GC
W Released: March 2003
I Original Scores: 10, 9.5, 10 Although people initially bemoaned the childlike appearance of Wind Waker, their mouths were shut (or more accurately, left helplessly slack-jawed) when they finally played the game. Easily one of the greatest titles to ever grace Nintendo's latest console, Zelda is now a steal at $20.
120 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com
GAME
Ace Combat 5
Advance Guardian Heroes Alien Hominid
Ape Escape: Pumped & Primed ATV Offroad Fury 3
The Bard’s Tale
Baten Kaitos
Blinx 2: Masters of Time & Space Blood Will Tell
BloodRayne 2
Boktai 2: Solar Boy Django
Capcom Fighting Evolution
Dead or Alive Ultimate
Donkey Konga
ESPN College Hoops 2K5
EyeToy: AntiGrav
Fable
Feel the Magic: XY/XX
Fight Club
Final Fantasy | & Il: Dawn of Souls Ghost Recon 2
Godzilla: Save the Earth GoldenEye: Rogue Agent
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Growlanser: Generations
The Guy Game
Halo 2
The Incredibles
Jak 3
Killzone
Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age Madden NFL 2005
Mario Power Tennis
Mega Man Х8
Men of Valor
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
Mr. Driller: Drill Spirits
Need for Speed Underground 2 Neo Contra
NCAA March Madness 2005 OutRun 2
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Ping Pals
Prince of Persia: Warrior Within. Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal Ridge Racer DS
Rumble Roses
Sega Superstars
ShellShock: Nam '67
Shin Megami Tensel: Nocturne Spider-Man 2
Sprung
Super Mario 64 DS
‘SVC Chaos: SNK vs, Capcom Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005
Tony Hawk's Underground 2
Tron 2.0: Killer App
The Urbz: Sims in the City Viewtiful Joe 2
WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw X-Men Legends
SYSTEM PS2
GBA PS2/GC PS2
PS2
GC
XB
PS2 РЅ2/ХВ GBA PS2/XB/GC Ps2
XB
GC
PS2/XB. PS2
XB
DS
PS2/XB GBA
XB
PS2/XB PS2/XB/GC PS2
PS2 PS2/XB
XB PS2/XB/GC PS2
PS2
GBA PS2/XB PS2/XB/GC DS
GC
PS2
XB
PS2
GC
DS PS2/XB/GC PS2 PS2/XB
XB
GC
DS PS2/XB/GC PS2
DS
PS2
PS2 PS2/XB PS2
Ds
Ds
Ds
XB PS2/XB/GC PS2/XB/GC PS2/XB/GC XB PS2/XB/GC PS2/GC PS2 PS2/XB/GC
E The Prince may be
Lá
SCORES VERDICT CS (out of 10) M Soar in supersonic fighters so real, they could fool Uncle Sam. But why no online? 8.0 8.0 8.0 W Old-school bash-em-up brawling from fan-favorite cult developer Treasure 6.0 7.0 7.5 18 The 2D side-scrolling cartoon action thrills; the cheap one-hit kills...not so much 8.0 85 7.0 W This party game is only slightly less fun than hurling feces at friends 55 65 55 Im Enhanced online options and deeper customization flesh out the four-wheelin’ thrills 8.5 7.5 6.5 W This action-RPG's satirical humor and repetitive gameplay'll make you laugh and cry 6.5 6.0 9.0 W An RPG with totally innovative card-based fighting and a totally crappy story 80 7.5 65 Wi Janitor cats and fabulous, leather-clad pigs! What doesn't sound fun about that? 75 60 65 18 Handi-capable hero quests for lymph nodes, an esophagus...and justice 8.0 65 6.0 W Be a busty vampire beating on baddies in this hyperkinetic action game 75 75 40 Wi Stock up on SPF 45 before going outside with this solar-sensor-equipped action-RPG 8.0 7.0 7.5 W Engage in the time-honored tradition of Nazi shooting as an American, Russian, or Brit 8.5 7.5 8.0 W Capcom Fighting Evolution? More like Crap- com Fighting Evolution! Zing! 4.0 5.5 5.0 I The bouncing boobs of DOAs 1 and 2 look way nicer revamped for Xbox 70 75 75 W (Mostly) great songs and a quality bongo controller make for a lively party game 8.0 7.0 7.5 W Too many on-court mishaps keep this baller on the bubble 6.0 7.5 8.0 W Wave your hands like you care in this body-controlled hoverboarding game 85 6.0 7.0 Wi Hack-n-slash action-RPG with Sims-style dollhouse elements. 75 80 90 WA stylish mix of romance and minigames that takes advantage of the DS's abilities 8.0 9.0 7.0 Wi Browsing the IKEA catalog is more fun than this crappy cash-in fighter 2.5 3.0 2.0 W Spectacular remakes of the first two Final Fantasys shoved into one tiny cartridge 9.0 8.5 8.0 W Nothing remarkable about this military squad shooter, save its solid online play 6.0 6.0 E Then save us from having to play another Godzilla brawler 6.0 45 55 18 Not quite the killer app GoldenEye 007 (N64) was, but single player is still fun 75 75 75 W Three massive cities and hundreds of diversions make this sequel larger than life 10 10 10 W Sure, the visuals are cutesy, but this RPG will test the hardest of the hardcore 7.0 7.0 8.0 E The game part sucks, and the naked chicks, well, that's what the Internet's for 1.5 1.0 0.0 W The second coming of the Xbox's savior lives up to the hype, both online and off 10 10 10 WA superhero game for the little ‘uns, but with a decidedly adult difficulty 5.5 65 7.5 W The jack-of-all-trades gameplay keeps this duo among the platforming elite 8.0 8.0 85 W A good (if a bit choppy) attempt at a Halo-style shooter for Sony's system 75 8.0 7.0 E The cards say you'll be experiencing a bit of action-RPG déjà vu...which isn't so bad 7.0 7.0 7.5 Wi You won't find penis jokes this unfunny outside of Spencer Gifts’ naughty aisle 35 15 W High production values don't make this RPG the greatest show on Middle-earth 7.0 7.0 W The best handheld football game ever. Problem is, that ain't saying much 65 75 W Mario packs so much fan service, you won't want to return this ace of a game 90 7.5 W Mega Man takes another shot at the third dimension and gets it right this time 65 65 W Decent multiplayer saves the day in this otherwise blah Vietnam-era shooter 6.0 75 W Venture back to the idealistic '60s for Snake's most ambitious stealth-action epic yet 9.0 9.5 I Samus looks smokin’ hot even in the dark... world, that is 9.0 9.0 W Simple, addictive puzzle-action that truly shines in its wireless multiplayer mode 75 75 W Brooke Burke as a street-slangin’ race queen? Eh, the game's good, so whatever 8.0 9.0 18 Konami has another decent Contra sequel in this short (but sweet) blast-em-up 8.0 7.0 IW Solid play, true-to-life ambience—this one's headed to the Big Dance 80 85 W The graphics say 2004, but the arcade handling still says 1986 6.5 6.0 Wi Nintendo's much-needed GC role-playing game is flat-out fantastic 9.0 9.0 W Be a pal and tell others to not waste an Andrew Jackson on this poor text messenger 1.5 0.0 Wi Boy, is this Prince in a bad mood. Maybe it's because adventure #2 isn't quite as fun 8.5 8.5 W PS2's best mascot-platforming game...with guns. Lots of guns 9.0 9.0 W Six-player wireless LAN races (on one cart) good; bad graphics and bad control...bad 6.5 6.5 W Luscious ladies lock limbs in this wonderfully smutty (yet bare-bones) grappler 75 65 W This EyeToy game collection is moderately entertaining for the hour it takes to beat 5.0 7.5 I Boom-boom with the ladies after boom-booming the enemy in this grim shooter 7.0 6.0 HA dark RPG that's as archaic as it is excellent 8.0 9.0 W If your spider-sense is on the fritz, let us warn you to avoid this ho-hum adventure 6.0 5.5 Wi Hook up with young hotties at a ski resort. Slightly more fun than chlamydia 40 5.0 Wi it's-a remake of one of the best platformers ever! Only it's-a much harder to control 8.0 8.0 E SNK and Capcom go at it again, this time with spotty online and mediocre gameplay 6.0 6.0 W With four-player brawlin', the half-shell heroes are half-baked, -hearted, and -assed 3.0 4.0 Wi Par for the course just isn’t good enough for this excellent golf simulator 85 8.0 W Not a revolution, but Tony Hawk fans won't mind, and it's newbie friendly, to boot 9.0 9.0 W The more apt name Tron 2.0: Better Than Average probably wouldn't have sold well 7.0 6.0 W The Sims' suburban theme gets kicked uptown and outside but loses something 75 50 W More of what you (hopefully) know and (should) love from Joe's first outing 8.0 8.0 W SmackDown! goes online and adds voice acting. The rest is basically the same 75 85 W Four mutants take on a sea of baddies in this x-cellent action-RPG 75 7.0
EVERYONE
Comic Mischief Mild Lyrics
ESRB CONTENT RATING _ www.esrb.org
Entertainment Software
4 oh tricky, you're so fine, you're so fine you blow my mind
trickster | mPS2/XB/GC
GoldenEye. Texture
Eye, GoldenEye. OK, so it doesn’t have the zing to it Mr. Bond has, but the namesake to GoldenEye: Rogue Agent _ is just as tactful and daring as the Bond of the original Nintendo 64 classic, GoldenEye 007. And like the game of old, unlockables are earned те based оп a challenging rewards system. The following lists will give you all the requirements and know- how to access the game’s various unlockables, like multiplayer maps.
ighout the night
0 got som
Rewards The single-player campaign is not only a | great way to hone your skills, but also the | key to unlocking all aspects of the game. The score you earn for each mission will determine the number of Octopi you receive. Keep in mind that the rogue bonuses (head shots, environmental kills, human shields, beat downs, etc.) will net you twice the normal points, so be sure to go for them whenever the opportunity presents itself.
Action Replay vs. GameShark ...
The Bard’s Tale ... BloodRayne 2 .... Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3 . GoldenEye: Rogue Agent Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Killzone . . Neo Contra .
OutRun2.... WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw . The Urbz: Sims in the City ...
Note: If you achieve one of the higher point totals (Octopi), you'll receive the rewards for it, plus those for all the lesser totals.
MISSION 01 REWARDS 2 OCTOPI: Level Art Pack: Stills, Personal
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122 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.1UP.com
ng the chain gun 4-A3 HSW is hidde down in the ruined building neat
GOLDENEYE: ROGUE AGENT
Sidearm, GoldenEye Implant
3 OCTOPI: MP Map: Pump Room
4 OCTOPI: MP Skin: Auric Elite
5 OCTOPI: Level Art Pack Il, MP Modifier: Randomized Weapon
MISSION 02 REWARDS
2 OCTOPI: Level Art Pack: Stills
3 OCTOPI: MP Map: Carver's Press
4 OCTOPI: MP Skin: Dr. No Elite
5 OCTOPI: Level Art Pack Il, MP Modifier: Lethal Strike
MISSION 03 REWARDS
2 OCTOPI: Level Art Pack: Stills
3 OCTOPI: MP Map: Bathhouse
4 OCTOPI: MP Skin: Triad Informant
5 OCTOPI: Level Art Pack Il, MP Power-up:
Adrenaline
MISSION 04 REWARDS
2 OCTOPI: Level Art Pack: Stills 3 OCTOPI: MP Map: Midas Vault 4 OCTOPI: MP Model: Oddjob
5 OCTOPI: Level Art Pack Il, MP Power-up:
Regeneration
MISSION 05 REWARDS
2 OCTOPI: Level Art Pack: Stills
3 OCTOPI: MP Map: Turbine
4 OCTOPI: MP Skin: Xenia Onatopp
5 OCTOPI: Level Art Pack II, MP Power-up:
Eye Overcharge
STAS Stova
Health Pack
Еј
M13 Semi-Automatic ‘Shotgun
мз Grenado Launcher
ROGUE SCORE
MISSION 06 REWARDS
2 OCTOPI: Level Art Pack: Stills
3 OCTOPI: MP Map: Fissure Platform
4 OCTOPI: MP Skin: Lair Guard
5 OCTOPI: Level Art Pack Il, MP Modifier: Rapid Eye Recharge
MISSION 07 REWARDS
2 OCTOPI: Level Art Pack: Stills
3 OCTOPI: MP Map: Dr. No’s Reactor
4 OCTOPI: MP Skin: Dr. No
5 OCTOPI: Level Art Pack ІІ, MP Power-up: Speed Loader
MISSION 08 REWARDS
2 OCTOPI: Level Art Pack: Stills
3 OCTOPI: MP Map: GoldenEye's Retreat 4 OCTOPI: MP Skin: Lair Elite
5 OCTOPI: Level Art Pack Il, MP Modifier: Turbo
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DRAGON BALL Z: BUDOKAI 3 TOP 5 TRICKS
The real fun іп any Budokai title comes Kamehameha m ps2 when you begin to build custom Rarity: Common Grand Theft Auto: characters using the myriad capsules Where to Find: San Andreas
you can collect—520 in all in Budokai Gohan Scenario This is really easy money... 3. You earn capsules across the width Shop Price: NA
and breadth of the game by completing $250,000 & Full Health/Armor
During normal gameplay enter
sequences in dragon universe, world Soaring Dragon Strike s A ЕА tournament, and dragon arena modes. Rarity: Uncommon e Without pausing; Each character has capsules that Where to Find: Left, Down ы are unique. The following will get you Gohan Scenario Up, Left, Dow started with the capsules and their Shop Price: NA Right, Up. locations for Gohan and Trunks. Super Kamehameha Where to Find: oe ; Super Saiyan Gohan Scenario ( е Bard’s Tale Rarity: Rare Shop Price: NA Don't be a wimpy Bard! Where to Find: Gohan Scenario Breakthrough God Mode | Shop Price: NA Rarity: Special Gun and Rl Pet tigger Where to Find: [um | and Right trigger for Xbox) and Super Saiyan 2 From Shenron pis ipe E шы, Rarity: Rare (after collecting id К — Enter this code i Where to Find: Dragon Balls) ( while in the Gohan Scenario Shop Price: NA game.
Shop Price: NA
Elder Kai Unlock Ability Ik E PS2/XB
Rarity: Special m Shenror à BloodRayne 2
Where to Find: a we lecti Eire) :
Gohan Scenario à x s ; | If a vampire can cheat death, you
Shop Price: NA can cheat the game. Here's how to
unlock all powers from the start.
Enable All Powers For this code to work, go to the Cheat menu and = enter the code: Blank Ugly
GBA Pustule Eater.
W PS2
Neo Contra
Another Contra, another cheat code. The following code will grant you 19 lives to get started.
tin pic бу po 19 Lives
rry Smoothi At the Title screen press Up, Up, Down, Down, L1,
R1, L2, R2, L3,
R3.
a total of only
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OutRun2
The classics are beginning to make their way back into our homes and into our hearts. Here's a code for unlocking all
| cars. Enjoy. | | All Cars mw Heidi Shadows, the cheat ninja, can be Î mi You must consume the smoothies or The Club Xizzle password is available At the Gallery
short time in each. | cheat benefit. It's “Bucket.” enter DREAMING.
| found in several places but only for a | rosebud that you purchase to reap the in several ways. But, we'll just tell you: Password screen, | |
124 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY » www.1UP.com
W Get tricky with the bike.
PS2 GTA: San Andreas
(M) Must Be On 9V8Z-XGVC-1GWC6 990H-WK1H-EJQQM
Infinite Health (Cars blowing
up will kill you) HR8P-EEWZ-FO8Y1 WG0-49TN-6VKDV QDFP-YZ4Y-VW4EN T4WR-B767-4U1KR
Infinite Cash DW8G-VCHH-RC18R 7CKY-JU2W-FT26E 3UZG-MFX6-AQUB7
Infinite Ammo B9QH-FGA3-AW58X ARRU-2PWQ-PMRFW
Extra Ammo Y30Z-MZ67-5W5RY 5675-NBM0-12BNQ
Infinite Clip Ammo ZPAE-MKT6-DBM1X ZFCZ-FVNQ-HABKP
Extra Clip Ammo XFRA-EWJY-YB5QG A2D2-GNTW-AUHZU
PS2 Rumble Roses
(M) Must Be 0n WU95-MBRY-1J000 29C6-Q0ZW-93TG3
Player 1 Codes WOMP-XEXW-BE4N5
Infinite
Lethal/Killer Moves 7D2B-4TZV-U86EH GNWW-W8DK-WGH9J
No Lethal/Killer Moves NUCZ-HZ4E-4E37G TJ5G-79UG-GTVX2
Lethal Move Counter Always Full XG2T-HK7A-RNPCE AZEH-2ROC-FCH3B
Lethal Move
Counter Always Empty FOPF-W8MZ-7BAN8 60JU-UE51-K8CXQ
Humiliation
Gauge Empty 5VJ8-TWNB-K1NNP QT40-EWR9-CA6MH
Humiliation Gauge Full DAU6-5TJB-RFFW8 BDBX-CMNN-MJT9R 95HU-8RB7-T5VME WP9G-0DMM-MB4ZK
Enable All Costumes E7B7-49DP-99E4W 4JAG-YF6B-Z8PV9 1E6C-B7EY-FD3NZ
GC Mario Power Tennis
(M) Must Be On WV4D-GKV8-95VPP 83H2-HE4N-QXYNJ
Score Once
To Win Game E8WQ-G34Q-UT8B1 STTE-FJJJ-VZTUG E40N-6JNP-BJJDB UUP3-HUR1-MEWOD
All Trophies Earned TPW5-3COC-1DAXN 23E4-JK5R-43AE5
All Minigames Unlocked 22BR-FAX2-3C30C TMOG-F6NJ-XHAD5
All Characters Unlocked 6F2C-DEOK-X369Q E33D-VWJW-VJYRJ
W Pippin, don't be a hero. OK, do.
PS2 GTA: San Andreas
(M) Must Be 0n 98495ACF 789CFB15
Infinite Health 283CE3F7 6413F97C
Infinite Armor 283095B1 643AF9D6
Infinite Ammo
280948CF 0CA57A65 28094888 0CA57A65 28091340 0CA57A65 280913E6 0CA57A65
Infinite Run/Swim @86AA9A5 0CA57A56
Infinite Oxygen 28305174 DB137AAE
Infinite Mission Time 283386FF 0CA57A65
Max Money 286ABA68 B46AC23E 286ABAD6 B46AC23E
Cars Take No Damage 280Е080С F8AA7AF1 280ED872 0СА57А65
Never Be Busted 285С72А0 F8AA7AF1 28507288 0СА57А65
Don't Lose Weapons When Busted/Wasted 28034976 F8AA7AF1 28034964 0CA57A65
All Snapshots Taken 289A3D51 OCAS7AE8
All Tags Sprayed 287C8CCF 0CA57AB1
All Horseshoes Collected 289A3DA9 0CA57AE8
All Oysters Collected 289A3DFB OCAS7AE8
Wanted Level Always Zero 283D97D4 65D07A65
Wanted Level Always One 283D97D4 65D07AE8
Wanted Level Always Two 283D97D4 65D07AF9
Weather Always Foggy 187C77F7 OCAS7ASE 18707754 0CA57A5E
Weather Always Sunny (Heat Haze) 187C77F7 0CA57A65 18707754 0CA57A65
Weather Always Sunny (No Heat Haze) 187C77F7 0CA57A56 187C7754 0CA57A56
Weather Always Rainy 187C77F7 0CA57AF1 18767754 OCAS7AF1
PS2 The Lord
of the Rings: The Third Age
(M) Must Be 0n 93816D3A8261 02FF8391A489 80652C39EAA1
Good Hero Always Pippin 802С0В08В2С1
Good Hero Always Treebeard A8F910B8CC70 #%
Set phasers on crapfactor 11
ince this page is based entirely around
mocking games, you'd think I'd get more
death threats from people in the industry. Апа don’t get me wrong, PR people have said some ugly things to me. Like, “You don’t call for three weeks and then want to know if you left your underwear in my apartment? Go to hell!” And Рт Sorry, but VII change as soon as companies stop making bad games and hiring hot, hot girls to do all their public relations.
Back to the point: It’s my job to take cruel,
‘sometimes unethically nonresearched game criti- cism and put it somewhere where it can rock your
W As terrifying as it looks.
face. And Га hate crappy game developérs even if my profession didn't require it, but most of the ones І meet don't hate/me back. For example, at a recent party, afmember of the Lizzie McGuire (GBA) team/mentioned that my comical take on his awful
mess didn't hurt his feelings. 1
don't know how he managed to
invest so few emotions in a
lame project he was given
three weeks and $200 to
finish, but somehow...he
did it. —Seanbaby
To whomever thought to make this game, | have some questions. My first question is, you're an idiot. My sec- ond question is, if I'm overcoming my fear of being tied to railroad tracks, why am | in purple hot pants? Am | trying to derail the train at the last moment with my
| chiseled groin bulge? My third and most important question is: Why does this game start with a warning that these stunts were made for videogame use only and I shouldn't attempt them? You morons thought a show about attention whores eating goat dongs should be translated into a game, and now your brain has the balls to warn me not to “Survive Helicopter Havoc!”
in real life? 1 was just kicking a hooker's corpse in Grand Theft Auto for an hour and a half. Worry about me re-creating stunts from that game. Look, I've lost
"| enough turtles by putting them on the stairs and tragically jumping on them for unlimited 1-ups to know ^| how serious attempted videogame stunts can be.
That said, how would one even go about playing this Fear Factor nonsense at home? You try calling a pilot and saying, “Hi, would you mind dangling a rope ladder from your helicopter? I'm going to put on a bikini, fill my mouth with bees, and jump for it blindfolded! I'm playing Fear Factor on the Game Boy, only FOR REAL!”
Unleashed? How outrageous do they think | need my Game Boy to get? The leashed version will be just fine, madman.
126 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.1U
* PS2/XB/GC I'll never even know if this game is good. Because at least the first hour of it js taken up with a confronta- tionally unskippable tutorial. Why does every single thing | put in my Xbox think I’ve never heard of videogames? My only good theory is that this game gets off on imagining that it’s my first time. I'm Lemony Snicket's sick virgin fantasy. I'm sure there are several people out there who haven't encountered the unique puzzle game mechanic of crate shoving. However, for those of us familiar with it, give us a GET TO THE DAMN | GAME button. Worse, the instructions are written into the story, which is a cute way to insult my intelligence ‘and waste my time, but it comes at a cost. Explaining how to press the A button to jump without breaking the | literary flow apparently takes eight to nine paragraphs. Nothing else punishes consumers like this. Imagine if you bought a shirt, but to wear it you had to finish a worksheet proving that you know how to handle but- tons. Or a squirt gun that forced you to sit through a seminar on the fruitiness of water conservation. Strides in Child Abuse: At one point, the kids decide to drop a baby down a shaft and make it eat through steam pipes and asbestos until a door opens. So yes, | hate the game, but | was excited to be spearheading the most creative baby endangerment since Michael Jackson threatened to throw one out a window.
p
e GBA It's not unusual for me to play one of these games and only run into one type of enemy. Clearly, secret indus- try guidelines mandate that the first step in the bad- game-making process is NOT designing a second enemy type. But | always had that bit of doubt in the back of my mind that maybe if | hadn't just played it for 10 minutes to check if it was as bad as the box and title indicated, | would have seen something new.
Vil of course never know, because there's no one to ask. The only people who ever play these games are me and people so stupid they don’t actually exist. | gave it my all this time, though, and based on 45 minutes of research, Codename: Kids actually has only one opponent: a man with a jumpsuit and a soda pop cannon. And it's too bad he and his clones don't attack you with strobe lights, because this is the kind of game where you hope for a seizure just їо break the monotony.
Hot Tips and Tricks! During my desperate but bor- ing attempt at finding а second enemy, ! quit slowing down to kill the soda gunner and just took the hit as 1 ran through him. Even so, | never died. How bad did they think | was going to be at this? Honestly, it could not have been a clumsier gaming display if I'd sent my Game Boy back in time to go on a date with me when I was 15. sé
POTENT PORTABLES
(Solution on page 129)
ACROSS
1.
Remnant of a critical wound in Fable
7. Manhunt melee weapon
8. 12. 14. 15. 17.
19.
20. 21. 24. 26. 29.
30. 31
34. 36.
37. 40. 42.
8
Final Fantasy character class Rebecca dispenses it in Resident Evil Mega Man X4 boss _ Mushroom The Hulk’s radiation rays
What you must do to
your GBA to install a light
Like Windurstian
leaves in Final Fantasy XI Two-screen Nintendo portable Snake Eater Metal Gear
8 DOWN's concern
Master System’s Alien _ Prehistoric Xbox title that might be history
Gamer ID on Xbox Live Repetitive and boring,
like some rhythm games
PS1’s Eternal Blue
What Futurama’s Bender
does for a living
Multitasking Tiger handheld Common new-release day
Like some portables’ communication ports
Go long in Madden 2005
. Slang for “hides out” in
an FPS deathmatch Streets of Rage and Twisted Metal characters _-Man of Nintendo DS Pix
. GTA organization Sequel suffix
MLB hurler Midway's Area _, according to the Romans
. Gauntlet's little black plague . "90s Sega portable
Succumbs to 10 DOWN Anna to Tekker's Nina Talk like Catwoman?
‚ WWE maneuver . Need to find these cards
in Silent Hill 3 Seminal Nintendo portable Final Fantasy Ill knight
. Cars of NES Pro-Am . Stuntman challenge?
Lukewarm Nokia gaming platform
. Куа: Dark Lineage developer . Great place for a handheld
Prince of Persia locale, for one 33. “Synthesized” bait for KOTOR's rancor 35. " from your grave!" (Altered Beast) ” 38. EGM publisher, 2 for short A 39. Game Boy Zelda dungeon “Catfish’s _” 41. Street Fighter Cammy’s homeland
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When veteran editors attack
enior Editor Crispin Boyer and
Editor-in-Chief Dan “Shoe”
Hsu have been with Electronic Gaming Monthly since 1996, back when game consoles were powered by steam. But instead of letting them get all old-man in Final Word, telling us about how great gaming used to be, we get them arguing about current events.
Well, since | wouldn't have seen.its “meh” ending, I'd have to go with Halo 2. Plus, I'd be dying to play multiplayer. And the hype would've gotten to me. | can't avoid the game every gamer's been talk- ing about for years.
128 • ELECTRONIC,
Our senior editor's dream DS game,
Hey, if yourÁmemory's wiped, how can you remember the hype? You're not roleplaying right, Shoe—if that is your real name. | choose Halo 2, uh, too. Vice City burned me out on the GTA formu- la, and | was worried San Andreas would be the same old thing—just a lot bigger.
ritory. This game has
more “wow” moments—
Stuff like the casino heist
missions and the various vehicle schools—than | can remember. Halo 2...well, that big Scarab spiderbot was cool. Otherwise, it didn't deliver as many awesome moments as the original.
Wha-? Ра say Halo 2 delivered more "wow" moments than the original. The Scarab, the bridge stage, the big twist... But then again, Halo 7 had the beach
invasion, the Flood...that’s a tough cally But I'd pick San Andreas,too! The game gives, you so much to do and see and play...
Halo 2is more accessible and sup- ports more players and more online fea- tures, but if you boil iall down to the gameplay, I'll give the edge to Pandora. Halo 2 is solid; Pandora is revolutionary. Pandora's only problem is the steep learn- ing curve that'll turn off people with com- mitment problems.
I'm sure I'll eat my words when Nintendo-makes a Pikachu Petting
simulator for the DS.
1 guess it’s fot even a fair compari- son, We've seen Several GTAs on two dif- ferent platforms over the last few years. We've been waiting a while for Halo 2, so the anticipation’s higher.
San Andreas. All my fears abot it being the same old, same old were shat- tered when! started taking over, gang ter-
And that’s me. The snooty Pandora players shut me out of their little noob-slaying club from the get-go. Forget the revolutionary gameplay concept. It’s just not fun to get my neck snapped 10 times for every lucky kill | get off. Halo 2 is just more,fun for everybody.
Katamari Damacy (PS2). Оһ man, just mentioning the name of that loopy game gets its ridiculously catchy theme song in my head. "Na, па„паўпа, na, na, па, na, na, na, nayna, па, na!” Did | get the tune in,your head?
No. Now 1 have visions of you singing a really fruity song in a really fruity way.
My votes would be Ratchet & Clank:
Up Your Arsenal
(PS2), Otogi 2 (XB),
and probably most
of all, The Chronicles
of Riddick (XB). ھر
At least the DS canihelp you win that art-school-scholarship contest,
The launclititles are disappointing. Super Mario 64:DS is the best title so far, and that.game is 80-percent old news. But this is;just the beginning. | can't wait to see what the superstar developers do with. the machine, guys like Hideo Kojima (Metal Gear Solid) and Will Wright (Sims)... Those really creative types should do some cool things with the DS' unique features (touch screen, microphone, etc.).
Hmm. Can you say, "Virtual Boy 2"? OK, I'm exaggerating, but the DS still seems gimmicky to me. It's just awkward to use, the launch games are so weak, and I have a feeling that hardly any game makers will invent novel uses for vigorous screen rubbing. Until they do, I’m sitting this system out, Nintendo.
Boy, І can't wait to see you eat your words when some awesome Mario or Zelda DS game comes out, instantly mak- ing,it a must-own portable for real gamers. You are a real gamer, aren't you?
Hey, I'm playing Zelda: The Minish
Cap on the Game Boy Advance right now. It's a lot of fun and | didn’t spend $150 on a silly new system to play it. But I’m sure I'll eat my words
when Nintendo makes a
Pikachu Petting simulator for the DS and 10 million baby gamers beg their parents for the thing. ж
NEXT MONTH: MARCH • ISSUE *189
ON SALE FEBRUARY 8
ШЙ |
THE GAME
AN OFFER WE COULDN'T REFUSE
How could EGM turn down an exclusive first look at a game based on one of the greatest movies of all time? The mafia epic The Godfather is coming to current consoles, plus we've got exclusive Xbox 2 coverage of the next-gen version of the game. This is going to be one of the first Xbox 2 games we've gotten a good look at, so you don't want to miss it. If that isn't enough, we're starting a next-gen page to give you monthly updates on all the future consoles.
Speaking of new platforms, we're going to go in-depth on hot new PSP games in addition to getting specific
details on the U.S. PSP Launch.
Due to the popularity of our previous top 10 lists, and of lists in general, we're bringing you the top 10 greatest multiplayer games of all time as part of the countdown to our 200th issue. But that's just icing on the cake, as we're also bringing you EGM's Best and Worst of 2004 where we tell you about the year's cream and.crap, finally awarding our coveted Game of the Year award. There are a lot of contenders, so check back next issue to find out who took home the gold.
W Doom 3 (XB) Im Shadow of Rome (PS2) [ Xenosaga II (PS2)
a ч 32 (PS2/XB/GO) |
(All planned editorial content is subject to change.)
ADVERTISER INDEX POTENT 10 | Academy of Art University Ignition USA Sony Online Entertainment. www.academyart.edu ................. 127 ^ http/wwwignitionusa.com/ .........77,89 _ _умлызопуопшесот.................. л PORTABLES - Activision Intel Corp. Square Enix, Inc. www.activision.com ........ cr enr www.intel.com ..................... 125 WWW.Square-enix-usa.com ...........28-29 Capcom USA Inc, Konami Digital Ent Take 2 Interactive www.capcom.com ........31, 43, 70-71, 132 ıwww.konami.com .............. жаза Т. www.take2games.com ................. 79 Eidos Interactive, Inc LucasArts Entertainment TARGET STORES ‘www,eidos.com ....... a RN ea p yos a 1 www.ucasarts..om ...................17 www.getintothegame.com ........ m Electronic Arts Microsoft Corporation ‘THQ Inc. млммм.еа.сот...,.................. 023 www,microsofL.com ............ Aa» sta 97: этлтһд.сот....................... 87 Electronics Boutique/EB Catalog Namco Hometek Ubisoft Entertainment. www.ebgames.com ... .19, 33, 69, 85, 93, 131 WWW.NAMCO.COM .................. ...39 www.ubisoft.com ..... ,ء۰„ 65, 66-67 Enlight Interactive, Inc NISSAN MOTOR CORPORATION USA. Warner Home Video www.enlight.com ...... E мн | www.nissanusa,COm .................. 8-9 ‘www.warnerhomevideo.com ............107 - Nyko Technologies Inc World Entertainment Broad. (ARUSH Ent.) этмтмлуко.сот....................... 95 www.arushgames.com ...:......:. UTEM] Sega 0f America. Zingy Inc. WWW.Sega.COm .............,.20-21,50-51 WWW.ZINGY.COM ..................... 53 SCEA www.scea.com ........ 6-7, 15, 26a-26h, 47 rifv opment GCs er oti fere ap can Gorda one S and Оон, i PA ls БЕРЕШ, dee UN DE UR ghar rg svi Дандар; acres changes or 1o orter, ss iia us at ак
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ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www. 1UP.com • 129
VEU ^w» CHAN
NGAME DESIGNERS IN \
150 AND CHAN'S OFFICIAL WEBSITE — WWW. EVILMO
GREETINGS, VIDEO GAMERS! LOOK FOR FULL-LENGTH HSU & CHAN COMICS AT YOUR LOCAL COMIC SHOP! (OR ORDER ONLINE AT WWW.SLAVELABOR.COM.)
HELLO, VIDEO GAMERS, AND WELCOME, ONCE AGAIN, TO THE INNER SANCTUM OF TANAKA BROS, GAME. DEVELOPMENT, A PLACE WHERE
) THE IMPOSSIBLE BECOMES POSSIBLE,
AND THE UNREAL BECOMES REAL:
5 ARR
M. MOTION Sickness BE UPON ME!
UNFORTUNATELY, CHAN AND 1 ARE BOTH REALISTS, AND THOUGH WE COULD RELEASE А COMPETING MOBILE GAMING UNIT, THE TRUTH 15 THAT EVEN TANAKA BROS. GAME DEVELOPMENT 15
HEN, 6055. WE CAUGHT ANGTHER ООМРА - LOOMPA, IN THE
MOUSETRAPS,
Soo Knowl
TE DRILL- BURIAL Ar SEA!
Go, V DIRECT COMPETITION 15 OUT OF
THE QUESTION, HOW DOES A PERSON
BREAKIN TO THE MOBILE CONSOLE BUSINESS @
NO МАҢ FOR THE MARKETING Muscle BEHIND THE PSP oR DS!
IN DIRECT COMPETITION, THE WOULD TRAMPLE US INTO THE
GROUND, BURY US
WH SALT. ALSO,
EMPLOY A PINT-SIZED R
ASHES, AND Sow THE EARTH WE LAY IN
ITS A LITTLE-KNOWN
Єр THAT ONE OF OUR COMPETITORS HAS IN THEIR
ОНАМ.
CALLED "5ндмЁоск THE SHREW)’ wtb HAS BEEN KNOWN To BITE
wie DONT NEED THAT.
T5 Ац. know! J ARR!
WITH THE ADVENT OF VISOR- MOUNTED TELEVISION,
MOBILE PHONES, AND 40 oz. DRINKS THAT DON'T QUITE FIT IN STANDARD CUPHOLDERS, WERE LIVING IN А GOLDEN AGE OF INCAS DISTRACTION...
~ BUT ONLY THE TANAKA, BROTHERS HANE THE COURAGE TO ТАКЕ IT To THE
NEXT LEVEL!
„ ITALIAN, REMEMBER? NOW GET IN, WE'RE PLAYING VAMPIRE WRESTLING FEDERATION!" HE “GRAPPLE” BUTTON ALSO WORKS THE HORN, SO 6E. READY FOR
E.
NIE HAS NO
LAUNDRY, EITHER!
HE'S NAKED EXCEPT
FoR HIS LITTLE SHOES!
130 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com
PREPARE YOUR. UNDERPANTS, WEAK-
BLADDERED огиоо! 8
FOR THE MASEST ot.
THE GAME BUGGY FEATORES A 20" LCD MONITOR, DUAL ANALOG STICKS, ANTILOCK BRAKES, AND RUNS UNDER WINDOWS!
You LICENSED SOFTWARE FROM MicRosoF tT?
WHAT? NO, WINDOWS. PANES OF GLASS. THE FIRST PROTOTYPE HAD NO WAY TO SEE OUT. THE INITIAL RIVES DID NOT Go
TLL NEXT MONTH, VIDEO GAMERS, WE RIDE O
INTO THE FUTORE oF
GAMING /
AS THE GAMING COMMUNITY \S ONCE AGAIN BEING HELD FAST IN THE ICY GRIP OF PORTABLE GAMING MANIA, EXPECTATIONS ARE RUNNING HIGH! HEARTS Will BE BROKEN, CASH WILL BE MADE!
AND WE WANT IN ON At!
ER-- THE CASH PART
wwe GAME BUGGY ! “HE PORTABLE GAMING SYSTEM AMAT TAKES YOU ALONG WITH iv! FON FoR ALL! мо DRINKS ON THE LEATHER!
BUT THAT'S ALL BEHIND US NOW, AND ANY GAMER WITH A VALID DRIVER'S LICENSE OR LIFE INSUR- ANCE POLICY CAN HIT THE STREETS FoR SOME REAL GAMING ENJOYMENT!
i RIGHT ARNIE? VI HAVE y
To ром LAUNDRY,
Vh BE Beck IN A MINUTE.
COMING IN FEBRUARY gfe oe ТАУ
CALL 800.800.5166 FOR THE STORE NEAREST YOU OR VISIT US @ www.ebgames.cam
e We take games seriously ™ SEGA
GAMES electronics boutique’
Resident Evil reinvents itself as the series moves in a terrifying new direction. U.S. agent Leon Kennedy has been tasked to look into the abduction of the President’s daughter and his investigation has led him to a mysterious location in Europe. As Leon encounters unimaginable horrors, he must find out what is behind the terror.
э аал
One 0,
* Fast paced, edge of your seat action. * Fantastic 3D graphics and effects — never
* New behind the back camera view allows foi movement. s to team up and attack the player en mass.
Resident Evil looked so good...or so terrifying.
ie:
* Cunning enemies use their abi * Cor ndeer vehicles... but don't expect a safe ride.
^N
NINTENDO
Blood and Gore WWW.RESIDENTEVIL.COM GAMECUBE.
Intense Violence
@CAPCOM CO., LTD. 2005, CAPCOM U.S.A., INC. 2005 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. RESIDENT EVIL, CAPCOM and the CAPCOM LOGO are registered trademarks of CAPCOM CO., LTD. TM and ®, Nintendo GameCube are trademarks of Nintendo. © 2001 Nintendo. The ratings icon is a registered trademark of the Entertainment Software Association. All other trademarks are owned by their respective owners,
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