3 RATCHET: DEADLOCKED PHANTASY STAR МУЕКЗЕ 7. THE TRUE SEQUEL ТО PHANTASY STAR ONLINE Xie S. BEEN 1 Display Until May 2 May 2005 issue 191 $4.99 U.S. / $6.50 С о "14024 06960 "в WWW.1UP.COM “s. MLB’ 2006, where an arsenal of new features like Play Maker Fielding, Release Point Pitchingand enhanced Franchise Mode quickly separate the pros from the pretenders. Not to mention the only Career Mode where you can control your destiny by negotiating your salary or demanding a trade to an October contender. MLB 2006. Nothing is more true to the game. EVERYONE | _ Е гы ! www. ЭВ) SPORTS:com "nom ШШ Major League Baseball, Hall of Fame and Minor League Baseball trademarks and copyrights are used with permission of Major League Baseball Properties, Inc, and the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, Inc., logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. ©2005 Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. “PlayStation” and the “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer 2 with internal network connector, and Memory Card (8MB) (ог PlayStation 2) (each sold separately). Online icon is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. Nothing 15 more true to the game LIVE IN YOUR W-RLD. <> > PLAY IN OURS? respectively. Visit the official website at MLB.com. ©2005 MLBPA, Official Licensee- Major League Baseball Players Association. Visit the Players Choice on the web at www MLBPlayers.com. 989 Sports and the 989 Sports Entertainment Inc. "Live In Your World. Play tn Ours? is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment of America Inc, Online play requires Internet connection, Network Adaptor (for PlayStation 2) or PlayStation T€ | MPSon ç все Plan ІЛ ‘Association. Porsche, the Porsche cre Xbox Logo, Xbox Live, and In Forza Motorsport" it’s all about you and your car. Over 200 of the sickest racing machines to tune them to perfection. The power to take on the world on Xbox Live™ And the chance to show Because in this world, YOU ARE WHAT YOU RACE. imaginable. Infinite ways to customize them. The tools the competition what the back of your car looks like. MOTORSPORT www.forzamotorsport.net РС ЕМЕВУОМЕ Ш X Е 5 жеож CONTENT maren BY it's good to play together EIS T Нуап Blvd. THE MAKERS OF NEW TAG BODY SPRAY CANNOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR FLOODS OF OVER-EAGER LADIES. BE ADVISED TO MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND FOR CLEAREST SIGNAL, AND CARRY THIS CARD. aS E 2. 5 2 2 7%; 25 = 1 -2 мм. С: In the event of a dicey and/or sketchy situation involving TAG affected females, call immediately. No joke. TAG WARNED Introducing TAG™ Body Spray for Men. Uniquely designed to attract the ladies. contents issue 191 - May 2005 LETTERS 16 E-mail EGM@ziffdavis.com, but please no spam about pills or adding inches PRESS START The latest news, previews, features, and gaming gossip 22 SOUL CALIBUR III Meet the new playable characters for the sequel 24 NHL GAMES ON ICE? Is the lockout going to be a minor or a major penalty for hockey games? 26 SHADOW THE HEDGEHOG Move over, Sonic—we've got a new hedgehog in town, and he's got a gun 34 SOCOM 3 Just when you started to figure out the game, they've added more features 37 GEIST Be a ghost that possesses stuff? The power of Geist compels you! 38 NEXT-GEN CONSOLE REPORT We talk about the future consoles with a developer 42 THE LEGEND OF ZELDA He's all grows up, and he's all grows up 44 ONLINE Find out which old online games have stuck around 46 SONY MASCOT CHALLENGE 2005 A look at our pals Ratchet, Jak, and Sly 50 COUNTDOWN TO 200 A list of the most overrated games, just to piss you off 53 РАВІАН Create your own multiplayer maps in this ambitious shooter 54 ON THE AUCTION BLOCK Master Chief on a grilled cheese sandwich, anyone? 56 RUMOR MILL “...and then the PSP told the DS that she doesn't care what the N-Gage...” 61 HOT TEN A list of games that even makes Paris Hilton say, "That's hot" 62 COMING SOON The only calendar worthwhile to the hardcore gamer 68 MOVIE GAMES These previews won't take up hours of your life like those movie trailers 82 INSIDE THE PSP We break open its hard candy shell GAME OVER Funny reviews and funny pages 142 REST OF THE CRAP 144 HOW TO BUILD A SPY-PROOF BASE 146 FINAL WORD 147 CROSSWORD 148 NEXT MONTH 150 HSU & CHAN МИ р АНТА — STAR UNIVERSE You survived the J PH ғ addiction and went through the “babies are crawling on my ceiling” withdrawal—now get ready for the relapse. The sequel looks amazing. Disclaimer: Read with caution. When | wrote last month that the Nintendo DS is in trouble “mainstream- \ wise” when facing xe competition from Sony's d PSP it irked some hardcore Nintendo fans. I'm not apologizing for what | wrote, but woe is the editor who enters Mario’s gangland turf without some backup, so I'm explaining my thoughts more fully here. The PSP is a better designed machine, and the PlayStation brand is too strong, period. | challenge you to show any neutral party both the DS and PSP, then explain all the features (from DS’ touch screen to PSP’s MP3- and movie-playing capabilities) to gauge reaction. In fact, you could skip the explaining рап--1 know a lot of mainstream gamers who are sold on the PSP's big screen alone. And don't forget the Nintendo name doesn't have the same cachet it used to. Today, people know "PlayStation." That's not to say we don't respect Nintendo and what it does for gaming. The DS touch screen? Ingenious. Nintendo's games? They score higher than any other publisher's games in EGM. The company itself? I've said it before and ГИ say it again: It's the single best developer in the world. But all that stuff won't stop the DS from being No. 2 to the PSP in sales. And I'm not the only guy who predicts the PSP will be a mass-market monster— TheHollywoodReporter.com recently quoted an analyst saying Sony’s machine will crush Apple’s iPod. Next month, we'll give those N fans the ultimate peace offering: the first in-depth look at the next Zelda. If they only knew how hyped we are for this game, they'd stop accusing us of being anti-Nintendo. Heck, they might even ask us to join their gang. —Dan “Shoe” Hsu, Editor-in-Chief Ай 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, 10 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com GAMING MUSIC MOVIES MESSAGING GPS CAMERA m U Џ Џ UY 400MHz Processor CO M | N G - 128 Ви 30 Graphics Accelerator 3D Games Capability SOO N = Bluetooth 2 (Multiplayer Gaming) Windows Media Player 9 Mpeg 4 Playback MP3 Playback Stereo Headset Socket GPRS Class 10 Tri-Band GSM Removable SIM card WAP 2.0 SMS/MMS Send and Receive Polyphonic Ringtones Vibrate Mode Jpeg Camera 320x240 Pixel TFT Screen SD Card/MMC card Mini USB Port SiRF GPS GPS Tracking Application Satellite Navigation Flight Mode Removable Battery I CAN DO ANYTHING WWW.GIZMONDO.COM Е DAVIS Тіс! Dan "Shoe" Hsu yes, we're allergic to sunlight ditor Mark MacDonald Prev Reviews Editor Demian Linn Ne ditor Bryan Intihar International Editor John Ricciardi Intern James Lee DESIGN Art Director Monique Convertito Associate Art Director Stefan Belavy CONTRIBUTORS Tom Byron, Che Chou, Robert Coffey, John Davison, Jon Duc Chuck Ernst, Dana Jongewaard, Chris Kohler, Matt Leone, Thier Scooter" Nguyen, Jeremy Parish, Andrew Pfister, Ryan Scott, Gerry Serrano, Giancarlo Viaranini, Todd Zuniga Guest Reviewers Founder Steve Harris DAN "SHOE" HSU, Editor-in-Chief ROBERT ASHLEY Shoe broke his wrist while introducing a little SSX trickery into Robert wishes he President Scott C. McCarthy his real-life snowboarding. Now he’s limited to...ahem, one- could transport Group Creative Director Simon Cox handed activities. Let's just leave it at that, shall we? himself into the COPY DESK TUP:com Blog: egmshoe.1UPcom Тито play Ine p) Ks Greg Ford Susie Ochs Now Playing: Metal Gear Acid, Advance Wars 2, Phantasy Star (hopefully) next PRODUCTION Online Episode Ill: C.A.R.D. Revolution, Freecell (PC) Бета ton Manager Anne Мало Miguel Fave Genres: Currently, anything he can play with one hand tion Manager Teresa Newson CIRCULATION Though he back Gers uci its DSS am ncs MARK MACDONALD, Executive Editor У а od on] E “š Partnership Marketing Director Chris Wilkes After a hellish month sweating over our PSP launch feature, Joshua can't Senior Director of Advertising Sales Marci Yamaguchi Mark found stomping on the handheld for a stress test side- P. | seem to let the талу eee and Acct. Execs. bar—destroying it in the process—oddly enjoyable. "Revenge," Y days he spent at Northwest he says, “is a dish best served cold. And by my foot.” EGM go. Jott оова нолаю ніл ОА. 1UF.com Blog: egmmark.1UP.com (coming soon!) салды epee Now Playing: Ridge Racer, Lumines, Psychonauts, God of War SHAWN ELLIOT ка Дик Executive Rita Kline Fave Genres: Action, Adventure, Shooters Do you rerema D Г ry ТІГІ 2 5 ку A Ma MEM. мм, М5; а Regional Sale (in Sinclair JENNIFER TSAO, Managing Editor нү Қалы ады. Jennifer always makes а sincere effort to try out good games R / дате? Shawn ismod she might not normally play—which this month meant getting does. her Gran Turismo 4 game on. Luckily for drivers everywhere, there's no link between her videogame skills and real life. 1UP.com Blog: egmjennifer.1UP.com Management Мете DG ашны Now Playing: Psychonauts, Lumines, GT4 (poorly) g а се a + Y moved Greg to a Оре Fave Genres: RPG, Adventure, Action Sports, Rhythm-Action different place at mee си sam me Л Е the office, Has. ict Sales Manager Whitney Tipton 2 5 » anyone seen his Account Executive Jessica Reinert CRISPIN BOYER, Senior Editor | = 7 stapler? Like God of War anti-hero Kratos, Crispin has a harsh past he’s trying to forget (you try reviewing every Army Men game ever made). Kratos hit the high seas and had threesomes to dull his Nx JAMES LEE memories. At least Cris has a chance with the high-seas part. = The intern strug- 1UP com Blog: egmerispin.1URcom 4 5. M ca ШЕТЕН ве едда Now Playing: God of War, Lego Star Wars, Republic Commando ашп R 'anager Marc Callison Candace Droz Manager Matthew E. Panken ve Candace Droz GREG FORD Automotive - Detroit Coordinator Tipler Ubbelohde. ising Coordinator Jessica Reback inistrative Assistant Lynn Fortunato nt Kimberley Nicerio Tiffany Ort Research Director May Tong punctuation— Marketing Coordinator Jason Freidenfelds Fave Genres: Action, Adventure, RPG there are three To contact Sales and Advertising, please сай 415-547-8000 types of dashes?! ЗНАМЕ BETTENHAUSEN, Previews Editor Сапаш 8 2 While visiting Japan to check out Sega's Phantasy Star Universe | PATRICK MAURO President à C00 tW alane for the cover story, Shane indulged in some local comfort 4 ‘Syndicated radio лері Officer food—those creepy shrimp with the heads, legs, antennae still 4 || guy shaves the See өе Vico President intact. Man, those babies really tickle goin’ down. 5 | beard and gets Publishing Operations iUP.com Blog: egmshane.TUPcom Seride as. hpart Executiva Vice Presiden & Now Playing: Wipeout Pure, Tekken 5, God of War, Meteos SNACK әйнегі, Pta Din Aiae Ц Fave Genres: Action, Adventure, RPG, Fighting, Karaoke gaming. Executive Vice President, Counsel & Secretary ory Barton : " CHRISTIAN NUTT Presidents: DEMIAN LINN, Reviews Editor Christian was too Scott С. McCarth Demian sure would like to get some quality time in with his busy moving this PSP; from what he's seen it's a pretty sweet rig. But his girl- month to have his friend put her foot down. She needs it to play Lumines 24/7. . 3 picture taken. aene Alexander Technology а Sales Operations) 10р.сот Blog: egmdemian.1UP.com á Here's his stunt Now Playing: Brothers іп Arms, Lumines (watching, not play- NM double. ing), World of Warcraft (PC), NBA Street V3 Fave Genres: Action, Hockey, Racing, Fighting joymour (Enterprise Group) Young (Consumer Tech Group & Internet) up) 5 & Publisher, eWEEK) V Business Development, Game Group) i Director, Game Group) ig and Database Management) JOHN RICCIARDI EGM's man in Japan helped out BRYAN INTIHAR, News Editor with this month's | Lee (i Recently, the crew was chitchatting about Friends, and one а” cover story. Later, ЕНГІЗДІ Jackass editor called Bryan the “Joey” of EGM. So Big В went he choked on a Ек D out and bought a pair a glasses to look a little smarter. Is it shrimp. working? Drop him a line on his 1UP.com blog. TUF.com Blog: egmbryan.1UP.com Now Playing: God of War, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night JUSTIN SPEER ORelly (Cent ho Grou Editor in-Chief, CIO sight) Res 2 Емеп зеуеге Faye Genres: Action, Adventure rt: ction, Adventure, Sports weather delays Cue ат Stephen et Publisher C зен! Justin from hitting Lun mt Marketing Group) his monthly dead- Senior Direct, Manufacturing Caos Lugo Е аа: irector ot Corporate Communications Randy Zane The Contributors IT West Coast m DAVID 5. J. HODGSON feels bad for all the evil videogame overlords whose bases are infiltrat- Tema Specialist ek Kas ed by superspies again and again. So this month he has some tips for the architects. Wi Since their publications aren't as rad п ата on his masthead via e-mail да Dn imu id pem with that heart attack-inducing butter and helped out Жой, ve купшы anf lf ihe Siname. sinan W interpretor HIROKO MINAMOTO provided invaluable translation assistance for the Phantasy people at OFFICIAL U.S. PLAYSTATION иде Star Universe cover story. MAGAZINE and 1UP.COM write for us. E-mail subhelpGegmmag.com 12 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY е www.1UP.com - THE CONSPIRACY IS. .— ND LONGER A THEORY. а “4 OUT OF 5” ee e ТЕСНМОГОСТСАССУ OUTSTAN ".. NOTHING SHORT OF GORG = OFFICIAL PLAYSTATION MAGAZINE “..«ONE INCREDIBLE SHOOTER" = GAME INFORMER “...PLAYS LIKE THE BEST FPS YET ON THE PS2” - PLAYSTATION MAGAZINE “COULD BE YOUR SECOND HALO’ = ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY Discover the mind-blowing truth about UFOs, Roswell, alien autopsies and more as you blast your way through the US government's most secret and secure military facility: Area 51. Battle an enemy unlike Mutate and experience Intensify the action with anything you've ever faced. amazing alien abilities. online multiplayer combat. JDMIDWAY Blood - б: Intense Violence ж LIVE cr Aries p PlayStation.2 Strong Language хвох Rent ge BROADBAND ONLY) SR е SOFTWARE Area 51 © 2005 Midway Games West Inc. АП rights reserved. Area 51 is a trademark of Midway Games West Inc. MIDWAY, and the Midway logos are registered trademarks of Midway Amusement Games, LLC. Used by permission. GameSpy and the POWERED BY "Powered by GameSpy’ design are trademarks of GameSpy Industries, Inc. All rights reserved. Distributed under license by Midway Home Entertainment Inc. "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment е Inc. The Online icon is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. Online play requires internet connection, Network Adaptor (ог PlayStation 2) and Memory Card (8MB) (ог PlayStation 2) (each sold separately). Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox Live, the Live logo, and the Xbox logos are registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries and are used under license from Microsoft. www.namco.com Blood Strong Language | SOFTWARE хеви LIE DOWN. PLAY DEAD. "GOOD BOY. и i that time heals all wounds, * Jack Slates about to peel hack the scabs. In this NI AIM лес гуу RO дист: —— аа EYA ааа „COMMAND SHADOW IN REAL TIME. ае DEADTORIGHTS2.COM ranting, raving, and а crummy child antiaccomplishment and send it your way. Hook the kid up. of the month --Магк апа Addy McKool OK, good. Congrats, Zach. Holding Pattern (EGM #190) reported the f lled and stalled hits but Кеке я game status of cancelled and stalled hi 4 и as good as the You suck, you crummy little baby. (Hey, the didn’t cover Final Fantasy XII. What's one you're kid plays on Live—he's used to it.) happening with it? getting from our —Jason Nicholayson А: grab bag child , х (unless it's a My wee bro Addy is an absolute Halo 2 / Previews editor and stinker), and fanatic and (pre)schools people of all Í ^ | resident RPG Бий Shane you'll have no ages online (embarrassingly, even А Bettenhausen says: trouble paying myself). However, when he's not \ “Square Enix never off those loans. exploring every corner of each map really committed to a and exploiting every glitch in the game, date here in the United States, but the game Supposed to ship before the end of amounts to audio ads for crappy “artists.” has definitely slipped March 2005). Frankly, we're not sure Fine, l'II turn it off, but what about these from its announced what’s up with the game. We’ve seen no announcers? Every EA Big franchise is filled Japanese date (it new screenshots since last May, and with some idiot's slangified sound bites, so was we've also heard rumblings of internal I'm forced to play with sound effects he sets silly goals for himself—for instance, tallying -200 kills. He also asked me to take a photo of his ри strife within the development team. Still, alone. | suppose | should've seen this E we expect Square Enix to get its act coming when Crüe Ball came out all those 4 together and ship the game before the years ago. end of 2005” —Phil An Xbox custom soundtrack is your bleed ears’ best friend. Otherwise, we're with a Not to jump on the EA-bashing you: Unless its playlist is as diverse as Е IN bandwagon, but my ears have had Grand Theft Auto’s, a game should stick enough; EA Trax contaminates with noncommercial cuts. FFXII; Braving everything EA touches. NFL fursecution to fulfill Street had instrumental tunes Technical your fantasies, NFL Street 2 barrages you with what | purchased a 36-inch Sony Wega HDTV POST OFFICE Rambling and ranting from our message boards, boards.1URcom (look for Electronic Gaming Monthly's forums) CONTACT EGM E-mail us at EGM@ziffdavis.com—if your subject line doesn’t mention renegotiating home mortgages, we'll Camdude12: What's it gonna take to Tanklor: EA creates a console. 4 A Or write to: convince you to get this game? Hell, even if you don't dig the Metal Gear DevilDarkness: Nintendo announces its Solid series, you've gotta get it. new Legend of Zelda is actually а [next-generation console] Revolution HymenCrusher: Гуе never finished а launch title. Splinter Cell. I've gotten halfway on each of the previous installments and lost Kaiser1245: ...Ог that Nintendo has interest twice. The A.I. is too anal. followed Sega’s suit and canceled its next console. EGM Letters 101 2nd Street, 8th Floor San Francisco, CA 94105 СОТ BEEF? If there’s a problem with your subscription, or if you'd just like to say, “Gosh darn, your partnership with the U.S. Postal Service sure is bearing delicious fruit," here's how to do it: Xavi: Damn, this board is full of haters. Maleficentogre: Instead of bluffing in a Magicthighs: | skipped the first Splinter big story, introduce it in one of those - Cell, but after playing Pandora Tomorrow, tiny news tickers along the bottom of = Sam Fisher post-Denny's dinner: “Keep а Рт converted. | love Metal Gear, but the page. lookout—this'll just take a minute.” Sam’s series is just as good, although for completely different reasons. Roboman: Nintendo goes online. E-mail: subhelp@egmmag.com Website: http://service.egmmag.com Phone toll-free: (800) 779-1174 Old-fashioned way: P.0. Box 55722 Boulder, CO 80322-5722 Play Sam again Is sneak-em-up Splinter Cell Chaos Fools’ gold Xehirut: Sheng Long as a secret Theory your spy bag? Got a great April Fools’ gag? character in Street Fighter Anniversary Collection. BACK ISSUES? E-mail back_issues@ziffdavis.com to order old issues. Dead_In_Red: | didn’t buy the last game Xavvi: Halo hero Master Chief as an when the scores were 10/9.5/9.5, so why unlockable character in the new Soul Disappeared: How to unlock Halo 25 would | now? Calibur. real, hidden ending. 16 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com ' номе Violence Drug Reference = хе А ВОМИЗ САЦЕКУ Going the extra mile Юг love of the game Joan of Arcade To welcome candidates into ou Catholic youth group community, we all dressed up in costumes. Of course, 1 jumped at the chance to pay tribute to arcade classic Arkanoid. —Franco Chan But does it double as a confession booth? Regardless, the end is nigh. last year. | chose the 4:3 screen over the 16:9, but I'm wondering if | made the right long-term choice. Most movies are already made in widescreen format, and with high-definition DVD on the horizon, how long can it be before console games make the same leap to a higher dedicated standard? Are 4:3 televisions an endangered species where gaming is concerned, or will Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo continue to play it safe with all of us who own the old standard? —Aaron Marshall You can have the best of both worlds either way, since 4:3 televisions usually have a widescreen mode and vice versa. But looking ahead, 16:9 is probably the way to go. Of course, no game will require it, but more and more are taking advantage of it. Block! Two weeks ago, | tried renting Prince of Persia: Warrior Within for GameCube, but the Hot seat Behold my masterpiece, built for the sole purpose of playing Gran Turismo 4. It houses a true T-frame racing seat complete with a Mazda RX-7 slider, along with a Logitech Driving Force Pro wheel, and is constructed entirely from aluminum. Oh, and it’s set up in front of a 50” Panasonic LCD screen. -Joe Corona cashier carded me (I'm a minor). One week later, | tried my luck again—same game, same location, but the Xbox version instead—and guess what? They let me rent it! In other words, they automatically assume us GameCube owners are underage. —John Kurelek Sure, John, but didn’t you just say that you are underage? talk At one time, | could drop by a mom-and-pop game shop and shoot the breeze with fellow fanboys. Nowadays, it’s all presales, warranties, magazine subs, and discount cards. | can’t walk into a major retailer without some on-commission clerk shoving offers in my face. Back then, we were fellow enthusiasts; today, they're only enthusiastic about taking my money. —Giunta Core Have you preordered the new Legend of Zelda yet? 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 PRESIDENT EVIL: 4 MORE YEARS Pixel painter И gaming wasn’t already a form of art, it will be...now that Рт concentrating on doing a series of drawings and paintings about gaming culture. Here’s to the art history books of the future that'll showcase Metal Gear Solid’s influence and innovation. —Bobby Charalampidis April foolery Boy, | can't wait for the first of April so | can preorder the new Legend of Zelda and get that wicked remade Wind Waker bonus [See last issue—Ed.). | won't sleep the night before, but luckily the denuded Dead or Alive: Xtreme Beach Volleyball gals will be there to keep me company, and I'll probably kill time (and Sonic and Tails) by firing up Super Smash Bros. Melee, too. Then, when it's time to go, ІІІ put on ту trusty GameShortz and race to the neighborhood GameCrazy like Gandalf on a runaway go-kart. --Куо Locke April foolery | hate you! | actually fell for your April Fools’ gag (getting a graphically updated The Wind Waker with a Zelda preorder). EB Games’ clerks looked at me like | was an idiot when | asked "вт about it. | felt like an even bigger bozo when | went home to reread the story and realized I'd been had —Josh XS Mad hatter I've been crafting, crocheting, and costuming for years, and when | came across the cute and quirky Katamari Damacy, | пай to make a hat. Since people seem to want them, I've decided to sell some. Prices, ordering info, and eBay notices are at www.mad-teaparty.net. —Xiola April foolery When l saw the April article about the Zelda bonus disc, | was elated, ecstatic even. But the more | thought about it, the more | thought, “Тпеу ге yanking my chain.” The more | thought about that, the more | thought about yanking the rip cord of my chain saw and laying waste to your offices. Heartless jerks. —Jon W Provided with a possibly corrupt cabinet's sketchy intelligence, U.S. President George W. Bush investigates a remote, ramshackle hamlet for weapons of mass destruction. Once inside, the commander in chief makes a startling discover! —Јавоп Lee God knows what horrors await the beleaguered man, but judging by the box, we’d say a guerrilla Photoshop lab of some sort. „7 сварсом | You bought the San Andreas Sasquatch дад but called BS оп this? ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com ° 19 Blood and Gore Intense Violence Nudity Sexual Themes God of Waris a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. ©2005 Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. Strong Language f PlayStation" and the “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. “Live InYour World. ` Рауйп Ours’ is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment America лв. | LIVE IN YOUR WXRLD 47 PLAY IN GURS? PlayStation 2 SOUL 2 Soul survivor ighting-game fans know that Soul Calibur feels better than — — most other fighters, but can they actually explain why? Luckily, the game's producer can: “We have a staff ‘of human-movement experts who ani- mate each character and a separate team that incorporates these moves into the game, matching intuitive controls to them and drawing out the unique- hess of each character’s combat style,” says Soul Calibur III Producer Hiroaki Yotoriyama. “Finally, another team adjusts and optimizes it all in order to ensure bal- ance. It seems easy when | explain it, but the process wouldn’t be possible without effective coordination between the entire staff.” But the perfection- ism pays off: Even the second Soul Calibur’s blade-based martial artistry is still unsurpassed—and that’s in a mar- ketplace where feature-packed Tekken 5 drop-kicks jaws to the dojo floor and Dead or Alive Ultimate dishes up semi- nude minxes (not to mention photo-real- istic 3D elephants), Stellar gameplay might be the series’ secret weapon, but cool visual trappings are crucial, too. Soul Calibur III wil fur- ther up the ante for the series, with bizarre new characters and lush, beautiful fighting arenas. ^We've greatly improved presentation and style," Yotoriyama says. "Environments are much more expres- sive and dynamic, with destructible walls and floors." But while the producer Setsuka She can really accessorize: Her parasol be- comes a sword. | 22 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.1UP.com ,, CALIBUR || gaming news, previews, green-beret eating, and other stuff FIRST LOOK: Publisher: Namco Developer: Namco Release Date: Fall 2005 is happy to talk about how his team does what it does, he’s tight-lipped about the what and why. Why, for instance, no online support? Why is the game for PS2 only, when Soul Calibur II for GameCube outsold the version on Sony's system? We did, however, dig up this much: Soul Calibur Ill's cast will feature every character from previous installments in the series, including big brute Rock, crackerjack Chinese swordsman Hwang, and prissy French fencer Raphael (who, if you’re fol- lowing the yarn about pos- sessed souls and stuff, reigned supreme at the close of the last chapter) along with never-before- seen bruisers Zasalamel (Gesundheit!), Tira, and Setsuka. Again, Yotoriyama would rather the world “see it with their own eyes” at this May’s E3 games expo in Los Angeles, but we're expecting the unexpected. While other fighters’ hard- э ened hooligans are often а variations опа few familiar themes, Soul Calibur's tend to please players of all temperaments and tastes. And if none of these fit your favored style of swordplay, you can make your own, selecting sex, costumes, and specialty weapons. “It's definitely unlike any fighting game you've seen before. It's incredible,” says Yotoriyama, “| promise.” This Cirque du Soleil-ish gal wields a deadly circular blade. —Shawn Elliott | The thrill of com- hat meets a relaxing trip dawn the river. It's good to see that Так! hasn't clued in to the fact that Lycra went outta style in 1986. Don't Like These Characters? Make Your Own. Take it from Tekken 5 (page 130): Grooming tough guys with tribal tats and designer gear is so now. Rumor has it that Soul Calibur III's story mode takes the trend a side step further, letting fighting fashionistas build and beautify their own characters (as if S&M model Voldo needed a makeover) with an assortment of spe- cialty weapons, warrior couture, and even combat styles nicked from the already available cast. Imagine long-legged Ivy in Voldo's exhibitionist stances and hold that thought. 4% A one-eyed Moorish knight with a scythe? Sure, why not. NHL GAMES ON ICE? How the NHL lockout is affecting next season's hockey titles he National Hockey League is calling it quits...for now. After а bitter 153-day lockout in which players and team owners couldn't come to a labor agreement, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman canceled the entire season. And with the 2005-06 season still very much in question, there’s concern that some companies will stop creating new hockey games. Well, puck fans, you can rest easy: Even if there’s no pro hockey to watch this fall, there will be plenty of action on your console’s frozen pond. “The [NHL] lockout is not affecting our future prod- ucts as much as people think,” says Electronic Arts’ David Littman, a member of the NHL development team. “We are currently working оп NHL 2006 and trying to make it the most fun and authentic hockey game that we can.” 2K Games, maker of the NHL 2K series, is also going ahead as planned. “It’s really unfortunate that the lockout had to happen,” says 2K Games Project Manager Ben Bishop. “But we are deep into designing new features and modes to maintain the best hockey game on any console.” Seems like the NHL could learn a thing or two from these devoted developers... —Todd Zuniga Has the NHL lockout soured you on the next batch of hockey games? Totally—my $50. will be spent elsewhere 42% Heck no— see you at center ice Source: 1ИРсот poll, 2/05 Photograph by Craig Jones/Getty Images 24 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com GRUDGE MATCH Goin' commando STAR WARS: ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER REPUBLIC COMMANDO IN COMMANDO Around these parts, we don’t take the title of “commando” lightly. It's a rank you've got to earn through excessive military posturing and implausible killing sprees. So to see if LucasArts’ new squad-based 5, we're going to the ultimate source: pre-gubernatorial Ahhhhhnold. TIME LINE Conceptually unpredictable period between Episode Папа III Awesome period between Conan and Total Recall Advantage: Arnold BACKUP Spunky stewardess with а rocket launcher Advantage: Arnold ABILITIES d EH Commanding allies with the D-pad Three other Jango Fett-ish pals Mass murder, bulldozing for fun and profit Advantage: Arnold OPPOSITION General Grievous. Get it? His name's Grievous and he’s a bad guy Advantage: Draw Mesh-wearing ex-friend turned fabulously evil Advantage: Draw AS A GAME Halo, Metroid Prime, and SOCOM meet Star Wars Advantage: Star Wars If it existed, we'd keep replaying the part where the guy gets an ax in the nuts >> WATCH OUT, EA—UBISOFT HAS ANNOUNCED THAT IT WILL START MAKING SPORTS GAMES. FIRST UP IS A GOLF TITLE FEATURING THE WORLD'S NO. 1 PLAYER, VIJAY SINGH... >> 14 ONE. ONE 4 ALL. Action RPG Combat Wireless Multiplayer Gameplay Original Fantasy Adventure Wield your blade and cast powerful spells Connect directly to other PSP handheld Battle powerful creatures and save the city of Aven in this action-packed, hack ‘n’ slash RPG. systems and play with your friends. to unravel the mysteries of an ancient planet. Untold Legends”: Brotherhood of the Blade" is classic RPG action available at launch for the PSP™ handheld entertainment system. Choose from among four unique character classes and journey to the fantasy world of Aven to battle powerful creatures and unravel the mysteries of an ancient planet. Experience on-the-go hack ‘n’ slash combat or join cooperative multiplayer battles via wireless gameplay as you venture through beautiful 3D environments and discover rich treasures in this completely original fantasy adventure. Fantasy Violence WWW.UNTOLDLECESNDS.CONI SONY ONLINE ENTERTAINMENT ESRB CONTENT RATING _www.estb.org © 2005 Sony Online E f the Blade are trademarks of Sony Online Entertainment inc. All Rights Reserved. PSP is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. 5 icon is a trademark of the Entertainment Software Association. Memory Stick Duo™ may be required (sold separately). @ press stərt PS2/XB/GC 8 м! 4 а m “ҒЫТ ЖГ” ШҮ Sonic loses his lock оп Ше lead role ega Studio U.S.A.'s Takashi lizuka Н smiles wanly before debuting the first footage of Shadow the Hedgehog. At first, lizuka wants to see EGM's reaction to the video, but curiosity overtakes him and he scrambles around the conference table to check out the footage again for himself. The most sur- prising thing about the game—besides the fact that Shadow, not Sonic, is the star—is that this mascot’s packing heat. Yes, Shadow the Hedgehog is Sonic gameplay blended with a darker style, courtesy of the series’ antihero. “The goal of the team was to bring Shadow to the forefront and present his history and let the users know what he’s all about,” lizuka notes. It's obvious that Sega hopes to capture a slightly older, more sophisti- cated audience with this game. Who can blame it? The moodier style of Sony's Jak II certainly attracted attention. Clearly, narrative will play a bigger role in this adventure than it has in the previ- ous Sonic games. We know that Shadow was originally the product of a dark exper- iment designed to engineer the ultimate life-form—which apparently is a prickly, angsty fur ball in the Sonic world—and that this game's tale will delve deeply into his true nature. According to lizuka, "Many people find Shadow as appealing as Sonic.” That explains his bump up from special guest star to leading manimal. Starting with Sonic Adventure 2, the Sonic series has offered choices between 26 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY ® www.1UP.com “hero” and “dark” paths. Now, the devel- opers are pushing that ambiguity even further. Game flow is more open-ended, and Shadow’s actions will directly influ- ence the story, a la Knights of the Old Republic. “Going toward being a villain or being a hero—that's left up to the user,” says lizuka. “You just go and make your own decisions...and it unfolds as you play the game.” Of course, it wouldn't pay to stray too far from the Sonic formula. Shadow will have all the moves of his archrival and more. “With Shadow, we are incorporating things that are bigger and grander in terms of powers compared to Sonic,” lizuka adds. Platforms for hopping, wickedly curving spirals for sprinting, and obstacles for avoiding all provide the usual challenges—but according to lizuka, “Each level has its own feeling and its own way of play, so it's definitely going to be a departure from what you've seen.” And then, of course, we come to Shadow's new sidearm. This opens the delicious possibility of a multiplayer mode. While lizuka was unwilling to confirm or deny this, he did muse that “it would probably be really fun to play death- match with more than one player...we'll leave it at that.” Hey, it worked for Ratchet & Clank, right? —Christian Nutt Combat always felt kind of loose and...optional in past Sonic games. In Shadow, prepare to actually fight. = Pistol packin’ mascots: A modern evolution or misguided marketing gone awry? Fans will ultimately be the judge... В | P d әм? ын e ааа ан MUT OF у A + YOUR Мао шті, 0 аим Y = С ii: № N ç, SONIC SPIN-OFF HIGH JINKS Shadow isn’t the first spin-off in Sonic’s 14-year history... Platforms: Saturn, PC Genre: Racing Memorable feature: European pop soundtrack—with vocals! Lasting legacy: Racing games are fun, but footrace games...not so much. Neither this nor a similar PS1 title, Running Wild, found many fans. Platform: Sega 32X Genre: Platformer Memorable feature: Playing as two mascots tied together. Kinky. Lasting legacy: Chaotix’s third-rate costars faded into obscurity...until the whole motley crew reunited in Sonic Heroes. Shame about that. ills Adventures Platform: Game Gear Genre: Platformer Memorable feature: Imagine Sonic, but slower...and-starring a Фрру fox. Lasting legacy: Somehow this chirpy fox went on to star in other games like Tails’ Sky Patrol and Tails & the Music Maker. A travesty, really. 4%. Shadow's constant gunplay will likely earn the game a Teen ESRB В WHAT GAMES WILL GET THIS RATING? ESRB PREZ PATRICIA VANCE SAYS, “...RACING GAMES WITH MORE EXTREME CRASHES OR FIGHTING GAMES WITH SUPEREROES." UHH, ОК.... ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY е www.1UP.com • 27 МІВ 2005 [. * ‘four Team Boston Red 50x% Opponent St, Louis cardinals т-тле----тлет | All 30 teams and logos Team Management Fast ball high and inside for Updated rosters with players ў a strike! from all MLB teams j and game-play Play as your favorite MLB'team — updated with the 2005 rosters. Features also include pitcher stamina, power/aim meters, team management capability, and soünd effects. Behind-the-plate spective puts you.on the field for exciting mobile baseball action. Rip a 100mph fastball and до PIAMDAT mobile www.jamdat.com Choice on the web at tive owners and used .com4x2005 JAMDAT Mobile Inc. All Rights Reserved. JAMDAT, JAMDAT Mobile and the bubblo l0go are ЗАМОТог trademarks are the property of their respective owners and are ү ОШОО ч سمس — EGM INTERNATIONAL Nobody understands me exce pt for my robot PS2 A.C.E.: ANOTHER CENTURY’S EPISODE What's so ace about А.С.Е.? Well, it's the first robot game in recent memory that isn’t a strategy sim and, more importantly, it's actually a bit of fun to play. Imagine Zone of the Enders (PS2) with licensed mechanical hulks from nine different anime series (Gundam and Brain Powered, just to name a few), and you'll get a sense of A.C.E. Sure, the graphics don't quite match 20Е5, but the lightning-fast gameplay here (courtesy of the Armored Core folks) more than makes up the difference. Does it have a snowball's chance in пей of coming here? Tough to say: Although Armored Core has a die-hard American fan base, the complex licensing behind A.C.E.'s lineup could make it hard for any U.S. publisher to touch. GBA SUPER ROBOT WARS: ORIGINAL GENERATION 2 An arcadey robot game? That's not hard- core enough! Then how about the latest in the Super Robot Wars series—the ultimate shrine to robot freaks worldwide packed into a conve- nient strategy-RPG form and released in Japan at the rate of one every nine months? The "Original Generation" subtitle means that this game doesn't use any licensed characters. Rather, it's a whole new story, with 38 different robot units and enough depth to rival the most hyperdetailed of war games. That'd make it easier to release here, right? Sure, but even if Original Generation 2 doesn't make it Stateside, the game is so visu- ally impressive that it's worth importing. Platform: PlayStation 2 Publisher: Sierra. Developer: Swordfish Release Date: April 2005 COLD WINTER After several damaging delays (including the bankruptcy of the original developer, Rage Software), this ambitious first- person shooter will finally see release this April, some four years after the project began. Winter casts you as a British MI6 agent caught spying in China—after a daring escape, you must find your way to safety. Detailed environments, real-life weapons, and acutely intelligent enemies make it a tense game of survival, and the ability to target (and messily blow away) specific body parts imparts a gritty, gory sense of realism. Factor in fast-paced, cus- tomizable online action for up to eight players, and this could be a serious sleeper hit... 2 >> DEVELOPER LEVEL 5, MAKER OF THE DARK CLOUD SERIES AND THE УЕТ-ТО-ВЕ RELE; p 30 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com WHAT'S PLAYING IN THE COMPUTER САМИИС Man alive, is this Ше deadest time of the year on the computer side of things, But since I'm a “glass is half full” kind of guy, I'm gonna use this software drought to go back and catch up on the PC titles 1 might have missed. Painkiller | Why do they call it Painkiller? Because no other game blunts the serrated edge of existential angst quite like this orgy of sweet carnage. DreamCatcher’s first-person shooter stays competitive with the likes of Half-Life 2and Doom З thanks to its gorgeous, incredibly inventive level design, an extra circle of hell's worth of insane monsters, and the best set of weapons since the orig- inal Half-Life. Also, optional per-level goals and a strategic tarot card subgame add some much-needed challenge and depth to Painkiller. The Sims 2: University Playing this one doesn’t so much let me catch up on EA's Ше sim as it lets me rediscover it. The first in the inevitable five years of expansion packs, University probably adds more meaningful content than all the add- ons for the first Sims combined. There's a whole new life age, a ton of new behaviors (including a bunch of pranks), new careers, objects...the list goes on and on. The only notable omission: no “Thank you, sir, may І have another” fraternity paddle initia- tions. Oh well, at least | can now enjoy zombies and a man-eating cow plant. Seriously. —Robert Coffey, Computer Gaming World ASED DRAGON QUEST VIII, SAYS ІТ IS NOW WORKING ON NEW RPGS FOR BOTH PS2 AND PSP... => How is Tekken” celebrating ten years of genre domination? With better graphics, more playable characters, all-new customization modes and over-the-top combos # т шей | ROO / that will bring even the strongest fighters to their knees. Plus, а bonus action game, Е „> 27 Ока S Tekken: Devil Within, reveals the secrets of Jin's past. Settle your differences оп TEKKEN <> 2 v 5 the PlayStation"2 computer entertainment system. DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES? ы tekken5.namco.com Language Sexual Themes Use of Alcohol and Tobacco py Violence PlayStation. ТЕККЕМ 5 & ©1994 1995 1996 1999 2001 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 of the Entertainment Software Association, All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners. А portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Warrior Foundation NOVALOGIC. © 2005 NovaLogic, Inc. Novalogic, the NovaLogic logo, Delta Force, Black Hawk Down and the Delta Force - Black Hawk Down logo are registered trademarks of NovaLogic, Inc. “PlayStation” and the “PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Ine. Online play requires internet connection, Network Adaptor (ог PlayStation 2) and Memory Card (MB) (lor PlayStation 2) (each sold separately). The Online icon is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. Xbox, Xbox Live, the Live logo and the Xbox logos are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. GameSpy and the "Powered by GameSpy" design are trademarks of GameSpy Industries. All rights reserved, All other trademarks and logos are property of their respective owners, No battle plan survives First COffact with the enemy. War is hell but that's what you've trained FORM Thrust into the middle of a brutal conflict, your skills as а бреста Forces Operator are tested to the max. Carry out INTENSE SINGLE PLAYER MISSTORS based on real life events, or challenge others in the LARGEST ONLINE GAMES EVER SEEN ON CONSOLES = ) ( www. blackhawkdownthegame.com кана =. PlayStation.e XS Live layStation 2 Publisher: Sony CEA Developer: Zipper Interactive Release Date: Fall 2005 Buckle up and dive in veryone always complains about games that teach you how to kill— like it’s a bad thing. What about SOCOM? According to develop- er Zipper Interactive, for every five recruits who attempt the rigorous training required to become a member of the U.S. Navy SEALs— the all-weather badasses sent on the clandes- tine missions too hairy for regular soldiers— three are there because they've played Sony’s popular squad shooter, either online or off. And that’s a good thing. In addition to understanding the value of a good stealth kill and a solid head shot, SOCOM vets already know how to work as a team, issuing orders to squadmates (via menus or the optional USB headset), rescuing hostages, rigging explo- sives—the sort of stuff that keeps our real-life world safe (for us good guys, anyway). So what's left for future trainees and armchair commandos to learn this fall when SOCOM 3 hits the PS2? Plenty: “Vehicles have been something people have wanted since the first SOCOM,” says design- er Scott Rudi, “and we're finally getting them in.” Players can get behind the wheels (and guns) of almost 20 mean machines: dune buggies, Hummers, boats, even (yes!) tanks. If you get tired of driving, you can always let one of your АЈ. squadmates take over the wheel while you man a turret, but Rudi says SOCOM 3 never turns into the typ- ical on-rails shooting gallery. “ Call of Duty said they have vehicles and you end up, like, riding in the backseat of a Volkswagen for two missions,” he says. “That's not us. If you want to stop and get out [at any time] it's no problem.” utes before they spend nine weeks learning how to SCUBA dive (they are called SEALs, after all). But SOCOM 3is the first game in the series that actually lets you get your feet wet. Walk right into rivers and lakes to wade across them or submerge yourself and move to avoid being seen. 17 Be careful, your vehicles can take damage and ultimately be destroyed. Being comfortable in the water is a big part of what separates SEALs from other Special Forces units—candidates must be able to swim 500 yards in under 12 min- Swamp Thing is back...and he’s pissed. SOCOM has always offered a choice of various tools to get the job done—pistols, rifles (silenced and otherwise), shotguns, you name it. But now you can actually trick out your guns just how you like "ет, Burger King style. Equip your trusty M4A1 assault rifle with your choice of a laser sight, pistol grip, suppressor, grenade launcher, bipod, flashlight, thermal scope, etc. Of course, most of these attachments have the same draw- / 4 back they would in real life—they weigh you down and cause you to So many choices...it's like the move and aim more slowly. world's deadliest salad bar. 0ther improvements include levels five times as large as those in SOCOM II, a checkpoint save system, bigger action scenes to balance out the stealth sections, and improved A.l.— your foes now fire around corners, retreat when in danger, and use civilian shields, while your buddies anticipate where you're going and can flank or lay down suppressing fire at your command. The game still has a long way to go (expect online multiplayer details in the months to come), but the team promises they'll be working hard right up until release. After all, they have more than us virtual sol- diers to please. "When you meet a Medal of Honor recipient and they ask for your auto- graph," says Zipper cofounder Jim Bosler, "that's pretty cool." 4 --Магк MacDonald >> ACCORDING ТО METAL GEAR CREATOR HIDEO KOJIMA, DEVELOPMENT WILL SOON START ON MGS4, WHICH IS BEING DESIGNED FOR A NEXT-GEN CONSOLE AND STARS SOLID SNAKE... >> 34 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com Ф. < р. GEIST Publisher: Nintendo Developer: n-Space Release: May 2005 Ghost in the machine ike its titular ghostly protagonist, Nintendo's Geist continues to mystify gamers. Is it a first-per- son shooter? An adventure game? An inan- imate-object simulator? Негез the premise: You're John Raimi, a government agent investigating the nefarious Volks cor- poration. Well, at least you were Raimi— after Volks agents capture, torture, and experiment on you, your spirit becomes severed from your body. Now, vengeance is yours: Possess all manner of man, beast, and object to wreak some sweet revenge. And although Geist may appear to be a first-person shooter, it’s really much more. “If you come in expecting a generic FPS, you'll be shocked,” explains Associate Producer Jeff Kallas. “It's truly a unique gameplay experience.” Sure, you'll get some gunplay when you possess various guards and turrets, but often you'll be thinking, rather than shooting, your way out “Why shouldn't 1 of scrapes. The game's areas offer plenty of different things to inhabit—people, ani- mals, computers, etc.—and players have an immense amount of freedom to figure out the best solution to each puzzle. “We really wanted the player to feel like the environment was alive,” says Kallas. With interlocking seamless levels, beefy bosses, tentacled alien invaders, and splitscreen versus action, Geist actually has a lot in common with Nintendo's other recent high-profile first-person adven- ture—Metroid Prime 2: Echoes. But hope- fully, Geist’s four-player versus action will fare a bit better than Samus’ disappointing first foray into deathmatching. “We have a bunch of cool, highly customizable modes that really take advantage of the posses- sion concept," says Kallas. “I think gamers will be pleasantly surprised by how differ- ent the game feels.” “No place for Hideo.” —After announcing that Metal Gear Solid 4's theme would be “No place to hide,” MGS creator Hideo Kojima announces, in his own little way, that he will not be directing the game. He’s the shadowy figure behind the scenes, the guy who quietly delivered to us Splinter Сей Chaos Theory and all of its spy-thriller intrigue. We finally tracked him down, so this month, Chaos Theory Lead Producer Mathieu Ferland is the mark for our Hot Seat.... Secret Agent James Jason Bond Bourne Mathieu Ferland: Even though Bourne has more skills, in the end, Bond always leaves with the gi Really Solid Metal Metal Metal Gear Gear Gear Solid Solid 2 Solid 3 MF: The introduction of Raiden as the main playable character was a great idea. | like the guts of the concept. Next-Gen Console [x] Еш 2 рор Revolution МЕ: The games available will make the real difference. I'll have to get them all...so | have to vote for what | call the PlayXenolution-1. Bigger Tom Clancy Threat | Ab play Mario “== Kart online? 2 "The goal for the future is to eventu- aly let people do more things like this.” —Sony Online spokesman Chris Kramer on a feature in the PC online RPG EverQuest IY that allows players to order a Pizza Hut pizza from within the game. We're not sure if this is a great or terrible idea. It's a natural. | don’t understand. It feels like rejecting what’s i North obvious.” Iran МЕ: Play Splinter Cell Chaos Theory and you'll get the answer! (Oops, did | just plug my game? Shame on me....) —Former Nintendo bigwig and current Microsoft Games manager Кеп Lobb оп the weaknesses of the Xbox's competition. >> THE GRUDGE MATCH CONTINUES—EGM VS. ЕКА S, ROUND 2: APRIL 18 AND 19. HALO 2, SPLINTER CELL CHAOS THEORY, AND MORE. CHECK 1UP.COM FOR THE RESULTS... >> ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com е 37 © press start hots fired! Shots fired! Recently, both Sony and Microsoft let off some prelimi- nary rounds in the next-gen console war, as the current console leader at a EGM: Epic Games has two unan- nounced next-gen titles in develop- ment. What are some of the things you want to do that aren't possible оп today’s systems? Tim Sweeney: With the next generation, we want it all: very realistic physics and vehicles, unprecedented visuals with high-dynamic range lighting and shad- owing, high-detail characters with real- istic animation and interaction, pervasive support for multiplayer, user expandabil- ity with game maps and mods, and seamless environments with realistic АЛ. EGM: What about online play? TS: The previous generation started opening up online play to the masses, but it came in the middle of that genera- Xbox 2 Gets a | Fantasy Maker Hironobu Sakaguchi may have failed in Hollywood (remember the unspec- tacular CG flick Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within?), but he'll always be remembered as the man who gave us the acclaimed Final Fantasy role- playing series. And now his new development studio Mistwalker will create two exclusive RPGs for Microsoft's next-gen system. Sakaguchi told a Japanese website that one of the games will be a cute, lighthearted affair starring super- deformed characters, while the other will be more mature and feature “an incredible setting that appears seamlessly real.” Both should help Microsoft's presence in the Japanese market, where a lack of RPGs has made Xbox a dust collector. k 38 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com technology conference debuted the chip (dubbed Сей) that will power PlayStation 3, while Gates’ gang secured two Xbox 2 RPGs from the creator of the Final Fantasy franchise. ent in the next generation—includ- how much better games will look, ne advancements, and the impor- e of a hard drive, --Вгуап Intihar tion and wasn’t supported pervasively. With this next generation, | hope to see thorough online support in all games working flawlessly out of the box. The upcoming generation will also be power- ful enough to support many massively multiplayer games, which would really change the nature of console gaming over the next couple of years. EGM: Š ® бепегайу > speaking, will the leap ahead in technology be as great as from PS1 to PS2? Creating Unreal Engine 3 [the development tool Epic will use to make its next-gen titles] in anticipation of an order-of- magnitude leap in graphics power, and we don’t think we are going to be disappointed. Graphically, comparing this generation with the leap from PlayStation to PlayStation 2 is realistic. EGM: So will this increase in technol- ogy mandate more R&D costs, and thus, pricier games? TS: If developers used the previous generation's brute-force development techniques to create next-generation games, the development costs would be astronomical. You would need to spend $20-40 million to develop a hit title with team sizes of 120-plus devel- pers. You would need to price games at $100 to ју support those costs, and of — #4 P course, nobody is going to Зи pay that. Which is why new development techniques pio- neered by high-productivity development tools like Unreal Engine 3 are essential to this next generation. So, though the amount of content going Хы TS: Ай along, we've been ; into our next-generation games has increased by a factor of 10, our team sizes are only increasing 30-50 percent. This approach enables independent developers like Epic to create hit games on $5-10 million budgets and be able to prosper without increasing game prices. Ultimately, the game market won't grow if software prices continue to increase. EGM: What if these machines don’t have a hard drive; is that a good or bad thing? TS: As the first console to feature a built-in hard drive, Xbox gave developers unprecedented flexibility to support per- sistent data, down- loadable content, and efficient It sent streaming. Apparently, size doesn't matter: The Cell processor—the CPU Sony will put into PS3—is no bigger than a thumbtack. a message to the world, saying, "From now on, hard disk storage is a feature you can always count on." So it would be an unfortunate step backward if next- generation consoles were to ship without hard drives. However, developers are well known for tailoring games and tech- nology to the hardware that's available, maximizing the strengths and minimizing the weaknesses. ris Epic's next- gen dev tool is downright scary. to SAVE rus FUTURE you must UNCOVER ru PAST “THE GAME IS]POORING PRETTY MUCH AWESOME ALL OVER AGAIN” IGN.com AVAILABLE Now Blood and Gore rael Themes ^ PlayStation.e namco-* М < 5 Violence = L http://xenosaga2.namco.com “иопезсАе аа ДЕ | 2 | - [= | а Е — АЛЕН ЕРЕ | | | mn ƏSuə|o!A | | әбепбиеј Buons "199 29401105 e але под лаувц шев әле под "ajqeddojsun зашооац зовцо JO шецо əy} олојад jos əy} 04 1 Bulg - Ашеџе əy} 0} 1958010 ащед əy} Hug 3509 Aue је шц puly paysiuea sey шшиобје SIU 0} Ady əy} sey oym јешшелбола auo ay) "Кијева $1 SIUI `/00Z S! $. фзаиввиш 2151189 NBII рие "лод MƏN INO RTT "зад леш 2015 ƏY} увело рпоз шушобце ue изецид 59/1324 ошјио зомеидзмаш: 'SA вайв олпелоиш Аби оу "мо у ome = < "Suone щи Јәдеідпш ЛЕЛ эзешроо5) OEE узед 2mm убг 10.143 ѕләзипооиә Áuuəuə эдезэралаип „7 £ é. Sd ow о/рџе “S'N Əy} и әле 50607 koqx әці fue "обор әлі 7 Зиешшенация а а Kuos к: uoo! гицио eu, “(Ajeyesedes рюз с (zu деде 103) (аи!) рабо Моше рые (ги } лаумдшоо Auog jo ризшерод раз Hoe эле обор ANIMES «ба» ou pile „попеузле i 146 ІН IV моюшею 5002 © UOISIAA AION '5ешипоо 18430" Bow пео 1əuuuds ‘ие зеуиц9в чецзн wes гремезан s || на. 3 4 AYOBHL =”. / че hash 55207 wall ‘идол чошу (14013 (>) press start 4 Link goes for the enemy's head while his horse nuzzles the poor guy’s crotch, Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Nintendo Release Date: Fall 2005 THE LEGEND OF | Finally—new info оп everyone's | "een chain-mail-skirt look, it's Link. most-wanted game of 2005 reni K, we get it—you really want to play the new Legend of Zelda. Ever since this much talked about (but rarely seen) GameCube adventure burst onto the scene last May, only a certain Master Chief and his second Halo have knocked it out of the top slot in our Hot Ten list. And that only happened оп one occasion. But it comes as no surprise why more than 60 percent of you chose it again this month as your most anticipated title. Nintendo is ditching Wind Waker's Saturday-morning-cartoon-style visuals in favor of a more mature and realistic look. Link is no longer a young and wide-eyed hero; he’s now 16 years old and riding his trusty steed to this journey sportin’ a bit of an attitude (but didn’t we all at this age?). Trouble is, outside of a few choice words from Zelda's developers in the past and what we can speculate from looking at these new screenshots (read our thoughts on the next page), so much about this game remains a mystery. Will Link's lady friend Zelda play a significant role in this adventure? Any chance we'll draw blood during combat? Will Link finally speak? Hopefully, we can soon answer these questions and several more, as next issue we're traveling to Nintendo’s home base in Japan for an exclusive look at the biggest title of the year. —Bryan Intihar аа” >> HEADING TO CHICAGO BETWEEN THE MONTHS OF MARCH AND SEPTEMBER? YOU MAY WANT TO SWING BY THE MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY FOR A NEW TEMPORARY EXHIBIT, 42 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com Link strokes ай kinds of pussy. Who’s the Boss? “ | If you were to ask most Zelda fanboys, ! they would probably say that the fran- chise's current No. 1 villain, Ganondorf, would be the logical choice for Link's я main adversary in this upcoming | | game. Ви! Nintendo isn't afraid to change up the bad guys, as it did just that in Majora's Mask (N64) and, more recently, The Minish Cap (GBA). ” --Ргодисег Eiji Aonuma The Dungeons From the looks of it, the camera seems to shift to а higher, more angular viewpoint (like in the SNES Zelda) while you explore these puzzle-filled constructions. The Bizarre Remember Link’s fruity friend Tingle? A peculiar ally isn’t anything new for this franchise, and we sure hope this Sasquatch-lookin’ fella is on our side. The Enemies Anew assortment of ghastly creatures surely awaits, but you can also expect the return of familiar faces, like these newly armored stalfos warriors. The Environments The majority of Zelda images have shown Link either in the forest or riding his thoroughbred across open fields. What other outdoor locales will the elf visit? The Weapons It appears this over-the-hill monkey ain't giving up Link’s boomerang. Wonder if our pointy-eared friend will wield any new weapons during his adventure... The Combat For the first time ever, Link can slice-n-dice foes while riding his horse. On-foot fighting should feel similar to WW's, but with a much higher body count. 4%. GAME ON: THE HISTORY, CULTURE, AND FUTURE OF VIDEOGAMES. THE EXHIBIT WILL ALSO FEATURE MORE THAN 100 PLAYABLE GAMES. VISIT WWW.TLCIND.COM FOR ADDITIONAL INFO... >> ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY e www.1UP.com е 43 i The continued popularity of MechAssault proves that gamers love freebies. ONLINE THIS MONTH Out with the new and sticking with the old ime to trade in that old copy of Ghost Recon. The sequel is out, so nobody plays the first one anymore, right? Wrong. Online games actually have more longevity than you might initially realize—just take a look at some of these original online installments that gamers still continue to play. Remember, the more aliens you see (on a scale from one to four), the livelier the game’s online community. —Ryan Scott Champions of Norrath (PS2) Unsurprisingly, the original CON is pretty deserted, For starters, the online mode just isn’t as everlasting as it is in titles such as MechAssault and Ghost Recon. The hack-n-slasher is also a little rough around the edges when compared to its sequel: Shoddy menus and no lobby make for a somewhat irritating online interface. Verdict: дб ий гй Playing Champions of Norrath online these days? Then you're probably fighting solo. Ghost Recon (XB) Despite the recent release of Ghost Recon 2, the original maintains a very enthusias- tic fan base, as evidenced by the deluge of GR1 posts showing up daily on the GhostRecon.net forums. What's missing from the follow-up? Ironically, many play- ers cite differences in the single-player mode as their main criticism. As one fan puts it, “GR1 has more openness—open maps, open-ended mission-objective completion, and freedom of movement.” Verdict: Rainbow Six 3 (XB) Both 853 and its sequel, Black Arrow, are home to some of the most hardcore gamers Xbox Live has to offer. They don’t care which of these first-person shooters you're playing—so long as you're not just some random newbie seeking to crowd their action. RS3 still has a multitude of dedicated servers, so if you don’t have Black Arrow yet, there’s really nothing to lose sleep over. Verdict: ӛж MechAssault (XB) You're bound to find plenty of online com- petition in the first MechAssault. The reason is a no-brainer, too: The game was included free with a whole lot of Xbox Live Starter Kits, and its user base has stayed loyal and consistent, Sure, MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf rocks even harder, but there's no reason to give this one up when people are still playing it. Verdict: WNLOAD TWO NEW (AND FREE) 44 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com Fans still flock to the original Ghost Recon. SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs (PS2) Some people prefer the gameplay in the original SOCOM, citing it as a more realis- tic squad-based military shooter than its successor. But SOCOM II definitely has the edge when it comes to mindshare, thanks to a better online clan system, more maps, and stronger anticheating mea- sures. Check out the forums at SOCOM- 2.com, where you'll find a thriving com- munity of dedicated fans—some of whom still play the first game. Verdict: TIPLAYER MAPS FOR MECHASSAULT 2: LONE WOLF, MOUNTAIN HIGH Al WHATS UP AT Everyone has a secret weapon—the Empire has the Death Star, Donald Trump has his hair (we're still waiting to see its true power), and for us, it's this website. Check it out for up-to- the-millisecond gaming news. EGMEXTRAS.1UP.COM Like the URL implies, here's where you до for stories that we simply can't cram into these pages. For instance, you may have noticed that this issue lacks an Afterthoughts piece. Hold the hate mail, as we've posted online an extensive look-back chat with the Gran Turismo 4 crew. BOARDS.1UP.COM Think Metal Gear's top-down camera is outdated? Or maybe Halo 2'5 dual- wielding feature is supremely overrat- ed? Then this is the place to, as Madonna once sang, express yourself. CHEATS.1UP.COM For all you tricksters, this 1UP.com site includes more than 100 cheats for Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. It's also got one for Catwoman, but sadly, this doesn’t make the game any less of a stinker. Featured Club: I Spy a Cutiepie Apparently, the nearly 600 members of this club believe they are totally chic instead of totally geek. Decide for yourself at cutegamer-club.1UP.com. Featured Blog: John Ricciardi This regular EGM contributor (and former full-time staffer) now calls Japan home. John is always updating his online journal (johntv.1UP.com) with entertaining news and notes on the international gaming scene. ROUBLED WATERS. FoR GAMERS мно ACTUALLY LEAVE THE HOUSE. Jiz IKEN ARRIOR Wy ОЧИЈУ Атом сгансув Prince of Persia: Warrior Within Download Code: 1100943 A. 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К ір ae : “(е av. a е * Game Theme - Super Mario Bros. * No Doubt - Hella Good 907104 Green Day - Boulevard of Broken Dreame 907042 - Game Theme - The Legend of Zelda 907171 - Notorlous 8.1.0. Hypnotize 907118 - Good Charlotte - Predictable 900706 + OutKast + Hoy Ya! 906949 - Green Day - American Idiot 900651 - OutKast - Miss Jackson 904239 - 2Pac - California Love 901710 - Green Day - Longview 900758 - Pharell feat. Jay-Z - Frontin 900305 - 50 Cent - In Da Club 900833 - G-Unit - Stunt 101 900504 - R. Kelly - Ignition 900433 - 50 Cent - PIMP 901674 - Hoobastank - The Reason 901034 - Rick James - Super Freak. 904193 - Akon - Locked Up 904994 - Incubus + Megalomaniac 900435 - Sean Paul - Get Busy 901642 - Alicia Keys - If | Ain't Got You 900461 - Inner Circle - Cops 901990 - Sir Mix-A-Lot - Baby Got Back 903120 - Beastie Boys - Ch-Check It Out 901092 - Jay-Z - Change Clothes. 904567 - Slipknot - Duality 902945 - Beastie Boys - Sabotage 901672 - Jay-Z - Dirt Off Your Shoulder 905196 - Snoop Dogg - Nuthin But A G Thang 904751 - Beyonce & Sean Paul - Baby Boy 900034 - Jay-Z - Big Pimpin 907184 Snoop Dogg - Drop It Like It's Hot 900403 - Boyonce feat Jay-Z - Crazy In Love 904538 - Jet - Are You Gonna Be My Girl 905427 - Terror Squad - Loan Back 901236 - Big Punisher - 100% 907030 - Jimmy Eat World - Pain 907158 - The Killors - Mr, Brightside 901925 - Blink 182 - | Miss You 903130 - J-Kwon - Tipsy 902140 - The Used - Buried Myself Alive 900748 - Blur - Caramel 908079 - Justin Timberlake - Good Foot 902995 - Twista - Overnight Celebrity 901641 - Britney Spears - Toxic (Chorus) 904181 - Kanye West - All Falls Down 904755 - Usher - Yeah! оо ‹ Check out to find the latest mobile games, tones, graphics and more! 2 Па Q ZING UP YOUR PHONE! @ press start PlayStation 2 ONY $ у A triple дозе of fresh y | PS2 platforming hen Sony shipped Sly 2, Jak 3, Р and Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal last fall, it felt like hop-n-bop overload—all the games were worth playing, but working that much platforming into a gamer’s busy schedule is murder. This fall won’t be ЈЕ any easier, as Sony has brand-new installments slated for all three of е those lovable mascots’ series. Plan И ( your vacation (or hooky) accordingly, | | —Shane Bettenhausen & Bryan Intihar i Not to be outdone by Jak, Ratchet goes for his own dark-and- brooding makeover, JAK X Publisher: Sony CEA Developer: Naughty Dog Release Date: Fall 2005 What's it all about? Jak //75 hoverbike- stealin’ antics and Jak 3's copious dune buggy action paved the way for this eventual evolution—a full-on racing game. Taking place after the last game, Jak X (working title) reunites most of the trilogy's good guys in a desperate race to save everyone from death by poisoning. And that's a very literal race: Only by defeating the diabolical Krew in a massive competition can they snag the cure. Don't expect the game to unfold like a traditional racer, though: Missions (stan- dard race, time trial, time box, and death- match race) flow freely in a nonlinear, Grand Theft Auto-ish fashion. And the rac- ing itself echoes the violent clashes of Twisted Metal more than the kid-gloves action of Mario Kart. You'll outfit your rides with various short- and long-range guns, mines, missiles, turbo boosts, and repair kits. And all this vehicular mayhem won't be limited to single-player races: Take on your foes in splitscreen heats, and...rumor has it...full online play. Vehicles are fully Our thoughts: Car combat's a big leap k customizable: Со ahead from the Jak & Daxter days, but hey, at À and put a spoiler on least they're trying something different. . your dunebuggy. и 46 + ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com SLY 3 Publisher: Sony CEA Developer: Sucker Punch Release Date: Fall 2005 What's it all about? While Jak and Ratchet usually handle situations with guns blazin’, the pickpocketing raccoon prefers sticking to the shadows before robbing his foes blind. Sly keeps to the same МО in this third episode, as he and his unusual gang of thieves use stealth, disguises, and misdirection to recover Sly’s secret family fortune. As in the last game, both Bentley (he’s the turtle) and Murray (the hippo) will accompany our main man on complicated heists in locales such as Venice, Australia, and China. But these three ain’t the only playable characters. You'll now step into the shoes of Sly’s adversaries, which include Inspector Carmelita Fox, the lounge lizard Dimitri, and a host of other miscreants. This one should also last a lit- tle bit longer than the previous two edi- tions, thanks to the ability to go back and replay completed missions using your new moves and abilities, plus a batch of minigames. And Sony's even hinted at a multiplayer mode—online co-op perhaps? Our thoughts: Sounds a lot like the last one, but a multiplayer mode (especially if it's playable online) could be the perfect change-up. RATCHET: DEADLOCKED Publisher: Sony С Developer: Insomniac Release Date: Fall 2005 What's it all about? The fourth Ratchet game in four years—not a bad time to shake things up a bit. First off, you'll notice that Clank, the series’ pint-sized metallic sidekick, isn't in the game's title or any of these screens. So does this mean Ratchet is flying solo? Not quite. While Clank’s sta- tus remains unknown, you'll definitely be running, jumping, and shooting with a num- ber of other characters, as Deadlocked will feature squad-based play (Insomniac says it will reveal another “genre first” very soon). Ratchet also has a brand-new look: Our hero dons a slick battle suit while com- peting in the galaxy’s combat-based reality show. And aside from less linear play and even more ways to customize the series’ trademark firearms, Deadlocked will include a more user-friendly multiplayer mode and allow you to play through the single-player levels with friends via the Internet—very nice. Our thoughts: It's shocking stuff—Ratchet’s = У gone from cuddly fuzzball їо Master Chief E. 7 x | № ў pg. ü Zu Ñ competitor. Still, Deadlocked seems like a cool evolution for the series. Now, if only more people would play it online. ы У FRANCHISE. TREYARCH (OF SPIDER-MAN 2 FAME) А! >> RAY MATTER (WHICH WORKED ON THE PC EDITIONS OF COD) ARE CODEVELOPING THIS FOLLOW-UP TO FINEST Ht | ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UPcom * 47 7 F | Blood and Соге Intense Violence Pla Station.e Strong Language DVD-ROM y SOFTWARE h: © 2005 Gearbox. Software, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Published and distributed license. Ubisoft, Ubi.com, and the Ubisoft logo are trademarks of Ubisoft Enter сии и a=. BROADBAND DN the бёагбох:1000-аге + trademarks of Gea unitries; and:are, used: Under,license from .Microsol (8MB)(for:PlayStation;2) (each sold;: arks of ATI Technologies Inc: Software ey logos BASED ON A TRUE STORY. comb at. The live 886: P Command 3 man AI squads ina battle о. and skill in split-scree online multiplayer. | % © press start COUNTDOWN TO К. THE 10 MOST OVERRATED GAMES 5 we keep on truckin’ toward EGM's 200th issue, we must take pause for bathroom breaks and yet another controversial topic: the top 10 most overrated videogames of the past 16 years (which is how long the mag’s been around). Ico • PS2 е 2001 6 1 Зпептие е This will upset the art K: Dreamcast » 2000 school kids, but Ico hasn't у ада This epic tale of a young man really changed our lives. It's not that š | avenging his father's death was billed as the we don't appreciate the relationship. у 4 reason to own а Dreamcast. And for many, it between its characters and the D Ё was. But for the rest of us, Shenmue was little understated themes, but the “games 3 more than а glorified point-and-click adven- These are the ones that were either as art” folks need to get a grip. We've a у ture дате with quasi-interactive fight scenes massively overrated when they came got a ways to go before the Louvre;.... A р> sprinkled here and there. out, ог not really as good as we remem- | But is it actually good? Absolutely, / But is it actually good? Yes, if you're the ber them. You'll probably need little though you don't need to write your. type of gamer who likës to take your time. 0r encouragement to go discuss our choic- | master’s degree thesis on it. i drive virtual forklifts. es on our 1UP.com message board. Banjo-Kazooie • Final Fantasy ІХ е NIGHTS ¢ Saturn • 1996 Nintendo 64 ° 1998 PS1 е 2000 Developer Rare had a real Nostalgia is a tricky thing. knack for looking at Nintendo’s own FFIX brought back many traditional games and making similar ones, series elements, but it also introduced it had beautiful art and excellent music, there's nof replacing Mario and Co. with goofy a weak plot and lame characters. that much to NiGHTS beyond flying really fast and. talking animals and calling it a day. But is it actually good? Of the three Collecting as many colored orbs as you can. Banjo-Kazooie was patterned after celebrated PS1-era Fantasys, this one But is it actually good? The concept is unique Super Mario 64, but in the first of is the least essential. enough to be worth checking out. many similar decisions, Rare’s game focused on collecting arbitrary widgets and whatzits. But в: it actually good? Super Mario 64 ‘esl be Dt NR E Donkey Kong 64 Perfect Dark е Nintendo 64 • 2000 Donkey Kong 64 • Nintendo 64 • 1999 Rare's follow-up to GoldenEye 007 was a justifiably big deal. But As quickly as Super Mario 64 breathed life into the 3D platforming maybe the unconditional love for that game (along with PD's choppy genre, Donkey Kong 64 sucked it all out. And it’s the game where Rare animations and blurry graphics) clouded judgments of this one. cemented its reputation as masters of the "collect-a-thon" style. But is it actually good? Aside from the visual problems, PD had a lot going But is it actually good? Walk around your local grocery store for a full day, fill- for it. But in this age of Halo, it’s hard to believe what we tolerated back then. ing your cart with bananas. Then tell us if you had any fun. Killer Instinct * Arcade/SNES е Donkey Kong Country е Honorable Mentions 1994/1995 SNES ° 1994 Only thing worse than K/'s laughable charac- Facing an impending 3D assault on two m Mortal Kombat • ters and brain-dead combo mechanics fronts (PS1 and Saturn), Nintendo needed something Arcade/SNES/Genesis e was Из speed-fueled announcer who big to keep the focus on its aging SNES. Rare deliv- 1993/1994 made sure the whole arcade knew ered with Donkey Kong Country, and the masses: that you just got knocked out by fooled by the pretty plastic graphics into thinking they an ULLLLTRAAA COMMMB0000! were playing the second coming of Kong—rejoiced. № Turok 2: Seeds of Evil • But is it actually good? Sure, But is it actually good? Nintendo 64 е 1998 if you know nothing about DKC2 and 3 were improvements, but as a whole, this fighting games. series got more respect than it truly deserved. — — = m № Tomb Raider ‹ Г е PS1/Saturn е „> Battle Arena Toshinden ° PS1 ° 1995 Our top choice is the perfect example of why you need to be extra careful when judging a system's launch games. It was 3D, it was flashy—Battle Arena Toshinden was exciting and new. But later Namco showed us what really could be done with 3D fighting on the PlayStation (Tekken, Soul Blade). And to this day, we still don't know how BAT received three other installments. But is it actually good? 0h God, no. MIDWAY ARCADE TREASURES 3 (PS2/XB/GC) COMES YOUR WAY THIS FALL AND WILL INCLUDE OLDIES SUCH AS HYDRO THUNDER, SAN FRANCISCO RUSH 2049, AND BADLANDS.... 50 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY е www.1UP.com ЕМЕВУОМЕ Cartoon Violence aio ffi SHOW AND TELL: Publisher: Groove Games Developer: Digital Extremes Release Date: May 2005 If you build it, people will die | f you think you've got bad | | luck, just look at Jack Mason—a stressed-out MD who finds himself stuck in а disease- infested alien wasteland. But Mason’s struggle is only one part of Pariah; this sci-fi first-person shooter also sports an ambitious multiplayer mode (both online and off) that calls for you to wear the cap of “game designer.” We've brought in James Schmalz, creative director of developer Digital Extremes, to explain how his game matches up with the Halos of the world. —Bryan Intihar Make 'Em Bigger JS: All of Pariah's weapons can be upgraded with power-ups that you'll find either hidden on the battle- field or on your victims' corpses. The plasma rifle here can be charged to deliver one helluva punch to an entire group of enemies. Green goggles optional. Tracks of Destruction James Schmalz: Crushing your buddies under the heavy treads of a vehicle is always a joy. With a large array of multiplayer modes and up to 16 players on the field at a time, each of Pariah's four vehicles can turn the tides of battle in an instant. The End Result JS: A view of a home-brewed map in all its glory. After editing your perfect battlefield, share it with friends online and show them who's boss! Чина 4 Пади, 4,50 a press start @ Dr. Mason isn't alone: Meet Karina, the sexy escaped inmate who fights alongside him. © Change radius ol effect Ф Lower terrain @ Raise terrain v E] The Battlefield of Your Dreams JS: Ош simple-to-use map editor—with which you can design your very own battlegrounds—allows you to unleash your creative side. You have everything from trip mines and 10-ton vehicles to entire fortress- es you can move and place. d 77" Splitscreen Slaughter JS: Don't go it alone! Make sure you have a friend to cover your back. Either in the single-player | game or against bots in multiplay- er, there are many ways to bring a friend in to help you kick ass...or to kick his ass. іб T y ON THE AUCTION THE SALES CHARTS 2005 TOP 10 PS2 Here's proof that you can really buy almost anything if you look hard enough on the Internets. Mercenaries Need for Speed Underground 2 Madden NFL 2005 NFL Street 2 NBA Live 2005 Call of Duty: Finest Hour Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater World Championship Poker The Punisher ЖА > item: А 7-foot-tall Master Chief statue—it's the perfect addition to any Richie Rich's extravagant game room. Winning Bid: $1,400.00 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas • PS2 • Rockstar The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap • GBA • Nintendo Пети Only five prototypes of Atari’s Cosmos, a holographic portable game system, were ever made. And here’s one of them. Asking Price: $19,152.83 Need for Speed Underground 2 • PS2 • EA Games Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories е GBA е Square Enix Super Mario 64 DS е DS е Nintendo 3 Need for Speed Underground 2 4 The Punisher 5 Stars Wars KOTOR И 5 MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf 7 NFL Street 2 5 Ghost Recon 2 9 Madden NFL 2005 Source: NPD TRSTS Video Games Service. TOP 10 RENTAL FOR THE WEEK ENDING 2/20/05 === Пет: The custom-made, neon-lit Millennium Falcon casing makes this one of the slickest (and most expensive) Xboxes in the galaxy. Winning Bid: $1,500.00 Mario Party 6 Super Mario Sunshine Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker Super Smash Bros. Melee Need for Speed Underground 2 Mario Power Tenni: Sonic Mega Collection Paper Mario: Thousand-Year Door NFL Street 2 54 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY е www.1UP.com 2 Kingdom Hearts: COM * GBA 3 Super Mario 64 DS • 05 4 The Incredibles * GBA 5 Final Fantasy | & 1 • GBA 5 SpongeBob: The Movie • GBA 7 Pokémon FireRed * GBA ‚ 8 Pokémon LeafGreen • GBA 9 Donkey Kong Country 2 • GBA 10 Super Mario Advance 4 • GBA 2 NBA Street V3 • PS2 3 Mercenaries • PS2 4 NFL Street 2 ° PS2 5 The Punisher е PS2 5 Mercenaries XB 7 NFS Underground 2 ° PS2 2 Halo 2 • XB 9 Star Wars Battlefront • PS2 10 Playboy: The Mansion е PS2 Blockbuster Video ‘tem: One-hundred bucks for a Metal Gear Solid 3-branded bandanna? Congrats to whoever just earned our Sucker of the Month award. Winning Bid: $102.50 It doesn’t matter if Рт draining а З or throwing down ап аПеу-оор, I gotta give props to milk. About 15% of your heisht is added in your teen years and the calcium in milk can help. Especially when you're trying to see eye to eye with the best players in the world. got milk? 222004 NBA PROPERTIES, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. AND MILK PROCESSORS CARMELO ANTHONY 02004 AMERICA’S БАЙ RUMOR MILL » 4 pru "7 aming: You're about to receive a full dose of videogame gossip. This month (just like every month, И | do say so myself) is stockpiled with mind-blowing rumors that'll definitely have you begging and pleading for more. And once you've fin- ished this hefty round of scuttlebutt, why not send me a message at quartermann@ziffdavis.com. It doesn't matter if your e-mail is full of praise or calling me every filthy name in the book— l really want to hear from you. Now enough chitchat; let's get onto the business at hand. —The Q B True Fantasy Live Online—it ain't dead yet. BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY—HEAD TO WWW.XBOX.COM ТО RECEIVE А NEW XBOX POWER CORD, AS MICROSOFT IS REPORTING SOME FAULTY CORDS POSE А FIRE HAZARD... 56 e ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com ke this gossip on a full stomach още The fantasy lives оп Normally, I'm not the kind of person who gets real emotional, but when Microsoft canned its massively multiplayer True Fantasy Live Online, even | went for a Kleenex. Now | hear that the game might be making a triumphant return, as another publisher is extremely interested in bring- ing TFLO to a next-gen console (probably Xbox 2). Sah-weet! PSP gets evil Man, | still have the shakes from playing the terrific horrorfest that is Resident Evil 4. And it seems Capcom really gets a kick outta hearing me scream like a little schoolgirl, as I've gotten wind that the series is now headed to PlayStation Portable. Expect this one to play a lot like RE4 and—get this—star a grown-up Sherry Birkin, who first appeared in RE2 as a lost kid wondering the zombie-filled streets of Raccoon City, searching for her father. Reentering the Killzone OK, so Sony’s overly hyped first-person shooter didn’t exactly make us forget about Master Chief. Perhaps the sequel can do the trick: Look for Killzone 2 to blast a few holes in your PlayStation 2 this holiday season—and apparently, the developer is addressing several of our complaints by making the enemies a lot smarter, the voices less repetitive, and the online mode much more robust. Call it xPod Many believe that when Microsoft launches Xbox 2 (which remains on track for a fall "05 release), the company will offer hard drives in different sizes. Now there’s a new twist to this tale: It looks like these storage units will be multifunctional portable devices, mean- ing they will not only save your games, but they will also let you listen to MP3s (like an iPod) and watch movies on them on the road. Very nice. No time for sleep So developer Insomniac is churning out yet another Ratchet & Clank game (check it on page 46) for PS2—no surprise there. Yet according to those in the know, that ain't the only project the studio has in the works: Apparently, a different team is burning the midnight oil on a PS3 first- person shooter, which should be ready to go at the console’s launch. ^^ Стоп, loyal Killzone. soldier, our rumor mill doesn't stink that bad. Believe It or Not 0: Now that EA Sports has the ESPN license, does this mean John Madden is getting the boot? A: Well, not just yet. Folks around the gridiron say that EA will slowly inte- grate more ESPN talent (like Chris "Boomer" Berman) into its football titles. Then when Madden’s contract expires (which is supposed to happen within the next few years), the mega- publisher will reevaluate how it brands this lucrative franchise. ж 1 MAIOR LEAGUE BASEBALL” From: Take 2. Е | 2 Xbox ` | "Most exciting POWERED BY R u аи EST Die-hard MLB fans and self-styled video game junkies | CLONES 2 the Used put us up on Major League Baseball 2K5: 4 You've got to love a game that goes tosses past home plat iot-proof. for less than the cost of nosebleed Maximum fielding mec make seats; the $20 asking price is money scoring diving catches ouble well spent. The game includes plays a cinch. Baserun nctions . personalized skyboxes (try killing time are the best we've evel |. Built-in with trivia challenges and shuffleboard broadband features (p simulations) and an ESPN-powered, TV- for online leagues) coi style presentation. too, as does an exhaus world counterparts, the title's totally But besides authentic pregame mode. And dozens of convincing. Vocal contributions by Jon reports and riveting play-by-play like picture-in-picture Miller, Joe Morgan, and Karl Ravech kick coverage, you're also getting some authentically recreated its credibility up another notch. You'll amazing action here. The K Zone the package. be lost in the moment the second the ing interface—players must line In terms of overall at | sound of screaming fans and the crack as athletes who resem i of the bat blasts from your speakers. --- век ее а . м, advertisement ж MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL” From: Nintendo®. For: GameCube Bowling for Soup’s “Greatest Day” may be the title track for Nintendo® Pennant Chase Baseball, but it’s not the only reason the game’s a star player, says the band: Who's on first? Not Mario, although truthfully, we would've loved watching him bean Bowser. Instead, you get the complete roster of official MLB players and teams, each sporting the most current stats possible. Tailored toward thrill-starved GameCube owners, this platform-exclusive affair appears primed for World Series stardom. It's a pretty impressive showing for a prospect that wasnt even on scouts' radars last season, if we do say so ourselves. Go ahead and laugh; if Boston can pull it off, so can Nintendo®. Appropriately enough, the publishers partnered with Red Sox slugger David Ortiz, whose likeness adorns the title's cover. Consider it a good match, given that both prove capable performers in a pinch. Feel free to sweat the spiritual connection as you rack up the RBls at 30 big-name ballparks. Pick off runners at Wrigley. Bat for the bleachers at Yankee Stadium. Aim the odd fastball at Curt Schilling’s kisser... whatever. We won't tell. If Кв an available option on the diamond, rest assured, it’s in the game. An added bonus: Cubs commentator Bob Brenly and Mariners standbys Rick Rizzs and Tom Hutyler call the shots as the excitement unfolds. And the visuals aren't bad to boot, with a full- fledged 3-D graphics engine translating an Jason Janik half-hearted jabs at the controller into eye-opening stunts. Frankly, at a glance, you'd never guess the game was making its rookie debut. Granted, мете bummed Yoshi and Princess Peach are no-shows. But assuming you're on the market for an enjoyable arcade experience, well then, bat's all folks! a | Louis ХМ see МИР Baseball 2005" makin From: Electronic Arts. For: GameCube, PC, PlayStation 2, Xbox, PSP headlines... and not just because the game features their smash single “Finding Out True Love Is Blind”: Whoa...looks like EA Sports” just belted another one out of the park. Last year's MVP is back and batting a thousand with enhanced controls, slicker play, and more addictive mini-games. So even if you don't dig outfitting stadiums from seats to scoreboards in the all-new owner mode, it's still a sweet simulation of America’s national pastime. Our favorite features? Let's start with the just-added precision pitching meter that allows for greater accuracy on the mound. Then there's the unique Hitter’s Eye system, which allows you to determine whether a slider or curve ball is coming based on color-coded throws. An improved user interface also makes it easier to avoid outfielders, steal bases, and climb walls for picture-perfect catches. The fact that you're provided options for creating custom ballparks and recruiting rookies from the minor leagues is pretty crazy as well. Anybody who's stuck home Saturday night isn't confined to playing alone, either; the range of online features offered is insane. Kicking a friend's ass over a broadband connection is so much fun we're almost ashamed to admit it Packing support for Spring Training and loads of legendary players to unlock, it's an all-star outing. And remember...it's all fun and games until somebody slings beer at the TV. Now, that's what we call foul ball. meis PlayStation.e 2 „В BUT The Best Little Secrets Are Kept now available on Atlantic Records. louisxiv.net везвоусот From: Sony. For: Playstation 2, PSP Hard-rockin’ heroes the High Speed Scene take us out to the ballgame with MLB™ 2006, with a soundtrack that includes their latest jam “All About It”: Talk about a grand slam; hands- down, this is the most realistic romp we've ever seen. Armchair enthusiasts and anal-retentives alike will adore the games attention to detail. Now boasting ear-shattering audio, awesome animation, and tools that monitor pros’ performance on and off the Astroturf, the MLB franchise finally earns itself a place in baseball’s Hall of Fame. Never mind options for accessing all-time favorites like Lou Gehrig or Babe Ruth; it's the software's knack for capturing baseball's nuances that we're really psyched about. The game's Branch Point Technology makes running and fielding transitions utterly seamless. A unique confidence system also causes throw accuracy to decline depending on how intimidated a pitcher is by opponents. Fielding fly balls isn't a foregone conclusion anymore either; the less developed a player's abilities are, the harder it is to catch pop-ups and potential homers. Аз for the hottest new addition, check out career mode. Beginning in the minors, you'll follow in the footsteps of league legends while negotiating trades, promotions, interviews, and salary adjustments. Slackers need not apply: The harder you hit the gym and more time spent training, the further you'll rise up the ranks. Other highlights include the ability to issue verbal commands and a franchise option that tracks player morale. The coolest extra has to be EyeToy support. Using the USB camera (sold separately), gamers can literally snap self-portraits and plaster 'em onto athletes' heads. Here's looking at you, kid... photo credit: Alex Lake 989 SPORTS’ Major League Baseball Trademarks and Copyrights are used with permission of Major League Baseball Properties, Inc. Visit the official website at MLB.com. ТНЕ НОТ ТЕМ Games so scorchinely hot, pressing these pages to your face will singe those eyebrows right off Disagree with the list? You’re the ones who created it. Choose and/or lose at Perfect Dark Zero's Joanna Dark gets ready for her coming out party. GC е Fall 2005 Final Fantasy XII PS2 е Fall 2005 Castlevania DS е Fall 2005 Wanda and the Colossus PS2 е Fall 2005 № You'll use the 05% stylus to carve navigable paths through these spe- cial blue-blocks. CASTLEVANIA DS е Fall 2005 — Surprisingly, Konami’s upcoming DS install- (GBA), this should serve up more of the quality gaming we've kir ment in its long-running Castlevania franchise actually gave come to expect—a massive, complex map to explore, a diverse Kingdom Hearts II Zelda a little competition this month. Frankly, it deserves it: As arsenal of weaponry, oodles of creepy bosses, and one amaz- PS2 е Fall 2005 the direct sequel to the excellent Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow ingly metrosexual hero named Soma Cruz. Perfect Dark Zero XB2 * November 2005 Animal Crossing DS DS е Summer 2005 Castlevania: Curse of Darkness Р52 • Fall 2005 CASTLEVANIA: | MARIO KART DS CU RSE OF DARKN ESS DS е June 2005 — By now, plumber turned action-game superstar Mario has spent more hours behind the wheel than he has behind the toilet plunger. The year 2005 will be a ban- ner one for Mario Kart fans: This DS version will be the first to PS2 е Fall 2005 — Darkness promises to deliver what 2003's 9 Fantasy VII PS2 • Fall 2005 Lament of Innocence could not—a fully realized 3D adventure worthy of the series’ blood-curdling PS1 ancestor, Symphony offer online multiplayer karting action, and Nintendo and Mario Kart DS of the Night. Complex level design, tons of unique equippable Namco will also bring Mario Kart to arcades as an all-new, DS е June 2005 weapons, and new demonic АЈ. partners should certainly help. four-player, sit-down racer with new tracks and power-ups. >> LEAVE YOUR KEY AT THE FRONT DESK—EIDOS HAS CLOSED ION STORM, THE STUDIO THAT BROUGHT US DEUS EX: INVISIBLE WAR AND THIEF: DEADLY SHADOWS (BOTH FOR XI ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY е www.1UP.com 61 © press start COMING SOON Online gang warfare...the perfect gift for Mom) Darkwatch's Tala wants to |. suck your...blood Advent Rising Arc the Lad: End of Darkness Majesco • XB — Sci-fi fans can finally Namco • PS2 — More RPG-ing іп the Arc exhale: This ambitious, long-delayed series, but this time with real-time com- adventure will (most likely) release in May. | bat and online versus matches. Eidos е PS2/XB — When law-dispensing cops and thugged-out gangstas meet in this online arena, expect cursing aplenty. т uu P Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana Nippon е PS2 — Give "ет what they want: another RPG about magical artifacts, spunky princesses, and floating cities. Death, Jr. Enthusia Professional Racing Konami е PSP — Make the hard deci- Konami е PS2 — A serious racing game sion—fight ancient demons or be ground- | that has a feature inspired by Dance ed and sent to military school. Dance Revolution...the hell? Sega е Р52/ХВ — It’s а first-person shooter...set in the Old West...with vam- pires! What could possibly go wrong? | Forza Motorsport Microsoft е XB — Vroom your way around the racetrack in beautifully ren- dered cars you wish you could afford. Nokia • N-Gage — Oh, man. Another rac- ing game? You gearheads are just getting spoiled this month. Haunting Ground Capcom е PS2 — A recently orphaned 18-year-old hottie finds herself imprisoned in her own inherited spooky castle. Before long, a deformed man starts chasing her—OK, this is how Lemony Snicket should have gone down, preferably rated NC-17. Hot Shots Golf Sony CEA • PSP — Trying to squeeze a full 18 holes into your morning commute could prove difficult. Try playing hooky. Juiced THQ • PS2/XB — Expect 7.2 trillion possi- ble custom-car creations, even though everyone picks the Nissan Skyline. ЗЕ еи hay FERAI нас“ Outlaw Volleyball: Remixed Rainbow 6: Lockdown MotoGP 3 THQ * XB — The camera will shake and Global Star • PS2 — Quit playing with Global Star » PS2/XB — Play with fea- Ubisoft е GC — Killing terrorists has never everything will blur as you reach top yourself. Your favorite volleyball game is tures like exploding balls and outfits that | been so chic. Too bad this version lacks speeds in this welcomed sequel. back with some naughty online play. even Serena wouldn't touch. the online play of its console cousins. 62 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY е www.1UPcom ^ ре =ч RINGTONE, 9 75 WALLPAPER — = OR GAME CHOOSE FROM THE LIST BELOW. THERE'S AN OFFER YOU CAN'T REFUSE. Wallpapers Ringtones Games Full color, full effect. The best polyphonics. Top games to download now. Hip Hop KO Kickboxing Exert your martial art, kicking and fistic power to knock do из. Dı hi hat it Let Me Love You 18913 e e 1,2 Step 19377 Lovers And Friends 22602 13556 Drop It Like It's Hot 17890 Dragon Stone What U Gon’ Do 19386 You are the only hope to save Dragon Land from il ти the land. Maki d Клиск If You Buck 17905 танаа бо DJ 22728 As a ninja with lost identity, you must retrieve all items with your nimble moves and weapons! Rock / Pop Boulevard Of Broken Dreams 19791 Numb 12856 Float On 15985 20704 Таке Ме Ош 16256 Бизе Hip Hop Fever Santeria 296 Бар Heat ир ће dance floor and рш your skills to ће test as you move to the groove! Let the pulsating Amber 12090 hip-hop music excite your senses while you Are You Gonna Be My Girl 13970 рше s. 22792 Gountry Mobile Pet 2 Have you ever wanted to take your pet with you wherever you go? MobilePet is the pet who Save А Horse, Ride А Cowboy 15684 lives in your cell phone, ready to Play: with you Friends In Low Places 12935 “pe haz 14302 Some Beach 16918 On The Road Again 10045 Combat Fighting Live Like You Were Dying 15785 Fight in the underground fighting championship against the top fighting masters in the world, Devil Went Down To Georgia 859 Can you fight your way to the top? It's Five O'clock Somewhere 11979 13557 Retro Cool Black Jack Fight in the underground fighting championship Я against ће top fighting masters іп the world. Super Mario Bros. Theme 433 Gan you fight your way to the top? Zelda Theme 445 10978 ° т s Halloween Theme 509 ns Law And Order Theme 13980 Slots Move joystick to the right/left to select one of 17024 17010 Pink Panther Theme 527 three possible options: ВЕТ ONE, ВЕТ MAX and Knight Rider Theme 12097 ‘SPIN. Press the fire key to choose selected option. Godfather Theme 507 11059 Check compatibility before ordering at www.mob.tv Мейо Неста Phone Number S б! 12345 New message received Clear Go to messages on Write the word MOB Send the message to You will receive a Once downloaded, your cell and choose to then a space then EGMB phone number 74647. message in your WAP save the product to Е а аан Ог www.wapmob.tv from your cell. remium products. www.mob.tv. (NE Ha III н РАТ || EL И ии ТШДШ ШИ T > MIA L ' ТС yas : LP ^. ый 4 51 1 е ! y. om ч, Чи тт п the U.S. and, ountries f Nintendo. ВЕЕОКЕ YOU SEE THE INTENSE SABER-SIZZLING, DROID-FRYING, FORCE-BENDING ACTION OF THE MOVIE, MAKE SOME OF YOUR OWN. STAR. WARS EPISODE Ш REVENGE.OF.IHE.SITH: 05.05.05 THE ULTIMATE JEDI ACTION EXPERIENCE. ball а TANASE “ P š = “TIGHT SABER T / | FORCE PUSH x NISHINGMOVES | FORCE LIGHTNING www.lucasarts.com www.starwars.com LucasArts and the Lucas; ucasfilm Ltd. © 2005 Luca: id. or Lucasfilm Ltd. and @ or TM as indicates а = фа www.koei.com Mna 1 ЯП Available Now New Musou Mode with a unique story for every character! More powerful attacks! Enhanced tactical gameplay! — PlayStation.e 3 Use of Alcohol я Violence 3 'ademarks of КОЕ! Со, Ltd, ©2005 KOEI Со, Ltd. All rights reserved. "PlayStation" CO oduced by Ded г Entertainment Inc. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Entertainment Software Force narks of Dolby Laboratories. Manufactured under license from Dolby Laboratories. Tides of men will face the tides of war. Available Now PlayStation. Awesome action! With the improved "Crowd Engine" you have direct control of your troops. Defeat mighty armies! More than 30 killer attacks! Use the "Deathwheel" or "Spearwall" along with Regular, Break, and Charge attacks. Choose your own battle techniques. Coordinate attacks with your support units or target an enemy unit with each of your nearby troops! Kessen and the KOEI logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of KOEI Co., Ltd. ©2004-2005 KOEI Co., Ltd. All rights reserved. "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Entertainment Software Association A Mild Language Sexual Themes Violence By Shane Bettenhausen, Crispin Boyet, Justin Speer, and Nich Maragos ovies run at 24 frames per second; videogames hit 60. Box-office revenues have fall- en below game 95. And have you seen The Chroni of Riddick in theaters, then played the killer Xbox game? Let's face it: Videogames beat the crap out of movies when it comes to pure entertainment potential. Sure, that poten- tial isn't always (see—or, rather, don’t see—anything Van Helsing related), but that hasn’t stopped Hollywood and the games industry from trying. See for your- self in these coming attraction > ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com е 69 Поп your ТУ screen: You only need to know two things about this killer-fish simulator to get hooked: You play as the | man-eating shark, and the game has a “dismemberment engine.” (Give your victims a good thrashing, and they'll disintegrate into bait-size bits.) Foolish beach bathers may be the special of th day, but Jaws’ makers encourage you to sample the rest of the menu. “Seals, dolphins, other sharks, killer whales— the list goes on,” says Producer Sean Scott. “The game will be chock-full of humans, creatures, boats, minisubs...." Jaws is not a scene-for-scene retelling of the classic flick (otherwise, the final boss would be Roy Scheider's Chief Brody, and you'd have to explode оп сие). Instead, the game is зе! 30 years after the movie, whose Amity Island setting has developed into a thriving, industrialized city. You become a wanted fish after you devour the son of a local CEO, who then hires a shark hunter to track and kill you. What fol- lows is a series of story missions, as well as side adventures and a wide- open ocean bound to become your own all-you-can-eat buffet. Think of it as Grand Theft Auto of the sea. “The style is free-roaming like GTA, Spider-Man 2, and Mercenaries,” Scott says. Of course, the game’s makers are chumming Jaws’ waters to attract fans of the flick's key moments. “[Jaws] will emulate certain scenes," Scott says, "such as dragging the first female vic- tim through the water, being chased and shot with harpoons attached to bar- rels, causing panic on the Fourth of July | beach, etc.” Great...and here we thought it was safe to go back in the water. On the silver screen: Randy teenagers stopped skinny-dipping at the beach—or even in their swimmini | pools—overnight in the summer of 1975, when Steven Spielberg's Jaws convinced us all that toothy, white- bellied death lurked just beneath the water's surface. The flick's depiction of a great white shark that turned a New England island community into a smorgasbord became the first sum- mer blockbuster. > » Get harpooned and the game becomes a tug-of-war, “Опе option is to head for the Boat and ram it, bite it, or tail-whip it to destroy it,” says Producer Sean Scott. Hello, chum. SELECT START +. ЕМЕВУОМЕ D STAR WARS EPISODE Ш: REVENGE OF THE SITH ш Most definitely not the | droid you were looking for. On your TV screen; LucasArts wants Revenge of the Sith to be “the ultimate Jedi action experience.” Nobody on the development team is talking about using the Force to navigate floating space platforms or push around crates. Tighten your grip on your lightsaber, young Jedi; this one is all about the combat. “There’s a wide variety of com- bat in the film,” says Associate Producer | Justin Lambros. "We want to represent [| that and make it even more diverse in | the game.” Lead Combat Designer ' | Anthony Doe elaborates, "You'll see over | 100 unique abilities, from swinging the saber through seemingly countless combos to delivering deadly Force powers.” Many of these techniques were imparted to the team directly by the film's stunt coordinator, Nick Gillard. | “There are lots of moves that don’t work in the movie,” mentions Gillard. a "We can now put these into the game. ‚ 7^ | We can be so much more extreme” This extremity is sure to come in handy while hacking through lowly battle droids, cutting down more cunning clones, and dueling powerful Jedi as ` either Anakin or Obi-Wan—each with his own powers and techniques. Of | course, other famous Jedi will appear in | versus mode... In what’s purport- ed to be the darkest entry in the Star Wars series, Anakin Skywalker will com- plete his transition to the dark side, lead- ing to conflict with his mentor, Obi-Wan, and intergalactic marital strife with his wife, Senator Amidala. Details are tight, but judging from the trailer, Wookiees will howl, starships will explode, and Sith will seek revenge. Internal sources claim it may contain the longest fight in cinema history within its climactic finale. > Ë 51 don't like sand. It's coarse. and rough and irri- ^^ Droids start wising up fo your saber antics with shields, | ‘On your TV screen: Like the upcoming movie, the Fantastic Four game spot- lights the veteran superheroes’ team- work. In this beat-em-up, you'll switch between up to four onscreen charac- ters to dent Doombots and pulverize puzzles, either solo or with a pal. “Each member of the Fantastic Four can use their powers in unique ways to help each other,” says Producer Julia Humphreys. “Sue can place a protec- tive force shield around her team- mates, while Reed [Mr. Fantastic] can use his high-tech gadgetry to heal wounded players. Johnny (the Human Torch) can set the environment on fire, and Ben (the Thing) can hurl enemies ` into the inferno you just created.” While the game’s look and story fit closely with the movie, expect a few side plots and villains straight from the comics. Moleman, anyone? k. < 2 On the silver screen: With superhero movies busting blocks left and right, Marvel is bringing the classic (don’t call them second-string) hero team the ` Fantastic Four to the big screen to revisit their origin and clobber their archnemesis Doctor Doom. While Slightly low on star power (Dark Angel. star Jessica Alba is the biggest пате” | attached), look for eye-popping socii effects when Mr. Fantastic stretches lis | body like rubber, the Human Torch 9615 | his flame on, or the Invisible Woman disappears. Oh, and the gravelly Thing 73 Clobbers the ever-lovin' crap out of car$, X. 4 о | = | c THE NEW LONGER LASTING AXE EFFECT. о RNICH HEpe Content is of a mature and extremely arousing nature and may contain images of saucy coeds, sexy stewardesses and other hotties. This software may be deemed unfit for some minors, spinsters, parents, happily married couples, or anyone residing PLAYAS ONLY in regions where caning is still practiced. THE NEW LONGER LASTING AXE EFFECT. ©2005 UNILEVER On your TV screen: А darker Batman film means а darker Batman game: "We =| brainstormed a great deal and came to the conclusion that if we could integrate fear into a videogame, it would not only be very cool, but pretty innovative as well," says Reid Schneider, the game's producer. “Опсе we had that central concept in mind, the stealth component was a natural progression, and the fear- based combat soon followed” Essentially, Batman Begins is a stealth-action game in the vein of Splinter Cell (in fact, several team mem- bers also worked on Ubisoft's seminal Stalker), but one where you have to prey on your foes' weak minds before mov- ing in for the takedown. You can pum- mel enemies with traditional weapons, but creatively scaring them by manipu- effective: "A terrified foe's ability to shoot weapons, fight, or even function becomes massively diminished. In some cases they will lie on the ground para- lyzed with fear; in other cases they will run out of the room screaming,” Schneider says. The level set in Arkham Asylum should be particularly interest- ing in that regard, and we can’t wait to see what Schneider is hinting at when he says, “Batman will deal with his own fears in the game.” BATMAN BEGINS lating environmental objects is far more | r= i lane of security | guards the world over. Note the absence of batsuit nipples. £ On the silver screen: If you'd given up hope for a real Batman movie after the progressively garish and out- landish sequels to the stellar 1989 flick, Batman Begins will cheer you up (in a dark, moody, Gothic sort of way). Directed by Christopher Nolan J| (the dude behind indie hit Memento), || this new film has the bright idea of actually taking Batman seriously, and derives most of its story line from Batman’s old-school МО of striking fear into the superstitious and „> 4 M Elevators are totally passé. “STARSHIP TROOPERS NENNT LIN ` Bi Roach motel: Starship Troopers hosts 2 Оп your TV screen: Forget shiny teen starlets: 20 kinds of enemies, from the 100-foot-, Supersize alien insects are the real stars of | tall plasma bug to the (relatively) small | this first-person shooter. “We want that ПОДОВИ Swarming warrior insects: 4 М А 4 atmosphere of ‘Bugs, sir—millions of them,” ae ~ = | says Chris Jones, producer at U.K.-based Although you often go on mis- sions with other troopers, you can’t l rangelite (Starship Troopers is its Developer Strangelite (S p pers iS give them orders. They're for shot | first original game). “Our Outpost 29 [level], for example, based on Whiskey Outpost in the film, will be attacked by waves of 300 warrior bugs—~that's 300 onscreen at once.” While many missions dump you into these balis-to-the-wail battles, you'll also embark on smali-squad and sole infiltrations into labs, bug nests, and abandoned outposts. Some missions even let you bring along up to seven pals for co-op online bug blastin’. You'll have | tc supply your own co-ed shower scanes On the silver screen: This campy SC erky cast of Beverly studies spent half p and the rest get- 3 ting torn to gory shreds, eaten alive. E or melted to pink goo by ms of за сотр! се bugs— ç the r of the movie. COMING DISTRACTIONS | Packed with zombies, giant gorillas, bullet-time kung fu, and femme fatales, these late-breaking movie games are rated | for “Let's hope they don't blow” Young tykes (and EGM’s own || Seanbaby) need licensed games just as much as the rest of us. Look for | Madagascar (above) from Activision in May, Narnia from Buena Vista this fall, Aeo ocolate [ Warner Bros. * 2006 Ubisoft е December 2005 Majesco • Fall 2005 k and THQ's Cars (based on the next Kinda like BloodRayne but 2K Games ° June 2005 Clint Eastwood has input. Filmmaker Peter Jackson Pixar flick) way off in June 2006. > with it's-her-face. Made by Оотра Loompas. Must be feeling lucky. is directing the game, too. 4 ^ 4 sm ~ < ! Ф ъв е 0 =| | Lando | | Hip • 2006 irector George Romero ings out his undead. Rockstar ° Fall 2005 Worth it for the gangs of baseball-playing mimes. Atari • Fall 2005 Guide Mr. Whoa himself through all three movies. 2K Games е 2006 Seen the film? You know this game won't end well. т Family-friendly | games...we think. www.thug2online.com ACTIVISION. © 2005 Activision Publishing, Inc. Activision is a registered trademark and THUG is a trademark of Activision Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Tony Hawk is a trademark of Tony Hawk, Inc. PSP version developed by Neversoft Entertainment, Inc. and Shaba. "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks and PSP is a trademark of SCEI. Memory Stick Duo™ may be required (sold separately). All rights reserved. The ratings icon is a registered trademark of the Entertainment Software Association. All other trademarks and trade names are the property of their respective owners. activision.com ET Щ BAD GAMES BASED ON GOOD MOVIES Moonwalker ° Sega Genesis Ripped from today’s headlines, the film and game tell the incredibly true story of Michael Jackson turning into а саг, a robot, and a spaceship to keep storm troopers and their drugs away from kids. Sounds like some- one at Jackson’s Neverland Ranch Madness Factory left a banana peel by the “awesome” button. Star Wars: Episode | Racer Dreamcast/N64 Until they film a sequel to Scarface in the style of Weekend at Bernie’s, || the new Star Wars flicks will remain the worst letdowns in movie history. But just because the idea for a space bike came from the same guy who made Jar Jar Binks doesn’t mean it can’t be in a cool videogame. GoldenEye • N64 This game’s developers focused on making a fun shooter with 007 char- acters rather than religiously follow- ing the plot of the movie, which was something about a satellite and how James Bond could twist any conver- sation into a celebration of what his dong will do to you. We get it, James. You want to hump everyone! Chronicles of Riddick е XB Since Sylvester Stallone has made 47 bad movies in a row and Conan is now criminalizing sorcery as California's governor, it was up to Vin Diesel to star in a film about a tough guy killing everyone he meets. The question isn’t why that worked as a game—it’s why it doesn’t work with every movie-based game ever made. INSERT COIN "Stealth with a sexy twist” xen “COMING SOON... СИ № ~ - Раусапопо № eive Chip) © Hip Interactive Corp., 2005. Each of STOLEN, НР GAMES, HIP and HIP design are trade marks of Hip Interactive Corp.. “PlayStation” and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Microsoft, Xbox, and the Xbox logos are either registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/ or other countries. Alienware, the Alienware logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of Alienware Corporation. А! other trademarks are properties of their respective owners, `. wma cm за. г к г к а ‘INCREDIBLE. " “IN момент CLUB 3, THE SENSE OF SPEED IS, IN A WORD, CHOOSE YOUR PATH TO VICTORY THROUGH THE LIVING, OPEN CITY STREETS OF ATLANTA, SAN DIEGO, AND DETROIT. RACE AND CRUISE WITH THE HOTTEST REAL LIFE TAKE YOUR TECHNIQUE TO THE NEXT LEVEL SUVS, TUNERS, MUSCLE CARS, CHOPPERS, STREET WITH SPECIAL RACING MOVES LIKE ZONE, ROAR BIKES, CONCEPT CARS, AND LUXURY SEDANS. AND AGRO. є ) хеох Mild Language \ X R, е Mild Violence ги иле [T V € ® BROADBAND ONLY хеох INLINE емнае ESRB Entertainment Inc. Memory Stick Duo' may be required (sold separately). “PlayStati sold separately). The Online icon is a rade 9. Inc. PSP is a trademark of Sony Computer ind Memory Card (8MB) (ог Live logo and the Xbox logos are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation and/or in other count ratings icon is a trademark of tho Entertainment Software Association. АИ automobile, motorcycle, customization and other parts manufacturers, and other names, brands and associated imagery featured in this game are trademarks and/or copyrighted materials of their and the "PS" Family к ark of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. Microsolt, Xbox, Xbox Live, PERSONALIZE YOUR RIDE WITH THE CHALLENGE UP TO 7 OPPONENTS ONLINE IN A RANGE MODIFY CONTROLS ON THE FLY TO MAXIMIZE THÉ. DEEPEST CUSTOMIZATION COMPONENT OF NEW AND CLASSIC ONLINE MODES, COMPLETE WITH SPEED AND-PRECISION OF THE HIGHEST END EVER SEEN IN A GAME. CHAT, DETAILED STATS AND RANKINGS. VEHICLES IN THE WORLD. COMING APRIL 12 TO хвох”, PLAYSTATIONe2 COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM AND PSP™ HANDHELD ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM Inside the psp The music, the movies, the accessories, and—oh yeah—the games. We blow the lid off Sony’s powerful new handheld for an all-access tour By Mark MacDonald and the EGM All-Stars 82 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com ey, wanna see а magic trick? We can make $250 disappear, just like that, right out of your wallet. АП it takes is one good look at Sony's new PlayStation Portable (aka PSP), and—poof—it’s as good as gone (most likely along with another $100 or so for a couple launch games). How does the PSP do it? A magician never reveals his secrets, but it proba- bly has something to do with that un- freaking-believably huge screen—after 15 years of staring at sub-3-inch hand- held game screens, seeing the PSP's ginormous 4.3-inch display will put you in a trance. Ог maybe it's the supercrisp HD-quality video, or the CD-quality sound, or the wireless networking fea- tures, or the slim, supersexy design, or (lest we forget) the most powerful 3D gaming guts of any portable, ever. Of course, an even better trick might be getting your hands on one any time soon. Sony says one million PSPs will be available on its March 24 launch date, but most game stores stopped taking preorders months ago, a sure sign demand will outstrip initial supply. That’s certainly been the case in Japan, where the PSP was almost impossible to find on store shelves, even months after launch. So if you’re one of the lucky ones, congratulations. If you’re still scouring eBay, good luck. Either way, you'll want to read the next 16 pages, where we crack the PSP wide open (literally and figuratively) to provide everything you need to know about your newly (or soon-to-be) acquired portable power- house—setting it up, photos, movies, music, accessories, battery life, and most importantly, reviews of all the launch games. And now, for our next trick.... ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY е www.1UP.com е 83 Inside the ps, (All objects are shown actual size) Hold indicato! Turns yellow when the power Switch is pushed down and locked into hold mode. г: Lights up solid green when the PSP is in use, flashes when the battery is low, and glows orange while the PSP is charging (once it's fully charged, the light goes dark). W a dicator: Lights up green when using wireless networking to connect to other PSPs or the Internet (which drains your battery faster). 1: A little "tighter" than the DualShock's but otherwise identical to your trusty PS2 pad's Flashes orange whenever the PSP loads or saves to your stick. Important only so that you never remove a Memory Stick when it's being accessed (otherwise you could lose or corrupt data). stick: Unlike typical Volu on: Adjusts the screen 5 п: For use only Speakers: Yes, controllers, the PSP's stick Duh. brightness to one of three levels (the when | you have headphones these two little doesn’t tilt—it always stands darker you keep the screen, the plugged in, this switch changes holes, and not all straight up, like a little plastic more battery life you save), with a the tone of the PSP's audio the tiny ones on mushroom. Its base can be оп Push this at special fourth, brightest setting avail- with every press, with four set- top, are where the pulled and pushed away from the middle to different degrees (it always recenters itself if you let go). And that, Billy, is where analog control comes from! any time for the option to return to the PSP's main menu; also handy since it brings up the time, date, bat- tery life, and volume displays. able only when the PSP is plugged in via the AC adapter. Hold down this button to turn off the display (handy for saving battery life while you lis- ten to music, for example). tings (heavy, pops, jazz, unique) of different bass and treble combinations. You can also hold down this button to mute the PSP at any time. PSP's stereo audio comes from. “usss = hold it up for a few seconds to turn the PSP off. You can also lock it in the down position to enter hold mode, to keep your PSP from turning on accidentally. 1: Push this up and quickly Just for you paranoid conspiracy- theory types, you can manually disable your PSP's ие55 release it to turn the system оп or put it in wireless abilities with this. Big brother is watching, what goes in sleep mode (which will effectively pause and he wants to know your high score in Lumines! here? whatever you were doing at the time) or 84 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY е www.1UP.com IR port: Has по real use...yet. Could be used to communicate with other electronics in the future (use your PSP as a uni- versal remote?), perhaps including the PS3. Headphone jack: Sure, you can use normal headphones with your PSP, but the nifty white ones that come with the system include an iPod- style mini-remote that you can clip anywhere and use to adjust the volume and fast-forward or rewind. Ас гу holes: Future peripherals, like the digital camera and GPS system Sony teased us with when it first demoed the system, may use these to clamp down onto the PSP. Memory Stick Duo: Remember that word Duo—.a regular-sized Memory Stick (roughly twice the length of a Duo) won't fit. The 32MB stick that comes with the system has plenty of space for your game saves, but if you want to store movies, music, or photos, you'll want something bigger. Check out our acces- sories rundown on pg. 98 for more. USB connector: This USB 2.0 slot is the same kind most digital cameras use, but if you don't already have a compatible cable (and you ever want to move stuff to and from your Memory Stick), you'll have to buy one—it doesn’t come with the system. Open latch: Push this to eject your UMD the old-fashioned way (as opposed to twisting your system and taking advantage of a glitch in some PSPs that fires the disc out like a cannon). UMD: Games, movies, and music will be sold on the PSP's proprietary Universal Media Disc format, which, at 2.5 inches in diameter, is a little bit smaller than a GameCube disc. ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com • 85 В 5 e = Е s = Е} = ға Violence )SOI9INW JO зешеред Jo 5ңіршәред рајејејбеј eue. род) әзелдо!8 Jo SUPE: Jo зэлешерел резецзбо: (oqx aU} pue “ходу 'обој solpniS әшео) ‘YOSOIDIW "pen4ese1 уби пу 'џопелод 02) 31050151 n ale зшбиз eiidui3 oper әц pue 'обој глдша әре әш pue емдша aper ‘обо! are moig eui pue әледдоя ‘obor di09 amog әш “9109 EMO! Pamase: juu пу "9102 eueMorg <002:2002 @ © әшбиз әлдшз sper зещипоолощо Jo/pue sarete рений eu ui uomerodioo MATURE 17+ skill L= Бе masterful, ` himself te Бе immortal. x the Jade Empire. Ferfect your skills with over 20 СЕС where the boundaries between natural апа supernatu when your journey becomes legend. Inside Ше psp PSP VS.DS How do the two biggest little systems in gaming stack up against each other? We report, you decide $250 (includes 32MB Memory Stick, headphones, s adapter, carrying case, demo disc, and wrist strap) ML stylus, AC adapter ало Wrst strap) WEIGHT SCREEN SIZE е 43-inch LCD е 16:9 ratio s: 252; = P SCREEN RESOLUTION 480 x 272 pixels 16,800,000 32 megabytes 4 megabytes DRAM (plus ор Universal Media Disc— 1.8 gigabyte capacity (Note: 8 gigabits = 1 gigabyte, so PSP discs can hold about 14 times the amount of data as DS carts.) • IEEE 802.11b (Wi: up to 11 Mbps transmission е Up to 16-player multiplayer 2.5 hours playing UMD movies ° 3 to 6 hours playing games (see pg. 104 for-details) • USB 2.0 port е Touch screen е Analog stick е Backwards compatible with Can display JPG format pictures, play MP3 music Game Boy Advance and MPEG4 video files • Built-in microphone 88 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY е www.1UP.com True fear lies deep within your mind. Fear. Panic. Terror. You're lost in an eerie castle. EE) You're being chased. There is nowhere to run.» , Develop strong hond ‘with те ally for protection а) | ge |= | [шуш ойе heightened . z - tension and fear Мау 2005 MATURE 3 17% М Sige Themes PlayStation. ESRB CONTENT RATING www.esrb.org @CAPCOM CO., LTD. 2005, @CAPCOM U.S.A., INC. 2005 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. CAPCOM and the CAPCOM LOGO are registered trademarks of CAPCOM CO., LTD. HAUNTING GROUND is a trademark of CAPCOM CO., LTD. “PlayStation” and the “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. The ratings icon is a registered trademark of the Entertainment Software Association. All other trademarks are owned by their respective owners. Inside the psp: reviews PSP REVIEWS Cali in some favors from the Mob, take compromising photos of the local EB clerks, whatever—it’s gonna be tough to get your hands on a PSP at launch. But if you do, what are you going to play? There are a bunch of games to choose from, and we've logged stick time with almost all of them. If you like racing, you’re set; puzzle fans, check; anyone who’s been pining for a collectible card game starring a favorite action hero...well, uh, you’re covered, too. Read on for our verdicts and extended impressions of the games we got too late for full reviews. * 16/30 METAL GEAR AC!D Go on, take a hit SH0E: This isn't your kid bro's card-col- lecting game. Instead of facing foes wield- ing comparable decks (like in a Pokémon- style card game), you use your hand to complete spy-thriller scenarios in the Metal Gear Solid vein. If you play the game like it wants you to play it (that is, all stealth like), you can use cards to sneak past guards and cameras, timing every- thing just right so you never get caught. You'll get more bonuses, but expect extremely frustrating trial-and-error-and- reloading-your-last-save gameplay; it took me 15 hours just to reach the game clock's eight-hour mark this way. So screw it—I Rambo'ed my way through the rest of the game and had a much better time. But more than that, the variety kept me spying. Almost every stage introduced something new, whether it was getting a partner to control or wearing disguises— though mostly, you need to worry about getting from point A to point B alive, which is fun enough. Give this one a try to experi- ence something truly different, though be warned, it’s a seriously hardcore game. Partway into Ас!а, you'll unlock two things. The first is playable partner Teliko, who helps you through some of the coolest moments in the game. The other is link mode—two players face each other and АЛ. guards (who hold discs that you must gather) on ran- dom stages straight out of virtual reality land (or MGS: ИВ. Missions on PS1, if you'd prefer). Although everything here looks well-lit, these maps play under the later-in-the-game “nighttime” rules, which has annoying line-of-sight restrictions that can cause enemies to disappear right in front of you. 90 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com Infarmnsion "Air Strike" ATK:150 to 5х5агеа Acts 10cost after SHANE: Casual gamers beware: Just because you dig the MGS series, don’t assume you'll enjoy a hit of Ac!d. With glacially paced tactical card gameplay that feels totally unlike Solid Snake’s other stealth hits, this one’s for strategy geeks only. Ac!d's turn-based levels start off easy enough, but the difficulty escalates too quickly: A handful of one-detection-and- you're-history missions will fiercely test your patience. Also, the complexity ramps up, too—just when you think you know what you're doing, the game debuts a new, convoluted way to fire guns. Thanks. Ac!d still offers strategy fans a deep game steeped in the unique mythos of the Metal Gear series. The story's a bit on the weird side (talking marionettes?), but it's nothing that series fans aren't used to. THE VERDICTS (OUT OF 10) SHOE SHANE 8.0 7.0 8.0 ЗСООТЕК № Ас! 5 pretty hardcore, like a card-collecting game mixed with Final Fantasy Tactics’...uh, tactics, and Metal Gear Solid's sneakery done in a turn-based fashion. OFFICIAL PS MAG—SCOOTER: Ac!d para- doxically has everything you expect in a Metal Gear game, but is totally different than every other Metal Gear. Sneaking around highly guarded complexes? Check. Insane villains? Check. Boss fights against bipedal nuclear tanks? Sure thing. Except it's all turn based. As someone who likes Metal Gear and turn-based games, | quite dig it, but | know Ac/d’s unique formula will alienate most of you. My quibbles with the gameplay include stuff like inconsistent АЛ. and how you have to use а card to do anything, even just move one step in front of you. And the story is actually weirder than MGS2's at times, with plenty of secret agendas. | like it, but you have to realize what you're get- ting into. ж Developer: Konami Japan Players: 1 (2 via wireless LAN) Publisher: Konami ESRB: Mature www.konami.com Lar н-зсове 3568040 DELETED LUMINES Block-rocking beats SHANE: Lumines aspires to be Ше PSP's hip 'n' happenin’ answer to Tetris—an addictive falling-block puzzle game that’s perfect to play on the go. And it largely succeeds: Like its Russian ancestor, this game takes a moment to learn but hours to master. At first, you probably won’t even get what all the fuss is about. With only two colors of blocks to pair up and a rhyth- mic “time line” that removes all matched sou blocks from the board, gameplay feels ter- ribly basic. It’s only after you spend a few hours learning the unique strategy of set- ting up combos that it all clicks. Lumines is also an immensely stylish game—aesthetically intriguing visuals and jammin’, interactive tunes keep the puz- zling fresh. It's fun just to put on some headphones, turn up the volume, and lose yourself in the beats. Sadly, a weird design choice keeps Lumines from being truly classic. None of the modes (save for the swift, fun wireless versus matches) delivers a balanced game- play experience. Challenge (the game’s main mode) takes waaaay too long to ramp up—you'll snooze through the first 20-plus minutes—while CPU versus and puzzle modes get far too difficult too quickly. MARK: Shane has it backwards—it's Lumines' versus mode that's shockingly unbalanced; one bad break and it's almost impossible to come back against a decent player, much less the bitch of a CPU. No, challenge mode is the draw here, and it is glorious. Once everything finally clicks always learning, always getting just a little bit faster, a little bit better. But then beauty abounds in this game; the bright visuals and hypnotic driving beats complement the gameplay perfectly. An awesome on-the-go treat for you eyes, ears, and mind. 1UP.COM—CHE: The brilliance of Lumines can only be discovered by peeling back its subtle layers. At first, the game will strike you as a cool-kid variant of Puzzle Fighter. But like all good puzzle games, there comes an epiphany—a sort of Zen under- standing—of the game’s core mechanic, after which you'll be hopelessly hooked оп its hypnotic sights and sounds. But beyond that, Lumines ventures into abstraction by (don't give up until you score 50K, trust me) you can go back and use that easy first 20 minutes to experiment with bigger combo setups, perfect new tricks, or test theories. That's the true beauty of Lumines: You're design, letting you essentially remix and rearrange the game's 40 or so techno tunes based on your style of play. Like a turntable for your mind, no two games will sound exactly alike. ш Yeah, you've seen it all before. MARK JENNIFER SHANE Publisher: Sony Online « Developer: Sony Online е Players: 1 (2-4 via wireless LAN) • ESRB: Teen • www.untoldlegends.com THE VERDICTS 75 8.59. SHANE MARK CH UNTOLD LEGENDS Good, if not quite legendary For an action-RPG, Untold Legends’ story is forgettable, its com- bat fairly basic hack-n-slash, and its load times completely insane (I clocked one at almost two minutes). In fact, the entire game follows one simple formula it doesn’t even try to disguise (go to X dungeon, kill Y boss, get Z item, return to town for next errand) that's repeated over and over. So why couldn’t | put it down? Simple: deep character-building options. Countless grades of equip- ment can be bought or found; level up and choose which abilities and cool special attacks to buff. Top it off with sharp graphics and smooth multiplay- er and you've got a package anyone with an inner Dungeons & Dragons dork will enjoy. I'm starting to sound like Goldilocks. First, | whined that Champions: Return to Arms (PS2) had bosses that were too hard. Now I'm complaining that its PSP counterpart is too easy; the bosses require almost no change whatsoever in tac- tics. Sigl ауһе next time they'll get the difficulty just right. Untold Legends is a portable Champions and not much more—but, luckily, that’s a fantastic thing: Scrumptious hack-n-slash, satisfying Developer: Q! Players: 1 (2 via wireless LAN) ESRB: Everyone Е | Publisher: Ubisoft www.ubi.com quests, and splendid multiplayer make a fine porridge indeed. Get ready to mindlessly pum- mel facsimiles from each and every page of the D&D Monster Manual. Derivative and creatively bankrupt as it may be, Legends at least pulls off the standard-issue dungeon hacking with pizzazz—sharp visuals, copious labyrinths to venture through, and a googleplex of equipment to hoard make it the deepest PSP launch title of the bunch. And it’s especially engaging with some pals: Four-player wireless questing gives the soulless adventure some much-needed spice. ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY е www.1UP.com е 91 RIDGE RACER Pole position in the PSP lineup MARK: If you read my staff bio in the front of the magazine, you might've noticed rac- ing is not listed as one of my favorite gen- res, but Ridge Racer is on my Now Playing list. That about sums up my review right there—this is a polished, well-balanced game even non-gearheads will love. For starters, Ridge Racer looks better than any launch game has a right to. The sharp, incredibly detailed graphics (heli- copters fly by, flashbulbs go off in the stands, cows graze on the side of the Ej = road) glide by smoothly, even at the incredible speeds of the later cars. But this is much more than a visual showcase for your new system—Ridge Racer has the gameplay goods. Control (on the D- pad at least) is tight and responsive; bumping other cars and the side of the track is just right, not too harsh or too for- giving; and the essential skill of drifting around corners is painless to learn but with subtleties (and three different car/drift types) that take time to master. W After а few bumpy seconds in our seven-player (eight is the max) Wi-Fi tests, the racing was silky smooth, lag free, and a total blast. Ridge Racer may start off way too easy and get abruptly tough with the 1-on-1 racing duels, but unlockable cars and the large number of excellent tracks will keep you behind the wheel. JOHN R: After 20035 utterly atrocious R: Racing Evolution, I'd pretty much given up on my beloved Ridge series. But lo and behold, with the birth of the PSP comes the glorious rebirth of one of the greatest arcade racing franchises of all time, and to say I’m thrilled would be the understatement of the year. Ridge PSP marks a triumphant return to form for the series; the drift mechanics have been completely restored, resulting in a racing game that offers 100 percent adrenaline- fueled, arcade-style fun. The track selec- tion is excellent, the number of cars and races is staggering, and the visuals and music are top-notch. This is the reason | bought a PSP and it's the reason you E g зе 25 25 Ss as Е = JOHN R. 8.5 9.0 9.0 MARI GIANCARI should too. 0h, and I'm analog all the way—the D-pad is for babies. OFFICIAL PS MAG—GIANCARLO: Curse you, Namco! Just as | was coming to grips with the fact that there hasn't been a real Ridge Racer game since the launch of the PS2, you have to go and release what essentially amounts to every Ridge Racer fan's dream—a collection of tracks from every game. These old courses are not only still incredibly fun to race on, but they also hold up well with the new drifting boost feature, which gives added incentive to per- fect your drifting skills. Of course, the main single-player mode will just keep you glued to the PSP in general as you try to unlock new cars and circuits, but multiplayer is also just a total blast to play. My only com- plaint is that races end shortly after the winner crosses the finish line, denying other racers any chance to move up. That's hardly fair to the guys battling for third. Publisher: Namco Developer: Namco Players: 1 (2-8 via wireless LAN) ESRB: Everyone www.namco.com The first batch of UMD movies (not including Spider-Man 2, which comes with the first 1 million PSPs) hits on April 19. Here they are with suggested retail prices (you should be able to find them about $5 cheaper) and rotten-toma- toes.com freshness ratings (the percentage of critics who liked the movie): RESIDENT EVIL: Stee. | но APOCALYPSE $19.95 21% — rotten HELLBOY $19.95 78% — fresh 92 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY е www.1UP.com USE ОР FLYING DAGGERS. $28.95 87% — fresh $19.95 45% — rotten ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO $19.95 69% — fresh SPIDER-MAN 2 Free with first 1 million PSPs M 93% — fresh justthe world: Hip PS2 and Xbox | Wireless Controllers. 2 92. Pelican Afterglow š TV Games: Mortal Kombat. Pro Xbox. Y PlayStation 2 Game, game system, and Ñ = controller all in one. MX Unleashed and Legend of Zelda: Wind W a 57 | ин“ Major League Baseball 2К5 and EA Sports Fight Night 2004. Tetris Worlds, Hot Wheels Stunt Track Challenge, Disney Princess. Inside the ps reviews „г. Jun Fu 3. BigDaddyT _ SIN А "Hard EBM ` Errare Digal Est ж 2. 0-Мас 3. ZachAttack p" 8.PLAYER1 ШШШ NEED FOR SPEED UNDERGROUND RIVALS Rice rocket in your pocket JOHN R: If you, like me, are a Need for Speed tan who doesn't have an awful lot of free time to spend driving around a huge city looking for races and chatting on the phone with Brooke Burke, you'll be pleased with the direction EA took with Underground Rivals. It has wisely ditched the free-roaming city aspects of Underground 2 (and, in fact, the entire story mode altogether) for a leaner, mean- er game of NFS that's perfectly suited for a handheld. That's not to say Rivals is slim on con- tent, though. The two main gameplay modes offer enough racing thrills to keep speed freaks busy for weeks, with a wide variety of race types, both old and new (май! you try nitrous run) and a host of cars to tinker with. It doesn’t hurt that the game looks great, too; it may not be as pretty or smooth as Ridge Racer, but it’s close, and the sense of speed is really pretty astounding. Complaints? Upgrading your ride can be a bit confusing at times, especially if you're not a car geek. And if you're a stickler for licensed parts (I’m not), you won't find "ет here, aside from different brands of wheels. But what does bug me—wireless play for only two players when Ridge Racer offers it for eight peo- ple? For shame, EA! 6. FORD: For a game called Rivals, | expected a little more personality...you know, maybe some actual characters or confrontations. But instead of the stories, antagonists, or open cities seen in recent street racers, this game features unin- spired menu-wading to get you to the action. That’s my only major complaint, though. When you get on the road, every- thing's suitably impressive. Rivals’ graph- ics, speed, and controls are sickeningly good, making it easy to lose a few hours a pop to the addictive minigames (notably Drift Attack and Drag), modding, and more traditional street races. An impres- sive effort. DEMIAN: Like G. Ford, | was a little miffed that Rivals ditched the open-plan city of console big bro Underground 2, but | sup- pose it makes more sense to jump straight to the races for the portable version. But there’s something from Underground 2 that | miss even more: You can't recharge your nitrous meter by drifting, drafting, or gen- erally driving like an idiot. Rivals does look great, though. Not only do the streets have that signature Under- ground wet look, but lights blur as you pass and the camera shakes as the speedometer climbs. I'm with John on the multiplayer front—just two-player LAN matches are disappointing, and the pass-the-PSP 1-4 player events (you try to beat your friends’ times) are nothing special. Rivals 15 very good, but if you're getting only one street racer at launch, make it Ridge. Publisher: EA Games Developer: Team Fusion Players: 1-4 (2 via wireless LAN) ESRB: Everyone 8.0 8.0 75 JOHN R. G. FORD DEMIAN If you're playing the all-new nitrous run mode right, you'll be а! warp speed the whole time, www.eagames.com 94% ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com МА PIRING? R “RIVETING. — GAMESPY ` TAKE COMMAND BASED ON A TRAINING AID DEVELOPED FOR THE U.S. ARMY* — EXPERIENCE THE INTENSITY OF URBAN WARFARE AS YOU LEAD TWO INFANTRY SQUADS THROUGH THE HOSTILE STREETS OF ZEKISTAN. CONTROL UP TO EIGHT SOLDIERS IN REAL-TIME AS YOU OUTTHINK, OUTMANEUVER AND OUTGUN ENEMIES THROUGH OVER 13 LEVELS OF INTENSE ACTION. М 2 TEAM UP WITH А FRIEND А " UTILIZE REAL-WORLD MILITARY _ COMMAND TWO FIRE TEAMS IN STRATEGIC SQUAD-BASED COMBAT COMBAT TACTICS & WEAPONS. ONLINE FOR 2 PLAYER CO-OP WWW. FULLSPECTRUMWARRIOR.COM PlayStation. PC + узаак ren s *This game is not sponsored or endorsed by the United States Army. Blood © 2005 Pandemic Studios, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Pandemic®, the Pandemic logo® and Full Spectrum Warrior™ are trademarks and/or registered trademarksof Pandemic Studios, LLC and are reproduced under license only. Exclusively licensed by THQ Inc. THQ and the THO logo are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of THQ Inc. All rights. Strong Language reserved. Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox Live and the Live logos are registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries and are used Violence under license from Microsoft. "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Online play requires internet connection, s CONTENT RATED BY Network Adaptor (for PlayStation 2) and Memory Card(8MB)(lor PlayStation 2)(each sold separately) The Online icon is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. www.thq.com ESRB „ GameSpy and the "Powered by GameSpy" design are trademarks ol GameSpy Industries, Inc, АН other trademarks, logos and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. Inside the psp: reviews What a waste—a third of your screen for a map, a fifth of your screen for a horse’s ass. DYNASTY WARRIORS |1 ESRB: Everyone Chinese take-out Heads-up play SHANE: Compared to publisher Koei’s replicating the PS2 version’s fun, large- This handheld soccer title does look spot-on and crowds bellow team- impressive Dynasty Warriors 5 for PS2 scale battles. However, your teammates not disappoint—it has a crisp look, Wi-Fi specific chants. Also, being able to pick (reviewed on page 134), this version feels are often totally incompetent and will action, and exclusive new modes. | dig up my favorite squad’s actual ’04-’05 like it belongs in an Asian history museum. stand around in the midst of a fight while the midseason mode especially, in which season from the halfway point is a nice Sure, you can't expect a handheld game's you're busy doing all the dirty work. Also, you can play using the real stats accu- touch. Gameplay is pretty solid, though | visuals to match its PS2 cousin's, but you due in part to the camera position and mulated so far this year. Can Arsenal wish | could remap the button layout; can expect it to at least fill the screen—too because the actual action takes up such a catch Chelsea for the Premiership? Play switching from the analog stick to the D- much of the lovely LCD is wasted on a relatively small amount of screen real it out and get back to me. pad for special moves is tricky. largely unnecessary map. And the simplis- estate, it's often difficult to gauge where FIFA uses the PSP's screen size to full tic, occasionally choppy action on the other enemies are in the middle of combat. advantage, giving you a great look at the Play soccer in widescreen and chunk isn't much to shout about, either. whole field. Now you can see if your it's hard to go back; the extra acreage Gameplay fares a tinge better. Cutting 1UP.COM-CHE: If you've played Dynasty streaking striker is offside before deliver- ^ definitely ups the success rate on risky down legions of fools provides a grisly, Warriors before on a console, then this kid ing the through ball. And | hope any through-ball passes and other offensive visceral rush, thanks to tight controls. brother version will feel comfortably famil- developer who makes sports titles copies plays. Although | often felt my guys were Conveniently brief missions invite short iar. The same claustrophobic skirmishes the save and quit mode in F/FA—simply moving a bit slowly (especially with the gameplay sessions, but every level feels and addictive hack-and-slash mechanics start it back up; you'll see a few seconds ball), | can't fault the controls much— awfully similar. With little to do besides prevail here, but having only one analog of your previous gameplay, and you're stretching from the analog nub to the D- hack-n-slash, there's not much depth. Stick means you'll spending most of your back in. Excellent! pad to execute a dribble move or first- time fighting with a stubborn camera. This touch when receiving a pass is a little OFFICIAL PS MAG—GIANCARLO: This is game is either unoptimized or taxing the Even in miniature form, FIFA annoying, but | can't think of a better indeed Dynasty Warriors in portable form, PSP to the limit, because there's plenty of beautifully captures soccer's sights and system. There's no franchise mode, but and as such, it does an excellent job of awful slowdown to boot. sounds, as the Beckhams and Ronaldos РИ swap wireless multi for that any day. —— -- mm] | Publisher: Кое! Publisher: EA Sports в 5 0 6 0 6 5 | Developer: 0mega Force Developer: EA Canada 55 Players: 1 Players: 1 (2 Ма 85 | [) 0 ° ESRB: Teen wireless LAN) = НЕ HANE GIANCARLO — C Vas Ee PATRICK BRYAN DEMIAN www.easports.com Preserve precious family photos. Wait, that's not your dad. 29 m What pictures you decide to keep on your PSP is your bi 96 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY е www.1UP.com Joco BED | Уо? EMPIRE Earn your stripes. And your black belt. Jade Empire from BioWare is now available. This RPG lets you learn the strategies of the great martial art masters, defeat powerful enemies and take back the streets of ancient China. At Best Вџу/ gamers rule. © 2005 Best Buy i Represents Mature Rating 5 Go to www.ESRB.org for video game & computer software game rating information. Inside the psp: reviews „he’s thinking about Mrs. Woods. Loses some stripes BRYAN: Even when the real-life Tiger is struggling, he’s one of the best around. And the same holds true for his videogame. Most of this traveling golf course is well under par; it looks superb and features tons of modes (you can’t beat teeing off against legends like Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus), and just like in the console editions, there are almost too many options for customizing your golfer. But sometimes Tiger misses the cup: The analog nub is too sensitive for the series’ signature swing system. Just one little bump while riding the bus will send your ball into the rough. This and the frequent load times are why my golf clap isn't as zealous as it might have been. CRISPIN: A good portable golf game is a beautiful thing (see the Mario Golf series on Game Boy), and Tiger comes close to nailing such potential. It looks great, packs THE VERDICTS BRYAN CRISPIN TIGER WOODS РСА TOUR 70 75 8.0 a solid variety of quick-play challenges (plus slick multiplayer modes), and has the same nifty swing and putting systems as the big-console versions. Trouble is, con- trol here isn't as accessible. Like Bryan, | blame it on the PSP's touchy analog nub, which launched occasional unpredictable shots even after | thought | had mastered my swing. Add in the longish load times, and Tiger falls short of the hole. PATRICK: This Tiger has eight licensed courses (including golfer mecca Pebble Beach), a Legend’s Tour, plus the great create-a-player feature synonymous with the series. Like the other guys, | found the frequent loading a bit annoying, and | had similar control problems: The up/down motion of the swing on the console stick feels more precise than the analog slider оп the PSP. You've got to take extra care to ensure a straight shot. Publisher: EA Sports Developer: EA Canada Players: 1-4 (2 via wireless LAN) ESRB: Everyone PATRICK www.easports.com Long ur nc m NFL STREET2: What a showboat Three different NFL Street titles in 15 months—man alive, that must be like some kind of record. Anyhoo, the good news is that EA's hard-hitting, arcadey football franchise is the perfect fit for the sporto with a PSP. And actually, Ра rather run for pay dirt in this version than in the two console installments, as this style of play—where matchups last roughly 10 to 15 minutes—is what gam- ing оп the go is ай about. Unleashed also moves at a blisteringly fast pace (unlike some other PSP sports games), looks comparable to its visually impressive big brothers, and is simple to control. It’s unfortunate that the game recycles Street 25 “own the city" mode, but at least it has some legs. Minus a few lame minigames (Pm looking your way Style Standoff) Unleashed is mighty impressive. As THE VERDICTS (UTOF 10) BRYAN G. FORD PATRICK 9 EA Field: The company really does have a football field at its Redwood Shores; СА office. | UNLEASHED Bryan says, the controls are spot-on and the action is quick—turn off the music and there's even less loading. Granted, single player can get old—something fans of arcade-style sports games are familiar with—but solid multiplayer keeps the drive going. When 1 challenged Patrick to some wireless action, our bat- tles were smooth and lag-free. Playing Unleashed makes me realize what a spaz | am—note to self, shaking the PSP makes it hard to see. Once | calmed down, | loved the fact | could view the whole field with a cam- era angle wider than that of the game’s console counterpart. The new Street events, the addition of some different throwback guys (like Jerry Rice as a Niner), plus the inclusion of some throw- back locales from the first Street make this feel like so much more than a port. Publisher: EA Sports Big Developer: EA Canada Players: 1-4 (2 via wireless LAN) ESRB: Everyone www.easportsbig.com 98 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com балык an " w MEMORY STICK PRO Dun 42.00. YOU NO LONGER NEED TO CHOOSE BETWEEN EATING аи in ae Es y [ ў r y > | + 4 * $2 " Rent from OVER 6800 TITLES p (and still have cash left for the pizza guy). Start your FREE TRIAL at IGX.COM! RENT. PLAY. REPEAT. PLAYSTATION2 ° XBOX • GAMECUBE ° PLAYSTATION PORTABLE * NINTENDO DS ° GBA • NES ° SNES ° №64 ° GENESIS * SEGA CD ° SATURN ° DREAMCAST ° PSone Interactive Game Exchange Inside the psp impressions Wheels-for-arms Axel: looking for a nice dump t to settle down with, TWISTED METAL: HEAD-ON Getting long in the Sweet Tooth If you’re old enough to remember when cars with machine guns and heat-seeking missile launchers mounted on their doors were the hottest thing on a PlayStation disc, you'll recognize Head-On as a throw- back to the Twisted Metal 2 era. The old characters are here: Sweet Tooth, Mr. Grimm, Outlaw, and a grip of their pals. And they still look as though they've escaped from a bad comic book rather than an asylum. The creepy coat of darkness painted onto the PS2's Twisted Metal Black has been shed in favor of the earlier sun- nier style. Even levels from 7M2 (L.A. and Paris, notably) have been reimagined. Visually, it’s smoother around the edges than its forebear and throws around some modern lighting effects, but it's not spec- tacular. Unfortunately, Twisted Metal's core gameplay feels pretty archaic—especially the silly directional pad sequences used for Developer: Incog LAN/online) ESRB: Teen Publisher: Sony CEA Players: 1 (2-8 via wireless. www.playstation.com special moves. Worse, the camera behind your car seems pretty sluggish, slow to catch up as you constantly spin around in dogfights. The series never truly embraced the analog stick, but it should be noted that the PSP's analog nub is pretty useless here. Stick with the D-pad. What worked for the series in the past mostly works here. The stranger weapons, especially those that require detonation after firing, are still fun to use. At this point, though, the stewards of the franchise should consider some kind of real defense (and not the D-pad combo for shields) to break up the game's tired attack patterns. BOTTOM LINE: If you're a fan of the series (and know a few more), the Wi-Fi online mode could be worth it. Otherwise, there seem to be plenty of better things to do —Robert Ashley with a car on the PSP. Fast enough tor ya? Yes. WIPEOUT PURE Uncut speed It's a shame that Sony couldn't provide EGM with reviewable copies of Pure, as you'd probably be spying three remark- ably high scores right here. The basic premise mirrors that of the PSP Ridge Racer's: Combine elements from every game in the series' well-respected lineup to create an all-in-one über-racer. A lot of the content is actually new (12 original tracks, several new vehicle classes), but you'll also recognize tracks and crafts borrowed from Wipeout, Wipeout XL, Wipeout 3, and Wipeout Fusion. Even if you missed those classics, you'll quickly adapt to Wipeout's brand of antigravity racing—the purposefully floaty physics, massive hills, hairpin turns, and deadly leaps. А creative arse- nal of power-ups enhances the action, and a new twist—the ability to “burn” your pickup to regain shields—forces Publisher: Sony CEA Developer: Sony Liverpool Players: 1 (2-8 via wireless LAN) ESRB: Everyone IMPRESSION you to rethink your racing strategy. Although it’s easy to be swayed by the PSP's processing muscle, Wipeout Pure's visuals completely exceed all expecta- tions. The game offers not only superbly speedy action, but also aesthetically pleasing design. Whether you're zipping through glass tubes beneath the ocean or careening off walls in a neon Tron- inspired dreamscape, you will be awed. And the other Wipeout presentation sta- ples—absurdly hip menu designs and rockin’ techno tunes—remain intact. Eight-player wireless races complete the package, though true online multi sure would have been nice. The PSP launch lineup is lousy with top-quality racers, but Wipeout Pure may very well be the best of the bunch. — —Shane Bettenhausen www.playstation.com What all those funny little menu icons really Network Update: Connect to the Net and see if any new software has been released for your PSP. Sony can use this to keep your system up to date with any big fixes, added features, new periph- erals, etc. top of your PSP and Tu home computer, ick hi link up and fiddle with ) Memory Stick it should 100 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com 5 the most crucial element of | vacation sli how. System Settings: A catchall | for lots of little things: see how much battery life you have left, format your Memory Stick, set the language and a will show up when playing | wireless multiplayer). Called for traveling Forget NBA Live. Don't bother with NBA Basketball 2K. These days, no hoopster can compete with Electronic Arts’ Street- ified rendition of the sport, at least not when it comes to pure fun. So it didn’t shock anyone when the company announced that the blockbuster arcade series was also heading to Sony's sexy PSP. How does NBA Street make the tran- sition to the smaller screen? Well, it ain't as "fannnntastic" as | had hoped. On the court, loyal fans will feel right at home. Sure, two fewer shoulder buttons shrinks your tricks list quite a bit, but there are still plenty of ways—such as sending the ball up for an alley-oop with a soccer-style kick—to dazzle the crowd. It's also really simple to execute these showboat maneuvers. It's too bad, though, that Showdowr's gamebreakers (special moves that earn you extra scoreboard points while taking some away from your opponent) are in the vein of Vol. 2's near- automatic shots and dunks rather than W Talk about watching from (ae E » NBA STREET: SHOWDOWN Someone ate his | Wheaties today. V3's more intricate (and more prone to fail) dunktastic finishers. Graphically, this is one of the better-look- ing sports titles at launch, as players such as Shaq-Fu and King James are spot-on representations of the real thing. But match it up against the PSP version of NFL Street (which, mind you, features more players onscreen), and the visuals simply don’t have the same polish. But the biggest disappointment comes in the game's feature set. Showdown's ESRB: Everyone IMPRESSION Publisher: EA Sports Big Developer: EA Canada Players: 1-4 (2 via wireless LAN) www.easportsbig.com king of the court mode is a heavily watered-down version of V3's solo experi- ence, and the two minigames—Shot Blocker and Arcade Shootout—get old after only a few sessions, even with four people passing the PSP around. BOTTOM LINE: Nothing is necessarily wrong with Showdown, but when the final buzzer...buzzes...this one still feels like a step back for the acclaimed roundball series. Моге next month. —Bryan Intihar Mua Date and Time Settin the time (regular or military), Ше date (standard ог day then month then year, if you're feeling European), time zone (from a huge list that includes most major cities), and day- light savings on or off. Power Save Settings: Adjust how long the system waits without input until it turns off its screen and also how long until it automatically goes into Sleep mode. While you're here, turn on WLAN Power Save to conserve battery life. Sound Settings: Set AVLS (Automatic Volume Limiter System) and protect your eardrums against sudden loud noises and toggle on or off the pleasant little “ding” that sounds when you scroll through the PSP's menu. Security Settings: Concerned parents and paranoid gamers can set up a four-digit lock- out code here, along with a control level from 1 to 11 to adjust what games and movies the system will play, similar to what’s on the PS2. ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY е www.1UP.com 101 Network Settings: Configure ad hoc mode (three different channels or auto detect, for talking with other PSPs) or establish settings like encryp- tion and your IP address for connecting to the Net in infra- structure mode. и JU ORIVE ОУЕК 200 САКЗ ЕКОМ МОКЕ ТНАМ PERFECT THE КНУТНМ AND TIMING OF YOUR ODDS SYSTEM EVENS THE FIELD AND 50 MANUFACTURERS. DRIVING SKILLS IN DRIVING REVOLUTION MODE. ELIMINATES THE TRADITIONAL MONEY SYSTEM. IT’S NOT ABOUT HOW MUCH TIME YOU SPEND UNDER THE HOOD. IT’S ALL ABOUT YOUR SKILLS BEHIND THE WHEEL. EXPERIENCE HUNDREDS OF MODERN AND CLASSIC VEHICLES FROM THE WORLD’S TOP MANUFACTURERS AS YOU WORK YOUR WAY UP FROM AMATEUR TO THE TOP PROFESSIONAL DRIVER. Visit www.esrb.org for updated гай КЫ E nD WWW.KONAMI.COM/ENTHUSIA information. © 2004 KONAMI "Enthusia Professional Racing" is a trademark of KONAMI CORPORATION. All manufacturers, cars, names, brands and associated imagery featured in this game are trademarks and/or copyrighted materials of their respective owners. "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. The ratings icon is a registered trademark of the Entertainment Software Association. VISUAL GRAVITY SYSTEM (VGS) OFFERS TRUE-TO-LIFE PHYSICS FOR EACH VEHICLE BUILD YOUR SKILLS FROM AMATEUR DETAILED REAL-TIME INFORMATION ABOUT RECREATED FROM OVER 300 PARAMETERS. TO THE TOP PROFESSIONAL IN CAR HANDLING AND TIRE TRACTION. ENTHUSIA LIFE MODE. < ENTHUSIA PROFESSIONAL RACING PlayStation. KONAMI Inside the psp: impressions On the Loose is pretty much the same game as the 6-year-old original Ape Escape. Back then it pioneered use of Sony’s DualShock analog controllers, utiliz- ing the right stick in innovative ways (like steering a little RC car independent of your character). Given the lack of dual sticks on the PSP, you might guess that this new ver- sion makes clever use of the analog nub, but you’d be wrong. The actions originally performed with the right stick are simply mapped directly to face buttons. Ape Escape sans control gimmicks becomes a fairly innocuous platformer with а simian fetish. You hop around brightly colored cartoon sets as a spiky-haired kid (named...Spike) and search for monkeys with an arsenal of monkey-hunting gad- gets. The levels hold up well, steadily intro- ducing more gear and moving through time periods (from dinosaurs to a modern-day carnival). Catching the little siren-headed Publisher: Sony CEA Developer: Sony CEA ESRB: Everyone z е Ф E e = е = www.playstation.com АРЕ ESCAPE: ON THE LOOSE Gotta catch ’em all...again Players: 1 (2 via wireless LAN) Apes riding hammerheads? Very humorous. | apes can be as simple as running them down, but most require some puzzle solv- ing, usually figuring out what gadget to use. Though Loose looks better than the original Ape Escape, it's not one of PSP's best on the graphics front—if it weren't for the vibrant colors, the environments would seem pretty desolate. A set of two-player minigames, the only real new addition, attempts to make use of PSP's Wi-Fi capabilities. If you managed to find someone to play them with, though, you'd feel like a fool. Of the four available, only Boxing stands up to multiple attempts, and it plays more like Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots than a videogame. BOTTOM LINE: Much of what made Ape Escape charming is lost without two analog Sticks, but the weirdo concept and quality level design survive the transition. —Robert Ashley № You want the innovative games? You can’t handle the innovative games. Possible sequel: Reginald Fortesques Barium If your ideal handheld experience involves guiding a blob of metallic goo around a maze, your meager dreams are about to come true. Mercury's a fairly basic puzzle game, but its premise— don’t allow your amorphous body to lose any of its mass while traversing the lev- els—makes the ordeal quite challenging. But the real question here is, “Who the hell is Archer MacLean?” | actually asked that question to a colleague while play- ing this game at Sony's PSP debut press conference, and was a bit shocked when a stately British gentleman nearby spoke up, “Why, | am Archer MacLean, good sir!” He went on to enthusiastically explain the finer points of Mercury while | repeatedly failed to complete the sec- ond level. He also brought me up to speed on his personal history: Turns out, he’s a well-respected maverick game designer in the U.K. who made it big with Publisher: Ignition Developer: Awesome Games Players: 1 (2 players via wireless LAN) ESRB: Everyone www.ignitionent.com Dropzone (Atari 800), International Karate (C64), and some random snooker simula- tor (snooker is a wacky British version of billiards). | asked him about the planned USB motion sensor that would allow Mercury players to control their blob by physically tilting the unit—this clever peripheral has been mentioned several times, but never shown. Apparently, the device is still in the works, but they’ve tun into a bit of a snag: It contains lead and is therefore poisonous if swallowed. Oops. No word yet on when that cool add-on will hit shelves, but it definitely won't be out when Mercury launches. BOTTOM LINE: It's not quite as engaging a puzzler as Lumines, but you'll have fun messing with Mercury in short bursts. The tricky difficulty might prove to be too much for some players, though... —Shane Bettenhausen жу M 104 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com Ітіуі НЕ оо ке | МУ ANTI-DRUG. т (АМЕР: д EC THROUGH ERE ABUSE ¢ or Му IN тим тсн NAME: R и 7 E DRUG OF NOTCE WEED | Т CLOUDS OF SMOKE DISTORTED нш зор UNABLE TO see тй не was В „и: из ом + THE RED VESNUSENTN УРУ TRACED THE TIN ОЕ THE PURPLE HAZE НЕ ‘TIL HE WAS CAUGHT ON WITH A NICKELBAG OF HERB NOW ХМ COLLEGE BOUND 1 ТАУЕР SOBER THROUGH THE DAY НЕ DR OF HIGH SCHOOL AND 1 DON’T KNOW WH BUT І HOPE HE KNOWS ® THAT WE CHANGED Му LIFE AND HE COULD'VE CHANGED THE RTI М ТЕ ONLY HE COULD'VE по GOBER. я -794Е Office of National Drug Control Policy/Partnership for a Drug-Free America® freevibe.com Inside the psp: impressions a DARKSTALKERS: == THE CHAOS TOWER Almost worth the wait Has it really been seven years since the last Darkstalkers game was released in America? Apparently so, which begs the question: Why would Capcom choose to resurrect an ancient franchise that's all but faded into obscurity to use as its debut PSP title? I’m not quite sure myself, but never- theless, here it is. To be fair, Darkstalkers is by no means a bad game. In fact, for a long time the series trailed behind only Street Fighter in the world of 2D fighting games—no small feat, to be sure. What Darkstalkers lacks in pre- cision-tuned gameplay and character bal- ance, it more than makes up for in person- ality and visual flair. And Chronicle does an excellent job of melding the series’ three main entries—Darkstalkers, Night Warriors, and Darkstalkers 3—into one all- encompassing title, complete with every character, move set, and play style from all three arcade games. Needless to say, fans Publisher: Capcom Developer: Capcom ESRB: Teen IMPRESSION www.capcom.com Players: 1 (2 via wireless LAN) of the series will be more than pleased. Exclusive to the PSP version is the survivalesque tower mode, which makes for an interesting single-player diversion; with 100 floors of battles to fight through, many of which include special handicaps or bonus goals, it'll keep even hardcore play- ers occupied for a good while. Unfortunately, you'll spend nearly half that time looking at a "now loading" screen. It's too bad, because aside from the excessive load times, this really is a competent port. The animation is superb, the art is beauti- ful, and there's a ton of bonus stuff to unlock. And with head-to-head Wi-Fi play, the replayability is virtually endless—IF you can deal with all the waiting around. BOTTOM LINE: If you're hard up for hard- core 2D fighting action and can deal with long load times, Darkstalkers is for you. —John Ricciardi AN 2 Spidey can't go out and play The Spider-Man series is one of the few that relies on vertical gameplay, given Spidey's swinging and zipline mechan- ics where he—even in midconversa- tion—needs to be able to quickly take off in any direction. So PSP's widescreen format is actually some- thing of a liability for this game, unlike a first-person shooter or football game. To compensate, developer Vicarious Visions removed the awesome “loco- motion” style web-swinging system from the console Spider-Man 2 and went back to the style of the first Spider-Man movie game—so players grab on to an invisible ceiling with their web, rather than swinging from actual buildings or objects. As a result, it's easier to move around, since you don't have to take into account the vertical angles of your web, but it's less fun Since you miss out on the feeling of Publisher: Activision Players: 1 ESRB: Teen IMPRESSION www.activision.com speed and general Spider-Man-ness. In another “00F!” blow to our webslinger, Spider-Man 2's free-roaming city also gets the big ax; you can't go down to street level and pass the time collaring purse snatchers and jaywalkers. It's not all Spider-Man 1, though. The game mixes the level structure and swinging from the first game with the improved character models, fluid anima- tions, and special abilities like the charge jump (the longer you hold the Jump button, the higher you go) from the second, and the controls feel pretty solid, too. Based on the nearly complete version we tried, it's extremely pretty and offers fun objectives, but the screen shape and awkward camera control sometimes make quick, precise movements difficult. —Matt Leone Developer: Vicarious Visions 989 Sports, had a disastrous debut on PS2 (remember the god-awful NFL GameDay 2001?), but from what we've Gretzky NHL played so far, its initial PSP minute-long load times when booting up a course. As for Rengoku: The Tower of Purgatory, well, its ho-hum (unless you really love customiz- _ Unfortunately, certain companies 19 only give us a few hours with their respective launch | titles. Since that's not nearly igh time to give each game shake (that'll happen next issue), here are some hands-on | impressions. And if you see other mags reviewing them, don’t say we didn’t warn you.... Sony's internal sports studio, ‘showing is faring much better. Though none of the games include announcers, they are the only sports games at launch to feature full online support. 106 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com Leading the charge is Gretzky NHL, which plays faster and smarter (so no more offsides courtesy of moronic CPU-controlled players) than the recent PS2 edition. World Tour Soccer is also outperforming its console coun- terpart, boasting simpler con- trols and a beefy season mode. Even a very, very early version of MLB (it still has icons for PS2-specific buttons appearing onscreen) plays error free. The only big question mark is МВА; it’s simply too difficult to shoot the rock. Offroad Fury: Blazin’ Trails has definitely picked up the pace since our last run around the track. Now, if only the devel- opers can improve those two- ing robots) third-person combat and sparse sci-fi environments had most folks putting the game down after only 10 or so min- utes—not good. 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Inside the psp: {=> previews PE COMING SOON The PlayStation Portable’s launch lineup assaults the senses with tons of game- play options, but what will you do when you've solved all of those first-day ‘The bugs in, Arms’ mainfrai are, uh, actually quite literal. Konami е Summer 2005 — This futuristic shooter hails from an unlikely place— Japan. How does this hyperdetailed game spawn in a society that infamously gets motion sickness from first-person shooters? “A lot of Japanese players are still afraid of FPS games,” explains Coded Arms Producer Yasuo Daikai. “But the guys on our team all love classics like Doom, Quake, and Unreal, along with recent games like Halo and Half- Life—it's our ultimate dream for our game to compete with the shooters on home con- CODED only to succumb to a bleak dearth of staggered releases for six months (cough...Nintendo DS). Here’s what’s currently on the PSP radar. - titles? Hopefully, publishers will be able to fill the next few months with enough quality games to keep us busy. Too many hardware launches start strong You'll need to switch | A weapons depending on wirat# enemy type you're аси! 2 bug, robot, ог human, soles.” With its stunning visuals, massive single-player game (expect around 30 hours of nonstop action), and towering bosses, it might actually nudge up pretty close to cur- rent-gen FPS territory. Arms’ trapped-inside-a-virtual-world- run-amok plot allows for lots of bizarre ene- mies, absurdly big weapons, and complex levels (including a few never-ending, ran- domly generated ones). Plus, you'll be able to hook up with three other players for some wireless deathmatch violence. PURSUIT FORCE Sony CEA е Fall 2005 — Rockstar's upcoming Grand Theft Auto for PSP will have some competition from the other side of the law: Sony's Pursuit Force casts you as a rookie cop tasked with bringing down five major gangs in Capital City, a sin- soaked metropolis in a fictionalized version of Nevada. Walking the thin blue line means you won't be staging break-ins or getting action from hookers, but you'll still be able to steal cars...even while they're moving. Leaping from car to car during 150 mph chases, engaging in deadly gunfights on freeways, and exploring oodles of dusty back roads should inject some much-needed excite- ment into your commute. W Most of the action takes place behind the wheel including tense shoot-outs. 108 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY ° www.1UP.com ADVENT SHADOW Majesco * June 2005 — This action- adventure works as a side story to the ‘upcoming Xbox title Advent Rising, but you won't have to tackle that epic to appreciate Shadow's blend of acro- batic gunplay and vehicular combat. Gamers who play both games, howev- er, will come away with à deeper understanding of the complex story line penned by well-known sci-fi MIDNIGHT CLUB 3: DUB Rockstar * April 2005 — The era of dumbed-down portable ports might be ending. АП the sexy rides, over-the-top shortcuts, and breakneck street racing of Club's console cousin survive in this PSP version. You'll still be able to race your decked-out cars, trucks, and bikes through three huge, traffic-filled Cities— Atlanta, Detroit, and San Diego—in either single-player races or GT4 MOBILE „ Sony CEA • Summer 2005 — Sony has remained mysteriously tight- lipped regarding this PSP version of | Gran Turismo 4. While it won't be able 10 deliver the same absurd level of visual polish seen in the PS2 game, it should be capable of offering the one | thing its console brother couldn't— online play. Eight-player races over the PSP's Internet matching service would Simply rule.... 18.95 HOT SHOTS GOLF Sony CEA • May 2005 — We're not геайу sure why Sony chose to delay the release of this pick-up-and-play golf romp (it was a launch title back in December for Japan...maybe they're adding true online play), but at least it'll be a good reason to power up the ole' PSP come summertime. Dependable gameplay, fully customiz- able golfing avatars, and nice-looking greens are par for the course. ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com 109 ON А HELLEOUND VESSEL, : Sdn UNLEASH А TORRENT OF МЕАРОМ5 CREATE FATAL TRAPS AND USE SHOTGUNS, FLAME THROWERS, OR ANY OBJECT YOU CAN FIND TO SURVIVE. Ne KEEP YOUR BEARINGS BATTLE AGAINST INCREASINGLY MUTATED ENEMIES IN TREACHEROUS, UNSTABLE ENVIRONMENTS. BRAVE DANGEROUS WATERS ROCKED BY HUGE BREAKERS, YOU MUST STEADY YOUR NERVES - AND AIM - TO EVADE А WATERY GRAVE. Blood and Gore Intense Violence Language EVERYONE |5 DEAD WEIGHT. IN THE VIOLENT STORMS OF THE BERING STRAIT, DISTRESS CALLS MEARE А DIME A DOZEN. BUT WHEN COAST GUARD VETERAN TOM HANSEN BOARDS ЧА SEEMINGLY ABANDONED WHALER, NOTHING CAN PREPARE HIM FOR THE HORRORS LURKING BENEATH ITS BLOODSTAINED DECKS. НЕ WAS THE LAST 270 RESPOND TO THE CALL. WILL HE ВЕ THE FIRST. TO SURVIVE? cover story: phantasy star Clear your schedule—Phantasy Sta offline adventures will suck your soc By Shane Bettenhausen SH, t's the videogame equivalent j of a support group: Get a band of Phantasy Star Online veterans together ai the conversation i пола eis to the tight grip lives (а hundreds of hours. lamentally, PSO was a hack-n- h treadmili—you cleaved your wa through armies of enemies in an eternal y required button-pressing skill ugh to put down, Playing with. 5 (or random dudes all over паде the quest for schwag ай dictive: Making someone nt word oF sol helped validate ай d to hit ti 2005 holiday shopping ens to consume your life than its ргейесе$- нк nly dees PSU expand upon хе online play of its forerun- ако includes a full-featured offline game to keep you busy when you're playing solo. > 12 * ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY « www.1UPcom { Е | CHOOSE YOUR PHANTASY | [Psu Online ............ 116 | | (ву cover story: D phantasy star “We think that [Final Fantasy fans] can also like PSU." —PSU Director Satoshi Sakai » Phantasy Star Offline Here's a strange fact: More than half of all GameCube Phantasy Star Online play- ers never played it online. (Apparently, they didn't notice the word "online" in the title....) So rather than trying to force unwilling consumers to merge onto the information superhighway, Sega's devis- ing an alternate plan for PSU: offer a qe ЖШ ier expt ence. “There are a lot of gamers out ЖЕ” "токтата = onal E _ Satoshi Sakai. “We think that those gamers can also like PSU, not just the k online gamers who already know the PSO brand” 4 When you first boot up Phantasy Star п s first boss is a toving (yet deadly) homage to PS0. (e дана Create your. . character for the online multiplayer — game or tackle the sprawling, 40-hour- | plus offline quest. Nothing you do in one . affects the other in any way, so it's really ` like having two games іп опе. The — single-player adventure casts you as · А, Ethan Waber, а headstrong lad living оп а massive space station in the three-planet | 114 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY www.1UPcom Grarl star system. As the game opens, the planets are celebrating 100 years of mutual peace when a mysterious alien force known as Seed brutally assaults Parum, the human world. Creepy living missiles drill into the planet’s surface, mutating the wildlife into dangerous ‘monsters. Ethan’s no hero, but when he discovers that his little sister is under Home Decor Ethan’s space-station bachelor pad starts out with some truly minimalist decor, but you’ll be able to furnish and decorate your room to match your personal tastes à la Animal Crossing. You'll even be able to pro- duce and sell unique items to other players in the online portion of PSU. Old-school Inspiration Although PSU obviously builds on the futuristic foundations of Phantasy Star Online, it also draws from a more antiquated source. “We looked back at the first Phantasy Star games for inspiration when design- ing the worlds of PSU,” says Creative Manager Takao Miyoshi. (The series began on the long-dead Sega Master System way back in 1988.) PSU introduces the all-new Grarl star system, but its three planets— Parum, Neudaiz, and Motwob—neat- ly mirror the worlds gamers explored in the old Star games: Palma, Dezolis, and Motavia. And series faithful will spot other points of ref- erence, like the addition of vehicles (all four original Star games let play- ers cruise around the overworld in various crafts) and the new “cut-in chat” system that displays conversa- tions in a way reminiscent of Phantasy Star IV's cutting-edge comic-book-style cinemas. PSU's new beast race even came from classic games: “We really wanted to include playable alien characters,” Miyoshi explains. “We considered adding the Motavian farmer race from the old Phantasy Star games, and that evolved into the beastman idea.” | Ш Ethan's not the best spelicaster, - but he can bust out some cool tech- attack, he takes up a sword and travels down to rescue her.... Unlike PS0's simple single-player дипдеоп hack, this adventure delivers the goods you'd expect from a quality RPG—deep characterization, dramatic cut-scenes, spoken dialogue, and mas- sive towns to explore. And although the meat of the game is traditionally linear № Unlike PS0's lonely solo mode, PSU’s quest offers plenty of characters and cut-scenes. (with a set progression of missions with predetermined party members), you'll also be able to explore the worlds at your leisure with whatever party you choose, leveling up and uncovering secrets. The offline game’s basic gameplay doesn’t differ much from what PSO vets know and love: You'll still run around in lush environments beating down baddies, but now with the aid of up to three A.l.-controlled party members. You'll only have direct control over Ethan, but you will be able to tailor your buddies’ behavior, like having them heal, cast spells, or attack all-out. Your quest to defeat Seed will lead you to three planets—but everything you see in these screens is from Parum, the geo- graphically diverse homeworld of the hume race. You'll also visit Neudaiz, the watery realm of the mystical newman people, and Motwob, the beast race’s desert planet. Before the game’s end expect to venture through roughly 20 dungeons, face over 15 bosses, and even do a few patently un-PSO-like things, like solving complex puzzles. > № Expect a return of clas- sic Phantasy Star spells, like Foie (shown here). m After an area becomes infëcted=- ` by Seed; the Теме! begins to change. ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY е www.1UP.com » 16 > (ау cover story: (€ ohantasg star You're Not the Only Hero The addition of a genuine single-player game is certainly a boon for the project, but we all know where the real action (not to mention cross-species marriages) goes down—online. This is where you'll spend countless hours felling foes with your friends, amassing an army of impressive weaponry, and working on international Weekly Questers Every so often, Sega would offer a downloadable quest for Phantasy Star Online players. PSU aims to offer lar content but on a much more fre- quent scale—every week. Sega also hints that the quests will be a bit more epic in scope than those in PSO. Don’t worry if you’re not around to play the quests when they debut—you'll still be able to download them later. 116 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com fasa relations with players around the world. First, the basics: You'll need a broad- band connection to get PSU up and run- ning, but don't bother with the optional HDD disk drive: It won't be supported, as the redesigned PS2s can't access it. Sega hasn't officially decided on whether the PS2 version will offer voice chat yet, but text chat (via USB keyboard) is a given. ‘toughened-up versions of the offline game’s many bosses, PSO Keeps on Truckin’ Does the birth of Phantasy Star Universe mean that Phantasy Star Online is over? Not a chance. Although the Dreamcast PSO servers recently powered down for good, the GameCube and Xbox communities will persist for the foreseeable future. What's more, the world of PSO contin- ues to grow—look for the latest itera- tion, PSO Episode IV: Blue Burst (con- taining the first two episodes and an all-new one, IV), to debut for PC in the States this summer. The game will actually be free: Users will only have to pay the $13 a month necessary to purchase a Hunter’s License account. Actually, if you have a rockin’ PC, you might just want to play that version—it sports much crispier visuals, and we expect that you'll be able to play along- side your PS2 buddies. If you spent hours agonizing over what color to make your hero’s coif in PSO, expect a deluge of decisions in PSU’s exponentially deeper character creation mode. “Now, you can change the color of the lips, eyes, hair, clothes, shoes, and socks,” says Lead Artist Kosei Kitamura. “Plus, you can carefully change the shape of the face and body—with the female characters, you can create some impres- sive bustlines and even adjust the firm- hess of the breasts.” Deciding your avatar’s cup size makes W PSU's online dungeon layouts will be ran- domly rearranged every time you play. Robotic Operating Buddies PSO had mags—weird little robots that boosted your stats in exchange for a little tender lovin’ care. PSU ditches mags in favor of hardier metallic buddies called partner robots. These pumped-up bots won’t increase your abilities, but they pro- vide a host of other services. “Each player customizes his own partner robot by feeding it items and buying it parts,” Designer Shintaro Hata explains. Your robot performs some crucial item-management functions, plus it can actually accompany you on missions as an A.I.-controlled fightin’ machine. “In PSU, you can have several characters in an online mission, but you can fill empty slots with partner robots,” says Hata. Мете not quite sure how these seemingly cute little ‘bots will fare in the heat of combat... r3 т Later, mags. up for the loss of one major player deci- sion—character class. In PSO, you had to pick a race and a starting class (hunter, ranger, or force), but here, you just choose а гасе. “Each PSU race has its own spe- cific strengths and weaknesses,” explains Sakai. “Newmans аге good at magic tech- niques, beasts are adept at fighting, cast are good with guns, and humes are fairly balanced.” But this isn't actually а down- grade: As you play the game, you'll be able to allocate different skills to various attributes, creating a fluid job system that allows for customization. Likewise, the combat system sports some serious tweaks. First up, some char- acters will be able to dual-wield guns and swords, allowing you to attack both far- off enemies and encroaching foes without having to switch your equipment. Plus, all guns can now be aimed and fired in a first-person perspective, although you can't actually move while dealin’ lead (this isn't Halo, people). The core of PSU's combat—the timing-based combo sys- tem—remains fully intact from PSO but with a host of improvements. “The maxi- mum natural combo for a weapon is a Six-hit,” says Sakai. “But you can also insert technique attacks into the combo to make it longer” Compared to PS0, the reaction time between pressing the button and your character's animation feels sub- ‘stantially faster, and а new sidestep move (think: combat in the 3D Zeldas) allows you to target an enemy and quickly strafe around him. The most crucial change, however, is that you can now bring a larg- er number of players into battle. The party Size will definitely be a bit higher than PSU's four-person limit, but Sega's not quite ready to commit to a number. Of course, ай this action comes at a Price: Expect to pony up roughly $13 a month to take your fantasies online. But really, that's not too pricey for pure, uncut multiplayer RPG euphoria. > № Transit between the game's three worlds happens via superspeedy spaceships. Hunters’ License to Drive Adding vehicles to PSU seems like a stunning innovation for the series, but it's actually a throwback to the olden days—even the first 8-bit Phantasy Star game had the ragtag band of warriors, mages, and magic cats pil- ing into a hovercraft, Expect to mount various vehicles in both the online and offline games. “You'll be able to ride futuristic motorcycles, hoverboards, and even large animals,” says Designer Shintaro Hata. “How you'll use the vehicle depends on the mis- sion—in some missions, each player might have a bike, but in others, all the online players will ride on one big tank like in Halo.” | ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY е www.tUP.com • 117 _> EGM INTERVIEWS PSU VISIONARY YUJI NAKA 272: The PSO series has now entered its fifth year, and this is the right time for a new start. Online RPG games are basically limited, but | want to move on and make a difference in the genre. | "spent a very long time on the Phantasy -Star series, and we've spent many years A candid talk with Sega's R&D creative о (сег risky to launch an online game like PSU for these brand-new systems too early. -= We have experienced the cheaters for the last five years, and we've amassed a lot of info on how to deal with them. The PSU security will be like that “I really want to make a difference in the [online RPG] genre.” —PSU Creator Yuji Мака, gathering a lot of feedback from the users. So, we certainly have a lot of stuff to include in the game. | ~~ Pim not going to change my mind, ` and Sony will still support our network game, even without support for the HDD. Actually, | haven't even shown this game to Sony yet...you're the first people out- side the company to see it. 7 Fm not quite sure yet. The PS2 is the hardware with the biggest market [share] right now, and the next-genera- tion platforms won't have a very large installed base at first. It would be fairly 118 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.1UPcom [| Phantasy Star Online on your PSP? Naka seems to think it’s a pretty keen idea.... of the PC version of Р50--а!! character and item info will be kept on servers. <7 A literally don't think it’s possible to put PSU on PSP, as we're using the full power of the PS2. But if the PSP network is stable enough, we could conceive of porting PSO to PSP. It’s an interesting concept, but we don’t have enough peo- ple to do that at this point. “T1 think it is too early. The PS2 and GameCube are still both very good plat- forms. Personally, I don't want the next- generation hardware to come out this early, because they will be very difficult — г even more of. | For eve interview W' | Yuji Naka, check ош 42) e and expensive to develop for, Seriously, it might take three times the effort to make one game. With next-generation ра- | forms, players will expect games to look ы. as good as CG movies—it will be very - difficult. It will be cool when you can | play a game that looks like a movie, but there’s no way a company will be able to make а game in one year like that. | If fans of a franchise have to wait three years for the next game, that will be a shock to them. People who like games want to play them more often | these days. Like Half-Life 2—it took five years to come out! What's next? Will | gamers be willing to wait 15 years for a game? [Laughs] The father will start gramming a game, [and] he'll have to _ pass it on to his son to finish it after he dies. On PC right now, there aren’t a lot of games being released like [there] | used to be. | think the same thing will — happen to consoles: ІРІ! take а lot of - time to develop a top-quality дате, _ Sonic the Hedgehog. If | hadn't worked on Sonic, | probably would be working in the game industry now. That's how important Sonic is to me. And although it's been 18 years since 1 first started Phantasy Siar, I've released more Sonic titles, so it’s the most impor- - tant. Sonic has anime and lots of toys, ` so the Sonic franchise is so big... have - a lot of good memories of it. There was talk of an anime based on PSO two years ago, and it might still happen in the future. i ° ~ = Other publishers? Паша) Well, in the past year I've been. | playing a lot of Nintendo Ë games, including all of the DS | games. | really enjoyed if WarioWare Touched! | also played a lot of Gran Turismo 4, and Leven ` bought the steering wheel. The wheel is so great, with its force feedback. I go to the circuit and race real cars, and while "can. if there \ Was a controller for around m - games. | want somebody to create a con- ; troller that actually looks good...a con- | tbe looking and RE a but now it's also. uching. it took $30 that gave you feedback, [that] would be amazing. | The game industry should focus more on touching and interacting with. games, rather than just focusing on churning out troller that you hold that actually makes you look good. When you hold a normal controller, you bend over and don't look very cool. | want a controller that makes you look cool like when you're pla inga guitar, That kind of factor could push games beyond movies in the entertain- ment industry. 4 SUNE NI АУТА алых м ВОДА NI 3AI1 шоз'иоцеј5Леј SMM а иопезбА ок ЕТЕТ] "peseojd uey} әлош злојједдоој Зшриешәр 350: əy} поло dao» ім “рор ләәлео pue opojy dno Surpnpour “ей go suondo ssə[puə риу 'syueureunoj јепопецлодш 14819 чёполуз Дем ano Зицддир әлоуәд лодеја ројештив ue uo дзеу под Jnd 03 уиәпойшозэ .. Ko], ЭАЯ мән оц esf) “90006195206 ino], POM ut qpird оца 314 01 Ареэхэле sqnp ззергриом себ 0101351284 000 61 uetpr 910] 'S[IE3op 13sə[[euts 9403 о) UMO(T 7192206 ҚАРҒА АУА y Aerei Dh rp en O PT TEAM ds a R „5 «ка С CONFERENCE MAY 17-19 | EXPOSITION MAY 18-20 | LOSANGELESCONVENTION CENTER There's no better place ко ехрешелсе the latest РС, online and video game products than E3 2005. Plus, Чо таме a-unique opportunity to hear DIREGTLY окре experts at ЕЗ In-depth Conference Program. “> Cearn абош пе latest trends and THE strategies you need.to take your game to the next level STRAIGHT from the industry's best and brightest minds. NESS ЕЗ js a trade event - only qualified industry professionals May attend. No one under 18 will be admitted, including infants. This policy is strictly enforced. Visit www.e3expo.com for registration guidelines. геешлеш Crew to zero to six thumbs up considering changing our sc DIRECTORY MULTIPLATFORM PLAYSTATION 2 122 Brothers in Arms: Road to НИ! 30 128 God of War 124 Cold Fear 130 Tekken 5 124 Worms Forts: Under Siege! 132 MLB 2006 125 Lego Star Wars 132 Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 125 Red Ninja: End of Honor 133 Rise of Kasai XBOX 135 Star Wars: Republic Commando 136 Psychonauts 137 Unreal Championship 2: The Liandri Conflict 134 Dynasty Warriors 5 134 Resident Evil Outbreak: File #2 @ | i | = ма & == If you've got armor support, you can man the top-mounted. machine gun yourself...but a m [277 What's ше diff? PS2/XB Aside from the obvious (like the Xbox's slightly improved graphics and the conven- ience of playing over Xbox Live), there's little to separate the PS2 and Xbox versions of Brothers. Both control layouts Turns out I’m not too old for this s*** after all. Brothers in Arms takes the World War Il shooter, one of the most beaten of any dead-horse genre, and makes it great again by concentrating on squad tactics, historical accuracy, and the crushing dread you feel cowering in the dirt as you'll be a sitting duck. heavy-handed, when your boots hit the ground, the battles are intense, strategic, and tough. Brothers has a whole lot of Full Spectrum Warrior (XB) in it; order one team to lay down suppressive fire on an enemy position, then outflank the Germans with the second half of your squad. But Brothers fixes = BROTHERS IN ARMS: The really great war you engage (though, to be fair, you can turn this option off). But Brothers in Arms is still the best WWII game I’ve played on a console, and its online objective-based modes will keep you fighting long after you finish the single-player campaign. ШАШ bullets crack overhead. This isn't one of those Full Spectrum's biggest fault, too—just because The last great war is great at last. Sharp, equally games in which Rambo's grandpa wins the war your foe is behind cover doesn't mean you can't substantial shots that sound like the sky is functional. The pretty much by himself. cap him when he peeks his head over the berm. cracking make you dip your head down, take-one- Xbox game also Brothers follows the (mostly true) story of Sgt. Assuming your aim is dead as you look down the and-you're-toast realism keeps it held there. A has a couple of Matt Baker, starting with a botched parachute jump sight of your unsteady M1, that is. single firefight—a Kraut on an MG42, his spotter, more disturbing on D-Day and continuing for the next sleepless It's disappointing that low fences and even and a potshot-prone rifleman—is as serious and week as Baker tracks down his scattered squaddies and battles across the countryside and villages of Normandy. And though the game’s cinematic cut-scenes are sometimes emotionally bits (like a dead GI hanging from a tree). 122 е ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY е www.1UP.com invisible walls will make sure you stay on the preset path, and the realism factor suffers a bit when your would-be ambushers are betrayed by large red dots indicating their positions well before sensational as the whole Wehrmacht war machine in movieland shooter Medal of Honor, not just because it’s lethal (well, yeah, that matters), but because it takes know-how as well as nerve At EGM, we evaluate only games that have been deemed final and reviewable by their publishers. Three editors rate each game independently, and we use the whole scale. 5.0 IS AVERAGE. THE RATING SYSTEM ‘AIR 6000 AWARDS № The Psychonauts У!) crew fills two short “9 r busses when it @ Ж «жо goes оп field trips. ЗНАМЕ OF THE MONTH GAME OF THe MONTH The highest- scoring game each month gets a star. Platinum — straight 10s. For games that are life- changing. Gold — for games with an average score of 9.0 or higher. Silver — for games with a mean score of 8.0 or higher. The lowest- rated game with unani- mously bad scores. GAMECUBE 138 Mortal Kombat: NINTENDO DS 138 Pokémon Dash EXTRA STUFF 139 Reviews Wrap-up 140 Reviews Archive ESRB KEY (Also check out www.esrb.com) Saccharine fun for the. whole family: dancing elves, rampant sharing, and possibly Smurfs, Like PG-13 movies, Teen games often feature fisticuffs, mild violence, and madcap antics. For the 18-and-over crowd. Intense violence, gore, pixilated sex, drugs; parents no likey. You'll get different weaponry (like this sniper rifle) depending on the mission, and you can always scavenge arms from fallen enemies. “а, + ь * ` 3 e | M ° У ` - в: Е. Ge": i SO ге та: - | 1 H Қа 1 1 F: иат e e | A Е 2% ROAD ТО Н 30 € to successfully flank and suppress tactically savvy Fritzes, shoot true down shaky iron sights, and think outside the kill box in big, wide battlefields with room to maneuver both east and west at once with separate squads. Brothers in Arms' war, in other words, is hell, not another desaturated, olive-drab Halo. the world needs another world war. But keep the cynicism in check, because Brothers in Arms isn’t just any ol’ WWII shooter—it’s the best real-military shooter on consoles yet. What makes this game such a wonderful and hellacious journey into the heart of warfare is its ability to let chaos reign. Unlike Medal of Honor the sophisticated А.І. routines the game uses to control both your squad and your enemies. My favorite Brothers mission was laying siege to a tranquil farm in the French countryside with a Sherman tank and three other guys in my squad. There were many different ways to tackle the scenario, and just like in real life, there was no 1 know what you're thinking: Videogaming needs another WWII shooter like Good: Gritty, tactical combat Bad: Invisible walls? Whose idea was that? Hard Enough to Break You: Authentic difficulty level or Call of Duty, Brothers in Arms has completely dynamic explosive firefights. The outcome of each skirmish is often unpredictable, thanks to سب‎ “wrong” way to win. Ubisoft and Gearbox have just raised the bar for tactical shooters to dizzying heights. 4% BROTH JN ARMS. LINEN THE VERDICTS (OUTOF10) DEMIAN Publisher: Ubisoft Developer: Ubisoft Shanghai (PS2)/Gearbox (XB) Players: 1-2 (2-4 online) ESRB: Mature SHAWN CHE www.brothersinarmsgame.com ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY е www.1UP.com е 123 гелеш сгеш: PS2/XB WORMS FORTS UNDER SIEGE Cruel animals Good: Warped Worms humor Bad: CPU-controlled worms waste time working out moves Largest Earthworm Ever Found: 22 feet long. Believe it SHAWN: The premise is the same: simple critters, complicated combat. Squirmy soldiers still fight dirty with oddball ord- nance (including a bomb in a sombrero called "chili con carnage" and a fridge filled with explosive vermin), and sidesplitting s*** still happens when you miscalculate velocity or trajectory and wipe out your own invertebrates. But while an hour felt right in the for- merly flat (as in 2D) turn-based strat series, here it crawls. Blame it on Forts’ base-building feature: In addition to anni- hilating rival annelids, you must fortify castles with citadels and keeps, con- struct hospitals to care for casualties and munitions depots to amass new weapons of moderate destruction, and, of course, sack the other maggots’ wee cities. The idea, | suppose, is to give the series the legs of more evolved strategy games, but it’s gotten along fine without "ет. This new animal is super-eccentric (as always), but extra-convoluted and less entertaining! miss the destructible, down-to-earth battlefields and sudden death that doesn’t mean another 30 min- utes of attrition; I'd rather dump dyna- emm ROBERT mite on a couchmate mid- bungie jump than trade catapult and can- non fire from fixed positions. ROBERT: This game actually slows down time. Its characters move at the speed of Elmer's glue. Its central gimmick (build- ing forts) stretches the length of battles well beyond anyone's capacity for enjoy- ing them. Your patience drains away along with any remnant of the trajectory- guesstimation fun this franchise once did so well, as Forts is too complicated by the third dimension to let you land decent shots. And don't bother with the single- player mode—I watched an А.І. worm sit completely motionless for 30 seconds before spending the remainder of his turn trying to hop onto a ledge. He must have had the same worthless camera | did, 'cause he never made it. 1UP.com—JEREMY: While Forts has plenty of Worms’ personality—and tons of goofy annelids ready to dish out hot death to the enemy—this take on the series seems much more involved and slower paced than the norm. There's nothing wrong with a little depth, but the clumsy 1996-vintage game camera makes getting a sense of the battlefield more of a chore than a thrill. Addictive as the action can be, it would be far more enjoyable with a better interface. Not to mention online support: Unlike the recent Worms 30, this is strictly a pass-the-con- troller affair. It's true that earthworms thrive in dirt; unfortunately, Forts drags the Worms name through the mud. Developer: Team 17 Players: 1-4 ESRB: Teen um www.wormsforts.com 124 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY е www.1UP.com COLD FEAR Forecast: slight chills, moderate chance of terror Exploding barrels? What a novel idea, Good: Scary atmosphere and impressive weather effects Bad: You’ve seen it all before—and better Bonus Feature: Possible motion sickness Like Resident Evil 4 (GC), Cold Fear unleashes brain-infesting parasites that turn Europeans into zombies and gives you an over-the-shoulder view when you're shooting them. It also relies on a fixed camera perspective between bouts of gunplay to help facilitate cheap scares and a female partner who needs some manly protecting. Occasionally, a game can do something extraordinary with ordinary elements, but Cold Fear ends up being second-string survival- horror marked by puppetlike physics and мау too many exploding barrels. The oil tanker and offshore-rig settings lend the game a creepy industrial atmos- phere similar to the movie Alien, but, unfortunately, you're never doing any- thing very interesting. In between chas- ing down electronic keys and missing door handles, you'll pop parasite-heads with ho-hum weaponry and experience a complicated enough sequence of events to keep you moving and vaguely enter- tained until the end. If you're hard up for horror, it might make a decent rental. First of all, they're not zombies; they're “Exocels,” which sounds more like a brand of motor oil. And the only way to finish them off is with head shots, which is fine by me because popping their noggins with a shotgun is so satis- fying—1 could swear that their heads are made of bubble wrap. | don't mind the camera, either: Transitions from overview to aim mode are smooth, and you can actually walk at a decent speed with your gun drawn. From the raindrops driz- zling on the game's camera to the swells of the ocean, Cold Fear puts you out there at sea. But do yourself a favor and start on a harder difficulty than the default—you know it's too easy if you start wishing screeching zombies would jump at you a little more often, and the final boss takes two minutes to defeat. “The damn thing’s stuck.” “The damn thing's stuck.” “Great. It's locked." Our hero ain't happy, but who can blame him: so many doors, yet so few options. Necessary evil you say? | like to think the survival-horror genre can evolve, but OK, РИ play along. Do we still need to deal with horrendous fixed camera angles and cuts, though? Trying to crush an undead's head while the camera keeps switching angles is trying—James may be a fan, but | can't go back after playing RE4. It's a shame, too. Cold Fear has a spooky atmosphere and can be enjoyable in stretches. But all said, the haphazard camera, horrendous save system, fre- quent backtracking, and lame final boss fight force this game into run-of-the-mill shockfest territory. THE VERDICTS (OUTOF 10) SUN JAMES G. FORD Developer: Darkworks Players: 1 Publisher: Ubisoft ESRB: Mature www.ubi.com АКЕМІ 07, Get your panties іп а Бипсһ Good: ба! ninjas, cool attack moves Bad: Heinous camera, roller-coaster difficulty Strange: Butterflies that give you tips throughout the game hot ninja in a thong killing bad guys with a merciless rain of blows and a razor-sharp wire—sign us up! But Red Ninja is a letdown. You must destroy plans for the first automatic gun (which would destroy the ninja industry) while frolicking around in half an outfit—think Skinimax's version of The Last Samurai, but with even more budget camera work. Walk too close to a wall and the camera will clip through it, giving you a primo view of the wall itself but nothing else, and yet the camera always sneaks in а thong shot every time your ninja crouch- es. | can forgive a surprising amount of gratuitous ass shots, but | couldn't ignore the camera problems with the second boss battle—wrestling with your view- point while leaping from branch to branch up a tree is the opposite of fun. The controls have their share of prob- lems, too; the learning curve for the wall run is as steep as a damn wall itself. And though your wire weapon is good for dol- ing out unique and plentiful pain (ah, the decapitations!), those few moments of catharsis can’t make up for the uneven difficulty and excruciating camera. THE VERDICTS JAMES CRISPIN CRISPIN: You'll have no problem seeing buttock in Red Ninja, whose she-ninja spends most of the game in lingerie right out of Ancient Chinese Victoria’s Secret. But seeing any- thing else is the problem. James is right: The camera is the game's fiercest foe. It can't keep up with the action in the nutty boss battles. It’s sluggish during tricky jumping bits. It goes absolutely retarded when you enter an enclosed area. And if the nausea-inducing camera doesn’t kill your patience, the wacky wall-running and platform-leaping sec- tions will. Red Ninja plays like a Prince of Persia that hates you. Stealth killing and dismembering enemy feet with your wire weapon may be nifty, but who cares when everything else is such an ordeal. OFFICIAL PS MAG—GIANCARLO: If you've played any Tenchu game, then you know what you're getting from Red Ninja. The motivation to stay stealthy simply isn't there, thanks to a lack of different stealth kills and an insane camera that rarely stays in a useful position. In fact, many of the platforming elements (and there are plenty) in the game are made needlessly frustrating because of the camera's flightiness. Likewise, combat isn't all that great outside the main char- acter's wiry weapon. Some of the kills you can perform are cool and there's some fun to be had experimenting with various ways of death dealing, but | have to echo my fellow reviewers here—other aspects of the game are so shallow that they suck the enjoyment right out. Publisher: VU Games Developer: Tranji Players: 1 ESRB: Mature GIANCARLO www.vugames.com PS2/XB LEGO STAR WARS Short and зпарру an PLI) Фа = Bad: Screwy camera, levels that suck with two players Least-Shocking Spoiler: Lego Anakin becomes Lego Vader! You don’t have to wait until May to get Episode Ill spoilers from a videogame. You'll find а few minor ones tight here in this cutesy action title star- ring Denmark’s most overpriced toys. Lego Star Wars re-creates—in Lego form—the laser-blasting, Force-wielding, saber-dueling scenes from Episodes |, II, and the upcoming ///. The action is simple and fun, a mix of shooting and platform hopping with some arcade-style chal- lenges tossed in. Better still, another player can join in at any time to take control of a second character—a fun option occasionally hampered by a screwy camera and vehicle stages clear- ly designed for solo play. Just don’t expect much of a chal- lenge—or a long game. Lego Star Wars is a breezy experience made for kids (its manual even has a “Help for Parents” section). In fact, children of the collect- "ет-ай Pokémon generation will probably get the most out of it, since replay value here relies on revisiting levels to gather hidden Lego pieces. Amassing such items lets you buy new characters and other extras. Persistent players will even unlock a cool slice of Star Wars from a long time ago, back when it was good. Finally, some blatant product placement | can really get behind. LSW may be a simple action-platformer with a crappy camera you'll curse...but Lego Jar Jar! Lego Samuel L. Jackson and Darth Маш! For me at least, this is one of those rare times when cool characters and visuals can make up for sometimes- flawed gameplay. The game's short length, infinite con- tinues, and co-op mode (although a cou- ple of sections, particularly the pod-rac- ing bit and a Zaxxon-like stage, are actively harder with two players) make it an excellent rental for older folks, while kids will be happy to replay the levels to death and track down every last secret. Lego Star Wars axes all the stupid parts from the recent movies (and lo, they were many) and leaves only the cool bits. Take the fact that the third level (out of six) of Episode Il is the Jedi brawl near the end as proof. Tragically, this awesome editing job means you can warp through the abridged events of the first three movies in four hours. Yeah, yeah—you can replay levels to earn new characters, secrets, and loot, but you can still crank through it the first time in one long sit- ting. That said, the ability to play as Lego Darth Maul, Boba Fett, and Darth Vader in a better-paced version of the prequels is good enough for me. This is the best Star Wars game for kids ever. CRISPIN DEMIAN THE VERDICTS (ОЛ ОРОЮ) © © SCOOTER Developer: Traveller’s Tales Players: 1-2 Publisher: Giant/Eidos ESRB: Everyone www.eidosinteractive.com ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com е 125 Blood Strong Language Violence Game Experience May Change During Online Play. саги мге X рас ара Ж xeox CFV E б NEED CHAOS? We understand. 9.9/10 "HIGHEST SCORE EVER!" - OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE Get it here, get it first! Sneak down to Game Crazy and get Chaos Theory before it falls into enemy hands. Use the shadows. Be very very quiet. Get your creep on! LARGEST SELECTION OF NEW, USED AND CLASSIC GAMES AND CONSOLES TRY BEFORE YOU BUY ONLY GAME CRAZY LETS YOU PLAY BEFORE YOU PAY Hit GEMETEETE for a store near you. (2 гешеш сгеш: playstation 2 . Smash of the titans | don’t care if you're Solid Snake sheathed in Master Chief’s armor supercharged with Ninja Gaiden kung fu—you do not mess with Kratos, God of War’s pale-skinned antihero. Bear witness to his badness: He sacrifices fellow Spartans to solve grisly puzzles. He hops into bed with togaless hotties. He’s an unstoppable blade- whirling dynamo who topples creatures so tower- ing, some pre-Simpsons Homer called them Titans. And he does it all without dropping one painful one-liner. You listening, Prince of Persia? The why behind Kratos’ white-hot rage—and even his ultrawhite skin—is slickly explained via flashbacks as you progress to Hades and back through this brutal, beautiful action-adventure. But if you decide the plot is Greek to you and just want to hack crap up, then carte blanche. God of War's control and combo scheme (see sidebar) is as much a work of art as the game’s presentation, which rivals a Hollywood sand-and-sandals epic. And you rarely find puzzles this clever and well Good: Spectacular graphics, slick puzzles, perfect control Bad: Not enough bosses, a bit short Best Extras Nugget: The Cyclops originally had a wee-wee 128 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY е www.1UP.com integrated in other hack-n-slash adventures. Some may gripe that, at 10 hours long, God of War is over too quickly. But that’s only because it pulls you along with one killer sequence after another while not suffering from common adven- ture-game flaws: It rarely makes you backtrack, and it has checkpoints everywhere. Play on the trickier Spartan difficulty if you want to extend the experience. Just don’t let Kratos down. By the end of the game, he literally sh**s bigger than you. He may look like a cross between Mr. Clean and the pasty-white teenager from that Powder flick, but Kratos is more than deserving of the title “action-adventure hero." Thanks to his lightning-quick (and combo-heavy) combat skills, God of War's main man makes tearing off a Medusa's head and driving his blades through the gullet of a snarling Minotaur seem like particular- ly догу child's play. Kratos scales mountainsides and leaps over the bottomless pits of hell with the Greatest Hits Two of War's designers were Street Fighter ЇЇ tournament players, and it shows. Combat lets you juggle enemies, toss them into each other, and reverse their attacks. As long as you don't miss and keep rolling from enemy to enemy (or use magic attacks to zap multiple foes), you'll keep your hit count rising—we’ve seen 700-hit combos. Less-finessed players don't need to mess with combos to beat the game, but play- ing cool yields more ability-boosting red orbs. Your reckless Spartan doesn't even call the ` Trojan Man for his soon-to-be- infamous ў А threesome ^ minigame. no dummy, either, as the game is brimming with Zelda-worthy puzzles. | only wish this haunted Spartan had a few additional boss encounters. But that's just me being picky. Опсе you consider War's absolutely dazzling visuals, epic tunes, and surprisingly powerful story, there’s more than enough here to label it divine. This game is waaaaay too good-looking to be a PS2 title. Kratos’ primary weapon, the blades of chaos, is also incredibly cool. I'm typically a button masher when it comes to combat, but the combo animations were so rewarding that | spent a lot of time in empty rooms practicing my moves. And everything else? Overall, War offers a great mix of fighting and puzzles. It’s not that long (1 also beat it in about 10 hours), but the cycle of puzzles and action was starting to get a bit old by the end, so the length is just about perfect. êh Yus Spartans end деше». али kills. 2 2 Ss gs ВЕ EE е we = Е CRISPIN BRYAN DANA elegance of a certain Prince. And he certainly ain't Challenge This Beating God of War unlocks a mountain of making-of vignettes and glimpses of the sequel. But good luck fin- ishing the extra Challenge of the Gods mode. It drops you into 10 pro- gressively tougher arenas, the last of which takes a half hour to lick. And maybe, maybe the world’s most hardcore player will beat the game on its special God dif- ficulty, but we'd have to see it to believe it. Publisher: Sony CEA Developer: Sony Santa Monica Players: 1 ESRB: Mature www.playstation.com "The most exciting baseball game of the year.” sss All-new Major League Baseball 2K5 with On Command" baserunning lets you take total control of the basepaths like never before. Add K Zone" pitching and Maximum Fielding" and Major League Baseball 2K5 is the most authentic MLB" experience anywhere. ac EUM Baseburner gives you unprecedented control of your runners on base. K Zone pitching gives you better command of your entire repertoire of pitches. Maximum Sliding: Avoid the tag with your choice of slides! POWERED BY www.2Ksports.com В SPORTS © 2005 Take-Two Interactive Software and Из subsidiaries. АП rights reserved. Major League Baseball 25, 2K Sports, the 2K Sports logo, and Take-Two Interactivo Software are ай trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Take-Two Interactive Sotware, Ine. Major League Baseball trademarks and copyrights are used with permission of Major League Baseball Properties, Inc. Visit the official website at MLB.com ОМИЗРА - Official Licensee, Major League Baseball Players Association. Мей the Players Choice on the web at vwirw.MLBPlayers.com O LBP 2005 / MLBPA 2005. ESPN is a trademark of ESPN, inc. ESPN Branded Elements © 2005 ESPN, nc. "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Online play requires internet connection, Network Adaptor (ог PlayStation 2) and Memory Card (BMB) (or PlayStation 2 each sold separately The Online icon is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox Live, Xbox Live logos and Xbox logos are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or in other countries and are used under license from Microsoft. ESPN is a trademark of ESPN, Inc. ESPN Branded Elements ©2005 ESPN, Ine, E Shortly after- this battle ended; U2 began the soundcheck г illegal rana d | = PlayStation 2 À 2 Tastes like Tekken Shorten the skirts, pretty up the postcard beaches and temples, introduce a few fresh faces, and add to the clock-cleaning arsenals of old faves. For Street Fighter, it was Turbo, it was Super, it was Super Turbo, but it wasn't a sequel. If this Tekken had an adjective and not an up-ticked (as in all-new) number attached to its title, all the above might've seemed more like swank bonuses than prerequisites for a passing grade. Yes, this is Tekken with dead serious, stance-shifting chop- socky and silly asides like kung fu bears and joey- in-the-pouch kangaroos. Yes, this is Tekken with the intricate rock-paper-scissor kick rules that put the series a tier above the Dead or Alives and (just barely) below the Soul Caliburs and Virtua Fighters. And no, it hasn’t changed enough to give nonfans that you-want-this, you-need-this feeling. The iron-fisted faithful, on the other bruised hand, will want to see black widows Nina Williams and Christie Monteiro sashay ever so close to Playboy resolution; to roughhouse with TEKKEN 5 newcomer and Wesley Snipes wannabe Raven (who, more so than kenpo king Feng, is as fulfill- ing to master as his ninjitsu-based fighting style is flashy); and to play a Tekken that both works as well as 3 and looks better than flawed beauty 4. Make what you will of the added, arcade-exact Tekkens 1-3—I like, but they too show how the more things change, the more they stay the same. Hunter-gatherer type gamers will gush over the hope chest of doodads they can buy to customize Tekken 55 characters. Me, I'm not that obsessive—especially since playing so much of the arcade mode to get this stuff is tedious. But I'm not gonna kick this gift horse in the teeth, since the main game here is as fun and accessible as ever. Just don’t expect major changes beyond the usual tweaks, needed player balances, and audio- visual sizzle (she’s a real looker). The Tekken team wisely got rid of the last game’s uneven arena floors, and new mystery ninja Raven is especially slick. It just would have been nice to play some- thing really fresh (hint: online play) to get me pumped about rememorizing those 10-hit combos. While not in the same league as deep, technical fighters such as Soul Calibur and Virtua Fighter, Tekken 5 stands proudly as the best brawler for regular people. And the game offers so much quality gameplay that even hardcore frame- counters shouldn’t write it off due to its scrubby combo system. Hell, it’s fun to go slumming in Ир the button-mashing ghetto once іп a while. = Plus, it's hard to hate a game that looks this 8 pretty: The stunning characters sport elaborate detail, and some truly original stages (from penguin-packed iceberg to hottie-packed pool party) provide lovely scenery. Add ample unlock- ables, the moderately enjoyable Devil Within mode, three classic Tekkens, and arcade mode's sweet (albeit stolen directly from VF4) character cus- tomization system, and this is a worthy buy. 4% Tekken for Granted: Rating Tekken’s Complementary Content Our scale: One King of Iron First Tournament trophy=sidestep; five=unblockable „Devil Within А cereal box geegaw to Tekken 575 kung-fu-grip action figure, this barren adventure-y mode is blah. ІШІП Character Customization Don do-rags, sweatbands, shades, and other regalia. Too bad you earn most of the money for it ТШ Теккеп History The brawlers look whit- tled blocks, but Tekkens 1, 2, and 3 still rule with slightly rusty iron fists. + а ее Publisher: Namco Developer: Namco Players: 1-2 ESRB: Teen (QUT OF 10) THE VERDICTS SHAWN CRISPIN SHANE tekken5.namco.com 130 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com „А ALL-NEW 2 fot аи С METAL GEAR A Metal gets mental in Metal Gear Acid for the PSP" handheld entertainment system—the game that sets its sites firmly on strategic and tactical thinking. Two playable characters. 200 strategic moves. Head-to-head wireless combat option. And an all-new way to play. If you're looking for a hot new game, nothing burns like Acid. Language Suggestive Themes Violence ESRB CONTENT RATING www.estb.org www.konami.com/gs review crew: playstation 2 | PlayStation 2 99 Good: Solid fundamentals, lots of depth Bad: Lacks other games’ fireworks 6. FORD: MLB made great strides last year, proving to be an entertaining base- ball sim that fell a bit short of the elite level. And though the game has under- gone some necessary tweaks, MLB still falls a step behind its flashy competition. There’s plenty to build on here, though. I find the simple baserunning controls to be the best of the bunch. Hitting contin- ues to improve, as the game now has check swings and drag bunts. MLB even takes а page from MVP's excellent pitch- ing system and has added a similarly effective pitch meter. And the various franchise, season, and career modes are insanely deep—ever fancy upgrading the grass in your stadium or hearing what players think about your rehab facilities? No? Well, | guess | haven't, either. But while MLB has the basics down pat, it lacks 2K5's sublime ESPN presen- tation and MVP's addictive minigames— the stuff that elevates them from mere Sims to experiences you'll want to fre- quently replay...and makes this game feel bland in comparison. MLB is certainly a solid distraction, but there's no reason to choose it over the big boys. THE VERDICTS (ou G. FORD BRYAN MLB 2006 Not ready for a playoff run Cool Feature: Fast-forwarding through slow innings Players: 1- LÀ е [ ESRB: Everyone PATRICK BRYAN: A's, Giants, Cubs—all solid ballclubs that came within an eye- lash of making the playoffs last season. Unfortunately, MLB 2006 suffers a similar fate. This one still sports the slickest ani- mations in the baseball biz, as you'll turn double plays and snag scorching line drives with Ozzie Smith-like grace. And though it really ain't my bag, stat junkies will appreciate the superfluous number of options found in the franchise mode. So what's the problem here? Well, the same as last year: The series remains a visual mess (freakishly tall player models with little muscle definition), and on the field, you won't find anything that MVP and 2K haven't been doing for years. MLB needs to stop playing it safe; other- wise, it'll always be watching the fall classic instead of partaking in it. PATRICK: The game that took a monu- mental leap from "04 to its "05 version takes but a short step forward this go- around. The most obvious changes include a needed pitch meter that also gauges confidence, plus a more interac- tive career mode. The ability to skip ahead and only play the at bats of your guy as you bring him through the minors allows you to cultivate your player with- out enduring entire minor league games. One of my favorite aspects of MLB is the ability to step back in time and play in places like the Polo Grounds, Forbes Field, and other venues that have since fallen victim to the wrecking ball. It's not a home-run hitter of MVP caliber, but MLB is a competent major leaguer. Publisher: Sony CEA Developer: 989 Sports 1-2 (2 online) www.989sports.com 132 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com PlayStation 2 SHIN MEGAMI TENSEI: DIGITAL DEVIL SAGA Feed your inner demon Demon Macha ^ тнт D> > >> 3n DERIT 54 не 2 Devour 54 ve p 29 ме EE е ا‎ Р 52 3 4 У ео ‘Saga’ battles don't just die—they become S Good: Great characters and story, deep but accessible Bad: Dungeons drag on too long, cliff-hanger ending Battles: Become buffets, as you eat your enemies CHRISTIAN: Last year's stylish and com- plex Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne proved that publisher Atlus has the role-playing chops to run with the likes of Square Enix. Where Nocturne lagged—accessibility and polish— Digital Devil Saga excels. A group of young soldiers, battling in some sort of futuristic purgatory, becomes transfigured into voracious demons. The story’s a weird but appeal- ing blend of action movie, horror, and Final Fantasy. | quickly became attached to the DDS crew; they look amazingly cool in human or demon form and have interesting, distinct personalities. DDS carves out its own ominous iden- tity through its stylish visuals and excel- lent soundtrack. The gameplay isn’t as punishing as Nocturne's, but it’s still deep: Borrowing Final Fantasy X’s Sphere Grid, the game offers a ton of character- building options on top of its speedy and strategic battle system. The dungeons can drag, but thanks to frequent save points, you can always take a break. My only big complaint is the cliff- hanger ending, a setup for this summer’s sequel. DDS is a challenging ride with good gameplay and slick presentation. SHANE: DDS takes the blueprint of Atlus’ previous PS2 Tensei title, Nocturne, and spruces it up with an attractive coat of Final Fantasy X shellac. It's amazing what a difference adding voiceovers and slick cinemas makes—this actually feels like a cutting-edge, modern RPG. An intuitive skill tree (Christian's Sphere Grid com- parison is right on) replaces Мостите'5 obtuse demon forging, and speedy, simplified battles strike a perfect balance between strategy and fun. Thankfully, the elements that make this Series so special —creative characters, а totally f'd-up story, arduous dungeons, and copious boss battles—remain intact. DDS feels a bit short compared to Nocturne, but at least it’s entertaining throughout. And its off-kilter narrative will keep you guessing up until the very end... OFFICIAL PS MAG—SCODTER: | really like DDS, but not quite as much as Nocturne. The Final Fantasy-ization of DDS (more cut-scenes, the Sphere Grid rip-off thing) means that it's more newbie friendly, but without as much depth as its predecessor. | miss chatting with and fus- ing demons myself. Despite all that, | love the crazy plot, the imaginative character and enemy designs (even if 90 percent of bad guys are lifted straight from Nocturne), and the Press Turn battle system (also carried over from the last game). Even with the nonending that basically says, “Buy the sequel!” DDS is a great Final Fantasy alternative. De» gu CHRISTIAN SHANE THE VERDICTS (OUTOF10) ° tn ш ЗСООТЕК Developer: Atlus Players: 1 Publisher: Atlus ESRB: Mature www.digitaldevilsaga.com E PlayStation 2 RISE OF THE KASAI Mark of broken promises Good: Simple yet pleasing-to-the-eye combat Bad: An unpredictable A.I. partner Three: The number of new playable characters : Some may call the stun- ningly animated bloodfest The Mark of Kria cult classic, but | can’t imag- ine anyone saying that about the sequel. When Sony announced Rise of the Kasai last spring, it promised a brainy CPU-controlled partner who would provide aid during missions and online co-op play. Yet Kasai fails to deliver on both of these features. First off, your АЛ. buddies are pretty flaky. Sure, they’ll occasionally fulfill their duty and help you slice-n- dice enemies into snack-size toon bits (which remains as easy and sadistically enjoyable as in the origi- nal), but more often they’ll either play the role of spectator, take their sweet о! time activating switches (yawn), or even worse, snake your much- needed health pickup. And normally, the cancellation of the two-player online mode wouldn't be such a big deal. Problem is, every environment Still feels designed with this mode in 259 mind, which translates into some tiresome exploration and backtrack- ing. It's a real shame, too, because Kasai has a lot for going for it, including a healthy mix of brawling and sneaking, plus a compelling nar- rative that's beautifully illustrated through top-notch cut-scenes. i: Once in a while in Rise of the Kasai, as you dice or dodge its horde of enemies with the same stealth-combat tactics perfected in the cult-hit original, the game lives up to its killer potential. You'll feel in tune with your A.l.-guided partner as you spy him skewering foes a few corridors away or covering you from afar with his bow. I wish more of the sprawling lev- els encouraged that kind of team- work instead of sending you on dull hunts for switches. Your partner will handle his end of the job—usually. | caught him staring at walls, running in zigzags, or just jogging in place against a tree enough times that | wished | could issue orders or—better yet—play with a flesh- and-blood buddy online. i: OK, | may be the lover on this one, but | feel a game doesn’t have to be challenging to be good, and Kasai is proof. With generous save points, fairly straight- forward puzzles, solid controls, and a great story, Kasai just lets you get through the game and enjoy the trip. Sure, the A.I. is dumber than dirt. Sneaking up on a guard and slashing his throat is great, but it gets weird when the guy standing right next to your victim doesn’t even notice. And that's assuming your ants-in-the- pants АЛ. pal doesn't recklessly charge into battle before you have a chance to go for the stealth kill in the first place. Каза? far from perfect, but it’s still plenty fun. $h Tati (left, decapitating), Baumusu (right, also decapitating), and Griz (superold guy, far right) are Kasal's new characters. THE VERDICTS BRYAN — CRISPIN Publisher: Sony CEA Players: 1 ESRB: Mature TOM www.playstation.com Developer: BottleRocket Associate of Science & Bachelor of Science Degree Programs Др < < LL Ji Real World Education school of > Computer Animation > Digital Media > Entertainment Business Film > Game Design & Development Recording Arts Show Production & Touring 800.226.7625 fullsail.com 3300 University Boulevard Winter Park, FL 32792 Financial aid available to those who qualify Job plac: Accredited Col e review Crew: playstation 2 Chinese PlayStation 2 DYNASTY disco; not dead. WARRIORS 5 Where history comes alive...and kicks ass Good: Chaotic battlefields, tons of replay value Bad: Still not much different from the other 47 Dynasty games Most Luxurious Beard: Guan Yu, for the fifth year in a row JUSTIN: Due to history, tradition, and con- sistently strong sales, publisher Koei’s battlefield beat-em-up Dynasty Warriors has changed little over the years. But vir- tuous change, however slow, will eventu- ally lead to righteousness—or at least a very enjoyable action game. By dismiss- ing the limited create-a-warrior mode and promoting the stories of heroic individu- als, Dynasty Warriors 5 moves away from tedium and background facts toward vari- ety and a fleshed-out setting. The fighting is simplistic, but there's room to slip into the groove of your char- acter and enjoy cutting down hundreds of enemy soldiers, assisting allies, and tak- ing on rival officers on dynamic battle- fields. The exposition is hugely melodra- matic, but the personal perspective and context are worth the pain. Because the characters have personalities, they inevitably inspire some kind of feeling through repeated exposure. Maybe you'll decide Liu Bei isn’t as noble as he claims to be, or that Zhang He is an effeminate punk in dire need of a beating. Whatever your opinion, you'll know who they are when you start your next game. 0) THE VERDICTS (out JUSTIN ROBERT 8.0 7,5 8.0 ВОВЕВТ: Dynasty Warriors has spawned more offspring than an orgy of rabbits. And while many gamers could care less about this new entry, a hardcore following of devotees drools at the prospect. I’d say they're on to some- thing, and it's not the hackneyed story- telling or campy kung fu movie clips. Dynasty Warriors is all about clear-cut- ting forests of foot soldiers with unrealis- tic ease and theatrical flair. And it's about excess, taking out thousands of nameless nobodies in a single level, and releasing seven variations on this theme for $50 a pop. With the fog finally pushed back to a manageable horizon and smooth game- play, this is the version to get. 1UP.COM—CHE: If you love the Dynasty Warriors series and have bought every single upgrade and remix Koei has released in the last couple years, then skip this review and go buy the game. Everything you love about the series remains unmolested, except now, the graphics look cleaner (less fog), the game runs more smoothly, and the upgradeable weapon system has been beefed up to role-playing-game-lite pro- portions, But if you're a newbie to the franchise, Dynasty Warriors 5 is the best entry point the series has ever had. The game is the ultimate hack-n-slash orgy, and it follows a simple rule: Repeat what feels good. And it feels damn good to mow down hundreds of soldiers with your single Chinese badass. It’s a Final Fight clone with a zone, and once you fall into its trance, beware your wallet. Developer: Omega Force Players: 1-2 Publisher: Koei ESRB: Teen CHE www.koei.com 134 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com layStation 2 (gone) RESIDENT EVIL OUTBREAK: Outbroken, too Yes FILE #2 Try describing this scene with a preset 20-word vocabulary. Good: Sharp graphics, moody music Bad: Lack of voice or keyboard chat ruins it...again One More Time, So They Can Hear It in Japan: VOICE CHAT! MARK: Seeing as how screens of Outbreak: File #2 were floating around before the original online survival-horror game was even out, it’s not surprising how little has changed. Once again you pick from the same cast of eight citizens, each with his or her own strengths and weaknesses, and join up to three others online (ог A.I. teammates offline) to try to escape the zombifying virus spreading through poor Raccoon City. Once again gameplay is all about ammo conserva- tion, careful use of healing items, and simple switch-flipping puzzles. The few modest “improvements”—everyone has access to important items like keys, you can ask other characters to use items, the online lobby/friend system is better—fix mistakes Capcom should’ve gotten right the first time. Except, of course, for the biggest mis- take, back full force. Perhaps | wasn’t clear enough the first time: THIS GAME NEEDS VOICE CHAT. With no way to talk (not even via keyboard) to each other save eight simple preset phrases, what should be simple cooperative tasks turn impossibly frustrating. Offline is no better since your А.І. cohorts are even dumber than the zombies. (“Неу, lockpick- specialist woman: Maybe there's а reason | am standing next to this locked door, calling your name and ‘Come here’ over and over? No? OK, just keep running in circles then. Thanks.") Freakishly die- hard fans of the series (like myself) will play File #2 just for Ше pre-RE2 Raccoon Police Department level; everyone else, avoid it like the T-virus. THE VERDICTS (OUTOF 10) MARK JAMES JAMES: Second Outbreak, same problems: You can only carry four items (except for Yoko—must be wearing cargo pants), and the awful A.I. in single player hasn't changed. Of course, many of us want to pick up a copy for the mul- tiplayer, but the online play for File #2 is unashamedly the other Olsen twin of the original. You're stuck with the same damn macros (“Please wait,” “Thank you,” etc.) to communicate with your buds. Only Timmy from Lassie would be able to understand you: “What's that, boy? Jim is being eaten on the hospital roof by a shirtless man with an ax?” CHRISTIAN: Sure, the total inability to communicate here sucks, but somehow Mark and | managed to work around it. Worse are those stupid Resident Evil puz- zles. Not only are they completely unin- teresting; they just don’t fit in with online play—especially when you can’t talk. “Hey, | found another Mr. Raccoon token! Let's go back to the office.” Nope. As far as offline goes, it’s standard Resident Evil with admittedly excellent graphics and atmosphere, and awkward АЛ. pals. Publisher: Capcom Developer: Capcom Players: 1 (2-4 online) ESRB: Mature CHRISTIAN www.capcom.com ETN сос STAR WARS КЕРОВИС СОММАКОО Finally, stormtroopers who can shoot strai: Each squadmate has Special skills. You can do their jobs—just not as speedily. SLICE GENERATOR CONSOLE BETA Developer: LucasArts Players: 1-4 (2-16 online) ESRB: Teen 7.0 70 8.0 CRISPIN DEMIAN JOHN THE VERDICTS | Publisher: LucasArts www.lucasarts.com Good: Fun and simple squad tactics Bad: Linear levels, pushover enemies гешеш сгеш: Guest Starring: Temuera Morrison, Episode II’s Jango Fett CRISPIN: Ever since George Lucas started futzing with separatists and trade federa- tions and clone armies, it's become a chore to unravel—or even саге about—what's going on in his galaxy far, far away. But you don't need to worry about any of that busi- ness in Republic Commando, a fun shooter on its own merits, thanks to its squad of three commandable clone supertroopers. Issuing orders to your band of identical brothers is easy: Just point your crosshairs at a breachable obstacle or ideal sniping position, and your men do the rest. It's a slick system that makes for spec- tacular firefights, as your squadmates cool- ly do their job, make clever small talk, and zap you back to life when you fall in a hail of laser beams. If only the numskull ene- mies were as smart or the linear levels a little more imaginative. By the end of the game, once we reached the Wookiee ‘hood Kashyyyk, | felt like I'd blasted through more than enough droids for one weekend, and the so-so multiplayer modes didn't exactly extend my interest. The abrupt end- ing's a letdown, too, forcing players to wait until May's Episode III flick to see what happens next. DEMIAN: As the leader of supersoldier quadruplets, I'm glad that my brothers are fairly smart, even if | do have to take the A ACADEMY of ART UNIVERSITY FOUNDED IN SAN FRANCISCO 1929 « 2D & 3D ANIMATION | 3D MODEL _ CHARACTER DESIGN COMPUTER GRAPHICS lead when the Federation droids and Trandoshan slavers get a little rough—because | know that when | charge into battle against all odds and catch one too many blaster shots, the boys will jolt me back to life. Well, assum- ing they don't all get wiped out. Commando's squad control aspects aren't particularly complex, but they work well enough. And the single-player cam- paign is short but action packed, spanning the gap between Episodes Il and //-- although once you're done scratching your head at the ending, Commando's barely there online multiplayer modes won't inspire you to keep the Republic/Federation war raging. 1UP.COM—JOHN: What makes Commando different is that you're not a pimped-out Jedi superhero as in most of the previous Star Wars games; here you're just a grunt, and the resulting gritty under- dog atmosphere brings a more contempo- rary feel to a game that could easily have been just another shooter. The tactical ele- ments are simple and elegantly imple- mented, and despite being shockingly lin- ear, it's a beautifully paced experience that provides some genuinely exciting battles. The best Star Wars game since the origi- nal Knights of the Old Republic, for sure. REGISTER NOW FOR SUMMER & FALL SEMESTERS COURSES OFFERED IN: NG DIGITAL IMAGING | FILMMAKING | GAME DESIGN - NEW MEDIA | VISUAE-EFFECTS | WEB DESIGN I ДА | BFA | MFA DEGREES | PERSONAL ENRICHMENT E ONLINE COURSES | STATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITIES ` МЕ 80% OVERALL |OB PLACEMENT UPON GRADUATION ANIMATION ие зо иа ARTS 1.800.544.ARTS | WWW.ACADEMYART.EDU 79 NEW MONTGOMERY ST., SAN FRANCISCO, СА 94105 NATIONALLY ACCREDITED BY ACICS, NASAD & FIDER (BFA-IAD) + Е v пр issues: Main guy Raz even journeys into his own brain for a bit of DIY therapy. PSYCHONAUTS Psychoanalysis If | respect Psychonauts more than | was riveted by it, that's because for every two bits of out-of-the-box thinking, | found one piece of boil- erplate platforming. Emotional baggage, repressed memories, figments of imagination—all wonderful ideas for a game that treats pathological minds as physical places—aren't more than things to hoard by the tens and hundreds, same as the coins and stars іп any ordinary collect-a-thon. At times, too much irrelevant rigmarole—doubling back on pre- viously treated clinical cases (read: levels) to fetch more doodads; second, third, and even fourth iter- ations of the same brain-teasing puzzle—keeps hero Raz, a psychic tot at summer camp, on the clock like some opportunistic shrink. In a game where you can clairvoyantly control yourself through the cat's eyes of an enemy in order to wallop Чт in the dark, апу been-there, done-that sections tend to stand out. But criticism’s the stuff of short-term memory where cult status is concerned. Psychonauts’ Lost Mind Levels artistic oomph—the black-lit velvet painting land- Scapes, the topsy-turvy worlds where walls are floors and floors are roofs—is lightning in a bot- tle. Its one-of-a-kind wit (from the conspiratorially minded mailman whose route is a Twilight Zone of Peeping Toms and probing G-men, to the nut with a Napoleonic complex whose mind is a hex- based board game) makes it an instant classic. You've jumped over bottomless pits and punched bad guys before, but Psychonauts presses these conventions into the service of its story and characters. It injects meaning and purpose into what has traditionally been adventure for adven- ture's sake. As you explore the surreal, mazelike minds of characters, you'll also interact with them, literally wrestling inner demons and sorting out childhood memories. In short, the story doesn't Stop when the game starts. And there is a game here—one that shoots for Mario and Zelda but falls a bit short. The last hour Famous nut jobs whose fractured psyches would've made perfect settings: Anna Nicole Smith Level layout: The world according to Anna: octogenarian tycoons, lawsuits, 7-11 snack aisles, TrimSpa tablets. 136 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY е www.1UP.com R. Kelly Level layout: Scatological can- dyland of bodily function confec- tions, 15-year-old Oompa Loompas. or so features some regrettable platforming bits that really outstrip character control. But Shawn is wrong about the backtracking; except for one early level, you only go back if you want to. Anyone who doesn’t fall for the unique char- acters, hilarious dialogue, and brilliantly conceived environments of Psychonauts has no soul. The James Brown of games, Psychonauts’ personality overcomes its flaws. Most of the puzzles are clever (a few obvious ones get tedious), but the platform- ing fails to capture that elusive “feel” you get with a Mario or Ratchet game. The art and gameplay styles change dramatically depending on the level, so some are mind-blowing, but others don’t quite measure up (the boring conspira- cy level and needlessly difficult final stage were particularly disappointing). Nitpicks aside, Psychonauts is a refreshing alternative for those of us not preoccupied with eating McDonald’s and watching reality TV. 886. Howard Hughes Level layout: The world’s a filthy, infectious wasteland; ritual- istic washing regains health. (OUT OF 10) THE VERDICTS SHAWN Publisher: Majesco Developer: Double Fine Players: 1 ESRB: Teen ROBERT www.psychonauts.com Г И this guy looked more like Burt Reynolds, maybe this caption would be funny. 3 Cy = Sapphire UNREAL CHAMPIONSHIP 2: THE LIANDRI CONFLICT Fight for your right to fight It's a sort of sponsored bloodsport: Globalist on a galactic scale, the Liandri company broadcasts the cutthroat ascension ceremonies of other cultures. Would-be emperors vie for title and throne; suits sell it as ready-made entertainment. Call the non-Nerf American Gladiator story mode a 50-50 excuse for Unreal Championship to do the first-person shooter-cum-fighter thing it does— not that one is necessary, so long as you're online. You've heard it before: “Yadda yadda, it’s not Halo.” But this one doesn’t have to be; it’s ballsier and, in some ways, better. When a Spartan swipes a superpowered plasma sword, he pisses off a whole lot of people until someone finally pries it from his stiff fingers; however, here you've always got a poker of some sort, ready to use where and when you want. As far as blaster vs. blade battles go, the feature’s a stroke of cutting-edge genius. Spears and swords can block and bat back bullets (split-second timing required), so bouts aren’t about hoarding the biggest boomsticks. Sleepy in Ways to Slay other shooters, here 1-on-1 matches sizzle with almost artistic control (try sniping mid-somersault) and performance-enhanced feats (speed, agility, stalking, etc.), and maxed-out eight-man free-for- alls feel just right (any more players might've made for an unfun clusterfrag). It gets iffy only when two play supersamurai at the same time—when two people are flailing in each other's faces, it's tough to tell who's winning or why. l like how the Unreal Tournament (РС) and Championship series are quite different, yet at the same time share the same “feel.” UC2 is clear- ly made for a console, with its controller-friendly layout and limited weapon selection (a bigger arsenal would be a headache without a keyboard), and, unfortunately, some slowdown issues when too many players are onscreen at once. But it still features unique game modes and a wide selection of solid maps, like its PC bro. The most exciting difference, though, is Championship's third-person view, especially when it comes to melee weapons. | often found myself playing exclusively with beam swords, just because it was so rewarding to make kills by deft- ly deflecting shots. If you find Halo 2's multiplayer a little slow, try Unreal. In a lot of ways, UC2 is exactly what the online doctor ordered. A return to the whiplash speed of Quake, UC2 is deathmatch at its most claustrophobic and relentless. Luckily, it's not deathmatch at its most "pure." Unlike a lot of online shooters, UC2 isn't afraid to give its charac- ters unique strengths and weaknesses; sure it's harder to balance a game this way, but the game- play benefits from such rich depth. UC2 is also the first online shooter to feature a melee system that works (but could use improvement). The problem is, whacking someone with your sword lacks a tactile sense of power. Still, UC2 does so much right you'd be shortchanged not to check it out. 4% In addition to classic deathmatch (team and free-for-all) and capture the flag, Unreal Championship 2 features three new modes and over 40 maps. Най Slaughter Fragging the peaceful Nali people faster than your opponent does is as silly as it sounds. Overdose Unreal's ball- based bloodsport is as frantic and fast paced as Halo’s, but with orbs, not skulls. Survival Go 1-on-1 for bragging rights in winner-stays bouts while oth- ers watch and wait their turns. THE VERDICTS (QUT OF 10) Publisher: Midway Developer: Epic Players: 1-2 (2-8 system link or online) ESRB: Mature SHAWN ANDREW www.liandriconflict.com ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY е www.1UP.com е 137 % review crew: 9с/95 MORTAL KOMBAT: DECEPTION Late to the bloodbath UNS “ 7 “ilies screwy plot tists has Shao Khan as 8 playablë good guy for the ist time. I a | 6 06 5 . 9: SHANE JAMES Developer: Midway Players: 1-2 ESRB: Mature MATI www.midway.com INN, POKEMON DASH Dashin’ for the cash-in Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Ambrella Players: 1 (2-6 via wireless LAN) ESRB: Everyone THE VERDICTS (QUT OF 10) DEMIAN JENNIFER JOHN R. www.nintendo.com 138 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY е www.1UP.com Good: Plenty of modes Bad: Shoddy, stilted gameplay Noticeably Absent: The online play in PS2/XB versions ЗНАМЕ: The newest Mortal Kombat install- ment comes to the Cube a few months late, but at least it’s got a few extras to sate the growling tummies of patient GameCubers. Classic Kombat bosses Goro and Shao Khan join the roster, and most of the other versions’ unlockable characters are now available from the outset. But these minor tweaks can’t make up for this port's one glaring omission—online play. But then again, the smoothest network matches ever conceived still couldn’t make this a great fighting game. Mortal Kombat's cheesy characters (aimed squarely at a junior high schooler's concept of cool), dialed-in combos, unbalanced special moves, and tacky visuals simply cannot compete with legitimately good titles like Soul Calibur II (also available on GC). The game earns an above-average score here because the developers wisely includ- ed other gameplay modes that help enrich the overall experience. Puzzle Kombat suc- ceeds as a decent Puzzle Fighter ЇЇ Turbo (PS1) clone, Konquest mode delivers a mildly entertaining pseudo-role-playing game, and Chess Kombat injects a little Strategy into the series. JAMES: Shane’s a fan of Deception’s extra modes, but for me, when chess meets the Kombat universe, the relationship isn’t quite Good: The learning curve is about zero chocolate to peanut butter. They've added and subtracted some bits (Sub-Zero's cheap shish-kabob-sword move is cut), but it still equals out to a rental for me. Trying new characters is always fun, but single-player replay value is low. Play with a friend and you'll start to get that ol’ MK feeling, though. Just make sure your pal isn't easily angered—bouts that end after one well-timed kick and a spray of gore (thanks to some of the stages’ instant-death booby traps) are the things broken controllers are made of. Deception can be mindless fun, but | can't help but feel that the developers are just trying to do too much with this game. 10Р.СОМ--МАТТ: The run button, the weapons, the multiple fighting styles—for better or worse, every game in the MK series has introduced an important new feature. So it's rough that the key addition to the PS2 and XB versions of Deception— the aforementioned online play—isn't here. Nobody expects a Cube title to have online support these days, but without it, Deception feels a bit too similar to the pre: vious MK game, Deadly Alliance. Still, the GC port is right up there with the others techwise and has many more characters unlocked from the start, so if you hate the Internet, this is a good way to go. you're old enough to read EGM, you're too old for Dash Archrival: If you don't come in first, Meowth will IAN: Close your eyes during the title screen (and your ears during Pikachu's incessant, grating “Pika!” exclamations) and you'd never guess the little yellow blob you're controlling is the king of all Pokédom. In this kid-aimed, top-down rac- ing game, you'll stroke the touch screen to propel your furry blur from checkpoint to checkpoint across sprawling maps and hope you don’t contract repetitive stress injury along the way. There are natural haz- ards (water, lava, etc.) to avoid, but strategy begins and ends with following the onscreen arrow to your next destination and learning the courses. Your max speed is capped too, so even if you're some kind of savant when it comes to frantic screen rubbing, you won't go any faster. So Dash may be а blatant attempt to milk the Pokémon franchise, but the game's real sin is that it doesn't steal nearly enough from the Poké series. A lit- Че character collecting (it might be nice to race as a puffball not named Pikachu now and then) and character-specific special powers would have broken up the monot- ony at least. Even compared to other games aimed at the 12-and-under set, Dash is just mediocre. JENNI; Pokémon Dash is a cute and fun little racing game that has a great multiplayer component, but there’s simply not enough to it. | enjoyed feeling like | was in my own miniaturized Amazing Race (complete with angry shouting and confidence-crushing trash talk) as | tried to find the fastest combo of sprinting, bal- looning, and sailing to the next goal. It's also tasty faking out opponents by leading them on a wild goose chase or following their lead to the goal (instead of doing the hard work and finding it yourself) then popping a few balloons to whiz past them in the mad dash to the ground. But the limited variety of terrain and transport types mean the race gets boring, fast. HN R: Believe it or not, even with its ultra-simple play mechanics and sicken- ingly cute visuals, Pokémon Dash isn't half bad. Beneath the candy-coated exterior lies a racing game with a surprising amount of depth, held back by the fact that you can retry any course as often as you’d like, thus eliminating any real sense of challenge. The Regular GP is a piece of cake anyway, but Hard and especially Expert will force you to memorize the courses in order to win, which can be a real struggle. The puzzle-esque bonus courses you can unlock by linking up with the GBA Pokémon games are a nice touch, and with over 380 variations in all, eager Pokéfreaks will find plenty to keep them- selves occupied. REVIEWS V The games that were too little or too late RAP-UP Constantine e PS2/XB е THQ е ESRB: M — With brain- less enemies, near-PS1-quality graphics, and a serious lack of variety, Constantine is about as broken as a game can get. When fetch quests and inane puzzles are your only sources of entertainment, that’s saying some- thing—something not printable in a family mag. Finny the Fish & the п Waters е PS2 е Natsume ESRB: E — In this free-roaming underwater adventure, you'll solve simple puzzles and forage for fish food (just watch out for anglers’ lures). Finny controls well but it’s way too short—small fries may swallow it hook, line, and sinker, but grown-ups will find it too shallow. RACING ON A SHOESTRING Quick looks for driving-game fans with limited cash flow A 4 than a sassy robot? We're drawing a blank. Robots e PS2/XB/GC • VU Games • ESRB: E — This зсгар-пеар adventure takes you down countless trails of nuts and bolts in search of a pile of gadget parts. Monotonous collecting strangles most of the life out of this game's cold metal body. Then poor control and a needy camera pull the plug for good. Drive to Survive е PS2/XB * Empire • ESRB: T Thanks to this game, we can add “godless train wreck” and “corn bread” to our list of insults. They're what opponents yell at you incessantly as you drive your redneck racer around (arcade classic) Super Sprint-inspired tracks. It's a bargain-priced game with quick-thrill playability, but so is paddle- ball. Save up for something better. Top Gear: RPM Tuning e PS2/XB е Kemco е ESRB: T Kids bitten by the brand-name bug want licensed rice- rockets, tuning kits, and MTV tunes. Kids whose pop- pas say, “We're strapped for cash, so we ain't writing a check” get generic rides and rims and roachy tech- no in Top Gear: RPM Tuning. It has big cities, like Midnight Club, plenty of parts, like Need for Speed, but is pretty plain, like the $19.99 price tag says. 8 > Racing Gears Advance е GBA • Orbital • ESRB: E This one might cost almost as much as those other two games combined ($30), but it's dough well | spent. Racing Gears harkens back to classic driving games with its not quite top-down view, but its solid controls, short-cut-filled tracks, copious part upgrades (including weaponry), and replayability make it well worth your modern dollar. | | J -. ' 3) 1 7 WIN THE GAME OF TH 108 TH CONTEST Hey, old-tyme readers, remember that "Eat My Shorts" Simpsons quote contest we used to do? No? Well good, because this isn't it. But it's similar. Our pop-culture scientists have secreted away one movie quote (or more! We might do more—don't think we won't!) somewhere in this issue. Find it, and you may have already won our Game of the Month. AII that's left to do is e-mail the quote, the movie it's from, and the page you found it on to EGM@ziffdavis.com, subject: Movie Quote: EGM #191. Include your full name and mailing address (no stinkin' РО boxes!) in the e-mail. Also, don't send us any swear words because our e-mail filter keeps us blissfully innocent. And that's it! We'll pick three winners at random and send each of them a copy of our СОТМ. This issue’s prize: God of War. #4. ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com • 139 REVIEWS ARCHIVE P^ VT Like normal reviews but cuter SCORES (huge) articles. GAME SYSTEM VERDICT (out of 10) AWARD American McGee Presents Scrapland XB Asphalt Urban GT Ds Backyard Wrestling 2 PS2/XB Champions: Return to Arms PS2 Dead or Alive Ultimate хв Death by Degrees PS2 Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening PS2 Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat вс Donkey Konga вс Doom 3 XB EA Sports Fight Night Round 2 PS2/XB/GC Feel the Magic: XY/XX 05 FIFA Street PS2/XB/GC Fullmetal Alchemist PS2 The Getaway: Black Monday PS2 Ghost Recon 2 PS2 Ghost Recon 2 XB Gran Turismo 4 ps2 GunGriffon: Allied Strike XB Kessen Ill Ps2 Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories GBA Mario Party 6 вс MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf хв Mercenaries PS2/XB MLB 2K5 PS2/XB Mr. Driller: Drill Spirits 05 Musashi Samurai Legend PS2 МУР Baseball 2005 PS2/XB/GC MX vs. ATV Unleashed PS2/XB bargain bin Nanobreaker ps2 bounty NBA Street V3 PS2/XB/GC NFL Street 2 PS2/XB/GC Oddworld Stranger's Wrath XB Pathway to Glory NG Phantom Dust XB Ping Pals 05 Playboy: The Mansion PS2/XB Pocket Kingdom: Own the World NG Project: Snowblind PS2/XB The Punisher PS2/XB Ridge Racer DS DS Sega Classics Collection DEAD OR ALIVE: [| ——— е XTREME BEACH VOLLEYBALL Shining Tears Spider-Man 2 m Xbox m Released: January 2003 Sprung m Original Scores: 8.0, 6.0, 7.5 Star Fox, Assault Keeping your eye on the ball has never Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II been harder ever since these bikini- Street Fighter Anniversary Collection clad babes hit the beach. с ы кла Pathetically, we've dis- oed eavered that playing Tenchu: Fatal Shadows Ps2 С TimeSplitters: Future Perfect PS2/XB/GG haria min Tork: Prehistoric Punk XB ла тарып п The Urbz: Sims in the City PS2/XB/GC а ‘a а ү Ing The Urbz: Sims in the City DS н Ша Viewtiful Joe 2 PS2/GC ions—is more d WarioWare: Touched! 05 fun than customiz- WarioWare: Twisted! GBA ing our rides in those : World Soccer Winning Eleven 8 PS2/XB street-racing games. 2 Xenosaga Episode II PS2 For only $20, have Yoshi Touch & Go 05 some fun in the sun. Ys МЕ The Ark of Napishtim PS2 *Games in red denote previous Game of the Month winners. 140 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com W The broken-record gameplay forces you to play through repetive missions 65 W If you're looking for a great racing game for DS...keep lookin 65 W Everything wrong with professional wrestling tied up in a mediocre package 55 W Hack and/or slash to find cooler stuff that lets you hack and/or slash some more 7.5 и The bouncing boobs of 0045 1 and 2 look way nicer revamped for Xbox 70 W We're grateful to have Nina on board—too bad decent gameplay didn't come with 5.0 W The new fighting-style system and crazy combos make up for its insane difficulty 80 W Why work when you can bang on the drum all day in this unconventional platformer? 8.0 W (Mostly) great songs and a quality bongo controller make for a lively party game 8.0 ти We promise you'll jump when things go bump in the night in this beautiful shooter 90 и We pity the fool who doesn't climb into the ring with this boxing champ. 85 ША stylish mix of romance and minigames that takes advantage of the DS' abilities. 8.0 W Soccer has been Street-ified, and it's decent but not great 65 Wi Rabid fans of the Alchemist anime show will lap it up; everyone else, not so much 6.0 ІН Potty-mouthed gamers can learn some new words from this so-so cinematic caper 4.5 Іш This PS2 team shooter wouldn't pass Game Programming 101 25 W Nothing remarkable about the Xbox version either, save its solid online play 60 B Still the best driving sim, but not a lot has changed since A-Spec 90 W One of the Dreamcast's finest-looking robot shooters. Wait, this is an Xbox дате? 35 E Though cinematic and ambitious, it never manages any serious action or strategy 75 W The cards say you'll experience a bit of action-RPG déjà vu...which isn't so bad 7,0 m Still fun, but the rehashed board-game antics linger like an uninvited guest 60 m Online robot battles crush Lone Wolfs single-player game under 40 tons of steel 8.0 W Go anywhere, steal any vehicle, and blow up any building in this awesome actioner 8.5 W Hits one outta the park thanks to its innovative pitching system and spiffy visuals 8.0 W Simple, addictive puzzle action that truly shines in its wireless multiplayer mode 75 W This swordsman swings a mean blade, but repetitive levels hamper the fun 65 W This hardball sim's swan song is the best version yet thanks to its slick minigames 8,5 ША worthy game that appeals to more than gearheads with its countless unlockables 8.0 и Go on a one-man blood drive in this wildly gory hack-n-slash adventure 75 W Only His Aimess soars higher than this arcade-rich roundballer 9.0 W Backyard football for the big boys...and it's good 8.0 E Action, platforming, and first-person shooting meld in this refreshing, odd game 8.5 W While calling it the best game on N-Gage isn't saying much, it's still pretty good 7.5 W Amass more psychic powers than Miss Cleo in this slick arena-combat game 85 W Be a pal and tell others to not waste an Andrew Jackson on this poor text messenger 1.5 W it's a third-rate Sims clone, but with giant, cartoon boobies 5.0 W The N-Gage's first online RPG, not that you can tell while playing 50 W The NRA has its poster game in this weapons-crammed futuristic blaster 8.0 W Punisher fans should play this ultraviolent shooter; others can pass 65 и Six-player wireless LAN races (on one cart): good; bad graphics and bad control: bad 6.5 W Awesome Sega coin-ops are "updated" into monstrosities while Sega fans weep 45 W Blood spills, skulls split, and meat falls off the bone in this fun gladiator adventure 6.5 и Dumb-as-dirt A.I. muddles this otherwise likable action-RPG 65 ІШІ! your spider sense is on the fritz, let us warn you to avoid this ho-hum adventure 6.0 W Hook up with young hotties at a ski resort. Slightly more fun than chlamydia 40 W "Dogs of war" takes on new meaning in this Nintendo comeback shooter series 8.0 № Not as good as the first game, but still, a Star Wars game that doesn't suck! 85 W Street Fighter И + Street Fighter = Street Fighter Awesome. But where's Alpha? 8.0 № Uneventful yet functional RPG set adrift on the choppy seas 65 W (5-а remake of one of the best platformers ever! Only its-a much harder to control 8.0 W Slick-looking stealth kills can't make up for a catastrophic camera 45 WI The ultimate twitch FPS with a killer sense of humor finally takes the online вар | 75 W The platforming clichés in this punkosaurus have been around since the Stone Аде 7.0 W The Sims’ suburban theme gets kicked uptown and outside but loses something 75 W Now with fewer bodily functions and more button-mashing minigames 85 I More of what you (hopefully) know and (should) love from Joe's first outing 80 W its wacky minigames keep you—and those watching you play—entertained 9.0 и Spin your GBA like a nutcase in this collection of new three-second microgames 90 W Sorry, John Madden, but this is the new poster boy for sports-gaming realism 95 W Not Xenosaga Episode ll, but more like Xenosaga Episode I: The Deleted Scenes 7.5 W Draw clouds with the stylus and control Mario's green steed's environment 75 ША solid, challenging action-RPG the way they used to make ‘em 75 HTTP://REZ2COOL.1UP.COM С ЕЭ Games.Blogs.Clubs.Home. е over This stuff'll kill ya ometimes when I'm alone, | imagine what it would be like if Jean-Claude Van ШИ Damme asked me how | manage to EUR such intellectual criticism to the world of terrible videogames. | imagine Ра tell him, “Sometimes | feel guilty, JCVD, when І hold thrown-together licensed crap like Monster Garage up to the same standards as normal games.” “Normal games like my hit, Universal Soldier, on the Super NES?” he’d ask while lifting 15,000 pounds with one leg. “Ha ha ha ha һа!” Ра reply, not really under- Toxic Porta-Potties, eh? Can you guess Carmen's юсаноп? *- | standing what he said through his accent, but positive that 1 love him for it. Pd make it clear, though, that until we establish a minor or “зре- cial” league for videogames that were made by, for example, a That’s So Raven marketing team, it’s my job to judge these games as if they were made by people who were really try- ing. If that makes me insensi- tive to the shortcomings of apathetic stupids, | can live with that. Can you? —Seanbaby Jesse James’ left fore- arm: where Led Zeppelin albums come from. № At least Crockett and Tubbs wore nice slacks and blazers. Carmen Sandiego: The Secret of the Stolen Drums е PS2/XB/GC When | was a kid, a Carmen Sandiego game involved clues based on geography. For example, a robbery witness might not know anything except that the thief owns a prize-winning dairy cow. And since there wasn’t a “How the hell do you know about their cow?” button, you’d take it as pertinent testimony and follow up on the lead by staking out Wisconsin. It was a stupider time, but because of it, | can name up to one state with dairy cows to this very day. This new Carmen Sandiego game has you sneaking around security cameras and skirting along narrow ledges. That's just as dull as the original but without any educational value. The only thing | learned from this game is that the fronts of robots are immune to Stick attacks. And knowing this, someone still pro- grammed them to stand in a corner and stare at the wall. Say what you want about how lame educational | games are, but | got more satisfaction in discovering that | know cows live in Wisconsin than | got from out- | witting a retarded robot with my tiptoeing. Brain t If you’re on the tail of a suspect who enjoys importing rubber, lumber, and Malayan art, where should you look? We'll give you the answer next month! Here's a sneak preview: "Last month's brain-teaser answer was 'Singapore." Monster Garage: The Game е XB On The A-Team, it was common for the heroes to get trapped inside a warehouse while the bad guys out- | side shout, “You sit in there with that old Jeep, weld- ing gear, and broken-down watermelon launcher until you're ready to talk!” So | thought Monster Garage, a game based on turning cars into weapon platforms, would be playable as long as | could imagine an entire A-Team scenario around it. It would start with the Harlem Globetrotters hiring me to retrieve an Egyptian amulet from the collar of an elusive house cat. But even that magical scenario couldn’t save Monster Garage. | don’t even think they can legally Call this “interactive.” You don’t make any actual deci- sions during the building of your supercar; you remove the doors and the suspension in exactly the order it allows. That’s the strategy part. The game part comes when you choose to install stuff manually. Then it cuts to a floating power driver that you navigate through inches of nothing and hold one button to unscrew two screws. It’s so disrespectful to your entertainment standards that you'll think Monster Garage is calling you out. That’s how tough the game is! Monster Spreadsheet: The Game: Following a step- by-step auto-repair manual isn’t fun. You could make а case, however, that Monster Garage: The Game is | the most badass reading comprehension quiz ever. Bad Boys: Miami Takedown • PS2/XB/GC Fans of the Bad Boys films have waited more than a year for this action masterpiece, so РИ cut right to the review—presented in nuggety form for your pleasure. Gameplay: What separates this from other third- person shooters, besides how bad it is, is the Bad Boy Meter. It keeps track of how naughty you are by getting badder and badder for every surrendering criminal you execute. It’s also made badder when you destroy innocent objects such as pinball machines and abandoned cantaloupes. And in case you’re won- dering, blasting a surrendering criminal in the face and shooting nearby fruit are both given about the same amount of naughtiness. Police Chief says: "You're a loose cannon, Lowrey! Shoot one more cantaloupe and ГИ have your badge!” Grand theft visuals: | can’t prove it yet, but I'm almost positive these graphics were stolen straight from Crappy PlayStation 1 Action Game: The Game. Oh so bad! According to the back of the box, “Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett of TNT are back and OH SO BAD.” Boy oh boy, they sure are! It’s nice to see that deliciously flamboyant elderly people can still get work as videogame copywriters. $h № Monster Garage host p= = 142 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY е www.1UP.com Photograph by AP/WideWorld Photos e _ digitalife october 14-16, 2005 jacob javits center, nyc www.digitallife.com Get in on the hottest ticket of 2005. Secure your spot at DigitalLife 2005 in New York — the 3-day consumer event bringing together the latest in digital technology for home, work and play. Promote new product launches, build brand loyalty, and let 35,000 consumers test drive your products just in time to boost holiday sales... For sponsorship opportunities and information on how to participate call 866-761-7303 or visit www.digitallife.com невасквепу. CREATIVE ÎNtel. = Microsoft TOSHIBA KONICA MINOLTA В zırr диз veo, ПИВО САМИ Cali PlayStation pc Sunc ч Jame оче 1 Videogame lessons for aspiring evil overlords p ет hoever said videogames aren't laser trip wires, and possibly а mechan- Solid game knows that these high-tech pretentious exposition to explain such Y | Д educational never tried to rule ical bipedal walking tank in the garage. hideaways have some serious security things, it’s up to us to list gaming’s ЫЙ the world from a secluded Anyone who's trespassed оп bad-guy flaws. But since real-world evil over- golden rules for spoofing spies. fortress guarded by faceless goons, property in a Splinter Сей or Metal Gear lords are too prone to dramatic arias of —David S. J. Hodgson Start becoming paranoid about open manholes outside your base or man- size holes cut in your chain- link fencing. Detour your ducts Spies think it's cute to crawl around in air ducts and sewage pipes. So when constructing your base, make sure all air-conditioning units are window-mounted. Any internal ducts should lead directly into a pit full of whatever vicious indigenous beast you can capture and forget to feed. 144 • ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY • www.1UP.com Don’t be ca shy Another place spies love to hide: directly beneath security cam- eras. So spend a little more cash for the deluxe models that scan below as well as side to side. Fund employee education You'll be lucky if your average black- market henchman is smart enough to tie his combat boots. So imple- ment seminars that focus on such basics as turning 180 degrees at random intervals, learning to shoot a gun, and investigating cardboard boxes that move on their own. Throw a good light show Unless your base is hidden in Daytona Beach, flashing lights and whining Klaxons indicate an intruder, not the beginning of a rave. Be sure your henchmen realize this and investigate (in groups)—and continue to remem- ber the incursion afterward. Roll out the barrels Not only are barrels of explosive materials unsight- ly—they’re dangerous! Torture the provisions man- ager responsible for leaving them lying around, and order Tidy up once in a while Take the sense out of fashion Leaving medical supplies Be sure to confiscate those high- lying around will only security key cards from guards encourage injured spies wearing the slightly different uni- to heal up and keep on forms. Otherwise they’re a prime do-gooding. Employ jani- target for spies looking to access tors to sweep corridors your most sensitive areas. While for these items. Better you're at it, color-code locked less legal stimu- all barrels to be rolled yet, replace the health doors with a green light and lants. Don't feel directly away from your packs with rat poison or unlocked doors with a red light to guilty—they're . base, ideally on fire, and at extra-strength laxatives. thoroughly bewilder your foes. bad guys, too. the incoming heroes. Protect your investment Before piloting your giant walking tank in a final battle with a would-be hero, be sure to weld reinforced plating over all weak spots. At the very least, make sure these weak spots don’t flash orange. And remember: Your machine can walk for a reason. Maneuver it around what- ever cover your hero is hiding behind, then shoot him until he falls over. There is little need to stop doing this. Wake ’em up Henchmanning takes it out of your goons. Drop NoDoz in their water coolers, or try more potent, Fill in the gaps Light up your life Laser-wire walls are the security Arecent poll of superspies showed that method of choice for the discerning these guys rate their night-vision goggles despot, but they’re usually installed up there with tranquilizer guns and season with all manner of horrific defects, one of 24 on DVD, so have your electrician such as man-sized gaps between install powerful lights in all dark, shadowy the laser beams. Don't skimp on the areas. Flip the switch and watch the spies lasers; create а wall even the skinny scatter like cockroaches. 0h, be sure to Olsen twin couldn't squeeze through. use bulletproof lightbulbs, too. Take a feet-on-hands approach Guards patrolling along catwalks should watch for the fingertips of hanging spies...and step on them. But if all fails and your foe does breach your inner sanctum, keep your dia- tribes down to a snappy two-minute rant and simply shoot your foe with the biggest gun you've got. 4%. Screw building codes Good-guy governments spend mil- lions training their spies, pumping them full of steroids, and funding expensive gym memberships. These ripped-ab agents have tremendous upper-body strength. Your lesson here: Don’t insulate overhanging pipes. They should be scalding hot. lustration by Eboy ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY * www.1UP.com е 145 game over FINAL WORD Gaming south of the border Veja como na | Ө: Arevista 21 para PlayStation 3 < xbox Next - Nintendo Revolution 0679 DIVERSÃO NA PALMA DAMAO № See more of these guys at carqui.1UP.com and miyazawa.1UP.com. | Wl ince "GOALLLLLL!!" and “Beef ы мехтен” are the only foreign terms we know, we asked EGM Mexico Editor-in-Chief Adrian “Carqui” Carbajal (above left) and EGM Brazil Executive Editor Pablo Miyazawa (above right) to expand our horizons in this month’s Final Word. Which country h better selection of games? Mexico or Bre Carqui: We are neighbors of the United States, which gives из а geographical advantage—the games arrive here faster. Besides that, we have official distribution from Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony. Pablo: Unfortunately for us, we can't really count on the gaming giants' support. 0f the three biggest companies, only Nintendo is officially here. The rental stores and bargain bins are the place to be if you are a Brazilian gamer. The importers do a very good,job, too, since they can get almost every product about one week after its U.S. release. What were your best of 2004? Pablo: Well, | must заф оиг choices were pretty different from the U.S. EGM’s. Our Gaiden, Burnout 3, GTA: San Andreas, and Metroid Prime 2. It was a great year. re you looking forward Carqui: It’s all about hardware. Mexican gamers are more excited about the next-gen consoles than anything else. The PSP and second-gen games for DS also are getting buzz. Pablo: Brazilian gamers ate all about the nextigeneration, too. | just can't wait for this May’s ЕЗ {Electronic Entertainment Expo, the gaming industry's annual trade the best show since 2001. : This ЕЗ will be the greatest... уошРсошп е: generally like that U. What games с jamers don't seem to care Pal о: I've noticed that you don't care about soccer games as much as we do. The Winning Eleven games are huge hits in Brazil. Everyone plays them, there are several competitions all over the country, show]—1 am pretty sure it's going to be ® 1 “Mexican gamers are more excited about - next-gen consoles than anything else.’ crew chose Metal Gear Solid 3 as the best game of the year; Halo 2 won the Xbox award, and MGS3, again, grabbed те PS2 award. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was the runner-up on this one. Mario 64 DS was the winner in the handheld category. There were only two categories on which we agreed with the U.S. EGM: the GameCube (Metroid Prime 2) and the mul- tiplatform (Burnout 3) games of the year. Carqui: We;chose the same games 45 1UP.com—you know, Halo 2, MGS3, Ninja and even the real soccer players love them. On the other hand; people here don’t seem to care much about football games like Madden. Actually, | do like "ет, but most people just can’t understand the rules. The same happens with baseball titles as well. Carqui: Soccer is big in Latin America. We Mexicans consider ourselves the best, but the Brazilians kick our asses...in real soc- cer, that is. Regarding soccer games, we prefer WE8 over FIFA. Pablo: My Grew plays WE every day. That’s why We always fail to meet our deadlines. big is online gaming down there? Carqui: It's growing but it isn’t big—our economy does not allow many people to have broadband. blo: We feel the same here. Online gaming is very strong on the PC side— massively multiplayer RPGs are getting big I EGM Mexico and Brazil: big fans of soccer. in Brazil—but people are just getting used to going online with their PS2:and Xbox. Since the gaming giants afé not based in our country, the опИпе support doesn't really exist. But tfiat doesn’t mean we can't play—broadband connections are everywhere, Апфине Brazilian online com- munity js Very much alive and kicking. What are you Pablo: Lumines for PSP has totally blown me away. | am so addicted; | see thou- sands of blócks falling down when | shut my eyes fol sleep. WarioWare Touched! is awesome, too. And there is San Andreas, of соигзелТпеге is still a lot to do, see, and play, so 14} keep on playing it until Rockstar.delivers me another GTA. | just can't get enough of it. Carqui: We're all about the PSP. right now. Not all games are our favorites, but our team 15 hooked on Ridge Racer, Metal Gear'Ac!d; Vampire Chronicle, Lumines... «My current PSP unfavorite is Winning Eleven 8 because | owe money to Pablo from a bet, but | want а rematch. Pablo: Just say j when and РИ be ready! rah № Metal Gear Solid 3: EGM Brazil's 2004 game of the year. ACR0SS 3. Use a spell in Phantasy Star Online 8. Talk like Darkstalkers’ Felicia? Runs the "EI" train seen in Project Gotham Il's Chicago. N64 Zelda tagalong | Like Sigma in Mega Man X games Final PS1 Final Fantasy 16. Yours should be а least 18 to play Manhunt 17. Alternate, as in “fire” Like the drivetrain in а G74 WRX Halo 2 multiplayer map Animated film flop nearly turned PSi game Titan — The two triggers on an Xbox pad Bad guys, usually Ecco's right hand Original Phantasy Star Online platform у Е 38. 46 ACR0SS is а form of it 39. Doc 0ck's (Spider-Man 2) initials 40. Like a machine in N64 Indiana Jones 43. Hardheaded TurboGrafx-16 Я mascot %- 44. GameCube graphics стр. brand 45. Like Xbox Pinball ` 46. Jet Grind Radio sprayings (Solution on page 148) 1. Stars ог Xbox's Spy vs. Spy 2. Mortal Kombat 3ninja — 4. Smokin’ Mario Tennis serve 5. Wins in a row 5 6, Like РРА — 7. Sega CD Eternal Champion, for one 9. PSO planet ` 11. Like PS2 Одузвеу or Gunner 12. Williams of Death by Degrees 14. Marvel vs. Capcom Spidey foe 18. 34 ACR0SS, for short р 19. Phantasy Star И fighter 20. King of Fighters lass 22. Harry Potter tool 23. Wal-Mart bargain bin PS2 hit. _ Hunter х 26. PS2's “Defender of Grayskull" у 29. Phantasy Star currency 30. NCAA Hawkeyes’ state 31. Robots’ in-game. currency 33. Tom of Animal Crossing 35. Shin Megami Tensei publisher E 36. Tomb Raider 2 locale ж 37. Like Tomba 25 evil swine 7 39. Taiko: Drum Master tough mode... 41. Like Silent Hill 25 Eddie? 42. 18 Wheeler truck synonym How 000 00-100 wanna get good? ë Engage your passion - Realize your dream. Add о new dimension to your Ше. >> Earn о B.A. in Game Design Your education can take you from game research and planning to content development, character development and storytelling — all the way through level design, modeling, programming and project management. After exploring game essentials like C++®, Java™, 3ds max® and Al (artificial intelligence), you could be prepared to make your quest-driven concept a game reality. And you can have a reel to prove it. 1-888-356-7777 www.CollinsCollege.edu Collins College is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). Financial Aid is available for those who qualify. Career services assistance. Collins College West is a satellite campus of Collins College. Not all programs available at all locations. game over NEXT MONTH: By the looks of it, Link’s gotten all mature on us. Besides having hair in funny places and thinking about girls, our beloved elf is coming back with a whole new look. The franchise decided to leave the kiddie cartoon stuff to Saturday mornings and went with a more badass style. We've got the inside dope on one of the most anticipated games of the year for the GameCube. We all know you can’t get enough of that maiden-rescuing, Triforce-gathering, heart-collecting fun, so we're going to spill the beans оп The Legend of Zelda. Мече got one more thing up our sleeve that will get you up out of your seat and cheering for joy. Oh, it’s just a little thing we like to call the PlayStation 3. We'll report back to you from the PlayStation 3 debut event in Japan. Finally, the unveiling of the PS3! Then we're going to continue our travels and fly on over to Loserville to meet some online cheaters. We'll get a hold of some punks and try to understand why they do it—then tell you what's being done to put a stop to all that cheating lameness. It's getting close to that time of the year again.... We’re talking about the Electronic Entertainment Expo: the annual gathering place for media and pseudocelebs to drool over games they've never heard of before. For the next issue, we're going to start covering what will be at E3, so be sure to grab a copy! ADVERTISER INDEX ‘Academy of Art University www.academyart.edu ... Activision www.aclivision.com ................... т Best Buy Co., Inc. Corporate Headquarter www.bestbuy.com . КЕЛІ Blockbuster Entertainment Inc. www.blockbustercom ................ өз Capcom USA Inc. www.capcom.com . Collins College/Career www.collinscollege.edu ............... лат Buongiorno Vitaminic wwwadirtyhippo.com ................. 107 Electronic Entertainment Bue www.E3expo.com ... Fox Broadcasting Company http://www.thesimpsons.com http://fox.com/familyguy/ http://fox.com/americandad/ ............4-5 Full Sail Real World Education wwwfullsall.com .................... 133 Hollywood Entertainment Www.gamecrazy.com . . .......... 126-127 Gillette Company www.gillette.com 9 Gizmondo www.gizmondo.com ...................11 Hip Interactive Corp www.hipinteractive.com ................ 79 Interactive Game Exchange wwwigxcom .. JAKKS Pacific, Inc. . JAMDAT Mobile Inc. www.jamdatmobile.com ............ 28-29 Кое! Corporation www.koei.com ................... 4 .66-67 Konami Digital Entertainment America www.konami.com .... + 102-103, 131 LucasArts Entertainment www.lucasarts.com . + 64-65 Majesco Games, Inc. www.majescogames.com .... . . .26a-26b, 152 Microsoft www.microsoft.com ... + 6-7, 86-87 Midway Games, Inc. www.midway.com лз Milk Processors www.gotmilk.com ... MLB Properties, Inc. www.majorleaguebaseball.com . ЕСІ 57, 58-59, 60 Namco Hometek WWwW.namco.com ............. 14-15, 31,39 Nova Logic Inc www.novalogic.com .......... Office of National Drug Control Policy + 32-33 www.whatsyourantidrug.com .... E Sega 0f America www.sega.com . . 129 SCEA .... 2-3, 20-21, 17, 18, 35, 36, www.scea.com .. . 51,52, 71, 72, 119 Sony Online Entertainment wwwsonyonline,com ..................25 Take 2 Interactive wwwatake2games.com ............. 80-81 MonsterMob Group PLC Www.us.mobitv cesses 63 THQ Inc. www.thq.com ............ pS ‘Ubisoft Entertainment www.ubisoft.com ..... 40-41, 48-49, 110, 111 Unilever www.unilevercom ............. «+ :74a-74b Zingy Inc. wwwzingycom ..................... 45 JUNE - ISSUE *192 ON SALE MAY 3 : га PREVIEWS | W Burnout 4 (PS2/XB/GC) № Medal of Honor? European Assault ко REVIEWS a Jade үр (XB) т Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition (PS2/XB) | в Pariah (XB) | (All planned editorial content is subject to change.) ANSWERS TO PHANTASY on page 147 ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY (ISSN #1058-916%) is published monthy by 2 Davis Media пс, 28 East 281 Street, New York, NY 10016. Periodicals Postage Paid al New York, NY 10016 and addtional mailing offices. 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MORTAL KOMBAT, the 9 3 Dragon logo, MIDWAY, the Midway logos and а! character names are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intense Violence Midway Amusement Games, LLC. Used by permission. Distributed under license by JAKKS Pacific, Inc., Malibu СА 90265. The Plug It In And Play TV Games™ logo, the jakkstvgames.com"" logo and the JAKKS Pacific® logo are trademarks of JAKKS Pacific, Inc. The Ratings Icon is a trademark of the Entertainment Software Association. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners. TRUST US НЕ HAD IT COMING. Introducing Raze's Hell. Play as Вазе, whose land has been overrun by Kewletts — evil cuties trying to impose their crazed views upon the masses. Utilize your intense hatred for all things cute and an overwhelming arsenal to ensure that the streets flow with the blood of the vile Kewletts. Includes single-player, co-op mode and killer Xbox Live™ multi-player modes. RazesHell.com RAISE HELL FOR ONLY $19.99* MATURE 17+ р Blood and Gore Language Mature Humor Violence Roze's Hell ©2005 Majesco Sales пе, a wholly owned subsidiary of Majesco Holdings Inc. All Rights Reserved. Developed by Artech Studios. The ratings icon is o trademark of the Entertainment Software Association. Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox Live, ће live Logo, and the Xbox Logos are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries and are used under license from Microsoft, "Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price. Retail price may vary. Майе уин! KONE) (97