МЛМ THE ULTIMATE GAMING SETUP INSIDE!

М Р ® Word On Computer & Video Games

1

GI Moderates The Government Vs. Gamer Debate

Mario & Zelda Revealed For GameCube

Fatality Scored With Exclusive Shots

EA Enrolls In Hogwarts

DANTE TURNS THE TABLES

School Of Witchcraft & Wizardry ON SURVIVAL HORROR... TTET e SURPRISING TIES TO RESIDENT EVIL e COMPLETE STRATEGY GUIDE > issue II |!

eFIRST REVIEW 4 | „ШУ

4

THREE SIGHTS NOT TO BE MISSED IN ROME. TURNS 2, 5 AND 7.

EVERYONE М eine PONY

It's difficult to appreciate some of the greatest tourist destinations in the world when you're racing through them at 225 mph. But with over 30 different racecourses and cars from the world’s top manufacturers which are created according to the exact specifications of their real-life counterparts, you'll feel like you could. Besides, when the competition starts battling with you for every inch of space on the track, you won't have time to see the sights. However, you can test your skills in the intense arcade mode or the simulation mode, where true car fanatics can supe-up their cars to no end. So don't worry about packing all your things, because if you're good, it'll be a short trip.

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GRAN TURISMO A-spec

THE DRIVE OF YOUR LIFE ~

Game informer Presents ENTER THE Take your gaming experience

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ALL-NEW INTENSE ARSENAL OF ` THE INTERCEPTOR FROM LETHAL EVADE THE RELENTLESS ONSLAUGHT COMBAT WEAPONRY. STREET MACHINE TO DEADLY, ОҒ ENEMY FIRE. 2

JET-POWEREO MARINE VEHICLE.

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Microsoft, Xbox ant the Xbox logos are either registered trademarks of trademarks of Microsoft Gorporation if The, US, and/or in other countries and are usa under license from Microsoft. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Assatiation. a i г,

Blood and Gore

Violence

Celebrate the 5th anniversary of

the highly anticipated, Devil May Cry.

APCOM Play

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'PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. The ratings icon is a registered trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. All oth BAR E AE SOS >

ever as it mutates onto the PlaySta mpi tainment system. Join Cla є 25 missing brother, Chris, ai ion. Flesh eating zombies and bio-tech 'onstrosities haunt yi 'ery move. As an added bonus, this 0 ol edition inı 's never-before-seen cut scenes and "

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COM U.S.A, INC. 2001. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. CAPCOM and the CAPCOM LOGO are registered trademarks of CAPCOM CO., LTD. RESIDENT EVIL CODE: VERONICA X and DEVIL MAY CRY are trademarks of CAPCOM CO., LTD. ег marks are the property of their respective holders.

GAME INFORMER

A COVER STORY

34 DEVIL MAY CRY

You definitely will cry if you don’t read our blow-out account of this incredible game. It has guns, it has swords, it has magic, it has demons. What more could you ask for and not look like a greedy little toad?

AMEINFORM

TABLE OF CONTENTS

FEATURE GAMING UNDER FIRE

The controversy over video game violence has been an issue of debate for nearly a decade, and now a new bill that seeks to regulate the marketing of games might change the way the industry does business forever. Read on as Gl interviews the key players on both sides of the issue, separating fact

from fiction.

FEATURE SPACE WORLD 2001

This year's Space World contained more revelations for the Nintendo faithful than any other. With notepad and camera in hand, Game Informer made its way to Japan to take in this monumental GameCube event. Learn a load about Metroid, Star Fox, and Luigi, as well as hear about Mario Sunshine and the new Zelda title for the first time!

ноода

WE KNOW HITZ.

Heads Up. The first adrenaline-style hockey game is here. Only NHL Hitz 20-02 delivers intense action from the NHL's experts of impact. Feel the crushing checks and super-sonic slapshots as eye-popping next-generation graphics bring teams. super-charged players and fantasy arenas to unparalled brilliance. With hits this hard, you won't need a ref to get ejected from the ice.

куя " ITZ.MIDVAY.COM

Violence

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LLG. Used by permission, NHL, the NHL Shield and S P. © 2001 NHL. All rights raservad. © к of Nintendo. & 2001 Nintendo. "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trad

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tradernarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S, and/or other countries and are used under license from Merosot

NHL Hockey NHLPA, Ni Computer Ent

Association and the NHLPA logo are

‘Xbox logos are eher register

y League Play iant Inc. Microsclt, Xbox, a

EDITORS' FORUM Don’t blame us for what we like to call “Super Happy Fun Writing Time,” otherwise known as the Editors' Forum. We've given it our all, and have landed flat on our faces once again. Oh well.

GI SPY The Game Informer paparazzi stalk the video game industry, bringing you candid photos of all the action.

DEAR GI Some people really liked our 100th issue. Then again, some people found it to be the bane of their existence. Who can blame them, really? We're actually nice people! Just read what we did for one poor soul who lost his fish.

NEWS Do you remember that movie Newsies with Christian Bale and that Italian kid from Doogie Howser? Well, that has absolutely nothing to do with what's popping in the world of video games. We just thought you needed reminding. GameCube here! Get your GameCube!

PREVIEWS Here's a little test: We're going to name five games we've previewed, and if at the end your pants are still dry, you don't have

12 GAME INFORMER

to go to bed standing up tonight. Ready? Here goes — Grand Theft Auto 3, Harry Potter, Baldur's Gate, Morrowind, and SSX Tricky. RUN!!!

PHOTOPHILE GI's fun size preview section is back, and chocked full of goodness. This month, we dole out tidbits of information on such hot upcoming titles at Star Wars Galaxies, Vampire Night, and a new version of Doom for the Game Boy Advance.

REVIEWS

Head for the hills! It’s the attack of the killer review sec- tion! This section has been known to induce unrestrained spending in even the most docile, Sunday school attending, flower sniffing, loafer wearing soccer players! Read at your own risk, and give your wallet to someone you trust.

CHARTS What's hot? What's not? What's up? What's down? It's not NASDAQ, it's the Retail Sales Data and the GI editors' Top 10 Games.

PLAY TO PERFECTION Ohmigosh. Not only do we have an elabo-

rate cover story and an in-depth review of

this game in issue, we also have our very

own Devil May Cry strategy guide! Can you believe that? Would we do that if we didn't love you?

SECRET ACCCESS Some of the most frightening things ever conceived of are hidden deep in Secret Access this month. It's not necessarily what's written, but what isn't written! We're getting £oosebumps just think- ing about it. Plus, there's a Madden 2002 chart that will make your hair stand on end.

CLASSIC GI

We shuttled off to Las Vegas this month

to attend the Classic Gaming Expo, and man did we come back with one huge amount of info on Atari! Goodness gra- cious we could hardly pack it all in one section. Have at it!

ETC You may think you have everything you need. You may think you haven't got a care in the world. Well think again, Cedric! We've got essentials in this month's Etc. that will make you ponder going without toilet paper for a week.

GAME INDEX

GAME

1080 Snowboarding 2 .

Amped: Freestyle Snow! Anachronox

Animal Forest Plus .

Arcanum: Of Steamworks & Magick Obscura Armored Core 2: Another Age . Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance Barbarian .

Bomberman Generations.

Boxing Fever

Capcom Vs. SNK 2

Casper: Spirit Dimensions . Castlevania Chronicles

Combat Two

Dark Summit .

Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2

Devil May Cry .

Donkey Kong Racing . .

Doom . .

Doshin the Giant

Doubutsu Bancho (Animal Leader) . Dragon Warrior Monsters 2.

Elder Scrolls 11: Morrowind . Elevator Action

Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem F-14 Tomcat

FIFA Soccer

Final Fight One.

Formula One 2001 .

Fortress

Frequency .

Grand Theft Auto 3 .

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Hoshigami: Ruining Blue Earth Hot Shots Golf 3 .

Jonny Moseley Mad Trix .

Jurassic Park Ill: Park Builder . . . . Jurassic Park Ill: The DNA Factor Kabuki Warriors .

Kessen 2

Kinetica .

Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble 2 .

Klonoa: Empire of Dreams .

Luigi's Mansion .

Madden NFL 2002 .

Mario Sunshine .

Max Payne .

Mega Man Battle Network .

Metroid Prime . б

Mickey Mouse.

Mobile Suit Gundam: Zeonic Front

NCAA College Football 21 Road to the Rose Bowl .

NCAA Football 2002

One Piece Mansion

Оода Воода....

Pac-Man Collection

Panzer Front ...

Phantasy Star Online Ver. 2

Pikmin

Pokémon Card Battle

Pokémon Crystal

Police 911 . A

Portal Runner .

Razor Freestyle

Republic .

Sega Bass Fishing 2 . Sheep Raider .

Meier's SimGolf Silent Hill 2 . Sonic Adventure 2. Soul Calibur 2 Spider-Man 2 Enter: Electro SSX Tricky . Star Fox Adve Я Star Wars Galaxies Stunt GP .. Sunny Garcia Surfing . Super Monkey Ball . Super Smash Bros. Melee . Syphon Filter 3 Tarzan Untamed . Tennis Masters Series Terminator . Thing, The Time С Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon : Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 Top Gun: Combat Zones . Universal Studios. i Vampire Night Virtua Striker 3 Wave Race: Blue Storm . WWF Betrayal WWF ЅтаскОомп!: Just Bring It . X-Men Mutant Academy 2 . X-Men: Reign of Apocalypse Yanya Caballista: буз Skater. Zoo Tycoon ..

be

PlayStation

www.scea.com

Sit-at-home contestant who faces mind bending questions, orders in Chinese food and then, while taking a bathroom break to ponder the advantages of certain lifelines over others, realizes that you could always just push pause and look up the answer on the Internet, but knows that because you're at home, there's no need to worry about making a fool of yourself on national TV and

besides, just like on the actual show, you really

don’t stand a chance of ever becoming a

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ntertainment Inc. PlayStation and the PlayStation logos are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.@Valleycrest

Productions Ltd

BUENA EVERYONE Se VISTA

comen paneo er ESRB

www.buenavista.com

BACK ISSUES

EXCLUSIVE: CAPCOM'S DEVIL V AY CRY

SHOCKINGI- d DISTURBING! `

Astdunding Tales Of Video Game Nightmares

WORLD FORGOT

ey Uncovers Some Of Gaming's Greatest Hidden Gems

NJO-TOOJE TRAJEGY

“PR NEW PARADISE

ATV Offroad Fury, 2 Return to Some, Adv

COMPLETE YOUR COLLECTION?

E af 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 | QJan QJan QJan Q Jan QJan ОЈап Jan/Feb O Jan/Feb I акы Feb OFeb (Feb OFeb OFeb OFeb Feb ШЙ Spring a Маг QMa QMa ПМ Mar У Мап O Summer | [| QAp Ap QAp ӘАр ОАр Cp OApr ОАрг Eae О Му üMay üMay OMay OMay OMay OMay OMay B a ао QJun QJun QJun QJun Пуш QJun Әј 1991 [| Q Jul Q Jul ам пам пм пм ам пм Oral ЕШ Aug ОАЮ QAug Aug Awg Awg ОА CO Winter Base ase ase Ша с sep ШЕИ О Sep OOt QOc QOc Oot Oct Oct C NovDec | QNov Ому ONov ONov Nov ONov I | О 0ес Орес Dec Dec (Dec 1

I Check off the issues you want, total the amount, fill out form and mail. |

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| Name Е ] Address 1 City State Zip | Рһопе ( ) # of issues total amount $ | | Send check or money order to: Game Informer Back Issues | 724 íst St. N., 4th Floor e Minneapolis, MN 55401 Шы шы кыш киш кеш mm выш шш кын кын кын пыш mm шш ЫЙ

14 GAME INFORMER

AMEINFORM

OCTOBER 2001 Volume XI * Number 10 * Issue 102

Cathy Preston

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Andrew McNamara

EDITORS

Senior Associate Editor Andrew Reiner Associate Editors Jay Fitzloff * Matt Helgeson * Kristian Brogger Justin Leeper * Matthew Kato Copy Editors Gabrielle Dane • Sarah Anderson Mascot Arthur

PRODUCTION Art Director Thomas Blustin Production Director Curtis Fung Production Assistant Rachel Gilles

ADVERTISING Rob Borm • (612) 486-6155 * Fax (612) 486-6101 email: robegameinformer.com 724 First St. N., 4th Floor • Minneapolis, MN 55401

CIRCULATION CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT For change of address or subscription inquiry only: (612) 486-6100 Fax (612) 486-6101 or send correspondence to: 724 First St. N., 4th Floor • Minneapolis, MN 55401 * Attn: CIS Dept

Circulation Manager Paul Anderson (612) 486-6104

SUNRISE PUBLICATIONS, INC President John Woodson

Manufactured and printed in the United States of America The Editor welcomes company product information for ай video games. Such materials should be addressed to: Editor, Game Informer& Magazine, 724 Ast St. N., 4th Floor, Minneapolis, ММ 55401. Unsolicited manuscripts cannot be returned or acknowledged. Entire contents copyright 2001. Game Informer? Magazine. А! rights reserved; reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Game Informer is a trademark of FUNCO, Inc. Products named in these pages are trade names, or trademarks, of their respective companies. PUBLISHER LIABILITY FOR ERROR The publisher shall not be liable for slight changes or typographical errors that do not lessen the value of an advertisement. The publisher's liability for other errors or omissions in connection with an advertisement is limited to republication of the advertisement in any subsequent issue or the refund of any monies paid for the advertisement. INDEMNIFICATION The advertiser and/or Advertising Agency agrees to defend and indemnify the publisher against any and all liability, loss, or expense arising from

claims of libel, unfair competition, unfair trade practices, infringement of trademarks, copyrights, trade names, patents, or proprietary rights ог violation of rights of privacy, resulting from the publication of the Advertiser's statement.

©

Member Audit Bureau of Circulations

| [| [| DAVE

[IRRAD

Freestyle bmx;

мраза асаба с сар GET BD e ee eo eee R | D FREESTYLE TRAICH MANEUVERS //BHmE UERS. 2.0 5 SUPER MAN’CAN-CANZYEACHFELIPYTAIL TdB/ZFLRIRZ u PEG GRABYMANUAL “nose manüabz^7

цео+аа LEU+SH LEU+95 HBiBHT DEBE

Ud innovative sık. E system with the state-of-the-art park editor lets you take 14 pro riders: englebert, cardio, Harkin, Laird, 8 massive levels - 4x bigger than before - пеш grind, wall ride, manual and lip trick your smx experience to on all new level C цог, mackay, memurray, b. mira, с. mira, for the very best in vert, dirt, street and ore fers, lets you pull off over 1,500 tricks O moliterno, nyquist, Ramsdel, show ond wirch C] park riding and all of camp woodward™ O

10 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS. n X-GAME MEDALS.

ONLY ONE GAME BOASTS THAT KIND OF HARDWARE.

acclaimmaxsports.com

cclaim® & © 2001 Acclaim Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Developed by Z-Axis. All Rights Reserved. "PlayStation" and the "PS' Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Microsoft, Xbox. AS the Xbox logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or in other countries, бате Boy and Game Boy Advance are trademarks of Nintendo. © 2001 Nintendo, NINTENDO GAMECUBE AND THE NINTENDO GAMECUBE LOGO ARE TRADEMARKS OF NINTENDO. © 2001 NINTENDO. Screens shown were taken from the Xbox version of the video game. Photo courtesy of DC Shoes/Carl Hyndman.

: T . PlayStation. ^ cAWEBora»vwcE — ii cer

THIS IS A CALL

As a general rule, | try not to just talk about what's in the new issue in this precious editorial space where | get to ramble each month. I'm going to make an exception in this case. | think this month's feature on video game violence is necessary reading for any and all gamers, and | want to make sure you don't skip it because it's not about the latest and greatest game on the market. Society likes to ignore the deep-seeded causes of its woes. Instead, it would rather whittle it all down to one little thing where it can focus all the blame. Unfortunately, video games are too big a part of our day to day culture now for gamers to not feel the heat of public outcry. Gaming Under Fire looks at where video games and the moral majority are headed and what you, as a gamer, can do to help keep video

F^ THE SNICKERS

COUGH IT AND THE MEN'S.

"ua кїр!

pem cutbacks have eliminated treats in the GI offices! The gamers improvise to procure them. Left to right: Justin, Matt, and ds shake down Pikachu and friends for their share. Kato and Kristian inspect what Count Dracula has in his bag. Lori and Arthur hand out treats, while Andy and Reiner wait in ambush.

16 GAMEINFORMER

games untainted by the powers that be. | know everyone has their own idea of what is right and wrong, but when push comes to shove, | don't want some bureaucrat deciding what | can and cannot play.

In my humble opinion, video games have come a long way in letting parents and gamers know what to expect out of what's on the shelf — be it in the form of this wondrous publication you hold in your hands now, or a ratings system that plainly labels a game's content. The tools are out there now, but unless people let their opinions be known, video games could become the next victim of a society that doesn't understand its pop culture. 4

Not following me? Read the he feature. You'll see exactly what A I'm talking about, and why this issue is so important for us all. 5792 MoNamara

andy@gameinformer.com

REINER, THE RAGING GAMER reiner@gameinformer.com

Andy may still have his stupid little “Letter From the Editor” column, but | now hold the title of Editor-In-Chief! While Andy was in Japan mingling with Shigeru Miyamoto and company, | was faced with the daunting task of completing this issue and getting it to the printer on time. At first, | didn't think we'd make the deadline. In hindsight, we probably shouldn't have partied as much as we did. Transforming the office into a strip poker club wasn't the wisest decision, either. The donkey shows, on the other hand, we gotta keep those! Somehow, however, we managed to finish the issue. Just don't read any of the text. Мо, it's not from last month!

MATT, THE ORIGINAL GAMER matt@gameinformer.com

With Axl still floundering about in the G n’ R studios trying to get that Buckethead freak to perfect his guitar parts, and ODB locked up for the next few years, the music scene is looking pretty grim. Let's not even get into the fact that that DMX imitatin’, ferret-faced Ja Rule dude is stankin’ up my television with 10,000 songs where he says, “Bay-bay!” while some R&B hootchie sings a bunch of sappy love crap. Thankfully, the King of Pop came to my rescue with his new single, “You Rock My World." | know Michael's a stone cold freak that looks like a Fisher-Price My First Plastic Surgery Kit disaster, but that little pixie can still SING, damn it! Plus, Chris Tucker is on the intro and he's funny. Invincible!

JAY, THE GONZO GAMER

jay@gameinformer.com

Being rich is going to be the best! I'm so glad | thought of buying a Powerball ticket. Now I'll finally be able to fulfill all my dreams with the millions of dollars that will be mine. I'll invest in some major AV equipment, and buy my way onto the next NASA launch. Then I'll project a game of Space Invaders onto the moon, and freak out the hemisphere! Once the panicked masses have vacated lowa, I'll take over the state and put up a five-foot razor wire fence around the border. Expect to pay premium prices for sweet corn in the future, suckers.

KRISTIAN, THE GAME DAWG kristianegameinformer.com

Oh, God. It's time to be creative. Hmm...Don't you hate it when you have to take out the garbage? Yeah, that didn't work too well. How about this: I’m starting a new religion! It's called — damn, that sucks too. What do you people want to hear about? My pathetic little life? Here's something that happened to me last night. | watched a Chris Rock movie and thought it was mediocre. Pow! Oh, here's something interesting. I'll be filthy rich soon because | intend on winning the $280 million lottery jackpot this Saturday. If you write in now, I'll give you $10 and a slap in the face when I win. Who said reading a gam- ing magazine wasn't profitable!

JUSTIN, THE DIGITAL DEVIANT justin@gameinformer.com

This new office setting has spurned a battle for power the likes of which have never been seen before, save for the Masawa/Kawada matches in All Japan. Andy ran screaming to parts unknown. Reiner has a God complex. Jay and Kristian are trying to buy everyone's loy- alty with ludicrous tales of Powerball riches. Kato claims to have the Vikes in his back pocket, and Matt's threatening to call in the VWP (Very White Posse) to regulate up in here. Me? I'll just give a Tiger Driver '91 to any fool who steps into my three-square-foot comfort zone. | set an example by release German suplexing Kristian through a temporary wall. Checkmate, you scrawny Servbots.

KATO, THE GAME KATANA kato@gameinformer.com

| gotta tell ya — don't believe the hype. People are complaining about how crowded our temporary office is till our real digs are complete, but I've never had it this good, At the web site, Justin and | were stuck alone in a room, ignored, and then shut down. | now revel in the constant closeness that only a three-and-a-half foot desk can provide. In fact, at the mag's old building, Matt's desk and mine were closer than they are now. Before coming here, | made him promise me he'd never change, but he has. Now he openly cavorts with that floozy Reiner — but it'll never last. Anyway, the good times will end once our mammoth 10-foot by 10-foot space is complete.

PlayStation.e

“RETURN OF THE ORIGINAL GANGSTERS”

- GAME INFORMER

“FRANKLY THERE AREN’T ANY OTHER TITLES LIKE IT OUT THERE. EVEN IF THERE WERE, | HAVE A FEELING THAT THEY COULDN’T EVEN BEGIN TO COMPETE”

= PSM

“GRAND THEFT AUTO 3 WILL DEFINITELY BE ONE OF THE PLAYSTATION 2'5 MUST HAVE GAMES OF THIS YEAR”

- PSE2

“ONE OF THE MOST EXPLOSIVE TITLES EVER TO GRACE A HOME CONSOLE”

— GAME INFORMER

“GRAND THEFT AUTO 3 HAS ALL THE MAKINGS OF

APS2 BLOCKBUSTER TITLE”

- GAME INFORMER

“GRAND THEFT AUTO 3 WILL BECOME ONE OF — —— THE MOST IMPORTANT GAMES OF THE YEAR”

- IGN.com

“THIS GAME IS GOING TO МАКЕ AN IMPACT” - PSM

COMING FALL 2001 WWW.-ROCKSTARGAMES.COM/GRANDTHEFTAUTOS

gistered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. tive Digital Software Association. DMA design and the.

“PlayStation” and the "PS" Family logo are RATING PENDING The ratings icon is a trademark of the Inter

о Interactive Software Inc. Rockstar Games and the

Two Interactive Software, Inc. © 2001. All rights reserved.

Visit wwwesrborg | пока Sana ia капетана ot Tae ines oF rated games i the marketing of is game. Tone

Note: Rockstar will be following IDSA guia or call 1-800-771-3772 | Game contains violent language and behavior and may not bé appropriate for persons Undo tne age of f : 47. is a comic interpretation of gangster activity and the story, names and incidents portrayed herein for more info. аге fictitious. No identification or similarity to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events is intended or should be inferred. Any resemblance is coincidental. The makers and publishers of this videogame do not in any way endorse, condone or encourage this Kind of behavior.

pe m Tes. є

CANDID PHOTOS FROM THE SEAMY UNDERBELLY OF THE VIDEO GAME INDUSTRY

1 In a recent poll, GI Spy readers were over- whelmingly in favor of more pictures of Tom Ham. Who are we to argue? 2 Todd "The Video Cowboy" Mowatt shows Justin a thing or two about wrestling by putting the erstwhile Helmut Von Strauss in his dreaded Cuddleplex finisher З Alexis Mervin, Heather TwistPhillips, and Tom Sarris from the LucasArts public relations posse smile pretty for the Gl Spy camera 4 Rockstar's Jeff Casterieda, another GI Spy favorite, gets in touch with his inner Viking at the GI offices 5. Legendary Dragon's Lair/Space Ace animator Don Bluth signs autographs at the Classic Gaming Expo 2001 in Las Vegas. Hey Don, when's the third All Dogs Go to Heaven coming out? 6 “We feel that flannel is going to be very hot this year." George Lucas introduces his new LucasWear fashion line at a worldwide press conference. 7 “Bring me a bottle of wine and two of your finest women," exclaims Electric Playground's Chris Hudak at an undisclosed location nearby the Skywalker Ranch 8 Capcom's David Siller and Val Kilmer lookalike Mark Rogers take a break from working on the company's upcoming hit Maximo to strike a pose for the Game Hombre

m -— жтт жш -— тт

12 different super-charged bikes packing 9 incredible racing circuits with Futuristic, interactive racing environments: gut-wrenching loops, twists, spirals & drops city, desert, arctic, ocean & canyon

serious firepower EVERYONE

@ Siue n i3 Mild Violence UNS EA PlayStations E A am eras GAMECUBE. ©

www.acclaim.com Extreme-G™3 and Acclaim® & © 2001 Acclaim Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Developed by Acclaim Studios Cheltenham. Ай Rights Reserved. "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. NINTENDO GAMECUBE AND THE NINTENDO GAMECUBE LOGO ARE TRADEMARKS OF NINTENDO. © 2001 NINTENDO. Screens shown were taken from the PlayStation®2 version of the video game.

In-game music by

THE 100TH ISSUE WAS GREAT! | have to give you guys props. Not only do you send out a great magazine every month, but last month your 100th issue was absolutely incredible. All of you went above and beyond the call of duty. | used to read about five gaming magazines, but now | only need to read one, because | found that Game Informer has taken the best of all other magazines and made it better. Thanks to everyone who has ever worked at GI, and keep up the good work! | look forward to the next 100 issues.

Darkhawk

Via email

Thanks, Darkhawk. We appreciate the positive feedback. We all worked very hard on issue 100, and we hope that it paid off. Everyone had high expectations, but we feel that the final product was a Game Informer for the ages. However, the best thing about the 100th issue is that it’s done, and we can now go back to our usual ritual of afternoon naps and twice-a-day foot mas- sages. Pass the bubbly!

THE TOP 100 GAMES OF ALL TIME

WAS CRAP!

Is whoever wrote the Top 100 Games of All Time list retarded or something? Or were they bought and paid for by Nintendo? Your picks for the 100 best absolutely suck. | wouldn't read your rag even if it were the only thing left on the newsstands. | hope your career in journalism comes to a halt very soon since you obviously have no credibility at all.

Yes, | know the fans picked the games, but many of them probably think Britney Spears is the best singer ever. Whoever thought of the idea of letting the readers pick the Top 100 should be fired.

Haruka Via email

Your Top 100 Games of All Time list reveals your quite obvious bias toward console games. Why is it that, of the top 20, only one (Doom) was originally a PC game? Where is Quake, the first game to feature multiplayer directly over the Internet? Where are the adventure games? Where is Diablo? And why in hell did you put X-Wing on there instead of TIE Fighter? You should have just had the "Top 100 Console Games of All Time" and not even bothered to make your atrocious PC picks.

Ben Taggart

Via email

People, people, why are we fighting? We knew going into the 100th Issue that creating a list of the best games of all time that everyone could agree with would be impos- sible. There are so many great games that have been released, and we could only include 100. Our initial list, which was based on our ballots, reader ballots, and input from professionals in the video game industry, included more than 500 games. All 500 of these games were phe- nomenal titles, but we had to whittle our list down to 100. This was not an easy job. None of the editors got every one of his pet picks on the list, but in the end, we

SPECIAL COLLECTOR'S ISSUE

NFORMER,

1599 GAMES @ POSTER FATORIG au 160 COVERS ө TIALS OF GARE кепен: GREATEST MITS SES

all felt that it was a list that represented the best of what video games can be.

For the record, none of us are “retarded.” We are not bought and paid for by Nintendo. While you might not agree, we picked what we felt were the best 100 games ever made, console or PC. X-Wing is better than TIE Fighter, Britney Spears IS the best singer ever, and our careers in journalism pretty much ended the day we started working at Game Informer. So there.

ONCE A MONTH IS

NOT ENOUGH

WHY?! Why does this magazine tor- ture me day in and day out? Every day | come home, run up the steps, and look to see if my GI has come in the mail. When it's not there, 1 either cry or take my anger out on my sister.

Either you should make this mag- azine weekly, or I'll be forced to send hate mail to Jay. Comply or else!

The Вой Word On Comer Video Gomes

Eric Goldschein Via email

Hold your horses, pardner! Believe it or not, it actually takes a serious effort to sort through all the games that come out in a single month and orga- nize them into a top-quality video game magazine. Basically, we don’t have the staff it would require to pub- lish a weekly magazine, and even if we did, we don’t really think there would be enough content (especially in the slow post-holiday months) to warrant it. Once a month is pretty standard in the industry, and, as we already lose an average of two weekends a month to slaving away in this hellhole we call an office, we’re just fine with things the way they are.

By the way, be nice to your sister! When you’re older, she'll be a great person to hit up for bail money. Trust us.

THE GREAT POND IN THE SKY My fish died. | am heartbroken. Please help me Chim Chim Spirtle Via email

There, there. Your fish is in a better place now. Your story was so touching that we all chipped in a bought you a new fish. We threw him in an envelope and mailed him third class, so look for him to arrive in the next three to five days. Hope this helps.

THE BALD AND THE BEAUTIFUL | was just wondering, why is everyone at GI bald? For one, we have Justin, although | think he might be bald by choice. Another is Andy, him constantly wearing that hat makes me wonder. Of course there is Matt - | won't make a comment. And finally Reiner, is he attempting to cover up something with that pink thingy on his noggin? | under- stand that meeting deadlines must be hectic, but is it worth pulling your hair out?

Christopher Vitale

Via email

* LET'S MAKE A Î , BREAK FOR IT! |

ЧЕТ

You've found us out! The Game Informer staff are actual- ly from a bioengineered race of superhumans created by the military in the seventies and eighties to ensure that that the US maintained its advantage over the Soviet Union in the world of video games. Being more evolved than average human beings; we don't have any superflu- ous body hair. Of course, to make ourselves more appeal- ing to the average consumer, our creators outfitted us with advanced hair weave systems to emulate real human hair. So what's up with Matt then? That's just to throw nosy readers off the scent! But you were too clever, you magnificent bastard!

HOT BOYZ 1 just received my copy of the 100th issue of Game Informer magazine. | was flipping through the pages when | noticed the five hottest girls in gaming history. Considering the fact that | am a girl gamer, | immediately searched for the five hottest guys in gaming history. | was extremely disappointed when | found out there wasn't even a mention of the five hottest guys. I'm sure | wasn't the only girl gamer that was disappointed. If possible, in one of your next issues will you please put the pictures of the five hottest guys in gaming history in a section of your magazine?

Megan Laughman

Hanover Pa

Oops. Being that we're all red-blooded American males, it looks like our hormones got the better of us. We were

Send your comments to Game Informer. Snail Mail: Game Informer Magazine • Attn: Dear GI • 724 First St. N., 4th Floor * Minneapolis, MN 55401 Email: deargi@gameinformer.com

20 GAMEINFORMER

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so busy arguing about video games’ hottest women that we plum forgot to do a list of guys. Sorry. To make up for this oversight, we’ve decided to run a Seven Hottest Men in Video Games pictorial this month. It’s on page 78. Enjoy!

What does it takes to make a video game? Johnny L Westbrook Via email

You see, Johnny, when two game systems love each other very, very much, they decide to get married. Once they’re married, they begin to show their love for each other, and their love grows and grows. When this love gets sooo big, a little baby video game is created. If you have any more questions, you should ask your parents or a teacher.

| love your magazine, but it has a lot of flaws. You claim that Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 was the only game that received a perfect 10 score, but this isn't true. In Issue 43, in the article discussing the mascot wars, you list all of the Mario and Sonic games. The Super Mario Bros. (NES) game got a perfect ten. How can you guys manage such a great magazine and not use your resources to remember old £ame scores?

Robert Hubbs

Although we applaud your observant eye for Game Informer minutia, we must clarify our position. The arti- cle you saw was in the Classic Gl section of the maga- zine, comparing the Sonic and Mario franchises. We did list Super Mario Bros. as a 10 in that article, but it was- n't a proper review, just a brief overview. Since the game was released in 1985, some six years before Game Informer came into existence, it never received a review when it came out. Thus, it is not recorded in our Ultimate Review Archive.

Other readers have written telling us that Super Mario 64 also received a perfect 10, but this is also a misconception. Paul did score the game a 10, but in those days, a game's final rating was based on the aver- age of three reviewers' scores. The other two scores brought Mario 64's score down to a very respectable 9.75, and that is the game's Bottom Line. Hope this helps clear things up.

22 GAME INFORMER

ENVELOPE ART

OCTOBER WINNER!

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Carrie Correa

It’s good to see that kids today still dig Orko from the old He-Man cartoons.

Clinton Mathews

[ j i lighting farts. lan Yost This magic spell comes in handy for lighting farts.