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It's pure speed by any measure. Slip into а Kinetic Suit and feel the intense competition in your fingertips. Scale walls. Cling to ceilings.

Pull off ground and aerial stunts on 12 futuristic tracks. Man and machine are united. Fasten your garter belt. www.scea.com

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CONTENT AATED BY

Mild Violence

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A SHADOWY FIGURE NAMED DANTE FINDS CLUES THAT THE DEVIL WILL RISE UP AGAI. SOMEWHERE BETWEEN A MAN AND A DEMON LIES OUR ONLY HOPE FOR SALVATION.

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This is no place for subtlety. This is no place for pity. This is а place where aliens want to turn

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weapons and vehicles are both human and alien. This is a place for carnage. This is HALO™

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GAME INDEX

GAME PAGE # 4x4 Evolution 2 21

Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies у Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare. ‘Amped: Freestyle Snowboarding Arctic Thunder .. Azurik: Rise of Perathia . BASS Strike .... 1 Batman: Vengeance 4

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Blood Wake. 3 Bomberman Online TABLE OF CONTENTS Breath of Fire 4

Buffy the Vampire Slay

Burnout

Casper: Spirit Dimensions.

Cel Damage.

Crazy Taxi

Dave] Миа Freestyle. BMX 2

Dead or Alive 3

Dead to Rights . .

Deus Ex; The Conspiracy

Dino Crisis

Donkey Kong Racing 4

Dragon Warrior Monsters 2.

Dragon Warrior VII. .

Drakanll .

Duke Nukem F

ESPN Winter X бате Snowboarding 2002 .

Extreme G3 ..

Formula One 2001.

Fortress .....

Froggers Adventure: Temple of the Frog .

Fuzion Frenzy.

Gun Valkyrie

Halo

Hunter: The Reckoning

Independence War 2: The Edge of Chaos

Jet Set Radio Future . Jurassic Park И: Island Attack

Kameo: Elements of Power

Kinetica ..

Legend of Zelda,

Loons: The Fight for Fame .

Luigi's Mansion

Mad Dash Racing

Madden NFL 2002 .

Mario Sunshine .

Max Payne .

Medal of Honor Frontline

Metroid Рите...

Monster Rancher 3.

Monsters, Inc .

Murakumo .

MX 2002 featuring Ricky Charmichael

NASCAR Thunder 2002 .

NBA Live 2002 .....

МВА ShootOut 200:

NFL2K2...

NFL Fever 2002 .

NFL QB Club 2002 .

NHL 2002 (PS?) .

FEATURE FEATURE NEL 2002 (бо THE GAMES THE GAMES | : ОЕ ХВОХ ОЕ САМЕСИВЕ т и

СОУЕК 5ТОКҮ 42 ТНЕ ВІС SHOWDOWN

We have at last embarked upon the next great Console battle. Hundreds of millions of dollars are

hanging in the balance as Microsoft's Xbox and Nintendo's GameCube ме for their place іп history. You've heard all the hype, now find out the truth as we put both of these systems under the microscope and give you the inside scoop on

what we've found.

We've taken the Xbox's life force – its games - and Are you wondering what the best and brightest are for

compiled a detailed breakdown of each title you should Nintendo's new baby? We've saved you the trouble of ве БЕ

look out for. There are things you'll want to see before you all that frustrating research by including every game you Қысып :

open your wallet, and we have an eyeful for you. Buckle up! should take a second look at in one action-packed Ден segment. Оһ, how we spoil you. Sheep Reider .

Simpsons Road Rage, The. SOCOM: US Navy Seals . Sonic Adventure 2

Soul Calibur 2

Spy Hunter .

SSX Tricky .

Star Fox Adve

Star Wars: Rogue Leader . Super Monkey Ball

Super Smash Bros. Melee Test Drive .

Test Drive Off-Road: Wide Open Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2X... Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3. Twisted Metal: Small Brawl Unreal Championship . Victorious Boxers: Ippo's Road to Glory . Wario Land 4 .

Wave Race: Blue Storm World of Warcraft.

Wrath .

Wreckle:

WWF Raw

10 GAME INFORMER

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WE KNOW HITZ.

Heads Up. The first adrenaline-style hockey game is here. Only NHU 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.

PlayStation-2

EDITORS' FORUM Some of us sound off on the upcom- ing console conflict, some of us have temper tantrums, and others explore the dark and seedy world of Jared — the bane of any television viewer's existence.

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

DEAR GI Some (Jay) call this edition of Dear 6! the best ever compiled. Could that possibly be true? Have we done the impossible and crammed more infor- mation and entertainment into this space than ever before? You be the judge.

NEWS The tragic events of September 11 have affected everyone. Find out how the video game industry is adapting to the aftermath, and what that means to the average gamer. Also, we give you the whole story on the Xbox launch date and the Sega Sports Summit.

PREVIEWS Perm, cut, perm-cut-cut! Cut-perm- brush, perm-cut-curl! PaRappa the

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Rapper 2 is in the wind, and we just can't get it out of our heads! Maybe reading about World of Warcraft and Burnout will help you think about

REVIEWS You'd better bag and board because held within this month's review section are some of our first opinions for games on Xbox (Halo!) and GameCube (Luigi's Mansion!). Plus, we've got a sa-weet little game called NHL 2002 to tell you about. Are you in?

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 We give you a breakdown on Monster Rancher 3 the likes of which even a seasoned Rancher veteran would drool over. If we told you any more we'd probably be arrested.

SECRET ACCESS

You know you want to find out what the GI Droid is up to. As you peruse the pages of Secret Access and look for him, you can get some really awe- some codes along the way. But only because you're a cheater and need codes to beat games. Not that we're any different.

CLASSIC GI In our day we didn't have these PS2 machines, or GameCube deals. We had the Atari 2600 and the Intellivision and we liked it! You talk about a console war, now THAT was a console war extra- ordinaire, doggumit! Come on down and let us tell you all about it.

ETC & There’s always room т” for more stuff. If 7" you don't have stuff, you're definitely not cool. Everyone has stuff, and wants more of it. If you find yourself witi stuff, but you want some, here's a great place to start looking. Get some!

114

Somethings creepy іп the cube. Armed with a flashlight and a vacuum, you've got one night to find Mario. But first you've got to find your spine. Luigis Mansion,” only for Nintendo GameCube

EVERYONE.

2001 Nintendo. ™, ® and the Nintendo GameCube logo are trademarks 2 2001 Nintendo. Game and Nintendo y. Wwww.nintendogamecube.com

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NOVEMBER 2001 Volume XI е Number 11 • Issue 103

PUBLISHER Cathy Preston

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

SHOCKING!” Andrew McNamara г DISTURBING! | oy A EDITORS Senior Associate Editor Andrew Reiner AMES THE Associate Editors Jay Fitzloff « Matt Helgeson * Kristian Brogger

WORLD FORGOT Justin Leeper • Matthew Kato

Uncovers Some Of Gaming's |‏ ر Greatest Hidden Gems | Copy Editor Jon Storm‏

NJO- TOOIE Mascot Arthur ТКАТЕС

12 Pages то TRATE With PRODUCTION Art Director Thomas Blustin Production Director Curtis Fung

TAL GEAR soni Л . | Production Assistant Rachel Gilles ; |

$0 Қ OF LIBERTY | ADVERTISING Тш DEON, НАЯбС Э 2 ||| Rob Borm • (612) 338-2183 • Fax (612) 338-2393 ВЕШЕМАВЕЕ 1 | > email: robegameinformer.com m : 724 North First St., 4th Floor е Minneapolis, MN 55401 CON IPLETE YOUR COLLECTION авейдпон 1 4 Ne CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT

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Feb ағы аға OFeb Об ОР Fed Feb ШИС Spring | 724 North First St., 4th Floor е Minneapolis, MN 55401 • Attn: CIS Dept

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Мау О Мау ОМау ОМау OMay ОМау О Мау ОМау O sepoct СЛОЕ 9 шыл йл Ол Qn Ода ОНО сш OO ү І SUNRISE PUBLICATIONS, INC

Ju аш ам ам аш аш ом ом аға І President John Woodson a um QAug ОА ОА OAug ОА ОАд ОА Owner | | || Са Sep Обер Sep О Sep О бер || | Manufactured and printed іп the United States of An

саоа ао Ооа ACct ПОП 90а Oct — Омомрес Й тһе Editor welcomes company product information for all video games. Such materials should issed to: Editor, Game Informer& Magazine, || И Мом Му MS m I | 724 North 1st St, 4th Floor, Minneapolis, MN 55401. Unsolicited manuscript be returned or acknowledged. | | Entire contents copyright 2001. Game Informer Miis M es qure кене in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

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STORM)

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Strap yourself into the cockpit, grab the controls, and let the g-forces warp your world! AirForce Delta Storm, the first and only flight

combat game engineered Гог Xbox, is about to launch you into the action! Choose from over 70 battle-ready, high-tech aircraft and 50+ furious, high-speed missions — then get ready to unleash extreme attitude at every altitude!

VIOLENCE

www.konami.com ®

AirForce Delta Storm™ is a trademark of KONAMI CORPORATION. ©1999 2001 KONAMI. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. KONAMI® is a registered trademark of KONAMI CORPORATION. All rights reserved. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. Xbox and Xbox logos are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or in other countries.

LONG LIVE VIDEO GAMES

This letter from the editor is perhaps the hardest | have ever had to write, as at the time I write this we are still lost in the wake | the New York tragedy. | know | speak for the entire staff when Is send our best wishes to all during these trying times, but the fact of the matter is we have to move on. For us (and our readers), this means getting back to the business of video games no matter how hard that might be.

The video game industry heralds the arrival of two new consoles this month as we move into the big holiday season. This is great news for gamers everywhere, and we're going to see a deluge of great new product and gaming experiences to enjoy. It's also bad news for many, since there isn't

a budget big enough to cover it all. From hot new releases on PS2 and PC, to the new hardware platforms GameCube and Xbox, there is so much stellar gaming going on that about the only way you can enjoy it all is to work at a video game magazine (and that job, my friends, is already taken).

Understanding your current ordeal, this month we have put together all the ammo you will need to make your oh-so-important video game buying decisions over the coming months. Whether you plan to buy an Xbox or GameCube, or just stick to your PS2 time to read up on all the latest developments on all

Be well my friends, and jy McNamara enjoy the issue. Ear

or PC, you'll want to take the a fronts. andy@gameinformer.com

09/07/01:

Camera 1: Reiner puts himself $389,763.21 in debt day-trading. Camera 2: Kato downloads pictures and continues his futile email correspondence with

18 GAMEINFORMER

Danni Ashe. Cameras 3 & 4: Jay and Justin disagree over who gets the last bag of Doritos. Camera 5: Kristian catches up on his sleep. Camera 6: Май logs on to Napster and downloads 450 gigabytes of MP3 music by his favorite band, Saliva. Since Napster is no longer free, he charges it to the company.

REINER, THE RAGING GAMER reineregameinformer.com

If my math is correct, you'll need approximately $1,000 to snag all the new games and systems launching this holiday season. If you can't swing this, and can only pick up one console, the PlayStation 2 is the smart investment. Certainly, I'm impressed with the GameCube and Xbox, but their software libraries don't hold a candle to Sony's this early on. If you already own a PS2, the Xbox's launch lineup is impressive, but you have to consider longevity. Nintendo holds the exclusive rights to the Resident Evil series, and its first-party software simply crushes Microsoft's. If | had to choose just one, the GameCube, although somewhat blasé right now, will deliver the most hits.

MATT, THE ORIGINAL GAMER P | matte gameinformer.com.

It's been sort of strange ‘going through the "m of writing а video вате magazine with all the tragic events unfolding i in the last few - weeks. | guess | just can't get myself worked into a lather about $ crappy 300 games when thousands of people are either dead or _ D я unaccounted for. But, crushing ants with hammers is what | get paid

to do, so rest assured that | shall carry on іп my relentless quest to

nitpick the dark forces in the video game industry into oblivion. In any

case, | hope all your loved ones are safe and sound, and that this

issue finds you well. Over and ош. P.S. Slayer rules!

JAY, THE GONZO GAMER jay@gameinformer.com

Ав November draws near, the ever-increasing question on the email servers has been, 'Which system is the best?' Well, after taking the time to go elbow-deep into the current crop of Xbox, PlayStation 2, and GameCube software, | can honestly say that | have no idea. To tell the truth, | have even less idea of what the answer to that perennial question is than when all these consoles were first announced. They're all great. Luckily, you're all rich like me and can afford to buy them all. Aw heck, why not buy two in case one breaks? Now if you'll excuse me, | have to have my limo driver go pick up some new platinum bars to replace the old ones I've tired of.

KRISTIAN, THE GAME DAWG kristianegameinformer.com | had an experience today І haven't been through since ту childhood. days: | had an honestto-goodness tantrum while playing a game. It | was Bomberman Online, for those of you who are just dying to know what brought it on. | kept getting bombed in this danged water level and before | knew it | had virtually put my fist through my desk, thereby awakening Jay from his daily nap. In light of this, | am hereby banning myself from all further Bomberman games, as it seems my fragile ego can't take three cel-shaded fish-like things getting the best of me. And now my friends, I'm off to drive in rush-hour traffic.

JUSTIN, THE DIGITAL DEVIANT justinegameinformer.com

| get major heat from the rest of the editorial monkeys for my appreciation of Henry Rollins. As you already know from reading this fine publication, they don't know what they're talking about. After being a fan of his music (Black Flag included), books, and spoken word for over a decade, | finally got to see him live. The new album's material was rockin’, and the whole show was intense and incredible, especially from the point of view of the blue-haired guy front and center, going off to every single song. Thanks for your 40 years of service, Hank. And readers, have your pets spayed or neutered. Animals are far too cool to rot in cells their whole lives.

KATO, THE GAME KATANA kato@gameinformer.com A source has told me that Subway's diet poster-boy Jared is about to crack. Despite losing 245 pounds and | becoming an overnight _ celebrity, the pressure of stardom and keeping up appearances are starting to wear on the man. It's all he can do not to choke himself with donuts as soon as the camera is off. Do you know what. happened to the boy who got everything he ever wanted? He was found in the street with pastry crumbs on his face and wearing only ‘one shoe. In more happy news, | can say that Xbox is pleasantly surprising, while Nintendo's signing of Resident Evil has me bouncing - off the walls. Got a sibling? Why not cash in one of their kidneys and | just buy both systems?

11.08.01

MICROSOFT.COM/GAMES/ODDWORLD

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ADRIAN!!!

| was wondering if there was ever a Rocky game. When | say Rocky, | don't mean Rocky Horror Picture Show or Rocky and Bullwinkle, | mean Rocky Balboa. You know, from Rocky, Rocky Il,

NON.

Rocky III... D12NJD Via hotmail.com Rocky – АП right, already! We know what Rocky mes you're talking about. Geez! Yes, there mE System

have been Rocky video games. Rocky Super Action Boxing was released for ColecoVision in 1983, and Rocky for the Sega Master System came out in 1987. Neither was the most exciting boxing title in the world. Perhaps the new Rocky game that Rage Software is working on for PlayStation 2 and Xbox will do justice to the Italian Stallion. Nothing would make us happier than giv- ing a next-gen black eye to that snotty commie, Drago. Not Drago the Dragon from that one Spider-Man follow- along record book or the Drago restaurant in St Petersburg, Russia. We mean lvan Drago, played by Dolph Lundgren...

NEVER FORGET THE GREATS | hate what Microsoft and Sony are doing to video games. They're making people forget about Nintendo, one of the staples of the industry. From Game Boy to GameCube, Nintendo has proven that it's capable of making some amazing video £ames. Nintendo has been in the business for 20 years. Sony hasn't even been in it for ten years yet, and Microsoft has no console making history whatsoever. I'm already upset with Sony for putting Sega out of busi- ness, but if it shuts out Nintendo from consoles I'll be really pissed. I've been playing Nintendo systems my whole life, and | don't want to see all of its hard work wasted by two software giants. lan Malloch Via hotmail.com

Let us pose a question to you, lan. If Nintendo could make the world forget about Microsoft and Sony, would it? The answer, in case you didn't know, is

an overwhelming yes. If you don't An believe us, you need look no farther E ў back than 1986 when Nintendo E released the NES nationally, and gave its all to bury every comeback attempt by Atari (although admitted- ly, Atari did a fine job of burying itself). Competition is a part of busi- ness, and we're sure Nintendo, as well as Microsoft and Sony, can han- die themselves just fine. And speak- ing of Atari...

IRONY

| just want to say that PlayStation is way overrated. Sure, it may have thousands of games, but if you really look at them, you'll see that little time and effort are spent on them.

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Anyway, | recently purchased an Atari Jaguar. If you could insert an article on it into an upcoming issue of GI, | would

Foo Super really appreciate it.

Action Boxing —

ColecoVision Р5-Х Hater

Via yahoo.com

When there's a system that's popular with third-party publish- ers, the quality of games will invariably range from horrid to hallowed. Usually, though, there will be just as many fantastic titles as there are stinkers. Every console manufacturer seeks out- side software publishers to help beef up its library of games. How bad can a console with no third-party sup- port be? Have fun finding out with that Jaguar, buddy!

TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES

| love your magazine, and | hope you can

answer my questions. 1.1 already have a DSL for my computer, so will | be able to just plug my line into the PlayStation 2 when the network adapter comes out?

2. The disc tray on my PS2 doesn't always close all the way. It touches the machine, but comes out again a second later. | can make it stay by pushing it a little to make it lock into the machine. Is there any way to fix this, or can | only be careful and not make it worse? Thanks!

Rocky – PS2/Xbox

Eric Stewart Whoha, USA

We love you, so we'll answer your questions.

1. Yes, you will be able to plug the same DSL line that's in the back of your computer into your Xbox (which comes broadband ready) or the appropriate adapters for PlayStation 2 and GameCube. Of course, getting online for the first time takes more than just plugging a phone line into your console and firing it up. There's confusing config- urations aplenty to be made, and the winner in this upcom- ing online console battle may be the company that makes getting started the simplest for its users.

2. To allow for faster disc access speed, PlayStation 2 uses a sliding tray as opposed to the top-loading model of its predecessor. As you've discovered, Eric, the downfall of this design is that it's more prone to malfunctions. To find out if there's a way to remedy your problem without having to open up your PS2, we called Gamestop's refurbishment headquarters in Texas. The very experienced people we spoke with recommended you shut your PS2 off with the disc drawer open. Then, very gently pull the tray forward. You may hear some clicking from internal gears jumping. This should reset the drawer's position, allowing it to close without assis- tance. If this method doesn't work, then the problem is likely something more than a layman can fix, and it's time to bring your PS2 into a profes- sional.

VLL NEVER LEAVE YOU!

STEAL THIS IDEA The people who made RPG Maker

should do a title where you make whatever kind of game you want with whatever kind of look you want. When you're done, you put your own logo at the bottom of the screen so you can say, "This is my game!" You don't save your game on а memory card, it's saved on a disc, and you get to make your own CD cover! What do ya think?

Passing4insane

Via aol.com

We think your idea's already been taken. It's called work- ing for a software company. However, there's some key gameplay elements you've overlooked, such as meeting insane deadlines set by your publisher, continuously work- ing overtime designing graphic tools for new consoles every few years, and waiting forever to collect royalty checks. Fun, huh?

WONDERSWAN A LAME DUCK? Whatever happened to the WonderSwan Color? | thought it was going to release in the US. Orioles809 Via aol.com

Although this affordable hand- held gives Game Boy Advance a healthy run for its money in Japan, a Bandai spokesperson to whom we posed your question told us, "There are no plans to bring the WonderSwan Color to the US."

The most likely reason for this is Nintendo's strangle- hold on the handheld market in the US. SNK's Neo Geo Pocket Color survived but a year in this tough-to-enter arena, giving Bandai plenty of reason for reservation. So if you're amongst the many Americans that have been just jonesin' to play Space Battleship Yamato, you'll have to import the WonderSwan Color from Japan.

WINNING NOT FUN | heard that back in the day trying to win contests was fun. Your contests always suck. All you have people do is mail in a letter or drop an email. How hard is that? | think you should try to be a little more creative with all of your contests. №. Combs Stickinthemud, GA

When contests started becoming a regular part of 61 News, we felt it was unfair to eliminate people based on our subjective tastes. We want everyone to get a shot at this swag, so that's why we create an even playing field where anyone can win.

Besides, there's plenty of other places in the mag where those with a creative slant can show their stuff. Envelope Art, Reader Top 5, Greatest Game of All Time, and R&D are all assembled from our readership, and we highly encourage people to send or email us submissions for these sections. Jay often ships out some pretty sweet prize packages - always including a couple games - to those who get in the magazine in his continuing quest to clear off his desk.

If it makes you feel any better, Mr. Combs, we'll make sure you never win any of our uncreative contests. Better odds for everyone else!

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

22 GAMEINFORMER

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е game that's ite years. And the азе)...5, ‚244. course, this oniy. unts finished, Ш Шер age, games. If we. were to include all the’ шип} ished, early veísions.of games that we've: > saved, the number would be upwards of 10,000! 1; Are you wack for ‘having less than 1% the amount of games we һауе? Nah. Having to pack up and move three tons of discs and cartridges in two days - now that's wack.

WHAT'S OLD IS NEW AGAIN Final Fantasy Chronicles was a great idea. The thought of owning two fantastic classics in one package was unbeliev- able to me. In any event, | was just thinking how great it would be if they came out with something called Legends ; of Zelda for the GameCube. Hopefully this would include at least the two, greatest classics of the series: The: Legend of Zelda and. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. | was wondering if you guys might have heard of Nintendo doing anything like this.

; Richard Evans "a * “Close the doors! Slimer fated!

Rob Garvey А ESE у New: York

It seems a lot of publishers’ are. ‘ia rerelease fever, iê т lately, doesn't it? As'long аз Пе. games that rise; to the . surface again are great ones, though, we're alí fot iti. Nintendo hasn't given any official word on a collection , like you describe, but we're'suré you'll be Seeing. some classic Zeldas reappear in the next few years, However, such a game's destination would more. likely, be Game, Boy Advance. Of course, were you also’ обила; Қ GameCube, you'd be able to plug your GBA’ Еда со! i troller port and play this theoretical Zelda оп | youl, чаем l^ sion. We, like you, can't wait. . A ^" W^

Enter the Game. former Envelope i ее. „All you. need to do is draw, paint, scratch, spit, 5 ‘or carve the best darn envelope art you can think of and send ко us. Please’ ‘include your пате; phone number, and return address on the back of the erivelope: If you're the monthly winner, we'll feature your work in GI and you'll receive a video game prize from the Game

i Ecl Informer vault. SECRETS REVEALED! 2 2 ас | heard PlayStation 3 is alread SRS fem to eard PlayStation 3 is already | A Game Informer • Envelope Art Contest 4 724 North dst St., 4th Floor е Mpls, MN 55401

being made. Is there any truth to this rumor?

Havocil9er Traci Habenicht Via aol.com Pac-Man in pursuit of Stinky, Pooey, Eggy, Рагу, and Sulphura.

Kind of. No company concen- trates solely on the present. To be successful as a business, you must make plans that reach ahead many years. In Sony Computer Entertainment's case, this means thinking about the PlayStation 3. By the same token, Microsoft is probably already roughing out ideas for Xbox 2, and Nintendo certainly has the successor to GameCube on the drawing board. Understand, though, that everything regarding these future consoles are no more than rough ideas on paper. It will be years before concrete information and official details start trickling out.

22222 Death to the palm trees! Kugeebow Via aol.com Unknown Felin M. Almonte David Hovey As residents of the midwest, we have only one response The Disposable Assassin? More like “<Sniff> <Sniff> Have | stumbled “1 choose you, Fartachu...to die!!!” to that. What the hell are palm trees? The Silent But Deadly Assassin! ЖЕ Xm methane laboratory?”

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BY GAMERS. FOR GAMERS

Violence фе ES HE Giants: Citizen Kabuto: Copyright 2001 by Planet Moon Studios. All Rights Reserved. Planet Moon and the Planet Moon logo are trademarks of Planet Moon Studios. Giants, Giants: Citizen Kabuto, Interplay, the Interplay logo, "By Gamers. For Gamers. ", Digital Mayhem and the Digital Mayhem logo are trademarks of Interplay Entertainment Corp. All Rights Reserved. "PlayStation" and the “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Exclusively licensed and distributed by Interplay Entertainment Corp.

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SEPTEMBER 11 DISASTER

EFFECTS INDUSTRY

The shocking events of September 11 have changed this country forever. Apart from the sorrow we feel for loved ones and as Americans, the day- to-day landscape has been altered. In the short term, it has meant a downturn for the stock mar- ket, a need for a $15 billion bailout of the entire airline industry, and massive employment layoffs. In the long term, it will certainly mean a change in the world's political climate, and could even result in a reduction of our civil liberties. Every sector of our lives has been touched in some way, and the ripples of this terrorism have reverberated as far as the video game industry itself.

In the days immediately following the attacks on New York City and Washington DC, there was a variety of reactions by game developers and producers. At the most fundamental level, the release of several games was halted, due simply to the fact that they were initially scheduled to come out during the Federal Aviation Administration's closure of all airports following the attacks.

Games that were already in the stores were affected as well. Almost across the board, retailers began pulling Electronic Arts' PC title Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2, whose cover coincidentally depicted the World Trade Center (WTC) exploding. Soon after C&C: RA2 was taken off the shelves, EA recalled all the store copies and prepared an undis- closed alternate cover to be sent in their stead. Microsoft went even further in its response to the controversy surrounding its Flight Simulator 2000. After it was learned that the hijackers had some computer- simulated flight training (although it has never been proven that this involved Microsoft's product), and that the title allowed you to fly a Boeing 767 into the Twin

Red Alert 2

from stores all over the world. The company then held back the October release of Flight Simulator 2002 in order to remove the buildings. Still, Microsoft spokesperson Matt Pilla said that the series would remain fundamen- tally unchanged in the future. "Flight Simulator was

28 GAMEINFORMER

Command & Conquer:

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2000

designed to be a realistic program that is helpful to pilots and to aviation enthusiasts, and we want it to be realistic."

Game Informer contacted several different local retailers and found a variety of responses to the situation. Although most of them did remove the above games, the stance from the headquarters of retail chains such as Best Buy, Wal-Mart, and Target was cautious but not one of overreaction. Best Buy's policy echoed that of others. "At this point we're just cooperating with the different ven- dors," said spokesperson Anna Beadle. "If we get any other sorts of complaints or issues brought to our attention, then we'll review them as neces- sary." In fact, at the store level, there was often manager- ial discretion. We did find stores that were continuing to sell both C&C:RA2 and Flight Simulator 2000, as well as oth- ers that some stores had removed, such as PlayStation 2's helicopter rescue game City Crisis.

Out of respect, several publishers and developers began changing to-be-released games, whether they actually depicted the towers, or were thought to be potentially disturbing. Konami's PS2 title Metal Gear Solid 2 was rumored to be in danger of being held back from the States despite its theme of peace, but was then changed to just remove the WTC. Similar cosmetic alterations had to be performed on Xbox's Project Gotham Racing, Р5-Х'ѕ Spider- Man 2 Enter: Electro from Activision, and Rockstar

Auto and Smuggler's Run 2 (now shipping at the end of October). Some, such as the Sony PS-X sequel Syphon