THESECRETS OF SUPER S PREMIERES aor XL j META. = لايل‎ ASE | ji | ۰ ЕРОК'ХВОХ, шша i. 2*5 tW f с > PlayStation 4 ° usted Metal is a registered ademarican Tested Meta: inal Bi is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment America nc. © 2001 Sony Computer Entertainment America inc. PlayStation and the PlayStation logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Product shown above is not an actual product me ШЕЕ Www.$cea.com TEEN COMIC MISCHIEF VIOLENCE ESRB ; 0. ( аллиф АСА az Ae ZZ apd gc, à жеше. 27722 2 ordain, банной, tuthet do her di €, only do the poner of асосі (OM ele aM Z adventure lemarks of CAPCOM CO., LTD. GENMA ONIMUSHA is à trademark of CAPC( t. Xbox, and the Xbox Logos are either registered trademarks or tra ING. 2002. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. CAPCOM and the CAPCOM logo are regi: Is icon is a registered trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. Micros Blood and Gore Violence CAPCOM CO.. LTD. 2002 GCAPCOM U. Guest Creator: Takeshi Kaneshiro. The rati lfe, bends ap urgent серед by ОНЕ На о Йа, Jhe polte ЭУР f " 7 ¿ 2 f " 2 ) You ther, Ad the Beales Mien fp ave Age "Ie. Ince afk Келсо “IM / E n 5: А / Kias Д 2 пем, he action-packed gameplay of Lhe [ GL iru Q 2 К Blood and Gore Violence THERE IS A WORLD PARALLEL TO OURS, WHERE THERE HAS BEEN A BETTER TIME FOR THE EMERGENCE OF HEROES. ONES THAT ARE BRAVE... ONES THAT ARE COURAGEOUS. AND TO ANSWER THAT CALL AND TO CHALLENGE THE FORCES OF DARKNESS ARE TWO WARRIORS. WELL, MAYBE ONE WARRIOR. A NEW LEGACY I$ BORN EVERYONE .. WWW:JAKANDDAXTER.COM TRY “TO TOPPLE THE CORPORATION OR SIMEPLY CAUSE COMPLETE MAYHEM MATURE WATCH YOURSELF - DEATH SQUADS PROWL PREPARE TO FIGHT TONS OF PEOPLE AT THE STREETS LOOKING FOR TROUBLE ONE TIME, USING SPECIAL SKILLS AND BRUTE FORCE "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. State of Emergency game (c) 2001 VIS entertainment plc. State of Emergency and the State of Emergency logo are trademarks of VIS entertainment plc. Rockstar Games and the Rockstar Games logo are Blood and Gore Violence trademarks of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. Copyright 2001. All Rights Reserved. A SHADOWY CORPORATION HAS SEIZED CONTROL OF YOUR COUNTRY. THE PEOPLE HAVE TAKEN TO THE STREETS IN PROTEST. A STATE OF EMERGENCY HAS BEEN DECLARED AWARDED AS “THE TOP OVERALL GAME AT E3" “WE'RE THINKING ROCKSTAR'S STATE OF EMERGENCY MAY TAKE THE CLASSIC OLD SCHOOL BRAWLER “E3 SHOWSTOPPER” AWARD TO THE NEXT LEVEL OF INTENSITY.” "IT'S ORIGINAL, IT’S WILD, AND FROM WHAT WE'VE SEEN AND PLAYED, IT'S AS FUN AS THEY COME.” “GUILTIEST PLEASURE” AWARD AT ЕЗ PREPARE FOR CHAOS AS HUNDREDS OF PICK UP ITEMS OFF THE STREET AND DEEP SELECTION OF HAND-TO-HAND PEOPLE FILL THE SCREEN - EACH CITIZEN USE THEM TO FIGHT YOUR OPPRESSORS FIGHTING MOVES AND TONS OF SUPER- REACTS DIFFERENTLY TO EVENTS DESTRUCTIVE WEAPONS ARE AT YOUR DISPOSAL R. Playstation.? QUES A TABLE OF CONTENTS COVER STORY 38 TUROK: EVOLUTION You've been without your favorite dinosaur hunter for far too long. There will be twists and turns in the road ahead, but it's nothing you can't handle. Come with us as we give you the world premiere on this highly anticipated title. FEATURE FEATURE FEATURE 46 SOUND 52 DREAMCAST 58 THE ART OF MATTERS RESURRECTED MAKING A GAME The sound and music aspect of video games has Wait! Don't mothball your Dreamcast quite yet - the So you say you want to be a game developer, eh? Well come a long way from the tweets and buzzes of the old girl still has life left in her! Check out some take a look at what these intrepid souls at Naughty past. How far? You'll be amazed at the processes great games you might have missed, and let us Dog went through just so you could play Jak and and technology behind the waves that caress your remind you why you bought this resilient console in Daxter in a blissful state of semi-conscious oblivion. ears every time you turn on your system. the first place. 10 GAME INFORMER NINTENDO GAMECUBE. \ | > \ tg . dX E- TEEN e c ase “ J , Violence 2 t œ Ç CONTENT RATED BY k ESRB SMASHING DRIVE?" & © 2002 Gaelco S.A. All rights reserved. Licensed to Namco Hometek Inc. TM, > & the Nintendo GameCube logo are trademarks BNF or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries and are used under license from Microsoft. The ratings icon (БШШ ЕЕН ИНША ОНИН НЕШЕ аге Association. “/ E уь EDITOR'S FORUM Here's a little known fact: None of the editors actually exist. Every word you read in this magazine is actually the result of an intricate algorithm created by «Error number: 6127 System Reset» Come see how crazy these guys really are! Yahoo, it's fun-pants time!! GI SPY The Game Informer paparazzi stalk the video game industry, bringing you candid photos of all the action. DEAR GI We always knew our readers were horny, but we had no idea they'd be asking us these kind of questions! Plus, New York and Florida residents are mad, and it seems the cause behind our recent influx of cheap games has been discovered. NEWS Game Informer gets an exclusive first look at EA's new Lord of the Rings title in this month's GI News section. As if that isn't enough, Eidos springs a little Japanese love on us, and controversy surrounding video game violence continues to stir up debate. 12 GAMEINFORMER PREVIEWS Sometimes it's amazing that we can fit so many incredible games into one little sec- tion. We thought Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter would take up the entire section, but we were still able to fit in State of Emergency, Final Fantasy XI, Suikoden Ill, Freekstyle 2002 and a ton more. Seeing is believing, So you'd better get moving. REVIEWS Medal of Honor: Allied Assault is absolutely incredible. Then again, so is Super Smash Bros. Melee. There are a surprising amount of good games out right now — except for Azurik. That game really blows. We're sorry. 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 Gl editors’ Top 10 Games. PLAY TO PERFECTION Get your smash on with Super Smash Bros. Melee. We've got all the moves you need to tame this wild beast of a game. After reading this guide no one will stand a chance against you! SECRET ACCESS There are many games that are difficult to fully complete. To help you in your quest to be the greatest gamer ever, we've included codes to assist you. There's nothing better than beating a game without having to worry about those pesky enemies. CLASSIC GI Take a look at some peripher- als that taxed our patience and made our brains hurt. As an added » bonus, try out our Ё. awesome strategy guide for one of the best games ever released: Super Mario Bros. 3 ETC You want to be a nerd. Yes | уои do! Don't deny it. | Included in this month's ETC are all of the things you'll ever need to reach this vaunted and highly sought after title. 62 GAME INDEX GAME PAGE st Alienators: Evolution Continues . .100 All-Star Baseball 2002 . . American Bass Challenge . Azurik: Rise of Perathia . ЗА Batman: Vengeance ........... Blood Wake . . BloodRayne j Bloody Roar: Primal Fury ....... Circus Maximus: Chariot Wars .. .75 Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2 .... . Dokapon: Monster Hunter . . . Drakan: The Ancients’ Gates . . . . . В die oe ire ws EOE: Eve Of Extinction ......... EverQuest: Shadows of Luclin Extreme G3 F12001 ... FIFA Soccer 2002 ............. Final Fantasy XI . Freekstyle . . Ghost Recon Herdy Gerdy Hitman 2: Silent Assassin ....... Hoshigami: Ruining Blue Earth . . .94 Jade Cocoon 2 .. 1 Jonny Moseley Mad Trix . . King's Field: The Ancient City Legends of Wrestling .... Madden NFL 2002 . Max Payne (PS2) . Max Payne (Xbox) .. Medal of Honor: Frontline ... Medal of Honor: Allied Assault . . . . Mega Man X6................. Mobile Suit Gundam ZaoniC Front E. eum eoe Monster Rancher Advance Monsters, Inc. MotoGP 2 .. p Namco Museum .............4 NBA Inside Drive 2002 ......... New Legends ...... NFL GameDay 2002 . Й МНЕН@ ООО а NightCaster.................4 Parappa The Rapper 2 . n Planet of the Apes . . . x Rallisport Challenge ........... Resident Evil... .. esee d Return to Castle Wolfenstein . Rez Salt Lake 2002 Shaun Palmer's Pro Snowboarder .............. Silent Hill 2: Restless Dreams SSX Tricky (GameCube) . . SSX Tricky (Xbox) ....... Star Trek Voyager: Elite Force Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter . . Star Wars: Obi-Wan ... Star Wars: Racer Revenge State of Emergency ... Suikoden !........ Super Bust-A-Move ... Super Smash Bros. Melee to Glory . Wave Rally Wizardry: Tale of the Forsaken Land .............4 World Tour Soccer 2002 Pd WTA Tour Tennis .............. “The best crashes ever in a video game” - IGN The most spectacular real-time crashes. Ever. E xc. deed add x The more reckless you drive, the more power you score. H. -* s mn tt uy va Force your friends into oncoming vehicles. бегет Trai the ine n Drive like a madman through everyday traffic. J Ji YOU GOTTA RISK IT ALL TO WIN IT ALL | 4 WIN A RACING SCHOOL GIFT CERTIFICATE AT ACCLAIM.COM EX = Alaim e www.acclaim.com EVERYONE Е MILD VIOLENCE wi PlayStatione2 ‘CONTENT RATED BY ESRB RENEW YOUR SUBSCRIPTION NOW! Without a monthly fix of Game Informer, you start to get cold sweats, your hands start shaking, and you hallucinate that bugs are crawling under your skin. So why suffer? Be safe and check the address label on your current issue. It tells you how many issues you have left. B48 P24 fecere DIGIT 60156 LIL WILE Lb bbb bb lhl 1001 JOHN Q GAMER 123 MAIN STREET ANYTOWN US 12345-1234 ISSUE 10 OF 12 Don’t Delay! Send in the subscription card inside or, for faster sevice, order with credit card by calling (612) 486-6100 14 GAME INFORMER EINFORM FEBRUARY 2002 Volume XII • Number 2 • Issue 106 PUBLISHER Cathy Preston EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Andrew McNamara EDITORS Senior Associate Editor Andrew Reiner Associate Editors Matt Helgeson * Kristian Brogger Justin Leeper * Matthew Kato Copy Editor Jon Storm 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: rob@gameinformer.com 724 North First St., 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 North First St., 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 all video games. Such materials should be addressed to: Editor, Game Informer® Magazine, 724 North First St., 4th Floor, Minneapolis, MN 55401. Unsolicited manuscripts cannot be returned or acknowledged. Entire contents copyright 2001. Game Informer® Magazine. All 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 or violation of rights of privacy, resulting from the publication of the Advertiser's statement. © Member Audit Bureau of Circulations ? Yeah, well bust out Oh Vince, | did . the mittens, Buttercup. | just signed for so want to move 7 with Toronto. to Los Angeles. Your office is a 20,000 seat arena, your salary has a whole lot of zeros, and “Who stole my stapler?” is “Who's picking up Vince on D?” You wanted,real, you got real. Build an all-NBA team during the draft. Check your team's actual NBA playbook, andicall’those plays with real-time coaching. And details? You can count; the players’ cornrows. Have your secretary take a memo — this rules. insidedrive2002:com NIA ED TO ETTES One of the 599 ingredients the tobacco industry puts in cigarettes. So, what can you do about it? AMMONIA | ISADDEDTO CIGARETTES 4 ` AMMO NIA IS ADLED TO CIGAFETTES € 2001 truth infect-truth.com When Evil Rises From The Ashes, Hunters Rush In Where Angels Fear To Tread. An Astonishing 6 CDs! Four Complete Games! 100+ Hours of Gameplay! Special Collector's Packaging! c т i GNE for more e Que res 20 to "m a GAMES: MOVING FORWARD OR MOVING BACKWARD? Much like the movie business, the video game industry has grown and redefined itself over the years. From the dawn of gaming, games that relied on gameplay to define value, like Pac-Man, have been replaced with titles that, in part, rely on graphics and storytelling for their experience, like Metal Gear Solid. Many of the classic gamers out there would claim this change is for the worse (since many of the modern vids can be defeated and shelved in about 10 hours). However, | would just say that time and technology have enabled games to offer many different forms of entertainment. |, for one, am all about the new adventures and actually appreciate a game that can be beaten and enjoyed in an afternoon, but | do wonder if the ability to create a title that's fun for fun’s sake may be a lost art. Am | asking that we all throw our PlayStation 2s, Xboxes, and GameCubes out the window in some defiant statement to game manufacturers? Most definitely not, but | would like to see game developers, reviewers, and MINNESOTA д VIKINGS a Why publish a gaming mag in Minnesota you a ask? The Gl staff wouldn't miss all that Minnesota has to offer this time of year. 1. Justin shows Reiner his snowboarding moves. 2. Matt and Arthur enjoy the pulse-pounding excitement that is ice fishing. 3. Grateful that GI has a good dental plan, Reiner and Kristian chill out in the penalty box. 4. The wearing of the braids; a Sunday ritual for Kato. 5. Insane from cabin fever, Andy gamers take a serious look at what games are about. A perfect example of a modern-day title with old-school sensibilities is Super Monkey Ball. It's simple, and you can challenge yourself with it over and over — not to see the crazy Hollywood ending, but just to play. Did it get all the credit it deserved? Probably not. | know | am guilty of perhaps undervaluing a game because | have grown to expect a certain amount of bells and whistles. While there is no real ending to the evolution of games, | would hope that the heart and soul of what gaming is about – the gameplay - is not forgotten. | hope that gamers haven’t become so dependent on movies and fancy graphics that companies will no longer be willing to take a chance on concepts that don’t involve the scope and story of a Metal Gear Solid. 1 want my Metal Gear Solid, but a video game universe filled with nothing but Metal Gears is not a place | want to be. | want variety and games that appeal to both the АШУ у i modern, ang casi gamer that аит wanders outside for some faint sunlight as the thermometer hits a refreshing 40° below zero. 20 GAME INFORMER REINER, THE RAGING GAMER reiner@gameinformer.com | recently received a letter from a US soldier stationed in Tora Bora, Afghanistan. After filling me in on the status of the war, he went on to say that my reviews filled his heart with a newfound determination to complete his mission and get back to his passion in life: gaming. Certainly, this is a great honor, but | can’t help but feel guilty. Just to set the record straight, | talk out of my butt for approximately 99.9% of each issue. If my memory serves me correctly, there's a saying: If you place typewriters in front of 1,000 monkeys for ten years, one of them will eventually rewrite the Declaration of Independence. If my meaningless ramblings are inspirational, it's primarily by dumb luck. But hey, if my farting of gibberish aids in the war against terrorism, I'll continue to squeeze it out. GO USA! MATT, THE ORIGINAL GAMER matt@gameinformer.com As the caretaker of our Dear GI section, I'm privy to many scalding and obscenely worded emails from our readers. In the last few weeks, I've already received a deluge of letters protesting our naming of the Xbox controller as 2001's Blunder of the Year. In response to all the smart alecks who didn't realize they were the 27th person to think of the joke: No, we don't all have really small girl hands, To clarify our position, the Xbox controller certainly won't prevent you from enjoying a great game like Halo. However, all things being equal, wouldn't you rather it were more like the Dual Shock or the GameCube controller? Both of them are just so much more comfortable. If you think about it, the two consoles from the past that had controllers most like the Xbox's are the Dreamcast and Atari Jaguar. That's not exactly the company I'd want to be in. KRISTIAN, THE GAME DAWG kristian@gameinformer.com At press time, the only thing separating me from my first viewing of The Lord of the Rings is a few measly hours. From what I've heard, this is an incredible film. Is it as phenomenal as say Weekend at Bernie's 2 or Ishtar? Probably not. But in case it is, | have a feeling it might be a back+to-backer – the kind of movie you see twice in one day. The last раскіо-раскег | saw was The Matrix. l'm going to make a prediction: The Lord of the Rings will do better at the box office throughout its entire run than Episode Il. Bold? Perhaps, but that's just the way itis. JUSTIN, THE DIGITAL DEVIANT justin@gameinformer.com Now that Matt has signed his life away on an eternal mortgage, | am the only editor without home ownership. Should | feel jealous? Hell, no. You see, I'm just keepin’ it real. Everyone else has sold out, moving next door to Chip Yuppie and Suzanne Soccermom in the blingbling ‘burbs. Me, I'm spending my nights in the ‘hood like the rest of you lower middle-class slobs. Sure, GI editor salaries rival those of all-star athletes, but money's not what I'm about - I'm а man of the people. | love you guys. Of course, if you try to approach me on the street, I'll superkick you faster than Ota interrupts Fukui-san on Iron Chef, but that's beside the point. KATO, THE GAME KATANA kato@gameinformer.com In order to get this issue done by Christmas, this was definitely the shortest deadline I've ever been a part of. | say this mainly because if any of my loved ones read this and wonder why | got them a large wooden cooking spoon for Christmas (even if it's got the best damn handle they've ever got their mitts on), then you know what was really ‘on my mind instead of dancing sugar plumbs. | hear that Matt bought а house. Wonderful, buddy! Here's my housewarming gift to you, 0.G.: Take it from me, your girlfriend will appreciate it when you show up to do more than just pay the mortgage. The worst thing about it is that all the games | want to play (i.e. not Blood Wake) are sitting in a dust-covered pile on top of my TV. It was nearly impossible to come up with my favorite games this month ‘cause how the hell would | know! And as if that wasn’t enough, the young wizard had aged 30 years ina day and a pack of wild hell hounds was trying to devour him. He used his orb and a lava spell to torch the wretched beasts and ran for his life. He continues on his quest to become a master sorcerer, but he still has nowhere near the 45 spells he needs to defeat the darkness. Not even near the end ‘amy onl ONLY ОМ) | B9 $42 Sew as ©2002 Microsaft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft, Xbox, ММС: other countries. Other products and company names mentioned herein may bê VIOLENCE м. д | CANDID PHOTOS FROM THE SEAMY UNDERBELLY OF THE VIDEO GAME INDUSTRY 1 Hey, this is cool. I’m on a date with Tara Reid from American Pie. But wait, I'm Peter Nguyen from Access PR! | can do better than this! Besides, she’s made out with Carson Daly. Yucky! 2 Yeah, Milla Jovovich! This is more like it. My first date with a supermodel. But, you know, maybe | COULD do better. | mean, she’s kind of an airhead, and that Joan of Arc movie she was in really stunk! 3 Wooo-hooo! I'm the king! I'm the MAN! Triplets, baby! Aw yeah! Ladies and gentlemen, the mack of the video game industry has arrived! 4 “Alright, who wants some?” Dave Dienstbier of Acclaim is looking for a fight. 5 From left to right, "The Best Damn Caddy in the World" Ruben Ramirez, Paul Baldwin (Eidos), Rob Borm (Game Informer Magazine), Doug Rebert (Konami), and Erik Whiteford (EA) enjoy a day of golf at Pebble Beach for the 2001 Game Informer Cup. 6 As part of Nintendo’s GameCube marketing plan, the Pikmin are travelling the country, intent on giving every single American citi- zen a big hug. Aww. 7 Wherever there are sweaty men, Justin will be there. Here we see the Deviant hanging with Mike Derks (BalSac) and Brad Roberts (JizMak) from Gwar and the Dave Brockie Experience at the Lab nightclub in beautiful Lowertown, St. Paul. 8 Jay Boor and Kelly Ranger pose for the camera outside the Gl offices. in the awesome Mega Man X series. „ Timing is everything as you dash through a tangled web of intricate levels and abominable bosses. Mega Man X e. is back and this time it's personal! Prepare yourself for the next astounding adventure | 2 EVERYONE ita PlayStation PlayStation | would like to tell you my sad story about how my PS2 and | were separated a few weeks ago. It was like | lost a family member. You see, my PlayStation 2 got stolen right along with most, if not all, of the hottest games out, including Grand Theft Auto Ill, Devil May Cry, Tony Hawk 3, and Metal Gear Solid 2. It was so, so sad. The worst part is that it was stolen by my best friend of eight years who broke into my house while | was at work. Even worse, | heard that he even sold it all to somebody for a measly $200! He could have at least made more money off of my stuff. Not only was | ripped off, he was, too. If you are going be a thief, at least be a smart one. I'm feeling a little better è now; | just bought a brand spankin' new PS2 right along £ with a new copy of Grand X Theft Auto Ill. The only problem is, | didn't have enough money to get a new memory card, so | am stuck doing the same missions over and over again. Oh well, | guess | will move on and restart my collection. This can only make me stronger, even though | feel like cry- ing whenever I think about all the games that | had before. Thanks for your time Gl, | hope this letter will help people to protect their PS2s, XBoxes, and GameCubes a little better, and be more careful of who their friends are. PEOPLE ARE SO CRUEL!! Mark Dunbar North Brunswick, NH We have no idea what you're talking about. We swear. We don't know anyone from New Hampshire, certainly not any nice young gentleman who promised us that the PlayStation 2 and games we were buying for $200 had "fallen off the back of the truck" and were totally legit. Hey, what's that over there? [hur- ried footsteps] In all seriousness, we suggest you report this inci- dent to your local police department. Maybe they can get your PlayStation 2 back. If not, there's always the People's Court, where we're sure the scrumptious Judge Marilyn Milian will turn those sexy brown eyes your way while she awards you some dough. Judge...Marilyn...Milian...so beautiful...so lovely...so...full...of...common sense...we...must...have...you! What's up with residents of New York not being eligi- ble for the Next Level of Gaming Sweepstakes? The grand prize is possibly the best prize I've ever seen in a gaming magazine. | must have that TV! Will it help if | denounce the Yankees and Mets? I'll even root for the Red Sox next season, | swear. Just let me in the damn contest! Matt Pepe New York, NY Word cousin, we've been dissin’ NYC on the regular ever since '96, when the East Coast/West Coast beef erupted in the hip-hop community. Being unofficial members of the Death Row Mafia, you know we had to cut off the Big Apple from our contests after Biggie dissed Pac. Wessssiliiiide! Actually, the reason residents of New York and Florida weren't eligible for the Next Level of Gaming give- | away was a result of the rules gov- 0 erning sweepstakes in those states. A representative of Kraft Foods (the company that staged the contest) informed us that both New York and Florida require notification and regis- tration with the state within a specific time limit, usu- ally about 30 days before the sweeps begin. Kraft wasn’t able to provide the necessary information within the time limit, and could not allow entries from those states. In this case, the company simply didn’t have enough time. If you look at similar contests or sweepstakes, you'll see that very few of them regis- ter in New York or Florida. We regret that some of our readers had to miss out on the fun, but any fur- actually games, but risqué screensavers, interactive manga DVDs, and the like. Most of them are probably really tedious and a complete waste of money as well. So far, there has really been only one proper main- stream game that ever received the dreaded A rating, Virgin Interactive’s aborted arena fighter, Thrill Kill (which was cancelled due to the uproar surrounding its ultra-violent combat). The Thrill Kill engine was later used in the mediocre Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style, which proved there wasn’t really much depth to the game once you removed the blood, guts, and sexual innuendo. Now, why don’t you go take a cold shower, then play a good, wholesome game like ICO? It’s sure to tug on your heartstrings, maybe even make you shed a few tears. Your magazine is wonderful, but what happened to the Vidiot? Seriously, | love those adventures! Start making some more! | suggest having Squall vs. Cloud from FF VII and FFVIII, or maybe Tifa vs. Yuffie Kisaragi. Thanks, guys, and keep up the great work! Adrienne Via aol.com Actually, we already did Squall vs. Cloud, way back in issue 86, but why revisit the past? The third edition of Video Game Deathmatch has been a mammoth under- taking, but we can guarantee that Game Informer read- ers have not seen the last of the Vidiot. In fact, Dan Veesenmeyer, the artist who brought our ther complaints should be directed toward YOU WANT twisted antihero to life, is collaborating your state government. DIRTZ...1GOT THE with Reiner on the creation of a brand new DIRT, BABY!! character that will accompany the Big V in | have one question for you guys, it’s about the ESRB rating system. There's one par- ticular letter | want to discuss: the "Adults Only" rating. Are any compa- nies going to make a game that’s A-rated? What's the point of having it if they’re not going to make a game that gets that rating? Henry Taing Via hotmail.com If you’re waiting around for Mario Does Dallas or Lara Croft: Spring Break Uncensored, don’t hold your breath. According to the Entertainment Software Ratings Board, there have only been 15 titles that have received an Adults Only rating since the inception of the industry’s current rating sys- tem. Of these, most of the titles rated A are not his adventures. We hear that this new member of the GI team is a comely female with some cybernet- ic body parts. Woah nelly! At press time, the lineup of the next Deathmatch was unconfirmed, but recently a very inebriated Vidiot ran through the GI offices screaming, “Punch! Kick! It’s all in the mind!!" Whatever could he mean? While browsing through issue 103 | noticed something very interesting. On page 44, in the lower right-hand corner, you had a picture of a clear, green Xbox! What's the story behind this? David "King Koopa" Cooper Via cs.com Thanks, smarty-pants, we thought we were going to get away with that one. The green Xbox unit you saw in that picture is an Xbox Debug Kit. It's essen- tially identical in size and function to the standard con- sumer Xbox, but is equipped with special circuitry that allows us to play DVDR and CDR discs that we get from game publishers. Playing these burned copies of 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 24 GAME INFORMER Out here, amongst the clouds and the sea,- a chain gun. a course for destruction board a Ж ™ torpedo-laden gunboat and while away your days destroying Devil boats, forts and shore bloodwake.com batteries. Paradise awaits in the Dragon Sea. www a | xBox games ensures that we will be able to get our review of a game out to you before, or around, the time the title is shipped to retailers. If we had to wait for the box copy (as we sometimes do), our review wouldn't hit newsstands until well after the game had been out. Because of our lead-time, we didn’t have a final consumer version of the Xbox when we did our GameCube vs. Xbox cover story. To better illustrate some of the Xbox’s features, we used our Debug Kit for photography purposes. Hope that clears things up, and no, you will never get Microsoft to send you one. | found a mistake in issue 104 on page 29. In the last sentence of the story regarding Sony's online plans, someone wrote "thrid-party" instead of third-party. Just thought I'd let you know. Tyson Via email Good eye, Tyson. Although we spend countless hours pouring over the proofs of the magazine, occasionally typos do slip by unnoticed. Rest assured that we will be more careful in our proofreading in the futur. This is embarrassing, but | have to confess to some- one. | hope you will understand. | wept yesterday — unashamedly. | thought | had lost someone, and when | found her there, lying on the beach, | just couldn't help myself. | almost wish | was talking about real life, but after finishing ICO, | don't care about reality anymore. | live in my own happy little fantasy world where | will always be able to look after Yorda, and she will follow me whenev- er | call her. | am in love with this game! It had been said that this would be the first title to really emotionally involve you with the characters, but I didn't think it would be true. If games continue to move in this direction, | will no longer need family or friends, because | will always have people like Yorda. One can only hope. Jason Robinson Via msn.com See - we knew ICO was going to strike a chord with our readers! Maybe Oprah should ditch that Dr. Phil guy and have us dishing out advice on her show instead. 0, baby, give us a Call! As pathetic as you probably feel (and you should), we have to let you know that you have a kindred spirit in GI's Game Hombre. Recently, Andy admitted to us that he too was dis- traught, and even cried, when he witnessed the end of ICO. As part of his counseling program, we’ve been giving him wedgies and mercilessly mocking him for days now. He seems to be making tremendous progress, and his emotional recovery should be com- plete once we spray paint “Sissy Boy” on the side of his SUV. Tough love really works. 26 GAME INFORMER ENVELOPE A FEBRUARY WINNER! William Swanson "[Sniff] Just [sniff] because I'm seven feet tall and named Nightmare doesn't mean | don't have any feelings.” Andrea Fierro Lara Croft art? That is sooo ‘90s! Throw on a flannel and crank up the Pearl Jam! Enter the Game Informer Envelope Art Contest. All you need to do is draw, paint, scratch, spit, or carve the best darn envelope art you can think of and send it to us. Please include your name, phone number, and return address on the back of the envelope. If you're the monthly winner, we'll feature your work in GI and you'll receive a video game prize from the Game Informer vault. Send to: Game Informer Envelope Art Contest 724 North 1st St., 4th Floor * Mpls, MN 55401 Jake Kainu “Hi, I'm Daxter! Who wants to french kiss?” Spencer Graham Another member of the Trenchcoat Mafia. Pedro Valentin Gabriel Sanchez Check out this amazingly detailed black and Dante, Adam Ant called. He wants his white piece. jacket back. ARE YOU IN CONTROL OF YOUR SHADOW? m the village of Tenel who has lost Don't be certain. At least, not until you meet Ari, a young boy fro control of his to the spirit of a 300 year old evil king. Now it's up to you to join him on a quest to help win it back. Along the way, solve puzzles, decipher mysterious clues and fight battles in a bizarre adventure that will test your wits, skill and make you question the proof of your own reality. Comic Mischief Mild Language Mild Violence CONTENT RATED BY ESRB OKAGE: Shadow King ©2001 Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. KAGE shadow king WWW.SCea.CO! 30 GAME INFORMER EA'S RING IS REVEALED The long journey to Mordor has already begun with the film The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, but Electronic Arts' own game based on the movie won't be out until the second film appears in the fall of this year. Work has already begun in earnest on the third-per- son action/adventure title and Game Informer is here with an exclusive first look at some of the early results. EA's video game chooses to focus on Aragorn as he helps Frodo and company in their mission to dispose of the One Ring and escape Sauron's minions. The Lord of the Rings will be a mission-based game with a detailed and interactive 3D environ- ment. EA wants the game's combat to be more strategic than just your average slasher, with greater care given to every- thing from your weapon selection to your movement during combat. Visually, EA is using all the license can offer by drawing directly from the movie in order to match its stunning style. Electronic Arts owns the rights to make titles based on the film adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings tril- ogy. On the other hand, sometime this year Universal Interactive (through its partnership with Vivendi) will draw from a Separate license that covers the actual books themselves, for its video games (next-gen consoles, handhelds, and online) based on Middle Earth lore. EA is dedicated to replicating the film's look In-game shot GI NEWS SEGA'S SOCCER SLAM MORE ON THE Sega's Visual Concepts development team is already known for its GOVE RN ME NT AN D cer to another ertene. Soccer Slamvilbe азот e o reae VIDEO GAME VIOLENCE this spring which takes the arcade feel of VC's titles and blows it up to frantic proportions. Soccer isn't known for its non-stop excitement, but it A report recently released by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has certainly is famous for its brutal and rowdy fans. Now they will be an praised the video game industry for its cooperation and participation in limiting intragal part of the mix, along with power-ups, combo moves, tourna- the marketing and availability of unsuitable material to children. When we last ments, and the Continental Cup mode. visited the issue, prior to the events of September 11, Senators Joseph Lieberman (D-CT) and Herb Kohl (D-WI) had introduced a bill titled the Media ar » pm Tee ea ИШ í Marketing Accountability Act (MMAA) that would allow the FTC to target and di die. E d "s prosecute companies marketing inappropriate material toward children. P id 1 TURBO ` E Unfortunately, the bill's authors have not been so kind to retailers who actu- Е 7 3 BE ally sell the video games. According to the FTC report, underage kids were able 2 to purchase M-rated titles 78% of the time, down 7% from the previous year. Senators Lieberman and Kohl have sent a cautionary letter to 34 retail chains criticizing their lax enforcement of the ratings that have been set by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB). "No one expects the indus- try to be 100?6 perfect in enforcing policies barring kids from buying Mature- rated games. But a 22% effectiveness rate is not nearly good enough," read the letter. "We urge your company to make this a priority from the executive office suites to the floors of your stores." The letter was sent to the 34 chains that were identified by the Interactive Entertainment Merchants Association as constituting the bulk of the video game rental and sales market. It included stores such as Best Buy, Electronics Boutique, Blockbuster, and more. Only Wal-Mart, Target, and Sears (which doesn't sell M-rated games) were singled out for praise in their enforcement. Despite the tone, the letter did not threaten any legislation toward the retailers. For more on the MMAA, this issue, and what you can do, please read the Gaming Under Fire feature in the October 2001 issue (#102) of Game Informer. ACCLAIM REVEALS NEW CHARACTER At this year's ЕЗ in LA, Acclaim divulged that it was working on a brand new franchise featuring a character tenta- tively named Jinx. Acclaim was very reluctant to spill the full beans about the series, although the company has given us a Christmas present in more ways than one. This year's Christmas card from the publisher has revealed a first peek at what the plucky lad looks like. This new franchise from Acclaim will be in the action/adventure mold, and should make a splash from the com- pany that has previously given us Fur Fighters and the Turok series, among others. There are big plans for this upcoming character — so much so that Acclaim is now drawing from large amounts of its developmental force to deliver a compelling gameplay experience to rival the best of them. The project is moving forward at full steam, but a representative from the company informed us that neither the character nor the game will be called Jinx. Look forward to next month's issue of Game Informer, when we'll have more on Acclaim's new franchise and the pictures to prove it. _ NEW CONCEPTS FOR GT3 If you're one of the hardcore muffler heads that have burned through all the cars in PlayStation 2's Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec, then this no time to rest on your laurels. Sony of Japan has issued a stand-alone Turismo title based on GT3 featuring more than 20 new cars and 5 tracks. Gran Turismo Concept 2001 Tokyo was debuted at the 2001 Tokyo Motor Show and is designed to highlight such Japanese concept cars as Suzuki's GSX-R/4, the unique Honda Dual Note, and the equally interesting Toyota POD. Though it uses the backbone of the original GT3, Concept 2001 Tokyo will not feature the Simulation portion of the series, focusing on racing these new rides in the Arcade mode. Gran Turismo's creator, Kazunori Yamauchi, has said that this type of stand-alone title (which retails in Japan for under $30) is the sort of thing we can probably expect in the future before the next full Gran Turismo is released. Game Informer talked to Sony of America representatives who told us that it wasn't planning on bringing this expansion disc over to the States at the time of this writing. Then again, if you're a Gran Turismo fanatic, you probably already have your eye on how you can import this new GT fleet into your living room. GAMEINFORMER 31 Game Informer's research and devel- opment operatives search the globe, seeking out the untapped licenses that will become tomorrow’s killer * games. If you have any great ideas for &ames of the future, be sure to drop us a line. Maybe we'll use our godlike power over the video game industry to turn you into a millionaire — or just steal your idea. SMOOTH MOVER As Valentine's Day draws near, your charac- ter (the new kid in school) needs a date to the Merridale High Heart Days dance. Everyone knows being new isn't easy, but when it comes to snagging a significant other, things can get downright ugly. During character creation, you're given a number of skill points to distribute among a num- ber of abilities. Do you want ! your digital dater to be a jock? Maybe the ladies (or &uys) will be more drawn to the dark and mysterious type...it’s hard to say. Your goal is to climb . into the hot- seat of school popularity, but if you show up to the dance alone, your stock will plummet. After com- pleting your first major step toward becom- ing a school superstar, it's up to you to make the right moves at the right times. As you make friends, your popularity level increases, thereby giving you the opportuni- ty to channel more personality points into your character. Once prom hits, you'll rule the school, baby! Just don't break too many hearts along the way. This '80s Capcom game start- ed a loose trilogy of jetpack Shooters also containing Sidearms and Forgotten Worlds. The game began in the arcades, but was transformed when it appeared on the NES a few years later. Here you con- 5 trolled Captain Commando as he took on the L-Brain and the Balangool Empire. Also, the gameplay was less linear than its predecessor, favoring a more Metroid-esque style. (Answer on page 37) 32 GAMEINFORMER PRIMETIME MECHA Developer Genki is taking a stab at the Xbox with an interest- ing mecha combat title called Phantom Crash. Similar to the Tokyo Xtreme Racer series' skewed take on racing, Phantom Crash attempts to add a gameplay twist to the genre. Players will participate in Tokyo's favorite entertainment in the year 2031, live mecha carnage through the streets. Just as important as the usual cus- tomization and weapon selection is the use of camou- flage. This is sure to produce some nice effects on the envi- ronment, and foster some inventive battle- field strategies. Phantom Crash will appear in Japan this spring, with a US date unknown at this time. CONSOLE WARS UPDATE Last month we gave you the first glimpse at the momentous launches of Nintendo's GameCube and Microsoft's Xbox. Now the numbers are in, and it looks like all sides can claim a victory or two. It is estimated that Microsoft shipped about 300,000 units of the Xbox for its November 15 launch day, while Nintendo claims to have sent out 740,000 units for GC's November 18 birth. According to trusted NPD TRST data, through its first seven days of life the GameCube sold 469,000 units. Meanwhile, it took the Xbox ten days (having gone on sale three days earlier) to reach 556,000 units through November 24. During the crucial post-Thanksgiving buying binge the week of November 25 through December 1, the Xbox overtook the GameCube's quick start. Through this period Microsoft sold 182,000 Xboxes, while Nintendo slowed significantly. Only 65,000 units of its console were purchased during this week. Thus, the total after December 1 was 738,000 to 534,000 in favor of the Xbox. Also, Microsoft's first home gaming platform seems to have won the software battle so far. Reports claim that Xbox leads with 2.4 games (namely Halo) being bought with the system versus 1.9 per GameCube (with Luigi's Mansion the favorite). Sony, meanwhile, has scored perhaps the biggest victory. According to the same NPD TRST data for the post-Thanksgiving week, the company sold 241,000 PlayStation 2s to bring its installed base to 5.2 million consoles sold since October 26, 2000 in the United States. n ai Жа xr fF» “ p. Killed Саа ГВ Hug тафт 7 by com iiag Water, aip and fire elements. "favens Saved the orld Jet. Realy hungry: DAY 77: Fighting перер ende, Spent “ay ГА “bye " pea ly, Got буу. Supe луй 1 far “Pachtacher f rite ta eatin It’s a journey to save a world, and all you have is your trusty axion. Combine the elements of fire, water, earth, and air to fight and explore your way through the 6 vast realms of Perathia. Prevent the apocalypse and, well, survive. VIOLENCE GO FLFMEN AL” www.azurik.com www xBox ton. Q : XOX GI NEWS а THE GOOD, THE BAD, YOUR SLICE GOOD - Ubi Soft gets the license for Charlie's Angels. This deal covers the TV [ЕЕ Т ТАН RO MOM UMC А НЕЕ АП АНИ show, the movie, and the sequel to the 2000 film, and will put the property on all the new features in tow. Take on Tiger through 18 holes designed by the master consoles. What's so good about this? G/ hopes that a game will be made featuring himself in the Tiger Challenge, pursue your career, drop your ball anywhere in Charlie's Angels and Ubi Soft's other babe license, V.I.P. We don't want to play it, we the new Practice mode (including the volcano and canyon fantasy courses), or 204795 take on a buddy in Speed Golf. This split-screen game livens up the after- UGLY — The debut of EverQuest's Shadows of Luclin expansion was sabotaged by noon more than Jesper Parnevik's finest duds by awarding points to the Sony Online itself. The game's servers weren't ready by the time the title hit the fastest golfer. The Swedish sensation is included in this year's Tiger, as are shelves. Worse than that, in order to run the pack's new models, many players had to Six original amateur players whom you can bring up through the ranks. Also buy around 256 MBs of RAM. Sez GI's Andy: "I haven't spent that much on a game anged is the traditional golf-swing format. Woods 2002 does away with the since | paid Activision's booth babes to play mud Twister with me at E3 last year." ` customary 3-click interface in favor of a more natural analog swing. BAD - Developer iRock Interactive has dropped Ozzy Osbourne from his own PS2/PC game, Ozzy's Black Skies. The move was due to the financial constraints ing Ozzy (i.e. the part of the contract that out- liquid refreshments"), and the difficulty iRock was having in pitching the game to publishers. That's pretty bad, considering rockthemed games is what the whole company is about. The vid will now be called Savage Skies and will only feature some dumb-ass dragon. GOOD - We come in one morning and the office microwave is clean. Now we don't have to worry about our lunches mutating into inedible forms due to the radiation and layers and layers of caked-on, splattered gunk inside. Thanks, Cathy. BAD - Australia's Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC) has declared a ban on Rockstar's .44 Magnum opus, Grand Theft Auto III. The game has been pulled from shelves and must undergo changes before it can return (no more beating the homeless, the elderly, or any combination thereof). What about din- gos eating babies? Whenever there's a juicy rumor in the industry, Game Informer experts are on it like a fly on stink. If loose lips are spraying hot gossip, we're sucking up the secret sali- va and drooling it all over this section. These leads may turn out to be 100% untrue, but then again, they could also be dead honest, and you've just learned about them months before anyone else! In the industry and need to get back at the boss who fired you by spilling some secrets? Email us at loosetalk@gameinformer.com and we'll be your shoulder to cry on. Rockstar's amazing success with Grand Theft Auto III is going to the company's head. Ideas are already being dreamt up and even worked on for Grand Theft Auto IV as we speak. In the meantime, all you GameCube owners can rest easy, as Rockstar is working on GTA III for you guys which should be out before this fall. Where are the big GameCube games? They are registering for domain names on the Internet. Nintendo has already laid claim to Banjo-Threeie, and our sources indeed tell us that developer Rare is already working on a sequel to Banjo-Tooie. Tentative title or bad, bad name choice? Time will tell. Remember Lara Croft? Eidos and developer Core Design have been laying low on the heroine's first PlayS' 2 exploits since an initial unveiling many months ago. Is there a redesign in the works at Core's studio in Englan Something tells us that on Valentine's Day, or Lara's birthday, we might learn some new information on the project's development. Activision is looking for new ways to spice up the licensed music for Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX 2. The company is currently talking to Iggy Pop about the matter. The negotiations apparently hinge on whether or not Iggy will be allowed to cut himself and bleed all over the game. The talk is flying after a Business Week article stated that Microsoft was very interested in buying Take 2 Interactive. Although Take 2 laughed about the matter, Loose Talk's own sources tell us that Bill is hungry to feed his Xbox with some quali- ty games. Infogrames is also being bandied about as a possible target. Look for the lion to eat soon. ЗД CAME INFORMER са that are eatin: fight. Be both Munch and his flatul twisted power-ups along the way, and lea! mongers. C' COMIC MISCHIEF VIOLENCE y hy Ria “a MunchÜnThis.com in the United States andlor other countries. ©2001 Oddworld the United States and/or other countries. xs or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation id the Xbox logos are either registered trademan бетаг or trademarks of Oddworld Inhabitants in orld: Munch's Oddysee are either registered tra ©2001 Microsoft Corporation Al rights reserved. Microsoft Xbox, an Reserved. The Oddworld logo, and Ойдан n Inhabitants, Inc. Al Rights WWW.XB0X.CDN 2690» VIDEO GAME TRIVIA Are you looking for that special person to fill the void in your lonely life? Well, since you're a gamer, we really don’t need to give you any tips as to how to handle your joystick. On the other hand, we're almost certain that you've lived most of your life in utter solitude, and probably don't have the best social skills. Never fear. Take our quiz, and your score will determine which pickup line you should use. We've tried them out, and believe us, they're foolproof! Question 1: The father of the Final Fantasy series, Hironobu Sakaguchi, made his entry into the video game industry as a programmer of PC games for Square Co, Ltd. Which one of these games did he lay down coding for? A. Blast Ride B. Death Trap. C. Invasion Force D. Fantasy World Question 2: When Mario made his video game debut in 1981's Donkey Kong, Shigeru Miyamoto hadn't given him a name yet. For the time being, his nickname was Jumpman. When Nintendo of America's President, Minoru Arakawa, first saw Jumpman in action, he said that it reminded him of someone he knew who just happened to go by the name of Mario. What was Minoru's association with this inspirational figure? A. Mario was his Italian landlord B. Mario was his college buddy C. Mario was his red-hatted plumber D. Mario was his pet cat Question 3: What was the suggested retail price of the Game Boy when it launched in America in 1988? A. $99.95 B. $89.95 C. $159.95 D. $169.95 Question 4: In the NES classic, Mike Tyson's Punch-Out, players assumed the role of Little Mac, a light-footed up- and-comer from Bronx, NY. What was Little Mac's age and weight? A. 21, 121 B. 17, 107 C 19, 132 D. 18, 101 Question 5: Before former Nintendo of America President Howard Lincoln joined the company in 1993, he made a name for himself at a very young age. What was his ticket to stardom? A. His extraordinary backhand spin won him a Silver Medal in Olympic ping pong B. He starred as a military extra in the film, Cleopatra C. He modeled for a Norman Rockwell Boy Scout calendar D. He co-created the flashing Christmas tree light bulb Question 6: Yoshi is Mario's faithful steed and one of Nintendo's most recognizable characters. While his name has little meaning here in the States, it's actually quite significant in Japan, and is used very frequently in con- versations. What does Yoshi roughly translate to in Japanese? A. Farewell B. Good C. Happy Birthday! D. Got any grass? Question 7: Silicon Knights has been laboring away at the GameCube title Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem for many moons. The game was originally planned to be a Nintendo 64 release, but after a handful of delays, it was quickly cancelled...but not completely. At the GameCube unveiling, Eternal Darkness made a return and was announced as a GameCube launch title. The pro- ject has hence been pushed back until this spring. Harking back to simpler times when the development process didn't take over five years, what was the first game to be completed by Silicon Knights? A. Cyber Empires B. Dark Legions C. Fantasy Empires D. Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain Question 8: Іп the 1991 SNES football release, John Madden Football, there were four offensive units you could bring onto the field before plays. What were they? A. Hands, Feet, Butts, Heads B. Catching, Throwing, Running, Kicking C. Throwing, Running, Kicking, Blocking D. Hands, Fast, Big, Normal Question 9: In the PC series Wing Commander, who were the Confederate Space Force's adversaries? A. The Kilrathi B. The Claw C. The Border Worlds D. The Jintar Question 10: Scott Miller created Duke Nukem in 1991. Rather than create a generic personality for this big lug, Scott tapped into the personality traits of three leg- endary figureheads. Along with Clint Eastwood and John Wayne, who was the third? A. Bruce Campbell B. Andrew Dice Clay C. Batman D. Kevin Costner Score & Rank US Video Game Trivia Answers: 36 GAME INFORMER DOT V'6 Q'8 V'L B9 O'S 8 O'EVZ 8T XBOX JUMPS ONLINE Xbox owners have already begun online play with the con- sole, even though Microsoft says the official launch of Internet gaming for the system won't happen until May at the earliest. Using the Xbox's broadband connections, you can play system-ink games online with other players. As of press time, those titles are Halo, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2X, and NASCAR Heat 2002. This is possible provided you use the system in conjunction with a web-enabled PC, both are connected via Ethernet, and you access a matchmaking ser- vice such as GameSpy Arcade. So what does Microsoft think of people jumping the gun without its permission? In a statement to retailers, the com- pany seemed happy enough just to be able to beat PlayStation 2 and GameCube to the punch. "The GameSpy Arcade efforts are a strong indication that people want online console game experiences. Additionally, these efforts showcase the superiority of Xbox." Still, the experience isn't without its problems. These early efforts to play online seem to be best suited to only two players, and the network connection isn't an ideal one, either. Furthermore, Microsoft tells us that it has all sorts of goodies in store for when Xbox Internet play becomes offi- cial. The console's General Manager, J. Allard, told us about everything from interactive TV gaming to a setup where £amers will participate in "missions of the week." With all the Sega and EA Sports titles signed up, you can imagine how cool massive playoff contests are going to be. Microsoft has also promised voice-chat as a mandatory feature for all online games, as well as other amenities. Said Allard, "If you want to go in and shoot some hoops on NBA Street or whatever, you can go in and say ‘find me three random guys with good connections.’ We've got to make the console sim- ple, so you just drop in the disc and play. There's no dial-up in the background and you instantly know where your friends are so that you do battle." Although Allard promised us "an awesome experience, from day one," speculation is that the Xbox's online frontier will be more of a slow rollout, similar to how the Dreamcast starting out with puzzle title ChuChu Rocket. This would push back marquee title Unreal Championship until the lat- ter portion of this year. 5% of writers to Dear GI this month oppose censorship of "violet games." However, we're not sure what they think of barring titles that are purple, lavender, or have lots of gore 16% of GI editors got lumps of coal for Christmas. The remaining 84% fared much worse by getting Soldier of Fortune Gold for the PS2. We know where you live, Santa 100% of the holiday gifts GI got from video game companies weren't solid gold Rolex watches. Maybe next year... 17% of the gaming world is "undecided" as to who's the bigger wuss, Luigi or Metal Gear Solid 2's Raiden 41% of all conversations involving Kristian and Kato somehow, inexplicably, end up involving the word NASCAR DATA FILE > A familiar name recently, popped up on a Konami of Japan release list: Castlevania. The fabled series will be brought to the PlayStation 2, hopefully by the end of the year, in sweet-ass 2D! GI talk to Konami of America representatives, but they couldn't shed any light on the subject. EIDOS EMIGRATES JAPANESE GAMES You hear us say it all the time: "This game will never be released in America." Well, someone is finally tapping into the gaming gravy train from Japan and bringing home the goods for us to enjoy. Eidos announced it has set up a publishing arm, tentatively called Fresh Games, to allow for US audiences to enjoy some of the more niche, intriguing, and downright bizarre games from across the Pacific pond. This March you'll get to sample delights from the Far East, starting with a pair of PlayStation 2 vids. Mister Mosquito and Mad Maestro! (tentative titles) have been released as first-party Sony of Japan titles, and are known over there as Ka (mosquito) and Bravo Music, respec- tively. Game Informer has already gotten its hands on the Japanese ver- sion of bug simulation title Mister Mosquito (see the preview in our September 2001 #101 issue), and haven't gotten this much skin since...well, ever. Mad Maestro!, on the other hand, is a music rhythm title were you're the conductor who has to save the Concert Hall from Un Y21584 i being destroyed by putting ú on performances. You know, kinda' like Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo. Hats off to Eidos for hav- ing the cojones to stick its profit neck out there in the name of hardcore gaming. Let's hope Fresh Games. keeps 'em coming. > SNK may be resurrected thanks to pachinko company Playmore. The Japanese compa- ny has gained the rights to all of SNK's properties. Playmore will relaunch these under the name SNK NeoGeo out of its new he: quarters in Korea. One of the first orders of business for the new gime will be to stem the tide of ed SNK software. > Burtin Productions has a new TV series about video games and their culture called Cyplex. The show is currently in production for 13 episodes, although no net- work deals have been disclosed yet. Cyplex will feature cr On- sole competitions and other con- tent highlighting gamers. If that's so, the wardrobe and make-up departments should be busy. > Dead or Alive creator Tomunobu Itagaki has said that American gamers will get to see that were on the Japanese release of DOA 3 Xbox. These include addi. tional costumes and some other . Tecmo has confirmed Mad Maestro! > More weapons can only г n fewer limbs for your enemies. Such will be the result when Codemasters brings sequel Ultimate Blade of Darkness exclusively to the Xbox before the end of the year. Hit an artery. Any artery > James Bond 007 in...EA port plot. The PS2 title Agent Under Fire will be brought to the Xbox and GameCube this spring. Some sailors have a lady in every port of call, and James Bond is cer tainly no different. > Activision has said it is com- mitted to a fourth Tony Hawk and more money in the bank. TI fourth installment of the seri slated to come out before t end of fiscal year 2003 (which is ually in the spring of the 2003 calendar year). The real hand begun as to what Mister Mosquito > Upcoming online RPG Midgard has been put indefinitely on hold. Norwegian developer Funcom has laid people off from tl ject and shifted others away from it to focus on Anarchy Online. Funcom says that it plans to resume work on Midgard an hire those employees shortly. Name That Game Answer: о! GI NEWS г CONTEST j| LEVEL-UP WITH THE FINAL FANTASY X MOTHER LODE The good people at Square, Koto, Inc., and BradyGames have put together the ultimate Final Fantasy X package for three very, very lucky readers. The prizes here defy belief and even the size perimeters of this page! Suffice it to say, this is all you could want from a Final Fantasy X con- test. So without further ado, let's roll the list of free stuff! Grand Prize (2) * Square Soft's Final Fantasy X PlayStation 2 Game * Koto Tidus Action Figure * Koto Yuna Vinyl Figure * Koto Bahamut Vinyl Figure * Koto Tidus Wall Poster * Koto Yuna Wall Scroll * Koto Yuna Lunch Box * Koto Yojimbo T-Shirt * Koto Tonberry, Mog, ap Pupu, Cactuar, and Chocobo Plush Dolls * BradyGames FF X Strategy Guide * TokyoPOP's Official FF X Soundtrack Second Prize (1) * Square Soft's Final Fantasy X PlayStation 2 Game * Koto Tidus Wall Poster * Koto Yuna Wall Scroll * Koto Yuna Lunch Box * Koto Yojimbo T-Shirt * Koto Pupu, Cactuar, and Chocobo Plush Dolls * TokyoPOP's Official FF X Soundtrack Playstation.2 There Are Two Ways To Enter: (1) Send a POSTCARD with your NAME, ADDRESS & TELEPHONE NUMBER to: GI's FF X CONTEST 724 N. FIRST ST. 4TH FLOOR MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55401 (2) Send an EMAIL with your NAME, ADDRESS & TELE- PHONE NUMBER to: ffx@gameinformer.com Your name will be placed in a pool of valid entrants for a random drawing to be conducted on March, 11 2002. Y X OFFICIAL RULES telephone number on a postcard to: бїз FFX, 724 N. FIRST s, and telephone number lo: fBgameiformer com. Entries wi be dequalfied. Game Informer magazine (he "Sponsor) is PRIZES: Two (2) grand prize winners wil receive Final s poster, Yuna scroll, Yur box, Yojmbo t-shirt, X strategy guide, and TokyoPOP'sofcial FFX soundtrack (approxi ву X Game, Tidus poster, Yuna scroll, Yuna lunch box, Yombo cil FFX soundtrack approximate retail value $150.92). Sponsor reserves the inderable and no substitutions alowed. 3. WINNER(S): sor, whose decisions ae final. Drawing wil be held on alow six to eight weeks for delivery of prizes. 4. ODDS OF IBLITY: Promotion open to residents of United States oniy. le wil tot in dsqualécaton and an alternate winner wil be selected, Wrner may be of labltyipiize acceptance win 14 days ol receipt or fret prize. I the winner is a minor, then ot their name албо кепес for rising, trade, or promotion without fther compensation, unless prohibited by law. Employees of the Sponsor, Game Informer fert and ated companias and their famáes are not el. Nether he Sponsor nor ts айе, subsidiaries, division or related companies are responsie for any damages, axes, or expenses itat winners might incur as a resul of this sweepstakes or receipt of prize. 6. RESTRICTIONS: Void where probibted or rested by law. Ват! any pize pie notfcaton as und required lo signan afidavit ol ei GAME INFORMER 38 GAME INFORMER = vL 2 urok, the most famous dinosaur hunter in video games, has already set his place in gaming history. Starring in one of the premiere third-party games for the software-starved Nintendo 64, Turok: Dinosaur Hunter received both critical and commercial accolades for its heart-pounding action and, for its time, fast and glitzy graphics. Despite its early success, Acclaim's three follow-up games (also on the Nintendo 64) never lived up to the first. Turok 2: Seeds of Evil disappointed gamers with its high difficulty curve and lack of save points. Rage Wars, the multiplayer-only product, lacked the one-player adventure people craved, and never made it to the top of the charts. Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion, the last game in the series, delivered an entertaining and well-rounded experience, but featured Turok’s offspring, rather than the man himself. Plus, by that time, many of Turok's fans had already moved on. THE ART OF WAR ла тагт It could easily be said that Turok’s slow slide from video game super stardom was due to its "Only on Nintendo" status, but we suspect the decline came because the follow-up games never delivered what gamers really wanted — compelling content with Turok knee-deep in dinosaurs, doling out death with his amazing arsenal of weapons. Whatever the reasons, they all mean nothing now. Turok is about to undergo an evolution. Any and all barriers that were in the way are crashing down, bringing Turok back to his former glory. Deep in the heart of Texas, the very same development house that brought you the original (formerly Iguana, now Acclaim Studios Austin) is returning Turok to his roots, bringing gamers back to what they loved about the founding release. Not only that, but Acclaim has removed the Nintendo-only limitation, and plans to deliver the game to all three dud des Xbox, Qamet iba and gee 2. = the LAYSTATION 2 I STYLE USTIN II RELEASE AUG GNEINFORMER 39 The story of Turok: Evolution aiso returns to its roots, because in many ways this game is the Episode I of the series, and the origin of Turok. Ambushed by the bloodthirsty Captain Tobias Bruckner, the Saquin Nation finds itself facing extinction. During the bloody battle that ensues, the mortally wounded warrior, Tal’Set, cuts through the Cavalry troops and engages in mortal combat with Bruckner. A cave-in sends the two tumbling into an underground cavern, where in the final moments of death’s embrace, a mysterious portal opens and pulls Tal’Set into the Lost Land. On the brink of Death, Tal’Set is saved by the Seer TarKeen and taken to the River People, where he is nursed back to health. With the death of his people still fresh in his mind, Tal’Set sets out to find the puppeteer who has pulled his strings and brought him to the Lost Land. That is when he discovers he is part of a higher purpose. He is to become Turok, the Son of Stone, protector and savior. Unwilling to accept his fate, Tal’Set’s destiny is set in motion when the Evil Lord Tyrannus, leader of the Dinosoid armies, sets out to purify the Lost Land by slaughtering any creatures that won’t bow to his power. Thus, the epic tale of victory, treachery, and betrayal begins. 3h vi. 120. 1207 bs xg mmm The Tek Bow can be equipped with poison arrows to send enemies into nasty convulsions David Dienstbei Y, Turok's creative director, is more than familiar with the series — he's been the visionary behind the project since the beginning. To him, the goal of Turok: Evolution is simple, "Get back to the roots of the original." In some ways, this might be considered a shortsighted statement, until he backs it up with the determined comment, "We are working to put Turok not just ahead of the [first- person shooters] currently on the market, but to blow away anything that comes out over the next year." He then sums up the development goal of Turok: Evolution with the mantra "DinoTopia meets Omaha Beach." From what we have seen, Dienstbeir and his team are heading in the right direction. While the game is being developed for Xbox, GameCube, and PlayStation 2, the demonstration we saw had it up and running on the Xbox. The first level finds Turok in a jungle (yet another example of how the game is going back to its roots), and we were instantly impressed by the level of detail and ambient life in this environment. Plant life lined the walls. Pterodactyls circled above. Tranquil dinosaurs drank from a nearby pool of water. Insects swarmed. Palm trees hung in idle thought. It was the Lost Lands like you have never seen them before. Then the bushes moved. Like a shark weaving underwater, something was lurking in the brush, swaying them in its wake. Perhaps it's the prehistoric version of a rat (the compy), just looking for a bite to eat; or maybe, just maybe, it's a man-eating raptor lying in wait. This time, Turok is lucky and it's a compy. Next time, his luck may run out. on Upon closer inspection of the surroundings, Turok can move in and out of the thick shrubs, and like the dinosaurs or enemies that await, he can hide in them. Surprisingly, all of the onscreen plants move. And when we say all of them, we mean each and every one - easily numbering into the hundreds of objects, with not a lick of slowdown. Eventually, this plant life will even fold under the heavy footfalls of giant dinosaurs, and give aural clues as to enemy and dinosaur movements. “с za ea Slide into the foliage to hide from view E f The variation in plants and trees is quite outstanding uy Just an example of how populated the environments can be vi. 120. 1207 These environmental improvements are not only great eye candy, but important gameplay elements. There will be times when Turok must use these bushes to make his way һу through a level. Move too fast and ind, much like the re in constant motion. є ighty Rate sins towers over Turok, while other dinosaurs observe the hunter eye-to-eye. Of course, with all these beautiful animals and gorgeous flora to look at, the first thing that came to our minds was, “What can we kill?” Enter one of the mainstays of the Turok series and something that fans have come to expect - high-powered and ground-breaking weapons. Unfortunately, at this time, Acclaim doesn’t want to show too much of its hand as far as weapons are concerned, but we were given a peek at me of them. be eight weapons in total, but that number is a i£, since each one will have a number of The architecture in the levels is exquisite. attachments that can be collected, unlocking alternate modes of fire. For example, the pistol can eventually be outfitted with a sniper scope that, when engaged, will make the weapon fold out a barrel and stabilizer (articulated masterfully onscreen), for long- distance wet-work. Another interesting weapon we saw was a small spider-like robot you could throw, then control from a third-person perspective. This little gadget has different uses. It can be a mobile explosive, or equipped with various voice samples to lure an enemy or various other creatures to different locations. For instance, it might make a Raptor sound to scare off guards, or call for help and draw them into a pack of hungry dinosaurs. As in previous installments, Turok will also wield a melee weapon, which in this game is a tomahawk/mace hybrid. Interestingly enough, this weapon can also be used to cut through heavy foliage, or just hack through baddies in a deadly efficient manner. We pushed the team to reveal more weapons – always one of Turok's trademarks – but ti want to spoil it. However, with weapons like the cereb their past, we expect to see some exciting death tools the coming months. Not all of the levels find Turok i ina jungle environment either S lio will visit canyons and cities, and find | himself exploring his fair share of indoor architectures. However, velopment team is really trying to keep Turok out in the wi expect ue the jungle more than once. TAR wi. 190. 1907 THE ART OF WAR w1. 120. 1207 The ambient life is not limited to just dinosaurs. Dragonflies and thousands of other bugs are scattered through the world NIS 5 39 ITITI TITTET y ; \Shot0009. tga ¢ v1. 120. 1207 1111 Uer It might be in Turok's best interest to leave this one alone i 15 © E S) š 08 At the time we saw Turok: Evolution, much “ашы i 28+ ии "meh of the sound effects were not implemented. у == The team did inform us that over 1,000 sound effects and 2,500 lines of script were being prepared for this monster, and that the Dolby and DTS capabilities of each respective system would be pushed to their limits. We had a chance to hear some of the samples that were in the works, and can only tell you that almost anything you can think of in a first-person shooter has been covered. From different sounds for spent shells bouncing off stone or sand, to Turok issuing different grunts depending on where he is hit, Acclaim Studios Austin has it covered. So what else lies in store? For multiplayer maniacs, there is a producer on staff whose only job is to work on multiplayer aspects of the game. Plus, one of the surprises is that there will be some team aspects built into the game. This information is still on the down-low, but Game Informer has uncovered that Turok: Evolution will also feature some areas where you will be fighting alongside various computer controlled characters you meet during your quest. Is this the mysterious Omaha Beach aspect of the game that is part of the development mantra? We'll have to wait and see, but rest assured there are plenty of surprises left in this project. One of those i етта surprises we don't have to wait for, however – r quality of the textures the addition of flight levels to the Turok universe. 4 If you look closely you can see dinosaurs flying above GuiEINFORMER 43 wi. 120. 120; 4 в of Turok: Evolution is the to get another pass at sections of the level. The weaponry is rather addition of flight levels where Turok climbs aboard а Quetzalcoatlus, the simple, with just a blaster and missiles at your command, but the flight largest flying dinosaur in history with a wing span of 40 feet. The itself is robust — delivering a sensation of riding the wind as Turok dives #aameplay is familiar to any who have played Star Fox, as these sections and glides. In total, there will be four flight stages in the game, and some have you cruising down a track, blasting through wave after wave of areas will even offer 360-degree movement. Will this creature be the only enemies. Turok: Evolution does break from the mold a little, as these thing that Turok rides in this adventure? We think not, but for the time flying stages include multiple paths, and even hubs you can spin around being, this is the only mount we know of. Break apart the herd by swooping down into them We never learned in history class that flying lizards could fire missiles from their wings. What is up with that? 15119. 1206 Turok's flying steed, the Quetzalcoatlus, is named after the feathered Aztek god Quetzalcoatl. Now that's a mouthful uussseosbaste 1.95 нин 1.119 1206 Here is a rendering of one of the 360-degree areas TECHNOLOGY THAT mE ART OF WA TRIPLES Y®UR PLEASURE The decision to d a game with the scope of Turok: to шр 'syster While this sounds rather simple, the way the entire system works is actually quite complex and ingenious. As the designer tweaks the gameplay and works on scripts for the adventure that unfolds in his level, the artist is able to create and input the art without impeding his progress. Since both designer and artist work off the same files, development time is better spent actually creating a game that is truly fun. Since Acclaim Studios Austin is developing for all three systems simultaneously, after the levels and art are complete, the designers will be able to head back in and tweak the code set for each particular system to capitalize on individual strong points. At this time, no one is sure which console will get Turok: Evolution first, but Acclaim Studios Austin is confident that, even if it does come out on one system before another, the others will follow shortly. So be ready to relive Turok this August when it comes to a video game system near you. You won't regret it. a “Makes all dinosaurs in any other game look like a sad sock-puppet show” A comment made while showing off the dinosaur models in Turok: Evolution ` — Neill Glancy, Lead Designer (mp list of insects [in the game] would be never ending” In reference to all the ambi- ent life that will tickle your senses — David Levy, e Lead Artist "Expect to be surprised" Pertaining to the ability of dinosaurs to attack you from the foliage — Dave Dienstbeir, Creative Director Dinosaurs won't be your only adversary ) 15 БЕ] паваапавававава l 46 GAME INFORMER Al Closer Look AN forem a vis lium. From the very this most modem form of entertainment, those of us who write about games for a living have displayed a single-minded obsession with game creators' ability to create new and more spectacular displays of &raphical prowess. Perhaps not surprisingly, this blind adherence to the ‘gospel of graphics has caused many to overlook an equally important 'lement of the gaming experience: sound. "Anyone looking for evidence of just how important audio is to one's oyment of games need only press the mute button on their television. lobbed of sound, even the most artfully crafted title seems hollow and impotent, incapable of generating the hair-raising excitement that is the hallmark of any truly great game. Imagine Resident Evil without its eerie ambient sounds, or the gruesome crackle of the undead feeding on the flesh of the living. Would the Final Fantasy series still inspire us if devoid of its emotional, orchestral passages and victorious fanfares? Although sonic concerns have traditionally taken a backseat to graphics in the minds of developers, recent years have seen a revolution in video game sound that is every bit as dramatic as the well-publicized graphical improvements made possible by the powerful home consoles of today. As games continue to tival film and television in terms of quality and popular acclaim, a new generation of sound designers has begun to emulate the sophistication of the largest movie productions. Not only are they rapidly eparates the best of Silicon Valley from the best of joneering a new frontier of interactive audio that the Just what constitutes state-of-the-art game audio fed several of the leading sound professionals in the rains to find out where we've been, and where In an attempt to in 2002, we've intei ‚ to the rhythm and dance titles that are opening dio-based gameplay. Listen and learn. д г PlayStation through its paces, don't be surprised The Early Days om - Telling, the very first video game ever made — Wally Higinbotham's modest approximation of table tennis created on an oscilloscope at the Brookhaven National Laboratory — was completely silent. Given the tremendous technical hurdles they faced in getting their games to operate correctly, pre-1980s game makers put little emphasis on sound, and most early arcade units and consoles featured minimal audible effects (Pong) or no sound at all (the Magnavox Odyssey). The Atari 2600, the first home system to feature any substantial audio, was very modest in its technical abilities, limiting programmers to a small её е еа вв а е а ك‎ A كج‎ 26, TIT — 00 RR Ba كن‎ Ah ао аб كج‎ п AR ILI LII I) R т RRR ORA Space Invaders’ pulsing score perfectly matched its relentless gameplay palette of machine-language blips and white noise. As technology advanced, the arcades and living rooms of America began to resound with a virtual cacophony of digital squiggles and primitive explosions. Sound was fast becoming an integral part of the gaming experience. Early high watermarks in sound design include Space Invaders (1978), which featured a pounding, insistent rhythm track that sped up as the pace of gameplay increased. Although not complex by today's standards, Space Invaders might be considered the first game to use a degree of interactive audio. The next year, the advanced-for-its-ime Intellivision console became the first game system to utilize audible speech, in the sports hit Major League Baseball. During gameplay, a digitized voice would utter simple words like "ball," "strike," and "out," a feature that serves as precursor to the play-by- play commentary that has become a common facet of modern-day sports titles. Later in that same year, the arcade smash Berzerk expanded speech synthesis technology with an intricate sound chip that could produce a variety of phrases in a much more realistic voice. Following games would improve on the concepts birthed by Major League Baseball and Berzerk, culminating in 1983 with the release of Dragon's Lair (a laser disc game that featured animation by former Disney artist Don Bluth), which is remembered as the first title to showcase actual recorded dialogue. Pac-Man didn't offer much in the way of innovative sound design, but its memorable munching noises and infamous death sound are notable if only for the fact that they were the first video game effects to become ingrained in America’s collective subconscious. Today, television shows use the familiar Pac-Man noises as sonic shorthand for "video games." Even if the fictional character in question is running a if the audio is from the arcade unit that first made video games a part of national pop culture. Save for sentimental value, the early days of video games should not be remembered fondly, at least in terms of sonic quality. However, the increased capabilities of the Nintendo Entertainment System opened up a host of new possibilities for game makers interested in creating memorable game music and audio effects in the mid-1980s. The &bit era is often referred to as the golden age of game soundtracks, and there is a healthy online subculture that keeps the flame alive. Many websites post МРЗ files of 8-bit music, and there are a growing number of musical groups that specialize in performing full-band arrangements of classic game scores. Tommy Tallarico, a veteran sound designer who has coordinated the audio of games like Earthworm Jim and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, remembers the music of the NES era fondly. "8-bit music is great and — let's face it — it's never coming back. It's come and gone. | listen to something like the Rastan soundtrack and | get tears in my eyes. It was great because, back then, you had to concentrate more on the melody as opposed to anything else. If you didn't have a melody, you were screwed." Not surprisingly, Nintendo, the company that dominated the industry at that time, created much of the most beloved music of that era. Super Mario Bros., with a brilliantly composed score that perfectly mimicked the ebb and flow of gameplay, is probably the best remembered. In fact, it remains so relentlessly catchy today that it was recently sampled by New York rappers Cocoa Brovaz to create the foundation for their 2000 underground classic Super Brooklyn. Other notable NES soundtracks include Shigeru Miyamoto's ambitious Zelda Scores, and Final Fantasy, which featured legendary Square composer Nobuo Uematsu, whose works were unprecedented in their cinematic scope. The indie rock group Minibosses has won a large following playing classic 8-bit tunes. Favorites include the themes from Contra, Ghosts ‘n Goblins, and Rygar i ^ Square composer Nobuo Uematsu is famous for his Final Fantasy scores Electronic pioneers Tangerine Dream (top left) and Kraftwerk (top right) share a common aesthetic with 8-bit music. Today, hip-hop producers the Neptunes are hugely influenced by classic game music Although the limitations of the cartridge format precluded many sonic architects from pushing the envelope as far as they wished, the Super Nintendo and Genesis systems allowed for a fundamental change in the way game music was created. "Back then, you really had to be a programmer to do video game music - there weren't really musicians doing it. It was programming. | never really liked a lot of the video game music | heard.” Tommy Tallarico explains. "They literally had to type notes on a computer keyboard. Obviously, that’s why it was very short and repetitive, because they didn't have the technology or the space at the time. | wanted to change the interface so that people who were real musicians could create music. We created devices | that let me hook my keyboard ир to a sequencer that recorded MIDI data, which would be hooked right into the Genesis or Super Nintendo. | was sitting there playing the boxes, so exactly what | heard was coming out." Though simple, the best music of the 8- and 16-bit eras were studies in economy and ingenuity, and succeeded in effectively creating an accessible version of the chilly Teutonic minimalism of pioneering electronic music groups like Kraftwerk and Tangerine Dream. Even more notable is the fact that video games brought these avantgarde ideas into the living rooms of middle America, well before techno music was anything but an obscure European subculture. Today, hip hop producers Swizz Beats (DMX, Eve) and the Neptunes (Britney Spears, Busta Rhymes) traffic in jumpy, one-finger synth melodies that betray a childhood spent playing Nintendo. The Modern Age As the '90s began to take shape, the cartridge format was replaced by a storage media that opened up new horizons in game audio: the CD-ROM. "| would say the CD-ROM was a huge leap in that now we were able to store larger songs and have real music playing for the first time," explains Tallarico. "We didn’t have to use MIDI and tiny little instruments to make our music, we could actually record real music and the player could hear that." Liberated from the confines of the cartridge, video games have now begun to explore the full spectrum of music, from bruising rock to the soothing strains of classical music played by reaHife orchestras. Michael Giacchino, the acclaimed composer for EA’s Medal of Honor series, is now known for his epic orchestral scores. However, early in his Career, he was encouraged to pursue his grand visions by no less than Hollywood mogul Steven Spielberg. Michael Giacchino records his Medal of Honor scores with the Seattle Symphony Orchestra The first couple of games | did for them, it was just synth stuff. Then, Lost World came around. Spielberg was directing the Lost World at that time, and we were making the game. [H]e's a huge game nut and...he was really attentive to Dreamworks Interactive, because it was just a fun place for him to go when he wasn't working on his huge projects. He would come over, and listen to the mock-ups we had ready. He was listening to the music, and he said, ‘We're going to do this with a live orchestra, right?' In his mind, that's what he's been doing all his life, so it made sense. The guys at Dreamworks Interactive were like, ‘Yeah...We guess so.’ It hadn't really crossed our minds to do so. But when Steven says that's what we're going to do, that's just what happens. So, we put together a budget and recorded it with the Seattle Symphony Orchestra. It was the first time we had done that, and it worked out great." As games become more and more cinematic, there are increasing demands on composers to create music that can match the ambition of the graphics and gameplay. Planning has now become of tremendous importance for those who wish to create a truly compelling soundtrack. Gone are the days when short music loops were tacked on to a completed project in post-production, as modern musicians now become involved in the very earliest stages of the development cycle. "First thing we do is ! go and sit down with the game's producers and lead designer. We spend half a day going through every aspect of what the game is going to be and talk about what styles and moods we're &oing for," explains Giacchino. "We go into unbelievable detail, and really build a huge film score with themes that we weave in and out throughout the whole 0102. Hopefully, the music will have its own cohesive storyline that we can lay on top of the action." ico echoes these sentiments, adamant in his belief iands-on approach is necessary if music is ever to ELECTRONIC ARTS gain equal footing with the visual elements of the game experience. "Look, for me to accomplish the best audio quality | can, | really need to have just as much space as [the] other guys. | still say that today, because some people still don't get it. To me, audio is one-third of the game. You have your programming, your game design, and how your character moves - that's one-third. The other third is your visuals, your graphics and your animations. And the other third is audio. So, in my mind, one-third of the game has to be taken seriously." While the '90s saw original music rise to new heights, it also saw the birth of _ the licensed soundtrack, bringing Í the rock and rap music that populates the Top 40 into the world of video games for the first time. Electronic Arts’ Road Rash (1994) for the ЗОО system, which featured then-upcoming | alternative artists like | Soundgarden, Monster Magnet, and Swervedriver, essentially codified a formula that has been used and reused innumerable times. The most successful example of this, both artistically and commercially, can be heard in Activision 02's action sports lineup, in the hip and impeccably done soundtracks for Tony Hawk's Pro Skater and Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX. However, some, like Michael Giacchino, wonder if we are losing a degree of creativity when so many companies are choosing to load down their soundtracks with licensed pop music. "Certain games and certain films lend themselves perfectly to an Eminem song or Limp Bizkit," comments Giacchino. "It may fit perfectly with that project, and, if it does, then | don't see anything wrong with it. What | have a problem with is when they start selling things with music ‘inspired by’ a game or a film. When they force it down your Sound Bio ае! Giacchino Video Game Composer Dreamworks Studios Taking advantage of the 3D0's CD-ROM capabilities, EA’s Road Rash pioneered the used of licensed music in video games throat as a marketing tool. That to me is when it becomes a problem, and it seems to be happening more and more. It's all becoming about ‘What can we stick on this thing just so we can sell it?" Tallarico is more optimistic about the possibilities of licensed music. "| think the licensing of music is great, for a game like Tony Hawk it’s perfect. Is it taking business from me? Not really. There are a thousand video games that come out every year, so | don't feel threatened. | think it's great for the industry, M because it legitimizes our industry. What | love even more than that is when these big stars do music strictly for a video game. Look at Snoop Dogg, he's doing game music now." й Of course, well-chosen tracks can be an effective way of creating excitement, especially if the music has a strong tie-in to the game's content and attitude. Extreme sports titles like Tony Hawk and Mat Hoffman lend themselves well to this approach, as skateboarding and freestyle BMX have always had a vital connection to the underground punk and rap communities. "Most of the riders have music they like and request for the game," explains Brian Bright, producer for the Mat Hoffman series. "If none seem to fit into the overall tonal range | have set for the game, | begin digging through the crates. I'll sit in my studio and play the game, listening to records and MP3s all night and maybe only find one or two songs that work. If the song is really popular, | usually don't even want it. If there is a commercial that uses the song, | don’t want it. If it is some sort of trend at the moment, | don’t want it. [You have to] avoid cheese, have eclectic diversity and taste." SOUNDGARDEN PAN ¢ namm Micheal Giacchino, raised in Edgewater Park, New Jersey, has taken a circuitous route on his way to becoming one of the most respected and acclaimed composers in video games today. Following high school, a childhood interest in film led Giacchino to enroll in the School of Visual Arts in New York City, where he earned a degree in film production. As his musical talent blossomed, he then became a student at Julliard, pursuing a degree in music composition. A day job in the marketing department of Disney led him to the West Coast, where he eventually completed his music degree at UCLA. In 1997, Giacchino took work at the newly formed Dreamworks Interactive, where he composed the soundtrack for a game based on the blockbuster Steven Spielberg film Jurassic Park: The Lost World. Today, he continues to win accolades for his orchestral scores on the Medal of Honor series. Career Highlights: Medal of Honor Medal of Honor: Undergro T'ai Fu: Wrath of the Tiger Alias (ABC Television series) Awards: Medal of Honor — Best Sound Design, Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences Medal of Honor: Underground — Outstanding Achievement in Original Musical Composition, Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences, Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design beyond the Music The composers and the popular music artists who populate game soundtracks are the most visible face of sound in video games, but there are a large number of professionals whose important contribution to the art of audio goes largely unnoticed. Call them sound designers or audio engineers, these are the people who perform the nuts and bolts work of gathering effects, creating ambient sounds, and making sure the entire soundscape, including the score, fits properly into the game engine. It's an exacting and often arduous task, but one that can make the difference between a game that is good and a game that is truly great. At the outset of a project, much of a sound designer’s job is determined by the overall direction taken by the programmers. To put it simply, the sound has to be integrated into the game code correctly, or no amount of recording and high-tech audio trickery will be successful. Tallarico, who works with the technical aspects of sound design in addition to composing original music, explains the various approaches different developers take in implementing sound. "Let’s take a driving game, for instance. Let's say, Ridge Racer. At the beginning, when they're loading in the level, they load in the entire track. Now, the disc just sits there. So, l'm able to stream in all the music and voices on the fly right off the CD. | could have interactive music if | wanted to, | could have whatever. You might have another game, like one of the Test Drives, where they're streaming the level information and the texture maps constantly. What they do, because they can't fit it all at once, they have to stream it. If they're doing that, how am | going to use that disc for music? Because the music can't just stop while they load in the next quarter mile of track. Technically, there are so many different ways to do things." Another major facet of a designer's job is the gathering and creation of sound effects and ambient noise. Most often, effects are culled from a number of different sources, including the existing sound libraries created over the years in the film industry, as well as recorded noises created specifically for a certain project. Dreamworks Interactive's Erik Kraber, Audio Director for the Medal of Honor series, has won acclaim for his tremendous attention to detail and revolutionary use of ambient sound. Avoiding ‚ Sound Bio Tommy Tallarico Founder ] Tommy Tallarico Studios the use of stock effects and Hollywood fakery, the Medal of Honor team prides itself on the use of originally recorded sounds, all of which are done with the purpose of being as sonically and historically accurate as possible. "The percentage breakdown for Allied Assault was probably 60 to 70 percent recorded stuff and the rest was from sound libraries. All the bullet impacts, all the bullet whizz-bys, all the gunshots, all of that stuff were things that we recorded. We went to one of the biggest prop houses in Hollywood and had them bring every weapon we were going to be using in the Medal of Honor games. They had to use live ammunition, because we didn’t want them shooting blanks," Kraber elaborates. "We set up several microphone systems, where we had microphones anywhere from a couple of inches away from the weapon to over 400 yards away, to capture each weapon at different distances with different microphone types. We got sounds of bullets skipping off slate to get ricochet sound effects, had bullets In classic American fashion, Tommy Tallarico headed west to the promised land of California at the tender age of 21. Finding work at a Guitar Center selling keyboards, Tommy quickly talked his way into a job testing games at Virgin Interactive. Moving into the field of sound design and game music, Tallarico soon became one of the busiest audio professionals in the industry. Since founding Tommy Tallarico Studios in 1994, he has worked on over 175 best-selling games for almost every major developer in the world. In addition to his work as a soundman, Tommy is also the co-founder and host of the syndicated television show Electric Playground. Always in demand, some of Tommy's upcoming projects include Maximo and Metroid Prime. Career Highlights: Earthworm Jim 1 & 2 Aladdin Unreal Tony Hawk's Pro Skater Spider-Man Tomorrow Never Dies Awards: The Terminator (Sega CD) — 1993 Best CD Soundtrack, Video Games Magazine Earthworm Jim 2 - Best Music and Sound Effects 1995, Sega Third-Party Award Wild 9 — Nominated Finalist 1998, Interactive Academy of Arts and Sciences Award Knockout Kings (N64) — Best Console Sports Product 1999 (won as co-designer) SOUND MATTERS | was typically disappointed in games that would use short loops, little ‘cricket’ loops that are three or four seconds long playing constantly in the background. What we really wanted to do was to give the sense of complete depth to the environment. ERIK KRABER AUDIO DIRECTOR, MEDAL OF HONOR SERIES topple end over end as they passed microphones to get the whizz-by effect. Brought a U-Haul truck full of every type of junk and surface type we could find, lined them up, and shot them each with silent, subsonic rounds, so that you couldn't hear the report of the weapon, you just hear the bullet impact on each of the surface types." Sound designers go to great lengths to capture new and exciting sounds, often at the risk of life and limb. In talking with Kraber, he mentioned a recording session that involved a grenade, an enclosed space, and an unlucky microphone operator running for his life. Sometimes, the quest to find new effects can take bizarre, even humorous turns. Andy Brock, Lead Sound Designer for Acclaim’s Turok: Evolution, describes a particularly memorable encounter with a pig. "| took the opportunity to get some animal sounds that | could manipulate to create the dinosaur noises for Turok. | went to the Austin Zoo, and | was getting some pig squeals, just standing there with the shotgun microphone. | asked the zookeeper, ‘Is there any way to make them squeal a bit more?’ So, she got in there, climbed in the pigpen and put her boot on the pig’s head. It started making the most incredible noises, like it was being sexually abused or something. The sound will probably be pitched down and used as an Ankylosaurus in Turok.” Of course, coordinating the audio for a big-budget title doesn't stop there. As real-time dialogue becomes industry standard, sound leads must work with scriptwriters, cast voice actors, and supervise recording sessions. In addition, ambient sound is becoming more and more sophisticated, as developers try to create sonic environments that are as immersive as the game's graphical landscape. As with every element of sound, the Medal of Honor series has done much to further the use of complex and highly ordered layers of ambience. "| was typically disappointed in games that would use short loops, little ‘cricket’ loops that are three or four seconds long playing constantly in the background," Kraber said. "What we really wanted to do was to give the sense of complete depth to the environment. So we decided that not only were we going to do sound for what's in the level — the weapons, and all that — but let's also do sound for what isn't in the level. Let's make the sound of the things that are happening over the hill that you never see but you only hear in the ambiences. Let's put queues in the ambiences that let you know that eventually in that level you're going to be running into dogs. We took a more film4ike approach to it and created really long, streaming backgrounds for each of the different levels, and each level was somewhere in the neighborhood of being five minutes long. That makes it a lot harder to detect where there is a loop point happening.” GAMEINFORMER 49 TM Frontline" Frontline” SOUND MATTERS Future Sounds of Gaming Video game sound has come a long way over the years, evolving from a crude smattering of computerized gurgles to a genre that encompasses every element of audio. Whether it's the neoclassical orchestral scores of Medal of Honor, or the sophisticated commentary of EA's various sports titles, the leading lights of the video game industry continue to find ways to surprise and innovate. Now the Xbox, PlayStation 2, and GameCube are offering up sonic capabilities that literally blow the doors off their predecessors. With so much power at their fingertips, we expect to see game sound veer off in a number of surprising new directions over the next few years. Rhythm games, which use sound as the fundamental building block of gameplay, already enjoy great popularity in Japan, and are one area where developers are free to push their musical visions as far as their imaginations allow them. Generally, games in this genre place little emphasis on &raphics, allowing more of the system's power to be focused toward audio. Early rhythm titles, like Dance Dance Popular in Japan, rhythm games like Konami's Dance Dance Revolution turn audio into an essential part of gameplay Revolution, essentially combined the repetition of the ancient Simon electronic toy with the active dynamic of the NES Power Pad peripheral. The player, following a series of onscreen icons, simply danced (or played an instrument) in time with the music. Other titles, like Sony’s PaRappa the Rapper and Um Jammer Lammy, supplemented the rudimentary gameplay with a creative music performance element. This year, Sony released its most involved rhythm game to date — Frequency, a title that allows users to create and remix various techno tracks in real-time through carefully timed button presses. This merging of traditional rhythm with the creative freedom of Codemasters’ MTV Music Generator "Medal of Honor: Frontline" The Halftrack C The Armored Train 'rontline" 3 . Arnhem Main Theme For the interactive score of Medal of Honor: Frontline, Giacchino wrote multiple themes and motifs that can be switched in and out at a moment's notice. software presents an intriguing set of new possibilities for musically-inclined gamers. As for the more traditional elements of sound, the experts we talked to seemed to agree that the future lies in interactive audio, a catch-all term that refers to music and effects that change based on the player's action or scripted events. When asked about the future of game music, Michael Giacchino described the challenges inherent to the brave new world of the next- generation consoles. "It actually makes [my job] a little harder, because now we can start doing more dynamically with the music," Giacchine said. "On Medal of Honor: Frontline, we tried really hard to have the music change as you are playing, triggered by events in the game. So we had to do a lot of transition pieces and a lot of different moods within a level, but all based around the same thematic, so it all feels like it's part of the whole. Now, the music can suddenly switch and become very action- oriented, or become very tense at any moment. It was interesting trying to map all of that out. | had to sit with the producers and designers and see what were the specific transition points for different pieces of music. Basically, from a certain point, the action could go in a number of different ways, and we had to have music for all of those options." Erik Kraber is continuing in his efforts to make sound effects and dialogue that react to the player and the environment in more meaningful ways. One area in which he sees a lot of room for improvement is the varying of speech patterns based on the proximity of characters. For example, if two characters were far apart in a level, they would need to shout to each other. If they are in close quarters, the same lines should be recited in a more intimate fashion. Despite the changing tides of technology, Kraber insists that the basic challenges of creating quality sound remain the same. "Believe it or not, the biggest challenges haven't changed," comments Kraber. "The challenge is still figuring out how you're going to get your grand vision into such a small space. As much as the new platforms have given audio guys more opportunities to put more stuff in there at higher quality, the amount of power and extra RAM they've been giving to the audio portion of the console has really paled in comparison to what they've been able to do with the graphics engines. Even now, sound is considered the least important aspect of the game." Talking with Tommy Tallarico, who first entered the industry in the late-1980s, one gets the feeling that the best days of game audio are still ahead of us. "Now, with things like the Xbox coming out, there's really no limit to audio. There's nothing you can't do on the Xbox. 256 channels of sound? 5.1 Surround on the fly? Tell me what | can't do. Over the last 10 years, if you had audio working in your game, even if it didn't necessarily sound great, you got the thumbs up. Now, it's getting up to the quality of films and television. In the video game music of the future, acceptable isn't good enough. It has to be great." Game Music on the Web http://www.gamemusic.com A retail site that offers hundreds of video game soundtracks, sheet music, amd collectibles from both America and Japan. http://www.soundtrackcentral.com For fans of RPG scores, this is the place to go on the web. Features tons of reviews on the scores of (mostly) Japanese RPGs, as well as links to retail sites where you can buy imported game soundtracks. http://www.gamingforce.com/audio A fan site that specializes in posting MP3s of game music, most recorded directly from the games themselves. They're currently in the process of updating the site, but once it’s up it should be smoking. http://www.minibosses.com This band has been causing a stir in the gaming community over the last few years with their rocking renditions of classic 8 and 16-bit game music. This site features a ton of band pictures, set lists, and upcoming performances. Also, they've been nice enough to post MP3s of some of their best numbers. The site also includes information on ordering CDs. http://gamespot.com/gamespot/features/video/vg_music GameSpot's A Brief History of Game Music by Glen McDonald is a well-written and thorough history of the evolution of sound in video games. It was an invaluable resource in the writing of this article, and is highly recommended reading. Giacchino and his staff recorded the Medal of Honor: Frontline soundtrack using a PlayStation.e "gf Boarding is here. No wheels. No snow. No surf. Just air, air and more air. => See ya when you finally come down. Тї пагпс о" Criterion GAME WWW.NAMCO.COM Mild Violence Mild Language COMPUTER Sega announced that 2001 would be the final year of Dreamcast support, causing legions of fans to howl sorrowfully at the moon. One of the most promising gaming machines was euthanized prematurely, leaving behind a sea of potential. In its short two-year history, the Dreamcast featured innovation and ingenuity. It was the first (and only) console with dedicated online support. The memory card (VMU) came equipped with its own LCD screen. Sega had a slew of in-house developers pumping out amazing games like nobody's business. The only problem was, no one was buying. After a highly successful launch, sales numbers dwindled to a near standstill. Third-party software developers didn't want to put big games on Dreamcast until it sold better, but that wouldn't ` happen until more big games showed up. It was a double-edged . sword. Even those titles that would be killer apps on any other console seemed to be ignored, and only a handful of games - actually broke into the TRST top 20 for units sold. Things were no better in Japan — Sega's homeland — where brand-new software went straight to bargain bins. " Nine Perhaps gamers were still jaded over Sega's mistakes with the 32X and Sega Saturn. Maybe they were content with the hundreds of PlayStation titles. It’s possible that they were saving their pennies for the future release of PlayStation 2, which despite even a botched launch, dominated Dreamcast once it released. No one factor can be blamed, but they all attributed to the death of the system. Like a Phoenix rising out of the ashes, Sega gave the remaining stock of units an unbelievable $50 price point — about the cost of most next-gen games themselves. Add to that great Dreamcast titles being clearanced for about the cost of a music CD, and you have an irresistible offer. Any self-respecting gamer owes it to him or herself to pick up this sleek, sexy piece of hardware. The question then becomes, "What else should 1 get?" Here, we present to you all the information and guidance you'll need to be Dreamcast Then $199.99 $29.99 $24.99 $49.99 $24.99 $24.99 $39.99 | game in the Dreamcast Dozen (NFL 2K1 and NBA 2K1 of their respective franchises, and including both Crazy Taxis) = appx. $307 18 Wheeler: American Pro Trucker — Jun-01 Alien Front Online Spot Alone In The Dark: The New Nightmare Nov-01 й 3 Feb-00 Cannon Spike Sep-00 Capcom vs. SNK: ‘Millennium Fight 2000 Jan-01 Car Apr Championship Surer Chicken Run ChuChu Rocket Confidential Mission Crazy Taxi Crazy Taxi2 — m A Dave Mira Freestyle BMX Deep Fighter - Demoliton Racer: No Exit _ Draconus: Cult of the Wyrm Dynamite Cop Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future ECW Anarchy Rulz | ECW: Hardcore Revolution Elemental Gimmick Gear —— Evil Dead: Hail to the King Evolution Evolution 2: Far Off Promise Expendable: Millennium F-1 World Grand Prix F355 Challenge: Passione Rossa Fighting Force 2 Flag to Flag Floigan Bros. Frogger 2: Swampy’s Revenge Fur Fighters Gauntlet Legends Giga Wing _ Grand Theft Aulo 2 Grandia I Gunbird 2 Gundam Side Story 0079 Heavy Metal: Geomatrix Hidden & Dangerous House of the Dead 2 Hydro Thunder bleed Incoming - Jeremy McGrath's Supercross 2000 Jet Grind Rado s - dolos Bizarre Adventure Kao the Kangaroo. King of Fighters Dream Match 1999 KISS Psycho Circus: The Nightmare Child Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver Looney Tunes Space Race Maken X Mars Matrix . Marvel Vs. Capcom Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 Mat Hoffman's Pro ВМХ мок? Street Racer Monaco Grand Prix Mortal Kombat Gold Ms. Pac-Man Maze Madness Space Channel 5 = $8 DREAMCAST RESURRECTED We Oye Язув The Dreamcast boasted a 56K modem right out of the box, and is a pioneer in that field today. The system's first chance to strut its Internet stuff was the Sonic Team puzzle title ChuChu Rocket. It wasn't until a year after launch and the coming of Visual Concepts’ NFL2K1, however, that playing online with your Dreamcast became the thing to do. Gamers relished the chance to test their skills against faceless, but not soulless opponents. Better yet, those with Dreamcast Keyboards could start their own pigskin rivalries with smack talk worse then Bill Romanowski's. Naturally, Sega brought other sports titles such as NBA 2К1 into the online arena. Continued hits and innovations followed in other video game genres, courtesy of titles like Phantasy Star Online, Unreal Tournament, and Alien Front Online. Phantasy Star Online brought together console gamers worldwide for quests and interaction between players’ unique, customized characters. Meanwhile, Alien Front Online shipped with its own microphone to enable voice chat amongst the members of the squads. Microsoft now considers this feature a key component of the online gaming experience for its own Xbox. Although it has dropped out of the ISP business, SegaNet still offers online gaming, tournaments, and other community features for a mere $9.95 a month. The original Phantasy Star Online is still available for free, while PSO Ver. 2 can be played online for the rate of $15 for three months of unlimited use (both Phantasy Stars are on servers separate from SegaNet). This online model has opened the doors for other next-gen consoles to follow, but it's more than just a footnote in video gaming history. Unreal Tournament МВА 2K2 NBA Showtime: NBA on NBC NCAA College Football 2K2: Road to the Rose Bow! Next Tetris: On-Line Addition, The NFL 2K NFL 2K1 NFL 2K2 NFL Blitz 2000 NFL Blitz 2001 NFL Quarterback Club 2000 NFL Quarterback Club 2001 NHL 2K Nightmare Creatures I Omikron: The Nomad Soul Оода Booga Outrigger PBA Tour Bowling 2001 PenPen Trilcelon Star Online. Phantasy Star Online Ver. 2 Plasma Sword: Nightmare of Biistein Pod: Speedzone Power Stone Power Stone 2 Project Justice Psychic Force 2012 ‘Quake Ill Arena Railroad Tycoon It Rayman 2: The Great Escape Razor Freestyle Scooter Re-Vott Ready 2 Rumble Boxing Ready 2 Rumble Boxing: Round 2 Record of Lodoss War Resident Evil 3: Nemesis Resident Evil Code: Veronica Rippin’ Riders Roadsters Rush 2049 ‘Samba De Amigo Seaman ‘Sega Bass Fishing Sega Bass Fishing 2 Sega GT ‘Sega Marine Fishing ‘Sega Rally Championship ‘Skies of Arcadia Slave Zero Soldier of Fortune Sonic Adventure Sonic Adventure 2 Sonic Shuttle Soul Calibur Soul Fighter Space Channel 5 ‘Spawn: In the Demon's Hand Speed Devils Speed Devils Online Spider-Man Sports Jam ‘Star Wars Episode | Racer Star Wars: Demolition. tar Wars: Jedi Power Battles Starlancer ‘Street Fighter Alpha 3 Street Fighter II 3rd Strike ‘Street Fighter II Double Impact Striker Pro 2000 ‘Super Magnetic Neo g Super Runabout: San Francisco Edition Jan-01 ‘Surf Rocket Racers. Suzuki Alstare Extreme Racing Sword of the Berzerk ‘Sydney 2000 Tech Romancer Tee Of Tennis 2K2 Test Drive 6 Test Drive Le Mans Test Drive V-Rally The Last Blade 2: Heart of the Samurai TNN Hardcore Heat Tokyo Xtreme Racer Tokyo Xtreme Racer 2 Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Rogue. Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation Tony Hawks Pro Skater Tony Hawks Pro Skater 2 Toy Commander Unreal Tournament Vanishing Point Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense Virtua Athlete 2000 Virtua Fighter 31b Virtua Striker 2 Virtua Tennis Virtual On: Oratorio Tangram Wacky Races Walt Disney World Quest: Magical Racing Tour Welrice Wild Metal World Series Baseball 2K1 World Series Baseball 2K2 Worms World Party WWF Attitude WWF Royal Rumble Xtreme Sports Zombie Revenge GAMEINFORMER 53 | A OF THE DREAMCAST DOZEN ت‎ | These 12 entries in the console's library represent the best combo of affordability, availability, and playability. , vr H r— M — I > ГАНЕ à OF ran * 5049.201 ` ӨК a 3 Lj Ш ЕГЕ [1 F — - Д елй mo йй ©: Jet Grind Radio isn't just a part of the extreme sports fad, nor is it a novelty by being the first nextgen cel-shaded title. It's just cool. That you can zoom around with your own custom graffiti tag for under ten bucks nowadays is a testament to the game's own street savy and attitude of rebellious fun. p cron hee Row‏ د Who would've guessed that driving a taxi around would be so fun? This arcade title made a perfect port, and the console-exclusive sequel only served to increase the insanity. You could get Crazy Taxi on PS2 or GameCube for $50, or pick up the Dreamcast set for $30. Hmmm... Bring a megaphone ring a megaphone y м „ (ont A "+ f , н " Г š What an original idea — typing words on a keyboard to defeat gore-spewing zombies. The concept is made even more brilliant with the cheesiest voice-overs and cutscenes imaginable. Typing of the Dead is the most fun you can have while learning. > keg ru SOUL CALIBUR i ° Po» Um , > 8-4 i j uwa | ues reto So БАРА " г va - ту, non On m w á * خا ai de‏ سے One of the greatest fighting games ever created, Namco's Soul Blade sequel took the genre to a new level of detail. Hair and clothing blew in the wind, a Mission Battle mode brought replay to a near-infinite level, and the animation was second to none. It's hard to endorse any game with a pirate theme, but Skies of Arcadia takes the loot as a great RPG. Its calling card? It allows you to customize your rig and partake in sweet airborne NFL 2K was like Sega returning the opening kickoff for a TD. 2K1's online capabilities put it battles. How good is this game? Both GameCube and PlayStation 2 are now trying to jump on in a class by itself, and with 2K2 it still is. Being able to play football titles this good for this the bandwagon well after its release. cheap is like getting away with murder. Yes, the NFL 2K series is THAT true to the sport. 54 GAMEINFORMER — ЕСТЕР 1p Kafelnikov j Жш E. сом Johansson | Jaha Shaft /16 چ “Storm e Yumay 1 ix TaNDS Virtua Tennis came out of nowhere and smacked the sports world upside the head with frantic volleying and clay court dives the likes of which EA Sports hadn't even seen. Tack on a host of minigames, and some realistic play mechanics, and you've got The immersive, addictive experience of online role-playing comes to consoles! Explore an a standard that other companies are just now trying to emulate. alien landscape on your own, or with three other cyber-buds. Select your appearance, class, and weapons preference, and find out what happened to the last space colony. ULTIMATE FIGHTING RESIDENT EVIL CODE: VERONICA CHAMPIONSHIP PlayStation 2 fans can brag that their version has extras. You can remind them who their real daddy is AND mention what you did with the surplus cash in your pocket. After all, Capcom's Dreamcast edition looked every bit as good as PS2's. Who wants ten more minutes of Resident Evil's patented bad acting? A surprising release from Crave, UFC captured all of the technique of the Octagon, along with great models and a kick-ass career mode. Its gameplay put most wrestling games to shame, and featured innumerable reversals, counters, and other ways to make men cry. I ти CORE pm yc! TOTAL TIME 8/5 yoy 00 WD Games Not LE | LAP TIME ; Eod n ‚ ut тени — Blue Stinger Elemental Gimmick Gear Evil Dead: Hail to the King Evolution t Ke KISS Psycho Circus zh Ü 83 PenPen Trilcelon TB - ЕУ E Soul Fighter lit, ILS South Park Rally Sydney 2000 Who Wants To Beat Up A n = Before Gran Turismo 3, Sega GT struck next-gen racing fans with а Millionaire? Using the Dreameast's technology, as well as some crafty title that survived the similarities. Although it doesn't have nearly as development, Sega and Visual Concepts fashioned the best basketball many licensed cars as Sony's GT series, it allows you to create your dynasty in video games. The Al is hard-nosed and the options are own car from scratch. How about them freakin’ apples, huh?! heavy. Plus, 2K1 and 2K2 have an unbeatable Franchise mode. GAMEINFORMER 55 AN OLYMPIC STORY THAT TEACHES US THE VALUE OF SPORTSMANSHIP. AND HARDWARE. The rarest medal in the Olympics wasn't created from gold, but a bolt. The story begins on a cold, winter afternoon in Innsbruck at the 1964 Olympic two-man bobsled competition. A British team driven by Tony Nash had just completed its first run, which had put them in second place. Then they made a most disheartening discovery. They had broken a bolt on the rear axle of their sled, which would put them out of the competition. At the bottom of the hill, the great Italian bobsled driver, Eugenio Monti, who was in first place, heard of their plight. Without hesitation, Monti removed the bolt from the rear axle of his own sled and sent itto the top of the hill. The British team affixed it to their sled and then completed their run and won the gold medal. Monti's Italian team took the bronze. When asked about his act of sportsmanship, Eugenio Monti deflected any praise, saying, "Tony Nash did not win because I gave him a bolt. Tony Nash won because he was the best driver.” The story of Monti's selfless act spread. And because of it he was given the first De Coubertin Medal for sportsmanship. The award, named after the founder of the modern Olympics, is one of the noblest honors that can be bestowed upon an Olympic athlete. In other words, the most precious hardware any Olympian can own. CELEBRATE HUMANITY. BH www.olympics.com ©2001 1.0.С. All rights reserved. 2 o fz > / 5 E z 2 79 ^m £ © hy a How do you follow up a classic franchise? For most developers, the answer is easy – Just keep making Sequels until people stop buying. Over the years, we've seen this happen countless times, in Core's gradually declining Tomb Raider series or Capcom’s uninspired string of Mega Man spin-offs. Crash Bandicoot was a phenomenal success on the PlayStation, selling millions of copies, and making Naughty Dog's highly-caffeinated marsupial the de facto mascot of the console that dominated the 1990s. Vivendi Univeral, the company that owns the tights to the Crash Bandicoot license, was intent on bringing the series to the greener pastures of the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube. However, Naughty Dog, whose original vision for the games had been exhausted by more than a half-decade Spent refining and modifying the Crash formula into two best-selling sequels and a brief foray into kart racing, were aching to leave their most successful Creation behind. Throwing caution to the wind, Naughty Dog made a bold decision. The firm, esteemed in the industry as one of the best practitioners of the action/platformer, broke with Vivendi Universal, leaving the future of Crash Bandicoot in the hands of his corporate masters. Seeking to alleviate ` themselves of the headaches of running the financial side of their operation, founders Jason Rubin and Andy Gavin sold the company they had built from scratch to Sony. For their maiden voyage ` into PS2 waters, they vowed to create a new franchise that would be bigger, better, and more - ambitious than anything they had accomplished оп the PlayStation. This game would come to be known as Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, and was recently released to near-universal acclaim from the video game press. For this article, the Naughty Dog staff gave us the opportunity to hear the real story ` behind the game, from the earliest planning stages - to the final code, revealing all the joy and pain that foes into creating a video game. As every game is much a product of the people that created it, decided to let them tell you this tale in their OSCAR REF чл” The Genesis The Jak and Daxter project actually began back in 1998, when most of the company was working on finishing Crash Team Racing. During this time Andy Gavin and a small team of programming aces began work on the technology tools that would be used to create the game's graphics engine. This was an exciting time for the company, most of whom were anxious to leave Crash Bandicoot as a fond memory. Soon, ideas for new gameplay concepts and character desígns were being feverishly tossed around the Naughty Dog offices. JASON RUBIN (President, Co-Founder): We do what we do because we like it. We were getting bored with the Crash series, and that’s why we ended with Crash Team Racing, We didn’t want to make another Crash game; we were out of ideas. We didn't want to bring Crash to the next-generation hardware because we would be handcuffed to whatever we had done before and whatever mistakes we had made with the Crash series. We had aliens in Crash Team Racing. How were we going to work all of that out? ANDY GAVIN (Lead Programmer, Co-Founder): | mean time travel, space stations - c'mon! JASON RUBIN: The whole thing was just getting out of hand. There was nothing new we wanted to do with this. It’s like skydivers. They don't just skydive once and say “Woo! That was hard, but | got through it. I’m never going to do.it again.” You start to want that adrenaline rush, and it’s great. As development began in earnest, more members of the CTR team were moved over to the Jak and Daxter project. ——————— M EVAN WELLS (Co-Designer): Development of Jak and Daxter actually started even before we completed Crash Team Racing. While the rest of the team was toiling away on CTR, we had two programmers (Andy Gavin and Stephen White) laying the groundwork for what was to become Jak and Daxter. Of course, at the time it was being called Project Y (the logical progression from Project X, CTR's early developmental code name) and nobody had any idea exactly where it would end up. They spent this first year getting a head start, so that the rest of the team would have an engine and tools to work with when the time came. GREG OMI (Programmer): Our main engine design principle was to have a high density of polygons, as in the Crash series, but with a free-roaming environment. Our goal was to deliver grand vistas where you could see other areas of the game and move seamlessly between "levels" without any interruption of gameplay. DIDIER MALENFANT (Programmer): | was hired in September 1999, and helped out a little bit on building up the very first tool pipeline for Project Y. We very quickly | got our first level up and running. | moved — | on to try to figure out how geometry | occlusion would be done in the game, which маза | very difficult problem considering how much | geometry we have, | f Once some of their.fundamental technology. was 1 completed, Naughty Dog began to create a l character and a design for the game. 1 | | i EVAN WELLS: Through several brainstorming sessions we worked out the design goals that would | shape.the game we were about to spend the next | two years developing. The number one goal on that | list was to create a fully realized, seamless world 1 that the player could explore without any load times. | GREG ОМІ: We also wanted to deliver an enhanced animation system so that we could smoothly blend between animations without any popping. axayan GAME INFORMER 59: JAN WELLS: Specifically from a game design standpoint, we were trying to achieve a combination |. of the kind of platform gaming found in Banjo- 1. Kazooie, the epic adventure feeling found in the | Legend of Zelda, and some of the do-or-die | „excitement from the Crash Bandicoot series. DIDIER MALENFANT: Basically, we wanted to free „ourselves from the limitations of the Crash universe | and create a whole new, fresh set of characters. i EVAN WELLS: Our earliest designs actually called for a third main character. We were going to have our hero, his sidekick, and a third, cuter pet-like character. He was going to evolve as you played the game, similar to a Tamagotchi. The way you played the game would determine how he would “grow up,” and what kind of creature you had at the end of the game. However, this idea didn’t work out, and we decided to proceed with two characters fairly early on. | | || ! | Í JOSH SCHERR (Animator): Jak and Daxter are much more cartoony than realistic. We drew inspirations from a lot of the classics of animation; Warner Brothers cartoons directed by Chuck Jones and Tex Avery, Disney films such as Aladdin and Tarzan, and of course Pixar's films. EVAN WELLS: Jak went through several looks and probably as many names before we reached the final version you see in the game. Initially we thought about exploring chain physics on our hero, so some of the early designs had up to three ponytails. We also didn't settle on the long-eared elfin look for some time either. We went through some very Tl 7 animal looks early on, some even resembling the | ` Thunder Cats! Once our Art Director, Bob Каѓеі, was | narrowing in on the final design, picking Jak's colors i Before any rendering is done, all of the elements | of the game are first designed by hand was one of the last decisions made. There was probably a week or so when we tried almost every hair and jacket color combination possible. Fueling the Engine With the characters and development tools well in place, it's now time to bring the vision to life. The Naughty Dog team begins the-hard work of Thousands of poses that were drawn for Jak’s sidekick; Daxter. Naughty Dog originally intended to have Daxter as a playable character, and these illustrations clearly show some of the moves they had originally envisioned tweaking the engine to delivér unprecedented visuals and play. Along the way, the game undergoes many changes in design and technology. EVAN WELLS: From a game design standpoint, we had a few goals we were shooting for. We wanted our hero to be very athletic with heavy influences from gymnastics and martial arts. We didn't want him to carry a weapon in an attempt to minimize any violence. And we wanted him to appeal to a slightly older audience than we had targeted with Crash Bandicoot. DIDIER MALENFANT: From a programming point of view, we wanted to push the boundaries of the PlayStation 2, just like the Crash games had been pushing the boundaries of the PS-X. Only this time in a free-roaming game with no load times, so as to make the world continuous. EVAN WELLS: The design challenges that we encountered in the development were non-stop. The story had to be written to remain flexible to accommodate the ever-evolving design. The script had to be written well in advance of the animation and gameplay implementation. The world had to be designed such that it made complete spatial sense. So, if there was a cave in a mountain, it actually had to fit in the mountain. It also had to be laid out just right to allow the spooling system to hide all of the load times. DIDIER MALENFANT: This single hurdle — avoiding loading times — affected every single decision that we made in writing the tools and the engine and made everything 10 times more challenging. EVAN WELLS: Our last major goal was to provide an additional motivation to the platform genre. We wanted to make every task in the game story-driven in some regard. All other decisions we made in the development were shaped by these early design goals. Wanting the game to have a more engrossing storyline than the Crash Bandicoot titles, the team implemented a series of real-time cutscenes, all-of which operated using the game engine, and featured. voice-overs in five languages. EVAN WELLS: We really wanted to incorporate Disney-quality animated cut scenes to tell the story. On top of that, we wanted to give every instruction and hint in the game through audio instead of text, which led us to creating the sidekick character, Daxter. JOSH SCHERR: Between the 50 minutes worth of real-time cut scenes, the main character cycles, and all of the creatures: and objects in the game, the amount of animation we had to create was nearly comparable to doing a feature film. We were generally putting out about 30 seconds of finished animation per week — by way of comparison; feature film animators will do about four to six seconds per week. GREG OMI: Any of these tasks alone is a huge project, which any sane programming team would dismiss as overly ambitious. In addition to all of this, we decided to write our own operating system and language to make development "easier." Every single one of our programmers has been a lead programmer on one or more projects. We even have artists and designers that can program, which is a huge asset when working on tools, particles, and gameplay. Not satisfied. with a game engine that merely worked, the J&D programmers instituted numerous and wide ranging changes in the game engine throughout the course of the development cycle, Of course, attempting a project of this scope brings many.challenges. EVAN WELLS: We had several challenges in the course of development from numerous engine re- writes, to last-minute script changes. ANDY GAVIN: Our game isn't a first generation game. We've written at least two games full of shippable engines: good engines that people would be happy with, and just tossed them. We had a character engine that was running for a year and a half that is probably better than most people's are by quite a bit, and we tossed it completely in favor of our new one, which is even better. DIDIER MALENFANT: The biggest problem from a programming point of view was the modeling All of the final character designs are posted on a board for reference. е The levels are inspired from a series of storyboards packages that the artists were using. They just couldn’t handle the amount of geometry that Jak and Daxter has, and we spent an enormous amount of time writing plug-ins to help the artists finish the ` game. 5 JOSH SCHERR: Besides the aforementioned organization issues, we didn't really encounter too many problems on the animation side except those you'd expect for an undertaking of this complexity. For example, since it sometimes took a while to cast the best voices for the characters, we'd get the recordings later than we would've liked, but our animation team got the job done despite the delays. ANDY. GAVIN: 1 love the animation blending system. Other people do similar types of blending stuff, but 1 think we have a framework for using it that makes it easy for us to create much more fluid character. -animations than most people do. It’s even made the animators lazy. They used to have to line everything up, and get animations to match, now they'll say, ` “Oh well, just smooth that over. Slow it down here; «stuff like that.” [Laughs] 3 As the game progressed, Naughty Dog was eager to show their new creation. Jak and Daxter's coming out party: was to be at ЕЗ 2001, where it was prominently featured-in the Sony pre-E3 press Conference. `` ; EVAN WELLS: Our goal was to make a big debut at : the 2001 E3. We wanted to go into the show with the first village completely finished and we just : made that goal. Of course, in the grand scheme of a three-year development cycle, E3 is really close to ` Christmas, and we felt the pressure as Soon as the show was over. The next six months were a blur of script re-writes, engine overhauls, focus tests, and level building. A team of 35 people can get a lot done in six months, and that's маё уе did: The final two months of that crunch were when you could actually finally play the game from start to finish. That was a major accomplishment, and when you start to feel like you've got a game. EN EA lere’s a side-by-side comparison showing the early pencil work and how it looks in the finished game 5 Sessa ean ir ERI s VR UNTER SERE залаа | “THE ART OF MAKING A GAME | ——————————————— /nÁP Launch and Beyon After nearly three years of blood, sweat, and tears, Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy was released on December 5, 2001. Game journalists generally embraced the game, and it received positive reviews in most major outlets. It's too early to tell how Jak and Daxter will fare with consumers, but we were informed that sales have been steadily increasing since a slow start,-Whatever the charts may say, the Naughty Dog staff is pleased with:the ‚ end results, and looks forward to a sequel in which they can implement some of the ideas that were left off of their first PlayStation 2 effort. EVAN WELLS: Once the game has been submitted for approval, the waiting game starts. You play the game.over and over yourself; looking for bugs, and hoping you don't find any. Every email you open, you're hoping for a notice of approval, and fearing a P Р Јак and Daxter features roughly an hour of animated cutscenes new bug report. Finally, the good news comes. The game is approved. You can go home and sleep. I'm very proud of the game. The fact that we actually achieved our initial goal of creating the fully realized, seamless and load-free world still blows me away. ANDY GAVIN: 1 think the fact that there was no loading is extremely impressive. There was quite a lot of work behind that: JASON RUBIN: [Laughs] That's the good thing about not being a programmer. You can stand up and shout, "A game in 2001 should not have loading times!” Then, the programmers have to go off and actually do it! É EVAN WELLS: In retrospect, 1 question our decision to not have Jak speak. Though I believe our ` intentions were good, in the final implementation it doesn't come off quite the way we originally intended. GREG OMI: My favorite part of the game is Daxter, 1 just love his. commentary. If there were one thing that | would change in the game, it would be to give ` Jak some lines. | think Jak and Daxter could get a good banter going; either that or we could have better played off of his silence like Penn and Teller. JOSH SCHERR: [I would have liked] а more satisfying ending for completing 100 percent of the game, even if it was just something simple like a menu option that allowed you to watch any of the cut scenes from the menu. There just wasn't time. JASON RUBIN: There are some gameplay elements that got left out. There was an idea to combine yet another genre into this action/adventure, and maybe we'll get it into the next one. ANDY GAVIN: You-can only do so many things in one : game, and we've put a lot of them in this one. JASON RUBIN: There's a lot of stuff we could do to improve it. If we could yank out 20 percent of the draw time, without changing the look, and use that 20 percent to have more environment mapping and some bump mapping, that would be huge. That’s certainly possible...We don't have ground fog. I'm sure we could do it, we just don't have it. We don't have mirrors, Рт sure we could do that too. It's just a matter of going through and doing it. We just have to decide what we want to do and do it. There are so many options. EVAN WELLS: Of course those ideas won't go to waste, necessarily. Hopefully, the game will have enough success to warrant sequels! ANDY GAVIN: Ultimately, the public has to judge it, but | feel really good about it: Basically everyone — game industry or not - that we've shown the game to has given us really good feedback. JASON RUBIN: We're going into another Christmas season, things are unsure again, and we're alive. That's the feeling of life. That's not to say | wouldn't want to do a sequel to Jak and Daxter, because there's a lot of things that we want to do. Still, it's nice to do something new. | don't know how Charles Schultz did it. | don't know how he died at 77 years old having done Peanuts for that long. It would kill me. | couldn't do that, There's nothing interesting in that. ied PLAYSTATION 2 STAR WARS: » JEDI STARFIGHTER „ LUCASARTS TAPS INTO EPISODE II This spring, gamers wit get a sneak peek at Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones through LucasArts’ highly-anticipated PlayStation 2 sequel, Jedi Starfighter. In 15 story-based missions, which can now be played cooperatively with a friend, players will get a first-hand look at several of the key locations featured in the forthcoming film. Along with roughly 50 different starships and capital-class vessels, a handful of the vehicles are either inspired or directly taken from Episode Il. The most notable addition, one that players will have the chance to pilot, is the sleek and highly agile Jedi Starfighter. On the big screen, you'll see Obi-Wan take the helm of this incredible vehicle, but in the game, it will be flown by the Jedi Master Adi Gallia. Other recognizable Jedi Council members, such as Sassae Tiin, will make appearances as well. Always a question in the minds of Star Wars fans is what role the Force plays within space combat. Through direct collaboration with LucasFilm's big wigs and creative minds, LucasArts has created a system that will allow players to tap into this mystical power and greatly enhance their performance. Throughout the course of the game, the gameplay dynamics will push players to tap into this art. As of now, LucasArts won't reveal every little detail linked to this interesting gameplay element, but has cited several examples. At any given time, players can summon a Force Shield to propel enemy blasts and protect their ship’s hull. If swarms of enemies approach, a quick blast of Force Lightning will directly target enemy power systems. There's also a chance that this energy surge may render an enemy pilot Force Shockwave that expands from the ship in multiple directions, devastating everything this radial explosion comes in contact with. Much like Max Payne’s Bullet Time system, players can call upon a Force Reflex to slow down the world around them. When this happens, the Jedi’s ship retains its normal speed, giving players an unfair advantage over the opposition. Rather than structuring the plot around the events that take place in Episode Il, LucasArts is continuing the story from the founding release – primarily following the actions of the blue-skinned alien, Nym. When we first met Nym, his haphazard lifestyle rivaled that of Han Solo. However, as time progressed, his character evolved. He showed compassion and assisted in the movement to crush the Trade Federation's sinister plans. In Jedi Starfighter, Nym's evolution continues. Long forgotten are his days of pirating; he’s now a rebel leader. Even with a radical new outlook on life, some things never change. Nym still pilots the Havoc, which has now been upgraded with cruise missiles, proximity mines, and cluster bombs. If the game is played cooperatively, additional characters and craft will be introduced. Along with Reti (the obnoxious Toydarian who pilots the Zoomer), Nym’s understudy, Jinkins, takes to the skies in the Freefall, which has been upgraded with laser cannons and drone fighter wingmen. The texturing directly reflects that of the original release, but LucasArts is doing everything in its power to enhance the engine. If all goes as planned, this Star Wars experience should be just as cutting-edge as the masterful GameCube release, Rogue Leader. Many enhancements have been made to the graphics engine GAME INFORMER à ¿ ; “7 NRI. i Many of the environments are designed after key locales from Attack of the Clones ‘es a triumphant return By tapping into the Force, players can propel attacks, such as Force Lightning While Obi-Wan pilots this vessel in Attack pU ju 8 m ugh to completely obliterate a Trade Federation Drop Ship мтс o» PLAYSTATION 2 GET UR FREAK ON! Everything EA Big touches seems to turn to gold. The first title under Electronic Arts' new label was SSX, and it finally put a stop to the snowboard funk that had permeated the sport for years, with a slope full of pretenders and underachievers. Then came NBA Street, and that blockbuster took arcade hoops to a new level, then shattered the backboard. Now, EA Big faces its biggest challenge yet: getting motocross over with the masses. To Game Informer editors, riding a motorcycle on dirt is akin to test-marketing the Nerf Crotch Bat. Few exceptions exist, and really nothing has come close to touching the NES classic, Excitebike. The droning hum of the engine induces involuntary nerve twitches throughout every inch of our bodies. Perhaps the most fun we've had with these games has been the freestyle portions, where we're able to pull a few tricks off of massive jumps. At least there's only one bike making a horrible racket, as opposed to a race. Still, EA Big has ensured us that Page 44, Freekstyle's developer, is going all-out to reverse any stigma attached to this racing genre. Riders, of course, want to win every race, but style points are almost equally as important. Eighty tricks can be performed and combined together for even more insanity. We know you can't resist the urge to pull a Saran Wrap or a Superman Seat Grab off the huge inclines, and who can blame you? This trick setup is very similar to NBA Street, Where you compile trick points along with the actual buckets you score. Unlike SSX's eclectic cast of characters, the riders in Freekstyle are all real professionals. It appears there are enough crazies who do this stuff for a living that you don't have to make people up. Such cycle stalwarts as Mike Metzger, Greg Albertyn and Brian Deegan are all included, along with many more. Do you know any of those people? Neither do we, but we imagine we'll get acquainted with them pretty fast, as we watch them tackle the eight challenging courses, complete with shortcuts and different paths. If anyone can pull off a great motocross game, it's EA Big. We look forward to seeing what will become of Freekstyle, and how it will change our perception of this under- appreciated sport. W STYLE 1 ТО 4-PLAYER ACTION/SPORTS lii PUBLISHER EA SPORTS BIG Ш DEVELOPER PAGE 44 Ш RELEASE MARCH 26 64 GAME INFORMER 072 Т2 FREEK OUT FREEK OUT Heel Click Cordova We hope biffing this trick leads to a nutter animation A great way to get a tan FREEK OUT Saran Wrap Only you can prevent forest fires, jerk Keeps foods fresh, notches mad points BED ENT COO $ EN OR ЧСА j - Animation is a cool 60 fps Pray for strong shocks X FREEK OUT қ Heel Click TAE, i at ү. ON d | pi £ "m Nd ) GAMEINFORMER. 65 15.09 = PLAYSTATION 2 SUIKODEN Ill 3D DESTINY OF THE STARS RPGs haven't always depended on cutting: edge graphics, instead relying on their complex, involving stories and battle systems to carry them through. There are exceptions to this, and Final Fantasy X was a noteworthy case for the PS2. Until then, the PlayStation 2 had yet to really establish itself with a roster of grade-A RPGs. This leaves a daunting wake for others in the genre such as Konami's Suikoden ІІІ. The series' first step into 3D isn't quite as spectacular looking as FFX, but its refined battle system, epic story arcs, and 108 Stars of Destiny make it a title no RPG fan could resist. Suikoden's move into 3D takes away somewhat from the realistic characters the series previously had, using instead more deformed and exaggerated models. An early demo we've played showed environments that were a little basic, with action largely moving along predetermined paths. It also sounds like there will be less freedom than before, but then again, the series hasn't given you the opportunity to play through three separate main characters before. Suikoden Ill takes place 15 years before the second installment, and this larger time elapse makes for a story that is more separated than the others have been. It starts off with Hugo, son of Karaya Clan chief Lucia, on his way to deliver a letter of truce to Zexen. The events that unfold will lead him to a meeting with Lilly Pendragon from Tinto — who has grown up from Suikoden II's Unification War. Such intersections are what the title's Trinity Sight System is all about. At the beginning of a chapter you'll choose who you want to control: Hugo, Chris (captain of the Zexen Confederacy Knights), or Gedo (unit commander of the Harmonian Regional Defense Force). You'll then play through until the characters" fates meet up and then diverge. The game's battle system is also different from previous titles. In order to move away from the standard jump forward, attack enemy, jump back format of most turn-based RPGs, Suikoden III has the Free Position Battle System (FPBS). Here your characters will remain directly in front of, or away from, a foe (depending on the attacks you execute). Thus, you must take note of the range of your attacks and how this might endanger you to your enemies' strikes. This, in conjunction with a new Buddy System, creates more strategy. In the Buddy System, your usual party of six is broken up into three pairs. You must decide who is in front and who is in back, how you want to coordinate United Attacks, and what your position will mean offensively and defensively for the pair. Furthermore, you can achieve Ride-on status, where two characters can combine their HPs during a battle. Suikoden Ill won't come out until well into 2002, so there is plenty of time to work on some issues, such as the camerawork during combat. The series' move onto the PS2 has created challenges, but also opened the door for some exciting changes to the grand tale that is still uniquely Suikoden. Howard the Duck's friends want in on the Lea Thompson action Ш STYLE 1-PLAYER ROLE-PLAYING GAME li PUBLISHER KONAMI Ш DEVELOPER KONAMI ШЕ RELEASE FALL Japanese RPGs 101: Mysterious women are essential to any good plot, тотар = lic uc You рге bastardi especially when their name is a series of questions marks Character placement is important in Suikoden III's turn-based combat 66 GAME INFORMER RESIDENT EVIL REDEFINING HORROR As consumers decide wnich console they'ı invest their hard-earned income into, the video game titans are battling for territorial dominance and securing as many third- party allies as they can. Microsoft fired the first shot, delivering a startling blow to Sony and Nintendo by signing on Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee and Dead or Alive 3 as Xbox exclusives. This attack came as a surprise, but it really didn't do much damage. Both of these franchises are well recognized, but neither will truly help Microsoft sell Xbox units. In retaliation, Nintendo launched a full-on assault against Microsoft and Sony. Crushing the classification that the GameCube is strictly for kids, Nintendo and Capcom reached an agreement to make Resident Evil a GameCube-only franchise. This deal includes the highly anticipated Resident Evil 4; the prequel, Resident Evil: Zero; a remake of the original Resident Evil; and ports of Resident Evil 2, 3, and Code: Veronica. Backtracking to where the series started, the first game out of Capcom is the remake of the founding release. To ensure that the title doesn't feel dated in any way, Capcom is starting from scratch. Even though the game closely mimics the classic survival horror formula, drastic improvements have been implemented into every inch of the quest. Instead of using live actors for the cutscenes, the entire story will be presented through rendered sequences. The overall story arc will begin and end in the same manner, but players will run into a handful of different plot twists along the way. The game once again offers two separate quests for Chris and Jill. The detail that went into both of these characters is incredible. If you look closely, you can see Chris' pants wrinkle as he cautiously sidesteps down a hallway. All the more exciting, Jill has a newfound "bounce" in her movements. Rather than running away from enemies when a firearm's ammo is depleted, or trying to stab an enemy with a knife, both characters can now perform a number of hand-to-hand combat tactics. Chris puts a lot of muscle behind his punches, while Jill relies on her swiftness and acrobatic abilities to inflict massive amounts of damage through kicks. Rather than rely specifically on gore, Capcom is using the environments to set the mood for any given sequence. Through impressive lighting techniques, like lightning blasts within a dimly lit room, or shadows that expand across the floor as a light bulb flickers, each environment truly has a life of its own and no longer appears to be static. Ensuring that the quest feels completely foreign to gamers, Capcom has also reworked all of the puzzles and item placements. The locations of enemies is also completely different. In the past, one zombie may have occupied a room. In the GameCube remake, four hunters may populate it. To counter the implementation of kung fu tactics, the enemies also embody different attacks. As pesky as ever, the dogs can now bite specific limbs. They can also knock you to the ground and gnaw at your face. Of course, they're still no match for a quick shotgun blast. At press time, an announcement regarding the US release had not been made, but Capcom representatives have confirmed that the title will indeed be ported over to the States and it should see the light of day shortly after the March 22 Japanese release. W STYLE 1-PLAYER ACTION/ADVENTURE lg PUBLISHER CAPCOM lii DEVELOPER CAPCOM W RELEASE MARCH 22 (JAPAN), 2ND QUARTER (US) Capcom is enhancing the combat engine to include hand-to-hand melee. Jill can now perform punch combos and a wide variety of kicks. Brought to life with horrific realism, Chris can still stomp on the heads of zombies gnawing at his boot PREVIEWS Sparing no expense, the level of detail that went into each environment sets a new standard for survival horror games ye f" T fa f 4 б. «^. j The entire quest has been rewritten to include new plot twists, item placements, puzzles, and monster encounters Deme x p JT TUE sl E Each enemy type interacts differently with the characters. In this scene. a dog latches onto Chris' arm and tears away a piece of flesh GAME INFORMER 67 NBA INSIDE DRIVE 2002 SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR: BILL GATES Breaking into the game with а new sports average. Icon passing is here, and play-calling is done with franchise may be the most difficult task in the video game ease. industry. Microsoft represented just fine with its first-party NFL None can fault the job done on Inside Drive's graphics, title, Fever, though it has a ways to go to beat out EA's either. Possibly the most impressive aspect of the visuals is Madden or Sega's NFL 2K series. The basketball market is the way jerseys and shorts have bump-mapped wrinkles on equally dominated by these two publishers, and Microsoft them. Player expressions and faces are also expertly detailed, wants NBA Inside Drive to sneak in and create a three-game and telling Tracy McGrady from Grant Hill will be no problem. race. What makes this difficult is the fact that Microsoft is starting from scratch, whereas established franchises can just update existing engines, adding things they missed in years past. What counts most is gameplay, and developer High Voltage has given a good first effort in this category. All the control elements are here, with realistic steals, rejections, and dunks. Rebounding, which is most games' Achilles’ heel, even seems above 68 GAME INFORMER А curious amount of attention was paid to accurately recreating all 29 arenas. The Staples Center looks nothing like America West Arena. If you don't know the intricacies of Conseco Fieldhouse, prepare to be amazed. However, this detail was done at the expense of features like Franchise mode and Create-APlayer, both of which are absent from this game. Those omissions aside, we look forward to seeing just how much game NBA Inside Drive 2002 will offer. Ф. e -D. to the D. You come and see me and you pay a fee. PREVIEWS PLAYSTATION 2/PC FINAL FANTAS A NEW REALITY Moving away from the plug-and-play formula, be downloaded to a hard drive. All the player data is saved Final Fantasy XI will be the first online-only console RPG. on Square Soft's Play Online servers, and every precaution While many claim that Phantasy Star Online came first, it has been taken to prevent hackers from cheating. was actually a multifunctional release that included a single- Those fortunate enough to be on the beta testing team player game, as well as the highly-touted online experience. have taken an oath not to divulge any details, but a few Rather than compete with Sega, Square Soft is heading in a threads of information have leaked out. Apparently, the game The playable races consist of the adorable little taru taru... different direction, targeting the heavyweight PC title, makes good use of Final Fantasy Tactics’ class/job system, т үш) i EverQuest. Square's goal is to deliver a living, persistent allowing players to study and excel in a wide variety of arts. world where players can interact and quest together. No When players boot up the game, they'll have the freedom to details have been given as to how many players can occupy completely customize their character's appearance. Thus far, the world, but we've witnessed video clips with roughly 20 three races are playable. Along with humans, you'll don the human-controlled characters scampering about a town. Much pointy ears of elves, or shrink down to the midget-size of the like EverQuest's guild system, up to 18 players can unite to taru taru. The game takes place in the land of Vana Dir, form an alliance. If Square Soft plays its cards right, specific which is seperated into three kingdoms (Bastaque, Windus, bosses won't be defeatable unless attacked by a well-trained and Sandoria), each representing a specific race. To easily and high-powered alliance. navigate this expansive world, mountable chocobos can be The game is currently being developed for the PlayStation purchased. 2 and PC, and both versions will be compatible with one Along with the flat rate for the game, players will be another. Final Fantasy XI will also be a bilingual release, charged a monthly Play Online fee. The Japanese launch has offering text in English and Japanese. As of now, the been delayed, but it should occur sometime this spring. As Japanese release date has been moved back. Beta testing for the US date, Square Soft is still throwing around is well underway and Square won't release the game until all ^ possibilities. The talk is that it could be as late as 2003. the bugs are worked out. In the future, patches and files can W STYLE MASSIVELY MULTIPLAYER ONLINE ROLE-PLAYING GAME ШЕ PUBLISHER SQUARE SOFT Ш DEVELOPER SQUARE SOFT W RELEASE ТВА v ir o Rak? Same ^t \ Ame 272 4 Hkazub Pomona 299e ` Jin m S1 2em E10 daar? 5 4am Batteriho Ra es‏ اا Hkazub: ($t. All? aman? rz GST - ae D 42 SSS ie > чылы. GuweinZ/Battering Кат 12272— ETE Й адо еа ыа аЗ сца Snowangolic® Battering Ram, 2970—27 = Y ER SnowangelicABattering Ват. 2974—72 Guweinf'Battering Кат®1#. 124/—:7. tlm 6/7 Bo 5 i Using the PlayStation 2 keyboard, players can freely Three parties (six people each) unite as an alliance converse with one another, or anyone within their zone to take down this dreaded Battering Ram creature ...and the scraggily faced humans GAMEINFORMER 69 NEW LEGENDS A LEGEND IN THE MAKING Some games take place back in the day in Asia. Others have futuristic, machine-driven settings. New Legends, true to its name, combines both motifs into a unique world all its own. Sun Soo is an heir to the Soo Dynasty, one of the most popular territories in China. Throughout this game, though, he is treated like anything but royalty. First, his father is slaughtered. Then, he becomes imprisoned as a common criminal, submitting himself to daily torture and forced soap-droppings. Despite all this adversity, Sun Soo doesn't lose focus of his goal: defeat the wicked Xao Gon and restore freedom to China. To accomplish his mission, Soo needs to use many weapons. The interface allows him to wield two implements at once, and combine them into devastating attacks. Melee weapons include claws, swords, and clubs. Long-range firearms and bows can also be put to good use dispatching the many foes, who themselves have some dazzling moves, and will assure your block button sees frequent use. Because of the amalgamation of time periods, not only will samurai ghosts be on your trail, but unmanned flying craft also set their sites on you. Fortunately, Soo is not without allies. First and foremost is a misanthropic, blue half-Demon named Boo. Other simple troops and friends will fight the good fight alongside you, resulting in large-scale battles. They are even adequate guides, and you can follow them in a pinch. In the same vein, an invaluable onscreen compass aids your navigation, preventing you from getting too lost. With so many methods of finding your way, exploration of the large environments is encouraged. New Legends' mission-based gameplay takes you on many adventures, and your path is constantly changing. One minute Soo finds himself using a massive cannon to open up a path to a bridge; the next, he's running for his life as an avalanche engulfs everything in its path. The graphics, with simple textures and a minimum of ambient objects, probably won't be dropping any jaws. However, the camera system is extremely intuitive, and lets you keep your eyes on the most important thing: the action at hand. Audio compensates for the graphical limitations by bathing you in voice-overs and stunning sound effects. The Xbox needs more original, innovative titles, and New Legends’ arrival isn't a moment too soon. While not displaying the power of Xbox, it is promising in almost all other aspects, and could be the start of something big for THQ. Nice Dockers STYLE 1-PLAYER ACTION/ADVENTURE ШЕ PUBLISHER THQ Ш DEVELOPER INFINITE MACHINE II RELEASE JANUARY 21 Some weapons require two hands 70 GAME INFORMER The blue dork is Boo. The guy Sun slashed looks a bit like Cyclops XBOX/PLAYSTATION 2/GAMECUBE/PC BLOODRAYN RED SKIES AT NIGHT, BLOODY DELIGHT Majesco's got ањ. person action horror-fest with a female fists o' fury named Agent BloodRayne. The publisher hopes this premise will get your red juices going pretty good — not only because the game's got a stew of gameplay features to pitch, but because the half- human, half-vampiress Ms. BloodRayne gets off on drinking blood. Sounds like she should hook up with Blade for a night on the town, but that's another tale for another time. Equally compelling is the fact that developer Terminal Reality is drawing on experience and new technology to spice up t! game's own mix of familiar and exciting features. Dipping into the same time period as Terminal Reality's Nocturne (alth the two titles are unrelated), BloodRayne takes place in the 1930s before WWII. The Nazis have already taken up residence in South America in order to investigate an ancient power. To unleash this fabled force, three artifacts must be found and joined together. The Nazis are soon in over their heads and dealing with an entity more evil than they are, so it's up to Agent BloodRayne to save the entire world from being engulfed by the power those morons have 4 unleashed (feel free to let those Nazi stooges die a horrible death, however). This may sound like Indiana Jones meets Resident Evil meets the next Lara Croft, but there's more to it than that. Terminal Reality is using a new engine for the game dubbed the Infernal Engine, which will allow for everything from the slo-mo effects we've come to love from The Matrix and Max Payne, to a camera which allows you to follow the course of your bullets and knives. The best thing is that all the carnage you can cause only spurs your agent on even further. Drink enough blood and you'll go into a Bloodlust, drink even more and you'll induce a Bloodrage, where you can unleash a violent frenzy upon your foes. Also in tune with her half-vampiress heritage is our heroine's supernatural abilities such as increased vision, speed, and agility. BloodRayne is still early in its development, so there is plenty of time to distinguish itself from the surface comparisons. Terminal Reality is already at work on melding all of Rayne's physical gifts into a smooth, yet unrelenting oncoction of combat that isn't at odds with the game's story. Above all else, this could be the key factor that would raise the game above the others and give us a complete gaming experience. BloodRayne challenges these spider bat creatures to see who sucks better W STYLE |-PLAYER ACTION/ADVENTURE lg PUBLISHER MAJESCO lii DEVELOPER TERMINAL REALITY I RELEASE FALL PREVIEWS Р It's the fangs that'll really kill you we LAT 4 E "XU { Lh , d Check out BloodRayne's wicked forearm knives ` E. р — Boba Fett?! Boba Fett?! Where?! GAMEINFORMER 71 AB: 7⁄3 ) TiME: 0:04.09 ) Ç HITS: LAF: (C pos: ` N <= PLAYSTATION 2 STAR WARS: RACER REVENGE RACING UNDER THE RAINBOW- The development Of Racer Revenge is spearheaded by Game Informer's 2001 Developer of the Ye Rainbow Studios. When it comes to vehicular physics, поро even comes close to matching the attention to detail and — — realism that Rainbow incorporates into every one ofits gal In ATV Off-Road Fury, Rainbow nailed the sensi quad bike. In the pursuit of authenticity, Rainbow. far as to successfully re-create how weight distribution works for not only the bike, but the rider as well. With Rainbow's most. < recent release, Splashdown, the company completely _ reinvented water bike racing. The water. physics in Nintendo's Wave Race seemed as true to life as could be, but after playing ~ Splashdown and seeing the nuances that go into each wave, your reality is forever changed. Rainbow is now faced with its most difficult challenge yet — harnessing the true feeling of what it's like to pilot a podracer. Since these machines are completely fictional, Rainbow's only source of information comes from approximately 10 minutes of movie footage — as seen in Star Wars: Episode | The Phantom Menace. The complexities of these machines are completely alien and just as farfetched as a talking slug. It's Rainbow's job to make the experience seem real. LucasArts did a commendable job of capturing the sheer speed of these racing vehicles, but it really didn't tackle any of the physics involved. With Rainbow's track record, LucasArts enlisted the help of this developer to try and amalgamate both of these aspects into one game. [e In addition to keeping the pod on the track. you'll need to keep an eye on the engine and temperature meters. E P ` When a pod takes on damage, the engines will smoke. flame ‘up. and then eventually explode Anakin and Sebulba jockey for position at Tatooine's Boonta Eve Classic 72 GAME INFORMER From what we’ ve 9 thus far, Rainbow has once again performed a miracle. Each engine appears to have a life of its own; pulling free ond shooting off into a different direction, ЖОГ; shaking when the gas is heavily applied, and properly adjusting to terrain differentials. Looking elsewhere for naturalness, the terrain is also affected by the engines, sending clouds of dust swirling into the air. -speed gameplay has been transitioned nicely ition 2 controller, allowing players to bank pod, and repair the engines when needed. The bo system has also been reworked so players ite a boost. With the increase in graphical te abili come a number of enhancements, primarily within the architecture of the pods and detail within the environments. Of course, Tatooine makes a return, but the rest of the tracks (and worlds) are completely new. You'll now race across Mon Calamari, Gamorr, Sullust, and Ryloth. Within the eight years that have passed since the story in the first game, Anakin has aged, and his adversary, Sebulba, is once again intent on seeking revenge. Both of these characters will pilot new pods, although the designs do bear a striking resemblance to their older models. In total, Racer Revenge offers 18 race circuits and 16 podracers. All the pods can be upgraded with different gizmos by purchasing parts from the legendary Watto. Racer Revenge will release for the PlayStation 2 on January 21. According to inside sources, we hear that a GameCube version may be in the works as well. ВОМУ STUDIOS Ш RELEASE JANUARY 21 Players will be rewarded for racing dirty PREVIEWS К сыла PLAYS’ N 2 STATE OF EMERGENCY SOMEONE'S GOT AN UZI IN THE MOSH PIT In the few months that have passed since we last checked in on the progress of State of Emergency, America's political and cultural landscape has changed dramatically. Following September 11, many wondered if Rockstar would pull the plug on this sure-to-be controversial title, given that its themes of urban chaos and civil unrest have now been eclipsed by real-world events more shocking than anything that dwells in the imagination of a game designer. Despite any misgivings, State of Emergency is well on its way to completion, and should hit its midJanuary release date with no problem. It's easy to play the moralist, but after playing State of Emergency, it becomes apparent that the game is intended as a parody, rather than a reflection of the sometimes frightening realities of modern city life. Nearly every element of the game, from its cartoonish character designs to the wildly over-the-top action, reinforces the player's sense that he or she has left the real world, and the laws that govern civil society, behind for a few hours. At first glance, State of Emergency seems to share a number of characteristics with Rockstar's recent smash Grand Theft Auto Ill, but closer examination reveals that it actually has more in common with the great brawlers of the 16-bit era — games like the Genesis classic Streets of Rage. Talking with State of Emergency Producer Jeronimo Barfera, he informed us that the ori concept of State of | m State of Emergency lets the player run roughshod through four unique areas of the fictional Capital City, in an effort to undermine the rule of the multinational Americo corporation. The gameplay mixes the use of hand-to-hand combat with an assortment of weapons ranging from meat cleavers to flamethrowers. Levels are cleared by accomplishing specific goals (like destroying a certain storefront) and racking up points that measure the amount of destruction you're able to dish out. While the mainstream press will no doubt choose to focus о a on State of Emergency's violent subject matter, what's really " a noteworthy about this title is VIS's effort toward putting te unprecedented numbers of characters onscreen. At some "s M vi points during gameplay, the levels will be populated with more E than 200 Capital City denizens; everyone engaged their own frenzied activities. We guarantee you've never seen anything i like it. State of Emergency can display over 200 characters onscreen simultaneously "Воот, boom, boom Yeah, | was gunnin” = esr У p [m | > edo dus With the PlayStation 2, developers finally have the power to create realistic man-boobs! GAME INFORMER 73 Era PREVIEWS UFC: TAPOUT IT'LL MAKE YOU TAP, TAP, TAPAROO You need some hairy coconuts to step into the Octagon. Inside, there are no time-outs, no rest holds, and no mercy. The men who engage in such combat are to be feared and respected. Crave's Dreamcast Ultimate Fighting Championship did a good job of conveying these contests, but it's a whiny diaper baby compared to the raw power of Xbox and UFC: Tapout. The roster features 27 sadists, along with some great hidden characters, including the OG you know and love. No, not Matt, the Original Gamer — it's Ice T! Each model is made up of 12,000 polygons, nearly four times that of Dreamcast. Textures and real-time lighting make them look more realistic than ever, and particular attention has been paid to the blood, which will stain the mat. If you're going to wear a crimson mask, it might as well look good. All the modes are back, including a fighter creator and the UFC tournament. Added is Arcade mode, where you battle endless challengers and unlock guest brawlers. The gameplay is very similar to the UFC of old, but there are more variations of reversals and counters. An ill-advised kick leaves you wide open, and every limb is subjected to being twisted in ways it shouldn't be. Unfortunately, we didn't get UFC: Tapout in time to review it this issue, but check out next month's GI for the judges’ decision. — TIMEAS < IM STYLE | OR 2-PLAYER FIGHTING I PUBLISHER CRAVE E DEVELOPER DREAM FACTORY li RELEASE DECEMBER 27 74 GAME INFORMER SALT LAKE 2002 SNOW DAZ! Every kid has the aream of winning Olympic gold, even if it is for that wussy curling event. Many don’t even make in onto their high school cross-country ski team, but soon there will be a way anyone and everyone can take an active role in the Olympics! With the impending release of Salt Lake 2002, bringing home a precious medal for your country will be as close as your television screen. Imagine yourself rocketing down a snowy slope, the wind biting your face, certain doom just one careless move away — no one wants to do that! It's much better to partake in this dangerous pastime from the comfort and safety of that filthy pigsty you call a basement. Not only will you be able to hurtle yourself down a virtual mountain in the men’s alpine skiing event, but you'll also be able to climb into a bobsled, slither through a slalom course, get your freak on with some killer freestyle skiing aerials, launch into space with ski jumping, and show Shaun Palmer how it's done with giant slalom snowboarding. As if that isn't enough, there are 16 different countries to represent, four play modes to explore (Freeform, Olympic, Classic, and Tournament), and enough multiplayer action to drive a deep rift in any friendship with all of the gloating you're going to do. Watching the Olympics is for suckers and figure-skating tutu wearers! Make your own action with Salt Lake 2002 and you won't even have to sit through those ridiculous commercials where some poor shlub practices one sport for years on end, then fails miserably and finds solace in a hot bowl of chunky-style soup. You should have stayed home and played vids, loser! < у teeth are very white! Look!” Skiing may never be the same again B STYLE 1 TO 4-PLAYER SPORTS Ш PUBLISHER EIDOS INTERACTIVE ШЕ DEVELOPER ATTENTION TO DETAIL RELEASE JANUARY 15 PREVIEWS CIRCUS MAXIMUS: вох RALLISPORT CHALLENGE wx = NO TRACTION? NO PROBLEM FOR HONOR Rally games @га\у about as much attention in the American video game scene as that car with the funny We suspect the genesis of this game came smell sitting in the hailstorm sale lot. The worst thing about that smell is that it reeks of a Frenchman or some other sometime in the summer of 2000, when Russell Crowe unwashed guy from the continent with croissant breath. Despite this less than ideal start, Microsoft believes Rallisport enthralled the world with his exploits in the sword-and-sandals Challenge can overcome the barriers and do a powerslide into the hearts of the Stateside Xbox faithful. epic Gladiator. Since then, skirtwearing men engaged in Where to start? Well, Rallisport does hang a little air freshener on the rear view mirror in the form of — you guessed it — deathfights has dropped slightly in popularity (outside of some impressive graphics. Being a rally game, it's not as simple as having nice looking cars. Challenge's sand kicks up and choice episodes of the Jerry Springer Show). Still, Kodiak is creates trails on slippery turns, while the ice courses gleam from the real-time sun overhead. Also noteworthy is the fact intent on bringing Circus Maximus to the Xbox, hoping it can that, unlike some other racing games out there, the weather is random and not fixed according to which track you're on. win a following with gamers as one of the most unique Surfaces vary from the slippery turns of the Ice Racing circuit to the mountainous regions of the Hill Climb events, and on vehicular combat games we've seen in quite some time. to the asphalt and dirt mix of Rally Cross. Rallisport features 29 cars in all, including some of the 850+ HP Group B cars To summarize Circus Maximus in one sentence: It's Road Rash that have been banned in real life, due to their ability to produce deadly speeds. with chariots. Each team has a driver and a gladiator, each of We've taken a few laps with the game, and can say first-hand that the cars take some cool damage, such as cracked which is controlled independently. The general direction and windshields and burned-out taillights. Here's where Microsoft really tries to sell Rallisport to the masses: although it speed of your chariot is guided with the left analog stick, while handles like a Rally title should, it definitely has a pick-up-and-play quality about it, with the crashes being humorous and you hack and slash at your competitors with the right analog over-the-top, rather than debilitating. This appeal may come at the expense of some of the depth exhibited by other and the Y and B buttons. Of course, since your chariot runs on hardcore racers out there, but Rallisport will still be a fast and challenging ride. pure horsepower, there is no gas pedal to govem your velocity. ы " Instead, you must try to maintain a target pace by occasionally whipping your horse — a play mechanic that will be familiar to fans of horse racing games like Gallop Racer. Advancing through Tournament mode will unlock new drivers, horses, and gladiators, as well as impressive tracks set in real and fictionalized settings like Britannia, Rome, and the Circus Nero. SEES Pe 'Which side captures my true beauty? From the front. "...ог from the left?" = —€— ü R STYLE | TO 4 RAYER RACING/ACTION E PUBLISHER Å ENCORE SOFTWARE Ш DEVELOPER KODIAK INTERACTIVE E STYLE 1 TO 4-PLAYER RACING Ш PUBLISHER MICROSOFT lg DEVELOPER DICE Ш RELEASE FEBRUARY Ш RELEASE FEBRUARY 12 GAMEINFORMER 75 pasar | ION 2 DY GERDY HITMAN 2: HER = SILENT ASSASSIN = As a sequel to the innovative and popular Hitman: Codename 47, this offering will once again enter the mind of a How's this for an original premise: Young Gerdy's father got into some trouble a while back. It seems he managed mild-mannered, for-hire assassin as he tries to escape his violent past and figure out his true identity. Of course, to tick off a powerful magic-user and is now under a terrible spell. It's Gerdy's job to herd groups of wild creatures escaping one's violent past by creating a violent present is a bit odd, but wait! Those danged Russians are back at to safety, and ultimately win a herding championship to become Master Herder. By doing this, he will free his trying to take over the world. This time it's a Russian crime boss, but still...can't we all get along? The answer is no. father and defeat the evil being who brought terror to his island. Will this game ever come out? Yes, but Therefore, you must go out and shoot many people in the cranium, but there's a catch this time — you soon learn developers will be developers, you know. We hope to see this title on shelves by spring. that you yourself are the target of a trained assassin. It seems the hunter has become the hunted. (PLAYSTATION 2 | You are Josh Calloway, an employee of Wisdom Incorporated, and the subject А of extensive biochemical 4 experimentation. You hope to L X use your increased physical attributes for good, but # Wisdom wants to use these ? technologies for evil! Featuring 3D brawling action, quick reflexes and attention to detail will serve you well as you lead Josh on the path of goodness. 76. GAME INFORMER P < ë — PLAYSTATION 2 ) KING’S FIELD: : PHOTOPHILE THE ANCIENT Sud JONNY MOSELEY MAD TRIX | | i LI Get your skis shined up, take a look at Jonny Mo', the game is gonna move ya. Take a peek, at the trix, the game is gonna move ya when you're twirlin' ‘round your stiix! Jonny Mo’ is gonna move ya! He's got the trix, they'll get right to ya! Jonny Mo’ the-game the-game the-game is gonna mo-oove ya!!!!!! d = | t М put the proverbial axe to the grindstone again with the third MoH creation - Frontline. This time, however, the PS2 is їп EA's corner, and the game intends to use every bit of processing power to its fullest. Fans of the series will find a In this one-player extravaganza gamers take on the roll of a powerful warrior searching the ruins of an ancient . familiar face in Jimmy Patterson, as once again he goes behind enemy lines to keep the world safe from Nazis. This outpost of a long-forgotten race, in the hopes of defeating a terrible evil that has corrupted the land. In keeping time, players will have a squad of soldiers available that will react to various playerinputed commands. Of course, you'll with the King's Field tradition, the familiar first-person RPG format will return with the power of Sony's next-gen need all the help you can get if you want to accomplish your mission of bringing down the top-secret HO-IX flying wing. console behind it. With over 90 levels to explore, this game is not for the faint of heart, Thousands of lives hang in the balance! Good luck, soldier. С PLAYSTATION 2/GAME BOY ADVANCE ; WTA TOUR TENNIS k mamiy one rS D , DEMENTIEVA (сом) > я ЕТА Д ee > * — E oc The GameCube version of Bloody Roar will include new characters, stages, and special attacks for the 16 Konami lets you take control of your favorite female tennis pro (we know you like being in control), and whack different playable characters. With its five single-player modes and two two-player modes, it's no wonder your way to tennis nirvana. With intense four-player action on both platforms, fans of the fuzzy yellow ball will be Activision representatives are heralding this game as "the most spectacular and challenging yet." Look for a able to serve and volley to their hearts' content. Is Anna Kournikova available for play? You'll just have to wait and spring release for this one. see, you magnificent bastards! GAMEINFORMER 77 \ Our crack (or crackhead, we can never decide which) review team rates games їп а number of categories to help you sort out the great from the stuff you hate. Each game is reviewed by at least two staff members, and you will find both their opinions on each review. To make things a little easier we have put together some definitions of what the numbers mean, what the reviewers are like (so you can find the reviewer most like yourself), what we look for in a game, and also a cheat sheet so the newbies can understand our advanced video game jargon. Read on and soon you will be talking FPS and FMV with the best of them. ik ANDY Handle: The Game Hombre Expertise: RPGs, Action/Platform, Driving, First-Person Shooters Interests: The Lord Of The Rings, Rival Schools (The Band, Not The Game), Twix, Dr. Pepper ¥ Dislikes: All The Lovey Dovey Crap In The New Star Wars Trailer, How Incredibly Cold My Office Is Current Favorite Games: Medal Of Honor: Allied Assault, Return To Castle Wolfenstein, When Andy's not yelling at a game for “rippin’ him off,” he plays drums in Minneapolis indie rock band, Unbelievable Jolly Machine. A longtime fan of Metroid, Andy has been reviewing video games professionally since the days of the 8-bit NES. While a big sports fan in real life, Andy isn't the first to line up for sports titles, but is always willing to put in the EverQuest: Shadows Of Luclin, Tony Hawk's Pro extra hours to play a good RPG or strategy THE SCORING SYSTEM Game Informer's rating system ranges from 0 to 10, and is simi- lar to school grading. 7 is aver- age, 9 and above is exemplary work, 5 and below is a failure. Aside from concept, entertain- ment, graphics, playability, sound, and replay value (all explained to the right), other factors that influ- ence a game's final score are how much game you get for your money and how all the game's SENS TONNEN SNR: AURA AFA SE SEEN: 8 elements come together. 10 - Perfection. One of the best games of all time, if not THE best game of all time. This game has no flaws, and thus this rating is rarely given out. 9 - Worth owning. Fans of the genre should definitely enjoy this game, but even those who don’t normally like this type of game may find themselves getting hooked. 8 - Worth playing. Still a great game, but arguably so. It may not be the best ever, but there's enough to keep your fingers wrapped around the controller for some time. 7 - Worth renting. Unless you're a fledgling gamer, you've probably seen everything this game has to offer before. Still, just checking it out won't ruin your weekend. 6 - Limited appeal. There are always a few people that will fall in love with a game of this caliber, but for the most part, those play- ing it will be yearning for some- N CONCEPT What new ideas the game brings to the table and how well old ideas are presented. GRAPHICS How good a game looks, taking into account any flaws such as bad colli- sion or pop-up. SOUND Does the game’s music and sound effects get you involved or do they make you resolve to always play with the volume down? PLAYABILITY Basically, the controller to human interface. The less you think about the hunk of plastic in your hands, the better the playability. ENTERTAINMENT Flat out, just how fun the game is to play. The most important factor in rating a game. REPLAY VALUE The longevity of the title. * High — You'll still be popping this game in five years from now. * Moderately High — Good for a long while, but the thrills won't last forever. * Moderate – Good for a few months or a few times through. * Moderately Low - After finishing it, there’s not much reason to give it a second go. * Low - You'll quit playing before you complete the game. Skater 3 REINER Handle: The Raging Gamer Expertise: RPGs, Fighting, Action/Platform, Sports Interests: Comic Books, DVD Movies, The Lord Of The Rings, Blade |! Dislikes: Coworkers Who Listen To Phish, The Tragic State Of Professional Sports, Green Goblin's Power Ranger-Like Big Screen Appearance Current Favorite Games: Super ‘Smash Bros. Melee, Drakan: The Ancients’ Gates, Final Fantasy X, Jak And Daxter: The game. Reiner considers himself the biggest Star Wars fan in the world. Along with his impressive collection of Star Wars action figures, he has seen the trilogy 544 times. A fan of all game types, role- playing games are his strong suit. In his six years as a professional gamer, Reiner has achieved the impossible. Penetrating the pixel boundary, he not only plays games, he's in one, and can be shot daily Precursor Legacy Handle: The Game Dawg Expertise: RPGs, Strategy, Sports Interests: Flying Cars, Intelligence Tablets, Colonies On Mars, Moon Pies, Robots Dislikes: Drivers Over 70, Late Fees, Helen Hunt, Parking In Uptown Minneapolis Current Favorite Games: Medal Of Honor: Allied Assault, Ghost Recon, Cranium in the epic N64 release, Perfect Dark. Handle: The Original Gamer Expertise: Racing, Puzzle, Action/Adventure Interests: Metacritic.com, The Royal Tenenbaums, Home Ownership, The Avalanches Dislikes: Coworkers That Talk My Ear Off About William Faulkner Novels, Short Deadlines, While record collecting, watching reality television, and playing video games might sound like a state of retarded adolescence, Matt manages to scrap together an almost meaningful existence out of these activities. His encyclopedic knowledge of pop culture is » either amazing or annoying, depending on how The Fact That We Got Suckered Into Putting Jose your desk is to his. Less esoteric than Azurik On Our Cover Current Favorite his colleagues, Matt prefers traditional action Games: Grand Theft Auto Ill, Halo, Drakan: ang platform games. The Ancients’ Gates, SSX Tricky ә Ü З Kristian enjoys opening а сап of whoop-ass on his buddies at the ping pong table, then running off to the driving range for a lesson in humility and anger management. The original text-driven Zork started Kristian on the gaming road; Ultima 6, NES Baseball, and Zelda made sure he stayed. Still an avid RPG fan, he can always find time to pound out a good sports game. JUSTIN Unlike most gaming jabronis, Justin knows Handle: The Digital Deviant Expertise: there's life outside video vegetation. He Action/Platform, Fighting, RPGs Interests; moonlights as wrestler Justin Lee in the _ Minimal Snowfall, Terry Pratchett's Disc- Minnesota independent scene, where he world Series, Utah Jazz, GWAR Dislikes: violently bonds with other sweaty males — a Dry Skin, Broken Cologne Bottles, Cranky practice that just gets blank stares when Upstairs Neighbors Current Favorite г attempted on other GI reviewers. Though the Games: Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons Of youngest on staff, Justin's tastes are highly - pud ae a old-school, and he plays 16-bit classics as Hawk's Pro Skater 3 often as he plugs into the latest titles. When not buying copious amounts of records, thing more. 5 & BELOW - Garbage. From this point down, it's just a matter of how much of a failure the game is. The lower the score, the more you're hating life for playing it. [PEEN Content suitable FERH Content suitable les) for persons ages. КМ for persons ages 3 and older. 17 and older. °ontent suitable Fm Content suitable for persons ages [Б олу for adults. 6 and older. Product is awaiting final rating. Content suitable for persons ages 3 and older. —— spa manca w 78 GAME INFORMER Handle: The Game Katana Expertise: Sports, Action/Adventure, Action/Platform Interests: The Royal Tenenbaums, Marmite, Nougat In All Of Its Fun Forms, The Lord Of The Rings Dislikes: Creed, Staind, Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park - All Of That Crap. You Name It, And | Probably Hate It Current Favorite Games: World Tour Soccer 2002, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons Of Liberty, Madden NFL 2002 Kato can be found exercising good taste, feeding the goats, and trying in vain to update his wardrobe into the 21st century. Like other young men of his generation, he quickly found out that the one true real world application of good grades was the free arcade tokens that were given out at as reward. With allegiance to none, he takes on every game with an equal eye. NEWBIE CHEAT SHEET For our newer readers, here is a glossary of x > terms and acronyms that commonly appear in » the magazine. Video game veterans should move along (these aren't the droids you are e ii Ñ ЕХ AME OF THE MONTH action — A term we use for games like Zone f the Ende ind Gauntlet | à — — AE OT HONOR: Myst and Escape From Monkey Island | 1 : Dis udi b. ALLIED ASSAULT д шка кек Sos ao 3. ^ 1 Once in a great while a title comes along that captures refer to how well the computer reacts to a $ ? y. Ragusii R human opponent: P ` £j) the attention of gamers for months, sometimes years, board - A term we use for games like i а T AS + Jeopardy! and Mario Party on end. Medal of Honor: Allied Assault is one of these CG - Computer Generated graphics ass Я à SEN £ames, and steps up to the hype surrounding it by DC — Sega Dreamcast N me ] blowing you (literally and figuratively) out of the water eee Entertanmen Expo; (Te PAM 4 a with its razor sharp gameplay. First-person shooters will world's largest convention for video games " fighting — A term we use for games like never be the same again. Page 96 Street Fighter and Dead or Alive flummox - To confuse FMV - Full Motion Video. Usually refers to an animated CG cutscene FPS - Frames Per Second. How many animation frames happen in one second. Also used to denote FirstPerson Shooters. like Doom, GoldenEye, & Unreal Toumament framerate — The frames of animation used to create the illusion of movement frontend — A game's menus and options GB - Game Boy GBA - Game Boy Advance GBC - Game Boy Color GC ~ GameCube isometric — Three-quarters top down view, like StarCraft or Red Alert 2 ISP - Internet Service Provider. The company that provides you with access to the Internet Jaggles - Graphical lines that are jagged when they should be straight LAN - Local Area Network. Connecting computers or consoles together within a ‘small space to allow communication between them. Provides fast, simultaneous gameplay minigame - A small, simple game within a larger one motion-capture – Using human models and infrared cameras to record movement for game animation, Also mocap N64 - Nintendo 64 NES - Nintendo Entertainment System platform – A term we use for games like ‘Super Mario and Crash Bandicoot pop-up - When onscreen objects, usually distant, suddenly appear PS2 - Sony PlayStation 2 PS-X — Sony PlayStation puzzle — A term we use for games like Tetris and Chu Chu Rocket racing — A term we use for games like Gran Turismo and Mario Kart RPG – RolePlaying Game. А game that involves character improvement through collecting and spending points. A term we use for games like Final Fantasy and Dragon Warrior SG - Sega Genesis shooter — A term we use for games like Mars. Matrix and Gradius Ger UT Nintendo Entertainment A L T. I E D A S S AU ie ‘sports — A term we use for games like Madden NFL SS - Sega Satum ‘strategy — A term we use for games like Command & Conquer and Fallout Tactics third-party — Something made for a console by a company other than the console manufacturer GAMEINFORMER 79 "[Drakan] always gives you a reason to continue, if only to find new and better ways of slaying the game’s var- ious monsters." Drakan features scores of real-time Be prepared to kill a lot of these guys Completing sidequests earns you new items or gold pieces GAME INFORMER PLAYSTATION 2 DRAKAN: THE ANCIENTS’ GATES GET IN TOUCH WITH YOUR INNER GEEK No doubt, this is mostly due to a combination of my impatience, and my ignorance of the genre. Nearly everything about them, from the hours of boring dialogue with meaningless characters, to the tedious random encounters, to the intricacies of summons and turn-based combat, tends to put me to sleep faster than a Saturday afternoon showing of The English Patient. l'm not saying that there aren't a lot of well-made RPGs out there, | just tend to glaze over if I'm playing a game that doesn't allow me to jump around or shoot something every few seconds. So, why was | so taken with Drakan: The Ancients’ Gates — a third-person adventure that shares at least as many traits with Baldur’s Gate as it does with Tomb Raider? Well, beside the fact that it's an amazinglooking game that offers up a bloody bushel of hack n’ slash action, Drakan made me begin to realize why people like role-playing games. Conventional wisdom says it's because of the storytelling, but | don’t think that’s true. No, the real genius of the role- playing genre is that it appeals to a person's innate urge to accumulate stuff, and lots of it. | guess I'm no different, as Drakan had me rejoicing when acquiring a new longbow or a bitchin’ set of chainmail armor. Drakan's basic premise is similar to that of Tomb Raider (i.e. a hot babe exploring caves), but Surreal manages to improve on the basic formula with a host of upgrades and a great deal of added depth. Basic character control is very { п general, | make it a policy to avoid role-playing games. intuitive, avoiding the frustrating platforming that was the bane of Lara Croft fanatics. A lock-on targeting system, fluid combos, and a nice block move means that the simplistic combat never becomes dull. Also, the sheer number of different weapons, spells, and items available to your character always gives you a reason to continue, if only to find new and better ways of slaying the game's various monsters. If this wasn't enough, Surreal ups the ante by allowing Rynn to mount her pet dragon, Arokh, and take to the skies. Your dragon is used primarily as transportation, but on your journey, you will engage in battles with other dragons, as well as a few airborne boss battles. The flight combat isn’t going to make anyone forget the Panzer Dragoon series, but it is reasonably well done and serves as a nice change of pace. The plot isn’t terribly original, but kept me motivated to see what would happen next. That said, the real draw of Drakan lies in the quest to build up your character's attributes and buy new weapons, spells, and items. This game hasn't received a lot of publicity, and | suspect many will look at the screenshots and write it off as another Portal Runner. This would be a mistake. Drakan: The Ancients’ Gates is a fine feat of programming, one that dares to incorporate a great degree of variety and depth into a finely wrought third-person adventure. – MATT Fight enemies with magic or conventional weaponry W STYLE 1-PLAYER ACTION/ROLE-PLAYING GAME Ш PUBLISHER SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT AMERICA E DEVELOPER SURREAL STUDIOS Ш RELEASE JANUARY 15 Métee Skil firchery Skill Magic ‘Skill Skill Points Unspent; ; B vem nd ao z} Skill points can improve Rynn's Melee, Archery, or Magic attributes THE BOTTOM LINE m Concept: A Tomb Raider knock-off enhanced with a fantasy setting, RPG character- building elements, and aerial dragon combat m Graphics: Fantastic. The real-time character models are excellent and the environments are lush with detail. ш Sound: All cutscenes feature voice- overs, and enemies die in agony with appropriately gory sound effects W Playability: Thankfully, the developers made sure this video vixen controls much better than Lara п Entertainment: PS2 owners would be wise to check out this engrossing adventure п Replay Value: Moderate SECOND OPINION Sony's first-party efforts continue to impress, catering to a wide variety of gamers. With its RPG character-building skills and weapon management system, Drakan specifically | targets Dungeon & Dragons | fanboys. The level of | customization may not offer nearly as much as Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance, but the quest Is styled creatively, allowing players to compete in sidequests and even ride on the | back of a dragon. The combat. | system Is easy to manage and equipped with combos, magic, | and an enemy lock-on. | Interestingly, you сап even | snipe baddies with an arrow | from the first-person | perspective. As a whole, the | combat reminded me of the 64- bit Zeldas. It’s not as finely polished, but it works well. Drakan has everything going for it. The detailing in the landscapes is extraordinary, the gameplay is loaded with options, and the story is fairly Intriguing. (o ВЕМЕК - 9 Jyo BƏzns y y Ə9u8|0!A B a109 pue poojg ARERR E сола A sO D: S V рү ‚ LNAWDaN "0 1 иң SOL 12010 Кир amm Dd uv әзиәләфхә 01 2402.1 10.1100 рир Nvu “хләуиош. fo pitom р ләш] “suma рир sao42q fo ppiom v ләшя ‘Suva рир бици торгах qi ш syan] [122 242002 suny v пол Aausnof woo hempiuuavann АУМА REVIEWS x EBL CIRCUIT RECORD ЕЕН ЕП mph UTI ` yo fa 7 з MOTOGP 2 MO' МОТО, MO' MOTO twas refreshing last year to | get out of the comfy and familiar confimes of next-gen racing by hopping: оп Namco's THE BOTTOM LINE two-wheeled demon. MotoGP isa =S sub-genre which hasn't been explored much by anyone else, and perhaps it is. this fact that has made Namco a little too comfortable. The predecessor to MotoGP 2 was a Solid game, but without a lot of depth to draw on, its two wheels only took it so far. This may be the year where the Series crosses the line on fumes. MotoGP 2 still Offers racers a good challenge because the Simulation mode blurs that line between taking a corner perfectly and going airborne. It feels awesome to yank your bike from Side to side on ar Scurve. There are new things here and there to take in, such as being able to race against some motorcycle legends, but | personally wasn't looking for that kind of growth for this sequel. Going through the Challenges is still. fun, but the majority of the unlockables are photos of the riders. This may be heaven for some 14-year old girl in France, but it's not mine. Not everything has to be like EA does it, burt throwing us cool extras would be nice. The ironic thing is that Namco has removed the pictures of the riders during the racers — and that's a feature | sed to like! | Suggest Namco make more changes next time around, before EA decides to take over motorcycle racing as well. — KATO God be with you. B Concept: The "2" should have been "too," because this title definitely takes its cues from the first MotoGP m Graphics: Slightly better than last year, but it's not a deal-breaker E Sound: Crotch rockets mixed with. techno = it's the Euro trash anthem m Playability: Taking the time to learn the Simulation mode is more. rewarding than just winning with it off п Entertainment: Without much added depth, this remains too similar to last year's MotoGP W Replay Value: Moderate | SECOND OPINION | Like Fi games, hardcore super- | bike sims aren't for everyone, possibly not for anyone, and certainly not for me. Realism is | great and all, but if | wanted to take tums at 30 mph I'd go drive my Taurus. There's nothing wrong | with this game per se, other than | a general lack of flash and excitement. If you’re going to take this ride, | wish you luck. Set the gas to the right analog, and may MATT -7 Wl STYLE | OR 2-PLAYER RACING Ш PUBLISHER NAMCO NI DEVELOPER MNAMCO E RELEASE JANUARY 15 82 GMEINFORMER ww | à Grave for speed, and” Tet your body go PARAPPA THE RAPPER 2 KICKIN' FREESTYLES FOR MILES he dog came back, and he's battling some pasta, but gone are the days of tl T swap-meet frog rasta. Ok, I'm done rhyming. Parappa 2 had me psyched, and nobody was pulling harder for Sony to bring it to our shores. This game doesn't stray far from the original's footsteps, but if you loved the first game or Um Jammer Lammy, Parappa 2 will be music to your ears. I'm all about the rhythm game genre. It's nice that this sequel lets you freestyle more often, and the scoring seems more logical than before. | think the teachers are the wackiest crew yet, and the story itself is extremely surreal. The 8-bit level is a hoot, as is watching Chop Chop Master Onion get his mack on. | hate to say | have some beef with my homedog, though. Parappa 2 is far too easy. Also, while song hooks are catchy, the lyrics spit are a lot less addictive than those of Cheap Cheap or Fleaswallow from the first game (much less Missy Elliott). Unlocking new hat colors and song variations after beating the game adds replay, but it isn't as cool as winning new characters or secret stages. Multiplayer is a new twist, but is more a sideways move than a step forward. Like the career of Kool Moe Dee, Parappa's unwillingness to evolve his style may be his downfall. Maybe I'm a little greedy, but as Busta Rhymes said, "Gimme some more." — JUSTIN Trim trim cut, Cut trim trim Lets get I+ on I д aom E Chop Chop wishes he was a playa “One level goes back to the older days of gaming We all remember this ES E STYLE 1 OR 2-PLAYER ACTION Ш PUBLISHER SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT AMERICA E DEVELOPER SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT JAPAN Ш RELEASE JANUARY 22 THE BOTTOM LINE f Everyone m Concept: A rapping dog uses rhythm to save his town from noodles W Graphics: A small step up from the PSX original's flat-model style и Sound: Catchy songs, though some are a tad repetitious п Playability: More opportunities to freestyle, letting you go off on your own W Entertainment: Though it doesn't surpass the first Parappa, this sequel's still a good time W Replay Value: Moderately Hi, | OPINION | Rhythm games are the type of thing you'll either love or hate. 1 | love them, but I'm not sure why. | Parappa 2 solidified my admiration for the genre, but 1 | wish it would have been longer. | Plus, the replay is limited at | best. Different colored hats and. assorted button combinations. are a weak attempt to satiate | the Parappa desire I have | buming deep inside of me. | Actually that might be the. Wendy's | had for lunch. In any event, the songs are quite | catchy. І never thought | would go home singing "cut, cut, perm cut curl," but that's the way it goes. | would have liked to have seen more consistency with | freestyling during the levels as | wel. Sometimes I thought | had | my groove on and the computer ОХ Dos awe nd | other times Ра mash the buttons | and be rewarded for it. | would | rent this one before committing to it completely — you may find a quick fix is all you need. | KRISTIAN - 7.25 | | | | | THE BOTTOM LINE TE PLAYSTATION 2 JADE COCOON 2 OUNG BOY GETS SOME TAIL m Concept: Make a monster-battling game that isn't a blatant Pokémon rip-off ш Graphics: Nice artistic style, though a little too chunky m Sound: Lots of great voice-overs that rival the dialogue of FF X в Playability: The monsters themselves are simplified, but choosing which ones to use requires strategy reviewing Final Fantasy X, which | called arguably the best RPG ever. Despite having to follow Square's pride and joy, Jade Cocoon 2 impressed me greatly. As a naive (sometimes annoyingly so) young boy, Kahu gets infected by a parasite called a Kalma and inherits a scaly tail. This makes his dream of becoming a Cocoon Master all the more urgent. Thus, it's a mad dash to find eggs of Divine Beasts to raise and use in battle. Much of the game consists of you taking jobs for people to raise your Reputation, allowing you to fight with more Divine Beasts at your side. Jade Cocoon 2's gameplay may seem dumbed down at first, but a lot of strategy comes into play. The four different Beast types are very unique, and combining them yields interesting results. Unlike Pokémon, you don't need to subject your creatures to battles for them to advance - they just need to be in the party. The combination of missions, discovering new eggs, and furthering the story keeps this game from hitting that stale spell that plagues many RPGs. If you don't mind your intelligence being insulted early on, Jade Cocoon 2 is a great title to nurture and raise. — JUSTIN U nfortunately, Jade Cocoon was the first role-playing game | played after п Entertainment: | was constantly hooked, and kept finding new things to like about this game п Replay Value: Moderately High | SECOND OPINION 1 actually enjoyed the first Jade Cocoon, although it did have a | tendency to be somewhat slow and repetitive. When developing the sequel, | had a feeling Genki would address these issues and add enhancements where necessary. Well, | can honestly tell you that while the visuals are | greatly improved, Genki took a step back with the rest of the game. Actually, Genki took a step | back, fell off a cliff, and Nico is your sassy fairy sidekick pe aly and the tasks you are asked to complete are even more redundant. If you thought Jar Jar Binks was the most annoying character ever created, just wait until you hear the dialogue that Jade Cocoon's main character, Kahu, spouts. Where are my | Excedrin Migraine pills?! Katsuya Kondou's character designs are — | | definitely something to marvel at, but the rest of the game really | | didn’t hold much interest forme. | REINER - 6| A good example of what NOT to say to young boys Your Divine Beasts encircle you during battle W STYLE 1 OR 2-PLAYER ROLE-PLAYING GAME lB PUBLISHER UBI SOFT Ш DEVELOPER GENK! B RELEASE DECEMBER 18 PLAYSTATION 2 ) REZ REZIN FROM THE PS2 PIPE etro babes dancing around in orange plastic dresses | can understand. Freeing an artificial intelligence lifeform from a coma induced by pondering its own existence? Ya lost me there, pal. 1 applaud Space Channel 5's creator Tetsuya Mizuguchi for the ambitious cross-genre title that is Rez, but he’s gonna have to share some of what he's smokin’ before he can convince me this is either revolutionary, brilliant, or $50 worth of fun. Rez works as a shooter in that there's lots of onscreen stuff to target. It attempts to bring music into the mix by activating sounds when you hit enemies. The problem here is, it lacks the cohesiveness and payoff of Frequency, for example. Either way, the whole experience is a little too short. Shooter vets should have no problemo blowing through this in no time. There are other modes, but I'm not sure you'll care enough to go through the levels again. As for the graphics, this title is creative, but it feels like a PS2 launch title that just stepped off the slow boat from Japan. Here's what you do: Rent it on a Saturday night when you and your friends are bored. One person gets the game, the other has to bring the stuff. What stuff? Well, bringing whatever gets your rocks off will be good enough. If you know Mizuguchi, tell him to bring more hotties like Space Channel 5's Ulala, because this game doesn't have | much of a chance. – KATO THE BOTTOM LINE EVERYONE m Concept: Space Channel 5's creator flips the TV to The Lawnmower Man while hanging out with some pharmaceutical friends m Graphics: I enjoyed Rez's approach, but you may feel a little cheated here m Sound: Rez has some name artists, but their songs are so fragmented, what's ‘the difference? п Playability: "How to play" won't take you long, but "what exactly you're playing" may @ Entertainment: Rez can be intense, but so can standing up too fast. Don't they seem similar? ш Replay Value: Moderately Low SECOND OPINION Can't...think...straight. In...a trance. Rez...good. Wait a minute – No, it isn't! Е was all a brainwash trick by Sega and Rez's trippy techno vibe. Good thing I snapped out of it before I gave this wireframe shell of a shooter a higher score than it deserves. Y'know what you got? Fplus. Click. JUSTIN — 5.75 M STYLE | -PLAYER SHOOTER M PUBLISHER SEGA BW DEVELOPER UNITED GAME ARTISTS W RELEASE JANUARY 15 GAMEINFORMER 83 REVIEWS . PLAYSTATION 2 MAX PAYNE WHY MESS WITH PERFECTION? f you have read Game Ё Informer before, you already know that we think Max Payne on the PC was one of the best titles of 2001. Hands down, the game deserves it. Its Matrix- inspired, slow-motion gun fights (known as Bullet Time) just made blasting bad guys into next week feel so good. On the PC and even the Xbox, Max Payne is pure video game bliss. On the PlayStation 2, well...it's just good. Now | know you are reading this and thinking to yourself that old Andy has lost it, but the fact of the matter is the PlayStation 2 version just isn't quite the Same. The save-anywhere feature has been removed, the control is not nearly as fluid as it needs to be, and Something about the game just seems off. | know I’m supposed to give exact and professional Opinions about why or how a game stinks or does not, but with this one | just can’t seem to put my finger on it. Now, if you have no choice but to play Max Payne on PS2, you will never notice or be bothered by any of the things that are troubling me. But if you have a choice, please try to experience Max as it was meant to be enjoyed - on the PC or, dare | Say, the Xbox. — ANDY THE BOTTOM LINE MATURE W Concept: Take the hit PC title and cram it onto the PS2 E Graphics: Just as solid as the PC version, but some of the animation seems a bit off m Sound: The voice acting is some of the best heard in a video game, and gun effects are right on m Playability: Not as sharp as the PC or Xbox version, but adequate W Entertainment: Max Payne is a great experience, but some of the flaws of this version bring it down 8 Replay Value: Moderately Low SECOND OPINION | Unfortunately, the PS2 shows its limitations when it comes to | playing an acceptable port of a PC title. That being said, this is still an awesome game, and if you haven't played it on the PC | or Xbox, you'll never know what you're missing. It is a PS2 port of one of the best games of last year after all - that should be enough to grab anyone's attention. KRISTIAN - 8 THE BOTTOM LINE NFL GAMEDAY 2002 THE 6TH STRING QB | SECOND OPINION | б: 2002 didn't make it into our football preview | pues EES Im Concept: QB's off the bench are simply expected to “not screw up.” Nobody told 989 W Graphics: | like the new engine's player models, but that's about it п Sound: Dan-o dispenses cranky "witticisms" like Strom Thurmond after a three-day Geritol binge m Playability: Call Pro Blue 644 curl or Shotgun 68 skinny on offense a couple issues back because Sony didn't think it implemented, but the gameplay was ready. Months later, it's still not fit for viewing. is still as uncomfortable as the It's а good thing John Gruden doesn't look like he does in | rubber glove segment of a real life here, otherwise he'd have a scowl on his face that | praia E mom lad j mo ins make your head burst into flames. з | асое stil et's give out a few game balls, shall we? The O-line is Í doesn't have what it takes to — | moving and blocking better, while receivers now catch on the | compete. | run. Still, these facts (along with some noteworthy new REINER - 4 | animations) are about as much consolation as Jim Mora L telling Peyton Manning: "Hey kid, none of your four picks were returned for TDs today The Al is so bad I was shutting down the Rams' offense by running a goal line D — not because | was sacking Warner, but because | was confusing him! This flaw fwas rivaled only by the title's chugging, inconsistent framerate. Pitches are usually money in GameDay, but in 2002, | never knew if the RB was going to get the ball in time or not. Progress is so slow in coming with this " PRAE А franchise it makes the Lions' march to mediocrity look like a worstto-first finish. GameDay vey А i Hor 0- doesn't take it to the house, and | suggest you not let it anywhere near yours. – KATO 16 п Replay Value: TYLE 1 TO 8-PLAYER SPORTS Ш PUBLISHER SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT AMERICA Moderately Low E DEVELOPER REDZONE INTERACTIVE Ш RELEASE DECEMBER 4 THE BOTTOM LINE EVERYONE, PLAYSTATION 2 WAVE RALLY OCEAN DUMPING AT ITS WORS Everything | liked about Splashdown is everything | hated about Wave Rally. You may look at the shots and think these two titles are quite similar. Once you get down to the gameplay, however, you couldn't be further from the truth. 4 | As | said in my Splashdown review, a watercraft handles | Teves ie сты very differently than land-based vehicles. It seems to me that | | Splashdown's, and there is little Opus got the graphics engine down for Wave Rally, but | that tells me this isn't just a struggled in making the physics anywhere near accurate. | developer's test of some What it settled on is a vile monstrosity maybe closer to ice | admittedly good wave effects. skating, | don't know. Your craft seems to strafe, and there is | _ КАТО - 4 no gray area between full throttle and an idle engine. Weight өз п Playability: shifting only serves to slow you down, and hydroplaning is nonexistent. Tricks are plentiful, This does not control like a but inconsistent and asinine. waverunner, or any other Modes might have salvaged a little bit of this floating fecal matter, but those are a letdown уре of apina vehicle as well. Arcade and Championship are indistinguishable, and Freestyle is just plain boring. If M Entertainment: you crave aquatic adventure, buy Splashdown and never look back. This is the Exxon Valdez ee near as fun as spill in game form. - JUSTIN plashdown, so don't even m Concept: Quickly paste together SECOND OPINION something for PS2 that resembles Wave Race | Don't confuse Wave Rally for | Baby Ruth floating in the PS2 m Graphics: Looks darn good when you're not dealing with choppy camera W Sound: Why bother licensing bands if the annoying engine whine is so overpowering? WI STYLE |-PLAYER ACTION I PUBLISHER TAKE 2 INTERACTIVE WI DEVELOPER REMEDY/3D REALMS I RELEASE DECEMBER 12 84 GAME INFORMER bother E STYLE 1 OR 2-PLAYER RACING IN PUBLISHER EIDOS II DEVELOPER OPUS E RELEASE NOVEMBER 27 п Replay Value: Moderate INFORM MAGAZINE Ly Yes! | want to take advantage of this amazing offer from Game Informer Magazine! [11 Year (12 Issues) for $19.98 O 2 Years (24 Issues) for $24.98 A savings of $39.90! A savings of $94.78! Enough to buy two games! Please Print Clearly in Block Letters Name Address City/State/Zip If Renewal — Send label or enter name and address same as current subscription. Please choose one: C] Payment Enclosed O Bill Me Later To order with Credit Card Call (952) 946-7266 M - F 9am to 4pm Central Time. All International & Canadian orders must add $20/yr. additional postage. Please allow up to 8 weeks for first mailed issue once full payment is received. 02/02 INFORM Е MAGAZINE ww Yes! | want to take advantage of this amazing offer from Game Informer Magazine! [11 Year (12 Issues) for $19.98 0 2 Years (24 Issues) for $24.98 A savings of $39.90! A savings of $94.78! Enough to buy two games! Please Print Clearly in Block Letters Name Address City/State/Zip If Renewal - Send label or enter name and address same as current subscription. Please choose one: C Payment Enclosed O Bill Me Later To order with Credit Card Call (952) 946-7266 M - F 9am to 4pm Central Time. 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Without a monthly fix of Game Informer, you start to get cold sweats, your hands start shaking, and you hallucinate that bugs are crawling under your skin. So why suffer? Be safe and check the address label on your current issue. It tells you how many issues you have left. Bag Род [еее е E DIGIT 60156 LIL Ж ЕЕ ТЕКЕ ЕКЕ ҮЕ 1001 JOHN О GAMER ISSUE 123 MAIN STREET 10 ОЕ 12 ANYTOWN US 12345-1234 Don’t Delay! Fill out the attatched card or, for faster sevice, order with credit card by calling (952) 946-7266 (N — F 9am to 4pm Central Time). PLAYSTATION 2 QUICKIES LEGENDS OF WRESTLING W STYLE | TO 5-PLAYER FIGHTING E PUBLISHER ACCLAIM E RELEASE NOVEMBER 30 Legends has a ton of notable wrestlers, some of whom are still active, and others who have either passed on or can barely walk. Their styles are mostly archaic now, but their significance and influence is undeniable. The sport has evolved, but unfortunately, Legends is way behind — not so much in the wrestlers themselves, but in the dumbed-down engine with too few moves, and a lousy create mode. Some great ideas (art style, reversal system), but it still can't hang. — JUSTIN WORLD TOUR SOCCER 2002 Ш STYLE | TO 8-PLAYER SPORTS B PUBLISHER SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT AMERICA W RELEASE FEBRUARY 19 in the UK, Sony smartly 2 brought this title over, since it just might be The FIFA Killer. Although EA's series looks slicker and has some more bells and whistles here and there, | simply enjoyed playing WTS more. This includes being able to promote a Division One team like Nottingham Forest into the Premier League — something you can't do with FIFA. The controls and special moves are awesome, and it plays smooth, even if some of pz [38.25 the animations could be better. — KATO STAR TREK VOYAGER: ELITE FORCE Ш STYLE | TO 4-PLAYER ACTION E PUBLISHER MAJESCO W RELEASE DECEMBER 10 Assimilate this! I'll just come out and say that Elite Force is several generations behind the quality we're seeing in Қ other PS2 first-person shooters. The texturing is I| fuzzy, the framerate skips, and the character models are more revolting than the Klingons. After watching hundreds of mediocre episodes of Deep Space Nine and Voyager, Trekkies obviously have a high tolerance level, and will probably overlook this game's numerous problems. As for everybody else, I'd recommend avoiding this game like you would a Star Trek convention. - REINER NAMCO MUSEUM W STYLE 1 OR 2-PLAYER ACTION B PUBLISHER NAMCO B RELEASE DECEMBER 3 | was ready to lay into this game for being more of the same. Then | played the excellent arrangements of Dig Dug, Galaga, and Pac- Man, which maintain the integrity (and brilliance) of the originals. Then | noticed it was s only $30. Then | said to myself that things aren't so bad. Galaxian and the Pole Positions are dead weight in my opinion, but everything else on here is рт the cream of the classic crop. — JUSTIN 8 VICTORIOUS BOXERS: IPPO'S ROAD TO GLORY W STYLE! OR 2-PLAYER SPORTS B PUBLISHER EMPIRE INTERACTIVE W RELEASE NOVEMBER 8 This is an interesting V take on boxing, one that differs dramatically from he combo-intensive, somewhat sluggish feel of EA's popular Knockout Kings. All your boxer's Д ZA movements are controlled with the left analog stick, which lets you sway, duck and step in fluid motions. There are no health meters, so you have to catch your opponent with a well-timed punch, just like in real life. | would have scored this higher, if not for the annoying way your fighter tends to end up facing away from his opponent when circling around the ring. Despite this major flaw, I still found Victorious Boxers to be a refreshing break from the norm. — MATT WIZARDRY: TALE OF THE FORSAKEN LAND W STYLE 1-PLAYER ROLE-PLAYING GAME W PUBLISHER ATLUS W RELEASE DECEMBER 17 Harboring traits from the long-forgotten Apple II days, Tale of the Forsaken Land upholds Wizardry's heritage of being an outdated dungeon crawler that is generations behind the competition. Instead of clouding the screen with such high-tech innovations as animation and CG cutscenes, Wizardry counters with stillframe images and plenty of text. Why show the gamer what happens within the story, when they can imagine it! As horrendous as this game may appear to be, | actually found myself somewhat engrossed. Character development allows players to customize every aspect, right down to race and class, and the combat is fast and loaded with techniques. Wizardry will bore most gamers, but | have a feeling that hardcore role-players will enjoy this flashback to FE the simpler days of gaming. – REINER 6 DRIVEN STYLE | OR 2-PLAYER RACING UBLISHER BAM! ENTERTAINMENT W RELEASE NOVEMBER 8 How's this for damning a Й game with faint praise: watching the movie that inspired it. Of course, so is watching your inbred Uncle Eddie pick lint out of his navel. This would have boe totally uninteresting, if not for the odd "In the Zone" sequences, in which the sound becomes hushed, the screen blurs, and your car becomes easier to handle. Other than that, there's nothing much here but annoying control, plain graphics, and some rather p demented cutscenes. — MATT 6.5 PLAYSTATION 2 MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM: ZEONIC FRONT ZEONIC VICTORY thought the last Gundam | Offering, Journey to Jaburo, didn't deliver reason enough to play the game over watching the show, but this isn't the case with Zeonic Front. Don't be turned off by the term "squad-based" — ZF delivers more intriguing strategy than those words have come to connote. If you are a fan of the series, I'd bet you'd go ape for this game. It encapsulates the Gundam elements you already love. For strategy fans, the game's options might not be as extensive as Armored Core, but there is some fun to be had. Before missions, you'll plan the routes of your three platoons, set up strategic launch points known as Battle Codes, and outfit your Mobile Suits. During battle, ordering your units, toggling between your platoons, and keeping a keen eye on a variety of radar types are absolute keys. These controls, along with combat tactics such as flanking an enemy, can't be ignored, because your MSs won't be able to survive too many direct hits. However, given all these choices, | was a little disappointed that | was only able to control the platoon leaders (not the support suits), and it seemed missions were sometimes shorter and less involved than briefings led me to believe. Those looking for out-and-out action may have to look elsewhere, but Gundam fans and fledgling commanders. everywhere will find this one worth their while. — KATO THE BOTTOM LINE m Concept: The Zeon-controlling, strategy-based counterpart of Journey to Jaburo m Graphics: The Mobile Suits, characters, and overall presentation make you overlook some of the fog and bad draw distance B Sound: Once again, Bandai gives you spot-on Gundam sounds m Playability: The wealth of strategic controls won't get in the way of the quick maneuvering you'll be doing m Entertainment: The action isn't manic, but fans looking for more than just that should be happy W Replay Value: Moderately High SECOND OPINION Bandai has once again created a respectable game that Gundam fans can really dig thelr teeth into. The visual presentation is not as explosive as it was in Journey to Jaburo, but the gameplay is all the more remarkably executed and involving. REINER - 7.5 | W STYLE 1-PLAYER ACTION/STRATEGY Ш PUBLISHER BANDAI DEVELOPER BANDA! II RELEASE JANUARY 15 GAMEINFORMER 85 “,..wholesomely original, and the most rewarding multiplayer experience available for any console.” 86 GAME INFORMER SUPER SMASH BROS. MELEE WAR WITHIN NINTENDO’S WILD KINGDOM Smash Bros. was a diamond in the rough – a sleeper hit that garnered praise for its unique fighting mechanics and highly competitive multiplayer antics. As engrossing as it may have been, the game held little value to those who didn't invest in the Versus mode. Though its complexity was overflowing with nuances and options, it was essentially a party game. When constructing the GameCube sequel, developer Hal Laboratories has fully addressed this issue, and while multiplayer still takes precedent, players will now get just as much out of this release within a multitude of new single-player modes. Cramming as much data as it could onto the proprietary disc, Hal has gone out of its way to keep gamers completely immersed. Much like the tournament tree within the founding release, Melee takes players on a star-studded trip to the most exotic of locations. From the bowels of Hyrule Castle to the grassy knoll of Mushroom Kingdom, almost every Nintendo world has been re-created with authentic detailing and secondary characters occasionally poking their heads onto the frenzied battlefield. Of course, if you want to take a trip down memory lane, Hal has also completely restored the original N64 adventure. The roster of playable characters hasn't changed too much, either. Nintendo's most recognizable stars are back for round two, and just wait until you see the level of detail that went into these character F- looking back to the 64-bit days of gaming, Super models. Bowser's muscles flex with each movement. You can pinpoint the stitching on Mario's overalls. Lighting effects reflect realistically off Samus’ armor. Link's hat flutters in the wind. Also, if you keep your eyes open, you'll even see a wide variety of facial animations for each character. Per usual, each classic stage is accompanied with a nostalgic soundtrack like the Zelda theme song, the long- forgotten Ice Climbers melody, and the obnoxious DK rap from Donkey Kong 64. Tie all of these aspects together and you can't help becoming completely lost in this fascinating, yet familiar world. Along with a handful of well-hidden characters, players will be rewarded with coins for their performances. What do you do with them? What else?! Purchase action figures! That's right, over 300 different figures (called Trophies) can be obtained through a lottery machine. What you'll get each time is a mystery, but it's usually something outstanding. | was fortunate enough to get Pit from Kid Icarus and the ducks from Duck Hunt. Very cool. The frontend is overflowing with additional features, but the gameplay hasn't changed too terribly much. Other than a few new moves and items, the combat formula is identical. Did it need more? Perhaps, but it’s still incredibly addictive and challenging. Just as it was on the Nintendo 64, Super Smash Bros. Melee is wholesomely original, and the most rewarding multiplayer experience available for any console. — REINER B STYLE 1 ТО 4-PLAYER FIGHTING II PUBLISHER NINTENDO Ш DEVELOPER HAL LABORATORIES ll RELEASE DECEMBER 3 Ganondorf is just one of the hidden characters Koopa Troopa m Concept: A colossal multiplayer fighting game featuring Nintendo's most familiar faces W Graphics: The detail within the environments and character models is outstanding и Sound: Along with the Mario Bros. and Zelda themes, almost every nostalgic Nintendo song is incorporated m Playability: Uniquely executed and overflowing with diverse strategies. The controls are solid...the movement is smooth. ..and the difficulty curve caters to everyone W Entertainment: Multiplayer doesn't get much more exciting than this W Replay Value: High ‘SECOND OPINION | This may be the most addictive | | fighter I've played. The | | gameplay is not rocket science | | (hit two buttons to attack, and keep jumping to stay on the | playing field), but Smash Bros. | is endless in its variety and rewards. Hal Laboratories takes | | it far beyond mere one-on-one fighting, as 1 was swarmed by 128 tiny Marios, and searched | a maze for the Triforce. The amount of missions and stages | is staggering. Nintendo is | stereotyped as a children's | gamemaker, and with Smash | Bros." minimalist graphics and | easy controls, it's tough to | disagree at first look. With | varying difficulty and the trips | down memory lane that | accompany each Trophy prize, | though, it appeals to gamers of | every level. This is the über | multiplayer game, as well. DOA | 3 looks worlds better, but Super | Smash Bros. Melee has the | patent on fun - a much more | important category. | JUSTIN - 9.25 GAMECUBE QUICKIES MADDEN NFL 2002 B STYLE 1 TO 4-PLAYER SPORTS E PUBLISHER EA SPORTS I RELEASE NOVEMBER 18 | keep going back to the seemingly endless well of fun that is Madden, and it's still good to me — on ШШК the PS2. GameCube's incarnation shares the Be helmet scuffs and more detailed uniforms that the Xbox version does, but believe it or not, | had a problem with GC's controller. Using the C-stick for D-linemen's special moves wasn't fun. | also noticed a little extra blur in some of the between play shots, and that the rosters were older than they should've been. Still fun, still Madden, but not a perfect port. - KATO FIFA SOCCER 2002 W STYLE | TO 4-PLAYER SPORTS E PUBLISHER EA SPORTS Г RELEASE NOVEMBER 27 I'm glad EA was quick to ad bring this to the | think sports fans will f benefit from taking a gander at this FIFA. The beauty of the GameCube controller is that you feel like itv was “specifically designed for every title, and this is no different. The only gripe | have here is that you have to double tap for special moves. Otherwise, it's similar to the PS2 edition. Between this and Sony's World Tour Soccer, it's a banner year for the Beautiful Game. — KATO DAVE MIRRA FREESTYLE BMX 2 W STYLE 1 TOR 2-PLAYER ACTION/SPORTS E PUBLISHER ACCLAIM Ш RELEASE NOVEMBER 24 This is the third system I've played Mirra 2 on, and it's still just as great as it was the first time. Massive levels, a terrific trick system, and amazing ull crashes all make for a á d musthave title. The one thing holding this version back is the fact that Tony 3 showed up first, and is superior to Mirra in almost every way. Still, anyone with a taste for action sports will love getting sick with this game. — JUSTIN BATMAN VENGEANCE W STYLE 1-PLAYER ACTION Ш PUBLISHER UBI SOFT W RELEASE NOVEMBER 18 E E The opening sequence in this title had me believing that, at last, the ultimate Batman game had been æ created. Unfortunately, that a feeling of euphoria doesn’t last long as the little quirks Í in the gameplay start to wear on you. Bat-maniacs will surely want this game in their collection, but for most players, this game will only slightly entertain. - ANDY NHL HITZ 2002 I STYLE 1 TO 4-PLAYER SPORTS B PUBLISHER MIDWAY E RELEASE NOVEMBER 18 Midway's sports line has been waning over the 4 te years. Actually, it’s been £ downright awful. Never in my wildest dreams did | ever think Midway could create a game that ЧУ) a competes on EA's level, yet Hitz does it. Granted, it doesn’t have the simulation options or any form of statistical tracking, but the gameplay is just as fast and hard-hitting. The visuals are also outstanding. From the fully animated crowds that bang on the glass and leave the game if it's a blowout, to the subtle nuances like hats being thrown onto the ice after a hat trick, Hitz captures realism while still encompassing the outrageous actions that fuels this far-fetched sports series. -REINER SSX TRICKY W STYLE | OR 2-PLAYER ACTION/SPORTS I PUBLISHER EA BIG W RELEASE NOVEMBER 24 This is the first game to be affected by the GameCube's proprietary disc limitations. None of the bonus DVD materials from the PlayStation 2 or Xbox versions are included on this disc. Certainly, it could have been worse, but it's still a little disappointing. Another subtle drawback is the framerate. The game will chug briefly when a character makes a drastic maneuver. It's hardly noticeable, but it wasn't in the other versions. Of course, the gameplay is just as wild and reckless as it's always been and the graphics truly are out of this world. It's a great game, but it lacks the bells and whistles within the founding PS2 Ez release. - REINER 8. ALL-STAR BASEBALL 2002 W STYLE 1 ТО 4-PLAYER SPORTS B PUBLISHER ACCLAIM B RELEASE NOVEMBER 18 | feel bad for All-Star Baseball 2002. | really do. | The batting portion of the game is very well done, it's when the ball leaves the box that problems. Seq arise. The Al in this title is some of the worst | have ever seen. Plus, what's with releasing a 2002 game when spring training for the next season is just months away? It makes no sense, | tell you! Now if you'll excuse me, | have to stick more pins in my Bud Selig doll. – KRISTIAN GAMECUBE REVIEWS EXTREME G3 ORD UP, G ou're not going to win my approval by saying a game's driver has a 170 IQ, or telling me speeds exceed 1,000 miles per hour (especially when, at "200 mph," you're barely moving forward). What will get my attention is kick-ass racing, and that's what Extreme G3 offers. Burning around winding, looping tracks in far- out locales is a good ої" time, whether on GameCube or PlayStation 2. Extreme G3 is entertaining racing. You whip around corners with massive velocity, slamming on the shoulder button for strafing air brakes. Projectile weapons stall the. competition long enough to zoom past them. The turbo boost ups the speed ante even further as you tear through straightaways. | had a love/hate relationship with my controller and this title. The Shoulder buttons work nicely for the air brake, and the gas. button is impossible to miss. | just wish it was easier to. use one of your fingers to activate a weapon. You can configure the controls to your liking, but any way you do it, you'll wish you had one more easily accessible button. This gripe aside, Extreme G3 will keep GameCube race fans stoked for some time, especially after the mild disappointment that was Wave Race. — JUSTIN THE BOTTOM LINE R. m Concept: Futuristic w doodie on m Graphics: | remarked at how nice the graphics looked mı les, W Sound: You can crank up the techno tunes that fit nicely with the game's vibe m Playability: Big gas button, but that makes it a bi der to use the other fa uttons. m Entertainment: Pure adrenaline, baby. E ne G3 is definitely one of the better recent racing games п Replay Value: Moderate SECOND OPINION 1 love the speed and tracks here, and this should earn it a look by 'Cube fans. My knock on the game is that the opponent Al seemed poor and the strategy with the weapons wasn't always necessary. Even | during the hard races, it seemed | could go from sixth place to first with no problem. Still, the GC-only four-player mode is impressively fast. KATO - 7.5 " STYLE | ТО 4-PLAYER RACING I PUBLISHER ACCLAIM NM DEVELOPER ACCLAIM Ш RELEASE NOVEMBER 27 GAMEINFORMER $7 REVIEWS 97. 128 ш. МАХ PA the few games that is truly as exciting as the screenshots make it look.” e T la How's that for lighting effects? 88 GAME INFORMER NO PAYNE, NO GAIN laying through Max Payne for the first time is a little р. watching Pulp Fiction for the first time: Five minutes after the opening credits you know it's awesome, and you don’t want it to end. Although the story teeters close to being just window dressing alongside the title's explosive action and eerie environments, it'll often draw you in enough to make you actually care about the characters. That may not sound like much, but when dealing with gameplay of this caliber, it's all too easy for a developer to gloss over a title’s low points in favor of making the most of its strengths. As far as strengths go, Mr. Payne has always shined in the ingenuity department. The Bullet Time feature — Matrix- style slow-motion segments - that we're all so familiar with is done well again, as are the ambient sounds and voice-overs. In fact, | could detect very little degradation from the PC version in any of these categories. Of course, the Xbox is basically just PC Lite, so it has a better foundation to build from when it comes to running a port of a PC title, but this level of replication was better than | expected. Being both a PC nerd and a console slave, I've now put this game through its paces on three systems (PC, Xbox, and PS2). The PC version was like watching poetry in Y motion, and the Xbox is able to maintain the level of detail and intensity that its more robust cousin brought to the table. In fact, there were times when it seemed like the Xbox version looked better than its PC counterpart. That was a nice surprise, but the clunky console control Scheme was not. It's really no one's fault that the controls are awkward - that's just the nature of the beast when it comes to console first-person shooters. Yes, | know Max Payne is technically a third-person affair, but it's close enough for government work. Aside from control issues, Max Payne is still one hell of a game. Just look at those awesome pictures! This is one of the few games that is truly as exciting as the screenshots make it look. The gun battles are incredible, the environments are beautifully detailed, and the sounds are among the best in the biz. Add to this the award of sixth-best video game of the year in GI's Games of 2001 feature last month, and you've got more than enough reason to run out and look for Max and Co. Just don't expect much sleep for a few nights. - KRISTIAN W STYLE 1-PLAYER ACTION Ш PUBLISHER TAKE 2 INTERACTIVE II DEVELOPER NEO SOFTWARE/REMEDY W RELEASE DECEMBER 11 Tunnel vision Kitchen shelving is very combustible Dual Ingram: THE BOTTOM LINE MATURE m Concept: Get guns, find ammo, shoot. people, and try to stay alive W Graphics: This version of Payne is as good, if not better than its PC sister in the graphics department m Sound: The tormented screams of those who are unlucky enough to get in your way will echo in your dreams for weeks I Playability: The console control scheme takes a bit of getting used to, but things could be worse SH W Entertainment: This is a sweet game which has been given the royal treatment by the Xbox п Replay Value: Moderate SECOND OPINION | From the opening sequence to 1 the final battle, Max Payne | | weaves a comical, yet cynical | tale that Is so much an action | hero cliché, you can't help but | love it. Since I had the joy of | getting to play this game on PC, | ! spent most of my time trying i | to look for differences between | that version and the Xbox, and 1 | am happy to report that about | the only thing missing is the | mouse. Luckily, the Xbox | handles the control quite well | and delivers all the gun-slinging, | | Bullet Time action of its PC | counterpart. Xbox gamers | looking for something to do | after beating Halo need not look | any further than Max Payne. { | Sure, you could accuse Max — | | Payne of being a little short and | lacking a multiplayer mode, but | there isn't a gamer on this. | earth who will look you in the. | eye and say the single player “Resident Evil is comparable to Aliens, whereas Silent Hill 2 follows the methodical and psychological undertones of The Shining.” de. ww = The horror delivered is of the psychological kind i m a With the noise filter tumed off, it is now possible to see within the darkness Much like the first adventure, the sound will make you shiver in fear SILENT HILL 2: RESTLESS DREAMS NOTHING TO FEAR few months ago, Capcom announced that the Resident Evil series would haunt gamers exclusively through the GameCube. This came as a shock, especially since the franchise was founded and continually updated on the PlayStation. Furthermore, seeing that the Xbox primarily skews toward an older audience, it would be the perfect fit for the survival horror lineage. Grinding against the grain and all that seems logical, Capcom decided to side with Nintendo, perhaps in an attempt to break the GameCube's classification of being a kiddie machine. Until this bond is broken, gamers will have to look elsewhere to get their horror fix. As it stands now, the only noteworthy alternative on the market is Konami's Silent Hill 2: Restless Dreams. In comparison, Silent Hill's gameplay composition and overall presentation don't hold a candle to Resident Evil. The character movement is generic and optionless, not allowing you to interact with the environments, or freely move during a combat sequence. Furthermore, you won't run across action- packed chase sequences. There are also times where nothing happens. Use keys to open doors, backtrack twenty minutes — it has a tendency to get quite boring and repetitive. If you can make it through these bothersome segments, you'll run across perplexing puzzles that often defy logic, and massive amounts of blood and guts. When it comes to gore and suspense, Resident Evil will definitely make you squirm and jump, but not to the degree that Silent Hill does. Rather than focusing on the action, Konami invested most of the development into creating a game that really gets under your skin and gives you chills just thinking about it. Through eerie, ambient sounds and chilling music triggered by events, you won't want to take another step, fearing the outcome. The story is also very cryptic, pushing you forward to truly find out what's going on in this town. As an entire production, it's really quite brilliant, and couldn't be more frightening. The way | see it, Resident Evil is comparable to Aliens, whereas Silent Hill 2 follows the methodical and psychological undertones of The Shining. For those of you who have already played this game on the PlayStation 2, the Xbox version comes equipped with a number of alterations. Styled as a Director's Cut of sorts, the graphics have been cleaned up, the lighting effects have been enhanced, and an entirely new chapter has been added. This new chapter allows players to view a totally different side of the story, as seen through the eyes of the supporting character, Maria. It took me roughly five hours to complete this bonus chapter, but it was more than worth it. | was always curious what Maria was up to when James was searching for his wife, and it was also nice to see how the two characters" destinies intersected. Additionally, Konami has also added a noise filter, allowing players to illuminate the dark hallways and remove the fuzz that clouds the screen. Of course, there's still way too much fog to trench through, and | have a feeling the pace may be a little too slow for most gamers. Regardless, if you thrive on horror, you won't want to miss this adventure. - REINER E STYLE 1-PLAYER ACTION/ADVENTURE ЕЮ PUBLISHER KONAMI Ш DEVELOPER KONAMI Ш RELEASE DECEMBER 18 Extensive amounts of fog cloud most of the quest The combat system is generic, but easy to grasp m Concept: A psychological thriller with a mysterious plot, horrifying creatures, and more blood than a donor bank m Graphics: Unlike the PS2 version, players can now turn off the noise filter from the beginning of the game ш Sound: The unnerving ambient sounds, screams of agony, and chilling score set the mood for the frightening quest W Playability: From the sluggish combat to the confusing health system, the gameplay can best be summed up as sloppy on all fronts m Entertainment: It's dreadfully slow, but it gets into your head п Replay Value: Moderately Low | SECOND OPINION My arch nemesis retums. | wasn't into Silent Hill 2 on PS2, controller well, and it's nice to be able to see more when you're | GAMEINFORMER 89 С XBOX | STAR WARS: OBI-WAN OBI-YAWN could write a novel’s worth Il: material covering the discrepancies and annoyances embedded within this game's coding. If you didn't care for the mindless action in Jedi Power Battles, you'll absolutely despise Obi- Wan. On a different note, if you managed to find some thrills within Jedi Power Battles like | did, you'll find this release, though graphically superior, just doesn’t stack up in terms of intensity or execution of gameplay. The only aspects that are successfully delivered are the lightsaber controls, and methodology behind the Force powers. Never before has a player had such a wide range of controlling the Force. You can toss your saber like a boomerang, and mentally pull a firearm away from an enemy. The entire control schematic is actually quite slick — that is, if you choose to use it. If the enemies would have been intelligent, you might have to tap into the Force just to stay alive. Unfortunately, every foe can be slaughtered by simply hacking and slashing. | was also quite disappointed to see that they can block your lightsaber attacks by simply raising their hands. Shouldn't | be able to cut through these limbs like a hot knife does butter? The rest of the game, from horrifying voice acting to the generic story telling, will leave you speechless...and not in a good way. – REINER THE BOTTOM LINE W Concept: Yet another third-person action game based within the Episode | timeline W Graphics: Sparsely decorated environments, obscure animations, and generic effects W Sound: You can't go wrong with John Williams on the soundtrack. The voice acting, on the other hand, is some of the worst I've ever heard за Playability: The Force moves and lightsaber controls are very cool, but you rarely use them strategically. Hacking and slashing works best @ Entertainment: The mindless action grows old quickly п Replay Value: Moderately Low ECOND OPINION | | Note to self: If unable to book | Ewan McGregor for voice-over | talent, do not settle for a | Scottish Richard Little. Aside | from the horrific voice-overs and | bizarre "force-resistant" material | | some of your enemies possess, | the lightsaber mechanics and | force abilities are inspired. Is it | | worth picking this game up? Only if THX-1138 means anything to you. KRISTIAN - 7| W STYLE 1 OR 2-PLAYER ACTION Ш PUBLISHER LUCASARTS NW DEVELOPER LUCASARTS I RELEASE DECEMBER 18 90 GAME INFORMER NIGHTCASTER PLASTER CASTER, TURN OFF XBOX FASTER his is the type of game | feared would come to Xbox: a PC-esque third-person title as T boring as the day is long. NightCaster isn't a total failure, but it does nothing for the credibility or longevity of the new hardware it's running on. Arran, the game's star, uses magic from four types: light, dark, fire, and water. These spells shoot from his staff, and are targeted by his orb, which treats him like a nanny does a pants-peeing tot. Each spell type has a color, as do enemies. Light works better on dark, water does more damage to fire monsters, and so on. Combat isn't altogether awful, and may be the game's strongest point. However, the lack of leveling up makes it all pretty monotonous. Graphically, NightCaster eats acid. The textures of the ground and rocks are barely N64 quality. Objects become transparent when you approach them. With the shoddy camera that delays before catching up to you, however, you'll run into a lot of walls. Also, for some reason, enemies are nearly invisible until they're within range of your slow-moving attacks. What up with that?! If Microsoft makes a habit of releasing (or allowing the release of) games like this, Shrek, and Azurik, Xbox will die a horrifying, painful death. Cast this one out. Way out. — JUSTIN fi = | v Stop fighting and look at the fuzzy bunnies ГЕ! LH "Who's yer daddy?" The power of Xbox can't help these crappy textures The world is awash in particle effects E STYLE 1-PLAYER ACTION/ADVENTURE lB PUBLISHER MICROSOFT lg DEVELOPER VR- 1 E RELEASE DECEMBER 28 THE BOTTOM LINE TEEN А m Concept: Magic-based fighting with a mothering orb at your side I Graphics: A few decent effects, but it looks somewhere between N64 and Dreamcast E Sound: Eclectic soundtrack and horrible voice acting m Playability: Using the orb as your target is cool, and most functions are easily handled п Entertainment: The root of the game is fun, but there are just too many things wrong to get much enjoyment п Replay Value: Moderately Low | While it does offer a notable gameplay feature or two, the | graphics blow like a high- | powered enema. Not only does | NightCaster look like an N64 | title, but the scenery and foes | have a bad habit of | disappearing and reappearing. | On the bright side, | like the | game's orb feature, where | elemental values must be | changed according to the | enemy you're facing. It also acts as an overhead camera | and remote-targeting device, | allowing you to run and gun. | Your spells do show some cool | effects and are the graphical | highlight of the game. These | interesting combat features combine to create some frantic | | battles, but it's just not | enough. Microsoft had some | one-dimensional titles at | launch, but at least they were | solid. Is this the new trend? | КАТО - 5. BLOOD WAKE H2 OH GOD NO! ame Informer was lucky enough to be there when the concept for Blood Wake was G first aired at the Microsoft offices. Through our network of brave Bothan spies we were able to record the proceedings. Note: The following transcription is from a damaged tape source that is slightly garbled. Xbox technician: "The bump-mapping with the textures and the negative integerial coefficients and the hey, hey, hey..." Xbox marketing guy cuts off the presentation: "Wow! That's some cool looking water! Hey you with the glasses; can we make that into a game? Yes? Alright! Looks like we've got another winner on our hands, folks!" Thus, Blood Wake was born - or something like that. The game basically kills two bad ideas with one stone. It's a glorified tech demo, and it's yet another bad take on Twisted Metal's style of combat. Worse yet, it even tries to copy TM: Black's deep, personal method of storytelling to some extent, even though it fails. Maybe the fact that CG movies weren't used has something to do with it. What remains are some nice water effects, but little else. The combat is basic and the missions are boring and uninspired. Blood Wake uld at least make its combat interesting by giving you a moveable turret instead of an inadequate auto-targeting reticle. Blood Wake wasn’t totally devoid of fun, but drawbacks like these make the game transparent in what it attempts to do. I'm all for mindlessly blowing things up, but after tooling around for a while, | was more interested in turning the guns on myself instead. The only Blood Wake here is the trail of red stool this game leaves behind. — KATO The Ambiguously Gay Duo of Ace and Gary get rammed by some big wood So much for the covert, under the cover of darkness thing WAV a ^ ky, Z к "Ramming speed!!!" NGA TENERA Million-dollar boats, excessive speeds, and too many cocktails can be an explosive combo Го 1 6١ THE BOTTOM LINE TE m Concept: Attempt at a lame Twisted Metal on water. Notice how | said "attempt" m Graphics: The water is great and all, but | love how there are no effects for the waves hitting the beach - it's just blue on brown п Sound: Your first mate is annoying as hell. If only he said "Arrrrrr matey, we be pirates" once and a while п Playability: The controls could stand to be more first-person-shooter like W Entertainment: | wish this was Knightboat: The Crime-Solving Boat instead п Replay Value: Moderately Low SECOND Those that fail to learn from | history are doomed to repeat it, | | and Blood Wake is a perfect | example. Throughout the video | | game ages, various companies | have made attempts to create | an engaging boat-combat | game, but they all suffer the | same fate. Whether it's the | horrible water and effects of | the past, or the amazingly | realistic waves of Blood Wake, l the gameplay always bogs | down in it. Driving the boats | fullthrottle is always an | entertaining experience, but | Make a strafing pass...make a | slow painful tum...blast | away...repeat. ANDY -6 B STYLE 1 TO 4-PLAYER ACTION Ш PUBLISHER MICROSOFT Ш DEVELOPER MICROSOFT Ш RELEASE DECEMBER 26 | the combat is one-dimensional. | (XBOX ) AZURIK: REVIEWS RISE OF PERATHIA MORE LIKE ASS-URIK! describe how disappointed. | am with Azurik. Back in April of this year, | was lucky enough to go see the game in early development and talk to the team. After hearing their plans, | came away from the visit with high hopes for Azurik. Unfortunately, | don't believe the game has evolved since then. Instead, it seems to be pieced together to "work" (if that's what you want to call it), just so Xbox has another game available this holiday season. The problems with Azurik are numerous. From the bad camera work, to the lack of lock-on targeting (though | believe the game does auto target, it just doesn't do a very good job) — just about everything about the playcontrol is cumbersome. Combine the weak gameplay with truly bad animations and sound, and you begin to see where this game is going — the bargain bin. | will admit that Azurik is breathtaking in screenshots, but as a whole the game is poorly executed. For any long- time readers of Game Informer that purchased the game already, | can't say I'm sorry enough if our previous cover story had anything to do with i can't even begin to care Azurik could have been a great title, but as it stands it seems rushed and unfinished. — ANDY THE BOTTOM LINE ETE m Concept: Make a game in the vein of Soul Reaver, but super- charged with Xbox graphics W Graphics: The screenshots of this game look marvelous, but once in motion, the game is. unimpressive. The animation just stinks W Sound: Most of the music is solid, but the horribly bad sound effects make you wonder if they were pulled from a second-rate Genesis game m Playability: The lack of a block and lock- on button combined with the floaty jumps was frustrating m Entertainment: After the fun of checking out the environments ends, you are left with a mediocre title W Replay Value: Low. SECOND OPINION I've seen more detailed | texturing in a pool of my own vomit! | kid you not, | would rather spend an entire day | playing with ear cheese than try to digest another second of this | poorly designed game. Heck, I'd | even French kiss your grandma! | 5 Я 5 2 | Just keep it away from me. Evil | it. | still believe that with some ШИЯ у has a new name, and that name | is Azurik. Burn, foul demon! Burn! REINER - 3.25 W STYLE 1-PLAYER ACTION/ADVENTURE Ш PUBLISHER MICROSOFT Ш DEVELOPER ADRENIUM GAMES B RELEASE NOVEMBER 28 GAME INFORMER 91 XBOX BATMAN: VENGEANCE THE DARK KNIGHT REHASH he PlayStation 2 version of Batman: Vengeance received lukewarm reviews in our November issue, and Xbox fans will be upset to hear that this version is no better or worse. As far as my eyes could tell, it's virtually identical in every way. The graphics are still breathtaking, and | have to give Ubi Soft credit for the fine job it did in mimicking the stylish look of the television show. Xbox could use а good game in this genre, and | was hoping this would be it. Unfortunately, Batman: Vengeance for the Xbox doesn’t correct any of the mistakes. made by its PS2 predecessor. The platforming is still extremely annoying. There still isn’t an: adjustable camera system. The Bat-gadgets are still little more than window dressing on what is a very run-ofthe-mill title. 1 could go on, but there's really no point. As | see it, this game will basically appeal to two groups of people. The first is Batman devotees who lust after anything and everything that features the likeness of the Dark Knight. The second is Xbox 1 fans who are just plain starved for anything that comes close to | providing a decent third-person action experience, like Spider- Man or Tenchu did on the PlayStation. If you fall into one of those two categories, this might be your game, but I'd think long and hard before spending 50 bones on Batman: l Vengeance. — MATT THE BOTTOM LINE Create a game that captures every element of the Batman universe, from the dark visuals to the vehicles to the myriad gadgets Does a brilliant job of Capturing the look of the popular Batman animated Features many voice actors from the show, and a nice Here’s where the wheels fall Off: Sticky control and a problematic camera will give A mediocre game where a great one should have stood SECOND OPINION | | Holy smoldering piles of guano, | Batman! Ubi Soft did a commendable job re-creating the Dark Knight's animated world, but the gameplay permeates a detestable stench. | | Fanboys will drool over the detail that went into the | environments and animation, but | the play is so poorly pieced | together that you'll wish to seek | vengeance on Ubi Soft's testing | REINER - 7| M STYLE | -PLAYER ACTION ш PUBLISHER UBI SOFT M DEVELOPER UB! SOFT M RELEASE DECEMBER 12 92 GAME INFORMER 13760 (uua | ч EM SSX TRICKY FINALLY, FRESH POWDER ON THE XBOX he Xbox library is still small, but even in its infancy, it | SECOND OPINION already boasts three different snowboarding games. — — SSX Tricky Б a stellar game, and Situations like this usually equate into a troublesome buying decision for the consumer. Rest assured, though, no aaa lea deut headaches will be involved. SSX Tricky is the only title you need | most hardcore SSX players will be | to invest in. Amped: Freestyle Snowboarding may offer a deeper | | able to notice any significant. Season mode and more variety within its runs, and Dark I =s зарынан ды | Summit's courses may be more outlandish, but SSX is the only Oe 2 гаи E ER | release that offers solid gameplay and a noteworthy trick | mapped сс: system. SSX Tricky's play mechanics hit you like an avalanche — instantly transforming everyone into snowboarding addicts. px MATT - 1 For those of you who own all three consoles, or are simply `! = sizing up which version will be the best: The controls within the PlayStation 2 version are the most intuitive and user friendly, but the game does run smoothly on the Xbox. With enhanced bump-mapped snow textures, refined shadow casting, and a consistent framerate, the Xbox version is the most finely polished of the three. A must-have for snowboarding enthusiasts. - REINER W STYLE | OR 2-PLAYER ACTION/SPORI II RELEASE DECEMBER 11 “| Р1 2001 EA'S OVER/UNDER-STEER Ë ormula One games take the task of replicating the F1. | SECOND OPINION experience very seriously. This is the plight of EA's F1 1 think I may be losing my atten- 2001. | felt that for every step forward it took, it went a half | tion span. This is an awesome step to the side. | game by rights- great graphics, For example, Challenge mode has you jump through all sorts of hoops to teach you how to race. The problem is, unlike Gran Hou ee калу oe Turismo 3, it doesn't tell you when to brake or what the best line is — so what do you really learn? F1 goes to great lengths to include real circuit rules, technical damage, and a slew of different car conditions that affect your driving. These can be toggled on and off to your liking, but racing without them is too easy, while driving with them can result in a mess of yellow flags and pileups. Going without them would be a shame, since having to take into account how much fuel you're carrying and abiding by the official НА rules is cool. The lack of a happy medium makes driving Sony's Formula One title more fun, even if it's touchier. However, you can't deny that EA has hit upon some features that make it worthwhile. – KATO SSS‏ د STYLE 1 TO 4-PLAYER RACING Ш PUBLISHER EA SPORTS Ш DEVELOPER VISUAL SCIENCES LTD.‏ LEASE NOVEMBER 19 good sounds, decent controls — yet | in Hand. m Concept: Adrenaline-filled snowboarding that rewards players for performing death- defying stunts m Graphics: Enhanced over the PlayStation 2 version with bump-mapped snow and a smoother framerate W Sound: Celebrity voice talent by Hollywood's finest m Playability: Outrageous tricks delivered through complex controls п Entertainment: The most rewarding snowboarding game on the market a Replay Value: m Concept: Give F1-ers some of the realism they crave without alienating the rest of us ш Graphics: Onscreen rain droplets are almost as cool as Metal Gear Solid 2's W Sound: Cars' whines can be intense, and listening to your crew chief is vital п Playability: Normal and Simulation driving modes allow everyone to play п Entertainment: Team-Mate Challenges, setting up your own Championship and the like, give it that EA extra value W Replay Value: Moderately High RE A Eh am = mame mm m. s m. эу шо 0 и x wm do s нн атн он а ют a L2 - d - w йш oot "o Dm фен нти mm aww a" Your pulse quickens. Your stomach drops. You feelitin your toes. With an intense 60+. FPS-frame super-charged, gravity-defying combat motorcycle ra lL blow your mind. Get it before your parents ms : A: Әг ^ ANE ‘Re , r 9 12 different super-charged bikes packing 9 incredible racing circuits with Futuristic, interactive racing environments: serious firepower gut-wrenching loops, twists, spirals & drops city, desert, arctic, ocean & canyon EVERYONE Ф " e ye 4 . Mild Violence NCBI PlayStation.e CONTENT RATED BY GAMECUBE. ESRB Extreme-G™3 and Acclaim® & © 2001 Acclaim Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Developed by Acclaim Studios Cheltenham. All Rights Reserved. "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. TM, @ and the Nintendo GameCube logo are trademarks of Nintendo. Screens shown were taken from the PlayStation®2 version of the video game. In-game music by Alain www.acclaim.com REVIEWS ^ (C . PLAYSTATION ) MEGA MAN X6 REHASH X6 efore you read any further, Га like to properly set the mood for this review. | want you to head into your kitchen and follow these steps. Turn on the light, walk over to the refrigerator, and grab yourself a beverage. Grab a glass, add a handful of ice, then poor the drink. After this, leave the room. Now, repeat this entire process six times. Congratulations! In a bizarre sort of way, you have just played Mega Man X6. I'm not down on nostalgic gaming, per se. It just seems that Capcom doesn’t give the 2D Mega Man games much thought anymore. As was the case with the last entry in the series, this sequel delivers a handful of changes (like random level generation and branching paths), but the gameplay has definitely deteriorated. Some segments within the levels are challenging, but the rest of the game is pretty disappointing. The environment designs are not as creative, the stages are | 5 way too short, and the boss E OPINION | battles are surprisingly easy. аи асе bad, but | i | its as — On the graphical end, adden. E | apcom didn't make an effort j Capcom would give Mega Man a to raise the standard. | guess facedift and let him getoutof E it’s kind of cool that the 1989, he could really shine. 1 like | visuals in all six fames blend the nostalgia of this title, and the | together, but I'd really like to see the series evolve to include smoother animations, a more diverse color pallette, and new gameplay mechanics. - REINER THE BOTTOM LINE EVERYONE ш Concept: A nostalgic Mega Man game with a few enhancements on the side W Graphics: Primarily 16-bit. Either Capcom's artists are color- blind, or they haven't learned that the PlayStation can display more colors than the Super Nintendo M Sound: Obnoxious guitar riffs that scream bad heavy metal garage band m Playability: The same run-and-shoot formula with randomized stages and alternate routs W Entertainment: If you have Alzheimer's, you may think it's 1993 п Replay Value: Moderately Low. SECOND OPINI ] no-holds-barred 2D action, yet I can't help but think Mega Man | could be so much more. Capcom- heads will be pleased, but that’s j about as far as It goes. ANDY - 7| M STYLE 1-PLAYER ACTION B PUBLISHER CAPCOM INI DEVELOPER CAPCOM Ш RELEASE DECEMBER 5 94 GAMEINFORMER PLAYSTATION HOSHIGAMI: RUINING BLUE EARTH GEZUNTHEIT! didn't expect anyone to bring any more obscure RPGs to the US, but leave it to Atlus I to keep the PSone love train a' runnin'. Hoshigami is an old-school strategy/role- playing game that is beefy, but otherwise pretty average. The storyline is of little consequence, with one kingdom attacking the two border regions. As a mercenary turned general, you must keep the dark empire from taking over. Recruits are readily available, and have a number of different specific styles. There's your frontline muscle, the long-distance archers and boomerang heavers, and those best suited for using coins, which represent magic. Each one can be assigned different skills to learn, with points going toward both increasing levels and mastering those skills. I had to do a good bit of tutorial research before | knew what the heck | was doing in this game. One wrong button press may totally confuse you, and all but halt your progress. Get the hang of it, though, and all the status screens and so forth will prove invaluable. However, there are some aspects of Hoshigami that are still vexing, even after many hours of play. Fights are lengthy, and managing your soldiers takes just as long. | can't recommend Hoshigami if you haven't played Final Fantasy Tactics — after all, that game is superior and only half the price. If you need more strategy/RPG in your gaming diet, though, Hoshigami has lots to digest. — JUSTIN ...Who gets hijacked by the bad guy t A Every hero has a special gal... € Coins are used as magic "You're not looking very calm yourself, bucko.” e W STYLE 1-PLAYER STRATEGY/ROLE-PLAYING GAME ш PUBLISHER ATLUS Ш DEVELOPER MAX FIVE Ш RELEASE DECEMBER 19 m Concept: One more strategy/RPG thrill before the PS-X gets put to bed п Graphics: Wow, does this look old. Painfully old W Sound: A little thin on the music, but Таа hum along m Playability: Confusing controls at first, but soon you find them necessary п Entertainment: Not quite up to the competition, but regardless, a lot of gaming for your buck W Replay Value: Moderately Low SECOND OPINION Yikes, this game looks about as good as Joan Rivers’ daughter. | Truth be told, 1 don't really think Max Five gave two rusty damns about how this game looked. The real teeth is in the gameplay anyway, so what difference does it make it if doesn't look all that hot? The answer is, not much. The tried- and-true strategy/RPG formula gives the expected amount of enjoyment (a lot, if you dig this type of game), and the detail in your characters’ stats will drive you to play for hours on end. Yes, there are games out that do basically the same thing Hoshigami does, but the old Hosh-ster accomplishes what it | sets out to do — that's more | than I can say about a lot of | other games. If you find Hoshigami on sale somewhere, 1 would say don't hesitate to add it to your collection. KRISTIAN - 7.5 Blood <_< PlayStation Violence ademark of Sony Computer Е o |x. ©2001 Sony Sony Computer E »b jee ctive has been completed! L 4 A good German gun emplacement is a dead one ^n hy! This Captain doesn't know it, but it's very dangerous to stand in a vehicle when it's moving It would have been a better idea to park away from the machine gun 96 GAME INFORMER W STYLE 1 TO 32-PLAYER ACTION MEDAL OF HONOR: ALLIED ASSAULT BREATHTAKING look at the screen in shocked amazement. Likewise, there has NEVER been a game - on console or PC — that has given me such an intense experience, I’ve actually thought | had a glimpse of what war is really like. Such is Medal of Honor: Allied Assault. Any of the standards set in the FPS genre have been & eldom has a game made me stand up during play and simply obliterated by this game. To put it a “Allied Assault is little bit into perspective, I'd have to say Allied Assault is hands-down the best first- person shooter ever coded. If you hear hands-down the differently, whomever you're listening to is either lying, or a complete jackass. You're probably wondering what in world could cause me to spew such unbridled enthusiasm about one little game. Well my friends, the answer lies in shooter ever one level: The storming of Omaha Beach. If the entire game is a 9.75, then this mission is a 27. It's unbelievable, and coded.” ultimately, indescribable. However, since I'm paid to exercise my descriptive abilities, I'll give ‘er a whirl. Remember the first 20 minutes of Saving Private Ryan? Remember how terrifying that was? Well, now you get to make the landing yourself. If you didn’t have respect for what those guys went through before, you certainly will now. Of course, there are many other levels that are incredible in their own right, but none of them would have been noteworthy had the game's mechanics not been exemplary. The detail paid to the audio in this title is moving. There are best first-person different sounds for when bullets hit wood, sand, dirt, concrete, glass, metal, and flesh. The score is incredibly elaborate, the character models are second-to-none, and the environments are as ornate as they are expansive. The texture detail is such that you can see individual pebbles in walls — and there's no quality degradation from getting up close to them. The only point where Allied Assault comes up short is in the Al department. The enemy Al is good for the most part, but your allies can be quite the knuckleheads in a firefight. In one instance, | was pouring fire into a personnel transport from an MG-42 emplacement when my contact and ally wondered into my field of fire and was effectively cut in half. Other times my squad members would stand in the middle of a street and take hit after hit without running for cover or even ducking. These are minor problems, but nothing to be too worried about — you're on your own most of the time anyway. If you get a hankering for company, not to worry — a robust multiplayer game is ready and waiting for you. So really you're getting two incredible games in one. If you only had enough money to buy one game this year, | wouldn't hesitate to recommend Allied Assault. | know my evenings are shot to hell for a while. Do yourself a favor and buy a piece of what will undoubtedly become a beloved part of gaming history. - KRISTIAN PUBLISHER ELECTRONIC ARTS I DEVELOPER 2012 Ш RELEASE JANUARY 22 GAME OF THE MEDAL OF HONOR: ALLIED ASSA Z. й. THE BOTTOM LINE MATURE E 0 m Concept: Shoot many, many Nazis in levels and environments that will make your jaw drop to the floor m Graphics: Nothing short of wonderful. The bar has definitely been raised W Sound: This game puts many E Hollywood films to shame in the effects department W Playability: Easier to play than a Катоо и Entertainment Anyone who loves FPSs will be awestruck by Allied Assault. Believe the hype, my friends W Replay Value: High SECOND OPINION | Ever since | saw the demo of If this won't scare the @#$% out of him, nothing will A German 88 makes for a formidable foe 4 ' V. ` : | and must work your way up the | barricades with bullets wizzing | past your head, and sand and | water exploding around you, | | Was seriously scared. If this is | Just a taste of what war is like, 1 | know | never want to be there, as | | It's hell on Earth and you are | right in the thick of it, But, as a video game, it Is pure delight. times while | was playing | Assault | had to step away from | the computer as the game was | Just too intense. If you buy just | one PC game in your life, make Sure it's Allied Assault. It's an experience you will never forget. | ANDY - 9.75 | Pi 1 4 1 i К M E Mortar fire doesn't make the best environment for conversation "Now we're cooking with gas!" GAME INFORMER 97 ч числ йы, | Шон, “the Al of the creatures and oops you're battling is some of the best I’ve seen n any game on any platform.” a thing of beauty You'll be able to take control of certain gun emplacements hs You don't scare me. skeleton guy!" 98 GAME INFORMER A LZ RETURN TO CASTLE WOLFENSTEIN l'M ON THE HUNT s many of you know, Wolfenstein 3D was a wildly A successful hit. Not only did it put the 3D shooter genre on the map, but it left us wanting more for years to come. | can clearly remember sitting in my friend's house for hours on end as we traversed the twists and turns of the Castle while mowing down Nazis with reckless abandon. Although I was able to relive the days of my yout and shoot a heaping helping of Nazis again, this Wolfenstein offering quickly left the close confines of the fortress. This didn’t concern me, but the plot that brought about the departure did. To put it simply, you're in charge of making sure the Nazis don't unleash a really bad Necromancer-type guy on the world who would let loose legions of undead and kill everyone. Catchy, no? | have to believe that somewhere in the enormous brain-trust that makes up id, there is a person who had a good idea for a storyline, but just didn't turn it time. If | don't believe that, then | begin to think that ti II the undead and the Nazis" plot was the path of least resistance. What could have been a spectacular single-player title instead becomes a really good looking run-of-the-mill FPS experience with some nice audio mixed in. That's not to say this game isn't one of the best first-person shooters to be W STYLE 1 TO 64-PLAYER ACTION Ш RELEASE NOVEMBER 20 4 This guy has some weight issues released in a while (it is id, after all), it's a little like The Beatles releasing Yellow Submarine in 1968 — it was okay, but you know they could have done better. Aside from the plot issues, this game is solid as bedrock in the gameplay department. | saw very few bugs during my time with the game, and those | did see were gone before they really registered with me. Complementing the smooth engine are sound effects that could peel the paint off your walls if you left your speakers turned up for a prolonged period of time. Symphonic undertones lace every level with a unique theme, and superb voice acting adds even more depth throughout the game. Effects wise, things seem to be status quo, but that's nothing to be disappointed about — unless you don’t like being frightened by things that go bump in the night. In an unexpected and wonderful surprise, the Al of the creatures and troops you're battling is some of the best I've seen in any game on any platform. It makes for an interesting game when one soldier uses covering fire to pin you down while another flanks your position and opens up on you from point-blank range. Add to all of this the incredible multi-player games and you've got a title that packs one heckuva wallop. – KRISTIAN 'UBLISHER ACTIVISION Ш DEVELOPER GRAY MATTER/ID SOFTWARE кн олм VIEW The multiplayer aspect is a detailed and robust component THE BOTTOM LINE МАТЫ m Concept: Shoot undead and Nazis. What more could you ask for? vironments and character models make this Wolfenstein offering jump off the screen m Sound: No expense was spared in this department. The music can be a bit repetitive, but you'll be too tense to notice m Playability: Straight-up FPS architecture. You may need to adjust a few controls, but everything is basically ready to go п Entertainment: A good single-player game and superb multiplayer modes give this one some serious teeth W Replay Value: High SECOND OPINION | | My respect for id software runs (еер, Ever since it defined first- | son shooters with | lolfenstein 3D, id hasn't issed the mark. Retum to Castle Wolfenstein is no | exception. Featuring great | single-player and multiplayer | options, you really get a lot of | bang for your buck (no pun | Intended), | am slightly | disappointed that some of the lassic lines from the Apple Il ате aren't here to make me giggle, but that really isn't | much to complain about. My only true gripe about the title is | it doesn't really take the genre | forward. | really expect id to l bring something new to the able, and Return to Castle Wolfenstein just stays within the status quo. The more | unique secrets were a nice | touch, but I wanted a little | more. I'll quit overanalyzing | now, and get back to playing- | | the white-knuckled combat | really is second-to-none. ANDY - 9 | REVIEWS THE BOTTOM LINE EVERQUEST: SHADOWS OF LUCLIN HAVE SUPER COMPUTER, WILL TRAVEL r: admit it, I'm an addict. GHOST RECON UT THE GHOST IN YOUR MACHINE A s the realistic military-sim genre progresses, we the people of the United Gaming W Concept: Figure out how to kill all of the enemy soldiers in your area as quietly as possible W Graphics: THE BOTTOM LINE Nj EverQuest is easily one of my + favorite games of all time, and this expansion just gives State reap the benefits. Red Storm has done some impressive things with the Rogue Spear series, but let’s just say it also left a lot of room for improvement. Great detail and huge ө Ë ПЕ үш diac р а | Exi Ghost Recon has taken cues from what Rogue Spear did well, and adds a lot to fill in what р ROBES ETS EOMP еа ва m Concept: it didn’t. Опе of my major qualms with the Rogue Spear series was that the graphics reminded me of a good-looking PS-X title. GR looks like you've stepped into the environment right beside your squad, and the character models are beautifully designed. Gameplay wise, things take a bit of getting used to, but for all intents and purposes, this is a highly detailed first-person shooter. Gone are those boring and confusing mission briefings from the RS array of titles. Instead, one concise mission layout screen has been implemented which will show you your area of operations and the goals your squad must accomplish. There were probably people who liked the painstaking process of setting up every movement of each fire-team during the load-out phase of RS, but | couldn't A grenade ls your best friend when stand it. GR does away with that by giving you penetrating a structure control of your teams in the field at the touch [ —— I | a= ©) £ of a button, and letting you set up strategy as the situation dictates. Although the Al could be suspect at times (shooting repeatedly into a tree does little to bring down an enemy patrol), it also has moments of brilliance. Ghost Recon does an incredible job of mimicking the movements and strategies of soldiers in the field, while simultaneously giving the player a feeling of complete tactical control. | can't wait to see how Red Storm follows this one up. — KRISTIAN Drip Your troopers will get combat points after put towards improving their skill sets Night vision gives you a distinct advantage W STYLE | TO 32-PLAYER ACTION lg PUBLISHER UBI SOFT Ш DEVELOPER RED STORM ENTERTAINMENT if RELEASE NOVEMBER 13 successfully completing a mission, which you can This soldier doesn't mind squeezing off a few in public of things you'll notice right away W Sound: Rarely have the sounds of a firefight been mimicked this accurately п Playability: Expect a bit of a time commitment to get a handle on this one п Entertainme! The tension is what makes this game incredible to play п Replay Value: High Either the squad-based Al { some problems, or my guys аге | suicidal. | can't even begin to count the number of times my | squad disobeyed a direct order only to find themselves eating blood-soaked dirt. Red Storm Entertainment made improvements where necessary, | but the Al still leaves much to | be desired. Thankfully, the | enemy proves to be just as | stupid as your comrades, often | firing at an imaginary bird, as | opposed to your location. If | these bugs didn’t occur, this | game would be amazing. The l firefights are lightning-quick and | | very Intense. The details in the | landscapes are also something | to sit back and gawk at. The | most noticeable improvement, | at least for me, is the variety i | that has been implemented into | | the missions. Rather than | | forcing players to run according | | to protocol, freedom has been | | granted to experiment with | | different strategies. | | I | the tar out of virtual monsters with my online compatriots. Like anyone else who plays. EverQuest, you don’t need a review to tell you to buy it. If you play EQ, you already have this expansion, so l'Il just get down to the nitty gritty of it. Verant added new system requirements for this expansion, and they are actually quite astronomical. With the 256 megs of RAM minimum, you can manage to get 15 of the new models displayed onscreen. To. give you an idea, that’s about half of them, and it doesn’t include the new horses and elementals that are another big addition to this title. So to really enjoy Luclin, you need at least 512 megs of RAM, and if your computer is slower than 1.5 Ghz, you will need to turn off the models in a raid situation. The outrageous requirements aside, if you have the computing power to play Luclin as intended, it is a treat. The new alternative advancement skills add lots of new powers to your characters and will have you grinding experience for months to come. Plus, many of the new models are fantastic and the new zones really look great. | would have liked to see more facial options and a better executed launch, but overall it gives the EQ addict all they could hope for. - ANDY Release new zones anci character advancement Opportunities to keep the EQ zombies happy m Graphics: If your PC is Uber, the game looks great, but most people don’t have the horsepower to run this game as it was intended W Sound: Check E Playability: Still the same game, but with new skills added through alternative. advancement m Entertainment: If you manage to get past the opening week of computer problems and outrageous zone times, it’s fun п Replay Value: High PI admit it, Andy's an addict. EverQuest is easily one of his favorite games of all time and this expansion just gives him another excuse to sit in front. of his computer and waste time. As far as the game goes, Verant has pulled the old Origin move of releasing a game no one without some significant bank can play. Of course, for those who can, this game kicks some serious ass. KRISTIAN - 8.5 [SECOND OPINION | и STYLE MASSIVELY MULTIPLAYER ONLINE ROLE-PLAYING GAME W PUBLISHER SONY ONLINE ENTERTAINMENT M DEVELOPER VERANT INTERACTIVE Ш RELEASE DECEMBER 3 GAME INFORMER 99 REVIEWS - Be Moe 19098, ( GAME BOY ADVANCE SHAUN PALMER’S PRO SNOWBOARDER THRASHIN’ ON THE MINIATURE SLOPES hen old-school gamers boot this game up, they'll instantly be reminded of the NES classic, Skate or Die. Natsume definitely took the right steps in the development of this high- profile game. One-upping the founding PlayStation 2 release, the GBA Palmer features downhill races against three addi boarders, and halfpipe events brought to life through Mode 7 technology. Altogether, the gameplay is pretty tight. Transitioning between air and grind tricks is an effortless task, the Manual works well, and the animations are admirable. Even though it does hark back to the primordial days of action sports, a number of problems hold it back from receiving the attention it truly deserves. The stages are quite large. but successfully navigating the slopes is next to impossible. The perspective obscures the forthcoming terrain and the gameplay speed is way too fast. By the time a jump appears, you don't have time to react. If the speed wasn't so blistering and the perspective showed more of the field, | probably would have given this game a nine. The play really is that good. - REINER THE BOTTOM LINE FIERTONE (3| 6.75 get a good fee W Sound: Did Natsume accidentally tthe Harvest Moon Simply said, the doesn't fit 8 Playability: ng pla, to link together combos even Manual down the Slopes 8 Entertainment: | SECOND OPINION | | Shaun Palmer's Pro Snowboarder reminds me in | many ways of the old BMX portion of California Games. The | control and the courses really | aren't designed that well, but in a weird, messed up way they seem to work. At first, this. | game is pretty frustrating because you can't see what's coming; but with practice, it's | oddly entertaining. It's no Tony | Hawk, but it will keep GBA | boarders busy. | ANDY - 7.25 W STYLE | OR 2-PLAYER ACTION/SPORTS Ш PUBLISHER ACTIVISION I DEVELOPER NATSUME lf RELEASE DECEMBER 4 100 GAME INFORMER GAME BOY ADVANCE QUICKIES DOKAPON: MONSTER HUNTER W STYLE | OR 2-PLAYER ROLE-PLAYING GAME W PUBLISHER AIA E RELEASE NOVEMBER 12 Strip away the hackneyed monster collection feature from Dokapon and you're left with an $4 RPG that isn't too i shabby. The game's š battles combine Lady Luck and strategy through a rock, paper, scissors format. Things can either roll in your favor, or get you split in two before you even take your sword out. Dying means you lose all your items, although you can squirrel them away before missions for when you are resurrected. It's both pz rewarding and frustrating. - KATO 7 AMERICAN BASS CHALLENGE W STYLE | TO 4-PLAYER SPORTS E PUBLISHER UBI SOFT W RELEASE DECEMBER 13 | don't know what to say about fishing. You wake up, get in your truck, and go do it. That's a lot like this game. You turn it тера рз, re moor ЩЩ get іп a tournament, ü E Il and before you know it, you're reeling in the bass. That's not a knock on the title, it's actually about the best endorsement | can make for it. American Bass is a fairly well-rounded angling title that doesn't really jump off the deep end in any particular area. I'd say this would fill your Saturday while waiting for the fish to bite. - KATO SUPER BUST-A-MOVE W STYLE | OR 2-PLAYER PUZZLE B PUBLISHER UBI SOFT W RELEASE NOVEMBER 29 My Super BustAMove, as with Columns Crown reviewed on GBA two issues ago, is one of those puzzle games where the prime directive is to waste time, rather than have fun. The formula has led to much success for the series, but it hasn't really won me over. This installment does some new things (like the non-sequential path), but it's still the same ball shooting, and it's kind of hard to see. I'd rather waste my time and m enjoy it, too. — JUSTIN 75 ALIENATORS: EVOLUTION CONTINUES W STYLE 1-PLAYER ACTION/PUATFORM W PUBLISHER ACTIVISION E RELEASE NOVEMBER 28 Flip over the box of Alienators in the store and you'll see exactly what this game is all about - shoot, shoot and jump, jump. That's not bad, and in fact, it's š a good thing when you throw in Ira's weapons and фр postures. However, | must say that | hate when you jump in the air and take damage from an enemy on a platform above you because there's no collision on the underside of it. Alienator isn't the originator of that problem, and its platforming-by-the-numbers approach is where it both stands and falls. – KATO MONSTERS, INC. И STYLE 1-PLAYER ACTION Ш PUBLISHER THQ E RELEASE OCTOBER 25 22310 Be | am quite impressed by this title's animation and some of the cutscenes it shows at the start, but ل‎ the gameplay itself is 7 == fairly one-dimensional. == Explore various areas looking for pieces to the door that will get cute little Boo home. For most gamers, Monsters, Inc. will be a little too repetitive and easy, but for its target market of young tykes just 5 getting their little hands around the GBA, it is perfect. - ANDY MONSTER RANCHER ADVANCE W STYLE | TO 4-PLAYER STRATEGY/FIGHTING Ii PUBLISHER ТЕСМО m RELEASE DECEMBER 2 Who says breeding has to be conducted within the house? With Monster Rancher Advance, you can procreate wherever you want! If you choose to, you can even do it in front of your parents! All of the addictive traits and adorable monsters from the console series are jam-packed into this microscopic release. The only major difference resides in how monsters are generated. Instead of inserting another game into your GBA, the system is a bit more simplistic. Spell a word, get a monster. This formula may sound cheesy, but it works quite well. Once you create a beast that you'd like to train, bring it home and prep it for battle. The combat sequences lack the high-caliber animation that made the console titles so dynamic, but all the strategic components are still in place. If you couldn't get enough of the previous entries in the series, or simply need something to do on the go, Monster Rancher Advance is an excellent companion and one heck of a game. – REINER PLANET OF THE APES W STYLE 1-PLAYER ACTION E PUBLISHER UBI SOFT ENTERTAINMENT W RELEASE NOVEMBER 14 If one thing wasn't clear before, it certainly is now: The GBA can pump out some very impressive animations. Those in Planet of the „#9 Apes don't disappoint, but the game itself does little more than help you alleviate your distaste for primates. | suppose you could compare this game to a Prince of Persia type release, but | had a lot more fun with PoP than | did with Bright Eyes and crew. 6.5 Not a bad game overall, but there's much better stuff out there. - KRISTIAN EVERYONE Crazy handles. Killer crossovers. And mad hops. Your prayers have been answered. р NBA Courtside 2002 with Kobe Bryant, only for Nintendo GameCube" CONTENT RATED BY ESRB In association with the NPD TRSTS Video Games Service, Charts presents an in-depth listing of the best- selling software on a month-to-month basis. Are the games you spend your hard-earned dollars on top sellers? Take a look below to find out. We've also compiled a listing of the top-selling Japanese software, and, of course, we included a Top 10 list of the games the Gl staff is currently enjoying. RANK L. MO SYSTEM SCORE RELEASE PRICE DATE POINT N/A Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty PS2 10 Nov-01 $50 What else would be in the number one spot? This is one of the greatest games of all time, people! Go out and buy a copy before your local retailer runs out. Seriously. Put the magazine down and get this game right this very instant. We don’t care if you don't have а PS2. GAME 2 Grand Theft Auto III PS2 9.5 Oct-01 $51 | If there's one thing we love to see, it's awesome games like Grand Theft Auto III getting the public recognition they deserve. Will this powerhouse of a title ever be able to take the number one spot? We think it has the staying power, but does it have the chutzpah? Tune in next month! 3 N/A Luigi's Mansion GC 9 Nov-01 $50 The braintrust over at Nintendo has done it again. Since Pokémon got booted off the top five they need something to be in the spotlight — and we're quite happy it's Luigi's Mansion. We were surprised this one didn't do better, but it’s still early in its shelf-life. 4 N/A Xbox 9D Nov-01 $49 Microsoft makes its first appearance in the top five with the release of its flagship title, Halo. We had a feeling it wasn't outselling Luigi's Mansion, but we're impressed with its position nonetheless. We scored it higher than Luigi anyway, and that's what counts. 5 4 Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 PS2 9.75 Oct-01 $48 Tony's PlayStation 2 effort is hanging in there, if only by his fingernails. The game dropped ‚ one place from last month, but number five is pretty damned good by anyone's stan- dards...Isn't that right Pokémon? Hello?! Oh yeah, You're GONE! HAHAHAHAHAAABLAR- RRRGGGG! Halo JAPAN TOP 10 POS. „мо GAME ‘SYSTEM N/A Dragon Quest IV: Guiding Friends PSX N/A Super Smash Bros. Melee GC N/A All Star Pro Wrestling II PS2 ® 2 3 4 N/A Seaman: Crazy Doctor's Experiment Island. PS2 5 N/A Pro Baseball 2001 PS2 6 N/A Pachisuro Aruze Daikoku 5 PS2 7 N/A Rez PS2 8 N/A Bushin: Wizardly Alternative PS2 Em 1 Jaissen Pachisuro Hisshohoh PS2 30 2 Pikmin GC POS. L. MO GAME SYSTEM о 5 Metal of Honor: Allied Assault PC 2 N/A Super Smash Bros. Melee GC au Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty PS2 4 1 Final Fantasy X PS2 5 4 Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 Р52, 6 3 Grand Theft Auto III PS2 7 9 Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy PS2 am 5 Halo Xbox 9 6 Star Wars: Rogue Leader GC PS2 40 N/A Drakan: The Ancients' Gates n 4 t 6 N/A Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone PSX 5.5 Nov-01 40 7 N/A Star Wars: Rogue Leader GC 9:5 Nov-01 49 POS. L.MO GAME MONTH PRICE 8 N/A Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone GBC N/A Nov-01 $29 1 N/A The Sims: Hot Date Nov01 $27 9 3 Madden NFL 2002 PS2 975 Aug-01 $50 2 N/A Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone Nov-01 $28 3 3 TheSims Jul01 $40 10 N/A WWF SmackDown!: Just Bring It PS2 8 Nov-01. 51 4 N/A Backyard Basketball NovOl $18 11 N/A Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 PSX 85 Oct-01 40 5 5 Roller Coaster Tycoon May99 $19 12 N/A Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone GBA N/A Nov-01. $38 6 4 Civilization Ill Oct-01 $45 13 N/A Project Gotham Racing Xbox 85 Nov-01 49 7 МА Zoo Tycoon OctO1 $28 14 N/A Dead or Alive 3 Xbox 9.25 | NovO1 $49 BIB N/A [Backyard Foothalli2002 Sep01 ESO 15 1 NBA Live 2002 PS2 85 00:01 50 9 N/A Вор the Builder: Can We Fix It? Aug-01 $16 10 N/A Survivor: The Interactive Game Nov-01 $18 16 5 Pokémon Crystal GBC 6.75 Jul-01 29 š 3 2m 10 Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 PSX 10 Sep-01 19 : 18 N/A NFL Fever 2002 Xbox 8.25 Oct-01 $49 19 N/A Monsters, Inc. GBC N/A Oct-01 28 20 N/A James Bond 007 in...Agent Under Fire PS2 9.25 Nov-01 50 Source: NPD Interactive Entertainment Service • Kristin Barnett- Von-Korff (516) 625-2481 102 GAME INFORMER PlayStation.e = G ¿wasa am E Ба Е | (ы a C c | | M | | -— 5 J | 2 | & Д HOSTILE TERRITORY The ultimate off-road driving adventure returns to the PlayStation&2 computer entertainment ‘system. Work for an elite band of smugglers, 1 e el] hell breaks leo Gl Mur LULLILU.ROCKSTRRGRMES.COM/SMUGGLERSRUNe ` Soundtrack provided by s Ruskin, 430 West Records and Kevin Saunderson "PlayStation" and the Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. Angel Studios and the Angel Studios logo are trademarks of Angel Studios. Rockstar Games and the Rockstar Games logo are trademarks of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. Copyright 2001 All rights reserved. Buggy Image @Jim Sugar Photography/CORBIS. All other logos are properties of their respective owners. Deliver the goods through mine fields, avalanches and enemy crossfire! Fully integrated plot increases the adrenaline and ups the stakes Vile ager Hace anywhere across the world's most dangerous territories All new mission types including helicopter drop offs! Dutrun and outwit your enemies head-to-head in split screen multiplayer mode! REVIEWS ARCHIVE FEBRUARY 2001 Dragon Warrior Vil 675 Nov-0t Heavy Metal: Geomatrix 3 0001 Dark Age of Camelot 85 Jan2 — Gradus Galaxies 725 Decot RING OF RED Fear Effect 2: Retro Helix 85 Май lbleed 5 Junot Desperados 725 бер01 GT Advance Final Fantasy Chronicles 9 ми Kao the Kangaroo 7 Ар Diablo Il: Lord of Destruction 7.25 Sep-01 Championship Racing 6 шо ; Harry Potter And KISS Psycho Circus: Echelon 9 ит High Heat Major E FORMAT PLAYSTATION 2 WI STYLE 1-PLAYER STRATEGY The Sorcerers Stone 55 Јам Тһе Nightmare Chid 45 FebO1 Emperor: Battle for Dune 8 Augot League Baseball 2002 75 Deco Madden NFL 2002 B Spot ават à Empire Earth 629 мш MAR ынк E ARM Ў Ма Hofmanis Pro ВМХ 85 — Juno leart of the Samurai, The 8 Sep-01 Evil Islands 525 May.0t rassic Park Il: Island Atta w. J Blowing away all of my Metal Slug X 6 AO Mars Matrix 8 May-01 Fou Tactics: d Jurassic Park Ill: Park Builder 725 Oct-01 xpectal i i MLB 2002 6 01 MatHofimans Pro BMX 7 0001 Brotherhood of Steel 875 Mayot Jurassic Park Ill: Ө оп, Ring of Red is а Monsters, Inc 5 Мой МВА2К2 925 Dec! Fate of the Dragon 6 ‘unt The DNA Factor 275 Odo! rock-solid release that really Motocross Mania 5 Sep-01 МСАА College Football 2K2: Freedom: First Resistance 575 Marot Klonoa: Empire Of Dreams 75 Oct-01 couldn't be executed much Mummy, The 075 Feb-01 Road to the Rose Bowl 8 Odo Gangsters 2 4 Augot Krazy Racers 7 М z а NASCAR Heat 65 Feb-O1 NFL 2K2 9 Мой Giants: Citizen Kabuto 925 Feb-01 Lady Sia 75 0001 better. The visual presentation NBA shoot Out 2002 475 Мое Оода Воода 6 0401 Gunman Chronicles 825 Feboi Майо Kart Super Circuit 95 Sepot i i егі! NFL GameDay 2002 6 беро Outrigger 625 Jundi Half-Life: Blue Shif T +01 Mal Hoffman's Pro BMX 75 Dect is explosive, offering the né Piece cn 175 0001 PBATour Bowing 2001 625 Juni навози 47 cad Mech Platoon 825 Jan02 highest level of detail in its Persona 2: Phantasy Star Online 9 Mar-01 Hostile Waters: Antaeus Rising 8 Sep-01 Mega Man Batte Network 825 Ос! Eternal Punishment 8 ео Phantasy Star Online Ver.2 8.75 — Nov.0t f Wi 1 Namco Museum 7 Aug-01 landscapes, mecha designs, oy Bunks 725 Май Project Justice 7 Feboi козе me 9 AOI NFL Biz 2002 5 001 and effects. The thrills garnered are top rate, ` Powerpuff Girls: Razor Freestyle Scooter 75 0201 "The Edge of Chaos 9 Novo) PacMan Collection 8 Odo ^ p Chemical X-Traction 18 Novo! Record of Lodoss War 85 May! insane 725 Maot Рһаалх 5 Юм and something strategy fans won't want to kd Power Spike Pro Sega Bass Fishing 85 0001 Jagged Aliance 2: Pinobee: Wings of Adventure 8 01 miss. — Beach Volleyball 5 dan-O1 беда Smash Pack 9 May-01 ` Unfinished Business 575 Aprüt Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure 75 — JukO1 Road to El Dorado, The 1 Feb-01 Soldier of Fortune 775 Айй Kingdom Under Fire 625 Marot Powerpuff Giris: PLAYSTATION 2 MX2002 Saiyuki: Journey West 85 AO Sonic Adventure 2 75 Aug-01 Max Payne 95 0001 Mojo Jojo A-Go-Go 6 — Jan-02 18 Wheeler Featuring Ricky Carmichael 7 — Aug-01 Saltwater Sportfishing 65 Jan-02 — Spider-Man 8 Jun0! — Mechcommander 2 875 А01 Prehistorik Man 75 Jan-02 American Pro Trucker 725 Deco! MXRider 7 Decor Sheep Raider 725 Мое! Sports Jam 775 Aug01 Monopoly Tycoon 85 Decot Ready 2 Rumble 4x4 Evolution В May.01 NASCAR Heat 2002 85 Аш! Simpsons Wresting, The 2 дз! Surf Rocket Racers 55 FebO1 Moon Project, The 775 Mayor Boxing: Round 2 425 дый! ‘Ace Combat 04: NASCAR Thunder 2002 85 Deco ‘Spec Ops: Covert Assault 4 Deco Tennis 2K2 95 Jan02 Myst Ill: Exile 75 МЇ Spider-Man: Mysterio's Menace 7.5 Ѕер-01 Shattered Skies 85 Nov0! МВА Ноор 575 Mayo! Әрәс Ops: Ranger Elte 6 — Ju0! Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Myth Ill: The Wott Age 675 Jano2 Super Dodge Ball Advance 9 А01 Adventures of NBA Live 2002 85 Decot SpiderMan 2 Enter: Electo 85 Od! Rogue Spear 7 Feb0! — NASCAR Racing 4 8 Apri Spyro: Season Of Ice 6 Jan-02 Cookie & Cream, The 875 Ма! NBA ShootOut 2001 65 Аий! Strikers 1945 675 May-01 Typing of the Dead 9 Feb-01 Operation Flashpoint Super Mario Advance 85 A0 All-Star Baseball 2002 8 May-01 NBA Street 925 Aug! Supercross 575 Apot Unreal Tournament 85 Apr0! Cold War Crisis 95 Novot Super Street Fighter It Aqua Aqua 6 Ма! МСАА Final Four 2002 5 Decot Syphon Fiter3 9 001 Vanishing Point 75 Ма! Poseidon 8 5р0 Turbo Revival 9 Augot Arctic Thunder 5 Nov01 NCAA Footbal 2002 9 омот Tales of Destiny lI 775 Sep01 Мой Series Baseball 2K2 7 ^ Oct0 Pool of Radianc Tetris Worlds 7 dno Armored Core 2: NFL 2K2 95 Jano2 Tiger Woods PGA Tour Golf 8 — FebOi Worms World Party 8 Муй — RunsofMyhDranor 775 Мой Tony Hawk's ProSkaler2 9% 01 Another Age 85 0001 NFL QB Club 2002 75 Мой Time Crisis: Project Titan. 7 01 Project IGI: Im Going in. 35 Marot Wario Land 4 85 Jan-02 ‘Army Men: Air Attack 2 35 Jun0! — NHLFaceOff 2001 Apr-01 Twisted Metal: Small Brawl 3 „ал02 XBOX Quake Ill: Team Arena 35 Mai Wendy: Every Witch Way 75 берб! ‘Army Men: Green Rogue 1 тй NHL 2002 95 Nov-o1 Tony Hawk's Pro Skater3 85 DecOt — 4X4 Evolution 2 75 Nov-01 Red Faction 875 Nov-01 X-Men: Reign of Apocalypse 775 Oct-01 Army Men: Sarge’s Heroes 2 55 Jun-Ot NHL Hitz 2002 85 Decot TopShop 75 Ат Airíorce Delta Storm 65 Decot Sea Dogs 85 Мад! ATV Он Fury 9% Ма}! No One Lives Forever 7 Decot Toy Sloy Racer | H Mm Apod: Freestyle ae ass Strike 7 Novo Okage: Shadow Ki 8 Novo! Tiple Play Base 01 Snowboarding Batman: Vengeance 7 кэй On fj 65 Май VIP 1 Janda Arctic Thunder 5 ws» MOSTI LE WATE RS: Baldurs Gate: Dark Aliance 875 DecO! Onimusha: Warlords 875 Marot Virtual Kasparov 775 Jand2 Cel Damage 5 Decdt » Bloody Roar à 8 Ай! Ponal Runner 4 осот Weakest Link т ам S EE ANTAEUS RISING Burnout 775 Jan02 Project Eden 55 Jang2 Worlds Scariest Polce Chases 675 Ай! Dave Mira Freestyle BMX2 9 HI Capcom Vs. SNK 2 775 Dec! Quake Ill Revolution 775 Муй ХМеп:Миат Academy 2 825 Octo! Dead Or Alive 3 325 Decot MFORMAT PCI STYLE 1-PLAYER ACTION/STRATEGY CART Fury Rayman 2: Revolution. 8 — Apr0t You Don't Know Jack: Mock2 5 — Mart Fusion Frenzy 6 Deo W PUBLISHER INTERPLAY REVIEWED SEP-01 Championship Racing 8 AO Red Faction 9 Jnd Halo 95 Mem Quran Demos 4% Ne Resident E Cade v GAMECUBE oe d $5. "Ded When [еу m oe E 2 н leronica. 1 — Crazy Taxi 75 Jan-02 à ` епи into the ac Se Crash Bandicoot: Ring of Red 9 Ар! Lage Mani 9 Novo Madden NFL 2002 95 №01 men S a int ца E "Wrath of Cortex 675 М? ру 75 A995 рыр aos жы МО gameplay, | was pleasantly _ Dat Cot US рт nadie 125 МУП Serre Pogue Lendl 85 юй плдш ва Deco surprised by a wel- une: Viking Warlor Super Monkey Ball 85 Мой f ° aa S 0 Ny, TE шш eae ЭЛ ee en ш ыш constructed, engaging, and | абон of Destin ar- , Devt May Cry $5 caer Se d Dea Wave Race: Blue Storm 85 һәй NFL rover 2002 s бил highly addicting game that Donald Duck: Goin’ Quackers 75 Маг-01 Pro Snowboarder 825 Deci NHL 2002 925 Dec-01 became more intriguing gand Dynasty Warriors 3 7 Jano? — Silent Hill 2 7 оз a NHL Hitz 2002 85 Jan-02 beguiling as the missions Wel n Ephemeral Fantasia 4 Sep0t Silent Scope 2: Dark Sihouete 8 Sepo! “The Fist Mage. 05 mayor Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee 7 бей 5 а am a Д Bee гй ee Island © pee deri d ын Rage, The 8 Decot Cris'n Exotica 6 Feb-Ot Busy Gotham Racing BS 29 Д оп. Cutscenes notwi stan пе, is is ап ; wagle’s Run ° ESPN NBA 2night 425 May-01 Hostile Territory 75 Dec-01 Loin M ist rA pen Simpsons Road Rage, The — 8 Deco @Xcellent game. — KRISTIAN ; ESPNNFL Pinelme 202 6 Joe бийл 4 AMP Dr Maro 64 85 mayo Sie War занес S ШЫЙ T M Hercules: 1 Serious Sam 85 шй GAME BOY COLOR oa ee ov S 080 TheLegendary Journeys, 475 Рот Tg Ао рей m 8 NO Acton Man: Search for Base X 25 Аюб! Games Snowboarding 825 Jov0! SSX Ticky + Deci rud d Js MACS! Tony Hawk's Pro Skater2X 85 Момот Sem 75 Feot Asn 7 ный , Shogun: in FINE cues eed Ф 80 Star Wars: Starfighter 925 Mardi Pokémon Stadium 2 6 mayo 12799018501 55 Decor Sr Warlord Edtion — 9 Agot The New Nightmare 75 Sopot Extermination aas бәр — fup Bombad Racing — 25 Mayor УНН ProSkater2 925 Ой pc Simcoaster 775 Айй} Balman:Chaos in Gohan 6 Май Extreme G3 8 №01 Stretch Panic 75 501 — DREAMCAST Aliens Versus Predator2 925 Jangg Sims: Hot Date, The 8 — Jan-02 үе Keen us p F1 Racing Championship ^ 875 Apr-01 Stunt GP 4 — Jan02 18 Wheeler. America 65 Apr0 Sims: House Party, The 75 May-01 as SER rq bs ^" FIFA Soccer 2002 8 Dec0! Supercar Street Challenge 6 — Deco š American McGee's Alice 9 Рот Star Trek: Away Team 45 Junot Dragon Warrior 5 5р0 Final Fantasy X 975 Jan02 i: Anean Pro halir U аю kw 725 Oot Star Trek Deep Space Nine: Dragon Warrior Monsters2 8 Коб! Former Kingdon S эмр Tea Die Of fuat fne. ۹ 8 80 m 85 sepor Dominion Wars 425 бер! Galaga Destination: Earh — 2 Рей fest Drive Off-Roac Н à Formula One 2001 85 Novo! — Wide Open 625: Maro; Mere беба : Arcanum: Of Steamworks & StarTrek: Hoyle Card Games 9 Мый! Ft 85 0ес01 Thunderstrike: The New Nightmare 8 Nodi Magick Obs 675 бей Starfleet Command Vol2 85 Mar0! Kirby Tilt 'N' Tumble 75 May-01 Fur Fighters: Vagos Revenge 65 dioi — Operaton Phoenix 4 Doo МИМ В Seo aides osei : ییا‎ D. DI Legend ol ede: Galop! Racer 2001 95 Sepo! Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2001 6 Aprot oTa oar ri pe Throne of Bhaal 975 Айй € ме ан Ка Mod س‎ @ jam аана id DE Шашы Racer: Zero 5% pei Confidential Mission 55 Jun-01 € “ak B be eer И Galactic Battlegrounds 45 Осо Ота of Seasons, The 925 ul 04 ants: Cit Д T н я Grand Theft Auto ll 95 Dec-01 Tery Hers Pro aoe з 975 Deco poppe BMX bà MEN Күсе m ü i Mr Pudet rd po^ p Mighty Adventure, The 7 Mart Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec 9 Augot TopGun:CombaZones 775 Oct Ot à live Barker's: Undying 01 i Looney Tunes Васі 425 Mar dt Guily Gear X 6 Deco! Tsugunai: Atonement 725 Jan? сна А. m 1 А091. Colin McRae Raly 20 65 Apo d "o 1? аЛ Magi Nation ы 85 Маро Half-Life Decay з Decot Twisted Metal: Black 95 01 Command & Conquer: 4 Mario Tennis 875 Feb-01 eam 775 Mayo ECW Anarchy Rulz з май ie Revenge a25 Decot Tomb Raider Chronicles 4 Febot ° š aus ed 75 Deco! Vampire Night БЕ Мар EvilDead:Halltothe King 45 Мае Commandos 2:Men of Courage 75 Novoi 10852 в Junot се ае Back! g ae : ч lan Xtreme far Heroes of Might and Magic 45 01 Мег 55 Sepo ‘Wigan Bros. 825 AS! Cultures a ee Mickeys Speedway USA 6 May Ot High Heat Baseball 2002 775 May-01 Warriors of Might and Magic 775 Apr-01 200 yon eo PS uoi MTV Sports limale 7 Ар! ose 7 77 Mme, ^" "" SPIDER-MAN peu DO ee eeu 925 шо resa in! Just xing t's buo, MFORMAT DREAMCAST I STYLE 1-PLAYER ACTION Advance Wars 9.25 фри Pokémon Puzzle Chalenge 85 Feb-O1 Agent Under Fre $25 deco Yayatan C Sue 75 odo; M PUBLISHER ACTIVISION Ш REVIEWED JUN-O1 : Amy Men Arne SS Aen OB в 65 Febot Jeremy McGrath: : Ç reath of Fire Supercross World П ынны 326: Map Sm | loved this game on Bomberman Toumament 85 ард „Stunt Biking Ts ie Kengo: Master of Bushido 725 Maro! — PLAYSTATION T 2 PlayStation, and while | am not вото fever 7 Jno Shrek: Fairy Tale FreakDown 05 Junot н Alone in the Dark Í x s Kinetica 8 Мот The New Nightmare в А0 exactly going out of my way to Circe ofthe Moon 07 wo Sree | io Konoa 2: Lunatea's Vel 825 Ар! — ArcTheladColecion — 85 Jan02 play it again on Dreamcast, й Со Pode! 8 01 Snoopy Tenis 7 Wo Knockout Kings 2001 9 Mar! Battie Hunter 5 берй! E QE ste Spider-Man 2: The Sinister Six 8 Aug Le Mans 24 Hours 85 SepO! Castlevania Chronicles 675 Oct01 is nice to see that Dreamcast pos — 75 бю агне: Episode | нн ег Б XI Danca aiea Povilo 3% АШ owners finally get a shot at aaa ss dU Оомал Adventures 8 Marot Mat GM ok ы phon эш n Зер! this impressive game. Spider- ESPN Final Round Golf 2002 7 — Sepot кре жш ` И КИ OU" date ырш 2 12 Мап Пав he АЫ DAT a з мн ола le Suit Gundam: х н " а ee. Š i н Journey 1o Jabur 65 беро "Maimun Romi 725 aus Will make comic book fans happy, including little cameos, Final Fight One T OM жумук Ee Dele us pend Dun Daa ca Bale 75 Sep0! and some great arcade action to entertain the B Wresting о Кы Tiouballs в Mayot + )isney's Aladdin In т 4 n М a 2 sh We 7. 01 MTV Music Generator2 85 Ји Маса Revenge s Mayor rest of the gaming population. A solid port of a le Froggers Adventure ith WES ^ Mummy Returns, The 25 Jan02 Disney's Allantis: olid gami ANDY Temple of the Frog 5 Nool (Men: ine’ n The Lost Empire. 725 go, SOlid game ane MEME Wolverines Rage 7 Aug 104 GAMEINFORMER _NEW RELEASES ALL DATES SU System. поене . Dark Arena «Disciples Il: Dark Prophecy ............. 5... INOEIMES.......... 11/15/02. . . Drakan: The Ancients’ Gate. ................ А. Ps2 3/15/02. . . Duke Nukem: Hunting ........ 4/15/02. . . Mobile Suit Gundam: Zeonic Front 44/15/02. .. Industry Tycoon 2 1/15/02. . . Muppet Battle Рбай..................... 4/15/02... 4/15/02... 1/15/02. . . Persian Wars. . Dreamcatcher . 4/15/02. .. Rally Trophy Macmillan. R. Salt Lake 2002................... B FORMAT PLAYSTATION 2 Ш STYLE 1 ТО 4-PLAYER ACTION W PUBLISHER КОЕ Ш RELEASE JANUARY 29 Music and dance games that f countries fall on deaf ears and | lead feet when they make it to ___ these parts, but maybe that's because none of them totally > rock! America is the place J| where guitar gods get the "= respect they deserve, and if there's anyone who deserves your admiration, it's Gitaroo- Man. Every stage in Gitaroo-Man requires players to dodge enemy attacks by tapping the Dual Shock 2's buttons to the beat, then blast back by hitting riffs. When it all comes together, it really feels like you're cranking out a killer tune on an electric guitar. ‘Serious Sam: The Second Encounter Tropico: Paradise Island Add On. . 1/15/02. . 115/02. d. 4/17/02... 1/24/02... Mega Race 3 .. Dune New Legends . Black & White: Creature Isle Expansion Pack . PC E E ass E 1022/02... Grandia I... 1/22/02. . . Medal of Honor: Allied Assault 1/22/02. . . Mike Tyson Boxing. 1/22/02. . . MotoGP 2. ..... 1/22/02. . . Olympic Winter Games . . . . 1/22/02. .. Parappa the Rapper 2 ................. 2/22/02... Star Was: Starfighter Special Edition. . 4/25/02. . . The Cameron Files: The Secret at Loch Ness .. . . Dreamcatcher . 14/28/02... Mali con О „Таке 2. «Arc the Lad: Collection. . .. ... Destroyer Command . .. Genma Onimusha .... 1/29/02. . . GitarooMan ... 1/29/02. . . NFL Blitz 2002 1/29/02. .. NFL Blitz 2002.......... 1/29/02. . . NFL Blitz 2002 . 1/29/02. .. NHL 2K2 ....... 1/29/02. .. Sid Meier's Sim Golf .............. 1/29/02. . . Tekken Афапсе.............. 1/29/02. .. Tetris Worlds, 1/29/02. . . Top Angler » Infogrames . 1/30/02. . . Freelancer . . + Microsoft . 2/31/02...0АВ............. TOM 2 Inogrames.......... к 1/31/02. . . Smugglers Run... Destination Software ОВА 1/31/02. . . State of Emergency «Toke 2 2/1/02. . . . 3D Pool All Stars. + Titus , 2/1/02.... Air Ranger. ....... . Bam! Entertainment. . . PS2 2/1/02. . . . Dodge Ball... Dragon's Lair 30... бора Elemental Force .. M4 Armored Clash. . aa RODOCOP.......... 2/1/02. . . . Snowboarding . . Title Publisher/ Distributor JECT TO CHANGE. CALL YOUR LOCAL RETAILER FOR MORE DETAILS Release Title ‚. Disney's Tarzan Untamed . ih ОЕТ ОЁ + Fishtank Interactive ....РС 2/4/02. ... Beam Breakers + Fishtank Interactive... ...PC 2/4/02... . Call of Cthulu .......................... Fishtankiinteractive....PC 3/1/02. 2/4/02, .. . Dungeon Siege ........ я - Microsoft PC 2/4/02. . . . Evil Twin: Cyprian’s Chronicle . ~ T Ubi Soft. РС 2/4/02. ... Май Dog Мебгее.............. + Digital Leisure РС 2/4/02. .. . Sonic the Hedgehog Advance. 2/4/02... Tett %ой....................... 2/5/02. .. . Columns Crown... 2/5/02. . . . Dark Summit, . 2/5/02. . . . Forever Kingdom . 2/5/02. ... Weckess. ... ecce 2/5/02. . . . Yugioh! Dark Duel Stories . . 2/11/02, 2/11/02. . . Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2/1402... 2/12/02. .. 2/12/02. . . Disney's Peter Pan: Return to Neverland. 2/42/02... 2/12/02. 2/12/02. . 2/12/02. 2/12/02. 2/12/02. 2/2/02... 2/12/02... 2/12/02. 2/15/02. 2/15/02. 2/15/02... 2/15/02. 2/15/02. 2/18/02. . Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem. Duke Nukem Forever . Hidden and Dangerous. . Maximo: Ghosts To Glory . . . Monster Jam Maximum Destruction . . MotoGP . NASCAR Racing 2002 Season. Sonic Adventure 2: Battle. . . . Vivendi Universal . .. Sega .. ..юйатев......... Xbox Electronic Arts, Transworld Snowboarding. Ultima Online: Lord Blackthorne's Revenge Aerial Aces Majesco Eidos . + » Destination Software . . GBA Deus EX: The Conspiracy Grand Theft Auto Ill. . Herdy бегу... Phantasy Star Online Ver. Arthur's Knights Il... Dreamcatcher 2/18/02. . . Soldier of Fortune 2: Double Helix. . ~ Activision ... 2/18/02. . . Woody Woodpecker . . . Dreamcatcher . , 3/11/02. . 2/19/02. . . Decathlon Advance Infogrames 3/12/02. . . 2/19/02. . . Hidden Invasion. 3/12/02. 2/19/02. . . Jet Set Radio Future . Sega 3/12/02. . 2/19/02. . . No Опе Lives Forever. . . 3/12/02. . 2/19/02. . . Star Wars: Racer Revenge . 3/12/02. . . 2/19/02. . . World Tour Soccer 2002. 2/19/02. . . Worms Blast. . . 2/19/02. . . Worms Blast. . . 3/12/02. . 2/26/02, . . 18 Wheeler American Pro Trucker . . 3/42/02... И FORMAT PCI STYLE | TO 16-PLAYER ACTION ЖЕК W PUBLISHER ELECTRONIC ARTS I RELEASE FEBRUARY 26 3/15/02. . 5/02. . It's not terribly surprising that a ү m i first-person shooter has finally rd been born out of a popular real- M: 3/15/02... NI. time strategy title. The gameplay couldn't be more different between the two, but many of us have sat back and wondered what it would be like to run around our bases behind the eyes of a common foot soldier. Always the innovator, Westwood was way ahead of us and thus, Renegade was conceived and born. 3/19/02... 2/20/0254 . Casper e a ER Titus 3/19/02. 2/26/02. . . Command & Conquer: Renegade . Westwood Studios/EA 2/26/02. . . Free Wheelin’ USA. Ubi Soft 2/26/02. . . Free Wheelin’ USA. . Ubi Soft 2/26/02, , . Lock On: Modem Air ботба!................ Ubi Sof. 3/19/02. . 2/26/02. . . PacMan World 2 Namco . 3/19/02. . 2/28/02. . . Al Star Baseball 2003. . Acclaim 2/28/02. . . Shadow Man: 2econd Coming. . . Acclaim 2/28/02... Star Trek: Shattered Universe ............... Vivendi Universal 3/1/02. . . . Conflict Zone. + Rainbow Six: Rogue $реаг................. Ubi Soft... . - Elder Scrolls I; Morrowind ................. Bethesda Softwork: 3/15/02. . 3/19/02. . .. Gun Valigre ............. Evil Twin: Cyprien’s Chronicle ...... s2 .. King's Field: The Ancient City s2 EL TI o». naniii . GBA Powerpuff Girls . FS Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear PS2 Pe Е - . Xbox PS2 Star Wars: Jedi Outcast . MU a World of Outlaws: Sprint Cars . Р52 опо E Dreamcatcher . . PS2 + . Star Trek: Bridge Соттапфег............... Activision... 2. - PC Who Shot Johnny Rock? . . . Digital Leisure . . . FORMAT GAMECUBE Ш STYLE 1-PLAYER ACTION/ADVENTURE/SHOOTER IM W RELEASE MARCH 25 UBLISHER NINTENDO This title isn't the first time we get to control Fox McCloud outside his Arwing, but it's a new experience altogether, as the former N64 game Dinosaur In Planet has been added to it. protecting Prince Tricky and h 3 whole planet from General Scales, players will embark on an Ocarina of Time-esquue, mission-based journey that includes magical staffs, multiple- character control, and old Star Fox friends and levels. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3. - . Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3.................. Bear In The Big Blue House .. Die Hard: Nakatomi Plaza Duke Nukem........... MLB 2003 . . МТУ Fullbum. Sega GT 2002 Sê C Street Fighter Alpha 3 Capcom... Infogrames ... Crave.... . ‘Transworld Surf Batman: Dark Tomorrow. . Commandos 2: Men of Courage ............. Eidos. ч у ЕТ: Cosmic Garden Newkidco. . . . NewKidCo. . . ET: Digital Planner. Legacy of Kain: Blood Omen 2 .............. Eidos.... . О POOS у Dreamcatcher . . TDK Mediactive . Eidos. pa 7. Legacy of Kain: Blood Omen 2 MegaRace 3... Pryzm Chapter One: Race Майоп................. Token КАЖ ETUR Disney's Jungle Book. Eve of Extinction . . , GHOSE Recon...................... DN Monsters, Inc. Sony . Project Eden . Thunderstrike: Operation Phoenix. . „Мима Б ег4....................... „Мова Striker 3. . .. Sega Infogrames . Dreamcatcher Ballistic ... Black Moon Chronicles. . . GAME INFORMER 105 IPLAY TO PERFECTION We labored for three weeks, 24 hours a day, to bring you this d ) ү in-depth strategy guide. Early on, we had hoped to bring you а a < Jr H E S E € R ETS О F complete moves list for every character. As we soon found out, id however, there really is no point in listing each character's moves. e] As you'll quickly learn, every character basically controls the same. Certainly, their attacks are quite different, but the control schematics are nearly identical. After experimenting with a character for a few E, m minutes, you'll be able to develop your own strategies. Many of the key strategies are listed within the game's manual as well. Rather than scrapping the guide completely, we decided to mess around with the game a little more. What we found was a cornucopia of amazing secrets, hidden characters, and bonus items. We managed to unlock everything the game has to offer and have printed the techniques required to get the goods. SECRET CHARACTERS д : - M А M ылы Ў a eo 1 aye Г ( | 1 "m. EV. -4 де mate ve ul CY ; » | 4 PINS MA | 1 : i ve | Ç 4 m ^ RETU ap AcrEpDpe e ADDITIONAL SECRETS © 01:30%% c levels are hidden within Super Smash Bros. Melee. Follow below to unlock them for multiplayer use. The past stages are ition, but look rather funny because of their archaic, 64-bit texturing. FIELD KONGO JUNGLE Complete All-Star mode. Complete the grueling 15-Minute Melee LELAND MUSHROOM KINGDOM Il lompete іп 100 Versus mode matches. With Princess Peach as your character, ou'll also receive the Battlefield Trophy. complete Classic mode without FINAL DESTINATION I Complete all 51 Event mode challenges. PLANET ZEBES: BRINSTI EPTHS SUPERFLAT WORLD: FLAT ZONE Either complete the 45th Event, or fini Classic mode with Mr. Game & Watch. F-ZERO: BIG BLUE Compete in 150 Versus mode matches. KANTO SKIES Compete in 200 Versus mode mate! 1 ў E i 4 Yoshi's Island 255 on a б Battlefield tog ба" Kanto Skies Mushroom Kingdom Il Y 7. Superfiat World 3% 052% 4 99 à GAME INFORMER 107 PLAY TO PERFECTION SMASH TACTICS — Each character wears four different costumes, many of which are simple color variations of their original garbs. Some, however, s reflect the styling of other characters in the Nintendo universe. To scroll through the А different outfits, head to the Character Selection screen and highlight a character. Press X to change thei One of Peach's alternate Р nis Mario does his best Wario appearance. fi colors perfectly mimics that кре зоо: of Luigi’s love interest, Daisy. + scone 00427071 2 ene 013029502 3 Yoshi ] ough, more bricks will fall and will s happens, they won't be able to HOW TO SCORE BIG Spoc Double KO 580000 e ov 5096 damage > an on't cha Y Launch all team enemies off t! additional 15,000 points r 5,000 ts of the screen for 5,000 points. | RUN, DON'T WALK 1 stage witho Run through the entire match foi easy 6,500 points. SPEED DEMON Nin a ma thot il Clear all of the levels within 5,000 poi Adventure mode as quickly as possible for 20,000 points. points Land every attack you pr SPEEDSTER 0,000 points Clear all of the levels within Clas mode as quickly as you can for 10,000 points. TARGET MASTER Destroy every target within Tari Test for 30,000 points. HOME RUN CONTEST a This mode may not seem like much, a novelty really, but once you get the hang of it, you'll never stop playing. The goal is to smash the bag as far as you can with a baseball bat. Is it possible to knock it over 1,500 feet? Of course! To do this, you'll need to develop a different strategy for each character — making the best use of their arsenal of moves. For example, if you choose Yoshi, who is our home run champ, try something like this: Turn to the left and grab the bat, quickly leap into the air, and perform his flurry of kicks (Down + A) onto the bag. Now, jump ever so subtly, and land another flurry of kicks. If you repeat this, you should be able to rack up over 125% damage onto the bag. When the timer hits 1, simultaneously press Toward + A to knock the bag flying. It’s quite fun and very rewarding. Below is a listing of the highest distances we were able to achieve with each character. Character Distance Yoshi 1,912 feet Donkey Kong 1,551 feet Ganondorf 1,247 feet Ice Climbers 1,223 feet Pichu 1,211 feet Pikachu 1,209 feet Luigi 1,174 feet Dr. Mario 1,136 feet Mario 1,135 feet Captain Falcon 1,131 feet Princess Zelda 1,129 feet Samus Aran 1,114 feet Falco Lombardi 1,089 feet Kirby 1,056 feet Prince Marth 1,049 feet Bowser 1,043 feet Fox McCloud 1,021 feet Mr. Game & Watch 1,009 feet Jigglypuff 982 feet Roy 971 feet Young Link 964 feet Link 962 feet Princess Peach 951 feet Mewtwo 862 feet Ness 853 feet PLAY TO PERFECTION In our humble opinion, the Trophies are the best part of Super Smash Bros. Melee. There are 300 different Trophies to unlock. Listed below are the ones that are either extremely rare, or considered must-haves! Y = rc» PLAYSTATION 2 EQUIPMENT © SELECT BATMAN: VENGEANCE Enter all of these codes at the Main Menu. A sound will ring out when the cheats are entered correctly. All Cheats – L2, R2, L2, R2, L (x2), © (x2) Infinite Batarangs - L1, R1, L2, R2 Infinite Batlauncher -©, L! O, LJ, L1, R1, L2, R2 Infinite Handcuffs - L, O, LJ, O, L2, R2 (x2), L2 "Daddy Fat Sacks" Memphis, TN АЛАМ. AACAILS New wrestlers unlocked Please save options tuurmnamicnc options % ACCEPT LEGENDS OF WRESTLING Enter this cheat at the Main Menu. You'll know the code is inputted correctly when a message flashes onto the screen. All Wrestlers – Up (x2), Down (x2), Left, Right, Left, Right, A (x2), Tony Newbanks Los Angeles, CA Haur-Lire DECAY Enter these codes at the Cheat Codes menu located within the Options screen. Alien Mode - Up, A, Up, A, Up, A, Up, A Infinite Ammo — Down, <, Left, O, Down, XÇ, Left, Invincibility — Left, C], Up, A, Right, O, Down, < Invisibility — Left, L_J, Right, ©, Left, L 1, Right, Slow Motion – Right, [Í Up, A, Right, LI, Up, A Xen Gravity — Up, A, Down, Ж, Up, A, down, X Michael Strachowski Littleton, CO 110 GAMEINFORMER James BoNp 007 IN...AGENT UNDER FIRE To unlock the cheats and bonuses in this fine release, you’ll need to accomplish a number of tasks, primarily scoring well and beating each level as quickly as you can. If you can do this, you'll receive a Gold Medal and a cheat. At this point, if you reen- ter the stage, you'll need to repeat your success and also find a specific number of 007 tokens. If you can do this, you’ll be rewarded with a Platinum Medal and a cheat. Stage Trouble in Paradise Precious Cargo Dangerous Pursuit Bad Diplomacy Cold Reception Night of The Jackal Streets of Bucharest Fire and Water Forbidden Depths Poseidon Mediterranean Crisis Evil Summit NEVERSOFT EYEBALL Go Gold Medal Golden Gun Golden CH-6 Unlimited Missiles Golden Accuracy Golden Clip Gold Grenades Lotus Esprit Rapid Fire Golden Armor Golden Bullets Regenerative Armor Unlimited Ammo Accept Back 9s) Rotate S Tony Hawk's Pro SKATER З Enter all of these case-sensitive codes at the Cheats screen located within the Options menu. All Cheats – backdoor All Movies – Peepshow Everything Unlocked! – YOHOMIES Steven Frost Duluth, MN Platinum Medal Rocket Manor (Multiplayer) Golden Gun (Multiplayer) Stealth Bond (Multiplayer) Gravity Boots (Multiplayer) Guard (Multiplayer) Viper (Multiplayer) Alpine Guard (Multiplayer) Calypso (Multiplayer) Golden CH-6 (Multiplayer) Cyclops Oil Guard (Multiplayer) Poseidon Guard (Multiplayer) Carrier Guard (Multiplayer) "The Rhino" Toledo, OH Select Boarder Ф оше ДИИ D ues 1 зө ND speed Дш |] landing Динин! » balance "CUm » TOMMY CZESCHIN BOARDER 810 ACCEPT BACK SHAUN PALMER’S Pro SNOWBOARDER To enter this cheat, head to the Main Menu, then high- light Options. A sound will ring out if the code is entered correctly. Max Freeride Statistics – Hold L1 and Right, then tap A (x2), O, A. Vinny Westerberg National Falls, WV r e PLAYSTATION 2 6&5: GAMECUBE CODE OF THE MONTH BALDUR’S GATE: DARK ALLIANCE To enter these cheats, you must press every button simultaneously. A sound won't ring out for Character Level 20. Simply enter your character menu and check the status to see if the code has taken effect. Character Level 20 - R2, L1, Left, A, R3 Invulnerability & Level Skip — R2, L1, Left, A, Start Jason Kesley Oakland, CA THE Simpsons: ROAD RAGE These secret character codes require the alteration of the PlayStation 2’s internal clock. Christmas Apu - Change the PS2’s date to 12.25.2001. Halloween Bart - Change the PS2’s date to 10.31.2001. New Year's Krusty - Change the PS2' date to 01.01.2001. Thanksgiving Marge - Change the PS2's date to 11.22.2001. Thomas Williams North Ridge, NH JAK AND DAXTER: THE Precursor LEGACY Alternate Ending - Successfully complete the game with 100% to unlock a hilarious second ending as well as a new door. John Stockton Isucktoo City, UT SECRET ACCESS Crazy Taxi Another Day Mode - At the Character Selection screen, tap the R Button. Now, hold the R Button and press A on the desired character. If this code is entered correctly, a message will appear at the lower left-hand corner of the screen. Expert Mode – Head to the Time Selection menu, high- light the desired function, then simultaneously press and hold the L and R Buttons and Start. If entered correctly, a message will appear in the lower left-hand corner of the Character Selection screen. First-Person View — During gameplay, plug an additional controller into port 3, then hold the L and R Buttons and B. No Arrows - Head to the Time Selection menu, highlight the desired function, then simultaneously press and hold the R Button and Start. If entered correctly, a message will appear in the lower left-hand corner of the Character Selection screen. No Destination Mark - Head to the Time Selection menu, highlight the desired function, then simultaneous- ly press and hold the L Button and Start. If entered cor- rectly, a message will appear in the lower left-hand cor- ner of the Character Selection screen. Push Bike - At the Character Selection screen, simultane- ously press the L and R Buttons. Release the L Button, fol- lowed by the R Button. Again, press and hold this combo, then release them at the same time. Now, press A. Speedometer – During gameplay, plug an additional con- troller into port 3, then hold the L and R Buttons and X. Zoom Mode - During gameplay, plug an additional con- troller into port 3, then hold the L and R Buttons and Y. Jackie Chan New York, NY Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 Enter all of these case-sensitive codes at the Cheats screen located within the Options menu. The sound of a cash register ringing will confirm that the code was indeed entered correctly. If you don’t have plans to beat the game with every character, be sure to check out the movies. They rock! All Movies - POPCORN Max Statistics - MAXMEOUT "Gl Droid" (location unknown — last seen skipping a rock across Lake Superior) Tur Simpsons: ROAD RAGE These secret character codes require the alteration of the GameCube's internal clock. Christmas Apu - Change the GC's date to 12.25.2001. Halloween Bart - Change the GC's date to 10.31.2001. New Years Krusty - Change the GC's date to 01.01.2001. Thanksgiving Marge - Change the GC's date to 11.22.2001. Thomas Williams North Ridge, NH Enter all of these codes at the Main Menu. You'll hear a snapping sound when the cheat is inputted correctly. Also, the GameCube direction pad is quite slippery, so make sure your motions are extremely precise. All Bikes — Up, Left, Down, Right, Down (x2), Right, Down (x2), Left, B Amish Boy - Up, Left, Down, Right (x2), Left, Left, Down, Up, Left, B FMV Clips – Up, Left, Down, Right, Left (x2), Right, Left, Up, Down, B Mike Dias – Up, Left, Down, Right (x2), Left, Up, Down, Up, Right, B Park Editor Items – Up, Left, Down, Right, Down, Up (x2), Down, Right (x2), B Park Editor Themes - Up, Left, Down, Right, Down, Up, Down, Right, Left (x2), B Ultimate Cheat – Up, Right, Down, Left, Right (х2), Up, Down, Left, Right, Up, Left, Right, Right, Down, B "Freak Monster" Wellington, GA Star Wars: ROGUE LEADER Enter all of these codes at the Passcodes screen. Art Gallery - EXHIBIT! Audio Commentary - BLAHBLAH Black & White Mode - LIONHEAD Credits – THATSME! Documentary – ?INSIDER Music Hall - COMPOSER Herman Moore Hershfield, NJ EXTREME ©З Enter this code at the Main Menu. If the code is entered correctly, a message will flash onto the screen. Infinite Shields — L Button + R Button, Z, L Button + R Button, Z "The Vidman" Uptown, MN GAMEINFORMER 111 Azunik: RisE OF PERATHIA Enter all of these codes during gameplay. These sequences must be inputted as quickly as you can. If you are successful in your actions, a sound will ring out. You don’t need to pause or hold any buttons down. Just enter the codes swiftly. Afros & Disco Music - Down, Right, Black + White, click Right analog stick, click Left analog stick, press Left ana- log stick Right + Right analog stick Left, B, Y Big Heads - Click Right analog stick, R Button, Down, Up, A Invincibility — X, Black, White, Left Button + Right Button, click Right analog stick + Left analog stick Pause Cam - R Button, Down, Up, Down, Up, click Right analog stick, click Left analog stick. Note: When this code is entered, use the buttons on the controller to move around the level and zoom in and out. Press Back to return to the game.) Save Anywhere - White, Up, Down, A, B, click Right ana- log stick Lindsay Stupido Lame Game City, MI Dave Mirra FREESTYLE BMX 2 Enter all of these codes at the Main Menu. You'll hear a snapping sound when the cheat is inputted correctly. Amish Boy - Up, Left, Down, Right (x2), Left (x2), Down, Up, Left, X FMV Clips — Up, Left, Down, Right, Left (x2), Right, Left, Up, Down, X Mike Dias – Up, Left, Down, Right, Right, Left, Up, Down, Up, Right, X Park Editor Items – Up, Left, Down, Right, Down, Up (x2), Down, Right (x2), X Park Editor Themes - Up, Left, Down, Right, Down, Up, Down, Right, Left (x2), X Ultimate Cheat – Up, Right, Down, Left, Right (x2), Up, Down, Left, Right, Up, Left, Right (x2), Down, X "The Joystick Juggalo" Detroit, MI NFL Fever 2002 All Teams & Stadiums - Input BROADWAY as your User Profile name to unlock all of the hidden teams and sta- diums. Demo Mode - At the Press Start Button screen, simul- taneously press Black, White, L Button, R Button. Jacob Jackson Sibley, Texas 112 GAMEINFORMER RIDER | SELECT Ц т un. ip @ к=к Back DARK SUMMIT Enter all of these codes during gameplay. When you press Back + Start simultaneously, the pause menu will appear. After a code is entered correctly, a bell will ring. Alien - Hold Back + Start, then press Y, L Button, X, B, R Button, A, R Button, X. All Challenges - Hold Back + Start, then press Y, L Button, X, B, R Button, A, R Button, Y. All Characters - Hold Back + Start, then press Y, L Button, X, B, R Button, A, R Button, B. Huge Points – Hold Back + Start, then press Y, L Button, X, B, R Button, A, Right Button, A. Propel Canisters – Hold Back + Start, then press Y, X, B, R Button (Simultaneously press the L + R Buttons to shoot canisters.) Slow Motion - Hold Back + Start, then press Y, X, B, L Button. (Simultaneously press the L + R Buttons to slow the game down.) Randy Moss Minneapolis, MN Tur Simpsons: ROAD RAGE These secret character codes require the alteration of the Xbox's internal clock. Christmas Apu - Change the Xbox's date to 12.25.2001. Halloween Bart - Change the Xbox’s date to 10.31.2001. New Years Krusty - Change the Xbox's date to 01.01.2001. Thanksgiving Marge - Change the Xbox's date to 11.22.2001. Thomas Williams North Ridge, NH AMPED: FREESTYLE SNOWBOARDING Enter all of these case-sensitive codes at the Cheats screen located within the Options menu. A sound will confirm correct code entry. Free Movement - ZiPster Level Select - GimmeGimme Moon Gravity - MegaLeg No Tree Collision – buzzsaW Rider Raven – RidinwRaven Rider Steezy - ChillinwSteezy Super Jumps - StickiT Jarris Hampton Aura, SD FuzioN FRENZY Enter all of these codes at the in-game pause menu. First Person Mode - Hold the L Button, then press Y, B, Y; B. Mutant Mode - Hold the L Button, then press Y, B, X (x2). Squeeky Voices – Hold the L Button, then press Y, X, Y (x2). Turbo Mode - Hold the L Button, then press Y, A, Y (x2). Welsh Mode – Hold the L Button, then press Y (x4). Neil Gaze Washington, DC (Im) SPIDEY FLIP 6000 Tony Hawk's Pro SKATER 2X Enter both of these codes from the in-game pause menu. The screen will shake when the cheat is entered cor- rectly. Master Cheat – Hold the L Button, then press Start, A, White, Up, Right, Down, A, Y, B, A, B, Y. All Levels — Hold the L Button, then press Down, Up, Left (x2), B, A, B, Y. Jamie Kahn East Haven, CO Arctic THUNDER All Invisible - X, Y, X, R Button, Y (x2), Start All Missile — X (x3), White, Y, Start Boost Mode - Y, Black (x2), Y, R Button, Start Clones - White, L Button (x2), Y, White, Y, Start Grappling Hooks - Y (x2), L Button, Y (x2), White, Start No Catch Up - Y, X, Y (x2), X, Start No Drones - X (x2), Y (x2), White, Black, Start No Power-Ups - X (x2), Y, X, R Button, X, Start Random Power-Ups - Black, R Button, X, Y, Black, R Button, Start Rooster Tails — Black, R Button, L Button, White, X, Start Snow Bombs - Y (x2), Black, R Button, Start Super Boost - Y, White, X, R Button, X, L Button, Start Karl Malone Isuck City, UT `@ GAME BOY ADVANCE PLANET OF THE APES Enter all of these level codes at the Lock screen. Level 3 - FSBMGF Level 5 - 76FNHB Level 6 - P7GRXK Level 7 - 6B7VM# Level 8 - QK6293 Dale Silvern Seattle, WA F-14 Tomcar Input all of these level codes at the Enter Password screen. Level 3 - GSDFBFPT Level 4 - RRHCFDVM Level 5 - BPSXFDNF Level 6 - LDFSDTKQ Level 7 - PXSBSZNJ Level 8 - DKXZ GZQK Level 9 - GKQB GHCT Level 10 - DTRH RPFJ Level 11 - WZPK JYZX Level 12 - JDZFLKFV Level 13 - SPNGDRRG Level 14 - SFGFJHDH Level 15 - LPFHPRFZ Level 16 - TDKZXSHX Level 17 - DGBVKMNB Level 18 - KJHGRJCB Level 19 - VBMQRWTP Level 20 - LKFDSPBV "The Scarecrow" Burnt Hills, NY ALIENATORS: EVOLUTION CONTINUES Enter all of these level codes at the Password screen. Level 2 - MDKMZKCC Level 3 - BHSZSKTC Level 4 - ZATSHKMC Level 5 - JLPFDKHB Level 6 - HMDBRKCB Level 7 - GLDKLKZB Level 8 - GLPKLKRB Level 9 - GLDJBKKF Level 10 - GLPJBKFF Level 11 - GLDKBKZF Level 12 - GLPKBKRF Level 13 - GLDJLKHD "Naughty Nick" Saloo, AK PC PERSONAL COMPUTER RETURN TO CAsTLE WOLFENSTEIN Boot up the game with the sv_cheats 1 command para- meter. During gameplay, press ~ to bring up the console window. From here, enter any of the codes below. All Weapons & Ammo - /give all Compass - /toggle cg_drawcompass Disable Enemy Al - /notarget Field of View — /cg_FOV [0-9] Full Screen - /toggle r_fullscreen Gibs - /toggle cg gibs Infinite Stamina — /nofatigue Instant Death - /kill Invincibility - /god Max Armor - /give armor Max Health - /give health No Clipping — /noclip Max Stamina - /give stamina Reconnect - /reconnect Show Commands – /cmdhist Show HUD - /toggle cg_draw2d Show Server Settings - /serverinfo Team Overlay - /toggle cg drawteamoverlay Timer - /toggle cg_drawtimer Quit game - /quit Ike Vanberg Jolette, IL Star Wars: GALACTIC BATTLEGROUNDS During gameplay, press [Enter] to bring up the console window. From here, enter any of the codes below. 1,000 Carbon - forcecarbon 1,000 Food - forcefood 1,000 Nova - forcenova 1,000 Ore - forceore Aggressive Ewoks - simonsays Destroy All Enemies - tarkin Destroy Highlighted Enemy - darkside [1-8] Full Map - forceexplore Invisible Naval Vessels — forceboat Instant Building — forcebuild Reveal Map - forcesight Speed Boats - scaryneighbor Win Mission - skywalker "The Digital Kid" San Jose, CA SECRET ACCESS ZI GAME SHARK mre PLAYSTATION 2 Dynasty Warriors 3 Master Code (Must Be On) – OE3C7DF21645EBB3 OCOC4C1FF88C8A6B All Characters - 3C298F2BF9FDFDF1 3C298F2FF9FDFDF1 3C298F33F9FDFDF1 3C298F37F9FDFDF1 3C298F3BF9FDFDF1 3C298F3FF9FDFDF1 3C298F43F9FDFDF1 3C298FA47F9FDFDF1 3C298F4BFOFDFDFL 1C298F4FF8FCFEFL (save game to reveal) All Movies — 3C298F53F8BFFFFF (save game to reveal) Master Code (Must Be On) – OE3C7DF21645EBB3 0CO72E5BF8966B77 All Dog Tags - SC15BO2BFFFFFFFF 3C15BO2FFFFFFFFF 3C15BO33FFFFFFFF 3C15B037FFFFFFFF 3C15B03BFFFFFFFF 3C15BO3FFFFFFFFF 3C15B043FFFFFFFF 3C15B047FFFFFFFF 3C15BO4BFFFFFFFF 3C15BOAFFFFFFFFF 3C15BO53FFFFFFFF 2C15B057F8FCFFFF ENTER TO WIN Send in your codes and passwords, and if we choose your entry as Code of the Month you'll win a wonderful prize from the Game Informer Vault! All other entries printed within these hal- lowed pages will receive a Secret Access T-shirt. Send To: Secret Access Game Informer Magazine 724 North First Street, 4th Floor Minneapolis, MN 55401 secretaccess@gameinformer.com GAMEINFORMER 113 MUSEUM OF CONTROLLER ODDITIES MIND LINK System: Atari 2600, Atari 7800, and Atari Computers * Manufacturer: Atari Released: Cancelled (1984) Let's start things off with the Atari Mind Link, surely the most bizarre and ill-fated video game controller ever made. This ambitious peripheral was designed by Atari's Tom Palecki, and purported to allow users to control the action onscreen with their thoughts. Of course, this was complete and utter fiction. The unit, fashioned to the player's head with a Velcro strap, was actually a primitive biofeedback device which measured the electrical current generated by the muscles in the player's forehead and transmitted it to an infrared receiver on top of the television. Two games were created to work with the unit, Bionic Breakthrough (a clone of the popular Breakout), and Mind Maze. Sadly, it proved to be virtually useless as a con- troller, and the strain of frantically raising and lowering their eyebrows gave many who tried the Mind Link painful headaches. As the most creative of all high-technology industries, video games often attract free-mind- ed individuals who seek to create products that change the way people play and interact with games. While many commonplace controllers are still descendents of the simple joy- stick-and-button configuration used in most early arcade machines, there have always been companies willing to take a risk on new peripherals that promise to take basic concepts of control and gameplay in strange new directions. Some of these ideas, like the trackball or the gun controller, have been successful. But most were destined to fail. Of course, most failed controllers aren't particularly useful or interesting, and now serve only as examples of shoddy manufacture and poor design. However, a select few stand out from the pack, if only for the fact that they were so bizarre, so completely unique in their design, so radically different from the norm. In this month's Classic GI, we take a look back at some the most peculiar controllers and peripherals ever released. Today, many of these are extremely collectable, and maybe you're among the lucky (or unlucky) gamers who have some in your collection. So, without further ado, we proudly present Game Informer's Museum of Controller Oddities. Atari's high hopes for the Mind Link were quickly dashed at the Summer CES convention in 1983. At a heavily attended press conference intended to unveil the company's new products for the year, the peripheral provided the audience with a bit of unintentional comic relief. At the beginning of the Mind Link portion of the presentation, the assembled press corps burst out in laughter, suspecting that the announcement was nothing more than an elaborate practical joke. Things got worse during the demonstration, when the unit fell from the head of the Atari executive, crashing to the floor and breaking. Following this inauspicious debut, the Mind Link was quietly can- celled, and was never released commercially. Currently, only a handful of Mind Link prototypes exist, and most are in the hands of video game collectors. System: NES * Manufacturer: Broderbund Released: 1989 Appearing on store shelves a few months before the Power Glove, Broderbund's U-Force was similar in design and principle to Mattel's popular peripheral. Constructed much like a laptop computer, the controller used vertical and horizontal "force fields" to sense the motion of the player's hands. Like the Power Glove, individual motions could be programmed to various controller functions using a series of switches. Although not extremely popu- lar, the unit reportedly worked well with the classic NES title Mike Tyson's Punch-Out, and was much more com- fortable to use than the Power Glove - due to the fact the unit could be placed on a tabletop, allowing the player to sit down. ROLL & ROCKER System: NES • Manufacturer: ЫМ • Released: 1989 Here’s yet another peripheral that became the bane of unco- ordinated gamers everywhere. The Roll & Rocker, perhaps inspired by the Pogo Ball (another fad of the ‘80s), used a large disc that was basically an oversized control cross. A conventional NES controller plugged into the back of the unit, so the player could access the A and B buttons. So, how did it work? Not so good. Unless you have perfect bal- ance, or are a member of the Cirque du Soleil, you probably want to skip the Roll & Rocker. Recently, a guest at the Gl offices saw our Roll & Rocker and commented, "Yeah, my friend had one of those. It was worthless." Well said. 114 GAME INFORMER POWER GLOVE System: NES * Manufacturer: Mattel • Released: 1989 Heavily marketed and promoted by toy giant Mattel at the height of the Nintendo Entertainment System, this is proba- bly the most famous of all the products we'll examine in this article. The Power Glove worked in tandem with a sensor rig | that was placed around the owner's television. These sen- J sors monitored the player's hand and finger motions, which could be programmed to trigger various controller functions. To aid in the often-complex task of programming the unit, Mattel included 15 preset function settings that were supposed to work with most common types of NES £ames. However, if you are one of the unfortunate thou- sands who actually purchased a Power Glove, you already know that this product worked better in theory than in practice. In addition to the incomprehensible program- ming interface, owners also experienced difficulties with the mounted sensors, which only fit certain size televisions, and the fatigue inher- ent in holding their hands out at a right angle for hours on end. Although it was relatively cheap and not particularly user-friendly, there was actually a good bit of cutting-edge technology that went into the creation of the Power Glove, which was born out of a NASA project conducted by a company called VPL Labs. NASA had contracted VPL to design a robotic hand which astronauts could use to repair satellites while remaining onboard their space- craft. This precursor to the Power Glove, called the Z-Glove, used optical fibers that would relay data to the remote hand, which would mimic the astronaut's motions. Eventually, VPL licensed the technology to Mattel, and the Power Glove was born. Years later, the rugged, low-cost toy is still popular among vir- tual-reality researchers for use in experiments. www... vvv" ACTIVATOR System: Genesis * Manufacturer: Sega Released: 1993 Along with the Sega VR visor, the Activator was the begin- ning of the company’s attempt to take the Genesis into the world of "virtual reality" (one of the trendy buzzwords of the early ‘90s). An extension of the motion-sensor tech- nology that helped create the U-Force and Power Glove, the Activator sought to incorporate the player's entire body into the interactive experience. The controller was con- structed as an octagon made up of plastic strips, each of which projected an infrared beam toward the ceiling. By punching or kicking, players could break the beam, which would trigger one of eight preprogrammed controller func- tions. Unfortunately, Sega forgot that most gamers are uncoordinated and rather averse to physical activity. Thus, the Activator was doomed to be a footnote in video game history. VECTREX LIGHT PEN System: Vectrex * Manufacturer: Milton Bradley/GCE * Released: 1983 Here’s an example of a forgotten peripheral that was actually a fun, trippy little product. It released in 1983 for Milton Bradley's Vectrex console, at a time when the system was already fading into obscurity. The Light Pen was sold with a game called Art Master, which allowed users to create unique drawings on the Vectrex screen. Upon starting up the game, a set of crosshairs appeared onscreen. By holding the Light Pen in the cen- ter of the crosshairs and moving it a short distance, the crosshairs would then move to the pen's new location. In this manner, drawings could be created using a series of straight lines. Due to technological limitations, the Light Pen could not create curved lines, so any artwork cre- ated with the program shared a "connect-the-dots" look. Two other cartridges, Animaction (which let users animate their drawings), and Melody Master (a primitive music program), were also compatible with the unit. Currently, Light Pens аге in short supply on the collector's market, causing present-day Vectrex fanatics to post schematics that allow you to build your own Light Pen for less than $20. WHAC-A-CRITTER CONTROLLER System: Genesis * Manufacturer: Realtec * Released: 1995 There's a difference between odd and just plain stupid, and this might be closer to the latter. Made by the short-lived Realtec Corporation, this controller worked in conjunction with Whac-A- Critter, a simplistic title based on the familiar "wack-a-mole" car- nival game. As pixelated vermin popped up from one of nine holes, players used a small mallet to hit the corresponding but- ton on this special packed-in controller. Whac-A-Critter (also developed by Realtec) is a rare, unlicensed Genesis game, and was produced without any endorsement from Sega. This is very hard to find, and we estimate that less than 10,000 were ever manufactured. Here’s an example of a picture created with the Vectrex Light Pen (photo courtesy of Vectrex Resource Center) In February 1996, Nintendo released its highly anticipat- ed Game Boy titles Pocket Monsters Red and Pocket Monsters Green in Japan. Soon, the entire island nation came under the spell of Ash and his band of brightly col- ored creatures. Although hugely popu- lar overseas, most industry analysts ч | STO R ү did not think the Pocket Monsters phe- ——O nomenon would spread to the United States. Of course, these so-called experts were soon proved terribly wrong. In September 1998, the games (retitled Pokémon Red and Blue) became instant hits in America, and one of the most successful fran- chises in the history of video games. Pokémon grew into a national obsession, spawning myriad classroom disturbances, a popular televi- sion series, a Wizards of the Coast collectable card game, and even- tually making the cover of Time magazine. THIS MONTH a „ШЕ W Бя By Stephen Moore Every month one of Game Informer's readers picks his or her personal choice for Greatest Game Of All Time. THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: A LINK TO THE PAST Ш FORMAT SNES W PUBLISHER NINTENDO Out of every game ever released since the dawn of video games, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is the greatest. If you ever picked up the controller to play this masterpiece, you couldn't rest until you finished the entire game. It had enticing &ameplay, a brilliant plot, and top-of-the-line graphics (at least for a 16-bit system) - all the ingredients of a masterpiece. Upon starting the game, you watched a cutscene in which Zelda talked to you through telepathy. When you got into the actual gameplay, there were three mind-boggling dungeons to com- plete in order to gath- er the three pendants and get the Master Sword. Once you got the sword, you had to go save the princess and kill the evil wizard Anigham. Just when you thought it was over, you found out you had to complete seven more dungeons. Everything about this game is much too impressive. Link to the Past's graphics and sound were unbeliev- ably incredible for its time. You could hear an angry swarm of bees buzzing when you smacked into their hive. You heard the very realistic explosions whether you were blowing a wall up or stepping on a hidden bomb in the bushes. Both the realism of the debris flying from an enemy you just killed, and the gorgeous opening cutscene showed off the dedication of Shigeru Miyamoto, and made this the best of the Zelda series. This game is one the few reasons | still have my SNES. All you Zelda fans who haven't played A Link to the Past should do whatever it takes to get this one. GAMEINFORMER 115 CLASSIC REVIEWS SUPER BOWLING RETRO RATING B : 8 owling has always fallen in a similar niche category with fishing, casino, and billiards E titles. They all have a small, loyal audience (stereotyped as rednecks), but most of the titles meld together into an unrecognizable heap. Super Bowling does the sport proud, though, by being an entertaining roll down the alley on the Super Nintendo. You have choices on nearly every aspect of the game – the sex and race of your bowler, ball weight (from 8 to 16 pounds), the oil level of the alley, etc. Super Bowling's gameplay has you setting a position, adjusting your hook, then nailing your power. Meters move rapidly, but not so fast that you can't easily pick up spares and get your first ball in the pocket. It may be a bit too easy, and we've Scored perfect 300 games on multiple occasions. Golf mode is a fun little minigame where you are faced with difficult spare situations. Get a few friends and some beverages, and Super Bowling can be almost as fun as the real thing — and you can wear your own shoes. ALEX KIDD IN MIRACLE WORLD he 1990s were a battleground for a massive mascot debate, pitting Sonic the Hedgehog T against Mario. One console generation earlier, however, the aforementioned plumber took on Sega's Alex Kidd, star of several games on the &bit Sega Master System. Though the premature death of the SMS and its lack of popularity cut this showdown short, you can't discount Alex Kidd as one of the great platform stars of the era. Instead of hopping on bad guys, Alex just flat-out punched them. The game's levels scrolled much more vertically than Mario's, and had many elements to break up the status quo, including motorcycles, helicopters, and boss battles that consisted of rock-scissors-paper, best two out of three. Miracle World's graphics were vivid and comical, and the music was equally perky. These child-appealing elements hid some challenging difficulty, though. Had Alex been on a more popular system, his legacy may have carried on to the next-gen consoles. As it is, he remains just a fond memory. B STYLE 1 ТО 4-PLAYER SPORTS ¥ PUBLISHER AMERICAN TECHNOS Ш DEVELOPER ATHENA/TECHNOS Ш YEAR RELEASED 1992 TI-99/4A MUNCH MAN os YAO SERRE 28931385 1o 9468 SERRE 1927108) ç `Y mitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and the success of Pac-Man bred many pretenders. { The TI99/4A was no exception, and Texas Instruments crafted a very worthy clone. Munch Man was a green guy, but rather than eating pellets, he made a chain behind him as he traversed the one-screen maze. If he filled every path with his butt product, he would go on to the next level. Standing in his way, though, were four Honoos. These enemies took new shapes in every stage, and became increasingly difficult as you progressed. Sometimes they look like mailboxes. Other times, they more resemble tornadoes. The shape of the playing field doesn't change, though, except on the final stage (before looping) when the whole area is invisible. Munch Man can gobble up power-ups to turn the tide on the Honoos. Instead of plain old dots, they're in the shape of Texas Instruments logos. It's really entertaining to keep playing, just to see what new form the Honoos will take, and overall Munch Man was a good Pac alternative for TI owners. B STYLE 1-PLAYER ACTION/PLATFORM Ш PUBLISHER SEGA Ш DEVELOPER SEGA Ш YEAR RELEASED 1986 he action is undeniable, the premise is unmistakable, and the game is a classic in T every respect. Simplicity is not always a bad thing — and Arkanoid is a perfect example. As many of you know, this game consists of little more than stopping a ball from getting past your bumper. Of course, no one can forget about the crazy power-ups that roll down the screen if you happen to hit a lucky block. Ranging in effect from transforming your paddle into a laser-shooting juggernaut, to slowing down your bouncy query, you'll find yourself wasting many a blissful hour trying as hard as you can to complete level after level. If you don’t have the twisttop controller (which came included with the NES cart, making it one of the rarest and most expensive games for the system), winning this game may be a pipe dream, but there are numerous codes available to help you in your quest. This classic has aged marvelously. B STYLE 1-PLAYER ACTION @ PUBLISHER TEXAS INSTRUMENTS I DEVELOPER TEXAS INSTRUMENTS IM YEAR RELEASED 1982 116 GAME INFORMER E STYLE 1-PLAYER ACTION I PUBLISHER TAITO DEVELOPER ТАТО B YEAR RELEASED 1987 CLASSIC CODES £ GODZILLA Level Passwords — Go to your planet of choice merely by entering these codes. Earth — HR6AMU6696 UCUGXK Mars – XESNYP2RL3 NNWGUJOLT6RR Mars (last hex) - YARKAQMDR1 G6S4XP Jupiter - XOKQWPT6TH NQJ59D97T637E Saturn (last hex) – 7JRNOO4NNU 9WLJT3 Uranus — LAHM2FSEUE D7846ASSPAWXFCK Pluto - WR65MWHPGR WCGXOJ Neptune - H46NAP5CX2G8HK3H Planet X - 4J62STRMH9 CWU58L Battle Ghidora — For this final space monster showdown, enter MONSTER 0 as your password. Ending — To see the game's ending without plowing through the opposition, enter START TO END on the password screen. KID ICARUS Invincibility and Unlimited Feathers — Go to the password screen, and enter ICARUS FIGHTS MEDUSA ANGELS. This will give you a load of cheats, including making you invulnerable to attacks, putting you in level 2-4, and loading you down with as many feathers as you could possibly use. Continue - If you don't want to start from scratch after receiving a game over, hit B, A, B before the title screen comes back on. You'll now start anew from the world you left off, with the same gear. Final Countdown — You want to start at the game's last level, with every- thing you need to save the day? Enter DANGER !!!!!! TERROR HORROR as your password. bos SUPER BOWLING 300 Game - You don't need to be a middle-aged, overweight, balding man to bowl the perfect game, as long as you're playing Super Bowling on Super Nintendo. The best way to achieve this score is to select the pink- haired female, make her right-handed, and give her the heaviest ball, mid- dle oil, and medium difficulty level. Now, line up to the far right of the lane. Put the aim cursor between the middle and the left-hand side. On the power meter, try to get this cursor between the mid- dle (weakest throw), and halfway to the outside. You should throw nothing but strikes for the rest of your days, and have the adulation of pin- monkeys every- where. SECRET OF EVERMORE Amazing Defense – There's а way to become almost invulnerable in this American-developed Square RPG. First, unequip everything. Cast Defend on yourself. Now save the game and reset it. Load up the save and chill out while Defend runs its course. Now you'll have some bad-ass defensive stats. Physical damage will only hit you for 1. You will be susceptible to magic attacks, though, and you can't equip anything or you'll return to your regular state. Get Sting Spell — This is one hard magic attack to find. Your best hope is to search every single oasis in the Nobilia Desert. With luck, you'll come across an alchemist who will bestow Sting upon you. This spell hurls bees at your enemies. Get Lance Spell — This is another elusive spell. At Ivor Tower, there is a boy inside a house who talks about his brother, Lance. A woman in the same area warns you that Lance's treasures are extremely important to him. Go upstairs, and resist the temptation to open Lance's booty. Come back down the stairs and meet up with Lance, who's sporting a beard. When he asks if you touched his treasures, tell him no. He'll graciously bestow the spell upon you, which tosses an energy spear at adversaries. LEGEND OF ZELDA: LINK'S AWAKENING Link The Thief — Bring out the klepto in the game's hero by going into a shop, grabbing what you want, then run out the door while the shopkeeper looks at 'l8,.,] % the top of the screen. There are disadvantages to this, though. For one, everyone will call you THIEF for the rest of the game. For another thing, if you try to return to the shop where you ganked your item, the shopkeeper will kill you. That's a good lesson for the kiddies. 98 00 ‚вава e 000800 Ñ | Ran??? Chicken Chopper — Chickens are easy and fun prey for your sword's fury. Take it to extremes, and you'll be the one getting beaten. Just repeatedly attack one of the game's fine feathered friends, and eventually a whole roost will swarm down on you like the wrath of God. Leave the screen or you will die. TAMAGOTCHI Potty-Trained Pet — To make your virtual critter sit on the toilet, use the rub- ber duck icon a hair before they actually do their duty. A toilet appears, which your pet will sit on. How cute! Raise A Dog - To get a dog, feed your Tamagotchi a strict diet of bread. On its sixth birthday it will change into a cuddly canine. How cute! Raise A Mimitichi — When you hatch a black baby, give it only carrots to eat. Once it becomes six, it will change into a Mimitichi. How cute! GAMEINFORMER 117 CLASSIC STRATEGY 2ND WHISTLE In World 1's first castle, make sure you have Raccoon Mario and go right until you reach the door. Don't go in, but instead, build up enough speed so you can fly above the left side of the ceiling and back right. Hit up when you can't run right anymore, and you'll land in a small room with one lone chest. Inside is the second whistle. 1ST WHISTLE In World 1-3, work your way to near the end of the level. Backtrack to the floating white platform with a Koopa Troopa on top of it. Knock him off, and hold Down while standing in the middle of it. You'll drop through after a few seconds. Now run to the right, behind the normal black end screen. Here, Toad will hook you up with your first of three whistles. Eh on rr >< OBRO) 3RD WHISTLE WHISTLE USE In World 2 (Desert World), go all the Once you have the three whis- way to the far right section of the map. tles, how do you use them? Just Be sure to have a hammer (from killing call them up from your overworld a Hammer Brother), and use it to take item cache (hit B). After a catchy out the upper-right corner rock. This tune, which may be familiar to opens up a new part of the map with Zelda fans, a tornado will whisk а Toad house, and a Hammer Brother you to the Warp Zone. If you use who will cough up the third whistle one while in World 1, you can after being defeated. select from worlds 2, 3, or 4. ESB bees ЕЗ = Í Use one after this (or just use your second on this screen), and you can go to 5, 6, or 7. Finally, if you activate one more whistle, you'll be brought to the game's final stage. If you play it smart — not wasting a whistle until beating World 1 - it'll only take you two of them to get to World 8, where you can rescue Princess Toadstool. T Bee Es) AAM 118 GAMEINFORMER game. The first (and perhaps easiest) level is just one of them, but a is on World 1-2. With Raccoon Mario, strategy in it will keep you from c £o to the right of the T-shaped pipe. losing precious Marios. Travel = پڪ‎ When there are multiple Goombas on right until you find a spot where BERR SSS the screen, jump on one, you can jump in the water. Now, rebound high off of it, let yourself drop down under- flutter down by tapping neath the hull, and swim for your WORLD 1-2 1-UP LOOP Much like World 3-1 in tl e original Super Mario Bros., there are ways to boost your number of live landing on tl es in this the A button, then keep e others. SWIM CHEAT World 8 is full of difficult stages, eating up your lives before the battle with Bowser. The boat life! Keep pounding the A button and pressing right, and you'll make it to the end a little soggier, but with all your credits intact. More will funnel out о the pipe, increas- ing the points awarded for each one mushed until you start earning 1- ED ups. f L sssi BEATING BOWSER The king of the Koopa clan is a big, bad adversary, but the trick is to use his weight against him. Stay in the middle of the screen, avoiding his fireballs. Bowser will then leap high in the air, and come crashing down. Hopefully, he'll land on the bricks, not you. If you get him to jump in the middle three times, he will fall down a seemingly bottomless pit, leaving you to joke with Princess Toadstool. Start a new game without turning off the power, and you'll begin with a bunch of handy P-Wings. SPADE GAME At times, a moving spade will appear on @ g e @ $ 9 @ $ @ © the area map. Walk over it, and Toad 9909 @ 9 >x @ 9 will let you play a concentration-style @ 9 es e 9 es game for prizes. There are only eight combinations, and we've listed them all. You should be able to figure out en which one you've been given. You can © i $ 8 e Ө e be wrong two times, giving you ample 9 es @ 9 9 e 9 E e chances to clean up all the prizes. 9 9 @ е 9 9 @ е GAMEINFORMER 119 METAL GEAR SOLID 2: KUBRICKS Manufacturer: Medicom * Website: N/A List Price: $4.95 (Per Figure) Kubrick toys are the nerdy versions of Legos. You've probably never heard of the Kubrick line of toys, but they're actually quite popular, especially in Japan. You won't be able to find these figures at your local toy store, but you can order them from Diamond Comics Distributors (http://csls.diamondcomics.com). Each fig- ure stands approximately 2 1/2 inches tall and comes Dork Edition: Six Easy Ways to Transform Yourself Into the World's Biggest Nerd! SHIGERU MIYAMOTO CHEST TATTOO Manufacturer: Any Tattoo Parlor * Website: N/A * List Price: $2,000 Cool people usually get tattoos of skulls, hearts with daggers through them, strange Egyptian hieroglyphics, barbwire, and snakes. These sym- bols will be with you for life, so make it count. If you want to be a video game addict until you keel over, do it with style. There's no better way to express this than with a full-size faceprint of the video game god, Shigeru Miyamoto. He's sexy. He's dorky. He's everything a geek aspires to be. Best of all, though, if you're truly talented, you can flex your stomach mus- cles to alter Miyamoto's facial expressions. Heck, you might even be able to make him talk! with a handful of weapons. Yes, you'd probably be the coolest kid in school if you added these fig- ures to your collection, but you'd also be a complete moron if you decided to line your shelves with these, as opposed to McFarlane's amazingly detailed series of action figures. The first wave of MGS 2 Kubrick figures will be available this March, and includes Snake, Jack, Hal, Ocelot, Olga, and two Gurlukovich soldiers. KRYPTO THE SUPERDOG STATUE Manufacturer: DC Comics * Website: www.dccomics.com List Price: $49.95 For some strange reason, the world assumes that people who read comic books are zitinfested, overweight, social outcasts. Even The Simpsons pokes fun at this. If you take the time to actually read a comic, you'll see that it's entertainment at its best. There really is nothing nerdy about this hobby - that is, unless you take it to the next level. To truly fall under the stereotype of comic dork, you need to go to the extreme and furnish your abode with worthless crap that defies classification. As luck would have it, DC Comics will soon release one of the stupidest and most worthless products known to man. Meet Krypto, Superman's loyal Kryptonian mutt. This hand-painted, cold- cast porcelain statue depicts one of Krypto's finer moments – atop an asteroid, poised for action. The character was a mistake to begin with, but truly believing people would pay good money for this statue goes beyond comprehension. If you want your dork colors to shine brightly, Krypto will make you glow brighter than the sun. LIVE LONG AND PROSPER, LOSER!!! STAR TREK PHASER REMOTE CONTROL Manufacturer: Telemania * Website: N/A * List Price: $39.95 Do you speak Klingon? Hab 50511" Quch! Star Trek fans are some of the most tireless nerds we've ever met. They'll stand in line for 10 hours just to get an autographed photo of Tuvok. Now that’s dedication. Well, get this: Instead of using your generic TV remote to tune in to the next episode of Enterprise, why not do so with one of Star Trek's most beloved weapons? The phaser! The primary function of Telemania's Phaser Remote Control flips channels, but as an added bonus, it also comes equipped with blinking lights and authentic Star Trek sound effects! Awesome! Just make sure you have it set to stun! MARBLEIZED CHEATER DICE Manufacturer: Chessex Website: www.chessex.com List Price: $5.00 Okay, we'll just come out and say it. If you play Dungeons & Dragons, you're a bona fide loser. Thus, you probably carry around a set of 20- sided dice along with your pewter miniatures. While the majority of D&D is make-believe, one aspect comes down to simple math and numbers. You always gamble when you role the dice, but now with Cheesex Marbleized Cheater Dice, the odds will be skewed ever so slightly in your favor. You see, one of the D20 dice features an extra 20 in place of a 1. A D6 has an extra 1 replacing a 6. If you need the advantage, then why not cheat? So what if your friends catch you? By then, your character will be so strong, you can obliterate them all with little effort. If you do plan on picking these dice up, hurry! The purple set is almost sold out! THE ORIGINAL GEEK WEAR POCKET PROTECTOR Manufacturer: Geekboys Website: www.geekboys.com list Price: $2.50 The pocket protector has been a staple in geekdom for generations and is the simple, yet elegant, way of expressing yourself. A compa- ny named Geekboys specializes in pocket protectors. Pictured is its best-selling model, sporting a cute little face of a dork on the front. As if comfort matters, all Geekboys protectors are made of the finest virgin polyvinyl chloride. Geek. Virgin. They just blend together in perfect harmony. 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