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MARCH 2002

тар star. Flow to all new songs. Freestyle. with the rap masters. Take your timing and rhythm to a whole new level. But you better

have mad skills. Otherwise, Parappa won't get the girl or save the world, And you gotta believe this dog ain't goin’ out like that.

Comic

Mischief

Relax over а cold one, hero. You've just killed hordes of the evil undead, kicked the butt of your girlfriend-stealing former best friend, rescued several Sorceress-hotties and saved the kingdom. Quite a splash for a guy who's now the star of the next epic adventure from Capcom.

Maximo places you in the heart-print boxer shorts of the noble knight Maximo — hero, warrior, and all-around great guy. Go medieval for hours on 20 huge levels. Can a knight save the day? When you're living life to the Maximo, anything's possible.

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There are worse things than missing the game-winning free throw.

Like having to call your roommate "Daddy" for a week.

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Shut down opponents with a variety of zone defenses.

EU PlayStation.

Dreamcast.

ised on or in this product are tra ed designs and other forms of intellectual property of NBA Properties, Inc. and the respective NBA and/or other countries and are used under license from Microsoft: Game screens are from the Pla

Knowledge is contagious.

YOUR PEE CONTAINS UREA.

Thanks to tobacco companies, so do cigarettes. Enjoy.

YOUR PEE CONTAINS UREA.

Thanks to tobacco companies, so do cigarettes. Enjoy.

YOUR PEE CONTAINS UREA.

Thanks to tobacco companies, so do cigarettes. Enjoy.

YOUR PEE CONTAINS UREA.

Thanks to tobacco companies, so do cigarettes. Enjoy.

"spueu 1noÁ usen pue Бе 1no aye} иәщ “зриг!4 под ,329jul,, Кио әѕеәја еле! әѕед e ye әбрәјмоиҹ Buipeaids jo asodind əy} 10} чуп; Aq paonpoıd sem зиэшиэор siut.

ТАВЕЕ ОЕ СОМТЕ

COVER STORY 36 MAXIMO

We're blowing out Capcom's newest action/platformer by giving you the inside skinny on what went into making the game, offering up a detailed review. Then, we give you a kick in the pants with our very own strategy guide. Who else would do all of this just for you? No one, that's who.

FEATURE HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER

Game Informer goes behind the scenes for the eagerly anticipated title Mace Griffin Bounty Hunter — a game which seamlessly incorporates both first-person shooting and starship combat. You may not know this now, but you're going to buy this game. Flip on over and find out why.

FEATURE BIG HITTERS ON DECK

For the second year running, GI is the magazine sports fans go to for their spring training report on the upcoming wave of baseball games. Luckily, Bud Selig’s asinine visions of contraction don’t reach into the digital realm. Play ball!!

и Yeah, well bust out Oh Vince, | did k А the mittens, Buttercup.

so want to move | just signed for

to Los Angeles. 7 with Toronto.

Your office is а 20,000 seat arena, your salary раз а 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, and; call'those plays with real-time coaching. And details? You can count the players’ cornrows. Have your secretary take à тето — this rules.

insidedrive2002.com ba.com

EVERYONE

.. CONTENT RATED BY

EDITORS’ FORUM The rantings and ravings of the lunatics who write for this magazine are once again given precious editorial space. Notice though, that it isn't much. If you give these people an inch, they'll take a mile...MATT! | said you could have one chip – not the whole bag!!!

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

DEAR GI Everything from video game piracy to some shocking and troubling news on the drug known as "crack" is in this month's Dear GI. Also, there is an army out there. If you mess with them, it could mean your butt. Don't say we didn't warn you.

NEWS We have obtained an exclusive interview with Resident Evil godfather, Shinji Mikami, for your eyes only! You won't believe what this guy has to say. Also found within the gilded pages of GI News are shots of Universal Interactive's new Lord of the Rings Xbox title, and a little something we have a feeling might be connected to a very hush-hust next-gen title. Insane!

12 GAMEINFORMER

PREVIEWS Okay, we're going to list a bunch of the games in the preview section, then time how long it takes you to rip through the pages to read them. Here we go: Onimusha 2, Wrestlemania X8, Global Operations, Vexx, and Auto Modellista...Begin.

REVIEWS You've been hearing about Maximo for a long time — now see if the game can live up to the hype surrounding it. While you're at it, you should check out what we thought of WWF Raw, Genma Onimusha, Sim Golf, and Gitaroo Man, too.

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

PLAY TO PERFECTION Maximo will never defeat you! Not with this, The Best Maximo Strategy Guide Ever™. Be confident that you can play this game with- out worrying about your controller suddenly flying out of your hands and crashing into your TV screen.

SECRET ACCESS This section is dedicated to all of you filthy cheaters out there. Don't feel bad, we're filthy cheaters too. It sure helps when you're trying to beat Max Payne, Splashdown, or Final Fantasy X.

CLASSIC GI

The very first video game magazine on the market paved the way for the rest of us. Take a look at the people behind it and the challenges they ran into as pioneers in the field. When you're done with that, fire up your old SNES and play some Super Punch- Out along with our classic guide.

ETC A hodgepodge of items grace Etc this month. Among them, a 9-11 tribute comic, 8 Dreamcast accessory, Masters of the Universe figures and more.

GAME INDEX

GAME PAGE # AirBlade. . . Auto Modellista, Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge . Black & White: Creature Isl Buffy the Vampire Slayer . Car Tycoon. Cel Damage. Chris Edwards Aggressive Inline. Comanche 4. Cruis'n Veloci Sb Dave Mirra Freestyle ВМХ2............ ESPN International Winter Sports 2002 (PS2) . 79. ESPN International Winter Sports 2002 (Xbox). 85 ESPN NFL PrimeTime 2002 Bp ESPN Winter X Snowboarding 2002. 79 Genma Onimushe . .

Gitaroo Man. . . Global Operations Grandia II Gun Valkyrie. Hot Shots Golf 3. .

Jet Set Radio Future Jojo's Bizarre Adventure 5 . E Knockout Kings 2002.................

Konami Collector's Series: Arcade Advanced. . 69 Mad Mastron.. iae 73 Maximo: Ghosts to Glory

Mega Man Xtreme 2 Metroid Prime. . Mike Tyson Heavyweight Boxing. Monster Jam: Maximum Destruction Mortal Kombat Advance... . Motocross Maniacs Advance . NBA 2К2 (PS2) NBA 2K2 (XBox)... . NBA Courtside 2002. NCAA March Madness 200: Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit 2. МЕК ее аа Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny . Orchid......... Pac-Man World 2. Pinballl of the Dead. . Pirates: The Legend of Black Kat Planet Monsters ...........- Race of Champions . . . . Rampage Puzzle Attack

Rock Manager SWINE. .. Sabre Wulf Serious Sam: The Second Encounter . Sid Meier's Sim Golf. . Simpsons Road Rage. SkyGunner. . Soccer Slam. . . Sonic Adventure 2 Battle. Star Fox Adventures: Dinosaur Planet . Star Wars: Jedi Power Battles . . Tekken 4 Tekken Advance. . The Legend of Alon D' TimeSplitters 2 Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 (GBA) . . Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 (Xbox) Top Gun: Firestorm. Toxic Grind. . UFC Tapout . Universal Studios: Theme Park Adventure . 81

Virtua Fighter 4. WWF RAW. . WWF Wrestlemania X8 . X-Men: Next Dimension . . . Zone of the Enders: The Fist of Mars . . . . . 90

NOT

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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.

B48 P24 ан к ени 60156 MEAL ЕЕ В ЕЩЕ

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14 GAMEINFORMER

EINFORM

MARCH 2002 Volume ХИ • Number 3 * Issue 107

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 Contributing Writer Erik Reppen

PRODUCTION

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

ADVERTISING

Director of 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, ММ 55401. Unsolicited manuscripts cannot be retuned or acknowledged. Entire contents copyright 2002. Game Informer® Magazine. А! rights reserved; reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Game Informer is a trademark of GameStop, Inc. Products named in these pages are trade names, or trademarks, of their respective companies. PUBLISHER LIABILITY FOR ERROR.

The publisher shall not be liable for slight changes or typographical errors that do not lessen the value of an advertisement. The publisher's liability for other errors or omissions in connection with an advertisement is limited to republication of the advertisement in any subsequent issue. or the refund of any monies paid for the advertisement,

INDEMNIFICATION The advertiser and/or Advertising Agency agrees to defend and indemnify the publisher against any and all liability, loss, or expense arising from claims of libel, unfair competition, unfair trade practices, infringement of trademarks, copyrights, trade names, patents, or proprietary rights ог violation of rights of privacy, resulting from the publication of the Advertiser's statement.

4

Member Audit Bureau of Circulations

Goto зупаезез!:

The Shooling Genre Reinvented

PlayStation.2

REZ

EVERYONE

Mild Violence

Sega is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Sega and Rez are registered trademarks or trademarks of Sega Corporation or its affiliates. © SEGA CORPORATION/UGA, 2001. www.sega.com "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Blood and Gore Violence

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

Now that all the holiday hoopla has come to an end and all the new systems are out, it's time for Game Informer and the rest of the industry to get back to the business of games. Over the last couple of weeks | have had a chance to take a glimpse at what the future holds for gamers this fall, and | think everyone will be quite pleased with what lies in store.

| have little doubt that this year will be better than the last. If you consider how many amazing games came out in 2001, that is quite a feat. This year will be vital to all three consoles if they hope to storm into 2003 with some momentum. So, expect Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo to bring out the big guns. At this early stage in the game, Xbox and Nintendo still have their work cut out for them to catch up with PlayStation 2, but | certainly think it's possible for them to make up a lot of ground if Sony stumbles.

If you still haven’t decided which system to go with,

Justin, and Matt.

18 GAME INFORMER

Andy sleeps off his St. Paddy's Day overindulgence of Lucky Charms. The little folk and their pot o' gold, left to right: Kato, Kristian, Reiner,

or to go with all three as | would advise you to do, don’t expect anything too spectacular to come down the pipe and change your mind in the following months. However, with online gaming coming back to the mainstream with both Sony and Microsoft launching their networks, there might be some great mid-year gaming surprises.

Personally, | wish there were more big name franchises coming out in the early part of this year, but unfortunately game companies are compelled to launch all their monster titles during the holidays. Luckily, there should be just enough solid software to keep gamers happy while we wait for the fall and the onslaught of killer titles. The good news is, Game Informer will be unveiling many of these games in the coming months 50 get ready to be amazed. Don’t let that subscription run out – you won't want to miss what's coming. I’ve seen it. It's going to

Andy McN: knock your socks off. Re

Editor andy@gameinformer.com

FAITH ‘N BEGORRA... MOTHER McVIE..OY VEY! THE LITTLE FOLK... D TM RICH!

REINER, THE RAGING GAMER reiner&gameinformer.com

After a successful holiday season, the video game industry has once again entered into a state of hibernation. | can understand why companies want to have new product on the shelves during the busiest shopping season, but | also feel as though it would be beneficial to release games year round. After digesting more than they could chew in 2001, gamers remain hungry — especially those who invested in the Xbox and GameCube. Rather than continually feeding those in need, developers are once again gearing up for another competitive holiday season. Over the next few months, we may see one, perhaps two blockbuster titles. Rather than letting your machines gather dust, | recommend catching up on the games you missed out on last year. It may seem like the industry is dead, but in actuality it's resting and preparing for another mind-altering explosion. Without question, 2002 will be the most impressive year in the history of gaming.

MATT, THE ORIGINAL GAMER matt@gameinformer.com

| can sincerely say that the first month of 2002 has been one of the most hectic months of my life. Everything was looking peachy, until the pretentious, middlebrow suckwads at Minnesota Public Radio decided to lay off my girlfriend a week before we were set to close on the house. Luckily, my mortgage company was none the wiser (thanks, Dan) and we got the pad anyway. From there, it's been a two- week gulag of writing the mag, moving, and practicing for and playing two shows with my band in the space of twelve days. I'm lucky I'm already bald, or | probably would have lost all my hair from stress. As always, the mag got done, and now I'm representing Southside Minneapolis to the fullest, as a property-tax-paying citizen. Finally got the new JayZ record, too. It's good.

KRISTIAN, THE GAME DAWG kristian@gameinformer.com

Baseball is a funny little sport. It's one of those things that is incredibly boring to watch if you've never played it. Except if you're talking about soccer - that sport would be boring even if you gave the players shotguns and clown shoes. In any event, | can’t think of anything else to say. Therefore, I'm giving the seven of you who read my monthly rants an assignment: Email or snail mail me a suggestion for the subject of my blurb next month and I'll pick one to write about. Don't bother telling me to write about how much | suck - I'm already well versed on that subject. l'Il even sweeten the pot...| will personally mail a Game Informer shirt or a drawing of my own creation to the entry | choose. I'm a terrible artist, by the way, so please indicate which prize you'd like in your message.

JUSTIN, THE DIGITAL DEVIANT justin@gameinformer.com

Life is full of questions. Here are a few that have been on my mind. Why hasn't Nintendo made a backlit GBA yet, when many would pay extra to actually see the screen? How can LucasArts keep milking the Episode I license, when the movie wasn't that good? When will there be a good non-launch, non-port Xbox game? Why did Koei make Gitaroo Man 800% easier for the American release? When will Nintendo realize it needs the press and third-party publishers? Why haven't more MMiving GI readers come to see me take on other cruiserweights at indie wrestling shows? When will Michael Jordan just disappear? Why don't people turn off MTV and the radio, and quit letting others decide what they listen to? Whatever happened to Jell-o Pudding Pops? They were damn good.

KATO, THE GAME KATANA kato@gameinformer.com

Sucking is a way of life at Game Informer. We are inundated daily with earnest proclamations at just how much we "suck," and how we're the "suckiest sucks that ever sucked," and so forth. The editors, myself included, are also guilty of using it to describe games. Let's reach for a higher standard. For example, why not be more positively negative or eloquently descriptive from now on? Turn "this sucks" into "this game does a great job of failing in every way conceivable." Don't you feel better already? Of course, don't get me wrong, | dislike loads of stuff — last month's review bio is a case in point. But don't we all agree that Limp Bizkit honestly sucks anyway? So why don't we say that when talking about Fred Durst and/or his band, you are officially allowed to use the word "suck."

\ х -Electronic Gaming Monthly

The most powerful driving experience ever is blasting E—7 226 “4 [№ / w 4 EF ~~ Е

its way ото the Nintendo GameCube and Xbox. Top secret info at spyhunter.midway.com

PREPARE TO BE HUNTED MARCH 2002 TEE N AVAILABLE NOW AVAILABLE SUMMER 2002 Violence "NINTEN'DO Y xeox i> OY ADVANCE @ GAMECUBE. X ; PlayStation. GAME BOY ADVANCE ЖАЛ

Spy Hunter © 1984, 2002 Midway Amusement Games, LLC. All rights reserved, SPY HUNTER, MIOWAY and the Midway logos are trademarks of Midway Amusement Games, LLC. Used by permission. "Theme From Peter Gunn" Composed and Conducted by Henry Mancini, Published by Northridge Music. Company (АЗСАРУ Universal MCA Music Publishing, a Division of Universal Studios, Inc. Distributed under license by Midway Home Entertainment Inc. "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc Microsoft, Xbox and the Xbox logos are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries and are under license from Microsoft. Game Boy Advance and the Nintendo GameCube logos are trademarks of Nintendo.

CANDID PHOTOS FROM THE SEAMY UNDERBELLY OF THE VIDEO GAME INDUSTRY : 1 Justin Leeper is Gl’s foremost expert at tossing salad. 2 Square Soft's

8 Kyoko Yamashita waves hello to the gang at GI. З Terminal Reality’ Frederrick Jones, HighWater Group's Laura Heeb, and GI's Matt Helgeson decide to become homiez 4 life. 4 - Capcom's Melinda Mongelluzzo апа.

: Newsweek’s N'Gai Croal fight off the paana paparazzi at a recent press event. 5 PSM's Chet Barber thanks Capcom's Matt Atwood for his excellent work on Heavy Metal: Geomatrix. 6 Here's ad sales guru Rob Borm, seconds before he was forcibly ejected from the Game Informer Christmas Party. Z Kristian pops a woodie for Eidos' Kjell Vistad. 8 Origami artist Andy McNamara calls this piece "Tin Foil Swan Filled with

œ, Leftover Ravioli.”

-— 1 ME sold

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and while away your

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HE'S MAD AS HELL, AND HE'S NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE! Are you guys getting sick of people complaining about innovation, or is it just me? | just read Josh Fuentes" letter in the January 2002 issue of GI and | need to vent. | am so fed up with people ragging on video дате companies q ў р for trying something new. People scream, "Give us something different!" Then, they piss and moan when companies try to answer their pleas. | swear to God, the next time | hear someone complain about "Cel-da" or "Rocket-pack Mario," I'm going beat some- body's ass. Nintendo tries to give you something new and — before you even touch the game - you complain about how it is going to suck. Every Mario and Zelda game has been a masterpiece, and just because one of them has a new graphic look doesn't mean it's going to play poorly. I've also heard people complaining that Final Fantasy X uses real voice actors instead of the traditional text boxes. Hello? Square is trying to do something special in this game! If people don't quit whining about innovation, all games are going to be the same and we're going go back to the crash of '83. AAAAAHHHHH! Make it stop! That's all | have to say. Thanks for letting me vent, and keep up the good work. Bryan Piras Via email P.S. Can you bring back Rick, the Video Ranger? He was cool.

Okay, Bryan, you need to calm down. Close your eyes and start taking deep breaths. Now, imagine that you're in your happy place. Bad thoughts out, positive thoughts in. You're obviously under a lot of stress right now, and probably aren't thinking clearly. The fact that you think the Video Ranger was cool is proof of that.

We wholeheartedly agree with your sentiments, and we eagerly look forward to the unique new vision Miyamoto has for Zelda and Mario on the GameCube. However, this aversion to innovation runs a lot deeper than that. Many groundbreaking titles have failed mis- erably, just because they were too far ahead of the curve for consumers to grasp. Take PenPen Trilcelon, for example. For years, people said, ^Please, please give us a penguin racing game! We are tired of cars! Penguins are cute and frolic in the snow!!" But when they got one, what happened? Nobody bought it. How about Glover for the N64? We can't count how many letters we've received over the years begging for an action/platform game starring a disembodied hand. Guess how much that sold? Zilch. People just don't appreciate true genius.

SO TIRED

| mean, | get tired of hanging out with my friends really

fast and | see them maybe twice a week. You guys see

each other every day. Do you guys ever get tired of

being around each other?

Danny J. Mandark Via juno.com

You have no idea.

PITHY PROSE This letter was written using only eight words. Greg Ramled Via email

Good job, Greg! Next time, try using zero!

PIRACY CONCERNS | have a subscription to your magazine and | think it is the best. | have some friends who bootleg video games and | was wondering what your thoughts are about this. They say that it doesn't hurt the company, but | read an article on the millions of dollars that Sony lost due to bootleggers. Brandon West Chester, PA

The proliferation of CD-ROM burner technology has spurred a massive increase in the incidence of video game piracy in recent years, primari- ly in bootlegged versions of easy-to- duplicate PlayStation games. So far, DVD-ROMs are much more difficult to copy, and all three of the new consoles have sophisticated lock-out technology, but we expect that game pirates are already figur- ing out ways around these preventative mea- sures.

Yes, it is possible and often easy to duplicate games. However, that does not make it right. Bootlegging games is no different from shoplifting, and running a piracy ring can often result in serious criminal charges. The Interactive Digital Software Association (the governing body of the video game industry) estimates that illegal game piracy cost the industry $3 billion in the year 2000, and has been involved with a number of sting operations on piracy rings with the FBI and the US Customs Service.

Being involved with a bootlegging operation could put both you and your friends in some serious legal trouble, but, more importantly, it negatively affects the health of video games as a whole. Today, it takes an investment of millions of dollars and sometimes hundreds of people to make blockbusters like Metal Gear Solid 2 or Final Fantasy X. If developers can’t recoup these skyrocketing costs with sales revenues,

then it doesn’t take a genius to figure out what hap- pens next. Basically, your friends’ argument that “These companies make billions of dollars, so what difference does it make if we copy a few games” is just rationalization for his own illegal behavior. Do the right thing and buy your games like everybody else.

SPELLING WOES CONTINUE Hey, guys, | just wanted to tell you, before | criticize you, that your magazine is one of the best I've ever read, and has three times more humor than PSM mag- azine. | think you've done a great job, and | love the Previews section because it tells me everything | need to know about upcoming games on PS2 that | want. But in your Final Fantasy Issue, 105, | think, | read the article about Gumpei Yokoi. | think it's very sad about his death, but | mean, if you do, too, then spell his frickin’ name right! It's not very respectable when you keep on spelling the genius' name wrong, is it? | bet you'd feel bad, Andy, if they spelled your name wrong. Picture this: Here lies the body of Andru McNamera! How do you feel now, GI?

Sean McDorman

Is this because everyone pro- nounces your name as "seen?" We obviously meant no disre- spect to the memory of Mr. Yokoi, but there is a bit of a contro- versy surrounding just how his name is spelled. In translating Japanese to English, the letters “п” and “т” can sometimes be used interchangably, which is probably what led to the two spellngs of Mr. Yokoi's name in the first place. In the book Phoenix: The Fall and Rise of Video Games, Leonard Herman uses "Gumpei," as does Steve Kent in The First Quarter. But David Scheff, who wrote Game Over: Press Start To Continue (consid- ered to be the definitive history of Nintendo), opts for ^Gunpei." We opted to use Scheff's spelling. However, after receiving your letter, we tracked down a source at Nintendo who said the definitive spelling is in fact ^Gumpei." So, from now on, we will change our spelling to relect the official Nintendo stance on the issue. We apoligize for any confusion caused by our article.

GAMES OF THE

LIVING BASEHEADS | am an avid gamer and | was wondering if it is

mandatory for Japanese game designers to smoke crack on the job. For example, take that game Mister Mosquito – what is with that?

Tim Hart Via aol.com

Crack? What about it? What are you trying to insinu- ate? Listen, we're NOT hooked on crack! Okay, maybe we smoke a little once on special occasions,

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

22 GAME INFORMER

Enhanced GAME BOY Performance on p ^ О GAMEBOY * ADVANCE

gor,

"APCOM : Te EVERYONE ‚ uem Viol © CAPCOM CO., LTD. 2002 © CAPCOM U.S.A., INC, 2002 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. CAPCOM and the CAPCOM LOGO are registered trademarks of lolence CAPCOM CO., LTD. SHANTAE is a trademark of CAPCOM CO., LTD 2002. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Shantae, Related Characters and Events, and the Shantae logo ©1996-2002 Matt Bozon. Game Code ©2000-2002 WayForward Technologies. NINTENDO, GAME BOY, GAME BOY COLOR, GAME BOY

ADVANCE AND THE OFFICIAL SEAL ARE TRADEMARKS OF NINTENDO OF AMERICA 1№С.©1989, 1998, 2001 NINTENDO OF AMERICA INC. The ratings ESRB icon is a registered trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders.

ENVELOPE АКТ

but it's not like we have some kind of problem or anything. Really, we had too many PlayStation 2s cluttering up our office, so it was good that we took some of them down to the pawnshop. It's not that we needed the money that bad. Also, it's always been Reiner's dream to be a male stipper, we cer- tainly didn't force him into anything.

As far as Japanese game designers go, they are as clean as a whistle as far as we know. Americans, by and large, don't have a very good understanding of Japanese culture, so there are times when the odd creativity demonstrated in video games from the Land of the Rising Sun falls on deaf ears here in the United States. Perhaps train simulators and mosquito action games aren't your cup of tea, but just remember that the idea of a plump plumber rescuing a princess from some overgrown turtle monsters probably seemed like a pretty bizarre premise at one time, too.

Bissan al Hussein Many of my traitor friends say that GameCube and X- It's prom night at Middle Earth High! box have a chance to beat PlayStation 2. | say NOT! As a Sony soldier, | pledged my loyalty to Sony in the fall of '95. As part of that pledge, ! play nothing but Sony products. Also, | have sworn to fight against any system that gets in the way of Sony being #1. As a lieutenant of the ever-growing Sony Army, it was | who waged war against Sega in September of '99. | led my troops on a wave of assaults, and in the first quarter of 2001, Sega surrendered to the superior power of Sony. In November, the time came for us to wage war on our two new oppo- nents. When we are done with them — just like the Sega Dreamcast - they will die a slow, hor- rible death from the wrath of Sony.

MARCH WINNER!

Jose Silva Capri pants: $24.95, Half shirt: $15.95, Bloody heart: price- less

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.

Mock [sic] my Send to: words: ALL THOSE Jason Rodriguez T та, Game Informer • Envelope Art Contest WHO OPPOSE Not content with just breaking his record, 724 North 1st St., 4th Floor * Mpls, MN 55401. Barry Bonds decides to blow up Mark SONY ARMY JOHNSON SONY WILL BE McGwire's house! KERPLOW!!!

CRUSHED!

Lt. Reggie Johnson

Via aol.com

We would never mock your words, but this console war mentality is getting a bit out of hand. Every sys- tem on the market has its strengths and weakness- es, but there is no reason to get into a shouting match with those that own another console. Let’s take a brief reality break. Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft are giant corporations, whose purpose is to make as much money as possible. They are quite interested in your money, but they have no feelings for you personally, so there’s really no reason to have any sort of blind devotion or emotional attachment to any console manufacturer. Just decide which system has the features and games you're looking for, and make your purchasing decision like you would for any piece of home electronics. You don’t go around say- ing, “My Emerson microwave could kick your Samsung microwave’s ass!” do you? Live and let live, people.

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Emmanuel Ero-Phillips Jr. Jhon Thomas Sang Tran We love you too! It's good to see that Solid Snake waxes his $оооооо pretty. bikini line.

24 GAME INFORMER

MIKAMI TALKS RESIDENT EVIL

Nintendo's GameCube stock shot up when the company announced, late last year, that the Resident Evil series would be an exclusive for the fabled makers of Mario. None were more pleased than those here at Game Informer, but imagine our further delight when Resident Evil mastermind Shinji Mikami agreed to take time out of his hectic schedule to speak with us exclusively about the Capcom series. Read on as he unveils his thoughts on the title and even spills some of its secrets.

This GameCube remake of the original PlayStation Resident Evil marks Mikami's return to directing the series after having stepped away for a while to head other projects such as Dino Crisis. "| returned to the director's job because | felt | should be in charge," he explained of his involvement. "It is because | created the original RE and should be working on any enhancements myself." Even though he says that this return has nothing to do with the GameCube, fans can be assured this move will only further validate Nintendo's coup.

So why Nintendo, then? Says Mikami, "This may sound like an easy question to answer, but it is actually a very tough one. In short, | would say it was because | sympathized with Nintendo's stance in making games. The fact that GameCube is a pure gaming machine — not a DVD player - was another reason | sympathized."

Although all the buzz is about how powerful the Xbex is, the GC has easily shown that it's a powerhouse in its own right. One look at the GameCube Resident Evil's lighting and shadow effects, and you'll be chomping at the bit to revisit the title that made the term

FIRST RESIDENT EVIL ho co ieee Mikami reminded us not to get too preoccupied with tech MOVI E TRAI LER

specs. "We could have achieved a similar quality on other platforms as well. It is my The first trailer for the Resident Evil movie has just been opinion that in the future, a game's quality will be mainly decided by the creator's skill, feleased Starring the Peter Nguyen-spurned Jovovich (see not which platform the game is developed on." Regardless, Mikami and his crew have ES E GI Spy) and The Fast and Furious' Michelle wrought some impressive results out of the 'Cube. Even though the backgrounds are still Rodriguez, the fiim will hit theaters oh April 5. Check out footage prerendered, real-time effects such as running water, swaying grass, or blood have been OT at www.tesident-evilthe-movie.com ё

added to, аз Mikami puts it, "give gamers a very strong sense of actually being there." К Ка

Apart from the obvious graphical superiority, fans will also be able to play RE different- ly. The hand-to-hand fighting of Chris and Jill is now more elaborate. We've witnessed Scenes where, instead of merely pushing off a dog when attacked, characters will go to much more dramatic lengths. In one instance, Chris pulled out his knife and jabbed a rabid canine in the skull to escape from being bitten, while in another, a grenade in the mouth solved the problem quite quickly.

These flourishes are just the start. Mikami himself promises this new RE will contain rare firearms, and at least four costumes to be earned, including Jill's outfit from RE 3. Also in store will be "a unique game mode as an extra and some new gameplay features to the zombies." Like what? All Mikami would tell us was, "I'm sure you'll be sur- prised..."

26 GAME INFORMER

СІ NEWS

One aspect of the Reident Evil remakes that we are sadly surprised about is the deci- Sion to re-record the notoriously cheesy voice acting of the original. Mikami said, "Unfortunately [laughs] we have replaced all the voices for RE [GC]. They should not sound 'cheesy' this time." And what talk about Resident Evil would be complete without asking about the whereabouts of Barry? Well, "| haven't decided what | should do with Barry," said Mikami, "but at least | can say he is a loveable character and should be treated as

such." Those looking for more Barry satis- faction can find it on the Game Boy Color, as Resident Evil Gaiden (releasing in March) allows you to control the "loveable" Mr. Burton. According to Capcom, there will be five Resident Evil titles in 2002. These include ports of RE 2, RE 3, and RE Code: Veronica. Former N64 game RE: Zero will also be brought to the GameCube. Nintendo's deal with Capcom includes Resident Evil 4, but that won't occur till 2003 at the earliest. RE for the GameCube is scheduled to release in Japan on March 22, but as of the time of this writing, Capcom had not yet decided on an exact North American date. However, the publisher did assure us that our version of the title would appear soon after it comes out in Japan.

THE ONE RING IS UNIVERSAL

The One Ring of Power has divided and ensnared many, and none more potently than video game pub- lishers. Universal Interactive and Electronic Arts currently have separate licenses to make titles based on J.R.R. Tolkien's tales of Middle Earth. This month, Game Informer is proud to bring you some never-before- seen shots of Universal Interactive's efforts at bringing the Lord of the Rings trilogy of books to digi- tal life (for more on EA's treatments on the Lord of the Rings movie, see last month's News section).

Universal's deal with Tolkien Enterprises has already spawned the announcement of two titles. Fellowship of the Ring for the Xbox is being planned for this October as an action/adventure game enabling you to control Frodo, Aragorn, or Gandalf through eight different realms. If these pictures from the bowels of Moria are any indication, the journey should be quite a fun, if possibly deadly, one.

Also scheduled for release in October is a Game Boy Advance treatment that will be more of an RPG than the Xbox version. Entitled Lord of the Rings Part I, this game features an isometric view and will encompass both The Fellowship of the Ring and the second book, The Two Towers. More vids are in the works, and are being slated for "multiple next-generation and PC platforms," according to Universal Interactive.