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“Van Helsing” interactive game © 2004 Vivendi Universal Games, Inc. Van Helsing ™ & ® Universal Studios, Licensed by Universal Studios Licensing LLLP. All Rights Reserved, "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. ™, ®, Game Boy Advance logo is a trademark of Nintendo © 2001 Nintendo. 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 used under license from Microsoft. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. Vivendi Universal Games and the Vivendi Universal Games logo are trademarks of Vivendi Universal Games, Inc. The Saffire Logo is a registered trademark of Saffire, Inc. Parental Advisory: A Note to Parents: Please consult www.filmratings.com for information regarding movie ratings in making viewing choices for children,

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cover story

42

Microsoft's Bungie Studios is a pressure cook- er right now - to put it lightly, its next game has been a hot topic of conversation on couch- es across the land. We visited the developer

to bring you the big-news skinny on creating the ultimate console FPS, Halo 2's multiplayer

mode, and its most kick-ass player.

A ES

|

MORTAL KOMBAT: DECEPTION

Ed Boon and his crew break their pact of silence and throw the doors wide open on their next MK release. Refreshingly open, they talk about character lists, alternate gameplay modes,

Fatalities, and online play.

departments

STAFF Read the team’s latest favorites

GI SPY Silly pictures of our life and times

DEAR 61 Your chance to fire back at us!

CONNECT Where news, talk, and technology collide

INTERVIEW John Shappert, general manager of EA Canada, talks shop with us

HOMEBREW GAMING 101: A PRIMER COURSE

Despite the Hollywood-like budgets of most triple-A titles in recent memory, it is still possible for someone at home to make a game with mi

| financial investment. We're getting

all of you independent developers off on the right foot.

GEAR Geeky gadgets for the masses - from robots to TVs

OPINION Steve Kent, author of Game Over, ponders the changing face of our industry

CALENDAR Get hip to this upcoming month's happenings

PREVIEWS Sly 2 is insuring that platform games of yesteryear keep evolving

REVIEWS

Game of the Month: Splinter Cell:

Pandora Tomorrow for Xbox

CHARTS Retail Sales Data and the GI edi- tors' Top 10 Games

SECRET ACCESS Codes, strategies, and passwords

CLASSIC 61 Reliving gaming's greatest moments

GAME OVER The end...or is it?

GAME

Athens 2004 ......

Battlefield Vietnam ..,....

Bujingai: The Forsaken City

Darkwatch

Destruction Derby Arenas

Driven to Destruction ................. Far Cry

Final Fantasy ХІ . .

Fire Emblem ...

Gangland ........

Hitman: Contracts .

Iron Phoenix . pitt

Judge Dredd: Dredd vs. Death . . Madden NFL 2005 .

Mario Golf Advance

Mario vs. Donkey Kong

Men of Valor ......

Metroid Prime 2. 22... MTV Music Generator 3: This is the Remix NASCAR Thunder 2005 ............... МВА Ballers

NHL 2005

NCAA Football 2005

Paper Mario 2...

Pool Paradise .... i

R-Type Ill: The Third Lightning . .

Rainbow Six 3: Athena Sword

Resident Evil: Outbreak .

Rollercoaster Tycoon 3

Samurai Jack ........

Samurai Warriors .......

Scooby Doo: Mystery Mayhem . . . . Serious Sam: The Next Encounter

Seven Samurai 20XX

Siren CE.

Sly 2: Band of Thieves .. k Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow (GBA) ........ Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow (Xbox) . Spyro: A Hero's Тай ..............

Steel Battalion: Line of Contact .............. Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain

TOCA Race Driver 2: Ultimate Race Simulator . . .

Tron 2.0: Killer Арр .................... Unreal Championship 2: The Liandri Conflict Unreal Tournament 2004

Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines Wade Hixton’s Counter Punch

World Tour Soccer 2005 ...

WWE: Day of Reckoning .

X-Files: Resist or Serve

Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship 2004 ............

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SAME AS IT | EVER WAS...

ANDY McNAMARA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Over the last year, the staff and | have been working diligently on the magazine rede- sign you now hold in your hands - and we are quite proud of the results. As with any redesign, I’m sure there will be people who immediately decide to love it or hate it,

but 1 would just ask that you give it a little time. | know that after | spent all my waking moments with the new magazine | found it difficult to go back to the old style.

The most notable updates are the sweep- ing changes made to С! News and Etc. As you may have noticed, GI News is now called Connect, and it includes some new departments such as the Interview, Calendar, and Opinion sections, as well as the new Etc. simply known as Gear. Like many of you out there, Etc. was always one of our favorite pages in the magazine, and we thought we could make it even better by moving it up and giving it more space.

You'll also notice other little additions throughout the book, but I'll let you discover those on your own. In the coming months we will continue to tweak Connect, and add and experiment with new bits and pieces. I'd love to hear your feedback on the new look, so feel free to drop me an email and let me know what you think.

Enjoy our Halo 2 cover story, and make sure to check back with us again next month when we bring you perhaps our biggest cover story yet. What game is it? | can't reveal this monster title just yet, but | can promise you that it's something you have been dying to see, and we'll have the exclusive first look.

Cheers,

Andy >> andy@gameinformer.com

Handle: The Game Hombre Expertise: RPGs, Action/Platform, Driving, First-Person Shooters Interests: The Grey Album, Timberwolves Basketball, The Sopranos, American Chopper Dislikes: Losing Power In The Middle Of A Superstar Saga Marathon, That Paulie Doesn't Get More Screen Time Current Favorite Games: Unreal Tournament 2004, Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain, Far Cry, Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow

10 GAME INFORMER

People Who Actually Get Paid To Play Video Games

Reiner >> reiner@gameinformercom Handle: The Raging Gamer Expertise: RPGs, Fighting, Action/Plattorm, Strategy, Sports Interests: Probot (Rock On, Davel), Batman Begins (Finally A Good Batman Movie???), Nintendo Confirming Zelda: The Wind Waker 2!, Secret Super Hero Societies (I'm Starting One. . Wanna Join?) Dislikes: Waiting Another Year For Star | Wars: Episode Ill, The Cost Of Final Fantasy XI For PS2, Angel Getting Canceled Current Favorite Games: MVP Baseball 2004, Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain, NBA Ballers, Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow, Mario Vs. Donkey Kong

Matt >> matt@gameintormercom

Handle: The Original Gamer Expertise: First-Person Shooters, Action/Platform, Action/Adventure, Action/Sports Interests: The Line-up Of Lollapalooza 2004

4 (Morrissey! Sonic Youth!), Peter Jackson's King Kong Movie, Sunny Weather, Donuts, Baseball (| Love Baseball!), WiFi Dislikes: Actually Having To Go To Lollapalooza, Getting Lost In San Francisco, 56K, NetZero, Hyundai, Onions Current Favorite Games: Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain, Ninja Gaiden, Steel Battalion: Line Of Contact, Breakdown

Kato >> kato@gameinformer.com

Handle: The Game Katana Expertise: Sports, Racing, Action/Adventure, Action/ Platform Interests: NASCAR 3D IMAX Movie, Hockey's Vigilante Justice, Charlie Murphy, Girl Scout Cookies, The New Mag Design Dislikes: Habitual Line Steppers, Non-Question Askers, Arrogant Developers Current Favorite Games: Far Cry, Driven To Destruction, Pool Paradise, Wade Hixton's Counter Punch

Lisa >> iisaegameinformer.com

В Handle: La Game Nikita Expertise: Survival Horror, Adventure, RPGs, Action/

ME Platform, Racing Interests: Geeky Gadget Stuff, Spring, The New Game Informer (Still СІ, But Looking Better), Thai Peanut Sauce, Auto Repair/Customization Dislikes: J| Weirdly Sweet Bleu Cheese Dressing, Shrunken Sweaters Current Favorite Games: Unreal Tournament 2004, James Bond 007: Everything Or Nothing, Resident Evil: Outbreak (With The Right Setup), Mario Golf Advance, Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow

Jeremy >> jeremy@gameinformer.com

Handle: Gamezilla Expertise: First-Person Shooters, Survival Horror, Action/ Platform, Fighting, Strategy/RPGs Interests: Getting My Private Detective License Via Correspondence Course, New York City, This Modern World, GI's Hip New Look (It's The Latest Style From Paris!) Dislikes: Coconut, Not Owning An iPod, People Who Drive Hummers With Wildlife Conservation License Plates Current Favorite Games: Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow, Steel Battalion, Ratchet And Clank, Halo 2

Adam >> adam@gameinformer.com

Handle: The Alpha Gamer Expertise: RPGs, Strategy, First-Person Shooters,

Fighting Interests: 170hp Inline 4-Cylinder Engines, 17-Inch Low-Profile Tires, 6- Speed German Transmissions, Leather Interiors, Backlit Gauges, Sunroofs, Heated Seats, Not Tasting The Rainbow While Reading GI Dislikes: Allergies, Spawn-Killing, Truckasaurus Parked Outside My Base And Obliterating Everyone Who Tries To Come Out Current Favorite Games: Unreal Tournament 2004, Far Cry, Diablo II (It Still Rocks), Rogue Squadron Ill: Rebel Strike (If You Use The Code To Skip The Non-Flying Stages), MVP Baseball 2004

JOE >> joe@gameinformercom

Handle: The Real American Gamer Expertise: RPGs, Adventure, Strategy, Platform, Puzzle Interests: Hiro Protagonist, Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind, My Car's Comprehensive Warranty (Trust Me, I'll Need It), Preacher, Zombiance Dislikes: DVDs Without Chapter Selection (Curse You, David Lynch!), The Uncontrollable Mating Habits Of My Wrath Unleashed Dragons, Fancy-Pants Mustard, Excel Saga, Deep Blue Current Favorite Games: Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes, Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow, Ninja Gaiden, King's Quest Il (AGDI's VGA Remake)

UNLIMITED ENABLED

GAME INFORMER UNLIMITED

When you see this logo on a game preview, review, or feature, you can learn more about it by heading to www.gameinformer.com and clicking on the Unlimited logo.

There are tons of other bonuses there (including movies, interviews, and screenshots) exclusively for Game Informer subscribers, so even if a game you like doesn't have the logo in the magazine, there is a good chance you can still learn more online.

AMEINFORMER,

MAY 2004 Volume XIV * Number 5 * Issue 133

PUBLISHER.

Cathy Preston

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Andrew McNamara

EDITORS Executive Editor Andrew Reiner Senior Associate Editor Matt Helgeson Associate Editors. Matthew Kato * Lisa Mason Jeremy Zoss * Adam Biessener * Joe Juba Mascot Arthur

PRODUCTION

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

CONTRIBUTORS

Photography Perry Zavitz Freelance Steve Kent Illustrators Jason Schneider, Joseph Pillsbury

GAME INFORMER ONLINE

Managing Online Editor Billy Berghammer Associate Online Editor Chris Cook

ADVERTISING SALES MINNEAPOLIS Rob Borm Director of Marketing and Midwest/East Coast Sales Manager (612) 4866155

Fax: (612) 4866101

rob@gameinformer.com

‘Amy Amold Advertising Coordinator (612) 4866154 Fax: (612) 4866101 amy@gameinformer.com

SAN FRANCISCO Doug Faust Vice President Advertising Sales (650) 7285647 Fax: (650) 728-5648 doug@gameinformer.com

LOS ANGELES Marc Minasian Southwest Regional Sales Manager (818) 991.9923 Fax: (818) 991.9923 mare@gameinformer.com

CIRCULATION ‘CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT

For change of address or subscription inquiry ONLY: Toll Free: 1 (866) 844-GAME (4263)

Fax: (612) 486-6101 Email: customerservice@ gameinformer.com Or send correspondence to: 724 North First St., 4th Floor Minneapolis, ММ 55401 Attn: CIS Dept

Circulation Manager Paul Anderson * (612) 4866104 paul@gameinformer.com

Information Systems Manager Paul Hedgpeth paulhedgpeth@gameinformer.com

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 retumed or acknowledged. Entire contents copyright 2004. Game Informer® Magazine. All fights reserved; reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Game Informer is a trademark ol 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 indemnity 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

TRACY McGRADY ©2004 AMERICA’S DAIRY FARMERS" AND MILK PROCESSORS

Great for dunking.

My friends told me, “T-Mac, you’re gonna be big some day.” Must’ve been the milk. About 15% of your height is added asa teen and the calcium and vitamin D can help. Will drinking a cool glass of milk make you the hottest scorer in town? Hey, it couldn’t hurt.

got milk?

ру Candid Photos From The Seedy Underbelly Of The Video Game Industry

1 Matt and Lisa show Spider-Man pride with Activision's Lisa Fields and Chris Hewish

2 Andy looks on after presenting Lionhead Studio’s Peter Molyneux with the Hall of Fame Award at this year's DICE conference in Las Vegas 3 GI Online's Billy Berghammer's inner Nintendo fanboy is stoked to meet the love

of his life, Leslie Swan, the voice of Princess Peach! 4 Eidos' Denny Chiu and Steve Starvis grab a pint in Amsterdam with the GI Spy posse 5 Joe Juba practices his patented "I am staring into the dark pit of your soul" look with GameSpy's Raymond "Gisele" Padilla and Midway's Reilly Brennan 6 Oddworld's Lorne Lanning discusses the finer points of, um, game design with two Sudeki babes at Climax's DICE party. Vegas oddsmakers have put the over/under on the dollar value of silicone gel in this picture at $20,000 7 Rockstar Games’ Devin Winterbottom (far left), Corey Wade (second from right), and Jordan Chew (right), share some laughs with the Gl ad men Doug Faust and Rob Borm (center) while someone gets Rob a booster seat. "That's not funny,"

he says. 8 Rockstar's Rob "Bobz" Fleischer and Ryan Rayhill take a look at the remnants of the world's largest roast beef sandwich at Mayslack's in lovely Nordeast Minneapolis 9 Vivendi Universal's Adam Kahn and Stephen Wilkes stopped by the С! offices recently. They actually weren't here to show us a game, either! They just heard about our "Pizza Party Fridays!"

12 GAME INFORMER

bosse d —Maxim

“Best Action Game” —Spike TV Video Game Awards

ч TRUE |

LLULLL. TREETS OF LA

New PC multiplayer modes have transformed the City of Angels into your personal battleground. Fire on en SOUNDTRACK each other as you race through 240-square miles of re-created LA. Go toe-to-toe with a massive array IN STORES NOW ON

of martial arts moves. Draw rocket launchers and crossbows from an arsenal of new weapons. Vieira Visit truecrimela.com for exclusive game clips and soundtrack samples. ا‎ IE а ies

| | Blood and боге T —À Mature Sexual Themes № | | : г Strong Language | | e L | | PlayStation. | Ж 3 Р CE | е | | ёсе | | | | | ACTIVISION.

i i xu nu. aan AE ue

| Violence

|

| ° 2003-2004 Activision, Inc. and its affiliates. Published and distributed by Activision Publishing, Inc, Activision is a registered trademark and True Crime and Streets of LA are trademarks of Activision, Inc. and Из affiliates. Al rights reserved, Developed by Luxoflux. Microsoft, Xbox and the Xbox logos аге activision.com | either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S, and/or other countries and are used under license from Microsoft. TM, © and the Nintendo GameCube logo are trademarks of Nintendo. © 2001 Nintendo. Al rights reserved. "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are

| registred trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment inc, The NVIDIA logo and the "The way it's meant to be played logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of NVIDIA Corporation. The ratings icon is a registered tradmark of the Entertainment Software Association. PC CD-ROM logo ТМ and © IEMA 2003. l

All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners. Screenshots taken from PC gameplay

The Readers Strike Back

DAILY AFFIRMATION

| just wanted to write and tell you what a great job you guys are doing. The reviews are cool and fun to read. I'm heavy into video games and it's great to find a maga-

zine with writers that seem to share my enthusiasm. I'm really enjoying my current subscription to Game Informer and will defi- nitely renew it. You guys are the best. Keep up the good work. Ryan Robinson Via email

в Gosh, that's real sweet of you. It's so nice when readers respond to all of the hard work that goes into each issue - and without us paying them or anything! It just makes us feel all warm and fuzzy inside, especially when

we don't have to buy the praise. We didn't do that in this situation, but you know, if we did, it wouldn't be...of course it would be unprin- cipled and dishonest, but we didn't pay Ryan a single cent. Honest!

TAG TEAM BACK AGAIN

My friends and | have been watching and waiting for

a decent multiplayer game to hit the shelves, and we haven't seen any. It's almost ritualistic for us to get together and destroy each other on TimeSplitters 2, cheer with delight as we play Super Monkey Ball, and slam out controllers as we lose to each other in Smackdown! Here Comes the Pain. While all three of these games have a high replay value (at least to us), we would like to get a new flavor in the mix. Since TimeSplitters 3 won't be out until 2005, we were hoping you guys could recommend any good multiplayer games that are already out or will be out in the near future.

Byron Klein Via email

: Disregarding the obvious sports-themed titles that allow for multiple players, there has been

a nice surge of good play-with-friends games in the last few months. James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing, Champions of Norrath: Realms of EverQuest, Wario Ware Inc: Mega Party Games and Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow are all really different titles that have nice multiplayer or co-op options.

BOON OR CURSE?

Final Fantasy has been one of the most intricate and thought-provoking series ever. But now Final Fantasy must confront the threat of decay that could ultimately mean the end of what made the series what it is. Final Fantasy began as a modest NES RPG with a simple formula that appealed to both American and Japanese gamers, but by the time the series reached its sixth installment, it had developed into a series with fantastic storylines and wonderful characters. FF games elicited both wonder and awe by giving you a vague detail of the events and his- tory that took place in a unique world. At the same time, they allowed the player enough space to digest what he or she witnessed and build his or her own perception of the game.

Today, the true essence of the franchise is being

severely threatened as the series and its marketing potential expands — it seems that Square Enix has become more concerned with milking the Final Fantasy franchise for all that it's worth rather than staying true to its formula. Square Enix has lost the concept of a "Final" Fantasy, of each Final Fantasy being unique without further elaboration. The recent X-2 is a prime example of this corruption.

Veteran Final Fantasy fans could still escape to their stronghold of the classic Final Fantasies (FF VI, VII, VIII, IX et al), but Square now announces that they intend to tamper with Final Fantasy VII by making the cinematic sequel Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. Few realize that this jeopardiz- es everything that made FF VII such a wonderful game. FF VII offered an entire world for players to explore, complete with a history, plot, and interesting characters. However, it was the ‘filler space’ that allowed the player to use his or her own imagination that earned FF VII an almost religious following. The movie will ruin our perceptions of FF VII.

SHARING THE PAIN

What's up with this dual screen Game Boy Advance? It's so stupid. | mean, do you play two people at once or what? Lately Nintendo's handheld consoles have been pretty impressive, but this seems like a fee- ble attempt to beat the Sony PSP to stores. | really want to see this. Ryan Via hotmail.com

в So do you want to play it then? Or do you think that it's stupid? We suspect that you've been gripped by the two opposing forces gov- erning most gamers lately: the yin of wanting to like every bone Nintendo throws your way and the yang of doubting this two-screened gizmo. We're all going through it right there with you, buddy. It's okay, and as a commu- nity of like-minded gaming enthusiasts, we're going to come to terms with our emotions. You just have to hold on, hold on to the night. (At least until the unit is revealed).

In this new world of corporate competition, Square Enix seems to want to bring every penny possible into its pockets, and it appears that they are willing to go through some of their greatest and most memorable titles to do it. Doctor Voyager Via email

Although the tone of your letter implies a greater conspiracy and reckless mishandling of the classic Final Fantasy franchise, it looks to us like Square Enix is doing something really spectacular for the fans. That being said, you do bring up some inter- esting points about taking away players' ability to use their own imaginations. We'll have to see how it shapes up once Advent Children gets closer, but judging by the response we received to our feature [The Future According to Square Enix, issue 127], lots of gamers are truly excited to get an updated guided tour through the world of FF VII.

WISH LIST? DONE

| think that the next generation of consoles needs a whole lot more than the PS2 and Xbox are offering. First of all, it should have an input for your satellite or cable so you can watch TV using the console. It should also have a word Processing program. In order to print out documents there should be a USB connection somewhere on the system. You can take simple storage devices that connect via USB and transfer the data to a printer or computer. The console should also allow a split screen mode so you can watch TV and work at the same time. It should also possess a 60 GB hard drive so you have plenty of storage for music. The console could also act as a digital recorder and playback device similar to TiVo. Of course, you need to throw in surround sound capabilities including THX. There should be Internet capability as well, but no additional online fee (that means you Microsoft) since your already paying an ISP to be hooked up to the net. The console should come with a foldable and compact keyboard/mouse combo and a controller that is wireless. Finally, it should have dual disc capability along with a built in DVD/CD burner. You also shouldn't have to buy a special remote to watch DVDs. Now imagine all of this in a package that costs no more than $200. True, the company might lose money on sales

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

14 GAME INFORMER

22)

| A PlayStation.e b.

of the system, but it really wouldn't matter in the long run because they would make it all up in game licenses. Now all of this might seem a little far-fetched, but | guarantee a system with this capability would certainly be the biggest seller of all time. | can only hope, Dustin Hobaugh Via email

= Dustin, we have some mighty good news for you - they already make this system. And, it's widely avail- able in a range of configurations and price points (although it still hasn't really broken that $200 bar- rier). Because we're friends, we're going to clue you in on what this wonder-box is called. Ready? It's a PC. There you have it! A solution to all that ails your gaming ills! Happy pie!

ROCK THE SOCKS

| read your article on the upcoming Resident Evil 4 and was a little bit heartbroken to hear that the Umbrella Corp. and the beloved flesh-eating zombies won't be in this one. Other that those two sad facts, this sequel looks to be pretty interesting,

Dar Man Seattle, WA

| just read your exclusive on Resident Evil 4. Sweet! | cannot wait to get that game. Eric Engel Via email

Your coverage of Resident Evil 4 in the March 2004 issue was amazing. Although I'm too much of a wuss to actually play the game when it comes out, it might be something to buy — maybe even just to turn it on and get quick glimpses of the beautiful work they did before screaming like a child and turning it off. This certainly is something to look forward to in the future.

Silver Angel

Via email

Great job on your last article on Resident Evil 4 and Killer

7. Capcom is one of my favorite companies, with games like Mega Man, Resident Evil, Viewtiful Joe, and Killer 7 (which will hopefully be another great title). You guys cover the games that we, the gamers, want to hear about. Thanks much!

Sincerely, Miles Bairey

Included is the Hobby Consolas issue that has your stolen RE 4 article. As a Spanish gamer, things like this make me very sad. Their magazine is pure crap. Thank you, Alberto José Lapuente Spain

s Getting the opportunity = to cover Resident Evil 4 and Killer 7 before anyone else in the world was a huge honor, and we were really excited to get the information out to everyone. But, as Alberto supplied us proof of, the story was so hot that certain publications and information out- lets decided to just scan our article instead of going to the trouble of actually writing. Sending out curtly written requests to remove the loot was kind of fun, though.

16 САМЕ INFORMER

CHARLES ATKINS That bunny sure isn't on that "Atkins" diet. Ha ha ha ha! [groan]

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 | un le name, phone number, and |

Enter the Game Informer Envelope Art | | |

return address on the back of the envelope.

If youve the monthly winner, we'll feature

your/work in СІ and you'll receive a video |

game prize from the Game Informer vault, wm |

Send to:

Game Informer Envelope Art Contest 724 1st St. №, 4th Floor Mpls, MN 55401

CHARLES FERNANDEZ Ricky Williams experiences the other end of Samus’ technique

aga di Ax W x et

Kain has a wicked case of b.o.!

| DADE

Mario and Luigi are going to star in the video _ adaptation of Stuck on You

JONATHAN SULLIVAN Samus demonstrates her famous technique for anal probes

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"ONE OF OUR MOST-WANTED GAMES OF 2004" -IGN

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The Cutting Edge Of Gaming

FIRST PSP GAME UNVEILED

SONY ROCKS GDC WITH DEATH JR.

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AND IDOL APPEARANCE

Hung (of “She Bangs” fame) could overshadow the excitement caused at the annual Game Developer's Conference over a showing of the first actual footage of a PlayStation Portable game in action. Hung rocked the house singing along to "Y.M.C.A" while playing the upcom- ing EyeToy: Groove, but the real fireworks came later when Sony executive vice president of third-party relations and marketing Andrew House, unveiled new details regarding the company's highly anticipated handheld. After the usual boasts about the system's cutting-edge technology, wireless networking, PS2 connectivity features, and a video montage of various development professionals

N ot even an appearance by American Idol's William

M Sony vice president Andrew House outlined the company's plans for PSP, while American Idol's William Hung (inset) got down with EyeToy: Groove

20 GAME INFORMER

singing the PSP's praises, House introduced Chris Charla and Mike Mika of Backbone Entertainment, who then showed footage of their upcoming PlayStation Portable- exclusive title Death Jr. A stylized action game in the vein of Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas, the title demonstrated a surprisingly sophisticated look, espe- cially considering that it is far from complete. The footage showed Death Jr. (who is purported to be the son of the Grim Reaper) as he navigated fully 3D levels, decimat- ing enemies with a bazooka-like weapon and his scythe. Graphically, the game already eclipses many PSone prod- ucts in terms of texturing, and demonstrated jaw-dropping, explosive particle effects.

Charla also pointed out that the PSP was very easy to create software for, com- paring its technology and development tools favorably to the developer-friendly GameCube, commenting that it was “really frickin’ fun" to work with. Charla estimated that it would only take around 15 people to create a quality PSP title. He went on to add that “polygon per polygon, [the PSP] is more powerful than the PS2” Although Backbone is still searching for a publisher for Death Jr., the game looks extremely polished, with a highly developed visual style and macabre sense of humor. It's certainly a promising sign of things to come in the future of handheld gaming.

Breaking News, Views, And Technology From

® Although a bit blurry, these screens (captured from a live video feed shown at GDC) do give some idea of what the PSP is capable of graphically

news

NINTENDO DS SPECS REVEALED?

INFO LEAKED FOR DUAL-SCREEN HANDHELD

f: amers around the world have been wondering what to make of Nintendo's recently announced dual-screen

handheld. Some of your questions may have been answered. Game Informer received this leaked spec sheet for the system, codenamed Nitro in this document, which reveals some exciting possibilities. It claims that the DS will feature a touch screen - a first for a portable gaming machine. A CNN report says that users will be able to type out local instant messages with a stylus. The DS will also have wireless capabilities (802.11x com- patibility) so gamers can compete with each other at a distance.

The handheld will also feature a higher screen resolution (256x192) than the current Game Boy Advance (240x160), be linkable with 15 other systems, contain a microphone input, a sleep timer (which will wake up for incoming messages), and have a polygon draw rate in 3D of 120,000 polygons per second. The DS now has a d-pad, left and right triggers and A and B buttons. Two additional buttons - an X and Y – are being considered.

Nintendo won't comment on the validity of the spec sheet or the features of the DS, although we expect to see it officially unveiled at E3. However, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata cryptically says the unit "should serve as a hint towards [our] next-generation console"

Here are two conceptual drawings of what the Nintendo DS may look like

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A scan of the leaked document that may reveal "=й the technology behind the Nintendo DS

GAME INFORMER 21

connect

ESPN NFL

2005

GLORY OF THE GRIDIRON

ega and developer ESPN

Videogames blew the doors off

of the football genre last year with the addition of a first-person view to its already fantastic pigskin fun. We're here to give you a first look ESPN NFL 2005, along with a few tidbits to whet your appetite.

ESPN has put a lot of work into the graphics for this already hot looking momma, including a new specular highlighting system. Furthermore, the company tells us that just one of the many improvements to first-person football is the new passing control. Couldn't get enough of The Crib last year? 2005 will bring you double the amount of unlockables to pimp out your pad with. There will be other new features on the gameplay front, but all the developer would tell us is that the picture on the right hints at some new bump-and-run coverage options for the defense. Of course, this, as they say, is just the tip of the iceberg. Keep your head on a swivel for more details soon.

22 САМЕ INFORMER

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More News You Can Use

QUAKECON ON!

id Software has announced the dates and location of the 9th annual QuakeCon festival and tournament, which will be held August 12-15 at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center in

Grapevine, T

SATURDAY MORNING GBA

Majesco is touting its Game Boy Advance Video technology with the signing of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Sonic X, and other Fox Box shows to appear on the GBA or GBA SP. This technology allows up to 45 minutes of color video in a standard cartridge.

SOUL CALIBUR MOVIE

American Pie and Final Destination producer

Warren Zide has snapped up the film rights to

Soul Calibur. Wonder if Stifler's mom will square gainst Му!

GUERILLA GOES SONY

Killzone and Shellshock developer Guerilla Games will make tiles exclusively for Sony in the future.

SCIENTIFIC’S SET-TOP BOX

Cable expert Scientific Atlanta is looking at making a set-top box capable of playing games, Atlanta promises “the same performance” that gamers get out of other home consoles,

ENLIGHT GETS MCGEE

Alice creator and former id Software level designer American McGee has signed on to be a creative director for Enlight Software. McGee will spearhead rounding up creative developmental talent for Enlight, and will maintain his own work with his company Carbone.

MAX BACK FOR MORE PAYNE

Despite less than expected sales of the sequel is pushing forward with Max

NINTENDO BACK IN COURT

Using a patent filed over th s ago, Nintendo is attempting to block the Firestorm gbaZ Game Boy Advance emulator for Palm OS-based units, including Tapwave's Zodiac handheld.

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FABLE'S KUNG-FU FIGHTING With his spare time from being an artist on Fable, Mark Healey is developing Rag Doll Kung Fu. Onscre: mbatants are controlled by your mouse, and have no pre-scripted animations. Healey wants to have the game on Lionhead's website this fall. Now go back to making Fable, you slave!