WORLD EXCLUSIVE #

{SPLINTER CELL ` CHAOS THEORY

ЗАМ IS BACK WITH A VENGEANCE

Live the Olympic dream with Athens 2004; the Official Video Game of the Olympic Games. With 800 athletes from 64 countries competing in 25 events, you'll have your work cut out for you. The quest is huge. The prize is gold. The time is now.

TM ©ATHOC 200036USC220506. Copyright ©2004 International Olympic Committee (“IOC”). All rights reserved. Developed by Eurocom. 989 Sports and the 989 Sports logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.©2004 Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. “PlayStation” and the “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. “Live In Your World. Play In Ours.” is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.

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Athens 2004: Bring Ноте the Games. |

EVERYONE PlayStation.e

959/m LIVE IN YOUR WXRLD. dui ; i PLAY IN DURS

CONTENT RATED BY ESRB

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NOWHERE YOU CAN'T GO. NOTHING YOU CAN'T DO.

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Take New York for a spin.

www. activision.com/spider-man

Available Now.

Do anything Spider-Man” can Go anywhere and interact Pick your own path: battle Swing through a living, highly Web swing for the first time with breathtaking new moves with anything Doc Оск” bust street crimes detailed Manhattan from street to rooftop across and amazing combos. or clash with classic villains. the entire city.

GAME BOY ADVANCE г Violence

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and the Xbox logos are registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S, and/or in other countries and are used under license from Microsoft. NOKIA ялга М `

TM, 6, Game Boy Advance and the Nintendo GameCube logo are trademarks of Nintendo. © 2001 Nintendo. PC CD-ROM logo TM and © IEMA 2003. The ratings icon is а registered trademark of the Entertainment Software Association, All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners.

bh

activision.com

A Perilous Quest...

for Adventure and Survival.

> An action-packed, epic adventure where the storyline changes based on the characters’ relationships.

> Exclusive real-time combat engine with hundreds of fierce attacks, spells, and combos.

> Fully customizable character growth system where the player сап create the kind of charactémthey want to fight with.

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ESRB CONTENT RATING _ www.estb.org

fm NINTENDO ©) GAMECUBE.

@KOSUKE FUJISHIMZ TALES OF SYMPHONIA "&©2003 NAMCO Jd ALL RIGHTSIBESERVED. TM, ® and Nintendo GameCube аг marks of Nintendo. ©2001 Nintendo. The ratings icon is a tr ark. of théJEntertainment Software Association. Manufactured and printed in the U.S.A.

THE GREATEST COMMANDERS DON'T. JUST DELIVER THEIR MEN TO VICTORY.

THEY DELIVER THEM HOME:

Blood Strong Language CD-ROM Violence ЕШІЗ

COMING SOON BEST SIMULATION MOST ORIGINAL GAME

Ж BASED ON A TRAINING AID DEVELOPED FOR THE U.S. ARMY Ж

THE LIVES OF THE 8 MEN OF ALPHA AND BRAVO TEAMS REST

IN THE SWIFT DECISIONS YOU MAKE AS THEIR COMMANDER.

THEY WON'T BREATHE, THEY WON'T FLINCH, THEY WON'T MOVE A MUSCLE UNTIL YOU ORDER THEM TO. ONLY YOUR WELL-THOUGHT OUT STRATEGY WILL ALLOW THEM TO ACHIEVE THEIR DIRECTIVE. ONLY YOUR LEADERSHIP CAN KEEP THEM FROM MAKING THE

ULTIMATE SACRIFICE FOR THEIR COUNTRY.

*... TAKES THE TACTICAL AND STRATEGIC SQUAD COMBAT ОҒ RAINBOW SIX-STYLE GAMES TO A WHOLE NEW REALM OF REALITY."

- OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE

“...А QUANTUM LEAP FORWARD “IT IS UNCOMPROMISINGLY IN THE BATTLEFIELD REALISTIC, YET RIDICULOUSLY FUN." — SIMULATION CATEGORY." - IGN.COM - GAME INFORMER

CPL. DEVEREUX AND PFC > | SILVERMAN MOVE INTO FLANKING > POSITION TO ENGAGE ENEMY

PULL WOUNDED INFANTRYMAN FROM HEAVY ENEMY FIRE

TEAM UP ON XBOX LIVE FOR 2-PLAYER CO-OP

СТВИ Mm | = > "m ROR LOIN e d == тч 55 “.. У ASSUME YOUR COMMAND АТ: s WWW.FULLSPECTRUMWARRIOR.COM FEIZ

www.pandemicstudios.com www.thq.com

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GOD OF WAR

We begged Sony to make a game about the god of marshmal- lows, but they told us it might be hard to market. We get the next best thing in the form of Kratos, a vengeful ex-Spartan and aspiring god of war. This guy could kick your butt almost

as fast as he kicked ours.

departments

STAFF Read the team’s latest favorites

61 SPY Silly pictures of our life and times

DEAR бі Your chance to fire back at us!

CONNECT Where news, talk, and technology collide

INTERVIEW Midway CEO David Zucker reveals the secrets behind his company's dramatic turnaround

8 GAME INFORMER

cover story

SPLINTER CELL: CHAOS THEORY

We tried to sneak “Sam Fisher style” into the top-secret headquarters of Ubisoft, but they laughed at how un-stealthy we really were. But the joke's on them, because while they were chuckling at our clumsiness, we got all sorts of top secret details about Sam's next incredible mission. Who's laughing now?

GEAR Geeky gadgets for the masses - from robots to TVs

OPINION Backbone Entertainment's Chris Charla and Mike Mika reveal why the PSP and Nintendo DS may just save small-scale game development

CALENDAR Get hip to this upcoming month's

| happenings

PREVIEWS How are we ever going to make time to play all the awesome games coming out? It's a tough

| job, but someone's got to do it...

It's that time of year again. Football season is rearing its hel- meted head again, and so too are the games that emulate it. Take a look at the two titles to watch, then get the scoop on

who scored the most touchdowns this time around.

| REVIEWS

| Game of the Month: Pikmin 2 for | GameCube |

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 index GAME Astro Boy: Omega Factor .

Athens 2004

Brothers in Arms Close Combat: First to Fight Combat Elite: WWII Paratroopers Conker: Live and Reloaded Crimson Tears Dance Dance Revolution Extreme УАТЫ) Duel Masters: Sempai Legends Dungeon Lords Echo Night: Beyond FEAR Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone Galleon Get on Da Mic

ind Theft Auto: San Andreas Ground Control ||: Operation Exodus GunGriffon IndyCar Series 200 Jak 3

Joint Operations: Typhoon Rising

Karaoke Revolution Volume 2

Kuon

Malice 4 McFarlane's Evil Prophecy ...

MTV Music Generator 3: This Is the Remix Neo Contra .

Paper Mario 2

Pikmin 2

Puyo Pop Fever

Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal Sabre Wulf

Shadow of Rome

Shadow Ops: Red Mercury

Shin Megami Tensai: Digital Devil Saga Showdown: Legends of Wrestling . . Singles: Flirt Up Your Life . . Soldiers: Heroes of World War || Spider-Man 2 (PS2, Xbox, GC) Spider-Man 2 (GBA)

Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow Star Ocean: Till the End of Time Suikoden №.

Trigger Man .

Trivial Pursuit Unhinged . .

Viewtiful Joe 2

Warlords Battlecry 3

Ys: The Ark of Napishtim .

P. --

Miracle maker.

188 call me Miracle Boy. Not for my gold medals, but because I’ve survived double back flips, getting hit by a car, and the mega ramp. What makes me so indestructible? Milk. It helps prevent broken bones. So you can concentrate on breaking records. 22

wa got milk?

5 \

THE WAIT

| ANDY McNAMARA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

I'm impatient. | know it. As a rabid video game fan, | want the next big thing and | want it now. Sure, we get thrown a couple of bones this summer (espe- cially if Doom 3 and Half-Life 2 come out on time, but | wouldn't hold my breath), but the sad truth

is that the really big stuff doesn’t start hitting the shelves until September rolls around.

But when it hits, it hits like a tsunami. The back half of this year offers up so many amazing products it's almost certain that | won't sleep a wink trying to play them all. | won't bore you with a list, but let me just give you a taste of some of the things that have me brimming with anticipation: Burnout 3, Gran Turismo 4, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, Halo 2, Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition, Need for Speed Underground 2, Resident Evil 4 (though rumor has it moving out to 2005), and well, let's just say a whole lot more. And yeah, okay, 1 bored you with a list. Sue me.

In the meantime, while we wait for the big del- uge of holiday titles, the staff and | offer up another great issue of Game Informer for your enjoyment. Definitely check our news report on the upcom- ing wave of game machines, and our pre-season football coverage where Kato goes off the deep end and makes some bold predictions for the upcoming football game showdown.

We also took a trip to Sony Computer Entertain- ment's Santa Monica Studios to get a glimpse at one of the most exciting PlayStation prospects of 2005: God of War. And of course, like always, Game Informer has got a ton of information you won't find anyplace else, including our huge 10 page cover story on Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory.

One final note about this issue is that even though Pandora Tomorrow for PS2 and GameCube was the highest scoring game of the issue, the game was not in the running for console Game of the Month, since we bestowed the honor to the Xbox version in March of this year. For more details on the two versions, check the review section. Also, make sure you check out Unlimited this month (head to www.gameinformer.com for more info) as we have interviews with Kirsten Dunst and Anthony Michael Hall.

See you next month, and enjoy the issue.

Cheers

Andy >> andyGgameinformer.com

Handle: The Game Hombre Expertise: RPGs, Action/Platform, Driving, First-Person Shooters Interests: McNamerica, Bratwurst, Happy Hour, The Thrill Of Victory, Ronda - Prince's Funky Bassist, Jay-Z Dislikes: Being Outsmarted By Walleyes, Rock Piles, Cheap Shots, The Agony Of Defeat Current Favorite Games: City Of Heroes, Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow, Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, God Of War, Mercenaries

10 GAME INFORMER

Reiner >> reiner@gameinformer.com

Handle: The Raging Gamer Expertise: RPGs, Fighting, Action/Platform, Strategy, Sports Interests: Wimbledon (AKA. Best Movie Ever!!!), Eragon By Christopher Paolini, Batman Comic Books, Jalapeno Flavored Potato Chips, The Thought Of Transforming Into A Car Dislikes: Knowing I'll Spend Over A Grand On Games This Holiday Season, Black Olives (Where Does This Flavor Come From? Hell?), Joe Current Favorite Games: Star Ocean: Till The End Of Time, Final Fantasy ХІ, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Resident Evil 4, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

Matt >> mattegameinformercom

Handle: The Original Gamer Expertise: First-Person Shooters, Action/Platform, Action/Adventure, Action/Sports Interests: Lucky Wander Boy By D.B. Weiss, Valina (A Rock Band From Austria That Is Great!), The Fighting Tongs (Like A Carwreck On The Highway, You Can't Look Away), My New "Widowmaker" Bass Cabinet Dislikes: Not Seeing Any Of This Summer's Big Movies, Surly Drunks At Big V's, Red-Eye Flights, Driving In San Francisco Current Favorite Games: Demon Stone, Astro Boy: Omega Factor, Galaxian, Pac-Man

Kato >> kato@gameinformer.com

Handle: The Game Katana Expertise: Sports, Racing, Action/Adventure, Action/Platform Interests: Van Lear Rose By Loretta Lynn, Benicio Del Toro, The Style Of Andre 3000, NASCAR Drivers: 360, To The 5 Boroughs By The Beastie Boys Dislikes: Malfunctioning Be-Dazzlers, Coastal Bias, People Who Believe In International Banking Conspiracies, NHL Lockouts Current Favorite Games: ESPN NFL 2K5, Madden NFL 2005, Fable, Call Of Duty: Finest Hour, Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban (GBA)

Lisa >> /isa@gameinformercom

M Handle: La Game Nikita Expertise: Survival Horror, Adventure, RPGs, Action/Platform, В Racing Interests: Summer Disaster Movies, Making A Game Based On Exotic Foodstuffs (Last Boss Is A Giant Haggis!), Getting A BMW 1602 Dislikes: That Humanity Has Yet To Really Improve On The Rubber Car Tire (Mapping The Human Genome? Done. Eliminating Side-Of-The-Road Tire Changes? Maybe Later... Dumb) Current Favorite Games: Mario Golf: Advance Tour, Final Fantasy IV, Resident Evil 4, Leisure

$ Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude, Myst IV: Revelation

Jeremy >> jeremy&gameinformer.com

Handle: Gamezilla Expertise: First-Person Shooters, Survival Horror, Action/Platform, Fighting, Strategy/RPGs Interests: Shopping For Houses And Other Major Life Changes, Ex Machina By Brian K. Vaughn, Stainless Steel Rings Dislikes: Phones That Never Stop Ringing, Getting Sugar Cookies In Place Of Clearly Superior M&M Cookies, Not Being Able To Afford All The Awesome DVD Box Sets Out Now Current Favorite Games: The Splinter Cell Series In All Its Various Forms, Pikmin 2, Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy, Anything On N-Gage (Kidding!)

Adam >> adam@gameinformer.com

Handle: The Alpha Gamer Expertise: RPGs, Strategy, First-Person Shooters, Fighting Interests: Beastie Boys То The 5 Boroughs, Evangelion, UT 2004 Mods, Finally Finishing Games, Watchmen By Alan Moore, Soloing Baal In Hell Difficulty Dislikes: Anime DVD Prices (Damn You Bandai!), Undead Flayer Death Novas, Malfunctioning CD Decks Current Favorite Games: Joint Operations: Typhoon Rising, Ground Control II: Operation Exodus, Dungeon Lords, Warlords Battlecry 3, World Of Warcraft Beta Phase 5

Јове >> joeGgameinformer.com

Handle: The Real American Gamer Expertise: RPGs, Adventure, Strategy, Platform, Puzzle Interests: The Pit In My Stomach That Cries For The Blood Of Nations, Jubarctica's Torpedo Penguins, Double-Dipping (I'm That Сиу!), Sewing Together Patchwork Humans Dislikes: Mini-Golf Courses Without Windmills, 27 Grams (Of Pretentious Garbage!), The Way Reiner Hurts The Ones He Loves Current Favorite Games: God Of War, Star Ocean: Till The End Of Time, Myst IV: Revelation, Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude, Knights Of The Old Republic

Miller >> mitler@gameinformercom

Handle: The Once And Future Gamer Expertise: RPGs, Action/Adventure, Fighting, Platform, First-Person Shooters Interests: Reiner's Wailing Blues Guitar, Pac-Man In Surround Sound, The Dark Tower (Book VI Just Came Out!), Grapefruit Spoons, New Episodes Of Clone Wars, The Way Life Is Like A Parking Meter Dislikes: Reality TV Commercials, Library Fines, Having To Wait For A Second Season Of Carnivale, The Dead Rising From The Grave To Begin An Empire Of Zombies, Moldy Bread Current Favorite Games: City Of Heroes, Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay, Halo 2, Metroid: Zero Mission

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.

GAMEINFORM

AUGUST 2004 Volume XIV * Number 8 * Issue 136

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 7055 ‘Adam Biessener • Joe Juba * Matt Miller Intemn/Contributing Writer Bryan Vore Mascot Arthur

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

CONTRIBUTORS

Photography Brett Kramer

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) 486-6101 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 marc@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, MN 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 returned or acknowledged. Entire contents copyright 2004. Game Informer? Magazine. All Tights 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 publsher shal not be able for sight changes or typographical errors that do not lessen the value of an advertisement. The publisher's liability for other errors ог 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 andor 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 Боре rights or violation of rights of privacy, resulting from the publication of the Advertiser's statement.

ө

Member Audit Bureau of Circulations

ШЕШ. [V whip a NE

E] Mercy

CAT WOM A N The Videogame

catwoman.com catwoman.ea.com

Violence Mild Language

omy PlayStation.e

1 Welcome to our special "Jeremy Edition" of GI Spy! Here's Jeremy hanging out

with his buddy, Splinter Cell's Sam Fisher! Нтт.. лме think there's some "chemis- try" going on between those two. Hubba hubba! 2 Jeremy's always on the go, but he's never too busy to stop by and say hello to his good friends at Neversoft

3 When the Illuminati bring about the Apocalypse, Jeremy will be ready for them, hiding out in his underground bunker, eat- ing baked beans, posing in this authentic Master Chief helmet! 4 It's just another day at the office for Visual Concepts’ Anthony Chau 5 The Highwater Group's Laura Heeb and Tara Bruno hang with Andy, ending their long absence from Gl Spy! 6 Well, Matt's no Jeremy, that's for sure, but we must admit that Stormfront Studio's head Don Daglow (currently overseeing Demon Stone) is one pretty cool guy 7 Midway's Reilly Brennan, Tim DeRosa, and Natalie Salzman hang on the GI Balcony of Fame 8 Andy poses with Free Radical's man about town, David Doak 9 Rockstar Games' Rob "Bobz" Fleischer, Chris Carro, and Ryan Rayhill recreate the "hobbit-romp" from Return of the King at The Clift Hotel in San Francisco

12 GAME INFORMER

I think we're in for another

genre-defining moment for survival horror.

Most Anticipated of 2004 award - IGN

Call of Cthulhu filled us with awe and dread.

Best of E3 award - Gamespy

Bethesda once again blazes a trail

jn the gaming world.

-АспопТир

Я ІІ хата, , es NE E» сы |

Visit www.esrb.org | х = " ши for updated rating | ) AI 19 “Bethesda | i SOFTWORKS

a ZeniMax Media company

ЈЕ | The Readers Strike Back

PRESS START — | was reading Issue 134 [June 2004] and at the end, | noticed that after it said ‘GAME OVER" it said ‘Press

START to Continue. 9, 8, 7, 6, 5... and | thought: Oh GOD

Continue! CONTINUE! Where's the freaking’ START button

on this thing? Oh God, CONTINUE!

Ken Nelson

Via comcast.n

but...Game Informer magazine is actually a full-fea-

tured puzzle in and of itself. By manipulating the pages

in a certain order and configuration, the brainteaser can be solved. We didn’t want to clue in the masses because, well, the result of successful completion is opening a portal to hell. But hey, that's okay, right? It

all worked out in the end in those Hellraiser flicks, so it should be dandy in this highly transportable, widely

distributed form. We'll probably be fine.

TOO FAR FOR ROCKSTAR?

| just got the June issue. | don't think there is a word in the English language for just how awesome it is. GTA San Andreas was the most exciting article in the issue. | will be anxiously awaiting the game's arrival, perhaps even camp- ing outside my local retailer for days on end. I've already requested vacation time for the hours of upcoming GTA goodness.

Mitch Gigglefit Via hotmail.com

After reading the San Andreas cover story, | am in awe at what is to come for this latest installment in the series; but | have strong reservations conceming the lead char- acter and the gang warfare elements on which the game is based. GTA Ill and Vice City were fun because there has always been a fascination in the cinema and games with criminal kingpins. Just look at the huge fan base for the Godfather films and related titles. Why would anyone want to play an LA gang-banger? The Crips and Bloods, as well as other rival Asian and Latino gangs during the early 1990s, should not be idealized. They were bad for the city and the population.

The 1990s were a real downer in all forms of entertain- ment and lifestyle compared to the 1980s. Why would Rockstar wish to put players in such a time period as an African-American gangster? The race of the character doesn't bother me — it's the motives and situations dis- cussed in the article that do. Robbing houses? Drive-by shootings? Sure, it is just a game and no one gets hurt, but Rockstar is making harsh reality into entertainment with this title.

Why didn't Rockstar stick with the tried and true "mafia" story element that has been in every GTA title to date? It would have satisfied gamers worldwide, no matter what race, color, or gender. Sure, San Andreas is going to sell in the millions, but is it worth playing when there is so much Negativity surrounding the main and secondary characters? You probably say, "Yes," but l'm still holding my reserva- tions right now.

Vice City was tame and very cartoony with stylized looks, which made it fun without going too far into reality. San Andreas is taking real life and making it into a game. The life of a real gangster in Los Angeles? That's way too much realism.

Elak Swindell Waynesboro, GA.

в Yeah, we really didn't want to tell everyone about this

et

= If there's any company who is absolutely no stranger to the edge of acceptable good taste and appropriate subject matter, it's probably Rockstar. Their titles (especially the GTA series) get a lot of attention at least in part because of their sales,

but also because they are consistently well made. During our time spent with Rockstar for the article (and again during our recent visit for the preview on page 66 of this issue), we were convinced that the touchy subject matter is being handled in an hon- est, and not exploitative, way. Less than a year ago, we were all nervous about how a game set during the Vietnam War would handle the rough waters of morality. But the surge in responsible representa- tions of the conflict shown at E3 this year point out the fact that even though games are just entertain- ment, they can be informative and responsible as well.

And, with regards to Rockstar leaving their series" overblown crimelord roots, the developer has con- firmed that familiar faces from the earlier entries will make an appearance. The mobster possibili- ties are certainly there, especially considering Las Venturas' Vegas-inspired setting. We're itching for a vice-grip, limb squishing sequence!

A JUST TRADE

1 am angry that someone would think that all gamers are fat, live in their mother's house, and would give their left arm to see a woman naked. 1 need that left arm to play PS2. | would give my left foot, but all the nurses have to be topless.

Roberrt Williams

Via email

= Now really, are topless nurses a good idea during surgery? We can't imagine that all of that exposed flesh is a sound medical practice. A little more enter- taining for sure, but gangrene waits for no man - resting in the glow of naked ladies or not.

MUST..NOT..LOOK... AT..YA-YAS,. MUST...

DREAMCAST EPIC

| was just wondering if the Shenmue series would finish? l've been waiting and waiting for it to come out ever since | beat Shenmue 2. | love the series and | can't stop think- ing about how it will end!

Luis Zavala Via yahoo.com

в Sorry Luis, and all you other Shenmue fans who wrote in, we don't have news for you except a cryp- tic quote from series creator Yu Suzuki. Apparently, when asked about the game before Microsoft's press conference, Suzuki laughed and only said, “You'll see.” The original plan for Shenmue was elaborate, expensive, and high-concept - perhaps too much so. And, even at the loose-lipped, boozy parties of ЕЗ, nothing else was revealed about it. Maybe you could start a support group or some- thing? How about G.A.S.S.Y. - Gamers Awaiting Sega's Shenmue and Yams? Everyone likes yams, especially when they roast the marshmallows on top...yum!

TRANSLATION

| was just reading through another top-notch СІ, when | got to an interview with Redman and would like to voice some concern about your editing. | was surprised at the choice of wording (or non-wording as the case may be) in the inter- view. Aside from the obvious typos like misspelling of the words "dog" and "saying" spattered throughout the article ("dawg" and "sayin"); there was some incomprehensible, what | assume to be English, dialogue as well. Would you be so kind as to attempt to use more specific wording next time? What is, “| be on the PS2 daily" supposed to mean exactly? |5 he literally standing on his console? | am sure there are some other concerned English-speaking readers out there, so ruling out the possibility of your editor being on vacation at the time of print, could he be taking his job a bit too lightly?

Forrest Bassett Via email

в You're kidding, right? Oh, no. Would you rather the edited version that our old intern (we'll call him

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

14 GAME INFORMER

Forget Medals. Forget Honor. Just Survive.

It's 1967. You've been drafted to fight in the most controversial conflict of modern times. Prepare to experience the fear, chaos and atrocities of the Vietnam War. From napalm bombardments to deadly VC booby traps, can you survive your first tour of duty?

Unnerving realism. A graphically harrowing depiction of the terror of war. р

Powered by Guerrilla's groundbreaking technology.

TM

"We've never seen a more ShellShockGame.com ^6 7 realistic war game.” - PSM М

Intense Violence Sexual Themes | Strong Language вісіо-)» Y н av

illa Games and the Guer И Microsoft Corporation in the

(02004 Eidos, Developed by Guerrilla Games BV. Published by Edo Guerrilla Games BV. “PlayStation” and the "PS; Family are used under license from Microsoft. Ай other tradema

Se dear gi

John McMadeup) submitted? He wasn’t down with Redman’s mad style, and sucked every last ounce of interesting out of it. Here it is:

GI: Do you play games? Fake Redman: Yes. | play SOCOM and NBA Live 2004.

Did you help make your character for Def Jam Vendetta?

Yes. He is wearing nice clothes because 1 asked for them.

If they were making a game all about you, what would be in it?

It would be called Brick City and it would be good.

What's next for you? I'm working on my album. It will be good.

OLD UPDATES

| remember when | was younger, Nintendo came out with a new look for the NES — | think that it was a while after the SNES came out. | was just wondering, what ever became of it? 1 only know of one person that bought one. How did sales go on it? What was the price and were there any improve- ments upon the original? Jason Kaleta North Adams, MI

тт

= Back їп 1993 (almost

two years after the SNES appeared), Nintendo released a compact, top-loading version of the NES for $49.99. The main differences were the size, the lack of moving parts involved with the cartridge slot, and the more ergonomic controller that was very reminiscent of the SNES. This version of the NES is actually highly sought after by collectors due to its reliability.

PRETTY, BUT FEARFUL

While perusing the latest edition of Gl, the wealth of flashy- looking titles on almost every page was almost overwhelm- ing. | have been playing since the Commodore 64 and the Colecovision, where the cutting-edge of technology let 13 objects move at the same time. Today, hardware capabilities have never been better. Yet, | increasingly find that games today are blurring together and nobody seems willing to risk making anything that breaks away from the mold. Everywhere you look there is a new RPG out where the only thing that changes is hero's sword growing and the girl's outfit shrinking, or yet another FPS set (А) іп WWII, (В) in Vietnam, or (С) with aliens or demons. | realize that when you are spending millions of dollars it kind of takes away the urge to put your neck on the block. However, | feel that there is still a strong market for smaller producers with original ideas. Some of the big names are getting to be like Hollywood, letting the little indepen- dent guys take all of the risks. Is there a bright light at the end of the tunnel? Am | the only one out here who thinks that things are stagnating in the game industry? Jabberwock Jake Via email

п Jake, we feel ya buddy. We only hope that when all the data is analyzed, a weakness can be found in the impenetrable shell of derivative video game product. But, between PC, mobile gaming, and the (hopefully fruitful) claim that PSP is easy and cheap to develop for, we're looking a bright future of interesting new titles. And, of course, the DS should offer some new twists to gaming.

16 САМЕ INFORMER

ENVELOPE ART

AUGUST WINNER! ERIC YAHNKE

GEORGE M. YOUNG “Dang! My hand really stinks!”

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 retum address on the back of the envelope. If you're the monthly winner, we'll feature your work іп Сі and you'll receive a video game prize from the Game Informer vault.

Send to: Game Informer Envelope Art Contest 724 1st St. N, 4th Floor Mpls, MN 55401

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CONNECT

The Cutting Edge Of Gaming

Breaking News, Views, And Technology From

oming out of this year's ЕЗ, the industry found itself in an interesting position. The pre-

Microsoft, and Sony are where the big announcements are made and the strategic tone for the upcoming year is set. But while Nintendo's DS and Sony's PSP were the talk of the town, everyone had at least one eye forward to the future. Each of the console makers - in their own roundabout way - touched on the next generation of hardware, but with release dates, specs, and all manner of other details still unknown, what does the future actually look like?

More and more speculation points to the fact that Microsoft will be out of the gate first with Xbox Next (code-named Xenon) by the end of 2005. Both publishers and developers have been told of a release next year, and with its recent announcement of XNA development tools, it seems that Microsoft has every intention of get- ting studios prepared for the compa- ny's next console. General Manager of Microsoft Games Studios, Shane Kim, even mentioned to Game Informer at E3 that it was deter- mined to hit the market first.

The artwork adorning this page is from the upcoming Digital Extremes game, Dark Sector, which has been announced for next generation hardware. Which one or ones exactly, Digital Extremes won't say.

show conferences for Nintendo,

GAME INFORMER LOOKS INTO THE NEXT GENERATION OF CONSOLES

Nintendo has sent some mixed sig- nals about when the successor to the GameCube, code-named Revolution, would appear. President Satoru Iwata says that the company will give its first public showing at next year's E3 and that the Revolution's launch will be "competitive" with the other systems’. However, Nintendo has stated that being a slave to a release schedule is hampering the industry.

Out of all the potential release dates for the consoles, Sony's PlayStation 3 appears to be the farthest out, not likely until sometime in 2006. The company itself has said that it and its partners Toshiba and IBM don't expect mass production of the Cell proces- sor to occur until the second half of 2005. At ЕЗ, Sony announced that workstations with the processor would start rolling out in the fourth quar- ter of this year - a first step towards getting development kits to studios. Sony is said to be working on a shell that makes creating games easier for studios. Regardless of a speculated release date, Sony of America presi- dent Кат Harai was very clear at ЕЗ that he thinks the PS2 still has plenty of life and money in it.

There are benefits to coming out first, but there are pitfalls, too. At a Piper Jaffray investor's conference, one president of a retail chain anticipated that Microsoft could pick up as much as 30 percent of the market if it came out first. Historically, however, being the leader isn't always advantageous. Early technology could be supplanted by those companies that wait. Sega's Dreamcast was not only first, but also technologically ahead of the game with its built-in modem, but neither was a ticket to success.

THE NINTENDO REVOLUTION

Befitting Nintendo's singular style, the company is holding its cards very close to its chest regarding its future system. At E3, Iwata announced that work has already begun on this platform. He teased gamers about the Revolution, coming within a hair of discussing specs. Instead he quipped, "I won't for a simple reason: they really don't matter” At a recent meeting in Japan, he said that the system could be hooked up to a PC moni- tor, and would, as its codename suggests, offer something new in gaming. “It will be clearly distinct from the other next-generation con- soles that competing companies will develop. What's important isn't next- generation technology, but a next- generation way of playing games”

Chips for the system are being made by both ATI and IBM — the two companies also working on Xbox Next. Some rumors claim that Revolution sports dual 1.8 GHz PowerPC processors and a 500 MHz graph- ics chip, while others point to a 2.7 GHz PowerPC G5 processor and a 600 MHz graphics chip. There is also an alleged 15 GB hard drive, but none of these specs can be confirmed. Nintendo's unveiling of the DS handheld signaled the company explor- ing technology such as Wi-Fi and voice rec- ognition, but it has yet to outline whether it will take the plunge with a full-fledged online policy for the Revolution.

PLAYSTATION 3

Although Sony has yet to say that the Cell processor is going to be used in the

At ЕЗ, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata declared that work on Revolution has begun

PlayStation 3, the technology and structure is expected to be used in the system in some form. Together with Toshiba and IBM, Sony has been crafting the Cell, which is actually a group of smaller processors work- ing together with the main CPU doling out work to the others. This simplified explana- tion of Cell is actually instrumental in outlin- ing the system's wide-reaching potential.

In a U.S. patent filed in late 2003 and approved early this year, the Cell processor while in its “preferred embodi- ment" (i.e. the PS3) could perform a trillion floating point calculations per second. At ЕЗ, Sony's chief technical offi-

cer, Masa Chatani, explained that the floating point per- formance directly translates into how fast a unit like the PS3 will integrate and utilize everything from physics to sound and visual effects. What Sony wants to do with the Cell processor is ambitious. As outlined at ЕЗ, the company expects to be able to connect any unit containing the processor — includ- ing multiple PlayStation 3s or other home appliance/electronics — through a broad- band connection.

This means that through a Cell-based “Cyber World" network, as Chatani put it, one could download footage from a Sony Cell camera without leaving the couch in front of your PS3. Due to its architecture and focus on communication between Cells, your PS3 could then have shared pro- cessing, data storage and manipulation, and other resource sharing.

Of course, commerce comes into play, and as Sony Europe COO David Reeves recently explained, the company is aiming at widespread broadband distribution. It is assumed that with this in mind, and the possibilities of the Cell processor, the PS3 will become a broadband-only unit.

№ Above is an architectural overview of the Cell processor from the U.S. patent filed by Sony last year. To the rigi overview of Cell's capabil application to games - particularly Sony's stressing of movie-quality video game graphics. This diagram was shown by the company at E3 2004

Modeling Animation

Digital Content Creation

The larger question then becomes what

: will come standard with the unit. Reeves | explained that ће PS3 will likely come in

two flavors: one with a number of the "all- singing, all-dancing" features included (with possibly a hard drive), and a stripped-down model for those focused on gaming. The PlayStation 3 will also be backwards com- patible and feature a DVD player utilizing Blu-Ray technology [see page 20 for more].

XBOX NEXT

Early rumors on Xbox Next, based on a leaked white paper [see right], claims it

is powered by three IBM-designed 64-bit microprocessors. These PowerPC chips

are similar to those used in Apple's G5 PowerMac. The graphics chip is being done by ATI (docking in at a rumored 500 MHz with 10 MB of dedicated EDRAM), and will run games with the resolution of a high-definition TV. Xbox Next will contain 256 MB of main memory; up from the current 64 MB. These specs, however, will probably change, and full utilization of the system is up to developers.

Right now, the internal debate within Microsoft is whether to include a hard drive and backwards compatibility. Game Informer has heard that both might be axed from Xbox Next. When talking about the hard drive, the question is whether

it's worth what it'll cost the consumer. In February, M-Systems and Microsoft entered into an agreement where Microsoft would receive removable flash memory units for "future Xbox products.” Furthermore, in perhaps another portent for the hard drive, Microsoft's own evolving of the Xbox Live service features the storage and sharing of data over the company's own network. As for backwards compatibility, Xbox Next's architecture would make the feature expen- sive for Microsoft.

The system also includes USB 2.0 ports for potential cameras, microphones, or an external hard drive. Memory units are back (at a size of 64 MB apiece), but this time they will be attached to the console, not the controllers (for which there are still four ports). According to the leaked paper,

(continued on next page)

Character

Common Development Environment

Cell Processor Based Workstation

LRÜNEHEN

bles

№ This is a purported shot of the ХОК launcher for an Xbox Next alpha develop- ment kit. The reason for the white button on the launcher could be that studios are using Xbox controllers for Xenon development. The system's final industrial design isn't finalized

EARLY XBOX 2 SPECS REVEALED

Recently Game Informer got its hands on the white paper for Xbox Next's (code-named Xenon) initial specs, which developer sources have confirmed are the same as the official Microsoft docu- ment sent to them. A white paper is an in-depth design document submitted before a system or game is actually made. Thus, by definition, any specs we've listed in this article are Microsoft estimates and not final by any means. Below are highlights of some of the features listed directly from the white paper. To see the full document, head to Game Informer Online.

* The CPU includes three independent processors (cores) on a single die. Each core runs at 3.5+ GHz. The CPU can issue two instructions per clock cycle per core, At peak performance, Xenon can handle 21 billion instructions per second.

* The system has a custom 500+ MHz ATI graphics processor. The Xenon graphics architecture is a unique design that implements a superset of Direct3D version 9.

* 2564- MB of unified memory, equally accessible to both the GPU and CPU. Supports multiple high-definition formats up through 10801, plus VGA output.

* The Xenon CPU can process and encode hundreds of audio channels with sophisticated per-voice and global effects. The system also contains a key hardware component for audio — XMA decompression.

* At the time of this writing, the decision to include a built-in hard disk in every Xenon console has not been made. If a hard disk is not included in every con- sole, it will certainly be available as an integrated add-on component. PORTS * Ethernet 10/100-BaseT port * Four controllers (removal of the black and white buttons and an increase of shoulder buttons) * USB 2.0 ports * Two memory units (each 64 MB)

GAMEINFORMER 19

= Developers like Digital Extremes are currently working on next-gen products using PC emulators. They are approxi- mating what they think the consoles’ specs will be

(continued from previous page)

big changes for the controller are planned, such as the removal of the black and white buttons and an additional set of buttons for the shoulders.

At the Game Developers’ Conference this March, Microsoft unveiled its XNA develop- ment program, which will guide current and future Xboxes, as well as PCs. Already, Microsoft has put forth cross-platform fea- tures such as a shared controller among PCs and Xbox Next. Cross-platform online play is

a possibility.

Perhaps the most open-ended question regarding the next Xbox is what kind of home entertainment features it will contain. Microsoft has stuck close to its mantra that the system is about gaming alone, but both it and Sony are salivating at the lucrative possibilities of making gaming systems a Trojan horse in your home. Microsoft has Media Center PCs (allowing digital video recording of broadcast TV on your com-

puter), and everyone would love to have TiVo-esque features for the next system, but apart from the fact that there may not be

a hard drive, the cost of having a TV tuner card in the console becomes an issue. The current Xbox allows the usage of media like pictures from your PC via the Media Center Extender kit, and this function could be integrated into Xbox Next or these home entertainment features could be sold in separate bundles.

If it sounds like Microsoft is hemming and hawing about what to include, that's exactly right. Recently, a marketing-research study was uncovered by CNN/Money asking participants what they thought of “a video game console system with a hard drive and a built-in, fully functional PC" entitled

Epic’s Unreal Engine 3 could produce images of this quality (right) for next- generation consoles

Xbox Next PC. This focus group console contained a hard drive, pre-installed Xbox Live, CD burner, DVD player, a version of Windows, would be backwards compatible (and play PC titles), and contain other PC features. This unit was being tested at $599. This study implies that Microsoft is trying to see what the public does and does not like before it proceeds.

icrosoft will likely come out first, but it's hard to tell how

much that will help them. With the popularity surge that

the current Xbox is experiencing as future and pres- ent software and Xbox Live pick up steam, the new system will undoubtedly garner an increase in market share. Of course, it has a long way to go to catch Sony. Perhaps a telltale sign will be how quickly Xbox Next's numbers pick up after the early adopters buy the platform when it first comes out. This would be a barometer of what percentage of the casual gaming public are really in it for the long haul with Microsoft.

Ironically, the Xbox brand's reputation of delivering the best graphics could slip if Sony has extra time to deliver above and beyond what Xbox Next does. Despite having XNA, Xbox Next might not be friendly to developers because without the PlayStation 3 also out at the same time, publishers and develop- ers may balk at having to make titles only for Xbox Next. This would prevent them from cutting costs by releasing multi-format games.

As for what the console will look like, we've heard that the hard drive is definitely out in an attempt to be cost friendly. Regardless, it's Sony and Nintendo that have shown it's about software — a practice that Microsoft is just now getting right. Ironically, if it makes the hard drive optional and extra (we've even heard of a removable hard drive that will make for an iPod-like device), then they are following Sony's lead of making you pay extra for ameni- ties. This is something that they made fun of Sony for at ЕЗ. Of course, if you have to sell the hard drive separately, will that put a damper on the downloadable possibilities?

In some sense, it looks like Nintendo might not be in a bad position by carving out its own path. If it's not worried about who

20 САМЕ INFORMER

has the biggest specs, then it can release as early or late as it wants. The GameCube was debuted at the fall SpaceWorld in 2000, and it launched less than a year later. Nintendo seems to be following the same pattern if it unveils Revolution at next year's ЕЗ and brings it out by the end of 2005.

As for what the system will actually do, who knows? Nintendo is operating in a whole other playing field than Sony and Microsoft, and as long as its marquee titles still sell and its old war chest of money still lasts, it doesn't have to conform to what anybody else does.

Speaking of war chests, it appears that Sony is in a very advan- tageous position. It has the fanbase to survive not coming out first (and we expect the launch to not be simultaneous worldwide, as there will probably have to be a ramp-up of Cell production), and it can also grab the trophy for being technically superior from Microsoft. The caveat here is that Cell has to live up to its poten- tial, and it's got to be developer-friendly and have a managable learning curve. The PS2 failed at both.

The company will have to be careful with the PlayStation 5 not to confuse consumers as to what it actually does. We've already seen people scared of the PSP because it's not a pure gaming machine, and the PS-X DVD recorder, satellite tuner, PS2, hybrid machine has been a spectacular failure. The company will have to convince gamers that the PlayStation 3 is a video game machine at heart. Notice how quickly the PS2 mouse, keyboard, and moni- tor setup sunk? Make no mistake about it however, the system will definitely pry open your home to a digital content invasion. It will also — literally — make toast for you. Assuming, of course, that you also have the corresponding hi-tech Sony toaster. Oh yeah, we forgot — it plays games too.

W Blu-Ray discs are the same size as normal DVDs. This one is seen with a protective cartridge, although TDK has recently devel- oped a surface coating that protects the disc without having to use one

BLU-RAY VS. HD-DVD

There is a war being waged for the suc- cessor to DVDs to see who will deliver high-definition quality. Sony and its partners back Blu-Ray technology, while Toshiba, NEC, and others support HD- DVDs. What does this matter to gaming? Everything from which type of DVD drive the new systems use to whether the gaming industry utilizes these new formats for software.

Sony obviously is putting Blu-Ray into its PlayStation 3, and it would be natural for Microsoft to shy away from Sony's format for the Xbox 2. Blu-Ray is attractive due to its ability to download content directly onto the disc itself. Recent news may confirm that Microsoft is heading towards HD-DVD since it will support the VC-9 codec (among oth- ers), which is the basis for Microsoft's Windows Media Video 9. It is assumed that Nintendo will follow its trend of proprietary software formats and come up with something entirely new for the Revolution.

Although HD-DVD has the approval of the DVD Forum (which formulates DVD specifications), how this war shakes out will largely depend on what Hollywood thinks is the better direction to go in, but that decision isn't expected until the end of the year. One factor influencing which way Hollywood will lean is in production costs. Whatever format is cheaper to manufacture is likely to get a huge boost. Regardless, it seems like Sony is charging ahead, leaving us on a DVD format collision course reminiscent of the old VHS/Beta war — which Sony famously lost.

BLU-RAY

* A single-layer disc can hold 23.5 GB, 25 GB, or 27 GB, while a dual-layer disc will be able to store 46.6 GB, 50 GB, or 54 GB of data

* Allows recording, rewriting, and playback of high- definition television, and is backwards compat- ible with current DVDs

* Blu-Ray recorders are currently on sale in Japan for around $3,000, and are expected to appear in the U.S. before the end of the year

* Dell and Hewlett-Packard will offer Blu-Ray drives in their PCs

HD-DVD (also known as AOD)

* Disc capacity ranges between 15 GB and 30 GB depending on whether the disc is single/dual- layed and if it's read-only or rewritable

* The format is expected in 2005, and is also back- wards compatible

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lishing of the studio’s next Oddworld game, colloquially known as The Stranger. Тһе 2005 game will appear for both the PlayStation 2 and Xbox.

The fate of Oddworld's project has been the subject of much speculation since the Game Developer's Conference, when rumor spread that the developer's president, Lorne Lanning, had split from Microsoft. The two companies once had a cozy relationship. Lanning had pulled Oddworld's support of the PlayStation 2 and handed it exclusively to Microsoft before the Xbox came out - a coup at the time for the new system which was trying to build a roster of compelling content. Unfortunately, Munch's Oddysee on the Xbox completely failed to live up to either its hype or sales expectations. Interestingly, however, Microsoft still owns a stake in Oddworld via a deal involving Lanning's old contract with Atari.

The Stranger is the name of this upcoming game's mysterious, bounty-hunting main character. The adventure takes place within the Oddworld universe, but is not tied to the story arc of the pre- vious titles. The game will feature first-person shooting elements, and early looks at it confirm that it retains the developer's famous brand of humor and sensibilities.

Lanning says that the title’s new character also imbues it with a preponderance of action over traditional platforming.

D eveloper Oddworld Inhabitants has signed an agreement with Electronic Arts for the pub-

22 GAME INFORMER

4

>

DATA FILE

More News You Can Use

RIDGE RACER RETURNS IN 2005 Ridge Racer versus Gran Turismo used to be the talk of video games, and Namco hopes the two can resume their rivalry when it releases a new Ridge Racer sometime before March 2005. No platform details have been given, and Namco of ‘America representatives wouldn't comment on a U.S. release.

MEMORY CARD 1019 PROBLEMS

Nintendo has issued an

incombatability warning with

its GameCube Memory

Card 1019. Disney

Sports Soccer, Disney

Sports Skateboarding,

and WTA Tour Tennis won't y save games on the card. Other tiles

have also exhibited some small problems, but you don't want to play them anyway.

PLANET MOON ALL IN FOR PSP

Armed and Dangerous devel- oper Planet Moon has declared that itis going to stop making games for Ж any other platform but the PSP. The INFECTED rem person action title in the works tentatively called Infected.

THERE'S A GAMERIOT

GOING ON

Xbox fans can get their hands on new and unreleased titles on the GameRíot summer tour. Hitting cities across the nation this summer

and fall, this festival will let you play titles from. Microsoft, Vivendi Universal, ESPN Videogames, and more. Go to www.gameriot.com for info.

DISTURBANCE IN THE FORCE LucasArts has revised the release date for Star Wars: Republic Commando, pushing it back from fall, to winter – likely signaling a move into 2005. In better news, it appears that Knights of the Old Republic ЇЇ: The Sith Lords has moved ир. The game is listed as a winter title, but we believe it has been changed to hit during the holidays this year.

——

EA STARTS FANTASY LEAGUES Electronic Arts is branching out with its EA Sports Fantasy Football starting July 21 at www.easports.com/fantasy. The site features leagues for commissioners and the regular public, as well as info supplied by Stats Inc. EA Sports prizes will be given to winners.

f | |

кое] BUILD AND DEFEND YOUR EMPIRE! —

www.koei.com

SS

| [57 ЖОЛ Ф

.. ~ —_

Introducing the next phase in the Dynasty Warriors 4 saga. The warriors return with more epic battles and scenarios, devastating Musou attacks, and new modes of play. Dynasty Warriors 4 Empires will rewrite the rules of Tactical Action! This time, the empire you build will be your own!

% Powerful new Charge attacks and abilities September $29.99 NewVS Challenge Mode and Tactics system % Bonus Archives with rare Dynasty Warriors artwork

Mild Language

Violence

ancozs4;-BRen Бақыр LEE SM PlayStation. |

The potential strike between the player's union

and the National Hockey League may affect this year's crop of NHL video games. Loose Talk has heard that publishers such as EA Sports, ESPN Videogames, and Sony are being advised to release their titles as early as possible before any such strike happens and kills all the fun.

10 4 М0” МОМКЕҮ BALL

Game Informer Online recently came across a retail listing for a PlayStation 2 title called Super Monkey Ball Deluxe. The game has since been removed from the retail page, although the title is apparently supposed to hit the console this December for $29.99. Sega representatives haven't confirmed the game, but admit that the company is looking into the “continuation” of the series. With that name and Price, it sure sounds like a compilation of the first two Monkey Balls may be the first roly-poly action the PS2 would see from Sega's monkeys.

ICE-T IN SAN ANDREAS

Everyone's wondering which famous celebrities are doing the voicework for Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. The company wouldn't say

à word when we visited, but spies have sighted rapper/member of the Law & Order posse Ice-T

at Rockstar. Ice Cube and Yo-Yo were also seen on the premises. Rockstar better watch out, because if there's some sort of dispute with Ice-T's royalties, we hear that Sam Waterston and David Hasselhoff сату some mighty big sticks.

INTERESTED IN INTERPLAY?

When not getting shut down by the state of California for not paying its employees, Interplay is in all kinds of trouble. The company has been on deathwatch for a while now, and it is quietly trying to unload what few attractive franchises it has. Rumor has it that Interplay is now selling the rights to Earthworm Jim and Redneck Rampage to the highest bidder.

DELAY FOR RE 4?

When we broke the exclusive on Capcom's Resident Evil 4, we were told it may come out this fall. Retailers, however, are now being advised the title will come out in winter. Saying “winter,” as oppos- sed to “holiday,” usually entails the beginning of the next year. Thus, it looks like RE 4 will be coming out in early 2005.

Got some insider info? Email us at loosetalk& gameinformer.com and wel be all ears.

The anime spy in this game isn't always known by

his titular moniker. Duke Togo starred in this game developed by Vic Tokai for the NES about searching for а group called the Iron Curtain. The title not only fea- tured standard side-scrolling action sequences but also underwater scenes, sniping, and first-person mazes. It is also famous for having the first implied sex scene on the NES! Your payoff at the end of a hard game's work was to indulge in one of the anime character's favorite pastimes ~ hooking up.

(Answer on page 28)

24 GAME INFORMER

plug on Xbox MMORPG True Fantasy Live Online. Microsoft of Japan cited lack of developmental

progress and quality concerns as the reasons for the move. A statement read, "The MMORPG genre, across all platforms, has become an incredibly crowded and competitive marketplace. In response, Microsoft Game Studios has decided to streamline its portfolio, making fewer bets in this genre" The PC title Mythica was axed not long ago for similar reasons.

Ironically, it was the mere fact that True Fantasy Live Online was an MMORPG which made fans excited for the title, due to the diversity it would bring to the Xbox to compete with the likes of PlayStation 2's Final Fantasy Xl. This development is a blow to an already weak market for the Xbox in Japan, along with departures of titles like Psychonauts, yet another game that fans of the console won't have the chance to

play. In other Xbox news, the psychic combat game Phantom Dust will not be brought to North America.

А: а release delay and а no-show at E3, Microsoft of Japan and developer Level 5 pulled the

GO CAPTAIN, GO

F-ZERO RACES TO TV, GBA

N intendo and Captain Falcon are pushing the g-forces

on an all-new track – television. F-Zero: GP Legend

is an animated show already being broadcast in Japan (where it's subtitled Legend of Falcon), and should be shown in the States on Fox Box this September. The show introduces a new character, Rick Wheeler (above), for the Captain to spar with. It appears that Rick is the same character as Ryu Suzak from the Japanese show, who is actually from 150 years in the past. He was cryogenically frozen at the time, and is now being brought back to fight F-Zero rac- ing corruption.

Nintendo is also preparing a game of the same

name for release on the Game Boy Advance September 14.

F-Zero: GP Legend for GBA

7 THE BEST PART OF EARNING > A DEGREE IN THE NAVY?

ds GETTING TO CLASS.

Take college courses on board ship. Earn college credit-while you serve. АЦ while seeing the world and getting the experiences of a lifetime. It’s the ultimate accelerated learning program. Check out the Life Accelerator" at navy.com or call 1-800-USA-NAVY.

games у ; > h

BLINX GETS SECOND LIFE

CAT HAS MULTIPLAYER BUT NO XBOX LIVE

icrosoft and developer Artoon are having a second go at crafting an action-platform hero for the Xbox.

Blinx 2: Masters of Time & Space is dubbing itself as "the world's first 5-D game,” and a host of new features hope to take it to greater heights than its predecesor.

The holiday title has undergone improvements from the first Blinx, such as speeding up his vacuum cleaner combat mechanic and the cat's movements in general. Aiming is also easier thanks to a lock-on and an optional first-person view.

This time around, you can control other characters, includ- ing fully-customizable ones — right down to how fat your tail is. Playable pigs in Blinx 2 introduce new game mechanics via stealth. Pigs are the masters of space (while cats master time), and they can warp across a level or suck up enemies in a black hole.

Finally, Blinx 2 visits more unknown ter- ritory with the introduction of multiplayer. The game contains co-op as well as Battle mode, where cats and pigs will square off in various maps. Oddly enough, however, the game doesn't support Xbox Live.

& D

PlayStation.?

Game Informer brings the world's worst game ideas to life

ES Live Through This Starring Courtney Love

Courtney Love is not afraid to glom on to the ideas and hard work of others to get ahead; so frankly, we're a little surprised that she hasn't inserted herself into a familiar video game for- mula for a quick buck. Well, have no fear Miss World, because we've got the perfect game idea for you. In Live Through This, a blatant rip off of Grand Theft Auto, players would assume the role of Courtney as she staggers drunkenly though an open-ended city looking for trouble. Armed with bottles, metal flashlights, microphone stands, or just her own unwashed funk, А Courtney сап attack innocent bystanders for fun or head to a Starring dealer for some prescription drugs. Make out with a homeless Courtne У man, leave a flaming poopy bag оп Dave Grohl's doorstep, or Love қ just flash people randomly - it's all up to you іп Live Through х This. Of course, since Courtney is all about seemingly pointless | behavior, there would be no concrete mission objectives. The only way to actually finish the game would be to meet a hot young musician at a club (like a member of The Strokes or Interpol), date him, and get him to write material for your new album. Ahh Courtney, you truly are America's Sweetheart!

26 САМЕ INFORMER

When You Want Your News Categorized With A Sarcastic Editorial Spin

GOOD X UGLY

For all of you RPG-heads out there that missed out The sad saga of Blizzard's StarCraft: Ghost just got on Atlus' PS2 cult hit Disgaea: Hour of Darkness, worse. Co-developer Nihilistic has pulled out of

the publisher is re-releasing the game due to the project, and Blizzard is indefinitely delaying popular demand. Purchase it and you can send in the game while it looks at taking the title in new

for an eight-page art book while supplies last. We directions.

imagine that this offer will go over way better than In other depressing news, StarCraft publisher

the “Free Poke in the Eye” subscription incentive Vivendi Universal has cut 350 jobs in a move to save we had a couple of months ago. costs, Reports are, however, that neither Blizzard пог Valve (Half-Life 2) will be affected by the layoffs.

ЕТЕТ

PB TOTALS DAMAGE. 40 ТАНГ

BAD

While on the telephone with a co-worker from a Jacksonville resturant, Anthony Jones yelled to a nearby friend playing Grand Theft Auto, "There's a bomb in the building. Everyone needs to get out!” Unfortunately, the co-worker on the phone at the resturant thought Jones was talking to him, so the building was evacuted. Local police were not pleased at the perceived bomb threat, and Jones could be looking at 15 years in prison for the second-degree felony.

GOOD »-.

Rated-Xbox! The latest attempt to stiffen flaccid Xbox sales in Japan is a satellite TV show hosted by adult model Eri Kitajima. When DOA: Xtreme Beach Volleyball fails; try the real thing.

UGLY

Nintendo recently admitted that the new Mario Party - in an effort to make it even more accessible - will be playable for those that "can't handle the controllers." Like who? Word is that the game will be played with an EyeToy-like camera peripheral. Sounds too complicated to us. The game should be controlled by a heartbeat monitor so anyone with a pulse has

a shot at the crap-shoot-fest that is Mario Party.

GOOD

The invaders have landed. An unknown French artist has been put- ting up Space Invader-inspired mosaic Pieces in cities across the world, as well as doing indoor installations. Check it out at www.space-invaders.com

surprise hit of th the Summer”

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www.shadowopsgame.com

= oy we PG Ы THX | TIT CERTIFIED GAME

ATARI

NINJA GAIDEN REVISITED

TECMO OFFERS FREE UPGRADES VIA XBOX LIVE

Xbox title are going to find things getting tougher — but in

а good way. In a historic move for a console game, the company is offering a free content-rich download for Xbox Live subscribers called Ninja Gaiden 1.1. As part of the second round of its Master Ninja Tournament, Tecmo is giving fans a download package in early August that will improve upon the game engine and give you smarter new enemies, bosses, costumes, weap- ons, and more (assuming you already have the original game). This extra content will be used by the Master Ninja contestants, but the download is available to anyone, and is playable offline.

T hose stymied by the difficulty of Tecmo's Ninja Gaiden

28 GAME INFORMER

Creator Tomonobu Itagaki said that he surveyed fans’ feed- back before designing the new features. These include an improved camera system that changes the player's perspective in relation to enemies’ position. It will allow full 360-degree play- er camera control, and will be smarter when handled by the Al. Also, the engine now makes combat faster and “more extreme" Personally, Gl can't think of anything more extreme than when we crapped our pants the first time we played Gaiden.

Stay tuned to www.masterninjatournament.com for more news on the download and the tournament.

Favorites From Industry Pros And GI Readers

DEVELOPER

WIL STAHL Director, Pandemic Studios

1 Robotron 2084 -

Arcade

2 Quake 2 CTF - PC 3 Thiet series - PC

4 Halo - Xbox

5 Counter-Strike - PC

READER STERLING

DAWSON Las Vegas, NV

1 Final Fantasy Anthology - PSone

2 Grand Theft Auto: Vice City - PS2

3 Red Dead

Revolver - PS2

4 The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker - GC 5 Viewtiful Joe - GC

Send Top Fives and a photo of yourself to:

Game Informer Magazine/Top Five 724 N Ist St 4th Fl Minneapolis, MN 55401-9022 email: topfive@gameinformer.com (attach digital picture)

Lists...Everybody Loves Lists...

TOP 10 THINGS | DO IN MY SPARE TIME

By Sam Fisher 10 Geta tan

9 Give something back to the community 8 Creep through neighbor's bushes just to stay

sharp

7 Join OJ. in the ongoing search for Nicole

Simpson's killer

B Test sticky-shockers during hide-and-seek games

with neighborhood kids

5 Interpret the works of Kierkegaard and their relationship to international espionage

4 Cry myself to sleep 3 Knit rifle cozies

2 Try to integrate some color into my wardrobe 1 Watch The Hunt for Red October on DVD

Name That Game Answer: Golgo 15

WHOEVER WINS... WE

ALIEN VS. PREDATOR

IU

08.13.04

| -- connect interview |

CAREER | CAREER HIGHLIGHTS | TS

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1986 V H 5 Е

1988 v

1999 v

2003 v

30 GAME INFORMER

interview

DAVIDZUCKER

PRESIDENT AND CEO/MIDWAY GAMES

>> David Zucker is new to the game industry, but is already making a splash as the the head of Midway. Recently, the company has been experiencing a renaissance, enjoying strong sales of new properties like NBA Ballers and The Suffering, as well as popular franchises like Mortal Kombat. <<

Talk a little bit about your career prior to Midway. What is your background?

| like to say | have two next-door neighbors. One of them on the left side, there's a woman there who thinks l'm the evil incamate. Her husband doesn't talk to her because he watches ESPN all the time, and | was head of programming at ESPN for eight years. Her son doesn't talk to her because he's too busy playing video games. And, of course, | was

the president of Playboy for a period of time. Now, on the other side of the street | have two teenage kids that think there are no better jobs that they could ever dream of having: programming for ESPN, president of Playboy, and now running a video game company. That's sort of my career in a nutshell.

What prompted you to make the move to video games?

| waited in line when the Xbox first came out, and l've been a fan and a gamer for a long time. 1 believe this is the future of entertainment. And Midway was the perfect company to join. It is a

publishers’ games, last year Midway was number 20 [out of all publishers]. This year we're number two. In fact, we're neck and neck with EA. So it's a pretty dramatic change in a relatively short period of time.

We've heard rumors that Midway is consider- ing either dropping or seriously retooling its current sports lineup. Is this true?

You know we've been very focused on what we do well at Midway. | think part of the choppy couple years that we had was [Midway] going outside of

its core competencies and making games that per- haps we didn't have expertise in. Sports is a good example. Midway is simply, in terms of over-the-top sports and great graphics, [about capturing] that fast and furious action. As well as integrating lifestyle ele- ments, like you saw in NBA Ballers, into the game. That's what Midway has always been great at. You know, the mistake we made was probably trying to get into the sim business, and competing in an area where we really don't have the expertise. We're very much committed to our over-the-top franchises.

in the 05, 8 to 34-year-old men watched cumu- latively 30 billion hours of television according to Nielsen. Boys or men 8 to 54 years old also played 30 billion hours of video games. That's going to increase. Two years from now there'll be more time spent playing video games than watching television. This is a big market. We're at the early stages of growth in this business. You're gonna see a handful of big companies that are certainly competing with EA. It doesn't mean ЕА5 not going to be a big player. It will be.

There is talk that Hollywood and video games are eventually going to merge together and become one entertainment medium. Do you see this happening?

| don't know if that's necessarily the right ques- tion. | mean, | think, as you know, one of Midway's great franchises is Spy Hunter. Universal has come to us and they're actually paying us to make a movie called Spy Hunter starring The Rock, which John Woo's going to direct for 2005, and it's а

Two years from now there’ll be more time spent playing video games than watching television.

great company with a lot of incredibly creative

and talented product development executives and people. You know it kind of lost a couple of steps as it made the transition from the arcade business into the home console business. There was just a huge opportunity here to get things organized to tap back into the talent that's inherent in this organization, and really tum things around.

How are things going at Midway right now? The company seems to have been on a bit

of a hot streak recently with titles like The Suffering and NBA Ballers. What do you attri- bute this current success to?

You didn't mention Psi-Ops. It will probably be the best reviewed game Midway's had in its history on a console. So | think really it comes down to a recom- mitment to quality. | think we as a company proba- bly got caught up in the need to get product out on a quarterly basis, and to some extent forgot about the need to really make great games. Great games in terms of compelling story, compelling gameplay, and groundbreaking elements like you see in Psi- Ops. One of the first decisions that | made when 1 got here was to delay the launch of The Suffering and NBA Ballers to add more time to the games to make sure that they were of the kind of quality that Midway would be proud of. And actually, if you look at gamerankings.com's average review scores for

We'll be spending more time to make them. We're certainly making another NBA Ballers game down

the road. And the goal is to kind of release one or two really special Midway-style over-the-top sports games. We'll have a football game again someday.

Did you get a chance to check out the PSP and Nintendo DS at E3? What are your thoughts on those systems?

| think they'll both do well. We're certainly excited about the PSP. We think it's pretty hard not to bet along with Sony. They're very committed to it and we think there's an opportunity there to attract a new type of gamer to the product and we'll be par- ticipating on the PSP as it rolls out.

We noticed that you didn't comment on DS. Do you have any plans to support that hand- held?

Yeah, we're certainly looking at it. We've really focused on Sony and Microsoft on the console side. And we'll be looking at the DS.

Can any company ever hope to really compete with EA, or are they just too big?

EAs an incredibly impressive company. But, | think it's a big market; it's a growing market. You may have seen that Nielsen came out with some statis- tics recently which really sort of sums it up. Last year

$120,000,000 movie. It's going to have a lot of special effects. And we'll have a game, of course, alongside it, but | think it's going to work both ways. You'll see more and more Hollywood [video game] movies happen. Think about it. People are spending a lot of time playing video games. There are fran- chises there that will have built-in marketing.

Do you think that original IPs or licensed properties are the way to success? Midway has generally pursued original IPs - do you see the company pursuing more of them in the future?

| really do. | think it's interesting. You know one of the great misconceptions is that movie-based games work. For the most part if you look at the whole PS2 console cycle, there have only been a handful of movie-based games that have really sold units. The vast majority of them are not financial successes. And the other problem with licenses is that you always have the license holder looking to extract more of the economic value from the license. So Midway's been fortunate to have obviously our own intellectual properties: the Mortal Kombats, and Gauntlets, and so forth. And we continue to be one of those companies that will take shots. Psi-Ops is a very bold and risky investment for this company. It's a whole new type of gameplay, and Midway will continue to take those kinds of risks.

GAMEINFORMER 31

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Mild Language Violence

connect |

1 Number of employees the studio began with in 1999

2 2 4 Leys employees

5 Number of full-time staff employed

1 Number of games currently in the works at Santa Monica Studios, including all internal, external, and localization projects

Number of developers

that Santa Monica Studios has collaborated with: Incog Inc., Polyphony Digital, Guerilla Games, Clap Hanz Limited, and Sony Computer Entertainment Japan

9 The highest score = given by Game Informer to one of the studio's titles (Twisted Metal: Black, Issue #99)

The lowest score given

by Game Informer to one of the studio's titles (War of the Monsters, Issue #118)

The average score the studio’s seven released titles have earned from - ЖЕ и 7 Game Informer 7 April 1999 July 1999 September 1999 ^ j Studio founded in Moved into current. / Growth continues, Santa Monica with facility with 25 employees jump 12 employees employees to 42 on site

June 2001 Santa Monica stu-

dio ships first title,

Twisted Metal:

Black

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title, Kinetica

July 2001 August 2002 January 2005 /July 2003 April 2004 /Summer 2004 /Fall 2004 Early 2005 Gran Turismo 3 /Ships first inter- / Ships Twisted Metal: / War of the Downhill Siren ships Hot Shots Golf /Killzone and Gran / Second internally A-spec ships nally developed / Black Online as Monsters ships / Domination Fore! ships Turismo 4 ship. developed title, launch title with ships God of War, ships Network Adapter

Just about every desk

Nothing keeps morale up like a demonic clown taskmaster he upper level is where localization and external work take place, while the main

is where you'll be asked to wait...with Рагарра piercing you with his mocking, vacant

(and one doomed nipple- twister enthusiast) pose with their leading man @ The perks of working for Sony: Nearly every desk in the office has a dev kit Е Though it does have an alarm system, apparently the studio can't keep out invaders — Space Invaders

Sony Computer Entertainment America

SANTA MONICA STUDIOS

Forming the core of Sony's first-party software development, Santa Monica Studios is responsible for turning out the Playstation 2-exclusive titles that realize the company's vision of what gaming should be. With concerted efforts being put into both internal design and external collaboration, Santa Monica Studios presents a unique model of creating their own content while simultaneously working with second-party developers to get their products out to the ravenous gaming public.

ony's Santa Monica Studios is located in a hotbed of game development (both Naughty Dog and Treyarch have studios just down the street), but they have no reason to be intimidated. With an impressive roster of talent that has helped to bring you such titles as Gran Turismo 3, Twisted Metal: Black, and the upcoming God of War, the Santa Monica Studios has proven it has what it takes to create those must-buy titles for your video game library. However, even with these exceptional games, the way the studio truly distinguishes itself is the solid partnerships it has cultivated with respected second-party developers. In fact, the studio is practi- cally split into two halves with varying goals and functions.

The first side is essentially a production house that collaborates with external developers to fine-tune and localize a wide variety of titles. Of the seven games to come out of the studio, only Kinetica was made entirely in-house. All of the others were joint efforts with external developers like Incog Inc. (Twisted Metal: Black, War of the Monsters, Downhill Domination), Polyphony Digital (Gran Turismo 3 A-Spec), and SCEJ (Siren). Another function of the stu- dio includes conducting focus groups with these games, allowing the developers themselves to concentrate more on producing the actual content.

The second half of the studio is the single-minded internal development team, which focuses its efforts on just one game at a time. Since Kinetica was released, God of War has been the studio's primary effort — that's over two years the team has spent fashioning legendary settings and mythological beasts. However, even in a game that lends itself so well to horrifying abominations, don't expect any cameos from the studio's infamous Sweet Tooth; though David Jaffe (Twisted Metal Series, JetMoto) is at God of War's design helm, the team creating the game is entirely different. [For more exclusive info on God of War, turn to our feature on page 56]

Though no one can tell us quite what to expect from the studio after God of War ships, with the PSP on the horizon and a lucra- tive franchise like Twisted Metal in its arsenal, it is certain that we can continue to look to Santa Monica for engaging offerings in the future.

assortment of toys, ‚ and other important lated miscellany

for internal develop- Once you enter, this

The God of War team

October 2001

$$ connect gear ес |

Manufacturer: Galpin Motors Website: www.galpinized.com List Price: $110,000

This ride is far beyond any of our pocket- books, but that doesn’t mean we didn't seri- ously look into black-market organ donation to make the down payment. Check out the features on one heck of a Navigator.

Manufacturer: Wheelman Pty. Ltd.

Website: www.wheelmanworld.com

List Price: 5890

What comes in a variety of fashion colors, sug- gests that the youngest users are at least 16, and hits 20mph? Why, the Australian Bushpig by Wheelman! It's like a snowboard that wraps wheels around your feet and flings you across rural terrain by using a two-stroke lawnmower engine. Sounds like a good idea, doesn't it? Well, there is a more environmentally friendly electric version coming out soon and the gas-powered type comes in pink, so the ladies who lunch can get to their tea date in high-class style.

36 GAME INFORMER

We question their functionality, but not their decisive style state- ment. The custom 22-inch rims are covered in purple ostrich skin and are only available on this car. Aren't you just horrified when your car is wearing the same shoes as someone else? It's like a bad prom nightmare over and over and over.

| tech | NOKIA 3220 AND XPRESS-ON FUN SHELL

Don't scoff at the $300 price point for this phone — almost all handsets sold in America are subsidized by carriers (meaning that this one will be dirt cheap when it hits retail). With all of the normal accoutrement (color screen and iffy camera), the phone isn't terribly remarkable; but the Xpress- On Fun Shells that can be wrapped around it have features we've never seen in an American phone before. For example, you can write a text message and then swing the phone back and forth. The little LEDs on the backside will make your message appear in the air. Say you're at a concert and you want someone up to 18 feet away see exactly what you're thinking, just type in ^Wld Stallyns Rule" and see how the queue of lovely ladies piles up to meet you. The Xpress- On shells also have a gyroscope feature for games akin to Kirby Tilt ‘п’ Tumble.

Endangered species? We laugh at exotic flightless birds! Matching the ostrich skin on the rims, the interior features purple avian leather on the door panels and seat backs, and those in the second TOW of seating get access to even more of the finer things in life. The center console offers purple burl wood, a refrigerator, ice bucket, humidor, crystal glasses, and a freaking PS2! And, 15-inch monitors are built into the front-seat headrests for maximum gaming enjoyment.

Manufacturer: Nokia Website: www.nokia.com List Price: (Phone) $300, (Shell) TBD

Other shells for this model are being announced - including blinky strobes

whose programmable patterns indicate specific events or callers

“One of the sleekest, sexiest gaming gadgets

I've seen in a long time.’ IGN.com

eye candy

zodiac

mobile entertainment console

мон), git ^ qu Ir! t = pile

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater® 4 SpyHunter®

D check out the latest games at Erm www.tapwave.com DN

Duke Nukem™ Mobile

WHERE AMERICA BUYS TECHNOLOGY. POWERED

АИ games sold separately. Copyright (c) 2004 Tapwave, Inc. All rights reserved. Tapwave is a registered trademark and the stylized Tapwave logo, Zodiac and the *go.do.play" are trademarks of Tapwave, Inc. in the United

States and other countries. Palm Powered is a registered trademark of PalmSource Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

DOOM |" enhanced especially for Zodiac. Sold separately.

• Console-quality gaming with rich 3D graphics, stereo sound, analog control, vibration and wireless multiplayer capabilities.

+ Listen to music, view photos, watch videos.

+ Sync with Microsoft® Outlook® and organize your life.

Tc cce до. do. play.

Se connect gear

| etc | VANA'DIEL CLOCK

Manufacturer: Hori

Website: www.hori.ne.jp

List Price: 4,980 yen (around $50) Hori is talking about importing this clock through its American branch, but the specifics of release and price are still a bit up in the air. We do know that it displays Vana'diel and Earth time and offers alarms themed after the four nations of the game world, There is also a backlight and sup- port of Daylight Saving Time. No true FF XI dork could possibly be without one of these — at least until they start releasing the bone subligear at Hot Topic.

иш THE ADVANTAGE

Manufacturer: 5 Rue Christine Records

Website: www.theadvantageband.com,

www.killrockstars.com

List Price: 511

Featuring members of punk-prog terrorists Hella and Crime

in Choir, The Advantage is another of the burgeoning

number of indie bands that mine the riches of 1980s NES

game soundtracks. Although not the first to attempt this,

The Advantage are ace players and sawy arrangers with

à keen ear for picking out some of the 8-bit era's finest

music. While the performances are strong, the real revela-

tion is hearing just how wildly varied and expertly composed

the melodies themselves are. In this new context, the

pieces evokes genres as disparate as ominous post-punk

| ("Goonies 2”) and florid progressive rock ("Blastermaster Stage 2") that would make '70s forebears Yes proud.

ти ИЛИН

а]

тш; айз P3, ге, |

peripheral

Manufacturer: Logitech Website: www.ogitech.com List Price: (Rumblepad 2) TBA, (Action) $39.99, (Precision) $49.99

CORDLESS ACTION CORDLESS PRECISION CONTROLLER (PS2) CONTROLLER (XBOX)

CORDLESS RUMBLEPAD 2 CONTROLLER (PC)

Each of Logitech’s controllers sports a redesigned shape (more compact and similar to the first-party versions for their respective systems), impressively long battery life (around 50 hours on the consoles and 100 for the PC), automatic sleep mode to get every

ounce of use from the two AAs each pad uses, and rumble feed- back. That, and they use 2.4GHz RF instead of icky infrared and offer 8-way digital d-pads. Wowza. The releases are staggered, but they should be all out by August of this year.

Shows You Should Have Watched — Grab Them

On DVD

38 САМЕ INFORMER

List Price: (Season One) $49.99, (Season Two) $49.99

With its third season on USA Networks, this is smart crime- solving and psychic coolness.

[ UNLIMITED ENABLED 7 Anthony Michael Hall | ___Interview!

List Price: (Complete Series) $69.99

The wry, sarcastic misad- ventures of this crew are required viewing for anyone who went to public school. Check it out before we start writing mean notes on your locker!

SAIC QUANTUM [1227

D (ЕМ List Price: (Season One) $59.99

When the main character is killed by a crapper falling from the Mir space sta- tion, you know good things are coming. Dark comedy and unapologetic death sequences.

Scott Bakula. Fear the per- son who doesn't appreciate the Bakula! Actually, don't fear them — hunt them down and wipe them from the Earth. No, really. We're being serious.

List Price: (Season One) $149.99, (Season Two) $149.99, (Season Three, sold in volumes) $19.99 — $39.99, (Season Four, sold in volumes) $39.99 each

The Sci-Fi channel will air the miniseries this fall – catch ир before then. It's really worth it.

THE FINE-TUNING WILL BE COMPLETE THIS WINTER.

YOU ARE WHAT YOU RACE.

au pue Soy, бој sopnig wen ово au обалу ео д раме

Visit www.esrb.org | - or call 1-800-771-3772 | ж for more ratings |

9 хеох

CONTENT RATED BY ТЕРГЕ information.

xbox.com/forza

ENDO DS:

PENDENT DEVELOPERS

BY CHRIS CHARLA, SENIOR PRODUCER, AND MIKE MIKA, CREATIVE DIRECTOR, BACKBONE ENTERTAINMENT

ast month, Greg Rizzer from EA

talked about the importance of Big

Games — those 150-person-team

blockbusters that his company has

been known to put out. We couldn't

agree more. Big games are great, healthy for the industry, and fun to play for casual and hardcore gamers. He also mentioned smaller games — niche games, original game ideas, and quirky titles — saying that publishers can always choose to do these kinds of products — "gamers' games" he called them.

That's true, but it's definitely harder for "little games" to do well these days, unless they're imports, like Harvest Moon. There just hasn't been a way to make "modest games" successfully, because a modest game can't compete on looks or production values with a massive blockbuster game, even if the gameplay is there. They're both fun games, but which would you rather look at, Dynasty Warriors 3 or Return of the King?

With budgets rushing steadily upward, and the biggest publishers putting 100-plus people on their games, most developers today either have to go big or go home. To use a Hollywood analogy, you've got to shoot for Star Wars and hope you don't end up with Waterworld. We do have some- thing like the direct-to-video movie model – the $9 budget title. That's awesome for super-niche titles and risk buys, but there's no game equivalent of an independent movie: A modest budget movie that has huge breakout potential, like Blair Witch Project, Evil Dead, or even (gag) My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

And since a medium budget game isn't as risky financially as a would-be blockbuster, it's easier to try some innovative or experimental things with

it, such as using an original character, making an attempt at a new genre, or even just creating a game that aims at a smaller audience (l'm think- ing here of smaller sports like dirt track racing or lacrosse). Luckily, it appears that the game industry is about to deliver two excellent tools for devel- opers for doing just that: the Sony PSP, and the Nintendo DS.

The DS, with its touch screen and 3D capabili- ties, is clearly built for innovation. Nintendo has always been able to pioneer unique markets with its hardware, and the DS doesn't look to be any different. While the GBA has mostly seen a few established game styles, the DS's unique features make creating innovative games almost a neces- sity! All those new features create a new, level playing field. It's tough to say just what's going to make a "blockbuster" on DS, and that helps gives games at all levels an equal shot at success.

The PSP is a more traditional system, but it's also a developer's dream. It hits a lot of sweet spots that may make it the ultimate indie game system of choice. It's very easy to develop for, thanks to its OpenGL-like graphics API and some other smart decisions Sony made at the hardware level. At the same time, the smaller absolute size of the screen means creating graphics that look great can be done faster. The net result is that we're going to be able to develop modem, console-qual- ity games — that are indistinguishable to the eye from PS2 games — on PSP, for budgets that range from $1.5 million to $3 million. That's still a lot of money, but it's a lot less than the budget for a top- line PS2 game today.

A wacky two-million dollar PS2 game may attract some attention from hardcore gamers, but it's never going to be able to go toe-to-toe with Tony

is a more

traditional

developer's

Hawk on production values. On PSP, it can. And that means we have a shot at creating a new model for games, whether it's a forum for launch- ing (and testing) new characters and properties, or publishers taking a chance on creating a game that's not aimed squarely at the mainstream.

Developers are already responding. We're work- ing on our original title Death, Jr. exclusively for PSP while we continue to focus on all platforms. Some developers, like Planet Moon (creators of the amazing Armed and Dangerous), have said they're focusing their entire studio exclusively on PSP. Why? Because they can do original games on PSP much faster, and for much less money than they could on Xbox or PS2.

That's pretty freaking cool, and it's our hope that it's just the start. It would be awesome for the PSP to turn into the indie game machine. Sony has already gone on the record saying it's very excited about the potential for a lot of original games on the system, which is really awesome.

The game industry is getting so big that we have to recognize that there's no longer a single model (budget or blockbuster) that can work for all games, or that all games should be striving towards. Luckily, with the coming release of the PSP and DS, it looks like we're going to be get- ting some excellent diversity in the way we can develop games, and that's going to really open up the door for innovation. Hopefully, we'll get to see some mind-blowing games released that might otherwise have stayed on the drawing board. № шш

The views and opinions expressed on this page are strictly those of the author and not necessarily those of Game Informer Magazine or its staff.

If you work in the industry and would like to share your opinion, contact senior associate editor Matt Helgeson at matt@gameinformer.com.

40 САМЕ INFORMER

We Ё | \ | j ` | 4 N | Solar Power SU Е

FIFTH DAWN sm 1 ҚАСІС.

The Gathering” www.magicthegathering.com

Headhunter: Redemption

NEW RELEASES

* Funkmaster Flex: Digital Hitz Factory - PS2, Xbox

* Headhunter: Redemption - PS2, Xbox

* Phantasy Star Trilogy - PS2

* Rainbow Six 3: Black Arrow – Xbox

* The Unseen - Xbox

SIGGRAPH 2004 (August 8-12)

The 31st international conference on computer graphics and interac-

tive techniques will be held at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Learn about game design at this five-day conference and three-day exhibition.

iHOLLYWOOD GAMEMAKER SUMMIT

(August 9-10)

Held at the Universal Hilton in Los Angeles, gaming's biggest names outline the future of video games.

Uer SAE uen poi к

Hidalgo comes to DVD and craps all over Seabiscuit.

€ _

fri

Open Mater makes its theatrical debut and no one ever sets foot in the ocean again.

ү аз БЫЗ:

10

NEW RELEASES

* Growlanser: Generations - Р52

* Kill Bill Volume 2 - DVD

* Kingdom Under Fire: The Crusaders – Xbox

11

Hulk Hogan turns 51. His birthday wish is to finally make a sequel to Mr. Nanny.

12

QUAKECON 2004 (August 12-15)

Deep within the heart of Texas, PC gamers unite and revel in four days of network gaming, tourna- ments, and id Software love. Id is once again the sponsor of this year's event.

"eue

13

WIZARD WORLD TOUR 2004

(August 13-15)

Joss Whedon, Kevin “Why Did | Make Jersey Gir?" Smith, Kelly Hu, and tons of comic book creators will be in attendance, allowing you to truly get your dork on as you shop for comics and toys.

sat

07

Charlize Theron celebrates 29 years of

being smok-

ingly hot. .

except for

in that

Monster

movie.

ATHENS 2004 (August 13-29)

A lifetime of training...you have to admire the determination of Olympic athletes. That's like play- ing the same video game every day for your entire life. Billy Mitchell, our hats off to thee!

Alien vs. Predator releases in theaters

16 GAME

DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP

(August 16-27)

In this two-week program at Cal State University, high school-age students will learn the basics of game art creation. The class ends with students making their own game.

17}

NEW RELEASES + Armored Core: Nexus - PS2 * Astro Boy: Omega Factor - GBA * Ghost Hunter — PS2 * Hot Shots Golf Fore! – PS2 * Madden NFL 2005 - PS2, Xbox, GC, GBA * Metal Slug Advance - GBA • YuYu Hakusho: Dark Toumament - GBA

Growlanser: Generations

or Б |

21

CLASSIC GAMING EXPO

«| (August 21-22)

In its seventh year, this year's Classic Gaming Expo will be held at San Jose's McEnery Convention Center. This

У is the place to be if you

enjoy or wish to purchase

WWE Day of Reckoning Sf

29

Michael Jackson tums 46, and his nose turns four.

|

| Till the End of Time

-

NEW RELEASES

* Amazing Island – GC

* Digimon Racing - GBA

* ESPN NFL 2005 - PS2, Xbox

* Futurama: Season 4- DVD

* Samurai Warriors - Xbox

* Shaman King - PS2, GBA

= Terminator 3: Redemption — PS2, Xbox, GC

* WWE Day of Reckoning -

25

Sean Connery turns 74.

NEW RELEASES * Pikmin 2 - GC * e Star Ocean: Till the End of Time – PS2

CAN ANYONE GUESS WHERE | HOLSTER THIS.

GUN?

Anacondas: The Hunt

for the Blood Orchid in theaters today. The box office gross is expected to be just $47.

retro games. 28

PENNY ARCADE EXPO

(August 28-29)

You've read their comic strips online. Now it's time to hang with the Penny Arcade gang.

This expo has a little. something for everyone... induding the Minibosses live in concert!

MALLE BERRY

SHARON STONE AELE US BRUCE BERMAN ТО MICHAEL FERRIS aw JOHN ROGERS

їз

JULY

Т othe tNFol

44

a ____________

XBOX | PC > STYLE 1-PLAYER ACTION (MULTIPLAYER TBD) > PUBLISHER UBISOFT > DEVELOPER UBISOFT MONTREAL > RELEASE WINTER =. a

GAME INFORMER

4,

x DUNS <

ATION 4' DECLASSIFIED

Se cover story

The nature of the spy is to be stealthy, to move silently and to take the enemy by surprise. When a spy does his job properly, his arrival is unseen and his actions are undetected, but their repercussions can shock the world. At the 2004 Electronic Entertainment Expo, Ubisoft’s debut of Splinter Cell 3 (now known as Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory) rocked the video game world much like the spies that populate the books of Tom Clancy or Robert Ludlum. Another sequel so soon after the fantastic Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow was certainly a surprise, one that sent shockwaves of excitement through the industry and fans alike.

In order to delve further into the mystery of the unexpected new chapter in Sam Fisher's saga, Game Informer contacted Ubisoft Montreal, the studio behind the newest addition. Not long after we began our investigation, we were accosted by two men in black, drugged, and thrown into a cargo van. When we awoke, we found ourselves in the offices of Ubisoft Montreal, a place that holds clear influence on the games they create. Close inspection revealed many items that had obviously served as inspiration for their in-game counterparts. A security

camera looked suspiciously famil- iar, as did several side hallways, a few office plants, and many floors and textures in the converted warehouse office. While the facility itself was surprising, it was nothing compared to what Ubisoft had in store for us: A complete hands-on experience with the new Splinter Cell game, including the first-ever look at the Xbox version.

The third title is a complete rein- vention of the franchise. According to Clint Hocking, the creative director of Chaos Theory, Pandora Tomorrow was about taking the existing Splinter Cell technology

to its maximum potential, while Chaos Theory is about starting from scratch and building Sam Fisher's ultimate adventure from the ground up. “We knew that we couldn't just have three games that were iterative in a row," said Hocking. "We did the third one

to just reinvent everything. The Pandora team's goal was to take the existing technology to the absolute maximum, and the exist- ing development standard to the highest that they could get it. [The Chaos Theory team's] goal was

to make sure the game was the best it could possibly be - reinvent

everything and come up with the best game on the market.”

Fans of the series shouldn't start to worry that the new game is such a departure that it will seem unfamiliar. The core elements of the franchise remain, although they have been rebuilt with superior graphics and tons of new features. Sam Fisher's world now sports a full weather system, the most realistic sound design yet, much more intelligent enemies, and the feature fans have always clamored for – truly open level designs.

( continued on page 46)

GAME INFORMER. 45

CASE FILE: WEATHER CONDITIONS At first glance, the weather system seems like just another visual layer to add to the already-beautiful series. Thanks to real-time rain effects, Sam will grow progressively wetter the longer he is in the rain, and the different materials on his suit will reflect light realistically. Puddles will form on the ground, and surfaces will become shiny with liquid. Thanks to the combination of normal mapping and Ubisoft's spectral highlight system (which adds more realistic reflections to normal-mapped objects), rain-drenched surfaces look shockingly realistic. Spectral highlights are used for more than just the weather system, however. The technique is used to create a look that is far more authentic than the first two games, and eliminates the "plastic" appearance that is often associated with the powerful normal mapping technique.

Spectral highlighting, in simple terms, adds a level of reflection that enhances the look of normal-mapped surfaces. It can be used to make doors look freshly painted, produce floors that appear freshly washed, and to create couches that look like

46 САМЕ INFORMER

: real leather. As impressive as hese examples look in action, othing shows of the power of pectral highlighting better than he weather system. Watching

: how the look of rain-drenched

} surfaces change as a storm worsens is an experience easily n par with the original Splinter Cell's groundbreaking use of ight and shadow.

But the weather system is much more than an excuse for ye candy; every new system n the game has an actual iscernable effect on gameplay. When it starts to rain, enemy uards will seek shelter if any is vailable. Staying out of the rain may keep guards more than omfortable; it may keep them live. The normally non-lethal ticky shocker becomes deadly f the target is standing in a uddle. The electrical current of he shocker is grounded by the water, killing the victim.

Also included in the weather 1 system are objects like sprin-

1 Klers, which Sam can set off by 1 shooting or throwing a smoke renade. The unexpected ctivation of a sprinkler system s a good way to distract guards, nd it also creates opportuni- ies to use the lethal shocker rick. Obviously, water effects

} аге a huge part of the weather i system, but there are other

і elements as well. Lightning

SC-20K LAUNCHER |

: flashes may give away Sam's

! position in the shadows, but

i thunder may mask the sound of his footsteps.

i CASE FILE:

: KEEPING QUIET

} Just like the weather system

і has changed the way Sam

: interacts with his universe, so

} has the new sound system.

} While keeping quiet has always } been an important part of the

| Splinter Cell games, the third

} volume has brought this to the i forefront. A sound meter has

: been added to Sam's heads-

1 up display. Much like how the

: stealth meter shows how visible } Sam is, the sound meter relays : how much noise he is making.

| But just because Sam is walking : across broken glass doesn't

; mean he'll tip off the guards.

Thanks to the most realistic

: sound design to ever appear

: in a game, every area has its

: own ambient noises. A white

: indicator on the sound meter

: indicates the ambient sound

} level. As long as Sam makes

} less noise than the other sound : sources in the environment, he : won't be heard. For example,

i if Sam is near a loudly rum-

: bling generator, he can move

: around fairly freely without fear } of being heard. The closer to

} the machine he is, the more

: noise he can safely make; һе

( continued on page 48)

All areas, like this hallway in th

Defense Ministry (above), and tl

Korean Bathroom (below), were designed to be architecturally correct. Hundreds of photos were used as reference for every area

Green border - Xbox Screens

Brown border - PC Screens

Se cover story

№ Sam now has more ways to deal with characters he grabs. He can

interrogate them, knock them out, kill them, or even throw them off of a cliff

| № By throwing this guard off the . ledge, Sam can actually kill the | character below with his falling body!

48

GAME INF

can even fire a gun without being detected. But if that machine were turned off, the amount of noise he can make would sharply decline. This technique, called sound masking, will be a key part of gameplay this time around.

Those who completed Pandora Tomorrow will remember a chal- lenge late in the game outside the TV station. The area required Sam to make his way around a courtyard with a rotating spotlight in the center by moving from one shadowed area to the next in the intervals between the spotlight sweeps. Chaos Theory will feature areas with similar challenges, only this time they will be based around : ambient noise. Sam will have to make his way through areas which offer no dark places to hide, and the only way he'll be able to proceed is by moving during an intermittent noise, like a siren. By waiting until the noise begins to start moving, Sam can sneak past guards undetected, even without the familiar shadows to conceal his movement.

Sound-based gameplay is pos- sible because of the incredible attention to detail Ubisoft is paying to the audio portion of the title. Because the goal is to make the most realistic, immersive game ever, every surface in Chaos Theory will have real acoustical properties. Sound waves will carry through thinner walls, but be stopped completely by denser materials. If there is a noise in the next room and there is an open doorway to your right, you will hear that noise coming from your right side.

CASE FILE:

KNOW THINE ENEMY

Obviously, using sound as a gameplay element doesn't work well unless enemies are smart enough to know what to listen

for. Chaos Theory boasts the best enemy Al in the series — gone

are the guards who would forget about you if you stayed hidden long enough. If you attack a pair of guards and kill one, the surviving guard will not forget about his dead partner - ever. He will search for you actively, and if he fails to find you, he will return to his post, but will never reset to his default

і "unaware" status. He will stay alert } and on edge until one of you is

і dead. These guards are actually

i trying to stay alive, and they will

: use every technique they have іп

1 order to do so.

If you attack a group of enemies,

i they will work as a team to take

: you out, They will call to each other i for aid, lay down covering fire, and i use group tactics like trying to pin

i you down and flank you. Of course, і since your enemies are now more

i human than ever before, they сап

: also be realistically tricked. If you

} are in a firefight with a guard and

: both parties have taken cover, you | can fool him by laying down a burst

of suppressing fire, then quietly

i slipping out from behind your safe : spot and circling around behind

i him. If you are sneaky enough,

i the guard will be so busy popping i up from his hiding spot to take

i potshots at your old location that

i he won't notice you coming. Until 1 it's already too late, that is...

i CASE FILE:

: THE WORLD IS YOURS

| In the previous Splinter Cell titles,

} trial-and-error gameplay taught

i players what areas would force

i them into firefights. Pandora

i Tomorrow offered a bit more

| freedom in getting through a level, i but still featured fairly linear paths. i Chaos Theory will give you an

: objective at the start of each level, } but how you proceed towards

i that goal will be entirely up to

: you. Fortunately, this new freedom | won't affect the traditional storytell- : i ing method used in the games: i scripted events.

Both of the first Splinter Cell titles

1 favored relaying the plot through

Н eavesdropping on NPC conversa- i tions or other in-game events,

: rather than cutscenes. Cutscenes

{ tend to remove players from the

i action, which is contrary to the

i entire goal of the series. To retain : the scripted-event storytelling

i method in an open environment, } the scripted events can now take i place in several different locations 1 in a map, so Sam doesn't need

і to hit certain areas in order to

i advance the plot. In fact, many

i variations of the dialogue will be

: recorded to ensure that it cor-

£ responds with the player's actions.

! Not only will the player be able to

work towards the objective the way he or she wants to, the order in which they tackle certain goals will be reflected in the story.

When plotting out the story, very stage was conceived of as group of different areas. These reas were swapped around in everal different configurations

} in order to determine the layout

i that would lead to the optimum

: balance of exploration and logical 1 routes. These larger, more lifelike į areas also afford the player more ; opportunities to try out Sam's

rsenal of moves and weapons. By providing expansive spaces with bigger variety of obstacles and hreats, players will be encouraged o replay the story mode in order to

: find new ways to make it through } each area.

| CASE FILE: } TOOLS OF THE TRADE

am Fisher has always had a large oster of moves at his disposal,

} and Chaos Theory has tweaked

! each of his existing skills, while

3 adding several more. Тһе goal is

| to give players the option to do

i anything they might think of. As

} always, Sam will need to sneak up | behind guards and grab them, but

he entire experience has changed. am's body language changes as he closes in on a guard, his hand oing for the knife on his back

| as he nears. Ubisoft calls this the i “closer than ever" system — it now : feels easier and more realistic to

close in on a foe. The Xbox version

i we played felt like we were actually } sneaking up on a hapless guard to 1 a greater degree than the previous } titles. Sam creeps up on his enemy, } his body growing visibly more

: tense as he nears. It's a great effect : that really adds to the immersion

і of the game. Should he need to

back away, Sam can actually walk backwards slowly, so he can put ome distance between himself nd the guard without turning his

} back. All of these movements now : feel even more natural, thanks to a

mechanic that "sticks" Sam's feet to he floor. He will adjust to changes n the terrain realistically, so it never eels like Sam is floating. It sounds

( continued on page 51)

2% cover story

и vam]

ы тақа this Japanese мама Зат R through д them to grab ana

non with all the biel den: the rt of gameplay is still sneal а the shadows *

№ The electrostatic beam interferes with electronics. Shooting objects like televisions may cause guards to investigate, creating distractions for Sam to exploit

like a minor aspect, but really adds а lot to the realism.

When Sam grabbed a guard in his previous titles, his options were pretty much limited to knocking him out or interrogating him if he was an important character. Now, interroga- tion will be a much more common and important practice - thanks to the open level design, guards will have more to say to ensure that the plot gets relayed. “Guards will tell you where you need to go when you interrogate them depending on the context,” says Hocking. "They'll tell you where there's equipment that you can find, or medical supplies, or how many guards are in the area, as well as high-level information, door codes and objective related stuff. Basically, you're rewarded for getting up to these guys and dealing with them, which we think is more fun than simply tossing a grenade and blowing them up.”

After a character has spilled all he knows, you can choose how you want to deal with him and if he lives or dies. In the Xbox version, pulling one trigger deals a knockout blow, while pulling the other results in a slashed throat thanks to Sam's new knife. You can even decide how the body falls by pushing the analog stick as you release the corpse, Want to push a body off of a cliff? Go for it - no one will ever find that corpse at the bottom of a ravine.

While intimidating guards and slashing their necks are both fine uses for Sam's knife, its utility does not stop there. At E3, it was revealed that Sam would be able to use his knife for cutting through fabric, so Sam could make his own exits through tents and the like. Sam may also use it for other utilitar- ian purposes, like prying mounted microphones out of wooden walls. It also serves as a replacement for the disposable lock pick, one of the few items from the past games that probably won't be returning. Instead of picking a lock, Sam can shove his knife between the door and the frame, slam the handle, and pop open the door. Of course, this makes more noise than picking the lock, so Sam must weigh his options carefully.

One of the other items that won't be returning is the camera jammer

{ introduced in Pandora Tomorrow. It } has been replaced with the far more i useful pistol attachment currently

: called the "electrostatic beam" This

device screws onto Sam's pistol and is mainly used for interfering with

$ electronics. It can be employed to

i scramble TV and radio signals to

i create diversions, jam cameras, and

i even temporarily turn out lights. One i may wonder why Sam would want

to turn out a light for a short period of time, but the answer is obvious

i when the improved enemy Al is

i taken into consideration. In Chaos

і Theory, guards will actually notice

i when all the light sources іп an area | are smashed and deduce that you

} are somewhere close by!

The electrostatic beam can also be

| used for a taser, making it a pass-

able, but not amazing, offensive

i weapon. For heavier firepower, Sam's | SC20K rifle is the way to go. Much

i like the pistol, it now has several

} attachments that will endow it with

: alternate fire modes. The first is the

* launcher, which fires Sam's familiar

| gadgets: sticky shockers, diversion

і cameras, sticky cameras, and ring air 1 foil rounds. The underused cameras | have gained a few more functions

: that might make players more apt to

utilize them. Sam can now fire mul-

} tiple cameras and toggle between : them. He can even return to camera 1 view after exiting out of it.

As diverse as the launcher's

} gadgets are, the other rifle attach- i ments are a bit more simple,

і although every bit as useful. The

i second attachment transforms the

SC20K into a powerful shotgun. By itting the jump button on the Xbox

: controller while his rifle is drawn, | Sam adds the attachment. Pulling

the left trigger fires shotgun rounds, while the right trigger fires standard rifle rounds.

The third attachment is the sniper modification. Sam can still snipe with standard rifle rounds, but the sniper attachment packs a little more punch: it fires 20mm anti-vehicular rounds. Not only will they stop an enemy in one shot, but they will stop a car as well. They will even fire through many walls. That's right, Chaos Theory will feature destruc- table environments! With the sniper

attachment equipped, Sam can easily

( continued on page 53)

2° cover story

The new open level design will create several paths through stages, such as crawling through vents

^Y B

ПГ” SC-eOK SNIPER |) |l 6*30 jl

Visually, the Xbox version closely resembles the PC

гром

Of course, all of Sam's familiar vision modes will return

GAME INFORMER 51

THE MYSTERY OF MULTIPLAYER

The multiplayer mode in Splin- ter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow was undoubtedly revolutionary. Not only did it introduce a completely unique style of head-to-head gameplay, it tied it into the story in a compelling and intelligent way. Within days of its release, it became one of the most popular titles in the Xbox Live library. The spies vs. mercs gameplay stunned players by seamlessly transitioning Splinter Cell's core mechanics into team-based play and pitting it up against the first-person, Rainbow Six 3-style gameplay of the mercs. But perhaps the most surpris- ing aspect of this popular mode is that it probably won't be included in Chaos Theory.

Why would Ubisoft do such a thing? Because they've got some- thing even better planned. Details are still scarce, but Chaos Theory will certainly include a multiplayer mode, and it looks like it will be a much more cohesive campaign than

the bite-sized missions of Pandora Tomorrow.

The spies' online missions in Pandora Tomorrow were clearly tied to the main story, but Chaos Theory's multiplayer sounds like it will be even more connected to Sam's quest. Ubisoft hinted that it would actually be a full story mode in and of itself, which takes place parallel to the main story. There will be points in Sam's quest when Lambert tells him about a related situation that's being handled by other agents. Those other agents are the multi- player characters.

We had some hands-on time with Chaos Theory's co-op mode, and so far it plays quite similarly to Shadow Nets' side of multiplayer gameplay in Pandora Tomorrow, but with an increased emphasis on cooperation. "Buddy moves" can be activated when two spies are in close proximity to each other. By pulling a trigger, a spy can give his partner a

_ № One player can drop a rappel line for the other to climb. The rope sets the speed he climbs, while the player at the top can move it from side to side so his partner isn't spotted by NPCs inside the building

boost, drop a rappel line from a roof for him to climb, and many other actions. Aside from these moves, Chaos Theory has some more new features that Pandora Tomorrow didn't — like NPCs.

In our co-op mission, we lowered our partner down a line from a vent so he could hack a computer behind a sleeping guard's back. The pres- ence of NPCs suggests that there will be no playable bad guys in Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, although no deci- sion has formally been made. But it does appear that multiplayer will have a more story-based approach this time, complete with Al enemies, scripted events, and multiple stages. The length of the online quest is also unknown, but based on comments by Ubisoft about it running parallel to the main story, we suspect it will be nearly as long as the main story mode. “We really have the multi- player missions running along the same timeline as the single player

on the

missions," says creative director Clint Hocking. "They're in similar locations that are related, and in the single player game you learn things and Lambert will outright say, We don't have time to deal with situation X.

You've got to go here’ And of course the multiplayer mission is dealing with situation X^

Offering a significantly different online experience than Pandora Tomorrow may be an intelligent tactical maneuver by Ubisoft. Since Chaos Theory is releasing relatively soon after Pandora Tomorrow, having entirely different modes in the two games might encourage gamers to pick up both titles in order to get the best variety of gameplay types. Also, it would prevent gamers from feeling like they paid for the same thing twice. Whatever Ubisoft decides to do with Chaos Theory's multiplayer, we have no doubt it will be nothing short of excellent.

№ This sequence shows how a level | changes as layers of graphical effects are added. First, normal 25

# |

mapping is applied

to the model, then

spectral highlighting

is added for even „тоге detail

deal with enemies hiding around corners. Rather than expending round after round trying to hit his enemy as he pops out from cover, Sam can simply shoot the wall. The force of the round will cause an explosion of rock that will rip the helpless guard to shreds.

The final rifle attachment isn't quite as devastating. Called the foregrip, it is a handle on the front of the gun that gives it more stability, and thus, better aiming. Although the foregrip can help experienced players shoot their way out of tough spots, it was conceived as an aid for newer players to acclimate them to Splinter Cell's gunplay. As the player grows accustomed to aiming, the foregrip can be left behind.

Because Sam needs to travel

lightly, players will not have access to ; mission could require such cunning,

! equipment, and firepower? Prevent- i ing World War III, of course. Much of } the story is still classified, but some

: details were given away by an unex- the mission. Choosing your own gear : pected source: the second game.

} While Chaos Theory was written by } Hocking rather than JT Petty (the

1 writer of the first two games), the

| Splinter Cell games have a surpris- ! ingly cohesive story.

every attachment at all times. At the beginning of each level, players will choose a limited number of attach- ments and other gadgets to bring on

at the start of each scenario was designed to eliminate what Hocking called the “over management” of resources that many players fell victim to in the first games. By hoarding gadgets for fear that they'd

2 run out, many players never learned } to use their spy gear to its fullest і potential.

Not all the gadgets Sam can

} take on his missions have deadly

} applications. One item that Ubisoft

} is considering is a wireless hacking

} computer in order to bring Sam into i the Wi-Fi era. Rather than sneaking

і into an area crawling with guards to d access a computer terminal, Sam can : 1 uses his wireless computer to tap i $ into it remotely, triggering a "hacking: i mini-game” If positioned properly, : i Sam can even hack into the laptop } or PDA a guard is carrying.

i CASE FILE:

: YOUR MISSION, : CHOOSE TO ACCEPT IT

: Sam obviously has more tricks up

! his sleeve than ever before, but what : i inserted into Pandora Tomorrow.

: Hocking has stated that Shetland : is a major player in Chaos Theory's i storyline.

IF YOU

As Pandora Tomorrow and the

18 Sam can also swap his gun from hand to hand. і When he does, һе | will shift from one side of the screen to the other, so the player can approach from

^ the angle that has

; the clearest line

9 of sight

2 third title were in development at

i the same time, Petty and Hocking

i swapped ideas back and forth to

: ensure that the series felt like a

| definite trilogy. If fans pay careful

: attention, they will notice that

} the events in the first game had

: repercussions in the second, which i in turn, led to the story of the third. } A few major aspects of the third

chapter's story were revealed in

: Pandora Tomorrow: Douglas Shet-

land and the Japanese ISDF. Douglas Shetland, the head of

the private military organization that } fights wars for money, first appeared 1 early in Pandora Tomorrow, but he

: was actually created by Hocking for : Chaos Theory. In order to develop

| the relationship between Sam Fisher 2 1 and Shetland, the character was

The other story elements which

| sharp-eyed gamers may have caught i in Pandora Tomorrow were small

i segments in the news interludes.

: One mentioned the poor state of the : i Asian economy, while another was : about the creation of the Japanese i ISDF. The Information Security

: Defense Force was created by the

| Japanese government to deal with } the threat of "information warfare,” i much like how Sam's employer Third : : Echelon deals with covert attacks on } the U.S. However, China and Korea

} felt that the ISDF is a violation of

: the international law that states that Н Japan сап have no military force

i capable of acting beyond its own

| borders, increasing tension through- } out Asia.

In Chaos Theory, the ISDF is the

1 catalyst that could cause a global

1 war if Sam fails his mission. The

: head of the ISDF secretly launches Í information warfare attacks оп

i Japan and blames them on North

: Korea. Since the Japanese Post-War : Constitution states that the U.S. is

} obliged to protect Japan, the U.S.

: responds by attacking North Korea. i North Korea responds, and reflex-

і ively invades South Korea.

Beyond this politically charged

: set-up, little is known about how

| the plot of Splinter Cell 3 will unfold. i Ubisoft proudly presented us with

| stages set in Hokkaido, Japan; North і Korea; and, most surprisingly, New

1 York City. While most of the New

: York stage will take place inside a

: penthouse apartment, it will begin

i in an alleyway that is the most urban i and public space to ever appear in

: a Splinter Cell game. Sure, Pandora

: Tomorrow featured a level in the

Los Angeles airport, but it was

| mostly confined to back rooms and i offices. The New York stage looks

1 like it spans a few city blocks, and

| may place Sam in danger of being | spotted by civilians.

Settings like New York are obvi-

| ously a huge departure for the } series, and it is only one of many i new shockers the game has in store.

Chaos Theory has retained every

| aspect of the first two titles that

i players loved, while simultaneously i adding layer upon layer of realism.

: The normal-mapped graphics have | taken the already beautiful series

} to a new level visually; and the

new gadgets, physics systems, and

i intelligent Al have ramped up the : stellar gameplay. Pandora Tomorrow

introduced online stealth gameplay, and the third game is taking it to the next level. Splinter Cell is a series that gets better with each installment and raises the bar for һе stealth/action genre as a whole. Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory has tons of surprises still in store, but one thing is no mystery: This is a title that gamers around the world will clamor for, counting the days until its

1 release. W № №

GAME INFORMER 53

1 О ре, >. 2 EI

1 --

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Ееее:

ccording to Greek mythology,

the titan Prometheus, after

betraying the secret of fire to the mortals, was shackled to a mountain so an eagle could chew at his ever-regenerat- ing innards until the end of time. Zeus's son Tantalus dismembered his own child and served him to the gods at a banquet, and was thereafter forever parched and starving, with food and drink eternally just barely out of reach. Then there was Sisyphus, who paid for his affront to the gods by endlessly rolling a boulder up a hill, only to have it tumble down again once it reached the top. From high atop Mount Olympus, the gods dole out these diabolically creative punishments, assuming that no one will be foolish enough to risk everything by defying them. Then a man appears with nothing to lose. A man who inspires abject terror in all of his opponents. A man who has made it his mission to not only hunt with untiring

fury one of the most powerful gods, but

to take his place once he is slain. Kratos is

coming — and suddenly not even Olympus 5$ e j^ x seems safe anymore. 4 à

; ` PLAYSTATION 2 > STYLE 1-PLAYER ACTION > PUBLISHER SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT AMERICA > DEVELOPER SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT AMERICA SANTA MONICA STUDIOS

> RELEASE FIRST QUARTER 2005

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56 GAME INFORMER

It is practically impossible to create a game these days and not see it compared to other titles; all works of art are influenced by the traditions that come before them. As such,

it is difficult to say that God of War is unlike anything anyone has ever seen. However, the games that it does resemble are the very best of recent years. Drawing comparisons to such revered titles as Devil May Cry and ICO, Sony's new game out of its Santa Monica studio has been generating a lot of buzz. We recently had a chance to stop by and see what the fuss is about, and let us assure you that it is not just empty praise.

The story centers around a raw and threat- ening ex-Spartan warrior named Kratos (Greek for "strength"), beginning just as he is throwing himself from the peak of a moun- tain. Why he has chosen to do this, as well as his fate, will become clear as players progress through the body of the game, a flashback to the previous weeks of Kratos’ life.

With its ambitious combination of several gaming styles, David Jaffe, creative director of Santa Monica Studios and the game's lead designer, hopes God of War will be “a seamless blend of puzzles, combat, and some platforming. We want these elements to come together to create something that feels more like an adventure, not just a game.”

Anti-heroes are all over the place these days. Whether it is in a book, movie, or game, there is something attractive about rooting for a character with questionable ethics. It might seem like Kratos falls into this category, given his propensity for egregious violence and his ultimate goal of deicide. However, even this dubious distinction has its limits. “He can barely be considered an anti-hero," says Jaffe. "He's just a bad guy”

Kratos’ main objective is to retrieve Pandora's Box (the only weapon on earth that can kill a god), which he intends to use to destroy Ares and assume his place as the new god of war. Whether it be sacrificing cap- tive soldiers or desecrating corpses, no morally repre- hensible act will keep Kratos from accomplishing his mis- sion. He remorselessly tears apart limbs. He plunges his Blades of Chaos into the eye sockets of monsters triple his size. Simply put, Kratos exudes fury and grim deter- mination — a dangerous combination.

It isn't as though selecting f a more conventional pro- tagonist would have been difficult; Greek myths are rife with legendary heroes and noble deeds. However, in order to make the feel of the game coincide with

the subject matter, the main character could hardly be the wide-eyed, world-saving type. "| want players to unleash their dark side," declares Jaffe. “1 want them to release this beast that | think everyone has inside, and Kratos lets you do that"

In its attempt to create one of the most

* brutal characters in video game history, Sony

has also managed to create one of the most compelling. As you progress through the

· game, you learn more about Kratos’ history,

how Ares grafted the Blades of Chaos onto him, and how he earned the nickname "The Ghost of Sparta" While these story elements serve to flesh out Kratos's background and motivations, his true nature shines through more in combat than in cutscenes.

Actions speak louder than words, and the game's designers have been working since the project's inception to ensure that all of the attacks and animations would have a stylized intensity befitting the game's main character. “We put together a movie at the beginning as a sort of style guide for combat,” recounts Jaffe. “It had clips from films with nasty and vicious fight scenes, like Romper Stomper with Russell Crowe.”

With such gritty inspiration, it is no wonder that Kratos has a huge complement of fierce (and surprisingly savage) moves to use against the bevy of mythological beasts that oppose him. Jaffe estimates that Kratos has about “15 to 25 base moves, and the player is able to link them together in a variety of ways.” A typical attack consists of Kratos lashing out with the Blades of Chaos, aglow with fire, and whirling them around until they connect with flesh. Even the simplest moves look amaz-

feature

GAME INFORMER 57

a

ing, and they аге all remarkably easy to execute; players will be performing elabo- rate aerial slash ‘n throw combos within minutes of picking up the controller. The interface is familiar, with most attacks activated by pressing a face button either alone or while holding a shoulder button. By performing moves in rapid succession,

they become linked and turn into combos. ` 2 from the same source as his other magic, : 2 Kratos can initiate а god mode (very simi- :

However, there are no pre-set strings to mernorize. It is entirely in the players' power to use the moves in the order and the way they see fit.

As he proceeds on his quest, Kratos will acquire a variety of magical attacks to augment his physical onslaughts. Perhaps the most interesting of these is the Gorgon head, which can only be obtained after performing a special grab- kill on Medusa in Pandora's Temple. After

| gripping her neck and hearing some satis- : : fying snaps and pops, you hold her head : in your hand, which you can then use

2 to petrify your foes. In addition to other, | yet-to-be-disclosed spells, you will also

obtain the throwable Zeus Thunderbolt,

* as well as a different lightning spell that

has an area-effect and follows Kratos as he moves. Also, though it doesn't draw

lar to Devil May Cry's Devil Trigger) for a brief period that sends electricity coursing

his attacks.

These magical assaults are powerful alone, but they become even more dev- astating when linked with Kratos's rep-

: ertoire of physical attacks. For instance,

at the end of a combo, a swing of your

blades might launch an enemy off the ground. At that point, rather than link another couple slashes, you can shoot a blast from the Gorgon head, turning the enemy to stone in mid-air, then watch as it drops back to earth and shatters.

: Alternately, you could throw some thun- — : derbolts at its flying body, stuffing it full of. :

divine wattage before it hits the ground. Innovative combinations like these are

just a taste of the way God of War aims to :

offer a vast array of combat options їп а

“ 3 variety of situations. 2 through his body, amplifying the power of :

BEYOND BUTTON- MASHING

Even with Kratos's wide range of tools and abilities, the development team is making a focused effort to vary the

gameplay so players never feel like they are just repeating the same combos time after time. One way they approach this is with the addition of special grab attacks against some of the larger mon- sters. When you grab a skeleton or a harpy, Kratos can just rip through them and keep fighting without batting an eye. However, monsters such as the Cyclops or Medusa are too huge to be dealt with so easily. Instead, you can use your magic or physical attacks to wear them down until the special grab attack becomes available. At that point, a short combo sequence can be initiated, con- sisting of several timed button presses. If successful, you get to watch Kratos perform a series of deadly moves, usu- ally culminating with a couple of blades in the face. If you fail, however, you take

Bee eee ele еее el eel eel Де:

58 GAME INFORMER

№ The larger the enemies, the longer it will take for the Medusa blast to petrify them

№ Kratos is either trying to pull this guy off the wall or apply the Vulcan Death Grip

‚1 № With an advancing wall to | the left about to crush you, you'll need to kill this foe

swiftly and get out of the way

extra damage, so you need to weigh the risks and rewards of attempting these moves. Fortunately, these special grabs are not required — they are just one more way that a player can choose to dispose of enemies.

Different attacks are also open to you depending on the area you're in and the enemy you're fighting. For instance, while on the ground, you have your full arsenal of moves, but if you are scaling a wall or hanging from a rope, your techniques will change to fit the surroundings. Instead of your high-flying tricks, you'll have to rely more on grappling and close combat. The enemies’ tactics change in these situ- ations as well. They will pursue Kratos across all kinds of terrain — sheer cliffs,

gorges — trying to use their own grab attacks in an attempt to weigh him down and pull him off. Unless you shake the analog stick fast enough when this hap- pens, the creatures will succeed and you'll find Kratos plummeting to his doom. “We're trying to find new twists on some of the standard fighting rooms. We don't want players to feel like they are just going from place to place, hacking and slashing monsters," explains Jaffe This philosophy was illustrated perfectly when we played through Athens, one of the new levels not included in the ver- sion of the game at E3. After a heated battle in a courtyard, we reached the top of a turret and found a ballista aimed at an adjacent tower. Firing a spear (with a

т Whether you want to be more powerful or just look really awesome, ethereal armor is the way to go!

rope trailing behind) from the massive weapon, we were able to make a con- nection to the opposite wall and begin climbing, hand-over-hand, to the other side. However, as we were suspended from the line, we were assailed by a legion of skeletons, beating them back and throwing them off the rope as we moved forward. Once we had crossed, we found another ballista stationed in the center of the next room. After using it to shatter a door, a gang of Minotaurs started charging down the corridor towards us. We had a few options at this point: We could have started whipping thunderbolts at them, or we could have weakened them to the point that the grab-kill was available. We decided on a

a. 2 feature a

third option, though, and just kept firing away with the ballista, watching enor- mous stakes tear through the beasts in gory one-hit kills.

All of this variation was within only ten minutes of gameplay, and it doesn't even begin to cover all of the possible situa- tions you'll encounter. You may need to kill certain monsters before the floor falls out from underneath you, or maybe try to stay on an elevator in a sandstorm as it ascends a cliff face. With so many dif- ferent scenarios motivating the player to be quick and creative, God of War prom- ises to provide a level of variety unseen in even the most respected titles in the action genre.

HOLY WAR

While still fairly new to the world of video

games, the subject of mortals trying to over- fis

throw deities has already seen some spec- y ( їаси!аг treatments in other forms of media. If

God of War's story has you eager to wage war ы against the heavens, maybe you should look Г

into some of these thematically similar works.

Princess Mononoke Directed by Hayao Miyazaki

When power-hungry humans try to kill the Great Forest Spirit, Ashitaka (an exiled prince) finds himself as the intermediary

in the clash between worldly technology and the realm of the gods. This was one of the few anime films to be released in mainstream American theaters.

Preacher > Written by Garth Ennis

In this serialized comic

book, Jesse Custer,

а modem cowboy |

with a hankerin’ |

for punchin’, gets

endowed with divine

powers. He proceeds

to kick up a fuss and

seek God in order to LN

hold him accountable uus ел А i i № The lies of all those who

barn. levy died seeking Pandora's Box

are burned in this pyre. Kratos go down the can. is just visiting...for now.

His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman

Taking place in world similar to our own (except with armored war bears!), a young girl named Lyra gets wrapped up in events surrounding her uncle Asriel's crusade to overthrow God. The series consists

of three books: The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass.

№ You even need to use your head

in combat. Your regular attacts won't pierce these shields, so you need to take an alternate approach

REINVENTING THE PUZZLE

In addition to possessing unparalleled combat prowess, one who would seek to replace a god must have a keen intellect as well as a keen blade. Though he may not seem like the thinking type, Kratos will encounter numerous opportunities to test his mental mettle throughout his adven- ture. Though there is no denying that puzzles in the action genre have become somewhat tired, Jaffe explains that God of War adds a whole new twist to the old formula, making each puzzle much more than a simple fetch quest. "We use a lot of the same vocabulary, like pressure plates and dragging objects, but | think players will appreciate the unique ways in which we implement them.”

Since many familiar concepts are being used in unfamiliar ways, players might find themselves initially thown off by the way the game approaches puzzles. For instance, in a level the team affectionately refers to as “the cake” (since its design resembles the layers of a wedding cake), we came across a closed door, a move- able statue, and a nearby pressure switch. Within seconds we had pulled the statue over the switch, assuming the door would open. It didn't. Instead, a whole new series of puzzles had to be uncovered which involved using a crane overhead to break through brittle ground (revealing yet another switch to contend with), as well as to hold down the switch we thought the statue was for.

Another example takes place in Pandora's Temple, where a wall on the far side of the room rotates, James Bond style, once you step on a tile in the floor. However, there isn’t enough time to make it from the tile to the wall to catch a ride. Thinking we already knew the solution, we grabbed a nearby block and dragged it over the switch, The wall turned as expected, but we were still too far away to squeeze through. Eventually we had to drag the block over to the trick wall, then use a kick maneuver to send the block

sliding across the room. As it glided over the tile, the wall began to move and we were able to get through into the next sec- tion of the temple.

It is important to note that God of War's puzzles aren't restricted to simply getting you through doors. Even in the boss fights, players will find themselves analyzing the surroundings and using them to gain an advantage. “We don't have bosses that you just have to hit more times than regular enemies," Jaffe tells us. "All of the bosses have something unique about them in terms of the way they bring action and puzzle elements together"

GOD IS IN THE DETAILS

God of War has been in development for over two years, and though it isn't complete yet, this timeframe has allowed the folks at Santa Monica studios to start putting an exceptional level of polish on the game. From the raging battles and tortured souls scattered through the backgrounds to the total lack of load screens from start to finish, nearly every imaginable aspect is being fine-tuned to provide an immersive experience. Plus, with progressive scan and Dolby ProLogic Il both being considered, the world of God of War will contain stunning visuals and sound to go along with its legendary set- ting. Not only that, but it will be a world worth revisiting, with several incentives to play through the game multiple times, like more information about the story and the characters, as well as behind-the-scenes material (including looks at levels that didn't make it into the game).

Every last detail of God of War, from the monster designs to the combat mechanic, contributes to the melding of stylized, adult action and high-adventure wonder. "It's sort of like Clash of the Titans meets Heavy Metal," confides Jaffe, "but I'm going to try get as much of the Heavy Metal-type stuff in there as 1 can. Sony does have its limits, but we haven't hit them yet" 8 m m

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TITANS

Madden and ESPN Go Toe to Toe

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This is how it was meant to be. Two teams vie for the distinction of being the best in video game football - Madden versus ESPN. It all comes down to this. With the other football titles bowing out (at least for this year), we're left with the two big- gest and best titles out there, and frankly, that's the way we like it. That means no Fever, GameDay, or Blitz. After all, this is the NFL, not NFL Europe.

The roots of Madden and ESPN's rivalry goes deeper than you might think. ESPN Videogames developer Visual Concepts once worked for EA Sports, putting out the SNES versions of Madden '94 and '95. The debut of Sega's Dreamcast console in 1999 and Sega's purchase of Visual Concepts as a subsidiary, however, put EA Sports and Visual Concepts on a collision course. In fact, the two have built up a video game football arms race that has effectively pushed out the inferior competition this year because the bar has been raised so high.

It's easy for the public to think that Madden doesn't have to try to make better games anymore because it's the most popular and the leader in sales. Or that ESPN isn't as good because it's simply not Madden (or that it's better just because of the stereotype that EA Sports is some evil corporation). Well, those statements are absolutely misguided because they take for granted the enormous amount of time, energy, and love put into both franchises to make them the best — no matter what the sales numbers or zealots say.

Game Informer is going to wade through all the crap to get down to

what you really want to know in this important year of video game = football history: Who has the better game? We take а look at every 4 # a

feature each title has to offer and go over every blade of grass for you. The two best games in football go face to face in the pages of Game Informer. As Hall of Fame coach Marv Levy would say

to inspire the Buffalo Bills, “Where else would you rather be than right here, right now?”

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EA Sports’ Madden is the king of football video PLAYSTATION 21 XBOX | MEUM games in many ways — especially in sales — > PUBLISHER: > DEVELOPER: > RELEASE:

but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have stan- dards to uphold. Whether it’s catching up with itself, the competition, or its fanatical players, this new Madden is stepping up in many areas to try to stay on top.

MADDEN NFL 2005

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ON THE * GRIDIRON *

Last year's offensive Playmaker controls were cool, but little was done for the defense to keep up with these changes. Now, just like cover star Ray Lewis, defenses will be feared. Your right analog stick has been renamed the Hit Stick. Thumb this and you'll get extra pop in your tackle, letting you leave your feet for jarring and potentially fumble-caus- ing hits. Timing is everything with the Hit Stick, and Tiburon is working on getting the mechanic as smooth as possible. Once you do it, you'll find that the Hit Stick is the most gratifying way to tackle someone in football.

To go along with this new mechanic, the game's animations are more contextual. Getting whacked by an opponent tackling you up high with the Hit Stick is obviously different than someone going low at your feet or even a partial hit. Madden excels each season at its plethora of new anima- tions, and this year is no exception. This contextual thinking means that the title not only runs more noticeable sideline catches, but guys will even jump over piles of bodies as the play is whistled dead.

Ж CHALK TALK ж

efense is all about knocking the

other guy into next week, but

it takes brains as well. Coaches

always say that no matter how

hard you can hit, you are only going to tackle

air if you aren't in the correct position first.

Before the snap you can change the assign-

ments of any of your players. Double team a

receiver, pull a defensive tackle into the flat,

send someone in for a blitz (or even fake like

it), and much more. The only restriction is that

guys in zone cannot be switched to a man-to-

man assignment such as bump-and-run. As

well as these individual assignments, adjust-

ments can also be made to entire groups of

your defense, such as telling all the linebackers

to blitz or the whole defensive line to slant

right. You can basically change and customize the entire face of a play. Finally, like last year's ESPN, in the pause menu you can also assign specific members of the defense to cover individual offensive players no matter what, so you can stick your best man on their speedy receiver.

Apart from wanting to put defenses on an even footing this time around, developer Tiburon implemented these changes to keep up with its own fanbase. Online play is huge, as is the Madden Challenge Tournament, which puts the game to the ultimate test from its best players. In fact, Tiburon talked to a few of these guys to find out how they exploit the gameplay to win, and therefore how it can be fixed. Accordingly, letting you change the assignments of each defensive player is a great way to keep up with all the motion and formation shifting your friends may pull on you. For instance, the Man-Lock fea- ture is designed so that the offense can't tell if you're in

The play below used to bea conventional cover-two. Now it's been transformed into something completely unique. To the right we see application of double coverage

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man-to-man coverage. Instead of a cornerback following a receiver in motion, the defense will adjust its assign- ments on the fly. The only drawback with these pre-snap maneuvers is that there are no macro-button shortcuts for your favorite play tweaks, so online defenses will have to adjust their plays lightning fast before the other player hikes the ball.

For their part, offenses can counter with the ability to designate any play as an audible on the fly, create custom personnel packages, and shift formations at the line without calling an audible. This lets you change a Singleback-Big formation to a Singleback-AWR set in an instant without changing anyone's pass routes. One of the biggest additions this year for offenses is also the most elusive. Certain plays will let receivers go on option routes. This is where the AI selects which branching path is the best to take in order to get open. So, if there is no safety coverage on top, your WR will run a post pat- tern. If there is, he might run a curl route instead. Game Informer tested out how well the Al would decide which patterns were the best in our preview build, and we found that in most cases, it was smart enough not to run our WR into bad situations. AI like this is a big step forward for football games, as it mir- rors the kind of on-the- field thinking that even NFL receivers can have trouble with. It's also an example of how, even though ESPN has many of the same on-the- field strategy features, Madden simply lets you do more.

Ж FRANCHISES Ж | е speaks

Smart decision Hasselbeck speaks out against owner ч, ат М

wner's options are unchanged, but the day-to-day happenings of your team have

gotten a huge facelift. Instead of a bland sea of menus, the Storyline Central

section of your franchise keeps you plugged in. Here (including a spiffy PDA

interface) you can find out info on your team through newspaper headlines, look at scouting for the next game, check your email, or listen to what the rubes are talking about via Tony Bruno's radio show. Dial in and you'll get everything from trivia to real interviews with NFL coaches and players. Hear Jack Del Rio or Jeff Fisher talk about their goals for training camp or a tough loss. Tiburon says that there is over 20 hours of Tony in the game.

USA Today helps you keep an eye on opponents and what's going on around the NFL. Meanwhile, over 15 local rags will feature stories specifically about your team from real life papers, such as the Miami Herald if you're a ‘Fins fan. Here you'll get ERSPORISSEADIO a window into more info. For instance, an article about a disgruntled —— еше player not only lets you know of the team's mood (maybe he's angry "i because you put him on the Trading Block), but from this story you ` can change the depth chart or designate someone a team captain to cheer them up. Players’ feelings are real, so if Terrell Owens complains that Donavon McNabb isn't getting him the ball enough (likely), you'll not only hear about it, but 1.0:5 performance - and ultimately the team's - might drop too. This year's Madden runs player skill progres- sion updates every four weeks in the season. This feature helps imbue them with personality - something that may be helpful or harmful come contract negotiation time.

Not again

The right move

* INTANGIBLES Ж

Madden got kicked in the cup last year by ESPN in the presentation department, and now it's out to get even. You can create a fan who will be included with three other people in a crowd shot during post-play cutscenes. Have him go shirtless in the winter, wear a foam finger, or don

, some colorful face paint. The only thing missing is having him hold up a John 3:16 sign. Only one fan can be created per user profile.

The game has undergone graphical changes as well, and you'll notice that players have a bulkier look with their new shoulder pads and the way jerseys stretch over them. Overall, the game looks better than last year, and the new time-of-day lighting is one of those small touches that makes a big difference. High definition gamers can enjoy Madden in 480p on Xbox and GameCube.

MADDEN TURNS FIFTEEN ЖЖЖЖ Ж Ж Ж Ж Ж

* ONLINE ж

Hitting Xbox Live isn't the only online notable. Props will be given via 30 different trophies you can get for feats such as winning five games in a row, for example. You can also play the Rushing Attack minigame against someone online (with its own leaderboard). Finally, tournament play has been sped up for better access. Overall, the team has worked with top online players to rectify many of the gameplay cheats that Madden fans like to whip out. A Reputation Rating has now been included to learn about what kind of opponent you're going up against. Furthermore, stats will be avail- able so you can see the kind of game they play, such as if they juke a lot or what their pass/run о! E NIM, — distribution is. An online ticker J s L^ fstatBook following real-life sports results has also been added.

It may sound strange to say that Madden is working hard to keep up this year, but Tiburon has high standards for itself, and it knows that the expectations from fans are pushing it even higher.

‘TROPHY ROOM _

Defensive Touchdowns

64 САМЕ INFORMER

It seems that ESPN is running out of time. We've been talking about how it's been getting close to Madden for years now, and although it has been picking up fans, it’s still way behind EA Sports in numbers. Sega itself has been getting antsy, and one wonders if EA will try to monopolize football as it does NASCAR. How long can ESPN last in second place?

№ Use the QB Evades to let

McNair live another day Ж ON THE GRIDIRON Ж

In an attempt to avoid having tackles governed by automatically triggered animations that you can't break out of once they are started, there is the Maximum Tackle system. This means that if you are a running back, and a guy tries to pull you down, you have a split second to jam on a button (A on Xbox and X on PS2) and break free of his grasp. The defensive player, on the other hand, will also jam on his button to keep hold of you. Although this sounds arcade-like and contrived, it works well during the game, because it doesn't slow things down at all. Runners can also avail themselves of the analog juke System with the right stick, where you can string combo jukes together to even switch direc- tions rapidly like Marshall Faulk. Along with the ability to break out of tackles, you can now get your QB out of trouble with a nifty move or two. When you see that you're about to be sacked, flick the left analog stick the appropriate direction and your QB will step up in the pocket or spin out of a potential sack to buy some precious extra time in the pocket. Defensive players can choose between a wrap tackle or a jarring hit by either holding or tapping, respectively, the dive button. Similar to Madden's Hit Stick, the tuning on this mechanic is still being tweaked so it will probably feel better by the time the game ships.

Ж CHALK TALK Х

Defensive assignments can be changed up per player, letting you double team receivers, call blitzes, and make other modifications to totally custom- ize what your players do. However, the orders of individual d-linemen cannot be changed — they must still behave as a unit. Unlike Madden, you can change a zone assignment to man-to-man cover- age, but ESPN also does not include macro buttons for quick decisions. Last year's big splash, First Person Football (FPF), is back, and has gotten a few tweaks to make it more accessible. You can toggle on an optional QB progression system, so that your head will automati- cally swivel among your receiver reads. Catching the ball is also easier, because not only will the camera not switch until you have possession of the ball, but you are automatically orientated forward when you get control of the player. This prevents you from getting mixed up and running the wrong way down the field. Finally, you can now switch between first and third-person views at any time before the ball is hiked by clicking the left analog stick. This not only lets you mix up the views to your liking, but it allows you to do all the pre-snap fiddling of the third- person game in FPF. This is the most distinguishable new aspect of FPF for a feature that is otherwise largely the same as last year.

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GAME INFORMER 65

* FRANCHISES x

MONDAYSSCHEDULE EN

COACHING

TEAMMORALE | fensivo k to give

TEAMFATIGUE

To select an activity

nstead of fiddling with the price of hot

dogs in your franchise like Madden, ESPN

is putting you in the coach's shoes during

the week leading up to Sundays' games. Players have the option of setting the schedules of both coaches and players. This includes having your QB study film to smarten up for an upcoming opponent's tough defense or setting the tone of the team meetings - whether it's happy and upbeat or chair-throwing angry. You've got 60 hours per week to use, and all these activities can be directed at specific players or a whole unit ~ but watch out that you don't get someone hurt. Not only is regulat-

* INTANGIBLES Ж

One thing you'll notice right away is how great this game looks. Instead of dumbing down the graphics for both con- soles, developer Visual Concepts has optimized the Xbox version for that system. Using what they call triple-pass rendering (is that related to blast processing?), you can even notice the veins in players’ arms. Does this mean the PS2 edition is horrible looking? No, but you'll notice the difference (both support 480p). The game has over 200 new cutscenes, including more shots of fans and ESPN touches such as pass distribution charts and replays from the SkyCam. The network was heavily tapped, allowing the developers to not only include virtual representations of Chris Berman, but also reporter Suzy Kolber for post-game analysis. ESPN sprinkles a few cherries on top with some custom- ization features. Xbox owners can drop in songs from their own CD collections to play over the stadium PA, as well as designate when you want them to play (PS2 gives you pre- selected tracks to edit). So, Xbox cheeseheads can feel right at home with their “Go Pack Go!” soundbite. You can also

66 САМЕ INFORMER

НОЕ combato Тепбетсіе

Defense Ash 2

Berm Press "м" To Confirm

ing how many activities your players do per week important for not injuring them, but activities like weight lifting and aerobic activity can be adjusted according to the number of sets you want to do and their intensity. Something like a deep tissue mas- sage is low impact (there's even sensitivity training and ballet!), while running full scrimmages with pads are an entirely different matter. You can also set up rehab routines for hurt players.

The depth here is astounding, and it's important, too. The benefit of this planning is that you can earn up to six skill points for your players leading into a game. Look out, however, as you can lose

tweak the game to your liking in the celebrations department.

ESPN offers 25 different dances which are mapped to five buttons (with 20 more unlockable through The Crib). There are even some signature moves such as Deion Sanders Primetime dance or Warren Sapp's disgusting bunny hop. If you'd rather customize history to your liking, you can replay some of ESPN's handpicked greatest moments in the NFL, from Wide Right to the Immaculate Reception.

Your Crib not only contains double the amount of unlock- ables as before, but it even has an upstairs room for your trophies. Items are bought from catalogs which you must purchase. Also new are the celebrity Booya Matches. These are challenges you get in your Crib via a phone on your bar. Beat people like Funkmaster Flex or Carmen Electra and get cool prizes. These matches even feature a picture icon in the corner of your screen with the star and their audio commen- tary. Does David Arquette say some annoying things? No, of course not.

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| OUTSIDE LINEBACKER COLLEGE

TEXAS TECH

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points if team morale or fatigue ratings drop. Think like Mariucci, not Mornhinweg, and you'll be fine.

During the season, there is now a Sportscenter after every week featuring a virtual Chris Berman with injury and news reports from Trey Wingo. Now users can see highlights of their own games instead of just everyone else's, and draftnik Mel Kiper Jr. will show up after week eight to start talking about the draft. This year, incoming rookies will have randomly generated faces to give them more per- sonality, and Kiper will give you his thoughts on not only who's the best of the college crop, but who the sleeper picks are to look for.

NFE2KS

№ ESPN's online leagues come with full stat tracking and transactions via web pages

Welcome to ESPN Videogames Onine Leagues, To edt the Tesque top vary, eich on Nem, hen Ld Top Story

Tom Brady (98)

* ONLINE

In a first for console video game football, you can now pair up with 31 other people and play through an entire 16-game season (with injuries), including the playoffs. ESPN also intro- duces its VIP system, which is a profile of your online play, induding everything from what your favorite hot route is to pass distribution to how often you like to go for it on fourth down. You can even download the VIP profiles of online play- ers and practice playing against their tendencies. So, if some guy is kicking your ass every time, you can get his profile and practice offline with the CPU mimicking all his tendencies to better yourself. This VIP profile includes all the coaches in the league, so you can bone up while playing your franchise, as well.

ESPN is easy on the wallet and very easy on the eyes, but it doesn't skimp in gameplay or the frontend. The title may be less than half the price of last year's, but you're getting double the features of the same great franchise that just keeps get- ting better and better. Will it be enough?

IT'S ONLY $20! X x X X Xo o ooo oe ox

Due to a deal with Take 2 Interactive and its Global Star budget brand, this game is only $20 bucks! In a multi-year deal encompassing all the ESPN Sports titles, Global Star will co-publish them, while Take 2's Jack of All Games will handle distribution, This move has led to rumor that Take 2 will buy out Visual Concepts from Sega, but there is no confirmation of this intent. Regardless, the game’s only $20!

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As close as these two competi- tors have been recently, it’s fitting that this year follows suit with both games only narrowly edging each other in various categories.

PRE-SEASON PREDICTION

TOO Ro ok

Ж GRAPHICS Ж

ESPN is better looking. ..if you're on Xbox (although the

PS2 edition is no slouch), Madden's approach of having a common denominator among all the console versions is the safe bet, but it hasn't resulted in the prettier game. Besides, the new character models have gotten bulkier — something that a lot of people were griping about before this year anyway.

In an attempt to catch up with ESPN's presentation, Madden added things like Create-a-Fan, but it simply doesn't match up with all the sexy bells and whistles of ESPN. When it comes down to what you see with your eyes, ESPN is the winner.

Ж FRANCHISE Ж

Off the field, Madden's Owner's Mode is unchanged, and Storyline Central breaks up what used to be simply a bunch of Franchise menus. When it comes down to it, there aren't many new options available. Of course, having to account for players' feelings when it comes to things like them getting the ball enough or wanting to sign with your team during the offseason is nothing to sneeze at. However, ESPN's weekly preparation system in its Franchise mode makes this better than Madden's with its Owner's Mode, and it gives you power to help your team on an immediate level, away from the business politics that some fans have no taste for.

Ж GAMEPLAY Х

Although ESPN meets and even exceeds Madden in some of the defensive pre-snap options, work on both sides of the ball gives EA Sports the edge. Online players are going to have nightmares about all the different formations an offense can morph into.

As for Madden's Hit Stick and ESPN's Maximum Tackling, QB evading, and juking, it's too early to drop a verdict. Developers always fine tune a game up until the last minute We will say this, however. Even though work is still being done, Madden's Hit Stick simply feels the best. When you connect your shoulder to some poor bastard's head, you get a big smile on your face.

THE PROGNOSTICATION

In the end, when you factor in everyt football, the possibilites for the VIP profiles and online seasons, ап

g mentioned above, The Crib, first-person its affordable

price; we think that while Madden will probably still lead in sales, it looks like this is the year that ESPN beats Madden as a game. Tune in next month for our reviews of these titles, and see who really takes the trophy. You can take your pick when the pair collide on retail shelves August 10. Hell, you can even buy both. Of course, if you just have a GameCube, then you're only choice is Madden!

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GAME INFORMER 67

№ Remember those build-the- dinosaurs-out-of-balsa-wood kits? He looks like one of those

№ We don't know who these folk are, but their fashion sense sure is keen

68 САМЕ INFORMER

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GAMECUBE

Paper Mario 2

> STYLE 1-PLAYER ROLE-PLAYING GAME > PUBLISHER NINTENDO > DEVELOPER INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS > RELEASE OCTOBER 11

ICON ORIGAMI

hen last we spoke, there wasn’t much

for information on Paper Mario 2. We

knew that it was in development and

we had some nice screens to share. But then a build showed up and the world was let in on a lovely little demo for Intelligent Systems’ action- infused RPG sequel that answered a lot of questions and left us hungry for more.

The game starts out with Peach on vacation.

She sends a treasure map to her dear buddy

Mario and is then promptly kidnapped. Good о! Peach — gamers can always count on her to get snatched up by a malicious overlord. Sweet Mario follows the map to Star Crystals (powerful but previ- ously unknown artifacts) and, he hopes, to Peach. In the meantime, Bowser, who isn't the main foe of this tale, is on his own quest to discover exactly who is cutting into his lucrative villain empire. It appears that Bowser will be a playable character, but with what purpose and through how much of the game remains unclear.

Much like the N64 Paper Mario and its similarly- styled GBA partner Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga, players will guide their team through a massive world, talk to many NPCs, upgrade their characters through experience points, and battle the deliciously

cartoony forces of evil.

In our time with the game, we saw how the humor and dialogue mirror the recent GBA release in both style and tone. But where this Nintendo RPG will really outshine its handheld brother is in the scale of storytelling, environments, enemies, and combat dynamics.

Players will be able to change out the members of their party on the fly, even in battles. When the combat system is engaged, Mario and his team- mates will be transported to a theatre stage. At the start, only a few audience members will be present. As the match progresses (using the timing-heavy, turn-based concept of earlier Mario RPGs), more spectators will show up. If players are doing well, the crowd will cheer them on — earning Mario more points in his Special meter. When things go poorly for the plumber, audience members will start hurl- ing trash onto the stage — it's clear that style is as important as substance with this tough crowd.

Besides laying out the damage, Mario can time button presses to dodge attacks, use items like hammers and thunderbolts, and even opt to "appeal" to the crowd. Using Appeal during a match takes a turn and shows Mario turning to the audi- ence and trying to get them a little more hyped up.

When not laying the smack down plumber style, Mario and friends will travel through a massive world. We don't know if a traditional overworld is planned for the areas between towns, but we do know that while in a village or castle, the game plays out like a 2D side-scroller. Players will be able to (at least in certain areas) move between the foreground and background, but camera rotation is definitely not an option.

With Paper Mario 2 coming out in October, the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel is near — and we can't wait for this one to show up in our ‘Cubes. B шш

We love the mix of Sunday comic strip graphics and well-known locations

“And | will strike down upon thee with great vengence..””

1 Timing your A button presses will produce

22 previews

71% ”

Players can move between

the foreground and background, but the camera is decidedly side-scrolling

Sweet is strapped and ready for action

LAYSTATION 2

Grand Theft Auto:

san Andreas

> STYLE 1-PLAYER ACTIO! > RELEASE OCTOBER 19

BOW DOWN

ockstar already let Game Informer drop the bomb on Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas a few issues ago, and now we've reloaded afte trip to sunny California where we were able to get a viewing of an all-new demo of this year's most hotly anticipated title.

Rockstar representatives ran through a few of the game's early missions for us, giving us a small view into the dramatic saga of main character Carl Johnson. The demo began with our troubled hero being thrown from a moving car, driven by two corrupt cops who decided to give Carl an unexpected vacation in rival gang territory. With no gun and no ride, Carl has to take the only means of escape available to him a BMX bicycle, one of San Andreas’ new types of vehicles.

After scooting Carl back to his pad, we meet one of the game's other main char- acters, Ryder. Ryder is one of Carl's closest friends, and bears a strong resemblance to the late Eazy-E. Ryder seems to fill an essential role in any good hood drama: the reckless, brash, yet ultimately loveable bad

You can customize your character by getting a fresh cut at the barber shop

70. GAME INFORMER

ING > PUBLISHER ROCKSTAR GAMES > DEVELOPER RO!

boy whose hot temper and violent wa leads his crew into trouble (see: Doughboy in Boyz N The Hood and O-Dog in Menc

ІІ Society). Ryder wants to settle a score with a pizzeria owner, so he enlists Carl (also known as "CJ") to be his wheelman and distract the owner by ordering a meal while Ryder sneaks in with a weapon to do some damage. In addition to being the first time we purchase a meal (one of San Andreas’ new features), on the way he also took advantage of some of the new customization options by stopping in for a haircut (selecting a wide range of hairstyles including the classic flat-top and the ever- popular afro).

While this might sound like GTA-as-usual, other objectives showcased a new depth of gameplay and mission structure. Most impressively, we got to check out the тис discussed four-man drivebys. With С) at the wheel, rolling slowly down the street, his three associates hang out the windows, blasting gang members in all directions. It's pretty wicked, and a huge improvement over the simple "hand sticking out of a car

The legendary CHiPs are on the scene to “protect and serve”

window" animations of past titles.

n more impressive was the next setpiece, which illustrated the game's new emphasis on compelling interior action. At the outset, CJ and company arrive at a gang summit, where his older brother Sweet is meeting to help organize a truce between Los Santos' feuding sets. Unfortunately, another gang has tipped off the cops, who show up in force, rappelling off a helicopter and charging out of a SWAT van. С/5 other two homies, Ryder and Smoke, flee the 5 aving CJ to go in and rescue Sweet. Entering the building, it's clear just how far СТА$ interior environments and gun combat has come. You'll still use the auto-targeting of Vice City, but now you can strafe while locked on to an enemy. Also, you can now use the right anal rol your

The interior environments are much larger and accomodate blazing gun battles like this sequence where Carl must save his brother

The facial models are very detailed and animated - characters even chew gum!

point-of-view while walking or running, much like in Rockstar North's recent cult hit Manhunt. Watching CJ's siege of the build- ing, we quickly realized that we're going to need to put the improved control mechan- ics to good use, as police jumped out of every doorway, and even swung down through shattered skylights.

While it's not as huge a graphical leap over Vice City as that game was over GTA III, the game's draw distance, vehicle models, lighting, and character models have all been substantially improved. When you consider that this is all being done in a game that's five times as large as either of its predecessors, it's clear that San Andreas is set to be another major milestone in gaming history. № М

е :

„° previews C's got his hand on

the pump. Hope that car

wasn't a rental

Here's San Andreas’ version of the iconic Hollywood sign

The police are tenacious in Los Santos - they'll even hitch a ride on your bumper!

BMX bikes aren't good for picking up girls, but they're great for poppin’ wheelies!

This isn't going to end well =

Ryder is the loose cannon of your crew. Here, we see

him ready to catch wreck at a pizza joint

MEINFORMER 71^

Ж

previews

UNLIMITED ENABLED PLAYSTATION 2 | XBOX

Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone

STYLE 1-PLAYER

RPG > PUBLISHER ATARI > DEVELOPER STORMFRONT STUDIOS > RELEASE SEPTEMBER

AN ADVENTURE FOR THE AGES

e recently got to see a new

presentation on the promising

Forgotten Realms: Demon 510!

at Stormfront’s San Rafael stu- dios, and came away extremely impressed by what we saw. For one, this Demon Stone is drop-dead gorgeous, as Stormfront's engine allows the developers to accomplish both a tremendous sense of scale and a subtle attention to detail. The epic scope is evident immediately, as you'll brawl your way through enormous battlefields teeming with charg- ing armies, raining flaming arrows, collapsing structures, and rockslides. Just when you think it can't get any more harried, a giant dragon swoops down and obliterates the bridge you just crossed. It's this kind of action that true fantasy classics are made of.

The detail is less readily apparent, but no less important to Demon Stone's overall impact. Custom-made tools allow the artists to gently tweak the “focus” of the camera, which creates very fine shifts in mood and can drastically alter the emotional impact of a

Zhai's stealth gameplay provides a nice break from all the hack n' slash madness "n

we,

72 GAMEINFORMER

gameplay sequence or cutscene. This fastidi- ousness extends to other small touches, like the way characters’ clothing and hair flows in the wind or the precise hand-animated lip synching, which is some of the finest we've ever seen in a game.

Of course, this is no art project, so the real emphasis is on Stormfront’s trademark action. If anything, the combat is even better than in The Two Towers, as the three party members (Rannek the warrior, Illius the sor- cerer, and Zhai the rogue) are much more varied in their abilities and playstyles than the Fellowship posse in LotR. For example, Zhai's stealth combat moves provide some interesting alternatives to the usual tactics of these type of games, and her ability to jump and access areas closed to the others often comes into play during your adventures. Switching between characters on the fly is an enjoyable and often necessary way to con- quer the game's 10 gigantic levels.

Another key feature of Demon Stone is Stormfront's collaboration with fantasy/sci-fi

author К.А. Salvatore, who helped craft and create the game's storyline. Although told through very short cutscenes, the tale at hand is grip- ping and taut, with some interest- ing relationships between the protagonists (Rannek and Zhai have а serious Princess Leia/Han Solo relationship going on — except lovely Zhai is the Han Solo of the pair!). The voice acting is top-notch as well, featuring several top animation voiceover artists as well as Patrick Stewart and Michael Clarke Duncan. Salvatore's also allowed his most cher- ished creation, the legendary dark elf Drizzt Do'Urden to become a part of the Demon Stone saga, and we actually saw part of the one level where Do'Urden joins your party as a playable character. During the course of the game, your party helps Do'Urden defend Mithral Hall. Drizzt lives up to his fierce reputation, slicing through foes with dual flaming swords and blasting them with his trusty handheld crossbow.

The legendary Drizzt Do'Urden makes an appearance as a play- able character in one level

We even saw a brief

cameo by Drizzt's com- panion Thibbledorf Pwent. Needless to say, hardcore Dungeons & Dragons fanatics will be wetting their bed at the sight of a play- able Drizzt (as if they don't wet the bed on a regular basis anyway). However, given Stormífront's mastery of the action genre and console graphics technology, Demon Stone might well break out of the fantasy niche and make a big impact in the mass market. № № №

Se previews

Ri illius is more effective picture; and you'll see Zhai putting when attacking with her platforming abilities to good use projectile spells from afar

M Bosses come in many shapes and sizes, but all are challenging to defeat

№ The character models are stunninglydetailed

№ Each character can change their look with new outfits and

w. items that have a direct effect рп А x в Rannek pulls off a their battlefield prowess $ inishing move —

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5 previews

Battlefield missions have very specific objectives (like defending a certain door against an air assault) and offer opportunities to get extra bolts while furthering the mission

PLAYSTATION 2

Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal

> STYLE 1 TO 4-PLAYER ACTION (UP TO 8-PLAYER VIA ONLINE OR SYSTEM LINK) > PUBLISHER SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT AMERICA

> DEVELOPER INSOMNIAC GAMES > RELEASE FALL

EAT THIS

nsomniac has never been one to live off of

Past successes — Going Commando, besides

being a dramatic improvement on the first

Ratchet and Clank game, was one of the highlights of last year. Addictive is too light a term to describe the arena matches, and the single-player mission caused a Zen-like state we have been missing since old-school Contra.

But Up Your Arsenal? It looks and plays like this is going to be an unparalleled leap forward for the franchise and action/platform games in general.

We got a chance to play around with a multi- player map and a few new weapons, and discov- ered some interesting dynamics that Insomniac has been cooking up. Arsenal will have three modes for multiplayer (online or off): Siege, Capture the Flag, and Deathmatch. In Siege, one to four-player groups battle to ultimately destroy

We got to test out new weapons like the Plasma Whip and the Infector, which spews and gurgles gelatinous green gunk at enemies. If foes are hit with enough of it, they will become infected, get confused, and start attacking other enemies

the power crystal deep inside the opposing team's base. As the forces advance, they activate Nodes that serve as spawn points and offer offensive turrets and bots that recognize you as friend and anyone else as foe. By activating Nodes, teams

will gain landshare and work their way towards

the heavily guarded bases. The final action inside encampments (to either destroy or save the power core) is, amazingly, more frenzied than the battles outside, and crazy fun too.

Still, what we really appreciated about Siege mode's potential is the different styles of play it offers in one encounter. While advancing to the bases, your team seems to grow almost exponen- tially — you and up to three human teammates join with automatic turrets, robots, player-con- trolled super-guns, and little mini bots make it feel like an advancing army. But inside, the action is based on frenetic dodging, taking cover, and maintaining a reasonable amount of ammunition. The transition between these strategies is honestly brilliant and extremely well executed.

Although most of our hands-on time revolved around Arsenal's multiplayer options, we're equally excited about the title's single-player missions which were just as balanced, hectic, and fun as the online campaign. Oh, November feels so far away!

Clank will have a few solo missions including acting out episodes of “Secret Agent Clank,” his new action show

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UNLIKE OUR MUNDANE, EARTH COMICS... Early on in Up Your Arsenal it's established that one of the universe's "best" superheroes, Captain Qwark, has lost his mind and his memory. Qwark's various misadventures of glory and triumph are played out in "vid-comics" — interactive comics that players, as Ratchet, will work their way through in hopes of jarring Qwark's memories and recruiting him to help overthrow the evil Dr. Nefarious. We got the chance to play through the first vid-comic and, to be honest, replayed it six or seven times just because it was such a blast. Although 2D in design, the characters and environments have 3D technology like dynamic lighting and interestingly curved surfaces. Each level will take about 10 minutes for the expert, and a few more for mere mortals. Insomniac is staying tight-lipped about how many total levels will be in the final game, but have confirmed that rewards and clues will be doled out for playing through these levels efficiently and completely.

"It's brilliant."- psm

"ESPN NFL 2K5 will own your soul." - IGN.com

m" | PAR CI Leet ө ЧЫЛЫ

ESPNVIDEOGAMES.com

comine soon ron $19.99

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хеох PlayStation.2 | PLAYERS

25 previews

That saucy green goatee is back - but for the whole, game? We don't know.

The Wasteland inhabitants are an...interesting bunch

PLAYSTATION 2

Jak 3

The new Batman movie ended up disap- pointing a lot of fans

> STYLE 1-PLAYER ACTION > PUBLISHER SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT AMERICA > DEVELOPER NAUGHTY DOG

> RELEASE FALL

SERIES ENDER? OR IS IT?

e've been lucky to have a lot of hands-

on time with Naughty Dog's upcoming

Jak 3 and are excited to see the full ver-

sion in the near future. The dune buggy racing is fun and diverse; and as much as the last game was visually stunning, this third entry is looking to trump it in every form.

We've known that Jak 3 is an end to the Precursor saga, and it seems to be following a tra- ditional trilogy-pacing structure. The tale isn’t nec- essarily darker than Jak Il, and game designer Evan Wells tell us that, "Many of the mysteries set up in the previous two adventures about Jak, his past, and the Precursors will be answered in this game" Jak must come to terms with his place in this universe and his role in its destiny. This includes a feature we talked about in our cover story [April 2004, issue #132] — Jak's light Eco powers. These super abilities will couple with the dark Eco skills Jak gained access to during Jak || and further rein- force the theme that Jak is right in the middle of a universe-wide series of events that he can't escape.

Many people who loved Jak || had one universal gripe with the title, and that was the hovering vehicles of Haven City. We got a chance to play with a handful of the sand bug- gies that the game uses for level- to-level transport, exploration, and mission-specific objectives — put simply, we are delighted at their evolution. Each one is handmade by a different character living in the game's Wasteland and because of that, the buggies have wildly varying

specifications to fit the uses of each owner. From a player's standpoint, these features add immeasur- ably to the fun factor of cruising around Jak's new desert surroundings. In fact, disregarding the goal of one timed mission, we joyfully tooled around the dunes a few times before moving on to the game's specified goal. Clearly, this is a big step in the right direction. Director Amy Henning also let us know that, "Jak and Daxter both get to man dozens of different vehicles this time out. Aside from those already mentioned, there will be hang gliding, tor- pedo riding, Eco tanker hijacking, Precursor sleds, and commandeered Blast Bots”

As we said earlier, Jak 3 is a trilogy-ending entry in Jak's world, but does this mean that we're not going to see the goateed savior any more? Wells says, "Though we are completing the trilogy that we began with The Precursor Legacy, this will not be the end of the Jak and Daxter franchise. There are many more exciting adventures waiting for our heroes" № № №

Old “friends” will return to wrap up the trilogy's story

Invented Wg

This is where RPGs started. Character building, boss monsters, level advancement, special moves— all of it comes from the granddaddy of them all: the DuNGEONs & Dracons” roleplaying game.

We did it all first and we still do it best. More at playdnd.com EXPERIENCE COUNTS

%

5

PLAYSTATION 2 | XBOX | PC

The squad liked to expose itself to enemy fire at the top of a hill each morning to watch the sunrise. They will be missed

Brothers in Arms

> STYLE 1-PLAYER ACT

60 YEARS SINCE NORMANDY

ost of the gaming generation has an intense, yet still impersonal connection with the strife and sacrifice of the second World War. We've played the games, but only perceive the reality of the situation from pictures and the stories of our grandparents. Right now there are dozens of titles which have tapped into that source material of heroism and bloodshed for inspiration, but few with the

level of authenticity and realism that has been

promised from Brothers in Arms.

As Sgt. Matt Baker, you will lead your squad

of men from the 101st Airborne through the harrowing days of the paratrooper drop that preceded the invasion of Normandy. As the story unfolds, players will experience that distinct period of time as they lead soldiers throughout the eight days of hell that fol- lowed. Based on a true story from the war, the game distinguishes itself by being as much a tactical game as it is a shooter. An innovative system for commanding your

Much of the game is inspired by true events and photographs

iy

IN (MULTIPLAYER TBA) > PUBLISHER UBISOFT

X, PC) 2005 (PS2)

troops allows you to give specific orders to both your fire team and assault team. The over 20 differing characters you interact with each have their own personalities and emo- tions to share. This makes the major conflict of the game the impossibly tough decision of completing your assigned missions or keep- ing your men safe and in one piece. The tale of Sgt. Baker and his squad has been recre- ated from Army Signal Corps photos and aerial reconnaissance imagery taken at the time. In addition, eyewitness accounts have been incorporated to further deepen the experience. The level we saw meticulously recreated the landscape of the coastal French town Carentan on June 11th of 1944. The developers boast that thorough exploration of the game will result in as intimate an understanding of the areas in question as if you were to visit France in real life. In others words — somebody did their research.

The situational Al for both your allies and enemies will utilize covering fire, allowing for

The level of facial detail is astounding

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1

flanking maneuvers to get at foes. You'll have access to two weapons at a time, but those found on the battlefield are always fair game. And just as it was at the time, friendly fire can be as dangerous as the enemy — at one point, we saw Sgt. Baker thrown backwards and stunned by the passing bomb drops

of the Army Air Corps. There's also an extensive multiplayer system which focuses on a competitive battle of wits where play- ers each command three-man Al teams to defeat their opponents and reach objectives.

Summon Sherman Tank is sure to be a popular spell

Gearbox looks to be backing up its claim that this will be one of the greatest WWII titles ever seen. The graphics and gameplay look positively top notch. But the most excit- ing thing about Brothers is certainly the level of emotional involvement and historical accu- гасу that this title wants to bring to the genre. Taking a cue from recent films and books, Brothers in Arms should serve as a worthy commemoration of the past as much as a gorgeous gaming experience. № Wil Ili

You're going to love her killer moves. When her world is threatened by the awakening of ancient evil, Ailish and three other great heroes must unite to defeat it. Now this enchanting princess, a brave warrior, a high-flying gunslinger, and a dark huntress will battle through the Realm of Shadows on a quest to reclaim their world, Rotate between each character and use all their powers to prevail in one of the most intense action RPGs. Sudeki will leave you breathless.

Violence

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Blood and Gore

game studios

it's good to play together

xbox.com/sudeki

ks of Microsoft Corporation in s ot Climax Group, The ratin

& previews yp ју тутутуту lio i v! vT m ТТ m 08

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Joe's idea of a romantic date. Our kind of guy

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school bus each morning, Robot r. often po ithe PLAYSTATION 2 | GAMECUBE

1123 Viewtiful Joe 2 ЗА

> STYLE 1 С LAYER ACTION > PUBLISHER CAPCOM > DEVELOPER CLOVER STUDIO > RELEASE WINTER

THE NEW VIEW

ot wanting to keep fans of its stylish platformer waiting too long, Capcom is well on its way to the sequi /iewtiful Joe — this time with identical version: g released on both 440 PlayStation 2 and GameCube. We got a chance to ask Annet” Y creator/producer Atsushi Inaba a few questions about "T өз сз аз аз ез өз ез аз аз өз а Looe i sequel, and he filled us in on his

"The game takes place right after Viewtiful Joe. There

ПСЕ К E E E are seven stages, with the play time being around twice ~ that of the original,” Inaba explains. М) 2 finds Joe and Silvia confronting а new threat in tandem. Silvia will be along for the whole crazy ride this time, with a two-player cooperative mode available for the entire story. In addi- tion to all the sweet film-inspired super powers available previously, a new ability called Replay will join the list, allowing you to repeat events that have already occurred a few moments earlier. You'll now also be able to grab foes and wildly fling them around. There are 40 distinct enemies to encounter in between the devilish new puzzles that will make up much of the gameplay.

Inaba also told us about one of the massive bosses you can expect to see this time out. "He's a terrible and All of the awesome fierce dragon and his name powere Tm the first game à is 'Sergeant Big John: His fire will make а return, plus and tail attacks are powerful, airo cei алы еее еее о but if you think bi $ toa

ci o boss that ямғыр вв аз аз | appeared in Viewtiful Joe ; б you'll be able to beat him.” 0 8 и v2 3*2 М 7, 52 Fans of the zany characters " NEM from the original need not fear. "The voices for Joe, Silvia, and so on will con- tinue to be the same as in Viewtiful Joe," Inaba assures us. There's no word yet on whether Joe will have a new theme song in the as “Viewtiful Мо

- under consideration. Expect A aE to get your twitchy little 5 нощ and 925 hands on VJ 2 as soon as this

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5 previews

№ Sea battles will play а large role in the game's combat system

82 САМЕ INFORMER

№ Check out the quality of these enemy and player models – jaggie free and quite nice looking

UNLIMITED ENABLED PLAYSTATION 2

Suikoden IV

> STYLE 1-PLAYER ROLE-PLAYIN Е> PUBLISHER KONAMI > DEVELOPER | > RELEASE NOVEMBER

RAISE THE BAR

uikoden, as a franchise, is an interesting mix

of established RPG conventions and genre-

bending additions. The stories, for example,

have generally revolved around the standard “unexpected hero goes on epic journey to save the world,” but have also thrown in the popular Chinese tale of 108 Stars of Destiny.

Although the 108 Stars premise (where 108 aver- age folk come together by the forces of destiny to do otherwise impossible things) has been used off and on in the three earlier games, it's back in full force for this fourth entry. This means that the pool of party members will, by the end of the game, be 108 and the group can be managed through a home base that gamers will set up.

Throughout the entire saga, the story focuses on one character — a young hero who has the Rune of Punishment. Runes are used for magical attacks in the battle system, and this particular one causes great damage to enemies, but also slowly kills its

8i Suikoden IV does

away with the required two-person attack system found in the third game

> 7 | owner. Like a parasite, it moves from person to person after their death, and during the course of the game, players will leam about (and maybe encounter in some form) earlier users of the rune.

We also noticed that, like most other epic RPGs, there is a lot of travel in Suikoden IV. But unlike the conventional vast plains and staggering mountains of others, Suikoden IV has players exploring a huge collection of islands. Using boats as the main form of transportation, it appears that sea battles will be frequent — Konami has mentioned ship-to-ship encounters and attacks against land forces, but the dynamics aren't yet specified.

Suikoden IV also offers a handful of techno- logical upgrades that separate it from the crowd. Professional voice acting for almost all of the char- acters (and when there's over 100 of them, that's impressive indeed), updated and extremely nice- looking models, and multiple camera angles for the battle sequences are all promised. There are

also extra minigames planned like fishing and a new dice- based game.

Suikoden is one of those franchises that, in our opinion, gets dramatically better with each entry and, with what we've seen so far for part four, it looks like the trend should continue. Konami is holding the rest of the details for this title close to its chest, but it's looking like "epic" might be a dramatic under- statement to describe the game. № m

PLAYSTATION 2

Shin Megami Tensai: Digital Devil Saga

> STYLE 1-PLAYER ROLE-PLAYING GAME > PUBLISHER ATLUS > DEVELOPER ATLUS > RELEASE WINTER

LET IT RAIN

PGs don't come a whole lot more Japanese than Shin Megami Tensai: Digital Devil Saga. From its title to the art and story, everything we've seen about DDS falls right into line with the tone of heavyweights like Final Fantasy, Xenosaga, and Dragon Warrior. Whether that's a good or a bad thing is up to taste, but fans of any of thos: franchises will no doubt find a lot to loo forward to in DDS.

Like any RPG worth its salt, DDS goes beyond merely presenting a good story. It integrates the plot directly into the gameplay. The main character, Serf, and his friends have all been infected by spheres of light from a mysterious Pod from the heavens, and this has cursed them with a hunger for splintering bone and a thirst for the blood of their ene- mies. With this, how- ever, come demonic powers and the abil-

the like

со |

ETRO ANIME

Atlus has licensed the song “Danger” (which can be heard in the trailer,

as well as in the final game) from electronica band Etro Anime. The band’s name means “to be infinite: with spirit and in movement,” which we don't even pretend to understand. Those musicians and their coffee.

4 ==

ity to devour foes to gain their abilities in battle. This may sound a bit macabre, but а little darkness in the tone can certainly go a long way in creating that epic feel that is the hallmark of a well-crafted RPG.

Not much else is currently known about Digital Devil Saga, but the gorgeous trailer and screenshots have the Japanophile in all of us following this one closely. Hopefully the plot will be a little less indecipherable than some of the more labyrinthine story- lines coming from the Land of the Rising Sun. а шш

Many surfaces displays intricate carvings and.

zi i

:• previews

XBOX | PC

Close Combat:

First to Fight

> STYLE 1-PLAYER ACTION (MULTIPLAYER TBD) > PUBLISHER GATHERING/DESTINEER

> DEVELOPER DESTINEER > RELEASE FALL

OF BEING A MARINE

n our recent visit to its studio, developer Destineer proudly touted Close Combat: First to Fight as the one, the proud, the most realistic FPS ever. Because of its tight relationship with the U.S. Marine Corps, Destineer hopes to create a level of authenticity previously only seen in the Army-sanctioned Full Spectrum Warrior — except that players will assume the role of a Marine fire team squad leader.

The most standout part of First to Fight is the fact that at all times, your squad (and other allies) follow actual military doctrine. For the most part, this consists of two things: the Ready-Team- Fire-Assist protocol (details below) and Al that has your crew doing things like using cover and assisting pinned team-

mates. This may sound like a lot of thinking for an FPS, but then this isn't your typical Quake-style fragfest.

Another unique feature of FtF is the psychology model. Enemies will react in realistic fashion, such as breaking cover when under overwhelming fire. Also, you've got to keep the trust of your team - if you're constantly making poor decisions, they'll start to question your orders and lose their fighting edge.

There's a bunch more cool stuff in FtF, like volumetric shadowing (along with the rest of the graphical buzzwords), 480p, widescreen, Dolby digital sur- round, and such; but we've all heard that before. More importantly, First to Fight should scratch that FPS itch for everyone who enjoys a little something different. № № №

READY-TEAM-FIRE-ASSIST

This doctrine is how real-life Marines operate in combat. Each member of the four-man squad is assigned a duty and angle of fire, though it can operate at

a lesser efficiency with fewer Marines. It provides 360-degree security at all times, even when moving through what the U.S.M.C. calls a “fatal funnel.” For civilians, that's a plain old stairwell; for military folk it's a location worse than an open field since you're vulnerable to fire from above and below.

GAME INFORMER 83

25 previews

INFORMER

Enemies will actually try to flank \ you, for all the good it'll do them

Special Ops Regulation 106.22: All commanders must be tubby middle-aged guys

F.E.A.R.

Nothing says "future" like goggles

> STYLE i-PLAYER ACTION > PUBLISHER VIVENDI UNIVERSAL > DEVELOPER MONOLITH PRODUCTIONS > RELEASE 2005

NEXT-GEN AHOY

eveloper Monolith Productions, which has a resume that includes No One Lives Forever 2 and Tron 2.0, is now coupling its expertise with a brand-new engine that incorporates all sorts of DirectX 9 goodness for 2005. This FPS, entitled FEAR, looks to be graphically close to — if not on par with — monsters like Half-Life 2 and Doom III. Details haven't exactly been flying out of the

dev studio since the game is so far from release,

but we do know that players will assume the role of a member of the goverment's special First Encounter Assault Recon team. These super-antiterrorists (each agent has their own extraordinary power) soon find out that the latest threat to the world is a lot more Stephen King than Tom Clancy. A disappearing little girl amid gruesome dismemberment is apparently the tip of the iceberg here, and the gory visu- als we've seen certainly suggest some pretty twisted things going on.

Monolith is also promising action sequences worthy of a multimillion dollar summer blockbuster. Players will ride shotgun during breakneck car chases while being pursued by

helicopters, crash in a helicopter into the middle of overwhelming hostile forces, and otherwise make Bruce Willis look like a wussy. Backing all of this up is some serious postmodern weap- onry, including something called a "sub-nuclear blaster" Whatever that means, you can be sure that with a name like that it will generate some sweet effects given the awesome capabilities of the game engine.

Despite its far-off shelf date, this is one you'll want to keep tabs on. To give you an indication of how high-tech FEAR. is, on low settings, the build we played sent our state-of-the-art gaming PC into the corner where it lay whimpering and crying for its mother. Even with those baseline options set, though, it looked absolutely gorgeous. Just imagine what kinds of graphics the maximum level of detail will result in. B № a

№ "Without their leader 2 олы: 4 Р and Curly с - Dominos!”

PLAYSTATION 2

Shadow of Rome

> STYLE i-PLAYER ACTION > PUBLISHER CAPCOM > DEVELOPER PRODUCTION STUDIO 2 > RELEASE WINTER

ROME IF YOU WANT TO, ROME AROUND THE WORLD... |

ораз are really in this season.

After the lackluster sales of

games like Gladius, it came

as a bit of surprise that more than one developer decided to head back to ancient Rome for inspiration. Sony's God of War has garnered a lot of attention, but it's not the only toga-tastic game that has people buzzing. Shadow of Rome, from Capcom's famed Production Studio 2, has a tantalizing mix of cerebral stealth and bloody, bloody (yes, it warrants the “double bloody") action to appeal to all types of gamers.

The gameplay in Shadow of Rome will switch from action to stealth as the story unfolds, but will actually adjust to how the player performs. Excel in sneaking around in the shadows like a little weasel, and more stealth mis- sions will be offered. However, if your expertise comes in the form of gut- ting humans like mackerel, then your experience will be far more combat-ori- ented. The battles will be unabashedly gory — limbs can (and will) be severed, blood will spray in every possible direc-

tion, and human heads can be loaded into catapults and fired at your enemies. It's almost hard to believe that this

title comes from the man who led the Mega Man team for many years, Keiji Inafune. Of course, he did also produce the Onimusha games, which weren't exactly family-oriented.

Fortunately, Shadow of Rome has a lot more to offer than gallons of blood; a host of minigames will round out the experience, such as chariot races. The core of the game centers around gladiatorial combat, so you can expect to face many overwhelming challenges in the arena. Capcom also promises a rich and twisting story regarding a gladiator named Agrippa, a gladi- ator; his father, who has been accused of murdering Caesar; and Octavius,

т Agrippa demonstrates his patented “de-spineification”

technique

№ The banana peel gag has been funny throughout the ages

Agrippa's loyal friend. When Shadow

of Rome releases this winter, it may do more to make men in bed sheets seem cool than any project since Gladiator. We just hope Agrippa is as dreamy as Russell Crowe! @ 8i №8

Pers it £1 і Featuring music from Outkast, Snoop Dogg, Sean Paul,

Fabolous & more

PlayStation.?

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TEEN

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Se previews

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Seeing a bear in bloody surgical gear and a squirrel with a gun always reminds us of Christmas. It's best not to ask why

T a ~ | : as

Finally, naughty rodents will overrun Xbox Live. Now will somebody make an online title based on the movie Willard?

Conker is a

pretty well

known video

game charac-

ter, even though

Live and Reloaded

is only the fourth

game he's appeared

in. That's right, fourth.

Before Bad Fur Day, he debuted as a

character in Diddy Kong Racing and starred in the E-rated Game Boy Color title Conker's Pocket Tales. Back then, he was a nice polite little squirrel. See what alcohol does to you? Notice how each of Conker's starring roles have been on different systems — he must be a mean drunk.

86 GAME INFORMER

XBOX

Conker: Live and Reloaded

> STYLE 1-PLAYER ACTION (UP TO 16-PLAYER VIA XBOX LIVE OR SYSTEM LINK) > PUBLISHER MICROSOFT GAME STUDIOS > DEVELOPER RARE > RELEASE MARCH

DRUNKEN SQUIRRELS GO TO WAR

hen Rare's Xbox Conker title was unveiled at E3 in

2005, those in attendance were less than impressed

and began to publicly wonder if the developer had

lost its magic touch. At 2004's ЕЗ, however, people were singing an entirely different tune. Rare's beer-swilling naughty squirrel had returned again, and this time his game was one of the most talked about Xbox titles of the show.

Conker: Live and Reloaded places a heavy emphasis on mul- tiplayer, but has a lot to offer outside of a simple Deathmatch mode (although that is included as well). The marquee multi- player mode is called Campaign, which is a string of multiplayer missions played in succession. In Campaign, up to16 players will reenact the war between the heroic squirrels and the evil Tediz in two completely different scenarios: Old War and Future War. Keeping with Conker's tradition of spoofing movies, Old War apes Saving Private Ryan, while Future War mimics Terminator 2.

In both settings, six different classes will be playable, including Skyjockey, Long Ranger, Grunt, Demolisher, Sneaker, and the oddly named Thermophile. Each class has is own selection of skills, weapons, secret moves, and more. The presence of five

Aww...he’s so cute. When he's not puking, that is

available vehicles only increases the military madness. While the E3 build of Campaign mode played a little more slowly than one might expect, Rare insists that the game will go through several tweaks and upgrades before it releases next year.

Although Campaign mode looks good, single-player looks even better. The cult-classic N64 title Conker's Bad Fur Day has been completely rebuilt with all-new graphics, re-recorded voice work, and the same nasty sense of humor. While the content of the quest is the same, the new visuals make it feel like a completely different game. Using the "fur shading" technique seen in Star Fox Adventures, the individual hairs on Conker's head are clearly vis- ible. They can even be seen swaying in the wind!

Of course, the main attraction of Bad Fur Day was its ribald humor, and Live and Reloaded has kept the potty jokes intact.

All of the choice moments from the single-player quest are back (including the opera singing Great Mighty Poo!) and Campaign mode promises to feature a similarly raunchy sense of humor. With a hefty multiplayer mode, impressive graphics, and a singing turd, this is definitely one Xbox title to watch a

(Oe ы. PC

> STYLE 1-PLAYER ACTION/RPG (UP TO 8-PLAYER VIA INTERNET OR LAN) > PUBLISHER DREAMCATCHER > DEVELOPER HEURISTIC PARK > RELEASE FALL

ONE STEP CLOSER

п a world that has seen way too many Diablo clones, developer Heuristic Park (which ranks D.W. Bradley of Wizardry fame among its number) is taking a somewhat different path with its forthcoming action/RPG, Dungeon Lords. Forsaking the genre's venerable isometric view, this title will feature FPS-style controls and a third- person, behind-the-shoulder view in an effort to bring players closer to the action.

And action it will have. Players will directly control all of the rr ment, attacking, and so forth, so you won't be relying totally on a random die roll to see if you hit your target. The over 90

The lack of clutter on the screen should help bring you into the game

spells of four different schools will also serve to spice up the combat, especially since they're available to every hero no matter the class. Fighters can learn all of the same magic as mages, they just won't learn them as fast.

From early indications, the story looks to be classic fantasy fare; it's got more evil wizards, endangered kingdoms, and missing lords’ daughters than an adven- turer could ask for. It does feature a ton of different settings though, including dark forests, towering mountains, shad- owy dungeons, and everything else you could want. It's also laid out in a largely non-linear fashion which allows players to choose their own path through the

HIT 8 DAMAGE

game. Whether this means that you'll

be able to influence the ending KOTOR-

style or just pick which area to go next

is unknown, but it still beats being

herded from one encounter to the next

as action/RPGs are infamous for doing. Bradley is adamant that Dungeon

Lords will deliver a full RPG within

an action-packed framework, and

we're hoping that this pans out into

a deep experience like the delightful

NeverWinter Nights, except with more

excitement. Be riously, swing-

ing a sword is a bit more thrilling than

watching it being swung. а

“ к і g

THE BOYS ARE BACK!

TWO-DISC SPECIAL

E m - [LOST Boys

EDITION

T

OVER 2 HOURS OF DVD EXTRAS

Additional Scenes Commentary with Director Joel Schumacher "The Lost Boys: A Retrospective" documentary

"The Return of Sam and the Frog Brothers" multi-angle featurette

Four Featurettes, music video, interactive map and more!

New Digital Transfer in Dolby 5.1

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Dance Dance Revolution Extreme

As if hopping up and down on that dance pad weren't embarrassing enough, Konami has added full EyeToy support to its newest North American DDR release, which means you'll get to see on

your television just how much you can't dance. Well, we can't anyway, and neither can Phil Collins.

But we still had fun with the new "Clean the Screen" mode, which takes full advantage of its EyeToy support by forcing you to madly paddle your arms around while dancing in order to wipe off onscreen debris from your field of vision. The music selections are as upbeat and pumping as we've come to expect from the series, and they keep you bopping and flailing long after you should have stopped. Now, if you don't mind, we'll be collapsing from exhaustion in the corner.

XBOX

GunGriffon

Late this year, Tecmo's GunGriffon, which debuted on the Sega Saturn, will jump to the Xbox. In this game, players pilot mechs called “High Macs” (High-Mobility Armored Combat Systems) in fast and furious robot action. And since Mr. and Mrs. Tecmo didn't raise no fools, expect GunGriffon to feature both a single-player campaign and oodles of Xbox Live combat. Details are still few and far between, but we have learned that the Live modes will place a huge emphasis on team-based play.

04 / 025

UNLIMITED ENABLED PLAYSTATION 2 | XBOX

Trigger Man

The protagonist of Crave's new action title (due out in the fall) is a mild- mannered high school student who was bitten by a radioactive trigger, which endowed him with proportionate trigger strength, trigger speed, and a trigger sense. Okay, probably not, but we really like the idea of being bitten by inanimate objects. In reality, Trigger Man has players running and gunning through the seamy criminal underworld as a mafia hitman, blasting baddies with a huge variety of weapons. Sing with us, if you will, the Trigger Man theme song: “Trigger Man, Trigger Man, does whatever a trigger can..."

PLAYSTATION 2

This September, Agetec is throwing its hat into the survival horror ring. From the looks of it, they won't be wearing that hat again, because it'll be all sticky and bloody. The PS2-exclusive title Kuon takes place in the Heian period of ancient Japan, and pits multiple playable characters against all kinds of disgusting mutants, spirits, and other mildly unpleasant critters. The American version of this title will actually be even darker and bloodier than the Japanese version, so we're guessing that Kuon is going to be a gorehound's dream.

PLAYSTATION 2

Get on Da Mic

Almost every member of the Game Informer staff likes to rap in their spare time.

Just peep some of our lyrics: "Choppin' up the game just like a Cuisin-izz-art/Rhyme so stinky like a fi-fi-fizzart!” Okay, we'll stop now. Lucky for our wack asses, Eidos is supplying both the beats and the rhymes for its upcoming raparoke (we coined that term, so no stealing!) title, Сеї оп Da Mic. Much like Konami's Karaoke Revolution, the game allows players to rap along to over 40 current hip-hop hits with the use

of a USB PS2-compatible microphone. Along the road to the top of the charts, you'll unlock new characters, songs, gear, and the ever-popular bling. This fall, step in to the Spent Word life.

PLAYSTATION 2 | PLAYSTATION PORTABLE

Ys: The Ark of Napishtim

A new Ys game is actually coming to the U.S. Wow, that feels weird to read, right? This revival of the series long absent from our shores brings the action/RPG adventures

of Adol Christin to the PlayStation 2 and PSP with loads of extras in this port of the Japanese-only PC title. Better graphics, new cutscenes, environments, and enemies will abound in the early 2005 release from Konami.

{ E LL

PLAYSTATION 2

Neo Contra

Bill Rizer, a.k.a. "the blue pants guy,” returns this November in Konami's latest installment of the old school franchise. The team, which was also behind 2001's Contra: Shattered Soldier, decided to ditch the side-scrolling format in favor of a new 3D isometric perspective, а la Smash TV. Expect more grinding two-player difficulty, ass-hauling metal tuneage, and the welcome return of the spread gun.

XBOX

Originally scheduled to release for the Dreamcast, this swashbuckling adventure has survived seven years of stormy development seas and will finally find harbor thanks to Atlus. Created by Toby Gard (the man behind the original Tomb Raider), Galleon features expansive interactive environments with a high-seas theme. You'll control Captain Rhama as he fights his way through six different islands using a combat system designed for battling large groups of enemies — the more pain you cause, the more powerful you become, which unlocks special moves and combos that will only be usable for a limited time. Though European gamers already have Galleon at their fingertips, it won't hit U.S. stores until fall.

GAME INFORMER 89

Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow

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Our crack (or crackhead, we can never decide which) review team rates games in a number of cat- egories to help you sort out the great from the stuff you'll hate. Most games are reviewed by 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 we look for in a game, and also a cheat sheet so the newbies can understand our advanced video game jargon. It is important to note that the Game of the Month is determined only by the main review score, not an average of the two opinions.

90 GAME INFORMER

THE SCORING SYSTEM

= e

Outstanding. A truly elite title that is nearly perfect in every way. This score is given out rarely and indicates a game that cannot be missed.

Superb. Just shy of gaming nirvana, this score is a high recommendation because the game reviewed is head-and-shoulders above its competition.

Very Good. Innovative, but perhaps not the right choice for everyone. This score indicates that there are many good things to be had, but arguably so.

Average. The game's features may work, but are nothing that even casual players haven't seen before. A decent game from beginning to end.

Limited Appeal. Although there may be fans of games receiving this score, many will be left yearning for a more rewarding game experience.

Passable. It may be obvious that the game has lots of potential, but its most engaging features could be undeniably flawed or not integrated into the experience.

Bad. While some things may work as planned, the majority of this title either malfunctions to varying degrees or it is so dull that the game falls short as a whole.

Painful. If there is anything that's redeeming in a game of this caliber, it's buried beneath agonizing gameplay and uneven execution in its features or theme.

In the first chapter, Nintendo invit- ed us into a strange world where plant creatures assisted an alien in his quest to recover the scattered debris of his spacecraft. With the sequel, duality is the name of the game. Twice the characters, along with new co-op and head-to-head multiplayer modes, equates to double the pleasure. This is the most fun we've had with bugs since Grandma got us that magni- fying glass! Find out why this game is so irresistible on page 99.

Note: Although Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow achieved the highest score this month, it has already been honored with the prestigious Game of the Month title when it was released for Xbox in March. We feel that awarding a port

of the game the same distinction a few months later is unnecessary. Go Pikmin!

> 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 collision 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 vol- ume 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.

7 Replay Value

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.

Broken. Basically unplayable. This game is so insufficient in execution that any value would be derived in extremely small quantities, if at all.

= N | Co | & сл |со | N |со |

Heartbreaking. A game so bad that it makes even happy puppies and joyful clowns cry.

Moderately Low - After finishing it, there's not much reason to give ita second go.

Low - You'll quit playing before you complete the game.

REVIEWS INDEX

Ground Control Il: Operation Exodus

Astro Boy: Omega Factor

Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow

Driv3r..

Showdown: Legends of Wrestlin; MTV Music Generator 3: This Is the Remi: Trivial Pursuit Unhinged... Combat Elite: WWII Paratrooper: Spider-Man 2 (Multi)

Star Ocean: Till the End of Time McFarlane's Evil Prophecy..

Echo Night: Beyond

Crimson Tears.

Karaoke Revolution Volume 2. Athens 2004.

Joint Operations: Typhoon Rising

The fast-paced online multiplayer FPS has been a staple of PC gam- ing for some time now, and NovaLogic aims to raise the bar for the genre with this release — and succeeds pretty well. With better bal- ancing than Cirque de Soleil performers and servers that support up to 150 players(!), Joint Ops is in many ways the new face of online

FPS. Check out the how and why on page 102.

This is where GI b

ks down multi-plat- enever you see this nt multi-system infor product

form games. So v logo, there is im mation

Content suitable for persons 17

Content suitable

Content suitable for persons ages

only for adults,

aime roots

Content suitable for persons ages

Product is awaiting final. rating.

Pikmin 2 Malice.

Puyo Pop Fever

Indy Car Series 2005

Shadow Ops: Red Mercury.

Joint Operations: Typhoon Rising Ground Control |: Operation Exodus.

Singles: Flirt Up Your Life Soldiers: Heroes of World War 1

Besieger.

Warlords: Battlecry 3. Astro Boy: Omega Factor.

Sabre Wul Duel Masters: Sempai Legends. Spider-Man 2 (ОВА).

For our newer readers, here is a glossary of terms and acronyms that commonly appear in the magazine. Video game veterans should move along (these aren't the droids you are looking for).

10801 — A resolution specification used for HDTV. 1080! stands for resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. The "i" means that the video is being interlaced

480p - Progressive scanning, this option ('p'= progressive), creates a picture signal with double the scan lines of a conventional interlaced picture, 480i (i = interlaced), to create a noticeably sharper image. The 480p image offers higher picture resolution and eliminates virtually all motion artifacts in a 640x480 pixel resolution setting

720p - A resolution specification used for HDTV. 720p stands for resolution of 1280x720 pixels. The “р” means that the video is in progressive format

action — A term we use for games like Zone of the Enders and Gauntlet

adventure - A term we use for games like Myst and Escape From Monkey Island

Al - Artificial Intelligence. Usually used to refer to how well the computer reacts to a human opponent E

board — A term we use for games like Jeopardy! and Mario Party

bump mapping — A technique where varying light effects simulate depth on textures

1 cel shading — A technique used to create 3D $ rendered objects that resemble hand-drawn i animation cels 1 CG – Computer-Generated graphics

} Dunst-bad – The art of abysmally poor celebrity voice work

ЕЗ – Electronic Entertainment Expo. The world's largest convention for video games

fighting — A term we use for games like Street Fighter and Dead or Alive

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 First-Person Shooters like Doom, GoldenEye, and Unreal Toumament.

framerate — The frames of animation used to create the illusion of movement

frontend — A game's menus and options

GBA - Game Boy Advance

GBC – Game Boy Color

GC - GameCube

HDTV – High Definition Television

* 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

jaggies — 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 - А small simple game within a larger one

motion-capture - Using human models and infrared cameras to record movement for game animation. Also mo-cap

motion blur — Phantom frames follow an object to give the impression of realistic speed

N64 — Nintendo 64

NES - Nintendo Entertainment System

NPC - Non-Player Character. Those people and creatures you see wandering around in games that are not being controlled by actual humans

particle effects — Things like smoke or sparks created in real-time

PKer - Player Killer. This is a person who thrives on killing newbie or vulnerable characters in

MMORPGs or shooting their teammates їп games like Counter-Strike

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

PSone - 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 — Role-Playing Game. A game that involves character improvement through collecting and spending points. A term we use for games like Final Fantasy and Dragon Warrior

shooter – A term we use for games like Mars Matrix and Gradius

‘SNES - Super Nintendo Entertainment System

sports — A term we use for games like Madden NFL

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

GAME INFORMER 91

E "Don't come over here, I'm just a box. Seriously"

PLAYSTATION 2 | GAMECUBE

Splinter Cell:

Pandora Tomorrow

> STYLE 1-PLAYER ACTION (UP TO 4-PLAYER VIA PS2 NETWORK ADAPTOR) > PUBLISHER UBISOFT > DEVELOPER UBISOFT MONTREAL > RELEASE JUNE 16 (PLAYSTATION 2) JULY 6 (GAMECUBE) > ESRB M

A TALE OF TWO SPLINTER CELLS

Ubisoft has released one of the most fun and

engaging multiplayer experiences ever, and it's only induded on the Xbox and PlayStation 2 versions of the game. Sure, the 'Cube features connectivity, but it simply can't match the glory that is Pandora Tomorrow's online mode. Fortunately for Nintendo fans, the single-player mode is engaging no matter what con- sole you're playing on, and the story simply can't be beat.

Sam Fisher's newest mission has him squaring off against a charming Indonesian terrorist with an anti-U.S. agenda and an "insurance plan" to keep him safe. Obviously, Sam has to take him out, but first he has to discover what the insurance plan is and how to deal with it. On its own, it's a great, mature plot, but once you discover how the multiplayer portion fits in with the story mode, it seems simply brilliant.

Those who played through the first Splinter Cell on either console will be instantly familiar with the gameplay, and neophytes will pick it up quickly. Despite the complex story and the variety of moves and gad- gets at your fingertips, Pandora Tomorrow is actually quite easy to pick up and play. The quality level design, in-game story elements, and balanced level of difficulty make for a compelling experience that will constantly spur players forward.

Pandora Tomorrow is a great game on any system, but for several reasons, the PS2 and 'Cube versions fall a little short of the Xbox original. The simplified levels

p oor GameCube. With Pandora Tomorrow,

92 GAME INFORMER

“...Рапдога Tomorrow is the best stealth/ action game yet, hands down.”

make certain areas easier, and in many cases omit some cool sections that | really loved on Xbox. The controls for the GC release were also a little lacking — the left trigger has three separate uses! But the only time | felt that the downgraded graphics were really an issue was when | was using night vision in the PS2's multiplayer — everything looked so muddy that it was almost useless.

The lack of multiplayer on the ‘Cube really is a shame, because Pandora Tomorrow's online play truly is unlike any other multi- player mode out there. Each Side (mercs and spies) offers a completely different experience, and Splinter Cell's core gameplay translates amazingly well to team play. In fact, with- out cooperation between the spies, mission suc- cess is nearly impossible.

Legend of Curly's Gold"

@ Sam goes searching for treasure in "Splinter Cell 4: The

ША! screens on this page were taken from the PS2 version

№ "No, Mr. President, I'm sure you'll be fine. There can't possibly be any Spies on board”

ат brings new meaning to "airport security"

If you're at all interested in exciting multiplayer, you need to play this game mode.

With its intelligent story, tight gameplay, and fan- tastic multiplayer, Pandora Tomorrow is the best stealth/action game yet, hands down. Yes, the GameCube version has definitely gotten the short end of the stick, but the core excellence of this title is still in place, no matter which version you play. ——JEREMY

BOTTOM LINE > Concept: Sam Fisher's latest adventure comes to PS2 and GameCube with somewhat uneven results

> Graphics: Surprisingly, the PS2 version outshines the GC and more closely resembles the Xbox original

> Sound: Top-notch voice acting and subtle music both add to this title's excellent mood

> Playability: Both versions use their controllers to their maximum extent, with fairly solid results

> Entertainment: The single player quest is fun, but this title's real innovation is multiplayer, which the GC version lacks

> Replay Value: Moderate

| won't argue that the

Xbox version of Pandora Tomorrow is the best avail- able (the graphic fidelity

and framerate simply can't. be matched). However, | would be hard-pressed to find too much to faultin | the PS2 edition, as itis basi- cally the same game with some slight alterations to the level design and lesser (but still kick ass) graphics, The GameCube? Well, while stil а solid version of the title, itis easily the one with the most graphical hiccups and the lack of multiplayer play is really a shame, as it is one of Pandora Tomorrows biggest draws. But in either case,

the single player game is highly entertaining, The level designs are much improved over the original title, and the stealth gameplay is Simply the best in the busi- ness, | highly recommend that you give this game a whirl on any system, but would advise you to avoid the GameCube version if

at all possible because the multiplayer game is simply genius. —ANDY

ONCINE ENABLED

— z OPTIONS THAN EVER BEFORE!

\ anm

MAD COW BOMBS, EXPLODING SHEEP!

~ >

TEEN и

. NEW SECRET MISSIONS & FULLY ~ DESTRUCTABLE LANDSCAPES!

- . Original Concept Andy Davidson. All Rights Reserved. Microsoft, Xbox, [— (а | ~ аии) Xbox Live, the Live logo and the Xbox Logos are registered trademarks ог | || trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries.

www.acclaim.com

CARTOON VIOLENCE

ESRB CONTENT RATING

WWw.esrb.org

PLAYSTATION 2 | XBOX

Driv3r

> STYLE 1-PLAYER ACTION > PUBLISHER ATARI > DEVELOPER REFLECTIONS > RELEASE JUNE 21 > ESRB M

TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE

4 ут = | " elayed for what seems like a lifetime,

№ This picture looks pretty,

but most of the out-of-the-

car action is pretty.. atrocious

Reflections’ long-awaited Driv3r is finally

making its way to store shelves. This is probably one of the most anticipated sequels in gaming history, and | imagine that Atari has huge hopes that it will become a phenomenon the likes of Grand Theft Auto. Well, Driv3r is not going to be, and here's why.

To put it simply, the video game world has passed Driv3r by. The really compelling hook of the original PSone franchise (driving in open city environments), has now become a commonly accepted part of the gaming landscape due to similarly themed titles like Grand Theft Auto III, True Crime: Streets of LA, and The Getaway. Unfortunately, Driv3r doesn't do anything to push

the action/racing genre forward, settling on an archaic game design that would have felt | dated two years ago. In Driv2r, you'll tool around | Miami, Nice, and Istanbul as wheelman Tanner negotiates his way through a plot that appears to be constructed entirely of outtakes from _ generic action movies. | Yes, they have some nifty © graphics and top-flight Voice talent, but | honestly couldn't remember what was going on at any point | during the game, much less care. None of The Getaway's Cockney the- atrics or СТА5 pop culture Satire is on display here, and | think most play- Pers will fail to become | engrossed in this by-the- Py numbers potboiler. The game has been in development since the beginning of this gen- eration of consoles, and

The bikes are super-fast, providing some of the game's

№ On the other hand, the boats handle like bulky SUVs, and there is little in the way of wave physics

franchise's strength, but it's || not enough to save this game from its own mediocrity

94 GAME INFORMER

the basic design is showing its age. Most missions are of the most generic variety: drive to a location while avoiding the fuzz, then get out and shoot people. There is the occasional novel objective, but most of your enjoyment of the out-of-the- car action will be ruined by the irritating control. While it uses the familiar FPS dual-analog control scheme (much like Max Payne), the targeting is suspect and awkward (don't expect that turning on the useless "auto-targeting" system will help here, either). Tanner moves with all the grace of a mentally damaged bull moose, and it's often difficult to perform simple tasks like jumping off a boat onto a dock. People criticize СТА weapon functionality, but after playing this 1 was ready to marry СТА$ targeting system and have all its babies.

| suppose, judged strictly as a racing game, it's a decent enough title. The car models and physics are nicely done, and you will experience your fair share of vehicular thrills. However, 1 didn't find the city environments to be very exciting, especially Miami, which is painfully drab in comparison to its Vice City doppelganger. Also, where СТА5 cities are teeming with life and interesting locales, Driv3r's environments have very few pedestri- ans who simply walk around like bipedal cattle. Instead of feeling like you're tooling through a vital urban area, it's more akin to cruising through the deserted London of 28 Days Later. Even worse are the non-existent boat and wave phys- ics, which feel more like driving a large Cadillac than a boat.

| hate to say it, but | don't see how The Driver series fits into the current world of gaming. It's gone from being an innovator to being just another one of the "me-too" titles that is chasing the success of Rockstar and Grand Theft Auto. Driv3r fails to meet the bar that's been set by the best in the genre, and also fails to deliver a cohesive, quality play experience. | suspect the developers might have been better off construct- ing this as a pure racing title (as it does do the basics of racing well) and avoiding the shooting action altogether. —MATT

А $

pum

> Concept: Try to reinvent an MIA PSone classic for a post-GTA Ill world

> Graphics: It looks nice, but it's. Not really a huge improvement over Vice City or True Crime: Streets of LA

> Sound: A moody and tasteful cinematic soundtrack – excellent use of Iggy and the Stooges’ “Gimme Danger”!

> Playability: The driving is fine, out of the car action is very suspect

> Entertainment: This game has been in development for far too long, and its archaic design shows its age

> Replay Value: Moderate

^ a power- | ngine that roared with је gameplay

ply satisfying mis- An this installment, ШЕ deafening barrage has

control | admirably, Hound that the majority of objec- tives are so dull and

“unimaginative that they

make Driving Miss Daisy

look like a white-knuckle thrill ride. It's also one of the most frustrating plays around. The on-foot run-

_ and-gun sequences аге | simply atrocious, featuring the worst targeting system I've seen in years. Truth be

- told, the end result of this _ title's lengthy di cycle is what I'd pi GTA looking like after only five months of develop- ment—REINER

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| fits you best } ©2004 Gameloft. All Rights Reserved Gameloft and the Gameloft logo are trademarks of Gameloft in the US and/or other countries. Under license by Ubisoft Entertainment. Rainbow Six is a trad nark of Red Storm Entertainment Inc. in the US and/or other countries. Red Storm Entertainment Inc. is a Ubisoft Entertainment company Splinter C г. Splinter Cell Р:

on Prince of Persia® created by Jordan Mechner. Prince of Pe Verizon Trademark Services LLC. Get It Now requires net

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PLAYSTATION 2 | XBOX

Showdown: Legends of Wrestling

> STYLE 1 ТО &-PLAYER ACTION > PUBLISHER ACCLAIM > DEVELOPER ACCLAIM STUDIOS AUSTIN > RELEASE JUNE 22 > ESRB T

PLAYSTATION 2 QUICKIES

PLAYSTATION 2 | XBOX

Combat Elite: WWII Paratroopers

> STYLE 1 OR 2-PLAYER ACTION > PUBLISHER ACCLAIM > DEVELOPER BATTLEBORNE

"ws 9.5.

restling has seen its share of W failed ideas. Hulk Hogan's

Pastamania restaurant briefly existed in the Mall of America, and the WWF actually once introduced a man in a turkey suit called the "Gobbledy Gooker" While these concepts were flawed from the very beginning, the Legends of Wrestling series actu- ally has a good idea at its core: Let gamers play as some of the wrestlers of yesteryear. Showdown is Acclaim's attempt to revitalize the series, but, much like Hollywood Hogan himself, Showdown isn't fit enough to play with the current wrestling class.

The biggest attraction of Showdown is its roster of 73 classic wrestlers induding the Hulkster, Macho Man, Andre the Giant, the doomed Von Erichs, and many more. If play- ing as an old (or, in many cases, dead) guy isn't your thing, a decent Create-A-Wrestler mode is included as well. Unfortunately, many of the characters play quite similarly, and overall, movesets are pretty limited. The engine is clearly patterned after the classic N64 wrestling titles cre-

№ You work it, girlfriend!

96 GAME INFORMER

WRESTLE AN OLD MAN IN A SPEEDO!

ated by AKI, but lacks the finesse of those games. Not only are the action options a bit thin, but the collision detection is pretty awful, and there are several other minor technical issues that slightly mar the experi- ence. Other areas of the game show a similar lack of polish. For example, while the presence of three profes- Sional commentators is a nice touch, they quickly start to repeat lines

to the point where it grows rather annoying (and always refer to your wrestler as male, even if that's clearly not the case).

Like pretty much everything else in Showdown, the graphics are pass- able, but far from amazing. Character models look fairly accurate to their real-life counterparts, but are also lacking in detail and a bit bland. But, if the fact that this game simply con- tains all these characters gets you excited, you'll probably enjoy this title. It's a nice homage to wrestling's past, but just can't compete with the wrestling games of the pres- ent. —JEREMY

BOTT LIN

> Concept: Fight your way through the top wrestlers of the "706, 806, and ‘90s to earn а shot at Hulk Hogan

> Graphics: Like most of the wrestlers on the roster, the graphics don't look so hot by today's standards

> Sound: The three-man com- mentary crew of Tony Shiavone, Larry Zbyszko, and Bobby The Brain is about as good as you'd expect from that team

> Playability: The combat engine works perfectly, but lacks much in the way of depth

> Entertainment: Only diehard fans of old-school wrestling

will want to enter the ring with this one

> Replay Value: Moderately Low

No game that has Andy Kaufman beating the hell out of Andre the Giant can be all bad. However, as Showdown illustrates, it can still be mostly bad. With sluggish controls, awful hit detection, and baffling col- lision, Showdown doesn't bring many positives into the ring. Even though it has an impressive roster of legends and a cool Create- A-Wrestler feature, the frustrating gameplay will get in the way regardless of which character you select. Unless you are currently enrolled in a graduate pro- gram studying to become а Wrestling Historian, you should definitely pass this one up.—JOE

ENTERTAINMENT > RELEASE OCTOBER 15 > ESRB T et's say that | hold up a pair of baggy clown pants and

then attempt to convince you that they are actually a Sophisticated robot, complete with bombs and a Christopher Walken emulator. You'd prob- ably be more than a little suspi- cious. You should likewise be wary of anyone claiming that Combat Elite is a playable game. Everything in this title borders on barely functional, from the blurry graphics (no, that isn’t Vaseline on your TV screen) to the imprecise targeting. Sadly, the two-player co-op option doesn't make it any more fun — it just spreads the pain slightly thinner. In theory, a WWII shooter made with the renowned Snowblind

engine could be a great idea, Unfortunately, in execution it works about as well as the aforementioned mechanical circus attire —JOE

PLAYSTATION 2 | XBOX ROTTO р Trivial Pursuit Unhinged

> STYLE 1 TO 6-PLAYER BOARD (UP TO 6-PLAYER VIA PS2 BROADBAND OR 4-PLAYER VIA XBOX LIVE)

> PUBLISHER ATARI > DEVELOPER ARTECH STUDIOS > RELEASE MARCH 23 > ESRB T

here is nothing about this T title that is better than the

board game itself — and that includes not being able to ingest the pie pieces. The Unhinged ver- sion of the game (you can also play with the original rules) has some nice twists such as switch- ing players’ spots, betting on opponents’ questions, and various effects for the board's spaces. However, these are mostly random, so there is no strategy involved (and the trivia is pretty easy). The worst thing about this title is that there are no down- loadable questions, so you can run out fast. | also don't know why they didn't

make use of all the different Trivial Pursuit editions out there —KATO PLAYSTATION 2 | XBOX MTV Music Generator 3:

This is the Remix

> STYLE 1-PLAYER SIMULATION > PUBLISHER CODEMASTERS > DEVELOPER MIX MAX

> RELEASE JUNE 15 > ESRB Т

s usual with a new Music

A Generator, some elements

are improved (the inter- face and the addition of some truly A-list rap artists like Snoop and Outkast) while others take a step back (personally, | miss the vertical scrolling of MMG 2). More impressive is the ability to "rip" samples off of your personal CDs (I had Snoop busting verses over Led Zep's mighty “Moby Dick" riff in no time!). However, the "ripper" is a bit difficult to use as much тоге than a gimmick (especially since the samples take up so much memory that they limit your options in other areas pretty severely). The Xbox, with its much shorter load times and the ability to save to the hard drive, is the recommended version. On the PS2, you have to actually reinsert the original music disc you culled a sample from in order to load a mix that uses it —MAIT

UNLIMITED ENABLED

п Web swinging is better than Cats, and anything that your significant other can bring to the table

PLAYSTATION 2 | XBOX | GAMECUBE

Spider-Man 2

> STYLE 1-PLAYER ACTION > PUBLISHER ACTIVISION > DEVELOPER TREYARCH > RELEASE JUNE 29 > ESRB T

DOES WHATEVER A SPIDER CAN

that they will cherish for a lifetime, whether it be concocting a strategy to take down a dif-

ficult boss or achieving the highest score in an arcade game. There are some experiences, however, that transcend individual taste and must be seen by the entire gaming populace. Battling Psycho Mantis in Metal Gear Solid; staring wide-eyed as you call forth your first summoned monster in Final Fantasy VII; scoring a massive combo in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5; jacking your first car in Grand Theft Auto III; and now...web swinging in Spider-Man 2.

Although this gameplay mechanic has been fea- tured in previous Spider-Man games, it has always been confined and not very true to the wall crawler's potential. With this release, developer Treyarch has removed the restraints and let the spider loose, making web swinging the primary component. With visually arresting, groundbreaking gameplay at your fingertips, an expansive New York skyline as your playground, and an arsenal of acrobatic maneuvers that would make even Mary Lou Retton blush, you can lose countless hours of your life just swinging across the city, flipping around poles, and crawling up walls. With realistic physics accompanying your every move, you'll encounter fear-induced stomach knotting when you leap off of skyscrapers, and shortness of breath as you tighten your line to avoid crashing into the side of a building. It's an amazing sensation to say the very least, and the closest a game has come to accurately conveying the incred- ible powers and supernatural abilities of a superhero.

Although the remainder of the game shows signs of being just as graceful and compelling with its combo-intensive combat, assortment of random missions, and bevy of hidden items, the majority of this content just doesn’t sit well. Outside of the

Е very person has different gaming memories

stick, and the fluidity eri

interactive spider sense (which allows players

to dodge bullets and attacks with a well-timed button press), combat can best be summed up as mindless button mashing. There are some decent boss fights, but there really is no need for strategy against your typical thugs. Even worse yet, missions are equally as simple. Just swing to an area denoted on the map to take out a pocket of enemies, and move on to the next mission.

The random objectives that you can take on for townsfolk hold a bit more interest, yet each of these tasks only lasts for a few seconds and are repeated way too often throughout the course of the game. In an afternoon, there's a good chance that you'll prevent an armored car robbery at least 15 times and stop someone from falling off of a building at least 20. It's a great idea to give players freedom to do other things outside of the critical path, but without a heavy injection of variety, you'll lose interest in these diversions very quickly.

| am a fan, however, of the timed ring races- which are very similar in design to the bonus goals in SSX 3, They really force players to hone their web swinging skills. Oddly, other than achieving a rank (like Silver or Gold Medalist), there is no reason to complete these difficult tasks. On this same note, players can scour the city for 150 Skyscraper Tokens and complete feats like help- ing 250 citizens. What is the end result of these time-consuming feats? Another rank. If | wanted а rank, | would have joined the Boy Scouts. Rewards and unlockables are noticeably absent. If you avoid these goals (which | would assume most people will do when they realize that there is no payoff), you can whip through the game in a day if you are determined.

So it's short; Stevie Wonder could probably rock the combat engine like nobody's business; and most of the missions get as old as Rob Liefeld's comics. Even with these flaws, this is one of those games that you will continually go back to and have the time of your life in. Once you get a taste of web swinging, there really is no going back, you just won't be able to live without it. —REINER

№ "Eat gunk, stupid guy from Enter the Matrix!”

№ "First, hand me your wallet. Then 1 will pull you up”

п "Hey, mom! Lookie what 1 di a

п Combat certainly looks cool, but there really is no depth of strategy

M 8

? Concept: Bring out the swinger in the Spider

> Graphics: Given the sheer enormity of the йу, intricate detailing is lacking; but the ani- mations are great, and you really do get the sense that you are in Spidey's world

> Sound: Kirsten Dunst delivers the worst voiceovers in video game history. A dying cat could read the lines better. The rest of the cast is quite good

> Playability: It’s all about the web swinging. Everything else plays second fiddle

> Entertainment: Flying around the city couldn't be much more entertaining

> Replay Value: Moderately

Second Opinion

212

GAME INFORMER 97

B Life was never the same for Fayt after he swallowed that flashlight

= Strange things happen when you listen to a lot of Creed

UNLIMITED ENABLED

№ The U.S. release of Star Ocean is actually the Japanese Director's Cut version with bonus Versus modes, new char-

acters, and additional

content

т The real-time combat system is a serious joy to take part in

№ Fayt's first beach experience will forever be marked by the feeling of sand in uncomfortable places

PLAYSTATION 2

Star Ocean: Till the End of Time 2

> STYLE 1 OR 2-PLAYER ROLE PLAYING GAME > PUBLISHER SQUARE ENIX > DEVELOPER ТЕРАСЕ > RELEASE AUGUST 51 > ESRB Т

A DIFFERENT SIDE OF SQUARE ENIX

has such large shoes to fill. Not only are

gamers hoping against hope that Star Ocean will feature production values that parallel Square Епіх5 most celebrated works, its science-fiction setting will be measured against the magnificent universe of Monolith Soft's Xenosaga. Higher expec- tations truly are unheard of.

If you play this game with the thought that you'll be knocked out of your socks by cinematics that rival the likes of Final Fantasy, or swept off of your feet by a story as emotionally moving as that in Xenosaga, you are setting yourself up for grave disappointment.

When most people reflect upon RPGs that they've played, they usually recall moments that are tied to the story...such as the death of Aeris in Final Fantasy МІ or the opera scene from Final Fantasy III.

N ever before have | come across a game that

98 GAME INFORMER

In Star Ocean, the story won't shake you to your core, nor will it stay fresh in your mind longer than the time you spend with it. Even with an imagina- tive universe that is rife with unusual technologies and species, this tale sticks to the conventionalized ideas that shaped the genre. Even the finely acted voiceovers and beautifully animated real-time sequences do little to lure players in.

While it may sound like a monumental disaster, Star Ocean actually succeeds in ways that are mostly foreign to traditional role-playing fare. Where most RPGs cling to story as their driving force, this one pulls players in with gameplay. With real-time combat that is analogous to a fast-paced action game, you can't help but reflect on how many times you've played Final Fantasy thinking, “Man, | wish | could just run over to that creature and beat it

m”... guess 1 did”

senseless.” You won't have to wait for a character's turn to pop up to attack, but you will still have to keep an eye on the movements and well-being of your entire party. To ensure that all group members are functioning to their highest of capabilities, at any point during combat you can either assign them pre-scripted commands or switch direct control to them. Combos and special attacks are bountiful, and as you level up, new skills and powers can be added to a character's arsenal. It's a wonderfully inventive angle for combat, and a complete departure from this genre's slow, dull, and repetitive nature.

Dungeon exploration is just as painless. All enemies are visible in the field, and the map actually tracks the ground that you've previously trekked across. In moving from area to area, you will run over a bit of backtracking, but given the fact that combat is the heart and soul of this adventure, and leveling up is tied to gaining new powers, | actually welcomed each and every battle.

Square Enix RPGs have always been her- alded for their soundtracks as well. I'm afraid this one won't receive similar acclaim. With generic Joe Satriani-style licks that could in fact inflict physical damage on the brain, this is easily the worst RPG score I've heard.

You'll likely roll your eyes at the plot twists, and will assuredly have your finger on the Mute button when the music kicks in, but the gameplay is strong enough to weather this RPG's storm and keep you hooked.

— REINER

ЫР, 1006 fue EIN

> Concept: A science fiction role-playing game that ham- mers home the importance of gameplay

> Graphics: Lively character animations. . explosive battle effects. ..gorgeous vistas

> Sound: 5o bad that | would rather listen to Kenny С. Well,

maybe not Kenny С. . Љиг you get the point!

» Playability: The combat system steals the show with its swift nature and incredible depth of customization

> Entertainment: The story

clichés are a bit much, but the gameplay couldn't have been much better

> Replay Value: Moderate

Second Opinion 8.

On first glance, Star Ocean looks like one of the best RPGs ever made. If you were to judge solely by the gorgeous graphics, char- acter models, and anima- tions, you would have a serious contender for the best of this console genera- tion, However, regardless of how good my eyes told me this game should be, some other aspects left me with lingering doubts. Very little is offered in terms

of guidance; there are no in-game tutorials, and no map markers to guide you toward your next objective. This means that the flow of the story (which is very. involved) is ШЕШЕЛЕР rupted by tedious str

of wandering around trying to figure things out. However, thanks to the memorable characters

and undeniably fun battle system, | still found myself enthralled by Star Ocean. | Like butterscotch chicken, it isn't as delicious as some other fare, but it's still pretty ‘sweet. —ЈОЕ )

PLAYSTATION 2

Echo Night: Beyond

> STYLE 1-PLAYER ADVENTURE > PUBLISHER АСЕТЕС > DEVELOPER FROMSOFTWARE > RELEASE JULY 27 > ESRB Т

COMPLICATIONS WITH CONVENTIONS

his being the second entry in the Echo Night

franchise, Beyond follows some conven- tions and gameplay mechanics established in the first, many of which aren't quite my cups of tea. Richard Osmond (from the origina entry) and his fiancée are on their way to the moon, intending to seal their lifelong union high al

bove the earth. Their

romantic plan predictably goes to the crapper when their shuttle crashes and the pair is separated. As in the earlier game, players must negotiate through

a series of puzzles, which are my biggest problem wit Almost all of the riddles revolve around fin the appropriate specter — a convention that plays out

h Beyond.

ing an item and returning it to

as tedious and tire-

some a short ways into the title. It’s sad because there are glimmers of a

really nice, scary game waiting to come out. Since this

isn't a point-and-click

affair, the action/survival horror bent on traditional adventure gameplay could

be great. Ghosts сап be very aggressive, and the “Неа

th meter" being a

heart rate monitor (coupled with a nice use of force feedback) ups the ten-

sion dramatically.

Echo Night: Beyond tries a lot — combining survival

horror with action and

adventure is a great idea that merges some of my favorite things. But, with-

out better puzzles and more draw-out scares, Beyond live up to its concept's potential.—LISA

is a game that doesn't

PLAYSTATION 2 Crimson Tears

> STYLE 1-PLAYER ACTION/RPG > PUBLISHER CAPCOM > DEVELOPER DREAMFACTORY/SPIKE > RELEASE JULY 27 > ESRB Т

A DULL BLADE

will give Crimson j Tears credit for trying to be something a little different from the typical Japanese hack n' slasher. In essence, this game could be best described as Seven Samurai 20XX meets Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance. At its core, it's still just a basic brawler,

but one that has a depth of item and weapon collection more akin to that of an RPG. While it is cool to buy, scavenge, and combine items to create new medicine and armaments, this title ultimately fails because of another design element it swiped from the RPG genre: randomly created environments.

In theory, these randomly created dungeons should dictability and replay to the experience, but in practice design so incredibly tedious and dull that 1 could barel

add a level of unpre- it renders the level ly force myself to keep

playing. There's so little variation between the few basic room templates on each level that instead of adding variety to the mix, the effect is more like a

anime version of Groundhog Day.

In addition, there are very few types of enemies, and none of them (with the exception of bosses) seemed to require any degree of strategy beyond just flailing away blindly with simple combos. Yes, there is quite the array of long- and short-range weaponry available, but what's the point unless your choices have any bearing during battle? Unless serious changes are made, 1 sincerely hope that Crimson Tears will do the honorable thing and fall on its sword, rather than submit gamers to any more boredom than it already

has.—MATT

BOTTO! LINE 6

> Concept: First person action-y adventure game with survival horror and a creepy space station thrown in for good measure > Graphics: Some pronounced jaggies diminish the experience, everything else is just a hair above average > Sound: Echoing voice track and minimal score actually make the game more tense > Playability: Selecting specific items and using bits from your inventory is unnecessarily cum- bersome > Entertainment: Overall underwhelming, but there are some really nice things about this game > Replay Value: Moderate

Second Opinion 5.5

does it induce the slightest bit of fear. What could have been а heart-pounding, stress- inducing journey through a haunted lunar colony actually turned out to be a game of “Find the Missing Item" for Casper the Friendly Ghost. Outside of matching up items

nothing to this game. The definitely i

BOTTOM LINE

> Concept: A generic hack п' slasher imbued with RPG elements

> Graphics: The characters’ cel-shaded look is attractive, but the environments are repetitive and drab

> Sound: The voice-overs are of the typical goofy anime sort, and the music is generic enough as to barely exist

> Playability: The basic combat is just that: extremely basic, and the camera sometimes puts you ata disadvantage

? Entertainment: Attempts

to put a little more depth to

the genre, but it's not enough

to make Crimson Tears truly compelling

? Replay Value: Moderate

Second Opinion 5.25

Crimson Tears isn't an epic | failing — instead, it falls short - by not really doing much at _ all. The RPG elements are so minimal, eel kind of bad about calling them "RPG ele- ments." Your characters level ир, but it does little besides raising your HP. The weapon system is equally basic апа - the whole bundle (indud- ' ing combat that looks sort of г соо, but requires very little _ skill) feels dull —LISA

PLAYSTATION 2

McFarlane’s Evil Prophecy

> STYLE 1 TO 4-PLAYER ACTION > PUBLISHER KONAMI > DEVELOPER KONAMI

> RELEASE JUNE 15 > ESRB М

BEWARE, EVIL AT WORK

ike a piece of toilet paper stuck to your shoe, L this game's annoyances are hard to shake off.

The more time you spend with it, the more you feel like you're being punished for your sins. As for the game, it commits many.

Despite being a not-so-subtle way of trying to sell McFarlane's line of figures, there actually is an attempt at depth here. This fact, however, only unin- tentionally re-emphasizes how shallow it is once you get mired in its mindless, never-ending combo-fest. Irony — useful word, but no fun in this case. Evil Prophecy has four comrades battling through hordes of monsters to get to famous bosses such as Dracula and Frankenstein. You can switch among your friends at any time, and each has special combos. However, the combat is rendered joyless because the overall targeting is very poor. Half of the time, hitting some- one right in front of you is a chore.

There is some degree of strategy in the game because you can command your other friends to follow pre-set orders such as staying back or attack- ing only the leader of a group of enemies. But | wouldn't rely on the Al to tie its own shoes, much less follow orders. The game also has lofty ambitions in its friendship system. If you watch each other's back, players will help you in combat. This system works, but the downside is that you are often wor- ried about your comrades, and because of this (and the above-mentioned AI), you spend a lot of time Switching between characters. This led me to throw my hands up and yell, "Do 1 have to do everything myself?! I'm surrounded by idiots!” You don't get that cool feeling, like in EA's Lord of the Rings fighters for example, that you're part of a larger battle — just that you've got to baby-sit everyone.

During my time playing this game | had to take a break. | ran an errand to the Minnesota Department of Motor Vehicles, and the freaking DMV was less taxing than this frustrating experience. — KATO

Players can execute enemy-clearing combos with each other - one of the game's only highlights

BOTTOM LINE 4

> Concept: McFarlane peddles his sculpted figures in a cross- marketing ploy that fails. Good triumphs over evil once again > Graphics: The fog in this game is so bad, the characters. even crack a joke about it

? Sound: Some spooky tunes here and there, but it's по Castlevania

> Playability: The character. switching is neat, but like the battle combos, it just isn't fun > Entertainment: | actually hate thís game more than my objective score reflects

> Replay Value: Moderate

Second Opinion 4.25

don't even iknow where

to start. There are so many things that make me dislike this game I felt compelled

to start compiling a list as} played: 1) These graphics hurt my eyes. Literally. 2) My Al companions are stupider than the poorly rendered. ground they walk on. 3) | Passing through these medi- осте level designs is remi- niscent of passing a kidney stone - tedious and painful. There are so many more, but suffice it to say, my prophecy for this game is dire indeed. —MILLER

GAME INFORMER 99

j

ToU.

PLAYSTATION 2

Athens 2004

> STYLE 1 TO 4-PLAYER SPORTS > PUBLISHER SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT AMERICA > DEVELOPER EUROCOM > RELEASE JULY 13

> ESRB Е

FAILED URINE TEST

he Olympics are a joke. T Either you fall asleep

watching the bloated opening ceremonies or the late night live telecast of the Estonia vs. Ukraine thumb wrestling semi-final. Athens 2004 isn't half as boring, but things could be better.

There is little new in Athens’ gameplay (few events use the analog sticks, and the dance pad peripheral is only available in the separate “Party” section), but how different should this game be? | expect to button mash when swimming or run- ning — it makes sense. This game isn't interesting because there's no drama, which is something that even the real Olympics have. Sports titles aren't fun because of the con- trols you input, but because you get involved in your team. Wouldn't it be cool if you had to train to make the team years before the events, and then have to manage your athlete and his/her day-to-day routine?

The official Olympic Committee is partially respon- sible for the blandness here.

It didn't want online play for Athens because it thought

it took away the spirit of the Olympics. Well, | don't know about you, but | think that what's good for Olympic video games is good for the Olympics themselves.—KATO

100 GAME INFORMER

BOTT LINE

> Concept: For a kind of game that only appears every four years, this just doesn't cut it

> Graphics: Some of the women look like they used to be on the East German Women's Shot Put team

> Sound: Although the com- mentary is admirable because it keeps up with the action, it gets repetitive

> Playability: Button-mashing is still the focus of this perfunc- tory release

> Entertainment: The mere idea of a Hassle the Hoff rap album is more tantalizing

> Replay Value: Moderate

Second Opinion 6.5

PLAYSTATION 2 j

Karaoke Revolution Volume 2

> STYLE 1 TO 8-PLAYER ACTION > PUBLISHER KONAMI > DEVELOPER HARMONIX MUSIC SYSTEMS > RELEASE JULY 15 > ESRB E

GAMECUBE

Puyo Pop Fever

> STYLE | OR 2-PLAYER PUZZLE > PUBLISHER SEGA OF AMERICA > DEVELOPER SONIC TEAM > RELEASE JULY 20 > ESRB Е

I'VE GOT YOU UNDER MY SKIN

here is only one circum- T stance in which it should

be okay to hear a full grown man sing the words: "I'm a genie in a bottle, you gotta rub me the right way" And that instance is with this game. Otherwise, run far, far away. Alternately, if you are playing KR 2, sit back, laugh yourself silly, and settle in for one of the better music games on the market.

As it should be, the sound and music of this sequel take the spotlight. Though the 35 songs you'll encounter are not performed by the original artists, the covers are meticulous in their replication, and the vocals are even better than in the first game, It took me a little longer to warm up to some of the slightly lesser-known tunes present in this version, but most of them won me over in the end. There's a wider spread of genres here as well, including a heavy swath of rock and pop, a little touch of country, some classic R&B, and a pinch of Elvis to round out the mix.

Unfortunately, the game just doesn't make enough advance- ments to be the "Revolution" that the first game was. It is still alarmingly fun, but the changes that have been made are largely cosmetic, and a lot of the visuals have simply been recyded from the first version. The new Medley mode is okay, but it ends up feel- ing just a little awkward as it flips between songs. I'd also love to see a duet mode show up in this series, but that may be a ways off. 1 would still tout this as one of the truly great party games, and, if you're man enough to sing like a girl (or vice versa), you'll have no shortage of amusement with КК 2.—MILLER

BOTTOM LINE

8.25

> Concept: Sing songs, feel H ridiculous, and come out smiling — : at the other end : > Graphics: Respectable graph- : ics for the genre, with a couple : hilarious looking characters 1 > Sound: High rungofthetop — : notch in the cream of the crop : > Playability: Fantastic for par- — : ties, with a simple pick up and 1 play mechanic : > Entertainment: Hilariousto — : hear your buddies sing Britney 1 Spears - frightening to hear : yourself do it : > Replay Value: Moderately : High Я

Second Opinion :

Baby One More Time Born To Be Wild * Cry * Drift Away < Every Breath You Take * Friends

In Low Places * Genie in a Bottle.

+ Heartbreak Hotel * Here Without You * Hot Stuff * | Believe in a Thing H Called Love + I Hate Everything About — * You + IWI Survive + II Make Love} to You * I'm With You • Irresistible + 4 1:5 My Life = Гме Got You Under My 4 Skin * Jesse's Girl • Lady Marmalade H = Let's Get It On • Miss You • Му q Gir + Papa Don't Preach • Perfect + Д Rich Girl + Rock and Roll All Nighte — : Sittin’ on the Dock of the Вау * Sweet — : Home Alabama • The First Cutisthe — : Deepest • The Joker = Toxic * Virtual

Insanity * We Are Family * White Flag

MAGICAL FRUIT PRESERVES?

kay, so Puyo is a little

weird. For what it's worth,

you could conceivably adore figuring out the intricacies of the magic Puyo and translating those secrets into huge combos and devastating spells. The initial concept is simple to implement. However, the difficulty quickly ramps up and can push advance- ment to a virtual standstill. Ultimately, it is this challenge level that both strengthens and weakens the game. Puzzle play- ers are, by and large, a hardy lot. They're willing to put up with a great deal of frustration and challenge in order to see past the surface layers of a game and perceive the intricacies within. It really is no exaggeration to con- clude that Puyo takes that nearly religious level of concentration before you can truly excel at it. For most players, the game will feel like a shallow Tetris copy, with a quirky concept and some pretty colors. And then they'll go play something else.

And that's actually too bad, since Puyo, for all its idiosyncra- sies, is a deep and engaging play. That's why it's so disappointing that the game gives you so little worthwhile direction as to how to really begin to succeed at it.

If you haven't been privy to the earlier versions of the game, you'll spend a long time just trying to figure out why things happen when they do. And that's just doesn't make a good first impression. Pop in Puyo at your own risk.—MILLER

> Concept: Globs of jelly tum- ble Tetris-like down the screen to create magic spells.

> Graphics: Brightly colored puzzle pieces are entirely аррго- priate for the genre

> Sound: Voiceovers and music from Sesame Street poured through a strainer and then

left out to dry. You'd be better off listening to the voices in your head

> Playability: Poor translation and confusing interactions between the different elements of gameplay mean you'll be unsure what you're doing for the first few hours

> Entertainment: A great joy for those willing to invest the time, otherwise а great waste of your invested money

» Replay Value: Moderate

Second Opinion 75

With each boss encounter, players will have to hunt for an opportune time to attack

E Some people try to protect their Pikmin numbers, while others throw them to the wolves

GAMECUBE

Pikmin 2

> STYLE 1 OR 2-PLAYER ACTION/STRATEGY > PUBLISHER NINTENDO > DEVELOPER NINTENDO > RELEASE AUGUST 30 > ESRB E

GAME INFORMER

WAR OF THE PLANTS

n every console generation, a handful of titles | never achieve the level of respect that they so

rightfully deserve. | would have loved to see Rareware create a sequel to the little known, yet highly acclaimed, Blast Corps. A follow-up to Sega's Typing of the Dead would also be a welcome addi- tion to my library. Given both of these games’ lack- luster sales, the industry quickly deemed that running into barns with dump trucks and spelling to stop zombies were failed concepts with little to no chance of returning. With Pikmin, Nintendo took a huge risk on one of the wackiest ideas that the industry has ever seen: Violent plant creatures help an alien slaughter giant bugs in a quest to recover spaceship parts. To no surprise, this offbeat release didn't fly off of retail shelves, yet rather than retiring this unique idea, Nintendo is hoping that a second offering will attract a crowd.

Instead of tweaking the formula to have more mainstream appeal, this sequel specifically targets fans of the original with significant enhancements to the existing play mechanics. In particular, the differ- ent Pikmin troops that you control are now greatly varied in function — much like the different unit types іп a РС RTS. Each Pikmin unit is differentiated by color. Red is the standard trooper that is immune to fire. Purple can lift 10 times the weight of red, but is much slower. White can unearth hidden items and is immune to toxins. Yellow is electrical, Blue, as you

№ Although the focus has changed, M the basic gameplay principles remain: Build a Pikmin army, harvest dead bugs, and hunt for valuable items

would guess, can wade in water.

Each of these distinct abilities is constantly called upon throughout the course of the game. The design of the original focused heavily on the player's ability to solve puzzles and procure items within a set amount of time. In this game, Nintendo has removed the 30-day timer and shifted the focus in the direction of combat. As ingenious as the premise of having to complete the game in a set amount of days was, the pressure you were constantly under to run through stages perfectly was unbearable. You can now take your time, strategize, and scour every inch of the land without fearing that you won't get to the end of the game.

The basis of combat hasn't evolved at all, which is kind of a bummer; but there are more battles than before, and the variety of enemies that you encounter is far greater. With the addition of Louie, Olimar's cohort in crime, you can now divide your Pikmin troops into two groups and switch control between your alien of choice on the fly. Early on you won't use this ability too much, but as the difficulty escalates with each passing level, you'll be switching back and forth more than you could imagine.

Since there are two playable characters, Nintendo has implemented split-screen multiplayer support (and don't worry, you won't have to use your GBA). From the outset, only versus is available, but as you progress through the single player campaign, a

= Divide up your troops to spread out arid conquer

Е The co-op stages іп Challenge mode are loaded with variety and complex team strategies

cr

ш The goal of the versus matches

is to secure four marbles before your opponent. Oh yeah, you also want to beat the snot

out of your foe's troops!

30 level Challenge mode, which offers co-op play, unlocks both of these modes add serious legs to an already lengthy game. The battles that emerge from versus are an absolute riot, and although there are only 10 map designs, each time you enter the fray they are randomly generated either by the shape of the map or placement of items and enemies.

The concept may be just as extraordinary as its predecessors's, but with a hefty dosage of mul- tiplayer and a quest that isn't as nerve-racking, Pikmin 2 is deserving of mainstream recognition and is easily the most noteworthy and praiseworthy GameCube product this summer.—REINER

> Concept: Stick with the core concept of plantife warfare and build upon it with an infusion of multiplayer and greater diversity in troop types

> Graphics: Same as the origi- nal, but still gorgeous. Watching your Pikmin splash frantically

in water, then transform into a ghost vapor is a sight everyone needs to see

> Sound: The Pikmin's high- pitched voices sure are cute, but they get annoying very quickly > Playability: Focuses тоге оп combat and the usage of the new Pikmin types

> Entertainment: Not as stress- ful, and loaded with multiplayer longevity

> Replay Value: High

Second Opinion 8.

GAME INFORMER 101

25 reviews

XBOX

Malice

> STYLE 1-PLAYER ACTION/PLATFORM > PUBLISHER MUD DUCK PRODUCTIONS/ZENIMAX MEDIA > DEVELOPER ARGONAUT

а

1

эч "vm ;

HERE COMES THE HAMMER

ey, l'm reviewing both Driv3r

and Malice this month!

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Game Informer's semi- annual "Games That Should Have Been Released In 2001" issue! As you probably know, Malice was once one of the Xbox's greatest hopes, and garnered reams of coverage after being showcased as part of Bill Gates' speech during CES 2001 when he unveiled the Xbox hardware for the first time. Since then, it's been a hard fall from grace as Malice continued to slip down the release schedules and went through publishers like J-Lo goes through husbands. Now, after all this time, it's finally seeing

ever invented: too much collecting. Whether it's glow worms or orbs or gears or gold coins, you can bet your ass you'll be collecting them in Malice. You'll be gathering wid- gets like the old cat lady down the street hoards Precious Moments figurines. And then, when you finally open the door or lock or bridge, you'll get to a new area where you'll have to collect more crap to advance!

Hey, if that's your bag, this game should tickle your mojo quite nicely. It's fairly decent looking, and | did enjoy the strategy brought on by the different magical powers Malice acquires on her quest.

But I have seen the future of the

27;

o/s

BOTTOM

LINE 5 . 5 > Concept: A long-lost Xbox platformer surfaces with an unknown publisher

> Graphics: There are some nice textures and shadowing, but overall this looks like an Xbox launch title

> Sound: Minimal tuneage and a conspicuous absence of Gwen Stefani

> Playability: The combat

is rudimentary, and the plat- forming is only as hard as the camera makes it

> Entertainment: The world moves fast, and Malice has fallen more than a few steps behind

> Replay Value: Low

XBOX

IndyCar Series 2005

> STYLE 1 TO 4-PLAYER RACING (UP TO 12-PLAYER VIA XBOX LIVE) > PUBLISHER CODEMASTI

> DEVELOPE! > ESRB E

HEY LOOK! OVER HERE!

i was watching the Indianapolis 500 this year

JEMASTERS > RELEASE JUNI

and it was depressing. All that tradition and

nobody cares anymore. Now, | didn't just say that because I've got a foam finger that says, “#1 IRL Fan" Like everyone else, I'm surprised there's still open-wheeled racing in America. | mean, there isn't even enough room on those cars for all the sponsorship decals

If you're looking for an IRL revival, I'm sorry to say that IndyCar alone just isn't going to do it. And that's not an indictment of the league, it's just that — thanks mainly to Electronic Arts — people expect so much more of their video game sports these days. Codemasters has given us a relatively bare-bones approach, complete with all the tracks and a bunch of drivers, but this franchise needs to take a cue from EA's NASCAR, and do whatever it can to let people know that there's more to it than turning left.

On that note, | am glad that this game does impart some of the complexity of open-wheeled driving. Its balance (at the higher difficulty settings) is tuned so that you have to tinker with your car if you want to win races. This means that | hope you

BOTTOM

LINE 6 5 > Concept: Codemasters has its racing pedigree, but this is a fairly bland game that seeks to cover the Indy bases and little else

> Graphics: See above where | use the word "bland"

> Sound: The spotter doesn't tell you who's around you - very, very dangerot

> Playability: Changing the weight jacket and fuel mixture on the fly is pretty cool

> Entertainment: There is depth here, but unless

think you'll be captivated enough to really explore it

> Replay Value: Moderate

Second Opinion 6.5

Barring the obvious point that

the light of day and revealed in all platformer in games like Ratchet өң have the patience to run practice laps, bring your Indy racing is a niche sport its... mediocrity. & Clank and Jak |, and I'm never Second Opinion ШШ car into the garage, fix a few things, return for more to begin with, Codemaster’s Don't get me wrong, this isn't a going back to the old collection Malice has shaken two of laps, and do it all over again until things are perfect. i^ Aem terrible game. However, it's cer- grind. I'm as free as a bird now, the pillars on which | base To get a grip on all of this, Codemasters gives us nb ulus OA - ~ 5 Е my day to day life: Redheads he М lass | H lling th Ыс | amextensive simulator of left- tainly not equipped to deal with and this bird you cannot change — the Masterclass lessons. However, selling the public i AT 2 s & Sa are cute, and enormous. од A tum racing. That being said, the best of this generation's plat- not even for a spunky girl swinging EOM on the nuances of racing is very difficult, and its at “һы game still looks prety formers. The main reason is that a giant hammer. Malice, we should _ awesome. Nothing about this juncture that it’s going to lose a lot of players heinous and the Masterclass it's crippled by an over-reliance have hooked up back in the early this title, including the fiery- who are looking for something else. And let me training exercises seem to. on the worst game design cliché days of the Xbox.— MATT haired heroine, is visually take this chance to tell you that you ain't gonna find "have been cut together by a appealing; the environ- that comfort in the graphics. high school digital arts dass. ri Ау. Y qum EST. ам” ments and enemies all ook If an Indy car crashes and nobody sees it, does A nicely accurate ride, but Р, 14 ТАЗ ы 3 = = 4 like they belong in the last that mean it really happened? In a similar question ponte E ~ > е № ЧИ console generation. And of perception, this franchise is going to have to t ЛИНГЕ Т > ` 2 thou т регсер! going Ty "P. ч ~ -h EM x 0 extra hard for it to get noticed in the future —KATO од = E mers, they feel clumsy and к } С • awkward instead of soul- -^ Е А crushingly sweet. Itl am И | wielding an oversized cudgel T and I'm not looking forward | to using it, something is seri- і! ously wrong. “Boredom” ог | | “defeat” might have been | 1 , This puzzle, in which you 1 d ксы

derivative platformer. --І0Е

4 Ý, guide robots with Һешѕе of р switches, is one of th&more 4 interesting moments N L^ м >

GAME INFORMER

UNLIMITED ENABLED

XBOX

Shadow Ops: Red Mercury

> STYLE 1 OR 2-PLAYER ACTION (UP TO 16-PLAYER VIA XBOX LIVE OR SYSTEM LINK) > PUBLISHER ATARI > DEVELOPER ZOMBIE STUDIOS > RELEASE JUNE 15 > ESRB T

IN THE SHADOW OF OTHER SHOOTERS

some surprise that this

game scored so poorly. It all comes down to this: Shadow Ops is a merely pass- able game — there are much, much better titles out there, especially in the crowded FPS genre. So with so many great shooters out there, who would want to play one that is merely okay? | sure wouldn't.

To its credit, Shadow Ops plays decently, and has an acceptable (if a bit tired) story. What hurts the game so badly is the amazing lack of realism. The Al is terrible, enemies die bloodless deaths and fall to the ground in prescripted ways, and only a handful of items in the environment are destructible. But what is worse than the lack of ragdoll physics and interactive environments (both of which are more or less required in top-tier shoot-

| nitially, there may be

0 COMP

AQUA TEEN HUNGER FORCE" Volume

Coming to a rack near you.

ү THEM m 20

BOX SETS 2 DISS EPISODES

| Special features: В

ers these days) is the fact that worlds aren't “living” Enemies appear in the same place in the overly-linear levels every single time, and don't spawn until the player reaches a spe- cific point. Since there are no checkpoints, you'll leam where these points are pretty quickly, as dying forces you to play the level over from the start. At one point, | threw a grenade around a corner where | knew an enemy would appear. The grenade exploded, | walked forward, and the enemy appeared — he hadn't spawned until | rounded the corner and had taken no damage.

This lack of reality takes the player out of the game so severely that you begin to notice how ugly it is Character models are blocky, textures are bland, and the color palette is dull. There

Deleted scenes, Making of and more.

LETE

Two & SEALAB 202

is certainly no excuse for an Xbox-only title to look this mundane.

It is nice to see a title indude a bevy of multiplayer options like this one has, but they are sadly every bit as mediocre as the single player mode. Co-op is only available on split-screen, and the Live/ system link options are limited to the familiar deathmatch, team deathmatch, capture the flag, and escort games. The multiplayer maps run smoothly on Xbox Live, but are even more visually banal and by-the-numbers.

Those who are obsessed with playing every military shooter out there may find something to enjoy about Shadow Ops, but it simply comes down to this: Why have a White Castle ham- burger when you could have a juicy steak? — JEREMY

$ reviews

BOTTOM

LINE 5.75

> Concept: Hey, a military FPS set in the near future! Never seen one of those before

> Graphics: Passable, but far below where апу Xbox-exclusive title should

> Sound: Aside from the weird hiccups in the music, the sound is easily the high point of this title > Playability: Not quite as tight as the now standard Halo control scheme, but everything works

as it should

> Entertainment: | you've ever played an FPS before, there's not a single thing about Shadow Ops that seems new or unique

> Replay Уай

Second Opinion 6.25

You remember that chair you made in shop class? You know the one. A little shaky оп its feet, not very attractive to look at - thrown together too fast? That's this game. With lackluster visuals and a gameplay world populated by enemies of dubious intel- ligence, it's more frustrat- ing than fun. And while the action can be invigorating, everything seems too static and non-reactive to your actions. Like the chair, Red Mercury probably started out with a great plan and big hopes. But ultimately, if you can't sit down and enjoy it, what's the poin?—MILLER

SETS.

1" Season One

AQU TEEN

HUNGER FORCE

[adult swim].

(ПА ДТ О INTITLIOLIK)

adultswim.com

№ Assaulting a base requires support to be successful

№ Tons of foliage provides ample corer for infantry

Joint Operations: Typhoon Rising

> STYLE |-РІЛҮЕК ACTION (UP TO 150-PLAYER VIA INTERNET OR LAN) > PUBLISHER NOVALOGIC

> DEVELOPER NOVALOGIC > RELEASE JUNE 15 > ESRB T

A BIGGER, BETTER BATTLEFIELD

ou know who you are. You're the people that made Battlefield the juggernaut it is. You're

the gamers who love nothing better than fragging your hearts out online for twenty hours per week. You're the ones who know that play- ing against Al has nothing on testing your mettle against other humans around the globe. And you all have a new addiction — Joint Operations: Typhoon Rising.

The first few hours of gameplay that you put into Joint Ops might not deliver the kind of fun that you expect. It's not as pretty as UT 2004, it doesn't have the sound design of BF Vietnam, and can't match the fast-paced tactical action of Counter-Strike. What it does have, though, is rock-solid netcode and the most exquisite balancing and map design I've ever seen. Spawn-killing happens, but isn't usually problematic. All of the classes (Rifleman, Gunner, Medic, Engineer, and Sniper) feel equally effective when used properly. Vehicles are plentiful, but they are neither overwhelming nor deathtraps. Once

104 GAME INFORMER

you start getting drawn into the strategies that evolve for each map and gametype, and begin to develop a rapport with your team, the sky is the limit on how deep Joint Ops can get.

On the technical front, NovaLogic clearly focused all of their efforts on making the engine as smooth as possible in regards to framerate and lag. Even on a full 150-player server, | had very few problems with desync, choppiness, or teleporting enemies. Also, NovaLogic's Web service, NovaWorld, takes care of all of the stat-tracking and punk-busting a gamer could ask for. The flip side of this, of course,

* the sky is the limit on how deep Joint Ops can get."

# Rolling deep is the only way to go " "

о ж Re m

is that Joint Ops looks like Black Hawk Down with

a lot more foliage and better draw distance. When you're trying to make your way through 50 bad guys worth of fire to revive your fallen teammates in no man's land you don't really notice, though.

The only real issues with Joint Ops, besides its somewhat dated look, are intrinsic to the hugeness of the title, Sometimes, if your team is staffed with morons who don't form up into fire teams and fill up the vehicles, it can really bite to run across the enormous maps. Likewise, if a server isn't some- what close to capacity, the massive levels can feel as empty as the Moon. Also, with the way that the Advance and Secure gametype is set up, matches can go on a bit too long since it's so hard to finish off the other team. But once you find a good server to play on (which | didn't have any prob- lems at all doing), it's awfully hard to tear yourself away from the screen. ADAM

m Choppers, despite their intimidation factor, are тоге useful for transport than anything else

> Concept: Take online FPS to the next level

> Graphics: Not the prettiest thing ever, but it runs silky smooth at all times

> Sound: The whine of bullets whizzing past you is unnerving, though some of the weapons sound like cap guns

> Playability: Even newbs can fly aircraft! Plus, the roll-while- prone feature is awesome

> Entertainment: This is easily the best way to get your military online mayhem on

> Replay Value: High

Second Opinion 8

assault, simply because it's so easy to blow them to hel with a wel placed rocket or

mine. Consequently, you! find yourself either a lot or dying a lot then ‘you'll respawn back where ыра шан

again. ү.

UNLIMITED ENABLED

| Singles: . Hirt Up Your Life

| > STYLE 1-PLAYER SIMULATION > PUBLISHER EIDOS INTERACTIVE > DEVELOPER DEEP SILVER

: > RELEASE MAY 24 > ESRB АО | No shoes, no shirt, no problem

4

Ground Control Il: Operation Exodus |

> STYLE 1-PLAYER STRATEGY (UP TO 8-PLAYER МА INTERNET OR LAN) > PUBLISHER VIVENDI UNIVERSAL > DEVELOPER MASSIVE ENTERTAINMENT > RELEASE JUNE 22 > ESRB T

A SERIOUS CONTENDER

t's nice to see an RTS that actually gives the heavies

of the genre a run for their

There are only two factions, you see; and though they play quite differently, the

? Concept: Bring the tactical gameplay of the original into line with RTS conventions

WINK WINK, NUDGE NUDGE

money. Ground Control II: fact remains that two isn't > Graphics: Absolutely incred- 1 et's Бе dear: Singles, in the other sundry boredoms of Hop on the good Operation Exodus isn't quite а very large number. Also, ible, Amazingly detailed units, | the end, is all about the life. Second, you'll slowly build лауте bad thing , { ) A cond,

among the top three titles multiplayer doesn't have that A Шы x pp { horizontal hula. You'll play a relationship between the > Graphics: Detailed characters of its kind, but it's head and feeling of perfect balance and ects make thisasighttosee f the roles of two lonely urban two shag-starved apartment and environments look great shoulders above a good 95 infinite replayability that I've > Sound: Voiceovers are not : roomies looking to sow their tenants: Your ultimate goal even when you zoom in disturb-

ercent of RTSs released. seen elsewhere. Don't get me "W acceptable, they're atu- {wild oats. And since everyone |510 advance their romantic ingly dose P ; лі; g ally pretty good! Units could 1 knows how great an idea it is attraction to the point that they Á Plus, the campaign actually wrong, it's still fun for a while, _ һауе more acknowledgements, — : М8 the рой > Sound: Grating European club tells a story that makes you but | just don't see anyone though i to start dating your roommate, сап engage in some healthy music on repeat doesn't exactly want to keep playing. staying up until the break of > Playability: Except fora very — | they begin doing exactly that. camal Ыр. and eventu- — setthemood

The defining characteristic dawn to keep playing. few pathfinding issues, it's just i You'll pick from a dozen pre- ally fall in love and many, The > Playability: A blatant ripoff of of a great RTS is that it makes Still, Ground Control II about perfect i made characters, and even funny thing is you won't see The Sims interface is simple and you balance resources, strat. ^ delivers some of the best > Entertainment: Only the i get the surprisingly forward- them dancing the mattress jig | easy to navigate egy, and tactics to emerge RTS action around. Its pre- smallish amount of content : thinking option of same-sex anytime too soon. The remark- > Entertainment: victorious. Most lean in one sentation is top-notch and holds this back from dominating $ Couples. Starting out in an ably conservative relationship curiosity might keep direction or the other, and this will draw more than a few the genre у орех floor flat you'll manage | has them making small talk for ces is no exception — the focus dropped jaws. The campaign > Replay Value: Moderately : the day-to-day activities of 3 long time before they even here is clearly on intense is challenging without being High i yourmodemistic angstridden tentatively embrace. There's > Replay Value: Low small to medium-scale cheap, and my units’ behav- В сала ыр ы, spe pe, lewd, piste battles. Between exquisitely iors never caused my mouse { ғ зі ini balanced units, а good cover ќо get launched HRR the i Кеа furniture for the first time. odically pop up to advance the Second Opinion 7 mechanic for infantry, and office. If you enjoy strategy : And they had better discover Story" of their relationship true line-of-sight, these battles ^ gaming, you'll be well served ioi with each other since there Sadly, the game lacks the are executed extremely well. Бу spending some time con- i doesn’t seem to be anybody customization flexibility and Couple that with one of the trolling this ground.—ADAM { else in the world outside of long-term appeal of the game best presentations around, : their apartment. Maybe the itis so clearly modeled after, and GC II delivers a tactical {implication is you need toget ^ The Sims. The only true victory experience that 1 these two to make the beast that Singles can claim is the is not to be * with two backs just to repopu- ^ chance to vacuum the house denied. і ete the species... in your birthday suit. Ironically,

The only £ _ Yourcharaderslookfantas- just like a relationship built knocks against 2 tic— with uniformly expressive — entirely on the nookie, Singles this title are i ада features and a degree ends up feeling more than a in the depth : of anatomical correctness that little shallow after the first few department. Not be {would make a pirate blush. one night stands you spend

2 + Gameplay is split between playing it. But if you've long

the depth of strategy, tactics,

two tasks: First, you'll need

desired a title all about shaking

| means or gameplay — well Ра readily recommend to manage the mundane the sheets, then by а!

that's all offered itto any and all fans ofthe i aspects of living - cooking, play the game of twenty toes in spades. genre—MILLER | cleaning, showering, and all and plug оп in.—MILLER

GAME INFORMER 105

reviews

PC Д Soldiers: Heroes of World War Il

> STYLE 1-PLAYER STRATEGY (UP TO 4-PLAYER VIA INTERNET OR LAN) > PUBLISHER CODEMASTERS > DEVELOPER BEST WAY > RELEASE JUNE 29 > ESRB T

HEROIC BOREDOM

> Concept: Solve tactical prob- Jems іп a detailed, fully 3D RTS framework

> Graphics: The deformable environments are gorgeous, and there's an animation for every single action you can perform

> Sound: Passable, but never really made me feel like | was. under heavy fire

М > Playability: Everything you do is a counterintuitive, frus- trating chore

> Entertainment: In а market flooded with RTS titles, there’s по room for this subpar entry

> Replay Value: Low

Second Opinion

— FT. — "Es

А 5 much as the backwards control, lack of documentation (how

B

the hell am | supposed to know what a Russian PTRS does?), and spotty stealth bring Soldiers down, it's the sheer tedium of every moment that prevents any enjoyment of the cool features it offers.

For instance, take reloading a tank. There are seven discrete steps to accomplish this menial task, and every single one of them was about as much fun as calculus. Everything in Soldiers is like that — accurate, but painfully boring.

This is a shame, given the potential of this title. The damage models for vehicles are brilliant, cover is implemented really well, and pretty. much every piece of the environment can be blown straight to hell. It's all for naught though, because only the hardest-core war junkie will find the willpower to slog through the vast stretches of boredom to reach the pearls of brilliance hidden under Soldiers’ skin.—ADAM

РС BOTTOM 6 Besi LINE esieger > Concept: Fail to create a > STYLE 1-PLAYER STRATEGY (UP TO 9-PLAYER VIA INTERNET OR LAN) > PUBLISHER fun game despite an excellent DREAMCATCHER > DEVELOPER PRIMAL SOFTWARE > RELEASE MAY 28 > ESRB M vem ? Graphics: Gorgeous, though DESIGN TRUMPS TECHNOLOGY м distance could be

> Sound: Put that CD player to good use, because two minutes with this noise is enough for a lifetime > Playability: You can orient your formations for the first time since Myth. Praise all that’s holy!

ғ > Entertainment: Today's les-

је son: Good technology is wasted

оп bad design > Replay Value: Moderately

к Low

Second Opinion 7

just about every feature of control that you could ask for, and falls flat on its face when it comes to gameplay.

The thing that makes this a boring title is what should be its saving grace: siege combat. With huge units like battering rams, siege towers, and airships, it would seem that destruction and chaos would be the order of the day. Such is not the case, since units die so quickly under enemy fire and the odds you face are typically stacked heavily against you. The wretched unit Al makes constantly monitoring your armies a necessity, as they quickly run off to their doom without your guidance.

Combine all of these issues with weak multiplayer and a lame cam- paign, and Besieger comes up a bit shy of good. The engine, with its totally free camera movement and lack of slowdown even with enor- mous amounts of stuff on screen, is well done. Uninspired design, how- ever, keeps this title firmly lodged in the B-class of RTSs.— ADAM

106 GAME INFORMER

B esieger is exactly what | hate to see — it's pretty to look at, presents

Warlords Battlecry Ill

> STYLE I-PLAYER STRATEGY (UP TO 6-PLAYER VIA INTERNET OR LAN) > PUBLISHER ENLIGHT

> DEVELOPER INFINITE INTERACTIVE > RELEASE MAY 17 > ESRB M

KEEPING IT SIMPLE

ith the slew of RTS titles released over W the past year, you'd think that reviewing

another one would fill me with nothing but loathing. However, Warlords Battlecry ІІ manages to overcome its deficiencies and deliver a worthwhile old-school romp through the world of Etheria.

Right from the start, you'll be astounded by the amount of content in WBC III. 16 races, 13 schools of magic, and 28 hero classes make for a staggering number of options. They're anything but mere cos- metic differences, too — playing the same race with another hero can result in a completely new experi- ence. As you progress through the campaign, you'll be faced with plenty more choices: which battles to fight, where to go, what items to equip on your avatar, and which units to accept into your retinue for future combats. This RPG-like structure accounts for the lion's share of the enjoyment here, as level- ing your hero up to be a one-man (or woman) invasion force is as compelling as it always is.

Gameplay is textbook RTS, but with some nice additions that would be awesome were they more consistent. The ability to set formations is great, but too clunky to do on the fly. Telling your forces what attitude (aggressive, scout, etc.) to cop is a wonderful idea, but many of the scripts don't work like they should. Multiplayer is ser- viceable, though not up to the standards of the genre's heavy hitters. Additionally, friendly unit Al is sometimes soul-crushingly stupid while enemy Al is very reminiscent of WarCraft II, and the normal difficulty setting is a total joke for anyone

with a lick of RTS experience.

None of these shortcomings, however, get so obnoxious that they kill the fun factor. If you're more of an offline gamer, and are looking for the satisfac- tion inherent in kicking your enemies up and down the map while developing an ever-more-invincible hero, Warlords Battlecry ІІ is for you. —ADAM

BOTTOM LINE 7 и 75 > Concept: Take a mediocre

implementation of RTS concepts and somehow make it fun

> Graphics: Acceptable, but the only camera view is zoomed a bit too far out

> Sound: Having only a few music tracks gets old quickly

> Playability: | deeply appreci- ate the fact that the resource- gathering is mostly automatic, freeing up my attention for the mighty armies | command

> Entertainment: Despite all its flaws, the joys of powering up your persistent hero make for a good single-player time

> Replay Value: Moderate

GAME BOY ADVANCE QUICKIES |Е

GAME BOY ADVANCE

BOTTO Sabre Wulf

> STYLE 1-PLAYER ACTION > PUBLISHER THQ > DEVELOPER RARE > RELEASE JUNE 7 > ESRB E

\ m у тет бно a Ir _ ttook me a while to figure out exactly why 1 didn't like this game. After all, the visuals look great, the sound bites are hilarious, and it has some inven- tive puzzle solving. The problem is — and I sincerely hope this isn't becoming a habit for Rare — it's about as fun as a bowl of wheat. And not Frosted Mini- Wheats, either. The gameplay is overly repetitive, sending you into lair after lair trying to steal treasure back from the lupine kleptomaniac, Sabrewulf. Then you need to escape, which could be exciting if it weren't for the fact that the ‘Wulf is a total chump, easily duped by the simplest jumping tricks. Once the charm of the graphics and sound wear off, the challenge of Sabre Wulf lies not in recover- ing treasure, but rather mustering the will to continue playing —JOE Duel Masters:

Sempai Legends

> STYLE 1 OR 2-PLAYER STRATEGY > PUBLISHER ATARI > DEVELOPER MISTIC SOFTWARE/C4 DIGITAL > RELEASE JUNE 1 > ESRB E

GAME BOY ADVANCE

the big nasty, Duel Masters:

Sempai Legends would be the progeny. In such, this is a card game set within the frame- work of an RPG. Although the character movement is a little too stiff for my liking, the worlds that you traverse are colorful and loaded with detail. Many of the people that you can converse with also wish to duel. It'll be up to you to build a dominating deck that will crush any and all challengers. The card battling is ripe with strategies, and features over 180 different cards. Don't fret, you won't be summoning happy-go-lucky animals. All of the monsters look like cold-blooded killers that just crawled out of hell. In this regard, Duel Masters has more of an adult appeal, yet proves to be just as enjoyable as the Yu-Gi-Oh and Pokémon titles —REINER

| f Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh did

GAME BOY ADVANCE

Spider-Man 2

> STYLE 1-PLAYER ACTION > PUBLISHER ACTIVISION > DEVELOPER DIGITAL ECLIPSE > RELEASE JUNE 29 > ESRB Е

BOTT! LINE

web swinging, comic book inspired visuals, and gorgeous animations for

the arachnid's vast arsenal of moves. Unfortunately, it is easily squashed when it comes to the delivery of thrills. You know you are in for a world of hurt when a game begins with a frustrating timed pizza delivery mission. The 3D web swinging has improved significantly, and the selection of moves that you have at your fingertips is expansive, but to much dismay, the difficulty isn’t as blistering, and the missions just suck. | love the gameplay, but there really needed to be a more engrossing game around it —REINER

T his itsy-bitsy Spider dazzles the eye with impressive three-dimensional

UNLIMITED ENABLED

GAME BOY ADVANCE

uma

. Astro Boy: Omega Factor

> STYLE 1-PLAYER ACTION > PUBLISHER SEGA > DEVELOPER TREASURE/HITMAKER > RELEASE AUGUST 17 > ESRB Е

A HELLION IN UNDERPANTS

irst off, let me just say that | E have zero knowledge of the

Astro Boy universe, the famous anime franchise, or the upcoming animated series. About all | know about the little dude is that he looks ike the illegitimate son of Betty Boop and shoots bullets out of his ass — which is fine by me. | say this not to denigrate the Astro Boy legacy, but rather to point out that this title is earning its score not by virtue of its icense, but Бу its superb gameplay.

For those of you who hold fond memories of the NES era, put this at the top of your "must buy" list. Created through a partnership between Sega's Hitmaker studio and Treasure, the company behind the cult classic GameCube shooter karuga, Astro Boy demonstrates once again just how compelling clas- Sic 2D gameplay can be when it's done right.

Although a Sega product, Astro Boy is actually more reminiscent of Capcom's Mega Man franchise. Like Mega Man, our hero is equipped with a number of robotic powers, including a finger laser, jet boosters that allow for quick dash moves across the screen, p and a handful of awesome special attacks. Whether flying in the air or on foot, Astro takes on all comers in hyperki- netic style, darting around at light speed, blasting and punching foes like an underwear-

sporting dynamo.

It's also a reminder of just how much skill was required to best the best of the 8-bit consoles. Astro Boy constantly keeps you on your toes, throwing new styles of gameplay and bosses at the player at a rapid rate. Mastery of your special attacks is paramount to survival, as (in true Treasure style) this title chucks hordes of on-screen enemies and fire at you. Because it's nearly impossible to avoid all the chaos through quick maneuvering, specials (which eradicate all bullets in their path) allow you that brief respite necessary to make your way to the next safe area. Also, since you can't be hit while performing a quick- dash, staying extremely mobile is also in your best interest. For those that do make it through, there's a very cool plot twist and a new mode that opens up at the end.

Astro Boy is definitely one of the highlights of gaming for me in 2004, and its pure and simple action is a perfect antidote to the poorly executed, overblown titles that clog store shelves these days.— MATT

SCORE 39165000000)"

Boss battles are fierce and numérous

BOTTOM LINE

8.5

> Concept: A thrilling return to the days of 8-bit side-scroll- ing action

> Graphics: Aside from the large enemies being very pixellated and brief bouts of slowdown, Astro Boy has a vivid and stylish look

> Sound: An excellent old- school video game soundtrack > Playability: This difficult title gives you all the tools for success, and pushes your reflexes to their limits

> Entertainment: This is as much fun as I've had with а game in a long time

> Replay Value: High

GAME INFORMER 107

C HAR | S An In-Depth Listing Of The Best Selling Games

TOP 20 TOP 10 JAPAN Listings Based Upon NPD Data For May 2004 Based On Units Sold Rank Tite 1. Мо, System ЕЕ Super Robot Taisen MX N/A __Р52 1 RED DEAD REVOLVER Rank Title L. Mo. | System} Score |Release| Price ПР леп Pachislot N/A PS2 ПЕ Grand Theft Auto: Vice City МА PS2 Red Dead Revolver МА | PS2 | 8 0504, $48.) BRI wario World МА Gt |5 | Atelier Iris: Eternal Manar NA PS2 NBA Ballers 2 | 22| 8 04/04| $38 Metroid Zero Mission МА GBA Pikmin 2 1. 60 ІСІ репзна De Go! Final NA PS2 Fight Night 2004 МА | Р52| 9 [04/04 $48 | ГІ Pokémon: Fire Red/Leat Green 5 GBA MVP Baseball 2004 4 | PS2 | 9.25 |03/04| $48 Shrek 2 МА | Р52| 7 |03/04| $50 Source: Game Japan Based On Monthly Units Sold Red Dead Revolver N/A |XBOX| 8 |03/04| $49 TOP 10 GI Rank Title L. Mo. System Transformers N/A | PS2 | 7 |03/04| $50 ЕШ Pikmin 2 МА GC Syphon Fil Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow 6 Multi yphon Filter: р ма | рез: |-s. ook] suo Cientos [| Riddick: Escape Рот | у, The Omega Strain - Га | Psi-Ops: Тһе Mindgate Conspiracy 3 Multi Shrek 2 ма | сва | ма [обли sao * Cit Of Heroes e ep | 6| Joint Operations: Typhoon Rising NA РС Oni ha 3: E Ground Control 11: Operation Exodus МА РС шша 5; МА | Ps2 | 9 |04/04| 550 | З Mega Man Anniversary Collection 5 Ми Demon Siege EN Onimusha 3: Demon Siege 4 р E А EJ Astro Boy: Omega Factor N/A GBA Samurai Warriors МА | PS2 | 75 05/04 | $50 = a К Halo 9 |хвох| 95 |11/01| $29 Hitman: Contracts 10 | PS2 | 7.25 |04/04| $50 Pokémon Colosseum 5 50 Т 09/04 dis Rank Title | |. Мо. Price ЕЗ star wars: Knights Of The Old Republic МА 522 Shrek 2 wa | ес | 7 |ешізе| MEA city of Heroes ыш | з Far cry 5 $38 ТТ вашенем Vietnam 357 M Van Helsing МА | Р52 | 7 |05/04| $49 Star Wars: Jedi Academy МА $26 5 SHREK 2 Rise 0f Nations 7 $34 ES Age 0f Mythology МА $33 Custom Robo МАО ЕШ Rise Of Nations: Thrones & Patriots 4 — $26 ЕШ Unreal Tournament 2004 6 Fight Night 2004 wa [хвох| o [шум gao | ЕШ The Sims Deluxe Edition 8 Mario vs. Donkey Kong N/A | GBA | 7.5 |05/04| $29 NBA Street Vol. 2 N/A | PS2 | 9 |04/03| $20 Based On Monthly Units Sold 108 GAME INFORMER Source: The NPD Group/NPD Funworld* /TRSTS* + David Riley 516-625-2277

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