A 4 PRINCE OF PERSIA | RESIDENT EVIL 5 9 n -፦ AN Exclusive First Look At The Brand New Saga | NeverBeforo-Seen Screens ነ ‘THE WORLD'S #1 cQ|jeurER R VIDEO GAME MAGAZINE DRUMS * VOCALS + CREATE YOUR OWN SONGS » HOW NEVERSOFT |S CHANGING MUSIC GAMES FOREVER PG. 48. HMM NI Blood Crude Humor Available 6.12.08 ጠሦየኛ፡ .፡ a ወፀ A Hero Must Stand Alom e yt / F # ያ “1 ，MEIALGEARSOLID a, GUNS OF THE PATRIOTS TACTICAL ESPIONAGE ልርፕ Æ ON DMING EXCLUSIVELY ON THE PLAYSTATION*3 computer entertainment system : uiu ጋ na www.konam i. Blood Mild Language Use of Alcohol and Tobacco Violence £ CONTE መማ RATED BY S ኒ ሓ PLAYSTATIO? = : R B # > ROBERT LUDLUM'S WWW.BOURNETHEGAME - C O MNA MATURE 17+ Blood and Gore Intense Violence Nudity Sexual Content *Moucher Code good for d id of Syphon Filtei Combat Ops for the: system onthe PLAYSTATION® Network onl Gode expires 12/31/08. Vouc 316 can only be redeemed through PEAXSTATIONG Network ("PSN") Account Management included. User respon applicable Internet fees. ©2008 Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. God of War is ፡ Entertainment America Inc. Syph s d trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. ©2007 Sony Comp ©2007 Columbia Pictures Industries Inc. All rights reserved. Superbad ©2008 Layout and Design Sony Pictures Home Entertains PS" Family logo and "PSP rademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc FORGED IN THE DEPTHS OF HADES. SO YES, ፲ፕ'5 ል LIMITED EDITION. THE DEEP RED PSP® SYSTEM. AVAILABLE ONLY IN THE GOD OF WAR® ENTERTAINMENT PACK. Includes the exclusive deep red PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, the God of War®: Chains of Olympus game, Superbad UMD;" and a PLAYSTATION® Network voucher for Syphon Filter: Combat Ops? Available June 3rd. PlayStation Portable CHAINS. OF OLYMPUS ፦-= ”= GODE: WAR E Intense Violence Strong Language PLAYSTATIONS PLAYSTATION:Network © 2008 Ubisoft Entertainment and Free Radi Limited. All Rights Reserved faze is a trademark of Ubisoft Entertainment and Free Radical Design. Free Radical Design and its associated logo are trademarks of Free Radical Design Li Ubisoft, Ubi.com, and the Ubisoft logo are registered trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the U.S. and/or other countries. Developed by Free Radical Design Limited. “PlayStation”, “PLAYS ‘and "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Online access requires broadband Internet service and a wireless access point or LAN. Certain limitations applyto Wi-Fi connectivity. User is responsible for Internet service fees NT ረታ ቃረ 248 ic t 7 = ም zz ፡ 44 POSE THE UTH $ T J s , 1 N í ኺ EXPERIENCE THE POWER OF THE PLAY THE ENTIRE CAMPAIGN IN AS A CUNNING REBEL, USE WHAT L ል DRUG NECTAR WHEN YOU PLAY AS FOUR-PLAYER CO-OP MODE YOU'VE LEARNED AS A MANTEL A HIGH-TECH MANTEL TROOPER TROOPER TO FIGHT BACK * AVAILABLE IN STORES ON MAY 22 እኳ 2 tilii UBISOFT IN DEFENSE OF THE MADDEN MACHINE You've got 10 months and six million vocal fans whose demands had better be met - or else they'll probably still buy your game. EA Tiburon general manager Philip Holt explains what hap- pens between iterations of the digital NFL, and why he's glad all those fans are so willing to share their complaints. PRINCE OF PERSIA From the studio that brought you Assassin's Creed comes a new chapter in the vaunted action/adven- ture franchise, A brand new Prince stars in a sweep- ing epic about a struggle against sinister forces that seek to corrupt the world. Tense one-on-one duels and fresh platforming mechanics take this Persian adventure into the next generation - and we have the exclusive first look. departments. STAFF Read the team's latest favorites GI SPY Silly pictures of our life and times DEAR GI Your chance to fire back at us! CONNECT Where news, talk, and technology collide INTERVIEW Gaming legend and Firaxis Games head Sid Meier shares a bit of his time with us to talk about how the industry has changed since its early days 8 GAME INFORMER cover story GUITAR HERO 4 No, this isn't another set of new tracks for $60. This is where the next-gen music wars start: Developer Neversoft is pulling out all the stops with Guitar Hero 4 in an effort to out-thrash Rock Band. There's a mic. There's a drum kit — with five pads. There's a music creator, Think of everything you ever wanted out of a music game, and there's a good chance it's in GH 4. This is the world-exclusive first look, and it's waiting for you right now. GEAR Geeky gadget stuff for the masses OPINION Donna Mei-Ling Park, co-host of The Electric Playground, talks some sense into gamers regarding the fairer sex CALENDAR Get hip to this month's happenings PREVIEWS It's going to be a good second half of the year. Get caught up on Resident Evil 5, Banjo-Kazooie Nuts & Bolts, and The Sims 3 REVIEWS Game of the Month: Grand Theft Auto IV for Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 CHARTS Retail Sales Data and the GI editors’ Top 10 Games SECRET ACCESS Codes, strategies, and passwords CLASSIC 61 Reliving gaming's greatest moments ONLINE See what's happening at Game Informer Online GAME OVER The end...or is it? | game index | GAME 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand Assassin's Creed: Director's Cut Edition Baja Banjo-Kazooie Nuts & Bolts Battle of the Bands Damnation Darksiders: Wrath of War Destroy All Humans: Path of the Furon Drone Tactics Emergency Mayhem Fallout 3 ial Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon Final Fantasy IV Freaky Creatures Gauntlet Gran Turismo 5: Prologue. Grand Theft Auto IV . . Guitar Hero: On Tour Haze Jake Hunter: Detective Chronicles . . . . Line Rider 2: Unbou Lost Planet: Extreme Condition Colonies Edition Major League Baseball 2K8: Fantasy All-Stars Mario Kart Wii Metal Gear Online Mushroom Men: Rise of the Fungi NBA Ballers: Chosen Ninja Gaiden II. Ninja Reflex Order Up Resident Evil 5 Rise of the Argonauts . . Robocalypse. . . . Sims 3, The .. Skate It Sonic Unleashed . . ... Summon Night: Twin Age. . Tales of Vesperia Trauma Center: Under the Knife 2....... Universe At War: Earth Assault...... . Viva Pinata 2: Trouble in Paradise . . . Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning We Ski ...... Wii ፻1.... WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 ARNE VOU UR TO THE CHALLENGER 9 out of 10 - Official Xbox Magazine, June 2008 C —— M— Q SELECT FACE PRESET Easy to "Pick Up & Play" - Simple Evolutionary Visuals™ - Watch in real Classic Legendary Players - For the Unrivalled Player Creator - Create controls provide players with time as your players get progressively 1* time ever play as your favorite pro: a player and make it your own with incredibly exciting, action-packed hotter, sweatier, and dirtier while from the past including Björn Borg custom swing animations, a NEW free fun right from the start! competing at breathtaking venues Boris Becker, and Monica Seles form sculpting tool, and much more! EVERYONE NINTENDSDS . BU PLAYSTATION © 2008 Take-Two Interactive Software and its subsidiaries. All rights reserved. Top Spin, Top Spin 3, 2K Sports, the 2K Sports Logo and Take -Two Interactive Software are all trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Take Two Interactive Software. All rights reserved, "PlayStation", "PLAYSTATION" and "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies and are used under license from Microsoft. Wii and Nintendo DS are trademarks of Nintendo, © 2006 Nintendo. The ratings icon is a registered trademark of the Entertainment Software Association. "t S [ Al í People Who Actually Get Paid To Play Video Games GREATEST SUMMER EVAR! ANDY McNAMARA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF The video game industry has long been fixated on the holiday season. For years, the biggest and best titles have come in the months leading up to December. It was just what companies did. It was believed that this was the time when you make the most money as a publisher, and that by publishing a title at any other time of the year you would be selling your game short. Of course, that mindset still holds true today (as it should, as many of the top games do really rake in the cash during the holiday game-buying frenzy). But just because that time of year works, that doesn't mean other seasons should be ignored. Slowly but surely, however, the game industry is learning that gamers will buy great games year round. | remember when Resident Evil 2 came out in March 1998 and industry pundits said it would never reach its full potentional in spring. The game went on to sell millions of copies -- dispelling yet another gamer myth. But summer has long been forgotten and left as a wasteland where few games fill those lazy hot afternoons. That has always bothered me, since for as long as I can remember there have been “sum- mer blockbuster” movies, so why can't there be “summer blockbuster” games? This year, it all changes. Maybe not by choice, but it's still happening. With Grand Theft Auto IV coming at the end of April, and Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots set for June 12, this is the blockbuster summer we have all been waiting for. And these two giants aren't alone either. Battlefield: Bad Company and Ninja Gaiden II are just a few of the many we will see during this, the greatest of all summers. Let's just hope.these games are as successful as they need to be, so we have more to look forward to in future summers than just anoth- er bad Will Smith film. Cheers, ሥ Andy >> andy@gameinformer.com Handle: The Game Hombre Expertise: RPGs, Action/Platform, Driving, First-Person Shooters Interests: 30 Rock, iPhone, Battlestar Galactica, The NFL Off Season, Extreme Broadband Dislikes: Vista, The Lack Of Reiner >> reiner@gameinformerccom Handle: The Raging Gamer Expertise: RPGs, Action, First-Person Shooters, Strategy, Sports, Fighting Interests: My Wife Accepting My GTA Addiction (As She Says, "At Least It's Not Heroin"), The Reiner Dog (A Chicago Dog With Spicy Garlic Sauce), Purchasing Seven Pairs Of Chicago Cubs Boxer Shorts (Anything To Break The Curse) Dislikes: Playing GTA To Realize That Text Messaging & Driving Are A Poor Combo (Rest In Peace, Niko), Feeling Bad About Getting Turned Down In GTA's Internet Dating (Maybe | Take This Game A Little Too Seriously) Current Favorite Games: Grand Theft Auto IV, Grand Theft Auto IV, Grand Theft Auto IV Matt >> matt@gameinformer.com Handle: The Original Gamer Expertise: First-Person Shooters, Action/Platform, Action/ Adventure, Action/Sports Interests: Black Mountain (Great Band!), Finally Watching The Wire, The Return Of NBC Thursday Comedies, Nice Weather, Cheering For The Celtics For The Very First Time Dislikes: Primary Coverage, Being Forced To Cheer For The Celtics, Being Out Of Shape, Wii Shovelware, Chris Tucker Haters (Friday Is A Classic Of Modern Cinema!) Current Favorite Games: Professor Layton And The Curious Village, Guitar Hero; Aerosmith, Guitar Hero 4, Mass Effect, Grand Theft Auto IV Kato >> kato@gameinformer.com Handle: The Game Katana Expertise: Sports, Racing, Action/Adventure, Action/RPG Interests: The Wire, It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, The Autumn Leaves - Long Lost Friend, The NFL Draft, Jared Allen! Dislikes: Another One & Done Post-Season For The Wild, My Head Turning Into A Sprinkler Whenever | Eat Delicious Indian Food Current Favorite Games: Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, Jeanne D'Arc, Grand Theft Auto IV, Gran Turismo 5: Prologue, Wii Fit Adam >> adam@gameinformer.com Handle: The Alpha Gamer Expertise: RPGs, Strategy, First-Person Shooters, Fighting Interests: Sriracha Sauce, Atmosphere - Seven’ Travels (| Was Totally Wrong Before, And | Apologize), Getting Back On My Bike, Rome, Bumpin’ New Gaming PCs, New Paradigms For PC Gaming Dislikes: That | Never Got On The Firefox Plugin Train Until Now, Half My Fantasy Team On The DL, Gross-Sounding Baseball Injuries (Kaz Matsui, You've Broken My Innocence) Current Favorite Games: Sins Of A Solar Empire, Master Of Magic, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, Rock Band, Mario Kart Wii JOE >> joe@gameinformer.com Handle: The Real American Gamer Expertise: RPGs, Adventure, Action, Strategy, Puzzle Interests: There Will Be Blood, Replaying The Entire Metal Gear Series, Nextwave: Agents Of HATE, Winning $1 Bets, The Cavils Dislikes: Not Even Being A Fraction As Awesome As Daniel Day-Lewis, Jesse And The Rippers (They Should Not Be In Rock Band, Miller), Milk On Cereal, The Fact No One Says “Sit On It" Anymore (I Miss The Fonz), The Sixes Current Favorite Games: Grand Theft Auto IV, Metal Gear Online, The Sims 3, Braid, Perfect Prosecutor (Please Come To The U.S.) Miller >> miler@gameinformer.com Handle: The Once And Future Gamer Expertise: RPGs, Action/Adventure, Platform, First- Person Shooters, Music, Puzzle Interests: The Ground Not Being Snow-Covered, Deadwood (Like Shakespeare With Six-Shooters!), Having A Dog That Doesn't Mind Sleeping In Dislikes: The Cost Of D&D Miniatures (Plastic Should Not Be That Expensive), Having A Dog That Eats My Socks Current Favorite Games: Prince Of Persia, Braid, Elefunk, Super Mario Galaxy, Viking Battle For Asgard, Rock Band, Grand Theft Auto IV Bertz >> mattbertz@gameinformer.com Handle: Lord Gamington || Expertise: First-Person Shooters, Sports, Action, RPGs, Strategy Interests: Wilco — Sky Blue Sky, Cylon Civil War, GTA IV Multiplayer, The Jared Allen Acquisition ( Can Already Envision A Broken Aaron Rodgers On Week One), iPhone Version 2 Rumors (Let Them Be True!) Dislikes: The Wild's Weak Exit From The Playoffs, The Fact That Every Cable Service Provider Sucks Current Favorite Games: Grand Theft Auto IV, Battlefield: Bad Company, NFL Head Coach, Bully: Scholarship Edition Ben >> ben@gameinformer.com Handle: Your Friendly Neighborhood Gamer Expertise: Action/Adventure, Action/RPGs, Platform, Survival Horror, First-Person Shooters Interests: Dairy Soda, Grilling (Welcome Back Summer), Searching For God Knows What By Donald Millar, Seeing London Dislikes: Seeing London In Three Days, Paintball Welts On The Pillow Side Of Your Head, Will Smith Haters (Wild Wild West Is A Classic Of Modern Cinema!) Current Favorite Games: Braid, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Mario Kart Wii, World Of Warcraft, Banjo-Kazooie Nuts And Bolts, Grand Theft Auto IV Bryan >> bryan@gameinformer.com Handle: The Gamer's Advocate Expertise: Action/Adventure, RPGs, Survival Horror, GAMEINFORMER JUNE 2008 Volume XVIII * Number 6 ፥ Issue 182 PUBLISHER Cathy Preston EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Andrew McNamara EDITORS Executive Editor Andrew Reiner Sonlor Editor Matt Holgeson Senlor Associate Editor Matthew Kato Associate Editors Adam Blessener * Joe Juba * Matt Miller Ben Reeves « Bryan Vore Content Manager Matt Bertz Mascot Arthur PRODUCTION Art Director Thomas Blustin Production Director Curtis Fung Graphic Designer Jeff Akervik CONTRIBUTORS. Photographer Michael Cantor Contributing Writers. Nick Ahrens + Meagan VanBurkleo GAME INFORMER ONLINE Online Editor Jeff Cork Media Editor Nick Ahrens Associate Online Editor Meagan VanBurkleo. ADVERTISING SALES MINNEAPOLIS Rob Borm Associate Publisher (612) 486615 ax: (612) 4866101 rob@gameinformer.com WEST COAST Damon Watson West Coast Advertising Director (310) 450-3260 * Fax: (310) 450-3571 Janey Stringer West Coast Advertising Associate (612) 486-6104 * Fax: (612) 486-6101 Janey@gameinformer.com EAST COAST Suzanne Lang East Coast Advertising Sales Director (718) 832-5575 * Fax: (718) 832-5569 suzanne@gameinformer.com MINNEAPOLIS. Amy Amold Advertising Coordinator and Online Sales (612) 4866154 Fax: (612) 4866101 amy@gameinformer.com Rachel Nimerfroh Marketing Coordinator (612) 486-6059 * Fax: (612) 4866101 rachel@gameinformercom CIRCULATION CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT For renewal, address change and Edge card details Visit: www.gamelnformer.com. Email: customerservice@gameinformer.com Or send correspondence to: 724 North First St, 3rd Floor Minneapolis, MN 55401 © Attn: CIS Dept For subscription inquiry ONLY: 1 (866) 844-GAME (4263) Circulation Services Ted Katzung * (612) 486-6107 ted@®gameinformer.com Information Systems Manager Paul Hedgpeth paulhedgpeth@gameinformer.com In memory of Paul Anderson mos, or 'UBLISHER LIABILITY FOR ERROR The publ for sight changes or typographi " alue of an advertisement. The publ ርሃ agrees to defend and abiit, loss, or expense unfair trade practices, Variety From Rock Band Downloads (No More Boston Or Police, Please. And This Is Coming From Someone Who Likes Those Bands) Current Favorite Games: Grand Theft Auto IV, World Of Warcraft, Rainbow Six Vegas 2, Metal Gear Online, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith First-Person Shooters, Music Interests: Gone Baby Gone, The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford, Grilling Season, Before The Devil Knows You're Dead Dislikes: Dry Cereal Eating (Just Make An Eggo, Jeez!), The Uncontrollable Desire To Repurchase All Of My Favorite Albums On Vinyl, Netflix Thinking About Charging Extra For Blu-ray Rentals Current Favorite Games: Guitar Hero 4, Bully: Scholarship Edition, Wi Fit, Alone In The Dark, Professor Layton And The Curious Village ames, patents, or privacy, resuling from the 10 GAME INFORMER Member Audit Bureau of Circulations BHAXLZCHIM THE PRESIDENTIAL PARTY GAME ን * ¢ ያ "UE: UN ፻፪ kdo ey i EN m uw EC S ንና. 4 PY Candid Photos From The Seedy Underbelly Of The Video Game Industry 1 Hey, it's a start! Game Informer's Paul Hedgpeth helped us join the world of NASCAR sponsorship with our little ad on the side of Brad Coleman's number 27 car at the Texas Motor Speedway! Next year, Andy's getting a Jeff Gordon "tramp stamp"! 2 Jeff Cork of GI Online cozies up to the greatest game cre- ator of all time, Shigeru Miyamoto. Hey, where's Jeff's hand? We smell a lawsuit 3 GI Online's new- est addition Meagan VanBurkleo makes her GI Spy debut with Epic Games' Mark Rein 4 Nick and Meagan have the biggest posse in the history of the world! (Actually, it's THQ's PR team, but don't tell anyone, we're trying to increase ou street cred) 5 Reiner and Bertz take a break from a marathon GTA IV session with Rockstar Games' Alex Moulle-Berteaux and Bruce Dugan 6 At Mastiff's Major League Eating event, Tim "Eater X" Janus goes buckwild on a plate of sushi. Dude once ate 141 pieces of sushi in six minutes! Respect 7 Charley Price of Liquid Entertainment, James Attenburg of Codemasters, and Bender Helper's Stacy Miles enjoy the view from the GI balcony with Nick and Miller 8 EA's Shirley Chu and Mike McCartney take a break from showing off their new Wii title Skate It by going to Be'Wiched, the best damn deli in Minneapolis ፖ 12 GAME INFORMER Noob is as Noob does | have been playing MMOs like MapleStory for a while now, but | am getting seriously tired of people calling me a noob for doing some things that people would obvi- ously do in real life. For example, a player drops a very rare item and people try and grab it, but he quickly snatches it back up before anyone can get it, then calls every- one crowding him a noob. In real life, if a guy drops $100 and says you can keep it if you can grab it, wouldn't you give it a try? | really try to ignore this noob word, but it starts to tick me off when someone calls me that. Anonymous via yahoo.com Have you ever read those Peanuts comics where Lucy promises Charlie Brown that she won't pull the football away at the last second when he kicks it? She never keeps her word. Don’t be a Charlie Brown; you might avoid being called a noob in the future by not repeatedly falling for obvious pranks like the ol’ item drop. Other humiliating MMO swindles to avoid include hide- and-seek, simultaneous cliff jumping, and rolling Alliance. G | The Readers Strike Back Roots Are Important Your review of Crisis Core left me surprised. Usually GI is good at writing informative and well-reasoned reviews, but I couldn't help but feel suspicious of this one. Your comparison to the Star Wars prequels is appropriate, because like those 50-50 movies, Crisis Core's charm relies upon a much stron- ger product released years prior. Nostalgia and reverence for the original seem to excuse the faults of the follow-up. Granted, | haven't played the game, but it seems to me that the game was helped out by the original Final Fantasy VII. Joe via inkdream.net It was. As a gaming experience, Crisis Core definitely benefits from the groundwork laid by its predecessor. Knowing Final Fantasy VII's main characters and events is how you will get the most out of Crisis Core...it's a prequel! Very few games stand entirely alone; most are a part of an ongoing tradition. They might be sequels in long-running series, part of a licensed franchise, or an entry in a specific gaming genre. This context is a part of any gaming experience, and while it may not be as important as pure gameplay, it is worth considering. After all, what good is a review of Star Wars: Episode III written by someone who has never seen the original Star Wars trilogy? Just because someone appreciates these connections does not mean they automatically “excuse the faults” of subsequent projects. Crisi Core, for instance, received an average score despite its relationship to one of the most revered RPGs of all time. Shenanigans? | have a growing concern that | can no longer keep to myself. It pertains to your staff page, which | assume is no more than an attempt to get your faces in the magazine in order to impress women. But to put a finer point on the matter, | dislike the “current favorite games” section of each editor's profile. It's time someone finally called shenanigans on your team. l'm sorry, but if Epic comes over and brings the lat- est build of Gears of War 2, and you get to play it for an hour, it is NOT one of your favorite games. It hasn't even been finished yet! You're just trying to say to readers "I'm cooler than you. Epic let me play Gears 2, and | need a way to brag about it" lan Mondrick via yahool.com If we were in this to impress women, we'd probably start by appearing less disheveled and slovenly in the pictures we put in our magazine. Anyway, to address your point, consider this: If you ask Andy what his favorite game is, he replies with "Metroid" So, if Andy's favorite games section were limited to that - favorite released/completed games - you would just see Metroid month after month (among other rarely chang- ing entries). That would be boring, so we don't use the lists just to talk about games that are out. Instead, our current favorite games are a blend of what we're playing at the moment and what we're looking forward to. Games like Gears of War 2 make the lists because we're just as excited for it as you are. All Are 0ne As a Wii owner, | seriously regret having to miss out on certain games unless | save up for the 360 or PS3. Why don't Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo all make different consoles, but with a universal format? For example, it doesn't matter who made your TV, stereo, or DVD player; they all run the same despite the device. It should be the same for consoles. Nate England via yahoo.com Man, that would be awesome for con- sumers. Unfortunately, it doesn't really work from a business perspective. How would Sony, Microsoft, or Nintendo ben- efit from the arrangement? If you want to play Super Mario Galaxy, BioShock, and Metal Gear Solid 4, you have to buy three consoles, and everyone makes money. If one console supports every game, then two companies aren't getting the money you otherwise would have spent. There is also the loss of system distinction to con- sider: As it stands, each console offers a different kind of gaming experience. For instance, you can't use your Xbox 360 controller to play Wii Sports. To fix that, all three companies would have to do more than support a universal format - they'd essentially have to make the same hardware and peripherals. Then we're dealing with a one-console future, and that's a discussion topic all by itself (see our debate on page 31, issue 179). Pitching In First off, your What If article last issue was a cool idea. | know Tomb Raider has a certain sex appeal factor to it, but Mr. Wanat's pitch about a nude Lara Croft is nothing more than an attempt at shock value — either that, or he's been dying to share his fantasy of a digital female. Congrats, consider me "shocked" | know that article is a hypotheti- Send your comments to Game Informer. Snail Mail: Game Informer Magazine e Attn: Dear GI © 724 North First St., 4th Floor e Minneapolis, MN 55401 Email: deargi@gameinformer.com GI COMMUNITY Game Informer has a thriving online community, and this is where they can sound off about issues facing the gaming industry today THE QUESTION: What band(s) have you been turned on to thanks to Guitar Hero or Rock Band? Before | played Guitar Hero ill, I had only heard one song from Killswitch Engage, but after play- ing it l've bought three of their CDs. As Daylight. Dies is one of my favorite CDs now. BladeWarrior23 Eric Johnson. I've heard the name in the past but never paid much attention to him. "Cliffs Of Dover” rocks and has inspired me to check out some more of his music. It seems like | always have this song in my head. Cheechi1 Guitar Hero and Rock Band have taught me that | was born in the wrong decade. Thanks to these games l've picked up an interest in classics like Blue Oyster Cult, Molly Hatchet, the Outlaws, and Deep Purple. Suddenly my parents’ music actually seems good! aubradley84 If it weren't for Rock Band | would have ignored Coheed and Cambria. | asked a friend about them, and he told me they were rap/reggae, so | never sampled their music before. The stupid jerk had no idea who they were. I had heard of the song "Surrender" forever, but | never knew who sang it until Guitar Hero. Now l'm a Cheap Trick freak! Undernet Honestly, I've been turned on to all music as a whole since playing Guitar Hero, not just one band. Before playing, I did not listen to music at all. After playing the hell out of GH Il and tl, lve become a bit of a music junkie. xenosaga freak 14 GAME INFORMER lap-lem Do you want to make your voice heard? Weigh in with your opinion at www gameinformer.com/forums. Blood and Gore Strong Language Violence ESRB CONTENT RATING — www.esrb.org © 2008 Atari Interactive, Inc. All rights reserved. Atari and the Atari logo are trademarks owned by Atari Interactive, Inc; d marks are the property of their respective owners. The ESRB rating icons are registered tradémarks of the Enterta trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Use of this product is subject to accept- ance of a license agreement. The terms of this license agreement can be found in the product's manual, “PlayStation” and /logo Tégistered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainmentiine, © 2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft, Windows, the Windows Vista Start button, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE; and the, Xbox logos are fils ofthe ሊ oft of companies, and 'Games for Windows' and the Windows Vista Start button logo are used under license from Microsoft. Wii and the Wii logo are trademarks of Nintendo. © 2006 Nintendo. A ኋ cal, but it's the attitude behind it that hurts the industry. Reducing Lara Croft to eye candy doesn't help to garner the trust and respect of those who still think games are only for social rejects. IVAN MEDINA Brett Davis H | via sbcglobal.net How many lickers does it | have never been a huge fan of the take to get the Tootsie Roll Resident Evil franchise, but | was com- center of a human? pletely blown away by the pitch made by Jason Rubin for how he would make the next game in the series. An almost strictly multiplayer Resident Evil would, in my humble opinion, be absolutely amaz- ing. Not being able to camp in one place, always being forced to move...it screams teamwork, which is hard for most games to force upon the player. In fact, the whole article was absolutely amazing. Thanks! Send to: Game Informer Reader Art Contest Daniel Owens 724 Ist St. N, via hotmail.com 4th Floor Whether you agreed with the propos- als or not, we're glad to see that the introductory What If feature got people talking. It’s always interesting to take a look at the gaming industry's heavy hit- ting series from a different angle...even if you don't enjoy the view. For more purely hypothetical game ideas, be sure to check out what Bungie's Jaime Griesemer would do with the Zelda franchise by flipping over to page 24. "መ Mpls, MN 55401 Not So Super 1 went to buy Super Smash Bros. Brawl the day it came out and | was pretty excited. Three days later, | traded that garbage in! This game sucks! | had not played my Wii in months, but when | heard about this ELIZABETH COBLE game I thought | would put my PS3 con- troller down for a little while. Wrong. This is Spartans and crochet, the biggest disappointment of my life. together at last Matthew Merced HIA SIDA ase a via aol.com RICHARD CLANTON We definitely expected a few “OMG this Seconds later, Master game should have been a 10!” emails, Chief was brained but this one caught us by surprise. If by ET. on a flying you are a big enough Smash Bros. fan to look forward to the game, it's almost impossible to be unimpressed by the wide array of characters, stages, activi- ties, and generally pervasive fan service. Also, if being let down by a video game is the biggest disappointment of your life, you are either A) incredibly lucky, or B) not done with middle school. Stupid 8th grade Sadie Hawkins dance. bike, and promptly devoured GALLDUTYS > ea ro is Since his games are so notoriously easy, Ryu Who's laughing now, dog? Hayabusa seeks challenges by invading other titles ት) | JOSE DIAZ a | CHRIS BASSLER CORRECTIONS: : In issue 181 we listed Teenage Zombies at being developed by Ignition Entertainment. Ignition is the 16: CAME INFORMER game's publisher, and it was developed by InLight Entertainment. We apologize for the error. EXPLORE ይ xe T pex 243.) NF Intense Violence Language Nudity [Ed Sexual Themes PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY OF AGE OF CONAN FROM GAMESTOP: AND RECEIVE THIS EXCLUSIVE IN-GAME WAR MAMMOTH FREE * terms and conditions apply see in-store for details here's no denying that Nintendo's Wii console is hot. So hot that it can't be manufactured fast enough. C Ü N N F C : Breaking News, Views, And Technology From The Cutting Edge Of Gaming So hot that it's penetrated the mass 5 market. Now that millions of people and families have bought the system — including plenty of new gamers who might not know how to avoid some of the crap being released for the platform — how come there is a dearth of quality games for the console? The Wii may be popular, but is it attracting shovelware just looking to cash in on its time in the limelight? ROOTED IN TRADITION | While third-party developers have praised | the Wii as being easy to develop for, this E and the fact that many Wii owners are ፻፲ casual or first-time gamers might have the unwanted residual effect of cheaply made .. i : games being rushed to market | 6 TH E Wi | BURIED UNDER strictly to take advantage of QUICK FACTS consumers. As cynical as this SHOVELWARE? , news Super Smash Bros Brawl ከ35 may sound, we've seen this A before when the Atari 2600 console itself has sold 245 defined home console gaming million units worldwide since in the early '80s. That situation its release led to the industry crash of 1983, when the market bot- tomed out due to a flood of poor software. Nintendo systems have, of course, always been home to triple-A first-party titles that leverage the company's historic characters and gameplay philosophies. However, third- parties have typically had less success on Nintendo's platforms. Even though the Wii is selling better than its home console prede- cessors, third-party software is not benefit- ting as much from the platform's popularity. Nintendo has traditionally not had the greatest relationship with its third-party soft- ware partners. Whether it was Nintendo's decision to stick with the cartridge format for the N64 while the PlayStation adopted the CD-ROM or the notorious lack of support from the company in other areas (a devel- oper once told us that Nintendo would not distribute blank GameCube proprietary discs. Instead, it made companies arrange their own bulk shipping from Japan), it's clear that Nintendo is always in the driver's seat. BOTTOM FEEDING This pattern is continuing with the Wii, at least in the software department. Looking at the NPD monthly sales chart for the past year (excluding Wii Play, which comes with a Wii remote), Nintendo's first-pa offerings do very well for the system, with games like The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Mario Party 8, Super Mario Galaxy, and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption spending extended time in the NPD top 20. Third parties, however, do not fare as well. While more third-party games placed in the top 20 for the year period (11 third-party games versus nine for Nintendo), Nintendo almost had as many top 20 titles as all the third- party publishers combined — and Nintendo titles consistently ranked higher than other games. The Wii's third-party support does 18 GAME INFORMER not compare to either the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 [see sidebar]. Moreover, the majority of those Wii top 20 third-party titles were hits for all the systems, such as Madden NFL 09, Guitar Hero Ill, and Resident Evil 4. Sales numbers aside, what's more trou- bling is the overall lack of quality third-party software. When comparing the review scores given to all Wii titles by aggregate score website Metacritic, the system has an abnormally high number of games scor- ing in the lower half of the rating scale, Out of the 182 Wii games listed at the time of this writing, 74 of them — or 40 percent — scored 50 or lower out of 100. Xbox 360 had 25 percent and PS3 had 17 percent. Not surprisingly, of the five titles that have scored a 90 or over, only one — Capcom's Resident Evil 4 — is not a Nintendo game. Furthermore, both the Xbox 360 and PS3 chart noticeably more titles in the 80th per- centile, which is another indicator of quality support of a console. THE MISSING LINK There are many possible reasons for the apparent lack of good games for the Wii — one of which may be the fact that, according to industry sources, Nintendo does not have a concept approval phase for third-party games. Concept approval is a process in place at both Microsoft and Sony where the console maker green-lights a project after checking to make sure it fits into their general plan. This not only serves as an early eyeball test for games, but the console mak- ers — except Nintendo, apparently — use it to make sure that the game isn't jumping into an over-saturated genre on the sys- tem. Finally, concept approval is important because it serves as a check against the final submission build to test how closely the final product adheres to the proposed concept. We asked Nintendo about this process, but the company declined to comment. While there are a number of reasons that bad games get made, Nintendo's lack of a concept approval process would seem to suggest that the Wii is missing that initial bulwark against the tide of shovelware. And, if the Metacritic scores are anything to go by, QUICK FACTS Guitar Hero IIl: Legends ፳ Global Star's Carnival Games has become a surprise hit for the Wii መሠ the absence does not appear to be doing the system any favors. "The benefit of concept approval," said one anonymous developer with experience working on Wii projects, "is that you have a juried pool of stuff. You have a reasonable guarantee that someone who's not crazy has looked at this and said, 'Yes, this is plausibly ከበ” Perhaps more importantly, there are times that third parties are consciously held back by Nintendo. For instance, the company initially restricted third parties in the use of features like Miis in Wii games and other initiatives utilizing the console, although that is slowly changing. In general, Nintendo does not like to let other companies introduce elements that utilize unique system features before Nintendo does. "They don't even tell you ‘no,” says the anonymous developer. "They tell you the [approval] documentation is forthcoming and they pick a date for that documentation to be delivered that is always after your release date" The following is a breakdown of all three systems' review scores from aggregate website Metacritic. Note: All percentages have been rounded up 3% Wii Total Number of Wii games: 182 90 percentile 80 percentile THE WAY FORWARD? “t's not Nintendo's fault that the games from third parties aren't selling as well, in my opin- ion," says Evan Wilson, analyst for industry research firm Pacific Crest. While Wilson agrees that the Wii software catalog needs more good games versus bad, he's not so sure that Nintendo is the one standing in the way. “These games are very simple. We need to explore new game mechanics. That's the piece of innovation third parties are lacking in Wii games overall” Wilson asserts that the casual audience the Wii has unlocked makes the traditional landscape by which we judge a console and its software different. Certainly it's not ideal that the Wii has so many bad games, but Wilson believes that eventually non-profitability will weed out bad games. Until then, the system has at.least built out a broad catalogue of software (which, in contrast to other Nintendo home consoles, is somewhat of a luxury in and of itself). In the short term, this is not an ideal situation, but one that casual fans — who don't buy as many games or pay attention to Metacritic or reviews — might not notice. THE CRITICAL EYE PLAYSTATION 3 Total Number of PS3 games: 150 Games scoring in the 70 percentile QUICK FACTS In this light, Nintendo's lack of an approval process serves both to increase the sys- tem's catalogue of software and as a way to encourage developers. "If they did have a very strict concept approval phase, | think you'd have developers crowing about Nintendo being unflexible to work with. | don't think you can have it both ways," comments Wilson. The future that Wilson envisions for the system is not only one where the console and its fans are serviced with plenty of good games, but also where casual fans become more attuned to what separates the good games from the bad. He says it's possible that the Wii does what the PS2 did late in its life, which is tum a vast number of casual fans into hardcore ones. In this way of thinking, the Wii's sales numbers are more important in influenc- ing the creation of games than Nintendo's relationship with publishers. Wilson even speculates that if this change comes to pass for the console, Nintendo could conceivably turn around and mix casual and hardcore audiences with its next console. Joining both factions under the banner of a single platform is something that he's not sure the other systems are in a position to do at the moment. But for the Wii it first must start with software — as it does for any console. - 8 Wii Ware on the system, like Square Enix's Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles — My Life as a King could tap innovation from unlikely sources. Or it could spawn more junk for the system 3% XBOX 360 Total Number of Xbox 360 games: 368 ፳ 60 percentile Bil 50 and under percentile GAME INFORMER 19 connect feature There are few certainties in life: death, taxes, and a yearly edition of Madden. You may as well add rabid fans complaining about the game's lack of innovation to the list, too. As the lone licensed video game for the country's most popular sport, Madden developer EA Tiburon is under an intense scrutiny that few other game developers can relate to. Given only 10 months of development time between games, the developer works in a world of constant deadlines with little to no room for error. If the new version of Madden doesn't raise the bar high enough, the fan backlash can get ugly. After a rather brutal transition to the next genera- tion platforms that saw older games offer more features and better controls than the early Xbox 360 and PS3 titles, the scrutiny has only been amplified in recent years. Fans now expect the team to add meaningful new feature sets, fix former bugs, and polish minor flaws regardless of time constraints. So how does the game come together in this pressure cooker environment? We asked general manager Philip Holt to shed some light on the decision making process. 20 GAME INFORMER Can you recap the development timeline for taking Madden from scratch to store shelves for our readers? [5 between 10 and 12 months. As soon as we finish this year's version (we usually wrap up in early July), the team takes a couple weeks off for vacation and comes back to Work on early pre-production for the next game. Everybody who worked on the last title works on the next version; we don't have a leapfrog team or anything like that. During your “Living With Madden" presentation at the recent Game Developers Conference, you said that since Madden is such a big title, you look at other blockbusters like Halo 3 and Call of Duty 4 as your main competition. Does the fact that these games have years of development time and you only have 10 months skew this comparison a bit? In some respects they are different kinds of animals. We're a sports title and they are more general entertainment titles. At a certain level there is a different audience expectation and at a certain level there isn't. Clearly we're competing for the same wallet share as those guys are. | think one of our advantages is that Tiburon has shipped 15 next-gen titles. The guys at Bungie, it was their first. With the longer cydes you certainly get more time to spend develop- ing — and they have a lot of content to build that's unique and they can't really leverage from previous titles. We have a lot of content that's already been built, so some of the work is about optimizing or making the game look better. We have the expertise and a lot of the things in place from having shipped \ so many next-gen titles. Our animation system, for example, is one of the best pieces of technol- ogy in the sports label. It's had the benefit of eight teams that have used it over the years and collaborated and contributed to the underlying technology. While we have less calendar time and it makes certain things a lot more difficult, there are definite advantages because we go out every year. What is the yearly budget for the game? Um.... It's about a 35-person team. There are probably another 15 peo- ple who are in central groups that support the team directly. When | was working outside EA, one of the things you always think is that EA has these monster budgets that it spends on everything. But the Madden project, these guys are pretty efficient. 3 Can you walk us through the / decision-making progress of 4 how new ideas are presented and which ideas are given the go-ahead? Everyone here has a laundry list of stuff they would love to go build. So many people who work on the game have been lifelong fans of the franchise. When you grow up playing the game and then get to work on the title, naturally you've got lots of ideas. But that's just the start. We do a lot of competitive analysis. We looked at [All-Pro Football 2K8] really carefully when it launched and tried to break it down. We look at all the big titles that come out and try to under- stand what they are doing that's cool and we ask "is there an application in Madden for that kind of technology or idea?" We read all of the major boards. There are a lot of posts that start with “Madden 09 Wish List,” so we read through all that stuff. There is a lot of great feedback there, and a lot of things where we also agree "yeah, that's got to go in" And then we read all of the reviews. While everyone loves to see the real positive reviews, it's definitely the more critical reviews that help you focus on the things you need to improve for next year. Then there are things we are building that are sort of multi-year features. If we're building something bigger, it may not show up until Madden 10. Some portion of that develop- ment happens in 09 even though customers aren't going to 566 it. ል| this stuff goes into our design database, which is a big tool that tracks all of our ideas. Then we go through a rapid process where we figure out what will it take to prototype each idea 50 we can prioritize those things. You start seeing some trends emerge from the list of ideas, and you try to focus on the meaning- ful innovations that customers are directly going to experience. That becomes the center of the creative effort, then you figure out what the supporting features will be and you build your feature set from that. * Formation subs * Slide protection * Defensive assignments * Friendly quitting and conceding defeat in online games * Hardcore ranked games Does this all happen in the three- month pre-production stage? When is the decision made that "these are the features we're going with?" A bulk of that work goes in the pre-produc- tion phase. You want to emerge from that phase with a real solid plan. But we leave a good portion of capacity open so as we build these things if something cool emerges that's not on the plan we can add that in. Or if we're working on something we thought would be great and it turns out it's just not that good, we have time to either fix it or dump it and add something else. We keep. à lot of time available to react to how the game emerges in online as you're building. The point where we say "put your pencil down, you're done" is the milestone leading up to our alpha. Many developers we speak with talk about itera- tion being a key part of the development for new gameplay innovations. With only a few months to play with new ideas that then must go through the gauntlet of focus groups, research teams, playtesters, and your staff, what steps are taken to keep the cre- ative process from being compromised? | agree; iteration is critical. | think we've found a process that facilitates a lot of iteration while at the same time allowing us to be predictable. The process stuff can appear to be fairly heavy handed, but it's really about giving the team the maximum amount of time to spend focused on the creative process so what we can deliver has a chance to emerge and coalesce and then get feedback from a variety of people.... We look at it as the thing that really enables the creative freedom, so we don't view them as being mutually exclusive at all. By The Fans, For The Fans Not every new Madden feature is Tiburon's doing - many of the ideas, such as these, came straight from the vocal fan base. * Defensive hot routes * Player specific celebrations Apart from innovation, legacy problems - like the tractor beam passes, omnipotent safeties, defenders being unaware of ball location, money plays, catch-up Al, and no online leagues - continue to be another constant aspect of criticism. What are the challenges you face in dealing with the laundry list of issues? It's a good question. At one level | think it's great we have a vocal audience out there because they are clearly play- ing the game, and they are passionate about it and they have gripes about this or that. It's certainly better than not hearing anything. | don't know if | should really say this but I'm going to anyway: | don't know that we've done a good enough job with our community. There is too much distance between the guys that make the game and the people who play it. | think that silence creates a sense of “you guys don't care" or "EA Sports is just a big company" These guys live football just like our fans do and a lot of them came from that group. A lot of the core designers on the title have won Madden tournaments, that's how we found them and we recruited them and they started and they've grown inside the company. The team really cares deeply about what they are building. Any of those kinds of issues that people complain about that aren't fixed year after year, there is either a significant technical challenge behind them (there is something underlying in the architecture that would be costly to address and so it's a matter of priori- tizing how you tackle those kinds of things), or we've got bigger priority type things that we think are going to move the needle more significantly than others. Madden is a cash cow for EA, and nine months is not a great timeframe to allow new ideas to transform into workable solutions. Has Tiburon ever thought about requesting more of a financial commitment from EA so you can have a year-round "Special Forces" team of elite devel- opers whose only job is to come up with new ideas and iterate? | think our Special Forces team is building Madden every year. But if you're asking a team that is off the clock, counter- cyclical. ..1 think there are few examples of that working well and there are meaningful obstacles that prevent that from being successful. The first is you generally want that elite super squad on the most pressing opportunity, and that's this year's Madden. Looking at talent distribution, you want your starting 11 out on the field at kickoff rather than waiting until the fourth quarter. So that's one challenge. And the other is that there is a certain rhythm and cadence inherent in how we deliver. If you were to ask the Halo team to come in and build Madden for a year | think it would be a real struggle for them to get used to the cycle, whereas | think if you gave us two years to build a football game — we need that time pres- Sure to create the urgency that makes the game work. So | think every game team is a product of its own circumstances and kind of develops in that space. | think we would have a challenge delivering Halo, and Bungie would have a hard time delivering Madden. ፪፪ I i GAME INFORMER 21 ape GOOD DLC is nothin' but TLC from developers, and Criterion is planning to give out a whole lotta love this August when it offers up motorcycles and nighttime racing via an update to its already packed game, Burnout Paradise. The bikes will come with their own challenges and new locations, and the night racing will clear out the streets for some unencumbered speed- ing. As it’s an update, we hope it comes for free. PLAYSTATION® Network BAD The security of Sony's PlayStation Network was temporarily compromised, leading the company to contact some users it believed may have had their accounts and the funds in them (although not their credit card numbers) accessed without authorization. Sony delayed the open beta test ~ not the final release, mind you - of its social network Home to this fall, That's a full year from when it last said the service would be available for testing. Ugliest of all, Sony threw the news in a press release trumpeting the fact that the summer closed beta would be expanding. That's like peeing in our pockets and telling us it’s raining. Capcom found out that you gotta be careful what you do on the Internet. If you look at the box art for the Wii version of Okami, you'll notice that the company lifted some of the art from gaming website IGN - you can see the site’s watermark on the cover, Capcom is embarrassed enough that it has promised to send new cover slips to anyone who wants one. Radical Entertainment has sadly axed multiplayer from Prototype. The developer says that it is focusing its time and resources on the single-player, It's a shame, because Prototype's mass destruction is ripe for multiplayer. The game comes out this fall. WHERE ARE Wii? GAME INFORMER POLLS THE ANALYSTS TO FIND OUT MORE ON THE Wii SHORTAGE he world still can't get enough of the Wii. Though it debuted a year and a half ago, Nintendo's belle of the ball has been greeted with an unprec- edented amount of success, appealing to both hardcore gamers and people who don't normally identify with interactive entertain- ment. But the furious demand seems to have taken Nintendo aback, as shortages have con- tinued through the product's second holiday season and into 2008. Recently, GameStop [Game Informer's parent company] COO Dan DeMatteo stated during an investor call that he anticipates supplies of Nintendo's Wii “won't meet demand for the next two quarters at least" So what gives? One rumor that constantly makes the rounds on web forums and by water coolers is that Nintendo is intentionally holding supply back to create more demand. Is that a plausible scenario? “I've heard that so many times over so many cycles no matter who the market leader was," says IDC researcher Billy Pidgeon. "It just doesn't make any sense. It would be bad business on Nintendo's part, or anybody's part. Nintendo would be losing more market share if it held out producing more Wii.’ Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter agrees that these rumors are patently false. He points to the relatively weak value of the dollar in comparison to the Euro as a primary reason why we aren't seeing as many Wiis stateside. "There shouldn't be a shortage. | don't think it's because they aren't shipping enough, I think it's because they aren't shipping enough to the U.S. We should be getting 720,000 a month, and we're getting 450,000. This means they are going somewhere else. We're not hearing of shortages in Europe, and we know there is no shortage in Japan, so why aren't they here? 1 don't think Nintendo is trying to screw the U.S., | just think Nintendo is trying to make a buck" This begs the question of why Nintendo doesn't simply increase production. Pidgeon says the answer lies in Nintendo's past. "Nintendo tends to be conservative, working with a small group of partners. They are not about to open a new relationship with a new partner; they are going to have people make Wiis who are trusted. Nintendo likes to make sure that their quality control is tight and you can see the dangers of ramping up production by looking at what's happened with the Xbox 360 and the red rings of death. If you ramp up too quickly, it can lead to a failure rate that is unacceptable. And in the console business, any failure rate is unacceptable.’ Pidgeon believes Nintendo will take measures to slightly ramp up production as the year goes on to account for the Wii Fit and Mario Kart releases, but until then potential Wii owners should stick to working the phones and making drive-bys at local electronics retailers. Over three years ago, EA got hammered publicly and legally after a spouse of one of the company's employees complained on her blog about the long hours programmers at EA were forced to put in. This culminated in a successful lawsuit that awarded $14.9 million to the company's current and former programmers. Now, according to an internal EA study reported by GameDaily, things are improving, including positive feelings regarding the issues of EA's label structure, respect and communication in the workplace, and overall excitement and motivation. Salem, Massachusetts’ Bowen Kerins won the International Flipper Pinball Association 5 World Pinball Championship, besting competition from all over the world. The event also raised $4,000 for the Salvation Army - one quarter at a time. 22 GAME INFORMER Niko Bellic April 29th 2008 www.rockstargames.com/iv "* XBOX 360 PLAYSTATION - What if Bungie's JAIME GRIESEMER Made the Nex ELDA * Jamie is the lead designer of Bungie's Halo series. Before landing this amazing gig, he had a large role in the Myth community DREAM PROJECTS I’ve been working on Halo games for almost 10 years. It might be interesting to explore a new genre or a different universe for a while. More than a specific IP 1 would want to work on, there are certain people and organizations | would love to collaborate with — directors like Joss Whedon (Buffy, Firefly), Brad Bird (The Incredibles), and Tim Burton (Sleepy Hollow); amazing special effects houses like Weta Digital (Lord of the Rings, King Kong) and ILM; authors like George R. R. Martin (A Song of Ice and Fire series) and Neal Stephenson (Snowcrash, Cryptonomicon). Out of all the old- school gaming franchises, the one 1 would most like to work on is Blaster Master. There was such a sense of freedom, and the difference in scale between the vehicle and on-foot sec- tions was great. Now that | think about it, at one point we actually had a Warthog that could jump just like SOPHIA... 24 GAME INFORMER If you are anything like us, you've sat around and talked games with friends late into the night, imagining what it would be like if your favorite game creator made a game for your favorite franchise. What if Shigeru Miyamoto made the next Sonic? Or what magic would Will Wright work with Civilization? This new Game Informer fea- ture allows us to explore dream match-ups just like these by talking straight to the creative voices we would like to see involved. Mind you, these comments are purely for fun - this is an exercise in the hypothetical. As Link strides confidently into the room (the badass Link from Twilight Princess, not the goofy Wind Waker kid), a stone slab crashes down behind him, sealing him inside. Fire flares up from urns scattered around the large chamber. In the brief light, Link spots the exit, guarded by two armored Darknuts and a half a dozen skeletal Stalfos. Before they notice his entrance, Link leaps into action. He lights a bomb and rolls it toward the largest group of Skalfos, blowing up a few and sending the rest running for cover. The Darknuts ignore the explosion, protected by their armor, and draw their mas sive broadswords, Link's boomerang catches one right in the forehead, momentarily stunning it. The other closes to melee range, Link's arrows glance harmlessly off its shield. The Darknut backs Link into a corner, and raises its sword to strike. Link rolls under the swing, coming to his feet behind the towering Darknut He leaps onto the Darknut's back using his Magnet Boots. He wrenches its helmet off and shoves a lit bomb into the empty hole. As the Darknut roars in panic, Link uses his Hookshot to swing safely to a nearby balcony. He ignores the muffled boom and crashing armor pieces as he draws his Master Sword and turns toward the remaining Darknut... The Legend of Zelda is a cornerstone of gaming, and its creator, Shigeru Miyamoto, is a personal hero of mine. The franchise was founded on a deft mix of combat and puzzles, but recently the puzzles have become the focus. Puzzles are fine, but | worked on Halo, and combat is what | know best, so I'd ditch all that lamp lighting and switch pressing to put the spotlight back on fighting. Imagine the same classic Zelda items, but instead of using them to solve puzzles, each has a combat role. Boomerangs and bombs are pretty straightforward. The bow and arrow requires some sort of “aim- ing mode" to really work — probably linked to the z-lock targeting system introduced in Ocarina of Time. The hookshot becomes an all-purpose grapple device, giving Link a way to grab enemies or move quickly through a vertical space. (Since there are no puzzles, there's no reason to limit the surfaces the hookshot can attach to.) You could even bring in environmental destruction with the magic hammer or blue candle. Zelda also has an array of interesting enemies. Besides the knight-like Darknuts and undead Stalfos there are the giant Armos statues that come to life when touched, Leevers capable of burrowing through the ground to ambush or flank their enemies, and swarms of fluttering Keese bats. Gangs of Moblins could use squad tactics and group Al. Wizzrobes could teleport around and bombard Link with fireballs. And those are just the enemies from the first game! Once you have the fundamental combat, the "30 seconds of fun" that you will repeat in different forms throughout the game, then you can begin to fill in the rest of the world. Zelda games always fol- low the same basic structure: A vast "overworld" that Link is free to explore, peppered with a dozen or so "underworlds" in the form of dungeons, temples, and fortresses. He explores underworlds until he finds an important item, and then fights a boss for a piece of the Triforce. There's no reason this formula wouldn't work in a combat-oriented game, but modern technology should let us open up the world even more. I'm imagining a central hub city surrounded by an immense wilderness, full of impenetrable forests, raging rivers, treacherous mountain passes, parched deserts, and scattered civilized settlements. In a world of this size, all of Link's familiar transportation — his horse, the raft, his sail- boat — would be available. But | would add some new ones, perhaps a glider to cross very long distances, or a tame dolphin for exploring underwater. For short periods he could access more powerful mounts, like an armored elephant, a giant fortified wagon that runs on steam power, or a high-flying Pegasus. As for the story, | think simplicity is key; there's no need to add a lot of complex plot and cutscenes. Obviously the story must revolve a missing girl named Zelda and Link's quest to find her. But maybe we add a new twist. Link has always been an outsider, so what if he was from a foreign country and did not speak the language? Instead of having villagers give him quests directly, he would have to observe people and deduce their needs from watching them. A sobbing woman that clutches a teddy bear and sometimes stops to look toward a nearby mountain might lead Link to search for a little girl that got lost there. Or a nearly abandoned village where everyone locks their doors at night might cause Link to wipe out the nest of nocturnal Tektites that have been terrorizing the town. | have always loved the spirit of adventure and courage the Zelda games convey. To me, emphasiz- ing the combat makes a lot of sense and could be an interesting new direction for the series. KAMEHAMEHA! DESTINY WILL BE DECIDED JUNE 2008 - ረዊዜ.:5:ክ655:ር88መ==:..- | ATARLCOM/DRAGONBALLZ Animated Blood PLAYSTATIONS Cartoon Violence ESRB CONTENT RATING — www.esrb.org TOE! ANIMATION Burst Limit © 2008 Dragon Ball 2” : Burst Limit © 2008 Atari, Inc. All rights reserved. © 2008 Bird Studio/SHUEISHA, TOEI Animation, Licensed by FUNimation Productions Ltd. All rights reserved. Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT, and all logos, character names and distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks of TOEI Animation. Developed by NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc. Game © 2008 NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc. Marketed and distrib- uted by Atari, Inc. New York, N.Y. Atari and the Atari logo are trademarks owned by Atari Interactive, Inc. The ESRB rating icons are registered trademarks of the Entertainment Software Association. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Use of this product is subject to acceptance of a license agreement. The terms of this license agreement can be found in the product's manual. "PlayStation", "PLAYSTATION" and "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Online access requires broadband Internet service and a wireless access point or LAN. Certain limitations apply to Wi-Fi connectivity. User is responsible for Internet service fees. © 2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies and are used under license from Microsoft. ል BETIER WAY TO STARDOCK'S BRAD WARDELL HAS A PLAN TO FIX ዞር GAMING ^v - tmpulse- enabled games will require that they be installed by Impulse to function, but no further copy-protection hassles will impede players Lj It's no secret that the PC gaming industry continues to struggle with a slew of issues. Rampant piracy denies developers and publishers compensation for their efforts. Consoles like the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 are encroaching ever further into areas that were once the sole province of PC gaming. The multiplayer scene is a fragmented landscape where nearly every game's community is an island unto itself. However, the continued success of a number of PC-only titles and the enthusiasm of many gamers makes its viability as a platform undeniable. Stardock Corporation, the force behind successful titles like Sins of a Solar Empire and the recently announced publishing partner for Gas Powered Games' Demigod, plans to give PC games a shot in the arm by changing the rules of engagement. 26 GAME INFORMER The critical acclaim and enthusiastic fanbases garnered by Sins of a Solar Empire and Galactic Civilizations are no mean feats in and of themselves, but the way Stardock con- ducts its business makes it an oddity within the PC gaming scene. As a purveyor of Windows customization and produc- tivity software, Stardock is a successful business indepen- dent of its gaming operations. In some ways, this experience in non-gaming software development affords the company a unique perspective. "The PC game industry operates in a very strange business model," notes Brad Wardell, Stardock's oles, | might as On June 17, Stardock will launch a service it hopes will change the way the PC games industry does business. Impulse, which will replace Stardock Central as the pipeline by which the company delivers content, will incorporate a host of features that should add up to a much better expe- rience for gamers — and a very lucrative way for publishers and developers to sell their games. "One of the problems with PC gaming is that it's not using the advantages it has over consoles. Right now, if a game comes out for the PC and the consoles, | might game comes out for the PC and et the console versi ሄሯ3 ra. well ዐ Q Xfire and GameSpy Comrade attempt t« sole this, but st fer from a limited pool of users and littl € integration with the games themselves. Once Impulse naits thae scene, አከር Live will no longer be something for PCZ garners to enw. | instance, you'll be able to tell Impulse that you want to pl a 2v2 match in any of the games you own, and it will tak care of finding that match and launchi ma zz yo va into the gan As great as this feature set sounds © mmn መ= per, none of i matters unless Impulse reaches a critical ma ss of publish- ers and developers signing onto the Se vice. Wardell has a plan for that, too: Simply by putting gefui Ily have been official announcements that lave no c «ubt as to the scal Impulse will achieve. Wardell expects tha «9 majority of PC games to be available on Impulse over the r- ext year. Impulse, should it live up to its pote v1-tial, Could be one. the biggest developments in years for >< garming. In a lot of ways, it is a sweeping solution to ma vy of the frustrations that PC gamers have experienced since the format existed. "Doesn't the whole thing seem pretty obvious in hind- sight?" asks Wardell. After hearing what he has to say on the subject, vve can't help but agree. Stardock is cur- rer ጅ-ሽሣ/ in talks with AIV KO and Nvidia t alicow Impulse to automatically upd gra ghics drivers om ne ect people RAINBOW ን8ን VIEGAS 2 ኮ ር2 ars Diotti eac Game Designer, MP biss oft አዩኣ40 በ1141 ሥ ravezüamgz Just as much traffic as the 2:31 inm «—amty, Rainbow Six Vegas 2 as k» ፎኗ:ኗ> mne a hot destination for amers = @e eking adversarial and 3/፪ሙ era 8 ዔ/ፎ multiplayer. Its intui- ve «-owve m mechanic, amazing level esig= ms, and addictive ACES level- መም” “ኤ.ኤ. eet, mem ም f ig Syste sm have people playing this | ame== are rund the clock. Its launch idn^* £c» off without a hitch, how- ver, as wmxaamny gamers have been xpe sri erm Map Pack Madness ‘Another Live Arcade release based on a tabletop game. The simple mechanicof Q-Games’ Pixeljunk brand for PSN continues with another simple yet intriguing If some other games grabbed your attention in recent months, you may want to building railroad routes is easy enough to learn, but players could pour hours into game. A constantly shifting and growing alien garden serves as the backdrop as check back in with Halo 3 and Call of Duty 4. Both have newly released map packs building their strategy. Try at a party. players swing and leap among the leaves. Yeah, I dont really get it either. Check back |! are being widely praised by hardcore players. next month after I've played the thing. 38 GAME INFORMER Meet CyberStren. This self-described hacker groupie got her lulz stealing identities and shopping online. Then like a child actor ina failed sitcom - it all came crashing down. Visit hugsforhackers.org Tough on Threats. Easy on You. 70 million people switched to AVG 8.0 because it protects from online threats without slowing PC's or networks to a crawl. That put alot of hackers, and their threats, out of business. But we're dedicated to the rehabilitation of every lost soul defeated by our award winning software, To help us help them, visit r AVG Do it now, because somewhere there's a hacker who needs a hug :-- connect | interview | 1982 v 3j 5 Eg f 1987 Y 1990 v 1j i | 1991 V 1993 VY ሁ © a e = 2005 Y 40 GAME INFORMER :-- connect | interview | CAREER HIGHLIGHTS CREATIVE DIRECTOR, FIRAXIS >> Sid Meier, one of gaming's true legends (he was the second person inducted into the AIAS Hall of Fame), revolutionized the strat- egy genre with the Civilization series, and has been the creative force behind scores of classic games both at Microprose and Firaxis. We recently spoke with Meier about his past and present. << You still do hands-on programming work on some of your titles, like Civ Revolution. That's really a rarity for someone like you these days. What advantages do you get as a designer from doing programming? Well, our game making process is very iterative. So there's a lot of really quick changes in the game, and | find that it's easier for me to program those as opposed to explain what | liked or didn't like to someone else. It really speeds up the turnaround process. A minute later, you're trying something new. Programming, for me, is a very efficient way of getting my ideas into the game. It's also fun. | went to school to learn to program. It gives you a closer connection to the game design and game ideas. It does have some efficiency tradeoffs. As games get larger and larger, you can't do everything. You have to pick your spot. For me, that's the game rules, the game Al — the heart of the game. Is it hard to balance programming and design work alongside your larger duties within Firaxis? | think there are a couple of reasons that this game works really well on a console. One, the fact that it's turn-based makes it play at the pace of the player, so you're not scrambling around the map trying to figure out what's going on and catch up. For PC-type games, the keyboard and mouse works very well, but turn-based just seems to work very naturally on the console. We've seen that with games like Advance Wars. That format makes it very suitable for console. We've also embraced and learned from a lot of the console innovations — the very easy-to-learn games, games that are very rich graphically. They are very informative; you can tell what's going on just by looking at the screen.. We've added these elements to the Civ gameplay. How has being forced to tailor your game to a console gamepad affected how you approach your design? That was really one of the make or break things that we had to decide at the beginning: could this game be played comfortably on the controller? | think the fact that it's turn-based means that you're the case with any really successful company. How do you deal with losses like that over the years and still maintain the company’s identity and level of quality? | have been fortunate to work with some very talented people, and they sometimes move on to make great games elsewhere. That's the nature of the industry that we're in. Fortunately, there's no shortage of people that want to work here and make games, so we're constantly finding new talent and working with new people. What we hopefully have to offer is that combination of my experi- ence and a couple of other people that have been around for a while and also the energy of new blood. Every game is different and reflects a new team and a new approach. With Civ Revolution, you'll see we've done a lot of new things, and so | think having young talent helps us do that. As someone who has been at the helm of many teams over the years, what are some of the changes you see in the young people you hire now versus when you started? I’ve made a conscious decision that what I enjoy doing is designing and programming games. | find people to do those things! [Laughs] I've made a conscious decision that what | enjoy doing is designing and programming games. I'm the creative guy. | work with some very good people that know the business and know how to manage a company and make sure that the paychecks get out. Revolution is the first Civ in a long time that you've been working on very hands-on in terms of design and programming. What brought you back to Civilization? In terms of the design and programming, this is the first since the original that I've programmed the entire game logic and Al and things like that. It's been an opportunity for me to re-imagine the game for a new audience and a new platform. That's really been fun for me, to rethink all our assump- tions and approaches and try new ones with all this great 3D, online technology. We didn't have that stuff before. It's been great to take Civ and re-do it in a cool new way. Strategy has really struggled to find a home on consoles. You've obviously built this game to work on consoles first. How will it succeed where others have failed? dealing with one unit at a time with a specific set of things to do. They map very comfortably to the controller. It's gotten to the point where I'm just as comfortable, if not more so, with the controller as opposed to the keyboard and mouse. It was a question we had to answer at the beginning. If you're worried about your interface, as opposed to what you're doing in the game, then you don't have a successful game. Do you feel that a lot of the strategy genre has gotten too complex and arcane for a lot of gamers? | think there are audiences for all different levels of complexity. As a genre matures, the games tend to get a little more involved because the players know the early games and want something more. With Civ Revolution, part of the audience is players that haven't played strategy games before. This is defi- nitely not an attempt to be the most complicated Civ game; this is the essence of Civ on the console for a wide audience. Over the years, you've lost a lot of core staff members - Jeff Briggs, Brian Reynolds, and Soren Johnson, for example - which is often Well, the biggest change is the fact that the people coming into the industry now have played games since they were three years old. When | started, we were making it up as we went along. Today, people have a history and a better understanding of the fundamentals. We know that interface is important; we know what a game should feel like and what a boss level is. There are all sorts of things that are a part of the common vocabulary of gaming that didn't exist when we started. On the other hand, there's a danger with some of the newer designers, a tendency to design the game you like to play. That game has already been designed - we need new games. There's a loss of a little bit of that “sky's the limit, anything's possible" approach we had in the early days. We have these genres — we have first-person shooters, we have real-time strategy. If you've played games all your life you've gotten these certain styles really beaten into you. To get people to think out of the box is a little harder these days. But the whole indie games and MMO move- ments are really starting to shake things up; there's a lot of innovation. That's what's going to keep us growing as an industry, nurturing that innovation. Photo; Mid E The upcomi ization Revolution marks the first time Sid Meier has been involved in the programming of ivilization title since he created the original PC game GAME INFORMER Hi connect gear Gl's GUITAR CONTROLLER ROUNDUP As the music genre continues to explode across the gaming scene, guitar controllers now crowd electronics and game retail stores. How's a Jimmy Page wannabe sup- posed to know which axe to shred? Check out our handy breakdown of some of the newest controllers on the market to find out which one's right for you. Editor's Note: Sorry Xbox owners, but apparently no one is interested in making gui- tar controllers for the 360. Take comfort in the fact that the Rock Band Fender and z ዐ. u = m ፦ ሀበ the Guitar Hero Les Paul would probably still be your best options anyway. ዋካ ገም eterne ttem 42 GAME INFORMER |: DREAM GEAR SHREDMASTER - PS2 CENECLILLILIIID | Compatible with: GH 1, II Pro: The Shredmaster's lightweight design, glowing strum button, and recharge- able battery make it a solid choice for anyone still rocking on the PS2. Con: The Shredmaster's buttons are a little stiff, the guitars shape makes it awk- ward to position on your lap, and the price seems a little extreme. The next-gen versions are still a few months out. $79.99 * www.dreamgear.net 2: EZGEAR EZJAM GUITAR - PS3, PS2 | Compatible with: GH III Pro: In the words of Sam Beckett, "oh boy" It's hard to come up with positive things to say about the ezJam, but we give it a pat on the back for working on both PS2 and PS3, and for being guitar-shaped. Con: We would expect to find a better product in a Chinese street market. The ezjam not only feels cheap, it rattles, and the four AA batteries it takes to run barely fit inside its casing. We encountered a few problems with signal reception, and to top it all off, the start and select buttons are too small 59.99 * www.ezgear.com 3: MTV GAMES WIRELESS ROCK BAND FEND- ER - PS3, 360, PS2 COMED | Compatible with: Rock Band Pro: The wireless version is finally out for the 360, which offers up the same stylish lightweight design in a cord-free package. The great thing about the PS2 guitar is that it will work with the PS3 version of Rock Band, so players interested in upgrading their system later won't have to worry about buying a new guitar. Con: Unfortunately, the Fender only works with Rock Band, and the new 560 guitar requires you to whip out the screwdriver every time you need to change the batteries. We also experienced some problems with the wireless 560's tilt functionality, but MTV Games promises that we just got a bad unit $59.99 * www.rockband.com 4: NYKO FRONTMAN - PS3, Wi! COM LD | Compatible with: GH Ill, Rock Band Pro: The Frontman is the best-looking third party controller we tested. Its strum button feels really good, and the whammy bar is nice and sturdy, The PS3 ver- sion works perfectly for both GH III and Rock Band, while the Wii version is the only third-party option available. Con: The PS3 Frontman's wireless dongle is a tad bulky. Both guitars suffer from springy fret buttons, and they would benefit from a more distinguishable middle yellow button. $59.99 (PS3) $49.99 (Wii) « www.nyko.com 5: PSYCLONE BLACK AXE - PS3 CINELLILLLIIID | Compatible with: GH Ill Pro: The Black Axe has nice big, easily palmable start and select buttons. We appreciate its thick, sturdy construction, and we like the feel of its frets. Con: Due to some strange strap attachment, the controller rests a little awkward- ly on your shoulders, and the strum bar is a little loose for our tastes. The Black Axe also earns the ugly duckling award since it looks more like a disposable play- school toy than a guitar controller. $59.99 * www.psyclonegamer.com 6: RED OCTANE LES PAUL - PS3, 360, Wi! CESID | Compatible with: GH |, I| Ill, Rock Band (360 only) Pro: Guitar Hero's in-box controller looks good, feels great, and plays perfectly. Both fret and strum buttons feel optimally tuned for shredding, and the fact that it works for nearly every guitar game out there just ensures its lead. Con: The Les Paul doesn't look as good as the Rock Band Fender, and the detachable neck has caused a few headaches due to faulty connections. $69.99 * www.redoctane.com 7: TAC DOUBLE RANGE - PS3, PS2 | Compatible with: GH 1, II, Ill, Rock Band Pro: The Double Range earns points for being the only third-party controller to play both Rock Band and Guitar Hero on PS2 and PS3. It functions well, though none of its features truly excel. Con: This isn't a guitar for lap players, the strum bar could stand to have a few screws tightened, and the whammy bar feels like a wet noodle. $49.99 * www.theantcommandos.com peripherals SONY DUALSHOCK 3 GIZIIIIIIIIID The Playstation 3 is the machine of the future — it finally supports the rumble technology introduced 10 years ago on PSone! Actually, we're quite happy to have rumble back. Some games will require an update, but as of press time there are almost 30 games for PS3 and PSN that already support the DualShock's vibration including Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, Rainbow Six Vegas 2, Heavenly Sword, and Burnout Paradise. The DualShock 3 offers some of the best rumble we've felt while retaining all the Sixaxis functional- ity, but our favorite feature is the lack of Bluetooth dropouts. $54.99 * www.playstation.com P tech | LOGITECH SQUEEZEBOX DUET {000 0000000000) Logitech's dominance in the peripheral market continues with the new Squeezebox Duet. This slimmed down model is an all-in-one home audio con troller featuring a full color display, charge station, Wi-Fi, and access to nearly unlimited free Internet radio content. Using your wired or wireless network, the Duet will access your audio library and control it without touching your com puter. Think of it as an iPod for your house. This may be one of the easiest ways to setup a multi-room music system at home, and while $400 may seem unreasonable for a music streamer, it's a bargain compared to the competition. $399.99 » www.logitech.com nnect gear | toys | NECA GEARS OF WAR ACTION FIGURES Just in time for us to start getting psyched for the sequel, Neca has obtained the license for Gears of War toys. This first series includes Marcus Fenix, Augustus Cole, a Locust Drone, and a Locust sniper. Each figure stands seven inches tall and has 12 points of articulation. Too bad these guys don't talk because we really want to hear more about Cole's time with the Thrashball Cougars. $17.99 * www.necaonline.com ሥ› መሠ m, e. ጧ "07: መሥ peripherals NYKO WIRELESS KAMA NUNCHUK CUNKIIIIIIIID This Nyko nunchuck looks and feels a lot like the Nintendo- branded controller with one notable exception: it's not chained to the Wii remote. We found the unit's motion sensitivity functioned exactly like a corded controller, but with a wireless range of about three meters; we'd like to see someone stretch their arms out that far. The unit should have come with a built-in rechargeable battery, but two AAAs lasted between 20 and 30 hours $34.99 * www.nyko.com GAME INFORMER 43 connect opinion stared at him incredulously. Truly wishing that looks could kill, | imagined red laser beams shooting out of my eyes, forcing him to crumble to the floor and trans- forming him to a heap of dust. "Do you really know what you're talking about?" | retorted. "Well, it just seems that you don't play. That's all.” He twisted the knife by replying. He is a viewer of the TV show that | am proud to be a part of. | am sick of people like him Rewind 30 seconds. | am strolling along, minding my own business when a fellow approaches me and asks, "Hey, aren't you on TV?" This actually doesn't happen that often, so | allow myself to relish in the recognition: “Yeah, I'm a host for The Electric Playground" My indulgence is short lived, for the young man proceeds to cut me down with the sword he's cleverly disguised as his tongue. "Oh yeah! | love that show! You don't really know what you're talking about though" Ha! Rude? Yes. Unusual? No. As a host for the Electric Playground, | deal with doubt constantly. The fact that I'm a female on TV is apparently rea- son enough for people to assume that rm a bimbo with a microphone. Sometimes, they go so far as to imply that my interviews are script- ed. Ugh. The predictability of these assumptions sickens me. | can't even count the number of times that l've been quizzingly asked, "Do you even play video games?" with an eyebrow cocked and a look that's surely intended to pierce my heart. Of course | do! l've been playing video games since | was eight. Let me tell you, it hasn't been a smooth ride. I’m not going to try and profess that | am a hardcore gamer -- let's just say that most people can kick my ass at Halo 3 in less than 10 minutes and ['ጠ not making any waves with my presence on Xbox Live. | am a casual gamer, a softcore gamer, if you will — the most hated species by the hardcore fanboys of the world. | play for fun. | play because | like games. | long for the day when the above question is as appropriate as asking someone (in a tone that's dripping with suspicion) "Do you actually watch TV?" That's how crazy it is to me. Games are entertainment, just like TV and cinema; why is it so unbelievable that someone like me would like to be entertained? Sometimes | feel as though | should be in a room with others who are suffering my plight, sitting in a circle, holding hands. "My name is Donna, and | am a gamer" On a family trip to my moms native Hong Kong, | got the origi- nal Game Boy as a gift from Japanese family friends. To me, it was the beginning of a torrid love affair. The gray brick transformed boring dim sum at the kid's table to Tetris tournaments of epic proportions. To my mom, it was the inception of a hateful relationship. My Game Boy was her archenemy. She felt it distracted me from my studies and daily "Kumon" exer- cises (an extra-curricular math program, ironi- cally also Japanese in origin). Worse, playing video games wasn't very ladylike. | was always getting my Game Boy confiscated. The forbid- den nature of gaming just made it all the more appealing. By the time 1 got my hot little hands on a Super NES — well, forget about it! | was obsessed with Chun-Li, playing Street Fighter II with an almost religious fervor. | was unbeat- able. When | could convince a boy to play against me (which they often did reluctantly and out of pity) they were often shocked and left with their egos as beaten as the buttons | mashed. Now, let's get honest here. Gaming, for the most part, has been an all-boys club (insert cartoon image of the clubhouse with wooden “No Girls Allowed!" sign). Please note the term “fanboy.” Are there fangirls? Hmm...are boys apprehensive that more girls are starting to play games? After all, the Wii console and games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band certainly make gaming more universally appealing. | get why the male gaming community is protective: You've taken a lot of flack! A couple decades of fighting the stereotype that to game is to be socially inept, covered in acne and living in your parents’ basement can definitely jade a person. Not to mention having video games (a legiti- mate hobby for people of all ages) confused with diddling with toys intended for children can really chap one’s hide. | understand. But why take your bitterness out on the girls? We want to play, too! Yet instead of embracing the fact that the fairer sex is now nervously picking up a controller, many females feel shunned and teased for their lack of gaming prowess. | am such a rarity at gaming conferences that people mistake me for a booth babe who's wandered from her post. Sigh. Even when the skeptic accepts that |, a girl, play games — there is still a certain judg- ment. | am met with a sneer accompanied by a condescending glance when a hardcore gamer inquires what | play. "I bet you play lame games,” they seem to silently suggest. It's as if | alone embody why so many crappy games are made. In truth, many of the games that have become popular with females do have a tendency to emulate the game of “house” (The Sims, Cooking Mama, | could go on...). But if they're fun, then who cares? Maybe if more guys took the time to patiently show the wannabe-gamer girls out there how much fun the core games are, there wouldn't be such a need to sling mud. Or are you afraid of the competition? 88 88 8 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 editor Matt Helgeson at matt@gameinformer.com. 44 GAME INFORMER Games are entertainment, just like TV and cinema = why is it so unbelievable that someone like me DONNA MEI-LING PARK would like to be entertained? CO-HOST OF THE ELECTRIC PLAYGROUND --፳፻፪ MATTERS INTRODUCING THE BOWFLEXREVOLUTION XP HOME GYM Size? It makes all the difference. Now you can have the most exciting home gym technology ever in a size that fits your lifestyle. The Bowflex Revolution" XP Home Gym offers the versatility of a gym filled with equipment, yet fits in the corner of a room. How did we do it? We took our cutting- edge SpiraFlex® technology and put it in a compact, space-saving design. SpiraFlex” resistance feels as smooth as traditional strength equipment, i but is packed into a revolutionary light- Lightweight Spira fe. x weight plates! Tesis GO መ” Your space may be limited, but your workout shouldnt’ be. e m Ew TO REQUEST A FREE DVD Me 3 OR TO PLACE YOUR ORDER TODAY". www.BowflexRevolnfo.com Exceptional Standard Features that can Strengthen and Tone Your Body in Just 20 Minutes a Day, 3 Times a Week: © 200 Ibs. of resistance standard (upgradeable to 280 Ibs.) * 170° range angle of resistance * Includes squat harness, 5 position foot harness, hand grips, and instructional manual © Optional Lat Tower and Ab Back Pad * 10-year limited warranty * Results in six weeks — GUARANTEED! E GTA REALITY CHECK If you've been playing GTA non-stop since its April 29 release, take a few minutes out of this day to go outside. We're not saying that you should do. stuff out there, just stand in the sun for a few minutes, then convince yourself that it's hotter than normal because of global warming, It would be safer for you to stay inside playing GTA. Secret Agent Clank - 06/17 MRT ee tue 03 NEW RELEASES * The Bourne Conspiracy - PS3, 360 » Devil May Cry 4- PC Dirty Harry Collection - Blu-ray ። The Incredible Hulk ~ PS3, 360, Wii, PC, DS + LEGO Indiana Jones — PS3, 360, Wii, PS2, PC, PSP, DS * Ninja Gaiden [ - 360 * Wonder World Amusement Park - Wii NEW RELEASES. * Code Lyoko: Fall of XANA = DS * Code Lyoko: Virtualize - PSP + Don King Presents Prizefighter ~ 360 + Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit - P55, 360 * Harvest Moon: island of Happiness -05 * Imagine: Rock Star = DS + Jake Hunter, Detective Chronicles -DS * Quick Yoga Training - 05 * NASCAR 2009 ~ 360, PS2 NEW RELEASES * Arkanoid - DS + B-Boy - PSP * Drone Tactics ~ DS » Secret Agent Clank - PSP * Space Invaders Extreme ~ DS wed 04 Skaar: Son of Hulk #1 When the Hulk isn't smashing stuff, he's creating bastard sons on distant planets, Skaar is just 65 green as his pappy and he loves to break things, but he's a using his fists, he uses swords! This is a must read for all the wrong reasons. ቺ 18 WORLD OF WARCRAFT DRAENEI PALADIN ACTION FIGURE This figure stands a whopping 11.5 inches tall, features an incredibly detailed sculpt, and would be considered cool if it wasn't a part of the Alliance, If you play as an Alliance charac» ter (loser!), you may want to save some cash for this figure, “መ NEW RELEASES * Alone in the Dark ~ 560, Wii, PS2, PC * Bangai-O Spirits - 05 * Battlefield: Bad Company - PS3, 360 * Beijing Olympics 2008 - PS3, 360, PC * Big Beach Sports ~ Wii * Command & Conquer 5: Kanes Wrath - 360 * Final Fantasy Tactics A2 ~ DS * FlatOut: Head On ~ PSP, PC * Guitar Hero: On Tour - DS * Hellboy: Science of Evil - 360, PS3, PSP * Iron Chef America - Wii, DS * My Weight Loss Coach - DS * Operation Darkness = 360 * Overlord: Raising Hell - PS3 * Rock Band ~ Wii * Soulcalibur IV - PS3, 360 * TNA Impact! - PS3, 360, Wii, PS2 » Wall-E — PS3, 360, Wii, PS2, PSP, DS . 24-25 little smarter about it. Instead of 上 j Metal Gear Solid 4 — 06/12 ^ |#678 W's this the end/bt Bruce Wayne's 7 tun? Who Will take over the | | manie of the bat if he falls? fri If you are or know a female between the ages of 15 and 40, you're likely counting the days until The Time Traveler's Wife opens in theaters. If you need a tip on how to rope your guy friends into seeing this ‘tear-jerker with you, tell them that it's a Back to the Future side story, 13 Summer juggernauts The Incredible Hulk and The Happening battle it out for moviegoer dollars today, If you're thinking of seeing M. Night's thriller, let us save you some time, The twist ending will be disappointing. Spoiler alert? 20 Get Smart and The Love Guru. pit two comedy greats against each other at the box office, Who will win? Well, Steve Carel is hilarious, and Mike Myers was hilarious, so it's a close fight. We're betting on the guy who wasn't in Mystery, Alaska (aka. the guy who isn’t Mike Myers). ኔ "Ah crap. Maybe | shouldn't have turned down the Hulk sequel,” The Incredible Hulk — 06/13 27 Pixar's new animated feature, Wall-E, opens in theaters today. Honestly, that should be all you need to know, Stop reading this and order your tickets. Hurry up, stupid! It's Pixar! HENRY JONES ART FX STATUE - He created Indiana Jones!!! If this little factoid doesn't sell you on this beautifully sculpted stat- (16, then maybe you'll want it cause you have an appreda- ion for bumbling idiots who hit On younger women. Or maybe, ke every GI staffer, you simply have a crush on Sean Connery, and long to look upon his face whenever you wake. e E June THIS I5 YOUR STORY. From challenger to champion. Through adversity and triumph. Will you go down m history, OR JUST SO DOWN? You ve got ten seconds. xi 008 FOR XBOX 360 COMING JUNE 2008 evil BND DS™ * PRESENTS * MING THIS FAL FGH =) 360 NINTENDOS. Wii. lo Sports logo, and Take-Two Interactive Software are all trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. in the D Productions, Inc., and such logo and Don King's name, image and likeness are used under the license of Don King Productions, Inc. All በ0ከ5 ROX, Xba 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies and are used under license from Microsoft. May contain content inappropriate for children. Visit www.esrb.org for rating information. © 2008 Take-Two Interactive Software and its subsidiaries, All rights reserved, USA and/or other countries, The Don and Crown logo is a registered trademark reserved. Wil and Nintendo DS are trademarks of Nintendo. (O 2006 Nint 7 PLAYSTATION 8 | XBOX 360 | Wii ! PLAYSTATION 2 ie > STYLE TO 4-PLAYER MUSIC (4-PLAYER ONLINE) . > PUBLISHER ACTIVISION > DEVELOPER NEVERSOFT > RELEASE LATE FALL %, 48 GAME INFORMER "cover story The Beatles vs. The Stones. Nirvana vs. Pearl Jam. Oasis vs. Blur Throughout history, clashes between some of the world's greatest bands have helped define the music that we know and love. While the great rivalries of old have faded out in the post-downloading era (The Killers vs. The Bravery isn't exactly Metallica vs. Megadeth, is it?), video games are currently home to one of the great musical battles of all time. Neversoft's Guitar Hero Ill and Harmonix's Rock Band were enormous hits last year, and each brought fans some of the most entertaining gaming sessions in recent memory. While Harmonix is still considered by many to be the innovator in the field, Neversoft and Activision have been hard at work creating an entirely new Guitar Hero experience. We recently got a chance to get a world-exclusive first look at the next Guitar Hero title, a game that hopes to change music games forever and restore Guitar Hero's claim to the cutting edge. What we found is much more than a mere sequel, and might be the next great step forward in the genre. 8 ዞ n the gen > > GAME INFORMER 49 Shredding dist ory, How quickly things change. Think back just three years ago: Music games were a niche genre in the U.S. dominated by Konami's Bemani arcade games and its following of hardcore devotees obsessed with Dance Dance Revolution. Red Octane was an obscure peripheral manufacturer, known for redesigning Konami's home dance pad and its own DDR knockoff for PS2, Into the Groove. Harmonix was a critically respected and commercially moribund gaming studio, relying on its modest success with Konami's Karaoke Revolution games to keep afloat fol- lowing the commercial failures of its PS2 cult hits Frequency and Amplitude. Neversoft was the force behind wildly successful but aging Tony Hawk franchise, which was struggling to find its way on the next generation of systems after being one of the dominant franchises of the PS2 era. Then, in November of 2005, Guitar Hero was released, a game that would forever change the fates of all these companies. The game (published by Red Octane) was an instant hit, quickly spawning an even more successful sequel. Suddenly, music games were at the forefront of an industry looking for ways to win the hearts of the vast number of casual consumers who had yet to become hooked on video games. With success came the usual business wrangling, as the various companies involved struggled to secure their stake in the future of this blossoming new genre. Activision moved first, acquiring Red Octane (the brains behind the game's groundbreaking guitar controller) and the Guitar Hero brand name. MTV scooped up Harmonix, the company widely seen as the creative force behind the franchise, and signed a partnership with EA to develop an all-new Harmonix-created music game, Rock Band. Now faced with creating a new Guitar Hero game without the help of Harmonix, Activision went to its stable and awarded the task of creating Guitar Hero Ill to Neversoft, one of its most consistent and able developers. Soon, both Harmonix, with its ambitious Rock Band, and Neversoft were locked in competition to determine who would control the future of this rapidly evolving style of gaming. Not surprisingly, given the talent of the companies involved, there was no clear winner to the axe-slinging showdown staged during the holiday season of last year. Despite the fact that they had been forced to quickly adapt to an entirely new genre, Neversoft's Guitar Hero IIl was remarkably polished, and continued to focus on the series' core of wild guitar antics. Harmonix pushed an expan- sive (and expensive) title that focused on full-band, four-player action, with a specially designed electronic drum peripheral and a A7 «a AA e the addition of live vocals. While Guitar Hero won the sales race — by January of this year it had become the fastest $1 billion franchise in gaming history — the critical perception was that Harmonix and Rock Band had done more to push the genre forward. This time around, however, Neversoft has its sights set on not only achieving the status quo, but shattering it to pieces. Guitar Hero 4 represents perhaps the most ambitious game in the history of the company. While it's dear Neversoft has kept a studious eye on what its major competitor has achieved in the last year, its goal is to not just match what Harmonix has done, but to create the ultimate music game. “We want to move everything forward — every single element of the game,” claims Neversoft's studio development director Scott Pease. "That's what we've done for 10 years. Guitar Hero III was a big learning experience for us, just learning how to do it. This [GH 4] is the unleashing of all the technology we've had in other games coming to bear on this thing. As you can see, it's going to be five times the game GH III was.” continued on page 92 >> äis ጫ motion capture give the game's | characters a more fluid and _ varied set of animations e cover stor ፳፳:.:. possibilities for creating . W As you can see, the custom guitars are endle: be utt. GAME INFORMER 51 ር. continued from page so ) Forming The Band For most people the biggest news surrounding Guitar Hero 4 we're working with has been making hardware for years አ] be ariy bows ke Rock Band, tis row afl ኮጠባ | ቨቹ and years... These guys know it inside out. game, complete with drums, bass, vocals, and guitar. While this ዳ T S t news isn't a complete surprise (it's been rumored from various E 1 This thing I$ not going ሀ Crack. sources since the release of the last game), it will be welcome news to the core fanbase, especially thos e who haven't yet " : ， shelled out for its competitor. While many will see this as 4 ce Brian Bright Neversoft yet again following in the footsteps of Rock Band, the | idea of doing a game based on other instruments has actually ቹ The drum's sturdier construction " been percolating within Activision and Neversoft since before "i gaged qmpel bes La | Guitar Hero III. | Band's kit % "The natural evolution of the game is to add more instru- s ments," observes Neversoft co-founder Joel Jewitt. "It's not like [Harmonix] even invented that. That's been out there for years in the arcades” Project director Brian Bright revealed that a Drum Hero game had been in development at fellow Activision studio Activision Foster City (formerly Z-Axis). To help out with the project, Activision hired the services of John Devecka, the man who insiders credit as creating the very first music game, MTV Drumscape, an arcade drum simulation that was released back in 1996. Interestingly, Devecka actually patented technology that has been used in all fol- lowing music games, including Guitar Hero, Rock Band, and Konami's Dance Dance Revolution — patents which Activision now owns. After Neversoft took the reins of the franchise, the Drum Hero project was rolled into the Guitar Hero fold. The end result is an all-new Guitar Hero drum kit (made with the help of Devecka) that Neversoft feels will raise the bar in both quality and functionality. “One of the things we really wanted to do was make it quieter than our competitor's kit,” comments Bright. "The drums are loud as hell and it’s distracting. Everyone else in the room is like ‘Shut up! We also wanted to be able to send along velocity data. We know how hard you hit all six, including the pedal.” Yes, he said “six” That's because Guitar Hero is adding another pad to the kit: one of the two specially placed, dedicated cymbal pads. Instead of looking to emulate the Rock Band kit, the team took its inspiration from actual MIDI compat- ible professional electronic kits, which they feel are better and more natural feeling in both design and build quality. Instead of four level pads, you'll now have two elevated, pie- shaped cymbal pads. While this may seem like a small thing, it succeeds in making the experience of drumming feel even more real than in Rock Band. “We really wanted the elevation, so you feel like you're really playing cymbals. It feels different than all pads being the same. Also for lefties, they can play with the other one for the high hat,” says Bright. Although we didn't get to play with the new kit (playtesting is being done on a professional electronic kit rigged up to an Xbox 360 controller), we were encouraged to grab the sticks and bang on the first-run prototype in the Neversoft offices. Our initial impression was very positive; the placement of the cymbals was very comfortable and the pads were quieter, while at the same time providing a more natural bounce for things like drum rolls. Neversoft guarantees that the unit will be extremely durable. "The team we're working with has been making hardware for years and years," comments Bright. "These guys know it inside out. This thing is not going to crack" In even better news, those sick of Rock Band's tangle of cords will be pleased to note that — like all the game's peripher- als — the drum kit will be fully wireless. 52 GAME Ih ፳ Check out the detailed facial _ animations; the lip synching is extremely accurate no two characters ever look alike ፳ The customization options will mean Se cover S & ሥተ In keeping with the addition of more instrument options, Neversoft envisions Guitar Hero 4 as a completely open-ended music famtasy. As opposed to past titles, which were essentially a list of songs with some modes thrown on top, this time around every aspect of the game lets players choose hovv they want to present themselves to the world and how they progress through their rock career. "Player freedom" is clearly the buzzword surrounding the development of the title, and this meanifests itself in a number of intriguing ways. It starts in a brand new Create—a- Rocker mode, which is the deepest and most co rm plex character creator we've seen in a music game to date. Here, Neversoft dravvs not only on its own experience vvith Tony Hawk, but also takes some inspiration from a surprising source. "We've had Create-/A— Skater in our games since 2000, sO it was a natural step for us to make Cre-ate-a-Rocker,” said Bright. “One thing that we did was take a look at Tiger VO dis, which is a benchmark as far as wwes*re» concerned for facial deformation and options that they give people. We've never had that in Tony Hawk. We've had body scaling, but we never had the facial stuff. We've got that in now” Using a system of sliders familiar to anyone who's played Tiger or a number of other games, you can start from a few basic «haracter archetypes (vvhich the game categorizes by mmuasical genre, like black metal, goth, glam, etc.) and alter everything; from the size of your nose to the p rominence of your cheekbones. You can even age your characters (“In case you want to make The Rolling Stones,” jokes Bright), alter their physique, and create customized outfits down to the smallest accessories. Using a simple editor, you can even create custom tattoos and face paint : | | | | SELECT Fun fact: Miller has this exact same tattoo! GAME INFORMER: We've had Create-A-Skater in our games since 2 000, so it was a natural step for us a A $ v» to make Create-a-Rocker. "4 VN á Ww. & desigms of anywhere from a planned 10 to a possible 32 layers of artwork. And, as in Tiger, you can even choose some ኛ of your characters animations, like how they react to a win orloss- + IF you'd rather stick with some classic characters from Guitar Hlero's past, you'll have that option as well. During our demo we saw such fan favorites as Axel Steel, Judy Nail s, Johnny Napalm, Lars Umlaut, Izzy Sparks, and Midori. Hardcore followers will be pleased to know that the game als@ rx1arks the return of Clive Winston and Pandora. You'll evem be able to swap different characters’ outfits for the first tirme in Guitar Hero. Wonder what Axel looks like in a miniskirt? It's pretty impressive, and that's only the beginning. In the wrake of Activision's very public falling out with Gibson, licensed guitars have been nixed in favor of an extensive guitar editor. As with your character, you'll be able to tweak every minute detail of your axe, choosing from scores of body shapes, headstocks, finishes, fret inlays, pickup configurations, knobs, pick guards - you name it, you can change it. Once agasn, you'll also be able to create custom guitar graphics in addition to the myriad of preset images. “Nien you go online, you want your character to be dif- ferent from everyone else's, to be an extension of you,” says Scott Pease. “That goes for the guitars as well. You'll be able to recognize people by their guitars.’ VVhile options for customizing drums aren't as varied asthose for guitar, you will be able to select the style of harclwware, finish, and size of your drums, and even affix your bass drum head with a custom-made band logo that will be displayed throughout the game's various venues. ፳ Some of the venues are less epic than others 38 Tattoos, facepaint, band logos, and album art are all created with the same intuitive editor On (he Road To Stardom Neversoft's commitment to giving the player more relevant options extends to the career structure as well. Guitar Hero's traditional career has been thrown out the window - a move that effectively breaks down the barriers between single-player, online, and band career modes. “Before the career mode was just this linear ist. Now, there's this band fiction,” describes Chris Parise. “You have multiple gigs on a board you can 20) to, and each one will have a set list of songs for a articular place. That's the same for single-player as t is for band mode. You pick the gig you want, play hrough it, and there will be more to play. You pick he way you want to go. If there's a song that you lon't want to play -- even though all our songs will ve awesome - you don't have to play that song. It's a nore open-ended adventure" Brian Bright is more blunt in his assessment of the lifference between the career mode in Guitar Hero 4 ind Rock Band: "Well, | thought we could be better than Rock Band] by not making you play the same hree f------ songs 2,000 times over and over. | don't vant to hear Nirvana and Weezer ever again. I'm so ick of it” To help ease frustrations and ensure that players re constantly encountering new songs and chal- enges, Neversoft has broken most of the rules that estricted progression in previous music games. Brian right gave us an example of how this works. "You an start a drum career with this wonderful lady I've nade here [in Create-a-Rocker]," says Bright. "You an start playing in Medium and, if you get to a song ou're having a hard time with, you could finish that ong in Easy if you wanted to — without starting a ew career. You could also jump to guitar and play nat song with that same character within the same Se co we: career. You take one character and try to finish the four instrument careers and the band career with the bass, and drums - scroll vertically — cl Ova the lowvweer half of the screen, while the vocal Wire rolls acrc>sss th one character you've made to really max out your | top from left to right. For our mo ra ey, it was the eight career earnings and unlock all the hidden challenges : decision. The system as is works g—»«2rfec-tly, and =æ Ilow and milestones” : fans of both franchises to jump ira and anstantly- 要 一 el You'll also have more options in how you progress : at home. through the band career. As in Rock Band, each band : However, as with the career nm « de, a number of is anchored by a band leader. However, unlike in : clever changes have been imple ma ented to mak e= th Rock Band, the leader can freely switch between any : experience more exciting for a ነኢዖ፪ cd er variety of == ame instrument. Whether by yourself, online, or offline : One such example is the new Easy Rhythm guitaard with friends, you'll always be able to advance your : ficulty one targeted for parents wr Fa o want to let thei band's fortunes in the world of virtual rock. When : children in on the fun. Instead of the usual patte—=rn you're playing in a friend's band online, you'll still reap : of descending “jewels,” Easy Rhy tła m is a series -Of the rewards of success. For example, if your friend is : straight lines (usually used to repoa-«—5«e»n t the bass dru advanced past you in the game, you'll still earn the hits) that go in time to the beat OF the song, alle vin; extras you've unlocked for certain milestones, even if ^ - kids to strum along regardless of APmat meck butt ons you haven't actually progressed to that point in your : are being pressed. own career. The bass and drum mechanics have also bee m3 Neversoft is a bit vague as to how you'll unlock new tweaked to make them more co ዘክ plex for adva raced items and songs in the game, although we do know | players and, in the case of the dres sans, allow for nor that, as in previous games, you'll be earning cash for — : creativity and improvisation. Bass »1so mnakes u=S—— of almost everything you do ~ and the team promises : the straight line across for “open &—3«5tes,^ essent sally enough Achievements, goals, and milestones to keep — : simulating the open E string on tha « real-life instr u- players busy for weeks. | ment. It's a clever addition and clef ariite ly make- for some more interesting note runs == »acd a feel mus<—h more akin to actually playing the 8 &-»5trusxment. VV aich Tale “The Stage While Neversoft is clearly intent on making a number of improvements and additions to what was accomplished in Rock Band — including some rather mindblowing ones we've yet to mention — there's also a bit of a feeling of déjà vu one feels when first tackling a four-player session of Guitar Hero 4. Perhaps sensing that it's folly to fix something that isn't broken, the onscreen HUD for multiplayer is essen- tially identical to that of Rock Band. The three main instruments — guitar, S VR eres e.” ang the studio, MEAE m = md your መጢ ፪ can freely ፲፪ on any of mames tracks. ARO ND መዉ 59 PAUSE Ja “. ALT is good, sir’ ce there is (finally) a unique bass career mode in ፒጅቁ ሙ game. For the drums, Neversoft is taking full adva rt a e of the kit's dual cymbals by changing : how Star F> wer is activated. Instead of Rock Band's . somewvhat = awkward use of fills to activate power : mode, your Can now activate it by crashing both : cymbals at once in true rockstar fashion. At that point, you're gives a brief moment to improv your own fill, allowing y © u to be adventurous without worrying about hittmz wa £ the tricky last beat on time. Newersc> ft also has big plans to distinguish the drum career track from its string-slinging counterparts. No arena rock 三 howis complete without an indulgent drum sole, candrest assured you won't have to miss out om the ሺሂ ዘ of unleashing your inner Keith Moon. D “Wher yo x ^r e playing drums by yourself, the encores vvill heave t-E— ese special sections that are solos," reveals Bright. “Thy < lights will fade, the camera will pan to the drumrmrmer, Fre rest of the band will fade out, and there will be am | «tended drum solo" is that it will be like the Tommy Lee ; ©, with pyro and lights going off. It'll bethe ፣ spotlizzht = New Song, መጨ a; - M aM it ae 48 E ONE DUE NO (8 88 WE ጊኒ A "፣. ጋ iv |: guitar ereet | big moment for the drummer," adds Pease. While the solos will rest solely on improvisation, the game will grade you according to how on-beat your fills were and the variety in the pads that you hit. Neversoft is also tackling one of the more contro- versial elements of Guitar Hero III: the boss battles, which many critics and fans found frustrating. Rather than abandon them entirely, the team has re-focused them away from attack power-ups and towards the core of what makes Guitar Hero so much fun. "You're still going to be playing with some real life guitar heroes," comments Neversoft's Alan Flores. "But we're going to change the way it's done. It's more about playing and less about attack. It's a more call- and-response style. But we will still have a Battle Mode for online, because it's really popular with the fans” A Cornucopia ot Rock Another area which Neversoft promises the game will excel is the in the music selection — and, more importantly, support for downloadable content, which Classic Rock Fusion Hip Hop Modern Rock itl: scales FA E 6ጥ ” ፲፻ note W After you create a ‹ Seale __ Scale, you can instant Mir. Pont "Whole band to play o LII ^ à e a note pattern and key 1 f ማመ: መ ALT. eens? at ^ T ጠበ ae a, EDIT has been less than stellar so far for Guitar Hero Ill. "We're going to support this in a big way with DI something we haven't been the best at with Guitar Hero Ill,” observes Bright. “Some of that is because as a studio have been focused on this game and Gi Hero: Aerosmith. It takes a couple of guys a few we to do a song. We're now working with some other resources to help us do downloadable content” "You have to have the licensing and everything all lined up. Last year, we were basically trying to ge GH III out and were still learning about it. Now, we have everything in place. We're definitely more pre- pared, and we have more people making the game comments Pease. Of course, any downloadable content would be adding on to the game's built-in track listing, which Neversoft aims to make the best ever in the music genre. "[We'll have] more songs than we've ever pt a Guitar Hero game, more than any other disc-base music game. And they're all master tracks, and a lo triple-A bands. We're going balls-out,” claims Bright For fear of getting scooped by the competition, the refused to discuss specific tracks, but would confirm the inclusion of songs by four bands: Van Halen, The Eagles, Linkin Park, and Sublime. This listing reflects the team's desire to make the soundtrack more varied, reaching outside of Guitar Hero's usual metal- centric aesthetic. "We've actually got a pretty even split between late ‘80s, ‘90s, and classic rock. It's a little harder to find modern stuff, but we do have a good amount of emerging bands,” reveals Bright. But that’s not to say the franchise's core group of guitar-heads has been ignored. “We have a handful of songs that are specific to the hardcore guitar players — a few progressive bands like Dream Theater. We have to put them in the. game,” Bright continues. Blazing A “Trail Speculating about who will and won't be on the soundtrack of a new Guitar Hero game is an entertaining pastime. (Yes, we asked about Led Zeppelin. No, they didn't answer.) But what if we told you the most exciting music in Guitar Hero 4 hasn't even been written yet? That's because Neversoft is aiming for something much greater than just another improvement on the same old formula. This time, they are giving players the tools to go beyond just emulating the artists they love and pursue their own path to musical stardom. Here's where things start to get really interesting. Neversoft, like many of us, has paid close attention to the community of Guitar Hero hackers that has blossomed online, populated by enthusiasts who've used the modified controllers and debug menus to create a plethora of unlicensed versions of thousands of tracks. However, this time around, no homebrew solutions Will be necessary. Guitar Hero 4's studio mode will give players the tools they need to create literally any song they can imagine. The first layer of this expansive mode is called Jam Over, which allows players to get their feet wet in a live band setting. Simply enter the studio, select one of the songs from the soundtrack, and you and your friends will be able to freely jam with preloaded chords and scales from that track. Whatever tracks aren't being played live will be streamed from the prerecorded track, letting you learn how to play the song without the use of the note runway, or create your own riffs and chord progressions on the fly. It also allows you to be more creative with leads, as the guitar's tilt function allows you to instantly switch between a higher and lower octave. In the studio is also where you'll notice the significance of the velocity sensitive drums, as each pad will have four different samples that are tiered based on how hard you hit, allowing you to go from a light drum roll to a massive thwack of the snare in an instant, Once you've got your chops nailed down, you'll be able to record your version of a rock classic (sans vocals) and have it instantly playable in Quick Play mode. But the real possibilities begin to open up in the Advanced Studio mode, a full recording toolset that rivals such computer programs as Apple's popular Tac bl n tt winja lejali Garage Band software. In this mode, you have total freedom to write, arrange, and record songs as you see fit. A vertically scrolling grid shows the song's various tracks - rhythm, lead, melody, bass, and drums. You can craft your songs by recording live playing (with a little help from the game, which automatically "quan- itizes" or corrects offbeat notes to quarter, 8th, or 16th notes, and so on), or by "step recording,” in which you place individual drum hits or notes on the grid one by one. It's also possible to create loops which can then be copied and pasted ad infinitum, a feature which is handy for drum and bass composition. The guitar options are nearly endless in Advanced Studio. You'll have a host of amp sounds and effects RHYTHM 8 ; ‹ “፤ STOP PLAYBACK ብቁ pedals, and the ability to create and assign custom scales to the different buttons and combos on the neck. Three-button combos even allow instant access to acoustic tones. Drums are equally flexible, allowing you to select from a huge selection of conventional = kits, then quickly hit the back button for Latin-style : percussion sounds. s The only real limitation is the lack of vocals — the storage needs for recorded vocals and possible copyright concerns were cited as the reasons for the inability to record your singing. That said, you can use keyboard tones on the melody track to emulate the vocal lines for most songs. All in all, it's a remarkably easy-to-use system, one that should generate a ton of unique user-created content (and probably more than a few less-than-legal "cover" versions of classic rock tunes). To showcase the creativity of their audience, Neversoft has added a completely new online community to the game, called : GH Tunes, a free content sharing service it hopes will : become the YouTube of music video games. : Once you've recorded your original masterpiece, all you have to do is save it to your hard drive, name the track, and create some custom album artwork. Then, it can be uploaded to GH Tunes, where users from around the world can play and rate your creation (all songs are instantly translated into the familiar “jewel” system for playback). For Neversoft, the possibilities of the studio mode are endless. "There are people that will go pretty hardcore into this mode," predicts Neversoft's Travis Chen. "These are the guys that make custom Guitar Hero III songs just With the cheats menu. You see videos of them playing full songs with that, and that was pretty limited. Now it's open to everyone, where before you had to hack your PS2. Even someone that doesn't want to play Jam Over or use the studio, they still get a big bonus because of those five percent of really awesome songs that are going up that they can play" At first, you'll be limited to uploading five original tracks to the GH Tunes service. However, through a system of user ratings, certain players who deliver consistently high quality tracks will “get signed,” allow- ing them to upload 10 and possibly even more songs ata time. The GH Tunes navigation system will allow you to sort the wheat from the chaff, highlighting new additions, highest-rated tracks, and popular songwrit- ers from the fan community. Neversoft is also planning on curating its own Showcase section to highlight some of the best contributors. While Neversoft did confirm that studio mode would be included in the PS2 and Wii versions of the game, it seems unlikely that the online sharing will be as robust. “Showcase is our own section,” com- ments Brian Bright. “We could put real artists in there; we could put songs that our designers and artists have made. We could potentially pick out user songs and move them to our list” The possibilities seem endless. If there's anything that the Internet era has taught us, it's that giving people ways to use their creativity online and connect with each other can lead to results much greater than anything you could have imagined beforehand. Just picture a community of thousands of Guitar Hero enthusiasts - both profes- sional and amateur - writing, recording, and freely sharing tracks through an easy-to-use infrastructure. "It's struck me in the last few weeks that we might be sitting on something that's bigger than 1 have any concept about," predicts Joel Jewitt. Shooting Foy Immovt ኮች In the time we spent with the team at Neversoft two things became abundantly clear. One, this is a highly competitive studio that is not content to sit back and merely preserve the commercially bankable Guitar Hero formula. Two, it was that Neversoft, which has always had a close relationship with its fanbase since the early days of Tony Hawk, are a company that listens to the criticism from both its fans and the press, and is attempting to deliver to the public the music game they've been dreaming about for years. "This is the future,” claims Joel Jewitt. “We're going to make the best game we can with all the tools, so you guys can do everything. And then keep it going with all the music and master tracks that you guys love. It's a lot of fun.... I'm getting giddy about this one” With their years of experience in a variety of genres, a core of extremely talented veteran staff, and one successful Guitar Hero title already under its belt, Neversoft seems to be poised to challenge Harmonix and Rock Band as the innovators in the music game genre. Has the student become the teacher? It's too early to say, but its safe to predict that music fans will all benefit from the results of what's shaping up to be one of gaming's all-time great rivalries. 88 m m GAME INFORMER < cO ver stor 57 3 » 58 GAME INFORMER Jf Prince of Persia is a book, then Jordan : = Mechner wrote its first chapter in 1989, [t - 1 | Supposedly inpired h by The Book of One v T ^U, Thousand and One Nights, Mechner’s remarkable game was different from anything elie before it, even as it told the most familiar of stories. A lovelorn commoner faces a villainous vizier in a race against time to save the prin- ces. Death-defying leaps, agile swordplay, and a sweeping imaginative backdrop established a tone that would set the franchise apart. Years later, se feature Ubisoft Montreal rediscovered the Prince of Persia and added a second chapter — a different prince en a quest for redemption after loosing the hor- ror of the Sands of Time onto the world. Ubisoft’ new vision embraced its pedigree, but catapulted forward with a brand new take on platform- ing and action fer a sud denly three-dimensienal game world, After three interconnected games have revealed their secrets, the epic of the Sands of Time has been told. The book is ready for its next chapter, and a new Prince is rising to the occasion. GAME INFORMER 59 60: GAME-INFORMER the byproduct of an interesting reality facing the vetera an team | at Ubisoft ‘Montreal. After the first Sands of Time, part ‘of the development t squad split off to begin work on a decidedly more realistic hero — an assassin stalking the streets of the | መ መ Land in search of his unlucky victims. With Assa Creed now established in the Ubisoft stable of hits, the dm that remained behind to work on Warrior Within and The: Two Thrones spent the last few years developing the new Prince of Persia, free to let their imaginations run wild. Where the Sands of Time wove its way through a grand and ancient Persian world, it was in many ways still tied to an exagger- ated version of reality. With Assassin's Creed branching into historical fiction, this new Prince can finally embrace a story of unchecked mythology and magic. The tale begins as a young traveler accidentally passes into a forbidden land — a mythical garden of beauty dominated at its center by a massive tree of life. Imprisoned within is an ancient god of darkness named Ahriman, who became trapped there after a cosmic struggle with his brother Ormazd. The prince arrives only to bear witness to the tree's destruction, and Ahriman's corruption pours out into the garden (an entirely self-contained world). It should come as little surprise that the wayward traveler becomes embroiled in the drive to strike back at that corruption. The game's plot draws parallels to the myths and stories of various cultures, from the familiar western conceptions of an Eden-like garden with a tree containing the essence of evil, to the Middle Eastem spiritual philosophy of a story f supreme beings and | humanity's pitiful place i inthe grander : Siew of things. But it just so happens that the back- drop we create through this epic struggle between these two warring gods allows us to explore some much more human, ~ and therefore much more accessible, themes" At the center of this unfolding epic stands a man who has yet to attain the regal title of the game in which he stars. While alike in his propensity for acrobatics and getting into trouble, the new prince is quite different from the hero of Ubisoft's last Persian epic. Wom, sand-battered skin and mismatched clothes tell the story of a life of joumeys and adventures undertaken before the game opens. “We drew our inspiration from adven- turers like Sinbad in the Arabian Nights, Han Solo from Star Wars, and Aragorn from The Lord of the Rings,” Mattes reveals. Besides tamished apparel and a scoundrel-like demeanor, the prince has some new accessories that further flesh out his character concept. In one hand he wields a massive blade, while his other fist brandishes a daunting metal gauntlet. Both figure prominently in some variations on the tried-and-true gameplay of the franchise. The sword is the prince's main implement every time com- bat begins in the new one-on-one duel mechanic. Rather than focus on large groups of circling enemies, Prince of Persia only sets players against one opponent at a time. Part fighting game and part cinematic movie duel, these conflicts are fast; paced and frantic struggles for supremacy against an individual and cunning foe. “Enemies will be intelligent enough to lure y into a false sense of security if you're not paying attention, Mattes says. Combatants will fall back and feign weakness to continued on page 62 d $e feature . Longtime gaming composer Inon E Zur will lend his talents to create the musical ርን of Prince of. Per thase concerned, The p power 7 the new prec has allowed ራፍ team E The erp jal icc M wk to step out # the interior palace environs of previews ሽ f E platforming mechanic that allows the games and embrace some vast outdoor spaces, where P i R the Princes view Ya on ር miles into the distance 7 : prince to descend any wall with ease : GAME INFORMER. 61 continued from page 60 lure you into a trap, or constantly vary their attack technique to x keep you off guard. > Without the need to focus on multiple enemies, the fighting fimechanic is in many ways à true successor to the tense face- Offs of the original Mechner games. Simple one-button com- mands will string together into juggling combinations, and the Complex animation system will interconnect each move with Whatever action follows it. One button on the controller is a Sword swing, another jumps, and yet another grabs or manipu- © Jates with the other hand. To chain these individual actions ሥት” together, you must carefully observe the enemy's weaknesses. It Geates an exciting, spontaneous fighting style rather than requiring the memorization of long combo strings. “he goe comes into play most prominently while plat- *^fominig. [ከፎ prince has this powerful gauntlet that he has found on a previous adventure. He can slam the daws of that gauntlet into a vertical surface and slow his descent,” Mattes explains. Recall the moments of ripping down a curtain with the Dagger of Time in previous entries, büt add a full range of movement back and forth along the surface as the prince falls. “We really liked the verticality that added to levels, but it Was done in a very contrived linear fashion," Mattes admits. Traversing the world remains a major facus of gameplay, but this time there is significant freedom around which path you take from point to point "The grip fall allows you to tum any vertical surface in the game into a slide” The freedom afforded by moves like the grip fall is only a microcosm of the larger philosophy to give players more genu- ine choices in the game world. ገ really feel like we have found a way through a variety of means to give a very crafted experi- ence, the type that people would expect from a single-player linear game, that's going to appeal to people who want that epic narrative-rich game, but at the same time give people lots of choice if they want to take advantage of it,” Mattes tells us. The massive mythical garden where the prince finds himself features cities and varied landscapes. In any given hub of that world, the prince will confront the Corruption of Ahriman and drive it out. As he escapes the traps and defeats creatures that oppose him, the Corruption will become ever more concen- trated in a given place, like dirt gathering in a drain. When the prince cleanses that last part of the world, he'll be doing so in a profoundly dangerous locale, filled from top to bottom with the contamination of the dark god. Alternately, at any time, play- ers can abandon a hub and move on to a different place in the world and begin tackling the corruption that has emerged there. While it's not exactly a sandbox game world, players can Ubisoft Montreal hopes that Elika will revolution- ize the rele of a supporting character in the genre. The mysterious girl will accompany you throughout the entire game choose where to go next and move there wa Se Previously visited areas will morph, becominigimo to traverse with more difficult enemies to confront zone is finally cleared of Ahriman's corrupting influence! i The Corruption is far more than dark colored coating on the game world. Rather, it is a tangible force in the world that takes on multiple forms. In its base state, the Corruption is a sort of inert goo that coats the world. Since touching it is dangerous, designers can make any given path more difficult simply by lay- ering more of this dangerous dark matter along the character's route. Its second form is that of a non-sentient creature, the answer to the spinning blade traps and falling block obstacles of previous entries. These writhing masses of Corruption seek to snag the prince, and only careful timing and platforming will save him. Finally, the Corruption’s ultimate form is that of battle- ready enemies, including the elite servants of Ahriman. You'll encounter these boss characters, such as the feral Hunter seen in the surrounding images, repeatedly throughout the journey. The prince has no Sands of Time to call upon this time around, which doesn't bode well for his chances to confront the dangers before him. Thankfully, the team at Ubisoft Montreal has a secret weapon that may fill the void nicely. Combat has dramatically altered since the last installment — one-on-one duels are now the focus, with each enemy representing a threat all by itself May contain content inappropriate for children. Visit www.esrb.org for rating information. Take-Two Interactive Software and its subsidiaries. Al rights reserved. 2K: dor other countries. The Don and Crown logo is a registered trademark 3. Wii and Nintendo DS are trademarks of Nintendo. O 2006 Xbox, " PRESENTS * lü THIS I5 YOUR SET ORY. From challenger to chew xxapi «n. Through adversity and triumph. Will you go down in kxi story, OR JUST SO DO VVIN? You've got ten se € on 05. A ATER. IKK HK NG JUNE 2008 FOR XBOX 5360" ING THIS FALL FOR Wii | Z&-IND -DS Wii. bs "m s 360 ' NINTENDODS,. {Sports logo, and Take-Two Interactive Software are all trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. in the. luctions, Inc., and such logo and Don King's name, image and likeness are used under the license of Don King Productions, Inc. All rights. Xbax 360. Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies and are used under license from Microsoft. PLASS TATION 3 | XBOX 360 | Wii | PLAYSTATION 2 > STW LE 1 TO4PLAYERMUSIC (4-PLAYER ONLINE) > PU L RSS HER ACTIVISION > DEWELOPER NEVERSOFT Se cover story Fantasy Meet Realit The Beatles vs. The Stones. Nirvana vs. Pearl Jam. Oasis vs. Blur. Throughout history, clashes between some of the world's greatest bands have helped define the music that we know and love. While the great rivalries of old have faded out in the post-downloading era (The Killers vs. The Bravery isn't exactly Metallica vs. Megadeth, is 87), video games are currently home to one of the great musical battles of all time. Neversoft's Guitar Hero Ill and Harmonix's Rock Band were enormous hits last year, and each brought fans some of the most entertaining gaming sessions in recent memory. While Harmonix is still considered by many to be the innovator in the field, Neversoft and Activision have been hard at work creating an entirely new Guitar Hero experience. We recently got a chance to get a world-exclusive first look at the next Guitar Hero title, a game that hopes to change music games forever and restore Guitar Hero's claim to the cutting edge. What we found is much more than a mere sequel, and might * be ም » = GAME INFORMER 49 be the next great step forward in the genre. Shredding History How quickly things change. Think back just three years ago: Music games were a niche genre in the U.S. dominated by Konami's Bemani arcade games and its following of hardcore devotees obsessed with Dance Dance Revolution. Red Octane was an obscure peripheral manufacturer, known for redesigning Konami's home dance pad and its own DDR knockoff for PS2, Into the Groove. Harmonix was a critically respected and commercially moribund gaming studio, relying on its modest success with Konami's Karaoke Revolution games to keep afloat fol- lowing the commercial failures of its PS2 cult hits Frequency and Amplitude. Neversoft was the force behind wildly successful but aging Tony Hawk franchise, which was struggling to find its way on the next generation of systems after being one of the dominant franchises of the PS2 era. Then, in November of 2005, Guitar Hero was released, a game that would forever change the fates of all these companies. The game (published by Red Octane) was an instant hit, quickly spawning an even more successful sequel. Suddenly, music games were at the forefront of an industry looking for ways to win the hearts of the vast number of casual consumers who had yet to become hooked on video games. With success came the usual business wrangling, as the various companies involved struggled to secure their stake in the future of this blossoming new genre. Activision moved first, acquiring Red Octane (the brains behind the game's groundbreaking guitar controller) and the Guitar Hero brand name. MTV scooped up Harmonix, the company widely seen as the creative force behind the franchise, and signed a partnership with EA to develop an all-new Harmonix-created music game, Rock Band. Now faced with creating a new Guitar Hero game without the help of Harmonix, Activision went to its stable and awarded the task of creating Guitar Hero III to Neversoft, one of its most consistent and able developers. Soon, both Harmonix, with its ambitious Rock Band, and Neversoft were locked in competition to determine who would control the future of this rapidly evolving style of gaming. Not surprisingly, given the talent of the companies involved, there was no clear winner to the axe-slinging showdown staged during the holiday season of last year. Despite the fact that they had been forced to quickly adapt to an entirely new genre, Neversoft's Guitar Hero III was remarkably polished, and continued to focus on the series' core of wild guitar antics. Harmonix pushed an expan- sive (and expensive) title that focused on full-band, four-player action, with a specially designed electronic drum peripheral and the addition of live vocals. While Guitar Hero won the sales race — by January of this year it had become the fastest $1 billion franchise in gaming history — the critical perception was that Harmonix and Rock Band had done more to push the genre forward. This time around, however, Neversoft has its sights set on not only achieving the status quo, but shattering it to pieces. Guitar Hero 4 represents perhaps the most ambitious game in the history of the company. While it's clear Neversoft has kept a studious eye on what its major competitor has achieved in the last year, its goal is to not just match what Harmonix has done, but to create the ultimate music game. "We want to move everything forward — every single element of the game,” claims Neversoft's studio development director Scott Pease. "That's what we've done for 10 years. Guitar Hero III was a big learning experience for us, just learning how to do it. This [GH 4] is the unleashing of all the technology we've had in other games coming to bear on this thing. As you can see, it's going to be five times the game GH III was.” continued on page 72 >> ive motion capture give the game's | characters a more fluid and | varied set of animations Se cover story GAME INFORMER 51 we're working with has been making hardware for years and years... These guys know it inside out. This thing is not going to crack. — Brian Bright E continued from page so › Forming The Band For most people the biggest news surrounding Guitar Hero 4 will be instantly obvious: like Rock Band, this is now a full band game, complete with drums, bass, vocals, and guitar. While this news isn't a complete surprise (it's been rumored from various sources since the release of the last game), it will be welcome news to the core fanbase, especially thos e who haven't yet shelled out for its competitor. While many will see this as Neversoft yet again following in the footsteps of Rock Band, the idea of doing a game based on other instruments has actually been percolating within Activision and Neversoft since before Guitar Hero III. "The natural evolution of the game is to add more instru- ments," observes Neversoft co-founder Joel Jewitt. "It's not like [Harmonix] even invented that. That's been out there for years in the arcades.” Project director Brian Bright revealed that a Drum Hero game had been in development at fellow Activision studio Activision Foster City (formerly Z-Axis). To help out with the project, Activision hired the services of John Devecka, the man who insiders credit as creating the very first music game, MTV Drumscape, an arcade drum simulation that was released back in 1996. Interestingly, Devecka actually patented technology that has been used in all fol- lowing music games, including Guitar Hero, Rock Band, and Konami's Dance Dance Revolution — patents which Activision now owns. After Neversoft took the reins of the franchise, the Drum Hero project was rolled into the Guitar Hero fold. The end result is an all-new Guitar Hero drum kit (made with the help of Devecka) that Neversoft feels will raise the bar in both quality and functionality. "One of the things we really wanted to do was make it quieter than our competitor's kit,” comments Bright. "The drums are loud as hell and it's distracting. Everyone else in the room is like ‘Shut up!’ We also wanted to be able to send along velocity data. We know how hard you hit all six, including the pedal" Yes, he said "six" That's because Guitar Hero is adding another pad to the kit: one of the two specially placed, dedicated cymbal pads. Instead of looking to emulate the Rock Band kit, the team took its inspiration from actual MIDI compat- ible professional electronic kits, which they feel are better and more natural feeling in both design and build quality. Instead of four level pads, you'll now have two elevated, pie- shaped cymbal pads. While this may seem like a small thing, it succeeds in making the experience of drumming feel even more real than in Rock Band. “We really wanted the elevation, so you feel like you're really playing cymbals. It feels different than all pads being the same. Also for lefties, they can play with the other one for the high hat," says Bright. Although we didn't get to play with the new kit (playtesting is being done on a professional electronic kit rigged up to an Xbox 360 controller), we were encouraged to grab the sticks and bang on the first-run prototype in the Neversoft offices. 7 Our initial impression was very positive; the placement of the | cymbals was very comfortable and the pads were quieter, | while at the same time providing a more natural bounce for things like drum rolls. Neversoft guarantees that the unit will be extremely durable. "The team we're working with has been making hardware for years and years," comments Bright. "These guys know it inside out. This thing is not going to crack" In even better news, those sick of Rock Band's tangle of cords will be pleased to note that — like all the game's peripher- als — the drum kit will be fully wireless. i The drum's sturdier construction and dedicated cymbal pads give V. ita more realistic feel than Rock - Band's kit | AV In keeping with the addition of more instrument options, Neversoft envisions Guitar Hero 4 as a completely open-ended music fantasy. As opposed to past titles, which were essentially a list of songs with some modes thrown on top, this time around every aspect of the game lets players choose how they want to present themselves to the world and how they progress through their rock career. "Player freedom" is clearly the buzzword surrounding the development of the title, and this manifests itself in a number of intriguing ways. It starts in a brand new Create-a-Rocker mode, which is the deepest and most complex character creator we've seen in a music game to date. Here, Neversoft draws not only on its own experience with Tony Hawk, but also takes some inspiration from a surprising source. “We've had Create-A-Skater in our games since 2000, so it was a natural step for us to make Create-a-Rocker,” said Bright. “One thing that we did was take a look at Tiger Woods, which is a benchmark as far as we're concerned for facial deformation and options that they give people. We've never had that in Tony Hawk. We've had body scaling, but we never had the facial stuff. We've got that in now” Using a system of sliders familiar to anyone who's played Tiger or a number of other games, you can start from a few basic character archetypes (which the game categorizes by musical genre, like black metal, goth, glam, etc.) and alter everything from the size of your nose to the prominence of your cheekbones. You can even age your characters ("In case you want to make The Rolling Stones," jokes Bright), alter their physique, and create customized outfits down to the smallest accessories. Using a simple editor, you can even create custom tattoos and face paint ted to show m -一 一 ^" : SELECT * DONE i im h Ll Fun fact: Miller ር | 一 -一 一 一 一 一 一 一 一 一 一 has this exact SELECT same tattoo! | : GAME INFORMER Se cover story ዘ "s - We've had Create-A-Skater in our games since 2000, so it was a natural step forus . - to make Create-a-Rocker. ፲ጅ “ስ f * designs of anywhere from a planned 10 to a possible 32 * layers of artwork. And, as in Tiger, you can even choose some Li of your character's animations, like how they react to a win or loss. + If you'd rather stick with some classic characters from Guitar Hero's past, you'll have that option as well. During our demo we saw such fan favorites as Axel Steel, Judy Nails, Johnny Napalm, Lars Umlaut, Izzy Sparks, and Midori. Hardcore followers will be pleased to know that the game also marks the return of Clive Winston and Pandora. You'll even be able to swap different characters' outfits for the first time in Guitar Hero. Wonder what Axel looks like in a miniskirt? It's pretty impressive, and that's only the beginning. In the wake of Activision's very public falling out with Gibson, licensed guitars have been nixed in favor of an extensive guitar editor. As with your character, you'll be able to tweak every minute detail of your axe, choosing from scores of body shapes, headstocks, finishes, fret inlays, pickup configurations, knobs, pick guards — you name it, you can change it. Once again, you'll also be able to create custom guitar graphics in addition to the myriad of preset images. "When you go online, you want your character to be dif- ferent from everyone else's, to be an extension of you," says Scott Pease. "That goes for the guitars as well. You'll be able to recognize people by their guitars.” While options for customizing drums aren't as varied as those for guitar, you will be able to select the style of hardware, finish, and size of your drums, and even affix your bass drum head with a custom-made band logo that will be displayed throughout the game's various venues. monem» 8i Some of the venues are less epic than others 88 Tattoos, facepaint, band logos, and album art are all created with the same intuitive editor On the Read To Stardom Neversoft's commitment to giving the player more relevant options extends to the career structure as well. Guitar Hero's traditional career has been thrown out the window — a move that effectively breaks down the barriers between single-player, online, and band career modes. “Before the career mode was just this linear list. Now, there's this band fiction," describes Chris Parise. “You have multiple gigs on a board you can 8o to, and each one will have a set list of songs for a particular place. That's the same for single-player as itis for band mode. You pick the gig you want, play through it, and there will be more to play. You pick the way you want to go. If there's a song that you don't want to play — even though all our songs will be awesome - you don't have to play that song. It's a more open-ended adventure.” Brian Bright is more blunt in his assessment of the difference between the career mode in Guitar Hero 4 and Rock Band: “Well, | thought we could be better [than Rock Band] by not making you play the same three f-— songs 2,000 times over and over. | don't want to hear Nirvana and Weezer ever again. l'm so sick of it” To help ease frustrations and ensure that players are constantly encountering new songs and chal- lenges, Neversoft has broken most of the rules that restricted progression in previous music games. Brian Bright gave us an example of how this works. "You can start a drum career with this wonderful lady I've made here [in Create-a-Rocker]," says Bright. "You can start playing in Medium and, if you get to a song you're having a hard time with, you could finish that song in Easy if you wanted to — without starting a new career. You could also jump to guitar and play that song with that same character within the same career. You take one character and try to finish the four instrument careers and the band career with the one character you've made to really max out your career earnings and unlock all the hidden challenges and milestones” You'll also have more options in how you progress through the band career. As in Rock Band, each band is anchored by a band leader. However, unlike in Rock Band, the leader can freely switch between any instrument. Whether by yourself, online, or offline with friends, you'll always be able to advance your band's fortunes in the world of virtual rock. When you're playing in a friend's band online, you'll still reap the rewards of success. For example, if your friend is advanced past you in the game, you'll still earn the extras you've unlocked for certain milestones, even if you haven't actually progressed to that point in your own career. Neversoft is a bit vague as to how you'll unlock new items and songs in the game, although we do know that, as in previous games, you'll be earning cash for almost everything you do — and the team promises enough Achievements, goals, and milestones to keep players busy for weeks. Take The Stage While Neversoft is clearly intent on making a number of improvements and additions to what was accomplished in Rock Band — including some rather mindblowing ones we've yet to mention — there's also a bit of a feeling of déjà vu one feels when first tackling a four-player session of Guitar Hero 4. Perhaps sensing that it's folly to fix something that isn't broken, the onscreen HUD for multiplayer is essen- tially identical to that of Rock Band. The three main instruments — guitar, ይ: " ፍቸ" Le! se cover story ጩ bass, and drums - scroll vertically down the lower half of the screen, while the vocal line rolls across the top from left to right. For our money, it was the right decision. The system as is works perfectly, and allows fans of both franchises to jump in and instantly feel at home. However, as with the career mode, a number of clever changes have been implemented to make the experience more exciting for a wider variety of gamers. One such example is the new Easy Rhythm guitar dif- ficulty, one targeted for parents who want to let their children in on the fun. Instead of the usual pattern ድ of descending "jewels," Easy Rhythm is a series of straight lines (usually used to represent the bass drum hits) that go in time to the beat of the song, allowing kids to strum along regardless of what neck buttons are being pressed. The bass and drum mechanics have also been tweaked to make them more complex for advanced players and, in the case of the drums, allow for more creativity and improvisation. Bass also makes use of the straight line across for "open notes," essentially simulating the open E string on the real-life instru- ment. It's a clever addition and definitely makes for some more interesting note runs and a feel much more akin to actually playing the instrument. Which Sa a “VR Se。@。 e © 9” |: መመ 55 ባዛ በአር ሽከር | ፡ f L B In the studio; you and your friends can freely jam on any of the game's tracks = — mm v" PAUSE mp 9e ALT is good, since there is (finally) a unique bass career mode in the game. For the drums, Neversoft is taking full advantage of the kit's dual cymbals by changing how Star Power is activated. Instead of Rock Band's somewhat awkward use of fills to activate power mode, you can now activate it by crashing both cymbals at once in true rockstar fashion. At that point, you're given a brief moment to improv your own fill, B allowing you to be adventurous without worrying k about hitting the tricky last beat on time. B Neversoft also has big plans to distinguish the drum career track from its string-slinging counterparts. No arena rock show is complete without an indulgent drum solo, and rest assured you won't have to miss out on the fun of unleashing your inner Keith Moon. “When you're playing drums by yourself, the encores will have these special sections that are solos," reveals Bright. "The lights will fade, the camera will pan to the drummer, the rest of the band will fade out, and there will be an extended drum solo.’ "The idea is that it will be like the Tommy Lee spotlight solo, with pyro and lights going off. It'll be the 56 GAME INFORMER New Song eee |: Guitar Effect: || mess | r --፦ Classic Rock Fusion Hip Hop Modern Rock cod የ፻ያ፳(/:7ዘ 1:89) SR CA ኣኒጻዜ .:።” ፦ big moment for the drummer," adds Pease. While the solos will rest solely on improvisation, the game will grade you according to how on-beat your fills were and the variety in the pads that you hit. Neversoft is also tackling one of the more contro- versial elements of Guitar Hero III: the boss battles, which many critics and fans found frustrating. Rather than abandon them entirely, the team has re-focused them away from attack power-ups and towards the core of what makes Guitar Hero so much fun. "You're still going to be playing with some real life guitar heroes," comments Neversoft's Alan Flores. "But we're going to change the way it's done. It's more about playing and less about attack. It's a more call- and-response style. But we will still have a Battle Mode : for online, because it's really popular with the fans.” A Cornucopia ot Roch Another area which Neversoft promises the game P will excel is the in the music selection — and, more importantly, support for downloadable content, which "".-- 2 W After you create a custom scale, you can instantly set the — whole band to play on the same scales note pattern and key set band scale make custom has been less than stellar so far for Guitar Hero III. “We're going to support this in a big way with DLC, something we haven't been the best at with Guitar Hero III,” observes Bright. “Some of that is because we as a studio have been focused on this game and Guitar Hero: Aerosmith. It takes a couple of guys a few weeks to do a song. We're now working with some other resources to help us do downloadable content” “You have to have the licensing and everything all lined up. Last year, we were basically trying to get GH III out and were still learning about it. Now, we have everything in place. We're definitely more pre- pared, and we have more people making the games,” comments Pease. Of course, any downloadable content would be adding on to the game's built-in track listing, which Neversoft aims to make the best ever in the music genre. “[We'll have] more songs than we've ever put in a Guitar Hero game, more than any other disc-based music game. And they're all master tracks, and a lot of triple-A bands. We're going balls-out," claims Bright. For fear of getting scooped by the competition, they refused to discuss specific tracks, but would confirm the inclusion of songs by four bands: Van Halen, The Eagles, Linkin Park, and Sublime. This listing reflects the team's desire to make the soundtrack more varied, reaching outside of Guitar Hero's usual metal- centric aesthetic. "We've actually got a pretty even split between late ‘80s, ‘90s, and classic rock. It's a little harder to find modern stuff, but we do have a good amount of emerging bands," reveals Bright. But that's not to say the franchise's core group of guitar-heads has been ignored. "We have a handful of songs that are specific to the hardcore guitar players — a few progressive bands like Dream Theater. We have to put them in the game," Bright continues. Blazing A Tail Speculating about who will and won't be on the soundtrack of a new Guitar Hero game is an entertaining pastime. (Yes, we asked about Led Zeppelin. No, they didn't answer.) But what if we told you the most exciting music in Guitar Hero 4 hasn't even been written yet? That's because Neversoft is aiming for something much greater than just another improvement on the same old formula. This time, they are giving players the tools to go beyond just emulating the artists they love and pursue their own path to musical stardom. Here's where things start to get really interesting. Neversoft, like many of us, has paid close attention to the community of Guitar Hero hackers that has blossomed online, populated by enthusiasts who've used the modified controllers and debug menus to create a plethora of unlicensed versions of thousands of tracks. However, this time around, no homebrew solutions Will be necessary. Guitar Hero 4's studio mode will give players the tools they need to create literally any song they can imagine. The first layer of this expansive mode is called Jam Over, which allows players to get their feet wet in a live band setting. Simply enter the studio, select one of the songs from the soundtrack, and you and your friends will be able to freely jam with preloaded chords and scales from that track. Whatever tracks aren't being played live will be streamed from the prerecorded track, letting you learn how to play the song without the use of the note runway, or create your own riffs and chord progressions on the fly. It also allows you to be more creative with leads, as the guitar's tilt function allows you to instantly switch between a higher and lower octave. In the studio is also where you'll notice the significance of the velocity sensitive drums, as each pad will have four different samples that are tiered based on how hard you hit, allowing you to go from a light drum roll to a massive thwack of the snare in an instant. Once you've got your chops nailed down, you'll be able to record your version of a rock classic (sans vocals) and have it instantly playable in Quick Play mode. But the real possibilities begin to open up in the Advanced Studio mode, a full recording toolset that rivals such computer programs as Apple's popular ዞጻ።።.10-.. > ml Garage Band software. In this mode, you have total freedom to write, arrange, and record songs as you see fit. A vertically scrolling grid shows the song's various tracks — rhythm, lead, melody, bass, and drums. You can craft your songs by recording live playing (with a little help from the game, which automatically “quan- itizes" or corrects offbeat notes to quarter, 8th, or 16th notes, and so on), or by “step recording,” in which you place individual drum hits or notes on the grid one by one. It's also possible to create loops which can then be copied and pasted ad infinitum, a feature which is handy for drum and bass composition. The guitar options are nearly endless in Advanced Studio. You'll have a host of amp sounds and effects RHYTHM ቹቓ e ሠ STOP PLAYBACK J pedals, and the ability to create and assign custom scales to the different buttons and combos on the neck. Three-button combos even allow instant access to acoustic tones. Drums are equally flexible, allowing you to select from a huge selection of conventional kits, then quickly hit the back button for Latin-style percussion sounds. The only real limitation is the lack of vocals -- the storage needs for recorded vocals and possible copyright concerns were cited as the reasons for the inability to record your singing. That said, you can use keyboard tones on the melody track to emulate the vocal lines for most songs. All in all, it's a remarkably easy-to-use system, one that should generate a ton of unique user-created content (and probably more than a few less-than-legal “cover” versions of classic rock tunes). To showcase the creativity of their audience, Neversoft has added a completely new online community to the game, called GH Tunes, a free content sharing service it hopes will become the YouTube of music video games. Once you've recorded your original masterpiece, all you have to do is save it to your hard drive, name the track, and create some custom album artwork. Then, it can be uploaded to GH Tunes, where users from around the world can play and rate your creation (all songs are instantly translated into the familiar "jewel" system for playback). For Neversoft, the possibilities of the studio mode are endless. "There are people that will go pretty hardcore into this mode,” predicts Neversoft's Travis Chen. "These are the guys that make custom Guitar Hero III songs just with the cheats menu. You see videos of them playing Se cover story full songs with that, and that was pretty limited. Now it's open to everyone, where before you had to hack your PS2. Even someone that doesn’t want to play Jam Over or use the studio, they still get a big bonus because of those five percent of really awesome songs that are going up that they can play" At first, you'll be limited to uploading five original tracks to the GH Tunes service. However, through a system of user ratings, certain players who deliver consistently high quality tracks will “get signed,” allow- ing them to upload 10 and possibly even more songs at a time. The GH Tunes navigation system will allow you to sort the wheat from the chaff, highlighting new additions, highest-rated tracks, and popular songwrit- ers from the fan community. Neversoft is also planning on curating its own Showcase section to highlight some of the best contributors. While Neversoft did confirm that studio mode would be included in the PS2 and Wii versions of the game, it seems unlikely that the online sharing will be as robust. “Showcase is our own section,” com- ments Brian Bright. “We could put real artists in there; we could put songs that our designers and artists have made. We could potentially pick out user songs and move them to our list” The possibilities seem endless. If there's anything that the Internet era has taught us, it's that giving people ways to use their creativity online and connect with each other can lead to results much greater than anything you could have imagined beforehand. Just picture a community of thousands of Guitar Hero enthusiasts — both profes- sional and amateur — writing, recording, and freely sharing tracks through an easy-to-use infrastructure. "It's struck me in the last few weeks that we might be sitting on something that's bigger than | have any concept about," predicts Joel Jewitt. Shoot ing Fov Immort ality, In the time we spent with the team at Neversoft, two things became abundantly clear. One, this is a highly competitive studio that is not content to sit back and merely preserve the commercially bankable Guitar Hero formula. Two, it was that Neversoft, which has always had a close relationship with its fanbase since the early days of Tony Hawk, are a company that listens to the criticism from both its fans and the press, and is attempting to deliver to the public the music game they've been dreaming about for years. "This is the future," claims Joel Jewitt. "We're going to make the best game we can with all the tools, so you guys can do everything. And then keep it going with all the music and master tracks that you guys love. It's a lot of fun... I'm getting giddy about this one” With their years of experience in a variety of genres, a core of extremely talented veteran staff, and one successful Guitar Hero title already under its belt, Neversoft seems to be poised to challenge Harmonix and Rock Band as the innovators in the music game genre. Has the student become the teacher? It's too early to say, but its safe to predict that music fans will all benefit from the results of what's shaping up to be one of gaming's all-time great rivalries. 88 88 m GAME INFORMER 57 ^ 58 GAME INFORMER f Prince of Persia is a book, then Jordan Mechner wrote its first chapter in 1989, Supposedly inspired by The Book of One Thousand and One Nights, Mechner’ remarkable game was different from anything else before it, even as it told the mast familiar of stories. A lovelorn commoner faces a villainous vizier in a race against time to save the prin- cess. Death-defying leaps, agile swordplay, and a sweeping imaginative backdrop established a tone that would set the franchise apart. Years later, Ubisoft Montreal rediscovered the Prince of Persia and added a second chapter — a different prince en a quest for redemption after loosing the hor- ror of the Sands of Time onto the world. Ubisoft’ new vision embraced its pedigree, but catapulted forward with a brand new take on platform- ing and action for a suddenly three-dimensional game world. After three interconnected games have revealed their secrets, the epic of the Sands of Time has been told. The book is ready for its next chapter, and a new Prince is rising to the occasion. GAME INFORMER 59 2 feature 60 GAME INFORMER ples remain in place, c is new protagonis መ through à ያን more fantastic world. This cha the byproduct of an interesting reality facing the veteran t at Ubisoft Montreal. After the first Sands of Time, part of le developmer t squad split off to begin work on a decidedly more realistic hero — an assassin stalking the streets of the medieval Holy Land in search of his unlucky victims. With Assassin's Creed now established in the Ubisoft stable of hits, the team that remained behind to work on Warrior Within and The Two Thrones spent the last few years developing the new Prince of Persia, free to let their imaginations run wild. Where the Sands of Time wove its way through a grand and ancient Persian world, it was in many ways still tied to an exagger- ated version of reality. With Assassin's Creed branching into historical fiction, this new Prince can finally embrace a story of unchecked mythology and magic. The tale begins as a young traveler accidentally passes into a forbidden land — a mythical garden of beauty dominated _ at its center by a massive tree of life. Imprisoned within is an ancient god of darkness named Ahriman, who became trapped there after a cosmic struggle with his brother Ormazd. The prince arrives only to bear witness to the tree's destruction, and Ahriman's corruption pours out into the garden (an entirely self-contained world). It should come as little surprise that the wayward traveler becomes embroiled in the drive to strike back at that corruption. The game's plot draws parallels to the myths and stories of various cultures, from the familiar western conceptions of an Eden-like garden with a tree containing the essence of evil, to the Middle Eastern spiritual philosophy of 1 ር isl á one already. We're not interested in just t a story of supreme beings and humanity's pitiful place in the grander scheme of things. But it just so happens that the back- drop we create through this epic struggle between these two - warring gods allows us to explore some much more human, | and therefore much more accessible, themes? At the center of this unfolding epic stands a m o has yet to attain the regal title of the game in which he stars. While alike in his propensity for acrobatics and getting into trouble, the new prince is quite different from the hero of Ubisoft's last Persian epic. Wom, sand-battered skin and mismatched clothes tell the story of a life of journeys and adventures undertaken before the game opens. "We drew our inspiration from adven- turers like Sinbad in the Arabian Nights, Han Solo from Star Wars, and Aragorn from The Lord of the Rings," Mattes reveals. Besides tamished apparel and a scoundrel-like demeanor, the prince has some new accessories that further flesh out his character concept. In one hand he wields a massive blade, while his other fist brandishes a daunting metal gauntlet. Both figure prominently in some variations on the tried-and-true gameplay of the franchise. The sword is the prince's main implement every time com- bat begins in the new one-on-one duel mechanic. Rather than focus on large groups of circling enemies, Prince of Persia only sets players against one opponent at a time. Part fighting game and part cinematic movie duel, these conflicts are fast-paced and frantic struggles for supremacy against an individual and cunning foe. “Enemies will be intelligent enough to lure you into a false sense of security if you're not paying attention," Mattes says. Combatants will fall back and feign weakness to continued on page 62 Se feature Longtime gaming composer Inon - Zur will lend his talents to create the musical tapestry of Prince of Persia. Incidentall those concerned, that means no raging metal interludes — The power of the new consoles has allowed the team — -to step out of the interior palace environs of previous games and embrace some vast outdoor spaces, where X the Princes view goes on for miles into the distance The grip fall is a brand new platforming mechanic that allows the prince to descend any wall with ease GAME INFORMER 61 ራቁ continued from page 60 lure you into a trap, or constantly vary their attack technique to s. keep you off guard. Without the need to focus on multiple enemies, the fighting mechanic is in many ways à true successor to the tense face- Gffs of the original Mechner games. Simple one-button com- mands will string together into juggling combinations, and the complex animation system will interconnect each move with Whatever action follows it. One button on the controller is a Sword swing, another jumps, and yet another grabs or manipu- Jates with the other hand. To chain these individual actions together, you must carefully observe the enemy's weaknesses. It creates an exciting, spontaneous fighting style rather than requiring the memorization of long combo strings. She gae comes into play most prominently while plat- forming. "The prince has this powerful gauntlet that he has found on a previous adventure. He can slam the claws of that gauntlet into a vertical surface and slow his descent,” Mattes explains. Recall the moments of ripping down a curtain with the Dagger of Time in previous entries, but add a full range of movement back and forth along the surface as the prince falls. "We really liked the verticality that added to levels, but it Was done in a very contrived linear fashion,” Mattes admits. “The grip fall allows you to tum any vertical surface in the game into a slide” The freedom afforded by moves like the grip fall is only a microcosm of the larger philosophy to give players more genu- ine choices in the game world. “I really feel like we have found a way through a variety of means to give a very crafted experi- ence, the type that people would expect from a single-player linear game, that's going to appeal to people who want that epic narrative-rich game, but at the same time give people lots of choice if they want to take advantage of it Mattes tells us. The massive mythical garden where the prince finds himself features cities and varied landscapes. In any given hub of that world, the prince will confront the Corruption of Ahriman and drive it out. As he escapes the traps and defeats creatures that oppose him, the Corruption will become ever more concen- trated in a given place, like dirt gathering in a drain. When the prince deanses that last part of the world, he'll be doing so in a profoundly dangerous locale, filled from top to bottom with the contamination of the dark god. Altemately, at any time, play- ers can abandon a hub and move on to a different place in the world and begin tackling the corruption that has emerged there. While it's not exactly a sandbox game world, players can Ubisoft Montreal hopes that Elika will revolution- ize the role of a supporting character in the genre. The mysterious girl will accompany you throughout the entire game Traversing the world remains a major focus of gameplay, but this time there is significant freedom around which path you take from point to point choose where to go next and move there Ma Severe Previously visited areas will morph, becomingyme to traverse with more difficult enemies to confront zone is finally cleared of Ahriman's corrupting infllenter The Corruption is far more than dark colored coating: on the game world. Rather, it is a tangible force in the world that takes on multiple forms. In its base state, the Corruption is a sort of inert goo that coats the world. Since touching it is dangerous, designers can make any given path more difficult simply by lay- ering more of this dangerous dark matter along the character's route. Its second form is that of a non-sentient creature, the answer to the spinning blade traps and falling block obstacles of previous entries. These writhing masses of Corruption seek to snag the prince, and only careful timing and platforming will save him. Finally, the Corruption's ultimate form is that of battle- ready enemies, including the elite servants of Ahriman. You'll encounter these boss characters, such as the feral Hunter seen in the surrounding images, repeatedly throughout the journey. The prince has no Sands of Time to call upon this time around, which doesn't bode well for his chances to confront the dangers before him. Thankfully, the team at Ubisoft Montreal has a secret weapon that may fill the void nicely. Combat has dramatically altered since the last installment — one-on-one duels are now the focus, with each enemy representing a threat all by itself The world of Prince of Persia embraces fantasy and magic as never before Early in his voyage, the prince will meet Elika, a mysterious girl አር abilities, and however much the player will control the are really not what the series is about. “It's a means to an =) who becomes his constant companion in the journey that fol- ^ use of those abilities, it seems clear that the two characters’ end. Ubisoft has been making next-gen games for several. : Plows. "She is an absolutely critical innovation for us, who has relationship is at the center of the forthcoming epic. Whether years already. | really think we've evolved past the point iMplications throughout the experience, from A to Z, in terms as a romantic interest or something else entirely, Ubisoft where the focus has to be on pushing this many polygons crobatics, combat, puzzles, story — every element of the Montreal has an established track record on delivering heartfelt ^ or bump mapping. This is not a tech demo. This game isnt His touched by your interactions with this support char- narrative — and we suspect those talents won't be wasted in about pushing one particular technology,” Mattes says, “On a Mattes reveals. "So, obviously, the Al development that 8 tale about a desperate couple struggling to survive with only personal level, I'm not really interested in back-ofthe-boxing nto creating this character is rivaled by nothing Ubisoft each other to rely on. it What's important to me about it all, is that when itall ሠ Narrative likelihoods aside, this next-gen Prince won't be combines the experience is somehow magical and becomes am /S\specific utility in the game remains classified, à slouch from a technical perspective. "The new prince will more than the sum of its parts? Spice and their insistence on the importance of her display 13 times more polygons than the previous prince, This philosophy feeds our excitement for the rebom Prince to som [ከሃ speculation. If she is a true Al com- and even more than Altair in Assassin's Creed,” Mattes tells of Persia. Next-gen gaming has been awash in declarations. pughout t game, it's hard to believe there won't us. “To give you a reference, there will be more polygons in of technical superiority, where a lauded phrase of tech jargon im in Which she interacts with the prince, the next-gen prince's hair than in the old prince himself” The is meant to imply quality. As the years pass and those oft 'a dangerous platforming segment game uses an extreme variation of the Anvil engine used to cited specs fade into meaninglessness, games that únder pted'boss. Furthermore, it's unlikely that the create Assassin's Creed. This new game engine is optimized stand next-gen gaming from a different Pee በ abandon some of the exciting "save yourself" to deliver Al for small numbers of allied and enemy char- to the occasion. In those games, tech become mechanics of earlier games that encouraged players to take acters and to offer the unique brand of guided free-flowing of arrival and more the path to better game chances on wild jumps and seemingly impossible tasks. If the platforming for which the Prince games are so loved. Skin ing. The end of 2008 will reveal whether. beautiful Elika is encountered after the prince enters this myth morphing, wrinkle maps, and indirect lighting help to establish — in that vanguard. ፳፪ ዘ፪ IM cal world, it's not a profound leap to believe she might provide — a new visual benchmark for the game world. Even so, Mattes some magical powers to help the prince along. Whatever her is eager to point out his assertion that technical buzzwords ILLUSTRATION COMES ALIVE Wherever the player turns to look, the screen will be filled with this unusual and striking new art style. While at first the images might recall the cartoonish look of a y cel-shaded game, an enormous amount of detail sets it apart from that style. “On one hand we've trying to come up with something that suggests that it’s drawn ar painted, but also t uly detailed. At the same time, we wanted to communicate that. "ur ja-critical to the creation of this game,” producer Ben Mattes seems filled with paint-lile brush strokes and evocative d the term “illustrative "to describe their visual style. Each joment of the game is meant to feel like the page of a story- like concept art brought ta life through animation. } CONCEPT ART ` mta M ÀÀ GAME INFORMER 63 Yep, the chainsaw is back — አጩ 到 ince last year's E3 trailer, new information on Resident Evil 5 has been difficult to come by. Capcom has pro- vided us with several teaser images from What looks to be a new trailer set to debut during the company's media summit at the end of May. Capcom dropped abso- > STYLE IPLAYER ACTION > PUBLISHER CAPCOM > DEVELOPER CAPCOM lutely fig hintses to the identity of the previously unseen > RELEASE TBA characters pictured here, so we did our own digging into a ን መ Resident Evil canon and 8 recent behind-the-scenes produc- TERROR IN THE SUN tion video to come up with some solid theories. Ending at least one major component of fanboy speculation, the pri- mary backdrop has been confirmed. "We settled on the fact that we really wanted to show the origins of the virus. So for the setting we thought, how about using the place where humankind was born?" says RE 5 producer Jun Takeuchi in recent video interview posted on Capcom's official blog. "That's how we came to use a place in Africa as the setting for Resident Evil 5^ Fans will recall that this isn't the first time Africa has appeared in the Resident Evil series. In Resident Evil Zero, one of the play. able characters, Billy Coen, has some dark connections there. This escaped prisoner was convicted of slaughtering an entire village during his former Marine days. Eventually, it turns out that Billy's savage unit knocked him unconscious while they did the dirty deed and set him up to take the fall. For this reason, many suspected that Billy was the main character in RE 5 before he was identified as Chris Redfield. While he hasn't been mentioned in regards to the latest game, we wouldn't be sur- prised if Billy appeared in an auxiliary role to atone for the sins of his former unit. WEAPONS AND BATTLE “Resident Evil was originally based some- what on the idea of fighting enemies with a limited amount of weaponry," Takeuchi says. "But when the number of enemies gets this large, things would be a bit tough with just the handguns and shotguns that we've used up until now, so we have greatly increased the number of weapon variations.” Recent gameplay clips haven't shown much weaponry outside of the aforemen- tioned staples, but we're excited to see what's in store. Melee combat is said to expand on the action button prompt system of Resident Evil 4, but what we're really hoping for is the ability to strafe, which is noticeably absent from the footage. TIMELINE Takeuchi also confirmed that the story takes place 10 years after the destruction of Raccoon City in 1998. Since it's set in 2008, it sure would be great if the game was coming this year, but the release date remains a mystery. According to the Resident Evil timeline, this means protagonist Chris Redfield is approximately 35 years old. Takeuchi says that STARS has been disbanded and that the game will look into how this came about. “Everything he'd experienced in the past 10 years, we wanted to be able to allow the player to experience as well, so we're preparing a few ways to encourage the player to do just that,” says Takeuchi. This seems to indicate the incorporation of flashbacks that could allow for gameplay in more traditional Resident Evil environments. P / : w 2 previews CLAIRE REDFIELD Unless this brunette is a completely new char- acter, she pretty much has to be Claire Redfield. First off, she looks just like previous character models of Claire. Secondly, where Chris goes, % she always follows. In both RE 2 and Code Veronica, her main drive was to track down her missing brother. You don't think she's going to come running when she hears of an outbreak at Chris' last known whereabouts? This would also tie together the Sherry theory, since Chris never actually met the little girl. THE BLONDE A quick flash of a blonde woman in a stasis pod at the end of last year's E3 trailer set message boards ablaze with theories. These new screens show what appears to be that same blonde woman in an Ada Wong-style red dress. We've scanned the large cast of Resident Evil alumni to come up with a prime sus- pect: Sherry Birkin. This daughter of two Umbrella scientists hasn't been heard from since she escaped from the clutches of her G-Virus-infected father, William, with Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield at the end of RE 2. However, epi- logues in RE 3 indicate that Claire took off to search for her brother, Chris, shortly thereafter, and Leon turned Sherry over to a man who claimed to work for the U.S. government. "I'm sure she will come back," Sherry says, referencing Claire. "She won't forget about me” Claire's unrelenting search for Chris in RE: Code Veronica indicates that this is precisely what hap- pened, setting up Sherry's motive as deep feelings of abandonment and resentment. But how does she end up in a stasis pod? A bonus disc released alongside Code Veronica entitled Wesker's Report summarizes the plot of the first three games from series villain Albert Wesker's point of view. In it, Wesker reveals that the "government agent" actually worked for him and that "Sherry is safe in our hands" Prison bars slide in front of her image. "I would never underestimate Birkin. There's something about this little girl" It's possible Sherry's G-Virus injection and its subse- quent curing left some kind of remnant, granting her superhuman powers similar to Wesker — who could have spent the last decade training her and fostering her hatred towards the Redfield siblings. And at age 22, she's easily old enough to take them on. E oe E 1) Sherry Birkin in RE 2 2) Though Code Veronica antagonist Alexia Ashford is blonde and has stasis tank experience, the fact that she was blown to bits lowers her chance for a comeback 3) The mysterious eyes from the E3 07 trailer 4) Sherry's impris- oned fate from Weskers Report 5) Could this be Sherry Birkin? | Many of the levels have a manufactured look. Grass has been patched together like a quilt, tree branches are nailed to their trunks with metal brackets, and clouds whirl around overhead on giant gears UNLIMITED ENABLED XBOX 360 Banjo-Kazooie Nuts & Bolts. STUDIOS > DEVELOPER RARE > RELEASE HOLIDAY ACTION > PUBLISHER MICROSOFT ር A > STYLE PLAY FOUR WHEELS AND A TANK FULL OF'GAS - Y a hen it came to making a new hours we'd only scratched the surface of what in their creations. Banjo-Kazooie game, Rare knew this new feature offered. Our first vehicle was a The real upshot of the vehicle creativity is that it was time for a change. “We four-wheeled kart with a spring attached to the it gives players the chance to solve Banjo's chal- didn't want to make a hi-res ver- — bottom, which allowed the kart to jump over small — lenges in a variety of new ways. For example, one sion of the old Banjo on the new platforms,” ^ obstacles. When we found a helicopter blade, we mission had Banjo collecting coconuts and bringing said Rare designer Shaun Read. “The range ^ attached that to the top of our kart, and pretty soon them back to feed a hopper. One way to attack and scope of things that we thought we we were flying through the air like a hummingbird. ከከ mission would be to use a pre-made pickup could do with Banjo on the new system Every component has multiple uses, and after truck affixed with a vacuum device that sucked was so wide that we thought it would be a some experimentation we discovered that when the coconuts directly into the cab. This worked missed opportunity if we didn't give it a dif- we affixed the blade to the back of our vehicle and ^ fine, but it took a few trips for Banjo to collect all . መጨ ferent look and feel" added some helium balloons to the sides we had the coconuts. A more creative solution had Banjo This isn't your big brother's Banjo-Kazooie. created a perfectly functional hovercraft that could ^ attaching a crane arm to a player-made helicopter, This sequel to the classic N64 platformers traverse land, sea, and air. then using that arm to grab the hopper and fly it features an exten- Rare showed us a more complex creation, a over to the coconut patch. Once there, the hopper sive vehicle cre- monster truck that could detach its chassis like a sucked up all the coconuts in a relatively short - ) ation mechanic ^ staged rocket and become a more maneuverable amount of time. ና that changes mini bike. When the bike ramped off the side of Fans of the original title shouldn't worry that ነ the way you play a cliff, it revealed its collapsible glider wings and Rare is forsaking the series’ roots altogether. While the game. Like started flying around. All told, Rare is planning to vehicles are a large part of the game, Banjo's hub a box of LEGOs, offer around 1,600 component parts, including world, Showdown Town, will still contain more tra- even after several an array of different weapons, for players to use ditional platforming trials, such as tightrope walking pem » f You'll still be doing plenty of note Ape | መ” ant. collecting. This time around they function | like currency, allowing you to buy new things such as vehicle blueprints 1T AN à d Rare told us there መጨ uu ` would be at least 15 ከ: A challenges spread ነዎ? across six different levels, but also hinted that there would be plenty of extra side challenges as well E qu Ree Se previews ፪ : ue Every level has a different intro, Nutty Acres opens with some spoof credits reminiscent of ‘80s 502» operas like Dallas and jiggy piece collecting, to help break up the action. Showdown Town is 16 times larger than anything Rare has made before, so it should provide plenty of the room to run around and jump on top of things. "We're hoping that every- one will enjoy playing this game," Read says. "I honestly think they will. | don't think you ever grow out of being interested in building things. But obviously we're still making a Banjo game. These are still the Banjo characters, so it's still got the same humor, and we will drop in some references to the old games. At the core of it, it's still a Banjo game" ቹ i Grunty is back, but now she is just a head inside a robot's body Players can enter Mumbo's garage to add new parts to their vehicle, but they'll also be able to make quick adjustments at any time during gameplay PuAYS TATION 3 | XBOX 360 Fallout 3 > STYLE 1-PLAYER ACTION/RPG > PUBLISHER BETHESDA SOFTWORKS > DEVELOPER BETHESDA SOFTWORKS > RELEASE FALL n honor of Fallout 3's recently announced fall release, we felt it was time to dig up new details on the game. The best way to do this is to harass Bethesda's Todd Howard with a No Mutants Allowed-like fury. We asked about the things you want to know, and Howard was more than willing to spill the beans on them...after sticking us with a restraining order. GI: When we first spoke to you about the game, it sounded like there was going to be around a dozen unique endings. Could you elaborate on how these endings will play out? Todd Howard: It's best to say there are still multiple endings, but we handle it like a dynamic cutscene showing you the results of key decisions you made, and the overall way you've led your life. If you add up every permutation of that, we're now at over 500 variations of the ending, but it still has a lim- ited number of key decisions. One of the new screens shows off Dogmeat. Could you talk a little bit about the interac- tions with the dog? You interact with Dogmeat in the same way you do with NPCs, in that you enter dia- logue with him and can talk to him. He only talks back in barks and tail wags, but you can tell if he agrees or doesn't agree. He's a lot of fun, and a great device to give the player in such a desolate world Oblivion was split up into guild quests. Will Fallout follow a similar structure? Will the Brotherhood of Steel be one of these guilds? It's not like Oblivion, you don't really "join" guilds. You can do quests for various groups, but you never officially join them. You do interact with The Brotherhood of Steel on that level. Is the entire world open to players from the outset, or will it be sectioned off into zones? It's entirely open. But unlike Oblivion, some areas are pretty hard to start in. Downtown D.C. is tough for a starting player, but it has à nice visual line to it, you can see where the city is and avoid it if you want to build 68 GAME INFORMER ፳ The zombie clothesline is said to be so slow that it actually gives health back up your character. In the demo, we saw a ርቪሃ get nuked. Will it be possible to go back to the city, or is it lost at that point? You can go back and enjoy the glow of a smoking crater if you'd like. Previously you told us that the game would feature licensed music from the 1940s and '50s. Any chance you could give us a few track examples? We have a few from the Ink Spots, "I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire" being one of them. Some tracks from Bob Crosby that | love including ^Way Back Home" Probably my favorite is a song called "Butcher Pete" by Roy Brown, a great song about a serial killer who “chops up all the women's meat’, but is actually about him having sex with everyone's wife in the neighborhood. It's Americana-meets-ridiculous-violence at its best. Will we see any vehicies in the game? Control them perhaps? You see them, but they are all rusted husks you can't drive. Sorry. You can blow some of them up, resulting in some prime nuclear radiation. Are there going to be location-based encoun- ters, or events not tied to particular quests or missions - such as the unicorn or goblin caves from Oblivion? Absolutely, lots of that. We can't stop our- selves from squeezing as much content as we can into every inch. | think the density is getting really good, It's been almost a year since we saw the game for the first time. What is the biggest thing that has changed in the design since then? The game's gotten bigger. We removed some elements we had been working on that fortunately we never announced, but we also added a lot of space and elements for the player to interact with out in the wasteland. We struggled for a while with the "fun" that occurs in a desolate wasteland, but we're finally beyond that, and the game has the right mix of scavenging and survival, while constantly showing you something new. Will we be able to download armor for Dogmeat? E They never talked about the ending of / Am Legend We've been making that joke here, but we're not really thinking about downloads until the game is done. | doubt you'll see that one. Has it been difficult to find a balance between open aiming and the tactical V.A.T.S. combat it be possible to, play the game We ve been wesling it, m it's gone pretty smoothly. You can play the game without ever using VA.T.S., but you'll miss some of the more fun moments. We have people who play the game here and some use VATS. exclusively and some never use it. My hope is the average player will use it about 50 percent of the time. The two modes are meant to complement each other. Outside of nuking Megaton, what's an example of how the game might be different upon replay? Without spoiling anything, | can say that the game changes pretty dramatically based on two main things: whether you are good or evil, and the skills you choose. It makes for very different experiences. ፪፪ ፪፪ ፪፪ 22 previews W Nate never truly grasped the concept of the headshot Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning > STYLE MASSIVELY MULTIPLAYER ONLINE ROLE-PLAYING GAME > PUBLISHER ELECTRONIC ARTS > DEVELOPER EA MYTHIC > RELEASE FALL PREPARING FOR WAR hen Mythic was acquired by Electronic Arts last year, Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning was the biggest winner. With the financial stability that comes from being part of the EA empire, Mythic set out to make the game the best it could be. Ideas previously scrapped as being too time-con- suming or expensive were put back on the table, already-finished zones received further tuning and upgrades, and designs were iter- ated and refined until they shone. Though the new fall release date is a far cry from the origi- nal ship date, WAR is now an obviously better game than what we had seen previously. This MMORPG leans heavily toward player- versus-player combat, though a healthy dose of cooperative player-versus-environment content is available as well. The core gameplay will be instantly familiar to anyone who has dabbled in EverQuest-style MMOs in the past, with all of the conventions from auto-attacks to energy bars firmly in place. You'll quest for experience, level up, and do most everything else you'd expect out of a fantasy MMO. But the brilliance of WAR is in the details. Aside from the huge gains in polish and playability, the best change since the last time we saw WAR is the introduction of a far greater scale of non-instanced realm- versus-realm combat. The previous design had players battling primarily in instanced scenarios that played out much like World of Warcrafts Battlegrounds. Though that ele- ment is still present, the focus has shifted toward encouraging players to take part in the large public PvP areas that can be found in nearly every zone. These dedicated battlefields feature objec- tives that range from lightly guarded control points to massive keeps that require siege weaponry to assault. When your faction owns a point, NPC guards will spawn to help defend it and you'll be able to resurrect there after your inevitable death. Keeps also oper- ate like this, but they are bigger in every way. Patrols of several guards will wander about the courtyard, the controlling guild can hang its banners from the battlements, and both defenders and attackers can make use of heavy weaponry. So why fight over these objectives, but for the glory of the battle? Because every one of your successes feeds into a number of advancement systems. First, victories increase the prestige of your associated capital city, opening up new vendors, dungeons, and quests. PvP combat increases your Renown, which eams you titles, achievements, and more. Finally, 85 with everything else you do, successes feed into your guild's experience pool — allowing the guild access to banks, banners, battle standards, and the like Being the hardcore MMORPG fans that we are, the elegance of Warhammer's improved design impressed us from top to bottom. WAR is very well positioned to carve itself a place among the top tier of MMORPGs when it launches this fall. I ፳፪ II E it's physically impossible to make a high fantasy game without evil elves fighting good elves Cw vA Wii | NINTENDO DS Skate ዘ > STYLE | TO 4-PLAYER SPORTS (UP TO 4-PLAYER LOCAL AND ONLINE VIA DS WIRELESS) > PUBLISHER ELECTRONIC ARTS > DEVELOPER ELECTRONIC ARTS > RELEASE 2008 ROLL OUT fter providing a much-needed shake up to the skating genre on the Xbox 360 and PS3, EA is bringing its realism-focused franchise to the more tactile consoles. Fortunately, this isn't just a straight port with scaled down graphics and tacked-on waggle controls. Electronic Arts has found a creative, and possibly controversial, way to make Skate It feel different, yet familiar at the same time. We caught a brief trailer that played initially more like a grim news broadcast than a light-hearted Skate video. A series of freak disasters has destroyed Skate's home base of San Vanelona, leaving it completely evacuated, save for a small contingent of skaters looking to capitalize on the new lines and lack of people. Producer Mike McCartney explains the inspira- tion. "We read an article somewhere about surfers flocking to areas where hurricanes are about to hit to go surf the big waves. And we thought, "That's a really cool idea. It's really turning this negative thing into a cool positive thing! On the same hand, we saw this great thing on YouTube about these skateboarders in New Orleans that after Hurricane Katrina were skating all these deserted areas that they could never skate before," says McCartney. He Motion Control The core control scheme is based around a single Wii remote. Tapping the A button will get things rolling, while tilting the remote will steer your skater around the environments. Tilting back the remote triggers a manual, and a quick flick of the wrist initiates most jump tricks. Plugging in a nunchuk allows for a more traditional analog steering mechanic, but those looking for a control scheme on the opposite end of the spectrum can use the Wii Fit Balance Board for steering and manu als. While we didn't get to try out this interface ourselves, the tough-to-steer snowboarding minigame in Wii Fit has us concerned about the balance board's maneuverability. The bottom screen of Skate It will contain an image of a diagonal skateboard much like the one stresses that no one is hurt in the San Vanelona disaster, and also hints that several famous real- world skating destinations will take players out of the city for the first time. We got to play around with an early build of Skate It, and the motion controls feel very intuitive (see below). Only about half of the tricks are imple- mented at this point, but EA is looking to indude the entire move set from the console game. The developers went through several iterations of the controls before arriving at the current setup. "One day we were sitting around debating why the cur- rent control scheme wasn't working and somebody said, ‘The Wiimote is the skateboard!” McCartney recalls. “As soon as we started thinking that, it was just rapid fire" While the interface worked well in a small demo area, we're very interested to see how it holds up throughout an entire game. Will specific tricks be just as easy to pull off once the rest of them are imple- mented? After all, there are only so many move- ments the Wii remote can register. The developers are confident they can pull it off, and based on their slick implementation of the original, we're indined to believe them. 8 IN ፻፪ E Several pros will be returning for Skate It along with a few new faces ፳ Skate It uses an entirely new engine Kick Flip Se previews Da (siders: Wrath of War. > STYLE \-PLAYER ACTION > PUBLISHER THQ > DEVELOPER VIGIL GAMES > RELEASE 2009 THE END OF DAYS LOOKS PRETTY COOL any games are set on a post- apocalyptic Earth, but they usually involve saving the world. None of them involve controlling one of the catalysts of Armageddon, which Vigil Games is going to change with Darksiders: Wrath of War. The game puts players in the role of War, one of the mythical Four Horsemen, who is out tc regain his lost strength amid a conflict betw angels and demons. Since you are controlling a god-like personi- fication of combat, at its core Darksiders is an action game. Using a giant sword, guns, and various objects from his surroundings (like cars and lampposts), War will fight his way through armies of demons. The characters and creatures are designed by comic legend Joe Madureira, and much of the game's battle system depends on capturing the stylish, over-the-top action often found in comics. In one boss fight, War finds himself up against a giant sand worm that he fin- ishes off by drawing his broadsword up the beast's body, eviscerating it. Even overcoming obstacles will have extra flair, like stuffing a subway car into the maw of a demon block- ing War's path. While most of your time will be spent wrecking threats from the abyss, Darksiders also has an unconventional focus on explora- tion, especially for an action game. A ruined city serves as the game's overworld and hub, which is connected to many other areas and dungeons. As War fights through these zones, he will become stronger and gain new abilities that allow him to progress. THQ likens the structure to games like Metroid and Zelda, which rely on a character's grow- ing arsenal to open up the game world. For instance, once War reclaims his ethereal steed (he's not much of a Horseman with it), he will be able to reach areas that were inaccessible on foot. Mixing combo-driven combat with dun- geon diving may sound like a strange move, but after seeing Darksiders in motion, it's hard to deny the game's potential. With an array of powers that offer biblical levels of destruction and a world crawling with hulk- ing terrors, Darksiders definitely sets the stage for excitement. Add in the fact that Vigil Games still has plenty of time to invest in its vision, and Darksiders becomes one of the primary games for action fans to watch in 2009. a NN 72 GAME INFORMER Despite his biblical origins, War is proficient with modern weaponry War's horse, Ruin, would totally beat Epona in a fight Who wants to play an action game without an improbably huge sword? No: Pep one, that's who The game is impressively detailed, which highlights the sweet monster designs UNLIMITED ENABLED XB 0X 360 Tales of Vesperia > STYLE 1 TO 4-PLAYER ROLE PLAYING GAME > PORIS IN NAMCO BANDAÍ > DEVELOPER NAMCO BANDAL> RELEASE FALL THE TALES CONTINUE ts always nice to see innovation in role-playing games, but that doesn't mean there's no place for an old fashioned, traditional adventure. Namco Bandai's Tales series is well known for delivering real-time combat combined with classic storytelling conventions, and the next installment is poised to give fans more of what they love. Of course, that doesn't mean the franchise isn't evolving. "The game's graphics are sure to make the biggest impression at first,” says producer Yoshito Higuchi. "The move to an HD console has allowed us to try a lot of new techniques that still capture the series' warm and hand-drawn look. There are certain areas in which we've actually surpassed traditional animation" One look at the screens will back up this claim, bringing to mind the simi- larly gorgeous anime-inspired Eternal Sonata. The game's story will revolve around two characters, Yuri and Flynn, who are two rivals in pursuit of the same goal. "Yuri believes in securing justice by any means nec- essary, even if this means going beyond the boundaries of what society has deemed to be fair,” explains Higuchi. "Flynn takes the opposite to this approach, following the rules and laws as dictated by the government to achieve his own brand of justice" While some of the character archetypes may be familiar, the story itself is a change of pace for the series. Instead of being a coming-of-age tale like most Tales games, Vesperia focuses on different and more complex themes. "We are trying to appeal to a slightly older audience with this game," Higuchi admits. "So a lot of what you see from a morality standpoint will be up to the player to judge on their own value system" If you're not in the mood to make any weighty choices, you can just enjoy Vesperia's combat, which is a reworked version of the Linear Motion Battle System from previous titles. "The game's battle system gets the biggest upgrade from the Xbox 360 hardware, allowing us to have more enemies on screen and even truly massive opponents that we've never been able to implement before," Higuchi reveals. You'll be able to play co-op with up to four play- ers and take advantage of a new critical strike mechanic that takes down enemies with one shot under certain conditions. You can count on a variety of different play- able characters, and maybe even some appearances from other familiar faces from the Tales franchise. Tales of Vesperia isn't setting out to change the face of role-playing, but it will serve as a fitting entry to celebrate the series' jump to the current hardware generation. The stunning visuals and co-op combat are certain to attract RPG fans, especially as the genre continues to grow on the 360. Wi HN “em Em ~ - R መሥ EM ^. previews DM < ከወር: 2 “ኳ. The Tales visual style is enhanced, and rendered beautifully One of these characters probably can't cook, but thinks he/she can. We can't wait to find out which one it is! Estelle We're going to repair the barrier blastia. If we don't, the city will be overrun with monster You can expect to face larger foes, and * more of them, than ever before GAME INFORMER 73 x UNE 52 previews Combat has no traditional HUD, instead focusing on fast-paced action exchanges Ancient Greece has been recreated to be bright and colorful - a living world rather than a museum display New Argonauts will gradually join your party > each brings their own unique skill set to a fight ደለ )RMER PLAYSTATION 3 | XBOX 360 | PC Rise of the Argonauts > STYLE 1-PLAYER ACTION/RPG (MULTIPLAYER TBA) > PUBLISHER CODEMASTERS > DEVELOPER LIQUID ENTERTAINMENT > RELEASE SEPTEMBER THE FAVOR OF THE GODS t's been months since we've had any extensive exposure to Liquid Entertainment's first big foray into epic RPGs. When we first learned about Rise of the Argonauts last year, many of the exciting ideas had yet to be implemented into the gameplay. This month, we checked out a more complete version of the game that revealed the many ways in which the title aims to stand apart from the crowd. The idea that the narrative should tie together with the gameplay in a meaningful way runs throughout almost every mechanic in the game. For instance, the weapons that hero Jason wields won't be random swords and spears picked up off the ground. Instead, they are story-relevant plot trophies that have specific strengths and abilities tied to them. The narrative focus carries over into character leveling. Throughout the story, Jason will dedicate his heroic deeds to one of four patron gods: Apollo, Athena, Ares, or Hermes. By killing a mighty mythi- cal beast or saving a beset citizen, it counts as a deed that can be used to improve your standing with a particular god, rather than the traditional method of gaining experience points. Each deity will gift a devoted believer with particular spe- cial abilities. Likewise, the involved conversation system has a direct effect on character growth and advancement, since each conversation choice is tied to one of the four gods. If you always choose the violent and straightforward conversation style encouraged by Ares, he will reward you with more favor to buy skills. The real-time combat system aims to deliver the sort of dynamic interactions normally reserved for action-focused games. Through the interplay of mace, spear, sword, and shield combat, Jason's battle options focus on exacting hit detection and procedural animations. The result is a combat system that delivers over-the-top clashes and lethal one-hit kills, where weapons bounce off of shields or slip past armor when carefully timed. It shouldn't be long before we can get our hands on the game and see how much the system manages to deliver on those hopes. Rise of the Argonauts is a bright and colorful reimagining of Greek mythology, where heroes like Hercules, Pan, Achilles, and Atalanta accompany you on an ocean-spanning quest. When we first saw the game, the team was enthusiastic about a coopera- tive component to the game, but when asked this time they remained noticeably silent on the point. Whether it ends up delivering some form of multi- player or not, the game is definitely one to watch as we head into the second half of the year. Wi mi ፳፪ PLAYSTATION 3 Haze > STYLE 1 OR 2-PLAYER ACTION (24-PLAYER ONLINE) > PUBLISHER UBISOFT f you are an employee of Mantel Global Industries, pay raises are doubtful, bonuses are laughably out of reach, and the only real guarantee you are given is that if you die working (which actually is more of a matter of "when" than "if^), you will do so with a smile on your face. This isn't the kind of thing that most people like hearing on their first day of work, but at Mantel your death will most certainly be tied to a world-changing event. You see, Mantel is in the unique business of renting out armies to warring nations. Their troops come fully trained and equipped with the latest in bad guy busting technologies. The only downside is that they usually show up for work higher than Hunter S. Thompson. Before a Mantel soldier enters battle, he gets a shot of nectar, a drug that calms his nerves and heightens his abilities and senses. When this drug flows through his veins, he moves faster, aims steadier, and sees enemies with blind- ing clarity. If an adversary happens to get off a shot or two, never fear, a Mantel soldier can not only withstand a bullet to the chest, he may actually enjoy it! In Haze, players get to experience war through the blood- shot eyes of a drug-abusing Mantel soldier. We recently spent a significant amount of time with this PlayStation 3 exclusive title, and it was easy to see how nectar dramatically alters the flow of combat. On the one hand, if used correctly, it will help you mop up enemies. There's also the chance that you'll abuse the drug, which we did nearly every minute while playing through the story in four-player co-op. When your character overdoses on nectar, his vision blurs to a point where he can no longer make the distinction between allies and enemies. Everyone on the field of war looks like a black silhouette. This alone will likely lead to many allies and player characters being killed, but it gets worse. Your character will also grow paranoid and start firing shots at anything that moves. There's also a chance that he will pull out a grenade, let it cook in his hands, and commit suicide. Even if your drug dependency is under control, there's a chance that one of your teammates may accidentally, or purposely, shoot the nectar tank on your back. This not only brings on an immediate overdose, it provides a hilarious moment for the other players, as your character vents a stream of nectar like a water fountain. Like the Halo games, Haze's cooperative play extends to vehicles, one of which is a Mantel buggy that conveniently seats four players. One player drives, one mans the turret, >> previews You'll know a teammate is overdosing when you see his visor turn orange. When this happens, get out of the way! B and the other two mount up on the sides, free to fire at will. This vehicle is incredibly fast, and thanks to the level designer's decision to implement jumps, is capable of catch- ing some serious air. Of course, your foes are also mobile, ፡ ም and their base is heavily guarded. In one canyon stretch, + 3 they plant proximity mines on the walls. To pass these haz- $ ards, you can either drive cautiously or have your gunner Nectar-up to illuminate and destroy them. Even if you fail, as we did numerous times (some on purpose), checkpoints are abundant, and if one player survives long enough to reach another checkpoint, the downed party members will be brought back to life. ^ Haze's May 20 release date is approaching quickly, but we The selection of weapons is nice and ~ still have a number of burning questions and concerns. Free vanea. In most ot tbe enm played. Radical is generally known for its adversarial multiplayer offer- ings, but has the company come far enough to compete with the likes of Call of Duty 4 and Halo 3? Additionally, as enjoyable as the co-op experience was, it got a little slow at 4 Points, as many of the levels had us backtracking through h the same sections and walking without action for far too long. If all goes as planned, however, we should have these answers and more in our review next month. IB ፪፪ i 一 When you're on nectar, enemies glow like the old dudes from Cocoon 75 Your sims will finally have some decent options for activities outside of the home In The Sims, "cooking" may as well be called “start a fire and die” TT AL The Sims 3 > STYLE 1-PLAYER SIMULATION > PUBLISHER ELECTRONIC ARTS > DEVELOPER MAXIS > RELEASE 2009 SIMLISH - DO YOU SPEAK IT? ince the release of The Sims 2 in 2004, we've guided the fate of multiple familial generations, made thousands of simoleons, and built countless human cages in our sims’ backyards. Those were good times, but it's time to look beyond the steady stream of Sims 2 expansions and toward the next true installment in the series. The Sims 5 won't be hitting until next year, and what EA has revealed about the game indicates a major shift in the way players approach their simu- lated community. Previously, managing your sims involved juggling eight different basic needs. In practice, this meant fending off starvation and making sure you didn't wet yourself, often at the expense of exploring other aspects of the game. In Sims 3, these bars are consolidated; you'll still have to keep an eye on the meters, but there are only a few of them, and they represent more generalized states of well-being. This simplification of the day- to-day routine will allow gamers more freedom to interact with the game's other new features. For instance, the neigh- borhood where 76 GAME INFORMER That mix of fear and Í disgust can only mean they're watching an Uwe Boll movie your sims live is now a seamless collection of house- holds. You can leave your house, wander around freely, and chat with other sims. You can develop relationships that evolve as you play; time won't just freeze for everyone but your currently selected character. This means that instead of forging a con- nection with one family, players will feel invested in the entire community. Emphasizing the neighborhood doesn't mean that the individual sims are any less important. The Sims 3 will provide more personality options than ever before. We're most excited about the addition of traits — qualities you can add to your characters that impact their behavior. There are dozens of potential personality traits, such as paranoid, clumsy, artistic, and perfectionist, which should offer much more variety than the skill allocation system of the previ- ous Sims games. Other hallmarks of the series, such as building your dream house and custom- izing your appearance, will be updated to fit alongside the new features. When it all comes together, it looks as though The Sims 3 will let you shape your world (and human zoos) to a greater degree than ever before. B ፪፪ ፪፪ EN“ E | 1 Any area can be a neighbor- hood gathering place, not just predesignated zones Recent surveys indicate that tomatoes are the saddest vegetable ever grown on HITS $29.99 AD -— S ድ 8 -2 Aw 401877 EXTREME CONDITION COLONIES EDITION 5/0፪:29/36/ሀበ0%ሸ ^T NEW multiplayer modes © Play as the Akrid for the — ^ 5 NEW playable characters ^ 20 multiplayer maps first time ^ 3 NEW single player campaign modes Animated Blood lostplanetcommunity.com ESRB CONTENT RATING — www.esrb.org e Games for Windows Ss previews Ii Every boss seems to get a little bigger XBOX 360 Ni ፤ ፤ ' # > STYLE 1-PLAYER ACTION (MULTIPLAYER TBA) > PUBLISHER MICROSOFT GAME STUDIOS > DEVELOPER TEAM NINJA > RELEASE JUNE 3 DEVIL MAY. WHAT? - * ou're lucky there are even words on this page. After a playable preview of Ninja Gaiden II arrived at the office, all productivity stopped while we played through the opening six levels. The game starts off with a young blonde woman named Sonya looking for Gaiden's main man, Ryu Hayabusa. While attempting to deliver some important information to him about the Arch-Fiend, she is captured by a group of demon-eyed ninjas. When Ryu shows up, naturally, he has to chase them across the rooftops of a near-future Tokyo to lay waste to the culprits. Not surprisingly, after three hours of play we still don't understand the paper-thin plot. But, like a classic kung-fu flick, who cares about the narrative when the action is this fast and this fierce? Ninja Gaiden II's graphics uphold the series’ tradition of quality. Torrential rain creates tiny pools of water that splash at your feet, and cherry blossoms bloom into a pink fireworks display under the breeze of a cool sun. Gamers keeping tabs on this title already know about the two major gameplay additions: the regenerating health bar and the obliteration techniques. They'll be happy to know that the regenerating health system hasn't ruined the game's balance. On the contrary, Ninja Gaiden Il feels more fluid than before; since Ryu only regenerates health after a battle ends, every enemy still poses a threat. The more exciting 78 GAME INFORMER additions are the obliteration techniques. Ryu hacks the limbs off his enemies as if he were trimming hedges. Once his foes lose an arm or a leg, he can perform one of the obliteration techniques, which are basically stylish finishing moves. In one example, Ryu cuts a leg out from under a guy, then kicks him down so the man is kneeling before him, and finally puts this poor soul out of his misery by cutting him in two. Ninja Gaiden II's great animation work makes moments like this brutal to watch. This game definitely pushes the M rating to the limit. However, these limbless foes aren't com- pletely helpless. If anything, they seem less inhibited about charging forward kamikaze style We witnessed plenty of opponents continue to fight with one arm or lunge forward on bloody stumps just to grab a hold of Ryu and sacrifice themselves in a powerful explosion. Ryu's cool toys are also stars of the game. Every weapon feels balanced and offers a variety to the combat. The Lunar Staff func- tions like a hefty bo staff, the Gatling Spear Gun rapid-fires exploding spears, and the new Falcon's Talons function like Wolverine's claws on steroids. Better yet, every weapon has its own obliteration technique. We hope a few of the game's camera issues get worked out before the game releases, but we'd be lying if we said we weren't excited to get our hands on the finished product. 88 88 88 E Ryu gets into a tiff with a few New York locals after trying to hail a cab ፳ Magic is still an Al important part of Ninja“ Gaiden's combat ^ B Ninja Gaiden's enemies have always been a little strange, but they achieve a new level of zaniness when dogs start wielding knives! TOY CHEST One of Rare's goals with Trouble in Paradise is to improve the inter- activity between the pifiatas and their environments. “They will mimic each other's interactions and they will follow the leader around the garden," says producer Steven Brand. One way Rare is playing this up is by adding toys. Players can put a variety of new items in the garden that will increase their pifiata’s candiosity meter. Space-themed toys let piñatas shoot off rockets, trains allow flying piñatas to ride around the garden, and some toys such as the shredder might even be dangerous. “There are musical instruments that you can put down as well,” adds Brand. “And there is disco tiling so you can make a ‘Billy Jean'-style dance floor for your piñatas to dance on” UNLIMITED ENABLED XBOX 360 Viva Pinata 2: Trouble in Paradise > STYLE | OR 2-PLAYER SIMULATION (ONLINE TBA) > PUBLISHER MICROSOFT > DEVELOPER RARE > RELEASE SEPTEMBER BORN TO PARTY ith the bright, furry visuals, sugary voice work, and a Saturday morning cartoon in tow, Viva Piñata certainly seemed aimed at a young audience. But oddly enough, the game's complex ecosystem and sandbox structure had many older gamers secretly sneaking off to play in pifiata gardens of their own. Rare intends to repeat this success with its sequel Trouble in Paradise. ‘With the story and the goal-based direction of Trouble in Paradise, | think it's a more focused gameplay experience,” says Steven Brand, the game's producer. Based on our hands-on time with the game, we'd have to agree. Trouble in Paradise includes the standard addi- tions you would expect from a sequel. Thirty new piñatas join the cast, pushing the total up over the 100 mark. Two new sub areas, called the Pinarctic and Dessert (a sandy hotspot we hope is as tasty as it sounds), allow players to travel to new places and lay traps for piñatas. A new photo mode lets users upload and share photos of their gardens on Rare's official website. And a simple drop in/drop out The beefed up romance minigames offer more variety this time ፕ co-op mode makes it easier to play with friends. "There are whole different themes to the gardens. We've given the players more scope, so it doesn't always have to be cutesy," explains Brand. "If players want a garden full of gray stones and tombs with mist coming off the ground, they can do that. You can put a train track down, and we've got a ghost train, so we're trying to make it work on different levels. That's the whole point of the game, it's really up to you what you want to do with it" However, the best changes are the improvements to the interface. "We've put a lot of time into making the UI better and making the whole experience more focused, less laborious, a less menu-ed expe- rience,” says Brand. For example, an animal finder allows players to instantly jump to a specific pinata. This makes a big difference, since in the first game it could have taken a player all afternoon to troll through their garden to find a Whirlm. With all these little additions being made to Trouble in Paradise, hopefully Viva Pifiata’s appeal will continue to span a broad set of demographics. E This is a good example of the different looks players can give to their gardens Pester is back, and this time around he plays a bigger role in the game's story ጨሬ ps An example of the game's new piñata finder in action previews Se previews Lj [ i In puzzle mode, the green areas are where you draw your course. Lines drawn outside of these areas will immediately be erased m Players can create their own levels like these using the game's freeform structure The handheld version of Line Rider features a DS-specific user interface and some dif- ferent single-player puzzles. Otherwise, this version offers the same gameplay as its bigger brothers. Players will still be Wii | NINTENDO DS | PC Line Rider 2: Unbound UNBOUNDING AROUND he original Line Rider was released as a flash game in September of 2006, and if you spend any amount of time goof- ing around on the web, chances are that you've played it even if you don't readily recognize the name. Line Rider was created by Slovenian university art student Boštjan Cade? after he'd been inspired by one of his notebook sketches. InXile Entertainment saw the game's potential and quickly snatched up the rights to develop a full- blown console version. In case you're not familiar with the concept, Line Riders is all about user-created content. Using a small variety of drawing tools, players guide a little toboggan rider through whatever twisted rollercoaster rides their mind comes up with. The interface has been updated and is now more intuitive. Players can now add clip art to their creations and draw more kinds of lines, such as the trap door line, which disintegrates after a player rides over it. Players will start with the story Community Payoff Line Rider is an interesting community-ra > STYLE 1-PLAYER ACTION/PUZZLE > PUBLISHER GENIUS PRODUCTS LLC > DEVELOPER INXILE ENTERTAINMENT > RELEASE JULY MR eh SESE mode, complete with eight acts of original puz- zles, which will give them a good taste of what they'll be able to do with their own creations. The simple creation formula has sparked a lot of interest in the online community; so much so that the game had more than 30 million visits in 2007 alone. InXile knows how important it is to build on this community for the console release, and to that end players can save courses they create in Unbound and upload them to the game's official website. Puzzles are a new addition to Unbound, and players will be able to create incomplete tracks then send them to their friends to see if their friends can fill in the gaps and get the toboggan rider safely to the finish (it gets harder than it sounds). All of this adds up to a complete package that will test the little artists inside us all when Line Rider 2: Unbound comes out early this summer. ፪፪ ፪፪ ፳፻፪ -development-riches story. After acquiring the rights to the game, inXile Entertainment started looking at the community created content for inspiration in developing the single-player experience. It turned out that many of the most impressive tracks were created by one poster, TechDawg. After seeing what TechDawg could do with the new tool set, inXile hired him to create all of the 40 single-player puzzles in Unbound. able to play through freestyle mode, create their own tracks, and download and upload user- created content. ፻፪ Sometimes players have to guide two riders _ to the finish line - Order Up > STYLE 1-PLAYER ACTION/STRATEGY > PUBLISHER ZOO > DEVELOPER SUPER VILLAIN STUDIOS > RELEASE JULY 7 COOKING FOR THE EMPIRE rder Up is a cooking game first and foremost, but it's also an empire builder. No, you won't be preparing steak dinners for Darth Vader, but you will be whipping up tasty dishes for food critics. When your hand isn't on the skillet, you'll be running the day-to-day happenings of your very own restaurant. The game begins with you, an upstart chef, moving to Port Abello, a hotbed for the culinary arts. Here, you'll learn the game's motion-based cooking at the dirtiest fast food joint in town, Burger Face. After cutting your chops (and questionable meat), you'll eventu- ally purchase your own restaurant. In addition to creating savory dishes that keep the patrons coming back, you'll be tasked with upgrading your equipment, wheeling and dealing at the farmers’ market, and keeping your kitchen clean to appease the health inspector. If you are successful, you can expand your empire and manage multiple restaurants. Of course, you can also make a name for yourself as a chef. You can create your own dishes (fish cupcake, anyone?), and challenge the best in the world in the Fortified Chef Competition, As the chef, you'll naturally bark orders to your assistants and manage their tasks. You'll also have to keep an eye on your grill, cutting board, and range. To no surprise, the remote is used to simulate real cook- ing — such as chopping and mixing. If Cooking Mama left you hungry for a heartier meal, Order Up could be the fat tening experience you've been waiting for. Stay tuned to Gl for a review in the coming months! 88 IN 88 Sixty percent of the Game Informer editors believe that pancakes are made with eggs, something fluffy, and fairy dust 2 previews ] E e ry p ) ህ ዝ —-—- "And here we go. A bowl of crap for the lady, and something from the floor for the gent" Se previews “Our characters are all action heroes who could go toe-to-toe with Jason Statham any day," says producer Richard Gilbert UNLIMITED ENABLE! PLAYSTATION 3 | XBOX 360 1 PC Damnation > STYLE 1 OR 2-PLAYER ACTION (ONLINE TBA) > PUBLISHER CODEMASTERS > DEVELOPER BLUE OMEGA ENTERTAINMENT > RELEASE WINTER =< COWBOYS AND SHAMANS ping Damnation, our goal w world that gave us design flexibility of a traditional space marine shooter setting, but would look interesting and different," says Blue Omega's Richard Gilbert. The resulting setting is a bizarre world mencan man story remains under wraps, but w he story centers around Captain Hamilton Rourke, a member of the band of guerilla soldiers called Peacemakers w ing against an evil dictator intent on turning America into an industrialized factory-state. "It's an alternate turn-of-the century America where war has caused technology ss further and in different ways than it did in our timeline," says Gilbert One thing these scree on't convey is the sense of scale and verticality in every Everything from the architecture to the enemy design to the weapons has a uniquely inspired design Whe whole game can be played co-op, but if you're playing alone the second player will be controlled by the game's Al level of Damnation. "You'll see your entire mission laid out ahead of you from the very start,” says Gilbert. “If your goal is to get to a brid d blow it up, you'll start the mission standing atop a tall cliff, with the bridge vis ible in the distance. Below, you'll see the city going to have to make through in order to you're your we get there" Levels are so expansive that vet play an imp tant role in the game. “The player will find themselves using vehicles to get from place to place as well as to solve puzzles,” says Gilbert “Need to get across a gap that's too big to jump on foot? Well, maybe if you can find a motorcycle, you can ride it off the peaked roof of a nearby build- ing to jump that chasm like Evel Knievel” Damnation may have the look of a shooter, but Blue Omega also took inspiration from games like Prince of Persia: Sands of Time and ICO. The game uses platforming ele- ments and character agility to spice up the standard gunplay found in most shooters. “We want to give hardcore shooter fans access to the sorts of thrilling, acrobatic exploration and navigation that action/ adventure gamers have been enjoying for years,” says Gilbert. “You simply won't believe what it's like to have people flying over your It's a shame that such a sweet hat is wearing such a loser of ; V ex ' L ኻን uy e ፲ Too bad she can't afford the whole shirt ^ head on zip lines, diving out of second-story windows, and wall-jumping to rooftops like Jackie Chan? The environments offer players multiple routes of navigation. Sniping fans can dlam- ber over rooftops and take out enemies from afar, while action junkie can charge in headfirst and focus on close combat. The sneaky sort can avoid combat altogether by wind ing their way through alleyways and building interiors. "It's going to be up to you how you progress through that city towards your goal," says Gilbert. [5 a claim we've heard plenty of times before to mixed results, but Damnation looks promising, so we hope to get our hands on the game soon to see if it lives up to those lofty goals. ፳፪ ፪፪ ፳ Se previews PLAYSTATION 3 | XBOX 360 TOUT. C5: Destroy All Humans: SUNY MIS M ECT TN estroy umans: ae À Some objectives require P th f th F c players to solve ned ath oi the Furon current mission objectives : construction minigame > STYLE 1 OR 2-PLAYER ACTION (2-PLAYER ONLINE) > PUBLISHER THQ > DEVELOPER SANDBLAST GAMES. > RELEASE SEPTEMBER NINTENDO DS Mushroom Men: Rise of the Fungi Mf you had psychic powers, ሓ wouldn't you try to make a > STYLE 1-PLAYER ACTION (2-PLAYER LOCAL) > PUBLISHER GAMECOCK > DEVELOPER RED FLY STUDI bunch of dudes cuddle? " STUDIOS » RELEASE SEPTEMBER FUN WITH FUNGUS THE MEATBAG MENACE he first installment of the Mushroom manner of junk into a variety of creations ow long has it been since you destroyed a human in a video game? Probably Men duology is appearing on the DS — like razorblade axes and can opener buzz not long, but we're betting it has been a while since you destroyed one with a month before its home console saws. Enemies consist largely of various an anal probe gun. The irreverent Destroy All Humans series returns this fall, debut on Wii (see below). This 2D bugs and rival mushroom factions. A mix once again putting players in control of the sadistic alien Crypto and his array sidescroller uses full 3D characters and back- — of needle stabbing, junk tossing, and spore of life-extinguishing gadgets. grounds, sometimes referred to as "2.50" Players will choose from three recently brought to life bolete mushrooms with vary- ing skill sets. The Heavy is basically a tank with strong defense and melee attacks, the Sage specializes in magical spore powers, and the Scout uses powerful ranged attacks. The weapon system involves combining toothpicks, forks, string, fishhooks, and all Mushroom Men: The Spore Wars Coming in October for the Wii, The Spore Wars continues the battle between edible and poisonous mushrooms. Though players will probably get more out of the world by playing both games, developer Red Fly assures us they have separate, self- Venus Human Trap, then using your psychokinesis to slam-dunk chumps into its contained storylines. Instead of choosing among several character types, players will powers provides several options to get the Moving forward another decade, Path of the Furon is set in the 1970s, and has job done. Players can choose to use face Crypto seeking spiritual enlightenment after hitting rock bottom. Fortunately for buttons, touch screen controls, or a mix of gamers, the Furon notion of enlightenment encompasses a variety of cool new the two. weapons used to terrorize the populace. Create havoc with a black hole gun, cause Co-op always adds a bit of fun to the pro- a Venus Human Trap to spring up from the ground, or fire the enhanced anal probe ceedings, and Rise of the Fungi doesn't dis- gun and hit multiple targets at once. As you use these inventions in the game's five appoint. Two-player co-op will be available open-world levels, you'll notice that the destruction is more detailed and persistent via two-cart local play through the entire than ever, making it even more satisfying to gaze upon the wreckage that was once a 10-level campaign. ቹ mi mi city block, Even with these new toys, Crypto's mind hasn't been neglected; he's developed control a single hero named Pax. He can float to far off platforms with his umbrella- join up via the game's split-screen and online co-op support. shaped head or use one of those stretchy, sticky hands to grapple up to higher ground. Enemies include oversized spiders, rabbits, and a freaky tentacled creature called King Mole. Publisher Gamecock also recently announced that Primus alum Les Claypool is contributing several original tracks to both game soundtracks. PS2, Crypto definitely needs to earn back some trust. ፪፪ IN m Lm Humans are such suckers, We fall for the whole “I come in $ £ peace" routine every time Though the development duties have been passed to Sandblast (the series was created by EA-owned Pandemic Studios), it looks like Path of the Furon retains the same satirical edge and pure carnage that made Destroy All Humans a hit in the first place. That's good, because after the terrible Big Willy Unleashed spin-off for Wii and some entertaining new psychic abilities to manipulate his surroundings. The Temporal Fist will let you stop time to rearrange the world, or you can just cast PK Magnet on passersby and watch all nearby physics objects fly toward them at high speeds. For an especially good time, you can combine weapons and powers, like calling up the gaping maw. Don't want to perpetrate these hilarious hijinks alone? Invite a buddy to 83 PLAYSTATION 3 Metal Gear Online > STYLE 2 10 16-PLAYER ACTION ONLINE > PUBLISHER KONAM[® DEVELOPER KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS > RELEASE JUNE 12 GEARING UP nyone who has played the Metal Gear series knows the joy of messing with mentally challenged guards, They'll follow figure-eight patterns of footprints in the snow investi- gate a pile of tranquilized comrades, and believe that a cardboard box is not out of place in a nuclear storage facility. Most real people aren't so gullible, and Metal Gear Online will give players a chance to test their sneaking skills against more challeng- ing, living opponents. After some hands-on time with the beta, we found that Metal Gear Online is a far cry from the online fragfests found in games like Halo 3 and Call of Duty 4. This isn't the first time Metal Gear has gone online, but the team at Kojima Productions has clearly learned some lessons from its previous attempts in Subsistence and Portable Ops. Using the revamped MGS 4 control scheme, you'll create a soldier, allocate skills that improve over time (like weapon specializations and CQC mastery), and then hop into the war zone. Three of the four game types initially In addition to weapons, you can outfit your soldier with purely cosmetic apparel ny available in the beta (Team Deathmatch, Base Mission, and Capture Mission) rely heavily on teamwork. You can link up with teammates using the SOP system, which allows you to share information about the location and status of your comrades. Using the headset or a handful of preset commands, you can coordinate attacks by using your unique skills and varied equipment load-outs to lay traps or set up ambushes. Strategy is key, and almost always better than a brute force assault. As great as teamwork can be, it is also the root of one of the game's biggest prob- lems. In our experience, Metal Gear Online is the most fun when all participants in a match have a tacit understanding that they will play "correctly" Most of the game's charm, and the elements that make Metal Gear unique, are lost when a few idiots think they're playing CoD 4. Sure, they're fun to kill, and it's too much to expect that everyone will always go along with the spirit of the game. Even so, it makes for some very inconsistent matches. Even though MGO usually puts you in control of your custom see some of the series' notable charac- ters. One of the game types added after the beta's start is the Sneaking Mission, where one player uses Solid Snake to steal dog tags from the two teams hunt- ing him down. Given the prominence of heroes in previous multiplayer versions of Metal Gear, we wouldn't rule out cameo appearances from other characters in the final release. The version of MGO that will come | packaged with Metal Gear Solid 4 is just a starter pack; though no details were avail- able as of press time, a more expansive stand-alone release of MGO is on the way. For the time being, gamers can look forward to the release of Metal Gear Solid 4 on June 12. You'll probably be busy finishing the single-player saga for a few days, but once all the answers are uncov- ered, MGO will continue to deliver tactical espionage action in the following weeks and months. ፪፪ ፪፪ II Be careful when helping out a teammate. Friendly fire will prevent you from firing your weapon for a few secands 8 headset, you can send general codec communications to 4 $ ጩ your team This map is called Blood- bath for a good reason 。 f H 0 [ | f H ] L E Mini Previews With Big Pictures T7 = *7— ወ ር er ` f "ee es PLAYSTATION 3 | XBOX 360 | Wii | PLAYSTATION 2 | PSP . WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 Some say the Five Knuckle Shuffle is the most electrifying move in sports entertainment. These people have obviously never seen the Banana Windmill, alfinishing move that you.can create in this year's SmackDown vs. Raw. That's right, your created character no longer needs to poach finishers from established superstars. You can create your'own way to finish off sweaty men. Other new features include enhanced tag-team tactics, a co-op story, and downloadable content. This content will be featured in every version other than the Wii. The Wii will get its own unique version, however, that boasts interactive entrances and victories, new weapons, and online play. THQ and developer Yuke's are currently shooting for a fall release for all systems. And just so you know, the Banana Windmill doesn't use an actual banana. They may get in our way. so please be more careful than usual, Doctor ! any other operation, and work as quickly as possible! Freaky Creatures NINTENDO DS Trauma Center: Under the Knife 2 Is it action figures, or is it an online game? In truth, Freaky Creatures is both. To get started, you buy a package of two nicely sculpted action figures that come with a USB thumb drive that contains the game. This drive gets you access to the two creatures After two outings on the Wii (Second Opinion and New Blood), Trauma Center is finally returning to the console that bore it. As the "2" suggests, this latest surgery sim picks up after the original. The main character Derek Stiles returns, along with his assistant Angie Thompson, to deal with the mysterious remnants of the Guilt virus. The game promises new operations (like the amino acid matching seen above) along with a smoother tool interface and multiple difficulty settings. Expect to snap on your rubber gloves July 1. 86 GAME INFORMER you bought as well as a randomized slew of parts and powers to customize them. Once you've created a unique creature within the game, you can take it online to do Pokémon-esque battle against players around the world — or just hang out in your lair in a Sims-lite setting with set pieces and pets you've unlocked. Purchasing further booster packs gets you more creatures, parts, and powers, and the fully integrated website will incorporate some interesting social networking features along with the usual leaderboards and such. Full pricing and release details aren't available yet, but the online features will require a $5.99 per month subscription, while the starter packs will retail for $19.99 this summer. Se photophile 4 # > | | | ም NINTENDO DS NINTENDO DS Final Fantasy IV Guitar Hero: On Tour We know what you're thinking, and no, you didn't just replay this game. It's true that Square Enix ported a version of Final Fantasy IV to Game Boy Advance, but this new incarnation is a total facelift for the classic RPG. With 3D graphics that more closely resemble the game's original concept g 5 art, this remake will feature Cecil, Kain, and their companions like you've never seen them before. In addition to the revamped visuals, the game They said it couldn't be done, but Guitar Hero is coming to the Nintendo DS. Developer Vicarious Visions has come up with a unique controller add-on for the game (dubbed the "Guitar Grip"), a four button miniature "fretboard" that fits into the unique GBA cartridge slot. That allows you to both hold the unit and press buttons while "strumming" on the touch screen with the stylus. Crazy, huh? What's even crazier is will also integrate a new ability system that allows mainstay characters to learn the unique skills of temporary that the game actually seems to work pretty well. In addition to over 20 officially licensed tracks by likes of No Doubt, OK Go, and Nirvana, it will also feature two-player wireless battle mode similar to the boss battles in Guitar Hero III. party members. For hardcore fans of the original, there are even some new flashback scenes that expand upon the characters’ backstories, Get ready x E to fire up your DS, because the Red bicante! For this... For this you will pay! Wings fly again on July 22. = ai ' PM PLAYSTATION q XBOX 360 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand | Apparently someone must have liked 50 Cent's last game, because it sold well enough to warrant 8 sequel despite mediocre reviews. Hopefully, Blood on the Sand will fare. better. 50 Cent will be reprising the role of himself, and G Unit's Lloyd Banks, Tony Yayo, and DJ Whoo Kid will all be lending their likeness and vocal talents as well. Gameplay looks to be a mix of shooting, driving, and aerial combat, and will include drop-in/drop-out co-op. With a story written by Kamran Pasha, the producer for Bionic ** Woman, and some original music by both 50 Cent and G Unit, Blood in the Sand. GAME INFORMER 87 Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon Hp 96/249 05» 55 27 83% The Wii may seem like a strange home for the typically unforgiving experience provided by a Mystery Dungeon title. With randomly generated dungeons and steep penalties for death, games of this sort usually cater to a hardcore crowd. However, come July, Square Enix will put a cute, cuddly chocobo in harm's way. Players will guide the yellow bird-thing through a variety of dungeons, fighting creatures from the Final Fantasy universe and using familiar jobs like knight and black mage. The visuals are particularly impressive, showcasing the same style as the Crystal Chronicles titles. If you love grinding through floors upon floors filled with monsters and loot, this chocobo was bred just for you. ረ በ Chocobo changes job to White Mage! Then we will destroy your HQ. ll Thonks for the advice. የ p የገር መም Unit under attack! NINTENDO DS Robocalypse NINTENDO DS Gauntlet Strangely enough, Midway has given Eidos the green light to release a reimagining of its classic Gauntlet franchise on the DS. Developed by Backbone Entertainment, the game brings back the warrior, wizard, valkyrie, and elf on a quest for vengeance against the dark army. Four-player co-op is available locally and online, with the latter utilizing voice chat via the DS mic. All experience and special attacks gained in multiplayer stays with your character when returning to solo play. Deathmatch and Treasure Horde will also be available for more competitive types. But perhaps the sweetest touch is the purposely lo-fi narrator's deadpan delivery: "Green Warrior shot the food" He sure did. 88 GAME INFORMER Little known developer Vogster Entertainment is bringing robot RTS warfare to the DS this summer. Written by SpongeBob Squarepants scribe Jay Lender, the cartoony story begins as toaster logic programmer Myron Mako accidentally swaps appliance Al with a war machine. A robotic revolt ensues and Myron decides to use the brain scans of WWII heroes to form a mechanized "dirty dozen" Wacky weapons, complete stylus control, and up to four-player local multiplayer round out this strange offering. 2 photophile PLAYSTATION 3 | XBOX 3601 Wii | PLAYSTATION 2 à Sonic Unleashed ie We may be foolishly optimistic, but we have a feeling thaat 2008 will be the year when Sonic jumps back into the spotlight. Sure, this prediction could be based solely on him appearing im Smash Bros., but the lengthy three-year development cycle Sega has applied to Sonic Unleashed is already showing great pro mise. From የ what we've seen, the game features a fair amount of side-scrolling platforming challenges, as well as some Ratchet & Clank—like rail riding sequences where Sonic bounces between rails to avoid hazards. The game also marks the debut of the new “Hedgehog Engine” — Unreal 3 beware! It will be available this holiday for Xbox 360, Wii, and PlayStation 2 and 3. - በ00ዐበክበበበ d S. PLAYSTATION 3 | XBOX 360 Baja THQ is taking things off road once again this August with Baja. Former Rainbow Studios employees’ (MX vs. AATV series) new studio 2XL Games is taking a strictly trucks anc buggies approach. Over 160 vehicles and hundreds of parts will allow players to decide the best way to attack the 95-pluss courses set in locations like Nevada, Arizona, and Mexico. ል፪1 of this leads up to the ultimate race - the Baja 1000 simu tation. This 300-mile drive through the desert can take aro und four hours to complete and contains no repeated terraira. This and plenty of other courses are playable via four-player split-screen and up to 12-player via online or LAN. While pausira g is not available in these epic endurance races, players cara surrender control to an Al co-pilot for bathroom breaks and other real life annoyances. GAME INFORMER 89 NBA Ballers Gran Turismo 5: Prologue Lost Planet: Extreme Condition Colonies Edition Our crack (or crackhead, we can THE SCORING SYSTEM > Concept: What new ideas the game brings to the table and how never decide which) review team well old ideas are presented. Outstanding. A truly elite title that is nearly perfect in every way. This score is given > Graphics: How good a game looks, taking into account any flaws rates games in a number of cat- out rarely and indicates a game that cannot be missed. m such as bad collision or pop-up. egorī es to help you sort out the 一 人 = great from the stuff you'll hate. ለ ee ን > Sound: Does the game's music and sound effects get you Most games are reviewed by involved or do they make you resolve to always play with the vol- a AE d Y ቭ Very Good. Innovative, but perhaps not the right choice for everyone. This score ume down? o sstaff members, and you wil t ap find oth their opini ሃ ch eats hee there Se may meri o be ba EL Ae NO > Playability: Basically, the controller to human interface. The less DG RU ው OD Average. The game's features may work, but are nothing that even casual players you think about the hunk of plastic in your hands, the better the review. To make things a little haven't seen before. A decent game from beginning to end. playability. easier we have put together some Limited Appeal. Although there may be fans of games receiving this score, many will > Entertainment: Flat out, just how fun the game is to play. The defiraitions of what the numbers be left yeaming for a more rewarding game experience. most important factor in rating a game. mea, what we look for in a Passable. It may be obvious that the game has lots of potential, but its most Replay Value game, and also a cheat sheet so engaging features could be undeniably flawed or not integrated into the experience. the rxewbies can understand our adva mced video game jargon. It is important to note that the Game of the Month is determined only by thre main review score, not an average of the two opinions. High - You'll still be popping this game in five years from now. Bad. While some things may work as planned, the majority of this title either 2 ; x malfunctions to varying degrees or it is so dull that the game falls short as a whole. Moderately High - Good for a long while, but the thrills won't last forever. 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. Moderate - Good for a few months or a few times through. Broken. Basically unplayable. This game is so insufficient in execution that any value Moderately Low - After finishing it, there's not much reason to give would be derived in extremely small quantities, if at all ita second go. Low - You'll quit playing before you complete the game. Tainted Love. Sometimes | feel I've got to «bah bah run away. — | PO | Co | & | | ዉዌ5 | SI | CO |‹ወ 90 GAME INFORMER Tactics Assassin's Creed: Directors Cut Edition Battle of the Bands. This is where GI breaks down multi-plat- form games. So whenever you see this logo, there is important multi-system infor- mation regarding that product. Content suitable. for persons 17 ዛ ages and older. Content suitable for persons ages 3 and older, Content suitable for persons ages ag 6 and older. Content suitable only for adults. Produd is awaiting final rating. Content suitable for persons ages rg 10 and older. Content suitable for persons ages 13 and older, WZ € ju MONTH Grand Theft Auto IV experience for themselves. As Rockstar teased the public with amaz- ing screenshots and limited reveals, you waited patiently to find out if Grand Theft Auto IV was a worthy successor to one of the most popular franchises of all time. With a surprisingly deep story, impressive graphics, polished gun mechanics, and the most addictive multiplayer mode we've seen since Call of Duty 4, GTA IV doesn't just live up to the hype, it curb stomps it and makes off with its Banshee convertible. This is one of those rare events in gaming that everyone should Drone Tactics . Emergency Mayhem. Gran Turismo 5: Prologue. Grand Theft Auto IV. Jake Hunter: Detective Chronicles. Lost Planet: Extreme Condition E Mario Kart Wi NBA Ballers: Chosen One. nja Reflex.. Summon Night: Twin Age.. Universe At War: Earth Assault 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). 1080i - A resolution specification used for HDTV. 1080i stands for resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. The ʻi” means that the video is being interlaced 1080p - Currently the best resolution for gaming on an HDTV, In widescreen, 1080p generates an image at resolution of 1920x1080 in progressive format 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 "p* means that the video is in progressive format action - A term we use for games like God of War and Devil May Cry ad hoc - A type of wireless connection that connects you with other players in your immediate vicinity AI - Artificial Intelligence. Usually refers to how well the computer reacts to human opponents or works with human allies adventure - A term we use for games like Myst and Escape From Monkey Island ፡ bloom - An effect that simulates the soft, blurred glow of bright light reflecting off of surfaces board - A term we use for games like Scene It and Mario Party cel shading ~ A technique used to create 3D rendered objects that resemble hand-drawn animation cels CG - Computer Generated. Usually refers to cutscenes that don't use in-game graphics ES - Electronic Entertainment Expo. A convention held every year sinc of the largest events in the gami first-party - A game made by a console manufacturers development teams exclusively for its own system fighting - A term we use for games like Mortal Kombat and Dead or Alive FPS — First-Person She many animation frames happen in one second. framerate - The frames of animation used to generate the appearance of movement frontend - A game's menus and options HDTV - High Definition Television HP - Hit Points. A numerical representation of a character's remaining life. Common in RPGs infrastructure - A type of wireless connection that uses the Intemet to connect with other players over long distances IP - Intellectual Property. A single game or franchise encompassing the ideas and characters contained within isometric - Three-quarters top down view, like Warcraft ን or Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance jes - Graphical lines that look jagged when ey 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 MMO - Massively Multiplayer Online. Usually applied to role-playing titles, we use this term for games with persistent, multi-user online worlds like EverQuest and World of Warcraft motion blur - Phantom frames follow an object to give the impression of realistic speed music - A term we use for games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band NPC - Non-Player Character. Those people and Greatures 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 = A term we use for games like Super Mario and Ratchet & Clank up - When objects onscreen suddenly appear, typically due to poor draw distance ። PS2 - Sony PlayStation 2 ። PS3 - Sony's PlayStation 3 console puzzle - A term we use for games like Tetris and Picross ፡ racing ~ A term we use for games like Gran Turismo and Mario Kart : “Riggs it up” - To behave in the fashion of Lethal Weapon's Martin Riggs. RPG - Role-Playing Game. A term games like Final Fantasy and The Elder Scrolls ፡ RTS - RealTime Strategy. A subgenre of strategy games including titles like StarCraft and Command & Conquer shooter - A term we use for games like Ikaruga and Gradius = A term we use for games like Madden NFL and Top Spin strategy - A term we use for games like Disgaea and Fire Emblem, 1 third-party - Something made for a console by a company other than the console manufacturer GAME INFORMER 91 E Once a shot is fired, your foes will react realistically by finding cover Grand Theft Auto IV > STYLE 1-PAYER.ACTION (UP TO 16-PLAYER ONLINE) > PUBLISHER ROCKSTAR GAMES > DEVELOPER ROCKSTAR NORTH > RELEASE APRIL 29 > ESRB M PERFEGTION now know how film critics felt after screening The Godfather. It's been days since Grand Theft Auto IV's credits rolled, yet | can't seem to construct a coherent thought without my mind wandering off into a daydream about the game. | just want to drop everything in my life so | can play it again. Experience it again. Live it again. No matter what | do, | can't stop thinking about the choices | made throughout the course of the game. Those people didn't have to die. | could have saved them. | wasn't thinking straight. My judgment was clouded. Next time, things will be different. If you thought that the previous Grand Theft Auto titles offered an amazing level of freedom, you haven't seen anything yet. In Grand Theft Auto IV, you really feel like you have ownership over the entire experience. You build relationships, approach missions the way you want to, and even dictate the flow of the story. In true GTA style, you do the dictating with your gun. Some of the choices you make will have a dramatic "| can't believe that just happened" effect on Niko Bellic's life. This isn't like Fable or Mass Effect where you can clearly see how your input is affecting the story. You just have to live with it, swallow hard, and hope you made the right choices. It's an amazing story that ends up having a soul and isn't afraid to poke fun at society's hot topics. As much as the game makes you sweat bullets through its choices, it no longer makes you dread T 7 ፻፳ Just imagine what this intersection would look like if you had a rocket launcher 92 GAME INFORMER MONTH firing them. The new targeting system is a remarkable contrap- tion that, strangely enough, also offers choice. By applying a hard or soft click to the aim trigger, you can switch between free aim and lock-on, a combo that sings on the battlefield, and makes you feel like a skilled assassin. With intelligent foes putting a bead on you, the gunplay is a far more visceral affair, requiring pop-and- shoot tactics, ammo conserva- tion, and some serious skill. Thankfully, with the gameplay firing direct hits, you no longer feel like a death was something you had no control over. The gunplay is extremely polished, and is one of the game's stron- gest points. Vehicular mayhem continues to play a huge role in the series, and is enhanced with an array of new jacking animations and realistic physics for both the vehicles and people you hit. The new Pac-Man-like police evasions, and scripted chase scenes are incredible additions as well. When you aren't raising your wanted level with a pistol or a runaway car, the game offers mountains of incredible content where you would least expect it. GTA IV has a Sims quality to it, as it starts to feel like real life. You can sit back and watch hilarious fictional TV shows (even cartoons), go to a comedy show, lose hours of your life surfing fictional internet sites, and even play full games of bowl- ing, darts, and pool. Of course, this is GTA so you can always spend your time at a strip club or a bar. | know this is going to sound lame, but one of my favorite parts of the game is people watch- ing. There hasn't been a world of people in a game € | ^ 38 The decisions you make in the game will culminate in one of two endings. Different paths also.bring missions. different Playing it once won't be enough that has felt this alive. You'll see cabbies throwing coffee cups out the window, people on cell phones not paying attention as they cross the street, and umbrellas going up when the rain starts. It's unbelievable how much there is to see and do. All of it is captured with stunning realism, and that trademark GTA satire. The single-player game alone is immense, and easily deserving of the perfect score, but there's something else this breakthrough product does just as well; it blows the doors off of what you expect from a multiplayer game. Just think of the way you play single player (with cops always in pursuit) then multiply that by 16. It's insanity — wonderful insanity — with rockets and helicopters soaring through the air, and players doing everything they can to win or thwart you. The game offers a slew of game modes, too, including my favorites GTA Race (think Cannonball Run with backstabbing death), and Cops ‘n Crooks. The mul- tiplayer runs just as smoothly as the single-player game, and offers an insane level of customization. On top of the standout experiences mentioned, there so much more to appreciate about this game. Its dynamic mission structuring, remarkable sound design, wealth of side content, amazing animation, the list goes on and on. Long story short, | never thought | would see this much content in a game. Grand Theft Auto IV doesn't just raise the bar for the storied franchise; it completely changes the landscape of gaming. Once you play it, you won't look at video games the same way again.— REINER > Concept: This smartly penned crime story puts player freedom on a pedestal, and backs it up with outstanding gunplay and the next big multiplayer experience > Graphics: You'll lose yourself in your surroundings - the striking environment details, variety of people on the streets, the physics-based showering of bodies after a car explodes. On top of this, the framerate never skips a beat > Sound: The soundtrack is fan- tastic, but the true master stroke here is the voice work > Playability: Simply put, it plays the way you always wanted Grand Theft Auto to play > Entertainment: In terms of content, this may even be a bet ter deal than The Orange Box. It just gives and gives and gives > Replay Value: High Second Opinion 10 ‘There are epic gaming experiences, and then there is Grand Theft Auto W, The latest installment of Rockstar's flagship sur- passes the benchmark set by San Andreas in every pos- sible way. With the aid of an impressive graphics engine, improved gunplay mechan- ics, the phenomenal Natural Motion Euphoria anima- tion technology, and a deep story that, unlike other GTAs, features a heart underneath its myriad double-crosses and stick-ups, GTA IV is the most action-packed open world ever created, Liberty City's great array of charac- ters, radio stations, television channels, and websites offer searing satires of modern ‘American life; you'd have ahard time finding a more comprehensive lambasting - of our culture in any other media form. But the star of the show is Niko Bellic; the Eastern European anti-hero is my favorite criminal since Deadwood's Al Swearengen. On top of the phenomenal story of Bellic, Rockstar also offers an addictive multi- player that will have players jonesing for a free-for-all match well into the summer. Damn, it feels good to be a gangster. —BERTZ The PlayStation 3 iteration kind of takes a shotgun to the face with Rockstar siding exclusively with the Xbox 360 for downloadable content that is said to be sizeable. Other than that and optional motion-based PS3 controls, both versions are identical. THE FINE LINE BETWEEN HONOR AND VENGEANCE WILL BE CROSSED BY ONE. Hayabusa returns in the only true sequel to Ninja Gaiden. Exclusively on the Xbox 360. Four difficulty levels, from Acolyte to Master Ninja. xbox.com/ng2 BP AER S DE SN m m Ei 2 licrosoft MATURE [a A j ። 3 4 3 — ; ኤ] Blood and Gor ል ee MP e c DT ር f^ Suggestive Themes : ኤኤ ሄ x ~ ሆ ፳ኤ .-.. ESRB CONTENT RATING www.esrb.org ; ርም ~ RELEASE APRIL 21 > ESRB T NBA Ballers: Chosen One > STYLE 1 TO 4-PLAYER SPORTS (2-PLAYER ONLINE) > PUBLISHER MIDWAY > DEVELOPER MIDWAY LOOSE BALL FOUL BA Ballers is back, and this time it ditches the poorly received off-court adventure to focus completely on the hoops experience. The story is your typical rags-to-riches plot. As a highly touted street baller, you're invited to test your mettle against the NBAs best (and Adam Morrison), level- ing up your skills as you move from court to court. The modest character cre- ation system allows you to mold your player from preset facial and body features. Then you can deck him out in the athletic apparel or luxury fashion wear of your choos- ing. When you're not in story mode, you can control one of the 60 NBA players featured in the game, including modem superstars and old-school leg- ends like Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. While the roster includes most major players, there are some questionable omissions like Deron Williams, Shawn Marion, and Kevin Martin in favor of perennial busts like Ricky Davis and Sebastian Telfair. The story mode pits you in various competitions like one-on-one showdowns, three point contests, and 94 GAME INFORMER two-on-two competitions, sometimes featuring a twist. For example, in one competi- tion, we had to keep Stojakovic from draining three-pointers to advance. As you execute Act-A-Fool combos and score, a meter will fill that eventually unleashes Shut ‘Em Down moves, which pull you away from the action to watch overly long cutscenes of your court supremacy. But the single- player competition has one major flaw: whenever you find yourself in a bind, you can simply hold down turbo, drive straight to the basket, and dunk on any opponent. So much for skill. The over- the-top arcade action comes alive during head-to-head competitions, as pulling off Act- A-Fool combos becomes a true test of skill. If a defender beats you to the quick button press, he or she will counter the combo and steal the ball. Unfortunately, Midway fails to take advantage of this by offering a barren online multiplayer component that only features one-on-one matches, with no options for creating toumaments or team- ing up with other players. Overall, NBA Ballers: Chosen One offers a decent arcade basketball experience, but its short single player and weak online options ultimately keep it from unseating the current street champ, NBA Street Homecourt —BERTZ BOTTOM LINE > Concept: Display mad one-on-one skillz against the NBA elite > Graphics: Great player mod- els, but a small basic animation set keeps the Madame Tussauds figures from coming to life > Sound: Chuck D on the mic and a soundtrack by Just Blaze give Ballers its street cred > Playability: Controls are fluid unless you're rebounding or chasing a loose ball > Entertainment: Short single player and weak multiplayer, but head-to-head games are fun > Replay Value: Moderate Second n 725 Street ball naturally plays a little fast and loose with normal basketball rules, but this game could use some tightening up. Al is my big- gest beef, and grabbing rebounds and loose balls can be tricky - particularly when the ball rolls to half- court and the camera does you no favors, For the most part, however, Ballers is fun, with easy to pull off moves and good pacing in building up your special meter. Glitz is added with video com- mentary by Chuck D, but | think that Ballers could do better in this area, whether that's by letting players dis- tribute their own stats, have more in-game access to special moves, or by adding a custom crib or court. Regardless of the areas (ከ5 game could improve in or expand, it's hard to argue with it too much when you kick the ball over your head into the basket or breakdance during a game—KATO Assassin's Creed: Director's Cut Edition > STYLE 1-PLAYER ACTION > PUBLISHER UBISOFT > DEVELOPER UBISOFT MONTREAL > RELEASE APRIL 8 > ESRB M 2 ጩ "^ RS 9 After thefirst plete, the | + grasp. d ;jümp directly. to a city right from rd dm he fortress - no need to run.down sa the lengthy village of Masyaf SLIGHTLY BIGGER, QUESTIONABLY BETTER loved last year's console release of Assassin's Creed. While it suffers from a repetitive mission structure, the game does so many things remarkably well that this doesn't take away from the overall experience. The insanely gorgeous locales are lifted straight out of history, the innovative new control scheme changes the way play- ers think about moving through the world, and the sweeping story plants the seeds for a much grander epic. Combined, these features make for a stel- lar product. Now all those folks without a decent console get a shot at the action. Right? If you have one hell of a gaming PC, then the answer is yes. When pumped up to max settings, this new direc- tor's cut makes the game look better than ever. Individual textures pop off the screen, making cloth and stone appear remarkably lifelike. Thanks to some already great level design and art, light and shadow interplay to perfectly set the mood for the cities and environments. The game looks great all around, but examine 小 一 一 一 一 一 一 the system requirements care- fully before a purchase. Meanwhile, the game suffers from a questionable conver- sion to mouse and keyboard controls. Even with the option to remap buttons, the mix of holding down different inputs that worked so well on a console controller doesn't hold up on a keyboard, and the mouse-driven camera only worsens the matter. To experi- ence the game's strengths to the fullest, a decent PC-compatible gamepad is essential. Content-wise, a few small additions attempt to address the game's biggest problem. By adding four new investiga- tion types, like the stealth archer assassinations or the market stall destruction encounters, the tedium of repetition is somewhat allevi- ated. Otherwise, expect the same engrossing and unique gameplay experience that your console friends had Whatever its flaws, Assassin's Creed serves as a herald of things to come in more ways than one — experience it for yourself—MILLER ፻፳ Combat offers a cinematic and precise alterna- tive to the button mashing of other action games BOTT LIN > Concept: Drop into a fictional- ized history of the Crusades and deal out justice in the name of a greater good > Graphics: lf your rig can handle it, this is one of the pretti- est games out there > Sound: An atmospheric soundtrack weaves its way through the game, and much of the voice work is excellent > Playability: There are some profound stumbles in translating the controls to a mouse and keyboard > Entertainment: One of the most innovative console games of 2007 gets a good port, presuming you have the hardware needed for an optimal experience > Replay Value: High Second Opinion Assassin's Creed is as good as ever. It looks amazing, and the added missions inject variety into the investigation process. Except the escort missions (Why do these still exist. However, if you're stuck with a keyboard and mouse, the experience is notice- ably diminished, No matter how you map your keys, the controls will never quite sink in. You need to use a more conventional controller; oth- erwise, what was once a fluid game full of adrenaline-fueled rooftop chases becomes a stilted battle against your keyboard. It's still playable, but it's tough to enjoy this game to the fullest with that added barrier between you and the rich world of Assassin's Creed —JOE Wallpapers | Themes Screensavers Games : Realtones, "XUI — 1 Touch My Body ^ : Mariah Carey gr y ን $35 Af A move1604 ተዲ real1830 ፪፪ pes > b. “ 4 መ: gest VERUM * m pic2008 ^ pic2009 S : Raat skin1576 ^ skin1577 move1605 OPERBICR | ርጋ ፻[በ0፤ ] ጾ a e = Ya r = Lollipop - Lit Wayne real1831 CLE E! 5 4] RGE Love In This Club - Usher Feat Young Jeezy real1832 pic2010 ^ pic2011 > je g a Sexy Can | - Ray-J Feat Yung Berg real1833 5 : M. The Boss - Rick Ross Feat T-Pain real1834 ሻው "^ skin1578 ^ skini579 || move1606 peer T€ XN iy NU Yahhh - Soulja Boy Tell Em real1837 T me, Who The Heck Is That? - Dolla Feat T-Pain real1838 pic2012 | pic2013 | E d l'n Me- Lil Wayne real1839 ነ related / NN Life 0f Da Party - Snoop Dogg real1840 tig መመ oro not —" oan Ai I Won't Tel - Fat Joe Feat J. 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AL di 1 ከኤ... ረ በሽ ፖ PLAYSTATION 3 Gran Turismo 5: Prologue > STYLE | OR 2-PLAYER RACING (UP TO 16-PLAYER ONLINE) > PUBLISHER SONY C > DEVELOPER POLYPHONY DIGITAL > RELEASE APRIL 15 > ESRB E MPUTER ENTERTAINMENT DRIVEN TO DISTRACTION? his game is not Gran Turismo 5, and fran- chise leader Kazunori Yamauchi has been clear about that. Beyond this, Yamauchi's intent seems a little up in the air. Developer Polyphony Digital has some post-launch content plans (see below) to evolve this title, but it is work- ing on Gran Turismo 5 all the while, and many of Prologue's current and future features will carry over into GT 5. Although Prologue freely admits its stopgap status, this is not just a tune-up — what this game may lack in features it replaces with its near perfect racing line. Other racing games are certainly faster and more accessible, but for hardcore racing fans like me, this franchise has its driving dialed in — Prologue status notwithstanding. As easy as it would be to classify Prologue's sim-based racing as hard or too com- plex, | know that when | blow a race | never have anyone to blame but myself. The game's cars, and their varying driving styles, offer plenty of feedback to let me know when I'm coming into a corner too fast, not hitting the right line, etc. This is how you fall in love with cars; you learn how to race them, pushing them to the edge and then reeling them in enough to live through the next corner. In response, 96 GAME INFORMER Prologue's Al racers have their hands full as well, and many will mess up their lines, drive into the dirt, and show a little aggression from time to time. Despite the racing sweetness, Prologue has a hard time backing up this core with much more than በሀቨ like GTTV Without the usual car parts, racing customizations, or deep career structure, this game acts as the stereotypical expansion pack. While Prologue offers over 70 cars, its paltry number of tracks is another knock against it. Online is certainly a nice addition for the series, but this is nothing new to GT's peers. Finally, the game's lack of damage (at the time of this review) is inadequately replaced by a penalty system that's exercised inconsistently. The strength of this game's racing only makes its lack of growth in other fundamental areas all the more baffling. How easy would it be for Gran Turismo to rule the racing world if Polyphony put half the effort it does into capturing muffler audio into areas like a new career mode, pacing, and other features that rival franchises have conquered long ago? Until then, this series' commitment to racing will have to suffice, and | think it will for franchise fans, but few else —KATO The Future 0f Gran Turismo 5: Prologue Hold onto your helmets, because developer Polyphony Digital plans to expand the feature set of Prologue as time goes on via download- able updates. Not only does this indude more GTV content and online races, but recently creator Kazunori Yamauchi confirmed that damage and online community features will be available for Prologue at an unspecified point this fall. 1 2000 122000 Tie መጨ WHAT YOULL. NEED FOR SPEED Class C (10 races) Cars needed: | suggest the Honda Integra Type R '04 (27,300 cr), which is not only a solid car, but will fulfill multiple race requirements in the class. Also get the Suzuki Cappuccino '95 (14,600 cr) which meets the remaining stipulations. This class is easy to finish and the tracks aren't complex. The hard- est is perhaps Eiger Nordwand, which you have to do backwards and forwards. Class B (10 races) Cars needed: The 4WD Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX '05 GSR (35,700 ar.) pretty much takes care of all your Class B needs. Class B introduces the full Suzuka, the London city and Daytona infield courses. Not only is your Lancer up to the task HP wise, but you have the luxury of starting in the middle of the 12- and 16-car fields Class A (10 races) Cars Needed: An American muscle car w/ 300+ HP, a BMW M3 Coupe (92,400 cr), and a Ferrari F430 '06 (243,200 cr.) This is a big step up from Class B. The problem here is not that you don't have a car fast enough, it's that you often risk going too fast. Being able to handle and brake your car correctly is key since you start races in the back of the field, and getting to the front requires no screw-ups or sloppy racing. ኳን | :as መ The retail version comes with a bonus GT-TV feature not avail- able in the download edition "e 7.4 > Concept: consider this less a taste of what GT 5's going to be, and more of a hold-over/intro. for the series on the PS3 > Graphics: Looks great. The light bloom when you come out of tunnels is sweet > Sound: Listen for the wind resistance created when you're not in the draft > Playability: | highly suggest the cockpit view, which is not as hard to race from as you think > Entertainment: This is a game for fans only, as the rest of you will miss some of the genre amenities that Prologue lacks > Replay Value: Moderate Second Opinion 8 The name of the game says it all — Prologue is a taste of what is to come. It offers up a sizeable garage of 70 local and exotic cars, but only 30 single-player events. If you are determined, you can fly through all of the challenges in a day, although you will have to dedicate some seri- ous time to replaying events if you wish to purchase all. of the vehicles. That begs the question, is it worth purchasing? Absolutely, Prologue's offering may be a bit anorexic, but its racing is second to none, Next to test- driving a real car at a dealer- Ship, | haven't come across cats that handle this nicely. With an incredible cockpit view, and weight transfer- ring as you turn, you really feel like you are driving these cars, It's an incredible sensa- tion. The series also makes strides forward in its Al. Your ‘opponents show aggression, and don't always drive per- fect lines. You also can't plow into them to cheat turns. ‘These are small touches, but they really add to the real- ism. If your only venue is single player, you are really cheating yourself, Prologue's engine roars online with up to 16 players in a race. This is just a prelude to greater things, but you really couldn't ask for a more impressive sampling —REINER XBOX 360 Lost Planet: Extreme Condition Colonies Edition > STYLE 1-PLAYER ACTION (UP TO 16-PLAYER ONLINE) > PUBLISHER CAPCOM > DEVELOPER CAPCOM > RELEASE MAY 27 > ESRB T ———————————— Hee ee MER ee REALLY? AGAIN? he latest iteration of Lost Planet delivers different things to different people. For newcomers, Colonies Edition offers the best version of an already good game for a cheap $30. On the other hand, fans of the original game have loads of fresh content to experience, but some of it comes at a price. A new set of 1,000 Gamerscore points adds updated incentives, but previous game saves sadly do not transfer. While the new Resident Evil 4-style camera option fails to impress, at least the FPS view (sans onscreen gun) provides a relatively decent and different way to play through again. But the real reward for beating stages is Unlimited mode. Upon completion of a level, you can return to it with super speed and unlimited ammo. While this may not sound like much, the fact that our hero Wayne can finally move faster than a cement truck ratchets up the fun considerably. Frankly, this is the way Lost Planet should have played all along. Unfortunately, this newfound sense of speed does not make the jump to multiplayer — an improvement that uld have been better than all of the new maps, weapons, and char- acter skins combined. That doesn't necessarily mean new locations like a Space station or arsenal additions like 一 ር ERR the VS-slaying Hand Cannon aren't great, it's just tough to go back to the old-pace. The best new multiplayer mode puts players in control of a massive Akrid beast while a team of humans tries to bring it down. A team-based VS escort and protect mode comes in at a close second. You can now face off against PC players on the 360, but you can't battle owners of the original version of Lost Planet. While this was initially disappointing, it got me wondering just how many people are even playing the original online anymore. In fact, the added robust multiplayer features plus a combined pool of mostly new players is probably just the shot in the arm the online game needs. A challenging boss rush mode uses an innovative bracketing feature that rewards faster players with bigger bosses (think Green Eye instead of a random VS boss). Score Attack skillfully apes Call of Duty 4's Arcade mode with points and combo multi- pliers awarded for every kill. In the end, super fans and new- bies should definitely give Colonies a look. But if you thought the original Lost Planet was just okay, no amount of extras is going to change your mind.—BRYAN "m 0.25 ? Concept: Lower the price, add new stuff, and pray the gaming public is ready for the fourth release of this arctic adventure > Graphics: Largely unchanged, but still impressive after a year and a half ? Sound: The abundance of massive creatures, clanking Vital Suits, and plentiful explosions were made for surround sound ? Playability: New FPS and Unlimited modes add some spice to the combat > Entertainment: This is the definitive version of Lost Planet. ..for those who might still be interested > Replay Value: Moderately Second Opinion 8.25 “One oft reviews "1 > Once a walker gets into your 3 $ ሕ. A base, it's pretty much over ነሙ ዘህ. - » — S Eme XBOX 360 Universe at War: Earth Assault > STYLE 1-PLAYER STRATEGY (UP TO 4-PLAYER ONLINE) > PUBLISHER SEGA > DEVELOPER PETROGLYPH > RELEASE MARCH 25 > ESRB T CRASH LANDING በ PC, last year's Universe at War was an BOTTOM 5 enjoyable real-time strategy romp in the LINE mold of StarCraft. Two issues prevent this ር E POEA Xbox 360 port from being worth your ናአ የረ ሺ Neil time: imprecise gamepad control and unforgiv- crush the opposition able, constant, maddening framerate drops. s The gameplay is vanilla RTS with some intrigu- eres Dis ing faction design. Each of the three sides has its — problems own style of play, and those differences come > Sound: The electric guitar- across well enough that a match feels entirely driven score is appropriate for different depending on which faction you're con- ከ bombastic onscreen action trolling. The Novus must use superior mobilityto — › Playability: Not bad as far win, the Masari need to flip their armies between ^ as console RTS goes, but this light and dark modes, and the Hierarchy relies micromanagement-heavy on their massive walkers to carry them to victory. game suffers on the 360 pad Despite the variety, the sides are well balanced > Entertainment: If it and each is amusing in its own way. worked, it'd be breezy fun. Sadly, this creative depth is wasted by unbe- Pod that is not lievably poor port work. The slowdown in this game completely guts any enjoyment that could > Replay Value: Moderate 5 i Grabbing all of your forces and saying "attack-move" is about as nuanced as the gamepad lets you get Second Opinion 8 eae SE ፻ s, T otherwise be found. We're talking about grinding stutters that get so bad your inputs won't even register. And it's not just when there's a lot going on onscreen, either — a few minutes into any match sees the framerate progressively degrade to the point that the game is barely playable. Furthermore, while the gamepad control scheme is reasonably well conceived, it's clear that the gameplay was designed with a mouse in mind. The amount of micromanagement necessary to be a reasonably effective player is all but impossible on the 360 pad. It's a shame this port was released in a worse technical state than many beta builds I've played, because the core design of Universe at War (minus the lame by-the-numbers scripted campaign) is quite good. As it is, the best thing we can hope for is that Sega releases a patch to make it possi- ble for players to experience what the game has to offer without constant single-digit framerates.— ADAM GAME INFORMER 97 Mario Kart Wii > STYLE | TO 4-PLAYER RACING (UP TO 12-PLAYER ONLINE) > PUBLISHER NINTENDO > DEVELOPER NINTENDO > RELEASE APRIL 29 > ESRB E RAINBOW ROAD GETS HARDER EVERY TIME "mw" | 8,8 > Concept: Improve nearly everything about Mario Kart and finally give the franchise a respectable online component > Graphics: Stop me if you've heard this one before: This looks good... for a Wii game > Sound: As always, the upbeat music fits the whimsical ot many franchises out there are capable The new system (which | gameplay perfectly, As a bonus, of getting by on the same old schtick. is tied to the degree of Wario’s taunts are hilarious Even fewer maintain their relevance and your drift, rather than > Playability: Traditional con- entertainment value through the years controller input as in trol works great, but don't bother despite never making major changes. Mario Kart, previous games) with the stupid wheel however, somehow manages to entrance gamers certainly levels » Entertainment: The grand anew with every release — and this Wii entry is no the playing field daddy of kart racers is stil exception. Losing the co-op antics of Double Dash a bit between the king is a severe disappointment, but there are enough amateurs and > Replay Value: High minor improvements to the rest of the game to veterans, but make Mario Kart Wii a strong installment of the ven- — is that really a erable series. good thing? The The gameplay is exactly what you would expect franchise already What can | say about Mario out of Mario Kart: fast-paced gonzo racing on a catches enough flak it's reasonably possible Kart Wii? It's exactly what | selection of insane tracks (12 new, 12 classic) with for being newb-friendly and to win races with heavies expected. No unanticipated a bunch of explosive items in the mix to keep even spastically random — which is admittedly now. Likewise, the balance between karts and surprises, no glaring disap- the best drivers on their toes. The control is brilliant, ^ part of its genius - but the turbo change bikes feels just right. Karts get better drift boosts, pointments. Ill undoubtedly the courses are tuned to perfection, and everything feels like a dumbing-down of the gameplay in the while bikes can wheelie for some extra straightaway Hoe ባበር is polished to a high shine. pursuit of a misguided desire to make it somehow speed — a simple but surprisingly relevant distinction Miror dies i$ the As a hardcore Mario Kart fan, the overhaul of the easier for my grandma to pick up and play. Noteto on the track. gameplay formula keep mini-turbo system takes a while to get used to. Nintendo: sp Online is a big focus for Mario Kart Wii, and it's Mario Kart Wii fresh to an Racers and karts (as well about as good an implementation as possible within ` extent. The inclusion of bikes, as the new bikes) have Nintendo's labyrinthine rules and regulations for original attacks, tricks, and been rebalanced as well, Wii online play. The racing itself works well, and the online capabilities comple- but in a good way. Much Mario Kart channel has all sorts of goodies to allow ment the Wi's inherently more so than in other you to view the statistics of players worldwide and le 1 yan Mario Kart titles, the light/ find your place on the bell curve of Mario Kart skills. rah eat ርን medium/heavy choice Hopefully there will be fewer idiots dropping con- and allows for intuitive play is a strategic and stylistic nection when they're about to lose than in the DS for novices to the series. decision rather than an version, but only time will tell. However, Mario Kart Wii opportunity to intention- | feel very strongly that dropping the tag-team feels like an old gift in new ally gimp yourself against racing from Double Dash was an utterly bone- wrapping. It has new levels, inferior competition. Sure, headed decision on Nintendo's part, but you can't characters, and karts, but the it's still tough to keep fault much of anything else in Mario Kart Wii. This S A Bowser's fat rear on the is a great game, single- or multiplayer, online p i et Rainbow Road, but at least or off. —ADAM not be practical for the Mario. ብ "m3 T Kart franchise, but one must 3i5 = wonder how long Nintendo ወፍ. mtm s E canrideonthewaveof LA D 3/5 ጋ " T innovation from its hardware alone.—MEAGAN B Yea, second place will Sa - still throw red shells back- wards at you. Collusion! 98 GAME INFORMER Battle of the Bands > STYLE 1 OR 2-PLAYER MUSIC > PUBLISHER THQ > DEVELOPER PLANET MOON STUDIOS > RELEASE APRIL 21 > ESRB T Wii Ninja Reflex > STYLE 1 TO 4-PLAYER ACTION > PUBLISHER ELECTRONIC ARTS/ NUNCHUCK GAMES » DEVELOPER SANZARU GAMES > RELEASE MARCH 4 > ESRB E10+ We Ski > STYLE 1 TO 4-PLAYER SPORTS > PUBLISHER NAMCO BANDAI > DEVELOPER NAMCO > RELEASE JUNE 13 > ESRB E c3 SC ፡ THE DOWNWARD SLOPE If you enjoy the various minigame compila- ፳ Battle of the Band's broken combat system (Above) ; The game's redeemable qualities (Not Pi A LOSING BATTLE he Battle of the Bands' song list ictured) is a mixed bag, but that's okay because you spend most of your time remixing each one with the game's five musical styles: rock, country, hip-hop, Latin, BOTTO LINE 6 > Concept: Pick your favorite musical genre, then do harmonic battle against a motley collection of freakish bands 2 BOTTOM LINE 5 tions on the Wii, Ninja Reflex wants to take cruel advantage of you. Offering little variety, shallow activities, and no fun whatsoever, Ninja Reflex does noth- ing to justify its $40 price tag. It offers six types of games (all with a generic, stereotypical Far East flavor, like throw- ing ninja stars and catching flies with chopsticks), only three of which feature simultaneous multiplayer. Even more ometimes Wii games make me feel like I've been given a bowl of Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup. Only instead of a spoon, I've been given chop- Sticks. After some combination of shoveling and slurping, I've definitely had a unique eating experience. However, it doesn't BOTTOM ine 6.25 > Concept: A casual ski title cre- ated to work with Nintendo's Wii Fit balance board > Graphics: Big heads, low- res textures - this must be a Wii game ? Sound: Lighthearted and catchy - also, we're sure we and marching band. You might even find that you enjoy > Graphics: Not the የ525 - | flaws surface when you leave the menu distract from the fact that heard a Katamari song playing some of these songs more after they've gone through mean the Wii's - finest moment. screen and begin playing — or trying to I've just had the same bland over the mountain loudspeakers! this Frankenstein mash-up. For a guy like me who enjoys We expect more from music play — the broken minigames. For all of old broth. > Playability: Both control modes work just fine, although it's more entertaining with the balance board games at this point the disgust Ninja Reflex slowly draws up from the pit of your stomach, it should have been branded Gag Reflex a diverse number of musical styles, giving a country. twang to Soundgarden's "Spoonman" or throwing a hip- > Sound: The song covers are all hop beat over Kom's "Coming Undone" is the game's done well, and are by far the best We Ski allows you to steer by using both sticks as ski poles or using the balance board to navi- shining achievement. patate qae instead — JOE gate as you would in real life. > Entertainment: While its Tragically, my praise for Battle of the Bands stops ንመ pun For a while at least, it's a neat good fun in the short term, the there. Gameplay is simple. Gems scroll up from the hadio pens fon PR Wii gimmick. | definitely prefer the em is e oye you get past bottom of the screen and you'll match the song's beat until you've spent some time balance board controls, as they SS Aud to motions of the Wii remote. Music games tend to with them Emergency made the pedestrian races both ? Replay Value: Moderate require a higher level of precision than most other games, but the motion-based gameplay feels devoid > Entertainment: lf you don't more challenging and exciting like the idea of mixing up the (it's worth noting that the bal- Mayhem Second Opinion 7.25 of skill. For the most part, you're waving the remote in ee አይር ግራን > STYLE 1 TO 4-PLAYER ACTION/RACING ance board cannot be used in one of three different directions: left, right, or down. And eet der ሃያ > PUBLISHER Pet 4 multiplayer). that's it. You don't build up a combo score for accuracy > Replay Value: Moderately Sr ርን Pues The race modes are unsur- or gain any power-ups that dramatically affect your fes j prising: straight-up vanilla score. If fact, you probably won't care what your score is as long as you beat your opponent, so there isn't much incentive for replaying songs. Since Battle of the Bands is structured like a fight- ing game, you re always battling someone. If you're not playing with a friend, the game's Al can be very inconsistent. The combat system is too limited to make you feel like you're actually fighting anything, and the block mechanic is poorly implemented. Some of the more powerful weapons don't even seem to affect the Al's performance. | haven't laughed this much while playing a game since | was making fun of Donkey Kong Barrel Blast, but Battle of the Bands' one great idea would have bene- fited from some more robust gameplay. As it stands, it's little more than an amusing party game that you'll pop. in only when you and your friends are between sets of Rock Band.— BEN racing, slalom, and moguls. There are some tricks, but the response time is slow and they don't really add to the experi- ence. You'll be better off in the Freestyle mode, which at least lets you explore the mountain RPG-style, taking missions from random skiers and finding a few Easter eggs along the way. It's cute, but after awhile the "fetch quest" missions start to grate. All in all, We Ski tries, and is largely successful, at creating a casual skiing game with a novel omy On nearly every city block, you'll see a 5 H 5 dumpster on fire, a criminal on the loose, or someone collapsed in cardiac arrest. As a firefighter, police officer, or paramedic, you must race against the clock to clean up the mayhem. This may sound like a fairly intense proposition, but with light traffic, streets that mostly challenge you to drive straight, and generous time bonus rewards, it ends up being a yawn- inducing Sunday drive. In addition to the control mechanic. Which is great, but the actual content wouldn't have held my attention for even an hour if it were just some old PS2 game (which, graphically, it sadly resembles). So, can a game be both a failure and a suc- cess at the same time? I believe philosophers call this the “Wi paradox" —MATT If being ina marching band was really this hilarious we blasé driving sequences, you'll be asked ሯ might have to complete minigames, such as shak- : v E actually joined ing the remote to pump up a tire. While y^ d ጫመመ one in high they add much needed variety, their 777::: #6፡” ሺ school instead poor designs mostly make you want to of beaning eggs off their heads that Is die. The single-player experience can be from behind the ark ( eat music completed in a few hours, and the pain- $ bleachers. (Don't (le 0 | make a ful minigames give you good reason to | worry, they hell of a mode in Rock Band, skip the multiplayer. —REINER deserved it. They though —MATT were dorks) GAME INFORMER 99 ፳ The gauge on t-hand areal-time measurement of your center of balance. That sound you hear is either your pants or your groin tearing apart Wii Fit > RELEASE MAY 19 > ESRB E > STYLE | OR 2-PLAYER SIMULATION > PUBLISHER NINTENDO > DEVELOPER NINTENDO || Fitcasn 1. e ዘሁ ተ [222227] SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST moment comes in everyone's exercise routine when it's literally and figuratively gut check time. Are you in it to win it or are you really just jogging around the lakes to give your eyes a workout at all the knockout babes or beefcakes? If you're more likely to stick to the donut diet than Buns of Steel, you might want to the game is neither a gimmick nor a lifesaver. However, it's a big enough collec- tion of honestly useful and sometimes fun games that should point you down the right path to fitness. The cool thing about Wii Fit is that it definitely does a good job of getting you to sweat and work your video game body. Sure, you can cheat the but I'm going to assume you're not that lazy. The board's finely tuned balance sensors also make it a great controller for the balanced-based games like the ski jump or table tilt (where you shift platforms 100 GAMEINFORMER save yourself the $90 that Wii Fit costs. With that said, system into thinking you did a pushup on the board, 13/01 "e b 19/01 with your feet to pocket balls). It's also the basis of the yoga and strength modes. The simple act ” “ምና of keeping your balance p 2227 within a set gyro perim- eter reinforces the physical nature of the exercises. With the aid of voice instructions from a trainer (before and during the exercises) and some low-key visual and audio cues, Wii Fit can even teach its more demanding moves to fitness novices. The more lighthearted games like heading soccer balls also quis መ use the board well, although they € es Ta uve t ue included more for eed DN onest exercise. Even Wii Fits jog- | ከው መ NT Ll መም ging — which doesn't use the NOS የሚ እ annt board - keeps track of your N * ኑ "o mM stationary running if you N M አብ osi im Í stick the Wii remote in your ቁዚፍጋ5ቶ pocket. It's easy to set up the game and start training, with a daily track- ing of your BMI (see sidebar) acting as the focus of your endeavors. Whether you're doing the yoga, strength, aerobic, or balance exercises (which is the category where games like Tightrope Walk come in), the game keeps track of how much time you've spent. The more you exercise, the more modes you'll unlock. In this sense, however, | feel the game is too free form. Apart from suggesting a couple simple exercise combinations, Wii Fit falls short of either putting together a complete regimen for you to follow based around your goals or letting you design your own. This may not sound important, but it is. Proper sequencing is important for any exercise ® This is the lobby. You can tell the game to hide your BMI if you're bashful program, whether it's muscle building, yoga, or improving your heart rate. As such, Wii Fit falls short of being the all-in-one exercise program it could be. Be that as it may, per- haps the more important question is: Will you make the most of what it has to offer) —KATO What is BMI? BMI stands for body mass index, a measure of your body fat based on your height and weight. Normal is considered a range between 18.5 and 24.9. Anything below is underweight and any- thing above is overweight. Every time you play Wii Fit, the game measures your BMI (and also accounts for how heavy/light your clothes are) and charts your progress against your goal - whether you want to maintain or lose weight and in what time period, If all you want to know is > Concept: A collection of exercises and minigames that is Not just Sweatin’ to the Oldies, but it's also not Joe Weider's Ab Destroyer, either > Graphics: The trainer anima- tions are good enough to let you know what you're supposed to be doing > Sound: Listen to the trainer during moves, as he or she provides some useful info for each exercise > Playability: The board's bal- ance sensor is spot on, and picks up on a range of motions > Entertainment: Those look- ing for serious exercise and/or fun will find it here > Replay Value: Moderately High Ever since Wii Fit was announced at £3 last year 1, and many other gamers, have been skeptical of its ability to deliver a serious workout. After digging in to the daily exercises, | can safely say that it does the job. l'm still sore from activities like the pushup contest with the trainer, the mile-plus jog (complete with cliff jump- ing), and the i contortions. Even though it's. a small thing, I'm glad that. you can input outside exer- dises in place of Wii Fit activi- ties, even though they don't. count toward unlocks; that's one thing I've always wanted in previous fitness games like Yourself Fitness. Wii Fit also works well in the party game space, allowing you to trade off Marble Madness chal- lenges, snowboarding, and boxing games, Unfortunately, some activities are just lame (tricep extensions and danc- ing, to name a few), there's too much futzing around between activities (let us create a workout playlist!), and there's not much incen- tive left after everything's unlocked, But if you're curi- ous about blending exercise with your favorite pastime, Wii Fit is definitely worth checking out —BRYAN your BMI each day, you can leave it at that, but before you start your training you can also cal- culate your Wii Fit age. This takes into account your BMI as well as your overall balance (via a couple of tests) to produce your age. Like in Brain Age, the lower the better. NINTENDO DS Drone Tactics > STYLE 1-PLAYER STRATEGY (2-PLAYER ONLINE) > PUBLISHER ATLUS > DEVELOPER ATLUS > RELEASE MAY 13 > ESRB E10+ D-Scythe O ry, Turn a wy 12 eee Rock Defend BOB GRND Legs > ፲-«፡5531-,፡52 MOV. 4 ኹ:.,6/2ህ4፡21 230/330 i" “2 | Low HOV EXP 8/ "se SPD 62 Strong DEF WLE1394CC140 ቁ GUN OACC122 CAN OACCI11 — RNGO«O Mantis LA B Terrain is an important part of your strategy KILL ROBO-BUGS DEAD n Drone Tactics, bug-loving kids are magically trans- ported to a bug world and need to fight an evil bug menace with — you guessed it — bugs. While the game's premise may not seem too sophisticated, fans of turn-based strategic combat will find several satisfying elements in Drone Tactics' interesting (but not revolutionary) take on the genre. Let's get the worst over with: The story in Drone Tactics is absolutely terrible. l've seen more compel- ling tales unfold in cereal commercials. Thankfully, the game knows better than to waste your time with plot; the interludes between battles are mercifully brief, giving you only the barest amount of text necessary to set up the next fight. Then things pick up again. The basic conventions are all present in battle. You'll gradually build an army of units, and each one will have certain strengths you try to match up against enemy weaknesses. A couple of cool touches spice up the routine a little, such as the game's emphasis on ter- E You can actually see the weapons you equip, as well as customize your units*colors > Concept: Armored bugs in grid-based warfare > Graphics: The sprites and character art are nothing special, but it's cool to customize how your units look in 3D. > Sound: The music serves its purpose, and definitely doesn't overachieve > Playability: Does a good job gradually introducing new mechanics, so the learning curve isn't overly harsh. No permadeath for defeated units is. also a plus > Entertainment: Decent tact- cal fun, though it never develops the intricacies needed to be exceptional > Replay Value: Moderate NINTENDO DS Major League Baseball 2K8: Fantasy All-Stars > STYLE 1-PLAYER SPORTS (2-PLAYER ONLINE) > PUBLISHER 2K SPORTS > DEVELOPER DEEP FRIED ENTERTAINMENT > RELEASE APRIL 14 > ESRB E BOTTOM LINE rain. Different land tiles influence your movement deci- sions, because they have a significant impact on your ability to attack and defend. You can also use cards to augment your actions, which is an idea | like in theory, but the lame touch-screen minigames that accompany every card really throw a wrench in the gears. Drone Tactics has a few perks off the battlefield, too. The customization options are especially neat, letting you create your own emblem for your army and change the color scheme of specific units. Unfortunately, some minor control over the visu- als isn't enough to overcome the worn path this game walks in terms of gameplay and design. Drone Tactics is functional and occasionally fun, but it never gets exciting —JOE there's actually a decent game hiding under the sub- Saturday morning cartoon presentation. The RPG ele- ments in this grid-based bat- tler are thin but well thought out, and the combat itself. features several reason- ably balanced rock-paper- ; irre make for interesting tacti- cal decisions. This isn't the second coming of Disgaea, but if you can suffer through ‘one of the most trite and boring stories in recent memory, there is some fun to be had —ADAM 80110ዘ/፡፥ Outside of the “chicken ball," a grounder that 5.5 literally bounces away from fielders, Fantasy All-Stars delivers a baseball experience akin to getting hit by a line drive just as you are about to take a bite out of a hotdog. It's a painful mess of a game that offers little in terms of depth or skill- ful gameplay. The touch-screen interface works surprisingly well, but most success and failure rests on your ability to use trick pitches and hits at the right times. | became so familiar with the Al's ten- dendes that | was able to dictate the score of the game through these trick abilities. Outside of toumaments and multiplayer, the game doesn't have a mode that you can sink your deats 一 or time — into —REINER NINTENDO DS Jake Hunter: Detective Chronicles > STYLE 1-PLAYER ADVENTURE > PUBLISHER AKSYS GAMES > DEVELOPER ARC SYSTEM WORKS > RELEASE JUNE 10 > ESRB T Some novels aren't worth reading, and . 5 some interactive novel- Style games aren't worth playing. Jake Hunter: Detective Chronicles tries to capture the essence of hard-boiled sleuthing, but it falters mainly because it takes itself way too seriously. The characters are dry, the three cases are totally linear (you can't even leave an area until you hit the right trigger), and you'll find none of the humor from titles like Phoenix Wright. This is a brief and functional title, but it lacks the flair and intrigue to pull off the film noir aesthetic. It's also hard to get over the fact that Jake Hunter looks like he should be ordering Jágerbombs and hitting on your sister instead of solving cases —JOE BOTTOM LINE NINTENDO DS Summon Night: Twin Age > STYLE 1-PLAYER ACTION/RPG > PUBLISHER ATLUS > DEVELOPER FLIGHT PLAN > RELEASE MAY 20 > ESRB E10+ YOU'VE SUMMONED BETTER f you were a fan of the action/RPGs of the 16-bit era, Summon Night: Twin Age will be pretty tempt- ing. In fact, it seems designed to evoke fond memories of games like Secret of Mana and Legend of Zelda. Those are tough names to measure up to — and Twin Age doesn't — but it makes a respect- able effort. If you're all about top-down 2D combat, you'll have a good time with Twin Age. It features one of the more workable touch- screen-only control schemes out there, skillfully avoiding the need to manically tap the screen with your stylus. Touch an enemy and you start auto-attacking, though you can perform special moves with stylus commands. It can sometimes be difficult to use items or attacks on specific targets (especially when every- one dumps together), but most battles aren't hard enough to require total precision. The problem is that Twin Age is simple, straight-up monster hunting. Each stage exists only to house XP-filled creatures, which you defeat in order to advance and gain more XP. I've got noth- ing against monster-killing itself, but it would be nice to have something to back it up. There is no puzzle solving, no thrill in exploration, and a formulaic story. Even the skill tree and monster creation systems fail to add any engaging depth. There are worse things out there than grinding levels, and Twin Age controls better than most DS games in the genre. However, unlike the classic action/RPGs it emulates, Twin Age sacrifices almost everything in favor of combat, but it just isn't enough.—JOE BOTTOM LINE > Concept: Use nostalgia and touch-screen controls to create a top-down action/RPG > Graphics: Some nice anima- tion, but the action can get lost in the crowded shuffle of sprites > Sound: There isn’t enough bad voice acting to detract from the experience, and some of the soundtrack is kind of cool > Playability: The handy crossbar customization makes it easy to perform special moves, but it can really slow things down if you want to do them in succession > Entertainment: Fighting is fun to begin with, but wears thin after a few hours > Replay Value: Moderate GAME INFORMER 101 TOP 20 nbination of popular ct at the rest o improve their sa 2 RAINBOW SIX VEGAS 2 (360) can think ol but nothi quite like Elv side a curly-haired, blue King whc 3 ARMY OF TWO (360) " Army of Twc pany of other tu but the gam 4 Wii PLAY (Wii) 5.7 er ገ empi make thi 102 GAME INFORMER Listings Based Upon NPD Data For March 2008 Based On Units Sold Rank Title System ፻፪ Monster Hunter Portable 2nd 6 PSP Rank Title L Mo. | System} Score Release | 5: Warriors Orochi: The Evil King Returns PS2 HEX Star Ocean 2: Second Evolution PSP Super Smash Bros. Brawl N/A | Wii | 95 102-00 ፪፻፪ Pro Baseball Spirits 5 PS2 ፻ Pro Baseball Spirits 5 PS3 ; " ፪ | Pokémon Ranger: Batonaaji 05 Rainbow Six Vegas 2 Na | 360 | 95 ኮ" ጀፎ = = ; s ፪፪ Tottado! Yowiko's Deserted Island Life DS Army of Two NA | 360 | 75 |03-08} — ፻፲፪ Super Smash Bros. Brawl Wii (ED) neca Sports Wi Wii Play 3 | wii | 7 |02-07 God of War: N/A | PSP | 9 [03-08 Chains of Olympus Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII | N/A | PsP | 725 |03-08 + Rank Title L. Mo. titer ere iii; E ao PSO KE Grand Theft Auto IV NA multi Legends of Rock ፳፪ Braid NAA 380 MLB 2K8 NA | 360 | 55 losos) ^ Mario rart wu NA ዘዘ [4| Super Smash Bros. Brawl 1 Wi is 5 | Rainbow Six Vegas 2 2 muli Call of Duty 4: 1 | 360 | 10 [11-07] EA wiri MA Wii Modern Warfare ፻፪ Mis 08: The Show 3 mili ፻፪ okami 4 Wi Army of Two NA | PS3 | 75. |[ሙመ n Sins of a Solar Empire b PC ፪፪ 06/1 May Cry 4 8 muli MLB 2K8 N/A | PS3 | 85 [03-08 Mario and Sonic at the song sat ከ. Olympic Games Mario Party DS 17 || 7 ዞ”" ap ር. k 9 | PS2 | 8.75 |10-07| Rank Title 1.80. Price egends of hoc ፳፪ The Sims 2 FreeTime 4 $28 Warhammer 40,000: MLB 2K8 NAA | PS2 | 85 |03-08 ፪፻ Dawn 0f War Soulstorm NA 59 Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath NA, $28 Rainbow Six Vegas 2 NA | ps3 | 95 |o3-08| ME World Of Warcraft 1 20 World Of Warcraft: Battle Chest 5- $39 ፻፲፪ Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare 3 98 Carnival Games 8 | Wii | 55 [68፡7 15,000 Games 7 90 Sins 01 A Solar Empire 2 $9 " ፪፪ World Of Warcraft: Burning Crusade 8 — $32 New Super Mario Bros. M4 | os | 925 ኮጻ| ሼጨርክጨኤ s E Game Party 19 | Wii | N/A |11-07 Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 3 N/A | PS2 | N/A |03-08 Based On Monthly Urits Sold PLAYSTATION 3 Army of Two 75 Apr-08 Assassin's Creed 95 ሀ6ር07 Jan-08 BlackSite: Area 51 5 L 7 Burnout Paradise Feb-0: Clive Barker's Jericho 6 Dec07 Club, The 85 Mar-08 College Hoops 2K8 775 Feb-08 Condemned 2: Bloodshot 875 Apr-08 Conflict: Denied Op: 75 Apr-0B Dark Sector 75 May-08 Devil May Cry 4 9 Mar-08 Dynasty Irriors 6 725 Mar-08 Eye of Judgement 8 Dec07 FIFA Street 3 7 Mar-08 Folklore 125 Dec-07 Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds 8 May-08 Kane & Lynch: Dead Men 7 Jan-08 EGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga 75 ሀፎር07 Lost Planet: Extreme Condition ዩ Lost: Via Domus 675 Apr08 MLB 08: The Show 85 May MLB 288 Apr-08 MX vs. ATV Untamed 8 — Jan-08 NCAA March Madness 08 725 ፻ርኩ08 Dark Sector - PS3 - Mar-08 Need for Speed ProStreet 75 ሀፀርር NFL Tour Feb-08 Orange Box The Feb-08 Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 775 May-08 Rainbow Six Vegas 2 925 ለፀር08 Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction 325 Dec-07 Rock Band 925 Jan08 Sega Rally Revo 65 Deco; Sega Superstars Tenni May-0' Simpsons Game, The 725 Dec07 Time Crisis 4 Jan-08 Tony Hawk's Proving Ground Dec-07 Turning Point: Fall of Liberty 5 — Apr08 Turok Mar-0i Uncharted: Drake's Fortur Jec-0; Unreal Toumement 5 Feb-0t Viking le for Asgard 125 May- WWE SmackDown!vs.Raw2008 ^ 8 ከፀር07 Army of Two 75 Apr0B Assassin's Creed 9.55 ሀፀር07 Beautiful Katamari 125 Bee Movie Game 65 Beowulf 75 Jan-O8 BlackSite; Area 51 75 Dec07 Bully: Scholarship Edition 85 Apr08 Burnout Paradise 85 Feb-08 Clive Barker's Jericho 6 Club, The College Hoops 288 Dec-07 Mar-08 Feb-08 Lost Odyssey- Xbox 360 - Apr-08 Condemned 2: Bloodshot 875 Apr-08 Conflict: Denied Ops 5.75 Apr-0B Culdcept Saga 7 Feb-08 Dark Messiah of Might & Magic: Element 3 Dark Sector 7 Devil May Cry 4 9 MaroB Dynasty Warriors 6 25 Mar-08 FEAR. Files 65 Jan-08 FIFA Street ያ Mar-08 Frontlines: Fuel of War 725 AprOB Golden Compass, The 325 Feb-08 Jumper: Griffin's Story 135 Apr-08 Kane & Lynch: Dead Mer 7 Jan08 Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol Encore 75 Apr08 Kingdom Under Fire Circle of Doom 525 Feb-08 LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga 75 — Dec-07 Lost Odyssey 85 Lost: Via Domus 675 Apr-08 MLB 2K8 85 Apr-08 MX vs. ATV Untamed an-0i Naruto: Rise of the Ninja Dec-07 NCAA March Madness 0 650 Need for Speed ProStreet 75 Deco NFL Tour Feb-08 Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 May-08 Rainbow Six Vegas 2 Apr-08 Rock Band Jan-08 cene It? Lights, Camera, Action 85 Jan-08 Sega Rally Re Dec-07 Sega Superstars T 08 Simpsons Game 07 Soldier of Fortune: Payback eb-08 Spiderwick Chronicles, The ‹ Apr-08 Thrillville: Off the Rails 7 Dec-07 Timeshift Dec-07 Tomb Raider Anniversary Dec-07 Tony Hawk's Proving Ground 775 Dec-07 Turning Point: Fall of Liberty 3 Apro Turok 7 Mar-08 Viking: Battle for Asgard 725 Mayo! Virtua Fighter 5 9 Dec-07 Viva Piñata: Party Animals 55 Jan-08 WWE SmackDown! vs, Raw 2008 8 Dec-07 ES Battalion Wars 2 725 Bomberman Land 6 Bully: Scholarship Edition 8.5 Castle of Shikigami Ill € Cranium Kabookii 675 Dancing With the 525 Destroy All Human: Big Willy Unleased Donkey Kong Barrel Blast Dragon Quest Swords; The Maskec Queen and the Tower of Mirror 75 Maro EA Playground Dec0 Endless Ocean € Jan-OE Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn 7 Dec-07 Geometry Wars Galaxies 9 Dec-07 Ghost Squad 7 Jan-08 Godzilla: Unleashed 4 ሀርር07 Golden Compass, The 525 Feb-08 Harvey Birdman: Attorney At Law 6 Feb-08 House of the Dead 2 & 3 Returr 75 ለፀ08 enga Jan-08 Jumper: Griffin's Story 125 Apr-0B Karaoke Revolution Presents American Idol Encore 75 Apr-08 LEGO Star Wars: The Complete 75 Dec07 Link's Crossbow Training 6.75 Feb-Ot Major League Baseball 2K£ € Manhunt 2 Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Game 4 ሀፀር07 Medal of Honor Heroes 2 6.75 Jan-08 Need for Speed ProStreet 7 Dec07 Nights: Journey of Dream: 65 Feb-08 Nitrob Mar-0 N € 6 Mar-O! Obscure: The Aftermath 3 May-OE Okami 925 May-08 Opoona 55 AprOB Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection 8.5 ”Apr08 Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 8 May Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 775 Jano Resident Evil The Umbrella Chronicles Jan-08 Samurai Warriors; Katana € Mar-08 Sega Bass Fishing E Apr-08 Sega Superstars Tennis 75 May-0B Simpsons Game, The 725 Dec07 Smarty Pants 75. Jan-08 Sonic rs: Zero Gravity 6 Mar-08 Soulcalibur Legend 4 Janot Star Trek Conquest 5 Feb-08 Super Mario Galaxy 975 8ቡ08 Super Smash Bros. 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After all, a strong multiplayer is what keeps people coming back to the game after they've finished the campaign. Here are some tactics | recommend using. Demolition is part of the Attack & Defend family of game modes, which means you can find it in certain maps that have been adapted for this particular mode. In this game mode, you take on the role of either the Assaulting team or the Defenders. As the Assaulting team, your goal is to plant the bomb at one of two target sites. As a Defender, the goal is to find and defuse the bomb before it blows up. ASSAULT As a member of the Assault Team, you'll find that the bomb is actually a short distance away from your spawn point. Anyone on your team can pick up the bomb by just walking over it. Your HUD will be updated with information on who picked up the bomb and where the bomb carrier is at all times. It's imperative to support your team's bomb carrier. If he's headed towards one of the bombsites, be sure to cover him and possibly move ahead of him in order to dear the area. Don't worry too much if the bomb carrier gets killed, as you can still pick up the bomb and continue the mission. The bomb can only be defused after it’s been armed, so even if the defenders wipe out your bomb carrier, the game isn't over. | recommend using two distinct tactics for this game mode. First, there’s the decoy tactic, where you want to send the mass of your team to one of the bombsites as a decoy while the actual bomb carrier carefully sneaks to the other site. For this tactic to be successful, it's important that your team shows presence but stays alive long enough for the enemy team to communicate and ask for help defending the bombsite. Most of AE INFORMER the time, the enemy will abandon their defenses of the other bombsites in order to focus on the more immediate threat, leaving you with a clear place to plant the bomb. The next tactic is the complete opposite of the decoy tactic because it requires all of your team to attack a single site in order to overwhelm the defenders. The idea behind this is that the defenders have scattered their forces, meaning protecting each of the two sites splits their team and therefore you'll have double the amount of operatives than they do. This blunt force tactic requires you to be quick and efficient as a team. You can't let the enemy regroup and fortify their defenses. Both tactics work well and are best used in alternating ways. Be unpredictable, but make sure your team knows what you're going to do. Whichever tactic you decide to go with, make sure you've chosen the right equipment for the job. Don't be afraid to experiment with gadgets like the GPS device and the motion sensor, which can reveal enemy positions. DEFENDERS As the Defending team, you've got the advantage of reaching the bombsite first and setting up your defenses. Use everything you can to fortify your defenses, including baiting the enemy into a trap filled with C4. Keep doors closed if you can, and be prepared to shoot through wooden doors as soon as they swing open. Also, remember not to fall for the decoy's bait by completely abandoning a bombsite. GENERAL TIPS * Either team can win by eliminating the enemy team. This means if you kill the opposing team to the point where they have no more respawns, you'll win the game. Play it smart and make sure every one of your lives count towards securing a victory for your team. Both teams will have visibility on where the bomb has been planted. Once it's planted, you've got 60 seconds to either defuse the bomb or protect it until it blows up. Expect defenders to come pouring into the bombsite in an attempt to reach the bomb. Avoid standing too close to the bomb once it's been activated, since the defenders will often throw grenades to clear themselves a path. As an attacker in this situation, move away from the bomb and snipe the defenders as they begin to defuse it. One piece of advice: don't miss your shot. As a defender, use lots of smoke to camouflage your approach and throw explosives into the bomb room. Mod World MYTHOS www.mythos.com It's been a more than a few months (and a couple of release date delays) since we last talked about Mythos, but the game is worth another look. Shamelessly cribbing the Diablo formula, this title boasts a unique online structure that both single-player types and MMO gamers should feel right at home with. Our time with the beta was a blast, and there are still months to go before the game is finished. The already-smooth gameplay is nearly 100 percent Diablo, with players slaughtering monsters by the dozen in the pursuit of randomly generated loot. Gameplay is always online, though soloing is still a viable option. Epic maps provide a challenge tuned to larger groups of players, with commensurately better rewards. While the game is free to download and play, goods will be for sale a la MapleStory. The idea is to make the game fun without requiring any payment, but to offer neat toys to those willing to pay. Developer Flagship Studios will be selling a separate currency called Ingots, which can be used to purchase things like temporary XP multipliers or luck boosts. Attention All Cheaters! Cheat codes, by their very nature, are in many cases buggier than Virginia in August. So, unless you don't mind re-doing those 70 hours you put into the latest game, do yourself a favor and back up your save before using any codes. On a lighter note, you can send your codes to secretaccess@gameinformer.com for a chance to be featured here and win a prize! MULTI-SYSTEM > PLAYSTATION 3, XBOX 360 Here are the locations of all 14 intel briefcases in the game. Afghanistan 1 - Behind the initial M-11 missile there is a small path going uphill Near this path is the briefcase. Afghanistan 2 - After you kill the first heavy armor, search the nearby platforms. The briefcase is on top of a short set of stairs at the back Afghanistan 3 - In the area right next to Brian Hicks’ cell. Iraq 4 - This briefcase is at the base of the ladder that takes you up to shoot down Ali Youseff's helicopter. Iraq 5 - After calling in the air strike on the bunker, find a large tent near a dividing wall. The briefcase will be between the two. Iraq 6 - Just before you meet Ali Youseff, you'll see some metal platforms with armed guards. Climb up the steps to the second level then find the ladder that leads to a third platform. Aircraft Carrier 7 - When you first land on the ship's main deck, run to the right of the control tower and you'll see the case. Aircraft Carrier 8 - After entering the hangar to use a parked plane to blow. through a door, you'll find the case hidden behind some missiles. Aircraft Carrier 9 - After setting the ship to blow up, you'll see a makeshift basketball court. On the other side of the basket is a briefcase, China 10 - When you arrive at the dam, you'll see a control tower on the other side. Inside is a briefcase. China 11 - After you arrive at the village, take the path to the right. You'll find a briefcase on the second floor of the first house you can enter. China 12 - Behind the fa of the level Miami 13 - You'll find the briefcase in a small office near the control room just after you open the gates to the luggage area. Miami 14 - On the third floor of the SSC at the far end of the room away from the lift you need to operate. ory near the end menu and hold the up for a few seconds. | pop up and you can input the following codes with the Wii remote's d-pad. ልዘ Guns - Right, Left, Down, Left, Up ልዘ Stages - Up, Right, , Right, Up Crypto Dance Fever Skin - Right, Left, Right, Left, Up Code of the Month Rainbow Six Vegas 2 Infinite Ammunition - Right, Up, Up, Left, Right Infinite Jetpack Power - Right, Right, Up, Left, Left Invulnerability - Left, Down, Up, Ri Kluckin's Chicken Blimp Skin Down, Up, Down Leisure Suit Skin Left, Right Pick Up Heavy Objects - Down, Up, Left, p, Right Pimp My Blimp Skin - Down, Up, Right, Down, Right Stealth Space Ninja - Up, Right, Down, Left Unlimited Big Willy Battery - Left Left, Up, Right, Down Down, Right, “GI Droid” While playing, open the pause menu, hold R1, and enter the following codes. Enable Big Head Mode - 13, A, X, LLO, R3 Enable One Hit Kills - L5, R3, L5, R5, , L3, R5, L3, R3, GI John Doe Mode - L3, L3, X, R3, R3, , L3, L3, LJ, R3, R3, Super Ragdoll Mode - Third-Person View - L3, A, X, A, X, R3, R$ At the title screen or while customizing your character, hold R1 to enter these codes. Unlock M468 Assault Rifle - Up, Down, >, Left, L, Right, ©, Left, Left, Right, Unlock MTAR-21 Assault Rifle - Down, Down, Up, Up, L2, L,O, A, Up, Up, XBOX 360 While playing, open the pause menu, hold RB, and enter the following codes. GI John Doe Mode - L3, L3, A, R3, R3, B, L3, L3, X, R3, R3, Y Super Ragdoll Mode - A, A, B, B, X, X, Y, Y, A,B, X, Y Third-Person View - X, B, X, B, L3, L3, Y, A, Y, A, R3, R3 At the title screen or while customizing your character hold RB to enter these codes. Unlock M468 Assault Rifle - Up, Y, Down, A, Left, X, Right, B, Left, Left, Right, X Unlock MTAR-21 Assault Rifle -, Hold RB, Down, Down, Up, Up, X, B, X, B, Y, Up, Up, Y * yMotnkain Dew 24 f ZIP FLES ARCHIVE. BACKEND PRORAMMING FONT ISSUES DYST BUNNIE "ai oben oln. Magaya 66 chimp on Lyn MENA “ጫጉ ክመ Po WE SPEAK G33K Geeks transform into Alpha-Geeks by becoming fluent in GAME PROGRAMMING www.uat.edu > 877.UAT.GEEK 877.828.4335 BETA .ዑ. መ SCANNER. A METAL ከ Where The Past Comes Alive c 一 一 = EAR OVERVIEW “| hear it's amazing when the famous purple stuffed worm in flap-jaw space with the tuning fork does a raw blink on Hara-kiri Rock" To some gamers, those words (spoken by a malfunctioning Al posing as a col- onel in Metal Gear Solid 2) make more sense than the plot of the Metal Gear series. The franchise is known for its excellent story and twists, but the events and relationships involved are convoluted, to say the least. If you haven't played through the series recently, this rundown will help you get reacquainted. The entries are _ by no means comprehensive, but they should refresh your memory about characters and themes that are likely to play an important role in Metal Gear Solid 4. BIG BOSS (A.K.A. NAKED SNAKE) This guy is the anchor for the whole Metal Gear series. He's known as the greatest soldier of the 20th century, and the other three Snakes are genetic copies of him engineered to be perfect warriors. Displaying his outstanding charisma and ability to lead, Big Boss rebelled against the US. after years of loyal service to create his own ። military nation. The reasons for his disillusion- ment and revolt are rooted in the government's decision to kill his mentor, The Boss. Even after his death at the hands of his clone, Solid Snake, Big Boss and his legacy continue to cast a shadow on all events in the series. Mu SOLID SNAKE A former member of the Foxhound unit, and the : * was raised in the U.K, joining the : British SAS at a young age. After primary protagonist of the Metal Gear series. As a rookie soldier, he infiltrated Outer Heaven and uncovered the treachery of his father/command- ፡ ፡ Liquid became the field commander ፡ : of Foxhound, though Solid Snake : and Roy Campbell had left the : unit by that time. Liquid organized + the revolt on Shadow Moses and ፡ sought to kill Solid Snake, hoping to : gain the honor of being Big Boss’ i true successor. ing officer, Big Boss. Years later, he thwarted Big Boss again, killing him in Zanzibar during the events of Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake. After the Shadow Moses incident, Snake and Otacon worked together to rid the world of the threat posed by Metal Gears. Snake is a reluctant hero; he often wishes to be left in peace and solitude, but only seems to feel alive on the battlefield. : LIQUID SNAKE Unlike his brothers, Liquid Snake fighting wars in the Middle East, SOLIDUS SNAKE (A.K.A. GEORGE SEARS) A former U.S. president who was put into (and removed from) office due to the interference of the Patriots. He orchestrated the events of Metal Gear Solid 2, and was killed by Raiden on top of Federal Hall in Manhattan. As a prod- uct of Les Enfants Terrible, he was pre- sumably born at the same time as Solid Snake and Liquid Snake. It is unknown why he appears more advanced in age, but it could merely be a side effect of the cloning process. FoxDie - A virus intended to ultimate soldier. It resulted Outer Heaven's place as a stage. It began as an interna- — Shadow Moses - The Boss attempted to gain global Big Shell - The offshore Big Boss. Solid Snake and Roy decontamination facility that infect and kill only those with Campbell were also members — in three known “terrible superior military nation on tional secret society called The — Alaskan island on which Metal — military dominance. It is the serves as the setting for Metal 2 specific genetic code. Liquid during their military careers, children”: Solid Snake, Liquid the world stage. The fortress Philosophers, but it is currently Gear Solid occurs. The events primary location in Metal Gear Gear Solid 2. Snake was killed by FoxDie, Foxhound dissolved after the Snake, and Solidus Snake. was destroyed in the original a North American group with of that game are referred to as 2፡ Solid Snake. unknown membership. “the Shadow Moses incident." ferred to as the 2 Sometimes ፳፻29 92 አስጠ - ጠህ Ou Heaven, Zanzibar was a fortress nation from which Big Metal Gear. The Patriots - The mysteri- ous organization that controls all major events on the global events of Metal Gear Solid. Les Enfants Terribles - A 1972 experiment using Big Boss’ DNA to create the and Solid Snake is currently infected, Foxhound - The special military unit established by Outer Heaven - A fortified base established by Big Boss. The legendary warrior planned to use Metal Gear to establish Dead Cell - A small, elite counter-terrorist force estab- lished by Solidus Snake. KEY TERMS 106 GAME INFORMER ኣ classic gi feature € 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 6 6 9 e 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 e « . . 9 9 9 9 9 9 9ዊ ዊ 9ዊ 9 9 9 9ዊ 9 9 9ዊ 9 9 9 9 9ቁ 9 9 9 9 . e ዝ . . ብር . . ROY CAMPBELL . . su ortErew Commanded the Foxhound unit dur- " * ing the Zanzibar uprising of Metal é s Gear 2, and served as Solid Snake's ሬ support during Metal Gear Solid. e The former colonel was a combat . e buddy of Big Boss, and was one of . . the founding members of Foxhound. . . He 5 also one of the only men Solid e " Snake considers a friend % . . . . * NAOMI HUNTER HAL EMMERICH . * A geneticist, and the adoptive sister of (A.K.A. OTACON) . * Gray Fox. Though she acted as Solid The chief engineer behind Metal . e Snake's support during the Shadow Gear REX, Otacon seeks to atone " e Moses incident, she injected him with for his sins (and those of his family) " the fatal FoxDie virus right before the by keeping the world safe from the mission. She sought revenge for Gray nuclear threat posed by the Metal 3 * Fox's apparent death by Snake's hand in Gear line. He provides technical assis- * * Zanzibar, but realized too late that Snake tance and advice to Solid Snake asa # 0. wasnt to blame. Her activities after the Sidekick. Otacon's stepsister, Emma, . e events of Metal Gear Solid are unkn@wn. was killed by Vamp during the events 。 5 "we of Metal Gear Solid 2. . . . . . . 2 e 9 e 9 e 9 9 ቆፌ' . THE 8055 The Boss had a compli- cated relationship with ' question; he always appears /። Naked Snake, the man ! c. : tobe working for one group who would eventually while secretly advancing become Big Boss. She the agenda of another. He M — : was a hero of World betrayed both Liquid Snake : War Il, and served as and Solidus Snake in order to 站 a mother figure to the pass Metal Gear information inexperienced Snake. on to the Patriots. Revolver : She was ordered to Ocelot's mother is The Boss à» pretend to defect and his father is The Sorrow, a " to the Soviet Union deceased spirit medium and : following a nuclear former member of The Boss’ : attack, narrowly pre- famous Cobra Unit. The only surviving member of Solidus Snake's Dead Cell | venting a full-scale unit, Vamp is seemingly immortal. He has endured multi- : war. Her defeat by ple stab wounds, as well as a gunshot to the forehead. He ፡ Snake was also part is incredibly agile and acrobatic, and favors knives in battle. of her mission, and JMNM Wr |. . ........................................................ He will occasionally drink the blood of his fallen foes. : she died letting the world believe she } was a traitor. LIQUID SNAKE’S ARM This is one element of the Metal Gear franchise that really strains credulity. After Liquid Snake's death during the Shadow Moses incident, his right arm was amputated and surgically attached to Revolver Ocelot (who had his hand cut off by Gray Fox). This allowed Liquid Snake to live on, with the arm taking temporary control over Ocelot's body several times during the course of Metal Gear Solid 2. It appears that in the years following MGS 2, the two fuse into one entity, Liquid Ocelot. METAL GEAR A series of tank-like weapons. They often have nuclear launch capabilities, and are always key components in whatever Snake's adversaries are planning. Over the course of the series, Metal Gears (which began as secret military projects) have become publicly recognized weapons avail- able to the highest bidder. The canonical models include the Metal Gear TX-55, Metal Gear D, Metal Gear REX, Metal Gear RAY, Arsenal Gear, and Metal Gear RAXA. GAME INFORMER 107 ComradesinArms MERYL SILVERBURGH A young soldier who was taken prisoner dur- ; " \ ing the Foxhoundifevolt — : NY 2 on Shadow Moses and : / eventually rescued by : EVA À ላ Solid Snake. She is Roy — : A femme fatal&working for tfe Chinese gov Campbell's daughter, and : ernment at the tipe that Naked Snake was was romantically involved ፥ on his mission'tó take out the, Bass. After dis with Snake for a brief ፡ appearing fofiseveral years, shétand Big Boss period after Metal Gear : reunite during the course of Metal Gear Solid Solid t Portable Ops. She is the only péfson besides + Big Boss who knows that the Boss was not actually a traitor. v OLGA GURLUKOVICH During Raiden’s infiltration of the Big Shell, Olga assisted him in the guise of a cyborg ninja. She was compelled to keep Raiden alive by.the Patriots. The shadowy organization had kidnapped her daughter, Sunny, at birth and threatened to kill her if Raiden failed his mission. To save-her daughter, Olga sacrificed herself protecting Raiden. GRAY FOX RAIDEN (A.K.A. FRANK JAEGER) ፡ The often-maligned star of Metal Gear Solid As a child soldier, Frank Jaeger was rescued by Big Boss, and € 2, Raiden underwent most of his training in eventually became his most trusted lieutenant. After earning ። virtual reality, though he has real combat expe- the codename Gray Fox, he left Foxhound to participate in ; rience from his days as a child soldier. During Big Boss’ uprising in Zanzibar, where he and Solid Snake did — his mission on the Big Shell, Raiden fought battle. He survived the encounter, but was transformed into a — : alongside Solid Snake, and learned the impor- 7 mentally unstable cyborg due to years of experimental treat- ፡ tance of fighting for a cause instead of simply ments. Gray Fox sacrificed his life to give Snake an opportunity : following orders. His girlfriend, Rosemary, was to destroy Metal Gear REX SIDESTORIES THEART Metal Gear Solid 3 Not every Metal Gear expe- Snake Eater While the Metal rience falls within the con- (Groznyj Grad) r series has fines of the main storyline. 1970 Metal Gear Acid for PSP Metal Gear Solid the graphical is a spin-off series that Portable Ops cutting edge, takes place in an alternate (San Hieronymo) the artwork timeline, with combat that 1995 behind the revolves around card-based Metal Gear character mod- tactics. Before that, the (Cuter Heaven) els is equally Game Boy Color saw the 1999 impressive. The release of Metal Gear Solid Metal Gear 2: concept art on (also known as Metal Gear: ን these pages Ghost Babel). This portable ji is the work of 2005 Yoji Shinkawa, the series cha acter designer | 2009 | and the man Metal Gear Solid 2: responsible for f Lib Seis Shel) the games' strik- ing visual style title is completely differ- ent from the PlayStation game of the same name, featuring an original story and gameplay with an old-school feel. They may not be canon, but they still offer authentic Metal Gear Metal Ce ki 4: experiences, Gunsof the Patriots (TBA Middle East) Metal Gear Solid (Shadow Moses) 108 GAME INFORMER pregnant at the end of MGS 2 This Month.n Gaming History In June of 2003, one of gaming's leading ladies hit rock bottom in Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness. Largely taking place in major cities (not in tombs), this entry fea- tured wonky controls, monotonous puzzles, and a story that had "rush job" written all over it. Some good came of the whole debacle; Angel of Darkness’ cold reception inspired Eidos to get its act back together. The company pulled Lara out of the dog- house and put her back in the spotlight three years later with the exceptional Tomb Raider: Legend. 11th annual interactive ም hievement QWafds5 Since its inception 77 1996, the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences mission is to promote awareness of the art and science of interactive games and entertainment. The members of the Academy have chosen these titles as the best games of the year. The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences is proud to announce the winners of the 11th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards. (HE M JOERN ከፒ“... ረፈ. ዲ ACTIVSiON Overall Game of the Year Console Game of the Year Action Game of the Year Achievement in Online Game Play The Orange Box ጅል Asi) Half-Life ይ: Episode Two Team Fortress 2 ANDINTRODUCING Portal + momen Half-Life 2 » Episode One Computer Game of the Year Achievement in Game Design Achievement in Game Play Engineering Outstanding Character Performance Get your copies todayat GameStop Family Game of the Year Outstanding Achievement in Innovation Outstanding Achievement in Music: Soundtrack NINTENDOFYS. Handheld Game of the Year Power to the players “2585 Lal | POPULOUS: THE BEGINNING > STYLE 1-PLAYER STRATEGY/SIMULATION > PUBLISHER ELECTRONIC ARTS > DEVELOPER BULLFROG > RELEASE 1998 opulous is credited with creating the god game genre, p0) LOUS but the third entry goes in a slightly different (but "m * still fun) direction. Populous: The Beginning puts an intermediary between your will and the game world: a $ ። shaman. If you play this game for the strategy, you'll be rewarded “7 with a more streamlined approach to city development, which — 9 RA. allows you to focus more on your shaman's role in combat. That's when the game becomes truly hilarious. A high point of any god game is messing with the world, and the spells at your disposal (along with some excellent sound work) make routing enemy forces a riot. The high-pitched screams as a fireball connects and the panicked shouts of a crowd beset by insects are priceless. It feels a little more like a modern RTS than the previous Populous titles - complete with some frustrating micromanagement and unit Al — but it has a charm all its own. There is also a PSone port of this game, but here's a little secret: Console RTS controls in the late '90s were not good. Stick to the PC version. SEGA GENESIS PHANTASY STAR Il > STYLE 1-PLAYER ROLE-PLAYING GAME > PUBLISHER SEGA OF AMERICA > DEVELOPER SEGA OF JAPAN > RELEASE 1989 ven as Nintendo enthusiasts were hailing the glory of games like Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest, the Sega faith- ful were more than content to partake of their own epic RPG series — Phantasy Star. This second game was the first to make the jump to Genesis, even if it only took some minor graphical steps forward from the franchise's first iteration on the Master System. As players control an ever-growing party of enthusiastic anime-themed followers, this compelling mix of sci-fi and fantasy offers plenty of bang for the buck. Thanks to an unrelenting focus on constant and challenging random encounters along with whole slew of lengthy dungeons, Phantasy Star II is good for more than just a few afternoons of playtime. By almost any standard we now hold up to the genre, the game shows its age in everything from its battle system to its approach to menu navigation. However, for those with more than a passing interest in console history, this title and the other early incarnations of the series are a frequently overlooked early step towards the sprawling open world epics of today. 110 GAME INFORMER ADVANCED CIVILIZATION > STYLE 1-PLAYER STRATEGY > PUBLISHER AVALON HILL > DEVELOPER AVALON HILL > RELEASE 1995 ne of the true classics of board gaming (and an inspiration to Sid Meier in creating his Civilization franchise), Advanced Civilization received this digital treatment back in 1995. A nearly straight-up adapta- tion of the tabletop game, Advanced Civilization pits ancient 4 Mediterranean cultures against one another in a race to become the most civilized. Like an ever-shifting puzzle with multiple interlocking systems, managing your empire is a constant battle against random calamities and opportu- nistic neighbors. Sadly, this DOS version suffers badly from an unwieldy interface and a completely broken resource trading system. Unlike most strategy titles, resource trading is an absolutely critical part of gameplay, and the terrible implementation here makes Advanced Civilization nearly unplayable. A shame, since the tabletop original is so brilliant. —————— Extra Content You Can Find At www.gameinformer.com ONLINE Want more info on Neversoft's ambitious attempt to take down Rock Band? Check out our exclusive video interview with project director Brian Bright of Neversoft. | | À ind || IN 241) The Tale of Tales The Prince Returns Learn more about Tales of Vesperia Whet your appetite for the latest in our Q&A with producer Yoshito Prince of Persia game by checking out Higuchi. more exclusive art. Gl sits down with the N+ Racing and Survival champs Brian Ellsworth and ven Caraballo, respectively, to dis- cuss their dominance of the popular XBLA game. Read our extended interview about Damnation with Blue Omega's Richard Gilbert. Cartoon Rarities Check out our exclusive interviews with Viva Piñata. 2 producer Steven Branand and Banjo-Kazooie designer Shaun Read ALSO ONLINE THIS MONTH: GI Online heads to Vegas to attend Capcom's gamers’ CAPEMI day. Cross your fingers for more Resident Evil 5 news! wwwmonterggme dio com for ordering assistance Call) 800 4 “a funnier and meaner Napoleon Dynamite" Dreamwatch Magazin "funnier than KNOCK: LD UP and SUPERBAD combined” Mike Smith, Indie Film Natio Camers is a comedy about the lives of four elacker friends (and one obsessive interloper) living at home,working in the real world but playing in a fantasy world. The sacrifice, the obsession, the blind dedication... this is their hilarious true story. ከኒ tO kk Å ‹ ON ። Old School 66 ; DVD . |” 5/06/08 E ሥ Www.moritercy ne ሦ VIDEO GAME TRIVIA Ready to find the love of your life? Experience the eGamer Difference. Now it's FREE to receive and review your matches. Each compatible match is pre-screened for you across at least a couple of dimensions. Get started now. Simply take the questionnaire below to receive your match. Find out what happens when attraction is ignited by the ability to manipulate your partner in a 3D environment using a couple of analog sticks. Note: Your match represents a legally binding contract of true love. Which totally hot game came out first? A. Hot Wheels: Turbo Racing B. Hot Shots Golf 3 C. Hot Potato! D. Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 Man, there have been some : crazy MMOs that have come and gone over the years. Which of these wasn't one of them? A. Meridian 59 B. Saga of Ryzom C. Sacred D. RYL: Path of the Emperor In Donkey Kong Country 3: : Dixie Kong's Double Trouble, : gamers were able to ride sev- ; eral friendly animal characters : along their way to save Donkey and Diddy Kong. Which one of : these wasn't one of your help- : ful buddies? : A, Trunky the Elephant B. Squawks the Parrot C. Enguarde the Swordfish D. Squitter the Spider 2 In Luigi's Mansion, the green-clad plumber finally got his shot at the spotlight. With his flashlight and vacuum in hand, what was Luigi's goal? A. To save Princess Peach, who has been kidnapped yet again B. To clear the house of gh for the home-owners who hired him C. To save Mario, who has dis red in the house D. Murder most foul Fw. HN. SUPER NINTENDO In the SNES fantasy action : game King of Dragons, you : could choose several familiar : archetypes for your character, : such as the Cleric. How many : character types could you : choose from? : 3 After its arcade premiere, ; what home console did that : zany driving game Crazy Taxi A. 5 ፡ first appear on? B.4 i A. Nintendo 64 c5 B. PlayStation D. 6 C. Dreamcast D. PlayStation 2 At long last, one of the classic : shooters of our youth is coming : to consoles! Which of these is not an installment in the mem- orable WWII flight series? A. 1942 B. 1942: Joint Strike C. 1943: The Battle of Midway D. Battlefield: 1942 : / 1998 saw the release of a ፡ : new 3D fighting game for the ፡ x : PlayStation that included 20 : : characters, weapon combat, ; and a survival mode. What was : it called? A. Cardinal Sin B. Cardinal Syn C. Kardinal Sin D. Card and All Zen ፡ What is best in life as well : as online deathmatches? A. To crush your enemies B. To see them driven before you C. To hear the lamentation of their women D. | hope no one answered C Who developed The Political Machine? (Hint: Answer lies somewhere in this issue) A. EA B. Stardock C. Liquid D. Broderbund Game Informer Magazine (ISSN 1067-6392) is published monthly at a subscription price of $19.98 per year, or twenty four issues for $24.98 by Sunrise Publications®, 724 North First Street, 3rd Floor, Minneapolis MN 55401. (612) 486-6100 or FAX (612) 486-6101. For subscriptions, back issues, or customer service inquiries Toll Free (866) 844-4263. Periodicals postage paid at Minneapolis, MN, and additional mailing offices: SUBSCRIBERS/POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Game Informer Magazine®, 724 North First Street, 3rd Floor, Minneapolis, MN 55401. Foreign or Canadian orders must be prepaid in U.S. dollars Canadian Orders: $25/yr additional postage. All other Foreign Orders: $35/yr addtional postage. CANADIAN SUBSCRIBERS SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40064408, RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO: EXPRESS MESSENGER INTERNATIONAL, P.O. BOX 25058 LONDON BRC, ONTARIO, CANADA NGC 6A8 Game Informer? does not claim any copy right in the screenshots herein. Copyright in all screenshots contained within this publication are owned by their respective companies. Entire contents copyright 2008. Game Informer Magazine®. All rights reserved: reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Game Informer& is a trademark of GameStop. Products named in these pages are trade names, or trademarks, of their respective companies. 112 GAME INFORMER 1 million units of the Call of Duty 4's variety map pack were sold in the first nine days of its launch on Xbox Live. 3 albums were included in the recent announcement from Rock Band that the game will finally feature full album down- loads. Judas Priest, The Cars, and The Pixies are first up to receive the royal treatment. 26,000 local PTA groups (that's all of them) have been offered step-by-step guides to setting video game console parental locks and other safety suggestions, a service being provided by a partnership with the ESRB. 100 million units have been purchased in the record-breaking The Sims franchise, a number that includes both PC and con- sole releases, along with their expansions. 2 of you still owe us money from that trip to Vegas last month. Pay up! x Your eGamer Match x Cortana Nariko Nate Drake Video Game Trivia Answers: |. A 2. C 3. D 4. B 5. C 6. C7. B 8. A 9. C 10.A, B, or D ) 383H SI SYNOA 2010 ed YY YY) SS19-82S-008-1 | OE9HOJNI/WO2"1131"MMM 41 AAIT OL AQV38 3ሀ፡በዐለ N3HM MN UBES SYAWx Weld Hurweb anı} ui ejeuinn ad si sar aSMOPUIM JO} səweg pue S21YdesD OL ,ሂንጋፀቭዐ YM ዓን8ሠ|ዝ|በ we3SIA SMOPUIM YPM bulueo ሂይ'6፻8 104 lle PPY (OPES) Iaued je}; uaeosepi^ zz , ዘበ pue '(66'6915) ue1sÁs Jayeads 169 jouueu?-rs 42341607 '(66'68$) asnow bujue9 69 42941607 '(ፅፅ'ፅረፍን pJeoqAəyY HAILA S19 ,u203601 YJIM UMOUS '051$ 40} JEWIN , ዩንዩ|ለ SMOPUIM aulnuag PPY መ 26115 6ሀ|14815 OE9 .SdX ..|9ዐ MAN Get in touch with your dark side. YourOtherYou.com Made with) love’ by, Our goal is to presejvelclassi¢ video game magazines soi that they are not lost/permanently: People interested) in helping outiinjany capacity; please visit us at retromags.com: No profitis made) from) these/scans, nor do we offer anything available from| the publishers themselves: If: you come across anyone selling releases from this site) please/do not support them and do letius) know: Thank you!