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MAGAZINE

Super NES, Ge and Jaguar.

: Electronic Entertainment Expo ‘97

Feature: Beh

Look at Gex: Ent

The mighty Gex has returned, and leaped from 2D into © the wondrous world of 3D. Game Informer visited Gex’s

store for everybody's favorite gecko.

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Letter “From € [he editor

That's right...this issue hurts! No, it doesn't hurt because it is so jam packed with information or that it is so amazingly good looking, but because this month Game Informer had to break one of its cardinal

rules. We had to put a preview game on our cover.

Yes, | know it sounds ridiculous because every other magazine on the planet does it each and every month, but to us...this is strange stuff. By now you must be asking yourself "why?", but the solution is rather obvious. We feel that our cover is the ultimate award we get to give to a game each month. Not just any game, but the game that we think is the best. So we find it very distressing to put a preview

"You may not ki wt It's true. Now you become musically

Id start a band called f men with huge pectoral

Mand Babe the Giant Blue Ox. I tried 4 into a techno soundtrack but it didn't work very well $B | decided to leave the Airforce test pilot job (Did | forget to merion that?) to lend my lightning-fast reflexes and Suave demeanor. to a nobler cause. Now | am a journalist devoted to truth in the face of obscurity, to fighting a constant battle against vagueness and the fog of corporate war...well...to playing vids and writing about them.”

ANDY, THE GAME HOMBRE "Much to my dismay | recently discovered that | am now the ‘Iron Man’ of video game editors. It may be hard to believe, but there is nobody else in the U.S. video game magazine industry that is still working and has been an editor as long as | have. Now if that isn't scary | don't know what is, because l've only been the editor of Game Informer for three and half years (though l've been working on the abun kA over aie | on a should make me feel all

itmeans s that [m now TO Senor ard l m only 25. On the u it does mean that no one else is more dedicated to getting the information to the people than myself and the rest of the GI staff. | hate to sound like l'm blowing our own horn, but we rule!"

game on our cover, when we don't have a clue how good the game will be in its finished form. Of course, we think Treasures of the Deep is a cool game in the

here and now, but in theory Namco could screw this game up before

to do with it.

PAUL, THE GAME

PROFESSOR

“Just as the summer months seem to cool down as far as game releases are concerned, behind the scenes, the industry starts to cook with news of the games to come. Watching the gaming companies pose and posture as they send their marketing, sales, and development staffs into working frenzies is truly weird. Everyone is looking for a nice size chunk of the ‘interactive entertainment’ pie and they want all of their games with your name on it. The amount of new video game titles on the way for both consoles and PC is enough to make a gamer so oona that

‘Chutes & Ladders’ to anyone, you can bet that it's going to become a lot harder for a game to get more than an ‘8’ out of me.”

Reviewers (from left) Erik, Jon, Reiner, Paul, Andy

it’s finished (which | seriously doubt), but it is a chance you take when you put a preview game on the cover. It’s like pasting Mike Tyson on the cover of your game, and then discovering two weeks later that he’s been arrested for some awful crime.

It makes you look like a fool, even though you had nothing

- REINER, THE RAGING GAMER “In our industry, Shigeru Miyamoto is the

god of all designers. He's the creative mind ， behind Mario, Zelda, and practically ， every big Nintendo title. To my misfortune, | | I'm scheduled to compete against him in ，

the Star Fox 64 tournament at E3. l'm a

big fan of his work, and honestly, l'm going |

to be rather disappointed with myself when | stomp his hide into the ground with a massive assault of lasers to the tail pipe. My victory is inevitable. Although, there is the chance that he'll put up a good fight, and if he does, | have an alternate plan. I'll simply knock the controller out of his hand, and blow away his unmanned vessel. By the way... what do you think of my dress? Snazzy, huh?”

JON, THE GREEDY GAMER

"As you read this, we'll be on our way home from E3, and boy was Atlanta hot (the weather | mean). | once worked for five months in southern Georgia tearing out railroad tracks, and | don't know if words can describe how hot and humid the summers can be. l'Il take the temperate summers of Minnesota any day of the week. l've been spending some weekends up north in the woods, fishin', d shoes, ang tossin’ back fasl

month all the great games are going to start coming in. Watch for NASCAR 98 and Sony's GameDay ‘98. As for Nintendo, | don't know what to say except to be patient."

moving along, and that means next

July Issue 1997 Volume VII « Number 7 « Issue #51

Richard A. Cihak Publisher

Andrew McNamara Editor Paul Anderson enior Associate Editor

Andrew Reiner . Erik Reppen Jon Storm Associate Editors Thomas Blustin Art Director Graphic Design

. Timothy J. Laurie Production Director Graphic Design

Curtis Fung Production Assistant Graphic Design

Ryan MacDonald Wes! Coast Correspondent

. Sarah Anderson Gia Garbinsky Copy Editors

. . Terrie Maley jirculation / Marketing Manager - (612) 946-7274

Advertising Sales Kimberley Thompson-Benike National Advertising Sales Director

|... 10120 W. 76th Street Eden Prairie, MN 55344-3728 (612) 946-8159 Fax (612) 946-8155 Manufactured and printed in the United States of America Game Informer" Magazine (ISSN 1057-6392) is ished monthly at a subscription price of $19.98 per year, V issues for $9.98 by Sunrise Publications", 10120 West 76th Street. Eden Prairie. MN 55344. (612) 946-7245 or FAX (612) 946-8155. Periodicals postage paid at Hopkins, MN, and additional mailing offices. MASTER: Send address changes to 10120 West 76th Street, Eden

à iip above. Unsolicited manuscripts cannot be rned or acknowledged.

is prohibited. Game Informer is a trademark of FUNCO, Inc.

Products named in these pages are trade names, or trademarks, of their respective companies.

For subscription inquiries please write or call:

- Game Informer Magazine 10120 West 76th Street Eden Prairie, MN 55344 (612)946-7266 Attn: Customer Service

PUBLISHER LIABILITY FOR ERROR : ublisher shall not be liable for slight changes or typographical errors that do not lessen the value of an ment The publisher's liability for other errors or nnection with an advertisement is limited to of the advertisement in any subsequent issue fund of any monies paid for the advertisement.

ATION iser and/or Advertising Agency agrees to defend he publisher against any and all or expense arising from claims of libel, unfair unfair trade practices, infringement of copyrights, trade names, patents, or proprietary f ri jhts of privacy, resulting from the : Advertiser" S statement.

udit Bureau of Circulations |... Member

] 'ormer m July '97

ION.

The first shooter that lets ， 7 i é ve irsenal of weap

you look up & dawn, jump SOD ich, and crouch while moving.

i PlayStat

MATURE

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CONTENT RATED BY ` ESRB

a trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. Psygnosis, the Psygnosis logo and Codename: Tenka are trademarks of 'Sygnosis. id. © 1997

From Readers: What ever happened to the |

Crashing NiGHTS debate? Did you guys chicken out because of an overwhelming response that didn't fit your opinion?

BI: While the response on the Crashing NiGHTS debate was pretty huge, most of the letters we gat were from die-hard PlayStation or Saturn owners who had never played the other game and were generally pretty biased about the whole affair The only really interesting letters we got were from people with both systems. Most of those people said Crash was the better game but there were some who thought NiGHTS was cooler. There was a rare breed (3 people) that thought both games were worthy of their attention and that was all that mattered. To us, that's the coolest attitude to have. But if you must know who won, it was Crash by a landslide!

I am interested in receiving information you |

may have about the Intellivision Model number 2609, serial number 1224944, year 1979. I also own the voice synthesis module, model number 3330, serial number 584953, year 1981. Here is a list of the games I own. [Editors Note: We omitted the list of 22 games|] I would like to know the value of this system, . along with the games and accessories. Any _ information that you can send me would be greatly appreciated. Victor "Video Kid-Whiz" Suero Hawthorne, CA The value of these things is incalculable, like your stinky orange teddy bear named “marmalade” _ with the missing eye, or your tattered but well loved "woobie" that went with you everywhere. That _ you would consider leaving them out in the cold in _ the foul hands of some anonymous collector is just another tragic case of how were so willing to throw away our SE» childhoods to make a » buck. [Editor's Note: In other words, we have absolutely no clue.]

like your mag but I wish you would devote some

_ more space to the classics.

Don't get me wrong. I love the N64, but what about the people who den' have enough money for

! a PlayStation, Saturn, or N64? Plunking down

$150 on the counter for a system is outrageous! Of

_ course taking into consideration all the technology

and everything that goes into it, $150 is about right, but couldn't they at least package a game into t? I received a Nintendo for Christmas in 1990. I oved it and still do because it was a milestone for he systems we have today. If we hadn't had systems like Atari and Nintendo, we'd be nowhere.

_ As for me, I still love my Nintendo and Game Gear,

ut decided to sell them both toward the purchase

of a Sega with Sega CD. I'll probably keep these for

a long time. In the future, could we maybe see

ome more space devoted to the classics? After all, if we didn't have them, where would we be now?

Josh Combs

E-Mailer

Josh... we completely agree with you (Did we

. really say that?). In recent months, we've gotten . countless letters from people asking us to do more

reviews on older games, so we finally caved in and decided to do what we could. The tentative plan is 0 expand Classic GI using the format we began last

| month. If you have an opinion about this, by all

means tell us where it's at. Wa will be applying new scores to the games ased on how good they are on their respective ystem, haw they compare to similar games, and

| how much fun they are after all these years. Bionic

Commando, for instance, is one of the best games hat ever came out on the NES and still stands out from the crowd with it's unique grapplin' action. Thus the high score.

In one of your issues it says that a Nintendo 128 is coming out before Christmas. I wanted to know if this is true because it also said some crap

bout a portable system with 1028 bits that ran on ocks. I read your magazine a lot and I'm starting 0 think that you guys have completely lost your ournalistic integrity. Sometimes the Secret Access odes don't even work. My question for you this ime is: Why the $#@)! is there so much BS is your #@! magazine? PS. This time could you tell the $#@)! truth? Crash Override Explicatively Disgruntled E-Mailer

When we do an April issue and talk about a system that eats rocks, you can generally assume that it's bologna. We get a little wacky in April and enjoy spoofing our competitors by making up ridiculous stories about the next system/game/deal in the works. There is no PlayStation 5.02 with

elatinous orb controllers, no Nintendo 128, no

_ Please do something! Thank you.

Magnavox system, no

nanotech rock-eating 1028 g ‘A Buck Two

0J. Simpson RPG, and Ninety-Eight Boy" said was full of it

Here's some tips on avoiding trouble in future

April issues. If Andy says in the beginning of the |

magazine to watch for April Fool's jokes you better look out, because telling it like it is all year long can get pretty stressful and April is the month where we let loose with the shovel. What you need to do is look for key words like: “gelatinous,” “nanotechnology,” or “A Buck Two Ninety-Eight" (think about it. These are all pretty good tip-offs that were pulling your chain. Of course, goofy words and phrases don't always hit home so we try to make it a little more obvious. We entitle our April gossip page “Breaking Stuff’ and then put in a huge "BS" in the logo! We name the company that developed Juice Quest, "Ashame Interactive" And yet we ve gotten so many excited letters demanding more information on these things. So here's the completely nonintentional moral of the story — just because it's in print doesn't make it so. It's kind of like learning that your parents are fallible for the first time in your life. ;

Problems with codes can arise from a number of things. Ün rare occasions there is actually a misprint, but more often than not, its because a new version of the game has been put out that doesn't allow the codes or you're not doing it right. Usually we try to test everything but we don't always have the time we need. Thus, codes we've received from the companies themselves tend to be low on our priority list. We presume that the people that make the games know what they are talking about.

Dear Editors,

In your February 1997 issue on page 15 next

to V350 you put, “game switch for use ‘wuth’ .

Nintendo" You spelled the word "with" wrong.

Andrew Breckenridge |

E-Mailer |

The page youre referring to is not ours. It's an

advertisement. We don't even see the ads going into |

our magazine until we actually get the first prints E

in our hands. Thus we joyfully dodge any |

responsibility for thus iuis a Nice try though.

Game Informer * July *

. probably thinking ahead to what they're going to . want to do, but we cant think of any reason they would have a full-fledged design yet. Think of it .. this way. The longer Sony waits on a new system, : un 8. _ .. the cheaper hardware gets. And if there's any I heard about this new digital TV sists of PGs a : wondering how it will effect video games. Will I MME especially Square Balte RPGs Im pode to bu Y 1 "Ru da uy industry that can afford to wait, it's have to buy a converter or a whole new gaming RE. the PlayStation 1.5 or C if it comes out before Final f Mon als to be under tha ! ion ih console? - Fantasy VIL My favorite games are FF Chrono B. h GADD 1 P dum vellus a i Dustin Cruz Trigger, Secret of Mana, and Secret of Evermore p^ 1 es cela dauid sylem. Pany Elkridge, MD M. which won't come out on the 84DD because f pq ady " "E gortan e o pE their Dont worry about digital TV. It probably won't $ Nintendo was dumb enough to lose Square. I need f i Hee hat hocks I the UG 4 SMS ae become a household standard for a good seven $ some other input to give me assurance that my f "m y aa. i : years and hy the time that happens, old TV's will be choice is correct 1 As for your question, we cant think of any a dime-a-dozen. If your house upgrades to digital Aaron Wardrip B. system you would want to go with except for the and sells the old TV, you might have to buy a Nelson, MN WE. PlayStation if RPGs are your favorite games. Sony converter of sore kind but it's really too far off for If Sony was planning on putting out a new E. mo t E iron xh us to know how it's all going to work out. But... system before FFVII came out, they'd have to be E. TS ane ane 9 Man catching up seven years? By that time you'll probably be É completely insane. In Japan alone, FFVII sold 2.5 È s SURE ee and Nintendo to knock Sony thinking about buying the new Nanotech Magnavox million copies in a month (the same number E. iu ae w 1028. Resident Evil sold worldwide in a year) and there is no reason they would mess with U.S. release sales by putting out a new system. We probably won't even hear about plans to make a new system until late 1998. Someone's been pulling your chain. 1.5? C? This make-believe information is exactly the sort of thing we're poking fun at in our April issue with the PS-X 5.02 and its gelatinous orb controllers. Nobody knows anything substantial about Sony's plans except for Sony themselves, and at the moment there is no reason to even think about it. Sony won't need a new system to compete with the N64 until Nintendo gets it together and starts putting out a substantial number of “must have’ games for their system. If Sony is smart, they're

Rang Sones I ^ ipida uk dete STR ET 3 QJ) MU Roth PRAISE, MN NS * $5549 à

Josh Gilbert Glendale, WI

Twisted Descent! Pure genius!

Ek

a ead

JAB oy Darnell Johnson A Pittsburg, CA You know...Cloud has rather skinny arms considering that he carries around that huge sword.

RA SV N Robert Crawford Meqivon, WI

The dinos attacked Turok’s logo d PT T2 after they heard that he had : | | ; j! | Barney for dinner. Literally! | ? | 5

Hey...does anybody know what the FF stands for?

George Hinckle Milwaukee, WI CN gn na WCW Vs. the NWO BE. (ali: Le RA or X-Men Vs. Street fk Mis Fighter are nothing compared to GI's newest game, Hinckle Alien Vs. Woofy. It's a true battle of the super powers!

"

Greg Lehman St. Paul, MN Rocket Girl! You know it's gonna be a long, long time!

Are We Out of Our League?

Water spans across almost seventy percent of the Earth’s surface, culminating fo a projected measurement of 320 million cubic miles, which is more than enough to bury the entire United States under a depth of ninety miles. Water is our number one resource, and the average human body is made up of approximately seventy percent water. We cannot live without water, so why are we so afraid of it?

In Black Ops Entertainments and Namco's sophisticated action/adventure title - Treasures of the Deep - the beauty and terror of the water come to life like never before. If you have a phobia or a fear of water (or its inhabitants), then Treasures of the Deep will drive it to a new level, and maybe, just maybe, you will eventually overcome this fear and find yourself at peace. Otherwise, you will find a new meaning of terror around each barrier reef corner, and in the jaws of a great white shark.

The realism factor in Treasures of the Deep is executed perfectly. Each and every level, whether it be shallow, deep, or fathom depth class, is accurately portrayed. In shallow levels the water is lighter in color, packed with more aggressive currents, and occupied by smaller creatures like schools of clown fish, bottom feeding sharks, and lobsters. The deep sea levels are much murkier, current resistant, and a home to blue whales, dolphins, and over a dozen different species of shark. The fathom depth class has barely been explored by humans since if is so deep, and

James Bond Meets Jacques Cousteau

m Size: 1 CD-ROM

m Style: 1-Player Action/Adventure

m Special Features: Compatible With the Analog Controller, Eight Different Subs, Several Mission Objectives for Each Level, Detailed Aquatic Life and Sea Settings, Standard Equipment Including Balloon Nets and Air Ponies, Powerful Weapons, Sinister Bad Guys, Valuable Treasures, Hidden "Play As Shark" Level, and Atlantis

m Created by: Black Ops Entertainment, Inc. for Namco

m Available: September for Sony PlayStation

what lies within is mostly unknown. Down in these levels the water color is black, heat geysers and underwater maelstroms are abundant, and the species range from elusive giant squid to prehistoric critters.

A total of ten levels (with three extra ones hidden) consume Treasures of the Deep. Some of the more exotic locations you'll visit are the Bermuda Triangle, the Great Barrier Reef, and the ice caves of the Arctic Circle. The look and environments of each of these zones is portrayed with authentic detail, and the plants, coral structure, and species are also “area specific" - you won't see a killer whale searching for food in an underwater cavern, or a tiger shark dueling for supremacy against a humboldt squid.

The gameplay in Treasures is a mix between WarHawk and Tomb Raider. Each level is mission-oriented, and players must explore before any goal can be met. The basic plot of the game is as such; you are an employee of the Underwater Mercenary Agency (UMA). You'll be sent on expeditions requiring you to fix leaks on oil rigs, find rare artifacts, and ultimately, destroy the UMA's dangerous adversary - the Seismic Corp., headed by Simon Black. This terrorist group has been channeling seismic activity underwater, which has caused several disasters already. On your missions you will find clues leading to their next "project," and actually run head-on into Seismic, eventually having to disable their current plot.

Treasures of the Deep is a game about underwater exploration, Ne. and honestly, a wet or dry suit only goes so far. Therefore, eight high-tech

ANNE

Destroy! Destroy! Destroy!

Trouble!

Better luck next time.

A great white approaches.

| .as a whale hark drifts by.

Night vision makes | these air pockets look funky.

Head-to-head against Simon Black’s deadly sub.

Steer clear of the swordfish, or they'll poke your eye out.

© die? His fate is in

submarines are available for use. You will only start off with one sub, and in order to unlock the others, you'll need to gain money through the missions. In essence, you must become a ‘treasure’ hunter. To do so, you'll need to locate hidden chests, gold, lobster crates, lobsters, and sea turtles. To pick up these items, you will be required to either touch the desired object with your sub, or shoot a net to grab it. The nets are a huge factor in Treasures gameplay since they will: 1) help you gain money, 2) disable bothersome enemy divers and sharks, and 3) allow you to obtain objects needed to complete a level.

Whether is a hungry shark or an enemy sub, every level features some kind of danger. Of course, you could try and avoid the chaos, but what fun is that? Luckily, the UMA is stacked with high-power weaponry; sooner or later you'll find yourself shooting torpedoes at divers, laying mines, and using your gun to kill any other kind of annoyance. These bountiful weapons are not unlim- ited. If you're not finding adequate ammo on each level, you will need to direct most of your funding towards replenishing weapons. Items are another key feature in Treasures. The game is loaded with different wet suits, air tanks, health packs, ROVs and new lighting systems. These too require money.

Treasures of the Deep is one of the most original games to surface in recent years, and yes, it will give Tomb Raider a run for its money in originality and action/adventure values. If the immersive gameplay doesn't hook you at first, we're sure the realistic qualities will surely turn the head of a Jacques Cousteau or two. Lastly, an interesting lidbit about the development of the game... The manta ray demo on the early PlayStation Developer's Demo Disc (that came packed with the PlayStation unit) inspired Black Ops to develop Treasures of the Deep. Without the inspiration, this game would most likely never have been made.

The Ecosystem Many games create environments - dungeons, grasslands, and battle arenas. Of the earth’s different biospheres, the ocean is the most gigantic, the most alluring, and the most difficult to recreate. A fragile web holds together all life within the ocean. Predators and prey live side by side, whales migrate thousands of miles, invertebrates creep inch-by-inch along immense coral reefs. Introducing humans to such an ecosystem is always a delicate matter. Capturing the feel of this environment in a video game is equally delicate and difficult. What's fascinating about Treasures, about introducing humans to an organic environment, is that some animals fear, some ignore, and some even lend a helping hand to the strange human. For example, there are numerous historical examples of dolphins circling below drowning victims, helping them to stay afloat. As goes life, so goes the game.

This “organic” interaction, the way in which all species react to the presence of humans, is an integral part of the Treasures experience. Hundreds of different species are represented in the game, each with individual Al. Players may swim through a beautiful school of harmless clownfish, but iry to interact with a colony of sharks and it’s a whole different story. With over twenty different species of sharks in ihe game, exploring becomes very dangerous. Killing human divers is even more dangerous, since even a spattering of blood in the water will attract a host of "feeding frenzied" sharks. But you do have help, for the dolphin is a mortal enemy of the shark and the dolphins will help scare the sharks away. Like in real life, the dolphins in Treasures are curious of humans, and they will swim up to your face, inspect you, and sometimes help you in your quest.

The ecosystems in Treasures are "species specific." Depending upon where the mission is located, the Great Barrier Reef or Cape Horn for example, players will encounter a sampling of the species that actually exist there. There are also endangered species that carry

ee

, 31 www.gameinformer.com "

* a y $ W od".

heavy fines for poaching. On one level, you will have to capture endangered sea turtles, but this is an exception to the rule. Other species such as giant squid, whales, manta rays, sea anemones and exotic “prehistoric” creatures will also have to be encountered and understood.

This idea of “organic species interaction” provides a balanced mix of action and exploration, something that was sorely missed in Tomb Raider. Sometimes it’s fun to interact with the species, other times fast swimming and shark shooting are the orders of the day. We don’t want to give away all the secrets, but it should suffice to say that Treasures of the Deep comes closer to a “True-Earth Game Model” than any other game before it (sorry Ecco).

The reason Treasures makes such strides in “interactivity” is two-fold. The first reason we explained above; the second reason is the animation. Swimming up to a blocky, blue/black lump would hardly be a “deep-sea experience.” Black Ops had fo create a living, breathing world. Therefore, Black Ops employed MIME animation to give the creatures life- like qualities. The animals in Treasures are polygon-based and the MIME animation stretches and bends the edges of the polygons, creating fluid and seamless movement. Treasures has more MIME animation than any game in history, and the results are nothing short of spectacular.

Standard Equipment

You can’t take to the seas without the proper equipment and Treasures of the Deep has plenty of it. Fortunately, some missions are great for acquiring equipment from fallen enemies, which helps cut down on the expensive cost of restocking your inventory after every battle.

BALLOON NETS: When activated, these nets shoot out of your sub and wrap around smaller enemies, cargo, and sea critters. Once the net is secure, a balloon inflates and carries your victim/valuables to the surface. It’s one of the coolest and most useful devices in the game.

PORTABLE MED-KITS: Subs can carry a limited number of med-kits for emergencies.

AIR PONIES: These devices are crucial for maintaining air supply when enemies that yield air tanks, like scuba divers, are in short supply

ROV (Remote Operating Vehicle): This little remote drone helps you explore areas that might be hazardous to your health and is great for areas with traps and earthquakes.

ROV PLUS: The ROV Plus is a larger and more advanced version of the ROV.

FLARES: Flares serve two purposes. They can be used as countermeasures against enemy torpedoes and provide a bright lightsource as well.

LIGHT ENHANCEMENT VISORS: If you don’t feel like chucking flares all over

the place you might want to invest in a

pair of these.

WETSUITS: There are three varieties of wetsuits: standard, armored, and thermal. Standard suits come in a variety of fashions but don’t do anything special and cost nothing. Steel mesh shark suits protect your diver from damage when leaving the sub. Thermal protection dry suits shield against intense heat.

Weapons:

They still haven't figured out how to make a nonviolent game fun and Treasures is no exception. While the subs in Treasures all feature guns with an infinite supply of weapons, you will need some higher-powered ordnance to make it through the game.

TORPEDOES: Standard tracking torpe- does with weak warheads. Two or Three hits with these guys will take most enemies down.

MISSILES: Missiles have slightly stronger

THERM SUIT

MESH SUIT

MEDKIT - NET

The map and radar will help you navigate and locate targels.

FREEZER

MINE TIME BOMB

TORCH

PLASMA TORPEDO

TORPEDO

Sand sharks are bottom feeders. Make sure you're

not foo close to the ground when they're around.

warheads and fire in pairs.

MINES: Mines are slow moving and have no guidance system. They are best reserved for bosses and things that you need to destroy quickly.

SEEKER MINES: Seekers are similar to mines in every respect but possess the ability to track enemies.

FREEZER: An expensive but frightfully powerful liquid nitrogen bomb (remember, you're underwater).

PLASMA: This is an even more expensive and explosively powerful weapon. Make sure you back up a little bit to avoid taking damage.

TIME BOMB: We're not sure about this one, since it hasn't been completed yet and is unavailable in the game. We do know that it’s very big. You probably drop it and run..fast.

"WELDING" TORCH: This is a medium range weapon, that when activated extends plasma a good twenty feet in front of your sub for a limited time. Anything that comes in contact with it suffers serious damage.

The Subs

The variation in subs is well done. Each sub has a unique look and performance. Missions have different depth ratings, so in many cases you will be limited in your selection of vehicles. Fathom Class missions, for instance, only allow the use of three different subs.

USN-R1: Single-Seat Underwater Frogman Vehicle.

Speed: 25 Knots

Agility: 38 Deg/Sec

Armor: 50 Hit Points

Payload: 1300 Lbs. -

Depth: Shallow Class

Cost: N/A

This is the vehicle you start with. It is the

weakest of all the subs, but it’s free, maneuverable, and doesn’t to run out of air as fast as some of the more advanced subs.

PORPOISE: High-Performance Sports Sub

Speed: 34 Knots

Agility: 51 Deg/Sec

Armor: 100 Hit Points

Payload: 5000 Lbs.

Depth: Deep Class

Cost: 505,000

This puppy is probably the best bargain. Statistically, it’s just a little bit weaker than the Devilray (the most expensive sub in the game) and is set at only half the cost. The Porpoise is probably your ideal first buy. Its handling is fast but a little awkward, but it has plenty of space for

weapons and equipment.

DEEP ROVER: Heavy-Armored Underwater Cargo Vehicle

Speed: 20 Knots

Agility: 26 Deg/Sec

Armor: 125 Hit Points

Payload: 8000 Lbs.

Depth: Fathom Class

Cost: 750,000

The Deep Rover is the big bruiser in the game. It has plenty of space for ordnance and has the most hit points of all the subs. Speed and handling are sluggish (but steady) making if an ideal heavy weapons platform. If you find yourself taking a beating no matter how speedy and agile your sub is, it’s time to pull out the big guy. The Deep Rover is one of our favorites.

VIPER: High-Speed Attack Sub Speed: 44 Knots

Agility: 57 Deg/Sec

Armor: 85 Hit Points

Payload: 3500 Lbs.

Depth: Fathom Class

Cost: 1,200,000

It has low armor and ordnance

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capacity but it’s also the speediest sub in the game. The Viper is probably best utilized for missions with a low number of objectives that need to be met quickly, or any mission where speed is the priority.

NAUTILUS: Deep-Diving Vehicle Speed: 22 Knots

Agility: 27 Deg/Sec

Armor: 75 Hit Points

Payload: 10,000 Lbs.

Depth: Fathom Class

Cost: 300,000

The Nautilus carries the most ordnance of the fathom class subs. Aside from that, it’s pretty weak and only worth buying if you're short on cash and don't own any other fathom class subs.

DEVILRAY: Agile Attack Sub Speed: 38 Knots

Agility: 62 Deg/Sec

Armor: 100 Hit Points Payload: 6,000 Lbs.

Depth: Deep Class

Cost: 1,800,000

You won't be able to take this sub into the deepest of trenches but it is, overall, the best balanced sub in the game, ideal for missions with a variety of objectives and enemies. It’s the most expensive vehi- cle but is well worth the price.

TYPHOON: Undersea Cargo Hauler Speed: 16 Knots

Agility: 22 Deg/Sec

Armor: 112 Hit Points

Payload: 16,000 Lbs.

Depth: Deep Class

Cost: 400,500

The Typhoon has more room for equipment and weaponry than most people will know what to do with. We're not sure why you'd need this much space unless you were packing some serious firepower for a certain special someone. It’s best described as an underwater tank.

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MARLIN: Aquatic Sport Sedan Speed: 25 Knots

Agility: 38 Deg/Sec

Armor: 100

Payload: 6,000 Lbs.

Depth: Deep Class

Cost: 350,000

This is a budget sub that performs better than expected for its price (and it looks like a four door). Not a bad deal if you want to pick up a new vehicle right after your first mission. Take the spouse and your 2.5 children along for the ride.

The Levels

One of Treasures of the Deep's greatest strengths is the diversity of its level design. While most missions have some element of search-and-destroy in them, the objectives range from salvage operations and rescue missions, to treasure hunts for rare artifacts. Each mission has a debriefing movie (where players are shown their objectives) so there is no uncertainty when they arrive at their goal.

WRECK OF THE CONCEPCION (Atlantic - Shallow Class): Pirates are looting a sunken vatican ship. Those artifacts belong in a museum! Take out the pirates and loot the ship yourself.

DIVER STRAITS (Middle East - Shallow Class): Terrorists have been mining waters and sabotaging underwater oil pumps to pollute the area. Your mission is to destroy the mines and seal off oil leaks with torpedoes while facing off against underwater enemies and ships dropping depth charges on you from above.

MONTEZUMA'S REVENGE (Gulf of Mexico - Shallow Class): Use flares or night vision to explore this treacherous underwater tomb. The level is made challenging by other less scrupulous treasure hunters, earthquakes that drop loose rocks upon you, traps, and whirlpools that suck you in and

teleport you to other parts of the level.

SUB-TRAFICATE (North Atlantic - Deep Class): Prevent the Seismic Corporation from getting a hold of weapons on a downed cargo ship. You will have to destroy all cargo subs attempting to leave the area and then destroy the sunken cargo ship to prevent anyone else from getting a hold of the weapons.

BERMUDA TRIANGLE (Shallow Class): One of Seismic Corporation’s chief scientists, who is believed to be a leading weapons researcher, was in a plane that disappeared in the infamous triangle. Needless to say, the paranormal area has claimed another victim. You have the grisly task of salvaging all the bodies and recovering the dead scientist.