NINTENDO * Seca • Sony + PC • Авсареѕ • Copes • STRATEGIES * CLASSICS | UE E04 LAK : g September 1998 ^ Vol. VIII * Issue 09 • #65 20 ways to Annihilaie; ה‎ тазі: A merciless, М0 JAN р all-new Weapons! |. —Blastime pase wid; ез | The Dark Ages, anti impenal Rome! i's Sudden Death on,all;sin6sin-30_ single-player and two-player 1855116 level - and lights up L.A., proving once more that the бий 00001 alien is а dead ой! With a colossal arsenal t high-tech, all-new weapons and more Nukem attitude and humor than ever before, TIME TO KILL gives you more of what you crave More hard-core action! More exploration! More shooter mayhem! More of the King of Carnage! ы T : cui Оч кач Hard-Core Nukem action, ooting, and exploration! Li » Make ‘em History! Qu / Available in September at your local retailer. _ a Order direct at store.gtinteractive.com or call 1-800-610-GTIS RATING PENDING GT Interactive Software «“ PlayStation Vist weno cal ОТТОК ол! ® www.3drealms.com www.gtinteractive.com To Kill™ ©1996, 1997, 1998 3D Realms Entertainment. All rights reserved. Developed by n-Space, Inc. under sublicense from GT Interactive Software Corp. under 5 Entertainment. Publisiied and distributed by GT Interactive Software Corp. GT is a trademark and the GT logo is a registered trademark of GT Interactive Software ánd the PlayStation logos are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective companies. EVERYONE Officially licensed product of the NFL Players and NFL Properties. The NFL shield design is a registered trademark of the National Football League. Team names, nicknames, logos and other indicia are trademarks of the teams indicated. ТМ/®1998 NFLP. Players Inc logo is a registered trademark of the NFL Players. ©1998 Players Inc. PlayStation game developed by 989 Sports and Red Zone Interactive, Inc. PC game developed by 989 Sports. Authentic Football Intelligence, 989 Sports and 989 Sports logo are trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. The 3Dfx Interactive logo is a trademark of 3Dfx Interactive, Inc. ©1998 Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. Sony Computer Entertainment logo is à trademark of Sony Corporation. PlayStation and the PlayStation logos are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. E WENT 92 YARDS, BROKE TWO TACKLES, JUKED ONE CORNER AND BLEW THE NUMBERS OFF THE FREE SAFETY. C’MON, LET THE GUY DANCE. Football doesn’t get any more real than NFL GameDay ‘99. This year, we've given NFL GameDay 99 a stadium full of new features, like all-new graphics and gameplay, brilliant sportscasting by Dick Enberg and Phil Simms, and Authentic Football Intelligence; a new innovation which has players thinking and reacting just like they do in the pros. NFL GameDay ‘99 by 989 Sports. Take a few snaps and you'll see why it's the best-selling football game around. 5 ЕР ar. " GameDay GAMEDA ү 8 = GAMEDAY PEU Department 0 Letter from the Editor This Is a Call. ® Dear Game Informer GI readers from across the globe interact with Game Informer. ® Envelope Art You can't win if you don't enter 678 Monthly Envelope Art Contest. GI News Sony speaks on PlayStation 2, the sequel to Banjo-Kazooie, the largest memory card in the world, and tons-o-fun with name that game, trivia, and GI's top tens. Game Informer PC Bergren's second and final E3 Overload packs previews galore including Drakan, Max Payne, and X-COM: Alliance. Arcade Brigade Reviews of Hyperdrive, Harley Davidson & L.A. Riders, plus a look at Vapor TRX. Mini PTP Game Informer lists all the items and secrets in Mega Man Legends. Secret Access Tips from our readers and the infamous Game Shark Swap Shop, plus every GoldenEye code in existence. Classic GI GI looks at classic games on the Super NES, Genesis, and replays some codes from the vault. Pg 25 Game Informer Magazine* (ISSN 1067-6392) is published monthly at a subscription price of $19.98 per year, or five trial issues for $9.98 by Sunrise Publications? 10120 West 76th Street, Eden Prairie, ММ 55344. (612) 946-7245 or FAX (612) 946-8155. For subscriptions, back issues or customer service inquiries (612) 946-7266. Periodicals postage paid at Hopkins, MN, and additional mailing offices. SUB- SCRIBERS/POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Game Informer Magazine*, 10120 West 76th Street, Eden Prairie, ММ 55344- 3728. Foreign ог Canadian orders must be prepaid in U.S. dollars and must include $20/year additional postage. ‘Game Informer® does not claim any copyright in the screen shots herein. Copyright in all screen shots contained within this publication аге owned by their respective companies. Entire contents copyright 1998. Game Informer Magazine" All rights reserved; reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Game Informer? isa trademark of FUNCO, Inc. Products named in these pages are trade names, or trademarks, of their respective companies. e Game Informer * September 8 © Nintendo 64 Cover Story: Spyro The Dragon Crash Bandicoot has been Sony’s favorite child two years running, but little Mr. Purple Power proves there’s a new kid on the block. Spyro The Dragon, from Insomniac Games, is simply breathtaking, with more colors than even Crayola could imagine. But how’s the gameplay? Game Informer rips Spyro apart, and gives you all the goods on this surefire PlayStation smash. Feature: GameDay Vs. Madden If you thought that professional sports spawned bitter rivalries, just wait until you dig beneath the surface of video game football. Game Informer sits down with the producers of NFL GameDay ‘99 and Madden NFL 99 to see who can shout the loudest. Which game will win the deadly battle over PlayStation football? Read on and find out. Ф. Nintendo 64 F-Zero X, WWF War Zone, NFL Blitz, Madden NFL 99, Bomberman Hero, Fighting Force 64, O.D.T., Wipeout 64 PlayStation C: The Contra Adventure, Mega Man Legends, Parasite Eve, Pocket Fighter, Knockout Kings, Dead bt in the Water, Duke Nukem: Time To Kill, LAPD : 2100 AD, Thrill Kill, Colony Wars: Vengeance, Devil Dice, NCAA Football 99, G. Darius, Thunderforce V, Darkstalkers 3, Assault, NHL Face Off ‘99, NCAA GameBreaker ‘99, Cool Boarders 3, Rally Cross 2, MediEvil, The Diabolical Adventures of Tobu ДУ Аї а Glance Perfect Dark, F1 World Grand Prix, Waialae Country Club, Flying Dragon, Deadly Arts, Iggy’s Reckin’ Balls PlayStation Generations: Street Fighter 2 Collection, Masters of Monsters, Spice Girls, Kula World, International Rally Championship, Crime Killer, NASCAR 99, Moto Racer 2, Rosco McQueen, WarGames: DEFCON 1, adidas Power Soccer ‘98, Grand Theft Auto Saturn Shining Force III Game Boy Game Boy Camera Ому EIDOS brings YOu fhe most iNNOvative ама ChOLLENgINg qaMes eg Choose your destiny with Lara in Tomb Raider. III. Enter the mystical. world of Kurosawa. TM - ao It 0 т take much, E / - o» Take е 7 just your x fight Soul. C 3 outside. (в жн E. Perici א‎ The Nomad Soul (С, 4 ג'‎ ™ \ WWteidosinteractive.corrs Tomb Raider IIl, Lara Croft and Fighting Force 64 are tradmarks of Core Design. © 1997-1998 Core. Eidos Interactive and Omikron are trademarks of Eidos, Plc. © 1997-1998 Eidoss. AOVISINDUT d4d 1Vd4H (11141093 MIN LOH 5,000МА110Н-14099 VUVT ANY 084445 "009592 syuBu | ‘dul ‘saweg 96111081) Aq рәйојәлә "ула Soptg pue 0150 810 Jo syewapes әле әшеи pue 88895119 54017) LLT “WOO'SOIpNYS|esIaAIUN' MMM je sn put וס"‎ вщби ijv ou ‘SoIpNyS әлддрлаущ es;eAum 8661 999 I. uoBeq ащ 005 “зшщ 108шие (41 191102) 8006 Jo SY џешәред 005160 әле ѕобој uoNRISAe|d 3U} pue LONEISAe|d © 0 P1980 бшрив / > шәәѕ 1099]00 ajdind - > paynuepium DATES] NUEN Garmer ne! September Issue 1998 Volume VIII = Number 09 • Issue #65. Richard A. Cihak Publisher Andrew McNamara Editor Paul Anderson Andrew Reiner This Is a Call BY ANDREW McNAMARA his is a call to all video gamers who have a brain. Last month, we ran an article about Sega’s Dreamcast that featured opinions from Game Informer concerning what we thought about the demo and the system as it was shown at E3. To our dismay, Sega-addicts from across the globe A magazine that said what it thought, and stood by it. Let me tell ya, | am extremely disappointed in my fellow gamers when | read apiece of mail that rips on 01 just because we said what we thought (tell us why you agree or disagree, don't just say we're stupid). Do you want a video game magazine that says "ACIHalser 2 е 72 adidas Power Soccer ‘98 Assault ....... Bomberman Hero...... „42 С: The Contra Adventure . . Colony Wars: Vengeance . Conflict of Nations ..... ..60 Cool Boarders 3 Wc Saket went haywire. Saying that we don’t know what everything is fine and dandy? If you do, then ШОС m А , А : i 1 1 arkstalkers 3 . EE Paul Bergen we are talking about, Sega's doing this, why even read a video game magazine, ни 22 Sega’s doing that, this other person said this, and you're wrong. You know what | have to say about it — get over it. While | certainly understand and you've already made up your mind that everything is great and nothing is ever amiss. So here is my plea and | will only say it once. Read Game Informer because you want Associale Editors Thomas Blustin Art Director Curtis Fung Production Director Web/Graphic Design Deadly Arts....... ..66 Duel: The Mage Wars . Devil Dice ..... Diablo ЇЇ Diabolical Adv. of Tobu . Ryan MacDonald appreciate the affection these gamers show to hear what the experts have to say and 229 E] PES Camden towards their system and video gaming, | accept it for what is – an opinion – or just 1 2 206288 - 60 ү ы want to make it clear to you and to all our don’t read it. | play video games because itis ао ih Айы Sies readers that Game Informer is here to be а a passion of mine that | feel is important. Join 7177717717728 62 Kimberley Thompson-Benike National Advertising Sales Director 10120 W. 76th Street Fighting Force 64.. voice in video gaming. We are not going to Flying Dragon . recite the marketing spiel, or rewrite the press us, and enjoy the world of video games and let us be your guide, or leave us and go read ED MEE release. Game Informer is NOT going to do some other magazine that regurgitates the у шанг ie EON that, and I personally don't believe thatis what public relations line. | have no time for E77 E T T2777 эм) Croton Malin Mage you want either. mindless gamers. шини m Vicki Valley What happened to th е days when gamers Gunstar Heroes ... 2372, барле сойх Manager wanted to read a magazine that made a stand? oe & LA. Riders ..... n — - fyperdrive ............. od Customer Service Department For change of address or subscription inquiry only: (612) 946-7266 Fax (612) 946-8155 ог send correspondance to: Iggy's Reckin' Balls .... International Rally Champ. Knockout Kings ....... . 48 Kula World .... LAPD 2100 AD . Madden 99 ...... Masters of Monsters . Max Payne .... MediEvil ...... Mega Man Legends Moto Racer2 .. NASCAR 99 ... NCAA Football 99...... NCAA GameBreaker ‘99 . NFL Blitz........ NHL Face Off ‘99 . ODT до Off Road Challenge Parasite Eve ..... 46 Perfect Dark ... Pocket Fighter . Rally Cross 2 .. Rosco McQueen Shining Force Ill 5 Spice World ..... - 64 Spyro The Dragon Thrill Kill . . . . . Thunderforce 0 Total Annihilation: Kingdon! Vapor TRX Waialae Country Club .. WarGames: DEFCON1 . Wipeout 64 ...... 43 WWF War Zone 1) ! vues һы х-сот:Айапсе.................. 60 10120 W. 76th Street Eden Prairie, MN 55344-3728 Attn: CIS Dept Manufactured and printed in the United States of America The Editor welcomes company product information for all video games. Such materials 5 addressed to: Editor, Game Informer Ma W. 76th Street, Eden Prairie, ММ 553 phone and FAX numb manuscripts cannot be ine, 10120 Editorial Unsolicited cknowledged. ontents copyright 1998. Game Informer ine. NI rights reserved: reproduction in whole or ited. Game Informer advert or omissions in c limited to republic INDEMNIFICATION The advertiser and/or Advertising Agency agrees to 772 0 Games 2 "C. 0 A f 4 ^J 20) proprietary rights or ion of rights of privacy. resulting from the publication of the Advertiser's statement. Audit Bureau of Circulations ES Member Andy, The Game Hombre andy&gameinformer.com ‘Lately, I've been traveling, checking out the latest from a number of developers, which has brought me to an interesting conclusion. | think the only people more warped than video game editors are developers. We are similar in a lot of ways (the dark office, the action figures, the horrible diets), but these guys take it a step further since they sit and work on this one game, or level in some cases, day in and day out for a year. Truly sad and pathetic, but honorable nonetheless." 8 Game informer * September ‘98 The Royal Gamers (from left): Princess Andy, Prince Paul, Queen Mother Jon, Queen Robert, Crown Prince Bergren, Princess Reiner Robert, The Game Casanova robert@gameintormer.com Ч have had some month, seeking out as much Dreamcast info as | can. And although it is not in the news, we found out that Sonic is making his way to the new Sega powerhouse very soon, in a new title called Sonic Adventure. Anyways, | have been playing Breath of Fire Ill and more Panzer Dragoon Saga. Besides that, | have merely been toiling in the workload my Gl peers place upon me. So until next time, keep the gaming spirit alive, and HAIL BRAK! Jon, The Greedy Gamer Jon@gameinformer.com “After Paul touted the Mac last month, his entire drive completely hosed, and he’s spent the last week using countless undelete programs. Hilarious. Anybody worried about the Y2K bug? lve been converting my checks into gold bullion and burying it around the Twin Cities. When everything all crashes down, I'll live in a tent, generate electricity with rainwater, burn other game mags for heat, and play FF VII and VIII all day, every day, till | can’t play no more.” Paul, The Game Professor paul@gameinformer.com “I think the computer gods are angry with me. Last month, | proclaimed the virtues of Apple computers and soon after that my computer crashed - big time! 1 don't think it's fonie fault, but 111 chalk it up to bad karma. I've been playing a lot of football and preparing to review both GameDay and Madden next month. This is definitely my favorite time of the year because soon after the football games hit, the hockey апа basketball games are on the shelves. Vikings Rule." Reiner, The Raging Gamer reiner&gameinformer.com "Nintendo is the Rebellion of video games, and Sony is the Empire. Right now, Sony is flying around with its PlayStation Death Star, shooting down consoles. First, planet Saturn. Next, planet Nintendo. Nintendo's last hope lies within the hands of one jedi — Link and his game Zelda. Will it ship in time to stop the oncoming PlayStation assault? If Nintendo misses Christmas with Zelda, then | foresee a great disturbance in the Force until planet Dreamcast is colonized." Bergren, The Game Burrito bergren@gameinformer.com “Sometimes fate deals a hand that takes you out of action for a while. Everything's fine and then suddenly you're on the bench, sittin’ one out for Rudy, waiting for the old lady to bring home the bacon, waiting on the 4:05 to Boringville, whatever you want to call it...it sucks. In my case, it's a broken collar bone. | can't play basketball for a while, but I've enough strength апа flexibility to play vids as much as | want. In fact, it's the perfect excuse...uh...| mean great physical therapy.” Country Life's Never Been So Addicting. Harvest Moon GB" and Legend of the River King GB". Two unique role playing games for the Nintendo? Game Boy. egend & the үер King GB is the first and only game that combines the action of a fishing game ith a dynamic RPG story for a unique game experi- ence. However, there’s a catch. Instead of fighting the usual bunch of monsters, you'll battle with 40 different species of fish. But this isn't drowning a few worms for Un; you're on a quest to save your ‘sister The only chance to save your sister is to reel in the magical Guardian Fish. To land this whale of a fish, you'll have to travel the land selling your prized catches for money. Only after buying the Best equipment and gaining expe- rience, will you be able to conquer this trophy catch. With hours and hours of exciting game poy once you ed! play Legend of the River King, you'll be hoo e Sum. Feed the chickens. Milk the ake up with o n't forget to go to the market...all before breakfast. The Super NES? classic Harvest Moon is now available for the Nintendo? Game Boy? with all of the charm of the original and many new surprises. Designed to reward hard work and smart decision making, Harvest Moon GB is a unique blend of a role playing and a farmin simulation game. Since this game is compatible with the Game Boy Game Link®, you can exchange animals and seeds with your friends to create your own unique ranch. Best of all, Harvest Moon GB offers a greater variety of characters, crops and animals to choose from, making each game's outcome more fun and less ERE Oh no! You forgot to plow the fields. — = ooks like no dinner tonight. | ^ 5 14 » Ч E ME 5. ctor | nteractive Software Inc./Pack-In-Soft. All rights reserved. Natsume, ang larvest Moo (ӨВ are Trademarks of Natsume Inc. Nintendo Super Boy, and the official $ eals are word trademarks of Nintendo of America, Inc. 2 F IT, 1 77 1998 Natsume Inc. Ot Legend of The River King 6 ? NES, ба! 45, ₪" ^. = эв ёл 1 ын. Di = + a TUI ^19 OT [Eh 13) ШЕЕ) ВЗЕЕ ҮЙЛ: De J 1 аы A PlayStation 17:58) pep aem A SURPRISINGLY FAST SPEEDBOAT RACING GAME. 18 tracks. 9 customizable turbo-powered boats. 5 different gameplay modes. 2-player split screen. Dual Shock’ Analog Controller compatibility. Unbelievable breakneck speed. Hold on to your hat. And any other important pieces of clothing. www.playstation.com € Email: deargi@gameinformer.com GI Unearths ‘A’ Resident Evil 3 Plot | think that Capcom should make another Resident Evil game. | think they should forget about continuing the series with the Redfields and Weskers and focus on new characters with new backgrounds. Here’s my story of RE3. 1 The year is 2010. Michael Jacob, a military specialist is sent up to the Mir | Space Station because of some disturbance. Someone has brought up the virus. All of the scientists and astronauts are zombies. Jacob must | destroy all the fruity-@$$ ZOMBIES AND GET DA HELL OUTTA THERE! Mark Tordik A change in the story would be cool, but your version may not work since 1 the Mir is approximately the same size as the Oscar Meyer Wiener Car. Actually, two Wiener Cars and a Volkswagen Bug to be exact. The 1 weightless aspect would be great, but | the entire game couldn't last more than 1 20 minutes unless you had a ton of cut- scenes. Don’t get us wrong, it’s a creative stretch, but you can’t sucker kids into buying a game that is shorter than Andy’s...well. Like you, we have an [idea that we hope Capcom will consider. Our game is called RE3: Smells Like Teen Barry. That's right! The story is | an epic waiting to be written. Picture this. It’s the 1970s and Barry has hooked up with a bad crowd (his Final Fantasy Vill Hey, Г just like to say that | love the mag! | have a few questions about FF VII and the upcoming FF VIII. 1 1.16 it true that the Japanese version of FF VII had a way to get Aeris back after [she died, but was scrapped in the American version? 2. Is it true that a non-playable demo of [FF VIII will be included in Square's upcoming Parasite Eve? 3. Do you know how many playable characters will be in FFVIII? 4. Will there be any characters? returning Sean Via the Internet Praise The Games, Brother! | LOVE VIDEO GAMES!! and so does my brain. | was just wondering if there's anyone else out there like me, | work pushing carts 8 hours a day then go and blow my whole pay check on VIDEO GAMES. | dont like to talk to that many people because | usually end 1 ир talking about lima beans...| mean VIDEO GAMES, then | get the feeling | that they think I’m some kind of nerd ог something. | love Korn, Tool, Slayer and many more metal bands but if | bring that up I’m a freak. | get D’s and F's in school and my parents blame it on VIDEO... well you know.There's a better parents don't approve). The game starts out with Barry being semi-rebellious. You know, picking on kids and spray painting bridges. But then halfway through the game, Barry and friends get way into drugs. They experiment with everything, and eventually, one of the kids stumbles upon something called the G-Drug (what we know as the G-Virus). All of Barry's friends do it and turn into zombies. Thankfully, Barry was having his stomach pumped and couldn't try this new drug. Now, he has to take out his friends and save his parents. Sound cool? СІ Note: Drugs are really bad. And so is killing friends. (Extra Note: Barry would never do drugs, he's too cool.) 1. No, that rumor is as false as a bullhead is disgusting. Saving Aeris wasn't in either version. 2. Yes. A non-playable demo will be packed with Parasite Eve and a playable | with Xenogears. And just to fix a boo- boo in our last issue, FF VIII will be coming out in September '99 (you can thank Jon for that spring mistake. Doh!). 3.The rumor is 30. But we don't believe it. Square likes to keep the numbers quite small, allowing for more time to develop characters. 4. Like we said before, we think that a Final Fantasy is the “Final” adventure for a character. Who knows though, Cloud has already been in three games (FF VII, Ehrgeiz, FFT). “chance of Sony going out of business Ш then there is for me to get a girl. When I was young | was picked on a lot and Nintendo helped me get over it. | can safely say VIDEO GAMES saved my life because | might have done in with my own life from being depressed. PS. : | can also say that you guys at Game Informer saved my life too by having the GREATEST VIDEO GAME MAGAZINE EVER!!! Eric Weinelt Via the Internet Sob! We love you, man! (Where's that Kleenex?) Keep playing and...Sob!...don’t worry, Capcom has the Get The Grrl statues in its Fighter's Edge catalog. Sob! Go get'em tiger!!! The Dreaded Question — With Witty Answer | know everybody writes you numbered questions, and | am going to also. 1. My friend got me March Madness '98. | think it is a really good game but no magazines (except Gl) talk about it. It was never rated in your top ten list. How come nobody likes it? 2.1 bought a PlayStation in July and | really like it. But in your last issue you mentioned Sega’s new system which will be released in fall '99. Should | buy more PlayStation games or save up for Sega’s Dreamcast? 3.1 have heard in many magazines that Nintendo is coming out with Color Game Boy.Will every game old and new work in color? FF Vil = Generic Characters??? | would like to take a moment to comment on role-playing games. FF VII is a very good game. While not as plot driven as FF Ill, if a game has a good plot, superb animation and special attacks, and gives the gamer a desire to play all the way through, then why complain about it? The thing that I’m concerned with is the lack of character differential. ALL the characters in FF VII (and FF Tactics) can steal, use magic, throw items, etc. | can still remember having to form battle strategies in FF Il because all of my characters couldn't do the exact same thing. Differences in characters' skills allow the player to get more into the characters’ mind (to role-play them). For example, when identifying Cecil (FF П), I think of a knight with minimal The Saturn Is Dead First off Га like to say | love your mag and that I've been a subscriber for almost 3 years now. With the brown- nosing out of the way | have some comments. | have noticed a lack of Saturn games at any retailer or video rental stores. With games like Panzer Dragoon Saga and Burning Rangers out, it’s upsetting that hardcore Saturn fans might not have a chance to enjoy these games just because the retail stores carry little or no Saturn games. | own all of the next generation systems and | play my Saturn more than any of them. | feel it is just the superior system and | am sure I’m not the only one who feels this way so my question is where are all the games? The Saturn is the oldest of all the next gen systems. It may not be #1 but it has a good Ben Via the Internet 1. We didn’t put it in our Top Ten List simply because you like the game and we don’t like you. Nothing personal, you're just kind of dorky (kidding). 2.Doh! The dreaded question! Well...Benny-oh-boy...You have two choices. (A) Buy new games and live happily, or (B) Sit with a wad of cash in your pocket for another year and stare ata pile of rocks. You decide. 3. Yes, every game will work, but all the older games won't utilize the full color range (they will look like a game on Super Game Boy). healing skills doing his best with swordplay in fighting for a noble cause. But when | think of Yuffie, | identify her with a goofy-looking ninja that uses a boomerang. Do you see the difference? | hope that Square continues to make superb RPGs and that maybe in FF VIII they "specialize" characters a bit | more. (A note in the June 1998 GI suggests that this might be true.) 1 Thanks for your time and continue { producing ап unbiased, insightful | magazine. Bill Leidy Via the Internet We read you loud and clear, and we agree totally Square has always had some of the best characters around, but FF VII lacked character personality in § many ways. installation base. Good enough toj warrant retailers to stock Saturn games § so people like me can enjoy games on the system we rank #1. | Russell Connie Thanks for the rabble rousing speech Russell. Retailers don’t carry Saturn games, because no one will buy the games. Really, Sega sent out only 5,000 copies of Burning Rangers and Panzer Dragoon Saga, yet, you can still find { these games on the shelves. Strange, huh? Your number one machine can’t | even sell 5000 games right now. That's why retailers don't carry the products, and even moreso the reason why Sega won't be making more games for the Saturn after Shining Force Ill. The Saturn is dying fast, if not dead already. it's a great] machine, but now a classic and not part of the current console war. Env Att Ser ptember Winner Lonnie Watts Chicago, П Now Hiring Final Fantasy Characters the FF series why are the‏ ה|.| characters always changing? After every‏ | world saving adventure does the‏ character fall over dead with a hernia or‏ does the Summoner have a memory‏ | relapse and go into a coma because of‏ her knowing too many spells?‏ 2. When is Turok 2 coming out? It was supposed to come out in August but in | your new releases it is not there. What about Tomorrow Never Dies? 1 3.15 it just me or are there too many freakin Mortal Kombat games out there? | mean yeah they started the | fighting genre but that is all, the blood is so fake | laugh and think who is | throwing the tomatoes? | would like to | put a hole in all of the producing team's | head that makes all of this garbage. | love gore, and blood is good, but that is all Mortal Kombat is based on. Am | alone in these thoughts? Afterthought. Also concerning Mr. Eriksen in the July '98 issue about Tobal they might have a better grappling system but Tekken is the most realistic, The Hidden Wonder Wzup guys. | just noticed something about your mag...there’s information on the back of one of your subscription things in the May-June 798 issue. It’s called a “Training Card.” This is the first time | can remember seeing that. It says it's number 36. Is this issue the first time you've done this? Thomson Tat San Jose, CA Random Numbered Questions. ..and Booty!!! | think you guys are doing a great job on the magazine. | look forward to receiving it in the mail every month. I gotta few questions for you men at | Game Informer. Okay, here we go: l.What were you thinking, giving All-Star Baseball an 8.75 on Playability! | found this game's controls to be very tight and hard to maneuver. And this turned me off to the game. Am | the only one who thinks that graphics don't make the game. It’s like a happy meal. You get it for the food and the toy is a nice touch. 2. Am | the only one who thinks that the new Dreamcast looks a lot like a cross between PlayStation and N64? What's up with that? 3. Will GameDay be worth it or will it be a repeat of last year's game? 4. Don't you think it's time for a boxing game for PlayStation? | can't wait! Kevin Wright Upper Darbey PA has better moves, better graphics, features the only Force Ball and Force Mode, and comes out with about 5 more characters each game! We are not on Crossfire, but sit down! Your mag rules etc. I TE === Tekken wouldn't be complete without a sparkly green Yoshi. Expect to hear from me again. EC. Via the Internet 1. We believe that Final Fantasy means that it is a “Final” adventure for that specific era or band of characters. To strengthen this point we've heard that Cloud is studying art at Harvard, and Celes is flipping burgers at the Burger Unknown Fridley, MN Wow! We wouldn't mind King on University and 27th. being her 2. Turok 2 is coming in late October/ parasite for a early November. Tomorrow Never Dies day! comes out in the second quarter of '99. 3. Hey! Back off, bub! Mortal Kombat may not be very realistic, but it’s the closest unrealistic trying to be realistic thing you'll ever see! Afterthought. Touché! You're actually going to argue that Force Ball makes that game better than Tobal 2? Good luck, and prepare to be assaulted. 15 this the first? Nope. There are now 39 in total. We can see why you haven't seen them before. Really, who likes looking at subscription cards? Anyway. If you're an arcade junkie and really ticked because Secret Access doesn’t cover too much arcade stuff, then look at the subscription cards for a Training Card. They usually have all the moves and codes for the best coin-op games. This is yet another hidden wonder buried Shauna Clarke Mt. Vernon, NY We're по! quite sure what's going on here, but it oe our information-packed looks like Morrigan p choked on p. ₪ Demitri's Megan Taylor 1. As with many games, the unfinished homemade Columbia, MO version is better than the final product. chicken. Now Am | sexy, no? We had no problems whatsoever with the heimlich. Do you want to the reviewable burn Acclaim sent us, but § the boxed copy has bugs galore. This kind of thing happens rarely, but when it does, we point it out (like we are right now). By the way, nice happy meal reference. touch my cloak, no? ‹ ג Chris Williams‏ / © Germantown, ic Mogazice 2. Yes it does. And if Sega was smart it would call the system the StationPlay. 3. Why did you ask that question!? You know the story that usually applies to MD sports games! [roll tape] The developer has less than a year to make a new game y Here are two characters from and updates are usually the max in new features, unless a new engine is being developed. [end of tape] It's way too early to tell how GameDay will be, but we do have a great first look in this month's feature [pg 20]. So check it out! Final Fantasy Vil: Too Much Sugar Edition. 4. Yes!!! It would be booty! [Look at Mark Lovette page 48.] Ft. Worth, TX As Leon hunts, a zombie gives him the finger. Game Informer • September 798: “Not only are the graphics in Spyro phenomenal, the gameplay is rock solid as well. | can just pick this game up and cruise around without any real purpose and enjoy myself — check out the scenery, listen to the incredible music, find some treasure. Certainly, Spyro is one of the best, if not the best, platformer on the PlayStation. Unfortunately, the game will be a tad easy for seasoned veterans, but let me tell ya, you should check out this game anyway. It is truly amazing. The worlds are pretty big, and the puzzles are a blast to figure out. If you own a PlayStation, play this game.” THE GAME HOMBRE Concept 9 Graphics 9.75 Sound 9.75 Playability 9.5 Entertainment 9 OVERALL “Spyro starts like a walk in the park, but soon shows that it’s one challenging PAUL platformer. The graphics are pretty THE GAME PROFESSER spectacular, especially the animation Concept and the camera work. | didn't have to 9 battle with the camera buttons to see ^ Graphics -— where | was going very often. Couple that IGI ES) with some smooth playcontrol and there 5 is little doubt that this is one of the best platform games to grace the PS-X to date. | still haven't seen a lot of the upcoming Crash game, but Spyro is definitely going to give the orange guy a run for his money this fall. Which game comes out ontopis Entertainment still up in the air. Serious action/platform 9 players could likely beat this game in a 9,25 | weekend, but it is well worth it. Others OVERALL Sound 9.5 Playability 9 will get tons of time out of this phenomenal game.” “From start to finish, this rookie platformer is finely polished and highly REINER aed. Spyro the Dragon speaks its OWN THE RAGING GAMER anguage in how platforming techniques - Concent | and basic gameplay procedures are poe pt presented, making the overall experience ы quite different than anything you've seen Graphics before on the PlayStation (or any other 9.75 console). Spyro doesn't feature as much Sound tricky platforming as Crash or Gex, but oun this game challenges you in so many other unique ways. To accompany the unique design, Spyro has three key features in place: (1) The gameplay is tight, tighter than you'd ever imagine; (2) The camera is never a problem; and (3) It never gets dull. Insomniac did a phenomenal job keeping the game jagged and topsy turvy. You never know what to expect next.” 9.25 OVERALL 14 сате informer * September 98 Playability 9.5 Entertainment Keep on truckin’ young Spyro. The fabled dragons that live by the Ж sea are now. causing a ruckus on ? your PlayStation. in Spyro the Dragon, | developer Insomniac Games has woven together | a three-dimensional action/platform extravaganza that PP р?” tickles your.funny bone with wacky cartoon antics and pokes | you between the eyes with fast and ferocious gameplay. Crystal || Dynamics’ boundary-breaking platformer, Gex: Enter the Gecko, proved that the PlayStation was capable of producing 3D action/platform epics like Nintendo's Mario 64. Spyro takes this genre to the next level, and rewrites the textbook for all. * platformers in general. We'dlove to compare Spryo to the muscle-bound orange rodent, the fat plumber, or even the spastic blue hog, but we can’t. Spyro, and his game, steer away from entertain on a different level. First, we'll.get the stupid facts out of the way. Spyro is the first three-dimensional platform star to run on all fours. And no, he’s not mainstream madness and ₪ a pet or anything like that. He's just as intelligent as another platforming star. Heck, when compared to. the plumber, ‘his personality exudes intelligence. But the plumber d loes have а few things on Spyro: (1) He has killer burns, and (2) He's old enough to not be annoying. You see, Spyro's young. Really-young, especially when you compare him to his ancient elders and Dragon parents. So is Spyro annoying? In some ways, yes. When you play the game, he doesn't make a peep. But when he confronts the Crystal + Dragons, he occasionally talks, and even though Hmmm. І can hear it squealing, but I still can't see the hampster's head. he has the voice of Carlos Alazarqui (a.k.a. - the- Taco Bell dog), you can’t help but grit your teeth and turn your head away from the screen. As long as he stays silent, which he does for most of the game, we think he's pretty cool overall: He's. colorful. Abrasive. Breathes fire. And he has a funky mohawk. Spyro is also the first 3D platform star to have an onscreen sidekick that acts exclusively as a shield. Sure, Banjo has Kazooie in his backpack. But does Kazooie sacrifice herself to ‘protect Banjo each and every time? No. Spyro’s faithful dragonfly partner, Sparx, does more than you'd ever expect. Because of Sparx, Spyro will not take on any damage in the game (unless he falls or drowns). Sparx is basically Spyro’s hit point meter and nothing else. When Spyro should take оп à hit, Sparx jumps in the way and takes one for him. Now, if only Robin or Nightwing ‘would do something like this for the great Bat, then that comic might go somewhere. Now, to the nitty gritty: We're sure you'd agree that the main flaw in most 3D platformers usually has something to do with the camera system. Either it doesn’t let you see far enough, זס‎ it’s just too fussy while playing. In Spyro, you don’t even need to mess with the camera, unless’you want to look around with the Spyrocam and investigate the nearby surroundings. Really though, this 3D engine is superb. It moves exceptionally fast, and it has few problems with clipping or faulty camera wofk. In fact, you will barely ever have to spin the camera buttons Save a Crystal Dragon and he will give you some useful playing tips. PlayStation pes" .. | Cover Story are easy to beat. Taste like chicken, * Size: 1 CD-ROM and have very poor : ' : = * Style: 1-Player Action/Platform social skills. | Эд х • Special Features: True 3D Gameplay; Over 30 Stages; Flying Bonus Levels; Soundtrack by Former Police Drummer Stewart Copeland; Carlos Alazarqui as Voice of = the game does this for Spyro; Dual Shock & Analog Compatible you 99% of the time. * Replay Value: Moderately High j RI n ш [5 Ui Ivi : ] Along with the great camera system Р • Created by: Insomniac Games/Universal 4 comes amazing level designs. All of the levels in this - for SCEA game feature some kind of wicked design that is usually very, * Available: September 9 for PlayStation oo 2, שו‎ s roller coaster-like. Here's a good example. In World 2- Peace Keepers Ў to line up a jump à - - there is a level called Ice Caverns. This level is completely circular, but i . Yr zl à 13 -= there's nothing in the middle, and all of the action is on the outskirts. First; you run Bottom Li пе: around the side. Then, you launch across the middle. And then; all hell breaks loose. Before you know it you're zooming all over the place, landing on tiny ledges surrounded by pitfalls, and unlocking secret tunnels and caverns ’that hold a highly. coveted Gem or two. All of the levels in Spyro (except the first . " few) start out tame, but usually explode halfway through and blow your socks off with unforseen events and countless tasks. . . The gameplay is also very solid. ‘Spyro doesn’t have a ton of moves, but the moves he has are all well balanced and well used. Really, how often did ou use the bellyflop in Crash? Twice in six hours? Case in point, you don't need a thousand moves in a game. It's absurd. Thus, Spyro has only five key © Р Maneuvers: (1) Jumping (you should all know what mp adis הל‎ EEE : юм 1116 18 used for), (2) Running (this allows Spyro to. * the few bosses. хиа 1S ony eveia LMG cruise across the massive worlds), (3) Шин = : 4 : Conjunction with running and/or. jumping, Spyro can perform a headbutt to take out enemies, (4) : : Fite Breathing (yep, Spyro may be young, but he Ro a сое puff smoke with the best of them), and (5) .. © Mel qe e Gliding (after jumping, Spyro can glide great со: Я : _ distances). Spyro also has a roll-strafe, but its | | Doesn' t it look like across between а Pretty worthless Since younever have touseit. | > bantha, dewback, and tauntaun? With these moves, you.perform some of the t amazing feats knowrito man and woman (an \ild апа dragon). Imagine soaring across a “Massive acidic swamp after gaining insane speeds nathree ramps, then launching and hitting the | ; have no weakness. You breathe fire on him, but he simply lights up, and your headbutt only dents him. - What do you do? Think quickor die. — . * T * «As. with every other game in recent memory, | W Spyro has secrets galore. On each level -he«will | | Spyro | is all about style. Even the | have to find a'certain amount of Gems and Crystal’ | enemies’ boxers are in fashion. Dragons 10 achieve the coveted status of “Perfect.” ה‎ е Gems are basically like the. boxes in Crash, xcept in Spyro, Неге are tons more. Some levels | éven have you finding over 1000 Gems! Wow! Next come the Dragons = Spyro's : Elders. If you free them m their crystal shell, they pop out (with superb inimation), and tell. Spyro a trick or two. To unlock these secrets, SCEA and Insomniac have created a perfect blend of exploration and tricky platforming to еер you perplexed for hours. — Just from the screens, you can probably tell that pyro is an amazing looking game. But the pictures on't say enough. The animation in this game is : - outstanding and some of the best to grace the:3D иер; EUREN 2 platform scene. Even if you don't think you'll buy this Where have ye see , ime | ате, rentit and see what we're raving about. ~ Game Informer » September 8 15 BLUE GEM 5 Treasure сор GEM 10 Treasure LEVEL GATE oF CRYSTAL DRAGON WORLD 1 ARTISANS This land is mostly harmless, but there are afew bandits and thugs around who want to cause trouble. Who do the village folk calll in to cleanse this problem? The little purple dragon known as the Spyronator. HOME (100 TREASURE - 4 DRAGONS) Look how happy Spyro is! Yes boys and girls, this is the easiest segment of Spyro's gargantuan adventure. In the Artisans Home, Spyro will have complete freedom to stretch his legs and attain full gallop. Don't worry about the enemies. A simple poke with Spyro's horns will take ‘em out. In addition to this, all the of treasure is right out in the open. Basically, practice all of your moves, and be sure to master the jumping techniques. This is also a good area to return to for free guys. The goons with bags will drop five Life Orbs each. Jump across these platforms in order to open up the Flying Gate. % 1 - This wise dragon is directly in front of you. 2 - This somewhat lazy critter is also easy to find. Simply jump off the bridge and head to the left. You'll find him in front of the waterfalls. 3 - He is hidden at the end of the blue-tinted tunnel. M- This massive beast is sitting idle in nt of the large dragon head (boss 3 © Game Informer « September '98 GREEN GEM 2 Treasure PURPLE GEM DRAGON ЖЕЙ RED GEM 1 Treasure 25 Treasure s LOCK BOX warp). You'll find this area to the right of the bridge and through a narrow corridor. Stone Hill Gate - Right out in the prairie next to some tulips is where you'll find this Gate. Dark Hollow Gate - This Gate is tucked out of sight within the mini shrub-labyrinth. Town Square Gate - Look through the blue-tinted tunnel and on top of the tower to find this Gate. Boss Gate - This one is hidden within the large dragon head statue. Beat the first three levels before heading here. Flying Gate - Where could it be? На ha! It's hidden within the. waterfall. Simply hop on all the platforms until they change color from purple to yellow. Then, а super secret gate will lower revealing the Flying Gate. Peace Keepers Balloon - From the very beginning of the world, jump off the platform and run straight forward through the brown-tinted tunnel. Around the bend this wacky flight attendant awaits. LEVEL 1 — STONE HILL (200 TREASURE — 4 DRAGONS) This time, don't expect the enemies to run away from you, but toward you. Don’t worry, Spyro's ramming techniques are still far greater than that of a ram or wizard. As with the Home segment, look everywhere for Treasure. Be sure to explore the castle on the level perimeter thoroughly. Before you know it, you will have a whopping total of 200 Treasure. % 1 & [E] - Enter the tunnel with the two towers and massive brick structure above it. On the other side the Dragon awaits. Key - From the first Dragon, jump over the balcony and onto the beach. Proceed to the right and enter the cave. The key for the Locked Box awaits inside. UNBREAKABLE ₪ LEVEL EXIT : a free life. BASIC TRAINING Study The Design Spyro's foes come in all sorts of different shapes and sizes. The larger enemies cannot be killed with a headbutt. You'll need to use fire on them. Plus, if an F enemy has some kind of shielding (silver in color) you'll need to ram them. The fire will just heat them up a little. The Bug Has Landed Spyro's life is not based on his own hit points, but those of a firefly. Shoot the wildlife on each level to unlock a firefly, or extra firefly hit point. Keep an eye on the bug's color to know how you are doing on health. One More For The Purple Guy Spyro is a good Dragon, but sometimes he needs a little extra boost. When you need to get a free life, return to a previously conquered level, and the enemies that originally threw out Gems will now toss Life Orbs. Collect enough of these and you'll receive This guide reveals many of Spyro's secrets and may spoil your enjoyment of the game. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK! Leap over this fence and you'll find the Key in a cave. 2& - In the first large area jump down into the well and you'll find this Dragon in a corner. - In the second large area ascend the tower and grab the Dragon from the top. - From the third Dragon jump, glide over to the level perimeter, and look for a strange man in a blue getup. Chase him and ram him in the rear to capture the Egg. % 4 - Locate the tunnel closest to the well and enter it. Inside you will find Gems galore and the last Dragon on this level. LEVEL 2 — DARK HOLLOW (100 TREASURE — 3 DRAGONS) Things are starting to geta little tricky for the purple Dragon with the most. On this level, Spyro will no longer be permitted to headbutt all of the enemies. He'll also need to blast them with fire. All of the large enemies need to be burned, and if an enemy is being protected by armor, you will not be able to blast it with flames. - At the very beginning of this level ascend the pillars and you'll find this box on the topmost point. 1 - From the Locked Box, jump to the left and glide out onto the plateau. Blast the large baddie and set your Dragon friend free. [E] - Climb up the stairs‏ & ל and veer to the left. The Dragon will be right in front of you, with the Level Exit tucked safely behind it. % 3& Ф. ~ From the beginning, cut to the right as soon as you can. Descend the stairs and blast the large enemies you encounter with your fiery charm. Hop across a couple of platforms and this Dragon is as free as a bird. Drop down one platform and you'll find the Key. Don’t forget to collect the Gems around these platforms. LEVEL 3 - TOWN SQUARE (200 TREASURE — 4 DRAGONS) This level is chock full of surprises. The enemies are fairly easy to defeat, especially with Spyro's fire. The secrets are not easy to find though. Most of the Treasure is hidden within the corners, and a lot of jumping and gliding is required to get the Dragons. 1 - This Dragon is a piece of cake. Simply climb the series of platforms to the right, and he’s waiting on top. 2 - This one is cake as well. From the first Dragon, glide over to the new area, then ascend a set of platforms, and glide over to another area holding this Dragon. You gotta love the Dragon/Level Exit combo meal. з & [E] - This litle Dragon is located next to the fountain. To get to the fountain simply climb up the only pink staircase on this level. The Exit is two steps to the left. ~ All right. Here’s a mind bender. From the top of the pink staircase, hop onto the small green platform. Angle out and jump and glide. Swing yourself over to the right and you should land on a new grassy area. Jump up on the ledge in front of you and you should run right into the Thief and Egg. n 4 - After chasing the Thief, jump and glide out onto a plush platform complete with its own tower. At the tower, jump out and glide over to the fourth Dragon. BOSS (100 TREASURE — 1 DRAGON) This stage is loaded with sinister baddies. Shoot the dogs with fire and either evade or shoot them again before they jump on you. The boss is the Pumpkin guy. Simply shoot him with fire to take him down. Make sure you check all of the corners for Treasure on this level. з 1 - This Dragon is located right out in the open on the hunting trail. window to find some Gems. You'll need to do this level in the exact order that we state, otherwise you won't amount to squat. First, dip down and enter the cave. Destroy all of the Chests then fly out and head over to the Arches. (Note: If a train is coming as you fly by, then take it out.) Now, fly through two of the Arches, then take a quick detour and destroy all of the Planes. From here zoom to the Arches and finish them off. Now, quickly locate and destroy all of the Boxes on the Trains and this tricky bonus level is complete. WORLD 2 PEACE KEEPERS Some job the Peace Keepers are doing, huh? What the heck! This World is out of control! Go get ‘em Spyro. Overcome the odds and deliver Peace to this World of torment and fear. HOME (200 TREASURE — 3 DRAGONS) Hey! This place is kind of like Tatooine. However, the Jawas have been replaced by little Lego men. If you let the yellow men escape your nasty habit of killing, then they will dive safely under a tent. Use your fire to destroy the tent, and the little yellow guys At the building structure jump out the will surrender and let you know what they think of your actions by mooning you with their little yellow rears. As for Treasure? Use Spyro’s head to move the cannon next to the unbreakable boxes and use his fire to ignite the wick. Aim and shoot, and the booty in the chests is yours. You'll also need to use the cannon to destroy a rock blocking your path. Move the cannon, then fire at the Unbreakable Box. з 1 - If you miss this Dragon then you are an oaf. He's right in front of you. * 2 - This Dragon is way out there. Run past the little yellow dudes and you will eventually come across this Dragon off to the left. з 8 & 8 - Pass by the Boss Gate and the Dragon, Key, and Thief are located in a little alcove to the left. - Jump up on the bridge connecting the end and beginning of the level and jump out over the tar pit and into the doorway. Dry Canyon Gate - From the 1 beginning, simply walk around the corner and this Gate awaits. Cliff Town Gate - After you pass by the first two cannons you will run right into this pretty pink Gate. Гү Ice Cavern Gate - This Gate is E. located near the second Dragon and just to the right of the Balloon. Boss Gate - This Gate is next to BB the unbreakable boxes. Flying Gate - Use the cannon to 8 destroy the rock with a target on it. Hop up the new platforms and this Gate awaits. Magic Crafters Balloon - You'll find this Balloon next to the second Dragon. Look behind it for a free life! LEVEL 4 - DRY CANYON (300 TREASURE — 4 DRAGONS) This level seems rather large, but it's not. It's just contorted into weird ramps and structures. Explore it thoroughly and you'll have no problems finding 100% of the Treasure. - Enter the tiny crack in the wall to the left and you'll find the Egg Thief caressing his pink prize. з 1 - Just walk around the corner and you'll see this Dragon up on a cliff. з 2 - Continue walking on the lower portion of this level, then ascend the stairs. The Dragon is to the left. Note: Here Spyro learns that he is born to glide. з 3 - From the second Dragon, glide out to the platform on the left. Then, glide again to the right. And again to the left. You'll eventually travel through a tunnel that leads to a house holding the third Dragon. эр 48, - From the second Dragon, glide out onto the platform on the left. But don't glide to the right like you did before. This time, glide to the left and hug the canyon wall. You'll land on a ramp that leads to the fourth Dragon and the only Key. - At the large (and we mean large) circular castle structure, this warp awaits at the center. - Onthe backside of this level (near several bird throwers) you will see a platform way out in the middle of nothingness. Jump up on the castle nearby and from the topmost point soar over to a rock stairway. Again, from the topmost point soar over to the platform holding the locked box. 2 Jump, then hit glide at the perfect time to make this platform. LEVEL 5 — GLIFF TOWN (400 TREASURE — 3 DRAGONS) Shoot the kettles to unearth a good portion of the Treasure. Most of the Treasure is, in fact, easy to find. Don't forget to search behind the building you started in! To get to this area simply glide over from the hill near the third Dragon. 1 - Run across the second bridge and he's sitting a few steps to the left. Р | 2 - Ascend the large building at the end of the level and this Dragon is waiting all the way at the top. Ib. To break this supposedly Unbreakable box, do this. Go to the very top of the largest building (by the second Dragon), and jump off. Angle your jump at the series of smaller buildings below, and if you look closely you'll see a firecracker strapped to one of the buildings. When you fly by apply a little fire, and the unbreakable box (which happens to be located near the second Dragon as well) will explode revealing its gut-wrenching surprise. з 3 - From the second Dragon, launch across the river of tar and over into the desert. Run around the corner and up ii F Bump this Thief in the rear and he'll cough up the Egg. the hill. The third Dragon awaits on a cliff. You can also get to this Dragon by taking the particle stream on the left-hand side near the beginning. - From the first Dragon, approach the building to the right. The evil, nasty, sinister Thief awaits. - At the very top of the largest building on this level, there-is a path that leads even higher and over to the Level Exit. LEVEL 6 — IGE CAVERN (400 TREASURE — 5 DRAGONS) Aghh! Another 400 Treasure Іеме!!!!! Don't worry though, most of the Treasure is placed in easy to find places. Plus, a lot of the Gems have a value of 5 or higher. Don't forget to snag the free lives from the platform next to the building by the Level Exit. Also note, most of the baddies here are easy. Don't be intimidated by their taunts or appearances. Spyro's a tough cookie, and he'd never be taken down by a snowball chucker. 1 || 1 | Hop on the platforms surrounding this entrance to get inside. з 1 - Walk around the corner to the left and you'll come snout to snout with this Dragon. Enter the building structure and‏ - + ל you'll find this one next to the balcony.‏ Ф. Walk out onto the balcony next to Dragon 2 and jump out toward the small ice structure. Here you will find the Key. % 3 - From the Key, jump out onto the tiny path and ascend it. Veer to the left and enter the cave. A Dragon is waiting. y 4 & [ET] - Exit the cave holding Dragon 3 and continue up the path to the top of the plateau, where the fourth Dragon and Level Exit reside. эр 5 - Enter the ice cavern and follow the path to this Dragon. - Following this strategy should bring you back to the second Dragon's locale. Jump up onto the other platforms then across the window exit to find the Locked Box. BOSS (300 TREASURE — 1DRAGON) What? Can it be? It is! There are suicidal enemies in this game! Well, maybe not. But look out for the enemies that are thrown at you against their will. When you come to the second particle stream (the one next to the tower), look out to the horizon to find a Gem worth 25. To take down the boss, try to blast him with fire in the arse. He should scream like a baby if you get in a good shot. - Take the first particle stream up to the next level and then jump back out to the Key on a tiny platform. Stand on the ends of these platforms and spit fire to kill the baddies. % 1 - Take the first particle stream up to the next level, then simply walk forward to the mobster-like Dragon. - From the last boss, Em = cross over the last bridge to the Level Exit, then jump down to the platform below which holds this priceless Box. This Flying segment is a little more straightforward than the last one. Fly through the Rings, then break the Chests. Now, head down to the Arches, then finish off the Lights. WORLD 3 MAGIC CRAFTERS We don't see no stinkin' magic here, man! This World is where the game starts to get a little on the difficult side. You'll need highly honed abilities; otherwise, you'll be a worthless purple dragon. HOME (200 TREASURE — 3 Those chanting wizards are a real pain in the dragon rear. Simply use the lost art of ramming your head into their gut to remove their menace. The rest of this Home stage should be easy, even for a little dragon. - After jumping a few puddles you will come to a crossroads. In the middle stands a Thief with a nicely polished Dragon Egg. Hint: He runs to the left. OQ- Informer * September '98 з 1 - At the crossroads, cut to the right to get to the first Dragon. Ө 2 - There's another stinking Thief on this level! And he’s holding (and coveting, we might add) a Dragon Egg! Simply run up the hill past the Alpine Cliffs Gate and chase him for awhile. Didn't catch him did ya? Now, walk up the path to the left and get the running power. Now, chase him. Got ‘im! з 2 - Remember the second Thief chase? If so, then you might have run into the second Dragon. He's on top of the hill which grants super speed. % 3 - After the running segment, enter the cave. In here, locate the room with the purple tint. The Dragon is inside. ₪ - After saving the third Dragon, exit out into the daylight and you'll see this Box next to a moving wall. To destroy it, return to the running segment and run through the cave and into the Box. KABLAM!!! Т - Go behind the Wizard Peak Gate and destroy the box across the pond. Look at the wall and you will see an entrance. In here the Key awaits. - This one is kind of a pain to find. Go back near the beginning (where the chanting wizards are) and look out across the gap. You'll see a cave up and to the right. Get as high as you can, then leap. You'll make it. Alpine Cliffs Gate - Run out E Bot the building (toward the first Dragon) and cut to the left. Veer to the left again and you'll be at this Gate. High Caves Gate - This Gate ids right next to the second Dragon. Wizard Peak Gate - From the Unbreakable Box, walk around the corner and you'll bump your nose on this Gate. Boss Gate & Beast Makers Balloon - From the Unbreakable Box, drop down to the path on the right. Jump across the water, and the Gate and Balloon await. Flying Gate - Hmmm. This Gate is right next to the third Dragon. Ram these guys, otherwise they will cause you tons of grief. LEVEL 7 — ALPINE CLIFFS (300 TREASURE - 4 The only section on this level that you may find yourself biting nails on is the Fireworks Boxes. You know where they are, and you know what a pain they are to get in one swoop. Don't give up. It can be done! з 1 - Run up the moving stairway and the first Dragon is right behind the archway. з 2 - This larger-than-you critter is located in the waterfall segment. Time your jump carefully, and you'll almost land on him. 3 & || - Start from the locale of the second Dragon, then run up the path to the right. Wham! Bam! Thank you ma’am! з 48: Ё - From the third Dragon, “= turn around and launch across to the cave on the other side of the lake. Free the Dragon, then chase down the thief holding an incubated version of one of your Dragon friends. This is a big jump, but it is possible. LEVEL 8 - HIGH CAVES (400 TREASURE — 3 DRAGONS) Mental Note: Avoid the Bugs!!! Avoid the Bugs!!! Stay a good ways away from these critters, because unlike you, they are invincible. Invincible, that is, until you get your hands on the Love Fire. Yep, at the top of the bugs’ home, Spyro will be kissed by a fairy, adding a zesty love to his fire. Now, go shoot those vermin! With the Love Fire, Spyro can kill bugs. 1 - Run through two bug rooms and he'll be sitting pretty on a ledge. 2 & [E] - Use the Super Dash Ramp and launch into the gray cave on the left. This Dragon is sitting right next to the Level Exit. % 3 - Go back to the beginning, and this time around, head over to the left. At the top of the climb you will find Dragon number 3. - Go across the bridge featuring the funky pattern (to the right of the Speed ramp), and jump into the right alcove that also features a funky look. Here you will run into your main nemesis - the Thief and his unlawfully adopted Egg son. 6 2 - You gotta be kiddin’!!! Okay, go to the speed ramp and jump out to the lush pasture in front of you. Go up the hill and whammo! There he is, standing next to a tiny pond. And guess what? You have to chase him around it. Good luck catching him and his stolen goods. LEVEL 9 — WIZARD PEAK (400 TREASURE — 3 DRAGONS) Hitting the big jumps on this level is a tricky task, but it can be done if patience is applied. Toward the end of the level you will have to make some HUGE jumps by means of a nearby Ramp or two. That's right, go back up and apply the speed of two Ramps in conjunction to make the jumps. There are two jumps like this. 1 - When you start this level, you will begin in a huge structure. When you launch off the ramp, cut to the left and you'll run into the first Dragon right in front of the Super Dash Ramp. - At the foot of one of the Ramps you will find an Unbreakable Box next to. 8 pond. Use a Ramp to take it out. з 2 - From the Unbreakable Box, traverse a few more meters and you'll find this Dragon all by his lonesome. Combine the velocity of two ramps to make this jump. 3 - From the second Dragon, ascend the small stack of nearby platforms and run around the pool until you catch him and his stolen yolk. %: ё | їй- From the Thief, maneuver yourself up one platform and you'll find the third Dragon and Exit surrounded by blue wizards. Ө 2 - This little stinker is hidden behind the wall of one of the double Ramp jumps. Knock him off the edge and take his creamy, stolen goods. BOSS (300 TREASURE - 1 DRAGON) Headbutt the enemies on the path, then zap the wind boss with fire. Doing this will make him open the door below. Enter it and go through the next two rooms and you'll come to the outdoors again. Run to the right and fight the boss again. Ignite him again, then jump over to the next section. Here you will fight him for the third and final time. Good luck. And may the fire be with you...always. % 1 - This little sucka is located through the door and on the bridge after you appear outside again. Go to the left to find him. - Defeat the boss for the last time and the exit is a few more steps up the mountain. FLYING First, fly through the Rings, and then five arches. Now, cut back to the left a little and snag the Chest behind you. Then, hit the ` next few in line. When the planes come, take a few out, then go back to shooting the Chests. Duck down to the Arches, then follow the planes. Whatever you do, don’t go for the Arch on the outskirts. Follow the planes and you'll hit everything else you need. Even that pesky Arch. WORLD 4 BEAST MAKERS Beast Wars! No, sorry. Wrong concept. This World is difficult. Plain and: simple. Make sure you have at least three or four extra lives under your belt before you enter each new level. Don't be impatient when dealing with these electric goons. HOME (300 TREASURE — 2 DRAGONS) All of the Treasure on this level is in clumps. Heck, most of it is in the Locked Box. Avoid the new nasties and have a blast in this odd swampland. * 1-Run around the corner 10 the right, past the two electrician killers, and you'll find him sitting in front of the Terrace Village Gate. % 2.-First, find the Misty Bog Gate, then jump to the right to find this Dragon. - Go to the large tree and head across the brick path on the right. The Locked Box is right against the wall. £ The Key to the Locked Box is in the civilian area past the large tree. Ascend the temple and jump out to the Key when it is in sight. Terrace Village Gate - From the beginning, run around the corner to the right and you'll run head over heels into this flashy green Gate. 1 Misty Bog Gate - Jump across 1 tne log bridge and veer to the right. The Gate is on the next piece of solid ground. ГҮ Tree Tops Gate - Jump past 1 [the log bridge and across the swamp to the left. Sooner or later you will come across a gigantic tree. The Tree Tops Gate is located near the far roots. Boss Gate - In the civilian section past the tree, pass by the three shock dudes and this Gate is right around the corner. n Flying Gate - Jump into the well Ї next to the second Dragon and prepare to participate in a grand ol’ Flying adventure. Dream Weavers Balloon - This one is a few feet away from the Boss Gate. LEVEL 10 — TERRACE VILLAGE (400 TREASURE — 2 DRAGONS) This level is a platforming nightmare. Actually, it isn’t too bad once you get your timing down. Look everywhere, and don't forget to ignite the rockets after each time you die (that is, if you haven't collected the Treasure from that particular Unbreakable Box yet). After you die, make sure you reignite the rockets for the boxes you missed. з 1 - פוחד‎ guy is located right out in the open within the doorway of the second civilian structure you can enter. - At the shock enemies, look to the left and you will see the Unbreakable Box. To the right is the solution (the rocket). ₪ 2 - You won't actually see the box until it explodes. What you'll find is the rocket used to destroy it. This precious item is stuck in the ground behind the shock enemies. Ignite it and watch the show. з 2 - At the end of the shock madness, this Dragon awaits. - This Exit is hidden away within a little hut after the second shock madness exercise. Hint: Keep going up. ₪ 3 - This baby is located at the end of the tricky rooftop jumps. MISTY BOG (500 TREASURE — 4 DRAGONS) Look out for the plants! They'll kill you if you aren't quick enough on the fire button. Here's one of the better kept secrets that you may miss. At the Level Exit, jump up on the right pillar and glide out to the small structure. From here, jump up on top of the temple and grab the loot. 1 - At the second patch of killer plants look on top of the tree stumps. You should see a Dragon waving and saying hi. Then again, it could just be your imagination after trying to collect 500 pieces of Treasure. 2.- From the dock, jump out to the left. Cross over the tree stumps and enter the tree temple. Just past the room with all the enemies the second Dragon awaits. % 3 - Jump out onto the dock and hop up on the tree trunks. Now, jump into the largest of the trunks and the second Dragon is hidden within. - Continue on the 4 5: | % concrete path from the second Dragon, and you'll find the third a few enemies later and up on the stairs to the right. The Exit is a head turn away. TREE TOPS (500 TREASURE — 3 DRAGONS) Memorizing the paths on this level will ensure a clean sweep of all the Treasure. For once, the Thieves help out. Follow them to figure out the Ramp linking system. From the Level Exit, launch over to this platform, then to the stairway. Follow the Thieves to reach areas you didn’t even know existed. Red Thief- This one doesn't have an Egg. Hmmm. When you see his yellow hide chase him across the Speed Ramps and up onto the highest platform. Nail him and you'll receive a Purple Gem. - When you first start this level, look through all the windows you can. One will lead to the Key. % 1 - Go right from the Key and you'll come to a Stone Hinge structure. Launch across the trees and you should land on top of the Dragon. - Use the charging power produced from the second Speed Ramp to destroy this Box. "x 2 - From the start of the level, stay on the path and jump across to the next tree (where the red Thief is). Down a ways you will find a Locked Box and the first Dragon a stairway higher. fp: - Use the Speed Ramp after the second Dragon to launch to the next tree and smash the Unbreakable Box. - The second Speed Ramp will take you right to the Level Exit. Green Thiet- This little bugger shows up М right at the beginning. Follow him across all of the Speed Ramps and he'll bring you to the third Dragon. When the pillars are green, apply your , horns. BOSS (400 TREASURE — 1 DRAGON) When you come to the boss, destroy the stands in front of him to make him flee. Make sure the stands are green and not red. Otherwise, you'll get zapped. % 1 - Simply follow the path and the Dragon will be right in your path. - You'll find this escape at the end of the level (past the second boss confrontation). - After beating the boss, go back into the arena where you had the second battle and ascend the platforms on the left. Here you will find the Locked Box. - Look to the swamp river separating the level for this well hidden Key. The opening is off to the right. This is complete mayhem. The Boats are the hardest of targets, but luckily, there are plenty of paths in which this level can be completed. Study this stage a little and you'll come up with a strategy to beat it. Destroying the boats first isn’t a bad tactic at all. THE GUIDE STRIKES BACK? Hey, we're taking off for a month or two to go relax on the beach. If all goes as planned, we'll have the second and final part next month, but don't moan if it turns out to be two months from now. Those coconut drinks are addictive, and oh so tasty! eveloping a sports game is a serious matter. Developing a football game is outright war. Last year, two football games held the #2 and #3 spots in overall sales on the PlayStation - Sony's GameDay ‘98 and EA Sports’ Madden 98. Combined, the two games sold in excess of 2 million copies in four months. When Sony and EA Sports get ready to release football games there is always talk about new features, plenty of buzzwords to decipher, and a heck of a lot of game to analyze. To preview this annual sports battle, Game Informer questioned EA Sports’ Scott Orr and 989 Studios’ (formerly Sony Interactive) Kelly Ryan about their upcoming games. Currently EA Sports vice president and executive producer of Madden 99, Scot Orr was an original designer of the first Madden game on Genesis and has led the way in Madden production ever since. Kelly Ryan, after beginning his career at Sega Sports, joined Sony Interactive around the time of the PlayStation’s launch and has been involved with virtually every sports title Sony has produced. Нуап 8 claim to fame with us will always be as the inventor of Icon Passing, but he currently is producer of GameDay ‘99 and 989 Studios’ director of sports product development. Join us, as we speak with two of the top development brains in the business regarding their soon to be released PlayStation football titles. Both of them know plenty about video football, and their football credentials both date back to the days of the Sega Genesis. БОД INFORMER ASKS UPCOMING GAME ABOUT THE SEASON FOOTBALL what has been the key factor to its Success? 227 à JEG Kelly Ryan: Each year we have the best 8 looking, tightest playing football simulation on the market. We achieve that by not resting on our laurels. When we completed GameDay ‘98 we took a short vacation and then got right to work on GameDay ‘99. The process of exploration and discovery never ends. There is always a better way to do something and we spend 12 months a year trying to find it. We also make a commitment to bring the best football experience to our consumers every year. Last year our consumers numbered around 1.5 million. That's a lot of people to please and we will not let them down. The ‘99 version of GameDay will be a classic. Scott Orr: The hallmark of the Madden series has always been great gameplay. Pure and simple, that is what we believe a game must have in order for it to be a winner. If a game looks great, but plays terrible, then it will be a disappointment to the customer. The sad thing is that if a game just looks great it can make an immediate impression on a potential customer and the looks alone might even generate a sale. But once that game is put to the real test, with your friends or against the computer over a length of time, the truth will come out. Gameplay is what gives a football game staying power. It's what makes you want to go back and play it again and again. That is John Madden Football. It is the ultimate judge when it comes time to talk trash and see who is the best at video game football. Without a doubt the key factor to our success and the one thing that we are most proud of is our gameplay. Gameplay is the reason Madden football has sold over 11 million units over the life of the franchise. People know that if they want to play a great game of football they just need to pick up Madden. SPORTS. E Border = GameDay 99 Border = Madden 99 © Game Informer * September '98 What was the major developmental goal for this year? Ryan: We are building a total three-dimensional gameplay experience. And it's not just about buzzwords. It's real technical achievements that enhance the gameplay experience. Collision detection is done at the node BSS level, for each and every node. We don't just use a box that is vaguely the size of a player to check for collisions. We actually know if a receiver's hands have touched the ball and we use that to determine if a catch is made. From what | saw at E3, our competition’s players don't even have hands. Three-dimensional gameplay is not just polygonal models and node level collision detection. We are working on three-dimensional Al as well. Gone are the days where you just point the camera at a player and view a celebration animation. Our players аге now thinking between plays as well as during plays. If someone was involved in a big collision, during the play he may adjust his helmet or rearrange his thigh pads after the play. Someone loses his footing he may tie his shoe after the play is.over. The players are going about their business doing things, and it's not just aping for the camera. They do stuff whether the camera is looking at them or not. Of course, we have worked with NFL players to upgrade our gameplay Al as well this year and that includes such three-dimensional activities as floating into zones, read and react scraping, and head tracking. Orr: For the first time Madden on the PlayStation will have hi-res polygon graphics running at 30 FPS. This technology has been in development for over two years and is specifically designed to push the hardware to its E limits. | think the results speak for themselves when you see the game. It looks great, and as always, it plays INCOMPLETE, the best. - 3 * We're sure you've received many .comments from gamers and the press regarding last year's version. What was the overriding complaint? What was the overriding praise? Ryan: From our focus groups the one thing that consumers wanted added to NFL GameDay ‘99 is a TV-style presentation. This year we have world class sportscasters Dick Enberg and Phil Simms providing the play-by-play and color commentary. We worked really hard to go where others haven't gone regarding depth of the implementation, and we are.excited about how much Enberg and Simms are bringing to the NFL GameDay video game experience. What many gamers:and press really appreciated about GameDay was how close it is to the real NFL. Especially running the football, with the jukes, spins, high steps, shoulder charges, and stiff arms, people found all the tools used by an NFL running back to run the pigskin. What made running the football so exciting, aside from faking out the opponent with a quick juke or powering over him with a jolting shoulder charge, was the fact that our game is very strong as a real football simulation. Meaning, if a user picked a prime running back like Barry Sanders they would have no problem rushing for a hundred yards a game. Our Al has always been a strong point among the gameplaying public. In GameDay, just as in real football, you can't keep running the same play over and over for big gains. Especially inthe All-Pro and Hall of Fame difficulty, the user has to learn how to mix it up on offense and defense. This year, we have made big adjustments to our Al to make it even better. We have totally rewritten our Zone logic, blocking Al, and scraping routines. Jason Sehorn of the New York Giants and Hardy Nickerson of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers really helped out with the defensive Al. Nickerson in particular had a real understanding of the programming process and was able to communicate to our engineers the intricacies of playing NFL defense on a more technical level. SANDERS Y^ : Orr: The biggest complaint last year was that our sprite graphics looked dated compared to GameDay’s ae e- poly graphics. We made that decision based on gameplay. As | said earlier, we will not compromise game- : play for anything. While GameDay looked better last year in some people’s eyes, the artificial intelligence in Madden was widely recognized as the best. This year we were able to create high-res poly graphics that did not compromise gameplay. In fact, the game plays much: better than last year, even with the addition of the poly graphics, so | like our chances going into this football season. | am confident that people will really enjoy Madden this year both visually and from a gameplay standpoint. -How do you weigh the pass versus ‘the run? The NFL passes much more than it runs, yet some players prefer to run 3 out of every 4 downs. How do you leave the gameplay so open-ended and up to the user?” Ryan: Our playbooks are very deep and offer a variety of formations, both pass and run, to please any gamer whether they run the ball 50:times a game or five. Our play diagrams this year should be the best ever for a football game. They are colorful and huge, detailing the movements of every player. These new play calling screens. are very helpful in running the ball as the user can clearly see the blocking assignments of his line as well as the ball carrier's intended route. With these highly detailed diagrams, awesome special moves and a player model that looks and runs like a real NFL back, we've brought back the run as a realistic, yet fun aspect of video football games. By the way, this year’s motion capture running back is all-pro Fullback Mike Alstott who also drew up some plays for us including his signature play, “Rhino.” Orr: Each team has custom play calling artificial intelligence and playbooks based on what they do in the NFL. When playing the computer, teams that run a lot inthe real NFL will run more in Madden. The opposite holds true for teams that like to air it out. When you play head-to-head against a friend you have the power to run or pass more, based on the style of play you like and the quality of players on your team. | would recommend you run the ball more than you pass when you play with Detroit because Barry Sanders is such an incredible player. Barry actually helped us with this year’s game and came into.the office to work with the development team. The juke move in this year’s game is tailor-made for a back like Barry, because he can leave a defender tackling nothing but air. | When playing the computer, a gamer really has to play smart because | guarantee that the computer will exploit bonehead decisions. You have to play smart in order to win. In your mind what was the biggest addition to this version’s already long list of features? Ryan: Our three-dimensional gameplay. Last year we set the standard for graphics in a football game by going polygonal, which gave GameDay an actual feel of being on the football field. Not only did we-have the best gameplay "feel" or “control,” but you could actually read the holes in the line and run through them unlike any other football game has been able to deliver. This year, our player model has been completely revamped from his helmet down to his cleats. We are using more then double the polygon count of each player from last year. NFL GameDay ‘99 not only looks great, it runs at a silky smooth 30 frames per second. This.delivers a fast and furious gameplay experience that will be far beyond what any other football.game will be able to deliver. Orr: The biggest new feature in this year’s game is the graphics. This will be obvious to anybody that picks up the game. It looks great! After that, the biggest new feature is our one-button mode. This game style lets a casual gamer pick up the game and immediately start enjoying it and having success against either the computer or against hardcore human players. What the one-button mode does is make many of the decisions for you. For example, when you are running with Barry Sanders you just hit one button when, you get close to a defender and the game decides whether Barry should juke, spin, hurdle, stiff.arm, or do whatever is necessary at that time and place. It is even possible to play against another person and have the less experienced gamer, like a dad for instance, use the one-button mode while the more experienced player can use the normal mode with full functionality at his fingertips. If you know the game well and want total.control over what is happening on the field, you wouldn't want to use one-button mode. But if you are new to Madden football and don’t want to take a long time to learn what all the buttons do you can use one-button mode and enjoy it right away. Also, franchise mode is something we are very excited about. It allows you to take a team.through multiple seasons while dealing with salary caps, player retirements, free agents, and so forth. Youcan even be fired if you do a horrible job managing your team! © Game Informer * September '98 Ryan: GameDay ‘99 will stand out because it is strong in every area that a football game should be. GameDay is a level above, from the new Enberg/Simms audio, to the jumbo playbooks, to three-dimensional gameplay, to the largest statistical data base ever done in any sports game on any platform, and I'm including PC coaching simulations in that comparison as well. Our graphics are drop dead gorgeous. It's just professional to have the very best graphics in a football simulation every year and we always do. But even by our standards this game is a real looker. l'm surprised the competition is actually planning to ship what they showed at E3 this year. | understand that this is their first year of developing a polygonal football on the PlayStation, but | still can’t believe how choppy it was that late into development. We always run at 30 frames per second because anything less is just not a satisfactory gameplay experience. It wouldn't be professional to sell. the consumers something that didn't look, feel, and play tight. Orr: Realism is always the factor that separates Madden football from the pack. Madden is always a fun game to play, but it's also realistic to what actually happens in the NFL. Those two factors, realism and fun, are not always easy to put together in the same game. Making a game fun to play can sometimes take the developers away from what is actually possible out on the field, so we are constantly reminding ourselves to stay true to real life. That is the way John Madden insists that it be, and that is how we build the game. At our first meeting with John Madden over ten years ago he stressed that the game must be realistic if he is to be associated with it. We originally presented him with a game design that was seven on seven players, and Madden wouldn't even consider working with us on the game until we got the game to be 11 on 11 players. He said that was the way the real NFL was, so that's the way his game was going to be. We never lose sight of that vision. Madden reviews the game many times during the development process, and if something doesn't look realistic he lets us know about it, loud and clear. He gives us so much insight as to what actually happens on the field that we have a huge competitive advantage every year over our competition. 6 G Ryan: Accurate attribute assignments are actually implemented into the gameplay. If somebody tries to play man coverage on Reed, Moss, and Carter they’re going to get burned. You will actually see the separation that Carter gets from an average defensive back when he tails off into his fade route. If Reed gets behind the defense in GameDay, it's just like the NFL, they're not going to catch him. Orr: You've obviously been talking to Rich Hilleman! He was the producer and my co-designer on the first Madden Genesis and SNES games. Rich is a huge Vikings fan. Actually | think the Vikes have an exciting team with a lot of talent. They have a combination of veterans who have been around the league, and young talent like Randy Moss that will pump new life into the team. Minnesota could be a very dangerous team come playoff time. As far as making them a dominant team in Madden, we will of course accurately reflect their players’ skills in the game, and their playbooks, so if you know the team well you can exploit the knowledge you have to make the team better. If you are huge fan of the Vikes you can play the role of general manager in our Franchise mode and build them up over many seasons to become the best team in the league. Good luck! ד YARDS"‏ 33 ז0 САІМ‏ Size: 1 CD-ROM Style: 1 or 2-Player | Sports (8-Player Via | Multi-Tap) | Special Features: Create Player & Customize Rosters; M — Play Editor With Team-Specific PlayBooks; Franchise Mode; Fantasy Draft; Commentary by John Madden & Pat Summerall; Dual Shock & Analog Compatible; Memory Card Required for Season Created by: Tiburon Entertainment for EA Sports Available: September 1 for PlayStation 80% Complete Size: 1 CD-ROM Style: 1 or 2-Player Sports (8-Player Via Multi-Tap) Special Features: Create Player & Customize Rosters; Fantasy Draft Mode; Custom Season; Adjustable Al & Game Speed Levels; Total Control Passing With Receiver Option Routes; Commentary by Dick Enberg & Phil Simms; Dual Shock & Analog Compatible; Memory Card Required for Season Created by: RedZone Interactive for 989 Studios Available: September 1 for PlayStation 80% Complete The Developers Tiburon Entertainment This Florida-based Studio opened in 1994 and has a long relationship with EA Sports | ENTERTAINMENT | including the SNES Akka development of Madden 96. Soon after, Tiburon began work on the PlayStation Madden series and is responsible for Madden 97 and 98, as well as Madden 64. RedZone Interactive A new name in the development circle, | but an old crew of GameDay veterans, | RedZone is actually | a 989 Studios spin- ” Designed & Developed by. | | off. This San Diego-based studio was formed by members of the original GameDay design team and is headed by Chris Whaley who was producer and co-designer on the past three GameDay titles. HAT'S HOT + TECH TALK + @ Panzer Dragoon Saga - SS © Breath of Fire Ill - PS-X. © Monster Rancher - PS-X | @ Int'l Superstar Soccer ‘98 - N64 @ Final Fantasy Vil - PS-X Ө Hot Shots Golf -PS-X = @ Mega Man Legends - PS-X © Banjo-Kazooie – N64 @ Gran Turismo - PS-X | © Spyro the Dragon - PS-X zu Readers' Top Ten Games for September @ Panzer Dragoon Saga - SS © MLB'99-PS-X . Ө Resident Evil 2 - PS-X ? Ө Final Fantasy Vil - PS-X © Mortal Kombat 4- N64 © WCW vs. NWO: World Tour - N64 Ө бех: Enter the Gecko - PS-X Ө Tekken 3 - PS-X @ Banjo-Kazooie — N64 © Gran Turismo - PS-X Top Ten Things Not To Do at the Boss’s Beach Party -© Arrive late, and the minute you = “get there throw all the food on the floor. © Ask where they keep the good food and beer. © Double dip. @ Complain about the lack of service. © Shoot off fireworks inside the house. © Allow your dog to use the beach as a personal toilet. Ө Hold your family reunion. © Bring a guest who stole $8,000 from the company. Ө Drive home in his/her Mercedes 500 SL. @ Sleep over on the couch, but first tell him/her what you'd like for breakfast. Game Informer is looking for your. Top Ten favorite games. Please send your Top Tens to: Game Informer Magazine Attn: Top Ten 10120 West 76th Street Eden Prairie, MN 55344 Everyone that enters every month will be entered іп a drawing to win a GI Secret “Access T-Shirt! So get writing! 9 Game Informer * September "98. COMIC WATCH + TOP TEN * TRIVIA * * WHAT'S HOT * TECH TALK + — ох: мит. , ou N амин" x ... Sony Spills The Beans on » PlayStation 2 In the June 15 issue of Business Week an article explored Sony and its future. Since the PlayStation accounts for 10% of the company's profits and 22.5% of its working capital, the article included information about the future of video games, and Sony's place within it. According to Ken Kutaragi, CEO of SCEA, the PlayStation 2 is well under development. “We are working on plans for a next-generation machine, but | can't say more." Kutaragi should have told that to Teruhisa Tokunaka, president of Sony Computer Entertainment, who says that DVD is the medium currently being entertained for the PlayStation 2's data storage. Tokunaka has been doing the rounds with companies, asking them to develop for PlayStation 2. It appears the system may not be too far away. In fact, Tokunaka visited some Osaka-based Japanese developers (Capcom, or Konami, perhaps?) a whole month before Sega approached the same developers to drum up support for the Dreamcast. But this still does not answer the burning question of “when?” Well, don’t expect the advance notice Sega gave for its Dreamcast. The industry, according to Business Week, thinks that Sony will simply wait until PS-X sales slow, and then unleash the new system on an unsuspecting public, rather than wait for a good opening. If PS-X sales are poor this year, expect the Dreamcast to have some fresh competition from PlayStation 2, perhaps as early as the year 2000. Square's Ehrgeiz Coming to PlayStation..In Japan at Least 5 Square's arcade fighter, Ehrgeiz, is coming to PlayStation. Unfortunately, a representative from Square/Electronic Arts confirmed that, at this time, Square/EA has "no plans" to release Ehrgeiz for the U.S. PlayStation. Too bad, because the game really kicks, and includes popular characters Cloud and Tifa d from Final Fantasy VII. This would be yet another instance of a great Square game not making it to the States. Other recent examples include Tobal 2, and the Final Fantasy IV and V remakes for PlayStation. Square/EA did not say the game will “never” be brought over, so there is still hope. y № ©. Ao Announces Sequel Game Informer discovered these pictures at the end of Banjo-Kazooie. To reveal them, you will need to complete the game with a perfect score: 100 Puzzle Pieces & 900 Music Notes. Mumbo Jumbo says these shots are from the next game, Banjo-Tooie. However, the footage you see is clearly from the first game, only with a few variations, like the ice wall, once removed, revealing access to the key. Will these levels be repeated in Banjo-Tooie? Maybe, but there is also the possibility that a save being transported on the Controller Pak from Banjo- Tooie to Banjo-Kazooie could open these unreachable places. Rare has stated that this sequel will be out in ‘99. More details to follow shortly. T * COMIC WATCH * TOP TEN * TRIVIA * NAME THAT GAME! * WHAT'S HOT * TECH TA * COMIC WATCH + Amm s — NL m o atn "rmv = | 24 Sega’s Name Not on Dreamcast Sega Enterprises Ltd. president, Shoichiro Irimajiri, told E-Map's Sega Saturn Magazine Dreamcast.. that indeed, the Sega logo and name will not appear on the Dreamcast system. According to the ! U.K.-based magazine, Irimajiri stated, "We have been working on the brand issue for 18 months. | : We conducted market research and found that the Sega name is Р) very strong with the hardcore game users, but for the light gamer it’s { not a well known brand name and in some cases creates negative feelings. So this time we decided that the brand name of the platform will be the major brand name for the consumer business. So Dreamcast is the name of the platform and we will focus on that. When it comes to software titles, the Sega name is a much more important brand." An interesting position for Sega to take on its Dreamcast. Rarely does the producer of the system not attach its name to the title. But as Mr. Irimajiri pointed out, in Sega's case, this might be a logical approach. Remember, the hardcores keep gaming alive through lean times, but the Joe Publics create the boom times like today. ~w More News on Crash Bandicoot Fantastic Plastic Can an orange marsupial toy really be collectable? No, it cannot be! Oh, gaming goodness! It is possible! And from what we hear, collectors will have their first shot at picking up the initial orange bandicoot collectable very soon. According to someone who thinks he is cool, and seems to be reliable 9996 of the time, we hear that the first wave of Crash toys will ship before Christmas. Better yet, the toys will launch before the release of Crash 3, which happens to be in November. Late October? Possibly. We have also heard that three different versions of Crash are in the works (which 2 Should mean that one will be released with each wave). The three versions are Crash SS with jetpack (wave 1), Crash with jetboard (wave 2), and Crash holding Sonic and Mario’s head (kidding). We don’t know what the third toy is, but we believe that it will either be (1) Crash on a warthog (yes!!!), (2) Crash on a snowbeaver (yes!!! yes!!!), or (3) Crash riding some new vehicle from Crash 3 (it better be like a snowbeaver...yes!!! yes!!! yes!!!). The other figures are Tiny, N. Gin (possibly with large mecha), Cortex (wave 1), Coco the underage babe, and the Komodo Brothers. We believe that Roo, N. Brio, and Tawna are in the works as well. Save those pennies boys and girls, because Crash "I'm Orange For No Reason" Bandicoot is coming to town in the form of fantastic plastic. Coming Soon: Crash Pandicoot 4 Universal Interactive issued a press release that hypes the upcoming Crash Bandicoot toy line. At the bottom of the release there is mention that Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped and Crash Bandicoot 4 are coming soon. Hmmm. Crash 4 coming soon, eh? With this in mind we instantly dialed up a Naughty Dog contact on the Bat Phone and asked if this rumor was true. Naughty Dog knew about the press release, and the fact that it said Crash 4, but said that it would not be making Crash Bandicoot 4. An even bigger hmmmm. So, Naughty Dog is not working on Crash 4. Then who is? Obviously someone within Universal, or a Separate company under contract. Naughty Dog's contract ends with Crash 3, so it's obvious that Crash 4 won't be born from the original parent, but rather, from a foster parent. Universal would be stupid to quit making Crash Bandicoot games after Naughty Dog leaves. Let's just hope that Universal picks a developer equal to, or greater in power, than Naughty Dog. Otherwise, we could have a Bubsy-like disaster on our hands. * TECH TALK * MUTATION NASHUN Parasite Eve Раск-1п Announced Square Soft’s Parasite Eve wil! include a playable demo of the RPG Xenogears when it releases in September. Also on the demo will be movies of Final Fantasy VIII, Brave Fencer Musashi, and Bushido Blade 2. InterAct Wins Awards at Sony Meeting InterAct, best known for its GameShark, has won two awards at SCEA's annual PlayStation Licensee Meeting. The peripheral company won: (1) Best Selling Licensed Peripheral for the Piranha Pad, and (2) Consumers' Choice Award for the V3 Racing Wheel. Congratulations to InterAct for the awards, but we still wouldn't touch its memory cards with a 10-foot pole. Acclaim Talks Up All-Star Baseball 2000 While still early in development, Acclaim Entertainment is starting to talk about the sequel to All-Star Baseball ‘99. Tentatively titled All-Star Baseball 2000, the game designers have been busy putting together upgrades for the new game. Using the same engine as this year’s edition, ASB 2000 will feature a number of interesting and realistic additions, including: arguments among players, coaches, and umps; multigame suspensions; player ejections; mound charging; rainouts; broken bats; bats flying from batters’ hands; and different-sized strike zones corresponding to an umpire's profile. Quake Toys, Come and Get "Ет Early next year, ReSaurus, the makers of Duke Nukem and Crash Bandicoot toys, will release the initial series of Quake toys. The first line is rumored to include characters from both Quake games. Hopefully, these toys will be the same scale as the Duke series already available. What a beautiful sight! Duke killing Quake critters! We love ReSaurus! Quake Il Coming to PlayStation The headline for this story says it all. But first- person fanatics shouldn't turn to the next story just yet. Quake Il was huge on the PC, not only because it was a great 1-player game, but multiplayer as well. The chance of this version having multiplayer is slim, unless Activision incorporates a split-screen mode or linkplay (which it should). But this experience will more than likely pale in comparison to the PC. So, expect Activision to improve upon the 1-player game by adding exclusive levels and possibly new weapons and enemies. We predict that this shooter will release in '99, but there is a slim chance it could come out late this year. Ei os Comments, “No Comment" Eidos released a “comment on business developments" surrounding its possible acquisition opportunities. Although Eidos said, like many companies, it is investigating a possible acquisition, it had nothing to announce at this time. For the last several weeks, Eidos has been linked with the impending purchase of Virgin Interactive. "A number of possible acquisitions are being considered by Eidos and if any of these are successful, Eidos' shareholders will be informed," stated the release. Eidos stock rose over 10% on its “non-announcement.” Ó Game Informer * September '98 | New Game lew Game Boy Color 7 : Brothers and New Line Cinema. . шини WATCH * TOP TEN + TRIVIA * 1 « WHAT'S HOT * TECH TALK + T keep jumping out of the woodwork, promising bigger and better titles for this highly anticipated pocket filler. Acclaim will bring Turok 2 to the Game Boy Color later this year, along with NBA Jam *99. Both of these games are expected to take full advantage of the 56-color mode. However, there are no details as to what these games will be like. Will Turok be like the N64 game, or a follow-up to the Game Boy version? Also, is NBA Jam going to be 5-on-5 like the new N64 game, or a traditional 2-on-2? As always, we hope to have these answers very soon. Kemco is also bringing four new games to the smallest machine in the industry. Top Gear Pocket [cheesy name] is expected to tear it up later this year, and believe it or not, Deja Vu will also be turning some heads with Deja Vu 2: Ace Harding. Joining those in Kemco's Color Game Boy lineup are Shadowgate Classic and Bugs Bunny Crazy Castle 3. Lastly, Crystal Dynamics will bring Gex: Enter the Gecko to the Game Boy Color in time for the holidays. All of these titles are expected to release on, or around, the Game Boy Color's release on November 23. | + . | The Game Boy Color is quickly becoming the console of desire, and new developers | rouble in South Park Game Informer has learned that Acclaim is experiencing difficulties with its South Park license. Acclaim originally planned to produce two different games with the license: a Beavis and Butthead-style adventure, and a death- , match fighting game. | Unfortunately, Acclaim is having problems | with an &year-old South Park gang running | around with weaponry. Apparently, South -| Park's creators aren't prepared to condone 8- | years olds who run around and kill each other. | But isn’t that what the show is all about? As a matter of fact, in episode 103 - Volcano - | the kids are taken hunting for the Scuzzlebutt | with Patrick Duffy for a leg. Hey, if they can use | guns to hunt down Scuzzlebutt, then we say let | them fire at will. Г New Trend If you love video games, get ready for this fall's television series lineup. A live-action MK series, dubbed Mortal Kombat: Krusades, will debut, continuing the exciting combat from the movies and video game series. We have very few details concerning the actors and actresses; however, we do know that each episode will be an hour in length and the plot will be based around the adventures of Kung Lao. Mk: Krusaders is the first joint venture between industry giants Warner ми Їймлтє Man-Made Creation d ЙЕ The Ultimate: Genocide Machi NS Contest 00 Gomers’ eoDuoiuc г by sending a SASE to: ThunderForce V Contest c/o SPAZ, side every game package. Dark. of Technosoft Co., Ltd. Original Game © 1997, 1998 Te¢hnosoft Co., Ltd. English Translation of, "Working Designs" and “SPAZ’ are regi A Working БОШ; Inc. All rights reserved. If the Gauntlet's A Rockin’, Don't Come A Knockin% 3417. Gamers’ Republic is a trademark of | — AT'S HOT + TECH TALK * MUTATION NASHUN , COMIC WATCH + TOP TEN • TRIVIA + NAME ТН P ашы: === E a 7 2 לרד‎ 1 . EA Sports Signs Antoine Walker Antoine Walker, the allstar rookie from the Boston Celtics, has been signed by EA Sports to represent NBA Live 99. He joins the ranks of fellow all-stars Tim Duncan, Tim Hardaway, and Mitch Richmond. The main reason EA chose Walker? According to Walker himself, “The NBA Live 98 product was so incredible that | actually worked it into my pre-game ritual this last season. | am really looking forward to bringing some new ideas to the table about how to make the game even better next year.” And Chip Lange, VP of sports marketing for EA, had great things to say as well. “[Walker] is a young and charismatic NBA player who is also a long-time computer and video game player. His input will be invaluable for the NBA Live 99 product line.” NBA Live 99 is scheduled to hit the PlayStation and N64 in November. If you're into action-figures (as some of us really are), then you'll have to stop by and see the Raving Toy Maniac for the latest in collectibles. ч V. Pocket Kitty Coming to J Are you a fan of the Hello Kitty toys? Well, there’s a new toy coming out that is basically the Pokemon Pikachu with the Hello Kitty character in it. It is designed by Nintendo, so it isn't some cheap ripoff. But it is still basically the same thing. Here’s a picture, and take a look around when the Pokemon goods start hitting the shelves this September. You just might find this little Pocket Kitty. 23 ae 1 top secret PlayStation 2 will be what? EA Pressures Game Counterfeiters © What publisher fer recent losing 3 : E. the World Championship Wrestling license, EA, with the help of Turkish authorities, captured a | recently acquired the World Wrestling shipment of over $300,000 (about 800 games) worth of | Federation license beginning late 19992 illegally copied games entering Turkey from Malaysia. E Most of the discs were titles such as World Cup 98. © What does Capcom stand for? EA lost nearly $300 million last year due to counter- feiting, which is a considerable percentage of the industry's $3.2 billion counterfeiting loss. To reduce 4 I 8 "5 counterfeiting, EA will continue to monitor exports from Malaysia and Asia. However, imprisoning the people | - א‎ л for internationally transporting illegal games serves little purpose in ending counterfeiting. These people just | Hint; It fled for Chapter 11 in 1992 4 move the games, they don’t copy them. To really stop the problem, the governments of the countries where | ў counterfeiting occurs must help. However, іп some instances EA doesn’t request help because it can’t. Іп | [Answers on the bottom of page 32] China, and some other surrounding countries, copying software is legal. EA can only seize these professed | С criminals if they export games to countries where counterfeiting is illegal, which was the case in Turkey. GI isn't just reporting this story because it's industry related. We want to send a message to everyone that purchases copied games, or copies them. PLEASE STOP! People argue that video games are too expensive. One reason vids are expensive is because companies must increase prices to balance their losses from counterfeiting. Furthermore, you, as a consumer, are being cheated. Many of these illegal games | are of poor quality; sometimes intros, text, and endings contain numerous errors. | ©) What is the new name for Sony Interactive ELECTRONIC ARTS' |. Studios America? 1... —— | o> Capcom Returns to the Magical Kingdom Capcom, the video game developer who invented the “update,” is returning to its roots and the Magic Kingdom. Two new titles, Tetris Grand Master and Magical Tetris Challenge Featuring Mickey Mouse, are scheduled to hit arcades later this year in Japan. And if you’ve seen the August issue of Game Informer, , then you know that we broke the story on Magical Tetris heading home to the Nintendo 64, which is in fact A Capcom’s first Nintendo 64 venture. It is also Capcom’s first Disney-related title since the good ol’ 16-bit 5 hy : days. Magical Tetris features many of the somewhat likable Disney characters such as Mickey, Donald, This college basketball даме was published in Goofy, Minnie, and possibly even Pluto. Don’t expect to see this title on the Nintendo 64 until next year. As 1994 by Time Warner Interactive, In addition to for the arcade? Both of these games are still in question, and possibly may not make it to the States. exhibition and tournament games, this cartridge Capcom also announced and unveiled a new robot also included ה‎ 2 Чаты game. Most 1® fighting game called Choko Senki Kikaioh (translates to notably, however, this game featured one of the | Super Steel Battles). This game should hit Japanese most annoying personalities to ever grace basket- arcades soon. ball (and it wasn’t Bill Walton), What game is it? [Answer on the bottom of page 32] © Game Informer * September '98 CREDITS У PUSH ANY BU; Annihilation >< PlayStation PlayStation and the PlayStation logos are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc TM | 5 wal IS can be obtained at our web site at htip://www.workingdesigns.com, ог by sending a SASE to Elemental Gearbo est Our games go to 11/ to 2 o. Workifig Designs, 18135 Clear Creek Road, Redding, СА 96001. Complete details are also available inside every game package, EMENTAL GEARBOLT" is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Original Game © Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. 1997. This game is published by Working Designs under license from Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. English Translation © Working Designs 1998. “Working Designs’ is a registered trademark of Working Designs, Inc. All rights reserved Shooters make better lovers! Web Address: http://www.workingdesigns.com For a dealer near you, сай (530) 243-3417. “Electronic Gaming - ה‎ is a trademark of Ziff-Davis Inc ^s ATS HOT © TECH TALK « Data File: Costa! Dynamics аплоиђеа an agreement with Creative Licensing Corporation to create toys for games such as Gex and Legacy of Kain. The agreement basically. allows Creative Licensing Corporation to find toy manufacturers for Crystal D’s hot properties. It has been successful in the past.with efforts for Wing Commander, The "Terminator, and Primal Rage. en ».Game.nformer has. learned that LucasArts is preparing games based around the new Star Wars, prequel movie. What.systems they will land on, and what style of game they will be, is-still unknown at this time. But we do know that a lightsaber or two will be in at least one of these products. >» A Sega of America spokesperson told Game Informer that the U.S. version of the Dreamcast will not include an internal modem. The Japanese Dreamcast, releasing on November 20, will feature an internal modem, but Sega of America will provide an external modem when the Dreamcast is launched in North America next fall. Sega has yet to determine whether the modem will come packaged with the system or be sold separately. » EA Sports is still working on an arcade-style football title along the lines of NFL Blitz. While EA is still tight-lipped about this PlayStation game and its release, Game Informer has learned that the working title is Air It Out Extreme. » Crave completed a deal with Activision to bring the classic games BattleZone and Asteroids to the Nintendo 64. The deal is so new that Crave has not even begun development on these two games. Crave previously released the classic update Robotron 64 for the N64 last year. A Crave Entertainment represen- tative could not confirm a solid release date, but stated that the games could appear on shelves in the 3rd or 4th quarter of next year. © Game Informer * September '98 MUTATION NASHUN + COMIC WATCH + TOP TEN * TRIVIA * 4 т — NAME THAT InterAct Developing a Revolutionary Peripheral InterAct will release a new peripheral that allows people to save data from an N64 or PlayStation memory card to a PC. This unit is called the DexDrive and it works much like a zip drive. You attach your memory card to the DexDrive, then remove data from your memory card and move it onto the computer's memory. This not only means that gamers just need one memory card, but the data saved on your computer can be sent to friends, and anyone else via email. Although nothing's official yet, InterAct has allegedly talked with big developers about utilizing the DexDrive to download new levels, characters, update sports statistics, teams, etc. An ongoing Final Fantasy drama, or additional characters in a fighting game, would be awesome. We'll just have to wait to see if these revolutionary possibilities emerge. InterAct plans to release the DexDrive sometime in the fourth quarter for $39.99. Want a 100 N64? Go to Japan Nintendo has decided to drop the price of the Nintendo 64 in Japan. The price of the console has now gone down to 14,000 yen, about $100 at current exchange rates. However, the price of the Nintendo 64 will remain at $129 in the States, until September, when it will return (maybe) to its $149 price point. The $100 price point is an effort to get more of the machines out in Japan, where the N64 is trailing the Saturn and PlayStation by a wide margin. How can Nintendo afford to do this? Well, between the huge sales of the Pokemon franchise, its Game Boy profits, and the smashing success of the N64 in the United States and Europe, Nintendo has more than enough cash to float the drop. Some are even hinting at further price drops later this year as the Dreamcast's release looms on the horizon. Stay tuned. THQ Swears Allegiance to the WWE After recently losing the World Championship Wrestling (WCW) license to Electronic Arts, THQ, in a joint venture with JAKKS Pacific, will reenter the ring, but this time for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). After THQ pumps out as many WCW games as it can before EA takes over the WCW license, THQ and JAKKS will enter into a 10-year worldwide exclusive agreement with the WWF, to make games on all platforms beginning mid-November, 1999. Both JAKKS, makers of WWF action figures, and THQ will be involved with managing and marketing the branding of the WWF game line. But THQ alone will oversee product development and sales. Plans are to publish at least two WWF games per year during the term of the license, with the first games scheduled for late fourth-quarter '99 releases. This could turn out to be a huge move on THQ's part since a majority of its software sales last year centered around its WCW wrestling titles. In fact, when it was announced that THQ lost the WCW license, its stock went down $8 per share, about 24% of its value at that time. And now that the word is out on THQ's acquisition of the WWF license, the stock's value has risen approximately 1096. Acclaim, as you may know, has held the WWF license for several years. Acclaim will still be able to develop new WWF games through most of 1999 and its next title slated for release is WWF: War Zone. |n addition to War Zone, Acclaim says it will release at least one more WWF game before the license expires, possibly more. And even though Acclaim will lose the WWF license in 1999, it still plans to make wrestling games in some form. * MU С America’s Place to Shop for Video Games OFFICAL MEMBERSHIP POSTER Tomb Raider Ш will be the most anticipated video game of : this year. You have the opportunity to join Lara Croft’s Tomb Шака Croft ~ Raider Ill Expedition Team and ensure that this game will Wants you! exceed the expectations of the industry. Expected release date November 20, 1998 All j | ANY you have to do is reserve Tomb Raider III at ж | FuncoLand with a $10.00 deposit. v d е Tomb Raider Ill on Team only at ! й Ds In addition to receiving the Tomb Raider 111 game on the day of release, you will receive: * Team Member T-Shirt (first 5,000 reservations) * Team Member Poster featuring Lara Croft (first 20,000 reservations) * Team Member Card (first 20,000 reservations) סו PlayStat Limit one per customer. Quantities are limited. ому $14.95 2d 6 6 / х * TECH TALK * MUTATION NASHUN + ETT‏ א New Releases RELEASE DATE TITLE August 8/24/98 8/25/98 8/25/98 8/25/98 8/25/98 8/25/98 8/25/98 8/25/98 8/25/98 8/25/98 ... 8/25/98 8/25/98 8/25/98 8/25/98 8/31/98 .. 8/31/98 8/31/98 September 09/1/98 9/1/98 .. 9/1/98 .: 9/3/98 .. 9/8/98 .. 9/8/98 .. 9/8/98 .. 9/8/98 9/15/98 9/15/98 9/15/98 9/15/98 9/15/98 9/20/98 9/22/98 9/22/98 9/22/98 9/22/98 9/22/98 9/22/98 9/22/98 9/23/98 9/25/98 9/25/98 9/25/98 9/25/98 9/25/98 9/25/98 9/25/98 9/25/98 9/25/98 9/28/98 9/28/98 9/29/98 9/29/98 9/29/98 9/29/98 9/29/98 9/29/98 9/30/98 9/30/98 Tales of Destiny Flying Dragon GEX: Enter the Gecko Blast Radius Brunswick Bowling Cardinal Syn Command & Conquer Red Alert: Retaliation Destruction Derby 2 (Greatest Hits) Devil Dice G. Darius Hardball '99 Accolade Silhouette Mirage Working Designs Team Losi RC Racer Fox Interactive Trap Gunner . .Donkey Kong Land 2 Street Fighter 2 Bomberman Hero Fifth Element Madden NFL 99 NFL GameDay '99 Poy Poy 2 Int'| Superstar Soccer ‘98 Moto Racer 2 Rosco McQueen .. Spyro The Dragon . Kula World . . .Psygnosis . . Capcom . . Square Soft . Ubi Soft Tecmo’s Deception 2 . Madden NFL99 .... NASCAR 99 . -Electronic Arts . . Electronic Arts NFL Quarterback Club ‘99 Acclaim Activision Classics „Activision Fox Sports Hockey ‘99 .Fox Interactive LAPD 2100 AD „Electronic Arts „Electronic Arts Deadly Arts: GASP WCW/NWO Revenge Bomberman World Duke Nukem: Time to Kill Heart of Darkness Interplay LUNAR: Silver Star Story Working Designs .... Masters Of Monsters Fox Interactive Electronic Arts Interplay Pokemon Nintendo Cruis’n World Nintendo NFL Blitz Billiards NFL Blitz Pool Hustler Buck Bumble Shadow Gunner-Robot Wars [All dates subject to change. Call your local retailer for more details.] 9 Game Informer * September '98 БЕЛЯ а ges a P Tales of Destiny Game Informer's To reach Dear Gl or the Editors of GI send correspondence to: Snail Mail x жы Game Informer Magazine’ Attn: Dear GI 10120 West 76th Street Eden Prairie, MN 55344 E-Mail deargi@gameinformer.com WWW Home Page www.gameinformer.com Secret Access To contact Secret Access or Access & Allies please send correspondence to: Snail Mail , Жы Game Informer Magazine Attn: Secret Access 10120 West 76th Street Eden Prairie, MN 55344 E-Mail ₪ codes@gameinformer.com To contact Swap Shop or A.P.B. please send correspondence to: Snail Mail | Game Informer Magazine Attn: Swap Shop ї 10120 West 76th Street Eden Prairie, MN 55344: (612) 946 Outside Minnesota make sure to dial area code (this i is a toll call). To Subscribe please send a check or money order for $19.98 to: Game Informer Magazine Attn: Circulation Dept. 10120 West 76th Street Eden Prairie, MN 55344 www.gameinformer.com/sub.html Video Game Trivia Answers: 1. DVD 2. THQ 3.It comes from the first game it ever Name That Game Answ Dick Vitale's "Awesome Baby!” College Hoops 574 , America's Place to Shop for Video Games’ C pov м Free Ninja T-shirt when you © o/s make a $5.00 reservation deposit at FuncoLand. | 1 1081) Bers) ב PRESENT THIS COUPON at any FuncoLand store and make a (| $5.00 deposit before September 24, 1998 to reserve your copy of Ninja. You will receive a free Ninja T-shirt when you purchase the game. Quantities are limited - only 1,000 available. No dealers or resellers. 588 4155555 111181014 RESERVTN NINJA GI www.funcoland.com - Ninja Shadow of Darkness, Fighting Force and Tomb Raider Ill and Eidos Interactive are trademarks of Core а 'espectively. PlayStation and PlayStation logos are trademarks. of Sony Computer Entertainment America, Inc. Nintendo 64, N64 and “№” logos are trademarks of Nintendo of America. Game manufacturer has the right to delay release of any title at their discretion. © 1998 Funco, Inc. FuncoLand is a registered trademark of Funco, Inc. FuncoLand reserves the right to refuse purchase of any product. All Right Reserved. — Nintendo 64 Review * Size: 96 Megabit » Style: 1 to 4-Player Racing * Special Features: 30 Racing Craft; 30 Courses; Internal Battery Save; 4 Racing Views; 4 Difficulty Settings; 5 Modes (GP Race, Time Attack, Vs. Battle, Death Race, & Practice); Rumble Pak Compatible * Replay Value: Moderately High * Created by: Nintendo * Available: August 31 for Nintendo 64 о loyal Nintendo followers, the appearance of 8 F-Zero on the Nintendo 64 is about as predictable hie SU EW Od ла суг E ou < Bottom Line: as Mario 64. The SNES version of F-Zero, released very early inthe SNES’s career, had gained huge popularity amongst players. Indeed, F-Zero is a popular brand ши name for Nintendo, and like many of its franchises, Nintendo а | has taken its sweet time with this prestigious N64 game, F-Zero X. | Just like Мапо апа Mario Kart, Nintendo’s other 16 to 64-bit | crossovers, F-Zero X adds extra dimension to the classic predecessor. | The SNES version had fantastic control and speed, but had very little when it. came to jumps and terrain. F-Zero X is a roller coaster ride with | spectacular corkscrews, plunges, and loop-to-loops. Throw in some | massive jumps, speed boosts, and numerous pitfalls, and you're in for 30 | insanely designed racing tracks. Plus, there are 30 different vehicles on lI the course at one time with no noticeable slowdown. And with a huge number of vehicles, you had better believe that you'll have to earn the chance to drive them all. Earning all the cars brings us to the bread and butter of F-Zero X - the | single-player game called the GP Race mode. This mode consists of 5 | different circuits (only 3 are immediately available) with 6 tracks in each. Running on a points system, a player earns points by placing in each of the six races for that circuit. The game awards 100 points for placing first, | 93 for second, and so on. At the end of the six races, the only spot that is | acceptable is first place. This will complete the stage and once that is done, just keep increasing the difficulty for additional cars. | Racing takes another form when a few more controllers are plugged in. The choice of vehicles and tracks is still determined by what is opened in the GP mode, but competing against friends very easily turns into a war. Through the use of the side thruster brakes, a player can actually attack opponents by knocking them off the course or wearing down their energy bees supplies. It's not always a goal to take the opponent out, but the results g Can be very enjoyable. F-Zero X joins a plethora of racing titles for the N64, but will its name alone carry it to the pinnacle of racing greatness on the N64? Leave it to the crack | і staff of GI reviewers to cut | through the hype and give it to you straight. % 2-0 E В מה‎ 01718"48 i )'05"04 BRAS: _ peer скА IE ЭРИЙН td) nn Bost ~ ШЕР Sy АА. D . АТУ, - М ч 4 " s : ee - 7 לאו‎ E ONE שש ו‎ Nintendo 64 Preview * Size: 96 Megabit * Style: 1 to 4-Player “Sports” * Special Features: Huge Create Wrestler Option; 13 Real WWF Stars Including Steve Austin & Bret Hart; 7 Different Match Types Including Challenge, Royal Rumble, Tag Team, Weapons, & The Steel Cage; Full Color Commentary by McMahon & Ross * Created by: Iguana West for Acclaim * Available: Now for Nintendo 64 85% Complete мама 4 А fter THQ released its award-winning В WCW vs. NWO, the WWF knew it had to get am product up to par fast here it is. WWF War Zone 15 a een : expansive wrestler, with more than en to make the hairs on the ends of the faithful Raw ל"י"‎ — watchers out there stand up in delight. It does everything that WCW/NWO does, and better. Create wrestler? Why, you can choose from five different character sizes, plus gender, skin color, body hair, and countless articles of clothing including eye f patches, masks, gloves, jewelry, etc. If you like the style, but not the color, don't worry — you can change the color of most clothing simply Bi „ by tweaking the palette. But the heart and soul of any game lies in its gameplay, and War Zone is solid in that area. There are 50 many moves available to each character that it could be a book in itself. There are certain moves for any scenario, from the opponent lying on the ground face-down, to the standard grapple. There aren't combos exactly, but once you get on a roll, it's hard for the - Then, there are the matches. You can choose from a multitude of options, including the Y | Challenge, where you go after the Intercontinental and World Heavyweight belts, while д 1 developing grudges with other characters. The grudge matches are a blast, because you get | 1 to beat down on an opponent as much as you like in a Cage or a Weapons match. However, | 1 the grudge is not easily forgotten (as any wrestling fan will tell you), so it could continue on for & multiple matches.The Cage and Weapons matches are self-explanatory, but there's more: The Royal Rumble, where 12 men enter the ring, but only one remains; The Tornado, an all- out 2-on-2 battle for supremacy; and finally the Gauntlet, where you must face six opponents. 1 in a row with only one lifebar. In all modes but the Challenge, you can gain attribute points to 8 add to your created player. E nem Suey - Then there's the fluff. At ringside, providing color commentary for every match, are Vince McMahon and ‘Cowboy’ Jim Ross. They always seem to know what to say, as do the : - wrestlers. When fighting, wrestlers will taunt and | tease, shout and sneer, depending on the situation of the match. Winning the belts also comes with its | share of fluff — your wrestler graces the covers of 1 magazines, and full WWF-style introductions take | шувт А place. s So now the wrestling wars begin. We have | seen the wars break out in other “sports” games, | but not in wrestling. And although WCW/NWO has the leg up on WWF War Zone, expect that to be contested very shortly, as WWF War Zone is a 1 worthy contender. BAD DEFAULT MONKEY WINS ате Iniouner * September 98, 35 — ee EPISODE LXIV T ANYONE SEEN FOX ни neni i à à 4 Г * ! ' i ! i it. 4 b i аа e FREE-ROAMING • HILARIOUS ONE-LINERS » ROUNDHOUSE TAIL © 360-DEGREE GAMEPLAY DELIVERED BY COMEDIAN ATTACK AND FLYING ALSO ON DANA GOULD KARATE KICKS Windows 95 IS 7 тт Compatible EVERYONE piaystation ה‎ 1 MIDWAY www.midway.com Midway is a registered trademark of Midway Games Inc. Distributed by Midway Home Entertainment Inc. under license from Crystal Dynamics, Inc. Crystal Dynamics, the Crystal Dynamics logo, GEX America Inc. ©1998 Nintendo of America Inc. Licensed by Nintendo. PlayStation and the PlayStation logos are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All other trademarks and trade NOW AVAILABLE “3 1/2 out of 4 stars” “99% Platinum award” * ALL-NEW DEEP-SEA SWIMMING LEVEL www.crystald.com and the СЕХ character are trademarks of Crystal Dynamics, Inc. ©1998 Crystal Dynamics, Inc. All rights reserved. Nintendo, Nintendo 64 and the 3-D “N” logo are trademarks of Nintendo of names are properties of their respective owners. EGM quote: Reprinted from Electronic Gaming Monthly April 1998 Copyright ©1998 Ziff Davis. Nintendo 64 Preview * Size: 256 Megabit » Style: 1 or 2-Player Sports * Special Features: Insane Plays; 7-on-7 Football; Play Editor; All of Your Favorite NFL Teams & Stars; Entertaining Commentary; NBA Jam-Style Presentation * Created by: Midway Home Entertainment * Available: September 30 for Nintendo 64 ₪ #. 85% Complete Every once in a while a new arcade game comes out and stops traffic. You’re walking by, and you hear something really crazy pop out of the machine that catches your attention; or there’s a crowd around the game, which inevitably draws a bigger crowd. Although those days have dwindled to few and far between (thanks to high-powered consoles), they still happen. And the arcades that have picked up NFL Blitz are ‚ experiencing those kinds of days again. Blitz has brought people out in droves to see what all the fuss is about, and most will plunk a few quarters in, and become addicted to it like a bad habit. For those of you who live under a rock, or have merely avoided the arcades in the past few months, NFL Blitz is one of the hottest arcade games around. Featuring all of the NFL teams and their greatest stars, NFL Blitz is basically a football version of NBA Jam. Crazy plays, wrestling-style tack- les, late hits, and 40-yard passes are the norm in this completely abnormal game. Midway had a simple theory behind Blitz: make it fun. If it is entertaining and it has to do with football, it's in here. Lateral passes, flea-flickers, all-out blitzing, stiff arms, jukes, and some of the most crushing | sacks to ever grace a TV screen are all here in one insane package. With all of the extras, you would think that Midway has forgotten the essence of football. But instead, as was done so successfully with NBA Jam, it в EASY PASSING агт. arr ши ifrat e p^ тейт price re авг Ent our tnnt. де савез мои гете 38 Game Informer , September '98 EN ₪ ie שר‎ o ot JC MÀ 0 221122 | A little extra punishment for the rece! [ You can create any kind of play you wan 1 enhances the essence, and makes it accessible to all those people out there who never understood why the sport is so exciting. How does Midway do this? By making those things larger than fife, while downplaying the tedious aspects. Huge, painful-looking hits occur every play. Forty-yard passes are more common than fourth downs. Extra | points after the touchdown are handéd out like candy. And interceptions are frequent. Now, for those of you already addicted to this wonderful game, here are some things you will be excited about. The home version of Blitz features a play editor where you call all the shots. Choose from one of four formations and then assign pass routes to every available receiver. At each pivot point, you can decide whether the receiver jukes, turbos, or spins to get free. This all makes for some great entertainment, as you can create plays that would never work in real life, but kick serious tail in the game. You can only access one page of saved plays in a match, but that’s nine plays - a good enough complement to the 18 default plays already available to you. So there it is. The savior of the arcades. The bringer of good cheer and fellowship to the die-hard fanatics and . . 5 armchair QBs around the world. The winner of Best Arcade Game of 1997 as chosen by us - Game Informer Magazine - and a must-buy for football junkies and gamers alike. NFL Blitz is set to invade your N64 and PS-X later this month. TS OB LST fe жЕ РОИА. istomize your fighter. Save data. Visit a friend. Inflict maximum punishment. Smile.” This is different. Get ready for the only customizable fighting game with two different modes of play — in the same cart! Choose the anime-style “super deformed” character mode, and chase after 200 rare and powerful items while pulverizing your opponents. Equip your.character for maximum effect. Save this data in your Controller Pak‘. Punish your friends in the privacy of their own homes! Or opt for the "Virtual Mode," and choose between a classic — and lightning fast — 2D mode, or brawl in a fully 3D environment. Gain ranks as you improve — you'll also be presented with tips on how to become even better. Discover combos, counters and special moves! Nurture your chi ili Rumble Pak’ compatible “Mi -— Super deformed mode. Collect Virtual mode. Choose between all 200 items to build the most classic 2D fighting or brawl in a powerful fighting machine ever! fully 3D environment. 3 RATING PENDING Serious Fun™ VAT SUME” Мы ©1998 NATSUME, Inc. © 1998 CULTURE BRAIN. Nintendo, the Official Seal, the 3D “№ logo and N64 are trademarks of Nintendo of America Inc. | = Nintendo 64 Preview * Size: 96 Megabit * Style: 1 to 4-Player Sports / * Special Features: Commentary by Madden um = & Summerall; Over 100 Teams Including Al Madden, All-Time Stats Leaders, All 80's, & Others; Franchise Mode; Create Player; Trade & Sign Free Agents Under a Salary Cap; Play Editor * Created by: Tiburon for EA Sports * Available: September for Nintendo 64 90% Complete he wars of video football are taking place once again. Yup, it's that time of year, and companies are scrambling to take the lead under one of the most vicious categories in gaming. Many agree that a machine is only as good as its sports games, and when different companies release competitive football titles, sparks are going to fly. Madden loyalists had a hard year in '97, with an average showing on the PlayStation and a good, but non-licensed game on the N64. This time, however, things are going to be different. EA Sports has made Madden for the PS-X polygonal, and the N64 version will have a license. And wait until you see the mileage that players will get out of the license. With over 100 teams, this game is loaded. There are all of the current teams, as well as every great team of the past. The '84 49ers. The 1 Cowboys. The '86 Bears. They're all here. But the insanity doesn't stop there. There's a team that consists of the all-time stats leaders, multiple All-Madden teams, and even a team composed of the equipment managers from previous championship teams. Sound crazy? You don't know the half of it. As always, there's a front office where you can create players, sign free agents, and trade players. But you have to stay under the salary cap, and you can negotiate. In addition to this, you can create an entire playbook with plays that you create, or you can combine plays from different playbooks to get the same result. Either way, you have an even larger hand in how the games turn out with the killer play editor. After you have created the play, you can practice the play to see if it needs tweaking. But all of the goodies in the world mean squat without good gameplay, right? Well, let's just say EA Sports is on the right track. The runners have tons of moves to choose from, including leaps to jump over downed men, jukes, and shoulder hits. When they are getting off- balance, players put one hand down to keep on their feet. The most entertaining part of this year's Madden, however, is the hitting. The bone-crunching, jaw-dropping, hip-popping hits are here. Tons of animation for hits, including the flip over the shoulder, the Shoestring tackle, and the wrap-up and bury are all here. You can drive players back a few yards, or, while running the ball, you can railroad an unsuspecting linebacker with the touch of a button. There you have it. The first shot of this year's video game football wars has been fired, and many more are yet to come. The only question is, who will emerge victorious - Madden or Favre? не INJURY REPORT: T APPEARED | 40) Game Informer * September 98, КМУ QUESTIONS? Dust and dirt can damage your game system. The result? Poor picture quality, fuzzy sound and slow or "buggy" game play. Cleaning your system and games regularly will maintain high quality gaming and ensure a longer product life. Player's Edge cleaning kits will keep you and your system in the game. Game maintenance products available from Player's Edge: Cleaning Kits for: NINTENDO? 64 • SUPER NINTENDO? • NINTENDO? > SEGA" GENESIS" * GAME BOY? • GAME GEAR" + MULTIMEDIA & GAME CDs Available at FuncoLand PLAYER'S © 1997 Player's Edge. Player's Edge is a trademark of InterAct Accessories, Inc. InterAct Accessories is a trademark of STD Manufacturing LTD. Л] ЖА aie Wipeout, Wipeout XL and Psygnosis are trademarks of Psygnosis. © 1996 Psygnosis Ltd. Nintendo 64, Super Nintendo, Nintendo and Game Boy = а | are trademarks of Nintendo of America, Inc. Sega Genesis and Game Gear are trademarks of Sega Enterprises Ltd. Nintendo 64 = "ПІТ • Style: 1-Player Action/Platform * Special Features: 6 Worlds Featuring 4 Levels With 4-10 Stages; 4 Special Attachments (Submarine, Chopper, Board, & Glider); Tons of Puzzle & Shooting Elements; Wacky Bomberman Style * Created by: Hudson for Nintendo * Available: September 28 for Nintendo 64 80% Complete Gets Down Bomberman Hero creates an entertaining world that puts the player squarely in the shoes of our favorite bomb-chucking hero. All the classic Bomberman moves are here, :| including multiple bombs, larger explosions, and the ability to kick and throw bombs across the screen. To give Bomberman more platforming elements, Hudson decided to add | a jump to his basic set of skills. Besides using his own two feet, Bomberman can ЭР also swim with the help of a submarine attachment, and fly using either a chopper - head or a pair of wings strapped to his back. j He even gets in on the Gen-X craze of board- |-ing with a deck that can cross any terrain and | unleash a special attack. Instead of making these attachments mere power-ups, Hudson created special levels with each item in mind. | But all this doesn't make a great platformer. No, there must be someone to save and items to collect. And this game has both. You must save a Princess from certain doom against an 4) evil villain that threatens the entire solar ] system. The villain is searching for four disks that contain information needed to launch a 2| most powerful weapon. Along the way you will find many items that are collectable, x] including gems and little blue spheres. Collect all of these items and you will be rewarded with a number of secrets. And that's only one way to find secrets. Another way is by scoring a certain number of points on each level. Although Bomberman purists will moan, this game is still very cool. There is no 4-player mode for everyone to do battle, but perhaps | that's one of the secrets we haven't unlocked yet. Nonetheless, platform fans will definitely have a great time with this interesting twist on a classic. Me tend T OOE 42 | Game Informer « September 98 Nintendo 64 Preview “SMASHER 10000. : | E | 8 =. * Size: 64 Megabit * Style: 1 or 2-Player Action * Special Features: Lots of Weapons; 25 Stages Through 7 Levels; Choose From 4 Different Characters; Enemies Have Advanced Learning Curves * Created by: Core Design for Eidos * Available: 4th Quarter 1998 for Nintendo 64 80% Complete While street brawlers are nothing new, the time has come for this genre to be renewed with vigor. And Core knows it, especially on the “me too" Nintendo 64. With Fighting Force, Core has attempted to bring the feel of old-school brawlers into the third dimension, and gives N64 owners something new to look at. Although we think that the PlayStation version of this game was mediocre at best, we are always willing to offer a second chance to a great idea. If you are unfamiliar with the game, here's a run down. Basically, it’s a 3D version of classic beat-em-ups, similar to Streets Of Rage and Final Fight from the 16-bit era. There are four characters to choose from (two guys and two gals) for 2-player brawling action. Players take to the streets and can grab just about anything not anchored to the ground and use it. They can even knock items off of fixed objects, like ripping tires off of cars to use as bludgeoning tools. And then there are the weapons like the bazooka, the handgun, and the machine gun that all pay off n the form of an explosion, or maybe a small squirt of blood. We haven't played the game yet, and Eidos has made no mention of any new features. However, tweaking of the controls, a few more enemies, and the lack of this type of game on the N64 could make Fighting Force 64 a winner. Check future issues of GI to see the results, and keep your fingers crossed. . Nintendo 64 Preview * Size: 128 Megabit * Style: 1-Player Action/Adventure * Special Features: 3rd-Person Perspective; 4 Playable Characters; Multiple Weapons & Magic Spells; RPG- Like Weapon Systems; Hand-To-Hand Combat; Interactive Environments * Created by: Psygnosis * Available: 1st Quarter '99 for Nintendo 64 30% Complete Ya’ Down With O.D.T.? A welcome addition to the influx of platformers and racers that are starting to plague the N64 is Psygnosis’ 3D action/adventure O.D.T. This game puts you in the role of one of four playable characters on a quest to repair your downed vessel and recover a mystical green pearl that will save the world. Under development at Psygnosis Paris, Game Informer had the chance to see the initial work being done on Psygnosis’ second announced N64 title. 0.D.T.’s development team is actually taking much of the code for the PlayStation and PC development and adapting it to Nintendo's premier machine. That means many hours of testing and optimizing the game to fit the parameters of the N64. The basics for the game's structure will remain intact [see GI, May ‘98] with detailed motion- captured animations that feature over 250 separate moves. Eight distinct worlds with numerous subquests, puzzles, and nasty enemies will provide plenty of action and intrigue. But O.D.T. is not just an action game. The designers have added RPG elements that require a player to allocate power to various weapons. By collecting power crystals, weapons can reach 10 different levels of destruction. This system changes as different characters are played, and each one has different abilities and powers. Along with the weapons, there are also magical spells to learn and acquire. Watch for O.D.T. next spring. It will be easy to pick out since it will be one of the few N64 games without cars or cute characters. Nintendo 64 Preview * Size: 96 Megabit * Style: 1 to 4-Player Racing/Action * Special Features: 6 Main Tracks Plus 1 Hidden; 5 New Weapons; 1-Player Challenge Mode; 5 Racing Teams With Team-Specific Weapons; Rumble Pak Compatible * Created by: Psygnosis * Available: November for Nintendo 64 75% Complete їе company launched its first Wipeout game | the PlayStation and the popularity of this futuristic racing title soon made way for a sequel, Wipeout XL. Wipeout 64 takes the best of the last two games and packs a whole | lot more. , For those unfamiliar with Wipeout, the game mixes standard racing with elements of | flight and tons of weapons. A player must | keep his or her hovercraft trimmed to the terrain to attain optimal speed while also | attacking and defending against the 15 other ships on the course. But that is only one of the modes in Wipeout 64. In the 1-player 11 Challenge mode (new to the series), a racer can chose three challenges: Race, Weapon, and Time. The Race Challenge is the attack/defend/speed scenario described above. The Weapon Challenge is an all-out war where racing takes a back seat to 1 destruction. Speaking of weapons, in addition | to the various power-ups located on the | tracks, each of the five racing teams has a special implement of war at its disposal. Some add firepower, while others add to ] defense - one even cloaks your ship for stealth racing. Finally, Time Challenge is “1 for the purist who wants to get the fastest lap time. No gun, just speed. In each of the challenges, a player wins bronze, silver, or | gold on each of the six courses to complete the challenge. A special award is given СОЯ 43 | PlayStation Review * Size: 1 CD-ROM * Style: 1-Player Action Required * Replay Value: Moderate * Available: Now for PlayStation Bottom Line: ₪ PS Anyone here call for an exterminator? The overhead mode is graphically unimpressive. a танина, 1 ДД Game Informer • September '98 ~ | | series of jumps to complete from ₪ * Special Features: 7 Different Weapons; Ч | & Health Bar; Witty "Duke Nukem-Style" ji ₪ Sayings in Third-Person Levels; Dual Shock & Analog Compatible; Memory Card * Created by: Appaloosa Interactive for Konami Contra is a name that is not only synonymous with action, but with gaming itself. It’s been in the arcades, and on the NES, Super NES, Genesis, Game Boy, and the PlayStation. But ever since the last version of the game on the PlayStation, Contra has been getting a bad rap. The overhead view used in Contra: Legacy of War was not only sacrilege, but brought little of the Contra that we know and love to the table. Now we have C: The Contra Adventure, a game that Konami promised would bring back that ol’ Contra flavor. And bring it back it does. The first level of C features old school, side-scrolling, running, jumping, machine gun blazing action. And the level has all the classic Contra fare including hanging from piping, jumping fire pits, and lots of mid-bosses. Now for something completely different. On level 2 the game whisks you away from Contra of old and takes you to a new 3D third-person shooter. In this mode the player can strafe and aim the weapons up and down, which, when you come down to it, is a lot like the third-person on the original Contra for the NES. (Needless to say, Game Informer was excited about the possibilities of this game being an updated version of the game that started it all.) Throughout the level there are switches to flip and a mid-boss and final boss to conquer. Cool, we can do this. Actually it's a lot of fun. But we thought our payoff for beating this level would be a return to the classic style; unfortunately, we were wrong. Hello overhead perspective. That's right, it's Legacy of War all over again. (Note to Konami: Stop giving this game to Appaloosa - they don't get it!) Now we don't know about you, but at this point we are still thinking that after we beat this level (which isn't that exciting), Konami is going to give us back the goods. But it just keeps going back and forth between the third-person and overhead modes. Now don't get us wrong, there are some cool things that happen during these levels including an awesome fight with a fountain snake. Actually, if the game would have gone back and forth between the third-person mode and the side-scrolling stuff, this game would have been awesome. The weapons, like the missile launcher and shrapnel gun, and the enemies, are just sweet. Unfortunately, the game wallows in its own self-pity, like the old guy who decides he wants to be hip so he starts wearing big pants and pierces his nose. It just never works, he always looks like a dork. And just as he should stay in his generation, Contra should stick to its 2D roots. Enough said. d ЗЭ This snake is one of the best bosses in the game. Later, the game gives youa a difficult camera angle. Fun! Konami Pulls the Old Bait and Switch ANDY THE GAME HOMBRE Concept 5 Graphics 1.15 Sound 7 Playability 7 Entertainment 2 PAUL THE GAME PROFESSOR Concept 8.75 Graphics So 8 Playability 9 Entertainment 8 OVERALL REINER THE RAGING GAMER Concept Graphics Sound 5.25 Playability 2.75 OVERALL “After the first level, | was ready to sing the praises of Contra. It was just awesome - it had me screaming at my TV and slamming my desk in frustration. My excitement continued into the next level as well, as the new third-person mode is cool. But after the second level the game just doesn’t seem to go anywhere. Repetition city. Which after an hour or two, left me feeling like | just got ripped off. That Konami had fooled me. They teased me into believing that this game was going to be totally old school, and instead it ended up being totally like school – boring. Rent this game to check out the first level, but definitely don’t buy it.” “Contra on the NES ranks as one of my all- time favorites so I've seen the five or so sequels on various platforms. The previous PlayStation game didn't deserve the Contra name, but this version is pretty solid. The first level starts just the way it should - classic side-scrolling shooter. And after that level, a cool 3D shooting section awaits. Although this 3D section mixes great graphics and truly classic elements, itlasts for way too long. What happened to more side-scrolling? If you prize Contra, this is a must. Other commando action £amers should give it a look." “I'd love to whip out a little classic Contra action on whoever designed this game. What a disappointment! First they excite you with a level that is something like the original Contra, but not really (what's with the health?), then they take the 40 bucks you spent on the game and shove it up your rear with lame 3D levels featuring clunky control. After level seven of 3D lameness | was ready to throw C into my nasty porcelain bowl and add a thick coat of brown paint to it. We all screamed at Legacy of War, and you'll do it again with C: The Lame Adventure. | give this game two thumbs down, and two other fingers up. Konami has failed for the second time straight with 32-bit Contra.” PlayStation Review * Size: 1 CD-ROM * Style: 1-Player Action/Adventure * Special Features: 3D Environments; Character Interaction & Item Shops; Weapon & Armor Upgrades; Real-Time Combat; Power-Ups & Cut-Scenes; Auto-Targeting; Memory Card Save; Strafing, Hanging, Evasive Roll, Kicking; Secrets & Puzzles * Replay Value: Moderate * Created by: Capcom * Available: September for PlayStation Bottom Line: 8.5 тшеп вазата 7408: Scopri 31814377 а > жа” ©“ "ай LE LIN ҮТЭ 8488 18 84:38 за ו‎ кө ш Saran >” ALLEN 50 чава нэх ян оез Nova Shmova “Alright, so the name is incredibly lame. But believe it or not, Mega Man Legends is тне game HOMBRE a pretty cool game. While | certainly — Concept | wouldn't put it in the class of a Mario 64 8 23 (| know, different system), the 3D engine is Ы solid апа the shooting апа explorationisa Graphics pcm : lot of fun. The realtime cutscenes are also 8 has heen a staple in the Capcom catalog for a bonus with lots of hilariously bad ED E ) years. The boy in blue has appeared in so e Ri oe mony чш КУ 8 | es that мете starting to think he has the same favorite). But perhaps the ptt. 0 E Ра Gia the game is the endless stream of Playability : ves кыш жив 22 наны ls [п baddies that Mega Man must face. For 8.25 een able to display 5ly's range. Where Sly has won Mega Man fans this game is a gimme, but is of millions in classic films like Stop! Or My Mom action fans in general should at least rent : ot, Over The Top, and Rhinestone, Mega Man has ERIS ; in the same type of game over and over again: 2D ecently though, Mega Man has been studying the “method gaming and demonstrates some new abilities adventure, Mega Man Legends. he first time, Mega Man strays into the realm of “This game is cool. Mega Man junkies will JON | ture and role-playing. Teaming up with his good friend be very pleased with the story, and thatthe тнє creepy camer | er crazy grandfather, the trio is on a quest to find me HER р шини Concept Ё dden Legacy treasure before a group of evil pirates yed intact. But Legends 9 XD M у also incorporates а lot of RPG elements, — — _ them tu it. Myths surround the treasure, and it is said to : including tons of townsfolk and dialogue, Graphics ontain immeasurable wealth, but unfortunately no one The disturbed, yet alluring, and it's all totally bizarre. You'll talk to 8.25 knows for sure if the legends are true. To find out, Mega Miss Tron. [uen ete va Gr UP. Sound - Man must travel throughout a new gigantic 3D world, | collect Buster upgrades, and Kick tin cans 8 teracting with townsfolk, researching new technologies, in the middle of a mall. | liked that Capcom Playability | upgrading weapons and armor, and visiting item shops to added all the voice-overs. Cheezy yes (of 9 pend his hard-earned money. course, it's Capcom), but very cool. The “Entertainment ЮМ. But don't think for a minute that Legends doesn't contain raphics are plain, but the combat is Е : : ЕА апі hs character designs are 9 | any action. There is plenty of shooting to be had as Mega top-notch. | recommend this adventure, 8.15 | squares off in real-time against numerous enemies, Entertainment especially to anyone who's snubbed Mega including some huge and challenging bosses. Hats off to Man in the past. OVERALL | Capcom for keeping the smooth control of past Mega Man - titles, and transferring it to Legends’ new 3D environments, “This game is definitely worthy of attention, so that fighting evil-doers is a real pleasure. While blasting but | certainly hope this isn’t the direction REINER : : that Mega Man is taking from now On. тне RAGING GAMER away, Mega Man сы strafe, jump, perform evasive rolls, leap Legends is in many ways similar to classic — Concept to the side, and kick. There are also different weapons for Mega Man, but misses the creative flair in 8.75 Mega Man to use. In addition to the standard arm blaster, level designs. The quest aspect is — 7 — —— Mega Man can obtain mine throwers, rocket launchers, interesting and features nice real-time Graphics 1 cut-scenes and RPG elements; however, 8.5 power-drills, spread blasters, and more. several aspects could have been — Sound Legends presents a good blend of different styles. There implemented much better. For starters, the 6 “is plenty of shoot-em-up action for fans of traditional Mega Mégà И КУБЕ шин Voe ОО ШИ оа а Man titles, as well as a solid story and adventure to leave 12125 ~ onslaught. gh-strung, and the music is just plain Playability Я : ИЙН boring. This is an admirable attempt by 9 players wanting more. Plus, the new 3D world is huge, easy || $ : sn Capcom to expand on the Mega Man ТЕРЕНЕ ААИ to navigate, and visually pleasing. Capcom did just about 12222445 universe. № has plenty of shooting, "ПО! a everything it could to satisfy old Mega Man fans, while at the intuitive control, and an interesting and 1 2 di hilarious plot, but it lacks the feistiness of same time attracting a new audience. the classics. It's a fun game nonetheless, but Mega Man fans may be seriously Nothin ng disappointed.” jig witi Save Miss Tron from this ГО lap dog. 's quite like dancing a your local level boss. 45 Game Informer + September '98 ₪ ae Se УА PlayStation Review * Size: 1 CD-ROM Style: 1-Player Role-Playing Game * Special Features: Packaged With a Demo of Xenogears & an FF VIII Movie; Beautiful CG Movies; Customize Weapons & Armor; Interesting Story; Memory Card Required; Dual Shock & Analog Compatible * Replay Value: Low * Created by: Square Soft * Available: September for PlayStation are working for them. Bottom Line: 5 , This new little cellular juggernaut is called Eve. And what she...well..."it" can do is set any person on fire (except anyone carrying the improved mitochondria or parasite). Eve can also turn regular fuzzy animals into mutated monstrosities from hell. The story of Parasite Eve follows the adventures of Aya Brea as she tries to discover the origins of this mysterious parasite, Eve. Also during the journey you must to duke it out with the evil mutations - She..."it," creates. As you can tell by the pictures, the game looks fantastic. From beginning to end you are greeted with truly outstanding computer- generated movies, and exquisitely drawn backdrops and locations. The only problem is, the game loads each and every time you change Screens, go through a door, or activate a CG. This occurrence is nothing new to Final Fantasy fans, but it must be noted that none of the areas or rooms are as large as those found in FF VII, so the loading occurs much more often. Secondly, since the battles are all done on the same screen, the game will go static as the creatures are placed on the prerendered backdrop. In other words, even though this game has an interesting storyline, it makes Breath of Fire Ill look like Speedy Gonzales. The gameplay is also a mixed bag, as you can equate it to Final Fantasy meets Resident Evil 2. However, this may not be a good thing. Moving throughout the levels is like Resident Evil - you search for keys and objects through all the rooms in the building, so that you can gain access to new areas. Along the way you fight battles, which are FF VII-like but with action. Basically, while you wait for the attack meter to charge, you can run around to avoid enemy attacks. Once the meter is full, you can attack, use your Parasite Eve power (magic), or use an item. Parasite Eve, however, is unique in a few respects. For instance, all the weapons and armor in the game can be melded with other "like" items when you use the "tool" command. Take the explosive bullet attribute from a grenade launcher and add it to your machine gun. Take the extra defensive points from an older piece of armor and put them on your new kevlar jacket. But here's the catch: you can only move one attribute, or take the bonus points. Not both. And once a weapon has been stripped, it is worthless. Parasite Eve is certainly an interesting adventure, but it certainly isn't for everyone. Its slow pace, and short quest, will certainly disappoint many. However, for RPGers this game just might be a must- buy since it will be packed with a video of Final Fantasy VIII. arasite Eve is like a day in science class. Well...not really, but the game does revolve around mitochondria. You know, those little buggers that turn oxygen into energy on the cellular level. Well, it seems “Mr. Scientist” has created a way to turn the tables. He has changed mitochondria so that instead of them working for us, we А Game Informer • September '98 ₪ eve [ ae The Day for POLE (7 Mitochondria To Be Free DY THE GAME HOMBRE Concept 8 Graphics 8.15 Sound 8.25 Playability 5 Entertainment 5 JON THE GREEDY GAMER Concept 5 Graphics 9.25 Sound 8.5 Playability Entertainment 7 REINER THE RAGING GAMER Concept Graphics 5 Sound 8 Playability 6 Entertainment 6 Has Finally Arrived “First off, this game is gorgeous. There is no argument from me that the graphics are awesome, or the story for that matter. But | do find playing this game to be extremely boring. Which totally sucks, because | really wanted to finish the story. But alas, there are some extremely tedious things that this game makes you do, that | just don’t want to do. The main reason for my frustration, however, is the loading. It happens often and the pauses are at least 3 seconds - for battles, for opening doors, for...well, it seems like just about anything. And on a final note, this game is short. People who think anything with the word Square on it is awesome, will think this game is the greatest, but | would only buy it to see the FF VIII movie.” “When you first pop this game in, and watch the opening sequence, you think ‘This is going to be the greatest game of alltime.’ Yeah, until you actually start playing. Parasite Eve could be described as an RPG where you spend 75% of your time in towns, and only 25% of your time in dungeons. The story is awesome, but man, it just takes so long to get through the dialogue, and all the great music quits during talking, so it’s mostly silent boredom. Cool things about this game are the gruesome enemies (like those in Resident Evil), the backgrounds, and the cut-scenes. But the weapons are lame (they all work about the same), and the basic play mechanics are redundant and unchallenging, especially the annoying use of limited inventory.” “Parasite Eve delivers a riveting story that’s as action packed as it is scientific, and graphics that breathe realism throughout gameplay and cut-scenes. But the Sandman also stalks this title, making Parasite Eve the sleeper hit of the year in more ways than one. All of the good in this game is smothered with slow, slow gameplay. Sure the characters look realistic, but they don’t know how to make things very exciting. All of the gameplay is incredibly lazy as well, especially combat and general maneuvering. The characters move like snails and so does the plot. But in the end, the plot is the only thing that keeps you playing (even though you are fighting sleep on a constant basis). If you are seeking a classic Square adventure, then look past this game and keep your eyes focused on Xenogears.” Br UB MÀ אנ‎ CAP СОМ'5 DIAPER SIMULATOR "Pocket Fighter is a tough one to review because | really liked the game at first and thought it was extremely funny. However, in time, | just got bored of the whole concept. Unlike Virtua Fighter Kids, Pocket Fighter is a completely different style than its parent game and sports a new three-button attack layout. Which is cool, but after a while | kept saying to myself that Га rather be playing the real deal than this ‘kiddy’ version. While | will admit that | like the create a fighter option, and | really enjoyed playing in this mode, | think you can get all the enjoyment out of this game from a one-night rental.” “Pocket Fighter rips. For PlayStation owners soured over Children of the Atom and Marvel Vs. Street Fighter, this is definitely a worthy purchase. Collecting the gems and advancing your speciaHevels puts a cool twist on Street Fighter tradition. So does the three-button layout, which does take some getting used to. Sure, purists will feel limited with three buttons, but Pocket Fighter is light-hearted by nature, and not meant to be taken too seriously. The Edit mode is lame because all you do is watch, but | think this game is worth the backgrounds alone, and it’s a good change from the standard Street Fighters.” “As far as animation and gameplay go, this is easily Capcom's best SF/DS release on the PlayStation. | wouldn’t say that this game is the most entertaining out of the Crop, but it delivers more than enough to keep you thoroughly satisfied an engrossed. Within all of the silliness of spastic new moves and specials, the classic SF feeling is in full force, making the battles very enjoyable (although the three-button config is lame!). While cartoony, the new specials and simplistic combo strings actually add a whole new dimension to SF combat. Pocket Fighter also throws a butt load of variety in your face with the Tamagotchi-like Edit Fighter and survivallike Running Battle modes. The sad thing is, this game has more playability than any of the other Capcom PlayStation fighters.” ANDY THE GAME HOMBRE Concept 6 Graphics 8 Sound 1.15 Playability 7 Entertain 2 JON THE GREEDY GAMER Concept 8.25 Graphics 9 Sound 8 Playability 8 Entertainment OVERALL REINER THE RAGING GAMER Concept 8.75 Graphics 9 Sound 8.5 Playability 1.15 Entertainment OVERALL PlayStation Review e Size: 1 CD-ROM * Style: 1 or 2-Player Fighting * Special Features: Separate Edit Fighter Game (Tamagotchi-Like); 3 Game Modes (Arcade, Free, Running); Training; Hilarious Background Animations; 3-Button Configuration (Kick, Punch, Special) * Replay Value: High * Created by: Capcom * Available: Now for PlayStation Bottom Line: 7 75 What the heck is Capcom smoking? We know that this company lives off of the update and sequel, but this new release goes above and beyond anything we've seen Capcom release thus far. We can accept the fact that Pocket Fighter is a spin-off of Super Puzzle Fighter ЇЇ, which happens to be a comical spin in itself on Street Fighter and DarkStalkers, but what we don’t understand is why does this game get the super special treatment? Have the voices of gamers finally been heard? Is Capcom reinventing what it believes a sequel or update should be? Or is this just one of strangest occurrences in all of video game history? Who knows, right? There's по way to tell how this release will stack up with Сарсот 5 forthcoming releases, but something is definitely out of whack. Capcom has rolled out the red carpet for Pocket Fighter and has included more variety and options than ever-before. In fact, if you combine all of the changes made to every Capcom game and compare that to Pocket Fighter, we believe that Pocket Fighter would still be on top. Yes, this wacky itsy bitsy kung fu-simulator is chock-full.of variety. If the Arcade mode gets old or conquered, then dip your feet into the unique Running Battle. This mode is very much like other fighting games’ survival modes, but it does a few things differently. For starters, all of your opponents are lined up one after another. When you knock one down, the screen scrolls to the right and reveals the next fighter, and next segment of the large background filled with all sorts of Capcom -45 me characters (MM Legends, Breath of Fire Ill, and more!). Plus, gaining Ё AA M Аг шан health is based on the time of a knockout and how тапу gems you ₪ ‘Are Blanka and Felicia one in the obtain, making for a strange combat experience where you hustle to take an opponent down quickly while hunting for gems. f соле — Pocket Fighter is also home to a separate Tamagotchi-like game. In this Edit Fighter mode you are asked a number of questions, where the answers translate to your character's attributes. After the character creation process is completed, you head to combat. However, you don't control your fighter. You simply sit back and watch. Victories increase the character attributes and also unlock item cards. Three item cards (like double combos, counters, etc.) can be applied at once to enhance your character. Your created characters can also duel against a friend's creation. The combat is the only aspect of this game that is somewhat lacking when compared to other Capcom fighters. It only utilizes three buttons (punch, kick, special) and a crazy gem power-up system. So from this, a great deal of technique is missing, but Capcom has made up for it by adding comedic moves that work off of a special button. These specials аге awesome and deliver some memorable moments, like Ken riding a donkey and Zangief transforming into a pro wrestler. But is humor and more options really what fighting fans want? : Since when did Capcom get the 2 license for the Chippendales dancers? Стата у store, —- ould be the post buy? | zi 22212 er dns ides | : | E à Ex 75 e "IBS There are a ton of new moves for each Юн 33) Пе Жи m character, including the awesome gj basically Tamagotchi-like. Шш flamethrower frog for Ibuki. - [ xa ve 3 47 J Game Informer * September '98 PlayStation Preview * Size: 1 CD-ROM * Style: 1 or 2-Player Sports * Special Features: Over 30 Legendary Boxers; Blood; Motion-Capture by Sugar Ray Leonard & Oscar De La Hoya; Create Boxer; Signature Moves & Taunts * Created by: EA Sports * Available: Fall for PlayStation 35% Complete any people have been waiting for a PlayStation boxing game since the system's inception. While the 16-bit systems enjoyed their fair share of boxing games, there have been only two on the newer platforms: Foes of Ali for 3DO, and Center.Ring Boxing for the Saturn. Unfortunately, neither of these systems took off very well, and so boxing games became a thing of the past. But now EA has finally decided to püt its.sports know-how into a new boxer. Entitled Knockout Kings; the game incorporates many of the greatest fighters of today, as well as yesteryear. Play as the legendary Ali, Joe Louis, Marvin Hagler, Sugar Ray Leonard, Oscar De La Hoya, and other great stars that are definitely kings of their time. Although we were a little s хах disappointed to see that Tyson was not included, we can still NÉS hope EA will change its mind about that. EU М When you decide їо take your shot, you can create а 2 boxer, use one of the legendary boxers, or choose from some stock characters created solely for the game. During your championship run for a particular belt, you develop grudges against oppo- Mosley staggers to his feet. Sugar Ray Leonard puts one in nents; who then и y. : a the gut. challenge you multiple ו‎ EET. _E-HOLYFIELD — —— Ё үг : 5 “DE AHOY i — —— аз Бум? х алхалж.‏ וי times, or bring about = janie sore mmm other interesting developments. Although you can choose from three different belts (light, middle, and heavyweight), you cannot change classes by gaining or losing weight. But Sugar Ray is represented as both a lightweight and a middleweight. But there’s even more to the game. The legendary boxers, over 30 of them, are represented by music from their time period. For example, boxers from the 30’s and 40’s come to the ring playing swing and big band music, while 70’s boxers walk to the ring accompanied by disco. A етшу Plus, you can taunt your opponent, or get in a few dirty [Ё өдөр BUTTERBEAN moves with the help of a special button. rs №. All of this could add up to become опе of the great boxing milestones, like Muhammad Ali's “I’m the greatest” statement. Or, it could be a serious flop, like Gerry Cooney’s : e < unsuccessful runs at the Heavyweight belt back in the 805. 17 / \ i = ч Check out Game Informer in the coming months to see 2 4 : ^ which way the gloves fall. Ali puts Holyfield on the mat. Time to kiss and make up. 7 e 8 oe ו‎ um > a “ат 50 2221) T7 apad TE an is 22:22 НА тэлээ ота c ур таны „саш чин „чин PlayStation Preview * Size: 1 CD-ROM * Style: 1 or 2-Player Action/Racing * Special Features: Tons of Power-Ups: Brilliant Level Designs; 13 Characters With Lots of Attitude; 6 Racing Tracks & 6 Battle Tracks; Explosions Galore; Tricks * Created by: Player 1 for ASC Games * Available: November for PlayStation 60% Complete course. However, this advantage. By strategically‏ זו placing missile attacks in the race mode, you can easily catch competitors that seemed long out of reach. But realism does not define (nor confine) this game. You can drive straight up waterfalls, destroy icebergs, ships, and other obstacles, and even run over your opponent. Plus, there are tricks that you can do after launching off a ramp or a wave. While we are not exactly sure what kind is ready to get their han putting in a bid with Dead in the We pushes the spectrum a little farther. Imagine a game that crosses Twisted Metal, Rock N’ Roll Racing, and Turbo Prop Racing, and you have a basic idea of what’s in store. Not only can you annihilate your friends, you can also race against them. Compete for cash to upgrade your vehicle. New guns, new armor, new engines, even fuzzy dice can be equipped on your boat. The levels are well designed, with lots of hiding places on the battle arenas and many obstacles in the racing levels, but the secret to success in this game is the power-ups. These instruments of destruction include: homing missiles, torpedoes, shields, and ghosts that scare the bejeezus out of your opponents. There’s even a wave maker that creates a huge wave in front of you, sending an adversary into the sky for an easy lock-on. The characters themselves are hilarious and wacky (as all combat racing characters are): there is the Baywatch boat, complete with Baywatch babe caricatures; there’s Agent X, a 007 ripoff; there’s Ebony Justice, who drives a boat that looks a lot like an old Caddy; | plus 10 other characters, all complete with bios and voice-overs. Control in Dead in the Water is solid, particularly when the waves start to cause trouble. That's right, you have to constantly be on the lookout ₪ = х 2 а See + = оос 7 ИР --P ₪ 2004 нэ us of bonus you will receive for doing tricks, we are sure there will be some great advantages in busting a 360° flip-roll. So, after playing Rogue Trip and Vigilante 8, it seemed we had all of this year's vehicular combatants earmarked. Apparently, that's not the case. But the battle is far from over. Twisted Metal 3 is still on the sidelines, and Dead In The Water has a load of potential. Get more info from Gl in the coming months, and in the meantime, continue to wonder when the real Twisted Metal will stand up. PlayStation Preview * Size: 1 CD-ROM * Style: 1 or 2-Player Action * Special Features: 4 Duke Fashions (Kilt, Toga, Wild West, Commando); Time Travel; 2-Player Deathmatch With Exclusive Multiplayer Levels; New Weapons Including a Buffalo Rifle & Holy Hand Grenade * Created by: N-Space for GT Interactive * Available: October for PlayStation 80% Complete uke defin : aide jme To Kill is man shouldn't | T : : Эди а Ln of Tomb Raider and Duke Nuke Really, the gr Similafitiés to-Tomb Raider аге everywhere, Woticeably in up to the great Dukester and praise him highly. It’s not that we want to be like Duke, or to use c 1 idefli , swim, and iS'weapons him as a role model. We just think he's tough as nails. | : What other action star can you actually say is cooler than Dukey? Schwarzenegger? Nope. Too stupid. Van Damme? Nope. Too stupid. Croft? Well... Okay, Duke may play second fiddle to Eidos’ Lara Croft, but this is only because Duke’s testosterone cannot top Lara’s big whatchamacallits. Developer N-Space wants Duke to be the mother of all action stars, and to accomplish this feat, the entire Duke Nukem franchise may go down the toilet. To beat out Lara, Duke will first have to be “observed” by the gamer. For this, the game has been changed from first-person to third-person. This is a drastic change indeed, one that may not work. But with this change, N-Space can now deliver Duke’s great one-liners alongside awesome new animations. For example, we all love it when Duke looks in the mirror and says, “Damn, I’m looking good.” He does this in Time To Kill as well, but now, we actually see him рт holster his weapon and comb his hair to match the line. Also, for the occasional pit stop in the game, Duke can now be seen unzipping, holding, jiggling, then rezipping. Of course, these are just a few of the humorous animations that Duke performs, but there are also several other movements used during gameplay. And with this statement, the dreaded comparison Time To Kill includes several : s " exclusive multiplayer | Я ч à \ | Yes, dig 48 stars use | deathmatch levels. 1 5 à m : х 1 even if some of the game is similar, Duke still has something that Lara does not - humor. : InTime To Kill, Dukeis as rude and crude as ever. One-liners are ripped off whenever possible, and to add a little variety, Duke will even wear different'outfits. Why is this needed? Because his adventure now involves time travel, and to fit into a new era, Duke needs to dress the part. So, Duke dons a kilt, toga, wild west garb, and commando fatigues. The eras he travels to are Wild West, medieval, roman, and modern. The enemies are the same (pig cops and such), but they are also dressed differently. Don’t worry though, they still die horrible deaths. Speaking of which, Duke has some new toys to play with. There are tons of new weapons in this game, mostly of the obscure kind - throwing axes, holy hand grenades, crossbows, dynamite, swords, and tons more. The gameplay is very much like that in the standard Duke games, but more emphasis has been given to 3D exploring - as in Tomb Raider. Duke Nukem: Time To Kill is due out in late October, which happens to be just a month shy of Tomb Raider 3’s release. Hmmm... Now where did that pig go? 50 Game Informer * September '98 Laser sighting helps you zero in. Preview * Size: 1 CD-ROM * Style: 1 or 2-Player Action * Special Features: 12 Levels; 3 Modes Including 2-Player Cooperative & Head-to- Head; 30 Weapons; Transform Between Hovercraft & Mecha Unit at Anytime; Radar; Power-Ups; Dual Shock & Analog Compatible * Created by: Electronic Arts * Available: October for PlayStation 75% Complete .THE NUES Am “STRIKES OUT / “s t? / i 72 Originally, LAPD 2100 was to be the next game to don Ске" “Strike” label. Initially called: Future Strike, players drove.a Hovercraft and a mecha unit instead of the traditional helicopter that has been in the series since its inception. After.a while, however, EA decided that Future Strike was just too different from the others to be part of thé'Strike series. Hence, а new series was born. In LAPD 2100, criminal activity is running rampant and the entire city has been seized by gangs comprised of humans, mutants, and cyborgs. To deliver the city from the clutches of despair, the LAPD must infiltrate gang territory and defeat gang bosses. As a cop, and the driver of a new and experimental assault vehicle, the city is depending on you to spearhead the assault and restore LA to the grimy and overcrowded paradise it once was. The vehicle you drive is actually “two-in-one.” The Hovercraft is capable of traveling at fairly high speeds. However, if you need to teach some bad guys a lesson, you'll want to tap the left and right shoulder buttons simultaneously to transform the Hovercraft into a mecha. The mecha can jump and strafe, and holds a bunch of different weapons. During gameplay, three buttons are assigned to different weapons so that during the heat of battle it's easy to choose a weapon for a specific type of foe. In all there are 30 weapons to use. In addition to the standard machine gun, you'll be able to use mortar rounds, plasma missiles, volcano mines, and more. LAPD 2100 consists of three different modes. In the Single Player mode, you must complete 12 levels. Each has different objectives and is filled with power-ups and enemies, including boss characters. For two players there is a cooperative mode where you and your friend fight side by side through the 12 levels via a split-screen. The bummer is that the computer won't let you wander too far from your partner during the ruckus. The Head-to-Head mode also uses the split-screen and is kind of like a real- time strategy game. You can build your own base and produce support vehicles like aircraft and tanks. Many of us at GI really like the Strike series and if you're like us; you'll want to keep an eye on this spin-off. Look for a review of LAPD 2100 later this fall. Бан” TN Playstation Preview * Size: 1 CD-ROM * Style: 1 or 2-Player Fighting (4-Player Via Multi-Tap) * Special Features: 8 Characters, Each With a Unique Fighting Arena; Special Moves & Combos for Each Character; Many Different "Kills"; Winner Based on Damage Dealt, Rather Than Damage Received * Created by: Paradox for Virgin * Available: October for PlayStation 40% Complete - А Selladenrs בי‎ D yes |, 4 G = mm Disturbing? You / | : betcha. Imagine a game that blurs the boundaries between 4-player fighting (like WCW vs. The World) and typical | 2-player fighters (Tekken, Street Fighter, etc.). Then add in an | unhealthy level of gore and violence and you have Thrill Kill, the newest brawler to hit the PlayStation. The basic goal of the game is to kill your opponents, of which there are up to three. Just beat the crap outta any other person onscreen and your “Thrill’ meter rises. Do combos and it increases even faster. Whoever gets their meter filled first gets to choose who dies first. And the fun thing is, 15 easy to do. Just walk up to the cowering victim of your choice, and POP! off goes the head. The game proceeds like this until there are only two characters left. Then, the winner gets a special kill move that will definitely make Congress sweat (and maybe even puke). | There are eight characters to choose from, each with a unique stage and personality. There's a mad doctor with a scalpel, ап executioner with a large chain, a midget on stilts that presumably represents a highly visible proponent of video game censorship, a hillbilly that uses his own gnawed-off arm as a weapon, and others. Each character has a choice of at least four different outfits, usually mocking something in pop culture or video gaming. For example, Belladonna has a nurse's outfit, a Catwoman outfit, a dominatrix outfit, and a french maid's outfit (mon cheri!). The fighting interface has some depth, but is not so complex that players would burst a blood vessel: just pound some buttons and combos flow like a punctured artery. You can double team opponents, or beat on more than one enemy at а time if they're all clotted together. There are also grabs that can be done, which are disturbing, but somehow just as exciting as the rest of the game. While Thrill Kill is so easy a child could play it, it is certainly not for the kiddies. This is one truly gruesome game, and even makes Mortal Kombat seem timid in comparison. Beware parents, and put this one on the “must not buy" list. But, for all of you 18+ sickos out there, check it out. It reminded us of a canned sequel to Evil Dead. | 4 The Imp is just 4! plain freaky. Dr. Faustus gives The Tormentor a hickey. ב 52 (бате Informer * September '98 * Size: 2 CD-ROMS * Style: 1-Player Action/Shooter * Special Features: 41 Space & Ground- Based Missions; Hidden Ships; 6 Different Endings; Ship Upgrades; 22 Weapons; Dual Shock & Analog Compatible; Memory Card Required * Created by: Psygnosis * Available: November for PlayStation 75% Complete limits of space with its follow-up to the highly acclaimed space combat simulator Colony Wars. Just like that balding actor in Die-Hard, : А : Colony Wars is returning with a | f= : Il E ss vengeance. Don t expect to See a | Kw serenity of that planet wi | Critical mass. sequel with just more missions, disrupted by some lasers. —— Colony Wars: Vengeance will pack 5 : 7 plenty of punch. The development team, based at the Psygnosis headquarters in Liverpool, England, has combed reviews and letters about the first installment in a search for what gamers liked and disliked. Although many of the new changes in this version will be subtle - like the way you can fast-forward through the mission briefings - many of the new additions to graphics and | mission structures will be very apparent. етти ser 22 | First and foremost, the graphic presentation is stellar (excuse o | the pun). From the first moment you crank up the inaugural | Haven't they told you notto fly | Ub ERS | mission, you know you're in the for the ride of your life. A massive directly into the sun? заа battle cruiser is in your sights, and objective #1 is to take it out. — х : A fairly simple task, but the resulting firestorm is amazing, and quite a way to kick off an epic like this. Now, only 40 missions to go. The mission structure is set up with multiple sub-missions, offering players a huge variety. This game is not about all-out destruction on every mission. One mission will have you shattering asteroids to mine mineral resources, while another requires you to cut away a piece of a ship that contains volatile reactor cores. Vengeance also has approximately six ground-based missions. Like the first game, Vengeance presents tons of objectives and mission goals that intertwine with FMV cut-scenes to construct an intriguing story that is actually set 100 years after the original game. The actions you take in certain levels determine the plot and 1 | Look! can see my hometown. | outcome of the adventure. Your choices will also open up one of six | ; separate endings. The interesting thing about uncovering all the endings is that you will not have to play the entire game through‏ א Friend or foe? | 1 Раг: again; but the game, once beaten, will allow players to explore the alternative timelines and outcomes at their leisure. Colony Wars was somewhat of an underground hit last year, but many on the GI staff have been eagerly awaiting the sequel from the moment we beat the first game. Space jockeys should keep an eye on these pages for a review in the near future. M Nothing escapes a black hole, not even light. | PlayStation Preview 10000 ץח Trapped on the i nA : ground. Aargh! This is the definition of McScrewed. “Devil Dice is slightly confusing, but once you get the hang of it, this game is very addictive. The 1-player mode is challenging and the multi- player mode is a blast. Puzzle fans will go nuts for this game.” “This game will take some time to get used to. | found that my initial strategy of just walking aimlessly worked pretty well. Unfortunately, my scores were pretty low. This game still has a lot to offer puzzle fans. Better than 1.Q., but not by much." "| highly recommend Devil Dice, especially if you have a friend to play against. It's fast-paced, original, and exciting. SCEI continues to impress, and Devil Dice is my favorite puzzle £ame on PlayStation." 54 Game informer * September 98 | Concept: 9 | 8 | 9 Graphics: 7 | 7 | 8 |, Sound: 8 | 7 | 8 j; Playability: 8.5 8 | 8.75 Entertainment: 8.5 | 8. 1:39 8 |a * Size: 1 CD-ROM * Style: 1 or 2-Player Puzzle (5-Player Via Multi-Tap) * Special Features: Battle, Puzzle, Wars, & Trial Modes; 5-Player Capability; Different Types of Dice * Replay Value: High * Created by: Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. for THQ * Available: September for PlayStation Bottom Lire: Overall: Most puzzle games emphasize the 1-player modes, and just throw in a 2-player-battle for extra effect. But Devil Dice. is the opposite, because the multiplayer game is where it's at. Devil. Dice was created by Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc., whose recent credits include Gran Turismo and Hot Shots Golf. Like a typical SCEI game, there is little to no loading in Devil Dice, the graphics are good, and the entertain- ment factor is top-notch. The concept of Devil Dice is simple: move dice around a board in order to match them up. However, the number of like-sided dice must match the number you're trying to clear. Think of it this way: move six "sixes" together, five “fives,” etc. Once you match the requisite number, the dice will disappear from the playing field. Score is determined by the amount of dice destroyed at once, otherwise known as "combos." But you don't slide the dice, you flip them one side at a time, which makes the game very challenging. But the madness doesn't stop there. In 2-player mode, competitors are placed onto a single playscreen, where they engage in a race to complete four separate combos. The first player to secure four combos wins. But the trick is: a player may steal a combo from another player. Say you just put five "fives" together and destroyed the dice. A five will register in your score box. But then your competitor can create a combo of fives, thus stealing yours. The game then becomes a frantic battle of stealing and preserving scores. It’s excellent. 8.25 PlayStation Revie poo The college games always get overshadowed by the upcoming pro games, but | found all the new options in this game to be stellar. Although the animation is a little choppy and the playcontrol loose, anyone into football should at least give it a try. “It’s so bad that players ricochet off one another like they have uniforms made of Flubber. The Play Editor and Dynasty modes are kickin’ though, and the amount of options is off the scale, but the gameplay is a lot like last year’s.” “I'd buy this game for the play editor alone. The gameplay is EA football all the way, with a new emphasis on power tackling, and the Dynasty mode is outstanding. A purchase is just a question of whether you prefer the pro or college game." * Size: 1 CD-ROM * Style: 1 or 2-Player Football (8-Player Via Multi-Tap) * Special Features: Play Editor; Improved Dynasty Mode; Team-Specific & Custom Playbooks; Full Memory Card Required For Dynasty Mode * Replay Value: High * Created by: EA Sports * Available: Now for PlayStation Bottom Line: 5 Concept: 9 7 9 Graphics: 7.75 6 | 9 Sound: 7.75 7 8.75 Playability: 8.25 5.75 8.5 Entertainment: 8.5 6.75 8.75 Overall: Although it sold tons of copies, EA Sports’ NCAA 98 had a lot of holes. Most | people overlooked this, simply because the sport of college football is so popular, -| that fans of the sport were just dying for a X late-summer college game. One problem { was graphics, the other was Al. By now, you should know that NCAA has gone polygon, and the results are excellent. The game takes a little longer to load, but once you’re in the game, every- thing runs quickly. As for this year’s Al, the verdict is not totally in, since it would take weeks of dedicated play to sort through all the play editor options. So far, we haven't found any true money plays, but running for four to six yards a down is pretty easy. The play editor is an outstanding addition to this year's update, and simply blows away the play editor found in Sony’s GameBreaker ‘98. Every player on the field must be given an assignment, even the offensive line. The possibilities for offensive and defensive plays are virtually infinite, and each play can be run on the practice field to help work out the kinks. The Dynasty mode also returns, but now, at the end of each season, you only have a certain amount of visits allowed to recruits. For example, your head coach can only visit six different recruits over the years, while lesser coaches can make more visits. Obviously, a young recruit will be more swayed by a visit from a head coach than a graduate assistant. Yes, NCAA 99 packs a pretty big punch. As for gameplay, let’s hear from the review- ers, and remember, for Dynasty mode, you'll need a whole memory card of space. «This lobster is 22 Í red. Hmmm. an you name a shot that featured a dragon? capture an enemy. Andy, The Game Hombre “Compared to Thunderforce V, G. Darius has a lot of slowdown, but overall, 1 found this game to be more entertaining. Darius has more levels, cooler power-ups, and bigger bosses. Plus, you can configure Darius to be as hard or as easy as you like." Reiner, The Raging Gamer "This game features an amazing mission structure and some of the most memorable bosses around. Like Thunderforce, G. Darius doesn't feature a very impressive graphical standpoint, but | recommend it nonetheless." Jon, The Greedy Gamer “б. Darius blows Thunderforce V out of the sky. Capturing other ships is crucial, the bosses are gigantic, the music rocks, and the moves you can pull off will amaze anyone. This game is the essence of shooting." | the console machines with a worthy sequel |that combines elements of the originals with a sophisticated non-linear game 3 design. Darius has always been, and will * Size: 1 CD-ROM * Style: 1 or 2-Player Shooter * Special Features: 15 Bosses With 2 Configurations; 3 Game Modes (Arcade, Beginner, Vs. Boss); 8 Difficulty Levels; 2-Player Simultaneous Play * Replay Value: Moderately High * Created by: Taito for THQ * Available: September for PlayStation 8.25 Bottom Line: * ANDY | REINER JON * Concept: 7.75 8.5 8.5 Graphics: 8.5 7.75 8.75 Sound: 0 8 7 8.25 Playability: 8.5 8.5 9 Entertainment: 7 8.5 8.25 “|” Overall: 8 8 8.5 always be, one of the most recognizable shooters around. Taito and THQ hope that gamers will recognize this series by the same unique look that defined it years ago, and now, by a unique gameplay design that will define this game for years to come. For hardcore fans of this series, don’t j| fret. The classic (and we mean “classic”) ship designs are back and better than ever. Yes, Darius gained a small following and easy recognition with one simple quality - the ships look like fish. Throughout the entire series, and now in G. Darius, each level throws a series of obscure enemies your way. Some look like guppies, others reveal a catfish quality or two. But all look like something from the deep. In G. Darius the fishy business is taken to new heights with bosses that easily outweigh Godzilla. Some of the bosses are so massive in size that only one eye will fit onscreen at once. G. Darius features plenty of game through 15 levels, split by numerous flight paths to reach the fifth and final stage. There are also 30 bosses, 3 game modes, simultaneous 2-player split-screen, and eight difficulty levels. G. Darius even grants the player the ability to shoot a plasma orb to convert enemies into allies. This ally becomes your wing man and helps blast the opposition dead. Almost every enemy can be snagged and tagged as your own. Andy, The Game Hombre “This game is almost too hard. You've got to really like shooter games to beat this one. This game does an excellent job of avoiding slowdown and the like, but most peo- ple will only be able to play the first three levels.” Reiner, The Raging Gamer “As with the other Thunderforce releases, V doesn’t try to wow you with graphics or effects. It’s a tough game, but not as entertaining as the new batch of shooters (G. Darius, RayStorm).” Jon, The Greedy Gamer “Thunderforce V is a quality shooter but poorly set up. With only three continues, no quick restart, and instant death at every turn, most people, even shooter fans, won’t feel compelled to get anywhere in this game.” 4 To save humanity from extinction, Earth's * Size: 1 CD-ROM * Style: 1-Player Shooter * Special Features: Tons of Weapons & Power-ups; Super Weapon; 8 Levels; 3 Difficulties; Movie Watcher & Picture Gallery; $10,000 Contest * Replay Value: Moderately High * Created by: Technosoft for Working Designs * Available: July for PlayStation Bottom Line: 6.5 ANDY | REINER JON Concept: 7 6 7 Graphics: 7 6 7.75 Sound: 6.5 7 7 Playability: 7 7.5 7.25 Entertainment: 5 6.25 5 Overall: 6.5 * More Intense 2D Action on the PlayStation & In the year 2150, Earth's first artificial lifeform, dubbed Babel, is tired of being a slave to the people's wants. So, to acquire its freedom, Babel declares war on Earth. government has constructed a new super- computer named Guardian. As soon as the government activates Guardian; it devises a plan to obliterate Babel, codenamed: Thunderforce. Guardian has chosen you to carry out the mission to search and destroy Babel. However, Babel will not make your task easy. In fact, Thunderforce V includes some of the most intense action found on any system. Because of Thunderforce's extreme difficulty, if you hope to survive, you must constantly maneuver your ship; there aren't any cheap spots to avoid trouble in this game. Graphically, Thunderforce is beautiful and unique. Technosoft flawlessly incorpo- rated a mixture of 2D and 3D action; that is, the stages are hand-drawn, while all characters are constructed of polygons. Although a few cases of slowdown occur, the action remains intense. Furthermore, the bosses are animated smoothly, and are Herculean. With such an impressive display, it makes us wonder why there isn't more slowdown. Thunderforce's control is perfect; it is neither too sensitive, nor too sluggish. Plus, the player can adjust the speed at anytime. Trust us, without a perfect speed, Thunderforce V is nearly impossible. PlayStation Preview * Size: 1 CD-ROM * Style: 1 or 2-Player Fighting * Special Features: 18 Characters To Choose From; Special Moves & EX Moves; Morphing Backgrounds; Turbo Speeds; Auto Blocking; Memory Card Compatible * Created by: Capcom * Available: 2nd Quarter '99 for PlayStation 25% Complete Super-Duper Capcom Happiness ` D Hoy ation-owning Darkstalkers fans can 'some.new gaming in on their tüachine. of choice. The newest game to БЭ come under the- Fighter's Edge label, Darkstalkers” 3, brings back all of the old characters that you have come to know and love from, Darkstalkers 2, and adds a couple of new ones as well. Joining the ranks of such favorites as Demitri and Morrigan are: В.В. Hood; a girl. with a picnic basket filled with surprises; and Jedah, a sinister fellow from the:depths of the underworld. The legend of the Darkstalkers is that | every. few hundred years the dead rise from |. the grave to feast on the living and do battle || with one another to determine who will be the supreme Darkstalker. So far, Demitri is still the reigning champion, but with the recent demise of Donovan the vampire hunter, and the new interest by Jedah in this darkest of tournaments, it’s anyone’s battle. The differences between Darkstalkers 3 -and the previous versions are few, but very important. All of the characters now have a move similar to the Custom Combo (called the ES move) found in the Street Fighter Alpha series. After you press one kick and punch simultaneously, your character can unleash special attacks from anywhere on the screen. Also, everyone has been granted what some call “super specials" - moves that are a series of button presses and d-pad movements (similar to Akuma's Raging Demon in SF Alpha) which unleash about 15 hits and a lot of damage. These moves are also very entertaining to watch. You will be amazed when you first see Morrigan whip out a huge gun and blast away the opposition. 56 Game Informer * September '98 Playstation Preview * Size: 1 CD-ROM * Style: 1-Player Action * Special Features: 2 Playable Characters (Reno & Kelly); 7 Levels; Tons of Power- Ups; Bosses; Character-Exclusive Weapons; Weapon Inventory; Different Camera Angles; Dual Shock & Analog Compatible; Memory Card Save * Created by: CandleLight Studios for Midway Home Entertainment * Available: November for PlayStation 70% Complete Old-Fashioned Therapy on't you hate it when you walk into a d you get accosted from all sides by of sales assistants? It’s enough to push a law-abiding citizen over the edge. Midway might have the remedy to calm your nerves and it’s called Assault. Instead of dorks in grease-stained collared shirts, you'll d be attacked by various alien scum. But don't bottle up your frustration, unleash the " fury and blow ‘em all to bits. Oooh, that feels 50 good. Like the Contra series of old and One, Assault is a sidescrolling shooter with an obscenely powerful arsenal and ample adversaries to test them on. There are huge lizards that, once shot, turn into two smaller enemies, and large carnivorous bugs that 4 require you to aim low to keep them from gnawing on your shins. It can be quite hectic when lizards are jumping on you from above while the bugs try to snack on you from below. Both of the characters, Reno and Kelly, have their own exclusive weapons, and once “| you acquire them the killing becomes much easier. For instance, Kelly’s Starfire weapon 4 is powerful and easy to aim. A hum begins as the weapon powers up and, when it’s released, a bright stream of red gushes forth and obliterates lesser foes into a thousand 1 points of light. Will that be cash or charge? So far Assault looks good. The explosions are huge, there is plenty of platforming, the control is pretty tight, and nasty boss characters are found throughout. In a month 4 or two, check out our review of Assault to see if it lives up to its promise of being a great action game. PlayStation Preview * Size: 1 CD-ROM * Style: 1 or 2-Player Sports (8-Player Via Multi-Tap) * Special Features: All-New Authentic Arenas; TV-Style Presentation; Icon Passing & Switching; On-The-Fly Strategy Calling * Created by: Killer Game for 989 Studios * Available: October for PlayStation 75% Complete but the appeal of the sport ity. Star players don’t drape ld, or dominate prime-time їе controversy, and most + make too much money . Hockey will never be as popular as s football, and we're glad; but in the world of video games, hockey could easily be called the king of the sports genre. People who don't even like hockey can remember playing on the Genesis. Now, in he 32-bit era, hockey has exploded, with four | different PlayStation games scheduled for release this fall. Of those, 989 Studios is a veteran. This is the company's fourth 6 P PlayStation hockey game; but will it be | different than last year? 989 Studios says yes! and it all starts with — . the new 3D engine. Not only do players look more fluid (along with details like recogniz- = able faces), but all 27 of the NHL arenas are | represented in excellent detail (see picture). | 989 is also going for TV-style presentation. | This means cut-scenes, weird camera angles at the whistle, and commentary by Mike Emrick and Darren Pang. Let’s just hope Darren Pang talks about the current game, instead of his typical, “Back when ! played...” 989 (formerly SISA) always provides a | quality hockey game, and this year should be | new skating and goalie moves, plus in-depth | strategies, Face Off ‘99 might be the PlayStation Preview * Size: 1 CD-ROM * Style: 1 or 2-Player Football (8-Player Via Multi-Tap) * Special Features: Total Control Passing: 2,200 Plays: New Pummel Button: Blue Chip Recruiting; 112 NCAA Division 1 Teams * Created by: 989 Studios * Available: October for PlayStation 65% Complete Blue Chip Battles and Gridiron Grit It's a real shame last year’s GameBreaker missed the college football season. Its use of playbook really.-oütshined EA’s NCAA ‘98. Well, Sony-has now bumped the release up by a few months, but October is still a little late to release a college game. However, after last year’s showing, and | this year’s new look, many people may choose to wait it out, and experience what promises to be the best GameBreaker yet. This year, the game includes a Blue Chip Recruiting mode. Much like EA's Dynasty mode,-in GameBreaker, you must recruit >| players, then work them through the ranks of | a college career. The Studio is keeping a tight | 4 - Assemble the L. wedge and go! lid on what exactly this mode will entail, but rest assured, it will be just as entertaining as the Spring Training mode in MLB ‘99. Total Control Passing makes a return in GameBreaker, as do team-specific play- books, gamebreaker players, and authentic stadiums. One new feature is the pummel button. Instead of just the standard dive, now you can really lay into an opponent, and | hopefully put them out of the game! With everything going for it, not the least of which is the reputation of GameBreaker | ‘98, 989 Studios could have a very good October. If you can wait, then you might want to reserve a spot for GameBreaker '99. |. 4 E כ‎ : E царцаа the needle. . Ш Check, and turn, апа — signal to the left. Game Informer • September/98 57 layStation * Size: 1 CD-ROM * Style: 1 or 2-Player Racing * Special Features: 6 Events; 5 uet Mountains With 32 Runs Plus More a a Hidden; New Characters; 2-Player Via | Link or Split-Screen; Dual Shock & Analog Compatible; Memory Card Save * Created by: Idol Minds for 989 Studios * Available: October for PlayStation 60% Complete “If it’s not broke, don't fix it.” It's a logical saying that is truly something to live by. Whether it’s common sense or just plain laziness, we're not sure, but these words are right on the money. Unless, of course, you're Sony Computer Entertainment America. | Cool Boarders marks the second time M this year that Sony has essentially fired the developers of one of its most popular games. After two Twisted Metal games, Sony decided to axe developer SingleTrac and do the game in-house. And once again, after | two spectacular Cool Boarders titles, SCEA as decided to sever the line with the original developer. If the third installments of these games turn out better than their predeces- | sors, then we can all praise Sony for its decision. But if they suck, then we should give Sony what it wants...a big lump on the butt, courtesy of its customers. On paper, Cool Boarders 3 (CB3) looks like a worthy sequel. With six events, five mountains, and 32 runs (plus more hidden), CB3 has a lot to offer and unlock. However, right now there is a glaring difference between CB3 and the first two - the control. It's still tight, but the all important "setup" before a jump is no longer. To Game Informer, the setup is a key reason for our love of this game. Lining up early for a jump in order 21 to get the maximum rotation speed is like | waiting for presents on Christmas morning. | Ahh the memories. In the end, CB3 could turn out better than j ever. But since we love Cool Boarders with all our hearts, we're just a little nervous. | 58 Game Informer * September '98 PlayStation Preview ‚ Size: 1 CDROM * Style: 1 or 2-Player Racing (4-Player Via Multi-Tap) 6 * Special Features: New Emphasis on Powersliding; 8 Tracks (With 3 Variations Each); Over 20 Cars; Car Customization; Dual Shock, NegCon, & Analog Compatible * Created by: Idol Minds for 989 Studios * Available: November for PlayStation 75% Complete ((———Ó Five cars compete in each race. re at GI, we loved the game, and played it the way through to the end. Getting the esome pickup trucks, and the Humvee, ide Rally Cross one of the fastest, most irraising racing games around. People | playing Rally Cross were sure to be leaning and pushing in their chairs, trying to coax the cars to stay on all four tires. 5 But speaking of four tires, there were 1 people who thought the handling in the game was too extreme, that it wasn’t realistic; in short, that Rally Cross couldn’t hold a candle | to Sega Rally. Well, the developers took note, and looked hard at Sega Rally. Through focus = testing and feedback, a new vision of Rally 29 Cross took shape. Rally Cross 2 now places an emphasis on powersliding. In the original Rally Cross, cars _ were constantly flipping over through turns. Now, just a tap of the brake, and a turn of the wheel, sets in motion a brilliant powerslide. Cars still flip over, and players still have to roll them back over with the shoulder buttons, but turning will be much easier. Also, the tracks are much wider, and much faster, mak- ng the powerslide even more important. Also new this year is the ability to customize cars. In accordance with specific tracks and weather conditions, players can adjust steering tension, suspension, and tire | type. Then, in true racing fashion, players can custom paint cars. It's nice to paint your car in a classic racing style, but during races, if you splash through mud, the mud will stay on А the саг. To remedy this, simply drive through some water and it will wash all the mud off. у Now that's cool. ig air return. Rally Cross 2. * Size: 1 CD-ROM * Style: 1-Player Action * Special Features: Dual Shock & Analog Compatible; Over 20 Levels; Tons of Weapons & Attacks; Soul Collecting; Camera Panning; Secrets; FMV & Real-Time Cut-Scenes * Created by: Sony Computer Entertainment Europe for SCEA * Available: October 20 for PlayStation 80% Complete like it has been around forever (two years to | be exact) and we hope that developer SCEE (Sony Europe) isn't embarrassed, or a trifle angry, when we say that this product was a pile of junk when it originally debuted. But now we have a magnificent tale to weave of a game that went from rags to riches, zero to hero, and from crap to possibly gold. We love these touching stories of games that couldn't make the grade, but then pop up a year later, changed and ready to compete. MediEvil is such a product, and SCEE has done a remarkable job in turning this game around. Not only is the gameplay enhanced 2 : beyond belief, but the overall look of the Greetings Sir ту пате іе game has been turned upside-down as well. 5 ал the хэр Tam the master of | MediEvil features artsy-fartsy styling similar rate into a film. The main character is very comparable to Jack from Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas and the environments are similar in design to those in another Burton - 8 classic, James and the Giant Peach. Even the music is very Danny Elfman. Unfortunately, the gameplay isn’t that revolutionary, as it is basically hack-n-slash. =| Some of the levels tryyto stump you with puzzles and objectives, but for the most part, your mission is to open doors and kill as many enemies as possible. And kill you must, as collecting the souls of all ofthe enemies on a stage will grant you access to the Hall of Heroes. The Hall is a magical place that grants the main character, Sir Dan, new weapons and powers. dict MediEvil is one of those games that seems | || to what director Tim Burton might incorpo- * Size: 1 CD-ROM * Style: 1-Player Action/Platform * Special Features: Unique Flight Energy Meter; Anime-Style Design; Over 30 Levels; Full 360° Gameplay; Analog & Dual Shock Compatible * Created by: 989 Studios * Available: December for PlayStation review 60% Complete Some levels take з place indoors. " " tive known as Tofu. But remember, while Tofu is a bland display of gelatinous yuck, absorbing flavor from food like a foul, parasitic enzyme; Tobu stands by itself as a completely original, ingenious, and good-for- you video game. Now, let's cut to the chase. Loyal GI fans will remember the interview with Ken Yamada, designer of Tobu, in our July issue. Since that time, Ken was nice enough to drop by the office with an early version of the ^| game. Instantly, we were impressed by the environments. All the enemies are drawn in an anime-style, and the overall theme is of a strange, fantastical world where everything still operates on steam power. At this point, what we're most impressed with, is the control. Tobu's different moves — Й jumping, flying, diving, hovering, banking, B gliding, punching, and charging - are very easy to pull off. The flying itself is equally precise. A large focus of the game is managing your flying energy, and deciding which platform you can reach with a few short wingflaps. While flying, Tobu's dive moves, glides, banks, and landing maneuvers make you feel like a bird of prey, high atop the earth. Since day one, the team has focused on control, and the work is starting to pay off. Ken assured us his game will appear in December, so get ready to fly. Tobu includes an overworld, called Good Folk Shire. You can recharge your wings on platforms. and Windows Col ЕЗ Overload...Part Il As promised last month, here are more standouts from this year’s E3. There are so many PC titles at the Expo (and so little space in 01), | could probably use ride of her life. this format all year until the next E3 rolls around. Take special note of Drakan, Max Payne, and X-COM: Alliance. Unfortunately, they won't be out until next year Drakan Psygnosis — Jan. '99 his 3D third- person adven- ture game involves ground- based апа aerial combat. You start out on a quest for a dragon. Not to kill it, but to form an unbreakable bond with it. Once accomplished, the dragon, Arokh, is your loyal friend and allows you to ride him into combat whenever the situation calls. The environments are beautiful (both earth and sky), and the dragons look killer, especially the translucent wings. Duel: The Mage Wars Virgin - November ‘98 irgin had a lot of interesting. § games, but Duel stands out because it was developed by Mythos, creator of X-COM. Duel is a fantasy strategy game that draws on ар: and history. You have over 30 incantations, like Pestilence and Lucifer's Farewell, and the ability to summon more than 21 creatures, like centaurs, phoenixes, and wraiths, to help you defeat the evil Wizard overlords. Spells can also be combined and when casting spells, you must consider how it will affect the balance of the universe. Cast too many Chaos spells, and the realms plunge into chaos. There are 30 regions that exist in three realms - Celtic, Greek, and Medieval. Max Payne 6.0.0. - Spring ‘99 eveloped by 3D Realms, Max Payne is very early, but still looks fabulous. The story's hero, Max, faces | impossible odds in this third-per- son shooter. The character animation, lighting effects, and attention to detail are all impressive. For instance, when an enemy is smoking a cigarette, the ash glows brighter when he inhales. Then, if he moves for- ward, the smoke trails behind. Also, instead of usin£ FMV to enhance and move the story, the game has an 80-page digital comic book to help unravel the mystery. © Game Informer * September '98 X-COM: Alliance MicroProse — 2nd Q ‘99 he PC Jedi would have my hide if | didn't mention this game. The new XCOM is another first-person game, but two things make it stand out: (1) it’s XCOM, and (2) there are four other soldiers, besides yourself, that you get to command. A map allows you to direct the squad members to specific locations, plus there are miniscreens (like picture-in-picture) that can be dragged down to display each of their first-person views. Even though it’s another game using the Unreal engine, Alliance’s strong suit will definitely be found in gameplay. Diablo Il Blizzard — 2nd Q ‘99 t's disappointing that this game won't be out by the end of the year, but Diablo 11 will be much bigger with quite a few added features, including chickens that scurry away when you approach them. More importantly, you will be able to better customize the controls, such as the right and left mouse buttons. Plus, there is an added skill chart and an improved paperdoll interface for equipping your character. The game will be comprised of four acts, each about the size of the original Diablo. Night will fall and your character can now run. CCE EEE iA Total Annihilation: Kingdoms Cavedog - 1510 ‘99 "т not a huge fan of the original Total Annihilation, but Kingdoms will be a lot different. There will still be tons of Structures, vehicles, etc., but now the game takes place in the medieval period and players will be able to control foot soldiers, engage in hand-to-hand combat, and use magic and spells. There are also four sides (families) instead of two. Two families are bad and two are good, and each has its own specialties regarding the elements — earth, wind, fire, and water — which leads to the inclusion of water combat. Drakan's Arokh gives this Lara Croft wannabe the E Instead of your typical FMV, Max Payne uses a digital comic book to unfold the story. Grim Fandango LucasArts - Fall '98 abriel Knight ЇЇ was anoth- er graphic adventure that looked intriguing, but | liked Grim Fandango's "Day of the Dead" theme intertwined with plenty of humor. Designed by Tim Schafer (Day of the Tentacle), the interface is different than most adventures. For example, there is no mouse control, so you are forced to move the main character, Manny Calavera, without the use of a cursor, in order to find the “hot spots.” With 55 characters, 90 locations, and 7,000 lines of dialogue, Fandango should be plenty long as well. Conflict of Nations Sega PC - Fall '98 didn't play this game, but our diligent intern, Chet Barber, said Conflict is stellar. Described as a satir- ical real-time strate- gy game with espi- onage elements, Conflict of Nations is set in the early 20th century during the time of the first World Wars. Most games think they're hot stuff if they have 3 sides, but in this title there are six countries to choose from. The character designs are solid and the interface is easy to learn. Duke Nukem Forever GT Interactive - Dec. ‘98 thought | might be getting a little Sick of the Duke- meister, but Reiner saw the videotape of Duke Nukem Forever and con- vinced me | should give this steroid- munching freak another chance. One sweet addition is a sniper mode, allowing you to zoom WAY. in from great distances upon unsuspecting prey. Forever is yet another game to utilize the Unreal engine. Size: Unknown _ Style: 1 to 4-Player Racing Special Features: 4 Tracks With 8 Vehicles; Power-Ups Include Cannons, Missiles, & Turbos; Shortcuts Found in Each Level Created by: Blueshift, Inc. & AIRE for Atari Available: Now in Arcades Everywhere The company working on Vapor TRX | is Blueshift Software, the creator of classic games such as Paperboy, 720°, and Cyberball, so we are pretty excited about Vapor. These guys know how to create challenge, and how to make games that go in new directions. So why is Blueshift making a racing game with weapons? The company must have | something up its sleeve to really make Vapor stand out. But what we know is already impressive. Eight vehicles and four tracks come together to bring action-packed racing for up to four players at once. The different tracks are what Atari is touting, and they sound really nice. From canyons to huge metroplexes, the game delivers a wide assortment of tracks that will challenge and excite the player. The courses have numerous shortcuts, and loads of power-ups to use as you vie for the first-place trophy. But we have only one question for Blueshift: Where is the next 720°? You know the people want it. Give it to ‘em. "₪ iSt Р” Bat שי‎ _ Size: Deluxe Sit-Down 4-Seat Cabinet With 30" Screens Style: 1 to 4-Player Racing Special Features: 3 Tracks & 4 Cars To Choose From; ISolid Physics; High Speed; Winner Stays Created by: Midway Available: Now in Arcades Everywhere The Bottom Line: 8 Hyperdrive is a really solid racing title that brings some great concepts to the arcade. The game is basically Wipeout, but even better. According to your skill, choose from four hovercraft, each different in handling and speed. Then choose from one of four tracks, each also ranging in skill levels. There are three things that make this game stand out. First, by pivoting the con- trols up or down, the player can fly over or under the other racers. Your vehi- cle goes faster if it is closer to the ground, so this adds lots of strategy to the game. Secondly, the graphics and control are right on the money. It moves fast and you don’t ever feel cheated by the computer. If you screw up, it really is your fault you lost, because even with the “speed boost” given to trailing racers, you can still maintain the lead if you are good enough. Lastly, this game allows the winner to stay on and play again for free, even in 1-рїау- er mode. That rocks, and is definitely a way to get more people in arcades, while increasing the competition between friends. In short, the best player will leave with the most money still in his or her pockets. Hyperdrive is def- initely a game to check out. Size: Motorcycle Mounted With 50” Screen Style: 1-Player Racing Special Features: 6 Bikes To Choose From; Course Is Open & Accurately Represents L.A.; Unique Harley-Style Bike To Control; _ Superb Graphics Created by: AM3 for Sega Available: Now in Arcades Everywhere The Bottom Line: 8.75 К For those of you that haven’t played this game already, this is definitely a game for everyone, especially motorcycle fans. Choose from six different Harleys, each with their own rider and style. Cruise around Los Angeles and head to various checkpoints, which are Harle Davidson stores. The game ends when you run out of time, of course. Honestly, the only two real complaints about this game are the price (at least a buck in most places), and the low amount of playtime allotted. Basically, if you don’t know the route exactly, you won’t make it. The direction arrows would be cool if you were a bird, but since you are confined to the road, the arrows serve little to no purpose except to get you lost. This game could have been a lot better if it just got rid of the checkpoints and let you cruise around, gathering those little icons for extra time (like Top Skater). However, you should definitely check it out, if only for the graphics and wonderful control. Game Informer * September '98 © CLANCE * Size: 96 Megabit * Style: 1 or 2-Player Racing ¢ Special Features: Real "97 F1 Season Standings, Events, & Occurrences; Beginner Mode With Steering & Brake Assist; Memory Card Required * Replay Value: Moderately High * Created by: Paradigm/Video System for Nintendo * Available: Now for Nintendo 64 Bottom Line: 7.5 * Size: 96 Megabit * Style: 1 to 4-Player Racing * Special Features: Over 100 Levels of Racing; 204 Characters; Awesome Soundtrack; Many Power-ups & Secrets; Rumble Pak Compatible * Replay Value: High * Created By: Iguana for Acclaim * Available: Now for Nintendo 64 Bottom Lire: 8.75 * Size: 128 Megabit * Style: 1 to 4-Player Action/Adventure * Special Features: Based on GoldenEye Engine; Features a Female Hero; More Levels Than GoldenEye; Deathmatch Mode » Created By: Rare for Nintendo * Available: 2nd Quarter '99 for Nintendo 64 25% Complete © Game Informer * September '98 М World Gran Prix World Gran Prix (WGP) reaches deep into the experience of F1 racing, with a perfect re-creation of the 1997 season - crashes, rivalries, and all. But control is so important to a racing game, and WGP has a serious problem. When using the analog, merely touching left and right jerks your ride around like in a 16-bit racing game. То | alleviate this problem, we continuously held the analog at full up, and used the diagonals to steer | our car. It was better, but for a long race, this style gets old fast. In fact, we never thought we'd say this, but a steering wheel works as well, if not better, than the controller. The graphics are really nice, and the tuning options are excellent, but with weak control, WGP is for hardcore F1 fans only. Iggy's Reckin’ Balls The guys at Iguana have done it again. This game refuses to be categorized as a racing game alone; so many platform elements are prevalent. The races are fast paced and harrowing, and the action is nonstop. This is a definite party game, as well as a great 1-player game. For all character-based racing fans, this game is a must have. While the game may seem odd at first, it ; quickly hooks you and won't let you go. The | characters are entertaining and there are tons of secrets to keep you playing. The soundtrack is | pumping and will get your body moving. Play it to believe it. Perfect Dark All you GoldenEye nuts get ready, because Rare | has another shooter extravaganza coming your way. The game stars Joanna Dark, a woman | trying to unravel the secrets of the dataDyne Corporation. Rare promises another great game | that will include “all the ideas that didn't quite make it into GoldenEye and much, much more..." One of these ideas is the ability for Joanna to , block attacks rather than take everything that ; comes her way. Another is for more interaction with environments. The most memorable sequence we have seen is when she pushes a hospital gurney down a hall and uses it for cover while blasting some aliens. We are twitching with F anticipation for this one. Prepare to see much | more on Perfect Dark in the coming year. FRENTZEN START. TRACK SET nic e קה‎ זוז‎ > Ed T ШАУ pa ויו‎ > KA Ив” ша SPEED! | ₪ STEERING > nf ша SETTING 8 | SEYTING | SENTING ЕЛ! SEXTING | t. IRVINE © SETTING resinae (9) Я > TAG HEUER онол nune H. FRENTZEN © שר‎ 0: 19-66% ыг Н. FRENTZEN © | 228 9 мамке 222200 SETTING АД! SETTING C. ==) БЕНБАГ CLANCE Ca MIN MIN Flying Dragon If you've played a fighting game, you'll quickly understand Flying Dragon’s play mechanics. There’s a kick button, a punch button, and a special moves button. Quickly tapping these roduces a myriad of combos - that’s 6 3752 p y p fighting. Furthermore, characters can counterattack, and perform Tekken-style air‏ ו =; combos and throws. Although Natsume tried to steal Теккеп fighting interface, it added some unique ideas of its own. For example, players can strengthen characters by purchasing items = such as health, special move enhancements, speed boosters, attack boosters, defense boosters, etc. Also, you can play in either 2D or 3D. Although the two modes feature similar play mechanics, they are different games. Crime Killers When you begin Crime Killers, you'll immediately notice that this game is beautiful. Pixelogic has created high-res graphics, running at 60 fps, with | almost no pop-up. The gameplay resembles | Twisted Metal in many respects, but doesn't try to mimic it. Rather, it borrows the basic idea (car battling), and includes a plot — yes, there’s a decent plot - with purposeful missions. The missions consist of catching, and killing criminals using a police car, motorcycle, or a plane. Also, each level is non-linear. Not only can you drive anywhere, the levels constantly alter; that is, even if you play a level multiple times, your missions will never repeat. The only major drawback to this title is that it becomes repetitive too quickly. Masters Of Mons! Disciples Of Gaia There is not much going for this game at all. By summoning monsters to fight for you, you attempt to destroy your opponent, who can also summon monsters. The graphics are poor and the interface is confusing. We found that some rounds you would hit and some you would not, regardless of how the percentages read. Masters of Monsters is not hard at all, merely slower than a crippled snail, and it will frustrate with its pointlessness. The “training” level took over 90 minutes to complete, although we dominated the CPU the entire way. Heck, setting up and playing a tabletop game of Warhammer with 500 point Й armies would be faster. Play X-Com or Kartia instead. GLANCE e AT Nintendo 64 Preview * Size: 1 CD-ROM * Style: 1 or 2-Player Fighting * Special Features: 2 Games; 2D & 3D ractice Mode; Rumble Pak Compatible; Purchasing Enhancements; Numerous Moves * Created by: Natsume * Available: August for PlayStation 70% Complete PlayStation Review * Size: 1 CD-ROM * Style: 1 or 2-Player Shooter * Special Features: 15 Levels; High-Res Graphics; 60 FPS Graphics; Non-Linear Gameplay; Real-Time 3D Environments; 3 Vehicles; 2-Player Battle; Nice Lighting Effects & Transparencies * Replay Value: Moderate * Created by: Pixelogic for Interplay * Available: Now for PlayStation Bottom Line 7.75 PlayStation * Size: 1 CD-ROM * Style: 1 or 2-Player Strategy * Special Features: Many Different Monsters; 6 Characters To Play As; Map Mode, Story Mode, & 2-Player Mode; Strange Storyline * Replay Value: Moderate * Created by: System Soft for ASCII Entertainment * Available: Now for PlayStation Bottom Line: 5 е 5 Game Informer • September -Ф GLANCE ан: “A dance, y PEELE am 4 es שי‎ open For those of you that are Spice Girls fans, get ready to see them on your PlayStation. Spice § World is a PaRappa-esque game that allows you to create music videos to the songs that made the ё band rich. By inputting a series of commands, you can choose the dance steps that the Girls will take. After practicing the routine for a bit, head to & the studio and make a video for the world to see. - Although the game seemed about as empty and 8 Yr 2 ‘ | fluffy as a Spice Girls’ song when we saw it at E3, i pre that may not be the case when it comes out later this year. Watch for a review coming soon. * Available: Fal | PlayStation 60% Complete Kula World In Kula World, you are a cute little beach ball | whose goal is to pick up all of the collectibles on | : a multisided playing surface high above the 12 ЦАС ME ground, all before the timer runs out. Standing in | ב‎ your way are hazards such as spikes, as well as | ИЙ your own equilibrium. You are able to stick to all | И sides of the puzzle, so goodies can be found on | Save Points all sides of the structure. Sometimes, the Е авар КИРИШИ structure is not connected, forcing you to jump ל‎ from one section to another; miss, and its a long PlayStation way down. This game does have multiplayer modes, but you can't play at the same time as .your opponent. We just don't really like puzzle # games where you have to take turns. Bottom Line: NASCAR 99 Fans of NASCAR 98 are looking forward to this sequel with baited breath, and everything missing ing from the first game makes a triumphant : special ССС appearance in NASCAR 99. Players can now ШЫ А race as legendary drivers Petty, Yarborough, both (Ж of the Allisons, and Benny Parsons. Helping to КЕЛЕЕК УЙ mark NASCAR's 50th anniversary, the classic 065טוסחו‎ 200870 400 cars appear just as they did years ago. Fans will : шаш סט ה יע‎ also be glad to know that the Brickyard 400 is for Play now a stop on the circuit, as is Watkins Glen. 17777 Nintendo 64) Fans craving realism will also appreciate the night driving at Bristol and Charlotte. The same car tuning options return, but the music has changed. This year, race to the sounds of George Thorogood, Joe Satriani, and the man himself, 98% Complete Stevie Ray Vaughn! O- Informer • September '98 00:11.337 I Generations: Street Fighter || Collection If you sold your SNES for a PlayStation or Nintendo 64, and don't have access to any Street Fighter games, worry not! Capcom is developing Street Fighter Il, Street Fighter II Champion Edition, and Street Fighter Il Turbo for the | PlayStation. The games remain identical to the ш arcade versions; Capcom included everything from the music to the computer's fighting patterns. After executing all of your favorite combos such as Ken's deadly triple upper-cut, and Guile's 4-hit re-dizzy combo, true Street ₪ Fighter fans will shed a tear for nostalgia. Ч Unfortunately, Capcom excluded those соо! i Ц glitches from the original Street Fighter || such as E Dhalsim’s invisibility and Guile's handcuffs. Our only gripe with this version is the controller. = Although the game controls perfectly, that PlayStation d-pad is just too stiff. Rosco McQueen At first, we thought this game was for youngsters, ы but then we got to a series of jumps. If the control in this game was even decent, the jumps would be easy, but the control is horrible, so the jumps are tough, and dying sends you all the way back to the beginning of the level, so the game can't really be for youngsters. Instead, it's just plain lame. Each new room looks just like the last, and fighting the fires is about as exciting as eating bran cereal. There is so much wrong with this game that it makes you wonder what the developer was thinking. Remember Towering Inferno on 2600? This game is just about as bad. Rosco McQueen should be shot down in flames. WarGames: Defcon 1 WarGames has cool graphics and vehicles, but it's pretty repetitive. The 1-player game is pure action with no strategy. You start each mission with a given set of vehicles, and you attack the enemy until you defeat its forces, or until all your vehicles are destroyed. You can group your vehicles and lead an assault, but there is no need. Just take one vehicle at a time and attack! attack! attack! The game reminds us more of Mass Destruction than a Nuclear or Soviet Strike. Playing with (or against) a friend is fun, and beginners will enjoy the simple control, but veteran gamers will be frustrated with the lack of depth and strategy. A good shoot ‘em up, but = that's it. PlayStation Preview Size: 1 CD-ROM * Style: 1 or 2-Player Fighting * Special Features: 3 Separate Games; 12 Characters; Special Moves; Balanced Gameplay; The Nostalgia * Created by: Capcom * Available: September for PlayStation 70% Complete PlayStation Review * Size: 1 CD-ROM * Style: 1-Player Action * Special Features: Hose Power-Ups; Throwing Weapons; Heat Meter; Memory Card or Password Save * Replay Value: Low * Created by: SCEE for Psygnosis * Available: Now for PlayStation Bottom Line: 5 PlayStation Review * Size: 1 CD-ROM * Style: 1 or 2-Player Action * Special Features: Multiple Vehicles; Play as W.O.P.R. or NORAD; Multiplayer Deathmatch & Cooperative; Password Save; 30 Missions * Relay Value: Moderately High * Created by: MGM Interactive * Available: Now for PlayStation Bottom Line: 7.25 Game Informer * September 798. © אש аг 6 RN CE AU תי‎ CL ON CE — A RN aues P Pay International Rally › Size: 1 CDROM Championship * Style: 1 or 2-Player If you are a fan of good racing and have 2 шэн Тоо thoroughly played Gran Turismo, then you should 60 Tracks: Course check this game out. The game features Creator/Editor; 9 rally-style racing on over 60 tracks, with nine real E ШШЕ ДЕЕ е5 cars to choose from, including the Subaru Rally 3 ян Us ШИ Sport and the Volkswagen Jetta. Race in many ' i No. Th ) лого different cups and get the first place medal by ЧЭ T END ~ photo-real fers is limited and their eM kicking butt. There are numerous hazards to ] Ч ! the game is very for PlayStation hinder your progress, such as ice, mud, and Ливан юм ! bow Ey gravel. You can even create your own courses, if Kc он edt you are tired of the 60 tracks the game offers you. i A review will be coming shortly, but all that needs to be fixed is the clipping on the screen. 80% Complete good, but this game lacks tracks ou enjoyed the arcade game, joy it for a while. Rent it. Moto Racer 2 — PlayStation Moto Racer was a big hit in the racing scene. It e Style: 1 or 2Player mixed off-road and asphalt racing under one Racing hood, but there was a problem with control. Moto * Special Features: Racer just wasn't any fun unless you had analog § 010 8, 51700% 8665: support. All that has changed, and Moto Racer 2 | New Course Editor; 9 Nr MESE works equally well with digital and analog control. Best Races The sequel also sports improved graphics (some ЦЭЛ ЦЭ of the road courses look like Need For Speed 3), „- 18 арилан and two modes - Arcade and Simulation. In Ё | Simulation mode, the control demands a feather | touch, because even touching a roadside barrier | sends you flying off your bike. So far, we like Moto Ё Racer 2 much better than McGrath Supercross. Throw in the road courses, and the course editor, and Moto Racer 2 is clearly the most complete | : 90% Complete motorcycle package in the pipeline. : Mm) present flashy graph 2 NE gameplay. What it doe: scene. It tries to be as si Its fun, ruthless to mankinc Deadly Arts — Nintendo 64 Bottom Line: Shining Force Ш | m Shining Force Ill is the final Saturn game for the | E U.S. from Sega, and what a game it is. We have ו‎ been waiting forever for the next Shining Force | Game since we played SF CD. Now it is here, and 32-bit $ ו‎ has done it well. Full 3D environments add a new | ו‎ icc! to the Shining Force play, although it is stil ₪ ЕЗИ 5 familiar. The new addition is the “friendship” that | БСШ 67681 51011100: is created through interaction with other party ы цаас UL 0706 members, and it is a nice addition indeed. The | PI УИ ООСО battles are solid, but could have been a little | * Created by: better. The game is fairly long, about 35 hours in M ботс/Сате! Тог 5ева. length. For all Strategy/RPG fans, this is definitely | * Available: Now for E a game to get. dern fighters crave. highest of praise from грогаїе a create a fighter Bottom Lire: 8 5 under 12 crowd will really enjoy taking and ы trading pictures at school, but a real camera is less expensive. A fun add-on, but too expensive. Game Informer * September '98 DISCLAIMER Here’s a great guide that . will get you started. Note: ^. We didn't find everything in... ihe game, and have left some of the exploring up to. you. Good/luck and have fun!!! Power Raiser "n the first dungeon „> destroy the ceiling-based spider then enter the next door you see on the right. The rightmost chest contains a Power Raiser. . . Broken Cleaner ^ ^ ln the shopping arcade.search the Plasma Cell box in front of the Staple Electric Goods Store to find a Broken Cleaner. Also, kick the tin can into the Bakery to ye and receive 1000 zeny Rapid Fife J Leave the shopping arcade а! Arter the mine located through the South Door. Save the man, then Continue deeper in and you will find the Rapid Fire in a chest. Mine Parts Kit Go back into the shopping arcade and talk to the shop owners of Parts Shop Lightning Parts Center. “for saving the man in the mine you will receive a Mine Parts Kit. Splash Mire & Citizen's Card y Talk to Roll outside the South Door’ ‘of the shop- ping arcade. She will give you the Splash Mine. After Тас to her, a 2 wil Approach with the itizen’s Card. Broken Motor & Blumebear Parts In the downtown area search in the pail next to - the nice white house to find the Broken Motor, and search the pail next to a Don't Kick Us sign to find the ‘Blumebear Parts. N Bonne Family Key A king to the mayor and Roll again, and fight your first boss раі Defeat the robots at city hall and the mayor will . give you the first Digger's Key. е will give you the Walkie-Talkie. : í : Noth Door and jump up _ סוחס‎ the hill and search the Plasma Cell box next to the ' house to find this item. _ This item is located оп the perimeter of the field. next to the underground en ае located through - ~to a construction worker at then return to see the mayor. She will grant you this Before you leave the mining area go to one of the shacks and talk to the children to join their gang. Talk all to get the Pick. Buster Unit Go back tø your broken ship and go behind itand through the ‘canyon. Steer to the left and enter the adobe house. In here search everywhere until the 0 тар is filled in and the Buster Unit it is found. P s Réfractor Keys & Old Doll & Grenade Kit & Spring Set & Old Bone Go behind your broken ship again and enter the. cave in South Cardon. Defeat the robots then enter ihe structure behind the fence. Keep your eyes peeled for the Refractor Keys and when you run across airborne homing enemies search the wall for an Old Doll. In the next room you will find the Grenade Kit. Even further in you will find the Spring Set ina chest and an Old Bone in the wall. Yellow | Retractor ^ Place all three of the Refractor “Keys into the Refractor Device to receive this‘Shard. Rollerboard Put on the Jump Springs and go back into the cave and jump up to the higher ledge just near the level entrance. Walk pins ue corner and grab the ` Rollerboard from the chest. ` Shining Object & Pen Light & Triple Access Go back-into one of the Portal entrances with the Jump Springs. Use this item to access’ new areas within the’portals. P Plástique & Bomb 4 Pay the mayor to rebuild the entire city then talk to the police chief. Talk to him twice, in fact, to play a bomb game. Grab the bombs to get Plastique and Bomb. Саг“. Go through the East Door then through the South Door. Grab the cat next уй Main Gate. j Zetsabre & Mystic Orb Go through the West Door and enter uptown. Go into the TV station and check in with the receptionist. Beat the Beast Hunt to receive the Zetsabre. Defeat the Balloon Fantasy to get the Mystic Orb. upgraded License. What is this, Gran Turismo?’ / Broken Propeller Enter the West Door and search the trash can in front of the white building directly to the right. Lipstick & Museum Access ~. Talk to the girl painting in uptown. Return to the shopping arcade and get the Lipstick from the dress store. Return алд give the lipstick to the painter. You'll now have access to the museum where you can dis- Ia » Gatling Part & Ring 8 Starter Keys & Joint Plug & Rapid Striker & Red Refractor & Old Hover Jets Go to uptown and talk to the workers next to the at. Beat the boss and enter the temple. Here you | find all sorts of goodies. Search the small black its in the wall to find the Gatling Part and Ring. You'll find the Old Hover Jets, Starter Keys, Rapid Striker, and 2 Plug in the chests. hae the па alligator fish you will find:the Red Inside the chests you will find a Guidance Unit, 2 ID. Cards, and Target Sensor, There is a Tele-Lens ina еа Buster to destroy ig and continue on to arral | & Blunted Drill & Blaster Unit Alpha & Generator Part Go to the open gate and enter. Continue down ti spiral and in the maze: Red Stone hidden within ther side of the hall you another wall crack. Right n is crack is a chest holding the Blunted Drill. Keep s earching and you'll find a Blaster Ус and Generator Part. Watcher Key. { Sleeper Key & Dreamer Key Leave the Gate though one of the enter the factory. Defeat the boss, tl blac} Key, and head to uptown to find the Dreamer Key. Power Stream After inserting the three Keys, talk to MegaMan Juno then enter the new hallway section. Around the first. corner you'll find the Power Stream. Beat the _ bosses and it's M Over. ПЕШ GAME CONTINUE OP m Extra Difficulty / After Беа по the game, а new dificulty will be awarded tojyou at the title screen. Now, try beating the game'as fast as you can, just like ‘in-Resident Evil, to hopefully unlock more goodies,” е zone yo will find a Shiny” ack in the wall. On the ind an Autofire Barrel in _ the Key is yours. _ Goto the slums and enter the Gate to get the Sleeper „е Í Lightning Parts Center Item List Life Gauge - 500 Zenny Life Gauge 2 - 1000 Zenny Life Gauge 3 - 3000 Zenny Life Gauge 4 - 5000 Zenny Life Gauge 5 - 10,000 Zenny Energy Canteen - 650 Zenny Extra Pack + 400 Zenny Extra Pack 2 - 800 Zenny Extra Pack 3 - 1200 Zenny Extra Pack 4 - 1800 Zenny Extra Pack 5 - 2400 Zenny Extra Pack 6 - 3000 Zenny Extra Pack 7-2??? - Each Additional Pack Costs 1000 Over Last Listed Price Shield Repair - 1000 Zenny Flak Jacket - 9500 Zenny Kevlar Jacket - 36,000 Zenny Kevlar Jacket 2 - 120,000 Zenny Hyper Cartridge - 3000 Zenny Chameleon Net - 5000 Zenny Defense Shield - 10,000 Zenny Parts List Power Raiser - 520 Zenny Range Booster - 160 2өппу”- Range Booster + 2 - 400 Zenny Turbo Charger - 120 Zenny Turbo Charger + 2 - 320 Zenny Blast Unit - 960 Zenny Sniper Unit - 860 Zenny Laser - 9600 Zenny Sniper Range - 7800 Zenny Turbo Battery - 7200 Zenny Power Raiser - 3400 Zenny Range Booster - 2400 Zenny Turbo Charger - 2200 Zenny Blaster Unit + 2/43 - 22,400 Sniper Unit «2/43 - 14,800 Item Development Bring these items to Roll in the Support Car and she will turn them into something useful. * Blumebear Parts create Machine Buster * Cannon Kit creates Powered Buster * Safety Helmet creates Helmet * Grenade Kit creates Grenade Arm * Spring Set creates Jump Springs * Broken Motor, Broken Propeller, and Broken Cleaner create Vacuum Arm * Zetsabre and Pen Light create ^ Blade Arm * Rollerboard and Old Hover Jets create Jet Skates * Joint Plug creates Adapter Plug * Guidance Unit creates Active Buster * Target Sensor and Tele-Lens create Sniper Scope * Plastique creates Power Blaster L * Bomb creates Power Blaster R * Blunted Drill creates Drill Arm * Autofire Barrel and Generator Part create Auto Battery Game Informer • September '98 S app a 08 = PASSWORDS = CODES build acne. 3 ₪ ו‎ אוו‎ 1010 6 | 8 00 Defeat all 6 | | Pra 0 Round and 6 Alternate Co es 6 0 | Dackground 00 0 2 e aracte ele е | ente е options and sele 8 ahlia e character vo | | Floor option to ock all sorts 0 en press and hold 0 different patte and background ore . 0 0 ee 8 | 010 depending о е регѕо D ага аре enable 0 a alte ate co б е Differe 00 en complete a ne eapo | 0 0 о eve a ga odes and a oose Your De A an "Oka ating. Doing d OWer pre 0 ang background color to e towe p into a new orde aree 0 elect a dame eat Me e Optio old ode and sele e ma on to х 1 and BIO 0 0 0 ange oad 0 АРА М 0 е ghlighted. Do ply begin gameplay and p the еа е piece be differe bring a olds ea atalitie ontro e Wate А е ма perfo e ea atality ge 9 oid D or Do 0 o the opponent and pre DO e e background wate 0 ah P Pre g the analog differe р : / directio also provide ay aS 0 ропа econds of spla entertainme aracter сеге 00 9 0 age and press a 0 Butto дауа 9 0 0 0 0 ee 0 Orlando and ente e ma 0 be Bond edo and 0 . a е Pra — ^ Chonner Attac apo ow beag nti n D о bring 0 eg 7 Play A oro - А 6 aracte e Preside D 0 ale een ao to the Hidde gameplay press and hold р Орто en pre D D D and Do e e a no Ü a епа 0 e to ор 0 e 0 0 Press ₪ and Blo ogethe 6 president go do play a big four-armed do 2 Ано варо Bea ova ova D ay A ea ply beat a ed evel set to Expe ghte e Group mode 0 0 awesome ne варо Play A oob Saibo A M M — M — — M — id 4 * o^ wg ndm on deo gs & d D e button for the ve о e ese code 0 0 е ב כ ם ב ב‎ oo 0 ould е а да а alectio ae Disco mode - A 0 Do D р a Do DO RIO 0 0 Hid 0 0 B, НО RIG 4х4 0 n D big head Rig 0 0 e Rig כ‎ n 0 . 0 0 de A e Но a a Danina пеаа Q pla А oring р / n ^ акапа כ‎ and а 0 00 g up e epia D g the repla со 00 0000 UJ 0 Head О ВО O aA 0 BO 0 0 420016 О В R ener Banjo ode mb, M id —_ ARI | | 4. e al мз” [X-men vs. street Fighter- — [ ^— Mortal шил Г n20 - Playstation Playstation PlayStation Enter all of these chi Extra Options — At the Password screen. quickly tap A, A, Rig Firewall — «А А This will bring up severa Start and any actior Weapons - -₪ options including Full Super Ва the character card and un Infinite Lives -ФИХ 86 99 Hit Combo — Pick Gambit an hidden costume. Note: Fe l| max out your Super Bar to level and Tanya you must rotate Level Select רא‎ 8% Perform Gambit's awesome Royal 2 picture three times before th Bonus Ship - «NA 63€ A Flush super and cancel it after the secret costume will be active. — Bonus Level Select - 33rd hit and perform another Royal Play As Meat — Defeat all 1 | .ממ‎ ₪ a ы. а = эн characters in Group mode to bring MIB Water Effects - ӨХШААФАӨ SM : up the semi-worthless meat = This will bring the combo meter to dam 2 о по AemAx around 99 hits! Note: This Pi G Beat th ith technique will not work unless the - E um E ne Chal Ww opponent is on the ground and not innok. Then, at the Оаа blocking. а screen go down Bs Tag Team Mode - Start a game in 1 then press Up, Up, Up; fet ה‎ - Ош that the cursor is on Shinnok). riginal mode (see the new From here hit Run and Block Grand Theft Auto - Options) and have Player 1 Petty ta get Goro. PlayStation — choose any two fighters. Player 2 А “тив! choose the same characters Play As Noob Saibot - Beat the game with Reiko. Then, enter a Г jercav Nevil — DE 1 in reverse order. Example, Player Jersey Devil — PlayStation : Elion 2-player match and have both Ryu and Sabertooth. | 2 should pick Sabertooth players choose Reiko. Then, enter : [ the Noob Saibot Kombat Kode 2 A ” (012-012) at the battle screen. | Finish the match, then return to the over to the other side of the on character select screen. Go to building and enter the darkness. Sud | Hidden and press and hold Run. Within this secret area, punching in 7777 Fighter — PlayStation hile still holding Run, move to the right area will knock open a 7 ко (2 spaces up, 1 space left) or that leads to the last level. “hee E & Фил 5 d press Block. To change : ighlight Ryu or Ken then рге he sam Vi Donny Ozmelester Left or Right (off screen) to | |] n you are on Reiko, Los Angeles, CA Ti access these horribly hidden hod Start then push characters. А Cheesy, The Puffmeister stories. Leon, France Bonus 1 - Before time there was - Viti : 1 _ i man, and man was a (insert code Vigilante 8 Playstation : : : эй here). A woman is a (naughty : : word) and a man is a (insert code Enter all of these codes at the — Interceptor — Requires 2 | וקהמ‎ 5 here). This code rhymes with Password screen. Note: The Missiles – Up, Up, Down, Gran Turismo - Pla mustard. Actually it uses the last Debug Menu — the 4 press the Left Button, Button, Right Button, | Button, Left Button, Righ Button. Doing this right will activate a sound bite. Now, hold ] the Left and Right Buttons and choose any game mode. This action will bring up the Debug Menu. Secret Characters - At the Character Select screen (within the Saturn Mode), hold the Right Button and press Up, Down, X, Y, Again, a sound bite will be heard entered correctly. Daniel Fias San Jose Ca Design and Take you have any 0 don’t call us, becaus hang up on you (really 2's technical service 412-539-6407. Enter all of these - (in the Overworld) collect a Knarf Tokens, but don't enter into Museum Madness. Instead, walk the codes are actually nauc words (oh ту!) So inste swearing in our beloved mag, thought we'd unveil the codes, | cleverly, and in the form of short “” denotes where a blank space then press R2 (machine gun) Free Parts — Buy five letters: STARD. There is also a should be entered. Dead On Blaster — Requires 5 | cars and give them differ B at the beginning. Please note, Invincibility -| WILL NOT DIE Rockets — Up, Down, Up, then schemes. Now, buy 8 bi when entering this code: The A Expert Mode - HARDEST. OF ALL _ press R2 rapidly parts for the first car. Check after the B should not be entered. Bonus Characters & Levels — Flipper - Requires 2 Shells – the list of its fitted parts, then Bonus 2 - He's the bomb! He's the WMNNWLHTSCUCLH Down, Down, Down, R2 switch to the other car and check man! He's the kingpin! He's (insert Homing Power – Cow Blaster — Requires 2 Shells – out the fitted parts. It should be code here)! Popular phrase: When DEADLY. MISSILES Down, Up, Down, R2 empty. With this second car go to (insert code here) hits the fan! The last three letters are HIT and the a Spot Race. Go to Machine ! first three are THE. Somewhere in Large Tires -MONSTER WHEELS Cactus Power - Requires 6 Mines - S Settings and change your parts. Left, Right, Up, R2 e м Customize Soundtrack – During M You! now have all of the same | ema be an S. low G—-REDUCE GRAVITY gameplay pause and remove the parts that the first car has. Exit out Bonus 3 - MADEMAN and go back to the garage. Check | Bonus 4 - GROOVY out the fitted parts for both cars | Maximum Wanted Level - and be prepared to be amazed! \ Vigilante 8 game from your PlayStation. Insert any music CD, then go into the menu and change Duplicate Vehicles — SAME CHARACTER FMVs - SEE ALL MOVIES the track to whatever you want. Your Note: This little trick won't work for Pow Pow Power!!! music will now play. When the battle Weight Reduction or Racing Mod Enter these moves’ during gameplay | is over reinsert the game CD. to launch some serious firepower. “Wild Dog" Hal's Terrific Lube Shop Note: The required weapon must be San Jose, CA Austin, TX in your inventory before these moves will work. des. for the games listed below and Hp help. out а {fellow reader in a scrape. Or, уди 8 шо on agame, send us A al Nintendo 64 Banjo- -Kazooie tional Superstar Soccer 8 < Mission: Impossible | WWE War Zone ל‎ {PlayStation - Elemental Gearbolt Fox Sports Soccer 99 Heart of Darkness Kartia NFL Xtreme Spyro the Dragon Тотба! VR Baseball 99 WWF War Zone Game Boy All-Star Baseball 9 Legend of the River King Arcade Street Fighter Alpha 3 Send Secret Access Requests To: Access & Allies * Game Informer Magazine 10120 W. 76th St * Eden Prairie, MN 55344 E-Mail: access_allies@gameinformer.com Send Game Informer Your Passwords and Codes and Win! | Send in your codes and passwords, and if we print them you'll be entered in the Game Informer/ASCIIWARE Secret Access Contest. The Grand Prize is an ASCIIWARE product of your choice. PlayStation Saturn ASCII Pad ASCII Saturn Stick о аы Super NES АБС ato ASCII Pad SN 3 0 Super Advantage Enhancedasc ino Pad SN Pad Genesis, ASCII Carrybag* ASCII Specialized | Mach 1 Pad i ASCII Grip Rhino Pad SG The runner-up will receive a Game Informer Secret Access T-Shirt to complement his/her wardrobe. Send To: Secret Access Game Informer Magazine 10120 W. 76th Street | | Eden Prairie, MN 55344 | | E-Mail: secretaccess@gameinformer. corn Ф Game Informer 9 September "98. 1 0 our ally? Send in your | the Senet level you must beat the | game on 00 Agent. Unlock Multiplayer Levels — Beat the Severyna Bunker, Military Archives, and Water Cavern levels with the difficulty set to Agent. Unlock Bonus Weapons — Simply beat any of the levels below to- unlock these new weapons: Cougar Magnum - Beat the Antenna Cradle Laser — Beat the Aztec Complex | Golden Gun - Beat the Egyptian Temple Unlock Cheats - To unlock these fascinating codes, simply beat a level within a given amount of time. Note: Sometimes it will require a different difficulty setting to accomplish. Level 1 (Dam) - Acquire Paintball 8 mode with the difficulty set to Secret Agent. Time to beat — 2:40. Level 2 (Facility) - Acquire Invincibility with the difficulty set to 00 Agent. Time to beat — 2:05. Level 3 (Runway) - Acquire DK mode with the difficulty set to 3 Agent. Time to beat — 5:00. Level 4 (Surface) - Acquire 2x Grenade Launcher with the difficulty set to Secret Agent. Time E | to beat – 3:30. Level 5 (Bunker) — Acquire 2x Rocket Launcher with the difficulty set to 00 Agent. Time to beat - | 400. | Level 6 (Silo) — Acquire Turbo ‘mode with the difficulty set to Agent. Time to beat — 3:00. - 7 (Frigate) — Acquire No Radar Multiplayer with the difficulty cret Agent. Time to beat — Animation with the Secret Agent. Time: to beat - Level 14 (Train) - Acquire S PP7 with the difficulty set to 00 Agent. Time to beat - 5:25. | Level 15 (Jungle) — Acquire 2x Hunting Knives with the difficult set to Agent. Time to beat — 3:45. Level 16 (Control) - Acquire | Infinite Ammo with the difficulty set to Secret Agent. Time to beat - 10:00. Level 17 (Caverns) — Acquire 2x RC-P90 with the difficulty set to 00 Agent. Time to beat — 9:30. Level 18 (Cradle) - Acquire Gold PP7 with the difficulty set to Agent. Ж Time to beat - 5. Level 19 (Aztec) - Acquire 2x Lasers with the difficulty set to m Secret Agent. Time to beat - 0. Level 20 (Egyptian) - Acquire All Guns with the difficulty set to 00 Agent. Time to beat — 6:00. Copy Cheats To Another Folder — Highlight any cheat then hold A. While still holding A hit B twice to Й exit out to the Folder Selection $ M screen. Now, press 2 to select another folder. Enter the cheat menu, highlight any code and press Z. Now press B and release A. Select any level you want and begin the game with the cheat from the first folder. Bonus Multiplayer Characters — Oddjob, Jaws, Baron Samedi, and others will be available in Multiplayer once the game is beaten on Agent. 64 Multiplayer Characters — This is 0 a long code, but definitely a great M one. Read carefully and you should have no problem unlocking this mighty secret. Note: This code can be entered almost anywhere, but we recommend entering it on the Character Select screen with Moonraker Elite highlighted. їер 1 — Hold the Left and Right uttons and press Left C a 2 – Hold the Left Button and Hold he Left and Right ess Left on the press A again (don't hold it), finally hit Z to fire two or three times. This code must be entered Ш extremely fast, and you'll know it й works when one of the guns locks into place. The Clones are Here — To have M three of the same characters in Multiplayer follow these instructions. | Step 1 — Select Multiplayer and choose a 4-player game. Step 2 - Choose the character you want to clone as player 4. Step 3 - Don't start the game, back out, and select a 3-player game. | Step 4 - Have player 3 choose the character you want. Step 5 — Now, start a 2-player game. Step 6 - Choose the same character for player 2. Step 7 – Finally, start a 3 or 4-player game and begin the match. Step 8 - If done correctly, players 2, 3, and 4 will all be the same. Easy Detonation — To easily detonate remote mines, press A and B at the same time. Scientists Take Aim — Target a Scientist in the hands, arms, or legs, and shoot him twice. If you do this without killing, he will pull a | DD4 or grenade on you. Kill him ог her and take the weapon. | Paintbrush Weapon - Begin a Multiplayer game with Sniper Rifles and grab one of the Rifles. Don't grab anything else though. . From here press A twice to bring “ир the paintbrush. le Mines - In a multiplayer place a mine on an the ill be the bridge and look dam with the Sniper Much Needed Armor — In the Streets level on 00 Agent you can Й find an Armor Vest and a Grenad Launcher. All you have to do meet with Valentine then take a few steps outside and turn left. Enter the broken window and you'll find the goods. Explosive Bond Action — First turn | on the Invincibility cheat and go to the Silo level. Throw the Plastique Explosives against a wall and shoot them with your gun. Now, wherever you run, the explosions will follow you destroying everything! li More Time On Train — On the Train level line up to the right so that Ourumov is blocked by Xenia. Kill jg, Ourumov and keep shooting him | while he falls. Now, shoot Xenia (don't kill her though). She will say that she is hit, and Alec won't be able to tell you that you only have a minute to get out until you are | almost done removing the bolts Ж 4 from the door. : View Movie Poster — Enter Bunker | | 2 and when you come across the CCVV Tape hit Start and scroll 80094038 6400 Low Health Player 2 – ” 8009абас 0100 "80081364 0003 Super Armor — 80085718 0001 Infinite Ammo — 80084832 0063 | Forsaken — PlayStation | MFRL and Graviton - | 800862dc 2a01 Infinite Purge — 800862de 0009 Infinite Solaris Missiles — 800862d8 0009 Gran Turismo — PlayStation Start With Bonus Items A - down your list of junk until you | соте to the Tape. Press Start E^ 80081608 0000 : : 80081608 5 twice and you will see the А d00816da 0000 oldenEye movie poster. 800816da 0004 Navigate the Golden Gun Room d00816dc 0000 On the Egyptian level follow this command in the Golden Gun room. Left, Left, Up, Up, Right, Right, Right, Up, Up, Left, Up, Left, Up, Up, Right. / пе — On the Runway om Grenades and the 8008164с 0405 00081600 0 80081608 4 000816860 0 80081660 0504 000816862 0 80081662 0004 Star With Bonus Items B - 40081664 0000 80081664 0404 d00816e6 0000 80081666 0004 d00816e8 0000 80081668 0404 400816еа 0000 800816еа 0004 Bio FREAKS — PlayStation “Тив ЕЯ i with I в Gam сэн “40081 бес 0000 : 800816ее 0004 Start With Bonus Items 0 = :000816/00000 | Granstream Saga 800816f0 0404 House of the Dead | 40081612 0000 Jersey Devil : С 80081612 0004 > d00816f4 0000 Kobe Bryant In NBA Courtside 80081614 0404 Mortal Kombat 4 d00816f6 0000 Bion 800816f6 0004 N20 | Off-Road Challenge Granstream Saga - PlayStation All Shields - 80109144 ffff All Armor — 80169148 fff | Pocket Fighter Road Rash 3D — PlayStation High Bike Durability - 8010eeaa 7f7f Infinite Cash - 800b6f7c fff Quest 64 — Nintendo 64 Have All Elements - 8107baa4 3232 “i Sega Game Play Assistance 81070886 2 900-200-7342 (SEGA) and | $.95 per minute for automated Infinite Health - “assistance and | 81076а84 014 “$1.50 per minute for live help. 8107ba86 01f4 Canada 900-451-5252 Infinite Magic Points — $1.25 per minute automated 8107ba88 01f4 1 NINTEND( 81070888 4 1 Game Counseling Super Defense - =. Eo "fu i alee 8107ba8c 014 || | Canada 900-451-4400 Super Agility = [mm : : Ї a per True qu intendo's Automated Power Line! 8107ba8e 0114 ל‎ | aon ase 7520 L | Rue gaming Гост the past to the Dasson” Ghouls ‘N Ghosts - Master System Chest Tips - If your gameplaying skills are good enough, and you can avoid being hit for a while, then this tip may be useful. Otherwise, stop reading now! Don't open the first chest. Only open the second chest with armor on (you'll get the Golden Armor). The third chest will give you a weapon. Fourth chest - armor (if you need it) or a weapon. Slow Motion/Invincibility – Pause Play Episode 0 — At the title screen, press Up, Up, Up, Down, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, Left, Right, L, R. Note that your health will decrease over time, so you may wish to use the Invincibility code to prevent this. Polygon Babe - If you beat the game with- out dying, the Sega Logo will turn into a Polygon Babe. Lara, is that you? Rolling Mode - At the title screen, the game and hold Button 2. 3 5. ress Up, Right, Down, Left. Te game will play in slow classic UM os four motion, but you'll be invinci- _codes: times. You will hear a sound like ble. If you use this code you're not a gamer. Space Harrier - Master System Bonus Level Tip - Get to round 5 (the bonus stage) and instead of getting as many points as possible, try to hit less than three trees and weeds. If you succeed, at the end of the stage, you'll jump off the dragon as normal, and a plane will fly across the screen. Shoot it down with your gun and you'll be awarded 10,000,000 points. Continue - When the screen says "Game Over," press Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, Down, Up, Down, Up. Do not press any other buttons after the final “Up” command. The game should start from where you left off. More Options — Go to the sound test screen by pressing Right, Left, Down, Up at the title screen. From here, play sounds 7, 4, 3, 7, 4, 8, 1. Press Button 1 after select- in£ each sound. If done correctly, an option screen will appear that allows you to become a transformer. You should be able to turn into a JET and change the dif- ficulty of the game. View Final Boss - Hold Left at the title screen. This should allow you to see “Haya-Oh,” the last character in the game. Military Madness - 6 Enhance the madness with these pass- words. REVOLT ICARUS CYRANO RAMSEY NEWTON SENECA SABINE ARATUS GALIOS MILTON MONOGA DARWIN IRAGAN ATTAYA PASCAL LIPTUS DESHTA HALLEY INAKKA МЕКО$Е BORMAN TETRAS ERATIN APOLLO ARBINE SOLCIS KAISER RECTOS SAGINE NECTOR YEANTI WINNER Sound Test - At the password screen, type in the Japanese word for sound, "ONGAKU." Panzer Dragoon - Saturn Color Sega Man - At the main menu, press Up, X, Right, Y, Down, 2, Left, Y, Up, א‎ Now, if you die with no continues, the SEGA figure will be red. Invincibility — At the main menu, press L, L, R, R, Up, Down, Left, Right. Note that if you use this trick, you won't get the good ending. Level Select - At the main menu, press Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, X,Y, 2. [2] Game Informer * September '98 the dragon being hit, and then 4) Rolling Mode will appear. To roll the dragon while playing, press the con- trol pad twice in any diagonal direction. Smart Bomb - This trick will wipe out every- thing within radar range. First, activate Rolling Mode. To eliminate your enemies, go into a roll and hold any button. This will highlight every enemy within the range of your radar. Let go of the button and you will destroy them. Space Harrier Mode - |] you haven't gotten enough of the intergalactic birdman, try this code out. To play without the dragon, turn off the Saturn and remove the CD. Turn the Saturn back on and select German (Deutsch) from the Languages menu. Finally, load the game CD and press Up, X, Right, X, Down, X, Left, X, Up, Y, Z. If you did this correctly, you will hear the sound of your dragon being hit. Unlimited Continues - At the main menu, press Up, ,א‎ Right, Y, Down, 2, Left, Y, Up, X. View Hard Finalé - At the main menu, press Up, Up, Down, Up, Left, Left, Right, Left, Down, Down, Up, Down, Right, Right, Left, Right. View Normal Finale — At the main menu, press Up, Up, Down, Up, Right, Right, Left, Right, Down, Down, Up, Down, Left, Left, Right, Left. Wizard Mode - Want a greater challenge? At the main menu, press L, R, L, R, Up, Down, Up, Down, Left, Right. This will make the game much faster. Note: you can also get to this mode by beating the game at the highest difficulty. Kolibri Level - Password Infestation - CXQYRTDR New Infection - XVRXCGCH Deep Seeding - JRKTRFCW Plains Infection - HTYXMRBR Terra Lesson - VVGHMRBB Terra Decay - BDTDCLCH Cold Entrance - 2 Dark Cavity - NJYHQKGX Dark Obstruction - 1 To the Light - NMFNXFCS Infected Forest - 86 Old World Infection - WQLYHGCW Penetration - CZBFHGCZ Extraction - WPVLXQBP Remission - KHQFNLCK -32X Heroes‏ ו Availability: Common Replay Value: Moderate Similar Games: Contra Series (NES, SNES, GB, SG) , Super Ghouls ‘N Ghosts (SNES), Strider (SG), Ghosts ‘N Goblins (SG) Created by: Treasure for Sega Access Tip: Extra Power-Ups - Kick the power-up pods after they've dropped their goodies and they'll drop two more. Overall: 9.25 Forget Contra Ill and those other action games. Gunstar Heroes is definitely the best in its genre. We consider Gunstar peerless because Treasure included so many original ideas. Scenes such as the robot running in the spinning room, the die level, and the caverns were different, and perfectly executed. In addition to amazing designs, Treasure devised creative gameplay. Gunstar was the first action game that allowed players to blast enemies multiple times (a la combos). For example, you can grab enemies, toss them into the air, then blast them with your gun! The weapon system was also revolutionary. Players can use two weapons individually, or combine them to create a hybrid gun. Finally, Gunstar surpasses the most important requirements in the action genre: control and continuous action. The control is flawless, and the intense action prevents gamers from relieving that nasty itch that oddly surfaces during exciting gameplay. Availability: Uncommon Replay Value: Low Similar Games: ActRaiser (SNES), Earthworm Jim Series (SNES, SG), Super Star Wars (SNES), Turrican Series (GB, SNES, SG) | Created by: Enix Access Tip: Last level with 36 lives - MFMJ TVSY FVPX Overall: | ActRaiser 2 is “100% Pure Action,” and it’s 100% difficult. If you even want a chance at defeating the level bosses, you have to ' memorize the location of every enemy, the attack pattern of the mid-bosses, and avoid unnecessary, injurious mistakes. The last level is even worse. To encounter the final boss, you must defeat every level boss found in the game with only three lives! However, your sword attack, nose-dive, various super | moves, and shooting mechanism present a challenge to Тапа (A.K.A. Satan). Accompanying the insane action are the beautiful graphics and orchestrated music. Yuzo Koshiro composed every piece, so you know it's appropriate, and awesome. Furthermore, the high quality music really exemplifies the SNES's sound capabilities. If you can handle tons of frustration, ActRaiser 2 will truly determine if you’re a gamer. nds Токко! FuncoLà Official Sub EARS Age Contact Prone 8 (das / Contact Phone (тек eo Is sense ete בהי‎ Eq anni 24 id ווק‎ "ө npn 1967147 First Prize (2) $250 FuncoLand? Gift Certificates Recognition Awards (20) Life Size Tekken 3 Standee How to Play: Pick up your Official FuncoLand/Tekken 3 Submission Form at any FuncoLand retail store or send a self addressed stamped envelope to: FuncoLand/Tekken 3 Character Art Contest, 10120 W. 76th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55344. Allow 10 days from postmarked request. All entries must be received by FuncoLand store or postmarked by September 27th, 1998. All entries become property of Funco, Inc. and will not be returned. For complete contest rules please review the Official FuncoLand/Tekken 3 Submission Form. Winners to be notified by December 31st, 1998. Tekken art by Allen Oliver used Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary. All federal, state and local laws and regulations apply. Open to all legal residents of the with permission from Game United States (except Puerto Rico). Informer magazine Tekken 3™ © 1994 1995 1996 1998 Namco Ltd. All Rights Reserved. All Tekken 3 characters and their likenesses are trademarks of Namco Ltd. All Rights Reserved. © 1998 Funco, Inc. FuncoLand6 is a registered trademark of Funco, Inc. All Rights Reserved. eae SARRED —— Ubi Soft ENTERTAINMENT ©1998 Vivid Image. Graphics and sound effects Ubi Soft Entertainment / Vivid Image. Ubi Soft © i h & ® 1998 Ubi Soft Entertainment, Inc. All rights reserved. All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders. PlayStation and Ha [egos are registerad trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. Multi-tap required for 3 or 4 players on the PlayStation® Game Console. Nintendo and 'N' logo are registered trademarks of Nintendo of America Inc. intendo erica Inc. l'Libi Soft | ENTERTAINMENT Bek SET nri — ont “Ф NINTENDOS* <. PlayStation ® CONTENT RATED BY ESRB ©1996, Made with) love’ by, Our goal is to presejvelclassi¢ video game magazines soi that they аге not lost/permanently: People interested) in helping ош п апу capacity; please visit us at retromags.com: No profitis made) from) 656 56305 nor do we offer anything available ו סז‎ the publishers themselves: If: you come across anyone selling releases from this site) please/do not support them апа dolet 5 know: Thank you!