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BLOWOUT j9 Nintendo Feeds Your, Addiction ‘With Yellow, Silver, &Gold

BREAKING NEWS FROM JAPAN

In-Depth Coverage From Tokyo Game ` Show & Nintendo Space World

ZELDA REBORN *

Link's Adventures Continue On pu a E —_— i ` Nintendo 64 & Game Boy Color D TONY Li AWK’ S ~ ENEE] Ç = DRNA QUATER

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© Issue 11

EVERYONE

logos are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

NAUGHTY: DOG CTR (Crash Team Racing) Game ©1999 Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. Devel

It’s not driving Its amotorized beat-down. Leave skid marks on 25 different tracks. Reduce your fellow drivers to roadkill. And if youre man enough to survive the hair- pin turns, you'll score a TURBO boost. Unless, of course, you get 86'ed by a TNT crate. Plug in the Multi Tap adaptor and up to four players can race to the ugly fin- ish. With over 12 playable characters in all. Basically, it’s a full-blown war on wheels.

www.playstation.com

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Once he gets behind the wheel, things get ugly.

GENERIC KNOCKOFFS ARE THIS STUFF IS WAY

S Video Cable Color Memory Cards Link Cable Multi Tap

™

Settling for anything less than the real thing can be a bad idea. So get your hands on genuine PlayStation” branded accessories. The DUAL SHOCK analog controller's vibration feature brings every racing pileup and cranium-crushing blow to life. Dual thumb-sticks make for surgical precision. The Multi Tap lets you plug up to four players into one console. So you can strain your closest friendships with a trash-talking game of hoops or a golf

PlayStation and the PlayStation logos are registered trademarks and DUAL SHOCK is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. ©1999 Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.

OKAY FOR MEDICATION. TOO IMPORTANT.

PlayStation ®

RFU Adaptors Color DUAL SHOCK™ Look for Official PlayStation Analog Controllers Branded Accessories.

www. playstation.com

foursome. Use your Memory Card to save a level or disemboweling fighting combo. For serious one-on-one arcade action, use a Link Cable to hook up two consoles and two TVs. And if your TV's missing a video input, our RFU Adaptors will end your woes. Let’s not forget S Video Cables. A must for high-resolution beat-downs. And unlike generic accessories, you'll never run the risk of damaging your console. Or living a life of mediocrity.

< Or co™

Letter From the Editor Homie Don’t Play That

Dear Game Informer GI readers from across the globe interact with Game Informer.

Envelope Art

You can’t win if you don’t enter Gl’s Monthly Envelope Art Contest.

GI News

Nintendo announces a new Game Boy and talks of new Pokémon, updates from the Tokyo Game Show, plus Name That Game!, Trivia, and GI’s Top Ten.

Photophile

Super mini-previews with a big taste! This month we crammed in the Dukes of Hazzard, Ridge Racer 64, Mega Man Legends 2, and Tomorrow Never Dies.

Game Informer PC

Oops. We broke the PC Jedi. Or no, one of his games is broken? Oh well, he babbled something about Mech Commander Gold, Starfleet Command, Septerra Core, and Sinistar Unleashed.

Arcade Brigade

Shortly after saving the world from a horde of zombie Pokémon collectors, The Arcade Assassin squeezed in just enough time to go off about Ferrari 355, San Francisco Rush 2049, and Outtrigger.

Play to Perfection

Skaters, poseurs, and people who never touch the stuff gather “round. We've provided you with guided tours of every area of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, including sweet spots and some of the highest scoring trick combos in the game.

Secret Access

Fabulous tips from readers and Game Shark codes that dazzle the eye! Enhance your gaming experience with codes for Ready 2 Rumble, NFL Blitz 2000, Mortal Kombat Gold, and Sled Storm.

Classic GI

Fond memories and old groans emanate from this page when we check out classic games on the SNES and Genesis systems, and throw in a few classic codes to boot.

Pg 100

Game Informer Magazine" (ISSN 1067-6382) is published monthly at a subscription price of $19.98 per year, or five trial issues for $9.98 by Sunrise Publcations®, 10120 West 76th Street, Eden Prairie, MN 55344. (612) 946-7245 or FAX (612) 946-8155. For subscriptions, back issues, or customer service inquires (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, MN 55344- 8728, Foreign or 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 screenshots herein. Copyright in all screenshots contained within this publication are owned by their respective companies. Entire contents copyright 1999, Game Informer Magazine". Al rights reserved; reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Game Informer” is a trademark of FUNCO, Inc.

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

Game Informer + November '99

=.

Cover Story: Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater A skating game this good? We had other plans for the cover this month, but Tony Hawk was just too good to be true. This game had everyone in the office sneaking away from their desk to get in a little extra playing time. Get the scoop and check out our interview with Tony Hawk.

Feature: PlayStation 2 Extravaganza Is it a DVD player, a game system, or a radiator? Whatever it is, it’s got us walking around with big grins on our faces. Get all

your facts straight with this trove of information on the PS-2, the ~ Dual Shock2, and of course, the amazing games themselves. \

Pg 12

Feature: Space World Cripes! It seems like all we have to do is mention the word Pokémon and another 50 subscribers magically appear. Senior Editor Paul Anderson brings back our first substantial info on Pokémon Silver and Gold, an announcement about the pending release of the 64DD in Japan, and more news on upcoming Nintendo games. Did we forget to mention the interview with the man behind Mario, Shigeru Miyamato?

yO

Reviews & Previews

Nintendo 64

Battletanx 2: Global Assault, Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness, Destruction Derby 64, Donkey Kong 64, Earthbound 3: The Final Days of the Pig King, Excitebike 64, Legend of Zelda: The Continuing Saga, NBA Courtside 2 Featuring Kobe Bryant, Rayman 2, Resident Evil 2, Winback

PlayStation

Crash Team Racing, Dune 2000, Grand Theft Auto 2, Grandia, NASCAR 2000, NHL 2000, NHL Face Off 2000, Resident Evil 3:Nemesis, Spyro 2: Ripto’s Rage, Thousand Arms, Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation, Wipeout 3

Dreamcast

Crazy Taxi, D2, Dynamite Cop, Ecco the Dolphin, Fighting Force 2, Freshtracks, Seaman, Shenmue, Soul Fighter, Toy Commander, Virtua Fighter 3tb

Game Boy Color Pokémon Yellow, Pokémon Silver & Gold

At a Glance

Nintendo 64 Rocket, Starshot

PlayStation

Bass Rise, Gallop Racer, Hot Wheels Turbo Racing, Juggernaut, Metal Gear VR Missions, / Monkey Magic, Rat Attack, Re-Volt, Shadow Tower, Shadow Man, Tail Concerto, Test Drive: Off Road 3, Tiny Tank, WCW Mayhem, Xena: Warrior Princess

Game Boy Color

Game & Watch Gallery 3, Ghosts N Goblins, Legend of Zelda: Fruit of the Mysterious Tree, Mario Golf, Ms. Pac-Man, NBA 3 on 3 Featuring Kobe Bryant, Vegas Games

Neo Geo Pocket Color Pac-Man

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Excessive Speeding 2:54 a.m. Jet Moto racing is back. With an all-new 3D racing engine that delivers sharper graphics, faster speed and more adrenaline. Jostle and fight for

position on 19 killer tracks and 11 insanely fast hover

L E [2] = [go] — ea) =~ piss joke

bikes. It’s the wicked speed you've always wanted,

without all the tickets. | The rush is back!

www.989studios.com

PlayStation Licensed for use with the PlayStation game console. PlayStation and the PlayStation logos are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment inc. Jet Moto is a registered trademark,

and 989 Studios and the 989 Studios logo are trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. Published by 989 Studios. ©1999 Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.

November Issue 1999 Volume IX + Number 11 + Issue #79

Richard A. Cihak Publisher

Andrew McNamara Editor

Paul Anderson Andrew Reiner Senior Associate Editors

Jay Fitzloff Erik Reppen Matt Helgeson. Associate Editors

Beaux Hawkins Contributing Writer

Thomas Blustin Art Director

Curtis Fung Production Director

Rachel Gilles Production Assistant

Ryan MacDonald West Coast Correspondent

Gabrielle Dane ‘Sarah Anderson Copy Editors

Advertising Sales Kimberley Thompson-Benike National Advertsing Sales Director 10120 W. 76th Street Eden Prairie, MN 55344-3728 (612) 946-8159 Fax (612) 946-8155

Vicky Valley Circulation / Marketing Manager Customer Service Manager (612) 946-7274

Customer Service Department

For change of address

or subscription inquiry only:

(612) 946-7266 Fax (612) 946-8155

or send correspondance to:

10120 W. 76th Street Eden Prairie, MN 55344-3728 Attn: CIS Dept

Arthur Mascot

Manufactured and printed’ im the United States of America

Homie Don't Play That

That’s right. I’m not too happy with Sony’s choice to go with broadband Internet connections to deliver games. First off, | don’t see broadband hitting any kind of market penetration in the timeframe that PS-2 will be in the limelight of next- generation gaming. Secondly, | hate cable modems.

As of now, and this may change in the future, for each person in your neighborhood that gets a cable modem, your data transfer rate slows down. Which, in and of itself, makes the medium moronic. Then you add in the fact that my cable signal already stinks and this whole cable modem thing is

heading for disaster.

Back that up with the fact that Sony wants me to run out and buy a modem and pay an ISP 20 bucks every month just so | can download games from the comfort of my living room. Yeah...right. I think not.

Certainly this plan could almost work if | was going to surf the web on my TV, but as Dreamcast owners already know, surfing the Internet on a standard TV just stinks. The only way surfing in the living room is somewhat bearable is if you have high definition TV (HDTV), and let me tell you first hand that there aren’t many people with those. Plus,

to throw another wrench in the cogs, the realities of

HDTV being in everyone’s living room is still at least four years off. If you can afford a HDTV, you can afford to buy a computer for all your Internet surfing

Grassy Knoll Gamers (left to rigl

Paul, Andy, Matt, Jay, Re

BY ANDREW McNAMARA

fun, so why would you want to surf in the living

room?

While | realize that broadband connections are the way to go (I have one at home), | don’t want to sit around and wait for Sony to figure out that things aren’t going to work out as planned while we miss out on years of multiplayer gaming that could have been. I want to play EverQuest on PlayStation

Game Army Me

Bass Rise ...

Croc (Gl

now, not at some unseen time in the future. Luckily,

Sony hasn’t ruled out the possibility of another company selling a modem and making massive multiplayer games a reality, but I just don’t like the idea of the system manufacturer not supporting

the medium.

Then there is the last, and possibly worst, scenario regarding this whole e-distribution of gaming thing - the downloads could take forever.

Destruct Donkey

GAMESsIN

DEX:

fen.

Bass Fishing .

BattleTanx (GBC) Battletanx 2- ‘Bouncer, Ti

Castleva

Countdown Vampires Crash Team Racing . Crazy Taxi

BC) Rob

tion Derby 64 Kong 64 -

Dukes of Hazzard Dune 2000 . Dynamite Ce Earthbound

The Final Days of the Pig King Ecco The Dolphin

Eternal Arcadia

Eternal

Right now | know game developers that send

games over the Internet and it takes somewhere around 14 hours - and that’s for a CD-ROM. Imagine how long it will take with a DVD. There are also times when the game arrives at its destination missing sections of data. Yikes! Plus, storing games on hard drives? Isn’t that why I play console

games - to avoid the hassle.

| don’t know, this may work, but right now I think this whole thing sounds like a mess. And

homie don’t play that.

er. Inset: Lee Harvey Reppen (Erik).

Ghosts

Grandia

Kessen

Legend Fruit of Legend

Mario Gi

Gran Turismo 200( Grand Theft Auto 2

Ring

Fear Effect Fighting Force 2 .

Game & Watch

N Goblins

Hotwheels Juggernaut

Kirby's Dreamland 64 .. Kobe Bryant 3 on Kyojin no Doshin

of Zelda: f the Mysterious Tre of Zelda: The Contini

Macross VF-X2 .

olf .

MechCommander Gold .

Mega Man Legends 2

Metal Gear Soli

_. Mini Racers Monkey Magic Ms. Pac-Man .

VR

NASCAR 2000 NBA 3 on 3 Featuring Kobe Bryant -NBA’Courtside 2 Featuring Kobe Bı ‘Need for Speed V-Rally New Ridge Racer NHL 2000... NHL Face Off 2000 .. Pac-Man...

Paint Studio .

Pokemon Silver Pokemon Yellow . Rat Attack

Rayman 2

Resident Evil

The Editor welcomes company product information for all video games. Such materials should be addressed to: Editor, Game Informer Magazine, 10120 Street, Eden Prairie, MN 55344. Editorial are noted above. Unsolicited urned or acknowledged. pyright 1999. Game Informer Magazine. All rights reserved; reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Game Informer of FUNCO, Inc. ned in these pages are trade names, or of their respective companies.

PUBLISHER LIABILITY FOR ERROR

The publisher shall not be liable for slight changes or typographical errors: that.do.not. lessen the value of an advertisement. The publisher's liability for Other errors Of omissions»in*connection with an advertisement is limited to republication of the advertisement in any subsequent issue or the refund of any monies paid for the advertisement. INDEMNIFICATION

The advertiser andior Advertising Agency agrees to detend and indemnity the publisher against any and all liability, loss, or expense arising from claims of libel, Unfair competition, unfair trade practices, infringement of trademarks, copyrights, trade names, patents, or proprietary rights or of rights of privacy, resulting from the pi of the Advertiser's

Septerra Core

Shadow Man .

Shadow Towe Shenmue .

Sim City 64

Sinistar Unleashed . Soul Fighter . Spider-M;

Spyro 2:

Starshot

Star Trek: Star Fleet Command. Super Mario RPG 2 . Super Runabout . SuperCross Circuit . Tail Concerto

Talent Studio.

Tekken Tag Tournament Test Drive: Off Road 3. Thousand Arms .

Time Loop

Tiny Tank

Tomb Raider: Tomorrow Never Dies . . Tony Hawk's Pro Skater Toy Commander

statement

Audit Bureau of Circulations Member

Andy, The Game Hombre andy@gameinformer.com “I just got back from Tokyo Game Show, and to say that I'm pretty impressed with the PlayStation2 would be an understatement. At this point the games are good; nothing revolutionary yet (don't forget they still have six months of development time left), but | never would have guessed that it would be able to play DVD movies (with Dolby Digital and dts) without some kind of add-on. That's awesome. | already paid well over 300 bucks for a DVD player and for me to be able to get another one — that just happens to include a PlayStation2 — is incredible.”

6 Game Informer e November '99

Paul, The Game Professor

paul@gameintormer.com “So there | am, at Nintendo's Space World, expecting to see some cool Dolphin footage or something. Nintendo had nothing, and | scoured the site looking to kick Mario's tail. Couldn't find that plumber boy, so | turned my aggression to Charmander. Unfortunately, some other Pokemon (I didn't get a good look at it) blind-sided me, and | awoke to find myself stuck under the new Zelda 64 display. Luckily, that game is cool. | just watched as | dressed my wounds. Other than Zelda and getting my butt wupped by a Pokémon, Space World was a fairly uneventful show.”

Reiner, The Raging Gamer reiner@gameintormer.com “After some serious soul searching, I now know what the true meaning of life is, and oh boy, is it amazing! The meaning of life is...eh? (Reiner’s train of thought is derailed as Erik begins thrashing about his desk screaming nonsense about this month's grueling deadline.) Hold that thought, | need to calm one of my coworkers. (Like Jesus walking across water, Reiner gracefully glides to Erik's desk.) Fool, what's yo deal? (In a lighting fast motion, Erik's iron fist connects with Reiner’s jewels.) ARGH! You bruised my precious orbs! Damn you rat- monkey!!! |... will... get... revenge...”

a

Jay, The Gonzo Gamer jay@gameinformer.com “Things given up during this issue: soda (1 successful attempt, 2 failures). Sick things eaten this issue: Green Slime sauce. Innovations this issue: writing a half page article with a person writing one sentence, then passing it on until completed. Total staff hours put in on Tony Hawk's Pro Skater: 85. Highest single combo score: 24,400. Skateboard ridden for issue research: Payaso Longbow. Percentage of this magazine written in the last week: 70%. Ideas Gonzo had for a clever

blurb: 0”

WCW Mayhem . WCW Mayhem (GBC) Winback. .

Wipeout 3

Xena: Warrior Princess

Matt, The Original Gamer

matt@gameinformer.com “I just spent the weekend in Vegas, and | have one piece of advice for every guy out there: Don't wear tank tops! (Especially if you're fat.) You don't look cool, you look like a tool. Also, someone at Nintendo needs to stop sniffin’ their BVD’s and get some good games out for the N64. Outside of Donkey Kong 64, this year's holiday lineup looks about as exciting as a Jim Belushi film festival. You can't expect kids to keep eating out of the Pokémon slop bucket forever. Fads like this have a notoriously short lifespan. Remember Mighty Morphin Power Rangers? Neither does anyone else.”

ae

Erik, The PC Jedi erik@gameintormer.com “The Dead Lion leapt. | did a full length split and delivered a mighty blow to its gonads as it flew over me gnashing and clawing at air where my head had just been. The wretched thing shrieked and tumbled to the ground groaning. It had been a long battle and | was already growing weary so | grabbed a hold of an Atari Jaguar and smashed it repeatedly into the Dead Lion's head hoping to knock it unconscious before it had a chance to recover from its injury. The Dead Lion faded away, leaving us in peace for a scant few days before

the endless battle began again.”

PRESENTS °

ZAKATZ ASD JZATR oY

defy urban gravity

CONTENT RATED BY

‘nose slide’ 12

2

PlayStation

Snail Mail:

Email:

Game Informer Magazine deargi@gameinformer.com Attn: Dear GI 10120 W. 76th Street

Eden Prairie, MN 55344

WWW www.gameinformer.com

Soul Reaver: Director's Cut?

| would like to direct your attention to something. Eidos, the company who issued the Soul Reaver game, has cheated gamers. They have released a cut-up version of the game so chock full of bugs, glitches, and errors that pure playing enjoyment is impossible. Further, it has come to my attention that nearly a third of the game has been cut.

Why was this done? | have no idea, but | hope this letter makes it into your magazine so Eidos will know that they can’t cheat people out of a good gaming experience.We waited over a year for this game, and what do we get for our patience? A game that crashes constantly, has missing parts, and has the worst possible ending any company could give a gamer. | paid nearly $40 for this game. At the very least | expected some sort of good ending, but instead | get,“TO BE CONTINUED,” For further information on what this

loser

History Lesson

l have been noticing a lot of hype around the Dreamcast. Even though it is an inferior system to the PS-2 and Dolphin, everyone is saying it still is going to do well because of the lead it has over all the other systems. | don’t think that is going to make a difference. Sega has always put out a superior system before everyone else puts out an even better system.

It has been this way for years. First there was the NES.Then Sega came out with the Genesis which was superior to the NES. Then Nintendo came out with the Super Nintendo which was superior to the Genesis. While the Genesis did well, the Super Nintendo did much better. Then Sega came out with Saturn. That too was superior to the SNES.Then the PlayStation arrived, and that pretty much ground Saturn’s face into the dirt.

Now there is Dreamcast. Superior to everything else out there, but not for long. I’m not saying that Dreamcast is bound to flop, and it does look sweet compared to anything on the home console market today, but is this just going to be another case of history repeating itself? | know that games make or break a system. It doesn’t matter how good the system is if it

© Game Informer + November '99

Smells Like Team S$

game really had, direct your attention $ to www.thegia.com/news/n99083 l a.html. I’m sure you'll be as surprised and angry as | was when I read this.

The worst part of it is that the § information for the cut parts are still on the game disk. This is not the way for a gaming company to garner support from its fans. This is a sad day indeed for gamers everywhere, especially when a gaming company can do things like this at the last minute. i

Michael Gevins $ Bridgeport, PA }

All of this information is true. We received confirmation from Crystal Dynamics that several pieces of the game were, in fact, chopped out of the final product.Why these pieces were left on the disc is a mystery. Maybe it was acry for help from the development team that spent years on this project, then a deadline came along and stripped away their dream. Who knows? Leaving this stuff on the disc was a bad idea, and Crystal had better have a cheap Director’s Cut in the works so that we can play the finished product. It’s a great game, but come on! Finish it before you release it! Believe it or not, Konami pulled a similar stunt with the Nintendo 64 game Castlevania. It was supposed to have four playable characters, but when it released it only had two. Later this year, Konami is releasing the finished game under the guise, Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness.

© | Why do you guys always talk about | the Minnesota Vikings and Timberwolves? Í The Denver Broncos and Houston _ | Rockets are far superior. Get with it! i John McFaras Oakland, CA

Elvis — The King of Highlighting

When you guys review a game, there is always a comment (good or bad) highlighted in bold letters. Who decides to highlight these comments? | would also like to send congrats to Gl for not falling for the “norm” — which is mentioned in September's Letter From the Editor.

Keep Shining Gl! NME FIST...

Skool Be Cruel?

I’m a junior in high school, and | was thinking | could either go to college in Boston and get a good education, which every aspiring college student needs. Or, | could go to another school and just get a regular education to get me by in life. Or, | could just screw the education and go to a college near Eden Prairie and try and get myself work

doesn’t have enough good games to support it. How is Sega on this matter? With all the major console companies coming out with new systems, this will be one heck of a console war. I’m looking forward to it. David “What’s my age again?” Scarberry Juno.com It’s too early to tell. Both Sony and Nintendo can talk smack about how great the new machines will be, and how much they will squash Sega, but we won't believe it until we see it. Here's the pattern — almost every console is talked up to be the most powerful unit ever, then it hits the street and the machine can only handle half of what was suggested. It happens every time. As of now, Sega has an advantage and a good head start. The software looks great, and the Dreamcast is already collecting a library of games light-years better than that of the Saturn. However, there are still a ton of third-party developers who do not want to create software for Dreamcast, and this is a sore spot for Sega. The absence of Electronic Arts and Square Soft is a bad thing, and something from which Nintendo and Sony can greatly benefit.

Fun Little Numbered Questions!

1) When will the PlayStation 2 console be released? 2) How much will the adaptor to connect the old console to the new one cost? 3) How will | be able to wait that long? 4) How come NES and SNES games become more difficult to turn on over time? 5) What can I do to fix this problem? 6) Why does Reiner get blasted so much in a magazine he works for? Sewer Lobster

We love numbered questions, but this time we're going to answer them out » | of order. Revolution! 3) Wait for what? We’re confused! 2) What adaptor? What console? 5) What are you talking about?! These crazy out-of-order questions make no sense!

Game Informer headquarters is located in Minnesota — the armpit of the nation. It’s always damp and stinky here.Always.To get our minds off the Minnesota misery that crushes our spirits and makes us whine like a beaver with its leg caught in a bear trap, we root-root-root for the Minnesota ball clubs. Both Paul and Andy are huge T-Wolves and Vikings fans. Matt, the gamer from the ghetto, has Vikings season tickets. Life must be rough, huh? As for Jay, he doesn’t think much of either team, and hopes that both will have horrible seasons this year. Reiner dislikes anything that reminds him of his co-workers; and Erik believes that the Vikings were brave warriors with great table manners, yet he has a sneaking $ suspicion that they weren’t very $ nice people.

That’s an interesting question. When we proofread pages for grammatical errors, a highlighting marker is used to choose the review quotes that should be in bold. Ironically, we have no idea who actually highlights these quotes. Matt claims that he saw Elvis doing it. Then again, Matt has also been caught sniffing glue and drinking out of the toilet.

with GI. | pretty much don’t care what kind of job | get, just as long as | work there.

Thanks,

Logan

Holmes Beach, FL

Donut werry aboot skool. Edukaten

iz ovoratid. All u needz iz a gud

dicktonaire and a gud pursonalate. It wurkt fur us.

6) Ahh... finally, a question we can answer. Andy’s big quote is, “Readers think that mentioning Reiner will get them onto the letters page.” Honestly though, this is complete nonsense. Reiner gets belittled in Dear GI because the rest of the review crew is jealous of his success. They are jealous of his gaming wisdom and power. They are jealous of his good looks. They are jealous of his legion of fans. For years, Paul has manned Dear Gl and has insulted Reiner in almost every issue. For what?! Just to raise his own ratings. Jealousy — it’s a killer.

4) Because they are old.

6) Oh wait...we answered this one already.

1) March 4, 2000 in Japan, autumn 2000 in the States. Whew! These out-of-order questions were grueling!

Env Art November Winner m:i avOreero E

Dreaming of Online .

I was wondering if you could tell me how well the modem works in the Sega Dreamcast. Have you tried surfing the Internet? How well does Sega Rally 2 work over the Internet? It’s been out for awhile in Japan.Are there any reports, good or bad, about how Sega Rally 2 works there? Internet multiplayer is one of the reasons I’m buying this system, and | would just like to know how well it works. Just imagine racing a Gran Turismo type game, playing against 2 to 20 other people. It almost makes

you soil yourself doesn’t it? DJ Wonderbread — Master of the Bumpasaurus and the Humpty Dance

The Highest Compliment Ever

lve read GI and its competitors for seven years, and Gl is easily the leanest, meanest, electronic recreational periodical on the market. It seems many of the other mags have donned the kneepads to make Nintendo and Sega happy, but I’ve never observed this magazine do it. That’s journalism in the truest sense. I’m sick of everyone whining about this and that — I hate this and that — you need to throw that crap in the hamper for ya mama to clean. It’s hard to make everyone happy, impossible — like trying to look cool pumping gas.

What Makes a Game

| was talking with my cousin about video games one day and how they have changed. He says graphics are everything, and lots of people agree with him. He bases all games on FFVII’s graphics and will not play anything with worse graphics. |, on the other hand, say gameplay is everything and don’t care about graphics. What do you guys think?

Unknown via aol.com

The Dating Game

There’s this girl in school who loves to play Final Fantasy VIII. She’s not the prettiest thing in the world, yet I’ve fallen in love with her simply because she is obsessed with my favorite game. | really want to ask her out, but I still haven’t talked to her. She probably doesn’t know | exist. | dream about her as my lovely RPG- playing wife. I’m obsessed. Think of it, GI guys — me and my lovely lady | playing Final Fantasy VIII for an | eternity! My heart aches! Help me | GI! You are my only hope! | John Johnson

San Rafael,CA |

First of all, you gotta change your name. You won't score with the ladies with the name John Johnson. It may be difficult, but you gotta pull yourself together and actually

The dream of every hardcore gamer.

We hate to burst your bubble DJ, but Sega still hasn’t finalized the online gaming aspect of its Internet service quite yet. Right now, you can download stupid little additions to Sonic Adventure, and ] that’s about it. The web browser $ | l works quite well and actually moves $f tA f Š k out at a nice speed. However, just like Web TV, most of the web pages out there | don’t fit onto the screen correctly. In i addition to this, the text is washed out. Many of the images on the Internet also look rather strange. Really, this $ service is about gaming, and we've yet f to see how it works.

Benny Ross

Kick...punch...it’s all in the mind.

GI has saved me countless $$$ because of its reviews — so | thank them and you should too. John Stefan via aol.com Never have we received such high praise, and we're delighted that you | trust our reviewers.All of the hard work is finally paying off! Thanks a billion! But we gotta tell ya, we'd sell out in a heartbeat. Seven years of deadlines will cripple any soul.Any company that would like a perfect 10 rating on its next game should send twenty

thousand dollars (small bills please!) Z| Hernandez f to the Dear GI address listed above. ‘| Los Angeles, CA | Grrrl, you be fine!

This is an age-old dispute that will never end. It’s been a thorn in our side since Pong was conceived. Both graphics and gameplay make the experience better. Which is more important is just personal taste. What you need to do is change your angle and argue that sound and packaging make a game, not graphics or gameplay. He won’t bring the topic up again.

Megan Taylor Columbia, MD Spider sense going crazy! Danger...down...there!!!

confront this broad. Ask her if she’d like to come over and check out your collection of Triple Triad cards. From what we suspect, she'd love to see your hand. You really do sound like the perfect match for one another. Word of advice — clucking like Chocobos is fine and dandy, but junctioning her now and then will, in turn, keep your GunBlade finely polished.

Josh Gilbert, Glendale, WI Snap into a Slim Jim!

Anthony Zanfardino Patchogue, NY

And you thought Chicago’s highways were bad?

e4]

Game Informer + November '99

Eo AMERiIcA's FAVORITE EARTHWORM SUPER-HERO ts pack.

40 of Earthworm Jim’s allies and enemies!

13 weapons including the Groovy Gun, the Chicken Gun, Banana-Myte, and the good old Hair Flamer!

5 evil bosses to battle including:

Professor Monkey for a Head, : oe

Psy-Crow, Bob the Goldfish, and ; aes Ss es ee Fatty Roswell om 2 Pe ee

www.earthworm-jim.com

Ci Ps a

BY GAMERS. FOR GAMERS.

© 1999 interplay Productions. All rights reserved. Game developed by and Software Engine © VIS Interactive pic. All rights reserved. Earthworm Jim and all related characters © Shiny Entertainment, Inc. Earthworm Jim and related marks are trademarks of Shiny Entertainment, Inc. Interplay, the Interplay logo and “By Gamers. For Gamers.” are trademarks of Interplay Productions. VIS and the VIS logo are trademarks of VIS interactive plc. All rights reserved. All other copyrights and trademarks are the properties of their respective owners. Nintendo, the Official Seal, Nintendo 64 and the 3-D “N” logo are trademarks of Nintendo of America, Inc. © 1999 Nintendo of America, Inc. Rockstar Games, the Rockstar Games logo, Jack of All Games and the Jack of All Games logo are trademarks of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc.. © 1999 All rights reserved.

Ithough it could be argued indefinitely who was the first to attach wheels toa board and roll down a driveway, it i ud was in the 1960s that the i | * manufactured skateboard was born. Toy A, J i companies, surf shops, and department stores alike

a began making and selling hard rubber wheels attached to heavy wooden boards, advertising them as the street version of suffing. For a brief time, skateboarding captured _ jhe media’s'attention and the public eye. By 1967, however, skateboarding’s popularity dwindled, and it looked to be no more than another passing fad. # Skateboarding as we know it might not exist if not for Frank Nasworthy’s s- invention of the Cadillac Urethane skate wheel in the early 70s. This wheel allowed skateboards to go outside the roller rink, giving a smooth and fast ride on télatively rough streets. Skateboarding had become accessible to the masses, and before 5 16hg, every kid on the block had a board, and skateparks were opening everywhere. y j The urethane wheel and changes in board design truly brought skateboarding into its own. Unlike the 60s, Where what few tricks there were borrowed heavily from surfing, the hordes of new street boarders were creating ainew Style with new moves and tricks to go with it. Born was the ollie, the fakie, the grinder, and the aerial. The craze lasted until the late 70s when, inexplicably, skating’s popularity waned once more.

Lack of public interest forced almost all of the skateparks to close. Those that clung to the sport weren't welcome on the street (hence the catchprase “Skating Is Not a Crime” was coined), and had nowhere to go. Skaters had no choice but to build their own backyard vert ramps and halfpipes, starting a sort of skateboarding underground. As these ramps gained prevalence, and with the move towards narrower and lighter wheels, the vertical skater became the norm.

By the mid-80s, the spectacular stunts that vert skaters were pulling off would once again put skateboarding imthig; limelight. Since then, boarding’s acceptance has continued to fluctuate, but it’s never almost died as it did in the 70s. Today, skateboarding’s back in the saddle thanks to exposure from MTV, Vans Warped Tour, and especially ESPN'S

X-Games. Hopefully, this time it’s here to stay. y

12 Game Informer + November '99

PlayStation

Cover Story

- suffered a more drastic slump than fs 7 skateboarding is skateboarding video games.

arcade hit. The game had it all, street skating, equipment upgrades, tournaments, and that funky angled joystick. = ae, 720° was ported over to the NES to much acclaim, but even’ ©“ better was Skate or Die and Skate or Die Il. ee From this fantastic beginning, it would seems that things could only get better, but the 16-bit gaming era came and went with nary a memorable boarding game. At best, a multi-sport game might have a Fe boarder cruising down the sidewalk dodging dogs and spilled ice cream i A puddles. By the time the PlayStation and Nintendo 64 hit the North 2) _» American market, it seemed that no developer even wanted to consider a 7 skateboarding game. Titles featuring snowboards and hoverboards grew like weeds, but skateboards could only be found lumped together with rollerblades and bikes, apparently not sufficiently viable in the market to : stand alone. — z Not until a few months ago was the first skateboard-only game, Street i Sk8ter, released for PlayStation. Unfortunately, the developers seemed more caught up in decade-old skating culture than the actual sport itself. With an annoying announcer constantly shouting, “Radical!” and “Loser!” the game was, to put it kindly, a poseur. Thankfully, the tides have turned. Games like Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater and the upcoming Thrasher: Skate and Destroy have ay dispensed with the old clichés and the “extreme” attitude. Lig Instead, they’re bringing skateboarder games back to their roots. dái pot about being “totally awesome,” it’s simply about busting tricks and developing a style of your own. Like skateboarding elf, the true skateboarding video game is here to stay.